Saturday, June 24, 2017

Lovely Books and Things - 6.24.17

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update

Linking up with:
Stacking the Shelves (details)
Sunday Post (details)

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Neglected to post last weekend as it was time to retrieve the young one from the college dorm. So nice to have the kid home again.

Lots of review books came in over the last two weeks. I am set for the next couple months.

And yet, I still request and pickup books from the library ;-)

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For Review:

Lady of the Tarot
(Reign of Tarot Book 2)
by Juli D. Revezzo
-Historical, Gothic, France
audio version
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads | Audible

THIS is a download from audible.com. It is my first experience using this service.


The Darkest Promise
by Gena Showalter
-Paranormal, Romance
courtesy of tour by BookSparks - Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

THE paranormal romance reading continues this month with this latest. Also, another first for me... although I have mentioned Gena in a previous post regarding her Alice in Wonderland zombie series, I have yet to read her works.


That Crazy Perfect Someday
by Michael Mazza
-Women's Fiction, Sports
courtesy of Wunderkind -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

THE surfing aspect of this story is what caught my attention.

Perfectly Oblivious
by Robin Daniels
-YA, Humor
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

THE premise for this sounds really cute.

The Baller
A Down and Dirty Football Novel
by Vi Keeland
-New Adult, Romance
courtesy of Romance Read-of-the-Month Club -Thanks!
BarnesNoble | Goodreads

AHHH, so behind with my romance book club reading.

Life Would Suck Without You
A Girlfriend Memoir
by Jennifer Preuss
-Memoir, Humor
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

THIS looks like a fun one.

The Brass Compass
by Ellen Butler
-Historical Fiction
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

LOOKING forward to reading the doings of female spies in this one.


UNBOXING:

From Owlcrate package (details & signup):
OwlCrate is a subscription service that sends you magical monthly boxes tailored to a chosen theme. Each OwlCrate will contain one new Young Adult novel, as well as 3-5 other bookish treats to help you get your nerd on. @owlcrate


JUNE Box includes:
theme: Make It Out Alive (dystopia)
- Owlcrate spoiler card with creepy mysterious tinge
- Owlcrate button - monthly theme
- The Sandcastle Empire by Kayla Olson
- Signed bookplate, letter and sticker sheet from author
- New World Rising by Jennifer Wilson
- Magnet inspired by An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir created by Little Inklings Design
- Bookmark inspired by A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas created by Hey Atlas Creative
- Bath bomb inspired by Divergent by Veronica Roth created by Fizzy Fairy Apothecary
- Sleep mask inspired by zombies from Archie McPhee
- Patch inspired by The Giver by Lois Lowry created by Laserbrain Patch Co.


The Sandcastle Empire
by Kayla Olson
-Dystopia, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

Before the war, Eden’s life was easy. Then the revolution happened, and everything changed.

Now a powerful group called the Wolfpack controls the earth and its resources. And even though Eden has lost everything to them, she refuses to die by their hands. She knows the coordinates to the only neutral ground left in the world, a place called Sanctuary Island, and she is desperate to escape to its shores.

Eden finally reaches the island and meets others resistant to the Wolves. But the solace is short-lived when one of Eden’s new friends goes missing. Braving the jungle in search of their lost ally, they quickly discover Sanctuary is filled with lethal traps and an enemy they never expected.

This island might be deadlier than the world Eden left behind, but surviving it is the only thing that stands between her and freedom.



New World Rising
by Jennifer Wilson
-Dystopia, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

Worlds collide in debut author Jennifer Wilson's graphic dystopian series where Divergent meets Mad Max. Since witnessing her parents' murders at the age of eleven, Phoenix's only purpose in life has been to uphold her mother's dying words - to be strong and survive. But surviving outside of The Walls - outside of The Sanctuary - is more like a drawn-out death sentence. A cruel and ruthless city, Tartarus is run by the Tribes whose motto is simple, "Join or die."

Refusing to join and determined to live, Phoenix fights to survive in this savage world.

But who can she trust, when no one can be trusted? Not even herself...

The first of a trilogy, New World Rising is an epic tale of survival, instinct, trauma, and the extraordinary power of human connection.



OTHER things (kinda book-related):

Heroine Training
Jane Austen Theme (details)
hosted by Xandra
at Crown and Crumpet

LOVED this mashup of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice themed tea party. There was much talk of P&P, Harry Potter and books with delicious tea and treats!

Check out Xandra's details for other literary tea party gatherings.


AND watched: in theatre

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (2016)
Director: Steve James
Starring: Neil Barofsky, Ti-Hua Chang, Margaret Colin
-Documentary | imdb | my rating: 5

A small financial institution called Abacus becomes the only company criminally indicted in the wake of the United States' 2008 mortgage crisis.

After the show, we were treated to Q&A with the producer, Mark Mitten, and the Sung family. Topics of fraud, business dealings and justice relating to this family and case were fascinating to learn about.

FYI: This will be presented on PBS later this year.

Okja (2017)
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Writers: Bong Joon Ho, Jon Ronson
Starring: Seo-Hyun Ahn, Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano
-Action, Adventure, Drama, South Korea | imdb | my rating: 5

Meet Mija, a young girl who risks everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend - a massive animal named Okja.

AS a fan of Bong Joon Ho's previous works, I totally enjoyed this latest creation. Definitely gets you thinking of the bond between man and animal.

Fans of The Walking Dead tv show will be thrilled to see Steven Yeun as part of this cast.

FYI: This will be available on Netflix later this year.


AND watched: online

Maya Angelou and Still I Rise (2016)
Directors: Bob Hercules, Rita Coburn Whack
-Documentary, Biography, History | imdb | my rating: 5

The first feature documentary about the remarkable writer, poet, actress, activist Maya Angelou.

INSPIRING, amazing and versatile woman. This documentary covered Maya's life from start to finish.

AND watched: on DVD

Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present (2012)
Directors: Matthew Akers, Jeff Dupre
-Documentary, Biography, History | imdb | my rating: 5

A documentary that follows the Serbian performance artist as she prepares for a retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

ANOTHER amazing woman artist. Wordless human connections.

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* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

:-)
 
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