Friday, August 30, 2024

Indie Bookstore Spotlight: Magic City Books

Last month we traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma to visit my brother, his wife, their kids, and spend some additional time with my mom, too.  On our last night there, my sister-in-law wanted to take me to a local independent bookstore, so of course I said yes!

According to their website, "Magic City Books is an independent bookstore owned by the nonprofit Tulsa Literary Coalition. We specialize in literary and popular fiction and narrative nonfiction for adults. We also offer carefully curated sections for children and teens."

"The mission of the Tulsa Literary Coalition is to celebrate books and reading as a catalyst for reflection, exploration, and connection. We affect social change and bridge cultural, ethnic and religious divides through literature; to leverage community resources by partnering with existing nonprofit organizations to help them achieve their missions by adding a literary component to their services; to foster the love of reading and build a community of book lovers in order to distill the literary energy in Tulsa."


Magic City Books is located in downtown Tulsa's Arts District in a lovely brick building.


The inside feels warm and cozy and is, of course, completely stuffed with books!  Some of the shelves go all the way up to the ceiling, so they have plenty to choose from!  Chalkboard signs announce different genres, and the friendly staff was asking everyone if they wanted recs or to hold their stack of books so they could continue shopping!



The Algonquin Room in the back is available for local groups to meet.


The bookstore hosts author events, with many big names - I actually missed seeing Emily Giffin, one of my favorite authors, by only a couple of days!  Sometimes the events are held in-store, but they also go off-site to larger locations.


My nephews had a blast perusing the shelves and found some new books, and of course I couldn't resist, either!  (Also, how are these boys almost as tall as me??)  If you're ever in the Tulsa area, make sure to drop by Magic City Books!

Monday, August 26, 2024

Michele's Monday Picks #53

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with my little series, Michele’s Monday Picks!  I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you.  Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to!

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By Rachel Moore
Expected Publication: September 3, 2024

From Goodreads:
Margot is on the quest to uncover and reassemble an ancient—and cursed—vase, with the help of a boy who went missing in 1932, because it's the only way to put back together her broken heart in this stand-alone adventure rom-com, perfect for fans of What the River Knows and The Lost City.

The mythical Vase of Venus Aurelia hasn’t been seen since 1932, but Margot Rhodes is determined to change that.

Drawn by the vase’s supposed magical properties, Margot embarks on her school’s archaeological trip to Pompeii. Sure, it’s her first time holding a shovel, but she’s got something no one else does: lost teenage explorer Van Keane’s journal.

Poring over the poetic entries that serve as a map to the vase’s missing shards, Margot finds herself falling in love with the boy who wrote it a century ago. She’s shocked when her search leads her to a statue that looks exactly like Van, and then the statue comes to life.

Catapulted into the present, Van is nothing like the wordsmith Margot imagined. He’s all sharp edges, intent on retrieving the relic for all the wrong reasons. But it takes two to survive Venus’s death-defying challenges, and, together, Margot and Van must excavate the treasure—and their buried pasts—before their story ends in ruins.

With a blend of humor, magic, and love, Rachel Moore crafts another stand-alone adventure rom-com full of double- and triple-crosses, hilarious shenanigans, and frustration-fueled banter, where the best treasure is true love.


This sounds so unique - do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Friday, August 23, 2024

Quick Reviews

 In Any Lifetime by Marc Guggenheim (2024)

After he loses his pregnant wife in a car accident, physicist Jonas Cullen devotes his life to finding a way to be with her again - even though that means finding a way to a parallel universe.  This one was a mixed bag for me - I love books about time travel/parallel universes, so the premise immediately drew me in.  It felt a bit like Dark Matter - a sci-fi tale that at its heart is also a love story, a man trying to find his way back to the love of his life.  However, this one couldn't live up to that book, which is one of my favorites.  The writing just wasn't as good.  However, there were things I enjoyed - I liked the way the story moved between past and present, as we watch Jonas and Amanda fall in love.  It made me more invested in their potential happily ever after.  I liked the villain addition, as Jonas is being chased through the multiverse.  I did think this story also brought up some interesting questions, like, why should Jonas get another chance with Amanda when other people don't have the same opportunity?  Overall, if you like sci-fi with a lot of heart, you may want to give this one a try.  3.5 stars

