Lovely Books and Things - 9.22.18

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update
Linking up with:
Stacking the Shelves (details)
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

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HAPPY THINGS:

1. Short work week due to taking the kid back to college.

2. Oregon Shakespeare Festival - going to see Sense & Sensibility, Manahatta, and Othello.

3. Traditional Cheese Fondue

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For Review:

Art Boss
by Kayla Cagan
-Art, YA
Release date: October 2018
courtesy of publisher -Thanks! | Goodreads
A companion novel to Piper Perish which includes illustrations sprinkled into the pages of the book.

Salt
by Hannah Moskowitz
-Fantasy, YA
Release date: November 2018
courtesy of publisher -Thanks! | Goodreads
SEA monster hunters premise makes this a good candidate to add to my R.I.P. 13 challenge.


Freebies:

By a Lady:
Being the Adventures of an Enlightened American in Jane Austen's England
by Amanda Elyot
-Historical, Time Travel, Jane Austen | Goodreads
GOT this from the bookswap table at the local chapter Jane Austen Society Fall meeting.

Finding Fraser
by K.C. Dyer
-Chick-lit, Scotland | Goodreads
GOT this from the free bin at Green Apple Bookstore. Could not resist this Jamie Fraser inspired romance (from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon).


AND watched: in theatre for Fall Film Challenge - six degrees from Kevin Bacon (here)

one
A Simple Favor (2018)
Director: Paul Feig
Screenplay: Jessica Sharzer
Based on the novel by: Darcey Bell
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding
-Crime, Drama, Mystery | imdb | my rating: 5
A Simple Favor, directed by Paul Feig, centers around Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), a mommy blogger who seeks to uncover the truth behind her best friend Emily's (Blake Lively) sudden disappearance from their small town.

Watched: 9/15/18
Connection: Anna Kendrick was in Pitch Perfect 3 with John Lithgow who starred with Bacon in Footloose
I liked this chick-lit thriller and enjoyed the french swinger tunes in the soundtrack.


AND watched: on DVD for Fall Film Challenge - six degrees from Kevin Bacon (here)

Annihilation (2018)
Director/Writer: Alex Garland
Based on novel by: Jeff VanderMeer
Stars: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson
-Adventure, Drama, Horror | imdb | my rating: 4
A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply.

Watched: 9/14/18
Connection: Benedict Wong starred with Benedict Cumberbatch in Avengers: Infinity War who starred with Bacon in Black Mass
Interesting concepts brought up in the mysterious zone aka the shimmer. Ended with an interesting cliffhanger too.

The Fate of the Furious (2017)
Director: F. Gary Gray
Writer: Chris Morgan
Writer/based on characters created by: Gary Scott Thompson
Stars: Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson
-Action, Crime, Thriller | imdb | my rating: 5
When a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of terrorism and a betrayal of those closest to him, the crew face trials that will test them as never before.

Watched: 9/17/18
Connection: Jason Statham was in The Italian Job with Mark Wahlberg who starred with Bacon in Patriot's Day.
This film series continues to entertain with its action packed scenes (with cars), especially the zombie time sequence.

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

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson (with giveaway)

Gena/Finn
by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson

Find out more about this book and authors:
Amazon | Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Discussion Guide

Website: Hannah | Twitter @hannahmosk
Website: Kat | Facebook | Twitter @katmankat

Just released: May 17, 2016
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Genre: LGBTQ, YA
Hardback: 287 pages
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
Okay, what the shit was that episode?

Gena and Finn would have never met but for their mutual love for the popular show Up Below. Regardless of their differences—Gena is a recent high school graduate whose social life largely takes place online, while Finn is in her early twenties, job hunting and contemplating marriage with her longtime boyfriend—the two girls realize that the bond between them transcends fanfiction. When disaster strikes and Gena's world turns upside down, only Finn can save her, and that, too, comes with a price. Told through emails, text messages, journal entries, and blog posts, Gena/Finn is a story of friendship and love in the digital age.

My two-bits:

Per the description for this book, this story is told through emails, text messages, blog posts, etc. So, lots of dialogue. In this format the read goes quickly with a fast pace which work just fine for the telling of this tale.

The friendship between the two characters struck me as a beautiful love (of a kind) online relationship.

It was also interesting to learn about being in a fandom and how it can affect your life.

Got me thinking of online relationships and about their value and worth in this day and age.

About the authors:
Hannah Moskowitz is the acclaimed author of numerous middle grade and young adult novels, including A History of Glitter and Blood. She lives in New York City.

