Michele's Monday Picks #56

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!

*************************************************************************

The Nightmare Before Kissmas

By Sara Raasch

Expected Publication: October 8, 2024

From Goodreads:

Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas in a sexy, quirky romcom where the golden-hearted Prince of Christmas falls for the totally off-limits Prince of Halloween.

Nicholas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. Coal will do anything to escape the spectacle, including getting tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make- out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night.

But the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to do his duty: he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess and his brother’s not-so-secret crush. A situation that has disaster written all over it.

Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess’s hand…and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar hottie: Hex, the Prince of Halloween.

It’s a fake competition between two holiday princes who can’t keep their hands off each other over a marriage of convenience that no one wants. And it all leads to one of the sweetest, sexiest, messiest, most delightfully unforgettable love stories of the year.

This sounds so fun! Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood (2023)

Mallory is done playing chess, until she agrees to play in one last tournament and ends up being the current world champion.  Now she finds herself being pulled back into the world she believes ruined her family and also falling in love a bit with her competitor.  I've been wanting to read the beloved Ali Hazelwood for awhile, and unfortunately I don't think this was the best book for me to start with.  Although the main characters are out of high school, they are young enough for me to deem this YA, which I really don't read too much anymore.  That itself is not necessarily a problem, but when I start disliking the characters because of their over-the-top drama and nonsensical actions, it is.  YA characters for me can be simultaneously immature and too mature, if that makes sense?  Mallory is one of those people who makes her entire personality taking care of her family (whether they ask her to or not).  I think she goes overboard with it.  And Nolan, I just didn't get him.  I guess he thinks his feelings are obvious, but he just came off as weird, even a little creepy and stalkerish.  I didn't get the chemistry between the two.  I don't play chess, but I did enjoy the chess talk - it's really amazing how much skill and knowledge goes into a game.  The side characters added some needed levity to this story.  I do want to read more from this author, so for now I'll give this one 3 stars. 

 

Being Henry: The Fonz... and Beyond by Henry Winkler (2023)

 

In Being Henry, actor/producer/director/writer Henry Winkler talks about his at times difficult childhood, his rise to fame playing a very recognizable character, and his years spent trying to distinguish himself in Hollywood.  I think most of us probably have heard of Henry Winkler, or at least his most famous role, the Fonz on the hit show Happy Days.  I'm not sure why this memoir never crossed my radar, but I'm glad I found it while perusing Libby one day to find an audiobook for my afternoon walks!  As always, I love when a memoir is read by the author - Winkler's voice and cadence are so recognizable and distinct, and it really helps bring his own story to life.  Winkler is honest, humble, charming, vulnerable, and funny.  He doesn't shy away from the difficult parts of his life, talking openly about his dyslexia and his troubled relationship with his parents.  He also happily talks about such things as his almost 5-decade long marriage and his children (his wife even narrates some of it!).  I think at times the self-deprecation went a little too far, and the stream of consciousness narrative, while it makes you feel as if you are having a genuine conversation with Winkler, at times was a little jarring as it bounced from topic to topic.  But overall, I think this memoir proves that Winkler is one of those rare Hollywood gems, talented enough to hang with the best but also genuinely excited and happy to be there.  4 stars

 

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

Little Free Library Sightings: Hudson Valley 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 a few I visited during our weekend getaway to the Hudson Valley!

#132265 - During our trip, we stayed in Fishkill, which had two Little Free Libraries very close to the downtown area, so after dinner one night, we walked to them!  This LFL was created by Girl Scout Troop 10398 and they say, "I made this library for the children of my community to find new books and to share books they love with others."  Love this!  I left a book.

#66105 - This LFL, called Cicero's Little Library, is located at a house just off the main street of Fishkill.  The owner says, "We would like to thank all our friends and family for helping to raise money for this library on social media. We would also like to thank the Village of Fishkill for approving this project. Jeri Wagner and Mike Boyajian "All that you need in life is a garden and a library." - Cicero.  As you can see, it was completely stuffed with books!  I left a book and took a Ruth Ware book.

#132984 - The Ricker Library is located in Sleepy Hollow.  There are actually quite a few LFLs in Sleepy Hollow, but I wasn't feeling great so we only managed to stop at this one.  I love the story behind this one - "My husband gifted me this Little Free Library for my birthday. I'm a Middle School Librarian and I love children's books."  How sweet!  What a perfect gift for a bookworm/librarian.  I left a book for them.

 

#164036 - I have to share two photos of this LFL because, come on, look at that view!  This LFL is located in Cold Spring, NY, right along the Hudson River waterfront.  There's a bandstand, pier, memorial, and walkway nearby, so I'm sure it gets lots of traffic!  According to the LFL website, "This Little Free Library is the Hudson River "outpost" of the Julia L. Butterfield Memorial Library. It was a collaboration with the Village of Cold Spring and the Mid-Hudson Adirondack Club for the purpose of learning about and sharing an appreciation of the natural world around us."  I left a book.

#15381 - On our way to the FDR Presidential Library and Home site, we passed this LFL in Hyde Park.  It's actually in the parking lot of a strip mall.  I had run out of books to leave, so unfortunately I couldn't leave one, but this LFL was packed with books, so it's clearly well-used!

Top Ten Tuesday: My Fall TBR

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is our fall TBR.  I did pretty terribly on the TBR I planned for the summer, but I'm really excited about this one!  It also helps that I have half of them sitting on my unread shelf!

Have you read any of these?  Where should I start?

Michele's Monday Picks #55

 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!

******************************************************

 

Variation

By Rebecca Yarros

Expected Publication: October 8, 2024

From Goodreads:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fourth Wing comes a new contemporary romance about the summer a celebrated dancer returns home and unearths years of family secrets with the Coast Guard rescue swimmer she never forgot.

I have been a fan of Rebecca since long before Fourth Wing and her contemporary romances are really special - do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Indie Bookstore Spotlight: Split Rock Books

Last month we took a long weekend getaway to the Hudson Valley.  One day we stopped for lunch in the small town of Cold Spring.  Right across from the pizza parlor was an indie bookstore, so of course I had to stop in!  Split Rock Books was founded in 2018 by a married couple (who have since welcomed two little booksellers!).  According to their website, "Split Rock carries a curated selection of new books with a focus on literary fiction and non-fiction, small presses, local interest and children's books. We're also able to order most books by request.  We host a variety of children's and family programming, book clubs, readings, signings and discussions."

A man on a bench out front noticed I was taking pictures of the store and jokingly asked if I always do that with bookstores - I said yes!  It kicked off a pleasant conversation about indie bookstores in New York, and he gave me some good recommendations for others to visit!

I love all the bright colors on the storefront and in the windows - it's so cheerful and welcoming!  Inside, the space isn't large but has everything you need for a wonderful bookstore.  Tall shelves, tables of new releases, cool lighting - it was all great!

This is just one small part of the children's section.  There were so many books I wanted to get for Henry, but I stuck to just one, a book about how apples grow.  We've already read it a couple times!

If you ever find yourself near Cold Spring in the Hudson Valley of New York, definitely take some time to visit Split Rock Books!

Can't-Wait Wednesday: If I Were You

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

If I Were You

Cesca Major

Expected publication date: September 24, 2024

From the author of Maybe Next Time comes a funny and emotional read about a couple struggling in their relationship who accidentally swap bodies on their way to a family wedding weekend.

Amy and Flynn have been dating for two years. And they love each other. Don’t they?

Only Amy can’t read Flynn’s mind and Flynn can’t read Amy’s. Little do they know this weekend is make or break.

Amy’s nervous older sister is getting married at the world’s swankiest wedding venue in rural Devon and is relying on her younger sister to be the perfect Chief Bridesmaid. Frustrations on the way to the wedding escalate until both Amy and Flynn are shouting at each other in a country lane during a thunderstorm. Why can’t they see things from the other’s point of view? When lightning strikes, Flynn and Amy are thrown to the ground, and when they stand back up they realize—they’ve switched bodies.

