Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Saturday, March 03, 2018

Weekly Mews: New Audiobooks, Finally Some Rain, and My March TBR List Poll

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.

How are you all this weekend? Today was all about dance--and singing. It was the start of The Wizard of Oz rehearsals. And this evening we picked up the cookies Mouse will be selling at tomorrow's booth sale at a local grocery store. Her troop still is on schedule for a few more before the middle of the month when Girl Scout cookie season ends, but this is Mouse's last booth. To say I am relieved is an understatement. As I was loading cookies boxes into my car, it started raining on us. Big fat drops. Oh, how I love the rain! Hopefully though it will be dry for us tomorrow while the girls are out selling cookies tomorrow.

I will be scarce for a couple of weeks, both here and around the blogosphere, although I do plan to post the winner of my March TBR poll next weekend. I hope you all have a great week and are able to fit in lots of reading time. I cannot wait to see which book you pick for me to read!

New to My Shelves:

Audible had a sale recently, and I picked up a few audiobooks:

House of Names by Colm Tóibín, narrated by Juliet Stevenson, Charlie Anson, Pippa Nixon

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel, narrated by Brittany Pressley

A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson, narrated by Alex Jennings

Himself by Jess Kidd, narrated by Aiden Kelly

Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes, narrated by Christine Lakin, Terra Deva, Sunil Mohatra, Robert Morgan Fisher, J.D. Jackson

An e-book deal I couldn't pass up (I mean, look at that cover--it speaks to me):

Witch's Reign by Shannon Mayer

What I Am Reading: I currently am in the middle of The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez, which I am enjoying quite a bit. It's such a poignant book, and is very timely given current politics and events.

What I Am Watching: Between The Wizard of Oz and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I am not sure which movie I have seen the most recently.

I am all caught up with the second season of Travelers. It picked up after the first couple episodes, and I began to remember what had happened in the first season. I also watched the second season of Stranger Things, which I just love. I know the second season is getting some flack, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also finally got to watch the movie A Man Called Ove. I read and loved the book a couple years ago, and the movie was just as emotional for me.

What I Am Worried About: I feel like a broken record, but I am still worried about my mom. It has been bad news after bad news. Hopefully we will get some good news soon in regards to her health.

What I Am Looking Forward To: Mouse's birthday. It does not seem possible she will be seven years old. She caught me throwing a American Girl doll catalog into the recycle bin and has been cutting out pictures for me, telling me she wants them all for her birthday. In a sweet moment at bed-time the other night, however, Mouse told me all she really wants is a photo of our family in a homemade frame. Now that I can afford!

What I Am Grateful For: Hot cocoa on a cold night, a good book, a daughter who loves to cuddle, and a husband who is willing to stand in at the cookie booth so I can run last minute birthday errands for our daughter (and to give me a break).

This Week In Reading Mews:

Tell me about 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 a meme 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, and my review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise).

I had a hard time settling on three books for this month's poll. There are just too many choices, and I am not quite sure what kind of reading mood I am in at the moment. After going over my TBR pile, I decided on these three--I guess I am in a particular reading mood after all. What do you think? Which one should I read this month?

The Storm King by Brendan Duffy

Haunted by dark secrets and an unsolved mystery, a young doctor returns to his isolated Adirondacks hometown in a tense, atmospheric novel in the vein of Michael Koryta and Harlan Coben.

Burying the past only gives it strength--and fury.

Nate McHale has assembled the kind of life most people would envy. After a tumultuous youth marked by his inexplicable survival of a devastating tragedy, Nate left his Adirondack hometown of Greystone Lake and never looked back. Fourteen years later, he's become a respected New York City surgeon, devoted husband, and loving father.

Then a body is discovered deep in the forests that surround Greystone Lake.

This disturbing news finally draws Nate home. While navigating a tense landscape of secrets and suspicion, resentments and guilt, Nate reconnects with estranged friends and old enemies, and encounters strangers who seem to know impossible things about him. Haunting every moment is the Lake's sinister history and the memory of wild, beautiful Lucy Bennett, with whom Nate is forever linked by shattering loss and youthful passion.

As a massive hurricane bears down on the Northeast, the air becomes electric, the clouds grow dark, and escalating acts of violence echo events from Nate's own past. Without a doubt, a reckoning is coming--one that will lay bare the lies that lifelong friends have told themselves and unleash a vengeance that may consume them all. [Goodreads Summary]

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself. [Goodreads Summary]

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants--the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it's located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming--until one of them mysteriously disappears. . . .

