Musings of a Bookish Kitty: 2021

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Waiting to Read Wednesday: In Royal Service to the Queen / The Return of the Sorceress / Skinner

The New

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

In Royal Service to the Queen: A Novel of the Queen's Governess Tessa Arlen
Release Date: June 29, 2021 by Berkley

The revealing story of Queen Elizabeth II's beloved governess, Marion Crawford, who spent more than sixteen years of her life in loyal service to the royal family and was later shunned by those she has loved and served.

Marion Crawford can remember each of the wonderful years when she was governess to the little Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose: included in their lives, confided in, needed, trusted, and loved. These memories will never dim, ever. In Marion's mind, she will always be their Crawfie.

But things become increasingly complicated as the young royals navigate adulthood. It is May 1945 and Princess Elizabeth--the heiress presumptive to the British throne--has fallen in love, and the only member of her family who is happy for her is her governess. No one in the young princess's life thinks that Prince Philip of Greece would be a suitable husband for the future Queen of England. No one that is, except for Marion Crawford.

Crawfie wholeheartedly supports Elizabeth in her determination to marry Philip. She too has fallen in love--and has convinced her fiance, George, that they must wait for Elizabeth and Philip to receive the King's blessing before she can leave her service to the Crown.

Over the next two years Crawfie is caught between loyalty to Princess Elizabeth; running the risk of alienating her royal employer, Queen Elizabeth; and losing the man she loves. But as Crawfie prevails to marry George and stands with him in Westminster Abbey on Elizabeth and Philip's wedding day, she is unaware that her troubled relationship with Queen Elizabeth is far from over. And just around the corner is a betrayal that will sever her bond with the royal family forever. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I have enjoyed Tessa Arlen's historical mysteries and would like to give her historical fiction about Elizabeth and Margaret's nanny a try. The royal family, betrayal, and love . . . It sounds very promising.

The Return of the Sorceress by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Release Date: June 30, 2021 by Subterranean Press

From the bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a magical journey of revenge and redemption.

Yalxi, the deposed Supreme Mistress of the Guild of Sorcerers, is on a desperate mission. Her lover and confidant seized her throne and stole the precious diamond heart, the jewel that is the engine of her power. Yalxi sets out to regain her magic and find a weapon capable of destroying the usurper. But this will mean turning to unlikely allies and opening herself up to unpleasant memories that have been suppressed for many years. For Yalxi is no great hero, but a cunning sorceress who once forged her path in blood – and must reckon with the consequences.

Set in a fantastical land where jewels and blood provide symbiotic magical powers to their wearers, The Return of the Sorceress evokes the energy of classic sword and sorcery, while building a thoroughly fresh and exciting adventure ripe for our era. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: Another novel in which the author alone was enough to make me stop and take a closer look at this one. And doesn't it sound good? I can't wait to read this one.

Does either of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

★ ★ ★

The Old(er)

I have an embarrassing number of unread books sitting on the shelves in my personal library. Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight and discuss those neglected books in her Books from the Backlog feature. After all, even those older books need a bit of love! Not to mention it is reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!

Skinner by Charlie Huston (Mulholland Books, 2013)

Skinner founded his career in "asset protection" on fear. To touch anyone under his protection was to invite destruction. A savagely effective methodology, until Skinner's CIA handlers began to fear him as much as his enemies did and banished him to the hinterlands of the intelligence community.

Now, an ornate and evolving cyber-terrorist attack is about to end that long exile. His asset is Jae, a roboticist with a gift for seeing the underlying systems violently shaping a new era of global guerrilla warfare.

At the root of it all is a young boy, the innocent seed of a plot grown in the slums of Mumbai. Brought to flower, that plot will tip the balance of world power in a perilous new direction.

A combination of Le Carre spycraft with Stephenson techno-philosophy from the novelist hailed by the Washington Post as "the voice of twenty-first century crime fiction," Skinner is Charlie Huston's masterpiece -- a new kind of thriller for a new kind of world. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: It has been a long while since I read a novel like this, but, boy, does it sound like a page turner, doesn't it? I added this one to my TBR shelf in 2013.

