Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #347: Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson

 



Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.


From the Publisher:

As Jenny Lawson’s hundreds of thousands of fans know, she suffers from depression. In Broken, she explores her experimental treatment of transcranial magnetic stimulation with brutal honesty. But also with brutal humor. Jenny discusses the frustration of dealing with her insurance company in “An Open Letter to My Insurance Company,” which should be an anthem for anyone who has ever had to call their insurance company to try and get a claim covered. She tackles such timelessly debated questions as “How do dogs know they have penises?” We see how her vacuum cleaner almost set her house on fire, how she was attacked by three bears, business ideas she wants to pitch to Shark Tank, and why she can never go back to the post office. Of course, Jenny’s long-suffering husband Victor—the Ricky to Jenny’s Lucille Ball—is present throughout.

A treat for Jenny Lawson’s already existing fans, and destined to convert new ones, Broken is a beacon of hope and a wellspring of laughter.

Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson is expected out April 6th, 2021 from Henry Holt and Company.

Why am I waiting on this book? I liked Jenny's other books Let's Pretend This Never Happened and Furiously Happy as well as her coloring book. I also regularly read her blog. She is more often than not funny even when tackling serious subject matter.That's not to say she doesn't have a serious side, because she does. But no matter how she's writing, it's worth reading.

What book are you waiting on this week? 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!

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Teaser Tuesday: Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

 


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
 Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
 BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Everything was white, air and sea and sky, but the weather and the high seas didn't deter her. She had looked in the black mirror and had seen that it was her fate to go to Salem. 
(83% through on my Kindle)

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman was published October 6th, 2020 by Simon and Schuster.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Thursday, October 22, 2020

Review: Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne

 

Aloysius MacBharrais aka Al is a Sigil agent with a magnificent white mustache. Al is in his sixties and quite a feisty dude. And he is also a cursed man. The more someone hears his voice, the more they grow to hate him. So Al communicates most often via text to speech apps on his phone and computer. 

The book opens with Al finding out his apprentice has recently become deceased. He's got to hightail it over there to collect the tools of his trade - especially the inks and any sigils that may be lying around. Al and Gordie practice sigil magic which involves writing symbols in different inks on paper that may be sealed and used later when someone views them. But, it turns out Gordie is into more than sigils when Al finds a hobgoblin in a cage in Gordie 's workroom. 

Al must now investigate what Gordie was up to. In order to succeed and survive, he will need the help of the hobgoblin and others. He will have to use his quick wits and knowledge of the Fae as well.

I found the characters interesting. Al as an older main character, the hobgoblin, and  Nadia - Al's office manager were especially interesting. The Fae and their hierarchy were also important. The interactions between humans and Fae were well done.

I liked that the author didn't rely on infodumps. Instead what you needed to know was gradually revealed to you in a show rather than tell fashion. The closest he comes to an infodump is Nadia's origin story. But it's well done and still done in a show rather than tell way.

This was my first foray into the world of the Iron Druid. I felt there was enough worldbuilding to make it clear how things work without needing to refer to the other series.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It can be read as a standalone, but it says it is book one. I look forward to reading more about these characters in this world. I would recommend this book to fans of the Iron Druid series as well as those who enjoy urban fantasy. This book was published August 25th, 2020 by Del Rey Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not effect the content of my review.

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #346: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

 



Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

A mesmerizing debut novel for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe.

Ariadne, Princess of Crete, grows up greeting the dawn from her beautiful dancing floor and listening to her nursemaid’s stories of gods and heroes. But beneath her golden palace echo the ever-present hoofbeats of her brother, the Minotaur, a monster who demands blood sacrifice every year.

When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives to vanquish the beast, Ariadne sees in his green eyes not a threat but an escape. Defying the gods, betraying her family and country, and risking everything for love, Ariadne helps Theseus kill the Minotaur. But will Ariadne’s decision ensure her happy ending? And what of Phaedra, the beloved little sister she leaves behind?

Hypnotic, propulsive, and utterly transporting, Jennifer Saint's Ariadne forges a new epic, outside the traditional narratives of heroism and glory that leave no room for women.

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint is expected to be published May 4th, 2021 by Flatiron Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like stories based on mythology. This one sounds interesting in that it's based on Greek mythology,  but told from the woman's point of view.

What book are you waiting on this week? 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!

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Teaser Tuesday: Shakespeare for Squirrels by Christopher Moore

 



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
 Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
 BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The palace rose into the night sky like a great pointed crown, nine ridiculously tall, angular towers constructed, it seemed, of the same smooth, black glass plates that armored the goblins. No man nor creature of forest had constructed this edifice, for there was no sign of joints nor mortar, nor even the mark of a stonecutter. It was a castle made by a demented jeweler, from pieces of polished night, which reflected every star in spectral brilliance and shone streams of moonlight down its sides as if painted in molten silver. (58% through on my Kindle)

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!


Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #345: The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner

 



Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Sparks fly in this enchanting fantasy novel from the author of Unnatural Magic when a down-and-out fire witch and a young gentlewoman join forces against a deadly conspiracy.
 
Dellaria Wells, petty con artist, occasional thief, and partly educated fire witch, is behind on her rent in the city of Leiscourt—again. Then she sees the “wanted” sign, seeking Female Persons, of Martial or Magical ability, to guard a Lady of some Importance, prior to the celebration of her Marriage. Delly fast-talks her way into the job and joins a team of highly peculiar women tasked with protecting their wealthy charge from unknown assassins.
 
Delly quickly sets her sights on one of her companions, the confident and well-bred Winn Cynallum. The job looks like nothing but romance and easy money until things take a deadly (and undead) turn. With the help of a bird-loving necromancer, a shapeshifting schoolgirl, and an ill-tempered reanimated mouse named Buttons, Delly and Winn are determined to get the best of an adversary who wields a twisted magic and has friends in the highest of places.

 The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner is expected to be published January 12th, 2021 by Ace. 

Why am I waiting on this book? I like the sound of the characters. I like that Delly talks herself into a job that may be over head. It sounds like it will be a good read with magic, adventure, and a touch of romance. And I love the title and cover.

What book are you waiting on this week? 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!

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Teaser Tuesday: Fields' Guide to Dirty Money by Julie Mulhern

 


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
 Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
 BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Thor, who was on his cell, entered a few steps behind Ian. Both men peered at Glo’s screen. Both men shifted their gazes to me. Ian lifted one brow. His left one. I couldn’t lift one brow at a time—not if I spent a month trying. Too bad, because a single brow lift communicated far more than two. On Ian’s lean face, the raised left brow said I was screwed.
(Location 202 on my Kindle)

Field's Guide to Dirty Money by Julie Mulhern was published September 28th, 2020 by J & M Press.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #344: The Heretic Scroll by Will Adams

 



Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

Above Naples, Vesuvius is heating up once again... An absolutely gripping thriller from bestseller Will Adams

Archaeologist Carmen Nero and former conman Cesco Rossi are in Herculaneum on the trail of the lost texts of Ancient Rome, possibly stored deep underground in the Villa of the Papyri.

But when there is a terrible murder, they realise that powerful forces are interested in the excavations of the villa which threaten the foundations of the Church. With neo-Nazis on Rossi’s tail and a traitor in their midst, everything hangs in the balance. 

As the great volcano rumbles, they are in a race against time: to find the killer, uncover the truth behind the lost manuscripts, and to save themselves from complete destruction... 

The next scintillating instalment in the Rossi & Nero thriller series, perfect for fans of Chris Kuzneski, Dan Brown and Scott Mariani. 

The Heretic Scroll by Will Adams is expected to be released October 12th, 2020 by Canelo.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like that it sounds like a combination adventure book and mystery. I haven't read any Dan Brown books in a while, but I did enjoy them. And this book is supposed to be good for fans of Dan Brown.

What book are you waiting on this week? 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!

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Teaser Tuesday: Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne

 



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
 Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
 BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Realizing he might have already drunk more than his wee body weight could process, he let it go and set down his glass, his pink shoulders slumping as his hairy caterpillar eyebrows knit together in consternation. "I am a fool and a failure."
 [Naw, you're a hobgoblin on a Wednesday.]
~17% through on my Kindle

Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne was released August 25th, 2020 from Del Rey Books.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!