Category: Conversations with Kav

It’s the fourth Sunday of the month and time for a new blog tradition – celebrating our independently published authors! I’m trying to read more indie books and have been thrilled to get all kinds of great recommendations from you guys so I thought it would be fun to set aside one day a month where we can chat about indie books as a way to support these hardworking, often overlooked authors.

Topics Up For Discussion

• what we’re reading 
• new release alerts 
• recommended authors

Here’s a look at my Indie Reading in August

I didn’t read as many indie books this month as I planned, though I guess there’s a few days left in the month to catch up. Only two were on the priority list I made up at the beginning of the month – The Lumberjack From the Cabin Next Door and Let Sleeping Dogs Lie – the rest were whimsical mood reads after my audible sale blitz. 🙂

Tracey put me onto this series and I ordered the first book quite a while ago but it’s been languishing on my TBR pile. I’ve been in a suspense-y mood, so I picked this one up today and started reading. I’m already shocked, might even be mildly traumatized depending on if what I think happened actually did happen. Yikes!

The Fall Series I’m Hoping to Read as the Books Release:

So far I’m on track and the audible edition for the third book releases the same time as the ebook and paperback editions so I’ll be able to keep up this week at least. (They mentioned that the audiobooks might not always be available on the release dates.) I’m enjoying the fall vibes / rom/com mix and looking forward to getting to the heart of all the romances. 🙂

These are the same authors who did the ‘Falling for Summer’ series a couple of years back. They’ve also collaborated on ‘The Christmas Escape’ series. I haven’t read any books in that series – have any of you? I’m thinking of targeting it for some of my holiday reading but I haven’t looked into it yet.

Let’s start the conversation:

And now it’s time for a chat. What indie books have you been reading this month? Already on your TBR just waiting to be noticed? New Indie Releases you are looking forward to? Share in the comments 

AND LEAVE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR OF AN INDIE BOOK (CHRISTIAN FICTION OR CLEAN ROMMANCE) THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO OWN AND IF YOUR NAME IS DRAWN, THAT’S THE BOOK YOU WILL WIN.

Giveaway Opportunity:

US – paperback or ebook (check to make sure the book you choose has the edition you want, some seem to only be in ebook format.)

Canada – paperback, ebook or audible (if available) and also confirm that the book comes int he format you want

International – ebook if you have a US kindle account

You suggest an independently published Christian Fiction (or Clean Romance) already in print and leave the title and author in a comment and you will be entered in the giveaway. If your name comes up, then that’s the book you will win. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 29 2026.

Can you believe we are already halfway through August? Fall will be here in just a few weeks and since the weather has mercifully cooled down (for now) I find myself hit by the strong urge to deep clean and organize. Anyone else get hit by the seasonal housekeeping bug? 🙂

Good news – since I just moved, everything is already organized to the nth degree and my wee little abode is easy to keep tidy so my cleaning frenzy lasted all of an hour. 🙂 But then I thought this is a good time for some blog housekeeping too, especially since we have some new followers. So, just a few reminders and possible changes:

If you haven’t left your email address in your comment it is up to you to contact me with your information. If you have left an email and you haven’t heard from me by mid-week after the winner announcements are posted, please do contact me. Sometimes my email goes to spam, or I’ve typed it wrong or I’ve completely forgotten to send the notifications. That happened a lot this summer because of the move, but I’m getting back on track now. Hopefully. You have one month from the date of the winner announcements to claim your win.

It’s truly as random as I can make it. I enter everyone’s name in a random wheel of names spinner wheel, then I shuffle the board before spinning to get the winner. It looks like this:

You can enter as many giveaways a week as you want. I make a separate wheel for each book. And yes, it’s possible to win a book two weeks in a row if that’s the way the wheel rolls.

Yes, offers change with every title. Editions can even vary depending on where you live. Details are noted in red under the ‘Giveaway Opportunity’ heading and divided by US, Canada and International. The same book might not be available in all editions depending on location. For instance I can only do audible giveaways for Canada. It’s all rather complicated but I’ve tried to simplify things as much as possible.

Not every review I feature will include a giveaway. Check for the addition of ‘+giveaway’ after the book title (which is also the blog title.) So, a giveaway day will look like this: Jane Eyre + Giveaway. You’ll also see the the Giveaway Opportunity section in blue (and red) with all the details.

