tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41209744614032072162024-03-17T14:34:19.232-04:00Through Raspberry Colored GlassesAll things booksLaura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.comBlogger1363125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-18384623632971268582024-03-13T13:15:00.001-04:002024-03-13T13:15:38.742-04:00Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #499: The Girl in the Bog by Keith Donohue<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKqc4vfX997FVrhcWTTPHIp5D4UnGXiFuPuuvdH_h-gkVrZV05WW_CNXnyztaDXPWf7BPdVRfsKcqrNxf72dHdCsuSxccVJT2KmiP9wciteT8DlNiMokjWGg09YjTcfDe6REuHOVpjDHi4EnTD7W5SVEJz3JLy9lKdrPckTWVRG1j4ZwynJUafZ40JSo/s1810/princessbooks3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1810" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKqc4vfX997FVrhcWTTPHIp5D4UnGXiFuPuuvdH_h-gkVrZV05WW_CNXnyztaDXPWf7BPdVRfsKcqrNxf72dHdCsuSxccVJT2KmiP9wciteT8DlNiMokjWGg09YjTcfDe6REuHOVpjDHi4EnTD7W5SVEJz3JLy9lKdrPckTWVRG1j4ZwynJUafZ40JSo/s320/princessbooks3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c1750; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Breaking the Spine</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;"> where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at <a href="http://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="color: #7c1750; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wishful Endings</a>. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycegN2mNEeG0h4KBJSs061oL027su97i-p4F5lZJOsD96XEpwibNzrSZ6UrwXSQ_MOzp8R_PEtJL5G-PEUsV4rAxFtq1BLZIyYM2khg2IiCX18iTlJqir5XaDiGIHAp2Nzw_wbUYCDUkzvv8iMfln15d6osFdZt1ZKpC2bWTDsaic2rTztZxzMMkFW1M/s377/cover340415-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycegN2mNEeG0h4KBJSs061oL027su97i-p4F5lZJOsD96XEpwibNzrSZ6UrwXSQ_MOzp8R_PEtJL5G-PEUsV4rAxFtq1BLZIyYM2khg2IiCX18iTlJqir5XaDiGIHAp2Nzw_wbUYCDUkzvv8iMfln15d6osFdZt1ZKpC2bWTDsaic2rTztZxzMMkFW1M/s320/cover340415-medium.png" width="216" /></a></div>From the publisher: <span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-weight: 800;">Ancient heroes from Irish mythology and folklore come to life in the modern world in this dark, atmospheric story. At once a thrilling chase novel and a wry reimagining of Ireland’s oldest epic, it is sure to enthrall readers of Neil Gaiman and Cassandra Khaw.</span></div><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Everybody is after the girl in the bog.</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">One morning in a field in Connemara, a farmer unearths the body of a young woman, two thousand years old, preserved under layers of peat. Later that evening she awakens in unfamiliar modern Ireland, ripping a hole through space and time and setting awhirl old animosities and long-held grudges.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Shadowy figures follow her from the pagan past, and each emerges with a claim on the girl from the bog. With help from a trio of wannabe teenage witches, she goes on the run. Joining in the chase is an American archaeologist, who wants to keep the discovery for herself, and two befuddled farmers trapped in the plot. Hosts of fairies out for the night work their magic and mischief, and in the blue hour before sunrise, the saga unfolds in a battle for the ages.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Part fantasy, part mystery, part thriller, part send-up, this comic and poignant love song to Irish literature and the gift of gab does not merely bend genres, it braids them into Celtic knots.</span><p></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;"><i>Thr Giirl in the Bog</i> by Keith Donohue is set to be released August 13th, 2024 by Crooked Lane Books.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Why am I waiting on this book</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I like the way it sounds. Fairies, witches, a bog girl that comes alive and more spark my interest. I like the juxtaposition of the old with the modern world. It sounds like it will be a bit of a wild ride with some humor to it. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">What book are you waiting on? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!</span></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-57661583662192249422024-03-06T17:40:00.000-05:002024-03-06T17:40:58.963-05:00Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #498: Wink edited by Henry Herz<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOkswvJdhk2J5Q2dGqu0pKkSGKld_WJwFU_aIjYu-lDYkWajs-zl3t5yXO8bpOxqM75sKZ2_m-e_a5WC7ugcHyH1MVO0r4dOtK0DGo_xwNqvjwAC-rVTyudk0GpvdAbrBeivhTMN-n4tsxmsnre1e0VIpexs19Ba5XPGUFgpaV9nEVEpACO5mPQmBZIo/s1810/princessbooks3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1810" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOkswvJdhk2J5Q2dGqu0pKkSGKld_WJwFU_aIjYu-lDYkWajs-zl3t5yXO8bpOxqM75sKZ2_m-e_a5WC7ugcHyH1MVO0r4dOtK0DGo_xwNqvjwAC-rVTyudk0GpvdAbrBeivhTMN-n4tsxmsnre1e0VIpexs19Ba5XPGUFgpaV9nEVEpACO5mPQmBZIo/s320/princessbooks3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c1750; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Breaking the Spine</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;"> where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at <a href="http://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="color: #7c1750; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wishful Endings</a>. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8BlekNY9WPqsrO0GwryKxBoY_NsLHHDBHQXQSLMFtDIF7PoKsc-qZg1DKiQdzW5hk255cerS1WOSi3EKYfqh243OIuK8TY7deqaRe5LVjFTAU_6pD3OrG5Fwfjb9_Ueq0dYvajBGxwZPhcH9Ev2GakIMhNpADgntmpIFEh5nF7RAAt31qAhf5NuosDA/s383/cover334917-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8BlekNY9WPqsrO0GwryKxBoY_NsLHHDBHQXQSLMFtDIF7PoKsc-qZg1DKiQdzW5hk255cerS1WOSi3EKYfqh243OIuK8TY7deqaRe5LVjFTAU_6pD3OrG5Fwfjb9_Ueq0dYvajBGxwZPhcH9Ev2GakIMhNpADgntmpIFEh5nF7RAAt31qAhf5NuosDA/s320/cover334917-medium.png" width="213" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">From the publisher: </span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p>We all remember our favorite childhood classics, like The Giving Tree and The Velveteen Rabbit. Wink explores those classics through the lens of YA fantasy and science fiction. Featuring stories from bestselling and award-winning authors, including Kendare Blake, Leah Cypess, Stacia Deutsch, David Gerrold, Nancy Holder, Alethea Kontis, Jonathan Maberry, Seanan McGuire, and Maggie Stiefvater, Wink takes us on a wonderful romp through our favorite childhood stories.</p><p><i>Wink</i> edited by Henry Herz is expected out June 24th, 2024 from Brigids Gate Press.</p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Why am I waiting on this book</span><span style="color: #800180;">: </span>I like retellings.And I have a fondness for children's literature. The list of included authors looks good too. I'm looking forward to checking this one out and seeing what stories they choose as basis for their works.</p><p><span style="color: #800180;">What book are you waiting on? </span>Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!</p></span><p></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-33340110463330677192024-03-05T16:19:00.000-05:002024-03-05T16:19:11.393-05:00Happy Book Birthday to Two Very Different Books<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMij8b5TfkzVeF7g3X0J8J0y35RFVVEO5rTObcKSytc2it9sHu0cw1SNXi1cNW6Roys6-vWVvbbX-FCBowUJGPQFPpPwWWR9_bfnQ_LfSZl8JPKhk7F0b6tmR1cRO93qiPDavS96vxWzDX7i8cwTKIoa7B65kkivZobNpkNWIaqlXy4O_8IXTvdqKcxQI/s1920/birthday-2492283_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMij8b5TfkzVeF7g3X0J8J0y35RFVVEO5rTObcKSytc2it9sHu0cw1SNXi1cNW6Roys6-vWVvbbX-FCBowUJGPQFPpPwWWR9_bfnQ_LfSZl8JPKhk7F0b6tmR1cRO93qiPDavS96vxWzDX7i8cwTKIoa7B65kkivZobNpkNWIaqlXy4O_8IXTvdqKcxQI/s320/birthday-2492283_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Two very different books come out today, but they do have one thing in common. They both have at their center female relationships.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidU1nz5N-sLplPGob1jqUoaGTXSTue72dqWwo7vXfLIyDXgxHl-VieGnTiif85WPsx3-mrBM2q-E0XeCY74ZJZwQ6hHz48kWHBzgvZ05dUD5WxgzA4Ivq-HnnRJh_LTb59dZmcnIwzaClpY8vVMLWA_nkr3jv5TRzqZTGfCXcZJaCvgb0OuvGYqHe2d_U/s385/cover300578-medium.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidU1nz5N-sLplPGob1jqUoaGTXSTue72dqWwo7vXfLIyDXgxHl-VieGnTiif85WPsx3-mrBM2q-E0XeCY74ZJZwQ6hHz48kWHBzgvZ05dUD5WxgzA4Ivq-HnnRJh_LTb59dZmcnIwzaClpY8vVMLWA_nkr3jv5TRzqZTGfCXcZJaCvgb0OuvGYqHe2d_U/s320/cover300578-medium.png" width="212" /></a></div>From the publisher:<p></p><p><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 14px;">Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero are in sore need of a girls’ weekend away. They plan a trip to Atlantic City, but odds are—seeing as it’s actually a cover story to negotiate a deal with a dangerous loan shark, save Vero’s childhood crush Javi, and hunt down a stolen car—it won’t be all fun and games. When Finlay’s ex-husband Steven and her mother insist on tagging along too, Finlay and Vero suddenly have a few too many meddlesome passengers along for the ride.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 14px;">Within hours of arriving in their seedy casino hotel, it becomes clear their rescue mission is going to be a bust. Javi’s kidnapper, Marco, refuses to negotiate, demanding payment in full in exchange for Javi’s life. But that’s not all—he insists on knowing the whereabouts of his missing nephew, Ike, who mysteriously disappeared. Unable to confess what really happened to Ike, Finlay and Vero are forced to come up with a new plan: sleuth out the location of Javi and the Aston Martin, then steal them both back.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 14px;">But when they sneak into the loan shark’s suite to search for clues, they find more than they bargained for—Marco's already dead. They don’t have a clue who murdered him, only that they themselves have a very convincing motive. Then four members of the police department unexpectedly show up in town, also looking for Ike—and after Finlay's night with hot cop Nick at the police academy, he’s a little too eager to keep her close to his side.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 14px;">If Finlay can juggle a jealous ex-husband, two precocious kids, her mother’s marital issues, a decomposing loan shark, and find Vero’s missing boyfriend, she might get out of Atlantic City in one piece. But will she fold under the pressure and come clean about the things she’s done, or be forced to double down?</span></p><p><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><i>Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice </i>by Elle Cosimano is out today from Minotaur Books.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrhl51OsR45_iTlC2_IATiBcjtzH9RlJkZynjldXA6RvZz7BiXLTklugev330YJwRkLgPH9iFFlTqmpGARNm7Fd41ayQx3OHL5MRcVZIufU8biwzL1N52ibFtyiiyPAlzU5L2eb_2ZZQscLqYxVvpZgKgyWbLsdSPF9ezT7_R1VlrnCLoSbeh6qlVx5Q/s385/cover302241-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrhl51OsR45_iTlC2_IATiBcjtzH9RlJkZynjldXA6RvZz7BiXLTklugev330YJwRkLgPH9iFFlTqmpGARNm7Fd41ayQx3OHL5MRcVZIufU8biwzL1N52ibFtyiiyPAlzU5L2eb_2ZZQscLqYxVvpZgKgyWbLsdSPF9ezT7_R1VlrnCLoSbeh6qlVx5Q/s320/cover302241-medium.png" width="212" /></a></div>Next up is <i>Thirst </i>by Marina Yuszczuk which is out today from Dutton.