Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post - 3.25.17

Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
AND
Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer (details)
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Slow reading week. But, the mailbox had some goodies.

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For Review:

California
by Edan Lepucki
-Dystopia
courtesy of BookShout -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Always and Forever, Lara Jean
(To All the Boys I've Loved Before #3)
by Jenny Han
-Romance, YA
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Get It Together, Delilah!
by Erin Gough
-LGBTQ, YA
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

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

March Box includes:
theme: Sailors, Ships & Seas
- Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
- Signed bookplate, letter and temporary tattoo from author
- Sea theme pendant necklace from The Geeky Cauldron
- Octopus notepad from Boygirlparty
- Mermaid scales washi tape from Simply Gilded
- Sea theme tea towel from Kitch Studios
- Owlcrate pin

Daughter of the Pirate King
(Daughter of the Pirate King #1)
by Tricia Levenseller
-Fantasy, Historical, Pirates, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.


OTHER things: kinda book-related

Win a Signed Copy of Puck for Shakespeare's Birthday (April 23)!
from Twisted Lit (here)

Puck
by Kim Askew, Amy Helmes
-Retelling, Shakespeare, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
Life isn’t always fair, and no one knows that better than fifteen-year-old Puck. When she’s unceremoniously booted from yet another foster home, this city kid lands at DreamRoads, a rehabilitation wilderness camp. Her fellow juvenile delinquents include a famous pop star with a diva attitude, a geeky, “fish out of water” math whiz, and a surly gang-banger with a chip on his shoulder. The program’s steely director aims to break Puck, but she knows that every adult has a breaking point, too. Determined to defy this realm of agonizing nature hikes and soul-sucking psychobabble — even if that means manipulating four lovestruck camp counselors and the director’s dim-witted second-in-command — Puck ultimately gets much more than she bargains for in this “wondrous strange” outdoor odyssey inspired by Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."


AND watched: in theatre

Song to Song (2017)
Director/Writer: Terrence Malick
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman
-Drama, Music, Romance | imdb | my rating: 4
Two intersecting love triangles. Obsession and betrayal set against the music scene in Austin, Texas.

MUST remind myself for next time that I am not crazy about this director's style. However, it does well in taking you into the music scene in an artsy way. You will love the soundtrack if you are into this type of music. Loved the cast and all the cameos of musicians. When Ryan was at the piano I was wanting to hear him start singing City of Stars - but that is another music genre.

The Tenor (2014)
Director/Writer: Sang Man Kim
Starring: Ji-tae Yu, Yûsuke Iseya, Ye-ryeon Cha
-Biography, Drama, Music, Korea | imdb | my rating: 4
The talented Korean tenor, Bae, who penetrate the audience's hears through his delicate and powerful singing, is on the rise to stardom at the European opera scene. Sawada, a Japanese music producer, is searching for a new tenor for an upcoming performance. He watches a performance of Bae and invites him to Japan, which marks the beginning of friendship. But, the thyroid cancer strikes Bae. During an operation, the nerves of his vocal cords has be cut due to the widely spread cancer. Unfortunately, Bae ends up losing his voice at the peak of his career. Sawada cant's stand to watch Bae's miserable so he starts to look for a solution.

PART of CAAMFest 2017 (Celebrating Asian American Film, Music and Food - here)
Based on a true amazing and inspiring story. The power of the human spirit and passion (for whatever) as a driving force can create magic.

As this film was part of a film festival a special thank you recording was made for the San Francisco audience from the actual tenor, Bae Jae-chul.


AND watched: on DVD

Bad Moms (2016)
Director/Writer: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell
-Comedy | imdb | my rating: 4
When three overworked and under-appreciated moms are pushed beyond their limits, they ditch their conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom, fun, and comedic self-indulgence.

FUN and funny. Loved the interviews with the actresses and their moms in the Extras section.

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

Happy Shakespeare Day

I'm celebrating Shakespeare's 450th Birthday with Shakespeare themed books this week.

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Have to get a move on with this one, as book 2 is available and book 3 comes out in July!

William Shakespeare's Star Wars
by Ian Doescher
Published: 2013
Amazon | Goodreads
Return once more to a galaxy far, far away with this sublime retelling of George Lucas’s epic Star Wars in the style of the immortal Bard of Avon. The saga of a wise (Jedi) knight and an evil (Sith) lord, of a beautiful princess held captive and a young hero coming of age, Star Wars abounds with all the valor and villainy of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. ’Tis a tale told by fretful droids, full of faithful Wookiees and fearstome Stormtroopers, signifying...pretty much everything.

Reimagined in glorious iambic pentameter—and complete with twenty gorgeous Elizabethan illustrations--William Shakespeare’s Star Wars will astound and edify Rebels and Imperials alike. Zounds! This is the book you’re looking for.

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Last night I caught Christopher Moore on tour with his latest Shakespeare themed book, The Serpent of Venice. He was dressed in our good ol' SF Giants wear. Along with a bit of intro to Venice of the past and present, he treated us with a couple hilarious stories. Check out his site to see if he will be in a bookstore near you.

Serpent of Venice
by Christopher Moore
just released: April 22, 2014
Amazon | Goodreads
Venice, a long time ago. Three prominent Venetians await their most loathsome and foul dinner guest, the erstwhile envoy from the Queen of Britain: the rascal-Fool Pocket.

