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Today’s topic is a love freebie, so I thought I’d go with some of my favorite book couples, both romantic and otherwise.  Because sometimes, the friendships are better than the romances.

1. Sloan McPherson and Scott Hughes from Andrew Mayne’s Underwater Investigation Unit series. Sloan and Scott had a bit of a stiff relationship at first, but as the books progress, they really do lean into each other’s personality quirks. And I swear, if Sloan and her long-time boyfriend, Run, weren’t so cute together, and if Scott wasn’t married, I’d hardcore ship these two.
2. Stephanie Plum and Lula from Janet Evanovich’s Plum series. The things these two get themselves into sometimes! But no matter what, they’ve always got each other’s back.  Mostly.  Sometimes.  As long as there isn’t a TastyKake there to distract them.
3. Grace Tilbury and Roland Percy from Lynn Morrison and Anne Radcliffe’s Crown Jewels Regency Mystery series. For the time period, Roland gives Grace a lot of space to do her thing, even when it puts her in danger. He’s a great friend and partner and will hopefully make her a fantastic husband.
4. Arleta, Doli, and Jez from J. Penner’s Ardenashire series. These three are total opposites, but somehow, their friendship just works. I’d love to have friends like these.
5. Mickey Haller and Lorna from Michael Connelly’s Lincoln Lawyer series. Lorna is Mickey’s second ex-wife, but also the office manager of his law firm. Add to that, she’s dating Cisco, Mickey’s investigator, and you’d think it’d be tense.  But it’s not.  They’re like the cutest divorced couple ever.
6. Kate Shugak and Jack Morgan from Dana Stabenow’s Kate Shugak series. Kate’s reluctant when it comes to love, but Jack is determined. They work so well together that I hate when they’re forced to be apart.  And the way Jack’s teenaged son takes to Kate, you just know they’re meant to be.
7. Stevie Cartwright and Crispin Allastair Winterbottom, aka Win, from Dakota Cassidy’s Witchless in Seattle series. Win and Stevie go through so much, starting on day one, that you can’t help but root for their love story. Especially when you consider that Win is, well, a ghost.
8. Juliet Langley and Ryder Hamilton from Caroline Fardig’s Java Jive Mysteries. They have such a rollercoaster ride of a relationship – from enemies, to lovers, to friends and back – that you often don’t know where they’ll end up. But through it all, they stay sassy and entertaining.
9. Luc and Oliver from Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall. What starts as fake dating becomes something so much more. There’s a lot of angst in this book, but it only makes their falling in love that much sweeter for me.
10. Jess Harris and Dan Burnett from Debra Webb’s Faces of Evil series. This is honestly one of my all-time favorite series and the second chance romance between Jess and Dan is steaming hot. They have years of history, not all of it good, but they confront it and find a way past it.

What about you?  Have you read any of these series?  What are some of your favorites?

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Today’s topic is the best books I read in 2024, which can be both fun and exciting, and difficult as well.  I’m not a picky reader, so I tend to enjoy everything I read.  So, picking The Best can be rough.  But here we go!

In no particular order:

Starter Villain by John Scalzi.  Last year, I read Redshirts and fell in love with this author.  Starter Villain is ten times better (and more ridiculous).  So much better in audio, too, because Wil Wheaton is a treasure, and no one quite does incredulous like he does.

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree.  I never knew I needed cozy fantasy in my life, but this is the perfect gateway, even for someone who might not like fantasy.  Bonsu: the author, a prolific audiobook narrator, reads his own book.

The Lies Among Us by Sarah Beth Durst.  This was one of the most unique and interesting books I’ve read in a very long time.  An addictive story that nearly breaks your heart at times.

Lucky Bounce by Cait Nary.  I’m a huge hockey fan, so a bit of hockey romance is necessary each year.  Zeke and Spencer are probably my second favorite hockey couple.

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio.  A very different sort of story involving alternating worlds and a ladder to an attic full of alternate husbands.

Silver Alert by Lee Smith.  I picked this up on a whim because you don’t find a lot of stories centered around senior citizens.  But this was a blast.  Herb, struggling to care for his aging wife, takes off on a road trip with the young woman hired to care for his wife.  Sweet, funny, and a little sad at times, it was a refreshing read.

A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland.  A blend of historical romance and fantasy, this really sucked me in from page one.  I don’t read a lot of lesbian fiction, but the love story contained within is epic in its own right.  Beautifully written, too.

Check Please! Book 1 by Ngozi Ukazu.  As I said above, I love hockey.  I also love manga and graphic novels, so when the two combine, I’m sold.  This was a super sweet story about a kid who loves to bake and his maybe boyfriend.  College romance done up in adorable graphics.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner.  Another cozy fantasy but this time add a dash of The Great British Bake Off.  Super cute and quick read.

She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica.  I love her books in general, but this has been my favorite to date.  Twisty and engrossing, I couldn’t stop reading until I knew the truth.

Have you read any of these?  What did you think, if you did?

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Today’s topic is all about food, which brings me back to one of my very favorite genres: cozy mysteries.  So many of them are focused on food or mention food often.

Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries by Mia P. Manansala.  These are set in a Filipino family restaurant.  I’ve only read the first in the series, but I enjoyed the characters, the recipes, and the family togetherness.

Tea and Read Mysteries by Joy Avon.  While not fully food-related, this series is set in a tea room, with lots of fabulous teas and pastries.

