Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Fairest Kind of Love

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

The Fairest Kind of Love (Windy City Magic #3)
Crystal Cestari
Expected publication date: March 5, 2019

"Amber! I never even thought of that! Maybe she can tell you your match."

Whoa. Now that's interesting.

Amber Sand has spent half her life solidifying other people's happily-ever-afters. As a matchmaker, she has the ability to look into anyone's eyes and see their perfect match. But lately, her powers have been on the fritz, and not only is she totally unsure whether her matches are true, she can't see anyone in the eyes of her boyfriend Charlie Blitzman. With Amber and her friends graduating high school and about to take off for various colleges, Amber is hoping to have one last carefree summer-but she's also dying to find a way to fix her powers, and learn, for better or worse, if she and Charlie are truly meant to be. 

So when an online matchmaker named Madame Lamour comes to Chicago, Amber sets out to talk to her and find out who her match is once and for all. Of course, when it comes to the magical community, nothing's ever that easy, and Amber soon finds herself caught up in a breathless showdown that involves a fairy family feud and a magical-creature auction--and requires teaming up with a certain siren nemesis. Can Amber and her friends save the day one more time before setting off for their new lives? And will Amber ever learn whether Charlie is her one true love?

With tons of laugh-out-loud moments, appearances by all your favorite characters, and one totally tearful reveal, you won't want to miss a single swoony moment of this romantic conclusion to the Windy City Magic trilogy. - from Goodreads

I have loved this series about a teenage matchmaker from the beginning, and even though I'm sad it's ending, I'm really looking forward to this third book!  I would love for more people to try this series!

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books From The 2nd Half of 2018

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  Earlier in the year, I gave my top books from the first half of 2018, so since this week is a freebie, I wanted to share the books I loved from the second half of the year!

  

  

 

 

 

 

Have you read any of these?  What are some of your favorite recent reads?



How Do You Define Success As A Book Blogger?

When I first started blogging, I had these preconceived notions about what constituted a successful book blogger.  It was some combination of a beautifully put-together site, tons of comments, a huge social media following, and getting all the ARCs, whether from a site like Netgalley or unsolicited.  I worried about how I would ever make my mark on the book blogging community or even achieve some of the things other bloggers do.

Over the past couple years, my definition of "success" in blogging has changed a lot.  While I still admire the big blogs, I've learned that there are other ways to define success.  We all talk a lot about stats and at least somewhat keep track of how many hits and visitors we're getting, but it's so much more than that.

I don't have thousands (or even hundreds) of followers, but I feel like most of my posts get a good amount of interaction.  People leave thoughtful comments and give me their opinions, and I love it!  I love that readers are connecting with what I'm writing.  I feel like I've found a really amazing group of bloggers and we all support each other.  That interaction and camaraderie makes me feel successful, like I really belong in this community.

I also feel successful when someone comments that I've convinced them to read a book or add it to their TBR.  It's such a compliment to know that my recommendations are being taken.  If it's a book that hasn't come out yet, making other readers aware of it, putting it on their radar, and knowing it might be something they'll enjoy is so fun.  It's an even greater feeling when someone reads my reviews and wants to read a book because of it.  As someone who loves to share books, I'm happy when I can bring a book that I've enjoyed to others.  I want everyone to love the book as much as I did, so I feel like I've done my "job" well when someone else wants to read it, too, based on what I've said about it. 

How do you define success as a book blogger?  What makes you proud?  Is it reaching a certain number of followers, posting a certain number of times per month, etc.?



Review: The Light Between Worlds

The Light Between Worlds
Laura E. Weymouth
Published October 23, 2018

Five years ago, Evelyn and Philippa Hapwell cowered from air strikes in a London bomb shelter. But that night took a turn when the sisters were transported to another realm called the Woodlands. In a forest kingdom populated by creatures out of myth and legend, they found temporary refuge.

When they finally returned to London, nothing had changed at all—nothing, except themselves.

Now, Ev spends her days sneaking into the woods outside her boarding school, wishing for the Woodlands. Overcome with longing, she is desperate to return no matter what it takes.

Philippa, on the other hand, is determined to find a place in this world. She shields herself behind a flawless exterior and countless friends, and moves to America to escape the memory of what was.

But when Evelyn goes missing, Philippa must confront the depth of her sister’s despair and the painful truths they’ve been running from. As the weeks unfold, Philippa wonders if Ev truly did find a way home, or if the weight of their worlds pulled her under. - from Goodreads

The Light Between Worlds has a lot in common with the classic The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe - a group of siblings are whisked away from WWII England and find themselves in a magical land.  After joining in a war for several years, they are transported back to the moment they left.  The Light Between Worlds, however, explores what happens to the siblings after they return.

The story is told from three main POVs - Evelyn, Philippa, and flashbacks to the time in the Woodlands (there is also a brother, Jamie, but the book is more focused on the sisters' relationship).  I loved the first half of the book, which is told from Evelyn's point of view.  Just 11 years old when she finds herself in the Woodlands, Evelyn spends her formative years there, so when they return to London and she is back to being 11, she feels lost.  It came across so clearly that she immediately felt at home in the Woodlands, and her life back in the real world would never be the same.  Although she tries for many years to fit in, there is a desperation running through Evelyn's story that is hard to ignore.  Philippa, unfortunately, is not as interesting as Evelyn.  She even says herself at one point that things just generally work out for her.  After Evelyn disappears, Philippa comes home to England and, without even trying, lands herself a job and a suitor.  I just wanted to know more about what happened to Evelyn.

The thing I loved most about this book was the beautiful writing.  It's elegant and feels a little poetic, but contains none of the over-the-top purple prose that I often dislike.  There are so many emotions running through the story; at times it felt melancholy and resigned, at others wistful.

If you're looking for a lot of action, you won't find it here.  There are hints of it in the flashbacks, but this book is more about the characters than anything else.  One thing I did want more of, though, was better world-building of the Woodlands.  It seemed really similar to Narnia, so I was hoping for some differences. 

4 stars

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Lost Girls of Paris

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

The Lost Girls of Paris
Pam Jenoff
Expected publication date: February 5, 2019

From the author of the runaway bestseller The Orphan’s Tale comes a remarkable story of friendship and courage centered around three women and a ring of female spies during World War II.

1946, Manhattan

Grace Healey is rebuilding her life after losing her husband during the war. One morning while passing through Grand Central Terminal on her way to work, she finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. Unable to resist her own curiosity, Grace opens the suitcase, where she discovers a dozen photographs—each of a different woman. In a moment of impulse, Grace takes the photographs and quickly leaves the station.

Grace soon learns that the suitcase belonged to a woman named Eleanor Trigg, leader of a ring of female secret agents who were deployed out of London during the war. Twelve of these women were sent to Occupied Europe as couriers and radio operators to aid the resistance, but they never returned home, their fates a mystery. Setting out to learn the truth behind the women in the photographs, Grace finds herself drawn to a young mother turned agent named Marie, whose daring mission overseas reveals a remarkable story of friendship, valor and betrayal.

Vividly rendered and inspired by true events, New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff shines a light on the incredible heroics of the brave women of the war, and weaves a mesmerizing tale of courage, sisterhood and the great strength of women to survive in the hardest of circumstances. - from Goodreads

I love wartime stories and especially ones that focus on women and the roles they played!

Quotables #11

Why it speaks to me:  Ugh, how true is this??  It is SO HARD to make friends as an adult - like, where do you meet people?  How do you talk to them?  I just assume I'm too boring and dorky and no one will like me anyway!

Why it speaks to me:  I know this isn't exactly what Riggs is saying, but this quote reminded me that in this world of social media perfection and jealousy, it's important to remember that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.  It's so easy to look at what others have that you don't, but we have to remember all the things that make our own lives unique and amazing.

Why it speaks to me: It's so amazing to think that as we're reading our favorite books, we are reminded that someone actually wrote this, they came up with these characters, and stories, and far-away lands.  They poured their heart and soul into creating this book for someone like us to read and enjoy.  And it really is joy to be able to read a beautifully-written book, especially at a time in our life when we really need it.

Which of these is your favorite?

Month in Review: November 2018

Question for my fellow bloggers before I get into the November highlights - how much do you promote your blog off-line?  I'm asking because I just found out there is a Little Free Library near me and I want to donate some books - would it be silly to include a sticker in the book with my blog name?

The cheesy holiday movies are out in full force!  For whatever reason, my husband loves silly, romantic holiday movies, so that's what we've been watching!  We had our first snow of the year here in NJ - you may have heard about the 5, 7, even 9 hour commutes that day?  It was nuts.

Of course, the biggest part of November is Thanksgiving.  We normally host Tom's family on the actual day, but our plans were different this year.  We had his family over the weekend before, because my brother and his family were coming for a visit from Oklahoma the week of Thanksgiving.  We got to spend lots of time with him, my sister-in-law, and their two boys.  I took a day off work and had everyone (including my parents and sister) over - the kids decorated my doors with snowflake stickers and we also decorated some cookies.  We spent Thanksgiving day with my family; since we don't get to see my brother that often, it was so nice to be able to spend a holiday with them.  We exchanged Christmas gifts, too, since we won't see them again this year. 

Team Outlaw is 7-4 and tied for second place heading into the last week of the regular fantasy football season.  This week will determine our standings in the playoffs, so fingers crossed!

Last thing, I promise!  The Project Linus chapter that I work with, Project Linus of Mercer County, NJ, is holding an online Barnes & Noble fundraiser from December 4 through 9.  If you're thinking about buying books for the holidays, I ask that you please consider supporting Project Linus on those days.  You can use Book Fair ID#12465076 during checkout to support this wonderful charity that provides handmade blankets to children that are ill or traumatized.  Thank you!

The Books

Sometimes Amazing Things Happen (review to come) // From the Corner of the Oval // The Cabin at the End of the World // #GIRLBOSS

One Click (review to come) // The Last Castle // Fly Girls // A Well-Behaved Woman

The Light Between Worlds (review to come) // The Electric Woman (review to come) // Ripple (review to come) // The Lost City of Z

The Rosie Project

The Posts and Reviews

Backlist Mini-Reviews: Time Travel Romances 
Month in Review: October 2018 
Nonfiction November 2018: Fiction/Nonfiction Book Pairings
Top Ten Tuesday: Backlist Books I Want to Read
Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Accidental Beauty Queen
Mini-Reviews: The Hamilton Edition 
Nonfiction November 2018: Let's Eat! 
Can't-Wait Wednesday: Sherwood 
Mini-Reviews: The Whodunnit Edition 
Why Reading Challenges Work For Me 
Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Things I'm Thankful For 
Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Night Olivia Fell 
Nonfiction Mini-Reviews: The (Not So) Political Edition 
Nonfiction November 2018: New to My TBR! 
Can't-Wait Wednesday: My Lovely Wife 
Fiction/Nonfiction Mini-Reviews: The Vanderbilt Edition

The Posts I Loved

Sophia at Bookwyrming Thoughts wants to know if you delete old posts

Aj at Read All The Things! lets loose some controversial Harry Potter opinions 

Sam at We Live and Breathe Books wants to understand all the hype around Pride & Prejudice

Marie at Drizzle and Hurricane Books describes her rating system 

How was your Thanksgiving?  Have you started your Christmas shopping yet (if you celebrate)?  And for my fellow bloggers, how do you promote your blog out in the real world?