Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Saturday, June 30, 2018

Weekly Mews: June 2018 in Review & Mid-Year Freak Out

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by the wonderful Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer, 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 to Stacking the Shelves hosted by the great Team Tynga's Reviews and Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently. I am linking up to Nicole of Feed Your Addiction's Monthly Wrap-Up Post, where any book bloggers who write monthly wrap-up posts can link up and visit other bloggers to see what they have been reading.

Happy July! We are at the midpoint of the year, can you believe it? I am not sure I can. Two thousand eighteen has been a roller-coaster of a year so far. Both globally and personally. I started writing this post several times, but realized I was sliding quickly into despair. Suffice it to say, it has been a rough first half of the year--socially, politically, health-wise, job-wise, and financially. I would like to say it will get better, but I am not sure I believe that, try as hard as I might to do so. Thank goodness for my family. And books. And chocolate. And cats.

This is how I feel a lot lately-

although, little Nina has a lot better balance than I do.

There have been bright spots--many of them. We still feel the hole that Parker has left in our hearts with his passing last fall, but our new kitten has brought so much joy into our lives as well. Her energy and playfulness cannot help but bring smiles to all our faces. She's such a joy to have around. Even Gracie has warmed up to her some. They play more than they fight these days, and Gracie seems to be relaxing more when the kitten is around.

Mouse finished out a great school year and had an amazing teacher. I am so proud of Mouse. She played a dove in her school play, and definitely has a flair for the stage.

The show! Not a week goes by that we aren't doing something related to the musical. We picked up the costumes this past week, bought Mouse's performance shoes, and now I just need to master the required hairstyle. Our lives will continue to be consumed by rehearsals this month as we race to showtime. It has been a fun experience over all, even if stressful at times.

June itself was a full month. More rehearsals and dance classes. The Celebration of Dance event. End of the season Girl Scout parties. Lots of kitty cuddles. Tense work moments. End of school events. Doctor appointments. And not as much reading as I would have liked. I finished three books. Just three. There is always one month each year like this--and I guess June was it for me this time around. I hope it is the only month this year like it. At least I enjoyed my reading quite a bit. All the books were winners.

Here is what I read in June:

The Girl in the Green Silk Gown by Seanan McGuire
Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf
Scandal Above Stairs by Jennifer Ashley

June Posts:

Challenge & Read-Along Updates:

With everything going on in my life right now and the direction my reading and blogging have taken as of late, I am making the difficult decision to pull out of several of the challenges I committed to for the year. I made a little progress in each one and am so glad I had the opportunity to do so. I want to take some of the pressure off myself though, and felt this was one of the ways I could make that happen.

Saying Goodbye to:

I am determined, however, to continue on with my two read-a-longs.

Les Misérables Read-Along ~ I have been doing so well with this one, but June found me falling behind. I am about three weeks behind in my reading. I have not quite yet met Marius, but I have met Gavroche, one of my favorite characters in the musical version. How did I not know who his parents were?! Well, now I know.

War and Peace Read-Along ~ War and Peace has me hook, line and sinker. I am all caught up with this chunkster, and am eager to read on. I could not turn the pages fast enough to find out how Natasha's situation would turn out with Anatole.

I am also sticking with the 2018 Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge, because, well, witches.
I am unsure about whether a few of the books I have read that contain magic qualify, but I think it is fair to count these toward the challenge so far:

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews
Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews
One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Dawn of the Flame Sea by Jean Johnson
Demons of the Flame Sea by Jean Johnson
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
The Girl in the Green Silk Gown by Seanan McGuire
Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf

New to My Shelves In June:

Gift cards are a booklover's best friend sometimes. Especially when we are in need of a little retail therapy. Here are the books I purchased in June, most of which have been on my wish list for quite some time:

Sins of the Son (Grigori Legacy, #2) by Linda Poitevin

Sins of the Lost (Grigori Legacy, #3) by Linda Poitevin

All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

Wolfskin by W.R. Gingell

Snow White Red-Handed (A Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery #1) by Maia Chance

