Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Waiting to Read Wednesday: Everything I Never Told You/The Witch's Kind/The Last Year of the War

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!

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (Penguin Press, 2014)

Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.

So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos.

A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: This one got a lot of great reviews when it came out and the premise certainly got my attention. It sat on my wish list for awhile, but I couldn't resist eventually buying it for myself so I would have it handy when I was ready to read it.

Have you read this one? If so, what did you think? What book has been lingering on your shelf for a while that you want to read?

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 Witch's Kind by Louisa Morgan

Release Date: March 19, 2019 by Orbit

From the author of A Secret History of Witches comes an absorbing tale of love, sacrifice, family ties, and magic, set in the Pacific Northwest in the aftermath of World War II -- perfect for fans of Practical Magic, The Witch's Daughter, and A Discovery of Witches.

Barrie Anne Blythe and her aunt Charlotte have always known that the other residents of their small coastal community find them peculiar -- two women living alone on the outskirts of town. It is the price of concealing their strange and dangerous family secret.

But two events threaten to upend their lives forever. The first is the arrival of a mysterious abandoned baby with a hint of power like their own. The second is the sudden reappearance of Barrie Anne's long-lost husband -- who is not quite the man she thought she married.

Together, Barrie Anne and Charlotte must decide how far they are willing to go to protect themselves -- and the child they think of as their own -- from suspicious neighbors, the government, and even their own family... [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this one: World War II, a family secret, and witches . . . I cannot resist this one!

The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner

Release Date: March 19, 2019 by Berkley

Elise Sontag is a typical Iowa fourteen-year-old in 1943--aware of the war but distanced from its reach. Then her father, a legal U.S. resident for nearly two decades, is suddenly arrested on suspicion of being a Nazi sympathizer. The family is sent to an internment camp in Texas, where, behind the armed guards and barbed wire, Elise feels stripped of everything beloved and familiar, including her own identity.

The only thing that makes the camp bearable is meeting fellow internee Mariko Inoue, a Japanese-American teen from Los Angeles, whose friendship empowers Elise to believe the life she knew before the war will again be hers. Together in the desert wilderness, Elise and Mariko hold tight the dream of being young American women with a future beyond the fences. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: Another World War II themed book that I just cannot resist wanting to read!

Do these interest you too? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to getting your hands on and reading?

© 2019, 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.

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Bookish Thoughts: This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber

They say when you are about to die your entire life passes before your eyes in a flurry of poignant images, but all I could think of, rather absurdly, was that I should have worn the blue hat. ~ Opening of This Side of Murder

This Side of Murder (Verity Kent, #1) by Anna Lee Huber

Kensington, 2017

Crime Fiction/Historical; 289 pgs

This Side of Murder is the first in a new series by author Anna Lee Huber, set in 1919 England. Verity Kent is a war widow, having lost her husband like so many other brides to the war. When she receives an invitation to the engagement party of one of her husband’s best friends, Verity respectfully declines. The last thing she wants is to be surrounded by sympathetic looks and condolences. A cryptic letter from an anonymous source, however, makes her change her mind. Could her husband have really been guilty of treason? Verity cannot let that go. She does not believe it and will not stop until she finds out who sent her the message and what it means.

Umbersea Island proved to be the perfect location for this mystery—isolated, beautiful, and with a storm brewing on the horizon soon to hit land. The first thing Verity notices upon her arrival and meeting of the other guests is just how odd the guest list is. Many of the men had served together during the war, each carrying their own share of dark memories. As Verity puts on her charm and uses the skills she picked up while in the secret service during the war, she soon learns that there is an especially dark secret someone wants to keep hidden. When the first body turns up, her suspicions are more than confirmed. She joins forces with another guest to uncover the truth, not quite trusting even him.

This Side of Murder is my first novel by Anna Lee Huber who is popular among my friends for her Darby mystery series. The author takes her time to set up the mystery, giving the reader the chance to get to know Verity a bit. I liked her instantly and had a good feeling about the novel from the start. I like my mystery heroine to have backbone, be resourceful, observant, and have a good head on her shoulder—and Verity had all of that and more. She has an interesting backstory that almost made me wonder if the author had written about her before (I don’t believe she has). It is something I hope the author will explore in later books in the series—female secret agents during the war are something that have long intrigued me.

The impact of war on the psyche is not something that can easily be dismissed. I like that Huber did not gloss over it in her novel. Each of her characters has been touched by the war in some way, often in different ways, and feel like genuine people. Verity herself has been affected by the war, not only in the role she played, but also in her love for a soldier and his ultimate death. Her grief is palpable. Even though 15 months have passed since she received that fateful telegram, we are reminded that the loss of a loved one isn’t something easily overcome—if at all.