<div><br /></div><div>From the publisher:</div><div><br /></div><div>It <span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">is the twilight of Europe’s bloody bacchanals, of murder and feasting without end. In the nineteenth century, a vampire arrives from Europe to the coast of Buenos Aires and, for the second time in her life, watches as villages transform into a cosmopolitan city, one that will soon be ravaged by yellow fever. She must adapt, intermingle with humans, and be discreet.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">In present-day Buenos Aires, a woman finds herself at an impasse as she grapples with her mother's terminal illness and her own relationship with motherhood. When she first encounters the vampire in a cemetery, something ignites within the two women—and they cross a threshold from which there’s no turning back.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">With echoes of Mary Shelley’s </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Frankenstein</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> and written in the vein of feminist Gothic writers like Shirley Jackson, Daphne du Maurier, and Carmen Maria Machado, </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Thirst </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">plays with the boundaries of genre while exploring the limits of female agency, the consuming power of desire, and the fragile vitality of even the most immortal of creatures.</span><br /><p>What books have you been waiting for today? Are you more of a Finlay Donovan person or Gothic vampire or both? I'm both. Reviews to follow.</p><br /><p></p></div>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-55205702511011680552024-03-03T16:32:00.000-05:002024-03-03T16:32:06.368-05:00Book Review: Boy of Chaotic Making by Charlie N. Holmberg<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVvynbOAJ-bc2lXCmJhQA0GacNnuRr3-WHLE_DEvdYCruDKNplSL-OYE6nUbFXaK9OzN8TvtLeVVFno0pByVD2zr0B7i-shL1FlbXe_E_7mf5TcimvPu-i-yJaXZadMt8HZoxCZXQHXfI01BKrFXQxW40krUnbppuHSmpuiCFgg7MQrBHDq5HSK4RAmw/s383/cover303076-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVvynbOAJ-bc2lXCmJhQA0GacNnuRr3-WHLE_DEvdYCruDKNplSL-OYE6nUbFXaK9OzN8TvtLeVVFno0pByVD2zr0B7i-shL1FlbXe_E_7mf5TcimvPu-i-yJaXZadMt8HZoxCZXQHXfI01BKrFXQxW40krUnbppuHSmpuiCFgg7MQrBHDq5HSK4RAmw/s320/cover303076-medium.png" width="213" /></a></div>Once there was a dog who'd been a house who'd been a boy. Owein could remember that. He was now a mixed terrier breed dog. He communicated with his many greats nephew via magic. Merritt Fernsby loved Owein (his many greats uncle). And he enjoyed talking with him, but one of the consequences of doing so was a temporary loss of his voice depending on how long they'd been talking.<p></p><p>Hulda Larkin, Merritt's fiancee, loved Owein too. So it was the three of them, after discussion, who decided to see exactly what the Queen of England had in mind when she said she was interested in Owein. And especially what she had in mind when she said that they could find Owein a human body and transfer him into it and marry him into the royal family. Merritt and Owein travel to London to find out exactly what the deal is. Adventure ensues.</p><p>The characters in the book are well done, especially Merritt, Owein, and Hulda.I liked them for who they were on the page and for the way they interact with one another.</p><p>The world building is consistent with the first two books in the Whimbrel House series. I like that for every kind of magic used there is a natural sort of reaction. For example, Merritt's voice is affected when he converses mentally with Owein.</p><p>In general, the plotting and writing is well done. It's better to have read the first two books before you read this one. The story moves along at a good pace. And I was a little surprised at the culprit in the mystery.</p><p>I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's well written and entertaining. If you like historic fantasy set in a slightly different world from ours, then you would most likely enjoy this book and series. It appears there is a book 4 on the horizon. I look forward to it.</p><p>I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinions or review.</p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-4523107450329468272024-02-21T00:30:00.001-05:002024-02-21T00:30:00.149-05:00Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #497: Nightmare of a Trip by Maureen Kilmer<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWevyvnxgqBKSK5jPnTrOrHGhtV9rE0BuHvMnxVbOdWoGD-GGlETWUUyrK_DV6VM1rgPPybPqXB3aoVeEnI5Ob3Oqhyts16M-FneRm_wkIGvOBLBcR_YLFOcsasGzE7zHgvqnovuVSB1DlS25fhUgYKyKh1VsfWt4EQ-88GY2mgc0PFXuvh2aFbsL5kCI/s1810/princessbooks3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1810" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWevyvnxgqBKSK5jPnTrOrHGhtV9rE0BuHvMnxVbOdWoGD-GGlETWUUyrK_DV6VM1rgPPybPqXB3aoVeEnI5Ob3Oqhyts16M-FneRm_wkIGvOBLBcR_YLFOcsasGzE7zHgvqnovuVSB1DlS25fhUgYKyKh1VsfWt4EQ-88GY2mgc0PFXuvh2aFbsL5kCI/s320/princessbooks3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c1750; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Breaking the Spine</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;"> where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at <a href="http://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="color: #7c1750; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wishful Endings</a>. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvDrSAbayVH1xPaI2WitefGeHhsa-2WYSkn0dB7PQN6Rop0GeVIQJ8m7uA54AjVliy1uLFfs9S1XPV56JG-k8KEc2hjFY2PcK4wY4CXgme1ywcBanpU57_Kw7ZRzgY1euwmyvnWv57IUzlGKfgZLH9r3-9jFLPHpbuVQDDwhNq48886BQnc3YxZ7FziA/s394/cover324518-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvDrSAbayVH1xPaI2WitefGeHhsa-2WYSkn0dB7PQN6Rop0GeVIQJ8m7uA54AjVliy1uLFfs9S1XPV56JG-k8KEc2hjFY2PcK4wY4CXgme1ywcBanpU57_Kw7ZRzgY1euwmyvnWv57IUzlGKfgZLH9r3-9jFLPHpbuVQDDwhNq48886BQnc3YxZ7FziA/s320/cover324518-medium.png" width="207" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;">From the publisher:</span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-weight: 800;">A horror-tinged National Lampoon’s Vacation: This is one family getaway they’ll never forget...</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Leigh Somerset wants to spend some quality time with her kids before they grow up, and her husband has always fancied himself sort of a Clark Griswold figure. So the Somersets will be spending their family vacation on the road, driving from suburban Milwaukee to Orlando, Florida. Already off to a rocky start, when they stumble upon an abandoned, half-burned farmhouse in Indiana, the Somersets inadvertently unleash an eerie past that will follow them the rest of their trip.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">From creepy indoor waterparks to paranormal-activity plagued Cracker Barrels, it’s one thing after another in the pursuit of the great American summer road trip. Will the Somersets be able to shake these bad vibes and get on with family bonding, or will the road less traveled become the highway to hell?</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;"><i>Nightmare of a Trip </i>by Maureen Kilmer is due to be released September 10th, 2024 from G.P. Putnam's Sons.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Why am I waiting on this book</span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">: </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I like Maureen Kilmer's work. She does a great job of blending horror and humor. Her previous novels, <i>Suburban Hell </i>and <i>Hex Education </i>were both fun horror reads. And this one sounds like it will be a good read as well. "A horror-tinged National Lampoon's Vacation" - what fan of horror blended with humor could resist?</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">What book are you waiting on? </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!</span></span></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-77219238752657767462024-02-20T14:47:00.002-05:002024-02-20T14:47:29.123-05:00Book Review: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdHSD1mNt9pdrXXJhujKT-XoHQMsRzNuTwAG-_3fWw7qv44Z0FTrKspUet7GWTCBkj253CUxLGm_lL-d4Bm-BvlZIio4yz2vW8hQPGvEr615ohaZFFBvMlN8_cJtobKVdphhHUoPtBq32l-BFfgkZpGlfWFvS0qTmhe6d2x_rXGJJM0iKU6hgg1WW4GY/s386/cover296385-medium.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdHSD1mNt9pdrXXJhujKT-XoHQMsRzNuTwAG-_3fWw7qv44Z0FTrKspUet7GWTCBkj253CUxLGm_lL-d4Bm-BvlZIio4yz2vW8hQPGvEr615ohaZFFBvMlN8_cJtobKVdphhHUoPtBq32l-BFfgkZpGlfWFvS0qTmhe6d2x_rXGJJM0iKU6hgg1WW4GY/s320/cover296385-medium.png" width="211" /></a></div><div>As far as murders go, making a tree spontaneously grow out of someone killing them instantly is pretty unique. This is exactly what happens to an Imperial officer as the inciting event in this mystery.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ana Dolabra along with her assistant Dinios Kol are assigned to investigate. Din acts as Ana's eyes and ears as he has been modified as an engraver to have a perfect memory. Ana seldom leaves home, so the accuracy of Din's evidence gathered and interviews are of utmost importance. In addition to seldom leaving her home, Ana wears a blindfold most of the time and swears like a sailor. The swearing somewhat scandalizes Din, but Ana can get away with a lot because of how well her mind works while solving a case. </div><div><br /></div><div>I loved both Ana and Din.They work so well together. We get to know Din a little more though since the story is told through his eyes.</div><div><br /></div><div>The world building is excellent. The Empire reminds me a little of a medieval walled city in structure. The further away from the wall you get, the more affluent you are. And in this case, the further away from the wall you get, the safer you are from the leviathans who try and breach the wall. So in addition to working on solving the mystery, Ana and Din must be aware of the dangers lurking.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall this is a very well written book. I gave it 5 stars out of 5. It has a fascinating mystery, excellent world building, and interesting characters. And as it is book one in a series, I look forward to reading more about Ana and Din. I'd recommend this book to people who enjoy a good fantasy as well as those who enjoy a good mystery in a fantasy setting.</div><div><br /></div><div>I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>The Tainted Cup</i> by Robert Jackson Bennett was published February 6th, 2024 by Del Rey. It is book one in the Shadow of the Leviathan series.</div><p></p><p><br /></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-26253108698086299712024-02-14T09:18:00.000-05:002024-02-14T09:18:41.995-05:00Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #496: Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDR9MgfASlZoBBhRJw2Imgd2lBEDdDLyFRcgY7cLk8nSDVSV-R-zlibZ_WGXgIv8lywm-kK0d-4ZDmY8pNCKV1lMsfW5nu0kh1thsh1AawT0AoEglJrXNAxFaeWkzOGYN4rWlhsS12Q_dq2JepZa64MP2aN-iEP30z0oGHCYyEWYqKjo3XVFkRJOYi8-g/s1810/princessbooks3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1810" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDR9MgfASlZoBBhRJw2Imgd2lBEDdDLyFRcgY7cLk8nSDVSV-R-zlibZ_WGXgIv8lywm-kK0d-4ZDmY8pNCKV1lMsfW5nu0kh1thsh1AawT0AoEglJrXNAxFaeWkzOGYN4rWlhsS12Q_dq2JepZa64MP2aN-iEP30z0oGHCYyEWYqKjo3XVFkRJOYi8-g/s320/princessbooks3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c1750; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Breaking the Spine</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"> where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at <a href="http://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="color: #7c1750; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wishful Endings</a>.