Showing posts with label Michelle Cox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michelle Cox. Show all posts

Friday, March 31, 2017

A Ring of Truth by Michelle Cox

A Ring of Truth
by Michelle Cox

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Release date: April 4, 2017
Publisher: She Writes Press
Genre: Historical, Mystery
Paperback: 320 pages
Rating: 5

Henrietta and Inspector Clive series:
A Girl Like You
A Ring of Truth

First sentence(s):
Henrietta shifted uncomfortably as she stood next to Clive outside the massive oak double doors of the Howard family home—Highbury, he called it—in Winnetka.

In this second book of the series, Henrietta and Clive delightfully rewrite Pride and Prejudice―with a hint of mystery!

Newly engaged, Clive and Henrietta now begin the difficult task of meeting each other’s family. “Difficult” because Clive has neglected to tell Henrietta that he is in fact the heir to the Howard estate and fortune, and Henrietta has just discovered that her mother has been hiding secrets about her past as well. When Clive brings Henrietta to the family estate to meet his parents, they are less than enthused about his impoverished intended. Left alone in this extravagant new world when Clive returns to the city, Henrietta finds herself more at home with the servants than his family, much to the disapproval of Mrs. Howard―and soon gets caught up in the disappearance of an elderly servant’s ring, not realizing that in doing so she has become part of a bigger, darker plot.

As Clive and Henrietta attempt to discover the truth in the two very different worlds unraveling around them, they both begin to wonder: Are they meant for each other after all?


My two-bits:

Such a delightful cozy read at the get go!

The trappings of wedding preparations, family drama and classism (and of course, romance) with a mystery thrown in makes for good-time reading set in 1930s Chicago.

I got pulled into the story with the daily living aspects and details of this world.

This is the second book in a series, but works as a standalone.

~*~

* review copy courtesy of tour

* part of Cloak & Dagger Challenge (here)




Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday - 3.22.17

Waiting on Wednesday
hosted by Breaking the Spine
Spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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I'm waiting for...

A Ring of Truth
(A Henrietta and Inspector Clive Novel, #2)
by Michelle Cox
-Historical, Mystery
Release date: April 4, 2017
Amazon | Goodreads

In this second book of the series, Henrietta and Clive delightfully rewrite Pride and Prejudice―with a hint of mystery!

Newly engaged, Clive and Henrietta now begin the difficult task of meeting each other’s family. “Difficult” because Clive has neglected to tell Henrietta that he is in fact the heir to the Howard estate and fortune, and Henrietta has just discovered that her mother has been hiding secrets about her past as well. When Clive brings Henrietta to the family estate to meet his parents, they are less than enthused about his impoverished intended. Left alone in this extravagant new world when Clive returns to the city, Henrietta finds herself more at home with the servants than his family, much to the disapproval of Mrs. Howard―and soon gets caught up in the disappearance of an elderly servant’s ring, not realizing that in doing so she has become part of a bigger, darker plot.

As Clive and Henrietta attempt to discover the truth in the two very different worlds unraveling around them, they both begin to wonder: Are they meant for each other after all?



Saturday, March 4, 2017

Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post - 3.4.17

Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
AND
Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer (details)

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Caught up with some Oscar movie watching before the Sunday ceremony. Despite the 2017 OSCAR's being over, there are still a few more films that were nominated that I will be watching and posting about.

With March being Women's History Month, I will be including related books in this month's reading pile.

Also this month my favorite book competition, Tournament of Books 2017 (details) begins! It kicks off on March 8 and the bracket is now available (here).

~*~

For Review:

The Second Jezebel
by Peter Mowbray
-Historical
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads


A Ring of Truth
(A Henrietta and Inspector Clive Novel, #2)
by Michelle Cox
-Historical, Mystery
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads


OTHER things book related):

Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge
March 1-31, 2017
sponsored by Caffeinated Book Reviewer (details)

JOINED this challenge to prompt me to reach into the depths of my TBR pile.


Cage Match 2017
sponsored by Unbound Worlds (details)

THOUGHT this would be a fun way to learn about popular Sci-Fi and Fantasy book characters.


Author event:


Booksmith in San Francisco hosted an event with Meg Elison to celebrate the release of The Book of Etta which is the second book in The Road to Nowhere series, The Book of the Unnamed Midwife. She mentions that her story is a mashup of The Handmaid's Tale (by Margaret Atwood) and queers. She also said that the buzz words that surround her books are "gender plague" and "gender fluidity". Looking forward to figuring out what these mean when I read her books. Book 3 is due to release in 2018.


Bought:

The Book of the Unnamed Midwife
by Meg Elison
-Sci-Fi, Post Apocalyptic
Amazon | Goodreads

Philip K. Dick Award Winner for Distinguished Science Fiction

When she fell asleep, the world was doomed. When she awoke, it was dead.

In the wake of a fever that decimated the earth’s population—killing women and children and making childbirth deadly for the mother and infant—the midwife must pick her way through the bones of the world she once knew to find her place in this dangerous new one. Gone are the pillars of civilization. All that remains is power—and the strong who possess it.

A few women like her survived, though they are scarce. Even fewer are safe from the clans of men, who, driven by fear, seek to control those remaining. To preserve her freedom, she dons men’s clothing, goes by false names, and avoids as many people as possible. But as the world continues to grapple with its terrible circumstances, she’ll discover a role greater than chasing a pale imitation of independence.

After all, if humanity is to be reborn, someone must be its guide.



The Book of Etta
by Meg Elison
-Sci-Fi, Post Apocalyptic
Amazon | Goodreads

Etta comes from Nowhere, a village of survivors of the great plague that wiped away the world that was. In the world that is, women are scarce and childbearing is dangerous…yet desperately necessary for humankind’s future. Mothers and midwives are sacred, but Etta has a different calling. As a scavenger. Loyal to the village but living on her own terms, Etta roams the desolate territory beyond: salvaging useful relics of the ruined past and braving the threat of brutal slave traders, who are seeking women and girls to sell and subjugate.

When slavers seize those she loves, Etta vows to release and avenge them. But her mission will lead her to the stronghold of the Lion—a tyrant who dominates the innocent with terror and violence. There, with no allies and few weapons besides her wits and will, she will risk both body and spirit not only to save lives but also to liberate a new world’s destiny.



AND watched: in theatre

Oscar shorts: Documentary
Extremis
4.1 Miles
Joe's Violin
Watani: My Homeland
The White Helmets -winner

THIS is the first set of documentary Oscar shorts I have seen at the theatre. And all very good. The one that touched me the most was, 4.1 Miles.


AND watched: on DVD

Life, Animated (2016)
Director: Roger Ross Williams
Based on book by: Ron Suskind
-Documentary, Animation, Drama | imdb | my rating: 4

A coming of age story about a boy and his family who overcame great challenges by turning Disney animated movies into a language to express love, loss, kinship and brotherhood.

Oscar nominated for Documentary Feature.

Wonderful story of a person with autism and how Disney movies provided more than viewing entertainment. Quite often we here about the kids, but this story portrays a young adult.


Suicide Squad (2016)
Director/Writer: David Ayer
Starring: Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie
-Action, Adventure, Fantasy | imdb | my rating: 5

A secret government agency recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse.

Oscar nominated for Makeup and Hairstyling. -winner

SURPRISINGLY I ended up liking this and thought it would be the winner at the Oscar's. Loved adorable couple, the Joker and Harley Quinn.


THESE are movie tidbit reviews posted before the nominee announcement:

Star Trek Beyond (here)
Oscar nominated for Makeup and Hairstyling.

Hell or High Water (here)
Oscar nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay, Film Editing.

The Lobster (here)
Oscar nominated for Original Screenplay.

Captain Fantastic (here)
Oscar nominated for Best Actor.

Silence (here)
Oscar nominated for Cinematography.

Doctor Strange (here)
Oscar nominated for Visual Effects.

Kubo and the Two Strings (here)
Oscar nominated for Animated Feature, Visual Effects.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (here)
Oscar nominated for Costume Design, Production Design.

AND these are ones I watched but did not review:

Jackie (2016)
Oscar nominated for Costume Design, Original Score.
my rating: 4

Zootopia (2016)
Oscar nominated for Animated Feature.
my rating: 4

Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)
Oscar nominated for Best Actress.
my rating: DNF


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

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

A Girl Like You by Michelle Cox

A Girl Like You
A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel
by Michelle Cox

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter @michellecox33

Just released: April 19, 2016
Publisher: She Writes Press
Genre: Historical, 1930s, Mystery
Paperback: 218 pages
Rating: 5

The Henrietta and Inspector Howard series:
A Girl Like You
book 2 -tba

First sentence(s):
Henrietta stole another look at her compact before she snapped it shut and hurried out from behind the bar.

Henrietta Von Harmon works as a 26 girl at a corner bar on Chicago's northwest side. It's 1935, but things still aren't looking up since the big crash and her father's subsequent suicide, leaving Henrietta to care for her antagonistic mother and younger siblings.

Henrietta is eventually persuaded to take a job as a taxi dancer at a local dance hall and just when she's beginning to enjoy herself, the floor matron turns up dead. When aloof Inspector Clive Howard appears on the scene, Henrietta agrees to go undercover for him and is plunged into Chicago's grittier underworld. Meanwhile, she's still busy playing mother hen to her younger siblings, as well as to pesky neighborhood boy Stanley, who believes himself in love with her and keeps popping up in the most unlikely places, determined to keep Henrietta safe even from the Inspector, if need be.

Despite his efforts, however, and his penchant for messing up the Inspector's investigation, the lovely Henrietta and the impenetrable Inspector find themselves drawn to each other in most unsuitable ways."


My two-bits:

I loved how this story transported me back into the 1930s by way of a mystery told by the perspective of a spunky gal who finds herself part of a murder investigation.

The descriptions of the times and settings pulled me in. I got an understanding of the lives of taxi dancers and burlesque club workers.

The main character, Henrietta, was engaging to follow along with her interactions with family members and others characters she encountered.

Also, loved the start of a friendship and working partnership between Henrietta and Inspector Howard. There is also a nice light touch of romance in the background.

About the author:
Michelle Cox has a B.A. in English literature from Mundelein College, Chicago. She is a writer of historical fiction but has also been known to dash off a mystery or two. While her heart might lie in the eighteenth century with Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy or in the crooked streets of Little Dorrit's London, she tends to write of a slightly more recent age, a time closer to the World Wars, when all was not yet lost and the last roses of summer were first coming into bloom. Ms. Cox lives with her husband and three children in the Chicago suburbs.

--~ Blog Tour Giveaway ~--

ENTER to win this book here
-offer ends April 30, 2016

~*~

* review copy courtesy of It's Raining Books Blog Tour (details) sponsored by BookSparks


Saturday, April 9, 2016

Stacking the Shelves - 4.9.16

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!

~*~

Bought:

The Dark Days Club
(Lady Helen, #1)
by Alison Goodman
-Historical, Steampunk, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

Lady Renegades
(Rebel Belle #3)
by Rachel Hawkins
-Fantasy, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

Wink Poppy Midnight
by April Genevieve Tucholke
-Mystery, YA
Amazon | Goodreads


=====> Books Inc. of San Francisco (Opera Plaza) presented Penguin Teen YA authors along with their latest books!

Something about each…

Alison Goodman about The Dark Days Club:
Influenced by Georgette Heyer works as well as Pride & Prejudice tv series (with Colin Firth)
Adaptation preference of book: BBC tv series

Alwyn Hamilton about Rebel of the Sands:
Wild west meets Arabian nights
Adaptation preference of book: Musical (like Les Miserables)

April Genevieve Tucholke about Wink Poppy Midnight:
Influence from film Diabolique
Adaptation preference of book: Film

Rachel Hawkins about Lady Renegades:
Created a character totally opposite of the main character in Hex Hall.
Adaptation preference of book: Musical

Sabaa Tahir about An Ember in the Ashes:
Research will be underway at a sword forging class for the third book.
Adaptation preference of book: Film

WON from contest:

An Ember in the Ashes
by Sabaa Tahir
courtesy of Confessions of a Book Addict and Beaks & Geeks podcast -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

For Review:

April Showers Book Tour Spring Box
from BookSparks (details)

Start With the Backbeat by Garine Isassi | Goodreads
A Girl Like You A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel by Michelle Cox | Goodreads
Parting Gifts by Katrina Willis | Goodreads
Meternity by Meghann Foye | Goodreads
The Goodbye Year by Kaira Rouda | Goodreads

ALSO included in this box:
Notebook by Sparrow + Wolf
Starbucks card
Umbrella cookie cutter
Spring themed pencil

OTHER things on my shelf: kinda book-related

Bookmark & Book Ribbons swag
for Walk The Edge by Katie McGarry

=====> I have a second set of this. Let me know in comments if you would like to have it and I will send it your way.

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!


Box #58 includes:
- A signed first-edition of A Doubter's Almanac by Ethan Canin in a custom slipcase
- A collectible booklet featuring the Powells.com interview and Indiespensable Q&A with Ethan Canin
- Mathematics Nalgene bottle

The Doubter's Almanac
by Ethan Canin
-Historical, Literary
Powell's | Amazon | Goodreads

Milo Andret is born with an unusual mind. A lonely child growing up in the woods of northern Michigan in the 1950s, Milo gives little thought to his talent, and not until his acceptance at U.C. Berkeley does he realize the extent, and the risks, of his singular gifts. California in the seventies is an initiation and a seduction, opening Milo’s eyes to the allure of both ambition and indulgence. The research he begins there will make him a legend; the woman, and the rival, he meets there will haunt him always. For Milo’s brilliance is inextricably linked to a dark side that ultimately threatens to unravel his work, his son and daughter, and his life.

AND watched: in theatre

Allegiant (2016)
Director: Robert Schwentke
Screenplay: Noah Oppenheim, Adam Cooper, Bill Collage
Based on book by: Veronica Roth
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Jeff Daniels
-Action, Adventure, Mystery | imdb | my rating: 4

After the earth-shattering revelations of Insurgent, Tris must escape with Four beyond the wall that encircles Chicago, to finally discover the shocking truth of the world around them.

=====> Tris rocks! Wraps up the trilogy, but left me wondering.

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Screenplay/Story: Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken
Screenplay: Damien Chazelle
Starring: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr.
-Drama, Horror, Mystery | imdb | my rating: 4

After getting in a car accident, a woman is held in a shelter with two men, who claim the outside world is affected by a widespread chemical attack.

=====> I watched this before watching the first movie, Cloverfield. I liked how this story was twisty and unpredictable.

Hardcore Henry (2015)
Director: Ilya Naishuller
Screenplay: Ilya Naishuller, Will Stewart
Based on book by:
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Tim Roth, Haley Bennett
-Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | imdb | my rating: 4

A first-person action film from the eyes of Henry, who's resurrected from death with no memory. He must discover his identity and save his wife from a warlord with a plan to bio-engineer soldiers.

=====> Crazy wild ride with this one. The GoPro camera work can play havoc with people who easily get motion sickness. Watching this made me feel like I was part of a virtual reality shoot-em-up video game. Lots and lots and lots of bad guys with fight scenes galore litter the screen. In the end an interesting experience with a scifi storyline to the point of wanting to do a rewatch.

Viewers of this screening got a free comic book which is an origin story for the movie...

Hardcore Akan
Excerpt

~*~

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


Friday, April 8, 2016

April Showers: It's Raining Books

It's Raining Books
April Showers Blog Tour (details)
sponsored by BookSparks
#itsrainingbooks

For the month of April, BookSparks has sprinkled me with books to keep me busy on those rainy days spent indoors.

I am challenging myself to read them all before month's end.

~*~

Start With the Backbeat
by Garine Isassi
-Humor, Historical
Amazon | Goodreads | my review


A Girl Like You
A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel
by Michelle Cox
-Mystery
Amazon | Goodreads | my review


Parting Gifts
by Katrina Willis
-Women's Fiction, Family
Amazon | Goodreads | my review


Meternity
by Meghann Foye
-ChickLit
Amazon | Goodreads | my review


The Goodbye Year
by Kaira Rouda
-Women's Fiction, Family
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

 
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