The Mother by Yvvette Edwards

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Discount Armageddon (InCryptid #1) by Seanan McGuire

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne

Balm by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1) by Jen Calonita

Murder on the Last Frontier (A Charlotte Brody Mystery) by Cathy Pegau

Beastly (Kendra Chronicles) by Alex Flinn

Prisoner of the Crown (The Chronicles of Dasnaria #1) by Jeffe Kennedy

Need You for Keeps by Marina Adair

Death Overdue (Haunted Library) by Allison Brook

The Things We Don't Say by Ella Carey

A Hole New World by Pat & Jen from PupularMMOs, illustrated by Dani Jones

Too Many Cats (The Wish Fairy #1) by Lisa Ann Scott

Have you read any of these? What did you think? What new books did you borrow or buy this past month?

Mid-Year Freak Out

So far this year, I have read 32 books. Of those books, two were audio books. Sixteen were new-to-me authors. Four of the books I read were written solely by men and three by a husband/wife team. Eight books earned 4.5 paws on my rating scale. And two books earned only 2 paws.

It was hard fitting just one book into these categories (and in two instances I did list two). I forced myself to though.

1 - Best book I've read/listened to so far in 2018: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

2 - Best sequel I’ve read so far in 2018: Scandal Above Stairs by Jennifer Ashley

3 - Biggest disappointment: Dawn of the Flame Sea by Jean Johnson

4 - Favorite new author (new to me): Victoria Gilbert

5 - Newest fictional crush: Sean Evans from the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews

6 - Newest favorite character: Rose Marshall from The Girl in the Green Silk Gown by Seanan McGuire

7 - Book that made me cry: The Girl from the Savoy by Hazel Gaynor & The Book of Unknown Americans by Henríquez, Cristina

8 - Book that made me happy: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

9 - Favorite book cover of a book read this year:

10 - What books do I need to ~~read~~ finish by the end of the year?: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

How has the first half of 2018 been to you? What made your favorites list?

What I Am Reading: I am in the middle of Seanan McGuire's Sparrow Hill Road, the first in her Ghostroads series. It is really more of a mash up of short stories, loosely connected, than an actual novel. I accidentally read the second book first, but I think it worked out better that way since that was an actual novel. I am also reading The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa, a collection of three novellas. I have read two in the collection so far and am still making my mind up about them.

What I Am Watching: We recently saw the second Incredibles movie and enjoyed it quite a bit. My daughter made us watch The Wizard of Oz again. And I think she's seen it twice more since then--and that's just this past week.

What I Am Worried About: My brother relapsed and has pleurisy again. It is especially concerning given his heart condition. I dropped by phone on my toes and now have bruised and swollen toes on one of my feet. The only shoes my foot is comfortable in are my running shoes, which aren't exactly up to the work dress code. I am not in a lot of pain, but there is some minor pain and discomfort, especially if I put too much weight on them. My toes are doing much better now than they were--but still taking their time to heal. The night it happened, I texted my mom and told her I wanted to be like her. She recently dropped something on her foot and has a small fracture as a result. On a lighter note, I am worried about whether or not I will be able to master the required bun for my daughter's upcoming dress rehearsals and show (I am NOT at hair person).

What I Am Grateful For: Reassuring dance moms, Iburprofen, my daughter's laughter and love for life, my husband's hugs, Gracie's cuddles and Nina attacking my feet.

Playing Dress Up

New Hiding Place

No kitty is left out of cuddle time.

Treats at the Princess Tea Party at the Dance Studio

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

For those who celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July!

© 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.

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Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Wishing to Read Wednesday: Old & New (#6)

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

Drood by Dan Simmons (Little, Brown & Company, 2009)

Drood… is the name and nightmare that obsesses Charles Dickens for the last five years of his life.