Forced to attend the glamorous wedding weekend as each other is surely an impossible task. With spa mornings, exes, flash mob rehearsals, speeches and more, getting through this swap will test their relationship to breaking point. And when they each discover big secrets in the other’s past—it seems that switching bodies could be the least of their problems. Even if they do manage to swap back—can their relationship survive? - from Goodreads

Quick Reviews

The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin (2024)

Four strangers become the closest of friends in college, but when a tragedy rocks their world, they vow to always be there in times of need.  Ten years later, Hannah needs her friends as her relationship crumbles, only to also find that they are all going through some major life changes.  Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors, so I always eagerly anticipate her books.  This one had elements I enjoyed, but I also had some issues with it.  Giffin always creates these well-rounded characters, full of little details that make them feel like real people.  I felt like the character development lacked here, though - maybe we needed more background before getting into the heart of story, but, for example, I didn't understand Tyson's motivations to completely upend his life in such a rash manner.  Maybe if we had spent more time getting to know the characters in college or got more information about the years before the present-day story, I would have understood them better.  I enjoyed Hannah's self-journey - she has always been very by-the-book, a rule follower, but for the first time, she's doing things for herself and realizing new things.  I also enjoyed the travel elements of the book - the group's visit to Capri made me yearn for a trip of my own!  3.5 stars

The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen (2024)

Out of the blue, Ariel receives a strange text message from her boyfriend Drew, who has been dead for years.  It sets off an investigation to find out what really happened the day he left her and raises questions about the family business she works for.  This book purports to be a mystery/thriller, but it also feels like a romance, as the story moves back and forth in time to when Ariel and Drew first meet and start to fall in love.  Drew then disappears, leaving Ariel pregnant and alone.  Five years later, she and a co-worker start to look into Drew's past and what he was really doing at Chime Co.  I thought the pacing of the story was off; there weren't many "thrills," just a lot of repetition and a lot of computer work, which isn't always the most exciting.  Some elements of the story were very predictable, with maybe one or two surprises.  Things go a bit off the rails near the end, but it finally adds some real action to the story.  This is the author's first foray into the thriller genre; you can definitely tell she's usually a romance writer, but there are certainly some elements that have promise if she does decide to stick with this genre again.  3.5 stars

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

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Wrath of the Triple Goddess

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

Wrath of the Triple Goddess (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #7)

Rick Riordan

Expected publication date: September 24, 2024

Percy Jackson, now a high school senior, needs three recommendation letters from the Greek gods in order to get into New Rome University. He earned his first one by retrieving Ganymede’s chalice. Now the goddess Hecate has offered Percy another “opportunity”—all he has to do is pet sit her mastiff, Hecuba, and her polecat, Gale, over Halloween week while she is away. Piece of cake, right?

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover settle into Hecate’s seemingly endless mansion and start getting acquainted with the fussy, terrifying animals. The trio has been warned not to touch anything, but while Percy and Annabeth are out at school, Grover can’t resist drinking a strawberry-flavored potion in the laboratory. It turns him into a giant frenzied goat, and after he rampages through the house, damaging everything in sight, and passes out, Hecuba and Gale escape. Now the friends have to find Hecate’s pets and somehow restore the house, all before Hecate gets back on Saturday. It’s going to take luck, demigod wiles, and some old and new friends to hunt down the animals and set things right again. - from Goodreads

Michele's Monday Picks #54

 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!

****************************************************************

 

Faeries Never Lie

By Zoraida Cordova & Natalie C. Parker

Expected Publication: September 24, 2024

From Goodreads:

Faeries Never Lie, the next young adult collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, is filled with fourteen short stories to revel in, that center faeries of varying genders and cultures!

There’s something to be said for starting your first day in faerie boarding school, for chasing a faerie through Chang’an during the Tang Dynasty, for searching for the missing part of your throuple who may have run away with a faerie prince, for descending into madness after spending countless nights plagued by the same faerie dream—and much more.

Fly into this revelry filled with tricksters, lovers, monsters, and the like, in this exciting collection for those who love faeries and those who are experiencing them for the first time!

Edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Faeries Never Lie features short stories from beloved authors Nafiza Azad, Holly Black, Dhonielle Clayton, Christine Day, Chloe Gong, Tessa Gratton, Kwame Mbalia, Ryan La Sala, L.L. McKinney, Anna-Marie McLemore, Kaitlyn Sage Patterson, Rory Power.

