Can't-Wait Wednesday: Pride and Premeditation

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

 

Pride and Premeditation

Tirzah Price

Expected publication date: March 9, 2021

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young woman who desires a law career must be in want of a case. So when seventeen-year-old Lizzie Bennet hears about a scandalous society murder, she sees an opportunity to prove herself as a solicitor by solving the case and ensuring justice is served.

Except the man accused of the crime already has a lawyer on his side: Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious Pemberley Associates law firm. Lizzie is determined to solve the murder before Darcy can so that she can show the world that a woman can be just as good as a man. (The fact that Darcy is an infuriating snob doesn’t help.) But there’s still a killer on the loose, and as the case gets more complicated, Lizzie and Darcy may have to start working together to avoid becoming the next victims themselves. - from Goodreads

You know I cannot resist a good P&P retelling, and this one sounds very unique!

Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Books of 2020

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is our favorite books of 2020.  I read over 200 books this year and there were a lot of great ones, but these really stood out!

Scythe // The Overdue Life of Amy Byler // The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires // How to Choose a Guy in 10 Days

Everything Beautiful In Its Time // Verity // Mexican Gothic

Her Last Flight // The Simple Wild // What Lies Between Us

Did any of these make your list?

 

 

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2020 Goals and Challenges Wrap-Up

This year has been so crazy, it's almost hard to believe!  When I set these goals at the beginning of the year, I never could have imagined how our lives would be affected by COVID-19.  It almost seems a little silly, but I still want to take a look back at those goals, as well as wrap up my reading challenges.

Reading

• Reread more. I reread 20 books this year, including the Harry Potter ones below. 
• Reread the Harry Potter series. Done!
• Make a dent in the unread physical books on my shelf. I've definitely read a few, as there seems to be a noticeable difference in the shelf!
• Attend at least 2 bookish events.  I ended up attending two virtual bookish events - one with Taylor Jenkins Reid interviewing Katherine Center and one with Fiona Davis in conjunction with the New York Public Library.  Hopefully we'll be able to have in-person events again next year!
  

Blogging

• Respond to comments faster.  I think I did really well at this!
• Get ahead on my book reviews. I think I did ok at this.  I started doing more "quick reviews," which meant the actual writing took less time, but I needed to review more books.  At most points during the year, I was at least a couple weeks ahead, so I think that's pretty good.
• Build up my #bookstagram account.  My #bookstagram has grown about 60% since the beginning of the year!  I'm having fun participating in photo challenges and coming up with creative pictures.  If we're not already, let's be friends!

Life

• Get new passports.  Done!  Aaaaand we still have nowhere to go!
• Drink more water.  I definitely failed at this.  At least a couple times a week, I catch myself thinking, hmm, I should be drinking more water.
  
• Run a 5k. Total fail.  Maybe next year? 
• Make 100 blankets for Project Linus.  I made 66 blankets, so I didn't reach my goal, unfortunately.  

 

The 2020 Audiobook Challenge is hosted by Hot Listens and Caffeinated Reviewer.  My goal was 20-30 audiobooks and I ended up listening to 29.  I have to admit, though, I haven't listened to one since September; without my work commute, I was finding it was taking way too long to listen to audiobooks.

 

The Retellings Reading Challenge is hosted by Tracy at Cornerfolds.  My goal was the Elemental Witch level, which is 11-15 retellings, and I beat that with 32 retellings read!  AND I completed the Bingo board!

 

Beat the Backlist is hosted by Austine at NovelKnight; my goal was to read at least 60 backlist books this year, and I crushed that!  I've read 137 backlist books this year!

 

How did you do on your goals and challenges?

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Surviving Savannah

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

 

Surviving Savannah

Patt Callahan

Expected publication date: March 9, 2021

It was called "The Titanic of the South." The luxury steamship sank in 1838 with Savannah's elite on board; through time, their fates were forgotten--until the wreck was found, and now their story is finally being told in this breathtaking novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis.

When Savannah history professor Everly Winthrop is asked to guest-curate a new museum collection focusing on artifacts recovered from the steamship Pulaski, she's shocked. The ship sank after a boiler explosion in 1838, and the wreckage was just discovered, 180 years later. Everly can't resist the opportunity to try to solve some of the mysteries and myths surrounding the devastating night of its sinking.

Everly's research leads her to the astounding history of a family of eleven who boarded the Pulaski together, and the extraordinary stories of two women from this family: a known survivor, Augusta Longstreet, and her niece, Lilly Forsyth, who was never found, along with her child. These aristocratic women were part of Savannah's society, but when the ship exploded, each was faced with difficult and heartbreaking decisions. This is a moving and powerful exploration of what women will do to endure in the face of tragedy, the role fate plays, and the myriad ways we survive the surviving. - from Goodreads

I love historical fiction, and this is an event I've never heard of before!

Down The TBR Hole #18

 

Down the TBR Hole is a feature created by Lost in a Story (although the blog seems to be down recently).  I've seen it on a few other blogs and thought I would try it out myself!  It seems like a really good way to cull your TBR of those books you're no longer interested in.  So, how does it work?

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course, if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

Here are the books I'm looking at this time:

 

The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni

 

A woman finds out she's inherited a noble title and a castle in Italy, but she also discovers dark family secrets.  I like the premise, but the reviews are very mixed.  Pass!

Actress by Anne Enright

 

A woman explores her mother's history, a famous actress who also committed a serious crime.  I don't know, this one just isn't grabbing me - pass!

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

 

A group of people from all walks of life come together to try to preserve Jane Austen's home and legacy, in the wake of the second world war.  I hear Jane Austen and I'm all in - keep!

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

 

Three women share the same husband; when one of the wives shows signs of abuse, another tries to figure out who their husband really is.  Eh, this just seems a little weird to me - pass!

 The Vineyards of Champagne by Juliet Blackwell

 

A dual timeline story about the women and children who survived WWI by taking shelter in the cellars beneath French vineyards and the present-day woman who discovers a decades-old secret after reading correspondence from WWI.  This sounds like something I would love - keep!

The Antidote For Everything by Kimmery Martin

 

Two doctors are caught up in a scandal when they have to choose between treating patients or following the new rules set by their hospital.  This doesn't sound like the book for me - pass!

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry

 

A 1980s Massachusetts high school field hockey team take some inspiration from the Salem witches in their winning season.  This actually sounds pretty fun - keep!

Have you read any of these?

Holiday Quick Reviews: Short Stories

Booked for Christmas by Lily Menon (2020)

An author and her worst critic are trapped together in a cabin during a snowstorm in this adorable holiday short story.  Sophie is hosting a holiday party at her cabin when Evan shows up as one of the guest's plus ones; he's unable to leave before a snowstorm hits.  I enjoyed watching these two get to know each other, since they only really know each other's writing.  They both start to understand the other's point of view, and sparks fly.  The writing was super readable and flowed nicely.  Perfectly light and cheery for the holidays!  I thought the ending was a bit abrupt, but I think it's good that I wanted more!  4 stars

Snowed In (Christmas With A Billionaire) by Lila Monroe (2015)

 

If you enjoy your holiday stories with lots of heat, then this is the short story duo for you!  In Snowed in With The Billionaire, party planner Paige is setting up an event at music executive Ace's home when a snowstorm leaves them stranded alone.  Both characters are well-rounded despite the length of the story.  In Christmas with The Billionaire, Broadway actress hopeful Jill plays fake girlfriend for producer Oliver.  There's an interesting angle in this story when Jill gets the role of a lifetime and wonders if it was only because of Oliver.  Although both of these stories were a bit unrealistic (insta-love!), I still enjoyed them.  Monroe is great at creating witty, realistic dialogue, and the mix of humor and steamy scenes was just right.  Both stories are entertaining from start to finish!  4 stars

Once Upon a Christmas by Andrea Boyd, Toni Shiloh, Mikal Dawn, Angela Ruth Strong, and Jaycee Weaver (2019)

 

This collection of five short stories takes your favorite classic fairy tales, modernizes them, and gives them a Christmas twist. I thought these stories incorporated clever modernizations that still kept the essence of the timeless tales.  Sleeping Beauty is updated to tell the story of Talia, who loves being onstage in her family theater but is felled by a strange sleeping disorder; Mulan is a lawyer fighting to save a small business; Snow White is an heiress who flees her conniving fiance and stepmother; Cinderella is a reality TV producer who falls for one of her show's stars; and The Little Mermaid is a college student/hotel worker who longs to open her own art gallery someday.  The stories are easy to read, with little in the way of true conflict - yes, there are dark moments, but you know there will be a happily ever after.  The anthology would fall under Christian fiction, although some stories had more religious themes than others.  If you're looking for sweet, pure romances set during the holiday season, this might be the collection for you.  3.5 stars

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Rose Code

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

The Rose Code

Kate Quinn

Expected publication date: March 9, 2021 

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart. 1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter--the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger--and their true enemy--closer... - from Goodreads

 I know I've posted about this book before, but I'm just that excited about it!