Vermont, 2014. As much as she's tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister's death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister's boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can't shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past--and a voice that won't be silenced. . . . [Goodreads Summary]

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

© 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.

Thursday, March 01, 2018

Where Is Your Bookmark? (a peek into The Book of Unknown Americans)

My husband mentioned tonight that he and Mouse were talking tonight about the new book that popped up on my husband's Kindle. "Your mom is buying e-books again that she already owns." I had to correct him, of course. I don't actually own the hardcover copy I am reading right now. It's from my Going Postal mail group. And honestly, I don't do it that often. It gets expensive! I just thought maybe I might get more reading done if I could read it on my phone or Kindle, especially since I had a deadline. Besides, it's a book worth owning.

At the moment I am reading The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez, and enjoying it quite a bit. (The book photo will take you to the book's Goodreads page.)

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.

Back then, all we wanted was the simplest things: to eat good food, to sleep at night, to smile, to laugh, to be well. We felt it was our right, as much as it was anyone's, to have those things. Of couse, when I think about it now, I see that I was naive, I was blinded by the swell of hope and the promise of possibility. I assumed that everything that would go wrong in our lives already had.

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.

"I have two boys," she said. "Both of them were born there, Enrique, my oldest is always at college on a soccer scholarship. And there's Mayor, who you met. He's nothing at all like his brother. Rafa thinks we might have taken the wrong baby home from the hospital." She forced a smile. "Just a joke, of course." [pg 56]

What do you think? Does this sound like something you would be interested in reading?

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

February 2018 in Review

Usually February is the longest month of the year for me. I am not sure why--I mean, it is actually the shortest month. This year though it seemed to go by at a fairly clip pace. I think a lot of that had to do with just how busy I was. With mandatory training at work and still being short staffed on top of it being the busiest time of year work volume wise, pressures are still high. Girl Scout Cookie sales are still very much under way. Girl Scout meetings, karate, and dance kept us running around.

It was a month of good news and bad news for Mouse. She learned her Girl Scout troop will be disbanding at the end of the season. With a couple families moving away and another couple whose families are growing, there aren't enough girls staying to make it possible for us to stay together. Mouse is heartbroken as she really loves her troop. That news is tempered, however, by the fact that she may be able to join the troop of a friend she's known since infancy. It is in the next town over, so not exactly ideal, but it is the most viable option for us. Having to work around my work schedule can be an obstacle in and of itself.

Also in Mouse news, Mouse auditioned for The Wizard of Oz this past Saturday. The cast list came out Tuesday, and Mouse is beyond excited (and I am hoping my hair doesn't turn completely gray in the next few months). Our dance class schedule will be full from now until the summer production. Unfortunately, Mouse will have to discontinue karate for the time being as a result. Mouse will be playing both a munchkin and a flying monkey. She was not too sure about the monkey given it's a bad gal role, but I think we've worked through her concerns.

For those of you following my mother's exploits, she spent a week in Greece earlier this month and had a marvelous time. I do not think she wanted to come back. It was a much needed break for her. Her visit with the oncologist and more tests this past week did not bring good news, however. She and her doctors had hoped to start the radiation treatment this next month, but that isn't a possibility at this time due to the new findings. My mom remains optimistic, but I think we are all feeling frustrated as well. Both of my grandmothers and at least two of my great grandmothers suffered from breast cancer too. Not only am I worried about my mom, but, I cannot help but how much higher my own chances are of developing it.

Blogging wise, it was a rather lax month here at Musings of a Bookish Kitty. I have not had much time to devote to the computer, which translates into not being able to polish and prep posts. And frankly, when I did have a moment to blog, I often decided I would rather read instead. When the reading mood strikes, it's best not to ignore it. Besides, it helps calm my brain, which has been working overtime as of late.

As for my reading, February seemed to the series continuation month. The majority of my reading was picking back up with beloved series. Thanks to all of you who voted in my February TBR List Poll, I finally dived into Anne Bishop's Marked in Flesh, which I loved. I could not help but also read the two other books up for vote in the poll though, and followed Bishop's book up with both of those. It turned out that it was another great reading month for me over all. Not a dud in the bunch! The downside is that my reading has fallen off a bit since I finished Weiss's book. Part of it is not having a lot of time to devote to reading with all the craziness that is going on right now. Hopefully it will not last.

