tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61306370226130505172024-03-19T03:00:32.760-04:00Musings of a Literary Wanderer... finding adventure on and off the page...Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.comBlogger1314125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-20377711314316490752024-03-19T03:00:00.001-04:002024-03-19T03:00:00.133-04:00Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Spring TBR<div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FXx4P9GDlE49_hv4u_CgHj12zwcqpa6p2RYxZeZgdggeOgPu-Zac5ZdfT0p3FIoZmRaS5wF8q6BLOjdYYQc_UX7TgDX0iv0zAM3bFyi8g-EqpTyOpaDx6EErcMj5NR9ydj5utL9gQcry09KqJO22Zf0OuHvNu585s2ZF1lecuImx4NezeUx_c_LsF1U/s500/TTT-Big2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="500" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FXx4P9GDlE49_hv4u_CgHj12zwcqpa6p2RYxZeZgdggeOgPu-Zac5ZdfT0p3FIoZmRaS5wF8q6BLOjdYYQc_UX7TgDX0iv0zAM3bFyi8g-EqpTyOpaDx6EErcMj5NR9ydj5utL9gQcry09KqJO22Zf0OuHvNu585s2ZF1lecuImx4NezeUx_c_LsF1U/w400-h163/TTT-Big2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at <a href="https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/" target="_blank">That Artsy Reader Girl</a>. This week's topic is our spring TBR. I have one book left over from my winter TBR (<i>The Villa</i>) that I included here, and then I tried to pick some books that have been languishing on my TBR (and shelves!) for far too long.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomchzKaSYM26j9qpL4o2khl2XyVaarpFRQd81kDSsoaPEKW1nGQISA3NUY8Qygq-zfCLbHXi5JilCdR88U6ncq2jalFCnP3-1SGzNqrft4n_hGjwiEhmhl3tRAGygBlUC6FLhKlvU_nhZ8AWkabrFpncmM5YD1XBVW510MQX6w38NznpVczh3T5tVLEk/s2000/spring%2024%20tbr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomchzKaSYM26j9qpL4o2khl2XyVaarpFRQd81kDSsoaPEKW1nGQISA3NUY8Qygq-zfCLbHXi5JilCdR88U6ncq2jalFCnP3-1SGzNqrft4n_hGjwiEhmhl3tRAGygBlUC6FLhKlvU_nhZ8AWkabrFpncmM5YD1XBVW510MQX6w38NznpVczh3T5tVLEk/w640-h512/spring%2024%20tbr.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>What's on your spring TBR?</b></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-57143049663580667472024-03-15T03:00:00.001-04:002024-03-15T03:00:00.138-04:00Little Free Library Sightings<div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">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 couple I've visited recently that actually aren't mapped in the app, but we came across them anyway!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntYoAEdcN0B3De1zWQR3SwfnSwv0ZjWQeDOtnRApYnID0UXyTxejvAKCqB9l2Td9mDcLzK_Q1LKEEX-2p9oA64di8x8-jab8zgSOE5DZKVqVjtyCxwuJqPisjjokOWl-nO_XTmgrbxDQ1KnDOPzPE1hFVwZ_mGEMHE66-oidTg5TqcVCxv8OuzLktyxs/s4032/20240303_134318.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntYoAEdcN0B3De1zWQR3SwfnSwv0ZjWQeDOtnRApYnID0UXyTxejvAKCqB9l2Td9mDcLzK_Q1LKEEX-2p9oA64di8x8-jab8zgSOE5DZKVqVjtyCxwuJqPisjjokOWl-nO_XTmgrbxDQ1KnDOPzPE1hFVwZ_mGEMHE66-oidTg5TqcVCxv8OuzLktyxs/w300-h400/20240303_134318.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>This Little Free Library, called Raritan Library, is located at the edge of a park, just beside an elementary school. We've passed it a couple times when going to the playground with Henry. It was built and installed as part of an Eagle Scout project in 2021. It currently has mostly adult books in it, but I've grabbed a book for Henry from there, too!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_o-EyrTYox9FnbJjJaYVmuLljDkCpxN48U5fu0nHRnAM2tnwMi8etR6h-ceJyMhNzliLeJccvAIr1RoilccUh-zl84SvfFnlhqDLKzrR4D8HTtRuResmuXU9sTqLmyByPS5dF0OXUn_IBy7KRw59jnzsyrOjIo2v2BzT_vMnq1Kn7Zz3MmHt71eIzMo/s4032/20240303_092054.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_o-EyrTYox9FnbJjJaYVmuLljDkCpxN48U5fu0nHRnAM2tnwMi8etR6h-ceJyMhNzliLeJccvAIr1RoilccUh-zl84SvfFnlhqDLKzrR4D8HTtRuResmuXU9sTqLmyByPS5dF0OXUn_IBy7KRw59jnzsyrOjIo2v2BzT_vMnq1Kn7Zz3MmHt71eIzMo/w300-h400/20240303_092054.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>#123610 - We came across this LFL just outside a big public playground that we took Henry to for the first time recently. It was installed by a Girl Scout Troop for a project in 2021. It has an official LFL charter number and sign but for some reason is not on the official LFL maps. In any event, the first time we saw this library, it was actually empty. I made a mental note to bring some baby books we were looking to unhaul the next time we visited, but of course I forgot! But, it was nice to see some books in there the second time! And since they're all "adult" books, there are some choices for parents, too!<br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-27840864697120395302024-03-13T03:00:00.001-04:002024-03-13T03:00:00.145-04:00Can't-Wait Wednesday: Just For The Summer<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at </span><a href="https://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="background-color: white; color: blue; text-decoration-line: none;">Wishful Endings</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizp90uxsLgczvj-AAasxTH6uDzCixfDwCevGBzZXzYJ91Tw3qiD-2F1sLDDVziVdZA3j0XNzuM3Sl8jQwuMwD0IhXmQY2p5Tg1u4P8PWv0U49GxsfLWI6ms9L-Z0hD8CKVIctw587hgctxY4QO-FdaAz5i3_Q3rdMR3Y-HHL7tyYDUaSWqS-4mIoWIq9E/s841/195820807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="554" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizp90uxsLgczvj-AAasxTH6uDzCixfDwCevGBzZXzYJ91Tw3qiD-2F1sLDDVziVdZA3j0XNzuM3Sl8jQwuMwD0IhXmQY2p5Tg1u4P8PWv0U49GxsfLWI6ms9L-Z0hD8CKVIctw587hgctxY4QO-FdaAz5i3_Q3rdMR3Y-HHL7tyYDUaSWqS-4mIoWIq9E/w264-h400/195820807.jpg" width="264" /></span></a></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195820807-just-for-the-summer?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_19" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Just for the Summer</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Abby Jimenez</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Expected publication date: April 2, 2024</span></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together? - <i>from Goodreads</i></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div></blockquote>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-42343270098193212322024-03-08T03:00:00.001-05:002024-03-08T03:00:00.149-05:00Quick Reviews<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WhcWyeT4UBqjR2HkKjJipZxv1hA_IWo66tfWqbzqdh4RrAyYxmxkzASvEP0V_fjIfHbSNI98zRZUf684GBXK21grdnJPBusUVdbB4x11XZh6_AmdquV81d1YJkMPx0HypgfCknO0WTwRn1gOjtGRabzlKyB569Sw6NzFMTqqNgrP7VTpCWRiHlSCcaY/s400/9781250774552.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WhcWyeT4UBqjR2HkKjJipZxv1hA_IWo66tfWqbzqdh4RrAyYxmxkzASvEP0V_fjIfHbSNI98zRZUf684GBXK21grdnJPBusUVdbB4x11XZh6_AmdquV81d1YJkMPx0HypgfCknO0WTwRn1gOjtGRabzlKyB569Sw6NzFMTqqNgrP7VTpCWRiHlSCcaY/w129-h200/9781250774552.jpg" width="129" /></a> <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781250774552" target="_blank">She Wouldn't Change a Thing</a> by Sarah Adlakha (2021)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Maria is a 39-year-old wife and mother, totally overwhelmed by her job and family - until the day she wakes up as her 17-year-old self, unsure of how she got there or how to get back to her family. She comes to realize that she has a chance to change history, but the change will prevent her from meeting her husband or having her children in the future - how does she make this impossible choice? I love time travel stories and I was so taken with the premise of this one, but unfortunately, I was left with more questions than answers and it hindered my enjoyment of this book. We find out that a certain event propels Maria into the past, where she learns she isn't the only one this has happened to. She then discovers she has been sent back for a "purpose," which to me wasn't super clear - like, if you couldn't figure out this purpose, what was the point? And also, there's basically no going back, but completing your purpose will change the future you thought you knew. So, why these people? Why this purpose? And since you can't go back to your old life, what is the point of you reliving your life, albeit very differently? Would certain things still happen, regardless? And should you (or could you) try to change those things, too? I didn't care for the bit of insta-love that was thrown in as well. I did enjoy the connections between the characters and trying to figure out how it would all work out. Incredible premise, but the execution didn't work well for me. 3 stars</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAmhozQXUchPhfqCg0toPsXMw57KNecnpVSCjmcjNkxyrlMYM2JR_gC6dIdxxYAlw-m3fR_oRT5iPlbCyNyGTWw3EwNenhKQ53gLz8qIBbbHkZWcl-dRuC1EZwFRSZOk-GpOhrFUVXPkmJj2i_RSdiC_p2qkFd58Md3MiECtpAU703whzcGR2vMzts2M/s500/9781668026038.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="321" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAmhozQXUchPhfqCg0toPsXMw57KNecnpVSCjmcjNkxyrlMYM2JR_gC6dIdxxYAlw-m3fR_oRT5iPlbCyNyGTWw3EwNenhKQ53gLz8qIBbbHkZWcl-dRuC1EZwFRSZOk-GpOhrFUVXPkmJj2i_RSdiC_p2qkFd58Md3MiECtpAU703whzcGR2vMzts2M/w128-h200/9781668026038.webp" width="128" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781668026038" target="_blank">Icebreaker</a> by Hannah Grace (2023)</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">When a college hockey team and ice skating team are forced to share a rink, sparks fly between the captain and the star skater. Anastasia doesn't have time for a relationship, but will she make room for a new partner? I have to admit, I'm not quite sure what to think about this one - it's definitely going to end up being 3 stars for me, though. There were parts I liked - the college setting is one I don't read often, so it was nice to revisit that. It was way spicier than the cover might make you think (although sometimes it felt like the sex scenes were taking over the story). The timeline is realistic (no real insta-love here). But, I did have issues with it. First off, there were WAY too many side characters to keep track of and after awhile I just stopped caring. The book is at least 100 pages too long (it's well over 400 pages, there's a lot of repetition in the forming of the relationship between Anastasia and Nathan, and there were plot points that could have been omitted entirely while important ones were totally glossed over). While it makes sense than Anastasia would be deeply in touch with her emotions after many years of therapy, I felt like the characters were a little too self-aware (and mature, maybe?) for their ages, and there's so much talking at the expense of actual plot. And don't get me started on that epilogue! 3 stars<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-64618192667584445312024-03-06T03:00:00.001-05:002024-03-06T03:00:00.133-05:00Can't-Wait Wednesday: Fate Be Changed<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at </span><a href="https://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="background-color: white; color: blue; text-decoration-line: none;">Wishful Endings</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg028GzdS6YAGiH5ltL0jzPt39hYu37cBExt911wZAfElWr68l19vYJxZOizaUXT08AG29zCeYkhKhMN8c8NSexwYN7cmtTypAvq1yrT1o1A3j3XH3kXM8-eoktqC5aY-t1kn8wE8s3jKYgs9vvlZXwHmxGrsqWlSyC3G_1ePbot87jxwv9vO2yTXP4il4/s2560/182506531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1692" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg028GzdS6YAGiH5ltL0jzPt39hYu37cBExt911wZAfElWr68l19vYJxZOizaUXT08AG29zCeYkhKhMN8c8NSexwYN7cmtTypAvq1yrT1o1A3j3XH3kXM8-eoktqC5aY-t1kn8wE8s3jKYgs9vvlZXwHmxGrsqWlSyC3G_1ePbot87jxwv9vO2yTXP4il4/w265-h400/182506531.jpg" width="265" /></span></a></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/182506531-fate-be-changed?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_15" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fate Be Changed</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Farrah Rochon</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Expected publication date: April 2, 2024</span></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">What if the witch gave Merida a different spell? This New York Times best-selling series twists Disney•Pixar's Brave into a fast-paced story in which Merida is sent back in time.