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) 

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!

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? 

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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? (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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© 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: The Library of the Dead / Dead Dead Girls / The Brief History of the Dead

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 Library of the Dead (Edinburgh Nights #1) by T.L. Huchu
Release Date: June 1, 2021 by Tor Books

Sixth Sense meets Stranger Things in T. L. Huchu's The Library of the Dead, a sharp contemporary fantasy following a precocious and cynical teen as she explores the shadowy magical underside of modern Edinburgh.

When a child goes missing in Edinburgh's darkest streets, young Ropa investigates. She'll need to call on Zimbabwean magic as well as her Scottish pragmatism to hunt down clues. But as shadows lengthen, will the hunter become the hunted?

When ghosts talk, she will listen...

Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker. Now she speaks to Edinburgh's dead, carrying messages to the living. A girl's gotta earn a living, and it seems harmless enough. Until, that is, the dead whisper that someone's bewitching children--leaving them husks, empty of joy and life. It's on Ropa's patch, so she feels honor-bound to investigate. But what she learns will change her world.

She'll dice with death (not part of her life plan...), discovering an occult library and a taste for hidden magic. She'll also experience dark times. For Edinburgh hides a wealth of secrets, and Ropa's gonna hunt them all down. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: Everything about this novel screams, "Read me!" 

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia
Release Date: June 1, 2021 by Berkley

The start of an exciting new historical mystery series set in 1920s Harlem featuring Louise Lloyd, a young black woman caught up in a series of murders way too close to home...

Harlem, 1926. Young black girls like Louise Lloyd are ending up dead.

Following a harrowing kidnapping ordeal when she was in her teens, Louise is doing everything she can to maintain a normal life. She's succeeding, too. She spends her days working at Maggie's Café and her nights at the Zodiac, Manhattan's hottest speakeasy. Louise's friends might say she's running from her past and the notoriety that still stalks her, but don't tell her that.

When a girl turns up dead in front of the café, Louise is forced to confront something she's been trying to ignore--several local black girls have been murdered over the past few weeks. After an altercation with a local police officer gets her arrested, Louise is given an ultimatum: She can either help solve the case or let a judge make an example of her.

Louise has no choice but to take the case and soon finds herself toe-to-toe with a murderous mastermind. She'll have to tackle her own fears and the prejudices of New York City society if she wants to catch a killer and save her own life in the process. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I love a good historical mystery and put it on my wish list as soon as I heard about 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!

The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier (Vintage, 2003)

From Kevin Brockmeier, one of this generation's most inventive young writers, comes a striking new novel about death, life, and the mysterious place in between.

The City is inhabited by those who have departed Earth but are still remembered by the living. They will reside in this afterlife until they are completely forgotten. But the City is shrinking, and the residents clearing out. Some of the holdouts, like Luka Sims, who produces the City’s only newspaper, are wondering what exactly is going on. Others, like Coleman Kinzler, believe it is the beginning of the end.

Meanwhile, Laura Byrd is trapped in an Antarctic research station, her supplies are running low, her radio finds only static, and the power is failing. With little choice, Laura sets out across the ice to look for help, but time is running out.

Kevin Brockmeier alternates these two storylines to create a lyrical and haunting story about love, loss and the power of memory. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this:  I first heard about this through a fellow blogger (who is no longer blogging) in 2006 and added it to my TBR stack. I'm dying to know how these two storylines will come together. 

Have you read The Brief History of the Dead?  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: Swimming Back to Trout River by Linda Rui Feng / The Memory Collectors by Kate Neville

The train that was delivering Junie to Trout River was just pulling out of the station and gathering speed, and already the compartment was filling up with cigarette smoke and the gregarious sound of sunflower seeds being cracked open. [opening of Swimming Back to Trout River]

Swimming Back to Trout River by Linda Rui Feng
Simon & Schuster, 2011
Fiction/Historical; 271 pgs
Source: Complimentary copy of the novel provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Swimming Back to Trout River opens with Cassia and her five year old daughter Junie traveling to Trout River where Junie will live with her paternal grandparents. Junie settles into life there, and, when learning at age 10 that her father plans to return for her, Junie despairs at the idea of leaving her grandparents and the only home she remembers. Momo, Junie's father, dreams of the day he can reunite his family, both his daughter and estranged wife, and give his daughter a better life than she could have in China.

The author then takes the reader back in time, introducing Junie's parents, Cassia and Momo, more fully, as well as Momo's university friend Dawn. We get a glimpse into their childhoods and also how they met and what life was like for them during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, including the violence and oppression by the Red Guard, which changed all three of their lives irrevocably. They each faced hardships and heartbreak that would continue to impact them for years to come.

Dawn was the one who introduced Momo to the magic and power of music during their university years. The two had a falling out over the course their lives should take, but their love for music would stay with them always. Music is a theme that runs throughout the novel, whether it be a violin concerto or the melodic sounds of every day background noise. Cassia appears later in Momo's life, when he is working as an engineer and she a nurse. He falls for her right away, she more reluctantly. They give birth to a beautiful daughter, a daughter without legs, who they name Junie.

As Junie is being raised by her grandparents in China during the 1980's, riding on a wooden horse with wheels and ever curious about everything around her, the reader finds Dawn, Momo and Cassia in the United States, trying to make their own ways in the world. The author brings us a novel with hope at its center, amidst grief and loss, pain and suffering. The relationships between the characters as well as with themselves are central to the novel. It wasn't surprising to learn the author Linda Rui Feng is also a poet. Her writing is beautiful. 

The novel got off to a slow start for me, admittedly, but I was soon lost in the lives of the characters and felt a part of their world. While Junie's story is an integral part of the novel, I was most drawn to her parents' story and that of Dawn's during the time of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. I felt for each of them at various parts in the novel, angry on their behalf and wishing and wanting more for each of them while hoping for the best--that they would find their peace. I wanted that so much for each of them. There is a twist near the end that has left me a bit unsettled. I wish the author had gone in another direction, but it is her story to tell, not mine. Overall, I found Swimming Back to Trout River a worthwhile read. If you are prone to crying like I am, have a box of tissue handy. 

Challenges Met: 2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge & Spring COYER Challenge 

*                         *                         *

The air beneath Evelyn's paper mask is hot and damp, and even though a shaft of sunlight from the open barn door reveals sawdust swirling in the air, she pulls the mask up to her forehead and allows herself a breath of cool air.  ~ Opening of The Memory Collectors

The Memory Collectors by Kim Neville
Atria Books, 2021
Fiction/Magical Realism; 400 pgs

Source: Complimentary copy of the novel provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Imagine being able to hold an object and feel the emotions left behind by its previous owner. That is what it is like for Ev and Harriet. Ev has always felt this ability was a curse. It could destroy lives. As a result, she prefers to live without many belongings around her, moves frequently, and when searching for items to sell at Vancouver's Chinatown market, she will only sell items that give off positive or neutral emotions, not wanting to out any more negativity out there than already exists. She knows all too well what that negativity can do and how much it can hurt. While Ev is still at the beginning of her life, Harriet is at the end. She too can feel the emotions of the objects she collects, but instead of letting go, she holds onto them. Her apartment is full, her neighbors getting sick from the overabundance of emotions leaking from Harriet's home. 

When Harriet meets Ev, she knows the time has come to see her dream realized. Although reluctant, Ev agrees to help, desperate for money, and hoping Harriet might help her learn to control her ability better. The two women set out to create a museum of memory, one in which visitors will find their emotional wounds healed. When Ev's sister enters the picture, the fragile balance the two women have found begins to shift and they are all forced to face the past as old secrets come back to haunt them. 

While not a fast-paced read, more the type of book a reader will want to take their time to read and savor, I did find it hard to put down once I got into it. Both Ev and Harriet are clearly in pain, lonely souls, trying to survive in a world that often overwhelms them. Ev has a lot of edges and given her past, it is understandable. She and her sister grew up in foster care and because of her gift, Ev does not like to get close to anyone. Harriet has her own secrets she's kept buried and at the same time is very needy. It makes the two women's relationship contentious at times. While I never fully connected with either Ev or Harriet, I still felt for and rooted for them. My favorite character of all was Owen. I liked him instantly and continued to throughout the novel. He and Ev had built a sort of friendship since they were both scavengers. He is also an artist and I love that Harriet took him in to help with her project. He seems to bring a balance between Ev and Harriet. 

The Memory Collectors was not quite the book I expected it to be. The relationships between the characters play an important part, of course, but there is also mystery that I had not expected--at least not as it played out. Both Ev and Harriet need each other to help the other learn how to come to terms with and control their abilities. As Ev had learned as a child, the gift could be a dangerous thing. 

I liked the concept behind Ev and Harriet's ability to sense emotion of objects. It plays nicely into Marie Kondo's notion of throwing out items that don't bring a person joy on the surface of it. I couldn't help but think of my mom's last visit when we were talking about downsizing and what my brother and I might like to have of hers. We talked about how those items that hold memories are the most valuable to us. And memories are closely wrapped in feeling.  After finishing The Memory Collectors, I found myself holding certain items I picked up a little longer just to see if I could pick up any feelings from them. 

Challenge Met: Spring COYER Challenge

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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? (Bones, June & 5 SciFi/Fantasy Novels by AAPI Authors on my TBR Pile)

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.

It is not only in our brains that the memories of our lives are laid down. The adult human skeleton is made up of over two hundred bones and each has its own story to share. Some will tell it willingly to anyone who cares to ask; others guard it jealously until a deft, persistent scientific investigator cajoles them into revealing their truths. [from the introduction of Written in Bone by Sue Black]

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.

But there are times when we are able to reunite an infant who died at birth with their name, even many years later. It was the clavicle again that assisted us in the case of a baby whose body was found in very sad circumstances. A woman walked into the a police station in Midlands one day and informed the desk sergeant that, twenty years before, she had miscarried a child in late pregnancy. She was unmarried and, having concealed her pregnancy from everyone, she felt she could never confess to the stillbirth. [excerpt from 56% of Written in Bone by Sue Black]

I am behind with my nonfiction reading reading and so plucked Written in Bone: Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind by Sue Black off my TBR shelf to read. I am only about a quarter of the way through the book so far but am finding it very interesting. I was at first reluctant to share the excerpt from 56% of the book because the subject matter might be triggering for some. I have not read more and so do not know if the woman's account matches the findings, but, on the surface, this excerpt is a reminder of the stigma and, as a result, shame attached to having a child out of wedlock all those years ago (and which still exists today in some circles, sadly). Not to mention that it was once considered a crime (and may still be in certain places).

Our bones are the silent witnesses to the lives we lead. Our stories are marbled into their marrow.

Drawing upon her years of research and a wealth of remarkable experience, the world-renowned forensic anthropologist Professor Dame Sue Black takes us on a journey of revelation. From skull to feet, via the face, spine, chest, arms, hands, pelvis and legs, she shows that each part of us has a tale to tell. What we eat, where we go, everything we do leaves a trace, a message that waits patiently for months, years, sometimes centuries, until a forensic anthropologist is called upon to decipher it.

Some of this information is easily understood, some holds its secrets tight and needs scientific cajoling to be released. But by carefully piecing together the evidence, the facts of a life can be rebuilt. Limb by limb, case by case – some criminal, some historical, some unaccountably bizarre – Sue Black reconstructs with intimate sensitivity and compassion the hidden stories in what we leave behind. [Goodreads Summary]

Does Written in Bone sound like something you would be interested in reading?  What 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)

Five years ago this year I was reading June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, a dual narrative novel about a twenty-five year old woman who discovers she may be sole heir to a legendary actor's fortune, a man she's never met or even knew had been part of her grandmother's past. The actor's daughters show up on her doorstep, wanting to know who it is who is stealing their inheritance from them. Together the women start digging into the past, bringing us the story of two best friends, June and Lindie, in 1955 when Hollywood came to town to film a movie.  In my review of the novel five years ago, I wrote:  

June has a bit of everything from a family saga, to romance to mystery and dual narratives, taking readers from the present back to 1955. There is drama and heartache. Hope and family. I was entranced as I read. I didn't want the story to end. And yet, what a great ending it was. I honestly didn't expect to be as taken with June as I was. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Have you read June or anything else by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore? If so, what did you think? What were you reading around this time five years ago? 

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 Islander descent for the month.  Not all of these authors are American nor are their books all set in the U.S. Earlier in the week, I shared my thoughts on Zen Cho's Black Water Sister, and so today I thought I would list five other fantasy/science fiction novels currently on my TBR shelves waiting to be read: 

The Poppy War (#1) by R.F. Kuang

A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.

When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late. [Goodreads Summary]

We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen

An extraordinary and emotional adventure about unlikely friends and the power of choosing who you want to be.

Jamie woke up in an empty apartment with no memory and only a few clues to his identity, but with the ability to read and erase other people’s memories—a power he uses to hold up banks to buy coffee, cat food and books.

Zoe is also searching for her past, and using her abilities of speed and strength…to deliver fast food. And she’ll occasionally put on a cool suit and beat up bad guys, if she feels like it.

When the archrivals meet in a memory-loss support group, they realize the only way to reveal their hidden pasts might be through each other. As they uncover an ongoing threat, suddenly much more is at stake than their fragile friendship. With countless people at risk, Zoe and Jamie will have to recognize that sometimes being a hero starts with trusting someone else—and yourself. [Goodreads Summary]

The Gilded Wolves (#1) by Roshani Chokshi

From New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi comes a novel set in Paris during a time of extraordinary change--one that is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous desires...

It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.

Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history--but only if they can stay alive. [Goodreads Summary]

Skyhunter (#1) by Marie Lu

In a world broken by war, a team of young warriors is willing to sacrifice everything to save what they love.

The Karensa Federation has conquered a dozen countries, leaving Mara as one of the last free nations in the world. Refugees flee to its borders to escape a fate worse than death—transformation into mutant war beasts known as Ghosts, creatures the Federation then sends to attack Mara.

The legendary Strikers, Mara's elite fighting force, are trained to stop them. But as the number of Ghosts grows and Karensa closes in, defeat seems inevitable.

Still, one Striker refuses to give up hope.

Robbed of her voice and home, Talin Kanami knows firsthand the brutality of the Federation. Their cruelty forced her and her mother to seek asylum in a country that considers their people repugnant. She finds comfort only with a handful of fellow Strikers who have pledged their lives to one another and who are determined to push Karensa back at all costs.

When a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. Is he a spy from the Federation? Or could he be the weapon that will save them all? [Goodreads Summary]

Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) by Julie Kagawa

One thousand years ago, a wish was made to the Harbinger of Change and a sword of rage and lightning was forged. Kamigoroshi. The Godslayer. It had one task: to seal away the powerful demon Hakaimono.

Now he has broken free.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has one task: to take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple in order to prevent the summoning of the Harbinger of Change, the great Kami Dragon who will grant one wish to whomever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, who for centuries was trapped in a cursed sword, has escaped and possessed the boy she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.

Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with the Master of Demons in order to break the curse of the sword and set himself free. To overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness, they need one thing: the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos. [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think? I really liked Shadow of the Fox by Kagawa and need to dive back into the trilogy. 

 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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