Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE PRINCESS AND THE FANGIRL by Ashley Poston

 

“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.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll just be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

* * * * *

My selection for this week is THE PRINCESS AND THE FANGIRL by Ashley Poston.  I had so much fun reading Poston’s Geekerella, so I’m thrilled that she has another Once Upon a Con book coming out next year.  This time it’s a Prince and the Pauper remake that is set in the Geekerella universe, which sounds great.  I just love books that focus on fandoms!

 

THE PRINCESS AND THE FANGIRL by Ashley Poston

Publication Date: April 2, 2019

 

From Goodreads

The Prince and the Pauper gets a modern makeover in this adorable, witty, and heartwarming young adult novel set in the Geekerella universe by national bestselling author Ashley Poston.

Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: save her favorite character, Princess Amara, from being killed off from her favorite franchise, Starfield. The problem is, Jessica Stone—the actress who plays Princess Amara—wants nothing more than to leave the intense scrutiny of the fandom behind. If this year’s ExcelsiCon isn’t her last, she’ll consider her career derailed.

When a case of mistaken identity throws look-a-likes Imogen and Jess together, they quickly become enemies. But when the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, and all signs point to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. That’s easier said than done when the girls step into each other’s shoes and discover new romantic possibilities, as well as the other side of intense fandom. As these “princesses” race to find the script-leaker, they must rescue themselves from their own expectations, and redefine what it means to live happily ever 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 CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday – My Top 10 Favorite Siblings in Literature

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is Platonic Relationships In Books (friendships, parent/child, siblings, family, etc.).  After spending Thanksgiving at my mom’s and spending some quality time with my younger sister, I came home feeling very thankful that I have such a great relationship with her.  There’s nothing quite like that bond between siblings.  For that reason, I decided to use this week’s topic to share some of my favorite sibling relationships in books that I’ve read.  Whether it’s their witty banter, the sibling rivalry, or just good old-fashioned overprotective siblings, these literary siblings really captured my heart when I read their stories.

 

* * * * *

My Top 10 Favorite Siblings in Literature

 

THE WEASLEYS (Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

I don’t think any list of siblings would be complete without this crew.

 

THE STARKS (A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin)

Is it possible to even call yourself a Game of Thrones fan if you don’t love the Stark siblings, especially Arya, Sansa, and Jon?

 

LARA JEAN, MARGOT, and KITTY (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han)

As much as I enjoyed all of the romantic possibilities in this story, what I loved most was the close relationship between Lara Jean and her sisters.

 

MONTY AND FELICITY (The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee)

It’s all about the witty banter between these two!

 

KELL and RHYS (Shades of Magic by V.E. Schwab)

Talk about your sibling bonds – these two are literally tethered to each other by an actual bond.

 

SCOUT AND JEM (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)

I think this was my first ever favorite siblings.  Didn’t everyone want a brother like Jem and/or a sister like Scout?

 

THE MARCH SISTERS (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott)

Just…♥

 

GRACE, MAYA, & JOAQUIN (Far from the Tree by Robin Benway)

That sibling bond is strong even though they were all adopted and don’t meet each other until they’re teenagers.

 

JESSIE and THEO (Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum)

This relationship really grew on me, especially since they were step siblings and since Theo acted like such a jerk at first.  He really grew on me as he warmed up to Jessie though.

 

THE BENNETT SISTERS (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

I’m a big fan of the closeness between Lizzie, the protagonist, and her older sister, especially the idea that Lizzie was the overprotective one.

 

* * * * *

 

Who are some of your favorite siblings from literature?

Mini Reviews: ‘TWAS THE KNIFE BEFORE CHRISTMAS & A CHRISTMAS REVELATION

Mini Reviews:  ‘TWAS THE KNIFE BEFORE CHRISTMAS & A CHRISTMAS REVELATION'Twas the Knife Before Christmas by Jacqueline Frost
four-stars
Series: A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery #2
Published by Crooked Lane Books on November 23, 2018
Genres: Fiction, Holiday, Cozy Mystery
Pages: 246
Source: Netgalley
Amazon
Goodreads

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

A Christmas delight, ’Twas the Knife Before Christmas will charm the stockings off readers of Joanne Fluke and Leslie Meier.

It’s out of the cupcake tin, into the fire for Holly White’s best friend, Caroline. Can Holly clear Caroline’s name in time to go caroling?

When a body turns up in the dumpster behind Caroline’s Cupcakes, Holly White is horrified to learn her best friend Caroline is the main suspect. Everyone in town, including Mistletoe, Maine’s sheriff, saw Caroline fighting with the victim on the night of his death. Worse, Caroline’s fingerprints are all over the murder weapon, a custom-designed marble rolling pin.

Now, just ten days before Christmas, Holly’s up to her jingle bells in holiday shenanigans and in desperate need of a miracle. Juggling extra shifts at her family’s Christmas tree farm and making enough gingerbread jewelry to satisfy the crowd is already more than she can handle—and now she has to find time to clear her best friend of murder. Add in her budding relationship with the sheriff, and run-ins with an ex-fiancé looking to make amends, and Holly’s ready to fly south until springtime.

But her Sherpa-lined mittens come off when Caroline is taken into custody. Can Holly wrap up the case in time for Christmas…even after she gains the true killer’s attention? Find out in ‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas, Jacqueline Frost’s second pine-scented Christmas Tree Farm mystery.

Review:

If you’re looking for a delightful Christmas-themed cozy murder mystery, Jacqueline Frost’s ‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas is sure to please.  The story is set in Mistletoe, which is a charming little town in Maine, and boy, do these folks love Christmas!  For all of you Gilmore Girls fans out there, imagine Stars Hollow but all decked out for the holidays.  That was the vibe I got the entire time I was reading and I loved it.

The story follows Holly White and her quest to clear her best friend, Caroline, who happens to be a suspect in a murder that has rocked this quaint little Christmas town.  During the town’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony, a man is found dead, stabbed and dumped into a giant dish of peppermint candies.  The last person seen with him was Caroline, the town’s beloved owner of Caroline’s Cupcakes, and they were having a pretty heated argument.  Although no one can believe their sweet Caroline could possibly be a murderer, she still finds herself a suspect.  Holly, in particular, knows her friend is innocent and makes it her mission to prove Caroline’s innocence and find the real killer, even if she drives her boyfriend, the town’s sheriff, crazy in the process.

‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas is filled with characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. Holly, Caroline, and Sheriff Evan are all very likable, and some of the secondary characters are so quirky and fun that they practically steal the show. There’s Cookie Cutter who likes to brew “special” tea that is sure to put an extra kick in your step, a la Peppermint Schnapps, and then there’s Ray, who is so overprotective of his mother because she’s dating a new man, that he spends most of the book sneaking around spying on their dates.  Oh, and I can’t forget Holly’s cat, who has the best pet name ever, Cindy Loo Who.  Between the fabulous characters and a murder mystery that has plenty of twists and turns to keep the story interesting, I can’t recommend ‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas highly enough. Cozy mystery fans are sure to love it!  4 STARS

 

Mini Reviews:  ‘TWAS THE KNIFE BEFORE CHRISTMAS & A CHRISTMAS REVELATIONA Christmas Revelation by Anne Perry
Also by this author: Twenty-One Days (Daniel Pitt, #1)
three-half-stars
Series: Christmas Stories #16
Published by Ballantine Books on November 6, 2018
Genres: Fiction, Holiday, Mystery
Pages: 192
Source: Netgalley
Amazon
Goodreads

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

In this intriguing, uplifting holiday mystery from bestselling author Anne Perry, an orphan boy investigates a woman's kidnapping--and discovers there's more at stake than a disappearance.

It wouldn't quite be Christmas without a holiday mystery decorated with all the Victorian trimmings as only New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry can render it. Now the tradition continues as mayhem is once again found under the mistletoe, and intrigue stalks the cobblestone streets and gaslit parlors of old London Town.

Formerly a river urchin living on the banks of the Thames, nine-year-old Worm has never experienced a family Christmas. But thanks to a job at Hester Monk's clinic in Portpool Lane, he's found a makeshift family in kindly Miss Claudine Burroughs and curmudgeonly old bookkeeper Squeaky Robinson.

When Worm witnesses the abduction of a beautiful woman by a pair of ruffians just days before Christmas, he frantically turns to Squeaky for help. A one-time brothel owner, Squeaky knows the perils of interfering in nasty business, but he can't bear to disappoint Worm--or leave the boy to attempt a rescue on his own. What neither of the would-be saviors expects, however, is that the damsel in distress already has her dilemma well in hand . . . and is taking steps to bring her captors to justice for crimes far worse than kidnapping. But the rogues, as cunning as they are deadly, are not to be underestimated. The aid of cynical old Squeaky and hopeful young Worm just might make the difference between a merry triumph over evil and a terrible yuletide tragedy.

Review:

A Christmas Revelation is the latest installment of Anne Perry’s Christmas Stories series, which takes characters from some of Perry’s other popular series and inserts them into holiday-themed stories of their own.  This was my first time reading one of these holiday stories and I’m pleased to say that overall, even though they’re supposed to be part of a series, A Christmas Revelation still works quite well as a standalone.

The story follows a nine-year old boy nicknamed Worm, who used to live on his own as a street urchin until he got himself a job at Hester Monk’s clinic.  That job also brought him a makeshift family in the form of the always kind Miss Claudine and especially in the cynical and curmudgeonly old bookkeeper, Squeaky.  Squeaky is a man who prefers to mind his own business at all costs, but when Worm comes to him, completely distraught because he thinks he has witnessed a woman being abducted, Squeaky promises Worm, against his better judgment, that he’ll help him find and rescue the woman, if she really is, in fact, in distress.  Squeaky also realizes while he and Worm are playing detective and trying to locate the missing woman, that Worm has never had a real Christmas before so he makes it his mission to deliver a real family Christmas for Worm and to explain to him the true meaning of Christmas.

What I enjoyed most about this story was that it was a nice balance between the mystery of what happened to the woman Worm saw and the Christmas aspect that Squeaky introduces.  The story also boasts what felt like a truly authentic Victorian London setting.  It felt so Dickensian that I half expected Worm and Squeaky to rush around a corner and run smack dab into Ebenezer Scrooge himself.  I also especially liked the idea that the holidays make us want to be our best selves, as is witnessed by Squeaky’s efforts to not disappoint Worm and to bring Christmas to him for the first time.  I think the story would have worked even better for me if I had known a little more of the background of these two characters, but overall it was still a great holiday read. 3.5 STARS

four-stars

About Anne Perry

Anne Perry (born Juliet Hulme) is a British historical novelist.

Juliet took the name “Anne Perry,” the latter being her stepfather’s surname. Her first novel, The Cater Street Hangman, was published under this name in 1979. Her works generally fall into one of several categories of genre fiction, including historical murder mysteries and detective fiction. Many of them feature a number of recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt, who appeared in her first novel, and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in her 1990 novel The Face of a Stranger. As of 2003 she had published 47 novels, and several collections of short stories. Her story “Heroes,” which first appeared the 1999 anthology Murder and Obsession, edited by Otto Penzler, won the 2001 Edgar Award for Best Short Story.

Recently she was included as an entry in Ben Peek’s Twenty-Six Lies/One Truth, a novel exploring the nature of truth in literature.

Series contributed to:
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
. Malice Domestic
. The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories
. Transgressions
. The Year’s Finest Crime and Mystery Stories

About Jacqueline Frost

Jacqueline Frost is a mystery-loving pet enthusiast who hopes to make readers smile. She lives in rural Ohio with her husband and three spunky children. Jacqueline is a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Sisters in Crime (SinC).

Weekly Recap #79: Week of 11/18 -11/24

 

It’s time for another weekly recap post of all things happening on and off the blog. This week I’ll be linking to the Sunday Post, which is hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and to Stacking the Shelves, which is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

I hope everyone who was celebrating this week had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Mine was great, very busy, but it was still nice to spend some time with my mom and sister since I hadn’t seen them much lately.  Great food, great company made for a lovely way to spend the day.

I also got up on Friday with the intention of hitting some of the online Black Friday events, but got bored after after 20 minutes, and ended up watching Hallmark Christmas movies all day instead.  Oops.

I went into the long weekend with plans to get lots of reading done, but that didn’t happen either because…Christmas decorations! I think this is the earliest I’ve ever decorated but I just felt like I had to take advantage of having those few extra days off to to tick something major off my to-do list.   On the reading front, I did have a pretty decent week overall. I managed to finish The Winter of the Witch, which was a gorgeous 5 star read for me,  Tell Me Three Things, another backlist book that has been on my TBR forever, and I finally started Muse of Nightmares but haven’t gotten too far yet.

For the coming week, my goal is to get back on track with my Instagram account.  I had been doing pretty well posting a few times a week but let that slide after my NYC trip and have just been too busy to take the kind of photos I like to take ever since.  Now that my Christmas decorations are out, I’m feeling inspired though. 🙂

Anyway I think that’s it for me.  I hope everyone has a great week!

 

WHAT I POSTED LAST WEEK

 

 

WHAT I’M READING THIS WEEK

 

         
 
       
 

 UPCOMING REVIEWS

     
      
     
  
 

 

 STACKING THE SHELVES

 

         

TOTALLY RANDOM

 

Can’t Wait Wednesday – HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE DARK by Kathleen Glasgow

 

“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.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll just be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

* * * * *

My selection for this week is HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE DARK by Kathleen Glasgow.  I was a big fan of Glasgow’s last novel Girl in Pieces, which was a very emotional read for me, so I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on her newest book, which based on that synopsis, promises to be an equally heart-wrenching story.

 

HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE DARK by Kathleen Glasgow

Publication Date: April 9, 2019

 

 

From Goodreads

 

Here is what happens when your mother dies.

It’s the brightest day of summer and it’s dark outside. It’s dark in your house, dark in your room, and dark in your heart. You feel like the darkness is going to split you apart.

That’s how it feels for Tiger. It’s always been Tiger and her mother against the world. Then, on a day like any other, Tiger’s mother dies. And now it’s Tiger, alone.

Here is how you learn to make friends with the dark.

 

 

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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 CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Authors I’d Love to Invite Over for Thanksgiving Dinner

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is a Thanksgiving freebie so I decided to go with 10 Authors I’d Love to Invite Over for Thanksgiving Dinner.  I just think this would be such an entertaining group to hang out with and eat, drink, and be merry.  Not only would it be fun to chat with each of them while we chow down on our Thanksgiving feast, but it would also be a hoot to watch them interact with each other.  Unless my usual holiday meal, I don’t think any topics of conversation would be off limits.  This is also a good mix of my favorites, as well as some of my mom and sister’s favorites so I think it would be a fabulous evening for us all.

 

* * * * *

10 Authors I’d Love to Invite Over for Thanksgiving Dinner

 

GEORGE R.R. MARTIN

J.K. ROWLING

STEPHEN KING

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON

MICHELLE OBAMA

VICTORIA SCHWAB

TOMI ADEYEMI

MARGARET ATWOOD

KATHERINE ARDEN

BECKY ALBERTALLI

 

* * * * *

 

What authors would you love to invite over for Thanksgiving dinner?

Review: THE CHRISTMAS SISTERS by Sarah Morgan

Review:  THE CHRISTMAS SISTERS by Sarah MorganThe Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan
Also by this author: One Summer in Paris
four-stars
Published by Hqn on September 25, 2018
Genres: Fiction, Holiday
Pages: 407
Source: Netgalley
Amazon
Goodreads

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

MY REVIEW:

 

Sarah Morgan’s The Christmas Sisters follows the story of Suzanne McBride and her three adopted daughters Hannah, Beth, and Posy.  Suzanne and Posy live in the Scottish Highlands, while Hannah and Beth have made their homes in New York City.  This year Suzanne is ecstatic because all three of her girls are coming home for Christmas and she has made it her mission in life to put together the perfect cozy Christmas for them all.  But all doesn’t go according to plan, however, because each of her daughters seem to be going through some personal drama that is weighing them down and creating tension.

When Suzanne falls ill and her plans for the perfect family Christmas start to fall apart, can her daughters set aside their own personal drama, embrace the holiday spirit, and come together to spread some Christmas cheer of their own?

The Christmas Sisters was just such an easy book to fall in love with and that’s mainly because of the complex, well drawn characters that Morgan has created with the McBride daughters.

Hannah, the eldest, is the workaholic of the group and she’s hesitant to come home because she has a life-altering secret that she has been hiding from her family.

Beth, the middle daughter, is also dealing with issues of her own.  She’s a stay-at-home mom who no longer wants to stay at home and is trying to figure out how to make that happen.

Posy, the youngest daughter, is pretty content living near her parents.  She is, however, starting to get the itch to spread her wings and travel.  She’s conflicted though because her parents really do depend on her for so much. She doesn’t want to take off and abandon them.

I really loved these characters.  Each daughter’s personality is so well-developed and realistically drawn that I felt like they could be my own family members.  I also found the personal issues they were each dealing with to be so relatable that it was just easy to connect with each of them and become invested in their journeys. They’ve also each been burdened for years by the family tragedy that took their birth parents’ lives, a tragedy that they all refuse to talk about, even though it still clearly weighs on them.  I was just really rooting for them to come together, share their secrets and problems with one another because that’s what sisters are for, and just really push through all the tension and awkwardness and just bond.

In addition to these marvelous characters, I also adored the setting of the book.  Morgan captures the beauty and the remote atmosphere of the Scottish Highlands perfectly.  I could practically feel the chill in the air every time she described the setting and it made me want to grab a cup of cocoa and sit in front of a warm fire.  Those descriptions and the feelings they conveyed made The Christmas Sisters a perfect holiday read.

The only real issue I had with the book was that I found myself frustrated with Beth, not because of her choice to go back to work, but rather because of who she chose to go to work for, a toxic boss from her past.  I won’t give away anymore details than that, but I’ll just say she had me shaking my head so much.  Even though Beth’s story frustrated and annoyed me at times, I give major props to Morgan for creating such a realistic scenario here.  I could totally see a stay-at-home mom trying to go back to work ending up in a similar situation.

With her new novel The Christmas Sisters, Sarah Morgan has crafted a heartwarming family tale that is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. This was my first time reading a novel from Sarah Morgan, but it definitely won’t be my last!

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

In the snowy Highlands of Scotland, Suzanne McBride is dreaming of the perfect cozy Christmas. Her three adopted daughters are coming home for the holidays and she can’t wait to see them. But tensions are running high…

Workaholic Hannah knows she can’t avoid spending the holidays with her family two years in a row. But it’s not the weight of their expectations that’s panicking her—it’s the life-changing secret she’s hiding. Stay-at-home mom Beth is having a personal crisis. All she wants for Christmas is time to decide if she’s ready to return to work—seeing everyone was supposed to help her stress levels, not increase them! Posy isn’t sure she’s living her best life, but with her parents depending on her, making a change seems risky. But not as risky as falling for gorgeous new neighbor Luke…

As Suzanne’s dreams of the perfect McBride Christmas unravel, she must rely on the magic of the season to bring her daughters together. But will this new togetherness teach the sisters that their close-knit bond is strong enough to withstand anything—including a family Christmas?

four-stars

About Sarah Morgan

USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes romance and contemporary women’s fiction and her trademark humour and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. She is a 3 time winner of the prestigious RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America and has been nominated five times. Sarah lives near London, England, and when she isn’t reading or writing she loves being outdoors.

Weekly Recap #78: Week of 11/11 -11/17

 

It’s time for another weekly recap post of all things happening on and off the blog. This week I’ll be linking to the Sunday Post, which is hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and to Stacking the Shelves, which is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

I don’t know if anyone noticed or not but I pulled a little disappearing act midweek. The reason for my disappearance was that I was busy with a million other things, the most important of which being that I completely forgot that we had scheduled our end of season soccer party for this weekend and had done absolutely nothing to plan for it.  We usually have our party in early October when the season is supposed to end, but our schedule was so out of whack because of the weather that everything got pushed way back.  Thankfully I was able to recover from my memory lapse and pull together something decent for the kids, but something had to go to make time for it and that something was the blog, lol.

Even though I failed a bit with the blogging last week, I still managed to keep up with my reading pretty well.  I actually got in a few extra hours of reading this week by reading while waiting for my son to complete his soccer lessons.  With that extra time, I was able to make it through 3 out of the 4 HoHoHoRAT reads I had selected for the readathon and I started on the fourth one last night.  I don’t know if I’ll finish it before the end of the readathon, but I’m glad I was able to make it through as many as I did considering how many other commitments I ended up having this past week.

Reading all of those Christmas books also has me thinking about Christmas weeks earlier than I normally do. I’m ready to start decorating, which has never happened this early before. Normally December 1 is when I start, but I’m ready to put up the tree this week.  The only catch to that is that my husband and I have finally decided to make the switch from a fresh cut tree to an artificial one so now we have to go out and find one that we both like and that is the right size for our living room.  We really need a 7′, which seems to be the most popular size AND seems to be sold out everywhere. I didn’t realize I needed to shop for a tree months in advance to actually get one, lol.  We’re going out again later today so hopefully we’ll get lucky. May the Christmas force be with us!

I think that’s it for me.  I hope everyone has a great week!

 

WHAT I POSTED LAST WEEK

 

 

WHAT I’M READING THIS WEEK

 

         
       
 

 UPCOMING REVIEWS

     
      
 
 

 

 STACKING THE SHELVES

 

     
     
 

TOTALLY RANDOM

 

Can’t Wait Wednesday – ONCE & FUTURE by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

 

“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.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll just be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

* * * * *

My selection for this week is ONCE & FUTURE by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy.  Ever since I was a kid, I was always captivated by the Legend of King Arthur, and this upcoming release is not only a King Arthur retelling, but the King Arthur character is also a girl!  Enough said, I need this book in my life!

 

ONCE & FUTURE by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

Publication Date: March 5, 2019

 

From Goodreads

Some legends never die – they are reborn. Once & Future is King Arthur as you’ve never imagined!

I’ve been chased my whole life. As an illegal immigrant in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I’ve always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur.

Now I’m done hiding.

My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start.

When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind.  No pressure.

 

 

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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 CWW selection for this week. 🙂

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 BOOKISH ITEMS I’D LOVE TO OWN

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is Bookish Items/Merchandise I’d Like to Own.  These kinds of topics are always fun because there’s so much great bookish merchandise out there, especially now that we have fabulous websites like Etsy to visit and shop.  The possibilities are practically endless, which makes the most challenging part of this week’s topic narrowing down to only ten bookish items that I’d love to own.  I could easily do a 100 things list, lol.

 

* * * * *

 

10 BOOKISH ITEMS I’D LOVE TO OWN

 

1. Book Nerd Buttons

 

I’ve become kind of obsessed with buttons lately and love to pin them to my purse and my totes.  My obsession started with political buttons but has of course progressed to buttons of the bookish variety.  I saw this cute set on Etsy and have been resisting the urge to purchase them for myself even though I’d love to have them.

 

Click to purchase at etsy.com

 

 

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2. Bibliophile Hoodie

 

I’ve been eyeing this cute hoodie for a while now, and it’s especially tempting now that it’s starting to get really chilly outside.

 

Click to purchase on etsy.com

 

 

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3. I Read Past My Bedtime Tote Bag

 

I just bought a couple of new totes for myself when I visited The Strand bookstore in NYC a couple of weeks ago, but totes are just one of those things you can never have too many of, so I’m always on the lookout for cute ones to add to my collection.

 

Click to purchase on etsy.com

 

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4. There Once Was a Girl T-Shirt

 

Yes to all the ways we can pledge our loves for books and reading, especially if they come in the form of stylish tees.  With just a quick glance around etsy, society6, and several other shops, I saw at least a dozen book-themed shirts that I would totally wear. This one was probably my favorite though.

 

Click to purchase at amazon.com

 

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5. Please Go Away I’m Reading Mugs

 

Since I drink a lot of coffee and tea, I think that mugs are another one of those items that I could never own too many of.  These caught my eye not just because they’re bookish but also because I like the shape and design.

 

Click to purchase on etsy.com

 

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6. BOOK SLEEVES

 

This is one of those items that I keep saying I need in my life but can’t seem to make myself actually buy.  I’m not sure why that is, but here are two cute ones that I’ve had my eye on.

 

Click to buy from bookbeau.com

 

 

Click to buy from bookbeau.com

 

 

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7. Bibliophile Bookends

 

How cool are these?!

 

Click to purchase from etsy.com

 

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8. Literary Pins

 

In addition to buttons, I’m also loving enamel pins.  This Pride and Prejudice caught my eye, again, when I was at The Strand.  (I swear, I could live at that store!)

 

Click to purchase from strandbooks.com

 

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9. F*ck Off I’m Reading Socks

 

These cracked me up as soon as I saw them, and yes, I need a pair in my life, lol.

 

Click to purchase from joyofsocks.com

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10. Bookmarks! 

 

Or honestly, anything and everything from this Etsy shop. I’ve never seen so many lovely bookish things in one spot before.

 

 

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Question:  Do you love bookish merchandise?  What kinds of bookish items would you love to own?