My first blind date with a book a couple of months ago went well – I got a book I will actually read and I might even enjoy. A quick recap of that book first – before I move on to today’s blind date.
The book I received last time is The Song of the Marked, book one in Shadows & Crowns, by SM Gaither. It’s an enemies to lovers fantasy romance about a mercenary and her (king) employer’s right hand man – they are in search of a cure for a plague ravaging the land. I am really looking forward to it and I hope to fit it into my reading schedule next year.
Now – on to the book I opened today, purchased largely because the last BDWAB was a success.
I picked this new book up at a local gift shop. If you’re ever in the Sioux Falls area, or even just passing through, I can recommend The Maker’s Exchange in Tea, SD. They have lots of lovely gifts, many handmade, along with a cafe/coffee shop with wonderful treats. I spotted this blind date with a book in one of the shops.
Blind date books usually give you hints about the tropes they contain so you can narrow down if the book might be a fit for you.
This one is billed as a thriller / mystery / crime / suspense / fiction.
As I’ve said many times, thrillers are my escapist reads. They’re like popcorn when they’re done well, and I can’t put them down. They allow me to forget the annoyances of the day on the roller coaster ride they offer.
This is how my book was packaged. You can see all the fun goodies tucked into the wrap. I love the hand crafted look. And some of the ephemera glued on the wrapping I might be able to repurpose for my own scrapbooking or even my reading journal when I read the book. How fun is that?
Next, I unpacked the goodies. What I found includes:
- two bookmarks
- a hair tie
- tea packets
- a highlighter
- stickers
- an eye mask
- a glasses cleaner cloth
- a mini notebook
- annotation flags
- and POPCORN!!!!!!!!! (my perfect accompaniment for a thriller!)
Here’s a closer look at the exact stickers and ephemera that I received. The book flags always come in handy when I am reading to review a book (noted that I haven’t done one in a while due to some intensive life events, so these will help me get busy). The tea looks tasty. The mini notebook is perfect. The stickers will be great for my reading journal. And the eye mask is a special treat. The book related goodies are almost as fun as the book itself, and are a great consolation prize if the book doesn’t end up being a fit.
What more does a woman need to read a thriller this winter? And it probably will be winter – next January or February – when I can fit the book into my reading schedule if it turns out to be a winner. That’s still an if, though, until it is unwrapped. That said, I am partly doing this for the suspense and the experience. My own little mystery.
Occasionally when I have gotten book boxes in the past with a book choice that didn’t work out, I was able to gift the book to a friend or relative. And if not, there’s always a little free library close by. I am crossing my fingers this book will be a fun read. It’s always a risk with a blind date with a book packages. Choosing a book sight unseen may not be for everyone. It’s like getting a book as a gift from a friend who just knows your general taste in genre and maybe some tropes.
Now for the book. I’ll drop a photo below and tell you about it. I don’t think I need spoiler spaces here, since you’re probably not headed to Tea, SD, this week. So, here we go.
The book I received is The Alibi Man, by Tami Hoag. It was published in 2007. It is clear on examination that it is a used copy. The cover has some minor wear and tear. The original sticker price is more than what I paid for the whole package with goodies included. But I also imagine if I’d found this at a used bookstore, it would have been about half the price I paid. But again, I do get the other goodies included, and this is mostly about the experience, not the economics.
The upside to this particular pick, is that it is a thriller by a NYT best selling author. It is not something esoteric that didn’t have popular appeal. The downside is that it is #2 in a series. There was another potential downside. I love thrillers, so I picked a thriller. If I had already read everything by Tami Hoag, a well known author for thriller readers, this would be a repeat. As it happens, I have not read this book. I cannot tell if I really need to read #1 in the series to appreciate this book. I’ll do a little research on that point, but my gut tells me I can probably get by with not searching out #1.
The main character is Elena Estes, a former undercover cop with a passion for justice, who’s lost her career. Having grown up in the wealth of the Palm Beach elite, she trains horses on the fringe of her old life. She finds a body in a canal. It’s a shock to discover it’s a friend. To find her friend’s killer, she’s pulled back to her old life, and it could get her killed.
That description sounds promising, and I consider this blind date with a book a success. I hope I will really enjoy this.
Would you or have you ever tried a blind date with a book? If you did, was it a fun surprise or a disappointment? And have you read this book? And no spoilers, please – did you like it? Thanks for reading!
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