Here is what I finished reading in February:

Solely For Me:

Sweep in Peace (Innkeeper Chronicles, #2) by Ilona Andrews
One Fell Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles, #3) by Ilona Andrews
The Prime Minister's Secret Agent (Maggie Hope, #4) by Susan Elia MacNeal
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
Marked in Flesh (The Others, #4) by Anne Bishop
The Lost Plot (Invisible Library, #4) by Genevieve Cogman
Pressed to Death (Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, #2) by Kirsten Weiss

Some of the Books I Read With My Daughter (Guess which ones we read over and over again.):

The Princess and the Pizza by Mary Jane Auch and Herm Auch
You! by Sandra Magsamen
The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton
A Library Book for Bear by Bonny Becker and Kady MacDonald Denton
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek and Christine Roussey
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas and Helen Oxenbury
Max the Brave by Ed Vere

Book Reviews Posted in February (but not necessarily read in February):

Non-Book Review Posts in Feburary:

Challenge & Read-Along Updates:

#COYER Winter Switch ~

The Strict:

Mrs. Claus: Not the Fairy Tale They Say edited by Rhonda Parrish
Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley
The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams
Claws For Concern by Miranda James
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

The List:

Sunday Sugar by Q. Gibson
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Vanished (Black Hat Series, #4) by Karen E. Olson
Clean Sweep Chronicles, #1) by Ilona Andrews
Sweep in Peace (Innkeeper Chronicles, #2) by Ilona Andrews
One Fell Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles, #3) by Ilona Andrews
The Prime Minister's Secret Agent (Maggie Hope, #4) by Susan Elia MacNeal

The One With a Twist (so far):

Marked in Flesh (The Others, #4) by Anne Bishop
The Lost Plot (Invisible Library, #4) by Genevieve Cogman
Pressed to Death (Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, #2) by Kirsten Weiss

I am doing about as well as I hoped with the COYER Winter Switch, thankfully. I did better on the list portion than I anticipated. The final phase, The One With a Twist, will be ending on March 9 so I have a little more time to fit something else in.

What's In A Name Reading Challenge ~ No new progress to report.

The Grand World of Books Reviews Bingo ~ No new progress to report.

Unruly Reader Bingo ~ No new progress to report.

2018 Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge ~ I have read three books so far to go towards this challenge.

Clean Sweep Chronicles, #1) by Ilona Andrews
Sweep in Peace (Innkeeper Chronicles, #2) by Ilona Andrews
One Fell Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles, #3) by Ilona Andrews

2018 Discussion Post Challenge ~ I did not manage a discussion post this month.

2018 Blog All About It Challenge ~ It was all about "red" in February, and I posted a list of some of favorite things that come to mind when I think of the color red. (Blog All About It: Red)

Les Misérables Read-Along ~ I started off the month ahead and slipped behind before catch up again. I am back to being all caught up now. I find I prefer to read this one right before bed when I can swing it. I find it very calming and engaging.

War and Peace Read-Along ~ If only this was as easy to read as Les Misérables. I am a little behind, but not too far.

Throwback Thursday Photo of Mouse and our cat Parker

How was your February overall? How did your February shape up reading wise? What was your favorite book you read in February? What have you been up to?

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. (The event picture will take you directly to Nicole's wrap up sign-up for February.)

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Wishing for Wednesday: Death of an Unsung Hero & The Witch Doesn't Burn In This One

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by 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. (Based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.)

Death of an Unsung Hero by Tess Arlen (320 pgs)
Release Date: March 13, 2018 by Minotaur

Lady Montfort and her pragmatic housekeeper Mrs. Jackson investigate a murder of a WWI officer with amnesia in the 20th-century English countryside.

Building on the success of her last three mysteries in the same series, Tessa Arlen returns us to the same universe in Death of an Unsung Hero with more secrets, intrigue, and charming descriptions of the English countryside.

In 1916, the world is at war and the energetic Lady Montfort has persuaded her husband to offer the dower house to the War Office as an auxiliary hospital for officers recovering from shell-shock with their redoubtable housekeeper Mrs. Jackson contributing to the war effort as the hospital’s quartermaster.

