Musings of a Literary Wanderer: July 2024

Monday, July 29, 2024

Michele's Monday Picks #51

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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Lady Macbeth

By Ava Reid

Expected Publication: August 6, 2024

From Goodreads:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid comes a reimagining of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most famous villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a power that transforms the story men have written for her.

The Lady knows the stories: how her eyes induce madness in men.

The Lady knows she will be wed to the Scottish brute, who does not leave his warrior ways behind when he comes to the marriage bed.

The Lady knows his hostile, suspicious court will be a game of strategy, requiring all of her wiles and hidden witchcraft to survive.

But the Lady does not know her husband has occult secrets of his own. She does not know that prophecy girds him like armor. She does not know that her magic is greater and more dangerous, and that it will threaten the order of the world.

She does not know this yet. But she will.

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

Friday, July 26, 2024

Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews: The Windsor Edition

Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters by Andrew Morton (2021)

Although very different, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret grew up extremely close and the best of friends. However, their dynamic changed once their uncle abdicated the throne, leaving their father as king and paving the way for Elizabeth to eventually become queen. Now, Elizabeth had a new purpose in life and a reputation to uphold, and Margaret was somewhat left in the shadows, not to mention that Margaret was beholden to Elizabeth in many aspects of her life, which naturally created some tension. Well-known biographer Andrew Morton explores the sibling bond and relationship between Queen Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret in this book that spans the decades. I thought this book was well-written and included a lot of information that I didn't previously know, especially in regards to Margaret's relationship with Peter Townsend, probably one of the most infamous aspects to Queen Elizabeth's early reign. As Queen Elizabeth's life became steadier and more duty-filled, I found that the narrative focused more on Margaret, particularly her private life. Such a unique relationship - I think Morton does a good job of summarizing, in an easy to read and entertaining way, the public lives of two very famous women, but also how privately they were able to maintain their sisterly bond. 4 stars

The Woman Before Wallis by Bryn Turnbull (2020)

Before Wallis Simpson contributed to the abdication of King Edward (Prince David), another woman held his heart - Thelma Morgan. Thelma was an American who married into the British aristocracy, which led her to move in the same circles as the Prince. Her affair with him spans years, yet it's her relationship with her twin sister Gloria that eventually starts to cause its breakdown. Many of us know the story of Wallis Simpson, Prince David, and the infamous abdication that eventually led to the spectacular reign of Queen Elizabeth II. But, most people probably don't know a lot about the Prince's earlier years (except that maybe he preferred affairs with married women and never actually wanted to be king). This story focuses on one of those affairs, but it's more than just a royal love story. A large part of Thelma's story involves her sister, who married into the Vanderbilt family and then was caught up in scandal and legal cases over the custody of her daughter. Thelma is torn between her love for David and her love for her sister. I thought the story was well-written and engaging, and I enjoyed the first-person narrative. It fizzled a bit at the end, unfortunately, but overall, this was a solid read. 4 stars

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

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Thirteenth Husband

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

The Thirteenth Husband

Greer Macallister

Expected publication date: August 6, 2024

Based on a real woman from history, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets The Haunting of Hill House in this fictional tell-all narrated by the glamorous Aimee Crocker, revealing everything from her mischievous days in German finishing school to dinners with Hawaiian royalty to lavish Astor parties in Manhattan. But behind Aimee's public notoriety, there's private pain.
When Aimee is ten years old, as the night dips into the witching hour, the Woman in White appears to her. Minutes later, Aimee's father is dead―and Aimee inherits a fortune. But the Woman in White never really leaves Aimee, appearing as a sinister specter before every tragedy in her life. Despite Aimee's wealth, her cross-continental travels, and her increasingly shocking progression through husbands, Aimee is haunted by the unidentifiable Woman's mysterious motivations.
Tearing through millions of dollars, four continents, and a hearty collection of husbands, real-life heiress Aimee Crocker blazed an unbelievable trail of public scandal, private tragedy, and the kind of strong independent woman the 1880s had never seen. Her life was stranger than fiction and brighter than the stars, and she whirled through her days as if she was being chased by something larger than herself. Greer Macallister brilliantly takes us into her world and spins a tale that you won't soon forget. - from Amazon

Monday, July 22, 2024

Michele's Monday Picks #50

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Long Live Evil

By Sarah Rees Brennan

Expected Publication: July 30, 2024

From Goodreads:

A TALE FOR EVERYONE WHO’S EVER FALLEN FOR THE VILLAIN…

When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favourite fantasy series.

She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He’s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she's not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor's tale.

So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they're doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor's fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.

This adult epic fantasy debut from Sarah Rees Brennan puts the reader in the villain's shoes, for an adventure that is both 'brilliant' (Holly Black) and 'supremely satisfying' (Leigh Bardugo). Expect a rogue's gallery of villains including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a homicidal bodyguard, and a playboy spymaster with a golden heart and a filthy reputation.

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

Friday, July 12, 2024

Blog Break!

Hi, all! Just wanted to let you know that I will be taking a brief break from the blog next week. Thanks for stopping by, and I look forward to talking books again soon!

Monday, July 8, 2024

Michele's Monday Picks #49

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It Had To Be You

By Eliza Jane Brazier

Expected Publication: July 16, 2024

From Goodreads:

Two contract killers, each with a hit out on the other, must fight their growing attraction as they face off in an epic game of lust and murder across Western Europe. When Eva and Jonathan hook up on the sleeper train from Florence to Paris, they think they’ll never see each other again. Which is too bad, because neither has ever felt a spark like this for another person. But love isn’t on the agenda in their line of work. Six months later, they run into each other in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. This meeting is not by chance, because Eva has been hired to kill Jonathan. She’s a contract killer, but what she doesn’t know is that he is too. Their meeting kicks off a high-stakes cross-continent adventure across Western Europe. There will be tourism. There will be bodies. Eva and Jonathan might even fall for each other. As the two get closer to completing their assignments, it becomes clear that they are also being hunted—by something even more dangerous than love. . .

This sounds really fun and unique - do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Friday, July 5, 2024

Mid-Year Goals Check-In

It's hard to believe, but 2024 is already half over! So, now is the perfect time to check in on the goals we set back in January!

Read 75 books. At the time I'm writing this, I've read 51 books, so I'm well ahead on this goal!
Reread once a month. So far I'm at 100% on this goal! Most months, the first book I choose is a reread, and it's a nice way to start the month!
Read at least six nonfiction books. I've already read 6 nonfiction books this year, and I have so many more on my shelves and TBR that I'm excited about!
Finish the Bridgerton series. Goal completed! I finished the last book in June.
Purge my shelves. I've donated over 40 books this year, including many dropped off at Little Free Libaries. My shelves are still full, but I'm making progress!

And here is how my sister is doing on her goals:

Read 275 books. I actually recently dropped my goal to 250 books and I feel good about it. I know it is taking me longer to get through books this year due to other hobbies I am giving more attention to. But I am basically sticking to the books that excite me the most, so I’m happy with this development.
Track my reading contemporaneously. Doing good on this one! My spreadsheet is pretty up to date and it is so interesting seeing the sources and format of my reading, as well as what genres I gravitate towards.
Binge author backlists via audio. Making lots of good progress on this one. I have listened to multiple backlist titles from Christina Lauren, Katee Robert and Sierra Simone. I never would have had time to physically read all of these so the audiobooks have been a lifesaver.
Listen to 5 audiobooks with my hubby. We are starting the first of our summer road trips at the end of June, so this goal will really commence then. We are a couple chapters into an audiobook about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, but we don’t get too many opportunities for long, uninterrupted car time.

How are you doing on your goals this year?

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Can't-Wait Wednesday: A Novel Summer

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

A Novel Summer

Jamie Brenner

Expected publication date: July 16, 2024

A bestselling author finds love and second chances in the stacks of a quaint beach town bookshop

Author Shelby Archer found inspiration for her first novel while living on the picturesque shores of Provincetown on Cape Cod. When she comes to the town to celebrate her new bestseller, she is expecting a warm homecoming. But instead she is confronted with the cold shoulders of friends and neighbors who feel exposed and betrayed.

Heartbroken, Shelby tries to move on and focus on her next novel. But then an unexpected call comes: her dear friend who owns the beloved Land's End bookshop needs help for the summer. Shelby reluctantly returns to the Cape to manage the store.

Back at the beach, Shelby sets her focus on the tiny seaside shop, getting lost in the shelves of steamy romance novels and dusty classics and trying to right the wrongs of her past. With every page turned and every customer served, Shelby comes closer to gaining back the trust of those she hurt. But as her manuscript deadline nears, she is again forced to choose between her own success and a second chance at love and belonging. - from Goodreads

Monday, July 1, 2024

Month in Review: June 2024

It's hard to believe, but June is over and that means we're already halfway finished with 2024! June was a pretty quiet month for us. It started with a trip to the zoo and then a birthday party for our niece and nephew. Henry got to try out their new pool, which meant I had to be in it all afternoon - not a big sacrifice, though! Tom's co-workers got together for a day of mini-golf and lunch. It was Henry's first time playing mini-golf and he had a blast! Although, he thinks the club looks like a hammer and swings it as such, so we have some work to do, ha! The end of the month saw extremely hot temperatures, so hot that we honestly barely left the house except for work and school.

The Books