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Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage @zooshka @StMartinsPress

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tessa @ Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.


Here is this week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection:

TITLE: Baby Teeth
AUTHOR: Zoje Stage
PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Press
EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE: July 17, 2018
FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 320 pages
GENRE: Thriller
ISBN: 9781250170750
Sweetness can be deceptive.

In the tradition of The Dinner and We Need to Talk About Kevin comes a “bad seed” debut about a mom desperate to find help for her mute young daughter, whose disturbing behavior grows increasingly dangerous.

~~~

Meet Hanna.

She’s the sweet-but-silent angel in the adoring eyes of her Daddy. He’s the only person who understands her, and all Hanna wants is to live happily ever after with him. But Mommy stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good.

Meet Suzette.

She loves her daughter, really, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette's husband remains blind to the failing family dynamics, Suzette starts to fear that there’s something seriously wrong, and that maybe home isn’t the best place for their baby girl after all.

From blazing new talent Zoje Stage, Baby Teeth is a story about a perfect-looking family, and a darling little girl who wants nothing more than to kill her mother.

This debut sounds dark and really messed up, in a good way! I think I'd enjoy this one.



What are you waiting on? Please leave a comment in the section below. If you participate in this meme, please leave a link so I can visit your blog!

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Books I Can’t Believe I Read #TopTenTuesday


This is a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week, they post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers will answer. Everyone is welcome to join!

Today's list is:

Books I Can't Believe I Read

In the eight years that I've been blogging, I've only rated five books as 1-star reads, so those are the ones that I'm going to feature here.

Lost Souls
by Poppy Z. Brite
The only reason why this wasn't a DNF is because I was hoping there would be some redeeming quality but there was none! From my review: 
"This book contains teenage prostitution, incest, sex with minors (statutory rape), and there was even an incident of rape. There was also another occurrence of incest, this time father/daughter, that I won’t even go into because it was just too offensive.

I did not find this book entertaining. I found it dark and disturbing. It was not at all what I expected, and I will be steering clear of this author in the future!"

by Yoko Ogawa
Here's another one that was just too disturbing to be enjoyable. From my review:
"Hotel Iris is really dark and disturbing, and it was just too hardcore for me to find it enjoyable. Foreplay, for me, does not entail kicking, punching, whipping, or choking. The translator has no remorse, there is no redemption, and he is just a vile and depraved character who gets off on humiliating women (or young girls, in this case)." 

The Unnaturalists
by Tiffany Trent
(The Unnaturalists, Book #1)
From my review:
"The plot sounded promising, but this book failed to hold my interest. I really struggled with it because I found the world-building to be utterly confusing. It felt like the book was missing a crucial piece of the story, something that would fill in all the blanks. The story was extremely difficult to follow, and I felt hopelessly lost. I even checked into Trent’s backlist to see if this was a sequel in a series, whose debut I hadn’t read yet, in an effort to explain my confusion. I forced myself to keep reading to see if things would start making sense, but I found that the story just became more convoluted."

White is for Witching
by Helen Oyeyemi
From my review:
"This is quite possibly the oddest book that I have ever read...I found the multiple narrations very confusing. There is no indication whatsoever when the book is switching narrators. Oftentimes, I thought Miranda would be narrating and then Miranda was mentioned in the third-person, so I knew that I was wrong and had to flip back into the story to figure out where the narration left off with Miranda and to try to figure out who now was speaking!...I have read such high praise for Oyeyemi, and my expectations were high for this book. Unfortunately, the book fell flat for me. I kept reading, hoping that the plot would go somewhere, but it didn’t. With the genre labels of “horror” or “paranormal,” I was hoping for a scary or creepy story but this book did not deliver."

Silver Moon
by Stacey Thompson-Geer
From my review:
"I should have loved this book...I wanted to love this book...but there are two reasons primarily why this didn't happen and both can be remedied...Unfortunately, the review copy that I was given is fraught with grammatical and spelling errors, which made it difficult to read and interfered with my enjoyment of the book. 

