Bookish Travels—October 2023 Destinations

I saw this meme on It’s All About Books and thought, I like this!! So, I decided to do it once a month also. Many thanks to Yvonne for initially posting this!!

This post is what it says: Places I travel to in books each month. Books are lovely and take you to places you would never get to. That includes places of fantasy, too!!

Bon Voyage!!

Please let me know if you have read these books or traveled to these areas.

Countries I visited the most: United States, England

States I visited the most: New York. North Carolina, Massachusetts, New Jersey, California

Cities I visited the most: New York City, London, Boston


United States

North Carolina (Bitter Bark), New York (New York City)
New York (Edgewater, New York City), New Jersey (Newark), Georgia (Atlanta), Delaware (Dover, Howl Bay, Leipsic), Utah (Salt Lake City)
Massachusetts (Cambridge, Boston, Gloucester, Danvers, Dorchester, Wellesley), Rhode Island, New York (Brooklyn), Washington D.C., New Hampshire
Colorado (Last Word)
North Carolina (Tarburton), New York (New York City)
Mississippi (Flora, Jackson), Illinois (Chicago), New York (Harlem)
New York (New York City)
New York (Ray Brook, Clermont), Ohio (Cleveland), Massachusetts (Boston)
Pennsylvania (Harrow), New Jersey (Manalapan Township), New York (New York City)
California (Oceanside)
Tennessee (Nashville), Michigan (Le Croix), California (Los Angeles)
Texas (Hamchet)
Wisconsin (Seven Sisters)

England

Hackney, London
1940’s London
London

Xiingjia System**

Bagoha, Calimon, Halleveh, Feraygo

Rabraman System**

Echuazi, Gorgjian, Kadefen, Omega 8, Yurdite

Castor & Pollux and Leda System**

Alpha One

**All listed for The Captain: 17 Planets are planets in the solar systems


France

France (Paris)

Czech Republic

Prague

Human Lands

Aloriah

Fae Lands

Essence Court (Azalea), Earth Court, Water Court, Air Court, Fire Court, Witches Territory, Mermaids Territory

Blake

Holding, Sermouth, Highstone Hill, Poulsen, Katton, Doscadia, Rothmount

October 2023 Wrap-Up

Here is what I read/posted/won/received/bought in October.

As always, let me know if you have read any of these books and (if you did) what you thought of them.


Books I Read:


Books Reviewed:

The Parachutists by R.L. Minnich—review here (4 stars)

Tantalus Depths by Evan Graham—review here (4 stars)

The Intern by Michele Campbell—review here (4 stars)

A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander—review here (4 stars)

Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello—review here (4 stars)

A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly—review here (4 stars)

Overdue or Die by Allison Brook—review here (3 stars)

Last Word to the Wise by Ann Claire—review here (4 stars)

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Frost—review here (4 stars)

In the Wick of Time by Valona Jones—review here (3 stars)

The Captain by A.R. Alexander—review here (3 stars)

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews—review here (4 stars)

Mary Not Broken by Deborah L. King—review here (4 stars)

Love Interest by Clare Gilmore—review here (4 stars)

Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff—review here (4 stars)

The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni—review here (4 stars)

Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig—review here (4 stars)

Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew—review here (3 stars)

Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn—review here (4 stars)


Books I got from NetGalley:


Books I got from Authors/Indie Publishers:


Giveaway Winners


Reading Challenges:

Sit…Stay…Beg by Roxanne St. Claire (2023 TBR Prompts)

Mind: The Beginning by Jenn Nixon (Scavenger Hunt TBR Book Challenge)


Books I bought:

