What I Ate in One Year [and other related thoughts] by Stanley Tucci

I mentioned I've been listening to a lot of audiobooks of late and Stanley Tucci's latest was a given for that medium considering he reads it himself!

Beginning in Jan of 2023 (when he was filming Conclave based on the book by Robert Harris) Tucci journals what and where he ate and who he dined with throughout the year. A lot of it is his own home cooking. A lot of it is in Italy, a place Tucci clearly adores. 

Tucci is a foodie with a fabulous palate. And a wonderful way with words as well. This book should come with a warning: keep snacks and pasta on hand while reading!

Tucci, who lives in London, travels to NYC, Los Angeles, Italy, the Alps, Bristol, and numerous other places while promoting various projects and charities as well as family vacations. 

It's a fun read (listen) because it shows that Tucci, yes and actor of high renown, is still just a normal guy. A normal guy who has faced challenges, deals with parenting, fears for his own parents, and loves food and friends with a passion anyone can relate to. 

Sure his dinner parties are fancier (he likes to dress for dinner too) but his meals sound amazing (must get his cookbooks) and some recipes are included. I've already made his gin Paloma and have been gathering ingredients for some of his other others. I've also been eating melon and prosciutto, always a fave of mine, but mentioned in the book enough that I couldn't resist snacking on it too!

This isn''t the first of Tucci's memoirs. It's a great follow up to his last one, Taste, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. 

Now excuse me, I've got to go read Conclave and watch some Stanley Tucci films while I eat spaghetti!

Order a copy from Bookshop.org.

The Victim by Jørn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

Happy Wednesday, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things Tour for the latest Blix and Ramm thriller, The Victim. 

Former investigator Alexander Blix has been released from jail after being acquitted for killing the man who murdered his daughter. And yet, the release and acquittal have done nothing to address his own personal guilt. 

Needless to say he's no longer welcome at his old job with the police. Which doesn't keep someone from reaching out to confess about one of Blix's old cases. 

Meanwhile, Emma Ramm has left journalism as well. But when the stepdaughter of a man accused of murder reaches out for Emma's help, she's intrigued. The case is a high profile one in part because no body has been discovered. 

Oh, how I adore this series! Hørst and Enger work so well together and have created main characters you root for no matter what. I'd follow them through any story and wait anxiously for each new installment. They've never let me down with their excellent plots and breakneck pacing!

Alexander Blix and Emma Ramm have a long history, one that is touched on in each book but really hits harder if you've read the series in order. 

I kind of hate seeing both of them beaten down, but it's this that makes them stand out. They're more real than the unbeatable, untouchable jaded police and PIs in so many thrillers. They've suffered great loss and they find solace in their friendship with one another. 

Plus they're both damn good investigators.

The Blix and Ramm series isn't quite as dark as Lars Kepler, but if you're a fan of those, you're going to love Hørst and Enger. And it's perfect timing since it's officially #NordicNoirNovember!

The Victim is out now in the UK from Orenda. And for US readers, it'll be out in spring. 

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

Kinch Na Shannack is blessed with luck and the ability to read anything. The former is what got him into his current predicament. 

An attempted robbery leads to Kinch being hired by the Takers Guild to head to the heart of a battlefield for reasons they haven't revealed. In exchange, Kinch's debt to the guild will be erased. Which would be great as the tattoo on his face allows for slapping and ends with Kinch buying a drink for the aggressor. It's a whole thing. 

Kinch is to follow a warrior and survivor of the goblin wars, Galva, to Hrava, which has just been decimated by giants. Along the way the two meet a variety of characters, become entangled in seemingly endless messes, and exchange favors that all play a role in their final mission. 

Kinch Na Shannack is your new favorite antihero!

Kinch is a thief, but an amiable one (at least for the reader), who turns out to be a hero at heart. There's a bit of will he/won't he throughout in terms of the different paths and decisions Kinch is forced to make. 

Galva is awesome and thorough her we get quite a bit of history and world building. 