Due to rising prices and gas surcharges there might be a reduction in print giveaways and international shipping might have to drop to surface mail. Things are constantly changing so I’m playing it by ear but I do know the post office has a fluctuating gas price added to their shipping fee. It all depends on weight and distance etc.

I’ll still be reviewing five books a week and will continue to host as many giveaways as I can.

And now for a bit of bookish whimsy

As you know I am quite enamoured with my new neighbourhood. Tons of walking options in a historical part of town and I do love old houses! Anyway, I happened to be trying out a new walking path while listening to “The Lost Story of Via Belle” by Melanie Dobson and I turned a corner and came upon this:

Eeeepppp!!! That’s the house from the book! Honestly, if you’ve read the book, doesn’t that look like Olivia’s house? Complete with turret room?! What a fantastic bookish wonder! To come across that house as I was listening to that particular book!

Well, that sparked my imagination and I started make book/house connections or making up story starters to fit some of the beautiful architecture I come across every day on my walks. And I thought I’d share some of them here, (yes, I know that’s weird, but, really, are you in any way surprised?)

A modern house that backs onto an inlet. So many possibilities but I’ll go with a romantic suspense. The heroine is house sitting for her boss. It’s a hot summer night and she’s lounging on the deck with all the lights off enjoying the hint of a breeze when suddenly, she spies a dark figure in the park on the other side of the water…dragging something….and then, splash, a body shaped object starts to sink under the water. She gasps and straightens up to get a better look which sets off the motion detector lights and attracts the attention of the dark figure standing at the edge of the water….Bwahahahaha!

Rom/Com / Mystery. The heroine inherits a fixer upper that might just be haunted.

Historical: tenement housing for Irish Immigrants. Forbidden love between our Catholic heroine and her Protestant hero.

Contemporary Romance: Enemies to More – They are both pitching ideas to the city to repurpose a historical landmark church. She wants to create a community arts centre. He wants to convert it into luxury loft apartments.

This gorgeous apartment building is on my walk to the grocery store. Reminds me of the ‘Magic in the Building’ multi-authored series and Eryn Scott’s ‘Murder at the Morrisey Mystery’ series

Okay, true confession time: do any of you make up stories about the houses that strike your fancy on your walks (or drives?) Or see a house that exactly matches a fictional one you’re read about? Or is that just me?

Trixie Belden was the first series I started collecting and I still have those books years (and years and years and…) later! We were a struggling immigrant family in Toronto but my dad somehow found a way to buy me a book every month. He carried around a list of all the different series I wanted to collect and dutifully crossed titles off as be bought them. Adult me now understands the sacrifices he made in order to purchase those books (he often went without lunch in order to save money) and I am so grateful for the way he encouraged reading throughout my childhood.

Fast forward decades and I’m still a voracious series reader. I love spotting connections between books, revisiting a favourite setting and getting to meet up with fave characters again. There’s a special kind of thrill that comes from following along with a series!

The reason series are on my mind this week is because Audible is having another mega sale (ends tonight at midnight, I think.) I mean, serious discounts, like 80% off! I spent hours going over my wishlist and clicking everything under $4 into my cart until it was so full that Audible wouldn’t let me add another book! That’s when I noticed my total was $170 and I realized I needed a purchasing strategy. 🙂 So I narrowed my shopping list down by concentrating on specific series, completing ones I’ve already started and buying the complete set of others. It was agonizing decision making and took the whole week. I also weeded out any books that I could get on hoopla. I finally made my modified purchase on Friday and my audible wishlist dropped from 23 pages to 14 pages! My TBR has grown rather drastically!

Anyway, so all this got me thinking about series and readerly quirks connected to series readings and whether there’s such a thing as series etiquette so I thought it would be a fun conversation starter.

Are you a ‘pick a series book at random’ reader or a ‘read the books in a series in order’ reader?

I used to be a random reader unless it was a continuous series but ever since I got into cozy mysteries I find I need to read the books in order. That’s especially true for continuity series as they can have plot and character development carry over from book to book. But if it’s a series where each book can be read as a standalone (like Love Inspired Suspense books for example) then I’ll mood read them in any order.