Perilous Trust by Barbara Freethy

Shadows Over Innocence by Lindsay Buroker

The Emperor’s Edge by Lindsay Buroker

Ice Cracker II by Lindsay Buroker

Solstice Day Gifts by Lindsay Buroker

Mortal Weather by K.P. McCarthy

Forbidden Proposal by T.K. Leigh

Royal Creed by T.K. Leigh

Bride of Fire by Glynnis Campbell

Triskelion by Avril Borthiry

Jurassic Resort by Brent Reilly

Jurassic Resort 2 by Brent Reilly

Jurassic Resort 3 by Brent Reilly

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

Kiro’s Emily by Abbi Glines

March: FCBD Special by John Lewis

Fall by Tiffany Noelle Chacon

Waking Kate by Sarah Addison Allen

Her Best Match by Tamie Dearen

Ghost Clan by Heather Walker

The Beauty by Claire Delacroix

Link’d Up by Harley Stone

Crimson Dagger by Morgan Rhodes

Whispers of You by Catherine Cowles

Keep Me by Stacey Kennedy

If She Lives by Erik Therme

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper by J.L. Bryan

Javier by Fiona Murphy

Blister by K.J. Kalis

Introductions by C.L. Stone

Meeting Sang: Kota by C.L. Stone

Touch of Mischief by C.L. Stone

Sound of Snowfall by C.L. Stone

The Crown & The Arrow by Renee Ahdieh

The Mirror & The Maze by Renee Ahdieh

Curse of Stone by Veronica Shade

Terrifying Tales by Edgar Allan Poe

Orphans of Bliss: Tales of Addiction Horror by Mark Matthews

Royally Raised by Emma Chase

Her Master by Quinn Marlowe

Sullivan’s Secret by Robin Murphy

Pilot Error by Dan Moren

Showdown by Dan Moren

The Lord Next Door by Gayle Callen

Freedom of a Highlander by Katy Baker

Fated Immortals: The Complete Shifter Romance Series Collection by Vera Rivers

Don’t Give a Damn About My Plaid Reputation by Caroline Lee

How it All Began by Fiona West

Shade by Shayne Ford

A Vengeful Realm by Tim Facciola

Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen

Flawed Justice by Tibby Armstrong

Grave Mistake by Nikki Landis

Haunting Chaos by Nikki Landis

The Cartel by E.G. Manetti

Mayaette’s Catharsis by Jack E Mohr

Mary Not Broken by Deborah L. King

Publisher: Red Adept Publishing

Date of publication: October 10th, 2023

Genre: Fiction

Series: Glory

Glory Bishop—Book 1 (review here)

Glory Unbound—Book 2 (review here)

Mary Not Broken—Book 3

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N

Goodreads Synopsis:

In 1930s Mississippi, Mary Johnson hates the oppressive heat, working on her family farm, and having to attend her minister father’s church several times a week. But she loves Mason Carter, her musician boyfriend. Both fantasize about living the high life up north in the big city.

When William Bevers, a wealthy old preacher, comes to court her, he promises a life of luxury along with money and status for her family. Mary wants nothing to do with him, but her parents decide for her. Determined to avoid a forced marriage, Mary elopes with Mason to the bright lights of Chicago.

But life up north is not the dream they expected. Multiple tragedies push Mary to the brink, and she soon returns home to the very world she tried so desperately to escape.

Too numb to stave off the pressure from her father, Mary considers accepting William’s proposal. But she soon realizes that life as the preacher’s wife might not provide the safety and security she craves.


First Line:

Hidden in the shadows of the front room hallway, fifteen year old Mary Johnson tugged at the front of her shirt and fanned the sweat that dripped down her chest.

Mary Not Broken by Deborah L. King

Important things you need to know about the book:

Mary Not Broken is the 3rd book in the Glory series. You can read this book as a standalone. This book explains how Mary morphed into the woman portrayed in the first two Glory books. Even though you can read this book at any point in the duology, I would recommend reading Mary Not Broken first and then Glory Bishop and Glory Unbound afterward.

Mary Not Broken alternated between medium and fast-paced. I had no issues with the pacing, but I did have to go back and reread paragraphs before certain events sunk in. But I blame that on being sick and unable to focus (thank you, Nightquil!!). There was a little lag towards the end between Mary leaving Mississippi and meeting Glory’s father. But, it did not affect how much I enjoyed the book.

