A Haunting is Brewing by Juliet Blackwell

Title: A Haunting is Brewing (Witchcraft Mystery #6.5)

Author: Juliet Blackwell

Publisher: InterMix 2014

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 113

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; A to Z - H; Finishing the Series

When Mel Turner is hired to rehab an old Victorian mansion to act as the eerie setting for a Halloween bash, she’s expecting the normal challenges—old wiring, bad plumbing, maybe a ghostly specter or two. But when a young man is killed after spending the night in the house, and the mannequins in the attic start to come to life, it’s clear that this is serious paranormal activity. Maybe this time, a real witch is needed. 

I haven't read the Haunted Home Renovations series, but I'm deep into the Witchcraft Mystery series. this one was a fun crossover novella. I loved seeing Lily help solve a murder in a very strange old house. The life size dolls were definitely creepy characters. I loved reading this novella. I'm ready to move onto the next Witchcraft Mystery book.

Witchcraft Mystery

• #1 Secondhand Spirits
• #2 A Cast Off Coven
• #3 Hexes and Hemlines
• #4 In a Witch's Wardrobe
• #5 Tarnished and Torn
• #6 A Vision in Velvet
• #6.5 A Haunting is Brewing
• #7 Spellcasting in Silk
• #8 A Toxic Trousseau
• #9 A Magical Match

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Origin of Satan by Elaine Pagels

Title: The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics

Author: Elaine Pagels

Publisher: Vintage Books 1995

Genre: Nonfiction - Religion

Pages: 214

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (NonAd); Mount TBR; A to Z: O

From the religious historian whose The Gnostic Gospels won both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award comes a dramatic interpretation of Satan and his role on the Christian tradition. With magisterial learning and the elan of a born storyteller, Pagels turns Satan’s story into an audacious exploration of Christianity’s shadow side, in which the gospel of love gives way to irrational hatreds that continue to haunt Christians and non-Christians alike.

I really enjoyed Pagels's The Gnostic Gospels and hoped this one would be just as good. Unfortunately, I found this volume to be too meandering but also dense. I was bogged down by all the information included. I really enjoyed history tomes, but this one bored me a little too much. I was hoping for a much more lively account of the history of the Satan figure. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

2018 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

From My Reader's Block:

Challenge Levels:

Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s
Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Vancouver: Read 36 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Ararat: Read 48 books from your TBR piles/s
Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 60 books from your TBR pile/s
El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Everest: Read 100 books from your TBR pile/s
Mount Olympus (Mars): Read 150+ books from your TBR pile/s

And the rules:
*Once you choose your challenge level, you are locked in for at least that many books. If you find that you're on a mountain-climbing roll and want to tackle a taller mountain, then you are certainly welcome to upgrade.  All books counted for lower mountains carry over towards the new peak.

*Challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2018.

*You may sign up anytime from now until November 1st, 2018.

*Books must be owned by you prior to January 1, 2018. No library books. If you're looking for a library book challenge or one that counts books on your non-owned TBR list, then there may be challenges out there that do that. This one does not.

*Rereads may count only in the following circumstances: If you did not own the book when you read it long ago and far away [based on your age, you can decide what that might mean] and you bought the book pre-January 1, 2018 intending to reread it now that it's your very own.  [To clarify--the intention is to reduce the stack of books that you have bought for yourself or received as presents {birthday, Christmas, "just because," etc.}. Audiobooks and E-books may count if they are yours and they are one of your primary sources of backlogged books.]

*You may count any "currently reading" book that you begin prior to January 1--provided that you had 50% or more of the book left to finish when January 1 rolled around.  I will trust you all on that. 

*You may count "Did Not Finish" books provided they meet your own standard for such things, you do not plan to ever finish it, and you move it off your mountain [give it away, sell it, etc. OR remove it from your e-resources]. For example, my personal rule (unless it's a very short book) is to give a book at least 100 pages. If I decide I just can't finish it and won't ever, then off the mountain it goes and I count it as a victory--the stack is smaller!  

*Books may be used to count for other challenges as well.

*Feel free to submit your list in advance (as incentive to really get those books taken care of) or to tally them as you climb.

*There will be quarterly check-ins and prize drawings! 

*A blog and reviews are not necessary to participate. If you have a blog, then please post a challenge sign up and link THAT post (not your home page) into the linky below. Non-bloggers, please leave a comment declaring your challenge level--OR, if you are a member of Goodreads, I will once again put together a group for the challenge there. Feel free to sign up HERE if that's where you want to participate. At the beginning of the year, I will update the sidebar link called Mount TBR Review Headquarters for current reviews and progress updates.

