Waiting to Read Wednesday: Sing Me Forgotten / The Rose Code / Old Man's War

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.

I am super excited about both of these upcoming releases. They both sound SO good! 

Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson

Release Date: March 9, 2021 by Inkyard Press

Isda does not exist. At least not beyond the opulent walls of the opera house.

Cast into a well at birth for being one of the magical few who can manipulate memories when people sing, she was saved by Cyril, the opera house’s owner. Since that day, he has given her sanctuary from the murderous world outside. All he asks in return is that she use her power to keep ticket sales high—and that she stay out of sight. For if anyone discovers she survived, Isda and Cyril would pay with their lives.

But Isda breaks Cyril’s cardinal rule when she meets Emeric Rodin, a charming boy who throws her quiet, solitary life out of balance. His voice is unlike any she’s ever heard, but the real shock comes when she finds in his memories hints of a way to finally break free of her gilded prison.

Haunted by this possibility, Isda spends more and more time with Emeric, searching for answers in his music and his past. But the price of freedom is steeper than Isda could ever know. For even as she struggles with her growing feelings for Emeric, she learns that in order to take charge of her own destiny, she must become the monster the world tried to drown in the first place. [Goodreads Summary] 

Why I want to read this: A gender swap retelling of Phantom of the Opera?!  This is a must read!

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Release Date: March 9, 2021 by William Morrow

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.

1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter--the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger--and their true enemy--closer... [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: This one had me at female code breaker. 

Do Sing Me Forgotten and The Rose Code 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!

Old Man's War (#1) by John Scalzi (Tor, 2005)

John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army.

The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-- and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.

John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine--and what he will become is far stranger. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I purchased this book from Borders (remember that bookstore chain?) in 2009. I am not sure what motivated me to pick it up--my memory on that is fuzzy--but I do know that I have since listened to one of Scalzi's other books and enjoyed it so much that I kept this one on my shelf to read someday. I do not read a lot of science fiction which is a shame because I do enjoy the genre quite a bit when I do. I may have to make time for this one this year. Scalzi is such an entertaining writer. 

Have you read Old Man's War? Does this book sound like something you would like to read? 

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© 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.

Bookish Mewsings: Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder & Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Threads of steam rose from the warm tarmac. ~ Opening of Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder

Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg

Park Row, 2020

Crime Fiction/Historical/Thriller; 336 pgs

Source: NetGalley

When I started reading Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder, I was expecting something more along the lines of a traditional historical mystery set in 1958 with the allure of secret tunnels and a mysterious group of detectives. What I had not anticipated was a steampunk-like mystery with cool little gadgets, alchemy, a secret map, hidden rooms, and mysterious possibly-deadly tunnels. 

This was such a fun read. Marion Lane, a first-year Inquirer-in-training for Miss Brickett's Investigations & Inquiries, lives with her grandmother who thinks Marion works in a bookstore and would be better off marrying a man and enjoying domestic bliss. Little does her grandmother know, she spends her days beneath the city, learning the skills it will take for her to become an official Inquirer, wearing disguises, spying, and solving crimes.

When a letter arrives late one April night, the filing assistant who receives it ends up dead. All evidence points to Marion's friend and mentor--or so someone wants everyone to believe. At the risk of losing her place at the school, Marion sets out to clear his name. This means trying to uncover secrets dating back to World War II--secrets that more than one person would prefer remain hidden. 

I was quite fascinated by the intricate organization that is Miss Brickett's Investigations & Inquiries. It's like an entirely separate world underground. While some of the tunnels are safe, some are not--and are even forbidden. The organization steps in to solve crimes that Scotland Yard cannot or seems to be no help with. The inquirers in training are recruited from a wide variety of backgrounds, often displaying extraordinary skills in one area or another. In Marion's case, her skills as a mechanic make her stand out. It's not exactly the kind of job your average woman in the 1950's would do, and so what better place for her than at Miss Brickett's? 

The murder itself is sort of a locked room mystery, which itself was interesting, but it was the larger mystery around it--the why--that really takes this book in an unexpected direction. I thoroughly enjoyed Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder and hope there will be more. There's so much more in this world to explore! Not to mention Marion is such a great character and I would enjoy spending more time with her and her friends. 