On June 9, 1865, Dickens and his mistress are secretly returning to London, when their express train hurtles over a gap in a trestle. All of the first-class carriages except the one carrying Dickens are smashed to bits in the valley below. When Dickens descends into that valley to confront the dead and dying, his life will be changed forever. And at the core of that ensuing five-year nightmare is…

Drood… the name that Dickens whispers to his friend Wilkie Collins. A laudanum addict and lesser novelist, Collins flouts Victorian sensibilities by living with one mistress while having a child with another, but he may be the only man on Earth with whom Dickens can share the secret of…

Drood. Increasingly obsessed with crypts, cemeteries, and the precise length of time it would take for a corpse to dissolve in a lime pit, Dickens ceases writing for four years and wanders the worst slums and catacombs of London at night while staging public readings during the day, gruesome readings that leave his audiences horrified. Finally he begins writing what would have been the world’s first great mystery masterpiece, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, only to be interrupted forever by…

Drood. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: Doesn't this just sound dark and delicious? As my husband was dusting the shelves the other day, he mentioned how I had practically begged for an copy of Drood when it first came out (which I promptly received for Christmas that same year), and yet there it sits. On the shelf unread. The size may have something to do with my putting it off, but I am still just as interested in reading it as I was then.

The Taken (Celestial Blues #1) by Vicki Pettersson (Harper Voyager, 2012)

Griffin Shaw was a PI when alive. Fifty years later, he’s a celestial Centurion assisting the recently and violently dead. But being an angel doesn’t mean he’s a saint. One small mistake altered fate, and dumped him back on the mortal mudflat to collect another soul – Katherine “Kit” Craig, a journalist whose latest investigation may get her clipped.

Bucking heavenly orders, Grif refuses to let this sable-haired siren with hairpin curves come to harm. He also wants the truth about his killer and revenge for his wife Evie's death. Amid an evil conspiracy, a ruthless killer stalks the new partners. Grif's attraction to Kit could cost their lives -- and his answer to who killed him. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I have not read too many books featuring angels, and The Taken caught my attention from the cover to the mystery.

* *

The New

Tiffany Blues by M.J. Rose
Release Date: August 7, 2018 by Atria Books

New York, 1924. Twenty‑four‑year‑old Jenny Bell is one of a dozen burgeoning artists invited to Louis Comfort Tiffany’s prestigious artists’ colony. Gifted and determined, Jenny vows to avoid distractions and romantic entanglements and take full advantage of the many wonders to be found at Laurelton Hall.

But Jenny’s past has followed her to Long Island. Images of her beloved mother, her hard-hearted stepfather, waterfalls, and murder, and the dank hallways of Canada’s notorious Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women overwhelm Jenny’s thoughts, even as she is inextricably drawn to Oliver, Tiffany’s charismatic grandson.

As the summer shimmers on, and the competition between the artists grows fierce as they vie for a spot at Tiffany’s New York gallery, a series of suspicious and disturbing occurrences suggest someone knows enough about Jenny’s childhood trauma to expose her.

Supported by her closest friend Minx Deering, a seemingly carefree socialite yet dedicated sculptor, and Oliver, Jenny pushes her demons aside. Between stolen kisses and stolen jewels, the champagne flows and the jazz plays on until one moonless night when Jenny’s past and present are thrown together in a desperate moment, that will threaten her promising future, her love, her friendships, and her very life. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: New York in the 1920's has an irresistible quality to it, don't you think? And I really enjoy M.J. Rose's work. If the author's name didn't pique my interest immediately in this one, the setting and subject matter would. Just what is in Jenny's past? And how is it coming to haunt her now?

As Wide As the Sky by Jessica Pack
Release Date: July 31, 2018 by Kensington Publishing

Five a.m.: Amanda Mallorie wakes to the knowledge that her son Robbie is gone. And a new chapter of her own life must begin. She has spent four years as her son's only support, desperately trying to understand the actions that landed him on death row and to change his fate. Now Amanda faces an even more difficult task--finding a way, and a reason, to move forward with her own life.