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">If you could change your fate, would you? Merida understands that as princess of Clan DunBroch, she has certain obligations—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it. Especially when one of those obligations means losing her freedom by becoming betrothed to a man she has never met. Merida balks at this tradition, but her mother Queen Elinor insists that Merida must do this to embrace her role as future queen.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Determined to chart her own path, Merida follows magical wisps to a witch’s cottage, where she is given a magic pastry and promised it will incite “a great transformation” in her mother. But instead of feeding Elinor the pastry, Merida eats it herself.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Merida awakens in the past, a now-teenage Elinor holding a knife to her throat and accusing her of espionage. She’s been transported to a time when the Clans MacCameron and DunBroch are bitter enemies. And it just so happens that the timing of Merida’s arrival has kept Elinor and Fergus from meeting.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Will Merida be able to bridge the rival clans, help her parents fall in love, and change her own fate? - <i>from Goodreads</i></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div></blockquote>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-32457816784437404002024-03-04T03:00:00.001-05:002024-03-04T03:00:00.137-05:00Michele's Monday Picks #41<div style="text-align: left;">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!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*******************************************************************</div><div><span style="white-space: normal; white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUkU6HufafNOG1cZOh6VQOSwCxE0L-92Mow-cUPaO_90R4aj_vF3-Tk1UXTjVZV85-f6ajFAvJ5-UaaOYmLz5yRo7nUH5ieYGDt5XVlR1ZiyL24985qnip5Vnn-5U0jlQXzPpps12iVXHmTaxDK6GpvthsY6BogH5_FW3xCYklMiv1RwV-_Ngyn3iJVk/s1500/199368721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="990" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUkU6HufafNOG1cZOh6VQOSwCxE0L-92Mow-cUPaO_90R4aj_vF3-Tk1UXTjVZV85-f6ajFAvJ5-UaaOYmLz5yRo7nUH5ieYGDt5XVlR1ZiyL24985qnip5Vnn-5U0jlQXzPpps12iVXHmTaxDK6GpvthsY6BogH5_FW3xCYklMiv1RwV-_Ngyn3iJVk/w264-h400/199368721.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199368721-wild-love?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=v2d4S5Ylel&rank=4" target="_blank"><br />Wild Love</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">By Elsie Silver</div><div style="text-align: center;">Expected Publication: April 9, 2024</div><div><br /></div><div>From Goodreads:</div><div>Rosie Belmont has been driving me wild for years. The good kind of wild. The bad kind of wild. But mostly the kind of wild that comes with wanting your best friend’s little sister and knowing you can’t have her.</div><div><br /></div><div>After living in the city, she comes blasting back into Rose Hill like a storm. Beautiful, messy, and chaotic.</div><div><br /></div><div>And one wide-eyed desperate plea for a job is all it takes for me to hire her.</div><div><br /></div><div>Forbes may have labeled me the World’s Hottest Billionaire but all I care about is opening my new recording studio. Something that comes to a screeching halt when I end up face-to-face with a young girl who claims I’m her biological father.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I spend my days balancing business with parenting a sullen twelve-year-old all while trying desperately to keep my hands the hell off my best friend’s little sister.</div><div><br /></div><div>I vow to keep Rosie at arm’s length. I try to stick to scowls and grumpy one-liners. But with her verbal sparring is merely foreplay—friction that turns to blistering heat.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know damn well I shouldn’t cross that line.</div><div><br /></div><div>But shouldn’t and can’t are two very different things.</div><div><br /></div><div>And the only thing I truly can’t do is resist her.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>If you haven’t yet started your Elsie Silver journey, here is the perfect time as she starts a new series - do you think you’ll be picking this one up?</b></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-17497723540999328002024-03-01T03:00:00.001-05:002024-03-01T03:00:00.130-05:00Month in Review: February 2024<div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqy6BqqBMub6KtLGRCni3ijmVFhikX_HSnvTfs9Qd-goQzYJRT58mf1MWkzEaLNkG2e2ZUyAyQ8tYGIX2ZYwARSszSGkdbjb15urRqtAVf9Xzqaot1LhCVRvaFKIOQhDkts_ojluA-Cob4eNMghEZDv5KSwELnlJwPt0K8k8uRPWbuLLZPPACKJE9k3I/s1920/Month%20in%20Review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqy6BqqBMub6KtLGRCni3ijmVFhikX_HSnvTfs9Qd-goQzYJRT58mf1MWkzEaLNkG2e2ZUyAyQ8tYGIX2ZYwARSszSGkdbjb15urRqtAVf9Xzqaot1LhCVRvaFKIOQhDkts_ojluA-Cob4eNMghEZDv5KSwELnlJwPt0K8k8uRPWbuLLZPPACKJE9k3I/w400-h225/Month%20in%20Review.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">February was a fun, kind of quiet month. I took my niece out for her birthday (which was in January), and she chose lunch at Panera and browsing around Barnes & Noble - I love that she's become such a big reader! We had two snowstorms this month, which is practically more snow than we've gotten in the last few years combined. One of them was totally unexpected (at least the severity of it) and we ended up getting about 10 inches overnight, which was quite the surprise to wake up to. My siblings and I decided last year to not buy gifts for all the kids/cousins anymore, because with a family as big as ours, it just gets overwhelming. We decided instead to do a get-together for the kids. Last year, we went to see the Christmas lights at the zoo, and this year we decided to go to one of those indoor trampoline parks, and the kids had a blast (I'll be honest, I think the adults did, too!). With everyone's busy schedules, it's nice that we were able to find a day to spend together. Work has been fairly quiet for me, as the accountants are in their busy season. I do have some added administrative tasks, which fill some time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Henry is doing great, learning new words every day (and I've realized I have to be careful about what I say around him, because he has started to repeat EVERYTHING). He loves to play outside - we took him to a big playground here in town, and now he is constantly asking to go back to the "big park." He's also very into art lately - my stepmom got him his own art cart and stocked it with supplies, which came in really handy when it snowed and we were stuck inside. We did get to play in the snow a bit, though, and Henry loved it - except he kept wanting to use our shovels, so Tom bought him his own kid-sized one!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Books</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="348" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsSxgN99X9XhfAxiTsb6nzxHEwhMsDhPgLA7fKfawIYq-jvkh_IniTXxWD8LsGLzjIBPDmEh9yRsGFLvGV5AmazFSSBORCwxUW5dwcePcwZPrTxHEmSqnv1bsajeZravQ1UeZhdYutP72YQx9YNUcQER5s35D6xO_uFM3mhyFkcZW4-Bul2sSLRqSXzg/w133-h200/200033357.jpg" width="133" /><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZVg1DAsY36bAE4QKqePEk6P-DpCbT1CfwpLJoCmMwxRBdso_qIEtSbNS9GqGC4asqNY22pb-aCZ3ac_HbXy7LOOEXgyhnw55oyFNI-9ObQ7c7rqGyMDpnT2cn9BviiZ2l-KlJUYVmHJsVCoxV9nlLBxllKjLRyPThrHULp0tWhQqwsDAVkIHSJI15AU/w133-h200/9780593441503.webp" width="133" /><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="338" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuemvjNHCl9akPlTAqNNzSZX7tlkNTyJP7i8v-_eahKMF_g1okgYlRghVrJrZByZ0t0jhG0Bmj75KsiYSJQ8AGuTkhx2H_flOVikcmsoxNP3CmRL4gbaTK5MkHJWFbQrld9q-PjlL8ni4wrOriTVN35_iibLkhquhEL3tqWq7C-zeWhvsayBmn1Zm_Ls/w135-h200/9780316462822.webp" width="135" /><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="348" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17cn0-i1OuigH6QUxs912-Ftgq8QWCVtdp5TIcm_4kx7WiLgQi6CjzF4DETaOt6DZiNMQHCioaX7qyxj8yAgZ7B-U5bB6mzGGACHfKo3tKr0_TbKsUk-jHn2rbhD7iiiquOjIHkAnY1IiwPxL_A4HRfFxo9z0eIUHI9pCaJyhLaSugdv20bcTyQuvI_A/w133-h200/200034606.jpg" width="133" /><br /><br /></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200033357-the-exception-to-the-rule" target="_blank">The Exception to the Rule</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780593441503" target="_blank">Two Wrongs Make a Right</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780316462822" target="_blank">Eversion</a> // <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200034606-worst-wingman-ever" target="_blank">Worst Wingman Ever</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Ot50UBpyCBJQBeSQQsyVylYvWhLVxAi_wpQo7w-gzGKOXpmqDFi0Ct2SdYdAvQge2Ft6nWATApbVvF9x6Nh5QMKcydgbp3_cQ6F5TrcIG_L27bcT3yLLLZFsMyVtquMmY0ooQp_6bDrory3SjA0L-WaAEXfHVp0f9IxGd8q1x6olANjvE-CRP7waZd8/w133-h200/200034641.jpg" width="133" /><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6alENucMfjeZfYqp2-la3bw6zpd6YeE03NZQumHaiEuNv3dJcb6VtnOsosl_FHJQ7PKf9mNlEYfCmFScHXOVw2Umu1bouUY-ZsMPDhNgqEmpq97J5vSV6QzvzhYRJFS8yQjBtBoeTGVOFTuK2cKFwGVVYC-kSFSMirl7sxT1YYlY7eC5lRRtX25ftaOE/w134-h200/9781612180212.jpg" width="134" /><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxOsOpvz9ntdBaYsTjJ4xql9Laz3w8wy9Qbdoh09DKxIv30yrE7eyGW8FiYdmN1dLx0hgVwQxI3pXbIm5DzQmKK9PzmWctlXmKkA_U_jG3CNhklvtQ5Ac9p029InaTutOKOjiEOZ7w96XF3tTT33sb0KFcZi8K7yhm9hqLzCCmOMt5A7WtXEVP6VGzog/w133-h200/9781368090131.webp" width="133" /><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQpdZwJPO3moTD0YFyHpsjSRobMT5hc7vz8qYYYnPSUXDj0IR_6eavNBEi8BYdNVJPG7a8k_XUroojY_399-3nnXp1G4PTVJrchT693t6DRuISRVauX21EPtBVbkF5kDPFvrGs6V5RbRuPw6yWH91WRl5S05V5STM_yH9NT2WsoPZ-2liImFi_R-I0v8/w133-h200/9781959097198.jpg" width="133" /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200034641-royal-valentine" target="_blank">Royal Valentine</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781612180212" target="_blank">Like You Love Me</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781368090131" target="_blank">Look Out for the Little Guy!</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781959097198" target="_blank">Ewe Complete Me</a> </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="327" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEzDNEJqCe2wvkmxq46uLJInUyITrQHX4lt0avV-PQgwdzlSqlY8q0JMi49pQSZIURgrEhWntzzegbMwwrOPuLcZDhlNpSP8yq6VnIXQX1OtgNikEaFAfS-6i1suTiBpXd1fhcsBQff4cB-7D09j5j43isrLpPHjUU14CWmQMm141TxB0_OscJAny7-U/w131-h200/9780008619329.webp" width="131" /><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuarT2drYFtzPpowFhgURT9DkREU1naoMdsMuOtsFsln7WvoYeuUvaQwuWgWAELbbW9-yrbL73kbvT1roqELe6_3mJ-lL90wm4Daf8wwNgaD566nWZiAZTCOMDCJirLqQo7qzdtWhfx3QUrgH4I_8av5br482_96cwllNaBShdPP65ayF1cejGjqnHLo/w129-h200/9781250774552.jpg" width="129" /><br /></div><br /><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780008619329" target="_blank">Love Me Do</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781250774552" target="_blank">She Wouldn't Change a Thing</a> // <br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Posts and Reviews</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/02/quick-reviews.html" target="_blank">Quick Reviews</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/02/micheles-monday-picks-39.html" target="_blank">Michele's Monday Picks #39</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/02/cant-wait-wednesday-once-persuaded.html" target="_blank">Can't-Wait Wednesday: Once Persuaded, Twice Shy</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/02/henrys-shelves-6.html" target="_blank">Henry's Shelves #6</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/02/top-ten-tuesday-blogger-love.html" target="_blank">Top Ten Tuesday: Blogger Love</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/02/quick-reviews-improbable-meet-cute.html" target="_blank">Quick Reviews: The Improbable Meet-Cute Series (Amazon Original Stories)</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/02/little-free-library-sightings.html" target="_blank">Little Free Library Sightings</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/02/micheles-monday-picks-40.html" target="_blank">Michele's Monday Picks #40</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/02/cant-wait-wednesday-expiration-dates.html" target="_blank">Can't-Wait Wednesday: Expiration Dates</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/02/fictionnonfiction-quick-reviews-out-of.html" target="_blank">Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews: The Out of this World Edition</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/02/quick-reviews_01813180221.html" target="_blank">Quick Reviews</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">How are you doing?