Do you wait until all the books in a series have released before beginning the series?

This idea had never occurred to me but I have run across some bookstagrammers and booktubers who actually do that. Even if an author only releases one book a year in a series. They will buy the books when they come out, but wait until the last book is published and then they’ll binge read the series. That’s just….mindboggling to me! I would never have the patience or the shelf-control 🙂 to wait that long, especially for a book by a favourite author!

Mind you, I’ve come across new-to-me series where all the books have already been published and I’ve found it quite fun to read the books back to back. I’m working my way through a fun cozy mystery series this way – The Deputy Donut Mysteries by Ginger Bolton – and I have to admit it’s fun not having to wait between books, especially where the slow burn romance is concerned!

How do you feel about multi-authored series?

I’ve enjoyed a few multi-authored series, usually in the contemporary rom/com genre. I like the continuity of setting and the overlapping characters and getting to see former heroes and heroines live out their happily every afters in the background of the next book.

One of the most ambitious multi-authored series I have read is the ‘Falling for Summer’ series published in 2024. Seven books set on the same island during the summer months so, in essence, each romance is happening at the exact same time and the authors were very clever about the way some key scenes overlapped. It’s hard to explain, but definitely would have been a great binge reading kind of series. I think the books released about every two weeks or so.

I picked up the rest of the ‘Only Magic in the Building’ books in the audible sale. I’ve read the first two out of eight and am excited to complete that series soon. Yay!

Do you have a preference for the type of series? Theme? Genre?

I have to admit, I love a good romantic suspense series. Especially where the common thread is family, siblings, say or an elite team of law enforcement that have a found family feeling. And I adore Irene Hannon’s Hope Harbor series, where the setting is very much a beloved character I get to visit in every book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US and Canada – paperback or ebook – winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

Do you have a series you are trying to complete? Let us know the title and author of one of the books in a comment and your name will be entered in this week’s giveaway. If your name is drawn, that’s the book you will win.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 15 2026

Can you believe that we are half way through the year already? I can’t! Clearly I’ve spent too much time with my nose buried in a book (well, that and packing and moving) to notice the months slipping past.

So now (if you are a bibliophile, and I know you are!) is the appropriate time to start panicking over books not yet read and commiserating over books that didn’t quite hit the spot and angsting over what exactly has been our favourite read so far this year and a host of other questions we avid readers take to heart during the dog days of summer. 🙂 In other words:

It’s time for the Mid-Year Freak Out Tag!

This is a fun (and sometimes frustrating) activity of bookish reflection. Feel free to participate in the comments by answering one (or more) of the questions and you’ll be entered in today’s giveaway:

The Questions:

1. Best book you’ve read so far.
2. Worst Least favourite book you’ve read so far.
3. Best sequel you’ve read so far.
4. Worst Least favourite sequel you’ve read so far.
5. New release you haven’t read yet but want to.
6. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.
7. Biggest disappointment.
8. Biggest surprise.
9. Favorite new author.
10. Newest fictional crush.
11. Newest favorite character.
12. Book that made you cry.
13. Book that made you happy.
14. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received).
15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

One of the Best Books you’ve Read This Year – I have emphasized ‘one of’ because I hate picking favourites, but this one really stuck with me and I read it back in February plus it’s definitely on my reread list so fits here perfectly:

Least Favourite book you’ve read so far this year: I really don’t like creating negative bookish content. I tend to DNF books that I don’t connect with early on and don’t write reviews for them since they are largely unread so….nothing to see here. 🙂

One of the Best Sequels you’ve read this year: Intrigue, hidden agendas and so many secrets! The third ‘Hidden Bay’ book reads well as a standalone but I loved the connections I found to the other two books. And, really, who can resist an Elizabeth Goddard romantic suspense?!

Least favourite sequel you’ve read so far: Okay, it’s not that I didn’t like this sequel to Stealing Magnolias but what threw me was How to Sparkle takes place at the same time as Stealing Magnolias, so it’s kind of like filling in the gaps from Zoe’s perspective. The parallel timeline really threw me quite a bit. And, of course, you know how everything is going to play out because you read it first in Stealing Magnolias.

New Release you haven’t read yet but want to: (such a romantic cover!)

Most anticipate release for the second half of the year: (one of many…that I know of, anyway!)

Biggest disappointment: A gritty Icelandic mystery writer who knows how to spin a gripping suspense BUT, this first in the series should actually be the third book since the ending is so final (talk about sucker punching a reader!) and then the second and third books are flashbacks in time but, honestly, who wants to read about a character when you already know how their story ends? Not me.

Biggest Surprise: Totally out of my comfort zone – cozy romantasy? I was lured in by the sentient spider plant, he’s the perfect sassy and snarky sidekick (bwahahaha) and a librarian with a collection of spell books which are in danger. The hero is a kind of rancher with merhorses. Imaginative world building, cozy and sweet romance (close door, no language) and just an all round fun escape read.

Favourite New Author: (one of many)

Newest Fictional Crush: Redemptive hero, Atlas Camden!!!!!

Newest Favourite Character : Chief Inspector Armand Gamache from the Surete due Quebec. He has morals and standards. Adores his wife and treats everyone, even his suspects with compassion and dignity. A legendary Canadian classic that I’m just starting – only 19 books to go!

A book that made you cry:

Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought or Received This Year: Not sure if this is supposed to mean physically beautiful, as in cover art or beautiful content – I’m going with the latter. This is such a beautiful, uplifting story!

What books do you need to read before the end of the year? ALL OF THEM! But I’ll go with what’s left from my 26 in 26.

Phew! That was hard…but fun to look back at half a year’s worth of reading. Lucky I keep exacting records. 🙂

Now it’s your turn. Care to share your thoughts on one (or more) of these questions? I’d love to hear them. Let’s get the conversation started!

It’s the fourth Sunday of the month and time for a new blog tradition – celebrating our independently published authors! I’m trying to read more indie books and have been thrilled to get all kinds of great recommendations from you guys so I thought it would be fun to set aside one day a month where we can chat about indie books as a way to support these hardworking, often overlooked authors.

• what we’re reading 
• new release alerts 
• recommended authors

Here’s a snapshot of some of the indie books I’ve read this summer.

I’ve had fun sourcing out some great indie suspense and my beloved cozy mysteries. Along with a few Christmas books as part of my participation in Christmas in July .

Now for some indie books that have been languishing on my TBR for way too long. Will August be the month they finally get read?

And the August Independently Published Release I am looking forward to:

And now it’s time for a chat. What indie books have you been reading this summer? Already on your TBR just waiting to be noticed? New Indie Releases you are looking forward to? Share in the comments AND LEAVE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR OF AN INDIE BOOK (CHRISTIAN FICTION OR CLEAN ROMMANCE) THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO OWN AND IF YOUR NAME IS DRAWN, THAT’S THE BOOK YOU WILL WIN.

Giveaway Opportunity:

US – paperback or ebook (check to make sure the book you choose has the edition you want, some seem to only be in ebook format.)

Canada – paperback, ebook or audible (if available) and also confirm that the book comes int he format you want

International – ebook if you have a US kindle account

You suggest an independently published Christian Fiction (or Clean Romance) already in print and leave the title and author in a comment and you will be entered in the giveaway. If your name comes up, then that’s the book you will win. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 1 2026.

I fear trying to compile all the stats for my quarterly goal review is beyond me at the moment so I’m postponing that part of Reader’s Choice Week until Sunday July 19 when I have hopefully recovered from my move. Anyone who lives with chronic pain or illness knows that when we push ourselves too much, as I did with this move, we will inevitably crash and burn in epic fashion. Picture me trying to keep my eyes open until at least 8:00 p.m. so I can go to bed. 🙂

Not having home internet until last night (Wednesday) didn’t help either. Apparently, when they were renovating the apartment someone cut the cable inside the wall so it was a long, convoluted journey getting that fixed! I used a hotspot connection (which turned out to be unreliable) every day to catch up with comments but I was worried I’d exceed my data limit (not sure if the techno lingo is right. Bwahahaha!) And, really, is it any surprise that out of all the apartments in the building I could have chosen (there were six at the time) I ended up with one with the technical difficulties?

