Showing posts with label Erin Bowman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Erin Bowman. Show all posts

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Lovely Books and Things - 12.16.17

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update

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

~*~

I did some holiday shopping and sightseeing (of store holiday decorations) last week which will continue into this week. I may not buy anything else, but I am enjoying just walking amongst the holiday vibe.

Inspired by the Happy Planner, I started a list of goals for next year which I need to now organize and prioritize.

Current happy things:

1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
2. The Merriest by June Christy (holiday song)
3. Making soup with a blender stick - so easy
4. Mini Dark Chocolate Mint Star cookies from Trader Joe's

~*~

Bought:

Whitefly
by Abdelilah Hamdouchi
translated by Jonathan Smolin
-Mystery, Africa, Morocco
Amazon | Goodreads

JANUARY pick for face-to-face book club that reads foreign mysteries.


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


DECEMBER Box includes:
theme: Seize the Day

- Owlcrate info booklet, button and spoiler cards
- Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills (exclusive cover)
- Signed bookplate, letter and embroidered patch from author
- Wooden ornament inspired by Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon created by Juniper & Ivy Designs
- Soy candle inspired by The Names Tjeu Gave Us by Emery Lord created by Novelly Yours
- Double-sided bookmark inspired by The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky created by Little Inklings Designs
- Magnet inspired by Percy Jackson created by Ink & Wonder Designs
- Planner and reading journal inspired by Owlcrate created by Blue Star Press
- Tote bag inspired by the Harry Potter series created Bookworm boutique

Foolish Hearts
by Emma Mills
-Contemporary, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

When Claudia accidentally eavesdrops on the epic breakup of Paige and Iris, the it-couple at her school, she finds herself in hot water with prickly, difficult Iris. Thrown together against their will in the class production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, along with the goofiest, cutest boy Claudia has ever known, Iris and Claudia are in for an eye-opening senior year.

Smart, funny, and thoroughly, wonderfully flawed, Claudia navigates a world of intense friendships and tentative romance in this book about expanding your horizons, allowing yourself to be vulnerable, and accepting―and loving―people for who they really are.



OTHER things (kinda book-related):

Happy Birthday Jane Austen!
December 16

Celebrated Jane's birthday last weekend with JASNA. Along with cake and good cheer, the meeting included a wonderful guest speaker panel of Jane Austenesque writers moderated by DiAnn Ellis and starring Abigail Bok, Emmy Z. Madrigal, Jeanette Watts and Reina Williams.


Their books include:

An Obstinate, Headstrong Girl by Abigail Bok
Lord Harrigton's Last Doe by Emmy Z. Madrigal (currently working on a Northanger Abbey retelling)
Jane Austen Lied to Me by Jeanette Watts
Most Truly (Love at Pemberley #1) by Reina M. Williams

Book Blogger Hop
features a book related question
Sponsored by The Coffee Addicted Writer (details)

This week's prompt: Which book(s) would you like Santa to bring you this year?
(submitted by Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books)

Ooo, I would like to see this under my tree...

Retribution Rails
by Erin Bowman
-Historical, Western, YA
just released: November 7, 2017
Amazon | Goodreads

Loved the first book and looking forward to this second in the series.


AND watched: on Netflix

Stranger Things (2016-present)
season one & season two
tv series
Creators: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
Stars: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder
-Drama, Fantasy, Horror | imdb| my rating: 5

When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief, and his friends must confront terrifying forces in order to get him back.

GREAT 1980's genre mystery, scifi, horror story.

A Christmas Prince (2017)
Director: Alex Zamm
Writers: Karen Schaler, Nathan Atkins
Stars: Rose McIver, Ben Lamb, Alice Krige
-Comedy, Romance, Christmas | imdb | my rating: 5

When a reporter goes undercover as a tutor to get the inside scoop on a playboy prince, she gets tangled in some royal intrigue and ends up finding love - but will she be able to keep up her lie?

FELL for this one like everyone else.


AND watched: in theatre

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (original title)
Director: J.J. Abrams
Writer: Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams, Michael Arndt
Based on characters by: George Lucas
Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver
-Action, Adventure, Fantasy, SciFi | imdb | my rating: 5

Three decades after the Empire's defeat, a new threat arises in the militant First Order. Stormtrooper defector Finn and spare parts scavenger Rey are caught up in the Resistance's search for the missing Luke Skywalker.


Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (original title)
Director/Writer: Rian Johnson
Based on characters by: George Lucas
Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver
-Action, Adventure, Fantasy, SciFi | imdb | my rating: 5

Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order.

WENT to a fan double feature film screening for this super fun SciFi story. Loved the action and humor.

~*~

* checkout the sidebar for current giveaways

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

:-)

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Stacking the Shelves - 9.19.15

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

Bought:

The Danish Girl
by David Ebershoff
-Historical, GBLT
Amazon | Goodreads

=====> transgender topic, wanted to read this before the movie release, November 27

Freebie: for kindle

Forever Charmed
(The Halloween LaVeau Series Book 1)
by Rose Pressey
-Witches
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon

Lasso the Moon
Peacemakers: Old West (Book 1)
(Peacemakers - Old West)
by Beth Ciotta
-Historical, Romance, Western
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

For Review:

Crooked Little Lies
by Barbara Taylor Sissel
-Mystery, Thriller
courtesy of BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge 2015 -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Until Jax
by Aurora Rose Reynolds
-Romance
courtesy of tour by TRSOR -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

UNBOXING:

From Uppercase package (details & signup):
A hand-selected young adult book & fun bookish item, delivered monthly #UppercaseBox


September Box includes:
* Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
* Signed bookplate from Erin Bowman
* Vengeance Road bookmark
* Uppercase original TBR list notepad (designed by Risa Rodil)
* Harry Potter Golden Snitch Earrings (wooden) from Juniper & Ivy Designs

Vengeance Road
by Erin Bowman
-Historical, Western, YA
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
=====> Yeeehaww!!! LOVED this book and really excited that I now I have a finished copy!

--~ Book Giveaway ~--
IF you want my ARC copy let me know in comments with your email.
Open to US only.
Offer ends: Sep 30.

OTHER things on my shelf: kinda book-related

Outlander T-shirt
CHECK out Litographs (here)

=====> Being a fan of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander, I could not resist getting the latest Litographs creation.

FYI: Every Litographs t-shirt is created entirely from the text of a classic book, and is hand-pressed to order in Cambridge, MA... The average Litographs t-shirt contains approximately 40,000 words (about the length of a short novel).

Music related:

Duran Duran
tickets for October concert

=====> Being a child of the 80's, looking forward to seeing my favorite band LIVE again.

AND watching:

The Pirates (2014)
"Hae-jeok: Ba-da-ro gan san-jeok" (original title)
Directed by: Seok-hoon Lee
-adventure, pirates, South Korea
imdb

A band of pirates and a group of bandits fight to catch a gray whale that has swallowed a royal stamp.

=====> inspired to watch this because today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day!


Pirate WORD of the day:

Avast - Stop and give attention. It can be used in a sense of surprise, "Whoa! Get a load of that!" which today makes it more of a "Check it out" or "No way!" or "Get off!" -TLAP


~*~

* image source: Picnik was used for pirate graphic

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

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Monday, September 7, 2015

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Vengeance Road
by Erin Bowman

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
BookPlaylist
Discussion Guide
Website
Blog
Instagram
Pinterest
Tumblr
Twitter @erin_bowman
YouTube

Just released: September 1, 2015
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Genre: Historical, Western, YA
Hardback: 336 pages
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
It weren't no secret that Pa owned the best plot of land 'long Granite Creek, and I reckon that's why they killed him.

REVENGE IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD.
When her father is murdered for a journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if a heart so filled with hate has any room left for love.


PeekAbook:



My two-bits:

LOVED the cover for this book!

LOVED the wild west vibe of this book. It was fun to get into the tale with the spunky and sassy dialogue.

At times, it felt like a road trip on horses through dusty trails with various elements of danger. I got a good sense of the harsh living style of the past.

Also LOVED the character growth and relationships made throughout the story. The main character, Kate, was a good strong protagonist who kept true.

I liked the interesting twists that came up.

Got me adding some westerns to my binge watching schedule.

About the author:
Erin Bowman used to tell stories visually as a web designer. Now a full-time writer, she relies solely on words. She lives in New Hampshire with her family and when not writing she can often be found hiking, commenting on good typography, and obsessing over all things Harry Potter. She is also the author of the Taken trilogy. Visit her online at www.embowman.com and on Twitter @erin_bowman.

