Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE BOOK OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman
/28 Comments/by Suzanne
“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 since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.
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My selection for this week is THE BOOK OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman. Anyone who has followed by blog for a while will probably remember that Alice Hoffman is one of my all time favorite authors and that her Practical Magic series is my favorite witchy series. Until last week I had no idea there was going to be a fourth book in the series and I’m surprised you all couldn’t hear me squealing with joy as soon as I read the news, lol. It sounds just as fabulous as the other three books too: “a breathtaking conclusion that celebrates mothers and daughters, sisters and brothers, and anyone who has ever been in love.”
THE BOOK OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman
Publication Date: October 5, 2021 by Simon & Schuster
From Goodreads:
Master storyteller Alice Hoffman brings us the conclusion of the Practical Magic series in a spellbinding and enchanting final Owens novel brimming with lyric beauty and vivid characters.
The Owens family has been cursed in matters of love for over three-hundred years but all of that is about to change. The novel begins in a library, the best place for a story to be conjured, when beloved aunt Jet Owens hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has only seven days to live. Jet is not the only one in danger—the curse is already at work.
A frantic attempt to save a young man’s life spurs three generations of the Owens women, and one long-lost brother, to use their unusual gifts to break the curse as they travel from Paris to London to the English countryside where their ancestor Maria Owens first practiced the Unnamed Art. The younger generation discovers secrets that have been hidden from them in matters of both magic and love by Sally, their fiercely protective mother. As Kylie Owens uncovers the truth about who she is and what her own dark powers are, her aunt Franny comes to understand that she is ready to sacrifice everything for her family, and Sally Owens realizes that she is willing to give up everything for love.
The Book of Magic is a breathtaking conclusion that celebrates mothers and daughters, sisters and brothers, and anyone who has ever been in love.
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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 – Books I Loved That Made Me Want to Read More Books Like Them
/46 Comments/by Suzanne
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 Books I Loved that Made Me Want More Books Like Them. I don’t think my terminology is correct, but I keep wanting to call the books I’m sharing this week gateway books since the ones I chose were my introduction to certain genres I hadn’t read before.
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Books I Loved That Made Me Want to Read More Books Like Them
1. AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha Christie – A book that made me want to read more locked door mysteries.
2. A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas – A book that made me want to read more fantasies that feature Fae.
3. A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC by V. E. Schwab – A book that made me want to read more adult fantasy novels and also more books that feature badass female pirates.
4. THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE by Katherine Arden – A book that made me want to read more fantasy novels that are inspired by and that feature folklore from around the world. (For those unfamiliar with the series, this one is inspired by Russian folklore).
5. CINDER by Marissa Meyer – A book that made me want to read more fairytale retellings.
6. JOSH & HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING by Christina Lauren – A book that made me want to read more rom-coms.
7. THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir – A book that made me want to read more science fiction and survival stories.
8. THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah – A book that made me want to read more WWII historical fiction.
9. BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty – A book that made me want to read more domestic dramas.
10. SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA by Becky Albertalli – A book that made me want to read more YA contemporary books.
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Question: Have you read any of these?
YA Reviews: WE CAN’T KEEP MEETING LIKE THIS & TROUBLE GIRLS
/12 Comments/by SuzanneHappy Monday all! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We had really nice weather here so I spent a lot of my weekend outside reading. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on two of my weekend reads, We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon and Trouble Girls by Julia Lynn Rubin.
We Can't Keep Meeting Like This Goodreads
Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Publication Date: June 8, 2021
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This is my third time reading Rachel Lynn Solomon and once again she has captured my heart with her relatable storylines and her wonderfully complex characters and their equally complex relationships.
Quinn Berkowitz is headed to college in the fall. She has gotten into a great school but doesn’t seem all that excited about her future. Why? Well, her parents have basically mapped it out for her, from deciding that she will be a business major, choosing her courses for her, and making the assumption that when she graduates, she will join them in their family wedding planning business. Quinn hasn’t corrected them in this assumption because she doesn’t want to hurt their feelings, but it has left her feeling trapped and frustrated. To make matters worse, her longtime crush, Tarek Mansour, is back home after his first year away at college and Quinn doesn’t really want to see him because of an embarrassing confession she made to him when he left for college the previous fall. Avoiding Tarek is pretty much impossible though as his parents run the catering business that Quinn’s parents frequently partner up with for their weddings. So basically Quinn has set herself up for a summer of awkwardness.
I think most readers will find Quinn to be a likable relatable character and will sympathize with the situation she finds herself in. None of us want to disappoint our parents and I know, like Quinn, I would probably put off a difficult and painful conversation like that for as long as I possibly could. Her situation with Tarek is probably going to be equally relatable because there are plenty of us out there who have done embarrassing things in front of someone we were crushing on. Quinn’s situation with Tarek made me especially sympathetic toward her because she has major trust issues when it comes to love and putting herself out there because her parents temporarily separated when she was much younger and that separation really messed with Quinn’s head when she was little and continues to do so to this day because her parents have never talked about it.
Speaking of Tarek though, what a sweetheart this boy is. He’s a hopeless romantic who likes to bake wedding cakes and who loves Sleepless in Seattle. He is the softest of soft boys and it’s clear that he has feelings for Quinn. I was hardcore rooting for him to break through the walls Quinn has put up around her own heart and I really enjoyed watching the ups and downs as their relationship evolved.
As much as I enjoyed the romantic storyline between Quinn and Tarek, Quinn’s journey to figure out her place in this world and the future of her relationship with her parents was what really made We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This such a compelling read for me. 4 STARS
Trouble Girls Goodreads
Author: Julia Lynn Rubin
Publication Date: June 1, 2021
Publisher: Wednesday Books
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Trouble Girls by Julia Lynn Rubin is a retelling of the popular ’90s film, Thelma and Louise. Rubin puts a fresh and timely spin on this classic film by making it a queer YA retelling that is set in present day during the #MeToo movement.
The story follows Trixie and Lux, two young women who have been best friends forever and who are looking to escape their dead-end little town for a few days. They pack for a weekend getaway and make a pitstop at a college bar on their way out of town. The night goes terribly wrong and in one violent moment, Trixie and Lux’s lives are changed forever.
Just as in the original tale, the author does a wonderful job of painting both women as sympathetic characters. Trixie is an only child who has the huge and often overwhelming responsibility of caring for her mother who is suffering from what appears to be dementia. It’s a huge weight to carry and Trixie is exhausted. Lux also has a less than stellar home life. Her mother is gone, and her overbearing father treats her as if she’s his maid and babysitter. When their one chance to get away and relax and have fun is torpedoed by a pig who can’t keep it in his pants, it’s hard not to root for them when they fight back.
The story becomes an action-packed thrill ride as Trixie and Lux flee west hoping to escape from both the law and the media. The media attention is unexpected as Trixie and Lux find themselves at the center of the #MeToo movement when protesters become aware that their attacker has a track record of similar incidents in his history. There are just as many people cheering the girls on as there are people who want them to pay for what they did.
The writing is taut and sharp, making this a real page turner for me even though I was very familiar with the original Thelma and Louise and could somewhat guess where the story was headed. I do wish it hadn’t followed the original storyline quite so closely, but what did make it a fresh take though was the journey of self-discovery that we get as Trixie and Lux gradually realize they have more than just friendly feelings toward each other. It’s a beautiful and hopeful journey tucked into what is otherwise a pretty dark tale.
If a fresh take on Thelma and Louise sounds like something you would enjoy, I highly recommend Trouble Girls. 3.5 STARS