So, I thought I’d catch you up on the move and sneak peek at my new digs and neighbourhood. Which prompts me to explain the turtle crossing sign. I am literally in the heart of the city but surrounded by nature including a pond that is home to turtles and a heron (who is camera shy, so no photos unfortunately). I had no idea the pond existed and stumbled upon it on a morning walk. Apparently turtles are active between May and September (think it’s mating and egg laying season?) so cars and pedestrians are asked to proceed with caution! Here’s the pond:

And yes, that’s someone’s back deck. Can you imagine the views they have? Not only are there turtles (and a camera shy heron) but there are oodles of toads so, of course, in the spring there is a Toad Brigade of volunteers who ferry the toads across the road to the pond so they won’t get squished by cars! I read a report of their endeavours in the local paper but now I’m left wondering if they ferry the toads back across the road in the autumn? I must do some research. But gardens in the area have excellent pest control – Brrrribbittt!

And the pond runs into the canal with a beautiful parkway with lots of walking paths….and Canada geese. Lots and lots of Canada geese.

And if I choose to walk in other directions I get to enjoy tree lined streets

with lots of beautiful gardens.

Hardly anyone has lawns and I love seeing the different garden designs.

I won’t show you my poor little balcony garden just yet. It needs some work since I’ve spent all my time unpacking and organizing the apartment the past week. I’m on the third floor and have a magnificent view of trees out my window which will be gorgeous in the autumn.

Of course, my Trixie Belden books needed a place of honour in their new digs.

In case you ever try to create double rows of books in a glass door bookcase, you might want to check to see if the doors will actually close before filling all the shelves. Sigh. I had to undo a whole morning’s worth of work and start over again. (Ignore the clutter on all flat surfaces, I haven’t done any decorating yet.)

And here’s the other side of the bookcases:

I’m in a studio apartment and I love the cozy bedroom nook I’ve created with the bookcase wall. Still need to add pictures and other decor but I’m pleased with the overall space. I really downsized a lot and there’s oodles of cupboard space so I’ve actually managed to find a home for nearly everything. I won’t show you the living area yet because that is where the pictures and curtains and wall hangings etc are piled so it’s not visitor ready quite yet. 🙂

Oh, and here’s a gratuitous pic of the Move Day Supervisor, Mr. Gatsby (grand puppy) He kept us all on task.

So, I’ll spend Friday updating my TBR book (it was in the last box I unpacked!) Usually I add titles and authors and pertinent info as I read the comments but I couldn’t take time to do that this week between the unpacking and not having a proper internet connection so I’ll be backtracking tomorrow and making sure my want to read lists are current for the coming months! I’m also planning on catching up on my record keeping of books read and reviews from the last week. So many to do! It’s making me quite anxious. And then, come Saturday afternoon it will be tallying time so don’t forget to check back on Sunday for the Reader’s Choice Week – Summer Edition – Winners Announcement.

Happy Reading!

What is a flood book, you might be wondering? If you assumed books with a flood theme like Dana Mentink’s ‘Raging Waters’ you’d be wrong. (Though that is a wonderful read and worthy of being somebody’s flood book.)

So, what exactly is a Flood Book?

I first heard the term waaaayyy back in my school librarian days when I was reading books on storytelling and kid’s lit collections by children’s librarian extraordinaire, Caroline Feller Bauer. I think she might have coined the phrase with the help of her daughter.

Basically, a flood book is an extra book you bring with you in case you are out and about and – horrors – finish the book you are currently reading before you can get home to grab another one. Like what happens if you find yourself confronted by an unexpected delay – trapped in an elevator, stuck in traffic, on the wrong side of a flood that blocks you from your home? A serious bibliophile will always be prepared with at least one (though not limited to only one) extra ‘flood book’ to ensure they will not fall short of reading material.

Clearly this idea started before ebooks (or audiobooks, for that matter) were a thing but the concept is dear to my heart and, frankly, I am feeling quite antsy without a single physical book available to me right now because of the move. Mind you, I do this with my audiobooks, making sure I have two books downloaded at all times, so that when one is finished I can immediately start the next one no matter where I am or what I’m doing.

The Conversation:

Anyway, since I’m an insatiably curious bibliophile I thought it would be fun to share what we are reading right now and then, for the giveaway, what book that you don’t own, would you like to add as your flood book. If your name is drawn, you’ll win your flood book title.