</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. </span></span></div></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-2241228144029168102024-02-28T03:00:00.001-05:002024-02-28T03:00:00.130-05:00Quick Reviews<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwab7FEX2O0CmSAmO867AH3HFSDDgI-wxzCtXyUvoWGog2oZ8retDzOd0Wlpl4bS3kZeo91d1WhuzI9SDsMTDWPcTBmeMvyJNLVZN_HkwI3IhPJ8fFbuJdRsKeHlNS_shxka1UC_Ri7pw0UuANzDtDTrArC9-0bCHpPfEwKmgYLOZAjKv3gchU37ZAQ4/s500/9781959097198.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwab7FEX2O0CmSAmO867AH3HFSDDgI-wxzCtXyUvoWGog2oZ8retDzOd0Wlpl4bS3kZeo91d1WhuzI9SDsMTDWPcTBmeMvyJNLVZN_HkwI3IhPJ8fFbuJdRsKeHlNS_shxka1UC_Ri7pw0UuANzDtDTrArC9-0bCHpPfEwKmgYLOZAjKv3gchU37ZAQ4/w133-h200/9781959097198.jpg" width="133" /></a> <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781959097198" target="_blank">Ewe Complete Me</a> by Susannah Nix (2023)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After a disastrous first date, Chloe and Bran hope to never see each other again - except his mom is Chloe's boss and she's getting married, expecting both of them to attend the wedding weekend. A road trip and the subsequent weekend bring the two opposites closer, but can their relationship translate to the real world once they get home? I loved the awkward date that kicks off the book, leaving me to wonder how Chloe and Bran could ever recover from it. Although it is a very short timeline, it was fun to see how as they got to know each other, a deep understanding formed, despite their differences. This book was a great example of how opposites attract and complement each other. I also loved the focus on each of their careers and how they were each at kind of a critical time (mid-twenties, Bran studying to become a lawyer and Chloe wanting to become an artist). I guess my only issue was the intensity of the relationship because of their young age and wondering how that will sustain for the future. Also, this book is part of a series - although it is marketed as can be read as a standalone, it might help to understand the side characters by reading their books first, especially since they play such a large role here. 4 stars</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0kTKV6yuIXBoKXKfz2hezoDkkLF1FrTUn3XepwEkvBw72_MhUttocKviEiyhG4P06XO1qnmujQNUWC1kAxQA5S8jLMXbA4NQje7lpwPzwqY_RNEuzPJ2zAoZctQQeJbf9Jq2CjzqUu_1objjDS1POIcoyglE0iZ2VKVAw-A3b2Lcp5wRH7ABX9WJFOk/s500/9780008619329.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="327" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0kTKV6yuIXBoKXKfz2hezoDkkLF1FrTUn3XepwEkvBw72_MhUttocKviEiyhG4P06XO1qnmujQNUWC1kAxQA5S8jLMXbA4NQje7lpwPzwqY_RNEuzPJ2zAoZctQQeJbf9Jq2CjzqUu_1objjDS1POIcoyglE0iZ2VKVAw-A3b2Lcp5wRH7ABX9WJFOk/w131-h200/9780008619329.webp" width="131" /></a></div><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780008619329" target="_blank">Love Me Do</a> by Lindsey Kelk (2023)<div><br /></div><div>While Phoebe is visiting her sister in California, she finds herself acting as a matchmaker for her sister's personal trainer and neighbor - but when she starts to fall for the neighbor herself, she wonders how she can keep up the charade. Lindsey Kelk's books are always so cheerful, full of fun quirky characters and laugh-out-loud moments. This book was no exception. Although there is a bit of darkness in Phoebe's past, she has learned from it and is moving forward. She and Bel have so many heartwarming moments together as they become friends, and watching her try to help Bel snare Ren was so fun - it was interesting to see how the confident, beautiful Bel was totally flustered by Ren! An elderly neighbor down the street added some flavor to the story, acting as sort of a mentor for Phoebe. My big issue with this book was that I just didn't totally feel the eventual romance between Phoebe and Ren. The connection didn't quite fit for me, maybe because there's so much going on and not a lot of one-on-one time between the two. So, if you're coming here just for the romance, you might be a bit disappointed! 3.5 stars</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-64693646961782451092024-02-23T03:00:00.001-05:002024-02-23T03:00:00.128-05:00Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews: The Out of this World Edition<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9as-egKbh3E6Op13fZIYF3-9USjjH_w9sINUn71Z0YKJCJq5IBCWYXlhk0y9c7E63oTKK2jWy1gYzAwKiZoy3rVMmY4WghnMkgTOofSTM8mpxOul6UXUs4NY8OAYe5fmZqHWkxhc4Ij8oGxJ_jSrROH2VbH_7RxnmRka18zvXSUfJcGpk3Qk_ZDhnGEk/s500/9781982172800.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9as-egKbh3E6Op13fZIYF3-9USjjH_w9sINUn71Z0YKJCJq5IBCWYXlhk0y9c7E63oTKK2jWy1gYzAwKiZoy3rVMmY4WghnMkgTOofSTM8mpxOul6UXUs4NY8OAYe5fmZqHWkxhc4Ij8oGxJ_jSrROH2VbH_7RxnmRka18zvXSUfJcGpk3Qk_ZDhnGEk/w133-h200/9781982172800.webp" width="133" /></a><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781982172800" target="_blank">The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts</a> by Loren Grush (2023) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When NASA was first formed, women were excluded because originally only military test pilots were considered for astronaut positions. In the late 1970s, though, restrictions were lifted and NASA welcomed the first group of female astronauts in its class of 1978 - six women who would overcome great odds to make their mark on the agency and go to space. <span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon were the first women chosen and even if you don't know all their names now, you'll be impressed with all of them by the time you finish the book. Grush explores the early lives of each woman, how she came to apply to NASA, and of course the time each spent there, culminating with one or more trips to space. She goes into great detail about the training they went through and the scrutiny and bias they endured. Grush has a very readable and relatable writing style - often nonfiction can seem dry, but Grush's writing is engaging and flows nicely. I appreciated the research that went into this book (although she wasn't able to speak to most of the women, for various reasons) and really enjoyed the quotes she was able to find - hearing from the women in their own words was incredible. At times, the book seemed a little surface level but overall I learned a lot about these pioneering women of space. 4 stars</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #1e1915;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5P6_3vtsQ4Z7Rfoa3O3SgH9O9i6R0V8nNCHv2s-Hulw4uwCN1BaCArvajUDTScLvPV7AOdZXR4w9T2g7FQ74mlUn951BttrpfZ16r8Mh4x0kHJx5XsibE1eUDgOw-8I7VSQRT8sEtwjrRpLNv9NXag4tXG46slkUZpD3M7qttXDC4LH1Yr-9sAvzjeXA/s500/9780316462822.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="338" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5P6_3vtsQ4Z7Rfoa3O3SgH9O9i6R0V8nNCHv2s-Hulw4uwCN1BaCArvajUDTScLvPV7AOdZXR4w9T2g7FQ74mlUn951BttrpfZ16r8Mh4x0kHJx5XsibE1eUDgOw-8I7VSQRT8sEtwjrRpLNv9NXag4tXG46slkUZpD3M7qttXDC4LH1Yr-9sAvzjeXA/w135-h200/9780316462822.webp" width="135" /></a></div><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780316462822" target="_blank">Eversion</a> by Alastair Reynolds (2022)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A sailing ship in Norway in the 1800s, a zeppelin in Antarctica in the 1900s, a space ship exploring an alien structure in the distant future - what do they all have in common? Dr. Silas Coade was present at all these events, and in every single one, Dr. Coade and his crew fail terribly. How do these events keep happening, and how can Coade stop it? This book was so unexpected - when we first meet Coade, he is the on-board surgeon for a ship trying to locate a mysterious building, called the Edifice. This journey, like many that follow, will end badly for Coade - but little nuggets along the way will clue you in to the fact that all is not as it appears to be. I loved the reveal of Coade's true nature and purpose (I hope I'm not being too spoilery!), and I also loved how the author changed up the feel and tone of the story for each iteration (like using language appropriate for the time period). There are deeper questions about the nature of humanity and its desire to explore and heal and also some meditations on technology and its role in our lives. A uniquely touching sci-fi story! 4 stars<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="color: #1e1915;"><br /></span>* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.</div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-80239737673045740982024-02-21T03:00:00.001-05:002024-02-21T03:00:00.129-05:00Can't-Wait Wednesday: Expiration Dates<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at </span><a href="https://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="background-color: white; color: blue; text-decoration-line: none;">Wishful Endings</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jRuD3tGofZ-o6RmV3BSvViR8N-PorSrp01I1poU2fH2lE3v_YBNxT-bcl98hFnrTcbzQtAwkmdnzlPjYYFPQs5oJr3fxgnmSXFP5HG3KQcrhuDKYfXUikpQhVQ6kGNTrHUp3-TkFF1R3U-NjANidLQ2HG_jVQUC9cgXEXSEZ_55MgrESZw3oUleoL6c/s2146/176443178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2146" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jRuD3tGofZ-o6RmV3BSvViR8N-PorSrp01I1poU2fH2lE3v_YBNxT-bcl98hFnrTcbzQtAwkmdnzlPjYYFPQs5oJr3fxgnmSXFP5HG3KQcrhuDKYfXUikpQhVQ6kGNTrHUp3-TkFF1R3U-NjANidLQ2HG_jVQUC9cgXEXSEZ_55MgrESZw3oUleoL6c/w261-h400/176443178.jpg" width="261" /></span></a></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176443178-expiration-dates?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_5" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Expiration Dates</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rebecca Serle</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Expected publication date: March 5, 2024</span></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Being single is like playing the lottery. There’s always the chance that with one piece of paper you could win it all.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">From the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years and One Italian Summer comes the romance that will define a generation.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Daphne Bell believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man , she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. The papers told her she’d spend three days with Martin in Paris; five weeks with Noah in San Francisco; and three months with Hugo, her ex-boyfriend turned best friend. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a Jake.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn’t, information that—if he found out—would break his heart.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Told with her signature warmth and insight into matters of the heart, Rebecca Serle has finally set her sights on romantic love. The result is a gripping, emotional, passionate, and (yes) heartbreaking novel about what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and ultimately how we define each of them for ourselves. Expiration Dates is the one fans have been waiting for. - <i>from Goodreads</i></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div></blockquote>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-59056976330766864452024-02-19T03:00:00.001-05:002024-02-19T03:00:00.133-05:00Michele's Monday Picks #40<div style="text-align: left;">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!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*******************************************************************</div><div><span style="white-space: normal; white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmnvL6nhHY0_PZApZ8IJgXnkTQxP-hWXcWZYBR3h_0zyDfry16gYMo4_HUHdBmsBPLan7_0QwrT6lGPerLOZaptz-FU5c7TQpCod855wOwQc3dxsht8AaIJXw9o7ABRXNyMiXp6Pze4lV7puqhb_uLqWrNvYIF_d14nmC5XyrdLxJb3jQP9ekg84vt4k/s750/63842701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmnvL6nhHY0_PZApZ8IJgXnkTQxP-hWXcWZYBR3h_0zyDfry16gYMo4_HUHdBmsBPLan7_0QwrT6lGPerLOZaptz-FU5c7TQpCod855wOwQc3dxsht8AaIJXw9o7ABRXNyMiXp6Pze4lV7puqhb_uLqWrNvYIF_d14nmC5XyrdLxJb3jQP9ekg84vt4k/w266-h400/63842701.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63842701-a-feather-so-black" target="_blank">A Feather So Black</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">By Lyra Selene</div><div style="text-align: center;">Expected Publication: March 12, 2024</div><div><br /></div><div>From Goodreads:</div><div>The Cruel Prince meets For the Wolf in a sizzling fantasy romance inspired by Celtic mythology, spinning a magical tale of a defiant changeling, her cursed sister, and the dangerous fae lord she must defeat to save her family.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a kingdom where magic has been lost, Fia is a rare changeling, left behind by the wicked Fair Folk when they stole the High Queen's daughter and retreated behind the locked gates of Tír na nÓg.</div><div><br /></div><div>Most despise Fia's fae blood. But the queen raises her as a daughter and trains her to be a spy. Meanwhile, the real princess Eala is bound to Tír na nÓg, cursed to become a swan by day and only returning to her true form at night.</div><div><br /></div><div>When a hidden gate to the realm is discovered, Fia is tasked by the queen to retrieve the princess and break her curse. But she doesn’t go alone: with her is prince Rogan, Fia's dearest childhood friend—and Eala’s betrothed.</div><div><br /></div><div>As they journey through the forests of the Folk, where magic winds through the roots of the trees and beauty can be a deadly illusion, Fia’s mission is complicated by her feelings for the prince…and her unexpected attraction to the dark-hearted fae lord holding Eala captive. Irian might be more monster than man, but he seems to understand Fia in a way no one ever has.</div><div><br /></div><div>Soon, Fia begins to question the truth of her mission. But time is running out to break her sister's curse. And unraveling the secrets of the past might destroy everything she has come to love.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>This sounds so unique - do you think you’ll be picking this one up?</b></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-4288754522076034742024-02-16T03:00:00.001-05:002024-02-16T03:00:00.289-05:00Little Free Library Sightings<div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">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've visited recently:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvCV_eBXSJJx4G8CKuhIZo2YAw7OA5coKHjLM7niSs-98mh9krXLoSu2yUEaG1asinhvKBu-Dwvut4Uz4zC5DZmLhtHpkSLoduDqvfLu50BRXxj6ZnrrNUOg721VqgIKr4K86lAvn8YCfRHPyyyjyQ9a5g3gBz4W3mPGRj2Cp8n6EjToOuWw31xkDF0A/s3498/20240130_152434.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #222222;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3498" data-original-width="2848" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvCV_eBXSJJx4G8CKuhIZo2YAw7OA5coKHjLM7niSs-98mh9krXLoSu2yUEaG1asinhvKBu-Dwvut4Uz4zC5DZmLhtHpkSLoduDqvfLu50BRXxj6ZnrrNUOg721VqgIKr4K86lAvn8YCfRHPyyyjyQ9a5g3gBz4W3mPGRj2Cp8n6EjToOuWw31xkDF0A/w326-h400/20240130_152434.jpg" width="326" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">#1299 - I stopped by this one on my way home from the office one day. It's at a park I pass all the time and I never realized it was there! It's such a unique structure - here's the story: "<span style="background-color: white;">This library is a six foot tall structure that was custom built out of cedar to fit into an old hollow tree stump in Marquand Park on Lovers Lane in Princeton N.J. It is located near a large sandbox play area that is well used and much loved by the community. It is dedicated only to children's books only and is intended to enhance the visitor's experience to the Arboretum. Gui Nelesson of Lost inStudio is the builder and Robert Wells of the Marquand Park Foundation is the steward." I love that it was intended for children's books and is inside the park. When I stopped there, there were more than just books (DVDs, CDs) and definitely more than just children's books. I didn't take any books and unfortunately didn't have any to leave.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFse41EF9lfwjHNYf4UNxny_WrBHMu1P_qyPng6RdHViLsZSc0epCmUITezhfayVa2lUcLCJ9CKPgQHKZTi7yXZFg-BGMGfRqVT5uvbCjeJrY_2MnOwToOBUXEql2-LUCREnrWCZISLAHdY9ka3fVAqcPDIqK6TJxU-r6H4kA8CINFNwFxGRU7vFXz98k/s4032/20240130_152933.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFse41EF9lfwjHNYf4UNxny_WrBHMu1P_qyPng6RdHViLsZSc0epCmUITezhfayVa2lUcLCJ9CKPgQHKZTi7yXZFg-BGMGfRqVT5uvbCjeJrY_2MnOwToOBUXEql2-LUCREnrWCZISLAHdY9ka3fVAqcPDIqK6TJxU-r6H4kA8CINFNwFxGRU7vFXz98k/w300-h400/20240130_152933.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>#15104 - This Little Free Library is only a couple streets away from the previous one, so it was easy to stop by both on my way home! This is on a charming little side street in Princeton, New Jersey. The steward, of course, encourages people to take and leave books but also just wants people to enjoy and spread the word about Little Free Libraries. This LFL was well-stocked, but I did not take or leave any.<br /><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogAIFZuHiyABuzeK-lOmTH05Pe3h4c_LX20gdu4zR6CM3Unb0lOk6cqg_E491uCvy2TF0VztupZJFIDk4iqtS9C1NQjItWMma4-LaKjCUWfXKsbPe6qWQ6j1ZPbaLrTZYIDUaoQ6VGvCnW_PemtcHrsh08T-bDIZXQS74UCfuUBOqGAGequ8u_BGanKA/s3650/20240202_141831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3650" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogAIFZuHiyABuzeK-lOmTH05Pe3h4c_LX20gdu4zR6CM3Unb0lOk6cqg_E491uCvy2TF0VztupZJFIDk4iqtS9C1NQjItWMma4-LaKjCUWfXKsbPe6qWQ6j1ZPbaLrTZYIDUaoQ6VGvCnW_PemtcHrsh08T-bDIZXQS74UCfuUBOqGAGequ8u_BGanKA/w331-h400/20240202_141831.jpg" width="331" /></a></div>#109735 - I've passed by this LFL many times and finally decided to make a point to stop at it on our way home from the store. It's on a pretty major street, but with the sidewalks, I can see how it would be a great place for passersby to stop. This LFL was absolutely stuffed with books, and while nothing in particular caught my eye, I was able to leave a book I pruned from my own shelves recently. I love how it matches the house behind it!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUhEVQ0JHgyRO7hGlYWuBo58r9Hui7CIJDA_Tw-rjmKCeaTC2Ol2qGRdylVxpnj6yNVUG1qieuVtCxSLyYHPL0dQGKEv2u86lb7Cl2auiBIu8v5CgR3Oy83AriwXRoO4WWedcC5HS2_PmsJMlR9P-ir9Q9URRXpqdVa_OATjopOAKUoq54kX4rn6xVuY/s3938/20240202_142014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3938" data-original-width="2953" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUhEVQ0JHgyRO7hGlYWuBo58r9Hui7CIJDA_Tw-rjmKCeaTC2Ol2qGRdylVxpnj6yNVUG1qieuVtCxSLyYHPL0dQGKEv2u86lb7Cl2auiBIu8v5CgR3Oy83AriwXRoO4WWedcC5HS2_PmsJMlR9P-ir9Q9URRXpqdVa_OATjopOAKUoq54kX4rn6xVuY/w300-h400/20240202_142014.jpg" width="300" /></a></div> #102383 (aka East Main Little Library) - This LFL is actually only a block or so away from the one above, so it was an easy stop on our drive. This library looked impeccably maintained, like someone really takes the time to organize it often and make sure all the books are lined up and straight. There was a great mix of books by some big-name authors and some newer releases. I left a book but did not take anything. I like how this one also matches its owner's home!<br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-44897156749027639022024-02-14T03:00:00.003-05:002024-02-14T03:00:00.131-05:00Quick Reviews: The Improbable Meet-Cute Series (Amazon Original Stories)<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOkmpcPwrCYr4VBGWLDjZ9p_ZsE9549eq5Jb7ZwnaAOwtNxoIhL6AkdFGI7GXnRgjl55tBb_Yc_MuZ0xUKo4rbERCFS2k39CZ_O8BVkDJ_iFK4jsvs3K8FmxkfiEnIIHRFiAQHb7up7G6EI1wOuMe6LSTqbBee60QkOzJmDbDGkzMCvFkiB2RwEe-Qxo/s522/200033357.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="348" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOkmpcPwrCYr4VBGWLDjZ9p_ZsE9549eq5Jb7ZwnaAOwtNxoIhL6AkdFGI7GXnRgjl55tBb_Yc_MuZ0xUKo4rbERCFS2k39CZ_O8BVkDJ_iFK4jsvs3K8FmxkfiEnIIHRFiAQHb7up7G6EI1wOuMe6LSTqbBee60QkOzJmDbDGkzMCvFkiB2RwEe-Qxo/w133-h200/200033357.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200033357-the-exception-to-the-rule" target="_blank">The Exception to the Rule</a> by Christina Lauren (2024)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">An accidental email sent on Valentine's Day leads to a decade-long "friendship" that might just turn into something more in the most unexpected of ways. I listened to this short story as an audiobook, which might have been a bit of a mistake because the first half of it is email exchanges between the two main characters. It wasn't really fun to listen to email addresses, dates, and subject lines being read aloud, but I did enjoy that there were two separate narrators. When the story finally moves away from the emails that T and C exchange every year on Valentine's Day, I got way more into it, as we finally get to know them a little better. I enjoyed the twists and turns that finally got these two together. Fun, quick read/listen. 4 stars</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOKjPXYbDQlxgxxkcmFh9CNyZeRlQXb-iMbQ5BuYi3ucXlSd_TRboNfiR6Nhwv-KZyv1djLBN9oAFKCFAU3wRGaO4GeH4IiLOr2-BJGqQ9dO5iC3rs9FBKWvcvGak7DUA4msSnKEhvLnPUzC6zcSU0xVAT3RJT5At6PyxCyE1DlFWBg37QETqBe8o8W8/s522/200034606.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="348" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOKjPXYbDQlxgxxkcmFh9CNyZeRlQXb-iMbQ5BuYi3ucXlSd_TRboNfiR6Nhwv-KZyv1djLBN9oAFKCFAU3wRGaO4GeH4IiLOr2-BJGqQ9dO5iC3rs9FBKWvcvGak7DUA4msSnKEhvLnPUzC6zcSU0xVAT3RJT5At6PyxCyE1DlFWBg37QETqBe8o8W8/w133-h200/200034606.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200034606-worst-wingman-ever" target="_blank">Worst Wingman Ever</a> by Abby Jimenez (2024)<div><br /></div><div>A mistakenly delivered Valentine's Day card brings together a hospice nurse and a handyman, but will their penpal notes lead to a real-life meeting? OMG, how does Abby Jimenez do it? This short story was just utter perfection. Even though it was only 61 pages (and a quick listen), it felt much longer (but in the best way!). I loved how John and Holly got to know each other through the notes they left on her car and was just itching for the moment they would finally meet in person. There was so much character development, too - I feel like we got to know Holly and John so well, despite the shortness of the story. They were both such fleshed-out characters, especially Holly, a hospice nurse taking care of her own grandmother at the end of her life, verging on burning out and healing from a breakup. John, too, is starting over after a breakup, and both realize that they need to be better to themselves. But this story wasn't just about romantic love, but also familial love, as Holly is facing a hard time with her grandmother's decline. I loved the relationship she has with her family. I laughed, I cried - I just loved this story! 5 stars </div><div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWUTzOwbt8IC0PPDg1B51bzrqucFplwEn76v0Trslu3paDlsA6yVKhOa2S4GvV2AqAkkF0TlN2puy69EmlNHix3nHJX95fa7GNT2RDWSNOrRy7x5l6jy0PJUMCDDWr5X0rQlrvwSsIDodHc9gL9PM5ldrs7VilWk9zFMhyphenhyphenQ1kV4Uyj7z39Gn2s6WVXfc/s445/200034641.