“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.
My “Waiting On” Wednesday selection for this week is Once, In Lourdes by Sharon Solwitz. I just unexpectedly received an ARC of this book from the publisher yesterday, along with a message saying that if I enjoyed Emma Cline’s The Girls, then I should enjoy this book as well. That piqued my curiosity because even though The Girls has had very mixed reviews, I loved it. It was one of my favorite reads from last year. Reading the synopsis and the advance praise for Once, In Lourdes makes me think that I could easily love this book as well.
In the turbulent summer of 1968, four high school friends make a pact that will change their lives forever.
As the Vietnam War rages overseas, four friends make a vow. For the next two weeks, they will live for each other and for each day. Then, at the end of the two weeks, they will sacrifice themselves on the altar of their friendship.
Loyal Kay, our narrator, dreams of being an artist and escaping her stifling family—the stepmother and stepsister she gained after her mother’s early death, and the father she no longer feels she knows. As she struggles with her weight, her schoolwork, and her longing for her mother, she feels loyalty only to her three friends, determined to keep their group together at any cost. Brilliant, charismatic CJ appears to have everything—though even those closest to him can’t see him as he really is. Steady, quiet Saint wants to do right by everyone, trying not to let his emotions destroy himself and those around him. And beautiful Vera’s family secrets are too dark to share, even with her closest friends; caught in a web of family dysfunction, she can only hope the others won’t get tangled up in the danger she senses around her.
In the two-week span in which the novel takes place, during the summer before their senior year of high school, the lives of Kay, CJ, Saint, and Vera will change beyond their expectations, and what they gain and lose will determine the novel’s outcome. Once, in Lourdes is a gripping, haunting novel about the power of teenage bonds, the story of four young people who will win your heart and transport you back to your own high school years. As the heady 1960s shift the ground beneath their feet, all of them must face who they are—and who they want to be.
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Praise for Once, In Lourdes
“After writing a spate of short stories, [Sharon Solwitz] returns to the longer form with a ravishing sense of place . . . and a heightened, almost surreal, feel for how intense emotions alter our perception of the world, especially in youth. Solwitz’s surging, many-threaded, complexly insightful tale dramatizes not only personal crises, but also the violence of the infamous 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago. Timely and timeless.”—Booklist (starred review)
“What makes Once, in Lourdes such a moving read is how deeply and finely Sharon Solwitz has observed and portrayed her characters. They are recognizable teenagers with recognizable desires and miseries and hardships, but they are so well rendered in their particulars that we follow them less and less as familiar types and more and more as the actual friends with whom we attempt to struggle through this part of life, making promises and pacts, breaking and keeping them, living and dying by them.”—Paul Harding, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Tinkers and Enon
“This is a story that reads achingly true to young angst, then, now, and always. It’s an achievement of remarkable empathy—and gorgeous prose.”—Janet Burroway, author of Raw Silk and Writing Fiction
“Sharon Solwitz has an ear so attuned to teen speech, teen humor, and, finally and most convincingly, teen angst that her novel crackles with urgency. She follows the rise and fall of adolescent moods, patient with their extremes and sympathetic to the neediness her characters struggle to hide. Once, in Lourdes will make you think you’re eavesdropping on what you’re not supposed to hear.”—Rosellen Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Before and After
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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your WoW selection for this week. 🙂
https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/once-in-lourdes.jpg700461Suzannehttps://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.pngSuzanne2017-03-29 06:14:012017-03-29 06:14:01Waiting on Wednesday: Spotlight on Once, In Lourdes
Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Authors I’m Dying To Meet / Ten Authors I Can’t Believe I’ve Met (some other “meeting authors” type spin you want to do). I’ve never actually met any authors before so I have a very long wishlist. My wishlist got a little shorter when favorites like Harper Lee and Maya Angelou passed away in recent years, but there are still so many I would love to meet in person so that I can thank them for feeding my love of wonderful books.
Top Ten Authors I’m Dying to Meet
1. TONI MORRISON
Toni Morrison is a legend! I took a seminar in college where we exclusively studied her fiction and her nonfiction, and I remember just being spellbound every word she wrote. I’m sure I’d make a fool of myself if I were ever to meet her in person, but I would still just love to thank her for sharing her exquisite words with the world. I remember reading this quote from Morrison back when I was in that class and it still resonates with me today, nearly 20 years later:
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
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2. HILLARY CLINTON
Speaking of legends…although I don’t often speak of politics and my adoration of Hillary Clinton since this is a blog about books, I sometimes forget that in addition to all of her other many accomplishments, she is also a successful author. I first became a fan of Hillary’s after reading her groundbreaking book “It Takes a Village and Other Lessons Children Teach Us” and would love to have the opportunity to meet with her and thank for inspiring me and so many other women of all ages.
“Human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights…”
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3. BEVERLY CLEARY
I seem to be on a roll with legends, so here’s one more that I would love to meet. Beverly Cleary’s stories were such an important part of my childhood. I adored them all and Beverly Cleary is, without a doubt, one of the main reasons why I still love to read as much as I do. I’m now sharing her stories with my son and he loves them too, so I’d just love to meet her and give her a huge hug and thank her for Beezus and Ramona and all of those wonderful characters that added such magic to my childhood.
“I hope children will be happy with the books I’ve written, and go on to be readers all of their lives.”
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4. JUDY BLUME
I would love to meet Judy Blume, another author who definitely gave me my love for reading, to thank her for creating Fudge. Fudgie is my son’s favorite so I’d love to introduce him to the author who came up with such an entertaining fictional character.
“The best books come from someplace deep inside…. Become emotionally involved. If you don’t care about your characters, your readers won’t either.”
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5. STEPHEN KING
I actually haven’t read that many of Stephen King’s book because I’m not a big horror fan, but I’d still love to meet him because I follow him on social media and he just seems like such a fascinating person. I’d love to pick his brain to see where he gets these horrifying brilliant story ideas from, but I’d also love to talk politics with him.
“People want to know why I do this, why I write such gross stuff. I like to tell them I have the heart of a small boy… and I keep it in a jar on my desk.”
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6. J. K. ROWLING
Seriously, is there anyone out there who doesn’t want to meet J.K. Rowling to thank her for the brilliance that is the Harry Potter series? Plus, following her on twitter, she just seems like such a hoot. I love watching her shut down the trolls, haha!
“If it’s a good book, anyone will read it. I’m totally unashamed about still reading things I loved in my childhood.”
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7. V.E. SCHWAB
I’m such a huge fan of Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic series and would love to meet her and make a fool of myself telling her how freaking awesome Lila Bard is. She is also another who seems like she would be a lot of fun to chat with based on her hilarious tweets.
“I am a firm believer that a good plot makes for a fun enough read, but it’s not what binds us. If we don’t care about the characters, we won’t care – not in a lasting way – about what’s happening to them.”
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8. YAA GYASI
I just read Yaa Gyasi’s beautiful debut HOMEGOING recently and it’s one of those books that I just can’t stop thinking about. I read in an interview that she has started writing another book and I’d love to meet her and hear about the new book.
“We believe the one who has power. He is the one who gets to write the story. So when you study history you must ask yourself, Whose story am I missing?, Whose voice was suppressed so that this voice could come forth? Once you have figured that out, you must find that story too. From there you get a clearer, yet still imperfect, picture.” (Homegoing)
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9. MARGARET ATWOOD
I’m sure I would just end up making a complete ass out of myself, but Margaret Atwood just has such a brilliant mind that I’d love to just sit down and talk about anything and everything with her – her books, her writing process, politics– you name it and I just know she’d have something profound to say on the subject. And I would just sit there in awe.
“Sooner or later, I hate to break it to you, you’re gonna die, so how do you fill in the space between here and there? It’s yours. Seize your space.”
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10. MARISSA MEYER
Marissa Meyer is an author who is fairly new to me, but I’m absolutely in love with The Lunar Chronicle Series. I’d love to meet her to find out how in the world she came up with such a creative and mind-blowingly fascinating take on the classic fairytales. I mean, seriously…Cinderella as a cyborg? Freaking genius!
“Even in the Future the Story Begins with Once Upon a Time.” (Cinder)
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Question: So there’s my 10. What authors are you dying to meet? Would any of mine make your list?
https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/toptentuesday.png8641600Suzannehttps://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.pngSuzanne2017-03-28 06:19:422017-03-28 06:20:20Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Authors I’m Dying to Meet
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Goodreads Synopsis: A father protects his daughter from the legacy of his past and the truth about her mother’s death in this thrilling new novel from the prize-winning author of The Good Thief.
After years spent living on the run, Samuel Hawley moves with his teenage daughter, Loo, to Olympus, Massachusetts. There, in his late wife’s hometown, Hawley finds work as a fisherman, while Loo struggles to fit in at school and grows curious about her mother’s mysterious death. Haunting them both are twelve scars Hawley carries on his body, from twelve bullets in his criminal past; a past that eventually spills over into his daughter’s present, until together they must face a reckoning yet to come. This father-daughter epic weaves back and forth through time and across America, from Alaska to the Adirondacks.
Both a coming-of-age novel and a literary thriller, The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley explores what it means to be a hero, and the cost we pay to protect the people we love most.
MY REVIEW
Do you ever read a book, know that you love it, but yet somehow can’t really put into words why? That’s how I feel about Hannah Tinti’s The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley. What initially drew me to this book was reading the synopsis and realizing that the book focuses on the relationship between a father and daughter. I can’t say that I’ve read nearly enough books that explore that dynamic so I was eager to give this book a shot.
Samuel Hawley and his daughter Loo (short for Louise) have spent most of Loo’s life living what can best be described as a transient lifestyle, moving from place to place and never staying anywhere too long. The only sense of permanence that Loo has experienced all this time is the makeshift shrine that Hawley builds for Loo’s mother in each place. Loo’s mother, Lily, drowned when Loo was just a baby, so it has just been Loo and her dad for as long as she can remember. We are given hints early on that the transient lifestyle Loo and her Dad are living stems from the fact that Hawley has a somewhat checkered past. Although Loo appears perfectly content living the way she and her Dad always have, when the novel opens and we meet Hawley and then 12 year old Loo, Hawley has decided that it’s time for Loo to have a more permanent and stable way of life and thus has settled them back in Lily’s hometown of Olympus, Massachusetts. As they go about their day-to-day lives in this tiny town, we start to get more and more hints that Hawley’s past is indeed a colorful one and that not even Loo, the person who is closest to him in the world, knows all that there is to know about him. The extent of Hawley’s past misadventures becomes very apparent when Hawley is coerced into participating in a town event and is required to remove his shirt to take part. When the shirt comes off, we see that Hawley’s body is riddled with old bullet wound scars. So many scars, in fact, that it seems nearly impossible he is even still alive.
LIKES
The revealing of so many scars was where things got especially interesting for me because the author then proceeds to use the bullet wound scars as a roadmap to carry us through Hawley’s past. She alternates chapters that are devoted to explaining how he received each bullet wound with chapters of the new life he is trying to start with Loo. What I loved about this way of constructing the story was how we see Hawley first as a dad, doing the best he can, willing to sacrifice anything and everything to give his daughter a normal life. Tinti fully humanizes him before revealing his past where we then see that Hawley has done a lot of awful things in his day. He has stolen things, hurt people, heck he has even killed people. But somehow, because I still see him first as Loo’s dad, I love the character in spite of the many questionable choices he has made in the past. I think if Tinti had revealed the gory details of Hawley’s past first and then tried to move forward and show that he has now reformed himself and become a great dad, Hawley wouldn’t be nearly as endearing as he is.
As much as the story is about Hawley and his past, I would also consider it to be a coming of age story for Loo. She spends much of the story trying to make sense of this new world she is now living in and what her place is in it, and she is particularly determined to learn more about what happened to her mother. Hawley has sought to protect Loo from the full truth of her mother’s death because he knows that it will be even more heartbreaking for her than the truth she has been led to believe all her life. When Loo meets her grandmother (Lily’s mother) for the first time after they settle in Olympus, her grandmother implies that Hawley is in some way responsible for Lily’s death. This makes Loo’s journey to find the truth all the more poignant as Hawley is all she really has in this world. Can she forgive him if he is responsible? Loo’s story becomes especially moving as we cycle back and forth between her chapters set in the present and Hawley’s chapters set in the past. In Hawley’s chapters, we see how he and Lily met and fell in love, and then in present-day chapters, we follow Loo as she slowly unravels the mystery surrounding her mom’s death. Tinti does a beautiful job weaving together the past and present in a heartwrenching journey that ultimately brings Loo to that truth she has been so desperately seeking.
Tinti adds even more complexity to her story by making it a bit of a thriller as well as the ghost of Hawley’s past still lurks and threatens this new life he is trying so hard to make for his daughter. All of these different layers – the past, the present, the love, the suspense — and how they effortlessly fit together is what makes The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley such an engaging read.
DISLIKES?
I can’t really say that I have any complaints about the novel. At first I’ll admit I was a little wary about the bullet hole chapters, especially since they were actually named BULLET NUMBER ONE, BULLET NUMBER TWO, etc. I thought ‘Oh boy, this is either going to be hokey or it’s going to be brilliant.’ Thankfully, brilliant won out and it worked fabulously.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you’re looking for a wonderfully intricate read that authentically captures the father-daughter bond, then give The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley a read. I would, however, forewarn that there is a lot of violence as you can probably guess from the few hints I dropped about Hawley’s past. Both love and violence are at the core of this tale.
RATING: 4 STARS
About Hannah Tinti
Hannah Tinti grew up in Salem, Massachusetts, and is co-founder and editor-in-chief of One Story magazine. Her short story collection, ANIMAL CRACKERS, has sold in sixteen countries and was a runner-up for the PEN/Hemingway award. Her first novel, THE GOOD THIEF, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, recipient of the American Library Association’s Alex Award, and winner of the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize. Hannah’s new novel, THE TWELVE LIVES OF SAMUEL HAWLEY will be published by The Dial Press on 3/28/17.
https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/12-lives.jpg22551484Suzannehttps://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.pngSuzanne2017-03-27 06:25:002017-03-27 06:25:00ARC Review: The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley
Goodreads Synopsis: Here is the third volume in George R.R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. Together, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.
Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall. Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world. And as opposing forces manoeuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a horde of mythical Others—a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords…
MY REVIEW
A giant review for a giant book! Wow, where to even start with this 1,100+ page beast of a book? First of all, I’m ecstatic that I finally finished it because A Storm of Swords has been sitting on my bookshelf begging me to read it for nearly two years. I kept looking at all of those pages and putting it back thinking of how many other books I could read in the time I knew it would take me to tackle that many pages. I’m so glad I finally gave in and decided to tackle it in 2017 because HOLY COW, what a book this is! Definitely my favorite of the series thus far!
It’s so hard to write reviews of books midway through a series because there’s just so much to gush, rant and rave about, but I don’t want to spoil anything for someone who is just starting the series. Here’s my attempt to lay out what I loved about A Storm of Swords as close to spoiler free as I can make it. If you’re truly worried about spoilers, just stop here knowing that the book is phenomenal and incredibly important in terms of character growth. Otherwise, keep reading…
As always, the level of intensity of this story is off the charts as each of our major players continue their quest for the Iron Throne. This installment of the series is filled with betrayals, epic action scenes, and more deaths than I can even begin to count, including one death that is sure to leave readers jumping for joy! There are also ill-fated weddings, a trial by combat, and much, much more. And don’t even get me started on the world building! Martin’s description of the Seven Kingdoms is, without a doubt, some of the best world building I’ve ever read. He is right up there with J. R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series.
In spite of all of that, however, what makes A Storm of Swords such a stand out for me are the characters and how Martin shapes them in this book. I keep telling myself not to get attached to any of these characters because George R.R. Martin has no qualms about killing any of them off. Even knowing no characters are off limits in this deadly ‘game of thrones’, Martin just creates such realistic, complex, and utterly flawed characters that you can’t help but become invested in them anyway. With this third book, I found myself growing even more attached than ever to Arya Stark, Sansa Stark, Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys Stormborn Targaryen, Brienne of Tarth, and Jaime Lannister (Yeah, I know. I can’t believe Jaime is on my list either, haha!)
LIKES
Arya. Even though she’s still basically just a little girl, Arya is tough as nails, able to hold her own against pretty much anyone out there, and has learned to handle a sword with the best of them. She has a long to-do list of names of people she plans to kill in revenge for what has been done to her family. I love that she periodically recites the list, just to make sure she doesn’t forget anyone, and my money’s on Arya to actually kill everyone she wants to kills and to somehow beat the odds and make it through to the end of the series alive. My favorite moment of this book is the unexpected moment when she actually teams up with her nemesis, the Hound, and they fight together and then end up traveling together.
Sansa. Sansa shows growth as well in the sense that she has become worldlier and less naïve, especially when it comes to King Joffrey and the Lannisters. Even though at one time she thought she would be married to him, she knows all of that is over now and that she is nothing to the Lannisters but a pawn in this game they’re all playing. In this book, she finds herself wed to another man, one who is probably the last person she would have chosen for herself and then ultimately on the run, accused of a crime she did not commit. As much as I like Sansa, I feel differently about her than I do Arya. Where I think Arya is a kick ass warrior in the making, with Sansa, I just always end up feeling pity for her because she seems to go from one bad situation to the next, with little or no reprieve. I fear that she may end up a casualty unless she continues to grow stronger and stand up for herself more.
Jon Snow. In a lot of ways, Jon Snow really comes into his own in this book. After spending much of the first two books lamenting about how he isn’t worthy of anything because he’s just the bastard son of Ned Stark, Jon rises to the occasion and does big things here. My favorite moments for him were when he took the lead in defending the Wall by first infiltrating the barbaric Wildlings to spy on them for the Night’s Watch and then later returning to the Wall and leading the Night’s Watch in their defense of it .
(Speaking of the Wall, there are some absolutely epic battle scenes here as forces converge on the Wall and try to break through. You’ve got the Others, who are basically the supernatural equivalents of the Walking Dead, and they are nearly unstoppable. Then you’ve also got Wildlings attacking, and Giants riding on mammoths barreling through. It was never entirely clear to me just how serious the Night Watchmen’s oath to defend the Wall was until this book and these scenes. What lies beyond the Wall is truly terrifying!)
Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion, or the Imp as he is known, has always been somewhat of a sentimental favorite of mine. Even though he’s a Lannister, who are probably the most hated out of all of the families in contention for the Iron Throne, Tyrion has always been somewhat of an outcast in his own family simply because he’s a dwarf. He tries to protect Sansa when he sees Joffrey and others abusing her, and overall he just seems to have a good heart. What really stood out for me in this book though is that Tyrion finally seems to have had enough of being shamed and name-called by his own family, by those people who should love and care for him even if everyone else is against him. And he snaps, revealing a much darker nature to his character than we have seen up until this point.
Daenerys. There’s not much to be said here other than, like Arya Stark, Daenerys, the exiled Queen, goes full on badass in this book. She’s coming for her throne and she has dragons(!) and an army, so everyone in her path had better watch out! This was particularly exciting to me because I thought her story was kind of lame in the second book. Martin more than makes up for it here though. Talk about strong female characters!
Brienne of Tarth. God, I love this character so much! I love her strength and her fierceness and that she defies gender stereotypes. Most of all though, I admire her loyalty. In a series that is so full of betrayal and deceit, Brienne is just so refreshing in that if she swears an oath, she is determined to keep that oath no matter the cost. In this installment, she has sworn to Catelyn Stark that she will take their prisoner, Jaime Lannister, and journey to King’s Landing to return him to his family in exchange for Catelyn’s daughters, whom they believe the Lannisters are holding. This journey doesn’t quite go according to plan and they face many unexpected obstacles, but Brienne never gives up. As Jaime says on numerous occasions, she is the most stubborn woman he has ever known. Brienne’s exchanges with Jaime are some of my favorites in the book. They are humorous at times, but ultimately Brienne earns Jaime’s respect. And Jaime showing Brienne the respect she deserves actually serves to humanize Jaime quite a bit as well (although it did bother me how much he focused on her looks and couldn’t stop thinking about how ugly he thought she was).
Jaime. Speaking of Jaime, how brilliant is George R.R. Martin that he actually turned one of my least favorite characters into one of my favorites this book? If you had told me after the first book when Jaime throws a young boy out of a window and cripples him, that he would go on to become a character that I liked, I would tell you that you had bumped your head, but yet here we are. Martin introduces Jaime’s point of view in this third book and as we see things from Jaime’s perspective, we suddenly understand that many of his actions along the way have not been as ruthless and unjustified as they initially seemed. What he did to the boy is still unforgivable, but he has a lot more honor and integrity than we were originally led to believe.
DISLIKES?
My only complaint about this book is the length. Yes, the world building is incredible, but Martin does spend a lot of time describing details that probably could have easily been left out (i.e. bodily functions and whatnot). I caught myself a few times along the way contemplating ways that the book could have been shortened without losing any important details.
FINAL THOUGHTS?
Just because these books are such a time investment, it will probably be a while before I move on to the fourth book in the series. That said, A Song of Fire and Ice is still one of the most brilliant fantasy series I’ve ever read and one that I would recommend to any mature reader. I would not recommend it for younger readers because of the levels of graphic violence and sex.
RATING: 4.5 stars
About George R.R. Martin
George R.R. Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin’s first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: “The Hero,” sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin’s present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers’ Guild of America, West.
https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/storm-of-swords-e1697538153435.jpg250164Suzannehttps://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.pngSuzanne2017-03-26 09:21:182017-03-26 09:21:18#BeatTheBacklist Book Review: A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
As promised, here is the second giveaway that I am hosting in celebrating of my blog reaching the one-year milestone. Thanks again to everyone for all of their support. I’m very grateful to have such a wonderful community to share my love of books with.
For this giveaway, I’m offering the chance to win a preorder of ONE hardcover copy of an upcoming hot YA release. The winner will be able to choose from the 8 books pictured above. (Each title is linked to its Goodreads synopsis below in case you’re not familiar with any of them.). Use the Rafflecopter form below to submit your entries.
This giveaway will run until April 3, 2017 at midnight, and is international (as long as The Book Depository ships to you. (List of countries TBD ships to). The winner will be selected at random and will be contacted via DM on twitter to get his or her book of choice as well as shipping information.
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Goodreads Synopsis: At seventeen, Norah has accepted that the four walls of her house delineate her life. She knows that fearing everything from inland tsunamis to odd numbers is irrational, but her mind insists the world outside is too big, too dangerous. So she stays safe inside, watching others’ lives through her windows and social media feed.
But when Luke arrives on her doorstep, he doesn’t see a girl defined by medical terms and mental health. Instead, he sees a girl who is funny, smart, and brave. And Norah likes what he sees.
Their friendship turns deeper, but Norah knows Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can walk beneath the open sky. One who is unafraid of kissing. One who isn’t so screwed up. Can she let him go for his own good—or can Norah learn to see herself through Luke’s eyes?
MY REVIEW
Louise Gornall’s Under Rose-Tainted Skies is a contemporary young adult novel that focuses on what it’s like to live with a mental illness. The novel follows protagonist, seventeen year old Norah Dean, and the day-to-day challenges she faces because she has agoraphobia and OCD. Up until about four years ago, Norah was living the life of a typical teen – going to school, hanging out with her friends – until one day something abruptly changes and she gets caught in the grips of a terrifying panic attack, an attack so severe that she loses consciousness. When she wakes up, everything is different and she finds herself suddenly terrified of doing all of the things she used to do. When we first meet Norah, she is basically housebound. She no longer attends school, instead doing her coursework online, and the only time she ever leaves the house anymore is to attend weekly therapy sessions, which are emotionally exhausting for her, not so much because of the therapy itself, but more so because of the stress having to leave the safety of her home causes her. Because she has stopped leaving her home, she and her friends gradually drift apart and, by the time we meet Norah, her main social interactions are now with her mom and her therapist. That is, until Luke moves in next door. When he spots Norah peeking at him from her bedroom window, he decides to come over and introduce himself.
After a few awkward false starts, such as when Luke catches Norah “fishing” for her groceries out the front door with a long-handled broom because she’s too afraid to step out and retrieve them, Luke and Norah do finally meet and become friends. At first Norah tries to hide all of the details of her mental illness from Luke for fear of how he will react, but Luke is pretty perceptive and picks up on it anyway. She still withholds the extent of it, but does start to try to explain what she is going through. As their friendship slowly develops into something more, Norah struggles with the idea that she really is not worthy of Luke because she may never be able to do “normal” boyfriend/girlfriend activities with him and believes that he deserves much more than she has to offer him. This creates even more turmoil to Norah’s life as she must decide what she is going to do about Luke – let him in or let him go…
LIKES
Norah – I really adored Norah. She’s smart and funny, incredibly resourceful when it comes to coping with her illness, and she’s also much braver than she gives herself credit for being. I found Norah so likeable that I immediately wanted to know more about her condition since agoraphobia is something that I know next to nothing about. Being in Norah’s head as she struggles through each day made the story especially powerful and gave me a much clearer picture of the illness and how truly crippling it can be. Norah’s frustration is palpable throughout, especially the fact that she is very much aware that most of her fears were irrational, but still can’t stop their paralyzing effects. By allowing us access to Norah’s thoughts, Gornall paints an authentic and vivid portrait of agoraphobia and allows us to see beneath the surface of what is often considered an “invisible” illness.
Luke – Luke is just as adorable as Norah is and I especially loved how determined he was to befriend Norah in the beginning of the story, no matter how much she tried to avoid him. I don’t know that I completely bought into the idea of Luke and Norah as a romantic couple, but I was 100% into their friendship. I liked that he really wanted to know more about Norah’s condition – not to judge her as Norah had initially feared – but so that he could interact with her in ways that would be most comfortable to her.
Romance is not a “cure” – Even though I didn’t completely buy into the romantic aspect of the story, I did really like how Gornall keeps it real. Just as it wouldn’t happen in real life, having a boyfriend does not magically cure Norah. Granted, she does have more of a support system now that she has Luke in her corner in addition to her mom and therapist, but the illness is clearly still there throughout the book.
Humor – Even though Norah’s struggles with mental illness are quite serious, I loved that the author was still able to incorporate some light and humorous moments into the story. Norah occasionally finds herself in awkward situations, such as when she is shooing an obnoxious bird away from her window one day and new neighbor Luke sees her and thinks she is flirting with him. As embarrassing as it was for Norah at the time, I liked that later in the book, as Norah gets more comfortable with Luke, she’s able to laugh that moment off and explain to Luke that she wasn’t flirting with him – It was that the bird was messing with her OCD. Not that OCD is funny by any stretch of the imagination, but I did like that Norah was able to find humor and laugh at herself a bit rather than be humiliated about what happened.
DISLIKES
I can’t really say that there’s anything I disliked about Under Rose-Tainted Skies, although I would have liked a little more for the ending, mainly because I felt it wrapped up a little too quickly. I think that’s mainly because I had become so invested in Norah that I just didn’t want her story to end. I wanted to follow her longer and see how she was doing.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Norah’s story is one that needs to be told and Louise Grovall does a beautiful job in telling it. If you’re looking for a raw and honest look at the life of someone who is coping with agoraphobia and OCD, you should definitely check out Under Rose-Tainted Skies.
TRIGGERS
There is mention of self-harm and Norah’s therapist talks to her at length about it.
RATING
4.5 stars
About Louise Gornall
Louise Gornall in her own words:
“My name is Louise, and I write YA books. Sometimes contemp, sometimes horror, sometimes thriller. My debut YA contemp, Under Rose-Tainted Skies, will be published by HMH/Clarion (US), and Chicken House/Scholastic (UK) in the fall 2016/17.
Under Rose-Tainted Skies is about this chick, Norah, who suffers from agoraphobia, OCD and depression. Her life is one long blur of cheese sandwiches and trash tv, until she meets the new boy next door, Luke, and he starts to challenge her way of thinking.
It’s hard to believe this much time has gone by already, but The Bookish Libra turns one year old this week! I guess time flies when you’re doing something you love, right? And I do love sharing my love of books!
I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who has visited my blog during this first year. Your support and friendship has been so important to me and I very much look forward to continuing to get to know the book community.
As a token of my appreciation and of course to celebrate my blog’s milestone, I’m doing a couple of giveaways. One will start today and the other will start on Friday, so be sure to check back then to see the second one.
Up first, I’m giving away a hardcover copy of the 2017 release, The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas. This is such an important book that I think everyone should read so I want to do my part to make sure it gets into as many hands as possible. I started reading it a couple of days ago and the cover does not exaggerate: It is absolutely riveting.
In case there is anyone out there who isn’t familiar with this book, here’s the synopsis from Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
This giveaway will run for 10 days, ending at midnight on April 1st, and is international (as long as The Book Depository ships to you. (List of countries TBD ships to). The winner will be selected at random and will be contacted via DM on twitter to get shipping information for the prize.
https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/the-hate-u-give.jpg24171600Suzannehttps://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.pngSuzanne2017-03-22 09:43:422017-03-23 22:41:54Blogiversary Giveaway # 1: Hardcover Copy of The Hate U Give
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.
My “Waiting On” Wednesday selection for this week is The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke. There’s time travel, someone’s using dark magic to change history, and it’s set in Berlin before the Wall came down? Count me in for what sounds like it will be a truly unique read.
Ellie Baum feels the weight of history on her when she arrives on a school trip to Berlin, Germany. After all, she’s the first member of her family to return since her grandfather’s miraculous escape from a death camp in 1942. One moment she’s contemplating the Berlin Wall Memorial amidst the crowd, and the next, she’s yanked back through time, to 1988 East Berlin when the Wall is still standing.
Nobody knows how she got there, not even the members of the underground guild–the Runners and the Schopfers–who use balloons and magic to help people escape over the Wall. Now as a stranger in an oppressive regime, Ellie must hide from the police with the help of Kai, a Runner struggling with his own uneasy relationship with the powerful Balloonmakers and his growing feelings for Ellie. Together they search for the truth behind Ellie’s mysterious travel, and when they uncover a plot to alter history with dark magic, she must risk everything–including her only way home–to stop the deadly plans.
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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your WoW selection for this week. 🙂
https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/red-balloon.jpg1200851Suzannehttps://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.pngSuzanne2017-03-22 06:40:182017-03-22 06:40:47Waiting on Wednesday: THE GIRL WITH THE RED BALLOON
Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Read In One Sitting Theme: ten of the shortest books I’ve read, top ten books I read in one sitting, ten books to read when you are short on time, top ten books that will make you read the whole day away, etc. I had a total brain freeze and could only think of about 3 short books I had read, so I ended up going the ‘books that will make you read the day away’ route. It was easy to think of books that were so good I completely lost track of time and ended up reading the entire day away. I tend to get sucked in by World War II stories and by survival stories of any kind because I find them so riveting, and I feel the same way about suspenseful murder mysteries. On the other hand, however, I’ve also been known to lose myself in emotionally driven stories and even in the rich language of poetry. Here are just a few titles that once I got started on them, I got so caught up in the story that I read on and on, even beyond the point where my butt had fallen asleep from sitting for too long and my legs were so stiff that I could barely walk!
Top Ten Books That Will Make You Read The Day Away
1. THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah
Goodreads Synopsis: Despite their differences, sisters Vianne and Isabelle have always been close. Younger, bolder Isabelle lives in Paris while Vianne is content with life in the French countryside with her husband Antoine and their daughter. But when the Second World War strikes, Antoine is sent off to fight and Vianne finds herself isolated so Isabelle is sent by their father to help her.
As the war progresses, the sisters’ relationship and strength are tested. With life changing in unbelievably horrific ways, Vianne and Isabelle will find themselves facing frightening situations and responding in ways they never thought possible as bravery and resistance take different forms in each of their actions. (Read more…)
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2. THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky
Goodreads Synopsis: Read the cult-favorite coming of age story that takes a sometimes heartbreaking, often hysterical, and always honest look at high school in all its glory. Now a major motion picture starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a funny, touching, and haunting modern classic.
The critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky, Perks follows observant “wallflower” Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.(Read more…)
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3. UNBROKEN: A WORLD WAR II STORY OF SURVIVAL, RESILIENCE, AND REDEMPTION by Laura Hillenbrand
Goodreads Synopsis: On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.
The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.
Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.
In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit. (Read more…)
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4. THE SURGEON by Tess Gerritsen
Goodreads Synopsis: IN BOSTON, THERE’S A KILLER ON THE LOOSE…A killer who targets lone women, who breaks into their apartments and performs terrifying ritualistic acts of torture on them before finishing them off. His surgical skills lead police to suspect he is a physician – a physician who, instead of saving lives, takes them.
But as homicide detective Thomas Moore and his partner Jane Rizzoli begin their investigation, they make a startling discovery. Closely linked to these killings is Catherine Cordell, a beautiful doctor with a mysterious past. Two years ago she was subjected to a horrifying rape and shot her attacker dead.
Now the man she believes she killed seems to be stalking her once again, and this time he knows exactly where to find her… (Read more…)
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5. THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir
Goodreads Synopsis: A mission to Mars. A freak accident. One man’s struggle to survive.
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate the planet while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded on Mars’ surface, completely alone, with no way to signal Earth that he’s alive. And even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone years before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, Mark won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark’s not ready to quit. Armed with nothing but his ingenuity and his engineering skills—and a gallows sense of humor that proves to be his greatest source of strength–he embarks on a dogged quest to stay alive, using his botany expertise to grow food and even hatching a mad plan to contact NASA back on Earth.
As he overcomes one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next, Mark begins to let himself believe he might make it off the planet alive. But Mars has plenty of surprises in store for him yet. (Read more…)
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6. MAYA ANGELOU: THE COMPLETE COLLECTED POEMS
Goodsreads Synopsis: Maya Angelou’s poetry – lyrical and dramatic, exuberant and playful – speaks of love, longings, partings; of Saturday night partying and the smells and sounds of Southern cities; of freedom and shattered dreams. Of her poetry, Kirkus Reviews has written, ‘It is just as much a part of her autobiography as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Gather Together in My Name, Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas, and The Heart of a Woman’. (Read more…)
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7. MY SISTER’S KEEPER by Jodi Picoult
Goodreads Synopsis: Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate — a life and a role that she has never challenged… until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister—and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.
A provocative novel that raises some important ethical issues, My Sister’s Keeper is the story of one family’s struggle for survival at all human costs and a stunning parable for all time. (Read more…)
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8. THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS by John Boyne
Goodreads Synopsis: Berlin, 1942 : When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move to a new house far, far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people in the distance.
But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different from his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.(Read more…)
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9. THE COLOR PURPLE by Alice Walker
Goodreads Synopsis:The Color Purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name.
Taking place mostly in rural Georgia, the story focuses on the life of women of color in the southern United States in the 1930s, addressing numerous issues including their exceedingly low position in American social culture. The novel has been the frequent target of censors and appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2000-2009 at number seventeen because of the sometimes explicit content, particularly in terms of violence. (Read more…)
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10. AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha Christie
Goodreads Synopsis:First, there were ten – a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they’re unwilling to reveal – and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.(Read more…)
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Question: What books have made you completely lose track of the time while reading?
https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/toptentuesday.png8641600Suzannehttps://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.pngSuzanne2017-03-21 06:24:112017-03-21 06:49:12Top Ten Books That Will Make You Read the Day Away
The unforgettable New York Times best seller begins with the story of two half-sisters, separated by forces beyond their control: one sold into slavery, the other married to a British slaver. Written with tremendous sweep and power, Homegoing traces the generations of family who follow, as their destinies lead them through two continents and three hundred years of history, each life indeliably drawn, as the legacy of slavery is fully revealed in light of the present day.
Effia and Esi are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and lives in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, her sister, Esi, is imprisoned beneath her in the castle’s dungeons, sold with thousands of others into the Gold Coast’s booming slave trade, and shipped off to America, where her children and grandchildren will be raised in slavery. One thread of Homegoing follows Effia’s descendants through centuries of warfare in Ghana, as the Fante and Asante nations wrestle with the slave trade and British colonization. The other thread follows Esi and her children into America. From the plantations of the South to the Civil War and the Great Migration, from the coal mines of Pratt City, Alabama, to the jazz clubs and dope houses of twentieth-century Harlem, right up through the present day, Homegoing makes history visceral, and captures, with singular and stunning immediacy, how the memory of captivity came to be inscribed in the soul of a nation.
MY REVIEW:
Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing is, without a doubt, one of the most powerful novels I’ve ever read and it’s also probably one of the most ambitious. Homegoing begins by introducing the stories of two half-sisters who are destined to never meet each other due to forces beyond their control. One sister, Effia, is married off by her family to an Englishman and whisked away to live in a castle in Cape Coast. Unbeknownst to Effia, her new home is actually a “slave castle” and thousands of her fellow countrymen and women are imprisoned in dungeons right beneath her feet, where they will soon be sold into slavery and transported across the Atlantic. Included among those prisoners, the half-sister Effia has never met and never will, Esi. The rest of the story then traces the family lines of both Effia and Esi from the 1700s up to present day, demonstrating just how deep the scars of slavery run even today. While the story is beautifully written – Gyasi is a brilliant storyteller – the journey itself is raw, honest, and often painful. Gyasi powerfully captures the brutality of the slave traders, the dehumanizing aspects of slavery, as well as the pervasive racism that has continued long after abolition.
STRENGTHS OF HOMEGOING:
I was completely impressed that Gyasi was able to cover so much ground historically in just 300 pages, but not only does she do it, but she does it beautifully and intimately. She accomplishes this by using alternating chapters to trace each family line forward in history. She starts with a chapter on Effia, then follows with one on Esi, and then continues this alternating pattern with each new chapter giving us the perspective of one of Effia’s or Esi’s descendants. Each chapter is a standalone story, a vignette basically, that serves to provide both an intimate portrait of a descendent and show us how that descendent connects back to either Effia or Esi, and then goes on to provide a vivid snapshot of the racial history at that particular period in time. In this manner, we are taken through the 300 years of racial history from 18th century tribal wars in Africa, colonialism, and slavery, to the Fugitive Slave Act, abolition, Jim Crow law, Harlem in the 20th century, continued racism, and so much more.
What truly blew me away was how Gyasi was able to craft such vivid characters in so few pages. Only about 20 pages, sometimes even less, are devoted to each descendent, but in each 20 page segment, Gyasi paints such a rich and vivid portrait of the descendent that I easily became invested in all 14 characters whose stories we are presented with – their hopes, their fears, their pain, everything. I actually found myself becoming sad at the end of each chapter because I wanted to follow the characters further, but knew I probably wouldn’t encounter them again because of the way the novel was structured. But seriously, 20 pages to make me that attached to a character? Wow. That’s powerful writing!
WEAKNESSES:
Aside from me wanting to keep following each character beyond his or her allotted chapter, I can’t think of anything I would consider to be a weakness.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I honestly think Homegoing is destined to become a classic and I’d love to see it make its way into high school and college classrooms. It’s an important book because of the history that it covers, and it’s also a beautifully written book, that I think everyone should read.
I very much look forward to reading more from Gyasi because she is truly a gifted writer with a bright future.
RATING: 5 STARS
About Yaa Gyasi
Yaa Gyasi was born in Ghana and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop where she held a Dean’s Graduate Research Fellowship. Her short stories have appeared in African American Review and Callaloo. Her debut novel, is the Homegoing (Knopf, June 2016).
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“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.
The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by 
A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3) by 
Under Rose-Tainted Skies by 
Homegoing by 