Of course I'm joining this challenge once again this year. I'm going to sign up for the Mount Ararat level of 48 books. Still hoping to knock those unread books off my shelf...

2017 Reading Challenge Round-up -- Failed Edition

Goal: 56/60   93.3%

1. The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling (1/11/17)
2. Buffering by Hannah Hart (1/20/17)
3. The Bargain by Jane Ashford (1/21/17)
4. A Flaw in the Blood by Stephanie Barron (1/22/17)
5. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett (2/6/17)
6. The Very First Damned Thing by Jodi Taylor (2/18/17)
7. Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier (2/19/17)
8. The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell (3/24/17)
9. The Golden Prince by Rebecca Dean (3/24/17)
10. When a Child is Born by Jodi Taylor (3/27/17)
11. So Wild a Heart by Candace Camp (4/3/17)
12. Tuscany for Beginners by Imogen Edwards-Jones (4/7/17)
13. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (4/12/17)
14. The Bust Guide to the New Girl Order (4/12/17)
15. A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor (4/13/17)
16. You're Doing a Great Job by Biz Ellis and Theresa Thorn (4/28/17)
17. Anno Dracula by Kim Newman (5/14/17)
18. The Hidden Heart by Candace Camp (5/15/17)
19. The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto (5/26/17)
20. Roman Holiday by Jodi Taylor (6/3/17)
21. Secrets of the Heart by Candace Camp (6/3/17)
22. Dorothy Must Die Stories Vol.2 by Danielle Paige (6/9/17)
23. A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor (6/24/17)
24. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (7/8/17)
25. Christmas Present by Jodi Taylor (7/12/17)
26. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel (7/29/17)
27. Simply Unforgettable by Mary Balogh (8/4/17)
28. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (8/9/17)
29. Simply Love by Mary Balogh (8/22/17)
30. Simply Magic by Mary Balogh (8/25/17)
31. Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh (8/27/17)
32. One Night for Love by Mary Balogh (9/4/17)
33. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (9/15/17)
34. Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine (9/16/17)
35. Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine (9/29/17)
36. 8.4 by Peter Hernon (10/6/17)
37. Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell (10/8/17)
38. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly (10/20/17)
39. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (10/20/17)
40. Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff (10/24/17)
41. Reading People by Anne Bogel (10/25/17)
42. The Gates by John Connolly (10/27/17)
43. A Cast Off Coven by Juliet Blackwell (10/30/17)
44. Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell (11/2/17)
45. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (11/7/17)
46. In a Witch's Wardrobe by Juliet Blackwell (11/14/17)
47. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman by Carol Karlsen (11/22/17)
48. The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark (11/28/17)
49. A Vision in Velvet by Juliet Blackwell (12/1/17)
50. Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor (12/6/17)
51. Bonk by Mary Roach (12/12/17)
52. The Water Witch by Juliet Dark (12/13/17)
53. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (12/16/17)
54. Christmas Magic by Ginny Baird (12/19/17)
55. The Sometime Bride by Ginny Baird (12/20/17)
56. A Christmas to Remember by Lisa Kleypas, et al (12/22/17)

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Goal: 7/10   70%

1. A Flaw in the Blood by Stephanie Barron (1/22/17)
2. Burning Bright by Tracey Chevalier (2/19/17)
3. The Golden Prince by Rebecca Dean (3/24/17)
4. Tuscany for Beginners by Imogen Edwards-Jones (4/7/17)
5. The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming
6. Dearly Departed by Lia Habel (7/29/17)
7. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (8/9/17)
8. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (DNF)
9. An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin
10. Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor (12/6/17)
11. The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
12. Moonlight and Oranges by Elise Stephens (DNF)

