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Fun Book Series for Early Readers

I’ve got an emerging reader in my house so that means I’ve been searching and scouring from new book series to keep him engaged and excited to learn. He doesn’t know he’s building his reading skills, mind you, but let’s not tell him that part.

Fun Book Series for Early Readers || Pages and Pekoe

Each of these on my list has proven tried and true in my home and I hope a can give you some new ideas for additions to yours! Here we go in no particular order.

 

Fun Book Series for Early Readers - Bad Guys || Pages and Pekoe

Bad Guys

This is the very first series that my son started to collect and I can see why he loves it so much. It probably helps that I love to give voices to each “bad guy” when I read it with him!

Fun Book Series for Early Readers - Dog Man || Pages and Pekoe

Dog Man

This series seems so be popping up everywhere I go so I certainly couldn’t leave it out! Silly and nonsensical, Dog Man is relatively new on the scene but is quickly becoming a staple on the bookshelves of kids everywhere!

Fun Book Series for Early Readers - Captain Underpants || Pages and Pekoe

Captain Underpants

I’ll be the first to admit that underpants and fart jokes aren’t my idea of compelling literature, but try telling that to a 7 year old boy. Anything that makes them giggle will keep them reading so let’s just accept it as a win.

Fun Book Series for Early Readers - Magic Tree House || Pages and Pekoe

Magic Tree House

Parents will remember this series from our own childhood and it has been able to withstand the test of time. As it turns out, the wonder, curiosity and adventure in each book never get old.

Fun Book Series for Early Readers - Geronimo Stilton || Pages and Pekoe

Geronimo Stilton

This little mouse is an absolute favourite here and for good reason! The illustrations bring life to the words on the page and really add to the antics of Geronimo and the colourful cast of characters within the pages.

Fun Book Series for Early Readers - Looniverse || Pages and Pekoe

Looniverse

Humour and fantasy are two ingredients in the recipe for a kid-friendly story and these books are full of both! Add some great illustrations to that and we’ve got a winner!

Fun Book Series for Early Readers - The Magic School Bus || Pages and Pekoe

The Magic School Bus

Here’s a faithful series that has only improved with age! Just like the classic cartoon, Ms. Frizzle and the gang are here to encourage learners that science is fun, interesting, and always an adventure!

Fun Book Series for Early Readers - A-Z Mysteries || Pages and Pekoe

A-Z Mysteries

I love a good mystery and these ones are a lot of fun! Each book in the series starts with a letter of the alphabet which adds an additional level of learning for a homeschooling family like mine.

Fun Book Series for Early Readers - Goosebumps || Pages and Pekoe

Goosebumps

Talk about a blast from the past!! This old favourite is not only still relevant, but it’s also gotten a fresh look and new life. It seems that just like fashion, the popular books of the ’90s are making a comeback for our children and I’m not mad about it!

 

Looking for a fun reading challenge? Check out my 20 in 20 Reading Challenge!

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Review: The Rogue Trilogy

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Review: The Rogue TrilogyThe Rogue Trilogy by Elizabeth Carlton
Genres: Fantasy
Format: eBook
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

An ominous presence stirs in the North. The people of Nevaharday can feel it, but they can't quite explain what it is. How could they? Shadow Silverhorn is far older than the memories of their kin and kingdom.

Yet his hunger for vengeance, wrapped in a web of lies that had gone undetected for too many centuries, will not go unsatiated. As Shadow stakes his claim over Nevaharday, Prince Jaycent is faced with an impossible mission: to rescue his people from the tyranny of a madman.

Dive deep into the tale of a prince-turned-rogue, whose sharp wit and unyielding determination help him defy the odds of a god-like enemy's twisted game.

This 5-star fantasy brings all three books together in a fully remastered version of Elizabeth Carlton's epic story. By combining imaginative fantasy elements similar to Lord of the Rings with the high-stakes nature of Game of Thrones, The Rogue Trilogy satiates its readers' appetite for adventure, tragedy, romance, and--most importantly--a hero worth rooting for.

My first book review of 2020, The Rogue Trilogy, is a very special one. The author, Elizabeth Carlton, is not only an incredibly talented writer, but she’s also one of the sweetest friends I have! We met online through video games and friends and she has since become one of my favourite people in the world! That’s why it was an absolute honour to read and review her books.

The cool thing about this book is that it contains all three of Elli’s book in one. You can read the three separately or all in one volume. Totally up to you! Her writing is descriptive, flowy, and fast-paced making for an easily enjoyable read. I didn’t feel the need to take breaks from reading and I definitely consider the trilogy binge-worthy. You may want to add it to your list for the P&P 20 in 20 Reading Challenge!

The Royal Rogue | Chivalry’s Code | Lost Prince of Nevaharday

Characters

Within the world contained in these pages lives a diverse and interesting cast of characters. There are ones that are friendly and likeable from the start (Tobiano) and ones that I love to hate (Kotu)! What makes the characters most interesting to me is not only the variety of personalities but the different races and belief systems. In true fantasy fashion, there are a host of creatures and magic as well. Something that makes the characters come alive for me is the way that Elli weaves them into life.

Protagonist Jaycent Conner is mysterious and flawed and following his character arc is equal parts frustrating and triumphant. He is stubborn, rebellious and intensely loyal. His relationships with other characters provide insight into his dark personality and my personal favorite are the interactions and bond he has with his best friend and companion, Diego.

Levee Tensley provides a nice contrast to Jaycent with her warm demeanour and determined spirit. Her relationship with the equines is similar to that of Jaycent’s with Diego but her’s seems much more gentle and loving rather than a true understanding partnership.

I LOVE the non-humanoid characters most of all. From the way they communicate to the way they are personified and behave, they are very unique and interesting. I am an animal lover to the core and although horses have never been an area of great interest, I really love the equines in this trilogy!




Setting

A standout strength in The Rogue Trilogy is the world in which it takes place. We are able to easily visualize beautiful landscapes, immense buildings and intricate city streets. Each location is described in painstaking detail which makes for a very immersive reading experience. The locations are as diverse as the characters who visit them and I would love to see art created to represent each city! Tiny details woven into the story make the whole world come alive in a way that is effortless, yet effective.

Simple candles inside simple houses, built to meet necessity and little more.

I’m not sure why the above line stood out so much for me. It speaks to the ease at which Elli is able to bring a vision to life in a way that isn’t only beautiful, it’s almost lyrical. So much of the setting is described this way. Whether it’s the cobbled city of Nevaharday or a dark and mystical forest, the areas traversed are almost living beings in themselves. Something as small as a breeze blowing through a farmer’s crop or as large as a full-scale battle, the attention to detail is amazing yet never seems overdone.

I’ve tried to write this review so many times already without it sounding like I’m gushing but it’s really hard not to. Even if the author wasn’t a good friend of mine, I would love it! Her writing speaks for itself. I truly feel that more people need to read these books because they’ll love them as much as I do! You will NOT regret checking out The Rogue Trilogy and you’ll be happy to know that Elli has more up her sleeve.

Book Review: The Rogue Trilogy by Elizabeth Carlton

 

five-stars

Book Reviews 0

P&P 20 in 20 Reading Challenge!

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday season filled with cozy blankets, hot beverages and lots of great books! Mine was an incredibly busy and happy time with LOTS of caffeine and video games sprinkled in. While I didn’t get as much reading in as I would have liked, I did manage some. I started into dive into something I’ve been meaning to get to for a long time, the works of H.P. Lovecraft, the master of strange fiction and horror.

I didn’t manage to meet my goal of 40 books for the Goodreads 2019 Reading Challenge but that’s ok. I did get 30 books in which is pretty darn good too! My 2019 goal was set at 40 and I’ll try it again! I started last year off strong and only fell off the reading wagon in the latter months. Things got so busy so I’m hopeful I’ll have a better handle on things this year. Add me as a friend there so I can follow along with you too! I sort of shared a little challenge to help with a reading slump but wanted to take it one step further.

I challenge you to read!

I asked on the P&P Facebook page if anyone would be interested in me putting together a 20 in 20 Reading Challenge for us to work at together. Many of you seemed interested so here we go! With the help of my sister Kate, we’ve come up with some great ideas to help give you some inspiration. Now that we’re looking at a clean reading slate, I know I need a little push to start planning out some of those books to reach my goal. Share your ideas from the prompts and your progress there!