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIp-tStggTsFCEhrPnk35-GAR1-lvmmemMV1vyoWdXbe1Cr_Tb1ATK52kGYTat5F9p2PiTkgf-1YKqv4Dtd7khASa8c3BsMRn-fHeLC0CVUilSMak1J2yA4iCL-SsShI13b7PirjcL_Tu78w5L2g3To-hLOEStjOKqA6vxVT4DptWrx2Zf2H7X9qcRSfI/s393/cover311512-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIp-tStggTsFCEhrPnk35-GAR1-lvmmemMV1vyoWdXbe1Cr_Tb1ATK52kGYTat5F9p2PiTkgf-1YKqv4Dtd7khASa8c3BsMRn-fHeLC0CVUilSMak1J2yA4iCL-SsShI13b7PirjcL_Tu78w5L2g3To-hLOEStjOKqA6vxVT4DptWrx2Zf2H7X9qcRSfI/s320/cover311512-medium.png" width="208" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">From the publisher:</span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 800;">A woman journeys into a submerged world of gods and myth to save her home in this powerful historical fantasy that shines a light on the drowned Black towns of the American South. </span></p><p><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">“Our home began, as all things do, with a wish.”</i><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Jane Edwards hasn’t spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she’s found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam promises to wash her home under the waters of the new lake.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Jane will do anything to save the community that sheltered her. So, when a man with uncanny abilities arrives in town asking strange questions, she wonders if he might be the key. But as the stranger hints at gods and ancestral magic, Jane is captivated by a bigger mystery. She knows this man. Only the last time she saw him, he was dead. His body laid to rest in a rushing river. </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Who is the stranger and what is he really doing in Awenasa? To find those answers, Jane will journey into a sunken world, a land of capricious gods and unsung myths, of salvation and dreams made real. But the flood waters are rising. To gain the miracle she desires, Jane will have to find her voice again and finally face the trauma of the past. </span></p><p><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Why am I waiting on this book</span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">: </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I like the idea of mixing gods and myths with a plot based on historical happenings. And of course, I'm wondering who is this strange man and what will happen because of his presence.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">What book are you waiting on? </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!</span></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-69764411432272956992024-02-13T00:30:00.001-05:002024-02-13T00:30:00.136-05:00Happy Book Birthday to Two Much Anticipated Titles<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrk7i-U9xTbXSNQdQylnhGUBf137EBh5WaK43r6YpUe-ybl_-_kgQ3Gp64V6sePBlltH54YvT8aISNgPDqzst46oyXmd2qG6Um5uL8KUowOO-kxllN-zNiuYg4yQIfi76lFO1Wqp90P0nmp2_7-W4XWNkG3gZABA0ehYMXeCmQm8dAKfu1kLBmp83Jmg4/s1920/birthday-2492283_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrk7i-U9xTbXSNQdQylnhGUBf137EBh5WaK43r6YpUe-ybl_-_kgQ3Gp64V6sePBlltH54YvT8aISNgPDqzst46oyXmd2qG6Um5uL8KUowOO-kxllN-zNiuYg4yQIfi76lFO1Wqp90P0nmp2_7-W4XWNkG3gZABA0ehYMXeCmQm8dAKfu1kLBmp83Jmg4/s320/birthday-2492283_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Two titles that I have been excited about are making their debut today.<p></p><p>First up is<i> Boy of Chaotic Making</i> by Charlie N. Holmberg.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj088h2ZEI8hNB3haMfXAsVwIR7KZZgNhtTpci-_Qag2KnkDJFZnjjhXgvn4k0muYlxNSThs_tEMMH_uCIgdvWHttaMOdokbJVJ8BcrDBYp2zX41dhvaB_d5W5PPs9osGBqh82q4sAQWP2NMHULLVfbIAxEEA60Viv2PSjmFxQs2HsNQTRS3yFnPWfkceI/s383/cover303076-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj088h2ZEI8hNB3haMfXAsVwIR7KZZgNhtTpci-_Qag2KnkDJFZnjjhXgvn4k0muYlxNSThs_tEMMH_uCIgdvWHttaMOdokbJVJ8BcrDBYp2zX41dhvaB_d5W5PPs9osGBqh82q4sAQWP2NMHULLVfbIAxEEA60Viv2PSjmFxQs2HsNQTRS3yFnPWfkceI/s320/cover303076-medium.png" width="213" /></a></div>From the publisher:<div><br /><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 800;">A boy like no other embarks on a transformative journey of magic and self-discovery in the next enchanting Whimbrel House novel by Amazon Charts and <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Wall Street Journal</i> bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">Merritt Fernsby’s life has changed considerably since he inherited Whimbrel House. He’s engaged to Hulda Larkin, who opened his eyes to the uncanny. And he’s grown quite protective of his uncle Owein—several generations, and iterations, removed. Owein is presently inhabiting the body of a mixed-breed terrier when Merritt receives a missive from none other than Alexandrina Victoria, the Queen of England: <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">I am interested in your dog.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">It’s the queen’s duty to the peerage to keep British wizardry empowered. Her offer: England will find a human vessel for Owein, marry him into the royal family, and add this remarkable soul-shifter to its lineage. For Owein, a boy trapped in the body of a pup, it’s a dream come true. How can Merritt refuse? However, once they are in London and in consortium with a necromancer, the situation doesn’t feel right, both with their hosts and the house they inhabit. Owein is having nightmares. And Hulda’s premonitions warn of danger in Merritt’s future. Clearly, someone doesn’t want them in town.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">But after two hundred years of being cursed to drift, Owein is determined to chart his own destiny. He’s ready to defy whatever chaos is coming. After all, Owein is the <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">master</i> of chaos, and with Merritt and Hulda’s love and magical support, he can overcome anything.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Boy of Chaotic Making </i>by Charlie N. Holmberg is the third book in the Whimbrel House series. It's being released today by 47North. I've read the first two books and loved them. I expect this one to be really good as well.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">The second book coming out today that is on my To Be Read list is <i>The Warm Hands of Ghosts </i>by Katherine Arden.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5YLz1a7xxdLUBo0nHgcOl4jkWxiRP-n9pP14LwLnCEdRO54Zolfvnf9WubfnKik1TwdwaDWPyyjoWiU67VawkudUb5II680osAs9jvX8I9E0gjs6MZhLWG7fzVYd9HXEq_V2dDV3T7QZiXxNi2GNj5yYRKgHOCus88MgZ9nigYjGVGudhYbnGKbFvJ8/s388/cover300108-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5YLz1a7xxdLUBo0nHgcOl4jkWxiRP-n9pP14LwLnCEdRO54Zolfvnf9WubfnKik1TwdwaDWPyyjoWiU67VawkudUb5II680osAs9jvX8I9E0gjs6MZhLWG7fzVYd9HXEq_V2dDV3T7QZiXxNi2GNj5yYRKgHOCus88MgZ9nigYjGVGudhYbnGKbFvJ8/s320/cover300108-medium.png" width="210" /></a></div><br /><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">From the publisher:</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px;">January 1918. </i><span style="font-size: 14px;">Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, Laura receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital, where she soon hears whispers about haunted trenches and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px;" /><i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px;">November 1917. </i><span style="font-size: 14px;">Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-size: 14px;">As shells rain down on Flanders and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><i>The Warm Hands of Ghosts</i> by Katherine Arden is coming out today from Del Rey. It looks like it's a standalone. I've read other books by the author and enjoyed them. I expect to like this one as well.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">What books that are on your TBR list are coming out today or this month? Have you been waiting for these two titles as well?</span></p></div>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-85917312966242082632024-02-07T00:30:00.001-05:002024-02-07T00:30:00.154-05:00Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #495: An Intrigue of Witches by Esme Addison<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3JVczedOYmhYQnJey9s83pjeQXDZ1HY0DtVfdUlh-4RO8f5htq81JbS-BSgPrK0N-b4F-aWbTsdlDrgPXllliGoHyGQdHUjHS1s0IAHODKNTMYtHkaCiiJDFZ98F7AB-9hkQz-GPEEK3NOoGjZNjm-Farlmfcfrj6E-4Oe1iwpsz2c2_yDI2kIfGce4/s1810/princessbooks3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1810" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3JVczedOYmhYQnJey9s83pjeQXDZ1HY0DtVfdUlh-4RO8f5htq81JbS-BSgPrK0N-b4F-aWbTsdlDrgPXllliGoHyGQdHUjHS1s0IAHODKNTMYtHkaCiiJDFZ98F7AB-9hkQz-GPEEK3NOoGjZNjm-Farlmfcfrj6E-4Oe1iwpsz2c2_yDI2kIfGce4/s320/princessbooks3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c1750; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Breaking the Spine</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"> where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at <a href="http://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="color: #7c1750; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wishful Endings</a>.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9HpdNN6T5lMrBKveT2-LRalZqwe0CnLtV-5v27AhyI76UXryGdkOa2JTCSnT5Xud44f1NsY9_oMzq1plcMSjRcHVpCeDxJ0w4DQOG-nw2Vn9cO1RtEcLLxTg9bchyMqZSGYpJaEIqe3yZx9mMiPtRfnBL1k1Q17AD2WyCeP4ZGohVFjm0p5Jy-Lutrw/s402/cover318982-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9HpdNN6T5lMrBKveT2-LRalZqwe0CnLtV-5v27AhyI76UXryGdkOa2JTCSnT5Xud44f1NsY9_oMzq1plcMSjRcHVpCeDxJ0w4DQOG-nw2Vn9cO1RtEcLLxTg9bchyMqZSGYpJaEIqe3yZx9mMiPtRfnBL1k1Q17AD2WyCeP4ZGohVFjm0p5Jy-Lutrw/s320/cover318982-medium.png" width="203" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">From the publisher:</span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-weight: 800;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">National Treasure</i></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-weight: 800;"> meets <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">A Discovery of Witches</i> . . .</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-weight: 800;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Introducing the Secret Society mystery series, and kick-ass red-headed heroine Sidney, a Black historian poised on the brink of discovering her true past . . . and her hidden witchy powers!</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Thirty-year-old Black woman Sidney Taylor is a talented early American history professor, working in fast-paced Washington DC, with her eyes on promotion. She's also currently persona non grata. Who knew that making an inconvenient historical discovery would see her stuck at her desk, shuffling paper?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">So when she receives an anonymous and very cryptic invitation to visit historic small-town Robbinsville, North Carolina and hunt for a missing archaeological treasure - with a million-dollar pay out at stake - it's one she can't refuse. Besides, her beloved grandmother lives in Robbinsville, and it's been too long since she's paid her a visit.