Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update
Linking up with: Sunday Post (details) Mailbox Monday (details)
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HAPPY THINGS:
1. Morrocan restaurant with belly dancing show
2. Preparing TBR pile for my Summer theme event (here)
3. Team Lab: Continuity at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco - this immersive art exhibit introduces the concept of ultrasubjective spaces.
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Library:
The Last Resort
by Marissa Stapley
Mystery, Thriller | Published: 2019 | Goodreads
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Virtual Author event: hosted SFPL
See archive of this (here)
The Passenger
How a Travel Writer Learned to Love Cruises & Other Lies from a Sinking Ship
by Chaney Kwak
Memoir, Travel, Survival | Published: 2021 | Goodreads
Virtual Author event: hosted by Novel Suspects
See archive of this (here)
Let's Talk Murder Books: Women in Crime Fiction Panel
The Therapist
by B.A. Paris
Thriller | Published: 2021 | Goodreads
Local Missing Woman
by Mary Kubica
Thriller, Mystery | Published: 2021 | Goodreads
Hollywood Hack
by Kellye Garrett
Mystery | Published: 2019 | Goodreads
A Game of Cones
by Abby Collette
Mystery, Cozy | Published: 2021 | Goodreads
Virtual Author event: hosted by Third Place Books
Check out their calendar for future free author events (here)
All's Well
by Mona Awad
Literary, Horror | Published: 2021 | Goodreads -giveaway offer thru 8/16/21
Virtual Author event: hosted by Green Apple Books
Check out their calendar for future free author events (here)
Paris Is a Party, Paris Is a Ghost
by David Hoon Kim
Literary, Paris | Published: 2021 | Goodreads
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* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently
Thirsty Thursday and Hungry Hearts
hosted by (un)Conventional Bookviews (details)
A meme to share some food and/or drink quotes found in current reads.
Don't You Cry
by Mary Kubica
-Mystery, Thriller Amazon | Goodreads
In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she's the person Quinn thought she knew.
Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbor town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where eighteen-year-old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister than he ever expected.
As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under the stranger's spell, master of suspense Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted thrill ride that builds to a stunning conclusion and shows that no matter how fast and far we run, the past always catches up with us in the end.
QUOTE: The sun is up, and all along Farragut Avenue people scuttle to and from the coffee and bagel shops for breakfast, or lunch, or whatever it is that people eat and drink at 10:00 a.m.
-chapter Quinn, page 14
=====> Everything bagel with cream cheese are my go to for bagel flavor. A coffee or mocha is also a must pairing.
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:
Everyone Brave is Forgiven
by Chris Cleave
-Historical, WWII Amazon | Goodreads
=====> Book Passage, Corte Madera, hosted a visit from author, Chris Cleave featuring his latest novel. Chris said that the book was based on letters between his maternal grandparents exchanged during WWII.
Maestra
by L.S. Hilton
-Mystery, Thriller | Amazon | Goodreads
=====> Book Passage, Corte Madera, hosted a visit from author, L.S. Hilton featuring her latest novel. L.S. inspiration for this novel was the challenge of writing erotica tied in with past chick-lit related pieces she wrote in the past.
Freebie: for kindle
The Big Lead:
A Stella Reynolds Mystery, Book 1
by Libby Kirsch
-Humor, Mystery | (Amazon) | Goodreads
=====> Loved book 2 in this series and wanted to get this one to catch up.
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
MAY Box includes:
- Everland by Wendy Spinale and letter from author
- Gold flash tattoos with Everland theme
- Ring with The Infernal Devices trilogy theme by Sparks Emporium
- Pendant necklace - skeleton key by Crystal Compass Designs
- Nail wraps with steampunk theme
- Pin with steampunk theme by Elope
- Art print with Peter Pan theme by Creative Daffodil Studios
Everland
by Wendy Spinale
-Fantasy Retelling, Steampunk, YA | Amazon | Goodreads -enter giveaway (ends May 31)
Forget the story of Peter Pan you know. Because in Everland, the only way to grow up is to survive.
London has been destroyed in a blitz of bombs and disease. The only ones who have survived are children, among them Gwen Darling and her siblings, Joanna and Mikey. They spend their nights scavenging and their days avoiding the ruthless Marauders -- the German Army led by Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer.
Unsure if the virus has spread past England's borders but desperate to leave, Captain Hook hunts for a cure, which he thinks can be found in one of the survivors. He and his Marauders stalk the streets snatching children for experimentation. None ever return. Until the day they grab Joanna. As Gwen sets out to save her, she meets a mysterious boy named Pete. Pete offers the assistance of his gang of Lost Boys and the fierce sharpshooter Bella, who have all been living in a city hidden underground. But in a place where help has a steep price and every promise is bound by blood, it will cost Gwen. And are she, Pete, the Lost Boys, and Bella enough to outsmart Captain Hook?
=====> Loved the theme for this box! Looking forward to reading a steampunked version of the Peter Pan world.
ALSO, unboxed the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge (details here) box for May.
MAY Box includes:
- First Comes Love by Emily Giffin (with bookmark)
- Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica
- House of Bradbury by Nicole Meier
- The Assistants by Camille Perri
- Appetite by Sheila Grinnell
- One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Popsicle themed - erasers, ornament softie, tote bag
- Stickers - summer theme
- Candy treats
From BEA:
=====> I could not fit and carry all 60 books in my luggage from BEA. So, I mailed a couple boxes home. The one above barely made it. Note to self: use heavy duty cardboard or limit weight per box.
I will post the individual books over the next few Stacking Shelves along with BEA thoughts.
CHECK OUT the BEA speed dating guide to Great Book Club Picks for Fall/Winter 2016 (here)
=====> I started listening to this online audio serial story as I type. Episode one is currently free on their site. Episode two is free on Soundcloud (here). The rest of the series is available with a subscription rate. I am enjoying the story so far, but not sure if I want to subscribe especially since the book version comes out in July. IF you are currently a subscriber to this audio venture I would be curious to hear your thoughts on it.
FYI: you can also read the text version online for Episode one
Based on this book...
Belgravia
by Julian Fellowes
-Historical
Release date: July 5, 2016 Amazon | Goodreads
Julian Fellowes's Belgravia is the story of a secret. A secret that unravels behind the porticoed doors of London's grandest postcode. Set in the 1840s when the upper echelons of society began to rub shoulders with the emerging industrial nouveau riche, Belgravia is people by a rich cast of characters. But the story begins on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. At the Duchess of Richmond's new legendary ball, one family's life will change forever.
AND watched: in theatre
The Idol (2015)
Ya Tayr El Tayer (original title)
Director/Writer: Hany Abu-Assad
Screenplay: Sameh Zoabi
Starring: Tawfeek Barhom
-Biography, Comedy, Drama, Palestine | imdb | my rating: 5
Mohammed Assaf, an aspiring musician living in Gaza, sets a seemingly impossible goal: to compete on the program "Arab Idol."
=====> Lovely movie that captures beauty amongst destruction - AND most of all hope.
Now binge watching YouTube videos of Mohammed during his Arab Idol competition in 2013.
THAT VOICE! It can give the tingles and can make you get up and dance.
=====> I picked this up to read about Lilly Singh of ||superwoman|| - YouTube star. She made it as part of the top 100 Most Creative People in Business. I love her videos and vlogs. She always manages to get a smile or hearty laugh from me.
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* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently
Just released: July 28, 2015
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Hardback: 384 pages
Rating: 5
First sentence(s):
The first time I see her, she is standing at the Fullerton Station, on the train platform, clutching an infant in her arms.
Zombie sighting: Pitch blackness spotted with the occasional streetlight that may or may not work. The time of day when zombies come out to play, loitering in the city's parks, in the darkened alcoves of closed businesses that line Clark and Fullerton Streets.
-chapter Heidi, page 146
She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away. But she can't get the girl out of her head…
Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman: she works for a nonprofit, takes in stray cats. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal—or worse. But despite her family's objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home.
Heidi spends the next few days helping Willow get back on her feet, but as clues into Willow's past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she's willing to go to help a stranger. What starts as an act of kindness quickly spirals into a story far more twisted than anyone could have anticipated.
PeekAbook:
My two-bits:
From the start I felt leery and unsettled with all the characters which makes this a thriller that keeps you on your toes. Once I started to empathize with one, they would do something that changed my mind.
The story had a great way of spiraling down into dark territory and then twisting and turning into something else. Loved that.
Although food was not a focus, it was described and had presence enough to make me want to eat a chicken pot pie ;-)
About the author:
Mary Kubica is the bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL (2014) and PRETTY BABY (2015). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature.
Mary lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children and enjoys photography, gardening and caring for the animals at a local shelter.
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:
Tin House
Summer Reading issue
-magazine, fiction, poetry, etc. Website
Freebie ebook:
Spin: (A Mafia Romance)
Corruption Series #1 (Songs of Corruption)
by CD Reiss Amazon | Goodreads
Won from contest:
Sweet as Sin
(Bad Habit, #1)
by J.T. Geissinger
-New Adult, Music, Romance
courtesy of Goodreads
Thanks ! Amazon | Goodreads
=====> wheeee! sometimes the stars align ;-)
For Review:
If You Only Knew
by Kristan Higgins
-Chick-lit
courtesy of publisher
Thanks ! Amazon | Goodreads -enter giveaway, ends Aug 24
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship
by Arthur Ransome, Uri Shulevitz (Illustrator)
-Caldecott winner, Fairy Tale, Russian Amazon | Goodreads
When the Czar proclaims that he will marry his daughter to the man who brings him a flying ship, the Fool of the World sets out to try his luck and meets some unusual companions on the way.
OTHER things on my shelf: kinda book-related
SEE who I picked for my JULY Literary Hunk of the Month (here)
AND binge watching:
Poldark
tv series, season one
-drama, historical, romance Amazon | imdb
Ross Poldark returns home after American Revolutionary War and rebuilds his life with a new business venture, making new enemies and finding a new love where he least expects it.
=====> I stopped watching this when I started reading the first two books this month. Now I am catching up with the last few episodes.
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* 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
Preorder Never Said by Carol Lynch Williams,
a gripping new YA novel,
and be entered to win a $200 gift card!
For as long as she can remember, Sarah’s family life has revolved around her twin sister, Annie—the pretty one, the social one, the girl who can do anything. The person everyone seems to wish Sarah—with her crippling shyness—could simply become.
When Annie suddenly chops off her hair, quits beauty pageants, and gains weight, the focus changes—Annie is still the star of the family, but for all the wrong reasons. Sarah knows something has happened, but she too is caught in her own spiral after her boyfriend breaks up with her and starts hanging out with one of Annie’s old friends.
Annie is intent on keeping her painful secret safe. But when she and Sarah start spending time together again for the first time in years, walls start to break on both sides … and words that had been left unsaid could change everything.
Preorder now (here) and send your receipt to christelle@sparkpointstudio.com to enter!
Get extra entries when you share the news about Never Said on social and tag @BookSparks!
Tweet this: “Can’t wait to read NEVER SAID a new YA read on the @BookSparks YA Summer Reading Challenge! http://amzn.to/1ORhztH"
The giveaway ends August 24th, so preorder now for a chance to win a $200 Target gift card!
Pretty Baby
by Mary Kubica
Just released: July 28, 2015 Amazon | Goodreads
She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away. But she can't get the girl out of her head…
Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman: she works for a nonprofit, takes in stray cats. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal—or worse. But despite her family's objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home.
Heidi spends the next few days helping Willow get back on her feet, but as clues into Willow's past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she's willing to go to help a stranger. What starts as an act of kindness quickly spirals into a story far more twisted than anyone could have anticipated.
PeekAbook:
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* looking forward to reviewing this for blog tour, so you will hear more about this one soon ;-)
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.
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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
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