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWUTzOwbt8IC0PPDg1B51bzrqucFplwEn76v0Trslu3paDlsA6yVKhOa2S4GvV2AqAkkF0TlN2puy69EmlNHix3nHJX95fa7GNT2RDWSNOrRy7x5l6jy0PJUMCDDWr5X0rQlrvwSsIDodHc9gL9PM5ldrs7VilWk9zFMhyphenhyphenQ1kV4Uyj7z39Gn2s6WVXfc/w133-h200/200034641.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200034641-royal-valentine" target="_blank">Royal Valentine</a> by Sariah Wilson (2024)</div><div> </div><div>Princess Ilaria just wants one weekend where she can be a normal person, so she switches places with her assistant and heads out into Rome. She meets a Scottish photographer and in their short time together, the two begin to fall for each other. However, will it all come crashing down when he finds out who she really is? I love a good royalty/commoner romance, but unfortunately this was a miss for me. I didn't think Ilaria and Callum's meet-cute was particularly swoonworthy, and while it is romantic to feel that love/lust at first sight, the writing in this story was a bit of a letdown. So overdone, so cringey, and the characters felt very immature. As for the audiobook, I wish there had been two narrators, because a female voice trying to do a male Scottish accent was just.. not great. There was a twist I didn't see coming, but overall I was just disappointed with this one. 3 stars<br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-41042092372839655952024-02-13T03:00:00.001-05:002024-02-13T03:00:00.130-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: Blogger Love<div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl77izHZI6WVY6-ZQp211tgQwEnjkgBgDhZFVcUsDCj3wDn0SF4pO2TeUooJjJfMN3mcMOHzpHJychM7VaDOo8UE1Nc7hpOs-11PF8F3SY-p78eg3QWyJcNWLmGAbYcOdyU2GbEBuBlPR6lOSpzrLdJ8iI1NYYPUTf_1JL_FzzcCcQUKazBRAzqvnDbl8/s500/TTT-Big2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="500" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl77izHZI6WVY6-ZQp211tgQwEnjkgBgDhZFVcUsDCj3wDn0SF4pO2TeUooJjJfMN3mcMOHzpHJychM7VaDOo8UE1Nc7hpOs-11PF8F3SY-p78eg3QWyJcNWLmGAbYcOdyU2GbEBuBlPR6lOSpzrLdJ8iI1NYYPUTf_1JL_FzzcCcQUKazBRAzqvnDbl8/w400-h163/TTT-Big2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at <a href="https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/" target="_blank">That Artsy Reader Girl</a>. This week's topic is a love freebie in honor of Valentine's Day. Since I haven't done it in awhile, I thought it would be nice to spread some love about the book blogging community and share some of my favorite bloggers! <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I'm so grateful to be a part of this book blogging community - there's so much love and support, and this is just a small list (in no particular order) of some wonderful people!</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Suzanne at <a href="https://thebookishlibra.com/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;">The Bookish Libra</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christina at <a href="http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.com/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;">Confessions of a Book Addict</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sam at <a href="http://www.weliveandbreathebooks.com/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;">We Live and Breathe Books</a><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Aj at <a href="https://ajsterkel.blogspot.com/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;">Read All The Things!</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stephanie at <a href="https://bookfever11.com/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;">Bookfever</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Alicia at <a href="https://akernelofnonsense.wordpress.com/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">A Kernel of Nonsense</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lindsey at <a href="https://www.lindseyh.be/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;">Lindsey Reads</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Greg at <a href="http://gregsbookhaven.blogspot.com/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;">Book Haven</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tanya at <a href="https://girlplusbooks.blogspot.com/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;">Girl Plus Books</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jordan at <a href="http://www.foreverlostinliterature.com/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Forever Lost in Literature</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kit at <a href="https://metaphorsandmoonlight.com/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Metaphors and Moonlight</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Erin at <a href="https://crackercrumblife.com/" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kay at <a href="https://kaysreadinglife.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kay's Reading Life</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Happy Valentine's Day!</b></div></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-40717438943114784092024-02-09T03:00:00.001-05:002024-02-09T03:00:00.139-05:00Henry's Shelves #6<div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJXNA37jIAYt0ItUgLQ53a8JjUBjuv6A6DuEFVfELonb0BjYfuQrGx6bbsL0efjIpubH_2FYDfZRv0TGI1Pgzxnn3ZIUVTY7soAo1G4wLZp-kbE945g5guepYIvgWv2IaNu5V-7Gse0zSl8o0KnICKyhJj63CP0MUur1BMTbkrWpSa3L_CIM-782KnF8/s1640/henry's%20shelves.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJXNA37jIAYt0ItUgLQ53a8JjUBjuv6A6DuEFVfELonb0BjYfuQrGx6bbsL0efjIpubH_2FYDfZRv0TGI1Pgzxnn3ZIUVTY7soAo1G4wLZp-kbE945g5guepYIvgWv2IaNu5V-7Gse0zSl8o0KnICKyhJj63CP0MUur1BMTbkrWpSa3L_CIM-782KnF8/w400-h225/henry's%20shelves.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our little Henry is starting to explore other interests (especially music), but he still enjoys his reading. He might not sit with me and read a stack of books picked out by mom right now, but if he finds a book he loves, he will ask to read it again and again! Bedtime is our biggest story time these days. Here are some books that Henry has loved recently!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="385" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkBFktOWIn4TctfkWjkT9MbvtowKK1rkRGJh4Eq5vp5DYXcsJcoNnRAloUqzztwgASk1P2qtCKibMA7-GaB2fzTg7aZ38TFchBDG8vsbVPTKdVpnHdSGuYMdtObfRKoU2GL5hccxEzHotL1riIyuSfHVgOLAv3etUXNkLp8Nra5l1pJkH7pX7kbYZjIU/w154-h200/9780385755214.webp" width="154" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="428" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDYnz-QiRIcgjh094NN6cUcNz_RoAhaqnMWBk7Y3R381EEJkYU2cpveH4U3MYv46a3LqwLDutgyr1fGc7HhZ_Gjqe5ovQ-T1Ms1hWIwnhaOzf1XOomg46uhuxKvrPepsi6JAUUzJkg1erYyDhr15vxXU9GFV4W1-Pw9bRAPdCQLL88tq20glg_pTKXQs/w171-h200/9780439673631.jpg" width="171" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="428" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3BFpojb8qlk94kP3hgJQEeIrBPRokCAhYrc0zsfHvY5EalSFgeXj4k0I3tMq4p2WRuMVSfB7IKt9BsUyZigBcn0eDF6L0kkAF7u5Q8UHzSQulPSQ7bNne2SaT1DtJJMCMVVSQEdIioU-uKUETt9-GRN1MZsOiK2Oj7GQs29Y0ZeVKHcis8t3cEScZ_c/w171-h200/9780545941204.jpg" width="171" /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780385755214" target="_blank">Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780439673631" target="_blank">I Love You Through and Through</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780545941204" target="_blank">How Do Dinosaurs Go To Sleep?</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="443" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhOuHsz6N6oWNK8uotJGSapd162HdU43LsrDXY7-Izdh37X0oI4xjTAO8FI-hi6uYWRXbI_0kBy0msF1XwkAx_4KZLsGu4D89j6UbSSQZGcQ2fp04czm8cO-hxoQoytXlzCSqCDJULfqBkPCuUMonmtrrUpZZnaeV4kswplnQpHakmYY7DbwZXXBC_yA/w200-h181/9780547718989.jpg" width="200" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxnYfXQVMeJgZ5w7_X7WpYX-BV7frr9JQI_ghxIKQPik4jvKjgi1jsUz0lqhyizNZQokpV3cJImTuNNhlvdczmKphAHELUZbXM1_gcbEc1p6sAR3broE6Ul5gi2od_tXfybIFuIKPI5d71hNV3aL9K-6qgBJq-CeDoHe0QPfWEXgEyN0QO_HsIYoDKpU/w175-h200/9780593302170.webp" width="175" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="391" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMukJMKr2kAvPBCwNFlZqiDlm3OzxGqFn9YQJ7g7_YIs7K5_OZPeWsHkoyMpjFnzFUnFFw1FqptYBH3Ob6wbBwj0hBezbidm6_xDSTDS8cPiharia1IzNscfKpWCngxZpFrZnAbSWETV5eRztFMW3uOVGJymCNxNjkZGHqmxXl0kexBgopbVH6pnwcmEg/w156-h200/9780593531105.jpg" width="156" /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780547718989" target="_blank">The Goodnight Train</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780593302170" target="_blank">Dr. Seuss's Thankful Things</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780593531105" target="_blank">One Leaf, Two Leaves, Count With Me!</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvVUOJcMNeWEELA9iASHbbhyphenhyphenxJlKDFz_DmjFdaT7KcJ2aDkspd-7Yy97bNw2pijrDr7YUP1SBtwgxdRFc8f15Ud2GLLZHFM0VVut-qDAi674ESNuBpfRxrWDdrnQc-88RRLJ2cKZ-19yhrRpqGrdxrbil42fAA0dmeYRwhKVyS0RdYrcmGYf9rvefzJ0/w200-h200/9781452178592.webp" width="200" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="457" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ82Bu4F2NGyideqwF2NdUm7fFq66sKJ0QvvSj18yEUvqLjaTVugRrP2eXORIm0KR7-aeADWmnhvtRqTCQ46Mv5BgCf1DJ4J1fncVvNUoWB1I2IS_sQqysBpSx4wizZNRqFLjf4mlSUj7W2-effFC0ENiQqYtHIHC7BthUwcngzUg2Uz1igNCRiYjYIFc/w183-h200/9781536224108.webp" width="183" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="401" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHOmnUExOhjMzR14_9WN6UgwaDBqxtlhLXLsHcr6H_1LM035VGUdd9jhlc_4mcyxGwJEiZqMbgkXxVbTepE3QedfdBg4SiX_pP51iTemcTBGxja9lZApg7ti14UlK990Dz3BzXbTViHgzuYtZu_yrsDmImkgQLKsuMFm4xrIw9ro5oEayXCcgIV1iG8Y/w200-h199/9781680520835.jpg" width="200" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781452178592" target="_blank">Press Here</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781536224108" target="_blank">I Kissed the Baby!</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781680520835" target="_blank">Little Yellow Bee</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Have you read any of these with your littles?</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.</span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-60771985241591709422024-02-07T03:00:00.004-05:002024-02-07T03:00:00.184-05:00Can't-Wait Wednesday: Once Persuaded, Twice Shy<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at </span><a href="https://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="background-color: white; color: blue; text-decoration-line: none;">Wishful Endings</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtkKCJuFiSdjOaZSSDfsev8AaqfDty7n_EnjavRiio1alYpM7pUDVfObieM3R6GJPygT5Bv5-fXeb4JdZqW5f0hpbOax3ewbD-hqmmg4QqmEU2sj6J4zEoYx5TWG_iOqWv_N50UbRis9BQnaUWw2E4ewYhwfxIP-SWp-L9WhluMPFYv5d8AkzoX-QyrA/s2560/165938553.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1660" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtkKCJuFiSdjOaZSSDfsev8AaqfDty7n_EnjavRiio1alYpM7pUDVfObieM3R6GJPygT5Bv5-fXeb4JdZqW5f0hpbOax3ewbD-hqmmg4QqmEU2sj6J4zEoYx5TWG_iOqWv_N50UbRis9BQnaUWw2E4ewYhwfxIP-SWp-L9WhluMPFYv5d8AkzoX-QyrA/w260-h400/165938553.jpg" width="260" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/165938553-once-persuaded-twice-shy?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=xfWb4xGUli&rank=1" target="_blank">Once Persuaded, Twice Shy</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Melodie Edwards</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Expected publication date: February 27, 2024</span></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">This modern reimagining of Persuasion is full of witty banter, romantic angst, and compelling characters as it captures the heart of the classic Jane Austen novel.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">When Anne Elliott broke up with Ben Wentworth, it seemed like the right thing to do . . . but now, eight years later, she’s not so sure.