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).

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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

Friday, March 3, 2017

Little People, Big Dreams series

Little People, Big Dreams: Coco Chanel
by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Ana Albero

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon | Goodreads

Published: 2016
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Childrens Books
Genre: Biography, Children
Hardback: 32 pages
Rating: 5

Little People, Big Dreams series:
Coco Chanel
Frida Kahlo
Audrey Hepburn
Amelia Earhart
Agatha Christie
Marie Curie
Ella Fitzgerald
Maya Angelou

In this new series, discover the lives of outstanding people from designers and artists to scientists. All of them went on to achieve incredible things, yet all of them began life as a little child with a dream. The first book follows Coco Chanel, from her early life in an orphange--where she is a genius with needle and thread--to her time as a cabaret singer, hat maker, and, eventually, international fashion designer. This inspiring and informative little biography comes with extra facts about Coco's life at the back.

PeekAbook:


Gabrielle "was" different. While the other girls played, she liked to sew with a needle and thread. -page 5

My two-bits:

A quick way to learn about inspirational women in history is with this illustrated children's series. The basic essential qualities of each woman is presented with key moments in their lives as they strived towards their dream.

I love the look of this collection and plan on reading more of it.

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Little People, BIG DREAMS: Maya Angelou
by Lisbeth Kaiser
illustrated by Leire Salaberria
Rating: 5

Amazon | Goodreads
Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou Amazon | Goodreads

I picked this up to read before getting into Maya's book. I love the overall theme of girls with dreams and working towards it despite hardships.

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Bad Girls Throughout History by Ann Shen

Bad Girls Throughout History
100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World
by Ann Shen

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Blog
Dribble
Instagram
Pinterest
Tumblr
Twitter @anndanger

Release date: September 6, 2016
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Genre: History, Art
Hardback: 216 pages
Rating: 5

First sentence(s):
This is a book about women. This is a book about girls who had a ton of fear and personal flaws and faced insurmountable obstacles but did amazing things anyway. This is a book about those who came before us, who knocked up against that glass ceiling and made a tiny fissure or a full-on crack.

Aphra Behn, first female professional writer. Sojourner Truth, activist and abolitionist. Ada Lovelace, first computer programmer. Marie Curie, first woman to win the Nobel Prize. Joan Jett, godmother of punk. The 100 revolutionary women highlighted in this gorgeously illustrated book were bad in the best sense of the word: they challenged the status quo and changed the rules for all who followed. From pirates to artists, warriors, daredevils, scientists, activists, and spies, the accomplishments of these incredible women vary as much as the eras and places in which they effected change. Featuring bold watercolor portraits and illuminating essays by Ann Shen, Bad Girls Throughout History is a distinctive, gift-worthy tribute.

PeekAbook:


My two-bits:

Loved this colorful illustrated book with essays of women both well-known and not.

This is one of those books to put on the coffee table for instant inspiration, herstory and eye candy.

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* review copy courtesy of publisher

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge

Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge
Begins midnight March 1st, 2017 and ends March 31, 2017 at 11:59 pm
sponsored by Caffeinated Book Reviewer (details)

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A great way to make a dent in the good old TBR pile!

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Goals:

1. I plan to at least squeeze 2 books into this month's schedule.

2. Do some bookshelf organizing while I am picking out a stack of possible reads.

3. Join the 24-hour TBR read-a-thon on Saturday, March 18th

Done pile:

Bad Girls Throughout History:
100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World
by Ann Shen
Amazon | Goodreads | my review


The Vegetarian
by Han Kang
-Literary, Korea
Man Booker International Prize 2016
Powells | Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Waiting on Wednesday - 3.1.17

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

For March, Women's History Month, I'm waiting for...

How to Be a Bawse:
A Guide to Conquering Life
by Lilly Singh
-Humor, Self Help
Release date: March 28, 2017
Amazon | Goodreads

From the 2017 People’s Choice Award winner for Favorite YouTube Star comes the definitive guide to being a bawse: a person who exudes confidence, hustles relentlessly, and smiles genuinely because he or she has fought through it all and made it out the other side.

Lilly Singh isn’t just a superstar. She’s Superwoman—which is also the name of her wildly popular YouTube channel. Funny, smart, and insightful, the actress and comedian covers topics ranging from relationships to career choices to everyday annoyances. It’s no wonder she’s garnered more than a billion views. But Lilly didn’t get to the top by being lucky—she had to work for it. Hard.

Now Lilly wants to share the lessons she learned while taking the world by storm, and the tools she used to do it. How to Be a Bawse is the definitive guide to conquering life. Make no mistake, there are no shortcuts to success, personal or professional. World domination requires real effort, dedication, and determination. Just consider Lilly a personal trainer for your life—with fifty rules to get you in the game, including

• Let Go of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): Temptation will try to steer you away from your goals. FOMO is just a test of your priorities, a test that a bawse is ready to pass.
• Be Nice to People: Treat niceness like an item on your daily to-do list. People will go out of their way to help and support you because you make them feel good.
• Schedule Inspiration: Lack of motivation isn’t permanent or a sign of weakness. Expect it and proactively schedule time to be creative.
• Be the Dumbest: Challenge yourself by surrounding yourself with people who know more than you do. It’s a vital way to learn and improve.

Told in Lilly’s hilarious, bold voice and packed with photos and candid stories from her journey to the top, How to Be a Bawse will make you love your life and yourself—even more than you love Beyoncé. (Yes, we said it!)

WARNING: This book does not include hopeful thoughts, lucky charms, or cute quotes. That’s because success, happiness, and everything else you want in life need to be worked for, not wished for. In Lilly’s world, there are no escalators, only stairs. Get ready to climb.




 
Imagination Designs
Images from: Lovelytocu