With a good editor and more character depth, the book could be improved."



So, what books have you read but can't believe you did? Please let me know in the comments, or leave me a link to your blog post if you are also participating in the meme!

Monday, January 29, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?


This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

I'm reading: 

Something from my dusty bookshelf.

TITLE: Adam
AUTHOR: Ted Dekker
PUBLISHER: Center Streeet
PUBLICATION DATE: July 1, 2010 (first published 2008)
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 416 pages
GENRE: Thriller
ISBN: 9781599953175
FBI behavioral psychologist Daniel Clark is a man on a mission. After over a year of tracking a mysterious serial killer known as Eve, he feels closer than ever to discovering the murderer's true identity when he finds Eve's latest victim still alive.

In an effort to save the girl, Daniel narrowly escapes becoming another casualty on Eve's list. Despite seeing the killer with his own eyes, a gunshot wound to the head leaves him with amnesia, unable to remember any details from the incident. His drive to find the killer takes on a whole new meaning when Eve takes yet another victim, one Daniel knows all too well-his estranged wife Heather.

Determined to bring her back alive, Daniel takes his obsession to a dangerous new level, even recreating his own near-death experience in attempt to recall anything from his encounter with Eve. Soon enough he finds himself fighting for Heather's life, and, in the end, his own.

Not only am I a first generation Canadian, but immigration is my profession. 

PUBLISHER: Caitlin Press
PUBLICATION DATE: February 7, 2017
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 216 pages
GENRE: Nonfiction
ISBN: 9781987915341
Edited by Miriam Matejova, Wherever I Find Myself is a diverse collection of stories about the joys and struggles of immigrant women living in Canada. Often bringing with them the shadow of war and the guilt of leaving, the women in this new anthology expose their emotional pain but also their gratitude for being able to call Canada home. Their stories paint touching and charming portraits of cultural and linguistic misunderstandings, bureaucratic hurdles, attempts to navigate unfamiliar landscapes, and a desire to be accepted despite differences in accent, skin colour, or taste in food. Together they form a mosaic of emotions and world-views that underline the immigrant condition for women.

A yellow dress with ruffles, a kind Grade 1 teacher with a surname that’s difficult to spell, cockroaches in the bathroom, the contempt of strangers, and Whitney Houston on the radio–a Filipino woman recalls her experience as a six-year-old immigrant in a ghetto in Mississauga in the 80s. Browsing through a Polish fashion magazine at a European deli, a woman sees herself in an alternative universe of what her life might have been had she never immigrated to Canada. A same-sex couple moves from Minnesota to Ontario to find refuge for their love, but first they must drive a seventeen-foot truck through a blizzard and make it through the frustrating net of Canadian bureaucracy. In search of her origins, a Jewish woman travels to her birthplace in Passau, Germany. There, among rows of European picturesque houses and foreign tombstones of a Jewish cemetery, she finds no memories, only the shadow of Hitler and the ghosts of her parents.

Through these stories of courage, aloneness, and hope, new and established writers reach out to both immigrants and those whose families long ago ceased to identify with the immigrant label. Through their struggles and, at times, endearingly critical looks at Canada, they remind us that many of our perceived divisions are nothing but artificial creations of mind and that all of us are past, current, or potential immigrants.

I completed a nine-week course with a group of people, which featured DVD Study sessions and a Participant Guide with study questions (homework!) for discussion each week. The book is a lot to digest, and I'm still reading it in chunks.

TITLE: Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life
PUBLISHER: Zondervan
PUBLICATION DATE: November 2, 1992
FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 314 pages
GENRE: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self-Help
ISBN: 9780310585909
Having clear boundaries is essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not. Boundaries impact all areas of our lives: Physical boundaries help us determine who may touch us and under what circumstances -- Mental boundaries give us the freedom to have our own thoughts and opinions -- Emotional boundaries help us to deal with our own emotions and disengage from the harmful, manipulative emotions of others -- Spiritual boundaries help us to distinguish God's will from our own and give us renewed awe for our Creator -- Often, Christians focus so much on being loving and unselfish that they forget their own limits and limitations. When confronted with their lack of boundaries, they ask: - Can I set limits and still be a loving person? - What are legitimate boundaries? - What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries? - How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money? - Aren't boundaries selfish? - Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries? Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend offer biblically-based answers to these and other tough questions, showing us how to set healthy boundaries with our parents, spouses, children, friends, co-workers, and even ourselves.

Another one from my dusty bookshelf, which I am reading aloud to my younger daughter. We loved the first one in the series!

TITLE: Fire and Ice
SERIES: Warriors, Book #2
AUTHOR: Erin Hunter
PUBLISHER: Avon Books
PUBLICATION DATE: June 1, 2004 (first published 2003)
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 317 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780060525590
Fireheart could hear a roaring around him, like wind in tall trees. The acrid stench of the Thunderpath stung his nostrils, together with a new smell, sharper and more terrifying. Fire!

Book Two of Warriors continues Fireheart's quest to be a true warrior, when he finds new danger lurking in the woods as the chill of winter sets in.

WindClan is missing, and hostilities between the remaining three clans place all the cats in peril. Illness and tragic accidents weaken the camp, and ThunderClan needs all its warriors to defend itself - but Fireheart suspects that certain cats may not be as loyal as they appear.
I'm listening to:

Something from my review pile.


AUTHOR: Janelle Brown
NARRATORS: Kaleo Griffith and Tavia Gilbert
PUBLISHER: Books on Tape/Random House Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: July 11, 2017
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 13 hrs and 15 mins
GENRE: Mystery
A beautiful Berkeley mom with a radical past vanishes while hiking, leaving her family to piece together her secrets, in this keenly observed novel for fans of Emma Straub and Maria Semple - from the best-selling author of All We Ever Wanted Was Everything.

I just finished:

SERIES: The Others, Book #3
AUTHOR: Anne Bishop
NARRATOR: Alexandra Harris
PUBLISHER: Penguin Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: March 3, 2015
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 16 hrs and 9 mins
GENRE: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy
The New York Times best-selling author of The Black Jewels Trilogy transports readers to a world of magic and political unrest - where the only chance at peace requires a deadly price....

The Others freed the cassandra sangue to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before - both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.

Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy. She knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict.

For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep....

What are you reading? Have you read any of these books and, if so, what did you think? Please let me know in the comments and, if you are also participating in this meme, leave me a link to your blog post so that I can stop by!

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Stacking The Shelves and Sunday Post


This meme is hosted by Tynga over at Team Tynga's Reviews, which she describes as follows:

"Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!"



Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Brrrr, it's a chilly weekend. We had some more snow, so I was out shovelling for an hour yesterday so that I could get the car out. The deer have been staying close. If you look closely, you'll see nine of them altogether in the photos below:

There are two eating and two along the fence

This one is zoomed in to see the ones along the fence better

There are two deer (one is a buck with a nice rack of antlers) behind the pool and three on the right side of the shed


I received these goodies in my mailbox:

The Night Child
by Anna Quinn
Son of a Midnight Land
by Atz Kilcher

Thanks again, Blackstone Audio!


Today is the last day of Audible's Year of Daily Deals sale! I picked this one up:

A Cold Day for Murder
by Dana Stabenow
(Kate Shugak, Book #1)


This was an Audible Daily Deal that I bought earlier this week:

Deliverance
by James Dickey


Recap: Last Week On The Blog



Sunday: Stacking the Shelves and Sunday Post

Thursday Audiobook Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Blood Fury by J.R. Ward

Friday Book Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Bewitching by Alex Flinn


What books have you added to your shelves this week? If you are also participating in either of these memes, please leave me the link to your blog post in the comments so that I can come and drool over all your goodies!

Friday, January 26, 2018

#Book #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Bewitching by Alex Flinn @Alex_Flinn @harperteen

TITLE: Bewitching
SERIES: Kendra Chronicles, Book #2
AUTHOR: Alex Flinn
PUBLISHER: HarperTeen
PUBLICATION DATE: February 14, 2012
FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 338 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy/Fairy Tales
ISBN: 9780062024145
Kendra Hilferty, the witch who curses Kyle Kingsbury in Beastly, tells about her immortal existence-how she discovered she was a witch and the various ways she has used her powers to help people throughout the centuries. (Unfortunately her attempts have often backfired.) As it turns out, Kendra has actually had a hand in "Hansel and Gretel," "The Princess and the Pea," and "The Little Mermaid"-but these are not the fairy tales you think you know! Kendra's reminiscences are wrapped around a real-time version of "Cinderella," except the "ugly" stepsister is the good guy. With dark twists, hilarious turns, and unexpected endings, Bewitching is a contemporary read for fairy-tale lovers, fantasy fans, and anyone looking for more Alex Flinn.

MY REVIEW:

I read the first book in this series, Beastly, in 2013 and immediately read the follow-up novella entitled Beastly: Lindy's Diary. I've really enjoyed this series, and Bewitching has reminded me just how much!

We were introduced to Kendra Hilferty in Beastly as the witch who cast that spell on Kyle, the rich jerk, and turned him into a beast. This book opens in 1666 in England, when the plague nearly killed off Kendra's entire family and their village. Kendra's younger brother, Charlie, was stricken with it as well and seemed destined to die, but Kendra visited the town's healer who was also rumored to be a witch which was dangerous in those times as people feared witches and hung or drowned them. The healer told Kendra that she also possessed a gift like her, and that she had untapped potential. The herbs that the healer gave Kendra to give to her brother didn't help, so she prayed and an energy passed from her body to her brother's as she prayed over him. She healed him, and she knew that they could not stay in the village because others knew that her brother had been on death's door and that she would be doomed if she was labelled a witch so they left the village. They came upon a gingerbread house in the woods...and then the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale is retold. 

I absolutely loved the first part of the book, which focused on Kendra's past. In the next part, we are introduced to a teenage girl named Emma whose whole world is about to change. Her step-father was previously married and had a daughter named Lisette and, with the passing of Lisette's mother, Lisette is now coming to live with her father and his family. Emma's mother is concerned that her husband will love Lisette more than his step-daughter, Emma, and she thinks the worst of Lisette. Meanwhile, Emma is excited to have a sister and hopes they will be the best of friends. It turns out that mother knows best, and Lisette is what you would call a bad seed. Where does Kendra fit into all this? Well, Kendra likes to help out where she can and thinks that Emma deserves her help.

The author then throws in a retelling of The Princess and the Pea, before returning to Emma's and Lisette's story. She diverts again from the main story by giving us a retelling of The Little Mermaid before finally returning to Emma's and Lisette's story.

This book started off as a 5-star read for me, with Kendra's history and past lives. While I did still really enjoy the rest of the book, I wished that the book would have entirely focused on Kendra's past. I still hope to learn more about her in the books to follow.

MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR list if you enjoy YA fantasy or fairy tale retellings.

This book qualifies as:
#3 for my 2018 Paranormal Reading Challenge
#1 for my 2018 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
#3 for my Science Fiction vs Fantasy Bingo 2018
#3 for my The 2018 Swords & Stars Reading Challenge
#1 for my Once Upon A Reading Challenge
Task #11 for my Goodreads Winter Scavenger Challenge: Northern Lights

Thursday, January 25, 2018

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Blood Fury by J.R. Ward @JRWard1 @PRHAudio

TITLE: Blood Fury
SERIES: Black Dagger Legacy, Book #3
AUTHOR: J.R. Ward
NARRATOR: Jim Frangione
PUBLISHER: Random House Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: January 9, 2018
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 13 hrs and 9 mins
GENRE: Romance/Paranormal Romance

In this sexy paranormal romance novel set in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, number-one New York Times best-selling author J. R. Ward tells the story of two couples - both fighting to find love in the midst of the war with the Lessening Society.

A vampire aristocrat, Peyton is well aware of his duty to his bloodline: mate with an appropriate female of his class and carry on his family's traditions. And he thought he'd found his perfect match - until she fell in love with someone else. Yet when his split-second decision in a battle with the enemy endangers the life of another trainee, Peyton has to face the idea that his future, and his heart, actually lie with another.

Novo, as a female in the Black Dagger Brotherhood's training program, feels like she has to prove herself to everybody - and she has no interest in being distracted by falling in love. But when Peyton proves to be so much more than a rich playboy, she is forced to confront the tragedy that has broken her soul and closed her off from love.

As the two grapple with Novo's past and Peyton's present, another couple must contend with an erotic connection that is unparalleled - and potentially scandalous. Saxton, who has had his heart broken, discovers in himself a deep-seated attraction to Ruhn, a new member of the household. But will the other male explore the connection? Or will he close his mind and his heart to what could be true love...and cost Saxton everything?

MY REVIEW:

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook for voluntary review consideration.

This was another very enjoyable installment in the Black Dagger Legacy series!

Novo is a kick-ass female, and I've so been looking forward to reading her story! My heart broke after learning about her past, and I'd love to give her sister a piece of my mind! Thankfully, Peyton already did that. I wasn't sure about Novo's pairing with Peyton, but I've warmed to the idea now after learning more about him as well. At the outset, he is still pining over Paradise but he can't deny his attraction to Novo. 

I have been very intrigued with Ruhn, and I like him with Saxton. Minnie is just an absolute doll, and I just loved her reaction to learning about Ruhn's and Saxton's relationship. She is a total gem, and I hope we'll see more of Minnie and her granddaughter in this series.

Memorable quote:


Jim Frangione is always a delight to listen to. He is one of my favourite narrators, and I will also buy the audio versus the printed books of this series just because I love his narration! Here is a sample of the narration:



MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR list if you enjoy paranormal romances.

This book qualifies as:
#3 for my 2018 Audiobook Challenge
#1 for my 2018 New Release Challenge
#2A for my 2018 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge
#5 for my 2018 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
#5 for my Blydyn Square Books 2018 Reading Challenge
#4 for my 2018 Badass Books Reading Challenge
#5 for my Full House Reading Challenge 2018
#5 for my GWB Book Bingo 2018
Task #7 for my 2018 Reading Challenge (Linz the Bookworm)
#2 for my 2018 Literary Escapes Challenge
#B1 for my Good Rule Reading Challenge
#2 for my 2018 Platypire Diversity Challenge
#2 for my What An Animal Reading Challenge 2018
#1 for my 2018 Romance Roundabout Challenge
#1 for my Literary Pickers Challenge
#2 for my 2018 Paranormal Reading Challenge
#2 for my Science Fiction Vs Fantasy Bingo 2018
#2 for my The 2018 Swords & Stars Reading Challenge
#13 for my Bookish Bingo Winter 2017-18
#4 for my COYER Winter Switch
Task #14 for my Goodreads Winter Scavenger Challenge: Northern Lights
#5 for my Chapter Break Bingo January 2018

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Ink, Iron and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare @gwendoclare @ImprintReads

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tessa @ Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.


Here is this week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection:

SERIES: Ink, Iron and Glass, Book #1
AUTHOR: Gwendolyn Clare
PUBLISHER: Imprint
EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE: February 20, 2018
FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 336 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9781250112767
Can she write a world gone wrong?

A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation by her mother—a noted scriptologist.

But when her home is attacked and her mother abducted, Elsa must cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative 19th-century Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of pazzerellones—young people with a gift for mechanics, alchemy or scriptology—and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and a tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.

In this thrilling debut, worlds collide as Elsa unveils a deep political conspiracy seeking to unlock the most dangerous weapon ever created—and only she can stop it.

Crafting worlds using scriptology? Sounds cool!



What are you waiting on? Please leave a comment in the section below. If you participate in this meme, please leave a link so I can visit your blog!
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