I really loved the first two anthologies in this series (vampires and mermaids!) - do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Quick Reviews

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connolly (2022)

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice is a story of the Titanic disaster told from unique perspectives.  It is based on the true story of the ship Carpathia, which answered the Titanic's distress call and was able to save some of its passengers.  The narrative switches between the viewpoints of the captain of the Carpathia, Arthur Rostron, and Kate Connolly, a third-class passenger on the Titanic who is able to make her way to a lifeboat.  The Titanic has always been a fascinating topic to me, how this supposedly unsinkable ship didn't make it through its first voyage and what its passengers went through, so I eagerly read this book.  Having the POV of Captain Rostron was especially inspired - we see the heroism of him and his crew despite not knowing what they were headed into.  It's a part of the Titanic story that many people may not know about.  I did think the pacing was a bit off - some of the action happens off page and feels glossed over - and the writing style is very formal.  I think it captures the era well, but it also feels stiff at times.  Overall, though, an admirable addition to the Titanic historical fiction genre.  4 stars

Heir, Apparently by Kara McDowell (2024)

After surviving a near-apocalypse, Wren and Theo (now the King of England) are thrown back together when their reunion is caught by the paparazzi.  Theo's advisors need Wren to come back to England to determine what the next steps are, but of course, with these two nothing is easy, and their plane crashes on a deserted island.  With their friends and siblings, they face volcanoes, injuries, and tough decisions - what will their future hold, if they even make it out alive?  The first book in this duology was one of my favorites of last year, so I was so looking forward to the next chapter of Wren and Theo's story - and it was near perfection for me!  I don't know what it is about these two, but even with all the crazy antics, the misunderstandings, the rapidly changing feelings, I can't help but root for them.  McDowell adds even more layers to their story by bringing in Theo's siblings, so there are all these discussions about the monarchy and their duty to their country.  The action is practically non-stop; it felt like most chapters ended on some sort of minor cliffhanger, which made me want to keep reading.  Yes, it's over the top; yes, there's a lot of drama (these are teenagers, after all).  But it's a fun, funny, surprisingly tender at times story about a boy and a girl who always seem to find themselves in dire situations, falling in love despite the odds against them.  My only quibble is, as much as I love Wren, at times I wanted Theo's POV, only because he can be quite stoic and sometimes maddening, so to know what's going on in his head would add even that much more to the story!  4.5 stars

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

Month in Review: August 2024

 

August was a busy month!  I went into the office one day for my yearly evaluation (which went well, phew!) and then we had a cookie decorating party after hours, which was so fun!  My stepmother turned 70 this month, so we planned a surprise birthday party for her.  It was a great day of celebrating her and spending time with everyone.  Tom also had a birthday this month and he wanted to try a new restaurant, so we went to Fogo de Chao, which just opened near us.  Have you ever been to this Brazilian steakhouse?  We all liked it, even Henry, so it was a win for us!  Henry's daycare closed for the last week of August, so we decided to take a long weekend getaway to the Hudson Valley.  We went to Storm King Art Center (Tom and I went years ago, but this was Henry's first time, and he loved it!).  We also did another Guess Where? trip that went to some very cool places, and we finished our trip at the FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park.  

Henry is just a ball of energy lately!  He doesn't like to take naps at home anymore and he is always moving (except when he is watching his favorite Spiderman shows).  He also talks A LOT, which I love - the two of us are always having funny conversations.  I've noticed lately that he's started using phrases that I say a lot.  He is obsessed with flags, fans, and umbrellas, and his favorite book of the month was about George Ferris and his Ferris Wheel.  He's always trying to figure out how stuff works - maybe we have a future engineer on our hands!  We've also entered our "why?" era - so Henry is constantly questioning everything I say, do, eat, etc.

The Books

Tiny Little Thing // Kit McBride Gets a Wife // Secretly Yours // A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World // Heir, Apparently // The Summer Pact // The Five Year Lie

Check & Mate

The Posts and Reviews

Quick Reviews

Blog Tour: Blink and Glow by Raven Howell

Can't-Wait Wednesday: My Salty Mary

Quick Reviews

Michele's Monday Picks #52

Top Ten Tuesday: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles!

Little Free Library Sightings: The Midwest Edition

Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews: The Ocean Edition

Indie Bookstore Spotlight: The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn

Quick Reviews

Michele's Monday Picks #53

Indie Bookstore Spotlight: Magic City Books 

How are you doing?

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