Kav's Best Reads

Conversations With Kav – Happy Canadian Thanksgiving + Giveaway

And we’re going to celebrate with all things books and reading since they are high up on my thankfulness list! I came across this book tag on booktube courtesy of Paperbacks and Ponytails channel and I thought it would be fun to share here. A great way to discover new books and get to know each other a little better. I imagine this is the kind of conversation that would be going around the table if we all gathered for Thanksgiving dinner.

Cozy Autumn Book Tag

What book reminds you of Autumn?

This year it’s the ‘Falling for Autumn’ multi-authored series. I hope to get to all the books by the end of November. I’ve read four out of eight so I’m halfway there! Lots of fun autumn activities, community events etc and the romances have all been toe-curling and swoonalicious!

What is your favourite autumnal book cover?

Hmmm….it’s always changing. This year, Autumn at the Cat Cafe by Kathleen Fuller embodies my idea of autumnal splendour on a book cover. And it’s sooooo cozy!

Do you prefer to read late at night or early in the morning?

I’m an equal opportunity reader! Morning, noon and night will find me with a book (or audio book) in hand. But I’m more of an early bird. You know, that annoyingly ‘bright eyed and bushy tailed’ person that bounces out of bed eager to embrace the day (or the current story!) so I’ll say I have a morning preference.

Favourite autumnal drink to while you cozy up with a good book?

Hot chocolate with marshmallows! I wait all summer for the weather to get chilly enough to bring out the cocoa! But I’ve also become exceedingly fond of a turmeric ginger tea blend that I picked up at a quaint little shop in my new neighbourhood.

What is your favourite spooky read?

Since I’m a big ol’ scaredy cat, I don’t really do spooky but I recently read The Memory House by Mary Alford and that was quite eerie. Psychological thrillerish which was quite eerie. And look at that atmospheric cover! Shivery delight!

What is your ultimate fall comfort read?

Gotta go full out cozy mystery for this one. A toss up between Lord of the Wings from the Meg Langslow series (it takes place on Halloween and the entire Family Skeleton Mystery series – an actually skeleton is one of the characters. So fun and quirky. And the Halloween one is excellent. Must give it a re-listen this month.

What is your favourite autumnal snack?

Anything pumpkin for sure! Bread, pie, muffins, loaf. Ohhh, Tim Horton’s has the yummiest pumpkin donuts that are only offered in October. Must get some.

When you are not reading, what is your favourite autumnal activity?

Wait…there are other things to do in the fall besides read? Well…I never! 🙂 Okay, I do like to walk a lot. Love rustling up the leaves and watching the squirrels scurrying around preparing for winter and the crisp fall air, light frost in the morning. Happy sigh. But, I’m usually listening to an audio book while I walk so, ha, still reading!

What is on your autumn reading list?

Ohhhh, so many books!!!! Not all autumn themed though. Heavily suspense/mystery because ’tis the season for murder and mayhem – for me anyway. I’ve been bingeing indie author Melanie D. Snitker romantic suspense books the last few weeks and I found This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart (what a thrilling find!) in a little free library that I’ve been saving for October. Oh and Axe Me No Questions by Paula Charles – a cozy mystery with a beautiful autumnal cover – so yay, a setting that will work for the Autumn Bingo Challenge!

Speaking of which, JUST A REMINDER THAT THERE ARE THREE WEEKS LEFT IN THE AUTUMN BINGO CHALLENGE. I’m having so much fun tallying bingo cards and seeing what everyone is reading. Plumping up my TBR as well, and distracting me from my planned reading goals for this month. You guys are such a band influence. Bwahahahaha!

The Giveaway

Just answer one (or more) of the Cozy Autumn Book Tag questions in the comments to be entered in the giveaway. US and Canada only.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 17

October Giveaways – Week Two

Winners will be contacted if they left their email address, otherwise it’s up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca (please note it’s ca as in Canada, not com.) From time to time a winner and I do not connect so I have a one month time frame on giveaway wins. If I haven’t been able to reach you within 30 days of your win, it will be forfeited. This has happened a few times now, so please, DON’T BE SHY — CONTACT ME IF YOU DIDN’T LEAVE AN EMAIL OR IF I HAVEN’T BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING YOU!

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK:

Sunday

Conversations with Kav – a place for us to chat about bookish topics if anyone is so inclined. Sometimes there will be giveaways, sometimes there won’t. It will just depend on the topic of the day. Hope to see you there! Otherwise my inner book nerd and I will carry on by ourselves. Bwahaha!

