Tuesday, August 07, 2018

Wishing to Read Wednesday: Old & New (#10)

Books from the Backlog is a weekly meme, hosted by the wonderful Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books to spotlight and discuss the neglected books sitting on our shelves still waiting to be read.. Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released.

The Old

Murder is Binding (Booktown Mystery #1) by Lorna Barrett (Berkley Prime Crime, 2008)
The streets of Stoneham, New Hampshire, are lined with bookstores...and paved with murder.

When she moved to Stoneham, city slicker Tricia Miles met nothing but friendly faces. And when she opened her mystery bookstore, she met friendly competition. But when she finds Doris Gleason dead in her own cookbook store, killed by a carving knife, the atmosphere seems more cutthroat than cordial. Someone wanted to get their hands on the rare cookbook that Doris had recently purchased-and the locals think that someone is Tricia. To clear her name, Tricia will have to take a page out of one of her own mysteries-and hunt down someone who isn't killing by the book. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: I love a good cozy and how can I resist this one set in a mystery bookstore?!

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Villette by Charlotte Brontë (1853)
Villette is Charlotte Brontë's powerful autobiographical novel of one woman's search for true love.
With neither friends nor family, Lucy Snowe sets sail from England to find employment in a girls' boarding school in the small town of Villette. There, she struggles to retain her self-possession in the face of unruly pupils, the hostility of headmistress Madame Beck, and her own complex feelings - first for the school's English doctor and then for the dictatorial professor Paul Emanuel. Drawing on her own deeply unhappy experiences as a governess in Brussels, Charlotte Brontë's autobiographical novel, the last published during her lifetime, is a powerfully moving study of loneliness and isolation, and the pain of unrequited love, narrated by a heroine determined to preserve an independent spirit in the face of adverse circumstances. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: Jane Eyre is one of my all time favorite novels, and I have heard wonderful things about Villette too. Someday, I would like to dive into this one set in a girls' boarding school. 

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The New

Toil Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft by Tess Sharp & Jessica Spotswood
Release Date: August 28, 2018 by Harlequin Teen
A young adult fiction anthology of 15 stories featuring contemporary, historical, and futuristic stories featuring witchy heroines who are diverse in race, class, sexuality, religion, geography, and era.

Are you a good witch or a bad witch?

Glinda the Good Witch. Elphaba the Wicked Witch. Willow. Sabrina. Gemma Doyle. The Mayfair Witches. Ursula the Sea Witch. Morgan le Fey. The three weird sisters from Macbeth.

History tells us women accused of witchcraft were often outsiders: educated, independent, unmarried, unwilling to fall in line with traditional societal expectations.

Bold. Powerful. Rebellious.

A bruja’s traditional love spell has unexpected results. A witch’s healing hands begin to take life instead of giving it when she ignores her attraction to a fellow witch. In a terrifying future, women are captured by a cabal of men crying witchcraft and the one true witch among them must fight to free them all. In a desolate past, three orphaned sisters prophesize for a murderous king. Somewhere in the present, a teen girl just wants to kiss a boy without causing a hurricane.

From good witches to bad witches, to witches who are a bit of both, this is an anthology of diverse witchy tales from a collection of diverse, feminist authors. The collective strength of women working together—magically or mundanely--has long frightened society, to the point that women’s rights are challenged, legislated against, and denied all over the world. T
oil & Trouble delves deep into the truly diverse mythology of witchcraft from many cultures and feminist points of view, to create modern and unique tales of witchery that have yet to be explored. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: Just mention witches and I am all over it. This collection appeals to me even more because it features a diverse cast of characters from all walks of life. I cannot wait to read it.

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Stars Uncharted by S.K. Dunstall
Release Date: August 14, 2018 by Ace Books
A ragtag band of explorers are looking to make the biggest score in the galaxy in the brand-new science fiction adventure novel from the national bestselling author of Linesman. 
Three people who are not who they claim to be: 
Nika Rik Terri, body modder extraordinaire, has devoted her life to redesigning people's bodies right down to the molecular level. Give her a living body and a genemod machine, and she will turn out a work of art. 
Josune Arriola is crew on the famous explorer ship the Hassim, whose memory banks contain records of unexplored worlds worth a fortune. But Josune and the rest of the crew are united in their single-minded pursuit of the most famous lost planet of all. 
Hammond Roystan, the captain of the rival explorer ship, The Road, has many secrets. Some believe one of them is the key to finding the lost world. 
Josune's captain sends her to infiltrate Roystan's ship, promising to follow. But when the Hassim exits nullspace close to Roystan's ship, it's out of control, the crew are dead, and unknown Company operatives are trying to take over. Narrowly escaping and wounded, Roystan and Josune come to Nika for treatment--and with problems of her own, she flees with them after the next Company attack. 
Now they're in a race to find the lost world...and stay alive long enough to claim the biggest prize in the galaxy. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: There are certain keywords that are sure to catch my attention and in this one, "ragtag band  of explorers" was it. This sounds like it will be a lot of fun!