Have you read Skinner? Does this book sound like something you would like to read?

© 2021, 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.

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Weekly Mews: Making Way For Summer Heat and Good Books to Read

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date and a children's/middle grade version hosted by Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

I hope you are enjoying the weekend. Summer is definitely making her presence known in my sliver of the world. The temperatures are rising, and it's supposed to reach 107F by Tuesday. If my coworker was here, he would brag that it will get up to 120 where he lives in Palm Springs next week. I might have to suggest he work out of the office then--it will be a little cooler. 😉

In reading . . .

Then

I seem to have been able to keep my reading dip from turning into a full blown slump, thank goodness. Kim Harrison's The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (The Hollows #2) helped with that. I am hoping not to wait so long to read the third book, Every Witch Way But Dead, as I did between the first two books. I love the detail the author put into her world building of this urban fantasy series.

Now

Currently, I am reading Colleen Oakley's The Invisible Husband of Frick Island and also working my way through my first issue of Oh Reader. I am not a big magazine reader, to be honest (they tend to pile up and sit unread), but I could not resist when I heard it was a magazine written by and for readers--not about books specifically (although there is plenty of book talk), but about reading and readers themselves.

Next

Next up on my TBR pile is this month's TBR List poll winner. Thank you to all who voted! I am also eying Murder in the East End (Kat Holloway Below Stairs Mysteries #4) by Jennifer Ashley, which is calling my name and I hope to start soon.

Mouse and I finished reading Just Add Magic by Cindy Callaghan earlier in the week. I think I mentioned before how different the book is from the TV series. The focus in both is on three best friends who discover a magic cookbook in one of the girl's attics. As they begin trying out recipes, they quickly learn that each spell they cast with the recipes has consequences beyond what was intended--the law of returns. The book and TV series diverge significantly from there. I think both Mouse and I agree we like the show more, but we did see it first so that may be part of the reason. Mouse has seen it multiple times actually. That isn't to say we did not enjoy the book--because we liked it too. The series is a bit darker and aimed at a wider audience age-wise, I think, than the book. And the magic is more subtle in the book. My daughter and I agree the highlight of the book for us was the friendship between the three girls.

Although Mouse and I were reading Magic Misfits (#1) by Neil Patrick Harris separately, we did finish it around the same time and had a nice bedtime discussion about it last night. As I expect from anything Neil Patrick Harris does, the novel is a bit quirky with a large dose of wit. I could hear Mouse laughing out loud as she was reading. She loved that the narrator was writing directly to her, the reader, offering funny sidebars as well as directions on how to do magic tricks. It's a cute book about an orphan boy who runs away from his con-artist uncle and winds up in a town where a visiting carnival has set up shop. He meets three friends who share his love for magic tricks. The friends come to realize the carnival boss and his crew are up to no good and they put their talents together to thwart him. I love that Leila's adoptive parents are a gay couple, something I wish we would see more of in middle grade fiction. Magic Misfits was funny and cute. There was a bit of mystery and action mixed in. For those willing to do the work, there is even a secret message for the reader to decode. I bet the novel would be even better in audio format with Neil Patrick Harris narrating.

Mouse and I are now reading Tales from a Not-So-Happy Birthday (Dork Diaries #13) by Rachel Renée Russell together. This continues to be one of Mouse's favorite series. On her own, Mouse just started Magic Misfits: The Second Story by Neil Patrick Harris. She is excited about this installment of the series because it features her favorite character, Leila, the escape artist. And, of course, the entire misfits gang play prominent roles as well.

What I Have Been Watching . . .

My family and I finished off season 5 of Lucifer--which had quite the ending, I have to say. We are all curious what direction the show will go in its final season. After a recent High School Musical movie marathon (at my daughter's request), we were curious about The High School Musical: The Musical series, which is a mockumentary musical drama about a high school theater department putting on a version of the original movie musical. We liked the first episode enough (especially my husband) to continue, and so we have put a couple of episodes on (each being a half hour long) in the evenings. Except for on Loki night, of course. Now our Wednesday TV time is dedicated entirely to Loki. The show has gotten off to a very promising start. Tom Hiddleston does such a good job in the role.