Monday

Christy Awards Finalists – Historical Fiction

The Black Sheep’s Redemption

Random Retro ReRead

Danger lurks in every corner in bestselling author Lynette Eason’s spine-chilling story in the Fitzgerald Bay series

Everyone in Fitzgerald Bay—except his law-enforcement family—is convinced Charles Fitzgerald murdered his children’s nanny. Condemned by public opinion, his only hope for a replacement nanny to take care of his two-year-old twins is newcomer Demi Taylor. But Demi has problems of her own…starting with amnesia. She doesn’t remember who she is, doesn’t know where she’s from—and has no idea why she always feels like someone is watching her. Is she in danger because of Charles? Or has someone sinister from her old life found her yet again?

My Review:

published in 2012

Woohoo — this was a blast from my reading past. An early Lynette Eason novel, among the first that I read by her — and they just released an audio edition so, of course, I couldn’t resist. Especially not after listening to the sample! What a way to leave a reader hanging! Here’s my review from back in the day:

Prepare yourself for a nail-biting read. The action is fast, the suspense thick and the romance exciting — all the markers of a runaway best-seller. Eason barely gives her readers a chance to catch their breath before she hits them with another tense scene and then another and another. It is so full of cliffhangers it’s a wonder I have any nails left at all! And yet, in classic Eason style, she has successfully woven an credible love story into the suspense threads, which makes this a dream of a read for a romantic suspense lover like me!

High Exposure + Giveaway

The riveting start to an adventure-driven romantic suspense series from a debut author

Determined travel blogger Julia Stevens is on her final assignment in snowy Silverberg, Colorado. She’s running from her past-and God-but the charm of small-town life brings little comfort when she’s face-to-face with the winter sport that killed her skiing. Upon her arrival in town, she discovers a dead body and is compelled to research the situation, give justice to the man’s story, and kick off her new career in journalism.

Cade Haskins is back home after a failed mission and his subsequent retirement from the DEA. His father’s declining health has pushed Cade to prioritize family, and he helps at the historic Silverberg Hotel on his dad’s behalf. When Julia shows up at the hotel, Cade becomes her local contact. He quickly realizes she has a knack for sniffing around where she shouldn’t, and he attaches himself to her side.

With the local death connected to a meth ring, Julia’s investigation has unknowingly put a target on her back. As the danger increases and she begins to learn more about Cade and his family, she finds herself trusting the God she was running from. And Cade? He doesn’t want to get dragged back into DEA work, but it seems like he may not have a choice if he wants to protect Julia . . . and his growing attraction to her.

“Debut author Kelly Borjas raises the bar with High Exposure. It’s a fast, twisty romantic suspense, set in the snowy Colorado mountains, that blends high tension with a satisfying, hard-won romance.”

My Review:

Astonishingly good. Like unputdownable, emotionally-on-edge, desperately-needing-to-know-everything-now kind of good. I’m pretty much gobsmacked and addlebrained so I’m wrestling with what to write in this review.

Exquisite storytelling – measured words and phrases that paint vibrant images and bring scenes to life. Characters with complex backstories resulting in deep emotional layers that are s-l-o-w-l-y uncovered. Inspiring faith elements that make a reader think. A complex suspense plot with enough twists and turns to rob an avid reader of her very last breath! A romance built on substance but it takes work! And plenty of agonizing moments when I wanted to just lock Cade and Julia in a room together and make them talk it all out! I was soooooooo emotionally invested in their romance! (And them surviving long enough to figure things out.)

What an amazing debut novel. Heart-stopping suspense with plenty of hair-raising action and that love story – epic!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – ebook

Canada – ebook or audio — winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of High Exposure. leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 10 2026.

Alaskan Survival Threat + Giveaway

Gunmen in pursuit…and there’s nowhere to hide.

Park Ranger Helena Nikolaou’s assignment takes a deadly turn when she sees a body drop from a helicopter—and she suddenly comes under fire. Ambushed on a remote Alaskan island, she’s saved by US Coast Guard rescue swimmer Cody Hannigan. Only, the assailants won’t give up easily. With danger trailing their every move, Helena and Cody are forced through unforgiving terrain to retrieve evidence linked to a sinister conspiracy. But as they fight to stay one step ahead of killers determined to silence them, one wrong move could cost them their lives.

