The Running Bibliophile

Twisted Twenty-Six (Stephanie Plum, #26) by Janet Evanovich opens with Grandma Mazur planning a funeral for her second husband, gangster Jimmy Rosolli. Although she's receiving a lot of attention as a widow, not all attention is the same. Jimmy's business partners are emphatic that Grandma Mazur has his keys and won't stop until they get them from her. Stephanie Plum, Grandma Mazur's bounty hunter granddaughter, is sure she'll have no trouble finding Jimmy's keys, but instead, she finds herself in deep trouble. Like the majority of the other books in the Stephanie Plum book series, I found Twisted Twenty-Six (Stephanie Plum, #26) to be very entertaining and fun to read, even with it following the same formula as all the others in the series. However, it seemed as though this particular book was possibly ghost written, and there are a few reasons that made me think so.  Usually, Stephanie has issues with apprehending her fugitives, but right off the bat, she n...

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau is a coming of age novel taking place in Baltimore, Maryland. During the 1970's, fourteen year old Mary Jane is caught in the middle of her family's conservative ideals and the progressive ideals of the Cone family where she is a summer nanny. Mary Jane is a sheltered teen who enjoys cooking with her mother, listening to Broadway Show Tunes, and singing in the church choir. On the first day of work, she is shocked at the mess in the Cone's home and introduces them to home cooked meals and keeping the house clean. In return, Mary Jane gets a front row seat to sex, drugs, and rock & roll. This novel was the selected for the book club I belong to. Again, this is a novel that I likely wouldn't have chosen to read on my own, but I was glad I did. Mary Jane is the first novel I've read by Jessica Anya Blau, and I was impressed with her storytelling.  Touching on race, class, and stereotypes, along with drugs and infidelity, it reminded...

A Line in the Sand (Turtle Beach, #2) by Teri Wilson is the second book in the Turtle Beach book series. In this romantic comedy, Molly Prince and her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Ursula, work at the local aquarium. Molly swears she'll never date again, but when Max Miller, a marine biologist, comes to town, sparks fly in more than one way. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of A Line in the Sand (Turtle Beach, #2) by Teri Wilson from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for free in exchange for my honest opinion. Even though I've read one other book by the author and enjoyed it, I was nervous if I'd like this newest book by Teri Wilson. To say I liked A Line in the Sand would be an understatement . . . I loved this book and read it within a 24-hour window. It's such a fun beach read. Even though I thought I knew what would happen (and it did), it was an enjoyable book. So enjoyable, that I am going to read the first book in the series. Don't worry, you ...

The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett is the author's debut novel taking place in Athens, Georgia at the University of Georgia. A fraternity brother is killed in a hit and run accident, but there's more to it than meets the eye. The driver was smiling when he hit the student and bears an uncanny resemblance to the person he hit. First on the scene of the accident, Detective Marlitt Kaplan is out to prove that she can handle this gruesome case. First and foremost, I'd like to thank NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the free digital version of the Advanced Readers Copy of The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett in exchange for my honest review. I was excited and honored to receive a copy of this novel. Right from the start of The Resemblance , it had my attention and was a page turner. There wasn't one slow part. The story was well written, realistic for the most part, and had a wow factor. As for the characters, they were well developed, and most of them were likable, so much so ...

Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow was published on April 5, 2022 by The Dial Press and is the debut novel of the author. As the story unfolds, we learn the narrative of a Southern, Black family told from three different generations and how the legacy is finally changed with the most recent generation. This book was selected as the monthly read for one of the book clubs I belong to. I typically read books in the genres of horror, thriller, suspense, and mystery, so Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow isn't likely a book I would have chosen to read on my own. However, I am so glad that it was selected because it was an interesting read, and I couldn't wait to see how the story of the North women progressed. Although this is a work of fiction, it felt like it was real life as it touched on very palpable subjects like racism, domestic violence, rape, gangs, life and death, and many more topics that plagues society today. There were times that my heart ached and hurt for the characters ...

I received a product from Influentser.com for free in exchange for my honest review. The product I tested is Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Gel-Creme. Estée Lauder claims this product will fight visible radical damage. They claim that lines look reduced in week one; dark circles will look brighter in week two; and ninety-two percent said eyes look more rested in week three. The direction says for best results to use the product in the morning and evening. Excited to try this product, I have to say I was a bit skeptical that the Advanced Night Repair Eye Gel-Creme by Estée Lauder would do what it said it would. I had been using this product only at night for a week before I noticed it said to use it twice a day. I decided to continue using it only at night time when I did my nightly face care routine. Boy was I ever surprised to find that it did reduce the fine lines around my eyes. I even used it where I furrowed my brows together and noticed that the lines there looked bett...