The mystery itself was well played out. As Verity begins to fit the pieces to the puzzle laying before her together, the picture became clearer to me as well. There are a couple of big plot twists I did not see coming (is saying so a spoiler? Sorry if it is.), one of which I am still not sure about how I feel. Or maybe I do know, but I have mixed feelings. Tense, atmospheric, and very Christie-esque make a winning combination.

If Anna Lee Huber’s other books are as good as This Side of Murder, I have a lot to look forward to. Thank you to my husband for giving me this book for Christmas!

Anna Lee Huber is the Daphne award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries, the Verity Kent Mysteries, and the Gothic Myths series, as well as the forthcoming anthology The Deadly Hours. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in music and minored in psychology. She currently resides in Indiana with her family and is hard at work on her next novel.

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

Thursday, February 21, 2019

Where Is Your Bookmark? (A Peek Into Judy Moody and the Right Royal Tea Party)

Brr. It is cold outside. There was actually snow on the hill near where I work. The one with the big "M" on it. This area usually does not see snow that low. One weather report said it might actually snow in town. We have certainly had a lot of rain, and now with the freezing temperatures, who knows? It would be a rare treat for Mouse! She's always wishing we could visit the snow.

As for books . . .

Mouse and I make regular visits to the library and one of our most recent library reads together was Judy Moody and the Right Royal Tea Party (#14) by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. We took turns reading the book to each other this week after work and school. This is our second Judy Moody book.

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.

Judy Moody had been Doctor Judy, M.D. She had been Judy Monarch Moody and Madame M-for-Moody. She had been a Girl Detective and a Mood Martian.She had even gotten a picture of her famous elbow in the newspaper.

But, she, Judy Moody, had never been a queen.

My thoughts: I have a feeling that is about to change . . . Judy Moody is a very imaginative girl, which is something my little one can definitely relate to.

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.

Stink stopped digging. He tossed down his shovel. "I'm tired of digging."

"But you hardly--"

I'm going over to Webster's for a thumb-wrestling match."

"Fine," said Judy. "But don't think when you come home all sweaty you're going to swim in my moat!" [pg 56]

My thoughts: Every queen needs a castle with a moat. This is a fun book.

Does this sound like something you would read?

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's your favourite bookish accessory that's NOT a book? (submitted by Angelica @ Paperback Princess)

This is a tough one. Choosing my e-reader probably doesn't count--but technically, it isn't a book--it just holds a lot of books inside. I could talk about my book mark collection. Then there's my husband's suggestion, which would be my "worm" light (a little reading light that hooks to any book I might be reading at night in the dark). He also brought up my cloth book cover with handles that is handy for carrying my physical books around. There's the necklace my husband gave me with a Pride and Prejudice quote on it (“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”). Oh, and I love my tote with my favorite Jane Eyre quote on it (“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will.”). There's my Agatha Christie earrings, which are too heavy for my ears, but I love them anyway. But what of the many afghans and blankets I have lying around the house for cuddling under when I want to curl up somewhere and read? Do those count as bookish accesories--maybe not, but they sure make reading more comfortable! I am afraid I just can't decide!

What about you?

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

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Waiting to Read Wednesday: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe/The True Queen/A Dangerous Collaboration

The Old(er)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle and Dante, #1) by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (Simon & Schuster, 2012)

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common.
But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I have wanted to read this since I first heard about it, mostly because all the buzz surrounding it. I finally got my hands on a copy a couple years ago, but it remains unread. Hopefully one of these days!

Have you read this one? If so, what did you think? What book has been lingering on your shelf for a while that you want to read?

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.

True Queen (Sorcerer Royal #2) by Zen Cho

Release Date: March 12, 2019 by Ace

In the follow-up to the "delightful" regency fantasy novel (NPR.org) Sorcerer to the Crown, a young woman with no memories of her past finds herself embroiled in dangerous politics in England and the land of the fae.

When sisters Muna and Sakti wake up on the peaceful beach of the island of Janda Baik, they can’t remember anything, except that they are bound as only sisters can be. They have been cursed by an unknown enchanter, and slowly Sakti starts to fade away. The only hope of saving her is to go to distant Britain, where the Sorceress Royal has established an academy to train women in magic.