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Goal: 39/40  97.5%

1. Recommended by a librarian — Buffering by Hannah Hart (1/20/17)
2. On my TBR for too long — A Flaw in the Blood by Stephanie Barron (1/22/17)
3. Book of Letters —
4. Audiobook — Tarnished and Torn by Juliet Blackwell (11/27/17)
5. Book by a person of color — Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (6/23/17)
6. One of the four seasons in title —
7. Story within a story — Haunted Castles by Ray Russell (10/25/17)
8. Multiple Authors — The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany (1/11/17)
9. Espionage thriller —
10. Cat on the cover — We are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby (8/11/17)
11. Author who uses a pseudonym — The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey (3/9/17)
12. Bestseller from a genre i don’t normally read — And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (4/12/17)
13. By or about a person who has a disability —
14. Involving travel — A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor (2/28/17)
15. With a subtitle — Unmentionable by Therese Oneill (3/29/17)
16. Published in 2017 — Zombies: A Brief History of Decay (6/20/17)
17. Involving a mythical creature — Atlanrtia by Ally Condie (4/13/17)
18. Makes me smile — A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor (4/13/17)
19. About food — Voracious by Cara Nicoletti (10/4/17)
20. Career advice — Reading People by Anne Bogel (10/25/17)
21. Nonhuman perspective — Anno Dracula by Kim Newman (5/14/17)
22. Steampunk novel — Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine (8/21/17)
23. Red spine — Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine (9/29/17)
24. Set in the wilderness —The Lost City of Z by David Grann (9/23/17)
25. Loved as a child —
26. Author from a country I’ve never visited — Simply Unforgettable by Mary Balogh (8/4/17)
27. Title with a character’s name -- Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (5/27/17)
28. Set during wartime — Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine (9/16/17)
29. Unreliable narrator — Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (9/15/17)
30. With pictures — Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs (2/19/17)
31. Main character with an ethnicity different than me —
32. About an interesting woman — Dead Feminists by Chandler O'Leary and Jessica Spring (7/27/17)
33. Set in two different time periods — Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor (1/30/17)
34. Month or day in title —
35. Set in a hotel — A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner (11/18/17)
36. Written by someone I admire — The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (11/7/17)
37. Becoming a movie in 2017 — Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (7/19/17)
38. Set around a holiday (not Christmas) —
39. First in a series — A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas (2/10/17)
40. Book bought on a trip — The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto (5/26/17)

Advanced

1. Recommended by an author I love —
2. Bestseller from 2016 — Hamilton The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter (3/21/17)
3. Family member term in title —
4. Takes place over a characters life span — The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton (11/25/17)
5. About an immigrant or refugee — Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor (12/6/17)
6. Genre/Subgenre I’ve never heard of —
7. Eccentric character — The Mummy by Anne Rice (10/18/17)
8. More than 800 pages — Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (12/16/17)
9. Got from a used book sale — Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier (2/19/17)
10. Mentioned in another book —
11. About a difficult topic —
12. Based on mythology — The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark (11/28/17)

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Goal: 3/6   50%

1. A number in numbers – 50 Great American Places by Brent D Glass (7/19/17)
2. A building  –
3. A title which has an ‘X’ somewhere in it – Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell (11/2/17)
4. A compass direction –
5. An item/items of cutlery –
6. A title in which at least two words share the same first letter – alliteration! – Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell (10/8/17)

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Goal: 1/12  8.3%

1. The Colour of Magic (Rincewind) (2/6/17)
2. The Light Fantastic (Rincewind)
3. Equal Rites (The Witches, The Wizards)
4. Mort (Death)
5. Sourcery (Rincewind, The Wizards)
6. Wyrd Sisters (The Witches)
7. Pyramids (Discworld Cultures – Dielibeybi)
8. Guards! Guards! (The City Watch)
9. Eric (Rincewind)
10. Moving Pictures (Misc. – Holy Wood; The Wizards)
11. Reaper Man (Death, The Wizards)
12. Witches Abroad (The Witches)

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Goal: 4/6 books. 66.7%

1. A 19th Century Classic –
2. A 20th Century Classic – The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (10/20/17)
3. A classic by a woman author – And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (4/12/17)
4. A classic in translation –
5. A classic published before 1800 –
6. An romance classic – The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton (11/25/17)
7. A Gothic or horror classic – The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (8/9/17)
8. A classic with a number in the title –
9. A classic about an animal or which includes the name of an animal in the title –
10. A classic set in a place you’d like to visit –
11. An award-winning classic –
12. A Russian Classic – 

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Wired into Scifi

Goal: 0/10   0%

1. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
2. Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
3. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
4. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
5. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
6. Tau Zero by Poul Anderson
7. 1984 by George Orwell
8. Earth Abides by George R. Stewart
9. Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement
10. Ring Around the Sun by Cliffard D. Simak
11. The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
12. The Long Tomorrow by Leigh Brackett
13. When Worlds Collide by Philip Wylie
14. The Death of Grass by John Christopher
15. The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
16. The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard
17. Make Room! Make Room! by Henry Harrison
18. Logan’s Run by William F. Nolan
19. The Female Man by Joanna Russ
20. Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
21. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
22. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
23. Life by Gwyneth Jones