Pages and Pekoe 20 in 20 Reading Challenge

Sometimes new books can be hard to find if you’re stuck for ideas or time to go out. While I generally prefer physical books, I usually always have an ebook on the go on my Kindle Paperwhite. You can borrow from most libraries to your ereader which is so convenient! I also love the Kindle Unlimited service which I get a lot of value from, especially when I’m reading multiple books from there a month!

 


If you want to follow along with me and some bookish friends, you can find us on the P&P Facebook page sharing our reads. It’s also a great way to chat books! I’d love to see you there!

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Review: Chase Darkness with Me

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Chase Darkness with MeChase Darkness with Me: How One True-Crime Writer Started Solving Murders by Billy Jensen
Published by Sourcebooks on August 13, 2019
Genres: True Crime, Memoir
Pages: 336
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

Have you ever wanted to solve a murder? Gather the clues the police overlooked? Put together the pieces? Identify the suspect?

Journalist Billy Jensen spent fifteen years investigating unsolved murders, fighting for the families of victims. Every story he wrote had one thing in commonโ€•they didn't have an ending. The killer was still out there.

But after the sudden death of a friend, crime writer and author of I'll Be Gone in the Dark, Michelle McNamara, Billy became fed up. Following a dark night, he came up with a plan. A plan to investigate past the point when the cops had given up. A plan to solve the murders himself.

You'll ride shotgun as Billy identifies the Halloween Mask Murderer, finds a missing girl in the California Redwoods, and investigates the only other murder in New York City on 9/11. You'll hear intimate details of the hunts for two of the most terrifying serial killers in history: his friend Michelle McNamara's pursuit of the Golden State Killer and his own quest to find the murderer of the Allenstown Four. And Billy gives you the toolsโ€•and the rulesโ€•to help solve murders yourself.

Gripping, complex, unforgettable, Chase Darkness with Me is an examination of the evil forces that walk among us, illustrating a novel way to catch those killers, and a true-crime narrative unlike any you've read before.

I can’t even begin to list the things I loved about Chase Darkness With Me … there are so many!

First of all, one thing I have to give Billy Jensen mad respect for is that his investigative drive is fuelled by the search for justice and empathy for victims and their families. While much of true crime can border on exploitative gory details for attention, Jensen’s desire to advocate and give voice to victims is noteworthy. His dedication to bringing answers to surviving family members makes him stand out as an example of how more investigators should operate.

I found it interesting to learn about how Jensen worked his way through journalism and reporting and how his entry into investigations began. He used his skills in writing and marketing to leverage social media and crowd-sourcing in order to narrow in on his target, positioning himself as a sleuth of the modern-day. With the backlog of unsolved cases, his skills are certainly needed!




In Chase Darkness With Me, Jensen does include a section outlining some tips, and most importantly, some rules about how you can get involved in investigative work. Thankfully he includes a caution to tread carefully if you do become involved because you want to help, not hinder an investigation. It would be best to check with law enforcement in charge before diving into anything.

Billy’s writing makes me feel as though I’m right there with him and I loved every minute of it. The mix of personal stories, true crime reporting, and little Paul Holes bromance. I don’t blame him, I’m #HotForHoles too! Speaking of this dynamic duo, they are now podcasting! If podcasts are your thing, check them out on Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad.

Love podcasts? Check out my 10 favourite Bookish Podcasts!

I also have to mention his friendship with author Michelle McNamara and how instrumental she was in his journey. The two shared a kinship and love for the hunt that brought them together and inspired them to keep digging. Her passing affected Jensen in many ways and his admiration for her and her work shows through in his words about her. Although she passed before seeing the object of her search in handcuffs, Jensen and McNamara’s husband Patton Oswalt made sure that her work was completed with the publication of her book I’ll Be Gone In The Dark.

I already know that I will be buying a physical copy once it hits the shelves because it’s one that I want in my collection. I’ll nestle it right next to I’ll Be Gone In The Dark and Stay Sexy Don’t Get Murdered!

Review: Chase Darkness With Me || Pages and Pekoe

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy and the opportunity to indulge in my true crime obsession!