Challenges Met:  Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge & Winter COYER &  2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

It's a widely known fact that most moms are ready to kill someone by eight thirty A.M. on  any given morning. ~ Opening of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (#1) by Elle Cosimano

Minotaur Books, 2021

Crime Fiction/Thriller; 368 pg

Source: NetGalley

Nothing is going right for Finlay Donovan. Her literary agent is on her back about finishing her novel--it's already past deadline--her ex-husband fired the nanny without a word to her, not to mention he is threatening to seek custody of their two young children, and she has a stack  of bills she cannot pay. 

While out for lunch with her literary agent, Finlay is mistaken for a contract killer when she is overheard by another customer sitting at a nearby table. The woman slips Finlay a note with a request that Finlay take care of the woman's no good husband for a price that would solve a lot of Finlay's problems. Only, Finlay is not a killer. She only writes about them. 

Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan Is Killing It had me laughing right from the start. She is relatable and funny and I couldn't help but feel for her every step of the way. Even as she made questionable decision after questionable decision and things just seemed to snowball from there. Yes, this novel is out there and unbelievable, but it was still such fun to read. It reminded me the fun I had reading the early Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. Just as Stephanie was out of her league as a bounty hunter, so is Finlay as a hired killer. Of course, the difference being Finlay never set out to be any sort of killer. 

Seeing how Finlay would get out of each mess she found herself in was part of the fun, and I could not read this book fast enough. The characters are well-developed and interesting, from the nanny, Vero, who is not only smart but sassy as well, the bartender, Julian, and the police officer Nick, to Finlay's sister and kids. I was not a fan of the ex or the new wife, but then, I imagine I wasn't supposed to be. 

Adventure, mystery and comedy, with a hint of possible romance, make up Finlay Donovan is Killing It. I am so glad I took a chance on it. 

Challenges Met:  Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge & Winter COYER

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© 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.

Weekly Mews: Annie News, Cat Tree & Valentine's Surprise

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.

What I Am Reading: I am coming down from the reading high after finishing Jasmine Guillory's The Wedding Date earlier this morning. It is one of those feel good books that left me smiling as I reached the last page.

I imagine next I will be picking up this month's TBR Poll winner. I am looking forward to diving in.  Thank you to all who voted! I also am still reading and enjoying Becoming by Michelle Obama. It is slow going because it is my lunch time read during the week, but I hope to get in a little more reading of it this weekend as well. 

Mouse and I are reading Sink or Swim (Whatever After #3) by Sarah Mlynowski together. It's nothing like the Little Mermaid stories I have read or seen in the past. 

What I Am Watching: Mouse had been in the mood to watch some of the Disney Princess movies after having read a couple of the Whatever Ever books, and so we watched the original animated Snow White and Cinderella movies and then the Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella live action movie, starring Brandy and Whitney Houston.

We also watched the most recent episode of WandaVision. I swear that show gets better and better every week. 

Off the Blog: I got a nice surprise this morning when my daughter woke up and told me to stay in bed and that she'd get herself to her Zoom dance classes on time. So that's what I did. I fell back asleep for another hour and then laid in bed reading a bit before finally getting myself up and dressed for the day. I have not been able to do that on a Saturday in a long time. 

The rehearsals for the summer musical Annie started this afternoon. The cast list was announced earlier this week and much to Mouse's excitement, she has a part with an actual name! Her dad and I have done our best to teach her that any part in a performance is important, from the smallest to the lead, that everyone working together, including those backstage and behind the scenes, make a show what it is--otherwise, it wouldn't happen. But, let's face it, to be cast as a character with a name is pretty cool. I am just happy to see her excited about something again. Being so closed off and doing everything virtually has been rough on her. Rough on so many. 

Mouse painted a poster with her Annie character's name.

Friday was a holiday for us. No work or school. It wasn't too eventful. We watched movies, puttered around the house, and enjoyed the down time. The dance studio's booster club put on a Zoom Valentine's Paint Night (more like afternoon) event, which Mouse took part in. Right after she had her regularly scheduled Zoom Girl Scout meeting. 

