Happy 4th of July

Sharing some red, white and blue books on my want list...

The Wedding Date
by Jasmine Guillory
-Chick-lit
Amazon | Goodreads

Her Pretty Face
by Robyn Harding
-Thriller
Amazon | Goodreads

All the Little Lights
by Jamie McGuire
-Romance
Amazon | Goodreads
~*~
* image source: book with fireworks

Lovely Books and Things - 12.2.17

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

~*~
Spent the week wrapping up the month of November to make way for December and its holiday festivities. The first holiday party happens next Friday.

Also, been thinking of what I want to do with this blog in the next year. I want to read more books from my shelves. There are so many good books there that I have neglected. Which means I may have to do less requested reviews.

Reading is slow going. And may continue to be so until January. Too many fun things to do.

Current happy things:

1. Yin Yoga - a slow-paced style of yoga with postures, or asanas, that are held for longer periods of time
2. Warm evenings for night walks
3. Pizza with BBQ chicken topping -first time to try this combo and it was delish :-)

~*~
Bought:

Murder Under the Fig Tree
by Kate Raphael
-Mystery, LGBTQ, Palestine
Amazon | Goodreads
LIKED the first book in this series and wanted to read more with this female detective.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
by Philip K. Dick
-SciFi, Cyberpunk, Dystopia
Amazon | Goodreads
WANTED to read this as it inspired the making of the film Blade Runner.


For Review:

A Crazy Kind of Love
by Mary Ann Marlowe
-Contemporary Romance
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
THE premise sounds fun.

Beautiful Redemption
by Jamie McGuire
-New Adult, Romance
courtesy of Romance Read-of-the-Month Club -Thanks!
BarnesNoble | Amazon | Goodreads
LOVED the first book in the series and looking forward to reading more about the other characters.


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

NOVEMBER Box includes:
theme: Castles, Courts and Kingdoms

- Owlcrate spoiler card (not pictured)
- The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano
- Signed bookplate, letter and Gemstone Tattoos from author
- Harry Potter “Expecto Patronum” Winter Beanie
- A Court of Thorns and Roses – “Don’t Let the Hard Days Win” Notebook by Stella's Bookish Art
- The Grisha Trilogy inspired Brooch from Juniper and Ivy Designs
- Game of Thrones theme Lip Balm from Geek Fire Labs
- Elven Bread Soap (Hobbit theme) from Fizzy Fairy Apothecary

The Glass Spare
by Lauren DeStefano
-Fantasy, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
The first in a new fantasy duology, The Glass Spare is a gorgeously told tale of love, loss, and deadly power from Lauren DeStefano, the bestselling author of the Chemical Garden series. Perfect for fans of Shannon Hale and Renee Ahdieh.

Wilhelmina Heidle, the fourth child and only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father—whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war—Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance.

Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns people into gemstone. At first Wil is horrified—but as she tests its limits, she’s drawn more and more to the strange and volatile ability. When it leads to tragedy, though, Wil is forced to face the destructive power within her and finally leave her home to seek the truth and a cure.

But finding the key to her redemption puts her in the path of a cursed prince who has his own ideas for what to do with Wil’s power.

With a world on the brink of war and a power of ultimate destruction, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?


OTHER things (kinda book-related):

Book Blogger Hop
features a book related question
Sponsored by The Coffee Addicted Writer (details)
This week's prompt: What is your favourite Christmas-themed read?
(submitted by Kristin @ Lukten av Trykksverte)

NONE. I do not have one. Yet. I have not read enough in the genre to come across a book that I came to really love.


AND watched: on Netflix

Mudbound (2017)
Director/Screenplay: Dee Rees
Writer: Virgil Williams
Screenplay: Virgil Williams
Based on book by: Hillary Jordan
Stars: Garrett Hedlund, Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Rob Morgan
-Drama | imdb | my rating: 5
Two men return home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after war.

REALLY got the setting, location and feeling of being stuck/unstuck.

AND watched: in theatre

Darkest Hour (2017)
Director: Joe Wright
Writer: Anthony McCarten
Stars: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas
-Biography, Drama, History | imdb | my rating: 4
During the early days of World War II, the fate of Western Europe hangs on the newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler, or fight on against incredible odds.

HISTORICAL bit that pairs well with the film Dunkirk which came out this summer. Gary Oldman captures Winston so well.

Bright Star
Written and composed by: Steve Martin, Edie Brickell
at the SF Curran Theatre
-Musical | my rating: 4
Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in 1945-46 with flashbacks to 1923. The musical is inspired by their Grammy-winning collaboration on the 2013 bluegrass album Love Has Come for You.

GREAT gothic southern storyline. There was not any particular song that stuck. Loved the instrumental pieces though with the banjo and mandolin solos.


AND watched: on DVD

Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)
Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Writer: Dan Fogelman
Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore
-Comedy, Drama, Romance | imdb | my rating: 4
A middle-aged husband's life changes dramatically when his wife asks him for a divorce. He seeks to rediscover his manhood with the help of a newfound friend, Jacob, learning to pick up girls at bars.

For Fall Film challenge bonus round: fourteen. ncis. Liza Lapira

LOVED the scene where everything clashes. Got some on-screen chemistry between Ryan and Emma which is renewed in La La Land.