This is a world that's suffered huge losses since their war with the goblins. And since men went off to fight in the early wars, heavy losses meant only women were left for the later campaigns. Galva is a soldier and survivor of the Daughters' War (which is the focus of the prequel book of the same name that came out this spring from Tor).

Holy bejeezus! People told me this one was good but shame on them for not telling me just HOW FREAKING GOOD! (I kid. Shame on me for taking so long to read it!)

I've been doing so many audiobooks lately and this is one that I highly, highly recommend in audio. Seriously, if you're inclined to audio AT ALL, listen to it rather than read the physical. Buehlman himself reads (and sings) and it is an absolute pleasure to hear! (Added bonus of getting to hear actual pronunciations.)

This audio is over twelve hours. Twelve hours, my friends! It's a good thing I started it on the weekend because I literally did NOTHING that couldn't be accompanied by an audiobook in my ears, listening as straight through as was possible! It's so good!

Order a copy from Bookshop.org.

Yule Island by Johana Gustawsson--Paperback

Good morning, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Johana Gustawsson's paperback release of Yule Island! (This is a repost from the hardcover release.) 

Emma Lindahl is a young and ambitious art expert recently hired on at Von Dardel's, a small but prestigious auction and appraisal house. Through this new position, she's been assigned a fabulous opportunity: cataloging and assessing the Gussman collection at their remote home on Storholmen island. 

But the Gussmans are strange. Her hours are severely limited, her access is confined to specific rooms, and her interaction with the family is all but nonexistent. 

Then there's the island history itself and the fact that a girl was found murdered on the grounds less than a decade before.

Emma tries not to let all of this get to her, but when another body is found nearby, it becomes clear there's something very wrong on Storholmen.

Yule Island is so much creepy fun!

A manor house with dark secrets, a remote island with very small community, and the most fabulous dark Scandinavian lore! Plus, Gustawsson pulls off some truly amazing twists!

The story alternates POVs between Emma; Karl, a local cop; and Viktoria, an employee at the manor. 

Emma is hesitant about her job. And with good reason. The Gussmans are an off-putting family who almost seem to resent her for being there to do the job they hired her for. It's a strange environment, to say the least. 

Karl worked the still open nine-year-old murder case and it haunts him to this day. When another body is found, he's called in even though his own wife has recently gone missing. And yet, the work keeps him busy, keeps him away from their home and their memories, and maybe even gives him a chance at the personal redemption he needs in the wake of the earlier unsolved crime. 

Viktoria has always worked in high-end resort hotels, but the opportunity for a live-in position with the Gussmans offers both her and her daughter a chance to escape her overbearing and emotionally abusive husband. But that doesn't keep him from turning up asking for money occasionally. She gives us a fly-on-the-wall view of the residents of the manor, which becomes increasingly strange and fascinating for the reader!

As I mentioned, Gustawsson has some excellent twists in this book. Some are the kind a savvy reader may see coming while others are a complete surprise. Either way, they make for an intense read. 

And then there's the lore I mentioned. As a whole the book is a wonderful read, but this piece makes it such a stand out. I know next to nothing about Yule lore (the celebration that predates Christmas) and honestly just eat up things like this, begging for more!

Gustawsson hooked me with her previous release, The Bleeding, and as a result Yule Island was already in my must read list and I have to say it did not disappoint!

Yule Island is out in paperback now!

Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton

Elise King is back in this second book set in Ebbing. 

Elise is officially back at work, investigating the murder of Karen Simmons, a local woman killed on Valentine's Day. As it turns out, the list of suspects isn't a short one. Simmons was active on dating apps and the assumption is that one of those dates is the killer. 

Meanwhile, reporter Kiki Nunn is certain this story can make her career. Her involvement in the investigation complicates things for Elise and puts Kiki directly in the killer's sights. 

This was a great follow up to Local Gone Missing. In fact, I think I liked this one even more with the addition of Kiki. Though I did want more of Elise's nosy parker neighbor :)

As with Local Gone Missing, Talking to Strangers alternates POVs and introduces some additional Ebbing residents. It can work as a standalone or an intro to the series but you'd be missing out on the already explored layers of Ebbing.