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Soon, Sidney's on an exciting treasure hunt, following two-hundred-year-old clues that lead her ever closer to the artefact she's searching for. But what </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">is </i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">the artefact? And why is Sidney starting to feel like she's at the heart of a terrifying conspiracy she doesn't understand?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">The answer blows Sidney's world apart, plunging her into a dark, glittering world of secret societies, ancient bloodlines, witches and magic, linked to an ages-old conspiracy that could destroy the very principles upon which America was founded.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;"><i>An Intrigue of Witches</i> by Esme Addison is expected out May 7th, 2024 from Severn House. It's the first book in the Secret Society Mystery series.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Why am I waiting on this book</span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">: </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I like a good witchy book. This sounds like it will be an interesting story what with secret societies, witches, magic, and a conspiracy. It seems like this has all the makings of an urban fantasy which is one of my favorite genres.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">What book are you waiting on? </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!</span></span></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-24787985088711573932024-02-06T06:44:00.003-05:002024-02-06T06:44:24.089-05:00Happy Book Birthday to The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAV5auACfm95pRt5TuoW3kv3w3GsuxyJ_DjFIRA5b72Mu-M8oKhg0oLeDyQhqq-paEx-0laCQIcu-ZEBwaqL_Dqmyhf5NPBkIVm9xoxX6MOsrJNrppvSJH0f0wld2P9OXOshw5aLknsw2HNfd7LGd_7Maqv_8s8Y4YCNReWwSzcR5vPOgC0VHPyoLBok/s1920/birthday-2492283_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAV5auACfm95pRt5TuoW3kv3w3GsuxyJ_DjFIRA5b72Mu-M8oKhg0oLeDyQhqq-paEx-0laCQIcu-ZEBwaqL_Dqmyhf5NPBkIVm9xoxX6MOsrJNrppvSJH0f0wld2P9OXOshw5aLknsw2HNfd7LGd_7Maqv_8s8Y4YCNReWwSzcR5vPOgC0VHPyoLBok/s320/birthday-2492283_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>The Tainted Cup </i>by Robert Jackson Bennett is released today from Del Rey. It's the first book in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. I've started reading it, and so far I agree with the description and that it is an entertaining story. Review will follow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmsxcUZ8p_YwA3zvANJ7eLVgU4KXc1n10I-hhKMh6DS_9vDCyEjsYAJOe-XVT9W2VZ_I9XJLPdpnBormUnJj0JB16tx-IufSYcnpkU8ZNxLnSK_d7RvpxM_9BsNzTsVCxYEMD69HF418z37PkNh7wTzPYimGESToyjPkpfyj4L90pthlVoLBp_9Tye9Y/s386/cover296385-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmsxcUZ8p_YwA3zvANJ7eLVgU4KXc1n10I-hhKMh6DS_9vDCyEjsYAJOe-XVT9W2VZ_I9XJLPdpnBormUnJj0JB16tx-IufSYcnpkU8ZNxLnSK_d7RvpxM_9BsNzTsVCxYEMD69HF418z37PkNh7wTzPYimGESToyjPkpfyj4L90pthlVoLBp_9Tye9Y/s320/cover296385-medium.png" width="211" /></a></div>From the publisher:<div><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 800;">A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">By an “endlessly inventive” (</span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Vulture</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">) author with a “wicked sense of humor” (NPR),</span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> The Tainted Cup</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> mixes the charms of detective fiction with brilliant world-building to deliver a fiendishly clever mystery that’s at once instantly recognizable and thrillingly new.</span></div><br /><p></p></div>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-11189594076158996122024-02-05T00:30:00.000-05:002024-02-05T00:30:00.135-05:00Book Review: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvLCJSsMj6UPNAb7UB6oOi0ILnzoLhnaX6L-PYliUNZFchUHsoWbB5-PzsD7pblRw-yhRk7ZPHGMPemhx1zp0C87Tjrdb_-SmkdJz4IIxkmISwJLeDgAwKnP0wlpQncw3YSHCvv09muB8VQvap9218wg_7bTo3FcnmYLoSl8dks7m2npjHqLRQ4TAamc/s383/cover290257-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvLCJSsMj6UPNAb7UB6oOi0ILnzoLhnaX6L-PYliUNZFchUHsoWbB5-PzsD7pblRw-yhRk7ZPHGMPemhx1zp0C87Tjrdb_-SmkdJz4IIxkmISwJLeDgAwKnP0wlpQncw3YSHCvv09muB8VQvap9218wg_7bTo3FcnmYLoSl8dks7m2npjHqLRQ4TAamc/s320/cover290257-medium.png" width="213" /></a></div><p><br /></p>If you enjoy stories about the Fair Folk, then this would be a good book for you.<p></p><p>Emily Wilde has finished her Encyclopaedia of Faerie and is back to teaching. Her niece is now attending the college as well. And Wendell Bambleby is never far. He asked Emily to marry him and she hasn't answered yet. Meanwhile, he's continuing to masquerade as a human and teach classes as well.</p><p>Then, things are interrupted by an attempt on Wendell's life by assassins sent by his step-mother. Wendell wants his throne back, but hasn't been able to find the door he wants back into the kingdom. After the attack, it becomes more of a priority to find the door. Emily and Wendell are going to the Austrian Alps hunting it, but they cannot go alone. Ariadne, Emily's niece, and Farris Rose, the head of their department at Cambridge, accompany them in their search. And thus the adventure begins.</p><p>In search of the Nexus, a sort of hub of doors which Emily believes gives them the best chance of finding a door back into Wendell's homeland, they will encounter all kinds of the Folk and dangers. All of this is told in the manner of journal entries written by Emily. So, we get to be in her head as she describes her experiences. I wasn't as fond of the footnotes that she sometimes includes as she was, though. </p><p>I enjoyed watching the relationship between Emily and Wendell change as they both grew. They are fun to read about in no small part to the way they speak to each other trading teasing remarks as though they'd been married for years.</p><p>Shadow remains my favorite as Emily's companion. He seems to be getting up in years, but still manages to protect her when he feels it's needed. He has mastered his glamor as a canine. And I enjoyed seeing Poe added back into the story this time as he was such a help in the first book.</p><p>While there is sort of a little lull while they are looking for the nexus, generally the book moves forward at a good speed. The action moves fastest at the beginning and towards the end. And even during the lull, the occurrences move the story along. </p><p>I gave the book 5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the characters and the story. I felt it was well written. If you like stories about the Folk, you will most likely enjoy this book. You might enjoy it even more though, if you read <i>Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faerie</i> first. </p><p><i>Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands </i>by Heather Fawcett was released January 16, 2024 by Del Rey.</p><p>I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.</p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-25433186813930345662024-01-31T11:25:00.000-05:002024-01-31T11:25:58.919-05:00Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #494: Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0wWUBLzoNX_tjqtV3toA5KjRTNS7GXu-V0kYnFvOk5j_KXSpXiaFor_xxeKz3P8qsIXGoQaUNELJEuZMEgOWd7tSFNwCsBUCST5BCRpgX6tbL02QCjshcYBtRfyACe78H8V8TPnRiCXdnVL9Jfu73-6aZWMCE5CrLkBV7Q-M4GfTJ_YJVNbDccjgoTM/s1810/princessbooks3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1810" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0wWUBLzoNX_tjqtV3toA5KjRTNS7GXu-V0kYnFvOk5j_KXSpXiaFor_xxeKz3P8qsIXGoQaUNELJEuZMEgOWd7tSFNwCsBUCST5BCRpgX6tbL02QCjshcYBtRfyACe78H8V8TPnRiCXdnVL9Jfu73-6aZWMCE5CrLkBV7Q-M4GfTJ_YJVNbDccjgoTM/s320/princessbooks3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c1750; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Breaking the Spine</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"> where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at <a href="http://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="color: #7c1750; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wishful Endings</a>.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrBLYyK3k0L9tkv3PUop3azCl5pDIpuJJA_VGSpXasEGepVjr7HaplwehogcJwYmqIHGgu-PgMtdPrY_RD-VTpsOGddYuR467AeLGNx5vtQPD7Kp_4MDn39ofEWinujvJsUkzqoJlB7rhBbVjGV3wvzCpNVcn8ii6xP2Poyhx5OGnTUUTXu3rFw2BSj4/s389/cover314238-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrBLYyK3k0L9tkv3PUop3azCl5pDIpuJJA_VGSpXasEGepVjr7HaplwehogcJwYmqIHGgu-PgMtdPrY_RD-VTpsOGddYuR467AeLGNx5vtQPD7Kp_4MDn39ofEWinujvJsUkzqoJlB7rhBbVjGV3wvzCpNVcn8ii6xP2Poyhx5OGnTUUTXu3rFw2BSj4/s320/cover314238-medium.png" width="210" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">From the publisher:</span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-weight: 800;">A sharp-witted, debut high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, evil wizards and a garlic festival - all at once. Perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, K. J. Parker and Travis Baldree.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and then turn your skull into a goblet or something.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">It’s a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is… you.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Gav isn’t really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed. </span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">But as he realizes that nothing – from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess – is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. And he’ll have to answer the hardest question of all – who does he want to be?</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">A high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, an evil wizard convocation, and a garlic festival. All at once. All in all, Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;"><i>Dreadful </i>by Caitlin Rozakis is set to be released May 28th, 2024 from Titan Books.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Why am I waiting on this book</span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">: </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I like the first paragraph of the synopsis. It's fantasy and humor. I love a good read with humor. And I enjoy reading fantasy. From some of the absurdities in the description, it seems like a perfect fit for me.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">What book are you waiting on? </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!</span></span></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-10185975219328645562024-01-24T14:49:00.000-05:002024-01-24T14:49:07.397-05:00Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #493: How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OOblROHUa7x5c8MrEv2rwKyEPaqSvqQdC7m0VuONoGJY5IA_-20Xkg-C0XepBIHEh9NTxG6td1jCl4bGa1b6HBZ7DPWpwryeoFziBpCORanwbQcKXIxKaa1SqQvuKtWq5WVjxS_sA1WtOHtXPz_mlGDY8nVxsf91MbLIviwMBwY-xBTS53KScyT9hZQ/s1810/princessbooks3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1810" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OOblROHUa7x5c8MrEv2rwKyEPaqSvqQdC7m0VuONoGJY5IA_-20Xkg-C0XepBIHEh9NTxG6td1jCl4bGa1b6HBZ7DPWpwryeoFziBpCORanwbQcKXIxKaa1SqQvuKtWq5WVjxS_sA1WtOHtXPz_mlGDY8nVxsf91MbLIviwMBwY-xBTS53KScyT9hZQ/s320/princessbooks3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c1750; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Breaking the Spine</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"> where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at <a href="http://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="color: #7c1750; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wishful Endings</a>.