Despite the hospital’s success, the farming community of Haversham, led by the Monfort’s neighbor Sir Winchell Meacham, does not approve of a country-house hospital for men they consider to be cowards. When Sir Evelyn Bray, one of the patients, is found lying face down in the garden with his head bashed in, both Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson have every reason to fear that the War Office will close their hospital. Once again the two women unite their diverse talents to discover who would have reason to murder a war hero suffering from amnesia. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: This is the 4th in the Lady Montfort series, which I adore. From the time period to the characters to the mysteries themselves. I am especially a fan of Mrs. Jackson, the housekeeper. I cannot wait to see what Lady Montfort drags Mrs. Jackson into this time!

The Witch Doesn't Burn In This One by Amanda Lovelace (208 pgs)
Release Date: March 6, 2018 by Andrews McMeel Publishing

The witch: supernaturally powerful, inscrutably independent, and now—indestructible. These moving, relatable poems encourage resilience and embolden women to take control of their own stories. Enemies try to judge, oppress, and marginalize her, but the witch doesn’t burn in this one. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: One of my personal goals this year is to read more poetry collections, and the title of this one was enough to grab my attention and make me want to read it. I have another collection by the author in my TBR pile at the moment, The Princess Saves Herself In This One. How can I resist an author whose books carry these titles?

Do either of these sound like something you would like to read too?

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Bookish Thoughts: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

The Summer King knelt before her. ~ Opening of Wicked Lovely

Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely, #1) by Melissa Marr
HarperTeen, 2007
Fantasy/YA; 328 pgs
Source: I own two copies of this book, one in print and one in e-form.

Imagine going your entire life having to pretend you cannot see an entire segment of society because to acknowledge them could be detrimental. Imagine being one of very few humans who can actually see them or know of their existence. Aislinn, or Ash as she prefers to be called, wishes she could not see them and that she was not privy to their very existence. There are three basic rules her grandmother has ingrained in her: “Don’t stare at invisible faeries”; “Don’t speak to invisible faeries”; and “Don’t ever attract their attention.”

Ash had followed the rules very closely all her life, but when Keenan, the Summer King, sets his sights on her, all of those rules fall apart. As Ash, helped by her best friend Seth, attempts to sidestep the King at every turn, Keenan’s pursuit of her intensifies. He must find his queen and defeat the Winter Queen who holds all the power and is upsetting the balance.

Melissa Marr has created a world that I instantly found myself transported to. The fae of her world are both charming and terrifying. They are mischievous and playful as well as cruel and powerful. To draw the eye of the King of Summer means the end of one’s human life as she knows it.

For all his charm and good looks, it took me a while to warm to Keenan. The more I learned about him and his predicament, the more I sympathized with him and his situation. He really is a nice person at heart, with the best of intentions. He is used to getting his way, and isn’t sure what to make of Ash, who seems to thwart his every attempt to romance her. He comes to see it as a challenge, and a sign that she truly is meant to be the Summer Queen.

Ash, who is used to trying to hiding her ability to see the faeries, is rightfully scared when she realizes all the precautions she’s taken are no longer working. She is my kind of heroine though—resourceful and smart.

I appreciated how quickly Seth came to believe Ash’s assertions about the faeries living among them, despite his not being able to see them. While in other cases I might find it too convenient, in this instance, I felt it fitting. It spoke to Seth’s devotion to Ash.

I most felt for Donia though, the human who had given her life to be with Keenan, only to be felled by the Winter Queen’s curse. Even above Ash, Seth, and Keenan, I found her to the most interesting character—and probably my favorite. There is a bit of mystery and power about her. She is the underdog who should not be underestimated.

It is obvious from the start that Ash has a crush on Seth, and he on her, despite her protestations that they are just friends. If I had to complain about anything in the book, it would be that Ash ignored the signs as long as she did. For those who do not like love triangles (I rolled my eyes at the thought about this coming into play in this one too), I feel it is worth it to continue anyway. I really liked the way everything played out in the end in that regard.

In case you get the impression this book is all romance, it is far from it. The struggle between the Summer King and the Winter Queen is quite intense, and Ash finds herself right in the middle of it all. It was hard to tear myself away from the book because I had to know how everything would play out.

Wicked Lovely reads much like how I imagine Marr’s faery world—a dash of comedy, a dollop of romance, all swirled in with the darker elements. I loved the author’s imagery of winter and summer in their fae forms, especially when the Summer King and Winter Queen were around. I found this first book in the trilogy to be entertaining and thrilling. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Thank you to all who voted for Wicked Lovely in my January TBR List Poll!

To learn more about Melissa Marr and her work, please visit the author on the her website and onTwitter.