My Review:

A phenomenal romantic suspense full of the kind of tension and urgency that makes for a gripping read. And it starts out with a heart-stopping opening scene that grabs a reader’s attention. Love the Alaskan wilderness setting which becomes a character all on its own.

Not to mention the spunky park ranger heroine who has a very interesting backstory which contributes to her wariness when it comes to peopling. Cody is the exact opposite – his winning smile and outgoing personality make friends wherever he goes…and also helps him accept Helena’s reticent nature with good humour. Really love the way they compliment each other and how their different strengths balance out under pressure. Their romance develops as they learn to to trust one another …and God…in every situation.

This is the kind of romantic suspense I adore — intriguing setting (hello, remote Alaskan island!), smart, professional and interesting MCs, and a complex mystery that surprised me in the end.

I listened to the audible edition narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya. She has a real talent for using her voice to create tension in the action scenes that makes them just a wee bit edgier which is all kinds of fun. And I love the energy she brings to each character. I feel like she is able to capture their personalities perfectly. I always know I am in for an excellent listening experience when I see her name listed on the cover of an audiobook.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook – winner’s choice

Canada – paperback, ebook or audio — winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Alaskan Survival Threat. leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 10 2026.

Hello October + Giveaway

It’s a Best Reads blog tradition! Celebrating the month’s new releases the first week of each month.

why?

Because I recently discovered that a book’s success or failure is often determined by first month sales! (Though I bet preorders play into that as well.) Publishing houses look at those stats to determine whether they’ll add on to a series or accept the author’s next manuscript! All that literary goodness hanging in the balance but for a month’s worth of sales! (This was a cozy mystery author, but I imagine all traditional publishers use the same ‘system’.) So I thought I should do my wee little bit to promote Christian Fiction.

how?

By hosting a special ‘Hello – insert month’ giveaway. It’s easy to play along. You just have to choose ONE of the October 2026 new releases on your TBR wishlist (must be Christian Fiction / Closed Door) and mention the title in a comment below (or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca) If your name is drawn, that October release is the book you will win and we’re one book closer to keeping our fave authors in business.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice

Canada -paperback or ebook (in form of an Amazon gift card) or audible.ca audio book (if available) – winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 10 2026

Christy Awards 2026 Finalists – General Fiction + Giveaway

What are the Christy Awards?

The Christy Award is destined to nurture creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview and showcase the diversity of genres. These 2026 finalists are books published in 2025.

How does this Giveaway work?

You select one of the General Fiction finalists you would like to receive if your name is drawn. Mention the title in a comment. If you win that’s the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. Here are the finalists. (I have provided links to my reviews of the books I have read.)

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

Giveaway details may vary with each book (print, ebook only or winner’s choice of either, plus audible options for Canadians.) Edition availability will be noted in bold after the title/author/publisher of each entry. ALSO NOTE: Giveaway is for US and Canada OR ebook international if you have US Kindle account.

The Bitter End Birding Society, Amanda Cox
Revell/ Baker Publishing Group, 9780800746612

Giveaway Options: US – paperback or ebook, Canada – ebook or audible, International – ebook with a US Kindle account.

Hometown hero Ana Leigh Watkins ventures to Bitter End, Tennessee, to help her great-aunt get her house ready to sell. Bitter End seems an ironic place for Ana to refresh her weary spirit, but she’s desperate for respite from her community’s attention and unwarranted admiration. While on a hike in Roan Mountain, a ragtag group of amateur bird watchers take her under their wing–a little against her will. However, she quickly warms to these genuine souls seeking solace in the great outdoors.

But when Ana’s adventures in Bitter End lead her to a severed branch of her family tree–one that involves the forbidden love between a moonshiner’s daughter and a preacher’s son–what began as a quest to study Appalachian birds becomes a transformative journey that binds together two women who, though they live on the same street, have been estranged for sixty years.

Immerse yourself in the lyrical prose and layered plotting of award-winning novelist Amanda Cox as she offers up an engaging story of finding belonging, reconciliation, and new beginnings in the most unexpected places.

South of Somewhere, T.I. Lowe
Tyndale House Publishers, 9798400507816

Giveaway Options: US – paperback or ebook, Canada – ebook or audible, International – ebook with a US Kindle account

When Juniper Wilder’s grief spiraled into addiction, leading first to an arrest for drunk driving, then jail and court-ordered rehab, she lost the most important thing in her her baby girl. Now, sober and on probation, Junie is determined to prove she can be the mother Fern deserves. But she’s burned a lot of bridges, ones that can’t be easily rebuilt.