 

five-stars

Book Reviews 0

True Crime Books for Murderinos

My true crime addiction continues to grow by the hour and I can’t say that I’m mad about it. You may remember me talking about it in my Behind the Blog post or my review of the true crime book, Pathological. My husband is probably getting a little bit concerned but it’s always good to keep him on his toes!

My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast that makes me feel like I’ve found my people. There are badass women, witty banter, and all the nitty-gritty details that you love! In addition to being fantastically entertaining, they have some really great book recommendations for those of us who are always left wanting more.

True Crime Books for Murderinos - The Skeleton Crew

The Skeleton Crew provides an entree into the gritty and tumultuous world of Sherlock Holmesโ€“wannabes who race to beat out law enforcementโ€”and one anotherโ€”at matching missing persons with unidentified remains.

In America today, upwards of forty thousand people are dead and unaccounted for. These murder, suicide, and accident victims, separated from their names, are being adopted by the bizarre online world of amateur sleuths.

Itโ€™s DIY CSI.

The web sleuths pore over facial reconstructions (a sort of Facebook for the dead) and other online clues as they vie to solve cold cases and tally up personal scorecards of dead bodies. The Skeleton Crew delves into the macabre underside of the Internet, the fleeting nature of identity, and how even the most ordinary citizen with a laptop and a knack for puzzles can reinvent herself as a web sleuth.

True Crime Books for Murderinos - Bad Blood

In 2014, Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes was widely seen as the female Steve Jobs: a brilliant Stanford dropout whose startup “unicorn” promised to revolutionize the medical industry with a machine that would make blood tests significantly faster and easier. Backed by investors such as Larry Ellison and Tim Draper, Theranos sold shares in a fundraising round that valued the company at $9 billion, putting Holmes’s worth at an estimated $4.7 billion. There was just one problem: The technology didn’t work.

For years, Holmes had been misleading investors, FDA officials, and her own employees. When Carreyrou, working atย The Wall Street Journal,ย got a tip from a former Theranos employee and started asking questions, both Carreyrou and theย Journalย were threatened with lawsuits. Undaunted, the newspaper ran the first of dozens of Theranos articles in late 2015. By early 2017, the company’s value was zero and Holmes faced potential legal action from the government and her investors. Here is the riveting story of the biggest corporate fraud since Enron, a disturbing cautionary tale set amid the bold promises and gold-rush frenzy of Silicon Valley.

True Crime Books for Murderinos - The Innocent Wife

Twenty years ago, Dennis Danson was arrested and imprisoned for the brutal murder of a young girl. Now heโ€™s the subject of a true-crime documentary thatโ€™s whipping up a frenzy online to uncover the truth and free a man who has been wrongly convicted.

A thousand miles away in England, Samantha is obsessed with Dennisโ€™s case. She exchanges letters with him, and is quickly won over by his apparent charm and kindness to her. Soon she has left her old life behind to marry him and campaign for his release.

When the campaign is successful and Dennis is freed, however, Sam begins to discover new details that suggest he may not be quite so innocent after all.




True Crime Books for Murderinos - American Eve

The scandalous story of America’s first supermodel, sex goddess, and modern celebrity, Evelyn Nesbit, the temptress at the center of Stanford White’s famous murder, whose iconic life story reflected all the paradoxes of America’s Gilded Age

Known to millions before her sixteenth birthday in 1900, Evelyn Nesbit was the most photographed woman of her era, an iconic figure who set the standard for female beauty. Women wanted to be her. Men just wanted her. When her life of fantasy became all too real, and her jealous millionaire husband, Harry K. Thaw, killed her lover, celebrity architect Stanford White, builder of the Washington Square Arch and much of New York City, she found herself at the center of the Crime of the Century, and the popular courtroom drama that followed, a scandal that signaled the beginning of a national obsession with youth, beauty, celebrity, and sex.

The story of Evelyn Nesbit is one of glamour, money, romance, sex, madness, and murder, and Paula Uruburu weaves all of these elements into an elegant narrativethat reads like the best fiction – only it’s all true.ย American Eveย goes far beyond just literary biography; it paints a picture of America as it crossed from the Victorian era into the modern, foreshadowing so much of our contemporary culture today.