Off the Blog . . .

It was quite the week! It started with my husband's birthday. We stretched it out over two days--a quiet family celebration one day and then a visit to California Adventure and Disneyland the next. We had received passes as a gift the Christmas before last and decided to take advantage of the lower capacity requirement in the parks while it was still in place (and before the passes expired). During our visit, only California residents were being allowed in the parks and masks were required at all times (except for when eating in designated areas--no indoor dining) along with social distancing. We had a great time although we were exhausted when we got home. You can bet we slept well that night!

Other than that, our week was rather ordinary. Mouse had dance and rehearsal and attended a day of the summer camp program. She is determined to earn her en pointe letter and has been working hard in her ballet and pre-pointe classes. Her favorite dance class this year though is jazz, followed by musical theatre. Both classes have been working on their dance routines for the Summer Showcase, which she will be taking part in alongside the musical.

It was another busy week at work for both my husband and me. My managers announced the proposed schedule for my office as things continue to open up throughout the county and state. California is lifting most of its COVID restrictions this next week on the 15th, although some will remain in place. It looks like I will continue to work a hybrid schedule, only working a couple days in the office than I am now, but still mostly from home. If approved, the new schedule will start in July.

Tell me what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? How was your week?

Thank you for helping me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:

My TBR List is hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month. My review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise).

This is the first time I think I have had a poll where one book received no votes! Poor Kate Atkinson and Life After Life. In the end it came down to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue came away with 10 votes and The Midnight Library won with 14. Thank you again to all who voted! I look forward to reading The Midnight Library this month. So many people I know have enjoyed it!

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Happy Reading!

Tuesday, June 08, 2021

Waiting to Read Wednesday: In the Mirror, a Peacock Danced / The Perfect Ruin / Questions of Travel

The New

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

In the Mirror, a Peacock Danced Justine Bothwick
Release Date: June 22, 2021 by Agora Books

Set against the lush backdrop of early 20th-century India, In the Mirror, a Peacock Danced – the debut novel from Justine Bothwick – is the moving story of one woman’s journey back to herself.

Agra, 1938: Eighteen-year-old Florence Hunt has grown up riding horses past the Taj Mahal and chasing peacocks through her backyard under the critical gaze of her father. Increasingly enamoured with his work on the booming railway, Florence yearns to know more, but finds herself brushed away, encouraged only to perform the more ladylike hobbies of singing and entertaining guests. So when a dazzling young engineer walks into her life, she finds herself not only gripped by secret lessons in physics but swept entirely off her feet.

Portsmouth, 1953: Fifteen years later, Florence finds herself pregnant and alone in post-war England – a far cry from her sun-drenched existence in India. Struggling to cope with the bleakness of everyday life in a male-dominated world, Florence is desperate to find the woman she used to be. But when someone from her past reaches out, Florence might just have a chance to start over.

Soaring from the shimmering heights of the big top to the depths of heartbreak, can Florence find the happiness, independence, and passion she once had in order to start living again? [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: The above synopsis raises so many questions for me--I am definitely intrigued and want to know more about Florence and her life. How did she get to where she is and will she become the woman she longs to be?

The Perfect Ruin by Shanora Williams
Release Date: August 3, 2021 by Dafina

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shanora Williams comes a tale of revenge served ice cold—and a warning to be careful what you scheme for . . .

A brutal tragedy ended Ivy Hill’s happy family and childhood. Now in her twenties and severely troubled, she barely has a life—or much to live for. Until the day she discovers the name of the woman who destroyed her world: Lola Maxwell—the mega-wealthy socialite with a heart, Miami’s beloved “first lady” of charity. Accomplished, gorgeous, and oh-so-caring, Lola has the best of everything—and doesn’t deserve any of it. So it’s only right that Ivy take it all away . . .