A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)
Director/Writer: Seth MacFarlane
Writers: Alec Sulkin, Wellesley Wild
Stars: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson
-Comedy, Romance, Western | imdb | my rating: 3
As a cowardly farmer begins to fall for the mysterious new woman in town, he must put his new-found courage to the test when her husband, a notorious gun-slinger, announces his arrival.

For Fall Film challenge bonus round: two. the big bang theory. Kaley Cuoco

CUTE take on western movie stereotypes.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Director: George Roy Hill
Writer: William Goldman
Stars: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross
-Biography, Crime, Drama | imdb | my rating: 4
Two Western bank/train robbers flee to Bolivia when the law gets too close.

For Fall Film challenge bonus round: seventeen. dr. quinn, medicine woman. George Furth

THIS one has charismatic outlaws with a kind of bromance thing going on. Such loyalty to each other. The Raindrops song was an odd choice, but I loved that bicycle scene.

Annie Hall (1977)
Director/Writer: Woody Allen
Writer: Marshall Brickman
Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton
-Comedy, Romance | imdb | my rating: 4
Neurotic New York comedian Alvy Singer falls in love with the ditzy Annie Hall.

For Fall Film challenge bonus round: twenty-five. the young pope. Diane Keaton

WELL made analysis of a couple's relationship.

Chef (2014)
Director/Writer: Jon Favreau
Stars: Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Emjay Anthony
-Adventure, Comedy, Drama | imdb | my rating: 4
A head chef quits his restaurant job and buys a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family.

For Fall Film challenge bonus round: nineteen. sex and the city. Amy Sedaris

HAPPY doses of father/son bonding, road trips and foodie scenes.

The Bourne Legacy (2012)
Director/Screenplay/Story: Tony Gilroy
Screenplay: Dan Gilroy
Based on the novel series by Robert Ludlum
Stars: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton
-Action, Adventure, Mystery | imdb | my rating: 3
An expansion of the universe from Robert Ludlum's novels, centered on a new hero whose stakes have been triggered by the events of the previous three films.

For Fall Film challenge bonus round: twenty-one. the unusuals. Jeremy Renner

LOTS of action scenes which Renner does well. Not my favorite Bourne film. Probably because I was missing Bourne. But got to know more about the "project".

~*~
* checkout the sidebar for current giveaways

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

:-)

Stacking the Shelves - 7.25.15

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 Blue: A Novel
by Lucy Clarke
-Mystery, Thriller
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> Looks like a good one and wanted to add this to my Armchair Summer Travel reading list.

For Review:

Beautiful Affliction
by Lene Fogelberg
-Memoir
courtesy of book tour by BookSparks
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

Never Said
by Carol Lynch Williams
-YA
courtesy of BookSparks YA Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

Summer by Summer
by Heather Burch
-YA
courtesy of BookSparks YA Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

The Red Sun
by Alane Adams
-Fantasy, YA
courtesy of BookSparks YA Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

The Looney Experiment
by Luke Reynolds
-YA
courtesy of BookSparks YA Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads
Library:

Beautiful Disaster
by Jamie McGuire
-New Adult, Romance
Amazon | Goodreads
My rating: 5
The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

=====> A guilty pleasure kind of read. I inhaled this one and loved it!

UNBOXING:

From Powell's Indiespensable club package (details & signup):
Powell's subscription club delivers the best new books, with special attention to independent publishers. Signed first editions. Inventive, original sets. Exclusive printings.... Every six weeks, another installment to read and admire. Plus, every package is stocked with exciting surprises!

This is package #53. (sorry - this is sold out, but you can signup for the next one)

Box includes:

The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty
by Vendela Vida
signed first-edition
in a custom slipcase exclusive to Indiespensable
Amazon | Goodreads

Above the Waterfall
by Ron Rash
Release date: September 8, 2015
Amazon | Goodreads
Also in the box:

* A collectible booklet featuring the Powells.com interview and Indiespensable Q&A with Vendela Vida
* Fuller Foods Serious Cheesy Puffs: Sriracha and Cheddar. Just had a couple and YUM. Nice blend and not too spicy.

AND binge watching:

Outlander
tv series, season one, volume one
-Adventure, Romance
Amazon | imdb
Follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate relationship is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Based on this book...

Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon
-Romance, Scotland
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

Top Ten Tuesday: Hyped Books I've Never Read

Top Ten Tuesday
meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish -details
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Note: I will do a variation of this meme with books I have not already mentioned on my site. Also, books that I would like to eventually read.

~*~
MY TOP 10
Hyped Books I've Never Read

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
by Gabrielle Zevin
-Contemporary fiction, Books
Amazon | Goodreads

Saga
by Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples (Artist)
-Graphic novel, Scifi
Amazon | Goodreads

Love Fortunes and Other Disasters
by Kimberly Karalius
-Romance, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

The Queen of the Tearling
by Erika Johansen
-Fantasy, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

A Darker Shade of Magic
by V.E. Schwab
-Fantasy, Magic, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

The Good Girl
by Mary Kubica
-Thriller
Amazon | Goodreads

Beautiful Disaster
by Jamie McGuire
-Romance, New Adult
Amazon | Goodreads

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and
Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
by Daniel James Brown
-History, Non-fiction, Sports
Amazon | Goodreads

An Unnecessary Woman
by Rabih Alameddine
-Literary Fiction, Books
Amazon | Goodreads

Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own
by Kate Bolick
-Feminism, Memoir
Amazon | Goodreads