If Muna is to save her sister, she must learn to navigate high society, and trick the English magicians into believing she is a magical prodigy. As she's drawn into their intrigues, she must uncover the secrets of her past, and journey into a world with more magic than she had ever dreamed. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this one: This is the week for series I wish I was caught up in. I have the first book, and haven't yet read it, and this one is a reminder that I need to make time for it. True Queen sounds just as good.

A Dangerous Collaboration (Veronica Speedwell #4) by Deanna Raybourn
Release Date: March 12, 2019 by Berkley

Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell is whisked off to a remote island off the tip of Cornwall when her natural historian colleague Stoker's brother calls in a favor. On the pretext of wanting a companion to accompany him to Lord Malcolm Romilly's house party, Tiberius persuades Veronica to pose as his fiancée--much to Stoker's chagrin. But upon arriving, it becomes clear that the party is not as innocent as it had seemed. Every invited guest has a connection to Romilly's wife, Rosamund, who disappeared on her wedding day three years ago, and a dramatic dinner proves she is very much on her husband's mind.

As spectral figures, ghostly music, and mysterious threats begin to plague the partygoers, Veronica enlists Stoker's help to discover the host's true motivations. And as they investigate, it becomes clear that there are numerous mysteries surrounding the Romilly estate, and every person present has a motive to kill Rosamund... [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: If Deanna Raybourn's name isn't enough it's that I really really want to read this series.

Do either of these interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to getting your hands on and reading?

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Where Is Your Bookmark? (A Peek Into Stars Uncharted)

I started reading my February TBR poll winner, Stars Uncharted by S.K. Dunstall, this week, and is it ever good!

A ragtag band of explorers are looking to make the biggest score in the galaxy in the brand-new science fiction adventure novel from the national bestselling author of Linesman.
Three people who are not who they claim to be:
Nika Rik Terri, body modder extraordinaire, has devoted her life to redesigning people's bodies right down to the molecular level. Give her a living body and a genemod machine, and she will turn out a work of art.
Josune Arriola is crew on the famous explorer ship the Hassim, whose memory banks contain records of unexplored worlds worth a fortune. But Josune and the rest of the crew are united in their single-minded pursuit of the most famous lost planet of all.
Hammond Roystan, the captain of the rival explorer ship, The Road, has many secrets. Some believe one of them is the key to finding the lost world.
Josune's captain sends her to infiltrate Roystan's ship, promising to follow. But when the Hassim exits nullspace close to Roystan's ship, it's out of control, the crew are dead, and unknown Company operatives are trying to take over. Narrowly escaping and wounded, Roystan and Josune come to Nika for treatment--and with problems of her own, she flees with them after the next Company attack.
Now they're in a race to find the lost world...and stay alive long enough to claim the biggest prize in the galaxy. [Goodreads Summary]

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

The first thing Nika noticed about the man who buzzed the studio bell was his scar.

My initial thought: Has trouble just walked in the door?

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.

Roystan looked at Snow and Carlos, running out with the rockets. She saw the struggle on his face as he looked at her, and thought he was going to argue, but he didn't. Instead, he clapped her on the shoulder. [56%]

My thoughts: I have yet to reach this spot in the novel, but it sounds like they are in another tight spot.

Have you ever thought about taking a break from blogging? If you have, how long was the break and what did you learn from it? (submitted by Danielle @ PoetryBooksYA)

Oh goodness. I have taken quite a few breaks from blogging throughout the years. Some intentional and some not. Early on in my blogging career, I would plan posts ahead of time if I knew I was going to be away from my blog. I even asked for and posted guest posts to cover a couple of those times. That got to be more work than it was worth though. Usually I plan breaks when I have something going on that I know will keep me away from the computer: a family vacation, out of town company, family obligations, or just when I needed some time off from blogging to catch up and regroup.

I think my longest break from blogging was right around the time my daughter was born. Suddenly my world was upended, and my priorities shifted. It wasn't an intentional break, even my reading suffered significantly. I slowly regained momentum, although never quite like it was during my early years of blogging. I had to find my new normal, balancing being a wife, mother, professional, and life in general.

At first I would feel guilty when I could not spend as much time blogging--or even reading--as I might like. Somewhere in there though, I accepted my new normal. Completely stopping looking at my blog stats helped too. All those many blogger "rules" out there (some of which are contradictory)? I threw them out the window. I do what works best for me and my lifestyle. I am not always the most consistent blogger, and I may take a planned or unplanned break now and then, but I am okay with that.

I am still working on not stressing sometimes when I am not able to keep up with comments or comment on other blogs in a timely fashion . . .

What about you?

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