A Christmas to Remember

Title: A Christmas to Remember

Author: Lisa Kleypas, Lorraine Heath, Megan Frampton, Vivienne Lorret

Publisher: Avon 2017

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 420

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; New to Me

Romance stars Lisa Kleypas, Lorraine Heath, Megan Frampton, and Vivienne Lorret prove in this collection of stories that love is the most magical during Christmas…

"I Will" by Lisa Kleypas

To be reinstated into his father’s will, Andrew, Lord Drake, must court a respectable woman-his friend’s spinster sister, Miss Caroline Hargreaves. After he blackmails Caroline into helping him, the charade begins-but is it really a charade once love takes hold of their hearts…?

4/5 I loved most of this story. I enjoyed the interplay between the two main characters until we got to the sex scene. Then, I just didn't like how it played out. Too much for my taste. 

"Deck the Halls With Love" by Lorraine Heath

Alistair Wakefield, the Marquess of Chetwyn, devastated Lady Meredith Hargreaves when he proposed to another. But when he becomes free to pursue her, it’s too late for she’s on her way to the altar….. As Christmas approaches, Chetwyn vows to lure Lady Meredith back into his arms.

5/5 Loved this story so much. Great characters and great storyline.

"No Groom at the Inn" by Megan Frampton

James Archer detests his mother’s matchmaking ways. When ordered to attend a Christmastime house party filled with simpering maidens, he produces a fiancée-Lady Sophronia Bettesford. James and Sophronia pretend to be in love for one month. But their pact soon turns into love.

4/5 Another decent story although I found James to be a bit dull for my taste.

"The Duke’s Christmas Wish" by Vivienne Lorret

To the Duke of Vale, science solves everything-even marriage. When the impulsive Ivy Sutherland makes him question all of his data, he realizes that he’s overlooked a vital component in his search for the perfect match: love.

4/5 Pretty good storyline and characters. I would have liked to see more from their plot. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Sometime Bride by Ginny Baird

Title: The Sometime Bride

Author: Ginny Baird

Publisher: Winter Wedding Press 2012

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 205

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

A jilted bride and a ditched bachelor cut a "fake fiancé" deal.

After enjoying the anthology Christmas Magic, I turned to this other Baird novella hoping for something similar. Unfortunately this one just didn't really speak to me. I wasn't a huge fan of the main characters and the story was pretty tired. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

Christmas Magic Collection by Ginny Baird

Title: Christmas Magic #1-5

Author: Ginny Baird

Publisher: Winter Wedding Press 2015

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 444

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; New to Me

THE CHRISTMAS CATCH (Holiday Brides Book 1) 
A struggling single mom meets a handsome bachelor in Vermont, after running him off the road during a snowstorm. A sweet, romantic tale about fate and second chances. Set in snowy Vermont!

5/5 Cute little story set in the country. I was of the characters in this one. 

THE HOLIDAY BRIDE (Holiday Brides Book 2) 
A child asks for a new mommy for Christmas, and--much to her bachelor dad's surprise--Santa delivers. A sweet traditional romance and classic amnesia story, with a holiday twist! 

3/5 This one was a bit too cheesy for me. Just wasn't a huge fan.

MISTLETOE IN MAINE (Holiday Brides Book 3) 
A single mom takes her kids on vacation in Maine and meets a handsome innkeeper, a young widower with a teenage son. A winter wonderland love story about faith and new beginnings. 

4/5 Cute little story. 

BEACH BLANKET SANTA (Holiday Brides Book 4) 
A couple with a past spends an unexpected, yet magical, Christmas week together at the shore, where serendipity abounds. Take a sweet, sentimental journey to the North Carolina Outer Banks...

5/5 Loved loved loved this story! Such a great set-up and payoff. I was totally in on this.

BABY, BE MINE (Holiday Brides Book 5) 
A single woman gets a Christmas gift that sends her world into chaos, and has her tracking down a last-minute groom - with the help of her handsome best friend. A sweet romantic comedy novella.

