Books I Am Reading This Week plus Weekly Book Haul – September 20, 2023 #wwwwednesday #ReadersCommunity #BookTwitter #BookLover

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

  • What am I currently reading?
  • What did I just finish?
  • What am I reading next?

I’ll either have started Bright Lights Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews last night or later today. MKA has yet to let me down, so I’m really excited to read her latest book. I’m sure it will be a fun and heartwarming holiday story.

  • Genre: Holiday Fiction
  • Pages: 285 pgs
  • Publisher: SMP
  • Publication Date: September 26, 2023
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.

Murder in the Blitz by F. L. Everett is the first book in a cozy series that is set in Manchester (UK) during WWII. I thought the setting and the profession of the amateur detective (Edie is an aspiring journalist who would love to write crime articles) gave this story a fresh voice. I enjoyed it and will be posting my review tomorrow as part of a Bookouture book tour.

  • Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery (set in the UK during WWII)
  • Pages: 308 pages
  • Publisher: Bookouture
  • Publication Date: September 21, 2023
England, 1940. Newspaper secretary Edie York wants nothing more than to be a real wartime reporter. But when she stumbles upon the death of a Home Guard soldier she must turn her investigative skills to sleuthing… Rookie reporter Edie York dreams of being out in the field, instead of being stuck writing up the wartime headlines, transcribing Churchill’s rousing speeches on her cranky typewriter. So when her first real assignment one misty morning ends with the crack of a pistol shot and the sudden death of a Home Guard soldier, she’s determined to take her chance and investigate. With the local police force, under the utterly irritating but outrageously handsome DCI Louis Brennan, stretched to the limit as bombs rain down, Edie strikes out alone. And she quickly discovers more than she’d ever hoped – or feared. From undercover spies to priceless stolen artwork, Edie is plunged headlong into a mystery that stretches from Manchester to Berlin. But when she finds another body in the blackout, Edie realises she’s bitten off more than she can chew. With an exasperated Louis finally lending a hand, can Edie unveil the murderer and make headline news, her name in print at last? Or will she be next…? A brilliantly addictive and totally twist-packed cozy historical mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Agatha Christie. This is the first book in the Edie York Mystery series.

You all know how I love my thrillers that have a big dose of humor in them, and that’s exactly what The Takedown by Carlie Walker sounds like it is. And on top of that, it’s a holiday story. So if I don’t absolutely love this book, I’m going to be heartbroken.

  • Genre: Action & Adventure/RomCom
  • Pages: 350 pages
  • Publisher: Berkley
  • Publication Date: October 3, 2023
“I can’t remember the last time I smiled so much while reading a book.”—Annabel Monaghan, author of Nora Goes Off Script and Same Time Next Summer An undercover CIA agent is sent home to investigate her sister’s criminal fiancé but the last thing she expects is to fall in love with his bodyguard along the way in this sexy romantic comedy. It’s been a long time since Sydney Swift has gone home. An unrelentingly successful CIA field officer, she has spent the last three years pretending to be someone — anyone — other than herself. But this year, the festive season is coming with some added surprises. Sydney’s beloved little sister has just announced that she’s engaged to Johnny Jones, the heir of an organized crime dynasty. With her built-in cover and her best-in-class reputation, Sydney is approached by the FBI as their way to infiltrate the Jones family at last. Sydney has until Christmas to gather enough evidence on Johnny to take him down before he pulls off his most dangerous heist yet, all without losing her sister forever. But she hasn’t counted on the challenge of pulling this off right under her family’s nose or the complications of a romantic entanglement with Johnny’s handsome friend and bodyguard, Nick. Sydney always gets her man — but this time love is a target she can’t afford to miss.

3 NetGalley ARCs and 10 physical books this week. The physical book pile looks big but I already read 5 of them (so half), 1 is my YA FairyLoot book for September, and 1 I already had the digital ARC of.

What are you reading? Do you love it?

24 responses to “Books I Am Reading This Week plus Weekly Book Haul – September 20, 2023 #wwwwednesday #ReadersCommunity #BookTwitter #BookLover”

  1. Kelly Avatar

    That FairyLoot book is gorgeous, isn’t it. I can’t stop looking at the spredges 😂

    1. Tessa Pulyer Avatar

      Yes it is! It took me forever to decide how to show it in the stack 😂

  2. nickimags @ Secret Library Book Blog Avatar

    Fab haul glad you’ve got through half of them already!

    1. Tessa Pulyer Avatar

      3 are Enola Holmes books – Wednesday Books sent me 2 and 3 then I bought 1 and I read them all in digital ARC form – so that took 3 off the stack right there.

  3. Joanna @ TheGeekishBrunette Avatar
    Joanna @ TheGeekishBrunette

    I need Hearts That Cut! I can’t wait to see what happens next.

    1. Tessa Pulyer Avatar

      It looks so good – I can’t wait to read it!

  4. Sheri Dye Avatar

    Love that Heartless Hunter cover!

    1. Tessa Pulyer Avatar

      Me too!

  5. Jonetta | Blue Mood Café Avatar

    I’ve got my fingers crossed for Bright Lights! Hope you enjoy that and everything in your haul, Tessa💜

    1. Tessa Pulyer Avatar

      So far it just pulled me right in. I didn’t want to put it down late last night and that’s saying something because I love sleep 😂

  6. CJRTB Books Avatar

    I really need to read some Christmas books this year!

    1. Tessa Pulyer Avatar

      They are just so heartwarming 🥰

  7. Reg @ BookishInBed Avatar

    I’ve been reading a lot of romantic Christmas books. Bright Lights Big Christmas sounds good and fits in that category. I’ll have to pick it up.

    1. Tessa Pulyer Avatar

      Mary Kay Andrews is such a gifted storyteller. I would recommend any book written by her.

  8. writerravenclaw Avatar

    Murder in the blitz sounds like a book I would like to read. I like the period and the murder.

    1. Tessa Pulyer Avatar

      It is such an interesting period to write this type of mystery in. It can be a bit history heavy at times but other than that I enjoyed it.

      1. writerravenclaw Avatar

        I used to read a lot of books in that time period.

  9. Rebecca Avatar

    Very excited about the new MK Andrews book! 😀

    1. Tessa Pulyer Avatar

      I just love her stories ❤️

  10. Teri Polen Avatar

    What a haul, Tessa! I also got a copy of The Heartless Hunter. Hope The Takedown doesn’t disappoint.

    1. Tessa Pulyer Avatar

      I will be so sad if it’s not what I think it is in a disappointing way.

  11. Jenny Mcclinton Avatar

    I like the look of bright lights big christmas, hope you are enjoying it & hope you enjoy the rest of your reads 💕

  12. Hooked By That Book Avatar

    Hope you enjoy all of them. Have a great weekend!

  13. Carla Avatar

    I really enjoyed Bright Lights, Big Christmas and hope you do as well, Tessa. That is a good haul, but having already read so many is awesome. Have a great week!

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