~*~

* review copy courtesy of publisher

* added this to my Books On The Nightstand Bingo challenge (details) - square: Western

* currently on virtual book tour (here)

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Happy release: Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Vengeance Road
by Erin Bowman
-Historical, Wild West, YA
Release date: September 1, 2015
Amazon | Goodreads | Website
WIN a copy on instagram (here)

REVENGE IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD.

When her father is murdered for a journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, eighteen-year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers—and justice. What she finds are untrustworthy strangers and a pair of stubborn brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if a heart so filled with hate has any room left for love.


PeekAbook:

Part of Map


~*~

* excited to read my copy soon ;-)

* image sources from author's tumblr (here) - check it out for more

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Stacking the Shelves - 8.1.15

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

Freebie kindle:

Insanity
by Cameron Jace
-Horror, YA, Alice in Wonderland theme
Amazon | Goodreads
===> Just HAD to get this after seeing it on fellow blogger's Stacking the Shelves, because of the dark Alice theme.


For Review:

The Witch of Bourbon Street
by Suzanne Hayes Palmieri
-Fantasy, Witches
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

The Legacy of Us
by Kristin Contino
-Romance, Women's Fiction
courtesy of BookSparks tour
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads -signup for giveaway, ends Aug 17

A Woman of Note
by Carol M. Cram
-Historical
courtesy of BookSparks tour (in October)
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

Reading the Sweet Oak
by Jan Stites
-Women's Fiction
courtesy of BookSparks tour (in October)
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

Vengeance Road
by Erin Bowman
-Historical, Western, YA
courtesy of author
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> YIPEEEEEEE! I was wanting this since I started seeing it on blogger shelves last month :-)

Library:

The Darkest Minds
by Alexandra Bracken
-Dystopia, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that's killed most of America's children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she's on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her-East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can't risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.


=====> listening to the audio version and engrossed

AND binge watching:

Parks and Recreation
tv series, season two
-Comedy
Amazon | imdb

The absurd antics of an Indiana town's public officials as they pursue sundry projects to make their city a better place.

=====> Hilarious! Love the Leslie Knope character

Books based on tv show:

Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America
by Leslie Knope
Amazon | Goodreads


~*~

* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months

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

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers


Sunday, July 26, 2015

Literary Hunk of the Month 2015

Literary Hunk of the Month 2015
hosted by Book Perfume

While visiting fellow bloggers I came across this fun meme at the Book Perfume.

Her description blurb:
Admit it–you’ve had a crush on a fictional character. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Here at Book Perfume, we embrace those passions by honoring a literary hunk every month…because the fact that he only exists on paper shouldn’t stop us from obsessing.

While my all-time hunks include Jamie Fraser of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and various heroes from Jane Austen novels, this list will consist of male characters that I come across in my recently read books for each month. These guys will have a quality that makes them stand out (in my eyes). Looks don't necessarily make the cut for my list.

~*~

JANUARY - none found

FEBRUARY - Werner Pfennig
Loved how he followed his heart.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

MARCH - Ethan Figman
Loved his creative passion.
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

APRIL - none found

MAY - Sam Turner
Loved that he could cook.
The Grown Ups by Robin Antalek
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

JUNE - James Smith
Loved his goodness.
Longbourn by Jo Baker
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

JULY - Ross Poldark
Loved gentlemanly manners.
Ross Poldark: A Novel of Cornwall, 1783-1787 by Winston Graham
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

AUGUST - Kane
Loved his dark, mysterious, scarred persona.
Stone Rider by David Hofmeyr
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

SEPTEMBER - Jesse Colton
Gentle tough cowboy ways.
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

OCTOBER - Dale Finnegan
Loved his patience.
The Space Between Heartbeats by Melissa Pearl
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

NOVEMBER - Cormoran Strike
Big and burly with brains.
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling
Amazon | Goodreads

DECEMBER - Captain Chaol Westphall
Protective nature.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

~*~

* image source header: Sherlock Holmes reading

* Check out Buzzfeed's 15 Literary Hunks To Cuddle By The Fire (here) and TopTez's Top 10 Literary Hunks (here) and Bustle's 7 Literary Hunk Roles Jamie Dornan Should Take On Next, Because He’s Practically A Pro At This Point (here)

* Feel free to comment on any Literary Hunks you have come across in your recent reading.
 
Imagination Designs
Images from: Lovelytocu