4/5 Decent little story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Title: Voyager (Outlander #3)

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Publisher: Dell 2001

Genre: Historical Romance/Fantasy

Pages: 912

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Popsugar - More than 800 Pages

Sweeping us from the battlefields of eighteenth-century Scotland to the exotic West Indies, Diana Gabaldon weaves magic once again in an exhilarating and utterly unforgettable novel....Their love affair happened long ago by whatever measurement Claire Randall took. Two decades before, she had traveled back in time and into the arms of a gallant eighteenth-century Scot named Jamie Fraser. Then she returned to her own century to bear his child, believing him dead in the tragic battle of Culloden. Yet his memory has never lessened its hold on her ... and her body still cries out for him in her dreams.When she discovers that Jamie may have survived, Claire must choose her destiny. And as time and space come full circle, she must find the courage to face what awaits her ... the deadly intrigues raging in a divided Scotland ... and the daring voyage into the dark unknown that lies beyond the standing stones.

I am not kidding when I say that it has taken me almost a year to get through this one. I started reading it way back in March (??? I think) and just finished it. I just got stuck in the middle for the longest time. I really enjoyed the first about 200 pages detailing Jamie's time after Culloden and Claire traveling back to Scotland. Once they were reunited, I just lost a bit of interest. The pace really slowed down and I just didn't have the burning desire to keep reading. Once I passed page 600 or so, everything starting moving a lot faster and I sped to the finish. There were so many twists and turns in that last 1/3 of the book. I was right along for the ride. Definitely a good read, just took me a year to finish. Here's hoping it doesn't take me all of 2018 to finish The Drums of the Autumn.

Outlander

• #0.5 Virgins

• #1 Outlander
• #2 Dragonfly in Amber
• #3 Voyager
• #4 The Drums of Autumn
• #5 The Fiery Cross
• #6 A Breath of Snow and Ashes
• #7 An Echo in the Bone
• #7.5 The Space Between
• #8 Written in My Own Heart's Blood
• #8.5 A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows
• #9 Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Water Witch by Juliet Dark

Title: The Water Witch (Fairwick Trilogy #2)

Author: Juliet Dark

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2013

Genre: Paranormal Fiction

Pages: 322

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

After casting out a dark spirit, Callie McFay, a professor of gothic literature, has at last restored a semblance of calm to her rambling Victorian house. But in the nearby thicket of the honeysuckle forest, and in the currents of the rushing Undine stream, more trouble is stirring. . . .
 
The enchanted town of Fairwick’s dazzling mix of mythical creatures has come under siege from the Grove: a sinister group of witches determined to banish the fey back to their ancestral land. With factions turning on one another, all are cruelly forced to take sides. Callie’s grandmother, a prominent Grove member, demands her granddaughter’s compliance, but half-witch/half-fey Callie can hardly betray her friends and colleagues at the college. To stave off disaster, Callie enlists Duncan Laird, an alluring seductive academic who cultivates her vast magical potential, but to what end? Deeply conflicted, Callie struggles to save her beloved Fairwick, dangerously pushing her extraordinary powers to the limit—risking all, even the needs of her own passionate heart.

The second volume in this series and I am getting slightly annoyed by Callie even though I do love the storyline. I am super absorbed in Fairwick's world and an super excited to see how all of this plays out over the course of the series. But... I must say that Callie can be a bit stupid. I pegged the incubus within the first 40 pages. And I was annoyed by how she responded to finding out who it was at the end of the book. One the other hand I'm super into following the bigger fight between the fey and the anti-fey witches. And now we have another player revealed. Must read the last book in the series. 

Fairwick Trilogy:

• #1 The Demon Lover
• #2 The Water Witch
• #3 The Angel Stone

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bonk by Mary Roach

Title: Bonk

Author: Mary Roach

Publisher: Norton 2009

Genre: Nonfiction - Science

Pages: 321

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

In Bonk, the best-selling author of Stiff turns her outrageous curiosity and insight on the most alluring scientific subject of all: sex. Can a person think herself to orgasm? Why doesn't Viagra help women-or, for that matter, pandas? Can a dead man get an erection? Is vaginal orgasm a myth? Mary Roach shows us how and why sexual arousal and orgasm-two of the most complex, delightful, and amazing scientific phenomena on earth-can be so hard to achieve and what science is doing to make the bedroom a more satisfying place.

Our book club collection for this month. I actually read this about 6 years ago, but I couldn't remember the specifics of the studies highlighted. It was a nice easy reread for a busy time of the year. I fell back into Roach's hilarious style full of fun asides and irreverant questions. The first few chapters feel a little slow, but the book quickly speeds up. I flew through the last 100 pages or so. Definitely an interesting read.  