Here’s a glimpse into my current reading (listening) life:

Just starting the Manuscripts, Meows and Murder by Kathy Manors Penn. This is the 11th book in a super cute cozy mystery series ‘Dickens and Christie Mysteries’. Totally clean, Closed Door Romance (and quite romantical at times) about a fifty something American who moves to the Cotswolds with her loyal cat (Christie) and dog (Dickens). New friendships, found family and romance ensue over the course of the books as well as an alarming number of murders. Bwahahaha!

My flood book is A Very Merry Matchup by Becca Kinzer – getting a start on my Christmas in July reading…listening. 🙂

The Giveaway Details:

In a comment (or in an email to me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca) let me know the title and author of the book you are reading and any thoughts you’d like to share about it

AND THEN *IMPORTANT*

add the title and author (Christian Fiction, Closed Door only please) of a book you would like to win as your ‘flood book’. Book must already be released.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Wednesday afternoon June 24 2026

Just a fun little Q&A about bookish quirks to spark a conversation or two because my brain is fried from heat, humidity and packing up my kitchen! (And why is it that when you pack something you are sure you won’t need it until after you move, the very next day you absolutely do need it… desperately?!)

Going into a book Blind

Do you read the book burb before you start reading or do you like to jump into a book blind? I am in the ‘must read the synopsis first’ camp. I have only gone in blind once and it was excruciating! An interesting experiment but I think I got hives from anxiety. 🙂 Of course, the flip side of not going into a read blind is that sometimes the book blurb gives away too many details to the point of being spoilery. I find that happens most often with indie books so I’ve learned to read only so far when a book blurb is especially wordy.

Read the ending first (or when things get too exciting not to)

I was shocked and appalled to discover that a favourite author always reads the last page first! I just…can’t…even…breathe…thinking about that. Oh, the disillusionment! I’m am most assuredly not in the ‘read the ending before I start the book’ camp. I mean, really, talk about spoilers! And once you know the ending, why do you need to read the book? I have a friend who does this too – she says it’s because she doesn’t have to worry about how things will turn out so she can enjoy the rest of the story but…but…but….I mean, isn’t part of the joy of reading being able to experience the journey right along with the characters? Yes, sometimes a story can nearly push you over the edge of anticipation into anxiety but that’s what reading faster is for, to get you over the gnarly bumps along the way to the happily ever after at break neck speed or, in the case of an audio book listener…see next point:

Speed up the audio to get through an action packed scene (and then listen to it again on your normal listening speed)

I have been known to do this a time or two especially with anxiety inducing romantical angst or frantic suspenseful action scenes but I never jump all the way to the end! Scandalous. I’ll listen to a part of the story at 3x the speed just so I can stop hyperventilating over the characters’ predicament, but then I always backtrack and listen again at my usual speed before continuing on with the story. I have audio standards, people! 🙂

Dog ear pages (gasp!)

I don’t want to hear anything but “No, of course not, I would never deface a book that way!” lol I want to weep when I check out a book from the library and notice the edges all askew, like the pages are ruffled up in indignation over their harsh treatment. Then I have to painstakingly unfold every corner and carefully set the book under a pile of other books (big, thick, heavy ones) to try and press the creases out. It’s an arduous experience for both the book and myself.

Care to share an opinion or two (or more?) Can you think of other bookish quirks? Maybe ones that belong to you? Or those you abhor? Do tell! Share in a comment and you’ll be entered in a draw for:

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 20 2026

I never thought this day would come – my bookshelves are empty, I only have ONE book checked out from the library and all my holds are paused. GASP! Understandable, of course, since I’m moving in three weeks (double gasp!) but I sure am missing my evening ritual of curling up with a good book. So, I’ve turned to some of my favourite British series and movies based on books: Father Brown, Shetland, Vera etc. (Hooray for my BritBox and Acorn subscriptions!)

And then, coincidentally, movies started popping up in my Youtube feed, a lot of them based on Christian Fiction! Whhhhaaatttt? How did that happen? I had no idea so many books had been made into movies! A lot of the ones I’ve come across have been based on books published by Guidepost! Who Knew?! Oh, and I discovered Christy Barritt’s ‘Squeaky Clean’ murder mystery series, well the first one, anyway, ‘Hazardous Duty’. And quite a few Amish ones. I’m gobsmacked that these movies are available on Youtube for free.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to talk about our favourite book to movie adaptations and I’m eagerly looking forward to any book related movie recommendations you might have.