There are trigger warnings in Mary Not Broken. If any of these trigger you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Domestic Violence (on-page and graphic)
  • Abortion (on and off page)
  • Miscarriage (on and off page)
  • Infant Death (on and off page)
  • Teenage Marriage (on page)
  • Forced Marriage (on page)
  • Drug Use (off-page)
  • Drug Overdose (on page)
  • Child Death (on page)
  • Grief (on page)
  • Cheating (on page)

Sexual Content: There is sexual content in Mary Not Broken. But none of it is graphic. The author keeps it nondescriptive. It worked for me because if the sex scenes were explicit, it would have taken away from the storyline.

Language: There is foul language used in Mary Not Broken.

Setting: Mary Not Broken is set mainly in Mississippi, in the towns of Flora and Jackson. A couple of chapters are set in Harlem, New York, and the last half of the book is set in Chicago, Illinois.


Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Mary Johnson hates living in Flora, Mississippi. But what she hates even more is that her father has arranged her marriage to an older preacher. A strong-willed girl, Mary flees with her sweetheart to Chicago and then Harlem. But when a tragedy forces her home, Mary is again pressured to marry. Numb from what happened, Mary agrees to the marriage, only to find herself in a situation that becomes unbearable. Instead of breaking, Mary learns to bend and rely on only herself. Will Mary ever be free of her husband? Will she be able to live the life she wants? And, most importantly, will Mary have a child to love?


Main Characters

Mary Johnson: I read this book with a preconceived notion about Mary because of the previous two books. If you have read the Glory series, you understand what I am talking about and why I disliked her. But, as I read her story and saw what she went through, my dislike was tempered. Everything that happened to her (from the deaths of her first four children to Glory’s birth) tempered and shaped her into the woman she was in the first two books. I pitied her by the end of the book, and I understood her. But I could never like her.

Secondary characters: The secondary characters in Mary Not Broken were beautifully written. There were some that I couldn’t stand, others that annoyed me, and others that I liked. Each character adds their nuance and depth to the storyline.


My review:

Mary Not Broken was a good read. As I mentioned above, I went into this book not liking and not wanting to understand the main character. But, the author did an excellent job of writing this younger character of Glory’s mother in a way that I pitied and, to an extent, understood. The storyline was wonderfully written, and I enjoyed the recipes at the end.

The entire storyline centers on Mary and the years before she gave birth to Glory. The author was able to add depth to a character that I despised and was able to make me pity her. The author also showed that a strong-willed young woman can morph into the abusive mother portrayed in the Glory series. I almost didn’t want that transformation to happen, if I am going to be honest. I wanted Mary to heal from everything that happened to her.

The end of Mary Not Broken held so much hope and love. I almost wanted the author to rewrite the Glory series to what I glimpsed there. But, knowing what I know, it made me so sad to read what I read.

Many thanks to Deborah L. King for allowing me to read and review Mary Not Broken. All opinions stated in this review are mine.


If you enjoy reading books similar to Bright Lights, Big Christmas, then you will enjoy these books:


Other books by Deborah L. King

WWW Wednesday: October 4th, 2023

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme Sam hosts at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Here is what I am currently reading, recently finished, and plan to read from Thursday to Wednesday.

Let me know if you have read or are planning on reading any of these books!!

Happy Reading!!


What I am currently reading:

‘The Sun Is Also a Star’ meets ‘You’ve Got Mail’ in this YA Christmas love story set in a London Black-owned bookshop.

Charming, handsome Trey Anderson balances the pressures of school popularity with a job at his family’s beloved local bookshop, Wonderland.

Quirky, creative Ariel Spencer needs tuition for the prestigious art program of her dreams, and an opening at Wonderland is the answer. When Trey and Ariel learn that Wonderland is on the brink of being shut down by a neighborhood gentrifier, they team up to stop the doors from closing before the Christmas Eve deadline—and embark on a hate-to-love journey that will change them forever.