Little by little, Ivy infiltrates Lola’s elite circle, becomes her new best friend—and plays Lola’s envious acquaintances and hangers-on against her. But seducing Lola’s handsome, devoted surgeon husband turns into a passionate dream Ivy suddenly can’t control. And soon, an insidious someone will twist Ivy’s revenge into a nightmare of deception, secrets, and betrayal that Ivy may not wake up from . . . [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: Be careful what you wish for . . . This sounds like a twisty page turner of a thriller.

Does either of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

★ ★ ★

The Old(er)

Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser (Little, Brown and Company, 2013)

A mesmerising literary novel, Questions of Travel charts two very different lives. Laura travels the world before returning to Sydney, where she works for a publisher of travel guides. Ravi dreams of being a tourist until he is driven from Sri Lanka by devastating events.

Around these two superbly drawn characters, a double narrative assembles an enthralling array of people, places and stories - from Theo, whose life plays out in the long shadow of the past, to Hana, an Ethiopian woman determined to reinvent herself in Australia.

Award-winning author Michelle de Kretser illuminates travel, work and modern dreams in this brilliant evocation of the way we live now. Wonderfully written, Questions of Travel is an extraordinary work of imagination - a transformative, very funny and intensely moving novel. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I added Questions of Travel to my TBR shelf in 2013, likely drawn to dual narrative story and setting. I had actually forgotten about this one until I was going through my Kindle. It still sounds like something I would enjoy.

Have you read Questions of Travel? Does this book sound like something you would like to read?

Saturday, June 05, 2021

Weekly Mews: May, the Month We Bought a Lot of Books & Maybe Did A Little Reading / June's TBR List Poll (Please Vote!)

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

As part of my monthly wrap up, I am linking up to Nicole of Feed Your Addiction's Monthly Wrap-Up Post and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews and Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently.

What I Am Reading: I felt a little reading ~~slump~~ dip coming on after finishing Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev the beginning of June. I ended up loving the book, but since then I have had trouble settling on a book. At the urging of a friend, I recently picked up the second book in the Hollows series by Kim Harrison, The Good, the Bad, and the Undead. I am hoping that will reignite my reading flame. I really liked the first book in the series, which I read a few years ago.

Mouse and I are still working our way through Just Add Magic by Cindy Callaghan and will likely finish it this week. It is very different from the television series, which we really liked. Mouse has been distracted with other books, reading more on her own than with me recently (my working longer hours hasn't helped). We are also both reading The Magic Misfits (#1) by Neil Patrick Harris, although separately. It is kind of like having our own little book club!

My daughter is anxious to jump into the 13th Dork Diaries novel by Rachel Renée Russell, Tales from a Not-So-Happy Birthday, and I have a feeling we will be reading it together as soon as we finish Just Add Magic. She probably would have dived in by now, but she knows I enjoy the books too. Next up for me . . . As always, I am on the fence. At the moment, I am leaning toward either Joani Elliott's The Audacity of Sara Grayson or The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley.

What I Am Watching: My husband and I finished re-watching the final season of Angel and now have moved on to the second half of season 5 of Lucifer. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the show. I hadn't been sure I would like it when I first began watching, but it grew on me fairly quickly. We binge watched Shadow and Bone one weekend. Neither one of us have read the books, but we did enjoy the show. I still would like to try Leigh Bardugo's series at some point, although it likely will not be soon. I have also been working my way through Teen Wolf. I am in the middle of the 4th season. It's pure guilty pleasure, but it makes for good background television, although sometimes a little too distracting. Our family enjoyed the finale of the Masked Singer season--such a silly but entertaining show.

We are looking forward to seeing the first episode of Loki this next week. Is anyone else planning to watch it?

Off the Blog: May was a full month. It was the final month of virtual school for Mouse. I had not expected to feel so emotional about it, the weight and the overwhelming-ness of it all crashing down mixed in with relief. We got through it. The whole work/life balance was blurred for so many months there, and I never felt like I was doing enough for anyone, including myself. I still don't, but at least I am beginning to feel like I am on firmer ground again. Somewhat, anyway.