The Last Mona Lisa by Jonathan Santlofer (2021)

Art professor Luke Perrone wants to learn more about his ancestor, a man who stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911, so he travels to Italy to read his newly-discovered diary.  But, he has attracted the attention of INTERPOL and some other shady characters, who all want to know if the painting hanging in the Louvre today is the real Mona Lisa or a copy.  This was a total impulse buy - I'm a big fan of The Da Vinci Code and this sounded in the same vein, so it interested me!  I love that this was based on a true story, so I got to learn more about the actual theft of the painting, but the author also did a good of creating a backstory for the thief through fictionalized diary entries.  In the present day, Luke is trying to find out more about his ancestor but keeps running into problems.  It felt a bit repetitive and sometimes it was a little hard to keep track of the shady characters - their chapters all sounded a bit the same, especially if the author did not name them in the chapter.  Overall, though, it held my attention on a long flight and that's what I want from my thrillers - the urge to keep reading to find out what happens next.  3.5 stars


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Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Indie Bookstore Spotlight: The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn

 Last month we took a trip to the Chicago area for our niece's wedding, and the charming suburb we stayed in had an indie bookstore in the downtown area that of course I had to visit!

The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn has been open since 1960 (!) and although it has gone through a few owners and even some name changes, it has remained a staple of the community.


The bookstore is bright and friendly; they were getting ready for a sale, so that's why all the boxes are around!  In addition to books, they have some other trinkets and gifts, like socks and puzzles.


The bookstore has all the major genres represented, and Henry enjoyed the large selection of kids' books!



We ended up purchasing a children's book about Chicago for Henry to remember our trip!  If you're ever in the Chicago suburbs, definitely check out this bookstore - it might be small, but it's worth it!


Friday, August 16, 2024

Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews: The Ocean Edition

 The Swell by Allie Reynolds (2023)

Kenna lost her passion for surfing after her boyfriend's death, but when her best friend Mikki decides to get married in far-off Australia, Kenna travels to the remote beach where Mikki has been living.  There, she regains her love of surfing, but she is wary of the group Mikki has surrounded herself with.  People start to go missing and Kenna realizes she's in a very dangerous situation.  This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me.  I loved the setting - this very remote beach where a group of people seemingly hiding from the world have made their camp - and I thought the twist at the end was pretty shocking (I definitely didn't see it coming).  The path it took to get there was tough at times.  Kenna is very brash - much of the story was just her asking questions of the group members, trying to figure out what's going on.  It didn't seem likely that someone could come into this group as a stranger and start asking these tough, invasive, and sometimes intimate questions right off the bat.  She's worried about Mikki, but she's not subtle at all.  It just got very repetitive.  Overall, though, I enjoyed this thriller.  3.5 stars

The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey (2011)

Giant 100-foot plus waves used to be the stuff of legends, until proof started emerging of these mammoth ocean phenomena.  In The Wave, Susan Casey takes us on her journey with tow surfers, including professional surfer Laird Hamilton, as they actively seek out waves that almost seem to defy physics.  Interspersed with these events are Casey's research and interviews with leading scientists about the ocean and what could potentially be causing these giant (and often rogue) waves.  It is startling to realize how much we still don't know about the ocean; scientists have ideas about what causes such waves, but they are still incredibly difficult to predict.  It's hard to even imagine what these massive waves look like, but Casey does an admirable job of helping create mental images through her writing (the photographs included in the book obviously also help, although seeing pictures and actually witnessing one, which Casey does, are very different).  The science doesn't get too bogged down and is understandable for people who don't have a strong background, and the sections about the extreme surfers are poignant and personal.  4 stars


* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Little Free Library Sightings: The Midwest Edition

It's always fun to see a Little Free Library "out in the wild!"  I love to spot them, browse their selection, leave a book if possible, and then look them up on the official website, because sometimes they have interesting stories to go along with them!  There's also an app you can download to find local Little Free Libraries where you can even "check in" to keep track of the ones you've visited!  Here are several I visited during our summer trip to Illinois and Oklahoma!