Not every road is closed to her, however. Exiled to her late grandmother’s South Carolina beach house, Junie starts over, ready to pay off her debts and prove to her brother that he can safely return custody of Fern. She works hard and finds surprising grace in an eclectic recovery community. There’s an unexpected friendship, too—and maybe more—with her neighbor, Henry, a quirky college professor who helps her believe in second chances.

Still, it’s hard for Junie to imagine ever forgiving herself, let alone receiving forgiveness from those she’s hurt . . . particularly when her past rears its ugly head and threatens to undo every bit of progress she’s made.

Contemporary Southern fiction for fans of Lauren K. Denton, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Mary Kay Andrews, and Victoria Benton FrankAn inspiring and hopeful summer read featuring a sweet, opposites attract romanceContains inspirational themes of recovery from addiction, second chances, unexpected love, redemption, and found familyIncludes discussion questions for book clubs, recipes, and a playlist inspired by Junie’s story

When the Road Comes Around, Katie Powner
Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group, 9780764245169

Giveaway Options: US – paperback or ebook, Canada – ebook or audible, International – ebook with a US Kindle account

In the small town of Grady, Montana, twenty-four-year-old Tad Bungley has a reputation for trouble. When he lands a job at Come Around Ranch, however, his life seems to take a positive turn. As he develops a soft spot for Sam, the ranch owner’s disabled son, and a special bond with TJ, a rescue horse with a poor reputation of his own, Tad becomes determined not to mess up this time.

Forty-eight-year-old Anita Wilson is too young to feel so old, but rheumatoid arthritis limits her ability to work on the guest ranch she owns with her husband. It was a risk to hire Tad for the summer, but Anita is convinced he just needs a bit of grace and encouragement to find his footing. What she doesn’t anticipate is that Tad’s presence at the ranch will change everything, including her relationship with her son. And when Tad finds himself in more trouble than ever, he and Anita must learn when to hold on, when to let go, and how to embrace grace.

Set near the towering mountains of rural Montana, Katie Powner explores themes of redemption, second chances, and the true meaning of grace in this evocative contemporary novel.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 10 (after 12 pm) REMEMBER TO CHECK GIVEAWAY EDITION AVAILABILITY FOR EACH TITLE!

Reader’s Choice Week – Autumn 2026 Edition – Winners!

Well, hasn’t this week been all kinds of fun? My wishlist booklet is bursting at the seams and I’m eager to start checking titles off in the coming months! Thanks to everyone for making this such a fun week filled with bibliophile anticipation for reading days ahead.

And now it’s time to announce the this week’s winners! Woohoo! Here we go….

First, I had to satisfy my inner book nerd and tally up all the titles in each genre to find out the popular pick for each one and here they are:

Popular Historical Pick

won by Paula S.

popular contemporary pick

won by Kathleen

Popular Mystery/Suspense Pick

won by Jackie

AND NOW FOR THE GENRE DAY WINNERS!

historical fiction

won by Brendan Ardagh

But wait, it’s not over yet. The Vanity category has become a blog tradition. It’s where a book is actually judged by its cover and I choose my favourite cover art per genre and then draw from a pool of readers who requested that title. Here are the COVER LOVE winners!

cover love

historical fiction

won by Karen R

Love the sense of motion in this image. The wind whipping at her hair and gown and the clouds rolling in. I get a kind of lost feeling as she stands alone looking out to sea and I need to know her story.

cover love

contemporary fiction

won by Patty

I’m drawn to the brilliant colour scheme in this cover. So autumnal and unique from any other cover art I’ve seen.

cover love

mystery/suspense

won by Sandy

Northern lights. Husky in the background. Hero is all bundled up. This has gotta be an Alaskan setting which is a huge draw for me.

WAIT! Don’t go away ’cause we’re not through yet. We have another Reader’s Choice tradition of picking a random number which becomes a ‘just because giveaway’ on the genre specific days. If that doesn’t make sense, all you need to know is that it means more book giveaways. Woohoo! This time the number is 17!

17th Mystery/Suspense

won by rkkoppen

And that’s another wrap on a glorious Reader’s Choice Week. Thanks for participating and growing my wishlist!