Heartwarming and romantic, this read is the gift that keeps on giving, no matter the season.


What I recently finished reading:

A young Harvard law student falls under the spell of a charismatic judge in this timely and thrilling novel about class, ambition, family and murder.

Madison Rivera lands the internship of a lifetime working for Judge Kathryn Conroy. But Madison has a secret that could destroy her career. Her troubled younger brother Danny has been arrested, and Conroy is the judge on his case.

When Danny goes missing after accusing the judge of corruption, Madison’s quest for answers brings her deep into the judge’s glamorous world. Is Kathryn Conroy a mentor, a victim, or a criminal? Is she trying to help Madison or use her as a pawn? And why is somebody trying to kill her?

As the two women circle each other in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game, will they save each other, or will betrayal leave one of them dead?


What I think I will read next:

From Julia Kelly, internationally bestselling author of The Last Dance of the Debutante, comes the first in the mysterious and immersive Parisian Orphan series, A Traitor in Whitehall.

1940, England: Evelyne Redfern, known as “The Parisian Orphan” as a child, is working on the line at a munitions factory in wartime London. When Mr. Fletcher, one of her father’s old friends, spots Evelyne on a night out, Evelyne finds herself plunged into the world of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms.

However, shortly after she settles into her new role as a secretary, one of the girls at work is murdered, and Evelyne must use all of her amateur sleuthing expertise to find the killer. But doing so puts her right in the path of David Poole, a cagey minister’s aide who seems determined to thwart her investigations. That is, until Evelyne finds out David’s real mission is to root out a mole selling government secrets to Britain’s enemies, and the pair begrudgingly team up.

With her quick wit, sharp eyes, and determination, will Evelyne be able to find out who’s been selling England’s secrets and catch a killer, all while battling her growing attraction to David?

The Christie sisters and their bookshop cat, Agatha, flirt with cold-hearted crime when bookish matchmaking turns into a date with death.

Sisters Ellie and Meg Christie share a love of books, reading, and their new roles as co-caretakers of the Book Chalet, their family’s historic bookshop tucked midway up a scenic Colorado mountain. But romance? That’s another story. Ellie and Meg joke they’re in sisterly competition for worst relationships. So, when their cousin signs them up for her newest business endeavor, matchmaking based on bookish tastes, the sisters approach their blind double dates with foot-dragging dread.

While Ellie’s date meets her low expectations, Meg’s match, a book-loving romantic straight out of classic literature, charms her over a lovely dinner. The next morning, Meg is giddy with anticipation of a second date—until she’s stood up without a word. She fumes that she should have known better. However, her date had a good reason for ghosting her. He’s dead. Murdered, the police later confirm.

As the last known person to see the victim alive, Meg becomes a prime suspect in his death. She grimly quips that at least her dating record can’t get any worse. But it does. A thorn from Meg’s romantic past returns to little Last Word, espousing motives too sweet to believe.

To sleuth out the truth, the sisters must sift through secrets deeper than the February snowfall. Clues accumulate, but so do suspects, crimes, and betrayals. Ellie and Meg can’t afford to leave any page unturned. Romance may not be their forte, but hearts and lives are on the line, and the Christies know how to solve a mystery—especially when murder is involved.