#178119 - During our visit to Illinois, we stayed in Glen Ellyn, a suburb of Chicago.  I was pleasantly surprised to see in the LFL app that there were many libraries located in the area, and we were able to visit a few during an early morning walk one day!  This was the first LFL I visited in Glen Ellyn.  It's located inside the train station, which is a perfect spot for a library!  I hope commuters and others get a lot of use out of it.  
#47959 - This LFL is located at a church, dedicated to the memory of the former church librarian/bibliophile.  Such a touching tribute!  There were some religious texts in it, but also some fiction offerings, including The 5th Wave!
#130650 - It's hard to tell, but this LFL does match the house behind it - I love when that happens!  It looked like there were a lot of self-help books in it.  
#48139 - This LFL had some lovely painted flowers on it and gold birds on top.  There is no story associated with it, but it seems like there could be!
#147910 - This LFL, dedicated to two schoolteachers, is located at a church in Glen Ellyn.  Even though it has a charter number, it wasn't in the app, but we just happened to stop at the church so my mom could light a candle and we saw it.  It had a lot of children's books, so I grabbed one for Henry!
#178395 - This was the only LFL I visited in the actual city of Chicago.  It's located just outside the Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier, which we visited one morning with Henry.  Disappointingly, it was empty!  I wish I'd had a book to leave.
#172826 - "Brad-brary" Little Free Library was not far from our rental in Glen Ellyn, but on a major road, so Tom drove me there one evening.  It had a few books in it, but I didn't take or leave any.
#137586 - "Carol's Corner" Little Free Library is located near my brother's house in Tulsa, so it was an easy visit!  This LFL was well-stocked with children's books and early reader books.  I snagged a book about getting ready for second grade for my nephew, who will be starting that grade very soon!

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles!

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is Planes, Trains & Automobiles/Books Featuring Travel (books whose plots involve travel or feature modes of transportation on the cover/title) (submitted by Cathy @ What Cathy Read Next).  I immediately thought of Henry, because what toddler doesn't love books about things that go?  Here are some of our favorites!


Have you read any of these?  What are some of your favorite kids' books about planes, trains, and automobiles?


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Monday, August 12, 2024

Michele's Monday Picks #52

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with my little series, Michele’s Monday Picks!  I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you.  Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to!

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By Rachel Koller Croft
Expected Publication: August 20, 2024

From Goodreads:
Locked in a toxic female friendship, two vampires careen toward catastrophe in this dark and dazzling page-turner, set amidst London's glittering disco scene.

London 1979. Two women with a deep love for disco meet one fateful night on the dance floor, changing the course of both their lives forever.

Nicola, a beautiful and brooding vampire for nearly two centuries, can’t resist fun-loving and feisty Amber from America, ultimately offering an eternity together where the glamour of nightlife always takes center stage.

But not all is what it seems.

Nearly fifty years later, after an unexpected betrayal, Amber wants out from under Nicola’s thumb, but it won’t be so simple to break up this festering friendship when she learns others have done the same—and wound up dead.

Sensing Amber’s restlessness and in one last play to keep her close, Nicola proposes they open a nightclub of their very own, hearkening back to their best days as dancing queens.

Amber agrees but she’s secretly hatching a dangerous escape plan. And if she fails…the party is over for good.


Disco and vampires?  I’m in - do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Friday, August 9, 2024

Quick Reviews

The Treasure Hunt Hookup by Lila Monroe (2023)

After a bitter divorce, Ivy has retreated to a small town where she has a quiet but fulfilling life.  However, when her ex-husband shows up, insisting he knows where her family's mystery fortune is hidden, Ivy decides she needs to find it first - with the help of Reeve, a Hollywood director on vacation in her small North Carolina town.  Lila Monroe's books are always a fun time - very steamy, low drama, and plenty of hijinks.  Ivy and Reeve have such good chemistry, and I love that he is so invested - while she clearly has feelings for him, too, he's definitely the one pushing for more.  The story is fast-paced, and while it sometimes seemed that the treasure hunt portion was very secondary to the romance, it was still a fun part of the book, watching them find clues, interpret the meanings, and figure out the next part of the hunt.  Ivy and Reeve are the perfect partners and I thoroughly enjoyed watching their love blossom.  4 stars