The Christmas tree is finally down. It's been unadorned for awhile, waiting to be boxed up. In its place is a new cat tree we bought on sale for the cats the end of December. Their old one was broken--too tempting for a not-so-little-anymore someone to try to climb. The base was pretty shredded too from cats' scratching on it. So it was time. Nina loves high places and has barely left the top of the tree since it went up. 

Nina couldn't help but try out the new tree 

before it was put in place by the window

Nina on her perch

We have no special plans for Valentine's Day tomorrow. Anjin gave me a lovely bouquet of flowers and a balloon as an early Valentine's Day gift. We do not usually do much for the day, it being a minor holiday, but this year I did get both him and Mouse a little something. 

I got an e-mail a couple days ago announcing the local city's public libraries will be opening for curbside services on the 23rd of February. Yay! 

This Past Week In Reading Mews:

• Weekly Mews: January Wrap Up & February's TBR List Poll
• Bookish Mewsings: The Island of Sea Women by Lisa Sea
• Waiting to Read Wednesday: Down Comes the Night / The Lost Apothecary / The Book of Unholy Mischief
• Where Is Your Bookmark? (Romance Is in the Air)

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

Thank you to everyone who voted in this month's TBR poll. I was curious to see which would of my Valentine picks would win: the traditional romance, a story about friendship, or one with a more darker flare, a domestic thriller. All three of my choices this week have been getting a lot of praise around the blogosphere, and so I thought it might be a close race. It really wasn't, however. Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce came in with 6 votes, The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon earned 8, and The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins cleaned house with 16 votes. 

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda.

Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.

But her luck changes when she meets Eddie­ Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie––not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for.

Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past––or his––catches up to her?

With delicious suspense, incisive wit, and a fresh, feminist sensibility, The Wife Upstairs flips the script on a timeless tale of forbidden romance, ill-advised attraction, and a wife who just won’t stay buried. In this vivid reimagining of one of literature’s most twisted love triangles, which Mrs. Rochester will get her happy ending? [Goodreads Summary]

Thank you for voting! I hope you all have a wonderful week! Happy Reading!

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© 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.

Where Is Your Bookmark? (Romance Is in the Air)

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.

Alexa Monroe walked into the Fairmont hotel in San Francisco that Thursday night wearing her favorite red heels, jittery from coffee, and with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne in her purse. [opening line of The Wedding Date]

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.

Drew let out a sigh when he was finally alone again in his office. Great, just the place he didn't want to go. He jumped when Carlos poked his head back in the door.

"You should call her and tell her you'll be in town."

Drew got up and slammed the door in Carlos's face. [excerpt from 56% of The Wedding Date]

I thought a romance was in order this week leading up to Valentine's Day. I have heard good things about The Wedding Date (#1) by Jasmine Guillory since it's release three years ago. Having read the 4th book in the series, Royal Holiday, last year, I was eager to give The Wedding Date a try. 

The opening line immediately caught my attention--sounds like someone has something to celebrate! In the next sentence the reader finds out who she is meeting--which I thought I would leave that out to tease those who have not read the book yet. 

I'm not quite to the 56% excerpt I shared, and so am not sure what is going on. I take it our two lovebirds aren't on the best of terms right now. I cannot wait to see how this plays out!

A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in a fun and flirty debut novel.

Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist.

On the eve of his ex's wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend...

After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. Too bad they can't stop thinking about the other...

They're just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century--or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want... [Goodreads Summary]

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)

Five years ago this week I finished reading The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams, one of the postal group selections I was a part of in 2016. The book club was such fun--a small group of readers who each chose a book and each book would make the rounds through the mail for each member to read and jot down notes in a journal we would share. The books would rotate through the members until we all had read them and then the books and journals were returned to the original senders. I read quite a few great books that way, books I might not have read otherwise. The Chosen One was one such book, a young adult novel about a 13 year old who grew up in a polygamy cult. She's chosen to marry her much older uncle. It is an emotional and sometimes difficult book to read, but well worth it. Kyra is an amazing and brave character. 

What were you reading five years ago? Have you read The Chosen One?

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.

With Valentine's Day right around the corner and to celebrate Black History Month, I thought it would be fun to feature five romance novels by African American women that I am eager to read (besides just my current read by Jasmine Guillory). I have quite a few on my TBR pile and wish list, admittedly, and so narrowing it down to five was tough. All of the below books are authors I have yet to read but are on my must read list. 

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.

When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse?

Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his... um, thighs.

Suddenly, the easy lay Dani dreamed of is more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint? [Goodreads Summary]

Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant

Jane the Virgin meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in this charming debut romantic comedy filled with Black Girl Magic. Perfect for fans of Mary H. K. Choi and Nicola Yoon, with crossover appeal for readers of Jasmine Guillory and Talia Hibbert romances.

Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson has never felt like the protagonist in her own life. She’s rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she’s a true leading lady is in her own writing—in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader.

When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she’s excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just...gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she’s ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa’s stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming.

But as Tessa checks off each item off Caroline’s list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about—including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She’s well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all? [Goodreads Summary]

Of Fear and Faith (Death and Destiny #1) by N.D. Jones

In a world where nothing is ever as it seems, the seeds of love take root on the precipice of chaos, danger, and a great destiny.

In the shadow of an ancient prophecy, two individuals will be drawn together to meet a dangerous calling--or die trying. For legends tell of a powerful Fire Witch and a legendary shapeshifter who will one day rid the world of the wrath of the Water Witch of Legend, and restore the world to peace and balance.

However, for Sanura Williams and FBI Special Agent Assefa Berber, their destinies will not be so easily won, as fear and faith will ultimately determine their fates. In the heat of battle and the chill of prophecy, Sanura and Assefa will weather the dual storms of lust and love. Are they prepared for the intoxicating swirl of danger and attraction? Can they overcome their fears of such a powerful prophecy? In the face of their foes, these legendary warriors must embrace their roles as heroes, side-by-side, and defend humanity against the coming doom. [Goodreads Summary]

Rebel (Women Who Dare #1) by Beverly Jenkins

The first novel in USA Today Bestselling Author Beverly Jenkins' compelling new series follows a Northern woman south in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War...

Valinda Lacey's mission in the steamy heart of New Orleans is to help the newly emancipated community survive and flourish. But soon she discovers that here, freedom can also mean danger. When thugs destroy the school she has set up and then target her, Valinda runs for her life—and straight into the arms of Captain Drake LeVeq.

As an architect from an old New Orleans family, Drake has a deeply personal interest in rebuilding the city. Raised by strong women, he recognizes Valinda's determination. And he can't stop admiring—or wanting—her. But when Valinda's father demands she return home to marry a man she doesn't love, her daring rebellion draws Drake into an irresistible intrigue. [Goodreads Summary]

The Seaside Café (The Book Club #1) by Rochelle Alers

For three decades, the Seaside Café has served delicious meals to locals and island tourists alike. Kayana Johnson has moved home to help her brother run the café—and to nurse her wounds following a deep betrayal. Between cooking favorite recipes—creole chicken with buttermilk waffles, her grandmother’s famous mac and cheese—and spending time reading, Kayana is trying to embrace a life free of entanglements, while staying open to new connections . . .

After striking up conversation with two customers, Kayana suggests a summer book club. Each week, they’ll meet on the patio to talk about their favorite novels. But there are plot twists awaiting them in real life too. For schoolteacher Leah, this two-month sojourn is the first taste of freedom she’s had in her unhappy marriage. Cherie, filled with regret about her long-term affair with a married politician, discovers a powerful new passion. And Kayana finds a kindred spirit in a reclusive visitor who’s ready to make his true identity known, and fill this summer with new possibilities . . . [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think? What romance novels by Black authors would you recommend? 

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

What book or series can you see getting made into a movie and not being horribly re-written? (submitted by SJ @ Airin' My Dirty Laundry) 

 

I would love to see so many of the books or series I read turned into a movie. I can't think of just one. The issue with series being turned into movies though is that I generally want more than can be fit into a movie. I like the idea of a book series being turned into a series for the small screen more than a big movie fit for the theater, if you know what I mean. Whether it would be horribly re-written? Well, that depends on who is doing it, I suppose. Besides, so many things can come into play in translating a book to the screen. A certain amount of tweaking is necessary to draw in a larger more diverse audience (readers and non-readers alike), not to mention time constraints. Even if you have the best script, a low budget, poor CGI, the wrong director, or miscasting can have an impact too.

The truth is I enjoy watching small and big screen productions. I like seeing books come to life on the screen. I go in expecting there to be differences and drive my family crazy when I start comparing the two.  I find it fun to analyze the technicalities and can often (even if not always) appreciate why certain things were changed the way they were between the two. Sometimes the changes make no sense though. While almost always I like the book better than the movie or series, it does not mean I necessarily did not enjoy the other. Sometimes I like the way something is handled on the screen over the way it happened in the book. But sometimes it can go horribly wrong too. Do not get me wrong. There are movies out there that do not even come close to the book and which I find just plain bad. I can enjoy both mediums and do not expect a movie to exactly mirror the book it is based on if it is done well. The key there being done well, of course. 

 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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© 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.

Waiting to Read Wednesday: Down Comes the Night / The Lost Apothecary / The Book of Unholy Mischief

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.

Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft

Release Date: March 2, 2021 by Wednesday Books

A gorgeously gothic, deeply romantic YA debut fantasy about two enemies trapped inside a crumbling mansion, with no escape from the monsters within.

Honor your oath, destroy your country.

Wren Southerland is the most talented healer in the Queen’s Guard, but her reckless actions have repeatedly put her on thin ice with her superiors. So when a letter arrives from a reclusive lord, asking Wren to come to his estate to cure his servant from a mysterious disease, she seizes the chance to prove herself.

When she arrives at Colwick Hall, Wren realizes that nothing is what it seems. Particularly when she discovers her patient is actually Hal Cavendish, the sworn enemy of her kingdom.

As the snowy mountains make it impossible to leave the estate, Wren and Hal grow closer as they uncover a sinister plot that could destroy everything they hold dear. But choosing love could doom both their kingdoms.

Allison Saft’s Down Comes the Night is a snow-drenched, gothic, romantic fantasy that keeps you racing through the pages long into the night.  [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: A dilapidated mansion, being snowed in, and sworn enemies? I'm intrigued!  

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Release Date: March 2, 2021 by Park Row Books/Harper Collins

In this addictive and spectacularly imagined debut, a female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course. 

Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman. 

Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register. 

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register. 

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive. 

With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating exploration of women rebelling against a man’s world, the destructive force of revenge and the remarkable ways that women can save each other despite the barrier of time. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I am very excited about Sarah Penner's novel based on that description alone!

Do Comes the Night and The Lost Apothecary 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!

The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark (Atria, 2008)

In a world of violence and intrigue, who guards the truth?

It is 1498, the dawn of the Renaissance, and Venice teems with rumors about an ancient book that holds the secret to unimaginable power. It is an alchemist's dream, with recipes for gold, immortality, and undying love. But while those who seek the book will stop at nothing to get it, those who know will die to protect it.

As a storm of intrigue and desire circles the republic that grew from the sea, Luciano, a penniless orphan with a quick wit and an even faster hand, is plucked up by an illustrious chef and hired, for reasons he cannot yet begin to understand, as an apprentice in the palace kitchen. There, in the lavish home of the most powerful man in Venice, he is initiated into the chef's rich and aromatic world, with all its seductive ingredients and secrets. It is not long before Luciano is caught up in the madness. After he witnesses a shocking murder in the Palace dining room, he realizes that nothing is as it seems and that no one can be trusted. Armed with a precocious mind and an insatiable curiosity, Luciano embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth. What he discovers will swing open the shutters of his mind, inflame his deepest desires, and leave an indelible mark on his soul.

Rich with the luxurious colors and textures of Venice, The Book of Unholy Mischief delights the senses and breathes fresh life into an age defined by intellectual revival and artistic vibrancy. A luminous and seductive novel, it is, at its heart, a high-spirited tribute to the fruits of knowledge and the extraordinary power of those who hold its key. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: Venice at the beginning of the Renaissance, murder, an ancient book--it's no wonder this one landed on my TBR shelf in 2009. I have no good reason for not having read it. Just another case of too many books and too little time . . . 

Have you read The Book of Unholy Mischief? Does this book sound like something you would like to read? 

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