Next up on the TBR pile:

Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor

Title: Star of the Sea

Author: Joseph O'Connor

Publisher: Harcourt 2002

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 401

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Read Your Book Shelf; Popsugar -- About an Immigrant

In the bitter winter of 1847, from an Ireland torn by famine and injustice, the Star of the Sea sets sail for NewYork. On board are hundreds of refugees, some optimistic, many more desperate. Among them are a maid with a devastating secret, the bankrupt Lord Merridith, his wife and children, and a killer stalking the decks, hungry for the vengeance that will bring absolution. 

This journey will see many lives end, others begin anew. Passionate loves are tenderly recalled, shirked responsibilities regretted too late, and profound relationships shockingly revealed. In this spellbinding tale of tragedy and mercy, love and healing, the farther the ship sails toward the Promised Land, the more her passengers seem moored to a past that will never let them go. 

Another one of those "It's been on my shelf way too long" books. I really don't have much to say about this book. It was interesting, but it felt like I was reading this one for forever. I just wasn't super engaged in the storyline or the characters. I kept reading to find out what happened, but I wasn't super excited. I'm sure there are many people who would love this book. I'm just not one of those people.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Vision in Velvet

Title: A Vision in Velvet (Witchcraft Mystery #6)

Author: Juliet Blackwell

Publisher: Obsidian 2014

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 309

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

As soon as Lily opens the trunk, she feels strange vibrations emanating from a mysterious velvet cloak. When she tries it on, Lily sees awful visions from the past. And when the antiques dealer who sold her the cape is killed, Lily suspects a supernatural force might be behind his death.

Then Lily’s familiar, Oscar the potbellied pig, disappears. Lily will do anything to get him back—including battling the spirit of a powerful witch reaching out from the past. But even with the aid of her grandmother, unmasking a killer and saving Oscar might be more than one well-intentioned sorceress can handle.

After a volume that wasn't my absolute favorite, this one in the Witchcraft Mystery series got me right back in the groove. I loved the storyline of the oak tree, Oscar's disappearance, Deliverance, the Ashen Witch, and Bart. I loved the interlude at the cocktail party hosted at the Cal Academy (seriously, I love that museum, wish we lived a bit closer, or at least that it was easier to get to by public transit as I hate parking there). I loved the return of Sailor even if I don't think he's ultimately the right guy for Lily. I loved the bigger storyline for Conrad. And I definitely loved all the action in this one. Can't wait to pick up the next volume in the series. Good thing it's sitting on my nightstand!

Witchcraft Mystery

• #1 Secondhand Spirits

• #2 A Cast Off Coven

• #3 Hexes and Hemlines

• #4 In a Witch's Wardrobe

• #5 Tarnished and Torn

• #6 A Vision in Velvet

• #6.5 A Haunting is Brewing

• #7 Spellcasting in Silk

• #8 A Toxic Trousseau

• #9 A Magical Match

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark

Title: The Demon Lover (Fairwick Trilogy #1)

Author: Juliet Dark

Publisher: Ballantine 2011

Genre: Paranormal Fiction

Pages: 416

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Popsugar - Based on Mythology; New to Me

Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly sensual dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of her having written the bestselling book The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she’s found herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.
 
But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: Her incubus is not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the demon, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this supernatural lover from her heart.

Random read off my shelf. Don't know why I haven't read it before as I really really enjoyed this volume. I fell right into this collection of odd characters and beings. I immediately connected with Callie and her search for self. I loved the fact that Honeysuckle House became a character in its own right. I loved the slow unraveling of the world into a full-fledged reality. I especially loved the short but fascinating scenes featuring Adelaide. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. 

Fairwick Trilogy:

• #1 The Demon Lover
• #2 The Water Witch
• #3 The Angel Stone

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tarnished and Torn by Juliet Blackwell

Title: Tarnished and Torn (Witchcraft Mystery #5)

Author: Juliet Blackwell

Publisher: Berkley 2013

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Popsugar - Audiobook

When Lily arrives at an antique jewelry fair, her bargain sensors go off left and right—but she also picks up a faint vibration of magic. Could the hard-bargaining merchant Griselda be a fellow practitioner? It certainly seems that way when a sudden fire sends panic through the crowd, and Lily discovers Griselda murdered in a way that nods to an old-fashioned witch hunt…
 
A crime that hits close to home turns into an unwelcome flash from the past when the police bring in their lead suspect—Lily’s estranged father. Though he may not deserve her help, Lily is determined to clear her father’s name and solve a murder that’s anything but crystal clear. 