Kat Helgeson writes young adult novels and lives in Chicago with her husband and a healthy preoccupation with fictional characters.

Hanna and Kat first met online in a fan fiction forum for the TV show Supernatural, and IRL at a fan con.

--~ Blog Tour Giveaway ~--
WIN a copy of this book!

Open to US and Canada only.

Offer ends: June 12, 2016

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ADD this book to your Want To Read list on Goodreads (here).

2. LEAVE a comment.

AND, leave your email.

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Contest has ended - (winner is here)

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* review copy and giveaway courtesy of book tour sponsored by Chronicle Books

Stacking the Shelves - 5.21.16

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!

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Bought:

The Excellent Lombards
by Jane Hamilton
-Contemporary
Amazon | Goodreads

=====> Book Passage, Corte Madera, hosted a visit from author, Jane Hamilton. She mentioned that the main character, Mary Frances, is partly inspired by the character Frankie from Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers. She said her quiet novel is filled with conflict and tension amongst characters in farm living.

Author, Gail Tsukiyama, was also on hand in conversation with Jane. She is currently working on a novel that is based in Hawaii.

For Review:

Pasta Wars
by Elisa Lorello
-Humor, Romance
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

The Hawkweed Prophecy
by Irena Brignull
-Fantasy, YA
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Gena/Finn
by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson
-LGBTQ, YA
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
Freebie: for kindle

The Mirror and the Maze:
A Wrath & the Dawn Short Story
by Renée Ahdieh
-Fantasy, Short Story, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
From BEA:

=====> What a treat it was to find BookSparks at BEA (here). Loved meeting Robert and Janay :-)

Thieving Weasels
by Billy Taylor
-YA
courtesy of publisher at BEA -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> Fantastic fun! I inhaled this one on the plane ride home! This was one of a few books I was able to stow in my luggage on the flight home. I am waiting to receive a couple boxes of books that I shipped to myself from Chicago before posting that haul received from the fabulous publishers at BEA.

=====> Various tote bags were handed out as swag.

Pictured above left to right:

Penguin: Riverhead Books - this colorful one is my favorite! I quickly started using it the whole time at BEA. It is for the new release, The Mothers by Brit Bennett.

Hachette: Grand Central Publishing (Forever) - Book lovers never go to bed alone. This red tote had the best blurb on it ;-)

HarperCollins: Epic - Book Shimmy Second best blurb.

Quirk Books - For Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - looking forward to its movie release in September.

Scholastic - I Read YA.

Random House - Cute one for Penguin Problems by Jory John and illustrated by Lane Smith.

Chronicle Books - This is a handy one that folds up neatly into the size of a pocket pack of tissues.

AND watched: in theatre

Classmates (2016)
Director: Shoko Nakamura
Starring: Kenji Nojima, Hiroshi Kamiya, Hideo Ishikawa
-Anime | website | my rating: 5
Rihito Sajo is an honor student who enrolled into his high school with a perfect score on the entrance exam. Hikaru Kusakabe is in a band and popular among girls. They are “different kind of guys”, who would have never crossed paths.

One day, they started talking to each other at the practice for their school’s upcoming chorus festival. After school, the two meet regularly, as Hikaru helps Rihito to improve his singing skills. While they listen to each other’s voice and harmonize, their hearts start to beat together.

Their feelings for each other slowly elevate, then peak when least expected.

Goofy yet innocent, Hikaru directly talks about his feelings towards Rihito. Hesitant at first, but Rihito gradually opens up his heart to Hikaru.

Two adolescent boys – being perplexed about not only about each other, but also about themselves – struggle and get confused; however, they eventually get to understand each other.

As they start to think about college and their future, what comes to their mind in order to move forward…

=====> Sweet romance and can get you curious about the Yaoi genre if you don't already know about it.

AND watched: in theatre

The Huntsman (2016)
Winter's War
Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
Writers: Evan Spiliotopoulos, Craig Mazin, Evan Daugherty
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt
-Action, Adventure, Drama | imdb | my rating: 4
As a war between rival queen sisters Ravenna and Freya escalates, Eric and fellow warrior Sara, members of the Huntsmen army raised to protect Freya, try to conceal their forbidden love as they combat Ravenna's wicked intentions.

=====> Action packed fairy tale that I liked for the special effects.

A Bigger Splash (2015)
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Screenplay: David Kajganich
Based on story by: Alain Page
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson
-Crime, Drama, Mystery | imdb | my rating: 5
The vacation of a famous rock star and a filmmaker is disrupted by the unexpected visit of an old friend and his daughter.

=====> A dark moody story despite the beautiful, bright and sunny setting. Despite attractive characters in this film they are quite unlikable yet fascinating to watch. I cringed watching Ralph and Dakota's character interactions because you know that they were up to no good. Hence, they played their parts well.

The Lobster (2015)
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Writers: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou
Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz
-Comedy, Drama, Romance | imdb | my rating: 4
In a dystopian near future, single people, according to the laws of The City, are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in forty-five days or are transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.

Oscar nominated for Original Screenplay.

Certainly gets the conversation going on the state of singledom.

Hotel Manager: Now have you thought of what animal you'd like to be if you end up alone?
David: Yes. A lobster.
Hotel Manager: Why a lobster?
David: Because lobsters live for over one hundred years, are blue-blooded like aristocrats, and stay fertile all their lives. I also like the sea very much.

Currently flipping through: from the library

M.F.K. Fisher's Provence
by M. F. K. Fisher and Aileen Ah-Tye (photos)
-Photos
Amazon | Goodreads
Fanciful breads
...the shop always smelled right, not confused and stuffy but delicately layered: fresh eggs, fresh sweet butter, grated nutmeg, vanilla beans, old kirsch, newly ground almonds...


=====> Love the various shots of Aix-en-Provence - makes me want to revisit the place.

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

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

A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz (with giveaway)

A History of Glitter and Blood
by Hannah Moskowitz

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Discussion Guide
BookExcerpt
Discussion Guide
Website
Twitter @hannahmosk

Just released: August 18, 2015
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Genre: Fairies, Fantasy, YA
Hardback: 280 pages
Rating: 4.5

First sentence(s):
Once upon a time there were four fairies in the city who hadn't been maimed.

Sixteen-year-old Beckan and her friends are the only fairies brave enough to stay in Ferrum when war breaks out. Now there is tension between the immortal fairies, the subterranean gnomes, and the mysterious tightropers who arrived to liberate the fairies. But when Beckan's clan is forced to venture into the gnome underworld to survive, they find themselves tentatively forming unlikely friendships and making sacrifices they couldn't have imagined. As danger mounts, Beckan finds herself caught between her loyalty to her friends, her desire for peace, and a love she never expected. This stunning, lyrical fantasy is a powerful exploration of what makes a family, what justifies a war, and what it means to truly love.

My two-bits:

Whoa! Not used to reading about fairies in this context although they do have such inclinations. Guess I'm used to the frou-frou kind.

This story told the tale of the history between gnomes, fairies and tightropers in a story within a story kind of mode.

Didn't know too much about gnomes and tightropers going into this story so they were new creatures for me to learn about. These gnomes were definitely not the cute-sy kind with the red conical hats. And, I never knew about tightropers - so totally new to me.

Icky violence ensues during wartime mode. But pushes forward to endings and beginnings with elements of danger.

However amidst the ugliness of the times, different kinds of love and care come forth.

Illustrations and handwritten notes are sprinkled amongst the pages of this book that is an additional treat to come across.

--~ Book Giveaway ~--
WIN my review copy of this book!

Open to US only.

Offer ends: September 30, 2015

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ADD this book to your Want To Read list on Goodreads (here).

2. TELL me: Which character would you like to learn more about - fairy, gnome or tightroper?

AND, leave your email.

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Contest has ended - (winner is here)

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* review copy courtesy of book tour sponsored by Chronicle Books.

Stacking the Shelves - 8.29.15

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!

~*~
For Review:

Fourteen
by Leslie Johansen Nack
-Memoir
courtesy of BookSparks -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Blonde Eskimo
by Kristen Hunt
-Fantasy, YA
courtesy of BookSparks -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Great Bravura
by Jill Dearman
-Mystery, Thriller
courtesy of BookSparks -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

The Girl Without A Name
by Sandra Block
-Psychological thriller
courtesy of Wunderkind PR -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

A History of Glitter and Blood
by Hannah Moskowitz
-Fantasy, YA
courtesy of book tour -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
Star Craving Mad
by Elise Miller
Destination: Get to know New York
-Chick-lit
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015 -Thanks!
BookSparks | Goodreads
Library:

300 Sandwiches:
A Multilayered Love Story with Recipes
by Stephanie Smith
-Memoir, Romance, Recipes
Amazon | Goodreads
“Honey, you are 300 sandwiches away from an engagement ring.”

