2021 Alphabet Soup Challenge

 Link to challenge:  Alphabet Challenge

A- Akata Witch by Nnedi Okoafor
B- Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky
C- Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
D- Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
E- Every Last Word by Tamara Stone 
F- The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
G-
H-
I-Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
J-
K-Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
L- The Last Resort by Susi Holliday
M- The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
N-
O-Oh. What. Fun. by Chandler Baker
P- Paper Wife by Laila Ibrahim
Q-
R-
S- Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
T-Turkey Trot Murder by Leslie Meier 
U-
V-
W- What Happens in Darkness by Laura McHugh
X-
Y- Yours Cruelly, Elvira by Cassandra Peterson
Z-

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich - 4 Stars

Book 17 in the Stephanie Plum series.
In this book, Stephanie has 3 different killers after her and all she wants to do is solve the local murder. Bodies with notes addressed to Stephanie certainly have her on guard.
On top of her murder investigation, Stephanie's mom is trying to set her up with the former high school football star. Stephanie is still torn between Morelli and Ranger and to top it off, Morelli's grandmother keeps putting "spells" on Stephanie.

Another fun Stephanie read. I'm surprised that I'm still reading a series this many books in, but I find that Evanovich finds a new way to make Stephanie's antics a good, fun read.

The Trouble with Turkeys by Kathi Daley - 3 Stars

Zoe agrees to help her friend at a local turkey farm 2 weeks before Thanksgiving and suddenly finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. Caught up in messy turkey droppings, turkeys that appear drunk, and a bunch of hungry heirs to an estate, Zoe decides to take it on herself who the actual murderer is.

This was a cozy mystery, but I found it quite a bit different than the other cozy mysteries that I've read. I also felt there were way too may suspects and had a hard time keeping them straight. Not sure if it was the editing or the writing, but I found a few errors in the book as well. Overall, I don't think I'll read any more in this series.

From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris - 4 Stars

Sookie Stackhouse is still recovering from the recent disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the explosion at the vampire summit, but she is safe. Her boyfriend, Quinn, is missing and things in the vampire world are rapidly changing. Sookie once again finds herself at the center of the vampire world, where things are about to change drastically. 

I enjoy the Sookie Stackhouse books, but found this one to lag a bit in the middle. Not on the top of my list, but still enjoyable.

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini - 4 Stars

Craig is your typical teenaged boy, but is driven by his desire to get in to a top Manhattan pre-professional school. The stress of the school gets to him and he feels like he wants to commit suicide. Craig checks himself in to the local psychiatric hospital. This is where he meets many different people with many different issues. 

I enjoyed this one, but not on the top of my list for the year. The story was good and the characters were relatable. 

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon - 5 Stars

Maddy has a rare disease in which she is basically allergic to the world. She stays indoors and the only people she sees are her mom and her nurse, Carla. 

Then one day a moving truck appears next door and Maddy sees "him"...Tall, lean and wearing all black. His name is Olly.

Maddy immediately knows she's going to fall in love with Olly and it's going to be a disaster. 

I devoured this book. It only took me 3 days to read it and that's working all day, too. LOL! Definitely one of the best books I've read this year. 

Love, Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed - 4 Stars

Maya is an American born Indian Muslim who is torn between 2 worlds. One being the world her parents want her to live; the perfect Indian daughter who stays close to home, obeys her parents and marries a good Indian boy. Then there's the world she wants to live in; moving to NYC to attend college, graduating from film school, and pursuing a boy that she's only known from afar since grade school.

But after a horrible crime that happens hundreds of miles away, Maya's real world is turned upside down. Maya is faced with hatred and bigotry. As she tries to make sense of what happened and how it affects her life, Maya must figure out where she truly belongs.