Grabbed this one in audiobook form as I thought it would be easy to listen while driving everywhere and I needed an audiobook for the Popsugar challenge. Unfortunately the audio version wasn't super enjoyable to me. Overall, I really enjoy these books. They are fun little supernatural mysteries that can speed through in between heavier books. While reading then, I often skim through the sections where Lily talks about her background (stuff I've already learned by reading the previous books in the series). With the audio version, I had to listen to all those passages (can't fast forward while driving) and there are many of those passages. It really got annoying after awhile. However, I really did enjoy the characters and the storyline in this one. The opening at the gem fair was especially fun. Definitely a good read. I'll just stick to the print versions for the rest of the series.

Witchcraft Mystery

• #1 Secondhand Spirits
• #2 A Cast Off Coven
• #3 Hexes and Hemlines
• #4 In a Witch's Wardrobe
• #5 Tarnished and Torn
• #6 A Vision in Velvet
• #6.5 A Haunting is Brewing
• #7 Spellcasting in Silk
• #8 A Toxic Trousseau
• #9 A Magical Match

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

Title: The Custom of the Country

Author: Edith Wharton

Publisher: 1913

Genre: Classics

Pages: 224

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Classics - Romance; Popsugar - Takes Place Over a Character's Lifetime

Undine Spragg is an exquisitely beautiful but ferociously acquisitive young woman from the Midwest who comes to New York to seek her fortune. She achieves her social ambitions—but only at the highest cost to her family, her admirers, and her several husbands. Wharton lavished on Undine an imaginative energy that suggests she was as fascinated as she was appalled by the alluring monster she had created. It is the complexity of her attitude that makes The Custom of the Country—with its rich social and emotional detail and its headlong narrative power—one of the most fully realized and resonant of her works.

I must say that I was a bit disappointed in this one. I really enjoyed Wharton's The Age of Innocence, but this one felt flat in comparison. Undine is one of the most unlikable characters in literature. No one is rooting for this spoiled brat of a teen in the beginning and no one is rooting for her at the end. I could see Wharton's social commentary, but I just couldn't really get into the characters and storyline to really care. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Devil in the Shape of a Woman by Carol Karlsen

Title: The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England

Author: Carol Karlsen

Publisher: Norton and Company 1987

Genre: Nonfiction U.S. History

Pages: 370

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (NonAd); Mount TBR

Confessing to "familiarity with the devils," Mary Johnson, a servant, was executed by Connecticut officials in 1648. A wealthy Boston widow, Ann Hibbens was hanged in 1656 for casting spells on her neighbors. The case of Ann Cole, who was "taken with very strange Fits," fueled an outbreak of witchcraft accusations in Hartford a generation before the notorious events at Salem.

More than three hundred years later, the question "Why?" still haunts us. Why were these and other women likely witches―vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft and possession? Carol F. Karlsen reveals the social construction of witchcraft in seventeenth-century New England and illuminates the larger contours of gender relations in that society.

I'm always up for a good history book. And this one doesn't disappoint. I was fully into Karlsen's examinations of the events that led to and resulted from the Salem Witch Trails. More than merely a recounting, Karlsen dives into the motivations of the colonists in New England and focuses on gender dynamics of the time. This volume is very dense, but a great examination of the time. Diehard history fans will love this volume.

Next up on the TBR pile:

In a Witch's Wardrobe by Juliet Blackwell

Title: In a Witch's Wardrobe (Witchcraft Mystery #4)

Author: Juliet Blackwell

Publisher: Berkley 2012

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 337

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

Taking a night off from running her successful San Francisco clothing store, Lily attends a local art deco ball where vintage fashions steal the show. But when a young woman at the event falls under a mysterious sleeping sickness, Lily senses that a curse was placed on the woman’s corsage. 

Before Lily can solve the woman’s magical ailment, she’s asked to assist in investigating a string of poisonings in the Bay Area witchcraft community. She’s gained the trust of the local covens by supporting women’s charities through her clothing store. But soon, Lily suspects that one of her new acquaintances might not be so well intentioned and could be dabbling in dark magic and deadly botany…

I feel like this series is finally hitting it's stride. I love the storyline revolving around the Art Deco Ball, the Paramount Theater, and other great places around the Bay. I loved meeting some new and interesting characters, especially Calypso. I loved the development of Lily and Sailor's relationship. I loved seeing more from all the great side characters like Bronwyn and Maya. And Oscar is just a treat. I really really love where the series is taking Lily's story. I can't wait to start the next one in the series.