“Intense and creepy. A look into the dark depths of psyche, trust, and family, with twists so jarring, you won’t know right from wrong.” –Tarryn Fisher, New York Times Bestselling Author
Twenty-four-year-old Charlotte Stahl would do anything for her older brother, Ian. After all, he’d done everything for her growing up.He played Burken with her—a hide-and-seek game they made up as kids.He comforted her when their mom deserted them. He raised her when their dad went to prison for murder. To Charlotte, Ian is the only reason she’s still alive—he’s her rock. So when Ian asks her to play Burken in the isolated woods of Cadillac, Michigan, Charlotte feels she could use the nostalgia and agrees. Burken—it’s the one thing that never changes…
…until Ian threatens to kill her in the middle of the game.
More than the rules have changed as Brother turns to Predator, Sister turns to Prey, and she’s navigating the forests of Northern Michigan on foot with nothing but the clothes—and a target—on her back.
If Charlotte wants to stay alive, she knows she has to untangle the web of her haunting past to find out where things went wrong, and at what point she lost sight of reality. With no other choice but to reopen old wounds—and with Ian hot on her trail—Charlotte learns that sometimes evil has to manifest in order for good to succeed. Which makes her wonder…
Is Ian really a monster? Or her savior?

The day I turned nineteen, I expected to gain what little freedom I could within the restrictions of my bank account and the hallucinations that had haunted me for the last six years. I expected to drive away from a life that had been dictated by the tragedy of others and shaped by the care of strangers. I expected to be alone. Actually, I relished the idea of being alone. Instead, I found fear I thought I’d overcome. Uncertainty I thought I’d painstakingly planned away. And terror that was more real than anything I’d ever hallucinated before. I’d seen terrible, fantastical, and utterly impossible things … but not love. Not until I saw him.

Riley Walker is one of the world’s best covert operatives, employed by a top-secret sector of the U.S. government known only as the Agency. Highly skilled and lethal in a fight, Riley is fiercely independent and adamant that she work alone after the mysterious death of her partner in an assignment gone wrong.

All that changes when she’s thrust onto a new assignment investigating the deaths of twenty-seven Agency operatives. Forced to work with twelve-year Agency veteran Scott Hunter–a stickler for following orders and a loner by nature–Riley doesn’t get a chance to protest before she and her new partner are passed to a sector of the Agency that they never knew existed. As they investigate the murders, Riley and Scott learn that there’s more to the Agency than they ever suspected.

They discover the existence of monsters right out of their wildest dreams.

A woman with an extraordinary mind and a dark past demanding revenge. 17 planets divided into four factions whose leaders forgot their inhabitants all arrived from the same place: Planet Earth. A threat that could turn a tool that saves everyone’s life into the worst imaginable nightmare. Elizabeth, a chameleonic and seductive woman, is the only one who can make a difference, but her uniqueness weighs on her shoulders like the world weighs on Atlas’ shoulders.

These are just some of the ingredients of this novel where action scenes alternate with political ones and the relationship between the many characters, as much as the suffering and the claustrophobic anguish, alternate with the human need for love and loyalty. All seasoned with a drops of eroticism and a hint of humour.

From Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Homewreckers and The Santa Suit, comes a novella celebrating love and the warm, glittering charm of the holiday season.

When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family,

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

Filled with family ties, both rekindled and new, and sparkling with Christmas magic, Bright Lights, Big Christmas delivers everything Mary Kay Andrews fans adore, all tied up in a hilarious, romantic gem of a novel.


In 1930s Mississippi, Mary Johnson hates the oppressive heat, working on her family farm, and having to attend her minister father’s church several times a week. But she loves Mason Carter, her musician boyfriend. Both fantasize about living the high life up north in the big city.

When William Bevers, a wealthy old preacher, comes to court her, he promises a life of luxury along with money and status for her family. Mary wants nothing to do with him, but her parents decide for her. Determined to avoid a forced marriage, Mary elopes with Mason to the bright lights of Chicago.

But life up north is not the dream they expected. Multiple tragedies push Mary to the brink, and she soon returns home to the very world she tried so desperately to escape.

Too numb to stave off the pressure from her father, Mary considers accepting William’s proposal. But she soon realizes that life as the preacher’s wife might not provide the safety and security she craves.

October 2023 TBR

NetGalley:


Indie Authors:


Reading Challenges:

Buzzword Reading Challenge 2023 (magic-related words: magic in the title or related words. Example: Witch, Charm, Conjure, Spell…etc.)