This trio of cunning plotters—the merchant, Antonio; the senator, Montressor Brabantio; and the naval officer, Iago—have lured Pocket to a dark dungeon, promising an evening of sprits and debauchery with a rare Amontillado sherry and Brabantio's beautiful daughter, Portia.

But their invitation is, of course, bogus. The wine is drugged. The girl isn't even in the city limits. Desperate to rid themselves once and for all of the man who has consistently foiled their grand quest for power and wealth, they have lured him to his death. (How can such a small man, be such a huge obstacle?). But this Fool is no fool . . . and he's got more than a few tricks (and hand gestures) up his sleeve.

Greed, revenge, deception, lust, and a giant (but lovable) sea monster combine to create another hilarious and bawdy tale from modern comic genius, Christopher Moore.

Note: The book, too, is a veritable work of art. Rich creamy stock is enhanced by two-color printing, featuring part/chapter titles, running heads, and folios printed in red ink. The text block has blue-stained edges. The book opens to reveal two-page spread endpapers decorated with a sepia-toned antique map of Venice; an antique map of Italy graces the book’s front matter, printed in red. The jacket sports a matte finish with embossed author and title type; gold foil embellishes the title and illustration detail.

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AND, I will be checking out the The Twisted Lit Series:

Anyone But You:
A Modern-Day Spin on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes
Publised: January 2014
Amazon | Goodreads -signup to win this (expires May 9)
“Heartbreakingly lovely.” -- USA Today.

After her family’s struggling eatery, Cap’s, falls prey to another of the Monte clan’s vicious and destructive pranks, sixteen-year-old Gigi Caputo finds herself courting danger during a clandestine encounter with Roman Monte, the very boy whose relatives have brought her family such grief. When the daughter and son of these two warring factions fall for each other, their quest to mend this bitter family feud turns out to be a recipe for disaster. Their story is irrevocably linked to the summer of 1933, when two twelve-year-olds, Benny and Nick, hop the turnstile at the Chicago World’s Fair. While enjoying some of the fair’s legendary amusements, Nick has a “love at first sight” encounter with Stella, a young girl who unintentionally causes a lasting rift between the two boyhood pals. Deftly winding its way through past and present day, this modern take on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet has much to do with hate — but more with love.

Tempestuous:
A Modern-Day Spin on Shakespeare's The Tempest
by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes
Published: 2012
Amazon | Goodreads
“Irresistible debut novel. We can assure you reading the surprising adventures in the Twisted Lit series is nothing short of thrilling.” -- Children’s Book Review

Recently banished, unfairly, by the school’s popular crowd, former “it girl,” Miranda Prospero, finds herself in a brave new world: holding dominion amongst a rag-tag crew of geeks and misfits where she works at the Hot-Dog Kabob in the food court of her local mall. When the worst winter storm of the season causes mall workers and last-minute shoppers to be snowed-in for the night, Miranda seizes the opportunity to get revenge against the catty clique behind her social exile. With help from her delightfully dweeby coworker, Ariel, and a sullen loner named Caleb who works at the mall’s nearby gaming and magic shop, Miranda uses charm and trickery to set things to right during this spirited take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Exposure:
A Modern-Day Spin on Shakespeare's Macbeth
by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes
Published: 2013
Amazon | Goodreads -signup to win this (expires April 28)
“Death, betrayal, ruthless plots to seize the “crown” — all the seeds of stage tragedy take root and flourish in this clever modern-day homage to Macbeth.” -- Kirkus Reviews.

Double, double, toil and trouble. Sometimes, the quest for high school royalty can be deadly! In this emotionally-charged twist on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a self-conscious shutterbug named Skye Kingston navigates a treacherous school year in Alaska fraught with unspoken secrets and tragic twists of fate. Along the way she encounters three strangely prophetic BFFs; one social-climbing, sociopathic cheerleader; and a heart-stopping hottie named Craig McKenzie: the man who would be Prom King. Can Skye save the boy she loves — and herself — before they get caught in the crosshairs?

FYI: Currently reading this.

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I also plan on watching this on DVD...

Romeo & Juliet (2013)
Director: Carlo Carlei
Writers: Julian Fellowes (screenplay)
William Shakespeare (play)
imdb
Douglas Booth as Romeo
Hailee Steinfeld as Juliet
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How are you celebrating Shakespeare this week?

Do any of these books capture your fancy?

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* image source: Shakespeare

Stacking the Shelves - 4.12.14

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:

Queen of Hearts:
The Crown
by Colleen Oakes
-fantasy, YA, Alice in Wonderland theme
For Review:

Exposure
by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes
courtesy of author
-Shakespeare (Macbeth), YA
Thanks Kim!

Hot Chocolate
Dawn Greenfield Ireland
-cozy mystery
courtesy of the author and tour
Thanks Dawn!

Jane's Melody
by Ryan Winfield
-romance
courtesy of publisher
Thanks Bobbilyn!

Unplug & Play! 50 Games That Don't Need Charging
by Brad Berger
courtesy of publisher
Thanks Laura!

Whip Smart:
Lola Montez and the Poisoned Nom de Plume
by Kit Brennan
-action, historical, romance
courtesy of publisher
Thanks Jillian!
Library:

Where'd You Go, Bernadette
by Maria Semple
-humor, women's fiction
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From Powell's Indiespensable club package (details):
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 #46.

The Blazing World
by Siri Hustvedt
-art, feminist

We Are Not Ourselves:
A Novel
by Matthew Thomas
-Irish American family
WIN this on Goodreads here -offer ends April 21
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* review copies 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