Have you read any of these? Do these sound like something you would want to read if not?


© 2018, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

42 comments:

  1. I love the sound of Stars Uncharted! That premise, and yes a ragtag band of explorers, with a cover like that- looks like a win.

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    1. Greg - I have a couple of these types of science fiction books on my TBR pile and wish list now. I just can't resist!

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  2. I keep tripping over S.K. Dunstall's name - and that cover and description sound really tempting! And yes... Vilette is lovely - I would say it is a pre-runner for all those school/college-based stories we enjoy. And that cosy murder looks a delight - LOVE that cover! I hope you enjoy all these reads, Wendy:)

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    1. Sarah - Thank you! I hope I will enjoy them as well. I am especially looking forward to Stars Uncharted. It sounds like it will be fun. :)

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  3. "ragtag band of explorers" would have me buying this book instantly. I love scifi so much!

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    1. Stephanie - I couldn't resist that tag line either. :-)

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  4. I have read Murder is Binding - quite a while back. Not only is it set in a bookstore, the whole town has bookstores everywhere. Great concept for a series. I like the look of Toil and Trouble as well. Enjoy, Wendy!

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    1. Kay - I can't even imagine living in a town with so many bookstores! Wouldn't that be heaven? I would most likely be broke. LOL I am excited about Toil and Trouble. It's time I dipped my toes back into a short story collection. And one about witches is especially appealing.

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  5. I don't know if I've read Charlotte Bronte. I haven't read a classic in quite a while, to be honest.

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    1. Kathy - I enjoy classics from time to time. It depends on the classic though. :-)

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  6. Stars Uncharted looks interesting. "Three people who are not who they claim to be" is what piques my curiosity!

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    1. Jenclair - Those types of books always intrigue me. :-)

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  7. Toil Trouble and Villete are both on my TBR! I can't wait to check them out! These are some fantastic picks!

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    1. Yomna - Thank you! I am excited about Toil & Trouble. I just love stories about witches. And one of these days I am determined to get to Villete!

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  8. I want to read both of the new ones you've shown. Seems like I've been waiting for Toil & Trouble forever!

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    1. Barb - Me too! I can't wait to dive into Toil & Trouble. :-)

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  9. I'm drawn to the one about the "rag tag band of explorers", too. :)

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  10. Oooh! All of these books sound awesome! Great picks!

    Here’s my WoW!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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  11. I don't remember too much about Villette but I do remember that I liked it when I read it years ago.

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    1. Suzanne - I hope I will like it. I am not sure why I haven't read it yet. I loved Jane Eyre.

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  12. To be honest, I'm not sure if I ever finished Jane Eyre (perhaps I should give it a go soon) but Villette sounds interesting!

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    1. Eustacia - I loved Jane Eyre so much, I worry I will be disappointed with Villette. I need to get over that notion and just dive in!

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  13. I have a copy of Stars Uncharted from First to Read and I hope I can get to it before it expires. It sounds like such a great book. I hope you enjoy all of these, Wendy!

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    1. Carole - I hope you love Stars Uncharted. It sound so good!

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  14. I like the Booktown series though especially in the later books the characters can be a little grating. Villette is on my TBR too. I really need to read more of the Bronte.

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    1. Katherine - Luckily I am just starting out with the series, so hopefully the main character won't get on my nerves yet. :-)

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  15. I am all over anything Witchy too...that book is on my wishlist! And I love the Booktown mystery series. I need to pick up the latest book!

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  16. Interesting finds, though the witches one is really not me!
    my first comment disappeared. I hope it does not duplicate itself.

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    1. Mystica - I am sorry about your first comment. I am not sure what happened. As of yesterday, I am finally able to receive e-mail notifications again of comments. What a relief that is!

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  17. Murder is Binding sounds so good, and it comes at a time when I think I might be in the mood for a cozy!

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    1. Verushka - It does sound good, doesn't it? I hope you like it if you read it!

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  18. I prefer non-fiction, but my hubby would like Stars Uncharted.

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  19. These all sound awesome!! Thanks for putting them on my radar!

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    1. Erica - Hopefully they are as good as they sound. :-)

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  20. I've had Murder is Binding on my want-to-read list for years. One of these days I'll actually get around to it! And both Toil and Trouble and Stars Uncharted sound interesting.

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    1. Lark - Me too! One of these days . . . Too many books out there I want to read!

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  21. OMG, Wendy! You have a GREAT collection of books here!! I am especially interested in "Villette", as "Jane Eyre" is my all-time favorite classic!! However, I also like the looks of "Murder Is Binding" (bookstores are mentioned!), "Toil and Trouble", and "Stars Uncharted". I'm adding them all to my Goodreads shelves!

    Thanks for sharing!! HUGS TO YOU AND MOUSE!! <3 <3 <3 :) :) :)

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  22. I've had my eye on Toil and Trouble, but I'll probably save it for 0ctober 2019 because my Halloween theme for this year is demons. I have a ton of witch books so next year's theme really needs to be witches. 😂

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