It’s Top Ten Tuesday time once again friends!
This week the prompt is new to me authors I read in 2022 so here are 10 of them:
T. Kingfisher
TJ Klune
Eric LaRocca
Catherynne M. Valente
Quan Barry
Stacy Willingham
Sarah Pinborough
Celia Laskey
Brom
Sarah Gailey
* A BIT SPOILERY*
Daisy Ellery’s pies have a secret ingredient: The magical ability to avenge women done wrong by men. But Daisy finds herself on the receiving end in Misha Popp’s cozy series debut, a sweet-as-buttercream treat for fans of Ellery Adams and Mary Maxwell. The first time Daisy Ellery killed a man with a pie, it was an accident. Now, it’s her calling. Daisy bakes sweet vengeance into her pastries, which she and her dog Zoe deliver to the men who’ve done dirty deeds to the town’s women. But if she can’t solve the one crime that’s not of her own baking, she’ll be out of the pie pan and into the oven.
Daisy has a very strong moral compass which I really enjoyed about her. She has these strict rules about the murder pies and she doesn’t stray from them and make exceptions for anyone. I did kind of side eye her a little bit because I thought she was literally murdering people with her pies but as the limitations surrounding her magic was revealed I thought her intentions were pure.
I liked that the whole book wasn’t just revolving around the murder pies and the mystery about who was blackmailing Daisy, she still goes about her day baking normal pies, going to the farmers market where she meets Noel and entering the baking competition. There was other things to keep my mind occupied instead of just focusing on the mystery. I definitely didn’t trust Melly’s character from the start. There was something about her do-gooder attitude that made me think maybe there was something else she wasn’t telling us and I was kind of justified when we find out her role in the grand scheme of things.
This was my first foray into cozy mysteries and I have to say I had a lot of fun! Granted you really have to suspend all beliefs and just jump into it expecting an over the top plot with ridiculous schemes and shenanigans.
⭐️4/5 stars This book made me crave pie lol
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
Mattie can’t remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, she realizes that they’re not alone after all. There’s something in the woods that wasn’t there before, something that makes strange cries in the night, something with sharp teeth and claws. When three strangers appear on the mountaintop looking for the creature in the woods, Mattie knows their presence will anger William. Terrible things happen when William is angry.
Mattie’s character broke my heart in this book. Just how much she has retreated into her mind, blocking out all her old memories and just becoming accustomed to the truly terrible treatment she has had to endure from William. Just the cavalier way her mind just accepts that she is going to be beaten and tortured by this man and yet will still continue to be his dutiful wife was horrifying. I was so proud of her for talking to the strangers when they came to the cabin and listened to herself and escaped when she did.
The fantastical element to the story with the monster I would of liked to be explored a little more. Maybe go into the lore of this creature and why it’s come now. Is it just a coincidence that Mattie comes across the dead fox and can subsequently feel when it’s near or is she just more in tune with her surroundings than everyone else. Is it just a physical representation of William and how monstrous his nature is which turned on him in the end?
The setting and atmosphere really played a big role in this book. The insular setting really showcases just how isolated Mattie has been from the rest of the world and restricts her from any chance of escape most of the time. There was just this overlying sense of dread and helplessness woven into the story that sets the tone of the rest of the plot and how it plays out.
⭐️4/5 stars This was heart wrenching!
I’ve done this tag the last few years and once again I figured why not start off the new year with it again!
C.J. Tudor – I own a few of C.J. Tudor’s books but I haven’t read any yet, I’ve heard nothing but good things though!
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
Again classic’s honestly don’t interest me, so probably none 🤷🏾♀️
I wouldn’t mind rereading Ninth House before getting into Hellbent
The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
A big book I would like to read is The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks
Megan Miranda – I’ve only read Such a Quiet Place but I definitely want to read more of her backlist!
Leviathon Wakes by James S.A. Corey
The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee
The Founders trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett
I’ve set my reading goal for 80 but hopefully I make it to 100 again!
This month’s library haul has a lot of fun books! There are a few titles I’ve been highly anticipating and a couple leftover from previous months that I am still quite excited to get to.. hopefully I end up actually reading a few of them lol
Amy Leigh Reads 