Mouse is attending a summer program a couple times a week and continues to participate in her dance classes and rehearsals for the summer show. Her Girl Scout troop had their last official meeting of the season this past Friday. It was the first time they had met in-person since the beginning of March 2020. Our Council was very strict about following state guidelines this Girl Scout season and only allowed in person meetings the past couple months. Even then, social distancing and masks have been required. This meeting was more of a movie party--the perfect end to the season. They are planning some summer activities for the girls. Perhaps we will be able to join in.

I finally had my ultrasound appointment and the results came back clear. I have another test/procedure coming up in July that will take me off work for a couple days. Hopefully that news will be good too.

My husband's birthday is this coming week and we will be celebrating in style. If my daughter and I have our way, there will be cake. I mean, how can there not be cake?!

New to the Shelves in May:

My family and I visited our local Barnes and Nobles twice in May. My daughter has not had much of a chance to do much in-person shopping (none of us have, really) in over a year , and so we might have gotten carried away. I generally pay for the books Mouse gets, but this time she wanted to spend her own money (although I did buy some of these for her anyway).

My new books:

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

The Last Watch (The Divide #1) by J.S. Dewes

Mouse's Books:

Ghost Friends Forever (#2) by Monica Gallagher, illustrated by Kata Kane

The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1) by Kazu Kibuishi

Mouse's Books:

Be Wary of the Silent Woods (The Weirn Books #1) by Svetlana Chmakova

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

Mouse's Books:

Summer Lifeguards (#1) by Elizabeth Doyle Carey, illustrated by Judit Mallol

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor ( #1) by Ally Carter

The Truth About Stacey (Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novel #2) by Raina Telgemeier & Ann M. Martin

Mouse's Books:

Tales from a Not-So-Happy Birthday (Dork Diaries #13) by Rachel Renée Russell

Tales from a Not-So-Best Friend Forever (Dork Diaries #14) by Rachel Renée Russell

The Second Story (Magic Misfits #2) by Neil Patrick Harris

The Minor Third (Magic Misfits #3) by Neil Patrick Harris

My husband came across a Humble Bundle that he thought might interest me. Humble Bundle is a website that sells digital content like games, software e-books by partnering with other businesses and then giving part of the proceeds to charity. They recently ran an offer for a bundle of 20 mystery/thrillers called Murder by the Book. The cost? Whatever I chose to pay! Anjin didn't have to ask twice. Of course, I said, "Yes, please!" A portion of the money went to First Book, a charity that supports equal access to quality education. Here are the books that came in the bundle:

Come and Get Me (Caitlin Bergman #1) by August Norman

Beijing Red (Nick Foley #1) by Alex Ryan

Last Girl Gone (A Laura Chambers Mystery #1) by J.G. Hetherton

The Coroner (Coroner's Daughter's Mystery #1) by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush

All That's Bright and Gone by Eliza Nellums

Lies She Told by Cate Holahan

Dark Turns by Cate Holahan

One Little Secret by Cate Holahan

The Widower's Wife by Cate Holahan

When She's Gone by Jane Palmer

Heaven's Crooked Finger (An Earl Marcus Mystery #1) by Hank Early

In the Valley of the Devil (An Earl Marcus Mystery #2) by Hank Early

Echoes of the Fall (An Earl Marcus Mystery #3) by Hank Early

House of Ashes (Haunted Bluffs Mystery #1) by Loretta Marion

Storm of Secrets (Haunted Bluffs Mystery #2) by Loretta Marion

Best Kept Secrets by Tracey S. Phillips

Crossroad by W.H. Cameron
#FashionVictim by Amina Akhtar
Mother Knows Best by Kira Peikoff
When You Find Me by P.J. Vernon

Have you read any of these books? What books did you add to your TBR this past month?

Here is what I finished reading in May:

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
A Peculiar Combination (Electra McDonnell #1) by Ashley Weaver
Swimming Back to Trout River by Linda Rui Feng
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers
Written in Bone: Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind by Sue Black

My reading quantity fell drastically in May. Not all the books I read were quick reads, whether because of content, size or both. With my daughter and I not reading as many middle grade novels together as we had been, that made a difference too. I am not complaining though. It was a good reading month quality wise. I finally fit in another nonfiction book! I am lagging behind in that challenge. I managed to get some reviews written and posted but am still behind.

Challenge Progress:

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge ~ 8/5
Nonfiction Reader Challenge ~ 2/6
Poetry Challenge ~ 5/3
Spring COYER ~ 14/8
Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge ~ 12/6

This Past May In Reading Mews:

Tell me what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? How was your May? Do you have anything planned for this month?

Thank you for helping me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:

I actually planned to have you vote on another set of three books, but then these three came to mind and I could not stop thinking about them. So, I did what I often do when I am on the fence about something and asked my husband for this thoughts. He will be surprised to know that I actually am going with his suggestion this time around (usually I go with a completely different option than the ones I had been considering). I have been wanting to read all three of these books since I first heard about them. Admittedly, there has been a lot of hype around each one of them, which always raises my expectations and often gives me pause. Will I like them too? I sure hope so! Which of these three books do you think I should read next? They all sound so good!

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war.

Does Ursula's apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can - will she? [Goodreads Summary]

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name. [Goodreads Summary]

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place. [Goodreads Summary]

Thank you for voting! I hope you all have a wonderful week and a month of June!
Happy Reading!

Tuesday, June 01, 2021

Waiting to Read Wednesday The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels / Dream Girl / Where You Can Find Me

The New

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (Dangerous Damsels #1) by India Holton
Release Date: June 15, 2021 by Berkley

A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance.

Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She's also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it's a pleasant existence. Until the men show up.

Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, that happens to be while he's under direct orders to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possesses a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. But both men have made one grave mistake. Never underestimate a woman.

When Morvath imperils the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her--hopefully proving, once and for all, that she's as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: This historical romance sounds like just plain fun.

Dream Girl by Laura Lippman
Release Date: June 22, 2021 by William Morrow

Following up on her acclaimed and wildly successful New York Times bestseller Lady in the Lake, Laura Lippman returns with a dark, complex tale of psychological suspense with echoes of Misery involving a novelist, incapacitated by injury, who is plagued by mysterious phone calls.

After being injured in a freak accident, novelist Gerry Andersen lies in a hospital bed in his glamorous but sterile apartment, isolated from the busy world he can see through his windows, utterly dependent on two women he barely knows: his young assistant and a night nurse whose competency he questions.

But Gerry is also beginning to question his own competency. As he moves in and out of dreamlike memories and seemingly random appearances of a persistent ex-girlfriend at his bedside, he fears he may be losing his grip on reality, much like his mother who recently passed away from dementia.

Most distressing, he believes he’s being plagued by strange telephone calls, in which a woman claiming to be the titular character of his hit novel Dream Girl swears she will be coming to see him soon. The character is completely fictitious, but no one has ever believed Gerry when he makes that claim. Is he the victim of a cruel prank—or is he actually losing his mind. There is no record of the calls according to the log on his phone. Could there be someone he has wronged. Is someone coming to do him harm as he lies helplessly in bed.

Then comes the morning he wakes up next to a dead body—and realizes his nightmare is just beginning... [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I have read couple of Laura Lippman books and have been stockpiling her others because they always sound SO good. This one is no exception, and as a result, it's landed a spot on my wish list. It helps that this one has been compared to Misery, one of my favorite Stephen King novels.

Do either of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

★ ★ ★

The Old(er)

Where You Can Find Me by Sheri Joseph (Thomas Dunne, 2013)

A searing exploration of a family's struggle to heal in the wake of unthinkable tragedy.

A week after his eleventh birthday, Caleb Vincent vanishes with hardly a trace. After a three-year search, he is found living a seemingly normal life under a new name with a man he calls his father.

While outwardly stunned with joy at his safe recovery, Caleb's parents and sister are privately scrambling to gather together the pieces of a shattered family. To escape the relentless media attention surrounding her son’s return, Caleb's mother, Marlene, decides to flee the country and seek refuge in Costa Rica with Caleb and his younger sister, against her estranged husband's wishes. There Marlene forms a makeshift household with her husband’s expat mother and his charming, aimless older brother, all residing in a broken-down hotel perched at the blustery apex of the continental divide. In the clouds of their new home, the mystery of Caleb's time gone unfolds while new dangers threaten to pull him back toward his former life.