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">In her scenic hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Anne is comfortable focusing on her successful filling her late mother’s shoes as town councilor and executive director of her theater company. She certainly keeps busy as the all-around wrangler of eccentric locals, self-centered family members, elaborate festivals, and the occasional attacking goose. But the more she tries to convince herself that her life is fine as is, the more it all feels like a show—and not nearly as good as the ones put on by her theater company. She’s the always responsible Anne, always taken for granted and cleaning up after other people, and the memories of happier times with Ben Wentworth still haunt her.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">So when the nearby Kellynch Winery is bought by Ben’s aunt and uncle, Anne’s world is set ablaze as her old flame crashes back into her life—and it’s clear he hasn’t forgiven her for breaking his heart. A joint project between the winery and Anne’s theater forces both Ben and Anne to confront their complicated history, and as they spend more time together, Anne can’t help but wonder if there might be hope for their future after all. - <i>from Goodreads</i></span></span><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div></blockquote>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-44328063523436673532024-02-05T03:00:00.001-05:002024-02-05T03:00:00.131-05:00Michele's Monday Picks #39<div style="text-align: left;">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!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*************************************************************</div><div><span style="white-space: normal; white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22Q_D1_hHHcNoUErn3KdW6KnfIcTLPeSzUrbEGUEOHulWiAcuJrr4zOX2qAMrlXd9WmfPbZ9mB7LkbDC5iCPa5EOrg8oxQ9ZvkhOx3itpNgJCZFzsJJ0YOsqOG-LUcxzqhegJgRi11YzZiuN01NkGZeJ-bWQE40Lqz3kvZB5shwvTYIa-j5czBK4fEB8/s2550/173476222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1688" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22Q_D1_hHHcNoUErn3KdW6KnfIcTLPeSzUrbEGUEOHulWiAcuJrr4zOX2qAMrlXd9WmfPbZ9mB7LkbDC5iCPa5EOrg8oxQ9ZvkhOx3itpNgJCZFzsJJ0YOsqOG-LUcxzqhegJgRi11YzZiuN01NkGZeJ-bWQE40Lqz3kvZB5shwvTYIa-j5czBK4fEB8/w265-h400/173476222.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/173476222-promchanted?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=cmfKx4dqFk&rank=1" target="_blank">Promchanted</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">By Morgan Matson</div><div style="text-align: center;">Expected Publication: March 5, 2024</div><div><br /></div><div>From Goodreads:</div><div>Two modern teens.</div><div>One classic fairy tale.</div><div>Absolutely no cell service.</div><div><br /></div><div>Stella Griffin doesn’t believe in fairy tales. Ever since her boyfriend dumped her three weeks before the prom— not ideal timing—she’s convinced every love story is a lie. </div><div><br /></div><div>She’s ready to skip the prom entirely. But she and her best friend, Nisha, have been planning for years to celebrate at Disneyland before the prom . . . an OG OC tradition. But even being all dressed up at the Happiest Place on Earth isn’t salvaging Stella’s night. Nisha has brought along her friend Reece to join them, and he and Stella do not get along. They’re like oil and water. Cats and dogs. Aladdin and Jafar. And so what if Reece is, fine, kind of cute? Stella’s over it all. Happily-ever-afters, true love’s kisses, princes on white horses. It’s not real. </div><div><br /></div><div>. . . Or is it? </div><div><br /></div><div>Because when Stella and Reece push through a hidden door in Sleeping Beauty’s castle, they’re not in Anaheim anymore. They’re in the story. In Sleeping Beauty —with Aurora and Phillip, the fairies, Maleficent, and extremely intelligent woodland creatures. </div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, they’ve landed right in the middle of the story—which throws things off. Suddenly, Aurora and Phillip are meeting before they were supposed to. The fairies are suspicious of the interlopers, and even Maleficent gets word of their arrival. </div><div><br /></div><div>Stella and Reece will have to put aside their differences, make sure Aurora and Phillip fall in love, and get the story back on track—because if things don’t end the way they’re supposed to . . . they might never get home. </div><div><br /></div><div>Will they be able to pull off a fairy-tale ending? And will Stella and Reece get a happily-ever-after of their own?</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>I love Morgan Matson’s YA books, and make it Disney? I’m in - do you think you’ll be picking this one up?</b></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-57812382091453414822024-02-02T03:00:00.001-05:002024-02-02T03:00:00.134-05:00Quick Reviews<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzT-P0U2ZDWkdU0FeGHA5sKRnaGDzB7QInMolUCLyidV56iythubkMtfSvhtdNk1IS_T_jPJZZFJQfs11xWNqoJnmDqF_-jhp6unnyMkGJtWzJJIOaaypJ63oGtOjYFr_YLEuUERXDEFe4hRtMYIxHVLZZOqx8mOXh7-s-PeiFtMCYkChhPCd9dpXa3X0/s500/9780593500781.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="325" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzT-P0U2ZDWkdU0FeGHA5sKRnaGDzB7QInMolUCLyidV56iythubkMtfSvhtdNk1IS_T_jPJZZFJQfs11xWNqoJnmDqF_-jhp6unnyMkGJtWzJJIOaaypJ63oGtOjYFr_YLEuUERXDEFe4hRtMYIxHVLZZOqx8mOXh7-s-PeiFtMCYkChhPCd9dpXa3X0/w130-h200/9780593500781.webp" width="130" /></a> <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780593500781" target="_blank">When in Rome</a> by Sarah Adams (2022)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Amelia "Rae" Rose is a pop star who just really needs a break, so she makes a run for it in the middle of the night, only for her car to break down on Noah's lawn in a small town in Kentucky. He lets her stay with him until her car is fixed, and although neither are looking for a relationship, they can't ignore the feelings brewing between them. At first I was enjoying this book - a cute little romance in a small town and I liked the celebrity angle. There were some genuinely funny moments. But, the more I read, the more I found myself just... not caring. I know that sounds bad! Noah came across as blunt and rude, and although I understood his reasons for taking over his grandma's pie shop, he showed such little enthusiasm or joy for it that it put me off a little. I like small town settings, but it's also a little unrealistic that these people just know everything about each, are all up in each other's business constantly, have nothing better to do than pop in and gossip, etc. And Noah's sisters - the way they guilt trip Noah into staying in town was not cute. I love reading about close families, but this was just too much sometimes. Overall, just a little too cutesy, a little too twee for my taste. This wasn't the book for me, but based on Goodreads reviews, I'm in the minority, so take this with a grain of salt! 3 stars</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcjcMHxWXmoOgF6f13EF_1NuSla5JoXUbteIU2Fq_qT6MwzjRHFpm4Cs3CX8ZVKtBAw07DLUHQybcKX3D10TkeLzBgHc7saIZchiPgL8MmMX1ooYbXger0DRVQF8hZ18Tv6jGFkgQWvxSuabM83_lB1a-43IpMMvLedwCWBMaKuiMRpjuUGRWkLxYRwU/s500/9781668013014.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcjcMHxWXmoOgF6f13EF_1NuSla5JoXUbteIU2Fq_qT6MwzjRHFpm4Cs3CX8ZVKtBAw07DLUHQybcKX3D10TkeLzBgHc7saIZchiPgL8MmMX1ooYbXger0DRVQF8hZ18Tv6jGFkgQWvxSuabM83_lB1a-43IpMMvLedwCWBMaKuiMRpjuUGRWkLxYRwU/w133-h200/9781668013014.webp" width="133" /></a></div><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781668013014" target="_blank">The Chateau</a> by Jaclyn Goldis (2023)</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Twenty years ago, Darcy met her three best friends and they spent many fond times together at Darcy's grandmother's chateau in France. Now, two decades later, Seraphine has again invited the women to her home - but when she is found murdered, the group fractures amidst secrets and lies. I loved the atmospheric vibes of the chateau, a place with a long history that has seen a lot. But while the story moved quickly, with lots of twists and turns, I didn't necessarily find myself wanting to solve the mystery. As more and more (and more, and more) is revealed, it all became very convoluted and overdone - it was very unbelievable that all of these things could happen all together. The story is told from the POV of all four friends, and at times it was hard to distinguish them from each other (I mean, three of them are basically social media influencers, or at least trying to be). Overall, just not what I hoped. 3 stars<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-53604091770702568722024-02-01T03:00:00.001-05:002024-02-01T03:00:00.156-05:00Month in Review: January 2024<div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidb4j7C55OvqMrr1cbou1AIhOs-QqRCl3qjh3jM_98hLdCQobZD0eZ6vvLVlR6aoTEtnVdkY0pMldOt7cIc7q-_VoyyfY5ZL74EYg2ZPJwG5Me0j_6Ne40niKnOfFu_UXEmAF6Wkh7Pa4WnGSBwgl1kLYHPowHtumOt-PX_E6bseSY20Z5ds6zo-WAh7w/s1920/Month%20in%20Review.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidb4j7C55OvqMrr1cbou1AIhOs-QqRCl3qjh3jM_98hLdCQobZD0eZ6vvLVlR6aoTEtnVdkY0pMldOt7cIc7q-_VoyyfY5ZL74EYg2ZPJwG5Me0j_6Ne40niKnOfFu_UXEmAF6Wkh7Pa4WnGSBwgl1kLYHPowHtumOt-PX_E6bseSY20Z5ds6zo-WAh7w/w400-h225/Month%20in%20Review.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">How are we already one full month into 2024?! This month flew by for me. Even though I managed to read 8 books, I was so busy that it was just a blur. Work was crazy - our first tax deadline was at the end of January and it's one I am actually involved in, so quite a few extra hours were needed. I also had to go into the office three times, which is way more than I ever go in. It's nice to see everyone, but it's also a very long commute and I feel like I lose so much time in the car. The weather was also wild this month. We had our first significant snow in a couple years, and Henry loved it! But, it also got bitterly cold for like a week, leading to a lot of ice. Then we got a ton of rain and honestly it feels like we haven't seen sunshine in forever.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Henry is a busy bee, learning new words every day! He has learned to say his name, although instead of Henry it sounds like "Harry," and he is constantly referring to himself in the third person - my independent toddler is always saying, "Henry do it." It's adorable! He was all about music this month - he loves to sing and dance, and he has all these toy instruments. The drum is his favorite and he loves to have us "march" around the house with him. I've had to sing Baby Shark more times than I can count! He has also started calling me Mommy instead of Mama, and I'm not sure how I feel about this development. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Books</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj242MJBfFSofB__IrUjhnhhXqHd-dn3Xzqo82l4qTmEmzCo3TUPvDOue5pJE71SM7gZ_w33csT2CiaKR_hZCfrlgWpagiaZNr3dTOw850LnWAUUMouPb3MKb7nLHURhKVfSnkU6xi-cKO4YhZZTsykcYc3Jt3q5LLEFWb2rer-ysWUXF245w6Z7fNr2Ic/w133-h200/9781538704394%20(1).webp" width="133" /><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="340" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TXL6Y6Mch7Tz03C1bmGEzGnA1yqCQDUJJj3nsjJbkRE51PE3fVF8_tr0WxnjhxCxRLTkv5qFfeJG-6cZTkKVcBm43S3h8pHaVSVftJOXzhq8z0M8w1orFVibG9QOP5KaT6UziGbN2eRccVKhunMkPuh1oGVE2ZB3qdU1fiiyyfgD0AKNeEvi6ujD_PI/w136-h200/9781368051477.jpg" width="136" /><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="312" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qMWAXIpdn_-aTK-dKWtSYgNm30l7v6V9eu0q1I_SRhyphenhyphen3bKGfiIUh9YTUoAHrLgqj1MD525vKZD9A8EXdYDxwLBN-SNUGej46rS0YGRW3ZYcFPP5xVzDbMAScywRrvNSAskjJWSOnLCnVUtC8hBLBknmShC3_cI5ol45NQwtp4X9glLHBphyphenhyphenXF5U15ow/w125-h200/9798200749157.jpg" width="125" /><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="340" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxucaZ9JkHVK09OHMotDhbCC-A-bTimsSGtouaylX_5IkN_zitMPMwFr9W9dQXkt4bU1LJ6mB79hcI466eYVcdeWskhQB4VoyjZaqMOcUp75lzZiamloQCF43kMaE2Rp6rILzhXmm2t7r_S5hz36B_jQxZmNsQUbsdh-1lbLX6MwMps38spt58fFufb0/w136-h200/9781368053365.webp" width="136" /><br /><br /><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781538704394" target="_blank">Yours Truly</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781368051477" target="_blank">Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9798200749157" target="_blank">Silent Came the Monster</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781368053365" target="_blank">Kiss the Girl</a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="325" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkz-ZvjqwLg5haxB6qPbjylYLlJCF7o-4vm-dnv3-Yey5COnDWvNd4SaLq9hjRXonZgJnH3EWg3ustPurSKb6KhpRZhePffPeclMF9vWNkhPqp7P1iKle8-pfB0SUX7K6tanwhBNLyz7eFSY8u33Ex4NBz1krAFEtx6s9bRh1VIsmyP8gk787PFrLccyg/w130-h200/9780593500781.webp" width="130" /><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAIDsfr4aIatYhWnVRHs2u94uMUECgBPdhI7IHDXNi-gKKTv4wDHTo0an-9eSLtklMRsJhwQWOxiGsRKDdivoVdb4Cj1Gx5ec34zLACLVFqzaJjIn_bVD9BEUMGG8_ErLRhhh3WZ5EUjf7-wfrMryVGuZw8S1CQ7WBRiorcGiw_Pt69hmMsI6tBtsTfc/w133-h200/9781982172800.webp" width="133" /><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwmH8EFMh1L9XcIpZ3bnc31sEqeL8r0eEbFJNnfR30TLCsV5ZmNxDvVaRluhOnIguR3ifNiq0pchoS6HlAM3H_Gcw03_ShoYj4L1jSIFynj_Z5bhzP4j0nXg1hJgDfL1q5IFXpFoXMMwjEt34YHqwbjKPnFqWaGrDZGETDTDsD2eR8cQgHGlYRsZ3guE/w133-h200/9781668013014.webp" width="133" /><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="334" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OZR7qi_WtlFU1TrdtKvQjrsKK8IANNS94Q4CcdfGwg3d3AQrX-2Xbimf8F2mn9CLjwGIKizaj8mVV7z44gMuYBVBgbj6TVXxav_bFDuqu-n8O-I57Q2L7jIcRPwcbyTQfcEvJwEqZ9c9ArPV4Afi3h3iMF5WYiIow3nVse7-DHI-_JpW6BgrxA9hcd8/w134-h200/9780778311706.webp" width="134" /><br /><br /></div><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780593500781" target="_blank">When in Rome</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781982172800" target="_blank">The Six</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781668013014" target="_blank">The Chateau</a> // <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780778311706" target="_blank">The Last Grand Duchess</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Posts and Reviews</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/01/top-ten-tuesday-my-favorite-books-of.html" target="_blank">Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Books of 2023!</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/01/2023-reading-year-in-review.html" target="_blank">2023 Reading Year in Review</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/01/guest-blogger-micheles-2023-wrap-up.html" target="_blank">Guest Blogger: Michele's 2023 Wrap-up!</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/01/quick-reviews-time-travel-edition.html" target="_blank">Quick Reviews: Time Travel Edition</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/01/micheles-monday-picks-37.html" target="_blank">Michele's Monday Picks #37</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/01/cant-wait-wednesday-women.html" target="_blank">Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Women</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/01/quick-reviews.html" target="_blank">Quick Reviews</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/01/top-ten-tuesday-bookish-goals-for-2024.html" target="_blank">Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Goals for 2024</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/01/indie-bookstore-spotlight-farleys.html" target="_blank">Indie Bookstore Spotlight: Farley's Bookshop</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/01/cant-wait-wednesday-fangirl-down.html" target="_blank">Can't-Wait Wednesday: Fangirl Down</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/01/quick-reviews_0655093809.html" target="_blank">Quick Reviews</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/01/micheles-monday-picks-38.html" target="_blank">Michele's Monday Picks #38</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://musingsofaliterarywanderer.blogspot.com/2024/01/top-ten-tuesday-new-to-me-authors-i.html" target="_blank">Top Ten Tuesday: New-To-Me Authors I Discovered in 2023</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>How are you doing?</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. </span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-4716800053226848512024-01-30T03:00:00.001-05:002024-01-30T03:00:00.137-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: New-To-Me Authors I Discovered in 2023<div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTG3AheJydunuuCcnx3jseTRNeuNOkwT39haUvfEyXO8CFsWofuLqAUOpWqbGr5LVX14lSS0rZ2Gv4ZFjPXIZczBkwoLy9AooskupFD8dR11t0MS_ftTZCSnbYBlRpoqCjg-k-do_fv2326oCQJZ1HTKW7rdyE2upkDG4QHW6jhSTxDYN4BK6Z30e3Bs/s500/TTT-Big2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="500" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTG3AheJydunuuCcnx3jseTRNeuNOkwT39haUvfEyXO8CFsWofuLqAUOpWqbGr5LVX14lSS0rZ2Gv4ZFjPXIZczBkwoLy9AooskupFD8dR11t0MS_ftTZCSnbYBlRpoqCjg-k-do_fv2326oCQJZ1HTKW7rdyE2upkDG4QHW6jhSTxDYN4BK6Z30e3Bs/w400-h163/TTT-Big2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at <a href="https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/" target="_blank">That Artsy Reader Girl</a>. This week's topic is new-to-us authors we discovered in 2023. This is always a fun list to put together because there always seems to be at least one major author that I've finally read for the first time, way after the rest of the world! Here are some new-to-me authors I read in 2023:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Emma Scott</li><li>Melanie Harlow</li><li>Kristy Woodson Harvey</li><li>Alice Feeney</li><li>Elsie Silver</li><li>Olivia Dade</li><li>Ashley Winstead</li><li>Emma Straub</li><li>Leddy Harper</li><li>K. Bromberg</li></ol><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Who are some authors you read for the first time in 2023?</b></div></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-22645768763356555642024-01-29T03:00:00.001-05:002024-01-29T03:00:00.148-05:00Michele's Monday Picks #38<div style="text-align: left;">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!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">************************************************************************</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWXSQt0sW_1fLJ8CfejPnB1wglL3HuQPdhENlvCzrI8UazCw9Wv-WirX9Mgh_IAWMHoVZrcgOAI4hSv6sr_z9WAAZiIfIhGU6KH4eTX_tQ_4pIls5xDxSFrRlBmSCbtJcXE8LH8HYK0-Q99Ze_JjGUIHdxIWbbKLzKrMgPxgW2mtB0emFQIlGgPPUOHo/s2775/157979441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1838" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWXSQt0sW_1fLJ8CfejPnB1wglL3HuQPdhENlvCzrI8UazCw9Wv-WirX9Mgh_IAWMHoVZrcgOAI4hSv6sr_z9WAAZiIfIhGU6KH4eTX_tQ_4pIls5xDxSFrRlBmSCbtJcXE8LH8HYK0-Q99Ze_JjGUIHdxIWbbKLzKrMgPxgW2mtB0emFQIlGgPPUOHo/w265-h400/157979441.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157979441-island-witch?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_12" target="_blank">Island Witch</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">By Amanda Jayatissa</div><div style="text-align: center;">Expected Publication: February 20, 2024</div><div><br /></div><div>From Goodreads:</div><div>Inspired by Sri Lankan folklore, award-winning author Amanda Jayatissa turns her feverish, Gothic-tinged talents to late 19th century Sri Lanka where the daughter of a traditional demon-priest—relentlessly bullied by peers and accused of witchcraft herself—tries to solve the mysterious attacks that have been terrorizing her coastal village.</div><div><br /></div><div>Being the daughter of the village Capuwa, or demon-priest, Amara is used to keeping mostly to herself. Influenced by the new religious practices brought in by the British Colonizers, the villagers who once respected her father’s craft have turned on the family. Yet, they all still seem to call on him whenever supernatural disturbances arise.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now someone—or something —is viciously seizing upon men in the jungle. But instead of enlisting Amara’s father’s help, the villages have accused him of carrying out the attacks himself.</div><div><br /></div><div>As she tries to clear her father’s name, Amara finds herself haunted by dreams that eerily predict the dark forces on her island. And she can’t shake the feeling that it’s all connected to the night she was recovering from a strange illness, and woke up, scared and confused, to hear her mother’s frantic No one can find out what happened.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lush, otherworldly, and recalling horror classics like Carrie and The Exorcist, Island Witch is a deliciously creepy and darkly feminist tale about the horrors of moral panic, the violent space between girlhood and adulthood, and what happens when female rage is finally unleashed.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>This sounds so unique - do you think you’ll be picking this one up?</b></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-78063679481725696812024-01-26T03:00:00.001-05:002024-01-26T03:00:00.260-05:00Quick Reviews<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEbuRG0vfi49s3McWVAY-u_c1TXeHsmeKVnwI6E7hZvGVBBI44atwmqd0zzMZ79GD4KJw2qcVMazAdp-u3rVn-Ax3z8WSifyvO16skhtgZTHCzdzzHIAgvc9uxaxkqYq7KdVkIkrr5lDjm1Nrbw9g1CvoiBghl-5Xw3LspvbBXXp8WMKWpZuDOaeCZtY/s500/9798200749157.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="312" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEbuRG0vfi49s3McWVAY-u_c1TXeHsmeKVnwI6E7hZvGVBBI44atwmqd0zzMZ79GD4KJw2qcVMazAdp-u3rVn-Ax3z8WSifyvO16skhtgZTHCzdzzHIAgvc9uxaxkqYq7KdVkIkrr5lDjm1Nrbw9g1CvoiBghl-5Xw3LspvbBXXp8WMKWpZuDOaeCZtY/w125-h200/9798200749157.jpg" width="125" /></a><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9798200749157" target="_blank">Silent Came the Monster</a> by Amy Hill Hearth (2023)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Inspired by the 1916 shark attacks along the New Jersey shore, Silent Came the Monster is a fictionalized version of those events. Dr. Halsey, after examining the body of the first victim, is convinced a shark is stalking the coastline, but many do not believe him. After more people are killed, will they finally listen to him? I don't often come across books set in New Jersey, so I was interested to read this; unfortunately, it had a lot of issues. The story itself is intriguing, but the writing is lackluster, awkward, and often juvenile. At times it felt like it wanted to be a nonfiction book because it included so many random facts. The author also places the attacks in the bigger picture of the era (a world on verge of war, a medical epidemic claiming the lives of babies), but whenever the characters talked about these other events, it didn't feel natural or like it fit with the story. I think the author did a great job with the research, but it didn't all come together for me in the way I wanted. 3 stars</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaE2wQffW7o7DoP111JzAiss_FmipYTAjQQs0WHAqff5jyhm7PbaNqe_HbfNctiopQeVDqmwwc3-iVQ06uoiwAgUkcJdJazJXhsqaRht7G30e0e-GI0SXMHMOuuGyQt2KGH-JMpzGW4U3l6CwnakyF9OtvMdek1V0LeV9AyJ3HbDUwD9808uXxPXkNHE/s500/9781368053365.