She Started It by Sian Gilbert (2023)

Four friends take a trip to the Caribbean, invited on a bachelorette weekend by an old classmate, Poppy.  Little do they know, as they've been keeping secrets from each other, Poppy has some secrets of her own, and she's decided to right some past wrongs.  I've been wanting to read more thrillers, and this And Then There Were None-style mystery really appealed to me.  Although, I do have to say - something about the premise bothered me a bit when I first started reading.  Minor spoilers/trigger warnings: These four friends were absolutely awful to Poppy in school, bullying her relentlessly.  When she appears out of the blue 10 years later and invites them to be her bridesmaids and join her on an exotic (but isolated) vacation, I really wondered why they would agree to it.  Maybe one or two of them, but all of them?  When you find out the things they did to Poppy, it was hard to see how any rational person could go along with this.  In any event, they do, and they are all in for a wild ride.  Gilbert does a great job of establishing the setting of this remote island, with no cell service and bad weather.  I did have a hard time distinguishing between the four friends at first - their voices just all sounded the same and it really took me until the end to grasp their differences.  Poppy is the stand-out character here, though, and the only person I felt any sympathy for.  A bit predictable in some places, but very good twists in others, this book will leave you a little unsettled at the end.  3.5 stars


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Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Can't-Wait Wednesday: My Salty Mary

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
Expected publication date: August 20, 2024
Perfect for fans of The Princess Bride and A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, New York Times bestselling authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows are back with a fantastical, romantical, and piratical historical fantasy remix that marries the story of The Little Mermaid with the life and times of infamous lady pirate Mary Read.

Don't call this mermaid "little"—call her "captain," unless you want to walk the plank.

Mary is in love with the so-called prince of Charles Town, except he doesn't love her back. Which is inconvenient. Since she's a mermaid, being brokenhearted means she'll—poof!—turn into sea-foam.

But instead, Mary finds herself pulled out of the sea and up onto a pirate ship. To survive, she joins them. But Mary isn't willing to just sing the yo-ho-hos. She wants the pirate life, all of it, and she's ready to make a splash . . . by becoming captain. But when Blackbeard dies suddenly, Mary has a chance to become so much more: Pirate King . . . or Queen. She won't let anyone stop her—not Blackbeard's cute son, not her best friend from back under the sea who's having a bit too much fun with his new legs, and certainly not everyone who says she can't be a pirate just because she's a girl.

She may not be the best man for the job, but she'll definitely prove that she's worth her salt. - from Goodreads


Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Blog Tour: Blink and Glow by Raven Howell

Today I'm partnering with WOW! Women on Writing to celebrate the release of Blink and Glow, the latest book from children's author and poet Raven Howell!  Since I love reading with my toddler son, I was so excited to share this with him.  We received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.


By Raven Howell (illustrated by Ann Pilicer)
Published July 15, 2024

Lilly and Leo think it's super to catch fireflies and salamanders—and even more exciting, as they plan to bring their glowing nature finds to show-and-tell the next day. They have a change of heart when Grandma's wisdom guides the children to respect the freedom and light of the natural life in all living things. 

Leo and Lilly are two young children doing that beloved summer nighttime activity - catching fireflies!  Leo catches a firefly in his jar, while Lilly finds a salamander for hers.  Both are excited to show them to their friends the next day at school.  Their grandmother, however, reminds them that the creatures need to be free to shine their brightest.  Although maybe disappointing, the children know that releasing the firefly and salamander will be what's best for them, and they make some crafts inspired by their finds that they can show off instead.

I loved how this book combined a summer activity that I enjoyed as a kid (looking for fireflies) with a great message about appreciating and respecting the environment and all living creatures.  It felt both nostalgic and modern.  I also appreciated the way the grandmother used the luna moth as an example of how living creatures need to be free, instead of just ordering the children to release the firefly and salamander.  It allowed Leo and Lilly to make the decision for themselves and feel good about it.

My son loved the bright, whimsical illustrations, and although he might be a tad too young to fully appreciate the moral of the story, this is one we can continue to enjoy as he gets older.  At the end of the book are instructions for recreating the craft that Leo and Lilly put together, a firefly suncatcher, and I thought this was a great addition.

5 stars

Friday, August 2, 2024

Quick Reviews

 Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage (2023)

After an accident leaves her scared to get back on her horse, barrel racer Emmy retreats to her hometown, where she keeps running into Luke, her brother's best friend.  Although they sort of grew up together, their age difference and her brother Gus kept them from really knowing each other.  But now that they're older, neither can deny that there's a spark between them - and maybe Luke can be the one to help Emmy get back in the saddle.  This book was such a treat.  I loved the family ranch setting and the way Emmy, her friends, and her family all relate to each other.  It's such a close-knit group, but that doesn't mean that dynamics can't change.  Emmy and Luke start seeing each other in a new way, and I was anxious to see how that would affect the rest of the characters.  Although I didn't care for the way Luke spoke to Emmy sometimes, I loved that he was there for her and gently pushed her to face her fears.  Overall, some spice and a lot of heart - and I'm excited to continue the series.  4 stars 
 
The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella (2023)
 
Sasha is burned out - she's overworked, constantly stressed, and doesn't have any motivation for things like cooking or relationships.  She needs a break, so she heads to the small seaside resort she spent her summers at as a child.  There, she meets Finn, who is also taking a break from his responsibilities.  Although prickly at first, the two realize they have a lot in common - could there be something more between them?  I've loved Sophie Kinsella's books for years - they always have a good mix of humor, quirk, and heart, and this was no exception.  Sasha is a relatable character - overworked and stressed to the point that she briefly considers joining a convent to escape.  She is able, however, to take a long break in a place that meant a lot to her as a child and start to heal.  Finn is going through a similar situation, and the two bond.  I loved seeing these two start to open up to each other and find themselves again.  There's a bit of a mystery when messages start showing up on the beach, and Kinsella brings it all back to a place that will probably bring tears to your eyes (it did for me, anyway!).  Funny moments, touching moments, relatable moments - another hit from Sophie Kinsella.  4.5 stars


* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Thursday, August 1, 2024

Month in Review: July 2024

 

July was a very busy month - I feel like I'm still trying to recover!  We had some work done at the house - regrading our patio in the back to make it more level and fixing some holes in the foundation.  My in-laws came over for the 4th of July, and I have to laugh that Henry convinced them to walk down to the park with him in the 90 degree weather, while I stayed in the AC!  The biggest thing that happened this month was our trip to Illinois and Oklahoma.  We went to the Chicago area for our niece's wedding, which was at a beautiful arboretum, and stayed for a couple extra days to do some exploring.  My mom flew up from OK to help out with Henry during the wedding and it was so nice to be able to spend more time with her.  We went to the Brookfield Zoo and then spent a morning at Navy Pier in the city.  We visited the Children's Museum and took Henry for a ride on the Centennial Wheel, a huge Ferris wheel that he is still talking about!  We also visited Cloud Gate (the bean) and the Shedd Aquarium.  The weather was really hot and humid in Illinois and our last night there, we experienced some crazy storms - we even heard tornado sirens!  It was pretty scary.  We all camped out in the basement for an hour or so.  After that, we flew to Tulsa and stayed with my brother and his family for a few days (my mom lives nearby, so we got to spend more time with her!).  Henry had a great time with his cousins, going to the zoo, the Gathering Place (a huge public park/playground), swimming in the pool, and taking a "tunnel tour" in downtown Tulsa.  The day after we got back, we met Henry's cousins for a pirate boat adventure at the Jersey shore.  

Henry is enjoying his summer - his daycare has transitioned to "camp" for the summer, with lots of fun activities, crafts, snacks, and visitors (like Ariel!).  He is currently obsessed with flags, fans, and umbrellas.  He did an awesome job for his first time flying - I was so worried about everything that could go wrong, but he was so chill and relaxed (probably because he got to watch lots of Blippi and use his cool new headphones).  


The Books



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