Before the tragedy that unfolded in a South Dakota mall, Robbie was just like other people's sons or daughters. Sometimes troubled, but sweet and full of goodness too. That's the little boy Amanda remembers as she packs up his childhood treasures and progress reports, and discovers a class ring she's never seen before. Who does it belong to and why did Robbie have it in his possession? So begins a journey that will remind her not only of who Robbie used to be, but of a time when she wasn't afraid--to talk to strangers, to help those in need, to reach out. Robbie's choices can never be unmade, but there may still be time for forgiveness and trust to grow again. For a future as wide as the sky. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: Reading this synopsis, so many emotions come to mind. I cannot even imagine what Amanda must be going though. I need to read this book!

What do you think? Are these books you want to read?

Monday, June 25, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday: Series I’ve Given Up On . . . Or Not

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana at The Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is the Series I’ve Given Up On . . . Or Not. I am a series junkie, it's true. I start series constantly and follow through with so few. Not because I do not want to. Just because I am always starting new ones . . . I really need to focus on the series I have started and stick with them. Someday, perhaps.

I am only including series of which I read more than one book otherwise the list might be much longer.

Series I have given up on and do not plan to continue

1. The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice ~ I really liked the books I read many years ago, but I lost interest in the them over time. Add to that the author's behavior towards readers who might have something negative to say about her books, and I would rather stay away.

2. Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series ~ This was once an auto-buy series for me. Until it wasn't. I burnt out on this series around book 13. By then I had lost interest in the series, kept finding fault with the writing, and did not like the direction the author had taken some of the characters.

3. The Anita Blake series by Laurel K. Hamilton ~ This series was my introduction into urban fantasy and paranormal romance. I devoured the early books in the series, but when the books veered more toward romance and less toward mystery, I lost interest. I read fourteen of the books in the series, which I believe is up to 28.

4. Deadly Angel series by Sandra Hill ~ I read the first two books in this series and that was enough for me. I just didn't see the appeal. (And I couldn't stop giggling every time I came across the word "Vangels" used to describe the vampire/angel male leads.)

5. Greg Rucka's Atticus Kodiak series ~ Atticus is a kick-ass bodyguard in New York City for those who may not know. I read almost all of the books in this series and am not really sure why. I liked them to a point, but they really were not to my taste. A bit too much testosterone, maybe.

6. The Flame Sea series by Jean Johnson ~ I read the first two books in this fantasy series earlier this year. It just wasn't for me.

7. James Patterson's Alex Cross series ~ I enjoyed his books for a time, but I think I just burnt out on the series.

Series I am on the fence about whether to stop or continue

8. Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware, child psychologist, series ~ Another favorite series of mine for awhile there until I got burnt out on it. I think I stopped after reading the 20th book in the series. I sometimes think of going back and reading more, but it has not happened yet.

9. Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, series by Janet Evanovich ~ This one had me under it's spell for awhile. I could count on a good laugh just about every time. And it was a guarantee a car would blow up in every book. After awhile though, the books felt the same and I grew tired of Stephanie's playing both Ranger and Joe Morelli. I sometimes think of trying again this one. Maybe she finally chose a guy in a later book? One can hope . . .

10. Anne Perry's Charlotte and Inspector Pitt series ~ I used to binge read this series, reading multiple books at a time. I love the attention to period details Perry puts into each book. I am not really sure why I set this series aside. The series was beginning to become more political than it had been, and that may have ultimately been the deciding factor. Now that the author has started a series about their son, I have been considering going back and picking up where I left off with this one.

Series I said I would stop reading after the first book, but am still reading

In Death series by J.D. Robb ~ After reading the first book in the series, I had decided not to read any further. Then I listened to the audio version and enjoyed it much more. I have since listened to the second book and also liked it. I have the next several books on my phone to listen to now. It wasn't so bad after all . . .

Linda Fairstein's Alexandra Cooper series - Another series in which I decided not to continue after reading the first book. And then I heard the author speak at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and decided to give her series featuring Assistant District Attorney Alex Cooper another try. I have been hooked ever since. I have read sixteen books in the series to date.

Have you read any of these series? Are there any series you have given up on that you read more than one book in?

