Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Accidental Beauty Queen

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

The Accidental Beauty Queen
Teri Wilson
Expected publication date: December 4, 2018

In this charming romantic comedy perfect for fans of Meg Cabot and Sophie Kinsella, critically acclaimed author Teri Wilson shows us that sometimes being pushed out of your comfort zone leads you to the ultimate prize.

Charlotte Gorman loves her job as an elementary school librarian, and is content to experience life through the pages of her books. Which couldn’t be more opposite from her identical twin sister. Ginny, an Instagram-famous beauty pageant contestant, has been chasing a crown since she was old enough to enunciate the words world peace, and she’s not giving up until she gets the title of Miss American Treasure. And Ginny’s refusing to do it alone this time.

She drags Charlotte to the pageant as a good luck charm, but the winning plan quickly goes awry when Ginny has a terrible, face-altering allergic reaction the night before the pageant, and Charlotte suddenly finds herself in a switcheroo the twins haven’t successfully pulled off in decades.

Woefully unprepared for the glittery world of hair extensions, false eyelashes, and push-up bras, Charlotte is mortified at every unstable step in her sky-high stilettos. But as she discovers there’s more to her fellow contestants than just wanting a sparkly crown, Charlotte realizes she has a whole new motivation for winning. - from Goodreads

A twin switcheroo for fans of Meg Cabot and Sophie Kinsella?  Yes, I'm in for this!

Top Ten Tuesday: Backlist Books I Want To Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is backlist books I want to read.  I have a bunch of backlist novels on my TBR - the only problem was narrowing it down!

   

The Last Anniversary // The Dollhouse // A Whole New World // The Fate of Mercy Alban

  

All Stories Are Love Stories // Salt to the Sea // The Knockoff

  

Abundance // In Falling Snow // Under a Dark Summer Sky

 



Have you read any of these?

Nonfiction November 2018: Fiction/Nonfiction Book Pairings

This week of Nonfiction November is hosted by Sarah at Sarah's Book Shelves and focuses on fiction/nonfiction book pairings.  I loved this week during last year's event and it really inspired me in my blogging this year.  I've been making a move towards more mini-reviews and I especially like when I can come up with a theme for the books I'm reviewing; fiction/nonfiction pairings went along with this so well!  Here are the pairings I've done:

  

Sweet Mini-Reviews: Everything is Better With Ice Cream

 

Backlist Mini-Reviews: The Royal Edition

 

The Reality TV Edition

 

The Women Who Lived and Worked in "Atomic City"

  

Out of This World Mini-Reviews

 

What do you think of these pairings?

Month in Review: October 2018

October was so, so busy - it felt like we were running around all month!  We started the month by taking a family vacation to Memphis; we all had a great time and it was nice to be able to spend time together.  Unfortunately, the night before we left for our trip, Tom and I were in a car accident.  We're fine and the other driver was at fault, but my car was pretty banged up, so we had to deal with that right when we got back.  After 10 days in the repair shop, I have my little car back, good as new!

Tom and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary this month, as well as 15 years together. Sometimes it's really hard to believe it's been that long!  Every year we've been trying to stick to the "traditional" anniversary gifts, and the 5th year is wood.  We planted two boxwood bushes in the backyard, and Tom gifted me with a wooden bookmark - so perfect!

My sister and I attended the Morristown Festival of Books for the first time, and we loved it!  So many great authors and we even got to meet one of our favorites, Kate Morton!  In more book news, I finally got up the courage to volunteer with my Friends of the Library group at their annual book sale.  I spent a morning making sure all the displays were fully stocked and neat while customers shopped, and of course I had to grab some books for myself. 

We went to the movies twice and saw Venom (not what I expected) and Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (fun but not as good as the original).  Team Outlaw had a pretty good month in fantasy football and we're now 4-3!  We were tied for first for a week, but now we're back down to the middle of the pack.  And thankfully, we had a lot of trick or treaters on Halloween and gave away most of our candy, so now I won't eat it!

The Books

 

Cinder (reread) // Jamaica Inn //  The "I Do" Deli // Crazy Rich Asians

Guess Who (review to come) // The Clockmaker's Daughter // The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (review to come) // The Perfume Garden

The Dry // The Winter Sea // The Residence (review to come) // Royally Screwed

The Posts and Reviews

5 Books to Read Before You Take a Trip To Disney World
Top Ten Tuesday: Longest Books I've Ever Read 
Review: The Other Side of Lost 
TBR Expectations 
Morristown Festival of Books 
Review: Playing With Matches 
Review: The "I Do" Deli 
Three Days in Memphis 
Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania 
Spooky Mini-Reviews
Nonfiction November 2018: My Year in Nonfiction So Far
Book Haul #2

The Posts I Loved

Amy at A Magical World of Words lists 5 classic novels you should read, even if you don't like classics

Laura at Boats Against the Current discusses new genres she's discovered

Tracy at Cornerfolds breaks down 5 horror books that actually terrified her

Michelle at Pink Polka Dot Books writes a break-up letter to confusing books 

Sam at We Live and Breathe Books talks retellings

Marie at Drizzle and Hurricane Books lists 10 ways you might be a book blogging cliché

How was your October?  Did you dress up for Halloween?

Backlist Mini-Reviews: Time Travel Romances

I think you guys know by now that I'm a sucker for time travel romances - and I've found two more!

Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins (2015)

Cassandra feels trapped in a high-society town until she meets Lawrence on the beach, but their relationship becomes complicated when they realize they are separated by 90 years.

In 2015, Cassandra is lost: she doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, she has few friends, and she doesn't fit in.  In 1925, Lawrence's life is being planned out for him by his father and uncle, and he's too scared to tell them that he really wants to be a writer.  Through some rip in time, Cassandra and Lawrence meet on the beach of the house they share, decades apart.  Their relationship was a bit insta-lovey, but it worked here.  They find a kindred spirit in each other, and the circumstances under which they meet are rather romantic, so it's forgiven!

I liked the way the author played with the time travel aspect, especially how Cassandra is concerned with changing the future.  When she discovers that Lawrence is supposed to be murdered in just two weeks, she obviously wants to stop it, but she worries that maybe she is the one putting things in motion.  Things got a little tense as the story inched closer to that night, and I worried for Lawrence.  I enjoyed the way the story moved between the two characters' points of view, and they felt very distinct, especially since Collins did a great job creating the 1920s scenes.  The ending was very clever and unexpected.  4 stars 

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (2011)

After the death of her sister, Eva Ward travels to Trelowarth, an estate in Cornwall where the sisters spent their childhood summers.  While there, she finds herself inexplicably traveling back and forth to 1715, leaving her wondering where her place really is in the world.

This was my first Susanna Kearsley book and I can confidently say it won't be my last.  I loved Kearsley's writing; it's very elegant and rich without being stuffy, and the gothic, almost melancholy feel comes through strong, especially in the first part of the book.

Eva is an interesting main character.  Even though she is close to the family who lives at Trelowarth (and they are all fabulous characters), she finds herself drawn to the inhabitants of 1715, eventually falling in love with one of the brothers who lives there.  I can't imagine how frustrating it must have been for Eva to not be able to control the time travel; she would disappear and reappear without warning.  I actually wanted a bit more of the romance between Eva and Daniel, which is surprising for me.  The way the author tied in real historical events was interesting, although the pacing of the story felt a bit slow at times.  However, there was an unexpected twist at the end that left me with a huge smile on my face and brought the whole story together.  4.5 stars

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Daisy Jones and the Six

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

Daisy Jones and the Six
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Expected publication date: March 7, 2019

In 1979, Daisy Jones and The Six split up. Together, they had redefined the 70’s music scene, creating an iconic sound that rocked the world. Apart, they baffled a world that had hung on their every verse.

This book is an attempt to piece together a clear portrait of the band’s rise to fame and their abrupt and infamous split. The following oral history is a compilation of interviews, emails, transcripts, and lyrics, all pertaining to the personal and professional lives of the members of the band The Six and singer Daisy Jones.

While I have aimed for a comprehensive and exhaustive approach, I must acknowledge that full and complete accounts from all parties involved has proved impossible. Some people were easier to track down than others, some were more willing to talk than others, and some, unfortunately, have passed on.

All of which is to say that while this is the first and only authorised account from all represented perspectives, it should be noted that, in matters both big and small, reasonable people disagree.

The truth often lies, unclaimed, in the middle. - from Goodreads

I just love Taylor Jenkins Reid, and it seems like she's yet again branching out in a new direction with her latest book - I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Book Haul #2

I recently volunteered with my Friends of the Library group at their annual book sale, and of course I couldn't resist picking up a few books of my own!  Here are the books I grabbed (and seriously, for $0.50 each, you can't go wrong!):

    

The Girl on the Train (to replace a copy someone borrowed from me and never returned!) // The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society // Clara and Mr. Tiffany

    

A Royal Match // The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes // Under the Wide and Starry Sky

    

The Girl You Left Behind // The Rosie Effect // The Tea Rose

 

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