I again had the chance to listen to this one on audio and enjoyed it very much. Gabrielle Glaister and Jayne Entwistle return alongside Steve West. Fabulous jobs all around to the narrators!

Barton's pacing is fabulous here. The chapters are short in the "just one more chapter" vein. I binged this one!

I absolutely recommend this series to fans of small town thrillers. Barton's Ebbing is full of quirky residents who continue to become embroiled in drama and CRIME!

Order a copy from Bookshop.org!

Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton

Fiona Barton kicks off a new series with Local Gone Missing. 

Elise King has been on medical leave while recovering from treatment and surgery for breast cancer, which means she has a lot of time to watch neighborhood happenings. 

Some of the latest things rocking her small town include a massive upcoming music festival some believe will make Ebbing a destination and others believe will corrupt the town. When Charlie Perry goes missing in the aftermath of the festival, the latter are certain they were right all along. But the missing man has secrets and enemies, all of which could be the reason behind his disappearance. 

The Elise King series starts with a bang! This is the kind of procedural series that I love, one that focuses on a wide range of characters rather than just the series namesake. 

Chapters in this one alternate between different POVs, giving the reader insight not only into Elise's observations but others' as well. It makes the story much more full and rounded while also giving the reader a chance to get to know the quirky cast that makes up Ebbing!

I had the chance to listen to this one on audio and I loved it! Narrators Gabrielle Glaister, Jayne Entwistle, and Nicholas Guy Smith do a fabulous job bringing the characters to life. It made it an easy and compelling listen that I binged—because I had to know what happened!

The book does introduce a lot of characters and sub plots. It also bounces from past to present throughout. It's a book that definitely demands more attention—don't read it in small bursts or while distracted!—in order to keep all of the timelines and POVs straight. That said, I think going in with this knowledge helps some!

I quite enjoyed this! I think reading it and book 2 back to back was a benefit as I was able to fully immerse in the town of Ebbing and its characters much easier. (And going in knowing I was going to get more of the town and Elise didn't hurt either.)

Fans of Louise Penny and Deborah Crombie will love this one!

Order a copy from Bookshop.org.

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

Good morning, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Ruth Ware's latest thriller, One Perfect Couple. 

Lyla, a virologist, and Nico, an actor, may seem like and unlikely pair, but for almost three years they've been living together happily. And now Nico has an opportunity to participate in a brand new reality show his agent is certain can launch his career. The catch: it's a couple's competition. 

Lyla is against it at first, but agrees to go along to support Nico. Plus, her current contract project isn't panning out and a couple of weeks off won't hurt. But she's not thrilled about the competition stipulations from the start. The idea is that the "perfect couple" will win through a series of challenges where one loser is kicked off each week. So it could be a "couple" winning. Or it could be just one person. But the pictures they're sent of the resort where the show is filming is breathtaking.

Unfortunately, the contestants aren't there long when a storm hits, leaving them stranded with limited supplies and no electricity. 

Pretty soon, the stress of their situation begins to break them down. And by the time someone is murdered, they've already begun to question who can be trusted. 

I absolutely love that Ruth Ware enjoys throwing her readers off kilter from the very beginning of the story! 

The prologue is a short couple of paragraphs about a man and a woman fighting for their lives. Fighting one another. Told from the woman's POV, but with no hint as to who the two might be. 

What's more, for the first part of the book chapters are intermittently separated by simple entries that include a date, time, and pleas for help. Ware changes this later in the book, further throwing the reader off  of whatever conclusions or guesses they've made thus far about the various who's and the what of the plot. 

Ruth Ware has taken Love Island and thrown in a bit of Survivor and a whole lot of the twists and turns she's known for. 

And you know me, inappropriate reading rec location for maximum atmosphere: an island paradise of course! Or, your backyard with your feet in a kiddie pool if, like me, that's what you've got to work with!

One Perfect Couple is out now in the UK and the US.