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9oHKooU1geoRIWFRXbRUxVovtAYW77wkeqvO4KnG0inasorbNQwwAFBpKPd07O0u1E_4Hy1Q1ZQ6NZBR03fNo5NvUhQskBUgu6M8BkO_ii17PrPLnWW8hkptq9hgdxhjoBtp7GvwXCgkHWXMI9ZLmO9vlI0MWbxtCZAF_ArRLfu5v0kd7zeCCoeJfbg/s383/cover303423-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9oHKooU1geoRIWFRXbRUxVovtAYW77wkeqvO4KnG0inasorbNQwwAFBpKPd07O0u1E_4Hy1Q1ZQ6NZBR03fNo5NvUhQskBUgu6M8BkO_ii17PrPLnWW8hkptq9hgdxhjoBtp7GvwXCgkHWXMI9ZLmO9vlI0MWbxtCZAF_ArRLfu5v0kd7zeCCoeJfbg/s320/cover303423-medium.png" width="213" /></a></div>From the publisher:<p></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px; font-weight: 800;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Groundhog Day</i> meets <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Guardians of the Galaxy</i> in Django Wexler’s laugh-out-loud fantasy tale about a young woman who, tired of defending humanity from the Dark Lord, decides to become the Dark Lord herself.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px;">Davi has done this all before. She’s tried to be the hero and take down the all-powerful Dark Lord. A hundred times she’s rallied humanity and made the final charge. But the time loop always gets her in the end. Sometimes she’s killed quickly. Sometimes it takes a while. But she’s been defeated every time.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px;">This time? She’s done being the hero and done being stuck in this endless time loop. If the Dark Lord always wins, then maybe that’s who she needs to be. It’s Davi’s turn to play on the winning side.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px;"><i>How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying </i>by Django Wexler is expected out May 21st, 2024 from Orbit Books.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Why am I waiting on this book</span><span style="color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">: </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I like the concept of a hero who is tired of failing going over to the dark side. I like that it's supposed to have humor to it. And I like the mashup description of <i>Groundhog Day </i>meets <i>Guardians of the Galaxy.</i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #800180; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">What book are you waiting on? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!</span></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-72913206999651059512024-01-17T09:24:00.000-05:002024-01-17T09:24:00.196-05:00Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #492: The Book of Perilous Dishes by Doina Ruști<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0o7llDKC1lSxiUL7UnVpEhBKsqFJq1KVmHEFRHP0PA-ZFki8vZXFQ__MHB3oAfAjOcxGSZyDeZFLH53Y7_mb18G_pS1Nppx9u0oMsngQ5NXS2aslefpCyUFPXtnGBpJoEfnvW2AQw8u4UB18d34ETGbcAfsZ7RDifxF36fp5po3iO32wQYmWkXUuYVi8/s1810/princessbooks3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1810" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0o7llDKC1lSxiUL7UnVpEhBKsqFJq1KVmHEFRHP0PA-ZFki8vZXFQ__MHB3oAfAjOcxGSZyDeZFLH53Y7_mb18G_pS1Nppx9u0oMsngQ5NXS2aslefpCyUFPXtnGBpJoEfnvW2AQw8u4UB18d34ETGbcAfsZ7RDifxF36fp5po3iO32wQYmWkXUuYVi8/s320/princessbooks3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c1750; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Breaking the Spine</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;"> where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at <a href="http://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="color: #7c1750; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wishful Endings</a>.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrObfJvqnh4UIvKubZOer39ekM_x1YJU6GOjNwC0vSlXjADyUHlKF3Rl_1ajDqfm54hG65O7qPZ2nHlN3Wo1lOJQLFeewU3UDOtuIwBgRt0WRugOLf2ShbRyVw9ymDt5cLLOybqM49IZ3nxiyiYmQR5_cGBB3XCUdU2sHLiY7ySdxCJ632otVtkbO_p8/s391/cover313122-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrObfJvqnh4UIvKubZOer39ekM_x1YJU6GOjNwC0vSlXjADyUHlKF3Rl_1ajDqfm54hG65O7qPZ2nHlN3Wo1lOJQLFeewU3UDOtuIwBgRt0WRugOLf2ShbRyVw9ymDt5cLLOybqM49IZ3nxiyiYmQR5_cGBB3XCUdU2sHLiY7ySdxCJ632otVtkbO_p8/s320/cover313122-medium.png" width="209" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;">From the publisher:</span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 800;">Historical fiction meets fantasy in </span><i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">The Book of Perilous Dishes</i><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 800;">, a playful tale of dark magic and epic adventure that traverses Europe at the turn of the 18th century.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 800;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span>Bucharest. 1798.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />A year full of intrigue and political machinations.Master chef Silica reigns supreme, sought after by all. His cooking is sublime, satisfying even the sophisticated tastes of the Greek Prince, who steals him from his rightful owner and installs him in his Palace. Little does anyone know that Silica guards the magical Book of Perilous Dishes, filled with recipes with the power to brew potent elixirs of truth, shroud minds in forgetfulness, unveil the future with eerie precision, and provoke bouts of uncontrollable laughter.</p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">When 14-year-old Pâtca, steeped in the occult arts, embarks on a mission to recover her family's recipe book, she discovers her uncle murdered and a map that needs deciphering. As she embarks on an adventure across Romania, France, and Germany, her journey unveils family secrets that unearth history, weave magic, and unite destinies.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 800;">Written by an award-winning author of contemporary Romanian literature, Doina Rusti, and translated by Bucharest-based English professor, James Christian Brown.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i>The Book of Perilous Dishes </i>by Doina Rusti is expected out May 21st, 2024 from Neem Tree Press.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #800180;">Why am I waiting on this book</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #800180;">: </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">I enjoy most historical fantasy like <i>Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands </i> by Heather Fawcett for example. I like the sound of this one. The recipe book seems like a grimoire. And i like the idea of history and magic being revealed as well as it being a playful tale.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #800180;">What book are you waiting on? </span><span style="color: #666666;">Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!</span></span></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-59020334165229313832024-01-16T09:31:00.007-05:002024-01-16T09:31:58.304-05:00What I've Been Reading<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hGNVbhFZ3CEiigJ3czEh-iUlU_4bFp3_Mqxkpe_ljPG-0k19aeeMlljtGkRxbXuzDcgxctdhFoslBT9U5k8sXFc8O3BryGaYZX5FNu0qUVbzsLigjhLDCAB9KFGXTjoQx4dmvAVXVEKWz2EWBzGOydmN_joKP9RGUXgeziGLIFXhtA5_0GXO0BLoC5U/s383/cover290257-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hGNVbhFZ3CEiigJ3czEh-iUlU_4bFp3_Mqxkpe_ljPG-0k19aeeMlljtGkRxbXuzDcgxctdhFoslBT9U5k8sXFc8O3BryGaYZX5FNu0qUVbzsLigjhLDCAB9KFGXTjoQx4dmvAVXVEKWz2EWBzGOydmN_joKP9RGUXgeziGLIFXhtA5_0GXO0BLoC5U/s320/cover290257-medium.png" width="213" /></a></div><p>Now reading <i>Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands</i> by Heather Fawcett. I'm currently about 25% through, but expect to be further along before the end of the day. It is so good. So far, Faerie assassins attacked her colleague and friend Wendell Brambleby as well as her at the university. Now they are in the Austrian Alps seeking a door back to Wendell's realm. Because not only is Wendell a friend, he is a member of the Folk and a king. This time though, they are not alone in their adventure. Her niece and her boss are along for the ride. And danger most definitely is lurking. If you enjoy period fantasies (this one is set in the Victorian era) and stories about the Fair Folk, then this could be a good read for you too.</p><p><i>Emily Wilde's Map of the OtherlandsI </i>by Heather Fawcett was released today by Del Rey.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpRwfoSSO5I-ZkNC5yUGHc-ScP1YAWh39Oxj4l59vW9oW4Er6Gge5GI59hzC5_l1tQ-6yfDEv0Tv8TczmtR8ugTtDE__tA1QRhb03e9Faj5sj60rQUxZVMNo6DkZnOM9ih-jNrGKE_Gh803V2IIeMKpMVGCuS8-RwrwKE4k2zldukoAj4KQ6pHKhZ9bM/s393/cover288326-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpRwfoSSO5I-ZkNC5yUGHc-ScP1YAWh39Oxj4l59vW9oW4Er6Gge5GI59hzC5_l1tQ-6yfDEv0Tv8TczmtR8ugTtDE__tA1QRhb03e9Faj5sj60rQUxZVMNo6DkZnOM9ih-jNrGKE_Gh803V2IIeMKpMVGCuS8-RwrwKE4k2zldukoAj4KQ6pHKhZ9bM/s320/cover288326-medium.png" width="208" /></a></div><br /><p>And in other news, I recently finished reading <i>Broadcast Blues </i>by R.G. Belsky. I published a review of it yesterday on this blog and on Goodreads. It's definitely worth a read. And even though it's the sixth book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. </p><p>Clare Carlson is an interesting main character as a newswoman for a New York City television station. She assigns herself the story of Wendy Kyle who was killed by a car bomb and is interesting in and of herself. Wendy is a former NYPD officer who was fired and was working for herself as a private investigator specializing in working for women who suspected their husbands were cheating on them. As such, Clare has a long list of suspects to possibly investigate. It's well-written. There are lots of twists and turns. If you like mysteries where the main character is an amateur investigator with some idea of how to proceed, then this could be a good book for you.</p><p></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-57825174952463920472024-01-15T17:34:00.000-05:002024-01-15T17:34:11.481-05:00Book Review: Broadcast Blues by R.G. Belsky<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87oc2oqdvB2R2m78aIs_HZA6rTc5k4GQK1TvtBTRh41v4YmjPib35kYKXL5zHHnV1ZHVvRToNbbkFXm8WLnStdpRqATDd6ik3cMmKCEyx49Jt08eY4-HCKg9nmXwJ8pjV5D9kFIoHJPDx_cFVIRev7kUl5M1sBnoYp9voiqn7fAvrRs9vY212oPiwYr8/s393/cover288326-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87oc2oqdvB2R2m78aIs_HZA6rTc5k4GQK1TvtBTRh41v4YmjPib35kYKXL5zHHnV1ZHVvRToNbbkFXm8WLnStdpRqATDd6ik3cMmKCEyx49Jt08eY4-HCKg9nmXwJ8pjV5D9kFIoHJPDx_cFVIRev7kUl5M1sBnoYp9voiqn7fAvrRs9vY212oPiwYr8/s320/cover288326-medium.png" width="208" /></a></div>Clare Carlson is a TV news woman for Channel 10 in New York City. She's rapidly approaching 50. And her employment situation is a little precarious since her new boss doesn't like her much. And to boot, the station is up for sale. With all that going on, Clare does her best to focus on what she excels at - investigating and reporting news stories.<p></p><p>Clare finds herself investigating an explosive story about a woman who was killed by a car bomb. Wendy Kyle, the victim, was a former NYPD officer and currently was working as a private investigator specializing in spying on husbands whose wives think they are cheating. Add to that, Wendy had been fired from the NYPD after attacking her boss and you have a long list of possible suspects. </p><p>As Clare investigates, she draws the attention of some very rich and very powerful people in the city. These are people who would stop at nothing to keep their dirty laundry from being aired. With all those suspects, will Clare be able to narrow down the list before she is fired or becomes the next victim?</p><p>This is the sixth book in the Clare Carlson mystery series, but it's my first foray into the series. It can definitely be read as a standalone. References to earlier events are explained enough and in such a way that it doesn't detract from the story.</p><p>Clare is the most developed character in the novel. Since she is the main character, this is as it should be. The plot moves along at a good pace. In parts it becomes quite the page-turner. By the end of the book, things are moving along rapidly. And I liked that I didn't anticipate all the twists. Surprises continued right up until the end of the book.</p><p>I enjoyed the book. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy mysteries with an amateur detective, yet one that is experienced in the ways of investigation. </p><p>I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. This didn't affect my opinions.</p><p><i>Broadcast Blues</i> by R.G. Belsky was published January 2nd, 2024 by Oceanview Publishing.</p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-23484232524656459652024-01-10T10:29:00.000-05:002024-01-10T10:29:57.282-05:00Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #491: The Bride of Death by F.M. Aden<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfUAiyPt-g3zByd6thN8O61_S1JZTpzE1sh9d510SlEzZlWGdmJdAaypsy2I0FoeQPQKY4hqRdtnytzwtCq5DlrzRuE29BvJ3YU11ZesoBB2YVi1jL5_s0muFfJzaYnptlD69IsB51P4AfHQV7tDQwdyZ8UXKNfEB5FtioRyy3WZgkOvdfIzaoUNYECs/s1810/princessbooks3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1810" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfUAiyPt-g3zByd6thN8O61_S1JZTpzE1sh9d510SlEzZlWGdmJdAaypsy2I0FoeQPQKY4hqRdtnytzwtCq5DlrzRuE29BvJ3YU11ZesoBB2YVi1jL5_s0muFfJzaYnptlD69IsB51P4AfHQV7tDQwdyZ8UXKNfEB5FtioRyy3WZgkOvdfIzaoUNYECs/s320/princessbooks3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c1750; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Breaking the Spine</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"> where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at <a href="http://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="color: #7c1750; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wishful Endings</a>.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZePbJNmGexmbXbYGN9Vf6Uawk9QHA1mCbagwFFBzQgmUyd81FrVLvI_fbvxnyfzDNgRPa-hmRPd4aODP36t4-_D_l1yk7ty4wBMlYFcbIPgewbS_Cz4zZf4Iy5NxpbI7Ww22ZwB1JWutt3NEBTR58DbloggaD_xFX-EPL1SzRTLXIROPhcprgICQyZY/s401/cover308622-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZePbJNmGexmbXbYGN9Vf6Uawk9QHA1mCbagwFFBzQgmUyd81FrVLvI_fbvxnyfzDNgRPa-hmRPd4aODP36t4-_D_l1yk7ty4wBMlYFcbIPgewbS_Cz4zZf4Iy5NxpbI7Ww22ZwB1JWutt3NEBTR58DbloggaD_xFX-EPL1SzRTLXIROPhcprgICQyZY/s320/cover308622-medium.png" width="203" /></a></div>From the publisher:<br /><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 800;">In the vein of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted and Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale—this unforgettable adult debut follows the journey of a young woman who seeks to defeat Death himself and save her village from his torment.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">As a young child, Zerryn grew up on tales of the Lord of Death, Erlik Khan, and his penchant for stealing wild girls. In her small village, she keeps to herself and tends to the temple gardens, spending her days with her best friend Çelik. But when Çelik begins to act strangely and removes himself to live on a crumbling estate atop Mount Ida, the rumors of him becoming possessed by a demon begin to swiftly arise. Each month that passes the demon within him grows stronger, his demands of the villagers growing oddly disjointed and nonsensical.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">Her chances of saving him become all but impossible once Zerryn learns that it is no lesser demon that has a hold of him but Erlik Khan—a demon of untold power who lords over the dead. It isn’t long before word spreads that he is in search of a bride, and creatures of untold power come before him to rule by his side. Zerryn knows that she cannot take down Erlik without power and she cannot gain power without becoming his bride.</p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">But becoming Erlik’s wife is nothing as simple as an offer for his hand. To become the queen of the Underworld, she must complete three impossible tasks or risk losing everything she holds dear.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i>The Bride of Death </i>by F.M. Aden is expected out March 1st, 2024 from Northern Light Press.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: 14px;">Why am I waiting on this book</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #800180; font-size: 14px;">: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14px;">I really enjoyed Katherine Arden's <i>The Bear and the Nightingale</i>. I'm intrigued by the comparison. <i>The Bride of Death</i> has that fairy tale flavor to it. I like that.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: 14px;">What book are you waiting on? </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading! </span></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-75756290863559920882024-01-03T10:53:00.000-05:002024-01-03T10:53:04.102-05:00Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #490: Wordhunter by Stella Sands<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSQGhFt4_-2wy7BcJ_bD8taBRzXHhTMnxhECc7jTN5TeL17iCzGZRmN93morEK0A05PAxULqX0bu1SQaYzYRECePWla9l09G5tGra_ZwB9r4qjT8m5MnN_BGYinkblsFrPwqdFK7oy7iuv9blQpCxfAFsdQDYhg4fkMqFxAHqVSqO1AuvwMYlD_UQ3ZU/s1810/princessbooks3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1810" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSQGhFt4_-2wy7BcJ_bD8taBRzXHhTMnxhECc7jTN5TeL17iCzGZRmN93morEK0A05PAxULqX0bu1SQaYzYRECePWla9l09G5tGra_ZwB9r4qjT8m5MnN_BGYinkblsFrPwqdFK7oy7iuv9blQpCxfAFsdQDYhg4fkMqFxAHqVSqO1AuvwMYlD_UQ3ZU/s320/princessbooks3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c1750; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Breaking the Spine</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;"> where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at <a href="http://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="color: #7c1750; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wishful Endings</a>.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJcY-R6NvanK1gOC4_hBCzJ9gaHWO9_i6GPwhfydhZnzg6B6Dn28nke0uHLgOLwiPYmNIzeLi1X6bqaHTfR1PdALjA3MK1N_u2VrvV7SZZP8LwduU8QrfRbEjUBY8G3mvcQXej4NhM6WCe75m0gi2JDb-Q7lqxZJJPiKZnkYAMHCPbYVf6urdE52twB8/s386/cover310409-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJcY-R6NvanK1gOC4_hBCzJ9gaHWO9_i6GPwhfydhZnzg6B6Dn28nke0uHLgOLwiPYmNIzeLi1X6bqaHTfR1PdALjA3MK1N_u2VrvV7SZZP8LwduU8QrfRbEjUBY8G3mvcQXej4NhM6WCe75m0gi2JDb-Q7lqxZJJPiKZnkYAMHCPbYVf6urdE52twB8/s320/cover310409-medium.png" width="211" /></a></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;">From the publisher:</span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 800;">An utterly original and compulsively readable detective story about a woman who uses her uncanny ability to analyze words and speech patterns to help solve crimes.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">Tattooed, pierced, and a bit of a mess, Maggie Moore is a surprising genius when it comes to words, a savant able to solve any linguistic puzzle. The top student in her forensic linguistics class, she’s tapped by local police to use her skills to decipher harrowing notes left by a stalker-turned-rapist—and succeeds brilliantly.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">But when the daughter of a local mayor is abducted, Maggie isn’t sure she’s the right person to help the police solve the crime. Given what happened to her best childhood friend, Maggie just might be too close to this one.</p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">Yet she knows the authorities in this rural south-Central Florida town cannot crack the case without her special skill. Along with her new best friend, a detective Jackson, Maggie begins to analyze the texts, emails, and verbal tics of various suspects . . . and comes to a disturbing conclusion that will rock this small community.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Wordhunter</i> by Stella Sands is expected out August 6th, 2024 from Harper.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #800180;">Why am I waiting on this book</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #800180;">: </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">I love word puzzles. I'm wondering how solving word puzzles will work incorporated into a mystery. I'm hoping it works out really well.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #800180;">What book are you waiting on? </span>Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading! </p><div><br /></div>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-8826504879490737322024-01-02T00:30:00.003-05:002024-01-02T00:30:00.130-05:00What I've Been Reading<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZiLZdk_XKWvv3SUJ2nl34ojKpuflNzpm9ew-KcmKAFuhQvezwe81n3Ta-O5d2INYYi05f2VrH9HGhyQguhchPPe1e07_6ueU9p36OCxIoLKn0TZodC7QDik_L9nOn3FwKu3mXkj_BZRyuvENATIyn3WXulaNfYVXW41QWx6HaoEiWBMIpsBC9nXCWAc/s522/81NWzaVpWaL._SY522_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="340" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZiLZdk_XKWvv3SUJ2nl34ojKpuflNzpm9ew-KcmKAFuhQvezwe81n3Ta-O5d2INYYi05f2VrH9HGhyQguhchPPe1e07_6ueU9p36OCxIoLKn0TZodC7QDik_L9nOn3FwKu3mXkj_BZRyuvENATIyn3WXulaNfYVXW41QWx6HaoEiWBMIpsBC9nXCWAc/s320/81NWzaVpWaL._SY522_.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>This week I'm actually reading two books 'cause that's how I roll sometimes.<p></p><p>The first one is <i>Network Effect</i> by Martha Wells. It was published in 2020 by Tor Books and it's award winning. It won a Hugo, a Nebula, and a Locus award.</p><p>I'm happy that while this book is the first full length novel in the series, I am still enjoying it. It's about 348 pages according to Amazon and I'm about 50% through.</p><p>As in earlier books, Murderbot has its humans that it is trying to protect in dangerous situations. And the transport vehicle from one of the earlier books, ART, is back. In fact it's possible that ART has caused some of the danger and/or maybe its people have. At any rate, it's an interesting story and it's well done. I still really like Murderbot and I suspect I will be reading on in the series when I finish this one.</p><p>And as of December 2023, Apple TV+ has announced it has ordered an adaptation of the Murderbot diaries.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHA67OSvq25NgmirI47sbgN9BTyxsux-azICjJjVuIoZLzUAKovgYahALGIWO9E_9n4uEeKO6qbaEP42Be6D2I9ultiWisW2xrAZF1Fb0YnjsxCJZYhRRawQdmdh3DMohRHwib6tPdSI0LJNNKBcNvHe6UQdIPjzJYMU9VOiuxvuU0_cKf0HMKyNKlmU/s393/cover288326-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHA67OSvq25NgmirI47sbgN9BTyxsux-azICjJjVuIoZLzUAKovgYahALGIWO9E_9n4uEeKO6qbaEP42Be6D2I9ultiWisW2xrAZF1Fb0YnjsxCJZYhRRawQdmdh3DMohRHwib6tPdSI0LJNNKBcNvHe6UQdIPjzJYMU9VOiuxvuU0_cKf0HMKyNKlmU/s320/cover288326-medium.png" width="208" /></a></div><br /><p>The other book I am reading is <i>Broadcast Blues </i>by R.G. Belsky. It's the sixth book in the Clare Carlson series It's my first foray into the series. I'm given to understand that each book can be read as a standalone. It was just released today from Oceanview Publishing.</p><p>Clare Carlson is a newswoman approaching 50 with a somewhat precarious employment situation as her boss doesn't like her. Clare finds herself investigating and reporting on the murder of Wendy Kyle. Wendy was a former NYPD officer who was currently self employed as a private investigator. She specialized in working for women who thought their husbands might be cheating on them. That was until a car bomb went off ending her life. Because of her line of work, there seems ro be a long list of possible suspects.</p><p>And that's as far as I've gotten. The synopsis says there will be danger. And Jonathan Kellerman described the book as a, "page-turning, meticulously plotted crime novel." So, I'm looking forward to reading more and seeing where things take Clare.</p><p>What are you reading?</p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-50589268518216820922023-12-27T18:46:00.000-05:002023-12-27T18:46:14.862-05:00Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #489: Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2Nh7guvubEmgvBpox_NqUdnQLkqZPixoaGEyIAZlfCo3ZAHGhQLQ1-MVd2lfUKBecOZKzlx_L-LlqgR8lfB8czBUpaxcZdjD9xjdXbqKp1bwlFtK4NsgVYveBhJz_TEroXqy6T_V3ajS6GNBnSnoF6o_dPYTOBzn0MITKYOohpvgxhZJl3DumSwaOzc/s1810/princessbooks3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1810" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2Nh7guvubEmgvBpox_NqUdnQLkqZPixoaGEyIAZlfCo3ZAHGhQLQ1-MVd2lfUKBecOZKzlx_L-LlqgR8lfB8czBUpaxcZdjD9xjdXbqKp1bwlFtK4NsgVYveBhJz_TEroXqy6T_V3ajS6GNBnSnoF6o_dPYTOBzn0MITKYOohpvgxhZJl3DumSwaOzc/s320/princessbooks3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c1750; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Breaking the Spine</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6px;"> where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at <a href="http://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="color: #7c1750; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wishful Endings</a>.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuc94WvUaUfjEl35EzCRpVEuNi3VaL95eYy8JVBWmIYywkS88BciAhdOg1YnWjBDRzJof1bgg1pJv6zXuDOisZiioh94SLqqhXwZGnwQ1pswfHd_XE4zeQ2ai254cjBAKvmztAYaQeNMUpjC5meDWuT_oYnpQcN3wGbMH92kd11DQhlNioUEau6QWANw/s365/cover311063-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuc94WvUaUfjEl35EzCRpVEuNi3VaL95eYy8JVBWmIYywkS88BciAhdOg1YnWjBDRzJof1bgg1pJv6zXuDOisZiioh94SLqqhXwZGnwQ1pswfHd_XE4zeQ2ai254cjBAKvmztAYaQeNMUpjC5meDWuT_oYnpQcN3wGbMH92kd11DQhlNioUEau6QWANw/s320/cover311063-medium.png" width="224" /></a></div>From the publisher:<p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 800;">The provocative and hilarious summer read that will have book lovers cheering and everyone talking! Kirsten Miller, author of <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Change</em>, brings us a bracing, wildly entertaining satire about a small Southern town, a pitched battle over banned books, and a little lending library that changes everything.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">Beverly Underwood and her arch enemy, Lula Dean, live in the tiny town of Troy, Georgia, where they were born and raised. Now Beverly is on the school board, and Lula has become a local celebrity by embarking on mission to rid the public libraries of all inappropriate books—none of which she’s actually read. To replace the “pornographic” books she’s challenged at the local public library, Lula starts her own lending library in front of her home: a cute wooden hutch with glass doors and neat rows of the worthy literature that she’s sure the town’s readers need.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">But Beverly’s daughter Lindsay sneaks in by night and secretly fills Lula Dean’s little free library with banned books wrapped in “wholesome” dust jackets. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Girl’s Guide to the Revolution</em> is wrapped in the cover of <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Southern Belle’s Guide to Etiquette</em>. A jacket that belongs to <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Our Confederate Heroes</em> ends up on <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Beloved</em>. One by one, neighbors who borrow books from Lula Dean’s library find their lives changed in unexpected ways. Finally, one of Lula Dean’s enemies discovers the library and decides to turn the tables on her, just as Lula and Beverly are running against each other to replace the town’s disgraced mayor.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">That’s when all the townspeople who’ve been borrowing from Lula’s library begin to reveal themselves. It’s a diverse and surprising bunch—including the local postman, the prom queen, housewives, a farmer, and the former DA—all of whom have been changed by what they’ve read. When Lindsay is forced to own up to what she’s done, the showdown that’s been brewing between Beverly and Lula will roil the whole town...and change it forever.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books</i> by Kirsten Miller is expected out June 18th, 2024 from William Morrow.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #800180;">Why am I waiting on this book</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #800180;">: </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">I love books about books. And sadly, banned books seems like a timely topic these days. I love the idea of the daughter switching out the books and putting the accepted covers on them. And I love even more that people would actually read them. I'd like to see what happens in this small Georgia town and what happens with Lula Dean and her daughter.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #800180;">What book are you waiting on? </span>Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading! </p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><br /></span></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-12944319432684887512023-12-26T13:56:00.003-05:002023-12-26T14:07:16.952-05:00What I've Been Reading<p> </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerFusAa-gH9n4XjI_1DlmHNlEYjZxY2MLvzyIm8pP8ei8viFPn6kJneqmH1O11Gj-kaJy-d5JqIfPKCF3sFpzL9msJF0MrBeUkIVc7mcKAt4L667lueU3asnCwWwkmuYqP7vXndI-fBkHUM8IEkz2b8P7ack6OPXQOigAAYclhFdBbqEqMJIsuYrVGVE/s768/The-Murderbot-Diaries-All-Systems-Red-The-Murderbot-Diaries-Series-1-Paperback-9780765397539_3cc15fca-444a-49cf-a8c2-880120e3c4b9.ebf1d250b83bbca181023e2f39f5e1b0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerFusAa-gH9n4XjI_1DlmHNlEYjZxY2MLvzyIm8pP8ei8viFPn6kJneqmH1O11Gj-kaJy-d5JqIfPKCF3sFpzL9msJF0MrBeUkIVc7mcKAt4L667lueU3asnCwWwkmuYqP7vXndI-fBkHUM8IEkz2b8P7ack6OPXQOigAAYclhFdBbqEqMJIsuYrVGVE/s320/The-Murderbot-Diaries-All-Systems-Red-The-Murderbot-Diaries-Series-1-Paperback-9780765397539_3cc15fca-444a-49cf-a8c2-880120e3c4b9.ebf1d250b83bbca181023e2f39f5e1b0.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p></blockquote><p>The past week or so, I've been working my way through the Murderbot books. They are short books. I'm really enjoying the character of Murderbot and reading from its point of view. I'm going to give you an example, the opening line from the first book, <i>All Systems Red </i> by Martha Wells.</p><p style="text-align: left;">"I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, i don't know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays, and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible faiilure."</p><p style="text-align: left;">Basically, Murderbot is introverted. It would prefer to avoid interactions with humans, and be a couch potato of sorts. I think a lot of people can relate to that. But acting as a secunit, Murderbot must interact with humans from time to time that it is supposed to be protecting. I enjoyed reading these interactions from its point of view, especially how it must protect the humans even if they are deciding to do something stupid that could turn into an accidental suicide. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Books 1, 2, and 3 are all dealing with different groups of humans in different situations, but Murderbot continues to feel the need to protect the humans. As the books go on, Murderbot experiences growth and change, things that wouldn't happen if it hadn't hacked its governor module and maybe even if it hadn't consumed all that entertainment that showed human interactions with others including bots and secunits.</p><p style="text-align: left;">At this point as I prepare to start book 4, I would recommend the Murderbot series. The books are short and have adventure to them. Even though I don't often read science fiction, I am enjoying them. If you're looking for a short read, like 156 pages or so for book 1, give it a try.</p><p style="text-align: left;">What have you been reading lately? Drop a line in the comments and let us know what you're reading and if you would recommend it and to who. Thanks for coming by. Happy Reading!</p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-89538071382485533572023-12-13T10:06:00.001-05:002023-12-13T10:10:16.230-05:00Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #488: The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGm9ckx_pt_6-ak0GOKytp-59a5v6-lWbNg65pMRqwDInDKlNXqjbDmOpcXo6uGgO2ZJMeoZpiqQwjxiTurNAjg0Wsjlz6onFW7zkSrVao6DLTR7JbnwTQUkqSOi3MqZ6qdCvHyGnyFqF2oDqzY7bEQTb9Gpa-3HPbanOKsJBQ13Yy2eDtb1waKzzDwE/s1810/princessbooks3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1810" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGm9ckx_pt_6-ak0GOKytp-59a5v6-lWbNg65pMRqwDInDKlNXqjbDmOpcXo6uGgO2ZJMeoZpiqQwjxiTurNAjg0Wsjlz6onFW7zkSrVao6DLTR7JbnwTQUkqSOi3MqZ6qdCvHyGnyFqF2oDqzY7bEQTb9Gpa-3HPbanOKsJBQ13Yy2eDtb1waKzzDwE/s320/princessbooks3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c1750; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Breaking the Spine</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"> where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at <a href="http://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="color: #7c1750; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wishful Endings</a>.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ut45gOcNLg9ruGq0kspJ-jAFGsmj4aCdEHwFNuBZ5WmTDVhFujfJgGFmGbyzTA6ePxSoEkX1WT7UuG83QeZmLUVQdEWCnLEyPfHMnT7FvJP2OkAA83ee5r0CH0x393ShquckRCKqABX1Ab9qAfQxAssqlpdTU__N8jqnu9cJtocrlEVMwP5GrFpLJ9M/s387/cover305111-medium.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ut45gOcNLg9ruGq0kspJ-jAFGsmj4aCdEHwFNuBZ5WmTDVhFujfJgGFmGbyzTA6ePxSoEkX1WT7UuG83QeZmLUVQdEWCnLEyPfHMnT7FvJP2OkAA83ee5r0CH0x393ShquckRCKqABX1Ab9qAfQxAssqlpdTU__N8jqnu9cJtocrlEVMwP5GrFpLJ9M/s320/cover305111-medium.png" width="211" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">From the publisher:</span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 800;">A debut novel full of magic, adventure, and romance, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Book of Doors</em> opens up a thrilling world of contemporary fantasy for readers of <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Midnight Library</em>, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Invisible Life of Addie Larue</em>, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Night Circus</em>, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown with just a tinge of darkness.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a lonely yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">But this is no ordinary book…</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">It is the Book of Doors. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">Inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawings, it promises Cassie that <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">any door is every door</em>. You just need to know how to open them.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">Then she’s approached by a gaunt stranger in a rumpled black suit with a Scottish brogue who calls himself Drummond Fox. He’s a librarian who keeps watch over a unique set of rare volumes. The tome now in Cassie’s possession is not the only book with great power, but it <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">is</em> the one most coveted by those who collect them.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">Now Cassie is being hunted by those few who know of the Special Books. With only her roommate Izzy to confide in, she has to decide if she will help the mysterious and haunted Drummond protect the Book of Doors—and the other books in his secret library’s care—from those who will do evil. Because only Drummond knows where the unique library is and only Cassie’s book can get them there. </p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">But there are those willing to kill to obtain those secrets. And a dark force—in the form of a shadowy, sadistic woman—is at the very top of that list.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i>The Book of Doors </i>by Gareth Brown is expected out February 13th, 2024 from William Morrow.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #800180;">Why am I waiting on this book: </span><span style="color: #666666;">I love books about books. And I enjoy books that have to do with libraries and librarians. And contemporary fantasy checks another box for me. So, I am really expecting to enjoy this book. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #800180;">What book are you waiting on? </span><span style="color: #666666;">Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading! </span></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-69176608576590239032023-12-06T01:02:00.001-05:002023-12-06T01:02:43.615-05:00Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #487: The Great Big Demon of Flint Hall by Peter Oxley<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEkCLE-U4ZKaBfuivI9NguT-h8ZF1e2mYxefzNXghXkUhGdlF4MsWFELBDIGUW7C-xric8_vcsgFXw__Dozyxa8BFolwWm52ZxVOsgPMCJEdk652dDRCksybzktUBIesaujLKMSIZZhEGnAQNh5NFhfu2jGE8N8xg7Vq97cUrmULICalRkJHmWxVQjlU/s1810/princessbooks3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1810" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEkCLE-U4ZKaBfuivI9NguT-h8ZF1e2mYxefzNXghXkUhGdlF4MsWFELBDIGUW7C-xric8_vcsgFXw__Dozyxa8BFolwWm52ZxVOsgPMCJEdk652dDRCksybzktUBIesaujLKMSIZZhEGnAQNh5NFhfu2jGE8N8xg7Vq97cUrmULICalRkJHmWxVQjlU/s320/princessbooks3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #7c1750; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px; text-decoration-line: none;">Breaking the Spine</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"> where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at <a href="http://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="color: #7c1750; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Wishful Endings</a>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipr9wdJnHpqQZ-7WAasFINMTuEG2f44F8tTFIMw8los-cUXH5IuF5DHWa34i6_AtaNRmWQupduHGXnLEUUWRdho_I6DON8D6QtyU61baMkCfeEVBdIgb6XN8xKjNYbemhQAK1kE4kFsSGAQNCo0T2K68FhnGmCkDwmIGEwwXy2iFSAe4HbisQ1hUglZ54/s408/cover309665-medium.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipr9wdJnHpqQZ-7WAasFINMTuEG2f44F8tTFIMw8los-cUXH5IuF5DHWa34i6_AtaNRmWQupduHGXnLEUUWRdho_I6DON8D6QtyU61baMkCfeEVBdIgb6XN8xKjNYbemhQAK1kE4kFsSGAQNCo0T2K68FhnGmCkDwmIGEwwXy2iFSAe4HbisQ1hUglZ54/s320/cover309665-medium.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">From the publisher: </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Victorian London's most incompetent crooks - turned demon hunters - are back.</span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">When Tess Marchant gets a plea for help from an old childhood friend, The Great Big Demon Hunting Agency finds itself heading out to the countryside, to solve a mystery involving a Manor House and its wealthy family cursed by a malevolent demon.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">Spencer and Bart find themselves in a world totally unfamiliar to them: of landed gentry, fearful poachers, and strange creatures which stalk the land at night. Not to mention unwelcome visitors in the form of the mysterious magician Thaddeus, and the ever-present Inspector Jones, just waiting for them to slip up.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">Meanwhile, Tess finds herself struggling with a terrifying face from the past - but can this be the clue which unlocks the mystery of Flint Hall?</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">The Great Big Demon of Flint Hall is the sequel to The Great Big Demon Hunting Agency, and the second book in the Spencer & Bart series.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i>The Great Big Demon of Flint Hall </i>by Peter Oxley is expected out January 25th, 2024 from Burning Chair.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: 14.4px;">Why am I waiting on it? </span><span style="font-size: 14.4px;">I like my horror with a dose of humor. This book appears to fit the bill. It sounds like an interesting story. I'm hoping it can be read as a standalone.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 14.4px;"><span style="color: #323232;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">What book are you waiting on? </span></span><span style="color: #323232; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!</span></span></p><p><br /></p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-13693730347379328372023-12-05T00:30:00.001-05:002023-12-05T00:30:00.255-05:00Book Review: I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died by Amanda Flower<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Shqw2bE4FwE8sEX4RsFE6RZ8kAX-PoxiPZkBg-oabtid3YDem3kDiFeA0mmq78sWf8MeLvmVZaDLXG8roToaeIEqoIDOTE8mbitWw_tpEf0LcpVtLUomdHmEMAaBYH4JWLz2sxJVsa_zPw4DDoMELeWpd25D6RMVlDGZhC4MmVdyF61AmDnthKHVSLE/s395/cover288596-medium.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Shqw2bE4FwE8sEX4RsFE6RZ8kAX-PoxiPZkBg-oabtid3YDem3kDiFeA0mmq78sWf8MeLvmVZaDLXG8roToaeIEqoIDOTE8mbitWw_tpEf0LcpVtLUomdHmEMAaBYH4JWLz2sxJVsa_zPw4DDoMELeWpd25D6RMVlDGZhC4MmVdyF61AmDnthKHVSLE/s320/cover288596-medium.png" width="207" /></a></div>It's 1856 Amherst, Massachusetts. Emily Dickinson's maid, Willa, finds the body of a visitor in the Dickinson family's gardens. Worse, it appears to have been murder. The victim is the secretary of the famed Ralph Waldo Emerson. Due to the nature of the secretary's character, there is no shortage of suspects.<div><br /></div><div>Emily immediately becomes involved in investigating the murder. Among other reasons, she wants to clear the family name since the victim and Mr Emerson are staying with the Dickinsons. This in turn involves Willa. </div><div><br /></div><div>While both Emily and WIlla investigate, the story is told from Willa's point of view. It becomes clear that the duo of Willa and Emily make a good pair. One of them can ask questions of the townspeople while the other can ask questions of the servants and can eavesdrop on people since often people pay no attention to the presence of a servant. Also Willa has a tie to one of the police officers which can be both helpful and a hindrance.</div><div><br /></div><div>The mystery itself is well done. Mr. Luther, the victim, is not a likeable character. There are many suspects. There are red herrings. And the method of the murder was interesting. I had not considered that someone would use that manner, especially in a literary crowd. </div><div><br /></div><div>The resolution of the murder, when it came, came rather quickly. The person of interest was unexpected as was what followed upon the revelation. I liked that so much was unexpected, although I might have preferred a tad more foreshadowing as to who the killer was.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, I enjoyed this book. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I liked reading about a young Emily and her adventures with Willa. This was the second book in the Emily Dickinson mystery series. It can be read as a standalone. There are references to book one, but they are all explained with a sentence or two. I'm looking forward to book three. I'd recommend this book for fans of historical mysteries with literary characters. Also, you would probably enjoy it if you are an Emily Dickinson fan.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died </i>by Amanda Flower was published November 14, 2023 by Berkley.</div><div><br /></div><div>I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion<br /><p></p><div><br /></div></div>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4120974461403207216.post-35101982195556574562023-11-21T02:10:00.001-05:002023-11-21T14:26:31.678-05:00Book Review: Starter Villain by John Scalzi<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqPFxSceGHudSrCuBBXJGmawcI-Itbfy0QG7VNngVUclYtWwhG1mpynUCGug2fgDUDo_C6xxgmUfh4lnAXHPovHgfoNfZP6iV8z4dICzt2MzeJi11CtHPmEsP4it4LFLy48jg9B7a7xSCycf7SpG8emz0BEH3z0UmkksM1dh-YOMtD4YQ7elBnrxNm6A/s394/cover280218-medium.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqPFxSceGHudSrCuBBXJGmawcI-Itbfy0QG7VNngVUclYtWwhG1mpynUCGug2fgDUDo_C6xxgmUfh4lnAXHPovHgfoNfZP6iV8z4dICzt2MzeJi11CtHPmEsP4it4LFLy48jg9B7a7xSCycf7SpG8emz0BEH3z0UmkksM1dh-YOMtD4YQ7elBnrxNm6A/s320/cover280218-medium.png" width="207" /></a></div>This was my first time reading John Scalzi, but it won't be my last.<p></p><p>Charlie Fitzer is a substitute teacher with dreams. He wants to own the pub that he and his dad frequented. Unfortunately the bank turns him down for a loan to do so because he has no collateral. On that same day, Charlie finds out that he has an inheritance from his estranged Uncle Jake. All he has to do is stand up for him at his funeral. The attendees, their actions, and Charlie's reactions are really something. </p><p>Mathilde Morrison, his Uncle Jake's right hand woman, reveals to Charlie that he's inheriting his uncle's business. Not so much the public business, which runs itself, but a more clandestine business of being a Villain.</p><p>Tilly takes him to a secret lair on a volcanic island in the Caribbean. Charlie finds out that his uncle has cats and dolphins working for him that communicate via computers. And while his uncle's competitors didn't like him, they don't want Charlie taking over the business either.</p><p>I really liked Charlie. He tries really hard to take everything in stride. He succeeds for the most part. I was glad he had Tilly, the cats, and the dolphins to help him. Having Charlie need to negotiate with unionizing dolphins was inspired. The dialog is well done and can be quite funny. The plot moves along at a good pace. The action pretty much starts with a bang and goes from there. It gets faster the further you get into the book.</p><p>Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it to people who enjoy well written books with unusual plot lines, devices, and a good dose of humor.</p><p><i>Starter Villain</i> by John Scalzi was published September 19th, 2023 by Tor Books.</p>Laura http://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com0