Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review. Opinions shared are mine.

I’m really bad about not figuring out that series books go together. Last summer I enjoyed Roots of Wood and Stone by Amanda Wen. When I read The Songs That Could Have Been, it took me a couple of chapters to realize that the characters seemed familiar.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review. Opinions shared are mine.

Have the summer days been good to you? I sure hope so! We’ve enjoyed many sunny memory-making moments this June. This week I sat out under the canopy and read None Without Sin by Michael Bradley. It reminded me about an old practice I once read about in a book called Sin Eater.

I was out of town for a few days and worried that my garden would suffer while I was gone. I watered it well just before I left, and crossed my fingers. When I returned, here were some of the goodies waiting for me.

Disclosure: I received a book for review. Opinions shared are mine.

When I read the title of this book, I expected Hope in 60 Seconds to be a devotional of very brief messages for each day. Instead, this is a memoir, author Cristina Baker’s story of incredible perseverance and strength. It will shake you to the very core! (I also love the title…you know, because SAVINGS in Seconds.)

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book for review. Opinions shared are mine.

Fans of Gothic literature will enjoy this dark, emotional romance. Midnight’s Budding Morrow by Carolyn Miller was dreary and gloomy for most of the story, with a setting that matched the despair found in the characters. The moments of cheerfulness were painfully cast down by heartache and tragic circumstances.

Disclosure: Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. Opinions shared are mine.

STRANGERS WE KNOW, the third novel by Portland OR-based author Elle Marr, was inspired by the author’s experience growing up in Sacramento in the shadow and fear of the Golden State Killer. The story centers on adoption, DNA forensic evidence, and what happens when the main character discovers she’s related to a serial killer.   Its strongest message is about the strength of family ties, but it also plays with solving a serial killer cold case while dabbling in cult worship. Sounds fun, right?

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review. Opinions shared are mine.

Overall, I liked this book. The idea of an unnamed main character (and an unnamed sweet dog) was new to me. The world of business, stock market, and corporate dealings is also out of my realm, so I felt a bit like a fish out of water while reading this. There were a few parts that didn’t completely make sense because I didn’t read the first one. Enough information is provided to give a bit of a backstory, though. There’s a lot of action in Exit Strategy. The protagonist plays a high-stakes game and that adds some intensity to the story.

Disclosure: This post contains my GreenStalk Ambassador link. If you make a purchase using my link, you will receive $10 off and I will receive store credit (at no additional cost to you). Opinions shared are mine.

Usually in mid-May, I’m just starting the garden. We usually start by putting out tomato plants and zucchini seeds around Mother’s Day. This year, I gave early-spring planting a whirl. In March started seeds in the new-to-me Aerogarden and it worked a treat! After the seeds started, I tucked some of them into my GreenStalk and the composting Garden Tower. They’ve grown so well that we’ve enjoyed many salads in the past two months, and we’ve shared with friends. You can grow lettuce just about anywhere!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review. Opinions shared are mine.

It was time to take a shift from the usual thrillers; this week I read one based in the hills of Arkansas around the post-WWII era. I expected it to be more of a romance, but there were some heated moments of suspense and danger.

Disclosure: I received a book for review. Opinions shared are mine.

Hello, meet A More Beautiful Life. This book landed on me in the middle of an incredibly crazy season — the end of the school year. Author Whitney English makes it so very clear that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. That’s a wonderful takeaway, and one I needed to hear right at this moment!