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="340" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaE2wQffW7o7DoP111JzAiss_FmipYTAjQQs0WHAqff5jyhm7PbaNqe_HbfNctiopQeVDqmwwc3-iVQ06uoiwAgUkcJdJazJXhsqaRht7G30e0e-GI0SXMHMOuuGyQt2KGH-JMpzGW4U3l6CwnakyF9OtvMdek1V0LeV9AyJ3HbDUwD9808uXxPXkNHE/w136-h200/9781368053365.webp" width="136" /></a></div><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9781368053365" target="_blank">Kiss the Girl</a> by Zoraida Cordova (2023)<div><br /></div><div>Ariel is a famous pop star who just wants to take some downtime before starting her next career move, but her father has other plans. Ariel, however, decides to put herself first for once and decides to go on the road, anonymously, with an up-and-coming band and its dreamy lead singer, Eric. Obviously, this is a Little Mermaid reimagining and I couldn't resist! Elements of the story were cute - I liked seeing how the author took pieces of the story/movie and fit them into this new setting and time period. Seeing Ariel try to act like a "regular" woman was fun, getting to experience all these things, some seemingly mundane, for the first time. However, I had trouble connecting with Ariel and Eric. Even though they are in their mid-to-late twenties, they just felt so young and immature. The slow burn between them was just waaayyy too slow for me, and I thought the villanous character of Ariel's father was just a bit too much. 3 stars</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-59994808111120834822024-01-24T03:00:00.001-05:002024-01-24T03:00:00.259-05:00Can't-Wait Wednesday: Fangirl Down<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at </span><a href="https://www.wishfulendings.com/" style="background-color: white; color: blue; text-decoration-line: none;">Wishful Endings</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBD6VPdp1BxA6VaELEMsOseQp_pAlCRclyeKuflF8GLkX_0nEYRSaA8xQIYmDvqed2ZzzbrgXn-Hy2E97PSOLrd-KfAzWK3ffbFEaPbOq5V84E2CwqQwJMJmygAQ2gssqGDssC8QlJzowroRI1mVrm1KUSoXn50hG9PG73r_KzbUmyQjMebj2zkn4gFMM/s1678/156170778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1678" data-original-width="1110" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBD6VPdp1BxA6VaELEMsOseQp_pAlCRclyeKuflF8GLkX_0nEYRSaA8xQIYmDvqed2ZzzbrgXn-Hy2E97PSOLrd-KfAzWK3ffbFEaPbOq5V84E2CwqQwJMJmygAQ2gssqGDssC8QlJzowroRI1mVrm1KUSoXn50hG9PG73r_KzbUmyQjMebj2zkn4gFMM/w265-h400/156170778.jpg" width="265" /></span></a></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/156170778-fangirl-down" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fangirl Down</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tessa Bailey</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Expected publication date: February 13, 2024</span></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Wells Whitaker was once golf's hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his "promising" career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn't believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine's professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash...</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they're inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous... right? - <i>from Goodreads</i></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div></blockquote>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-71275766694194650562024-01-17T03:00:00.001-05:002024-01-17T03:00:00.138-05:00Indie Bookstore Spotlight: Farley's Bookshop<div style="text-align: left;"> We recently took a short ride to New Hope, Pennsylvania to take Henry to the Bucks County Children's Museum - a really fun interactive place that we're sure to go back to! After our museum outing and a quick lunch, I asked Tom if we could walk around the adorable downtown area a bit and maybe stop by a local bookstore - turns out he had done his research ahead of time and already knew where it was! So, we strolled down to <a href="https://www.farleysbookshop.com/" target="_blank">Farley's Bookshop</a>!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7tnm6I83bgJR1nRZeUud_JTGOXNa4QzGn7KaXwtw4FDeBhqPQZAceIXsj2V_FizG59IR7rBwdbvQf_QE__a02BSQPPOhgTrya0YzH6URCoo2gd0w_oafto5ZFgh1j9BNtYITJu5E6osJfUEy6N3QwcUIZXY-zE80tlf6yhHKEGIpmOSzjm2Ex0p4rUU/s4032/20231226_130910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7tnm6I83bgJR1nRZeUud_JTGOXNa4QzGn7KaXwtw4FDeBhqPQZAceIXsj2V_FizG59IR7rBwdbvQf_QE__a02BSQPPOhgTrya0YzH6URCoo2gd0w_oafto5ZFgh1j9BNtYITJu5E6osJfUEy6N3QwcUIZXY-zE80tlf6yhHKEGIpmOSzjm2Ex0p4rUU/w300-h400/20231226_130910.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Farley's Bookshop originally opened in 1967 after a husband and wife team purchased an existing bookstore (the owner was retiring). In 1971, they moved to their current location. The shop was owned by the Farley family until October 2022, when they sold it to three long-time employees!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswM917_Ras7Pg2lo6I9ADq1iODM6Sdy6fpKvp5EY9zr8To8zRo9nzX9ggBRGU91v5CP8aJOkF1Zi0pNhwZlVl6rznI9eld6zV6hIzBoT2jag1K5CDaZuEcLobmvV411ceb7S5becOgyibRXs4miyxkeqH9RDMseQplfTdx2XhDRqySl_TJphCquuI-Hs/s4032/20231226_130901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswM917_Ras7Pg2lo6I9ADq1iODM6Sdy6fpKvp5EY9zr8To8zRo9nzX9ggBRGU91v5CP8aJOkF1Zi0pNhwZlVl6rznI9eld6zV6hIzBoT2jag1K5CDaZuEcLobmvV411ceb7S5becOgyibRXs4miyxkeqH9RDMseQplfTdx2XhDRqySl_TJphCquuI-Hs/w300-h400/20231226_130901.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMyVAAtnHJyjBq1YktcMRxCzHZFdnAXZ04gMQH7qONiuAqGNTsLD6ubLC9CdChND1SAUnPOlLRBr06zGCenlxWSidP0ViC198l5aKS4UJ9i8KJOSmumu4GR8Lw7Tx4IjV8zzPFQVfTzsEkCXAYv-Xs2gIdjN3Pm2kDNSmvswHpVHM-9aQzQgNUaIoF1M/s3844/20231226_130918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2977" data-original-width="3844" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMyVAAtnHJyjBq1YktcMRxCzHZFdnAXZ04gMQH7qONiuAqGNTsLD6ubLC9CdChND1SAUnPOlLRBr06zGCenlxWSidP0ViC198l5aKS4UJ9i8KJOSmumu4GR8Lw7Tx4IjV8zzPFQVfTzsEkCXAYv-Xs2gIdjN3Pm2kDNSmvswHpVHM-9aQzQgNUaIoF1M/w400-h310/20231226_130918.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCqyvpzRTMAHidY2Hb930Lb4jILRfFOpBbpSTEndIHGep8lie547kDaljMDbUleY98wO50LlJ44IS5iDCGUZQMXPMndFszzAr3amsjVC4ZEVpBYy2AbUnsj18qw7zhj6ykx1bHKh_b2cLsWCbwsZQk07KwdyXq4xkEgvSNuuSHFcroVT0HBKa_rQJaKo/s4032/20231226_131017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCqyvpzRTMAHidY2Hb930Lb4jILRfFOpBbpSTEndIHGep8lie547kDaljMDbUleY98wO50LlJ44IS5iDCGUZQMXPMndFszzAr3amsjVC4ZEVpBYy2AbUnsj18qw7zhj6ykx1bHKh_b2cLsWCbwsZQk07KwdyXq4xkEgvSNuuSHFcroVT0HBKa_rQJaKo/w300-h400/20231226_131017.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>When you walk in, you are immediately greeted by the employees at the register. To the left, there are some bookish items (like tote bags) and notecards, among other little gift ideas. The first room is mostly devoted to nonfiction, in tall bookshelves along the walls. Areas like food and history are highlighted here. The store then opens up into another very large room in the back (I was surprised at how big the store was - definitely a TARDIS moment, ha!). Adult fiction lined one wall, which then led into YA, picture books, and more children's books. In the center was a rack of children's non-bookish items - puzzles, coloring books, etc. - and a great selection of interesting chapter books for young readers. The room was so bright, airy, and welcoming, just a beautiful place to walk around.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6fXHGdaFkIKuwF2Oz6qXsLE4l71eTlS_xVgDopb7BFik6Umx5g37MQwllz9ks_jvG3srXCr3c0r_MdW9DnbC8JtQNGcnKziKcpzxaQ-s-TJxEh7QF7RJ4L4SVZJhw2eD7yHZQ9EEiDvxNvdrN5UFbsXDyHbMf-F-7RgOzth_ou3AhcnYXirVEXF1OW0/s4032/20231226_131011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6fXHGdaFkIKuwF2Oz6qXsLE4l71eTlS_xVgDopb7BFik6Umx5g37MQwllz9ks_jvG3srXCr3c0r_MdW9DnbC8JtQNGcnKziKcpzxaQ-s-TJxEh7QF7RJ4L4SVZJhw2eD7yHZQ9EEiDvxNvdrN5UFbsXDyHbMf-F-7RgOzth_ou3AhcnYXirVEXF1OW0/w300-h400/20231226_131011.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I ended up choosing a book for Henry (<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15984/9780593174999" target="_blank">Planet Earth</a> from the Hello, World! series). The employee helping me check out commented that his own kids loved this series, so that was a nice recommendation!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Have you visited any independent bookstores recently?</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130637022613050517.post-76936221525527976802024-01-16T03:00:00.001-05:002024-01-16T03:00:00.162-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Goals for 2024<div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbqigwN_bYHAC1lGLYy_MLK59MF8qmcEmg-uowuA1vbyadvcnY7iK9CKYfVdlBNlZYPiYS1D_-Imthfy5iWtcSSce_2_1geqaTbtU6KvGwamP7wImXTIS0f6PM5YHA1gPizU4bjoK2QUd6lqmH4RUoihG98ykKhEXIUXY1dAP2v6cUMOlEWbTeXYDZng/s500/TTT-Big2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="500" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbqigwN_bYHAC1lGLYy_MLK59MF8qmcEmg-uowuA1vbyadvcnY7iK9CKYfVdlBNlZYPiYS1D_-Imthfy5iWtcSSce_2_1geqaTbtU6KvGwamP7wImXTIS0f6PM5YHA1gPizU4bjoK2QUd6lqmH4RUoihG98ykKhEXIUXY1dAP2v6cUMOlEWbTeXYDZng/w400-h163/TTT-Big2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at <a href="https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/" target="_blank">That Artsy Reader Girl</a>. This week's topic is our bookish goals for 2024. I didn't really set any goals last year as I was still trying to get back into the swing of reading after having Henry. I'm slightly more confident now in how much I'm able to read, so I figured it would be a good time to set some goals! Here are a few things I want to get done in 2024:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Read 75 books</b>. I was able to read more than this last year, but I also had a month or two where my reading just skyrocketed and I can't predict that will happen again. This is a good number for me as it averages to slightly more than 6 books per month, which I think is doable.</li><li><b>Reread once a month</b>. I haven't reread anything in quite awhile, and that makes me a little sad. My shelves are full of books I have loved and want to revisit, so I'm going to challenge myself to do one reread per month.</li><li><b>Read at least six nonfiction books</b>. I barely read any nonfiction last year, which is unusual for me. I didn't even participate in Nonfiction November because I felt I didn't have anything to contribute. There are so many interesting-sounding nonfiction books on my TBR, and I want to make time for them in 2024.</li><li><b>Finish the Bridgerton series</b>. I made good headway on it in 2023 and I only have two books left!</li><li><b>Purge my shelves</b>. As always, my shelves are overflowing! I want to curate a collection that's just full of those books I absolutely love and can't live without. Plus, it'll make room for more books I'll inevitably buy during the year.</li></ol><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">And because 10 is too many for me, I asked my sister to share some of her goals:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Read 275 books</b>. This would make my Goodreads goal lower than 2023, but with my daughter getting older and having more activities and me wanting to cultivate hobbies outside of reading (puzzles, cycling, etc.), I feel good about this development. </span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Track my reading contemporaneously</b>. I created an excel tracker for myself in late 2023 so I could see the breakdown of my reading format (physical, audio, ebook) and the source of my books (hauls, library, Kindle Unlimited). However, this meant I had to categorize over 300 books at once, which almost broke me. In 2024 I'll make sure to update the tracker at least a couple times a month to make it easier.</span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Binge author backlists via audio</b>. I've already identified a couple authors whose backlists I want to explore in 2024. I like to be as current as possible with new releases via physical or ebooks, so I think consuming some of these backlist titles via audio will work out best here.</span></span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Listen to 5 audiobooks with my hubby</b>. Despite the fact that he used to work at a well-known audiobook company, my husband is not a huge audiobook listener. But we do have some road trips coming up in 2024 and audiobooks will be a good way to pass the time. Finding titles that appeal to both of us can be a little challenging (although Neil DeGrasse Tyson and John Scalzi have been hits in the past), but I'm looking forward to it.</span></span></li></ol></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>What are some of your bookish goals for 2024?</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746631124966726182noreply@blogger.com30