2023 Sami Parker Reads Title Challenge (a book with a double or triple number in the title: Any number between 10 and 999 count)

Cover Scavenger Hunt 2023 (a star)

The StoryGraph Reads the World (Trinidad and Tobago)
The StoryGraph’s Genre Challenge (a travel memoir)
Beat the Backlist 2023 (set or inspired by the 1700s or 1800s)
Scavenger Hunt (a book you had to read in school that you want to reread)
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2023 (a romance with a fat lead)
2023 TBR Toppler (A 5-star prediction)
2023 Monthly Themes (October—Thrilltober)
2023 Reading Challenge (A Green Book: either a green cover or green in the title)
2023 ABC Challenge (J)
Romanceopoly 2023! (romantic suspense set in a country that you don’t live in)
2023 TBR Prompts (a book about mental health)

September 2023 Wrap-Up

Here is what I read/posted/won/received/bought in September.

As always, let me know if you have read any of these books and (if you did) what you thought of them.


Books I Read:


Books I got from NetGalley:


Books I got from Authors/Indie Publishers:


Giveaway Winners


Books Reviewed:

A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander—review coming October 3rd (4 stars)

Guardians of Dawn: Zahara by S. Jae-Jones—review here (5 stars)

The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner—review here (4 stars)

Death by a Thousand Sips by Gretchen Rue—review here (4 stars)

Have You Seen My Sister by Kirsty McKay—review here (3 stars)

Night of the Living Queers by Shelly Page—review here (4 stars)

A Dragon’s Dyne by Brett Salter—review here (4 stars)

The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord—review here (2 stars)

Seams Deadly by Maggie Bailey—review here (3 stars)

Fly with Me by Andie Burke—review here (4 stars)

In Darkness: The Werewolf by L. Diane Wolfe—review here (4 stars)

Scenes of the Crime by Jilly Gagnon—review here (3 stars)

Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz—review here (4 stars)

The Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff—review coming October 24th, 2023 (4 stars)

Dreambound by Dan Frey—review here (4 stars)

Dream Shatter by Ann Hunter—review here (4 stars)

Dream Runner by Ann Hunter—review here (4 stars)

Sandymancer by David Edison—review here (3 stars)

The Golden Gate by Amy Chua—review here (4 stars)

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany—review here (4 stars)

Dream Watcher by Ann Hunter—review here (4 stars)

Dream Giver by Ann Hunter—review here (4 stars)

Dream Rising by Ann Hunter—review here (4 stars)


Reading Challenges:

August

2023 TBR Toppler (a book by a LGBTIA+ author)—One Last Stop

2023 Monthly Themes (August: A book set in Asia)—Diffusion

2023 Reading Challenge (a book in your least read genre)—They Called Us Enemy

2023 ABC Challenge (H)—Heartbreaker


Books I bought:

Falling to Centerpieces by Ellie Cahill

Grim’s Little Reaper by Raisa Greywood

Bowled Over Americano by Carolyn Arnold

The Devil I Don’t Know by L.K. Shaw

Marshal in Petticoats by Paty Jager

A Touch of Midnight by Lara Adrian

True Colors by Thea Harrison

Double Crossed by Ally Carter

Salt in the Wound by Sierra Simone

Show Me How to Love You by Jasmine Haynes

Revenge by Jasmine Haynes

Second Chance Ranch by Jenna Hendricks

Finding Love in Montana by Jenna Hendricks

The Ghost Files by Apryl Baker

A Little Wilder by Serena Bell

The Wolf and the Witch by Claire Delacroix

Flirting with the Playboy by Gia Stevens

In All My Wishes by Ciara Knight

Free Fall by Brad Thor

Epilogue II: A Bonus Chapter to Hidden Order by Brad Thor

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

The Witch Sisters by Alma Katsu

Lover’s Knot by Karen Chance

On Basilisk Station by David Weber

Captive in the Dark by C.J. Roberts

Red at Night by Katie McGarry