Where You Can Find Me, a darkly incandescent novel that progresses with page-turning suspense, is sure to establish award-winning author Sheri Joseph as a household name. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: A missing child returned home, a mother trying to put together her broken family, and new and old threats surfacing . . . It is no wonder I added this book to my TBR pile a few years ago. It sounds like an emotional rollercoaster. Now I just need to read it.

Have you read Where You Can Find Me? Does this book sound like something you would like to read?

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Where Is Your Bookmark? (A Lot of Romance & A Dash of Steampunk)

A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. Hosted by the amazing Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader.

So much about the world baffled Dr. Trisha Raje, but she was never at a loss for how to do her job. [opening of Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors]

A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Hosted by the wonderful Freda of Freda's Voice.

Mortification colored her cheeks. One would think he had walked in on her in the shower. Falling asleep around a virtual stranger was obviously not something she did often. [excerpt from 56% of Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors]

I have had Sonali Dev's Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors on my TBR shelf for awhile now and when it was selected as the adult pick for COYER's June book club, I decided now would be the perfect time to dive in. The opening above does not reveal too much about the novel itself, but it does speak a little to the character of the heroine. I have not yet reached the Friday56 excerpt yet, but it certainly has me curious to know more!

Award-winning author Sonali Dev launches a new series about the Rajes, an immigrant Indian family descended from royalty, who have built their lives in San Francisco...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that only in an overachieving Indian American family can a genius daughter be considered a black sheep.

Dr. Trisha Raje is San Francisco’s most acclaimed neurosurgeon. But that’s not enough for the Rajes, her influential immigrant family who’s achieved power by making its own non-negotiable rules:

· Never trust an outsider
· Never do anything to jeopardize your brother’s political aspirations
· And never, ever, defy your family

Trisha is guilty of breaking all three rules. But now she has a chance to redeem herself. So long as she doesn’t repeat old mistakes.

Up-and-coming chef DJ Caine has known people like Trisha before, people who judge him by his rough beginnings and place pedigree above character. He needs the lucrative job the Rajes offer, but he values his pride too much to indulge Trisha’s arrogance. And then he discovers that she’s the only surgeon who can save his sister’s life.

As the two clash, their assumptions crumble like the spun sugar on one of DJ’s stunning desserts. But before a future can be savored there’s a past to be reckoned with...

A family trying to build home in a new land.

A man who has never felt at home anywhere.

And a choice to be made between the two. [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors or another book by Sonali Dev? If so, what did you think? What book are you reading right now?

Originally a feature called Last Year I Was Reading created by Maria from ReadingMaria.

I liked it enough to continue on my own, but have tweaked it

to feature Five Years Ago I Was Reading.

(I would have gone back ten, but I read so little in 2011)

This time five years ago I was reading The Shadow Revolution (Crown & Key, #1) by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith a steampunk fantasy novel set in Victorian London featuring a spellcaster scribe and an alchemist. This was an entertaining start to a series, one I had planned to continue, but like so many other series I start, I never managed to follow up on. After re-discovering this one as I perused by reading log and old blog posts, I will be making a point to do so now.

Have you read The Shadow Revolution or one of the other two books in the series?

Connect Five Friday is a weekly meme where readers share a list of five books,

read or unread, or bookish things, that share a common theme.

Hosted by the Kathryn of of Book Date.

In celebration of Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month, I thought it would be fun to feature books by authors of Asian and Pacific Islanders descent for the month. Not all of these authors are American nor are their books all set in the U.S. I recently started reading Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev (featured above), and so today I am listing five other romance novels currently on my TBR shelves waiting to be read:

A Sweet Mess (#1) by Jayci Lee

Korean-American author Jayci Lee delights with this delicious and light-hearted romantic comedy that readers will devour and ask for more.

Bake a chance on love.