When New York Post writer Stephanie Smith made a turkey and Swiss on white bread for her boyfriend, Eric (aka E), he took one bite and uttered those now-famous words. While her beau’s declaration initially seemed unusual, even antiquated, Stephanie accepted the challenge and got to work. Little did she know she was about to cook up the sexiest and most controversial love story of her generation.

300 Sandwiches is the story of Stephanie and E’s epic journey of bread and betrothal, with a whole loaf of recipes to boot. For Stephanie, a novice in the kitchen, making a sandwich—or even 300—for E wasn’t just about getting a ring; it was her way of saying “I love you” while gaining confidence as a chef. It was about how many breakfast sandwiches they could eat together on future Sunday mornings, how many s’mores might follow family snowboarding trips, how many silly fights would end in makeup sandwiches. Suddenly, she saw a lifetime of happiness between those two slices of bread.

Not everyone agreed. The media dubbed E “the Internet’s Worst Boyfriend”; bloggers attacked the loving couple for setting back the cause of women’s rights; opinions about their romance echoed from as far away as Japan. Soon, Stephanie found her cooking and her relationship under the harsh glare of the spotlight.

From culinary twists on peanut butter and jelly to “Not Your Mother’s Roast Beef” spicy French Dip to Chicken and Waffle BLTs, Stephanie shares the creations—including wraps, burritos, paninis, and burgers—that ultimately sated E’s palate and won his heart. Part recipe book, part girl-meets-boy memoir, 300 Sandwiches teaches us that true love always wins out—one delicious bite at a time.

=====> I heard out this woman's challenge a couple years ago and was intrigued with the variety of sandwiches she concocted. Always looking for lunch ideas...

OTHER things on my shelf: kinda book-related

DON'T miss it, I almost did...

Austen in August
hosted by The Book Rat
August 18-31, 2015
(details here)

Fall Reading Challenge 2015
sponsored by BookSparks
starts in September
check out it out (here)
join and signup (here)
IT'S COMING...

=====> SOOOO excited! Finally got the go to subscribe to Owlcrate, a monthly YA subscription (details).


~*~
* 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

Guest post & Giveaway: A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz

A History of Glitter and Blood
by Hannah Moskowitz
Amazon | Goodreads
Sixteen-year-old Beckan and her friends are the only fairies brave enough to stay in Ferrum when war breaks out. Now there is tension between the immortal fairies, the subterranean gnomes, and the mysterious tightropers who arrived to liberate the fairies. But when Beckan's clan is forced to venture into the gnome underworld to survive, they find themselves tentatively forming unlikely friendships and making sacrifices they couldn't have imagined. As danger mounts, Beckan finds herself caught between her loyalty to her friends, her desire for peace, and a love she never expected. This stunning, lyrical fantasy is a powerful exploration of what makes a family, what justifies a war, and what it means to truly love.

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by Hannah Moskowitz
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About one of the characters:

Beckan is a sixteen-year-old fairy girl living in Ferrum, an industrial hub, and the oldest fairy city still standing. She grew up with her father, a diplomat, in a high-rise apartment, but a few years ago her father was eaten by gnomes. She keeps his remains in a jar that she carries with her. She's a skilled welder.

I'd had this vision in my head for a long time of these burned-out, dirty sparkly fairies falling from the sky all bedraggled and spent, and even though Beckan can't fly--and the characters living in the sky are a different kind of creature altogether--she came from that idea. I also really wanted to write a character who was learning how to read, which Beckan is. And I've always had a thing for welding.

~end

Guest post created by Hannah Moskowitz, author of A History of Glitter and Blood
© 2015. All rights reserved.

About the author:

Hannah Moskowitz wrote her first story, about a kitten named Lilly on the run from cat hunters, for a contest when she was seven years old. It was disqualified for violence. First published at sixteen, she is the author of two middle grade and six young adult novels. Her books have received starred reviews, landed a spot on the ALA’s Rainbow Book List, and received a Stonewall Honor. Hannah lives in New York City.

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Discussion Guide
BookExcerpt
Discussion Guide
Website
Twitter @hannahmosk

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by Hannah Moskowitz
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READ more about this world...

--~ Blog Tour Giveaway ~--
WIN a copy of this book!

Open to US and Canada only.

Offer ends: August 31, 2015

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ADD this book to your Want To Read list on Goodreads (here).

2. LEAVE a comment.

AND, leave your email.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - (winner is here)

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

~*~
* guest post and giveaway courtesy of book tour sponsored by Chronicle Books.