I’ll start contacting winners tomorrow, but if you haven’t left an email or if you are so inclined, you can send me an email listing your preference of either paperback or ebook and your contact info. kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca

Looking ahead to next week:

Monday – Christy Finalists – General Fiction

Tuesday – Hello October! – nice to be able to put our new lists to use so soon! 🙂

Wednesday – Friday – I haven’t decided yet…hint…I’ve been on a romantic suspense kick.

Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Autumn 2026 Edition – Goal Review

Quarterly reading goal reviews have become a Best Reads Blog tradition and I can’t believe we’ve reached the half way point already! Where does the time go, I wonder? Hours spent reading I’m guessing

I’ll share my progress (or not!) here just for some fun book nerdy stats and, if you’re so inclined, you can share a goal or two in the comments. But no pressure – a goal can be as simple as ‘read a book.’

So, to enter this giveaway, just share anything goal related in the comments. Then, in the same comment, list a book that will help you reach your goal. So it looks like this:

“I want to catch up on some suspense series. Night Prey by Susan Sleeman.”

NOTE: BOOKS MUST BE CHRISTIAN FICTION OR CLOSED DOOR

You can enter up to three times in three separate comments — and you can use the same goal or a different one each time, but a different title for each entry.

Books can be published any time up to and including December 2026. Currently published books will be ordered this coming week for winners, otherwise it will be an IOU for a title releasing later.

WINNER’S CHOICE OF PAPERBACK OR EBOOK FOR US AND CANADIAN ENTRIES. EBOOKS ONLY FOR INTERNATIONAL READERS WHO HAVE A US KINDLE ACCOUNT.

See? Easy Peasy. But if you’re still not clear, don’t be shy about asking questions.

Here we go! We’re at the three quarters point and it’s time to face up to what’s been working and what hasn’t when it comes to my goals this year.

Some scrambled thoughts on my progress:

I’ve all but nixed my read-to-zero authors which is disappointing. I’m still tracking a few but I kinda went off track and kept adding more on a whim and now there’s way too many to achieve this goal. I’ll need to be more strategic next year.
Same with my Keep Current Author list — I only have four written down and I know I’m up to date with many more. I just lost the oomph for tracking and I made the mistake of not targeting the authors I wanted to keep current with at the beginning of the year.
I’m surprised at the ratio of contemporary fiction related to the other genres. I felt like I read a lot of contemporary but I guess maybe a lot of it was mystery and suspense so they got tallied differently? Or maybe I wasn’t as diligent at tracking over the dreaded move months. 🙂
Yikes! I still have nine books to read on my 26 in 26 list. I only read four this last quarter. No excuse either since I have all the books or can get them from the library. Still doable by the end of the year, but I need to remember to check the list and read the books! lol
Serious About Series – this goal has been a little less structured as well. I have twenty-three series on the list (of course, I added four new ones in the last few months…gah!) but I am caught up with thirteen of them and am getting close with two more. Still, it’s going to take a concerted effort to catch up with them all. And I have to stop adding new series to the list!!!!

You have until noon EST Saturday October 3rd to enter this giveaway. Winners will be announced on Sunday October 4.

Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Autumn 2026 Edition – Christmas Fiction

Can you believe we’ve reached the last quarter of the year? Autumn is finally here with all it’s colourful glory (in my neck of the woods anyway) and , most exciting of all, we have the rest of the 2026 New Releases to look forward to! Which means it’s time for another (last of the year!) Reader’s Choice Week featuring books releasing in October, November and December 2026.

Here’s how this week’s giveaway works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION genre specific titles with release dates in September, October, November or December 2026 (up to 3 suggestions per genre day) and you have a chance to win one of your recommendations! BUT it’s a little more complicated than that so be sure to read ALL the details before entering.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

Christmas Fiction Giveaway Day

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the books in the Christmas Fiction genre you would like to win.

Christmas Fiction – a full length story or novella or collection of novellas set during the Christmas season and featuring holiday activities. Can be from any genre but must be Christian Fiction or Closed Door.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: BECAUSE SOME EXCELLENT CHRISTMAS BOOKS RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER, TODAY’S GIVEAWAY IS OPEN TO BOOKS RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER 2026.

How does it work?

Easy Peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES

Publication date must be September, October, November or December 2026

Each day is genre specific, so only submit titles from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of.)

No email entries this time round since WP comments are working

OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POST AUTOMATICALLY.

Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in.)

It’s helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email then it’s up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED ON

Sunday October 4 2026

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon EST on Saturday October 3 2026 Winners will be announced the following day.)