Aubrey Choi loves living in her small town nestled in the foothills of California, running her highly successful bakery away from the watch of her strict Korean parents. When a cake mix-up and a harsh review threaten all of her hard work and her livelihood, she never thought the jaded food critic would turn out to be her one-night stand. And she sure as hell never thought she’d see her gorgeous Korean unicorn again. But when Landon Kim waltzes into her bakery trying to clean up the mess he had a huge hand in making, Aubrey is torn between throwing and hearing him out.

When she hears his plan to help save her business, Aubrey knows that spending three weeks in California wine country working with Landon is a sure recipe for disaster. Her head is telling her to take the chance to save her bakery while her heart—and her hormones—are at war on whether to give him a second chance. And it just so happens that Landon’s meddling friends want them to spend those three weeks as close as possible...by sharing a villa.

When things start heating up, both in and out of the kitchen, Aubrey will have to make a choice—to stick it out or risk her heart. [Goodreads Summary]

Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin

From the author of Ayesha at Last comes a sparkling new rom-com for fans of “You’ve Got Mail,” set in two competing halal restaurants.

Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighbourhood. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she’ll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening Three Sisters.

When her mysterious aunt and her teenage cousin arrive from India for a surprise visit, they draw Hana into a long-buried family secret. A hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood complicates the situation further, as does Hana’s growing attraction for Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant—who might not be a complete stranger after all.

As life on the Golden Crescent unravels, Hana must learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and decide what her future should be. [Goodreads Summary]

Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho

Crazy Rich Asians meets Bridget Jones's Diary in this funny and irresistible debut novel about the pursuit of happiness, surviving one's thirties intact, and opening oneself up to love.

At thirty-three, Andrea Tang is living the dream: she has a successful career as a lawyer, a posh condo, and a clutch of fun-loving friends who are always in the know about Singapore's hottest clubs and restaurants. All she has to do is make partner at her law firm and she will have achieved everything she (and her mother) has ever worked for. So what if she's poised to be the last unmarried member of her generation of the Tang clan? She doesn't need a man to feel fulfilled, no matter what her meddling relatives have to say about it.

But for a dutiful Chinese-Malaysian daughter, the weight of familial expectations is hard to ignore. And so are the men life keeps throwing in Andrea's path. Men like Suresh Aditparan, her annoyingly attractive rival for partner and the last man she should be spending time with, and Eric Deng, a wealthy entrepreneur whose vision for their future is more lavish than she could have imagined. With her workplace competition growing ever more intense, her friends bringing dramas of their own to her door, and her family scrutinizing her every romantic prospect, Andrea finds herself stretched to the breaking point. And she can't help but wonder: In the endless tug-of-war between pleasing others and pleasing herself, is there room for everyone to win? [Goodreads Summary]

The Marriage Game (#1) by Sara Desai

A high stakes wager pits an aspiring entrepreneur against a ruthless CEO in this sexy romantic comedy.

After her life falls apart, recruitment consultant Layla Patel returns home to her family in San Francisco. But in the eyes of her father, who runs a Michelin starred restaurant, she can do no wrong. He would do anything to see her smile again. With the best intentions in mind, he offers her the office upstairs to start her new business and creates a profile on an online dating site to find her a man. She doesn’t know he’s arranged a series of blind dates until the first one comes knocking on her door…

As CEO of a corporate downsizing company Sam Mehta is more used to conflict than calm. In search of a quiet new office, he finds the perfect space above a cozy Indian restaurant that smells like home. But when communication goes awry, he's forced to share his space with the owner's beautiful yet infuriating daughter Layla, her crazy family, and a parade of hopeful suitors, all of whom threaten to disrupt his carefully ordered life.

As they face off in close quarters, the sarcasm and sparks fly. But when the battle for the office becomes a battle of the heart, Sam and Layla have to decide if this is love or just a game. [Goodreads Summary]

The Kiss Quotient (#1) by by Helen Hoang

A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan—from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic... [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think?

Be sure and check out my other Connect Five posts featuring AAPI authors: Fiction, Crime Fiction/Thrillers, and Science Fiction/Fantasy novels! If you have any recommendations, I would love to hear them.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading and are up to!

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