French Bistro Mysteries by Daryl Wood Gerber.  Set in a French Bistro in Napa Valley, there is plenty of food and wine – and murder – in this series.

Deep Dish Mysteries by Mindy Quigley.  This series takes place in a mobster-themed pizza parlor, which made it an instant winner for me.   Add in Delilah’s sassy, fat cat, and I couldn’t ask for more.

Cheese Shop Mysteries by Korina Moss.  I stumbled into this series accidentally, but you had me at cheese.  I love all the interesting tidbits you learn about cheese and cheesemaking in this series, even if it did cause me to go out and buy a bunch of blue cheese at one point.

Pancake House Mysteries by Sarah Fox.  These take place in a pancake house in a small coastal town.  Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, so I loved reading about all the various crepes.

Java Jive Mysteries by Caroline Fardig.  I loved this series mainly because it’s set in a coffee house in Nashville, but also due to the friendships Juliet has and forms throughout the series.

Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries by Olivia Matthews.  This was a new setting for me. Although it’s centered around a family run restaurant, I’d never read about a Caribbean family or food before.  All I can say is that it sounded delicious.

Pies Before Guys Mysteries by Misha Popp.  I love a bit of magic with my mysteries, so this was the perfect series for me.  I’m not a big pie baker, but this series wants me to pull out the pie pans and dive in.

Noodle Shop Mysteries by Vivien Chien.  While I haven’t started this series yet, it’s been on my TBR for a long time now. I’m a sucker for noodles of any kind so this series is a longtime draw for me.

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This was kind of a tough one for me because I tend to read more series than anything.  And, because I’m a creature of habit, I tend to continue those series rather than seek something new out.  However, I have read some pretty good debut novels recently, several of them leading me to new series.

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala.  I love cozy mysteries but food themed ones are my favorite.  Lots of strong, family connections in this story.

A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison.  Another cozy, but this time paranormal.  Bonus: mermaids and magic!

Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies by Misha Popp.  Okay, so maybe I read more cozy mysteries than I thought, because here we have another.  More magic, but with pies this time!

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree.  I didn’t even know that cozy fantasy was a genre until I picked up this book.  And now? I need to read them all.  This, and it’s sequel, Bookshops & Bonedust, is one of the best books I’ve read this year.

The Fields by Erin Young.  A mystery/police procedural that was both graphic and intense.  There is a bit of brutality in this one, however, so if you’re sensitive, you might want to pass.  But I am anxious for the next in the series.

Off the Air by Christina Estes.  A local reporter looking into the murder of a radio personality uncovers something much larger than a murder.  I really enjoyed this one, despite the main character really losing her way at one point in the book.

Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate.  A twisty psychological thriller told in two timelines.  I love stories about small towns with a secret and this fit the bill for me.

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas.  In an effort to read more diverse authors, I found this.  And while I had never thought to intentionally seek out Mexican gothic horror, it’s now one of my favorite genres.  Her follow up novel, The Vampires of El Norte, is fantastic as well.

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse.  Another type of theme I like is stories set in old mental institutions, hospitals, etc.  So, this was right up my alley.  Really intense and gripping.  This is a fantastic series with a new book due out next month.

Sign Here by Claudia Lux.  A different sort of horror novel, this deals with the bureaucracy in Hell and how it affects those of us still on the mortal plane.

What debut novels have you read and loved?

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I love quotes and it doesn’t matter where they come from – books, TV, movies, song lyrics – they just stick in my brain and come out at the most random of times.  Having a Kindle really helps with this obsession since I don’t have to stop and write them down any longer – I can just highlight and save for later.  Neat, huh?  Also, you should see my Kindle Notes and Highlights.

Here are some of my favorites, and I hope I didn’t repeat any from the last time we did this topic.

“Don’t swim with the dolphins during a labor dispute. No matter how much they try to convince you otherwise” ― John Scalzi, Starter Villain

‘That’s the role of poetry, Ciri. To say what others cannot utter.’ – Andrzej Sapkowski, The Time of Contempt

“This is who I am. I can’t change. I don’t want to, really. But for once I’m gonna put this devil inside me to good use.” – S. A. Cosby, Razorblade Tears

“Guncle Rule number eight: Live your life to the fullest every single day, because every day is a gift. That’s why people die. To teach us the importance of living.” – Steven Rowley, The Guncle

I usually define fear as the thing I feel when the unexpected happens. Anxiety is when I’m doing something that I already know is stupid. – Andrew Mayne, Black Coral

A clever, thoughtless person is one of the most terrifying things there is. – Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

Intimidation was a drug. But control was an illusion. – Meg Gardiner, Into the Black Nowhere

In her mind, where the line between fact and fiction is often blurred, murder is simply a solution to a problem. – B. A. Paris, Behind Closed Doors

Perhaps a heart was indeed like a piece of dry birchwood, and could only take fire and burn brightly once—that any fire that came after would be only an ember, smaller and cooler. – Tad Williams, Shadowmarch

“I’ve seen too much of the underside of life to have much confidence in people. I don’t really believe in happy endings.” I felt him swallow. “But I’ve come to believe in you.” – Kathy Reichs, Grave Secrets

I highly recommend all of the books I’ve quoted here, especially Starter Villain by John Scalzi.  He has this amazing way of taking the ridiculous and making it make sense.  Much like Douglas Adams did.  And, on that note, one last bonus quote for the road:

“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.

There is another theory which states that this has already happened.” – Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe