Can’t Wait Wednesday – ONCE & FUTURE by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
/36 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 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.
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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
/50 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 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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7. Bibliophile Bookends
How cool are these?!
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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!)
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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.
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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?
Review: Four Reasons Why SADIE Should Be on Your Reading List
/26 Comments/by SuzannePublished by Wednesday Books on September 4, 2018
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 311
Source: Purchased
Amazon
Goodreads
Sadie by Courtney Summers is, by far, one of the most heart-wrenching and unforgettable books I’ve read this year. Nineteen-year-old Sadie and her younger sister Mattie were abandoned by their mother. Sadie therefore has spent much of her young life acting as both mother and big sister to Mattie, even quitting school so that she could work to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. Mattie is Sadie’s whole world, so when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s world comes crashing down around her.
Sadie is convinced she knows who killed Mattie and sets out after him, determined to bring Mattie’s killer to justice. When her neighbors realize Sadie has gone missing, in addition to contacting local law enforcement, they also begin talking to West McCray, a radio personality, in hopes that he will use his connections to help them find Sadie before something happens to her. While at first reluctant to get involved, West McCray soon becomes obsessed with tracking down the missing girl.
And so we follow Sadie as she tracks a killer, and we follow McCray as he tracks Sadie. And wow, what a journey this is. Sadie is dark, gritty, emotionally raw, and just downright brutal. I don’t want to give away any plot details so I’ll just say that Sadie is a powerful story that is going to stick with me for a long time and then I’m going to share some reasons why I think you should give Sadie a try as well.
4 REASONS WHY SADIE SHOULD BE ON YOUR READING LIST:
- Sadie. I don’t know that I’ve ever cared about a character as much as I cared about Sadie. She had already been through so much because her mother was such a dud, and then tried to make the best of a bad situation by throwing herself into taking care of her sister, only to have her sister taken away too. Who can come away from that intact? My heart just bled for this emotionally wrecked girl who makes the decision to go after her sister’s killer. She feels like she has absolutely nothing left to lose at this point because she’s already lost it all.
- Unique Storytelling Format. The story is told in alternating chapters from the perspective of Sadie and from those who are involved in the search for her. The other perspectives are presented as part of an eight-episode podcast that West McCray has put together. He gives his thoughts as he searches for Sadie and he shares interviews with people he has encountered who can provide information on the whereabouts of both Sadie and the elusive man she is after. I liked this unique format and thought it very effectively moved both Sadie’s journey and McCray’s investigation along at a nice pace.
- The Suspense is Off the Charts. My fear for Sadie’s safety was the overall driving factor. The author paints Sadie’s desperation, despair, and determination so vividly that the suspense just built steadily throughout until the book reaches its unforgettable conclusion. I read this book in just a couple of sittings because I couldn’t put it down until I knew Sadie’s fate. The author also does a brilliant job of making both journeys equally compelling. Would Sadie catch the killer? And if so, then what? Or would McCray find Sadie first? And again, if so, then what?
- All the Feels. If you like a book that gets to you on this level, Sadie is a book that is pretty much guaranteed to get an emotional reaction of out you. It was an emotional roller coaster for me. Sometimes I was so angry and outraged, while at other times, I just felt so sad and heartbroken. And yes, there were tears. This book is by no means a light read; it deals with many dark themes, including abuse, and it’s a powerful read that won’t let go even after you finish. It’s actually quite haunting in that sense.
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:
Sadie hasn’t had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.
But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister’s killer to justice and hits the road following a few meagre clues to find him.
When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.
About Courtney Summers
Courtney Summers was born in Belleville, Ontario, 1986. At age 14, she dropped out of high school. At age 18, she wrote her first novel. Cracked Up to Be was published in 2008, when she was 22 and went on to win the 2009 CYBIL award in YA fiction. Since then, she’s published four more critically acclaimed books: Some Girls Are, Fall for Anything, This is Not a Test and All the Rage, as well as an e-novella, Please Remain Calm which is a sequel to This is Not a Test. Her new novel, Sadie, is available now wherever books are sold. #findsadie
In 2016, Courtney was named one of Flare Magazine’s 60 under 30.