Battle of the Book Covers #6

 

In Battle of the Book Covers, I pick one book, compile a bunch of different international covers, and choose my favorite - and I'd love for you to weigh in, too!  (Thank you to Heather at Random Redheaded Ramblings, who put together a list of 25 book blog post ideas, for the inspiration!)

 

For this edition, I'm going back to 2018 with Verity by Colleen Hoover! 

2018 US paperback // 2020 Spanish // 2019 Portuguese

2020 German // 2019 Polish // 2020 Danish

2020 French // 2020 Estonian

This is a hard one, because they're all so different!  I've always liked the original US cover, but I also like the way the Portuguese edition incorporates the story.  I think I'm going with...

The 2020 Estonian cover!  To me, it's just so creepy and totally captures the eerie vibe of the book!

Which is your favorite?

 

Review: The Queen

The Queen

Matthew Dennison

Expected publication date: September 1, 2021

Monarchy in Britain is a mindset – sociological and emotional – seldom scrutinised save by diehard supporters or detractors.

Matthew Dennison's new biography of Elizabeth II offers to evaluate a magisterial reign now spanning seven decades and the Queen’s record as practitioner of monarchy. The person of the monarch is the closest an ethnically and culturally diverse society comes to a visible representative of past, present and future, although population changes since 1945 have made it impossible for Elizabeth II convincingly to embody the wide-ranging outlooks and aspirations of a muddled demographic. Instead she is understood as the champion of a handful of ‘British’ values endorsed – if no longer practised – by the bulk of the nation: service, duty, steadfastness, charity, stoicism: a visible definition of an aspect of ‘Britishness’. - from Goodreads

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

In The Queen, Matthew Dennison offers a comprehensive biography of Queen Elizabeth II, from her birth to the current coronavirus pandemic, and shows how her strong values have influenced her reign.  Although it's not a perfect book, there is a lot to enjoy about this biography.

Cons:  The writing is very dense.  Long sentences in even longer paragraphs, coupled with a formal writing style, sometimes made it a bit difficult to get through at times.  Although Dennison includes many interesting details, I didn't need to know about every portrait that the Queen has sat for in her life.  Also, maybe it's just my bias and being interested in the events that have taken place during my lifetime, but it felt like the last 40 years or so were kind of rushed through.  There is quite a bit about Princess Diana, but I wanted more detail and analysis of how major social, technological, and family changes have affected her reign in more recent years.

Pros:  Dennison isn't afraid of including the good and the bad.  This isn't a glowing biography that glosses over criticism, but rather a balanced look at the Queen's life.  He discusses times when the Queen seemed out of touch with the general public and how her duties as monarch sometimes got in the way of being a more present mother.  Dennison's research is impressive, and he includes many quotes that really added to the narrative.  I think Dennison also did a great job showing time and again how the Queen's life has been shaped and guided by tradition and values.  From a young age, she learned the importance of duty, and when it came time for her to be Queen, she brought a sense of honor and desire to serve her people as monarchs before her had done, even if these notions made her seem somewhat old-fashioned and sometimes detached.

Overall, I thought this was a wonderful overview of the astounding life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, a must-read for any royal fan.

4 stars

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Wicked Widow

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

 

The Wicked Widow (The Wicked City #3)

Beatriz Williams

Expected publication date: October 12, 2021

Gin Kelly, the wicked redhead, is back! Readers will delight in next installment of the Wicked City series by New York Times bestselling author Beatriz Williams.

June 1925. Audacious Appalachian flapper Geneva "Gin" Kelly prepares to trade her high-flying ways for respectable marriage to Oliver Anson Marshall, a steadfast Prohibition agent who happens to hail from one of New York's most distinguished families. But just as wedding bells chime, the head of the notorious East Coast rum-running racket--and Anson's mortal enemy--turns up murdered at a society funeral, and their short-lived honeymoon bliss goes up in a spectacular blaze that sends Anson back undercover...and into the jaws of a trap from which not even Gin can rescue him. As violence explodes around her, Gin must summon all her considerable moxie to trace the tentacles of this sinister organization back to their shocking source, and face down a legendary American family at a rigged game it has no intention of losing.

June 1998. When Ella Dommerich's ninetysomething society queen aunt Julie ropes her into digging up dirt on Senator (and Presidential candidate) Franklin Hardcastle in order to settle old family scores, she couldn't be less enthusiastic. Pregnant Ella's recently ditched her unfaithful husband and settled into cozy--if complicated--domesticity with her almost-too-good-to-be-true musician boyfriend, Hector. But then the Hardcastle secrets lead to a web of shady dealings Ella's uncovered in her job as a financial analyst, and the bodies start to tumble out of the venerable woodwork. With the help of her ex-husband and her mysterious connection to a certain redheaded flapper, Ella digs up more than mere dirt...only to discover herself standing alone between a legendarily ruthless family and the prize it's sought for generations.

What ugly secrets lurk in the opulent enclaves--and bank accounts--of America's richest families? And can two determined women from two different generations thwart the murderous legacy of the demon liquor? - from Goodreads

Two books from Beatriz Williams in one year?  She is too good to us.  I don't even need to read blurbs for her books anymore - she always delivers!

Cape May Point State Park

Wow, it has been a minute since I posted anything travel-related, but earlier this month, we took a short vacation to Wildwood and Cape May, New Jersey.  My grandparents lived in Wildwood Crest for a good portion of my life, so we spent many summer weekends there when I was a child.  I have so many happy memories from those times, so it was nice to be able to spend an extended amount of time there after being away for so long.  My sister invited us along on her vacation, and we were lucky to have mostly beautiful weather while we there, especially the day we decided to go for a walk at Cape May Point State Park!

 

Cape May Point State Park has a little something for everyone - bird watching, trails, beaches, dunes, ponds, a WWII bunker, and the Cape May lighthouse, which you can climb for a small fee.  For more information about the park, visit this site.  The park has three trails: Red (0.5 miles), Yellow (1.5 miles), and Blue (2 miles).  They somewhat overlap, so we started with the Blue Trail, with the dunes on one side and two ponds on the other.  The trail here is a sandy, rocky mix.

The beach is just on the other side of the dunes and there is a connector trail.

There are great views of the lighthouse from everywhere along the trail!

Once we moved away from the dunes/beach, the trail turns into a combination of boardwalk and dirt path, and the feel of the park sometimes even feels like forest.

The Red Trail is a short offshoot from the Blue Trail and is quite shady until you reach a bird blind/viewing area.  There are a couple other bird blinds/viewing areas along the Blue Trail.

These flowers called swamp rose-mallows were in bloom during our visit.  They were enormous and beautiful and everywhere!  Even though the trails weren't long, Cape May Point State Park was a great place to meander for a little while.  The trails are all flat, making them easy for all levels of walkers/hikers.  There's also no entrance fee, which is nice.  Definitely a must-see when you're in the area!

Quick Reviews

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux by Samantha Verant (2020)

 

With her career as a chef sabotaged, Sophie heads to France to help her ailing grandmother with running her chateau and finds her dreams for the future may be changing.  A foodie book set in France?  I couldn't resist, although I didn't love this one as much as I'd hoped to.  The thing I enjoyed most was Sophie's journey and growth - she loses so much confidence after being sabotaged by a coworker that she can't even trust herself in the kitchen, but as she takes on more responsibilities at the chateau, she realizes her capabilities and begins to think that France is actually the place she is meant to be.  The food descriptions were also mouth-watering!  However, I wasn't crazy about the one-dimensional side characters, and while there were bits of drama, they were overcome way too easily.  It lacked depth at times.  3.5 stars

The Key to Love by Betsy St. Amant (2020)

Bri works in a small-town bakery in Kansas, and Gerard works for a travel magazine.  He is sent to write a piece on her bakery after its love lock wall (modeled after the one in France) goes viral.  Gerard isn't impressed by love and romance, but maybe Bri can change his mind.  This book had some cute moments but still suffered from some misses.  I loved the small-town feel, where everyone knows everyone else's business.  I loved watching Gerard's feelings for Bri evolve over the course of the story, as he gets to know her better.  I didn't realize this book was Christian fiction when I picked it up, but the religious tones weren't too overwhelming.  I though Bri's character was a bit erratic - overly emotional while making poor decisions.  I wanted more background of her parent's marriage; she seems to hold them up on a pedestal as the perfect couple, yet what little we learn of them didn't sound all that happy.  Overall, it's a pretty predictable story that still holds some charm.  3.5 stars

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

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Death of Jane Lawrence

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

 

The Death of Jane Lawrence

Caitlin Starling

Expected publication date: October 19, 2021

Practical, unassuming Jane Shoringfield has done the calculations, and decided that the most secure path forward is this: a husband, in a marriage of convenience, who will allow her to remain independent and occupied with meaningful work. Her first choice, the dashing but reclusive doctor Augustine Lawrence, agrees to her proposal with only one condition: that she must never visit Lindridge Hall, his crumbling family manor outside of town. Yet on their wedding night, an accident strands her at his door in a pitch-black rainstorm, and she finds him changed. Gone is the bold, courageous surgeon, and in his place is a terrified, paranoid man—one who cannot tell reality from nightmare, and fears Jane is an apparition, come to haunt him.

By morning, Augustine is himself again, but Jane knows something is deeply wrong at Lindridge Hall, and with the man she has so hastily bound her safety to. Set in a dark-mirror version of post-war England, Starling crafts a new kind of gothic horror from the bones of the beloved canon. This Crimson Peak-inspired story assembles, then upends, every expectation set in place by Shirley Jackson and Rebecca, and will leave readers shaken, desperate to begin again as soon as they are finished. - from Goodreads

How perfect does this sound for fall?

Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Places to Read

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is our favorite places to read!  I could probably read practically anywhere, but there are a few places that stand out!

1. My living room couch is probably the place I do most of my reading, sometimes while my husband is playing video games, sometimes late at night with the tv on as background noise.
2. The comfy reading chair in my office/library.  It's right in front of the window, so it gets great light.
3. On our back patio.  We have a cute little setup with Adirondack chairs and a small table, so when the weather is nice and the chairs are in the shade, it's a great place to read with a nice view of the backyard.
4. In bed.  I've embraced using my Kindle so I can comfortably read in bed and not bother my sleeping hubby.
5. When I was in college, I spent many Friday nights reading and lounging on the couches in the student center.  Yep, I was THAT kid.
6. I also loved reading in the campus library.  It was so quiet, and there were tons of little nooks and crannies to hide and read in.
7. On vacation.  It really doesn't matter where we go, there's just something so satisfying about being able to read and knowing you don't have any other responsibilities to get in the way.  
   

 

Where are some of your favorite places to read?