Classics

Dare I admit that I’m so over Austen adaptations?! There are just so many and after years of dutifully watching each new offering and having read the books a couple of times as well I’m just…well, kinda over all things Austenish. (I know, I’ve horrified so many of you!) I still enjoy fictional retellings, I’m just not sure I could sit through another film adaptation of ‘Emma’ or ‘Pride and Prejudice’ etc.

I much prefer the movie and television series inspired by Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels. ‘North and South’, ‘Cranford’ and ‘Larkrise to Candleford.’ In fact I had just finished binge-watching a couple of Gaskell series when Julie Klassen published ‘The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill’ and was thrilled to discover that the author mentioned the same shows as a source of inspiration for the book! And I could totally see it — had the same sense of community and village life, including all the tension and drama that goes with it. Not to mention the strong women who make a place for themselves in a male dominated society during the industrial revolution. Love the way those books written in the 1800s continue to inspire today, whether in film arts or fresh storytelling!

British vs American Adaptations

One of the perils of book to movie adaptations is the worry that the parts I loved about the book will be left out in the movie. Or, the production company might be too liberal in their interpretation of the book to the point that the story is barely recognizable in the movie. That irks me so much! And, honestly, I find that the British tend to stay true to the original story more than the Americans do. Hence my commitment to Brit Box and Acorn TV. 🙂

Christian Fiction Inspired Movies

Here’s what I have found on Youtube so far. Have you watched any of them? Any others you can add to my list?

• Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio (book by Annalisa Daughety)
• Sugar Creek Amish Mysteries (multiple authors, Guidepost)
• Love Finds You in Valentine, (book by Irene Brand, Guidepost)
• Martha Vineyard’s Mystery series (books by Philip R. Craig)
• Someone Like You (book by Karen Kingsbury)

So now I have questions (of course I do!) What’s your favourite book to screen adaptation? Are you a classics fan, or do you prefer contemporary novel adaptations? And — PLEASE — I’m looking for recommendations to get me through my reading ‘dry spell’, so any titles you can share will be greatly appreciated. Share your thoughts and opinions in a comment to be entered in a giveaway draw for:

Draw will be held and winner announced on June 13 2026.

It’s been a while since we’ve done a book tag and I was in the mood. 🙂 Of course, as I looked for inspiration to answer the questions I kept trying to browse my bookshelves only they are all empty because I’ve packed my books already! Bwahahaha! So this was a bit more challenging than I thought it would be.

Feel free to jump into the conversation in the comment section by answering one (or more) of the questions and you’ll be entered in today’s giveaway (US and Canadian readers or International if you have a US Kindle account.)

Summer Escape Book Tag!

The Questions: (bonus points if you can pick books with a summer setting!)

1. Slushie – a refreshing book
2. Cotton Candy – fluffy and sweet book
3. Popsicle – short and sweet (melted away far too quickly!)
4. Sunshine – yellow on the cover
5. Sunset – memorable happily ever after
6. Sunglasses – a dark book
7. Sunscreen – a book that protects you from an impending reading slump
8. Sunburn – a sizzling romance
9. Fireworks – an explosive plot
10. Fireflies – a book that lit up your life during a difficult time

My Answers:

An engaging debut with a fresh storytelling approach.

The Golden Girls meets Love Boat vibes offset the angst / drama in the romance/mystery.

A Beauty and the Beast retelling – such a sweet, timeless story!

Happy sigh! I think it has more of an impact because the romance develops over the course of the series.

Sooooooooooo Dark!!!!!! Not for the faint of heart!

Anything Meg Langslow (there are 39 books in the series to choose from!) Also my comfort read!

I can always count on Pepper Basham for sizzle and toe-curls!

Fraught with danger, taut with emotion. Set my heart racing at breakneck speed!

And every single Hope Harbor book!!!!!

Now it’s your turn! Join the conversation and share an answer (or two or three or….) to be entered in the giveaway. I’m excited to see what books we end up chatting about.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 6, 2026