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Bookish Thoughts: The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy

Joshua. ~ Opening of The Perfect Mother

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy
Harper, 2018
Crime Fiction/Thriller; 336 pgs

I am on a roll reading good thrillers as of late. The Perfect Mother was no exception. The May Mothers are a group of mothers with children born in May who met online and decided to create an in-person group, meeting at a local park twice a week. Winnie reluctantly joined, never quite feeling like she belonged, but not quite wanting to stop attending either. At one meeting, the women decide to plan a night out at a bar, no children allowed. Winnie is not sure she wants to go, but the other women, especially Nell, put the pressure on, even arranging for her to have a babysitter, and so she goes. That one night out, the first evening away from their babies, and Midas, Winnie’s son, goes missing.

While the media has a field day with Winnie’s true identity and accusing the police of botching up the investigation fright from the start, several of the May mothers decide to take matters into their own hands and show their support to Winnie by finding out who kidnapped Midas.

The novel jumps from several different characters, offering a more rounded glimpse of the events that have taken place, both past and present. No one is without their secrets and faults, as we soon learn. I really enjoyed the views into these other women’s lives. The author has a real gift for drawing out each of her character’s feelings and anxieties. I found them all easy to relate to. Each of these women strive to be the perfect mother but fall short—because there is no such thing.

In today’s society, the media plays a large role in how we interpret and shape our opinions. This isn’t the first novel to point this out through the events that occur in the book, but Molloy does it in such a way bring it into full focus. None of the main characters is exempt from the media’s attention. To keep ratings up, the media looks for scandal in every nook and cranny, and the public eats it up, completing the cycle. One particular media celebrity seems to want to pass judgement on everyone related to the kidnapping case, even maligning the women for going out for an evening without their infants. It was appalling how many people jumped on that bandwagon. From the sensationalism to the mob mentality. We see and hear it every day in one form or another.

It is always hard to talk about the one thing I did not care for in a novel when it involves the resolution. Let’s just say there wasn’t much guesswork for me with this one, which was a tad disappointing. Things fall a little too perfectly into place in the end, and I felt like there should have been more development in that direction early on. At the same time, I still really enjoyed the novel and would definitely read more by Aimee Molloy.

For more information about the author and her books, visit her website. You can also find her on Twitter and Goodreads.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Where Is Your Bookmark? (A Peek Into Bring Me Their Hearts)

I just finished reading my June TBR List winner, Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf, and thought I would share a a bit with you today.

Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf

Zera is a Heartless – the immortal, unageing soldier of a witch. Bound to the witch Nightsinger ever since she saved her from the bandits who murdered her family, Zera longs for freedom from the woods they hide in. With her heart in a jar under Nightsinger’s control, she serves the witch unquestioningly.

Until Nightsinger asks Zera for a Prince’s heart in exchange for her own, with one addendum; if she’s discovered infiltrating the court, Nightsinger will destroy her heart rather than see her tortured by the witch-hating nobles.

Crown Prince Lucien d’Malvane hates the royal court as much as it loves him – every tutor too afraid to correct him and every girl jockeying for a place at his darkly handsome side. No one can challenge him – until the arrival of Lady Zera. She’s inelegant, smart-mouthed, carefree, and out for his blood. The Prince’s honor has him quickly aiming for her throat.

So begins a game of cat and mouse between a girl with nothing to lose and a boy who has it all.

Winner takes the loser’s heart.

Literally. [Goodreads Summary]

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

King Sref of Cavanos watches me with the deadened eyes of a raven circling a corpse--patient, waiting to devour me the second I let my guard down. I briefly debate telling him humans don't taste all that good, until I remember normal girls don't eat people. Or fake their way into royal courts.

My thoughts: In this opening paragraph, the reader gets a taste for our main character's wit, and to wonder about the king and just what kind of danger Zera will find in the court. It was enough to keep me reading.

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.

The prince studies me, or rather, my mask. My eyes behind the mask. It feels as if he's trying to peel away the layers of my defenses, my secrets, like a bird of prey peeling back skin and muscle from a kill. [56%]

My thoughts: There are a lot of references to birds in this novel, I have noticed. I like this particular scene in which Zera and the prince are getting to know each other better, both through verbal barbs and perhaps opening up a little more.

And another teaser because I can't help myself: