Gardens Aglow at Dothan Area Botanical Gardens

For the past nine years, other than a day or two, I've worked through the holidays. So it was pretty amazing to be able to take a guilt-free, week-long break from everything this year. I didn't read as much as I would have liked in 2018, but between Christmas and New Year's Day I read five new books and wanted to share them with you.

I started with my latest obsession, an Isaac Bell detective adventure. I've been a fan of Clive Cussler's for years. I read his Dirk Pitt adventures through high school and college, so it's really no surprise that I love Isaac Bell. The Race is the fourth Isaac Bell Adventure I've read, and definitely will not be the last. What I love about these books is that is doesn't matter whether Cussler tells you from the get-go who the bad guy is or if you're figuring out who done it as you go. His writing is so compelling, his characters so well-written, that I can't put these books down.

In The Race, Bell is tasked with protecting a female pilot from her murderous husband while she competes in a cross-country airplane race. The husband is a mobster who made his fortune in the early days of newspaper distribution. As the plot unwinds, you learn that the woman Bell is protecting maybe isn't quite so innocent and the husband, although he's certainly a bad guy, may not be quite so crazy.

I've also read The Cutthroat, The Chase, and The Striker, and highly recommend them all.

I'll admit, I picked Wicked Appetite off the library shelf because of its cover. Then I read the inside flap and decided to check it out. I've read Janet Evanovich before and always liked her humorous way of telling a story. Wicked Appetite did not disappoint. I read it in a matter of hours, while I was in a doctor's waiting room actually, trying not to laugh out loud too much and disturb other people. Then when I got home, I downloaded Wicked Business and Wicked Charms on my Kindle and read both of them that night. I honestly liked them so much, that I reread all three of them the next day to make sure I hadn't missed any details.

It's easier for me to sum up the series than each individual book, so here you go. Lizzy is a baker who has enhanced abilities, except she doesn't know it until Diesel and his evil cousin, Wolf, show up out of the blue. Each wants Lizzy to help them find the SALIGIA stones, stones that hold the powers of the seven deadly sins. Lizzy is one of two people who can locate enchanted objects. In books one, two, and three, she and Diesel work together to find the Gluttony stone, Lust stone, and Avarice stone respectively.

Now all I need is for Janet Evanovich to release book four. It's been four years...

I ended my holiday vacation with The Plastic Magician. It's part of The Paper Magician world but with a new main character, Alvie. Alvie is apprenticing under a renowned magician in the newest branch of magic, plastic. Student and teacher come up with a new idea that would advance polymaking (plastic magic) and medicine, but someone's out to steal it. Much like The Paper Magician books, there's mystery, adventure, and romance. If you're into Harry Potter, you should definitely give this series a try.

This post contains embedded links to each book. If you click on the link and download or buy the title, I may earn a small commission at no extra charge to you.