True Crime Books for Murderinos - Strange Piece of Paradise

In the summer of 1977, Terri Jentz and her Yale roommate took a cross-country bike trip. As they lay sleeping in the central Oregon desert, a man in a pickup truck deliberately ran over their tent and proceeded to attack them with an axe. The horrific crime was reported in newspapers across the country, but no one was ever arrested. Fifteen years later, Jentz returns to the small town where she was nearly murdered and makes an extraordinary discovery: the violence of that night is as present for the community as it is for her. Shockingly, many say they know who did it, and he is living freely in their midst.

Powerful, eloquent, and paced like the most riveting of thrillers,ย Strange Piece of Paradiseย is a startling profile of a psychopath, a sweeping reflection on violence and the myth of American individualism, and a moving record of Jentz’s brave inner journey from violence to hope.

True Crime Books for Murderinos - I'll Be Gone In The Dark

A masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killerโ€”the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decadeโ€”from Michelle McNamara, the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case.

“Youโ€™ll be silent forever, and Iโ€™ll be gone in the dark.”

For more than ten years, a mysterious and violent predator committed fifty sexual assaults in Northern California before moving south, where he perpetrated ten sadistic murders. Then he disappeared, eluding capture by multiple police forces and some of the best detectives in the area.

Three decades later, Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist who created the popular website TrueCrimeDiary.com, was determined to find the violent psychopath she called “the Golden State Killer.” Michelle pored over police reports, interviewed victims, and embedded herself in the online communities that were as obsessed with the case as she was.

At the time of the crimes, the Golden State Killer was between the ages of eighteen and thirty, Caucasian, and athleticโ€”capable of vaulting tall fences. He always wore a mask. After choosing a victimโ€”he favored suburban couplesโ€”he often entered their home when no one was there, studying family pictures, mastering the layout. He attacked while they slept, using a flashlight to awaken and blind them. Though they could not recognize him, his victims recalled his voice: a guttural whisper through clenched teeth, abrupt and threatening.

Iโ€™ll Be Gone in the Darkโ€”the masterpiece McNamara was writing at the time of her sudden deathโ€”offers an atmospheric snapshot of a moment in American history and a chilling account of a criminal mastermind and the wreckage he left behind. It is also a portrait of a womanโ€™s obsession and her unflagging pursuit of the truth. Framed by an introduction by Gillian Flynn and an afterword by her husband, Patton Oswalt, the book was completed by Michelleโ€™s lead researcher and a close colleague. Utterly original and compelling, it is destined to become a true crime classicโ€”and may at last unmask the Golden State Killer.

True Crime Books for Murderinos - If You Really Loved Me

David Brown was the consummate entrepreneur: a computer wizard and millionaire by age thirty-two. When his beautiful young wife was shot to death as she slept, Brown’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Cinnamon, confessed to killing her stepmother. The California courts sentenced her harshly: twenty-four years to life. But in the wake of Cinnamon’s murder conviction, thanks in part to two determined lawmen, the twisted private world of David Brown himself unfolded with astonishing clarity — revealing a trail of perverse love, twisted secrets, and evil mind games. A complex and often dangerous investigation suggested a horrifying scenario: Was the seemingly bland David Brown really a stone-cold killer who convinced his own daughter to prove her love by killing for him? A man who turned young women into his own personal slaves, who collected nearly $1 million in insurance money, and married his dead wife’s teenage sister, David Brown was a sociopath who would stop at nothing…a deadly charmer who almost got away with everything.

True Crime Books for Murderinos

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Review: The Diviners

Review: The DivinersThe Diviners by Libba Bray
Series: The Diviners #1
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on 12/03/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 578
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Buy on Amazon,ย Buy on Book Depository
Goodreads
five-stars

Evangeline O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is ecstatic. It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult. Evie worries he'll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far.

When the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer. As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfurl in the city that never sleeps. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened....

Alright, I’m officially a YA convert! While I’ve always been a Potterhead because that’s what I grew up in, the Young Adult genre hasn’t been something I’ve really delved into until now. The Diviners is the second YA title that I’ve loved in the past while and I’m into it. Maybe it’s more the Historical Fiction or Fantasy side of things that I love but this is a series I want to continue reading.

Characters

The Diviners has some really fun and dynamic characters! We’ve barely scratched the surface on some of them which makes me excited to read more of this series.

I wasn’t feeling Evie as a protagonist at the beginning but she grew on me as things progressed. It seems I wasn’t the only one who felt that way either! Similarly, Mabel tended to bore me and many others BUT I did find her a great contrast to Evie and Theta.

This fan art by @AceArt3mis of the girls in THE DIVINERS by @libbabray is just the bee’s kneesโ€”and it’s only the first of many gorgeous renditions of the hip to the jive characters in the series! https://t.co/Fa0U5sNF85 pic.twitter.com/qzgCf70LEQ

โ€” NOVL โ˜”๏ธ (@TheNovl) April 12, 2019

Speaking of Theta, she was one of my favourite characters and I have a suspicion that we’ll be learning more about her in other books in the series! This girl gives no shits and I love her for it. There’s so much more to her than what we have learned thus far and I can’t wait for more of her! Same goes for her “partner” Henry. The two of them together have some of my favourite interactions which, looking back, makes me really wish I had marked some examples of this so I could have shared. I am a mediocre blogger at best.

See my review of The Raven Boys for more YA love!

If you’ve been around for a while, you already that I love a bad boy so it should come as no surprise that Sam had me hooked from the get-go. The looks, the sarcasm and wit, the street smarts! Swoon! He’s also got a mysterious and intriguing backstory that I can’t wait to explore. In stark contrast to Sam, Jericho bored me for most of the book until I learned his dirty little secret close to the end. His personality still doesn’t excite me like Sam’s does but I am curious to have more of his story unfold.




Brothers Memphis and Isaiah have such a sweet and interesting dynamic that I really loved and I can’t wait for the Memphis & Theta pairing to flesh out. While romance isn’t a main theme through the book, it didn’t take away from it either. I felt like the focus in The Diviners was more on relationships in general rather than only romantic ones. Friendships, mentors, family, etc. The mentorship between Will and Jericho is one I’m curious about as well as the strange intrigue added by the Proctor sisters, Miss Addie and Miss Lillian.

The John ‘Naughty John’ Hobbes character is a real doozy! From the origin story and flashbacks into his motivations throughout the book, he is complex and frightening. Many of his creepy scenes stayed with me for a while after putting the book down. The whistle, his song … I have chills right now thinking about it!

Setting

1920’s New York City is such a cool time and place in history that it is the perfect backdrop for this thrilling tale. A creepy museum, glamorous theatres, dark speakeasies, a haunted mansion, even an old cemetery! This is the stuff my dreams are made of!

ย 

via GIPHY

I love reading about the flapper lifestyle and The Diviners satisfied me with it in the way that The Great Gatsby did. So glamorous and forbidden … women after my own heart! It gives the city a certain noir feel that I enjoy and is such a character in its own right.

In many regards, the various locations were characters in themselves. The old house certainly had a life and persona all it’s own! The museum also had a fantastic mysterious aura about it and I was able to picture the ambience of the opulent theatre. Libba Bray does a fantastic job creating a dark, intriguing atmosphere that is full of detail and personality which made reading this book a very rich experience for me and worth the 5 star rating.

Did you love The Diviners as much as I did?

 

Book Review: The Diviners || Pages and Pekoe  Here are my thoughts on the first book in The Diviners series by Libba Bray!

five-stars

Book Reviews 5

My Bookish Holy Grail – Bodies in the Backyard

For years now, there’s been a book that I wanted to own a physical copy of. I read a borrowed copy a long time ago but it’s not enough for me just to have read it, I need to have it in my personal collection. It’s my bookish holy grail. I read a lot more ebooks these days, but that won’t do for this particular book. It’s special. I could own it in digital form, but that just won’t do.

If you’ve read the post all about me you already know that all things true crime is an obsession of mine. I love the gritty details, intriguing people, and horrifying discoveries. Lightly put, I’m a fan of the macabre. Weird? Maybe. Cool? Most definitely!

Bodies In The Backyard || PagesAndPekoe.Com

Almost everyone has that local crime story and Bodies In The Backyard describes mine. It’s one of those spooky stories told around the campfire late at night only this one is true. The book itself, written by Brian O’Neill and published in 1993 only ever had a single print run and was not considered successful at the time. My mother, who is friends with 2 of the author’s sisters, believes she had bought a copy back then for $10. Fast forward to today and you’ll be lucky to get your grubby paws on a copy.

Over the past few years as the interest in true crime has risen, copies are extremely hard to come by. Last year a copy went at an auction for $250 and I’ve come across copies in local buy and sell groups and on eBay for over $100. I’ve had my eyes open and feelers out there with local antique stores and booksellers for a while and last weekend, finally struck bookish gold! I got a message from someone who knew I was on the hunt for my bookish holy grail. He said that there was a copy at an antique store near me for $50. Fifty!!!! You’d better believe I jumped right into the car before they changed their mind!!

Bodies In The Backyard || PagesAndPekoe.Com

While not in pristine condition, it’s one of the best I’ve seen. There is currently a filthy, tapped up copy on a buy and sell site for $150 so I know I scored big! Slight creases in pages and small coffee stains add to the story of this sought after bit of local murder lore.

If you like true crime, check out my review of Pathological!

I didn’t intend for this post to be a review of the book although I can certainly write one if there is interest. It’s an account of the crimes of Noel Winters of Saint John, NB which just happens to be where I was born, raised, and currently reside. The murders (that we know of) were carried out in the sleepy town of Brown’s Flat where I worked during the summers of my teenage years at a campground. If you want to get really specific, near Crystal Beach where I spent many childhood summers swimming and eating ice cream! Those were the days!

If you’re really into true crime, you may want to go down the rabbit hole with this one. The story is mentioned in another true crime book called Cold North Killers: Canadian Serial Murder and was also the inspiration for the 2014 movie Black Fly. You can also check out the Goodreads page for the book or if owning a copy isn’t important but you do want to read it, it’s available in ebook format! If you love true crime, it might be up your alley.

Bodies In The Backyard || PagesAndPekoe.Com

If you’re not subscribed already and would like to receive a monthly update in your inbox, feel free to sign up! I’ll give you the rundown of what’s been happening on the blog as well as some more personal news and info from me on what I’ve been reading and doing. In the off chance that there is something I feel you need to know, I may also send out emails here and there as well but those should be rare.

 


 

Do you have a bookish holy grail! Tell me about it!

Locally NB 2

8 Booktubers To Watch

Believe it or not, reading isn’t my only hobby! While it’s way up there in the things I love (obviously), I also enjoy playing hockey, cooking, watching true-crime documentaries and playing video games. While playing games, I often have YouTube up on my second monitor and I have a playlist of new videos from my favourite creators.

You can read more about meย inย thisย post if you’re so inclined!

Booktubers are some of my favourite people to watch because I feel like they’re my people. Especially when our other interests overlap! I love getting book recommendations, tracking ideas and even organizational inspiration from these people and sometimes it’s just nice to hear someone talk about books as passionately as I do!

9 Booktubers to Watch || Pages and Pekoe

Here are some wonderful booktubers for you to check out when you want to watch something but you still want those bookish feels! Be sure to share your favourites in the comments and if you make bookish videos, share those too!

Books with Chloe

Books and Lala

MyReadingIsOdd

Ariel Bissett

Katytastic

Little Book Owl

The Booktube Girl

Michael BookLion

A Court of Books and Love

Do you have a favorite booktuber? Help me find more people to add to my list!

Fun 2

Review: Pathological

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: PathologicalPathological by Henry Cordes, Todd Cooper
Published by WildBlue Press Genres: True Crime, Non-Fiction
Pages: 260
Source: NetGalley
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

A Brutal Serial Killer Was Stalking Omaha. But Who Could Kill With Such Precision?

Detective Derek Mois wasnโ€™t sure what he was dealing with when in March 2008 he walked into a home in an affluent Omaha neighborhood and was confronted with the bodies of an 11-year-old boy and the housekeeper. Both had been murdered with kitchen knives plunged into their throats. Who would do something so vile, and why? Lacking answers, Mois and other detectives working the case were stumped.Five years later, a strikingly similar crime occurred in which two more victims were brutally murdered with knives expertly thrust into their jugular veins. The modus operandi of the murders pointed Mois and a special task force in the direction of looking for a serial killer. But no one could have anticipated that path would lead to the Department of Pathology at Creighton University.

In PATHOLOGICAL: The Murderous Rage Of Dr. Anthony Garcia, authors Henry J. Cordes and Todd Cooper, who covered the story for the Omaha World-Herald, recount the dramatic tale of deep-seated revenge, determined detectives, and the sensational trial of the doctor-turned-serial killer.

It’s a universal truth that the mind of a serial killer is a complex place to be. Pathological is a true crime tale about the misdeeds and mental state of Dr. Anthony Garcia. More importantly, it outlines the events leading up to the murders he committed and how the exceptional detectives were finally able to track him down and put him where he belongs.

The pace of the book is incredibly quick while still allowing the reader to easily follow along the timeline of events. The authors actually covered the story for the Omaha World-Herald and were able to take the information they had and weave it into an entertaining, albeit tragic story. without sensationalizing it any further.

In many true crime books, the victims are briefly mentioned but the authors do a wonderful job in telling their stories and those of their grief stricken families. I was so touched by the feelings of respect and duty shown by the involved detectives who truly took this case to heart.

Pathological is a great book for true crime lovers who want something they can quickly get through while still getting all of those gory facts that we love!

Review: Pathological | Pages and Pekoe

This is my Review of the Month for the review collection on LovelyAudiobooks.info

four-stars

Book Reviews 4

Pinterest Traffic Secrets Revealed!

This post contains affiliate links and if you purchase using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. Thank you for supporting Pages and Pekoe!

One of the things that I am learning from my recent reader survey is that people want me to talk about blogging this year. Which is great! I love blogging and it’s always fun to talk shop with other bloggers.

I’m not an expert on the topic by any stretch of the imagination. This isn’t my first blog and I’m sure it won’t be the last! The knowledge that I can share is based on the experiences that I’ve had so far and I am always happy to share whatever I can. Keep in mind here that algorithms and things are always changing so you never know if this will work a year from now!

Pinterest Secrets Revealed | Pages and Pekoe

One of the things that people have expressed an interest in working on is Pinterest and I’m more than happy to spill my secrets here. Pinterest is my biggest driver of traffic by far and it’s easy for me to pinpoint why that is.

There are a few reasons. The first and most important is Tailwind. I don’t exaggerate when I say that. I started my Pages and Pekoe Pinterest account when I started the blog a little over a year ago, however I only just started actively using Tailwind scheduling and tribes in December. You’ll be able to tell exactly when by looking at this image!

Scheduling with Tailwind

The first benefit to using Tailwind to up your Pinterest game is the ability to schedule your pins well in advance to post throughout the day. While I do manually pin sometimes, the majority of my pins are pre-scheduled. And using the Smart Schedule, it will choose the times when your followers are most active so your pins are more likely to be seen. Pretty handy!

Tailwind Tribes

Tailwind tribes are the second biggest reason to use the service. I always fill my pinning queue with pins from my tribes first before I even log into Pinterest itself. Think of it kind of like post sharing groups on Facebook. Not only have I found lots of amazing pins to share, I have also found some great bloggers to follow from my tribes. Win-win!

Now, I’m not saying you have to use Tailwind in order to be successful on Pinterest. It’s just something that has worked really well for me. If something works for you, keep doing what you’re doing!

Another huge part of my Pinterest success have been Christina’s courses from OrganizeYour.Biz, beginning with the Pinterest 101 course. She has some amazing paid courses that are well worth it (I’ve taken them) but this one is free and is fantastic for someone just getting familiar with the platform.

One thing that I purposely left out of this post is creating graphics for Pinterest. That’s another post for another day!

Leave me your secrets in the comments! Preferably about Pinterest ๐Ÿ˜‰

Blogging 4

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pagesandpekoe

Reader & Book Reviews ๐Ÿ“š Weird & Creepy ๐Ÿ‘ป Secular Homeschooler โค๏ธ Saint John, NB, Canada ๐Ÿ Visit the blog and say hi! ๐Ÿ˜€

Kim Tobin // Pages and Pekoe
Lately I've been trying extra hard to see the good Lately I've been trying extra hard to see the good, manifest the best and simply enjoy the small things. What a difference it makes in my mood given *gestures wildly at everything* Here's a little love for you if you're struggling ๐Ÿ’œ
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