Witchcraft Mystery

• #1 Secondhand Spirits
• #2 A Cast Off Coven
• #3 Hexes and Hemlines
• #4 In a Witch's Wardrobe
• #5 Tarnished and Torn
• #6 A Vision in Velvet
• #6.5 A Haunting is Brewing
• #7 Spellcasting in Silk
• #8 A Toxic Trousseau
• #9 A Magical Match

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Title: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Author: Neil Gaiman

Publisher: William Morrow 2013

Genre: Fantasty

Pages: 181

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Popsugar - Someone I admire

A brilliantly imaginative and poignant fairy tale from the modern master of wonder and terror, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is Neil Gaiman’s first new novel for adults since his #1 New York Times bestseller Anansi Boys.

This bewitching and harrowing tale of mystery and survival, and memory and magic, makes the impossible all too real...

I first read and reviewed this novel in September 2013. Upon rereading my review, I think everything I said still holds true so I am going to reprint it here today. "I love how all of Gaiman's books and stories start out fairly normal.  You think you're in the world we know.  But then, a few pages or a few chapters in, something happens that is not normal.  Something appears to throw off our balance.  And we find ourselves in a world not quite like ours.  This story is no exception.  The first chapter lulls you into a sense of normalcy and then bam! you're thrown into something completely different.  I loved this little novel about a boy's adventures with "other" things.  Since it is told in flashback, I can even imagine the man sitting beside the pond recollecting long forgotten memories of childhood.  It's such a peaceful and yet disturbing moment.  And as with all Gaiman stories, I could not predict the ending.  I had no idea what was going to happen.  That made the story all the more fascinating and engaging.  Overall, a short but powerful piece.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell

Title: Hexes and Hemlines (Witchcraft Mystery #3)

Author: Juliet Blackwell

Publisher: Obsidian 2011

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 314

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; What's in a name - X

Lily gets called away from her vintage clothing store to give police a witch's take on how the leader of a rationalist society could be murdered, surrounded by superstitions he discredited. 

Evidence points to dark witchcraft. Lily's determined to use magic of her own to find the murderer, before everyone's luck runs out.

Another great volume in this oh-so-fun series. I loved getting to know Lily even more and see her get more comfortable in her newly adopted hometown. And oh my the secrets that are starting to come out. Each volume we get just a bit more of what is going on behind the scenes. I love how Blackwell teases out some clues and hints about the larger paranormal world in the Bay Area. This one was super fun. I loved the new incarnation of the Thirteenth Club. Great subject matter!

Witchcraft Mystery

• #1 Secondhand Spirits
• #2 A Cast Off Coven
• #3 Hexes and Hemlines
• #4 In a Witch's Wardrobe
• #5 Tarnished and Torn
• #6 A Vision in Velvet
• #6.5 A Haunting is Brewing
• #7 Spellcasting in Silk
• #8 A Toxic Trousseau
• #9 A Magical Match

Next upon the TBR pile:

A Cast Off Coven by Juliet Blackwell

Title: A Cast Off Coven (Witchcraft Mystery #2)

Author: Juliet Blackwell

Publisher: Obsidian 2010

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 312

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR

Lily Ivory is not your average witch. She runs a vintage clothing store called Aunt Cora's Closet and has the magical ability to sense vibrations of the past from clothing and jewelry. When students are spooked at the San Francisco School for the Arts, Lily is called in to search for paranormal activity. She finds a dead body and a closet full of old clothes with some very bad vibes.

Really digging this series... I loved diving back into Lily Ivory and her witchy ways. We get more appearances by some great side characters (hello Aidan!) and a fun storyline involving an old nunnery, ghosts, and a demon. The only thing I'm not loving is Max. I get that we need a skeptical character, but seriously he treats Lily like crap most of the time. I hope he gets his act together in the next book. Overall, this series is just what I need for a fun enjoyable read!

Witchcraft Mystery

• #1 Secondhand Spirits
• #2 A Cast Off Coven
• #3 Hexes and Hemlines
• #4 In a Witch's Wardrobe
• #5 Tarnished and Torn
• #6 A Vision in Velvet
• #6.5 A Haunting is Brewing
• #7 Spellcasting in Silk
• #8 A Toxic Trousseau
• #9 A Magical Match

Next up on the TBR pile: