Monday, November 28, 2022

Jane in Autumn

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Austen Mondays
September 19, 2022 to March 20, 2023
details | episodes

Rosenbach’s new biblioventure series with a focus on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

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Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen
by Professor Puzzle
252 piece double-sided jigsaw puzzle

illustration of an iconic scene on one side and extract from the book on ther other


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* header image source: from Emma (2020) film
* part of Jane-austenesque 2022 (here)

Saturday, November 26, 2022

Books and Bag: Green

Books and Bag
doing some dreaming
a designer bag and books to fill it

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Legends & Lattes
by Travis Baldree
Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ | Published: 2022 | Goodreads

The much-beloved BookTok sensation, Travis Baldree's novel of high fantasy and low stakes.

Come take a load off at Viv's cafe, the first & only coffee shop in Thune. Grand opening!

Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv, the orc barbarian, cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.

However, her dreams of a fresh start filling mugs instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners, and a different kind of resolve.

A hot cup of fantasy, slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.


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* image source: bag -Kate Spade, Manhattan Lady Leopard Large Tote

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Happy release: Going Rogue by Janet Evanovich

Going Rogue
by Janet Evanovich
Mystery, Humor | Published: November 1, 2022 | Goodreads

Monday mornings aren’t supposed to be fun, but they should be predictable. However, on this particular Monday, Stephanie Plum knows that something is amiss when she turns up for work at Vinnie’s Bail Bonds to find that longtime office manager Connie Rosolli, who is as reliable as the tides in Atlantic City, hasn’t shown up.

Stephanie’s worst fears are confirmed when she gets a call from Connie’s abductor. He says he will only release her in exchange for a mysterious coin that a recently murdered man left as collateral for his bail. Unfortunately, this coin, which should be in the office—just like Connie—is nowhere to be found.

The quest to discover the coin, learn its value, and save Connie will require the help of Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur, her best pal Lula, her boyfriend Morelli, and hunky security expert Ranger. As they get closer to unraveling the reasons behind Connie’s kidnapping, Connie’s captor grows more threatening and soon Stephanie has no choice but to throw caution to the wind, follow her instincts, and go rogue.



First sentence(s):
My name is Stephanie Plum. I'm a bail bonds enforcement agent, working for my cousin Vinnie, and I'm currently locked out of the bail bonds office.

Monday, November 21, 2022

Explore: London

Explore The World 2022
through books, films, etc.
November: London

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READ:
Meet Me Under the Mistletoe
by Jenny Bayliss
Contemporary, Romance, Holiday, Christmas | Published: 2022 | Goodreads

Elinor Noel—Nory for short—is quite content running her secondhand bookshop in London. Forever torn between her working-class upbringing and her classmates’ extravagant lifestyles at the posh private school she attended on scholarship, Nory has finally figured out how to keep both at equal distance. So when two of her oldest friends invite their whole gang to spend the time leading up to their wedding together at the castle near their old school, Nory must prepare herself for an emotionally complicated few days.

The reunion brings back fond memories, but also requires Nory to dodge an ill-advised former fling. When she falls quite literally into the arms of Isaac, the castle’s head gardener, who has nothing but contempt for the “snobby prep school kids,” the attraction between them is undeniable. And as Nory spends more time with Isaac during the wedding festivities, she finds herself falling hard for the boy she used to consider an enemy. Nory and Isaac explore their common ground, but pressures mount on all sides, and Nory must decide what kind of life she wants to live and what sort of love is worth the risk...



VISIT: someday...

Word on the Water
The London Bookbarge
instagram| website

An independent bookshop on a 1920s Dutch barge situated in Granary Square, King's Cross.

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* part of Explore the World (here)

Sunday, November 20, 2022

Lovely Books and Things - 11.20.22

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update


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

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HAPPY THINGS:

1. Knitting my first pair of socks - autumn colors
2. Sting: A Winter's Night... Live from Durham Cathedral (here)
3. Kongkee: Warring States Cyberpunk at the Asian Art Museum (here)
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Bought:
The Christmas Murder Game
by Alexandra Benedict
Mystery, Christmas | Published: 2022 | Goodreads


Library: audiobook
The Cloisters
by Katy Hays
Mystery, Gothic | Published: 2022 | Goodreads


Library:
Lonely Castle in the Mirror
by Mizuki Tsujimura
translated by Philip Gabriel
Fantasy, YA, Japan | Published: 2021 (first 2017) | Goodreads


For review:
Going Rogue
by Janet Evanovich
Mystery, Humor | Published: 2022 | Goodreads
courtesy of publisher - Thanks!


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Virtual Author event: hosted by bookreporter
See archive of this (here)
The Last Party
by Clare Mackintosh
Mystery, Thriller | Published: 2022 | Goodreads

Virtual Author event: Happy Hannukah Romance
See archive of this (here)
Recommended for You
by Laura Silverman
YA, Romance | Published: 2020 | Goodreads


Mr. Perfect on Paper
by Jean Meltzer
Contemporary, Romance | Published: 2022 | Goodreads


Love and Latkes
by Stacey Agdern
Romance, Holiday | Published: 2021 | Goodreads


Season of Love
by Helena Greer
Romance, LGBTQ, Holiday | Published: 2022 | Goodreads


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AND watched: streaming
The People We Hate at the Wedding (2022)
Director: Claire Scanlon
Screenplay: Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, Wendy Molyneux
Based on book: Grant Ginder
Stars: Allison Janney, Ben Platt, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Kristen Bell
Comedy | imdb | my rating: 4

Family tensions ramp up among siblings in the week leading up to their half-sister's wedding in the country.

AND watched: theatre
All That Breathes (2022)
Director: Shaunak Sen
Stars: Salik RehmanMohammad SaudNadeem Shehzad
Documentary | imdb | my rating: 5

Amidst the darkening backdrop of Delhi's apocalyptic air and escalating violence, two brothers devote their lives to protect one casualty of the turbulent times: the bird known as the Black Kite.

The Menu (2022)
Director: Mark Mylod
Writers: Seth Reiss, Will Tracy
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult
Comedy, Horror, Thriller | imdb | my rating: 4

A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.

Triangle of Sadness (2022)
Director/Writer: Ruben Östlund
Stars: Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Woody Harrelson
Comedy, Drama | imdb | my rating: 5

A fashion model celebrity couple join an eventful cruise for the super-rich.


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

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Rabbit rabbit: Rabbit Hutch

The Rabbit Hutch
by Tess Gunty
Literary, Coming of Age | Published: 2022 | Goodreads

The automobile industry has abandoned Vacca Vale, Indiana, leaving the residents behind, too. In a run-down apartment building on the edge of town, commonly known as the Rabbit Hutch, a number of people now reside quietly, looking for ways to live in a dying city. Apartment C2 is lonely and detached. C6 is aging and stuck. C8 harbors an extraordinary fear. But C4 is of particular interest.

Here live four teenagers who have recently aged out of the state foster-care system: three boys and one girl, Blandine, who The Rabbit Hutch centers around. Hauntingly beautiful and unnervingly bright, Blandine is plagued by the structures, people, and places that not only failed her but actively harmed her. Now all Blandine wants is an escape, a true bodily escape like the mystics describe in the books she reads.


 
Imagination Designs
Images from: Lovelytocu