Reading Wrap Up: December 2022

READING WRAP UP
(books from the tbr)

Hester
by Laurie Lico Albanese
Historical, Retelling, Scotland | Published: 2022 | Goodreads | my rating: 5
loved the journey of this character along with embroidery spotlight

Going Rogue
by Janet Evanovich
Mystery, Humor | Published: 2022 | Goodreads | my rating: 4
fun quips, action and donuts ;-)

Happy release: Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese

Hester
by Laurie Lico Albanese
Historical, Retelling, Scotland | Published: October 2022 | Goodreads

Isobel Gamble is a young seamstress carrying generations of secrets when she sets sail from Scotland in the early 1800s with her husband, Edward. An apothecary who has fallen under the spell of opium, his pile of debts have forced them to flee Edinburgh for a fresh start in the New World. But only days after they've arrived in Salem, Edward abruptly joins a departing ship as a medic––leaving Isobel penniless and alone in a strange country, forced to make her way by any means possible.

When she meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne, the two are instantly drawn to each other: he is a man haunted by his ancestors, who sent innocent women to the gallows––while she is an unusually gifted needleworker, troubled by her own strange talents. As the weeks pass and Edward's safe return grows increasingly unlikely, Nathaniel and Isobel grow closer and closer. Together, they are a muse and a dark storyteller; the enchanter and the enchanted. But which is which?

In this sensuous and hypnotizing tale, a young immigrant woman grapples with our country's complicated past, and learns that America's ideas of freedom and liberty often fall short of their promise. Interwoven with Isobel and Nathaniel's story is a vivid interrogation of who gets to be a "real" American in the first half of the 19th century, a depiction of the early days of the Underground Railroad in New England, and atmospheric interstitials that capture the long history of "unusual" women being accused of witchcraft. Meticulously researched yet evocatively imagined, Hester is a timeless tale of art, ambition, and desire that examines the roots of female creative power and the men who try to shut it down.

A vivid reimagining of the woman who inspired Hester Prynne, the tragic heroine of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, and a journey into the enduring legacy of New England's witchcraft trials.

First sentence:
Salem was meant to be a new beginning, a place where the sharp scent of cinnamon and tea perfumed the air with hope; a place where the colors could be safe and alive in me.

Lovely Books and Things - 7.31.22

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)

~*~

HAPPY THINGS:

1. Interview with Syrie James on Restaurant Fiction podcast, about Paco’s Tacos in Culver City, California, which was featured in the film Jerry Maguire (here)
2. Fun and sassy novelty socks that are actually comfy to wear
3. Spotting a gem at the Red Devil Records - music for smoochin'

~*~
Library: audiobook

The Dachshund Wears Prada
by Stephanie London
Contemporary, Romance, Dog | Published: 2022 | Goodreads

For Review:

Hester
by Laurie Lico Albanese
Historical, Retelling, Scotland | Published: October 2022 | Goodreads
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
~*~
Virtual Author event: hosted by bookreporter
See archive of this (here)

Things We Do in the Dark
by Jennifer Hillier
Mystery, Thriller | Published: 2022 | Goodreads
~*~
AND watched: Netflix

Spiderhead (2022)
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Screenplay: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Based on short story "Escape from Spiderhead": George Saunders
Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, Mark Paguio
Action, Crime, Drama | imdb | my rating: 4
a dilemma indeed
In the near future, convicts are offered the chance to volunteer as medical subjects to shorten their sentence. One such subject for a new drug capable of generating feelings of love begins questioning the reality of his emotions.

AND watched: theatre

Nope (2022)
Director/Writer: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun
Horror, Mystery, SciFi | imdb | my rating: 4
yep for Nope, but i have questions
The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.

Thirteen Lives (2022)
Director: Ron Howard
Writers: William Nicholson, Don MacPherson
Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell
Action, Adventure, Biography | imdb | my rating: 5
captures different perspectives that keeps you on the edge of your seat
A rescue mission is assembled in Thailand where a group of young boys and their soccer coach are trapped in a system of underground caves that are flooding.

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

Thanks for stopping by :-)
Also, thanks for well wishes regarding my recent bout with covid.

Lovely Books and Things - 6.26.22

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)

~*~

HAPPY THINGS:

1. Staying outside late on the summer solstice day
2. Found a new (to me) gelato place, Gelato Classico (here) - yummy spumoni
3. Spotted a gold frog at an art gallery window in San Francisco North Beach aka little Italy

~*~
Bought:

The House in the Cerulean Sea
by T.J. Klune
Fantasy, LGBTQ | Published: 2020 | Goodreads
Library: audiobook

A Flicker in the Dark
by Stacy Willingham
Thriller, Mystery | Published: 2022 | Goodreads
Library:

Rainbow Rainbow
by Lydia Conklin
Short Stories, LGBTQ | Published: 2022 | Goodreads
For Review:

A Little Bit Country
by Brian D. Kennedy
YA, Romance, Music, LGBTQ | Published: June 2022 | Goodreads
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
~*~
Virtual Author event: hosted by Book Passage
See archive of this (here)

The Catch
by Alison Fairbrother
Literary, Coming of Age | Published: 2022 | Goodreads

Virtual Author event: hosted by Macmillan

Hester
by Laurie Lico Albanese
Historical, Retelling, Scotland | Published: October 2022 | Goodreads

~*~
AND watched: San Francisco Opera

Dream of the Red Chamber (2022)
Sung in English with English and Chinese supertitles)
Director: Stan Lai
Conductor: Darrell Ang

Based on book:

Dream of the Red Chamber
by Cao Xueqin
Classic, Historical, Romance, China | Published: 1791 | Goodreads
~*~
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

Thanks for stopping by :-)