Tuesday, June 30, 2015

It’s You by Jane Porter

It’s You
by Jane Porter

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Website
Blog
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter @authorjanep

Just released: June 2, 2015
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Historical, Women's Fiction
Paperback: 336 pages
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
For over a year following Andrew's death I showed up and performed and executed perfectly.

I handled that horrible year and the next few months so well that I'd begun to think the worst was behind me.

And then I got the note.

In the wake of a tragedy that tore her life down to the foundations, Dr. Alison McAdams has lost her way. So when she’s summoned to Napa to care for her ailing father, she’s not sure she has anything to offer him—or anyone else.

What Ali finds in Northern California wine country is a gift—an opportunity to rest, and distance from her painful memories. Most unexpectedly, she finds people who aren’t afraid of her grief or desperate for her to hurry up and move on.

As Ali becomes part of her father’s community, makes new friends of her own, and hears the stories of a generation who survived the Second World War, she begins to find hope again. In a quest to discover the truth about another woman’s lost love, she sets off on a journey across oceans and deep into history. And in making sense of that long-ago tragedy, Ali is able to put together the broken pieces of her heart and make new choices that are right for her.


My two-bits:

Along with a light romance, grief and elderly issues are part of this story. Each is handled and resolved with bits from the past. Historical aspects in this story include WWII memories of an American embassy translator and on the German resistance.

I liked how learning about the past propelled the main character to move forward in her life and to travel.

Added to my must-go places for foodies:

Fassbender & Rausch (chocolate) - Berlin, Germany

About the author:
Born in Visalia, California, I'm a small town girl at heart. I love central California's golden foothills, oak trees, and the miles of farmland. In my mind, there's nothing sweeter in the world than the heady fragrance of orange blossoms on a sultry summer night.

As a little girl I spent hours on my bed, staring out the window, dreaming of far off places, fearless knights, and happy-ever-after endings. In my imagination I was never the geeky bookworm with the thick coke-bottle glasses, but a princess, a magical fairy, a Joan-of-Arc crusader.

My parents fed my imagination by taking our family to Europe for a year when I was thirteen. The year away changed me (I wasn't a geek for once!) and overseas I discovered a huge and wonderful world with different cultures and customs. I loved everything about Europe, but felt especially passionate about Italy and those gorgeous Italian men (no wonder my first very Presents hero was Italian).

I confess, after that incredible year in Europe, the travel bug bit, and bit hard. I spent much of my high school and college years abroad, studying in South Africa, Japan and Ireland. South Africa remains a country of my heart, the people, the land and politics complex and heart-wrenching.

After my years of traveling and studying I had to settle down and earn a living. With my Bachelors degree from UCLA in American Studies, a program that combines American literature and American history, I've worked in sales and marketing, as well as a director of a non-profit foundation. Later I earned my Masters in Writing from the University of San Francisco and taught jr. high and high school English.

I now live in Seattle and Hawaii with my three sons. I never mind a rainy day, either, because that's when I sit at my desk and write stories about far-away places, fascinating people, and most importantly of all, love. I like a story with a happy ending. We all do.

~*~

* added to my COYER challenge/scavenger hunt (details)

* part of my Armchair Summer Travel (details) - check it out to enter Armchair Summer Travel Book Box Giveaway

* review copy courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015 (details). @booksparks #SRC2015
Destination: Travel up the west coast of California

Places mentioned include:
Scottsdale, AZ
Napa, CA
Berlin, Germany


Monday, June 29, 2015

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
by Morgan Matson

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Tumblr
Twitter @morgan_m

Published: 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA
Hardback: 352 pages
Rating: 5

First sentence:
I sat on the front steps of my house and watched the beige Subaru station wagon swing too quickly around the cul-de-sac.

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend.

Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.


My two-bits:

Road trip! Always love a good one and this one delivers.

This pair travels across country from California to Connecticut via the northern route. There are just the right amounts of sights, sounds, roadside attractions and food for that vicarious road trip experience.

Loved watching the growth of their friendship from acquaintance to couple by the end of the book. They both work through their individual issues with travel as a kind of therapy.

The book includes sprinklings of images of scrapbook-like memorabilia and music playlists that enhances the experience of this read.

Added a couple must-go places for foodies:
NuWay (crumbly burgers) - Wichita, KS
Brown Hotel (Kentucky hot brown and derby pie) - Louisville, KY

~*~

* added to my COYER challenge/scavenger hunt (details)

* part of my vvb32 reads book club (details)

Sunday, June 28, 2015

A Five Star Life (2013)

A Five Star Life (2013)
Directed by: Maria Sole Tognazzi
Screenplay by: Ivan Cotroneo
Francesca Marciano
Maria Sole Tognazzi
-Drama, Travel

Starring:
Margherita Buy as Irene Lorenzi
Stefano Accorsi as Andrea

My rating: 4.5

Per imdb:
Forty-something Irene had a dream job that made her life easy: she was indeed a luxury hotel inspector and her work got carried out in a wonderful ever-renewed setting, from Paris to Gstaad to Berlin to Morocco to China... But does a dream job necessarily mean a dream life?

Tagline:
This is your journey. The path is up to you.

PeekInside:



My two-bits:

Definitely a good one to watch to get an idea of what is involved it how five star luxury hotels are rated.

Within the travels between places, the main character ponders loneliness and love.

Especially loved this film because is had lots of scenes from these places:

Paris, France
Gstaad, Switzerland
San Casciano dei borghi, Italy
Borgo Egnazia, Italy
Marrakech, Morocco
Berlin, Germany
Shanghai, China

~*~

* part of my Armchair Summer Travel (details) - check it out to enter Armchair Summer Travel Book Box Giveaway

* source: view scene


Saturday, June 27, 2015

Stacking the Shelves - 6.27.15

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

Kindle freebie:

Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon
-Romance, Scotland
Amazon | Goodreads

=====> I read this and loved it years ago. And, just had to snag this when it was offered up for free on Amazon. Also love the original cover art.

For Review:

It’s You
by Jane Porter
-Women's Fiction
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Ross Poldark:
A Novel of Cornwall, 1783-1787
by Winston Graham
-Historical, Romance
courtesy of tour in July
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

Demelza:
A Novel of Cornwall, 1788-1790
by Winston Graham
-Historical, Romance
courtesy of tour in July
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

Library:

The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook: Wickedly Good Meals and Desserts to Die For
edited by Kate White
-cookbook
Amazon | Goodreads

Hard-boiled breakfasts, thrilling entrees, cozy desserts, and more--this illustrated cookbook features more than 100 recipes from legendary mystery authors. Whether you're planning a sinister dinner party or whipping up some comfort food perfect for a day of writing, you'll find plenty to savor in this cunning collection. Full-color photography is featured throughout, along with mischievous sidebars revealing the links between food and foul play. Contributors include Lee Child, Mary Higgins Clark, Harlan Coben, Nelson DeMille, Gillian Flynn, Sue Grafton, Charlaine Harris, James Patterson, Louise Penny, Scott Turow, and many more.

=====> I flipped through this and found yummy recipes mostly in the comfort food zone. Each recipe had an intro to the mystery author and their mystery genre specialty which I liked.

OTHER things on my shelf: kinda book-related

Thanks to Alexia's Books and Such... for introducing me to this fun video...


I'm Reading a Book by Julian Smith

AND binge watching:

Sons of Anarchy
tv series, season one
-crime, drama
Amazon | imdb

A man in his early 30s struggles to find a balance in his life between being a new dad and his involvement in a motorcycle club.

AND there is a comic series of this...

Sons of Anarchy #1
by Christopher Golden
illustrated by Damian Couceiro
-comic series, season one
Amazon | Goodreads

~*~

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Friday, June 26, 2015

Longbourn by Jo Baker

Longbourn
by Jo Baker

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter @JoBakerWriter

Published: 2013
Publisher: Vintage
Genre: Historical, Jane Austen, Romance
Paperback: 331 pages
Rating: 5

The servants take center stage in this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice. While Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters fuss over balls and husbands, Sarah, their orphaned housemaid, is beginning to chafe against the boundaries of her class. When a new footman arrives at Longbourn under mysterious circumstances, the carefully choreographed world she has known all her life threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.

Mentioned only fleetingly in Jane Austen’s classic, here Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Regency England and, in doing so, uncovers the real world of the novel that has captivated readers’ hearts around the world for generations.


My two-bits:

Loved how this story parallels Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and includes snippets from it.

The not so pleasant side of some of the P&P characters are revealed. And, we get a dose of just how bad Mr. Wickham can be. Eeek!

It was refreshing to read about the doings in the regency period from the servants perspectives. The nitty gritty household chores involved in running Longbourn was somewhat fascinating to read about.

We also get to see the kinds of love and romance amongst the lower class people of the time. The romantic experiences of the main character, Sarah, were just as fun to read about as Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice.

This story also goes a bit beyond Pride and Prejudice's storyline in that there is a glimpse into Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's household activities at Pemberley.

~*~

* listened to audio version

* added this to my Books On The Nightstand Bingo challenge (details) - square: Romance or Love Story

* added to COYER challenger/scavenger hunt (details)

Thursday, June 25, 2015

One Thing Stolen by Beth Kephart

One Thing Stolen
by Beth Kephart

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Facebook

Just released: April 14, 2015
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Genre: Illness, Italy, YA
Hardback: 272 pages
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
If you could see me. If you were near.
This, I would say.
Here.

Something is not right with Nadia Cara. While spending a year in Florence, Italy, she's become a thief. She has secrets. And when she tries to speak, the words seem far away. Nadia finds herself trapped by her own obsessions and following the trail of an elusive Italian boy whom only she has seen.

Can Nadia be rescued or will she simply lose herself altogether? Set against the backdrop of a glimmering city, One Thing Stolen is an exploration of obsession, art, and a rare neurological disorder. It is a celebration of language, beauty, imagination, and the salvation of love.


My two-bits:

This story had an artsy feel to it. There is a mix of past and present imagery of Florence, Italy. There are scenes that are disjointed which adds a mystery element that begs the question of what is real. There are moments that can be confusing and frustrating similar to what the protagonist experiences.

~*~

* review copy courtesy of publisher

* added to my COYER challenge/scavenger hunt (details)

* part of my Armchair Summer Travel (details) - check it out to enter Armchair Summer Travel Book Box Giveaway

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Summer Secrets by Jane Green

Summer Secrets
by Jane Green

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter @JaneGreen

Just released: July 2, 2015
Publisher: Macmillan
Genre: Women's Fiction
Hardback: 400 pages
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
Lord knows, most of the time, when I'm facing an evening on my own, I am absolutely fine.

June, 1998: At twenty seven, Catherine Coombs, also known as Cat, is struggling. She lives in London, works as a journalist, and parties hard. Her lunchtimes consist of several glasses of wine at the bar downstairs in the office, her evenings much the same, swigging the free booze and eating the free food at a different launch or party every night. When she discovers the identity of the father she never knew she had, it sends her into a spiral. She makes mistakes that cost her the budding friendship of the only women who have ever welcomed her. And nothing is ever the same after that.

June, 2014: Cat has finally come to the end of herself. She no longer drinks. She wants to make amends to those she has hurt. Her quest takes her to Nantucket, to the gorgeous summer community where the women she once called family still live. Despite her sins, will they welcome her again? What Cat doesn't realize is that these women, her real father's daughters, have secrets of their own. As the past collides with the present, Cat must confront the darkest things in her own life and uncover the depths of someone's need for revenge.


My two-bits:

The main character, Cat, goes through a slow transformation throughout the book in regards to dealing with alcoholism. However, because she is a likable character it was easy to empathize with her various predicaments. At times sad experiences, but needed for her growth.

I liked the split locations of this story. Both London (big city) and Nantucket (small island town) had their distinct vibes.

The meaning of family relationships is also emphasized in this story with some interesting reveals.

About the author:
Jane Green's fifteenth novel, Tempting Fate, is soon to be released; she is the author of fourteen previous New York Times Bestselling novels. Initially known for writing about single thirty-somethings, she has gone on to write mature stories about real women dealing with all the things life throws at them, with her trademark wisdom, wit and warmth.

A former feature writer for the Daily Express in the UK, Green took a leap in faith when she left, in 1996, to freelance and work on a novel. Seven months later, there was a bidding war for her first book, Straight Talking, the saga of a single career girl looking for the right man. The novel was an immediate top-ten bestseller in England, and Green was an overnight success.

Now in her forties, Green has graduated to more complex, character-driven novels that explore the concerns of real women's lives, from marriage (The Other Woman) to motherhood (Another Piece of My Heart) to divorce, stepchildren, affairs, and most recently, midlife crises (Family Pictures and Tempting Fate).

She joined the ABC News team to write A Modern Fairytale - their first enhanced digital book - about the history of Royal marriages, then joined ABC News Radio as a live correspondent covering Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton. She has written a micro-series for Dove starring Alicia Keyes, many short stories, and has contributed to various anthologies, as well as regularly appearing on television shows including Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart show, and The Today Show.

Together with writing books and blogs, she contributes to various publications, both online and print, including Huffington Post, The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan and Self, has taught at writers conferences, and does regular keynote speaking.

A foodie and passionate cook, Green filled one of her books, Promises to Keep, with recipes culled from her own collection. She says she only cooks food that is “incredibly easy, but has to look as if you have slaved over a hot stove for hours.” This is because she has six children, and has realised that “when you have six children, nobody ever invites you anywhere.”

Most weekends see her cooking for a minimum of twenty people in her home in Westport, Connecticut, where she lives with her husband and their blended family. When she is not writing, cooking, gardening, filling her house with friends and herding chickens, she is usually thanking the Lord for caffeine-filled energy drinks.

~*~

* Enter to win this book at these sites:

Maurice On Books -exp June 24

Booking Mama -exp June 29

A Bookworm's World -exp July 4

Stacy Alesi's -exp July 4

* added to my COYER challenge/scavenger hunt (details)

* review copy courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015 (details). @booksparks #SRC2015
Destination: Cross the pond to London


Tuesday, June 23, 2015

I Take You by Eliza Kennedy

I Take You
by Eliza Kennedy

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Website
Twitter @elizacatkennedy

Just released: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Crown
Genre: Chick-lit, Humor, Romance
Hardback: 320 pages
Rating: 5

Meet Lily Wilder: New Yorker, lawyer extraordinaire, blushing bride. And totally incapable of being faithful to one man.

Lily’s fiancé Will is a brilliant, handsome archaeologist. Lily is sassy, impulsive, fond of a good drink (or five) and has no business getting married. Lily likes Will, but does she love him? Will loves Lily, but does he know her? As the wedding approaches, Lily’s nights—and mornings, and afternoons—of booze, laughter and questionable decisions become a growing reminder that the happiest day of her life might turn out to be her worst mistake yet.

Unapologetically sexy with the ribald humor of Bridesmaids, this joyously provocative debut introduces a self-assured protagonist you won’t soon forget.


First sentence(s):
I'm getting married.
He's perfect!
It's a disaster.

Zombie sighting:
He's doing his annoying third-person zombie monotone thing. "Why. Is she. Here?"
-chapter one, page 5


My two-bits:

Loved this fun and flirty read.

The story takes place during the lead up to a wedding with some of the details and doings involved in prepping for the event which can be interesting for those of us who have not had that experience. But most of all, this story delves into the doubts and issues couples encounter during this time.

The main character, Lily, was really entertaining to spend time with. She exuded the great combination of smart and sexy.

I laughed and hooted a lot from the banter between characters as well as from their actions. Loved how Lily got out of her scrapes.

This book made me think about attitudes towards sex and monogamy.

About the author:
Eliza Kennedy attended the University of Iowa and Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. After graduation she served as a law clerk for a federal judge, then practiced litigation for several years at a prestigious Manhattan law firm. She lives in New York with her husband and son.

~*~

* review copy courtesy of Blogging for Books

* added this to my Bookish Bingo challenge (details) - square: Yellow Cover

* added to this to my COYER challenge/scavenger hunt (details)

Monday, June 22, 2015

Night Train to Lisbon (2013)

Night Train to Lisbon (2013)
Directed by: Bille August
Screenplay by: Greg Latter and Ulrich Herrmann
Based on novel by: Pascal Mercier
-Historical, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Starring:
Jeremy Irons as Raimund Gregorius

My rating: 5

Per imdb:
Raimund Gregorius, a Swiss Professor, abandons his lectures and buttoned-down life to embark on a thrilling adventure that will take him on a journey to the very heart of himself.

PeekInside:



My two-bits:
Nothing like solving a mystery in Europe. What fun!

First part of the movie takes place in Switzerland.

We get an eyeful of past and present day Portugal as we follow along on the main character's journey.

I liked watching the narrator's personal growth as he discovers things about the past and the people related to his mystery.

AND, there is a budding romance.

~*~

GET familiar with the original...

Night Train to Lisbon
by Pascal Mercier
Amazon | Goodreads

A huge international best seller, this ambitious novel plumbs the depths of our shared humanity to offer up a breathtaking insight into life, love, and literature itself. A major hit in Germany that went on to become one of Europe’s biggest literary blockbusters in the last five years, Night Train to Lisbon is an astonishing novel, a compelling exploration of consciousness, the possibility of truly understanding another person, and the ability of language to define our very selves.

Raimund Gregorius is a Latin teacher at a Swiss college who one day—after a chance encounter with a mysterious Portuguese woman—abandons his old life to start a new one. He takes the night train to Lisbon and carries with him a book by Amadeu de Prado, a (fictional) Portuguese doctor and essayist whose writings explore the ideas of loneliness, mortality, death, friendship, love, and loyalty.

Gregorius becomes obsessed by what he reads and restlessly struggles to comprehend the life of the author. His investigations lead him all over the city of Lisbon, as he speaks to those who were entangled in Prado’s life. Gradually, the picture of an extraordinary man emerges—a doctor and poet who rebelled against Salazar’s dictatorship.


~*~

* part of my Armchair Summer Travel (details) - check it out to enter Armchair Summer Travel Book Box Giveaway

* source: screen shot of Lisbon street

* made me want to visit country? Portugal - YES

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Finder: Talisman by Carla Speed McNeil

Finder, Vol. 04: Talisman (Finder #4)
by Carla Speed McNeil

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Blog
Tumblr
Twitter @cspeedmcneil

Published: 2012
Publisher: Dark Horse Books
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Hardback: 96 pages
Rating: 5

Finder series:
Finder: Library vol. 1
Finder: Library vol. 2
Finder: Voice
Finder: Talisman
Finder: Third World

Finder: Talisman is a great stand alone entry into an amazing world!

Since 1996, Finder has set the bar for science-fiction storytelling, with a lush, intricate world and compelling characters. Finder: Talisman is the story of a book — the book beloved by misfits and castaways, once glimpsed and forever longed for — and of Marcie, the kid who never gives up her search for magic and meaning. Now, the fan-favorite story is collected in a new, oversized hardcover edition!


PeekAbook: from page 2


My two-bits:
Loved how this story touched on the value of printed books. The doses of magical and whimsical notions are also a treat to see and read in this graphic novel.

This is my first read in this series. I really liked the illustrations and storyline so much so that I plan to going backward to check out the rest.

~*~

* source for artwork

* added this to my Bookish Bingo challenge (details) - square: Collection

* added to COYER challenger (details): graphic novel

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Stacking the Shelves - 6.20.15

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

Bought:

Beat
by Vi Keeland
-New Adult, Romance
Amazon | Goodreads

=====> saw this on a couple fellow blogger Stacking the Shelves posts and it called to me...

For Review:

Escape from Witchwood Hollow
by Jordan Elizabeth
-Fantasy, Witches, YA
courtesy of author
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

Library:

Let's Pretend This Never Happened:
A Mostly True Memoir
by Jenny Lawson
-Humor, Memoir
Amazon | Goodreads

When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in. That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father and a morbidly eccentric childhood. It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humor in the strange shame-spiral that is her life, and we are all the better for it.

In the irreverent Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Lawson’s long-suffering husband and sweet daughter help her uncover the surprising discovery that the most terribly human moments—the ones we want to pretend never happened—are the very same moments that make us the people we are today. For every intellectual misfit who thought they were the only ones to think the things that Lawson dares to say out loud, this is a poignant and hysterical look at the dark, disturbing, yet wonderful moments of our lives.


=====> listening to the audio version which the author reads. Hilarious!

Must GET her next book...

Furiously Happy:
A Funny Book About Horrible Things
by Jenny Lawson
-Humor, Memoir
Release date: September 22, 2015
Amazon | Goodreads

In Furiously Happy, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea.

But terrible ideas are what Jenny does best.

As Jenny says:

"Some people might think that being 'furiously happy' is just an excuse to be stupid and irresponsible and invite a herd of kangaroos over to your house without telling your husband first because you suspect he would say no since he's never particularly liked kangaroos. And that would be ridiculous because no one would invite a herd of kangaroos into their house. Two is the limit. I speak from personal experience. My husband says that none is the new limit. I say he should have been clearer about that before I rented all those kangaroos.

"Most of my favorite people are dangerously fucked-up but you'd never guess because we've learned to bare it so honestly that it becomes the new normal. Like John Hughes wrote in The Breakfast Club, 'We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it.' Except go back and cross out the word 'hiding.'"

Furiously Happy is about "taking those moments when things are fine and making them amazing, because those moments are what make us who we are, and they're the same moments we take into battle with us when our brains declare war on our very existence. It's the difference between "surviving life" and "living life". It's the difference between "taking a shower" and "teaching your monkey butler how to shampoo your hair." It's the difference between being "sane" and being "furiously happy."

Lawson is beloved around the world for her inimitable humor and honesty, and in Furiously Happy, she is at her snort-inducing funniest. This is a book about embracing everything that makes us who we are - the beautiful and the flawed - and then using it to find joy in fantastic and outrageous ways. Because as Jenny's mom says, "Maybe 'crazy' isn't so bad after all." Sometimes crazy is just right.


OTHER things bookish-related:

COYER Scavenger Hunt
The Clean Out Your E-Reads Challenge
Saturday, June 20 – Friday, September 4, 2015
hosted by Fantasy is More Fun, Because Reading, and Books, Movies, Reviews.Oh My!
(details, rules and signup)

=====> Starts today! I am looking forward to filling in my scavenger scorecard (here)!

AND binge watching:

Breaking Bad
tv series, season four
-crime, drama
Amazon | imdb

A chemistry teacher diagnosed with a terminal lung cancer teams up with his former student to cook and sell crystal meth.

~*~

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Friday, June 19, 2015

Happy Release: Poldark

Introducing the new tv series...

Poldark (2015)

Series Directed by:
Edward Bazalgette (4 episodes, 2015)
William McGregor (4 episodes, 2015)

Series Writing Credits:
Winston Graham (8 episodes, 2015)
Debbie Horsfield (7 episodes, 2015)
-Drama, Historical, England

Starring:
Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark
Eleanor Tomlinson as Demelza

Per imdb:
Ross Poldark returns home after American Revolutionary War and rebuilds his life with a new business venture, making new enemies and finding a new love where he least expects it.

I am excited to say that this Masterpiece on PBS series (details) starts up tomorrow, June 21 in the US.

PeekInside:



Based on book series:

Poldark is based on a beloved series of novels by Winston Graham. The first, Ross Poldark, was published in 1945; the last, Bella Poldark, appeared in 2002, the year before Graham’s death. All twelve are subtitled A Novel of Cornwall and trace the fortunes of a landed, mine-owning family in windswept Cornwall.

Trade paperback copies of the first two books in the series have been released. To celebrate this series a Ross Poldark Blog tour will begin July 6 to August 3, 2015. Stay tuned as I will post reviews of these books for the tour next month.

Ross Poldark:
A Novel of Cornwall, 1783-1787
by Winston Graham
-Historical, Romance
Amazon | Goodreads

In the first novel in Winston Graham’s hit series, a weary Ross Poldark returns to England from war, looking forward to a joyful homecoming with his beloved Elizabeth. But instead he discovers his father has died, his home is overrun by livestock and drunken servants, and Elizabeth—believing Ross to be dead—is now engaged to his cousin. Ross has no choice but to start his life anew.
Thus begins the Poldark series, a heartwarming, gripping saga set in the windswept landscape of Cornwall. With an unforgettable cast of characters that spans loves, lives, and generations, this extraordinary masterwork from Winston Graham is a story you will never forget.


Demelza:
A Novel of Cornwall, 1788-1790
by Winston Graham
-Historical, Romance
Amazon | Goodreads

In the enchanting second novel in Winston Graham’s beloved Poldark series, Demelza Carne, an impoverished miner’s daughter Ross Poldark rescued from a fairground brawl, now happily finds herself his wife. But the events of these turbulent years test their marriage and their love. As Ross launches into a bitter struggle for the right of the mining communities, Demelza’s efforts to adapt to the ways of the gentry (and her husband) place her in increasingly odd and embarrassing situations. When tragedy strikes and sows the seeds of an enduring rivalry between Ross and the powerful George Warleggan, will Demelza manage to bridge their differences before they destroy her and her husband’s chance at happiness?

Against the stunning backdrop of eighteenth century Cornwall, Demelza sweeps readers into one of the greatest love stories of all time.


~*~

* Book tour is coming...
It will make a stop here on July 9.

Check out the other stops here for more details and giveaway for these books.

In celebration, July 6th through August 3rd, The Ross Poldark Blog Tour will visit thirty popular book blogs specializing in historical, romance and Austenesque fiction. Featuring spotlights, previews, excerpts and book reviews of these two acclaimed historical fiction novels, the tour will also offer readers a chance at a fabulous giveaway contest including copies of the books and a stunning Anglophile-themed prize package.

THE ROSS POLDARK BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

July 06 My Jane Austen Book Club (Preview)
July 07 Booktalk & More (Excerpt)
July 08 Reading, Writing, Working, Playing (Review)
July 09 vvb32 Reads (Preview)
July 10 The Paige Turner (Review)
July 10 My Kids Led Me Back To P & P (Excerpt)
July 11 Austenprose (Review)
July 12 Laura's Reviews (Preview)
July 13 Peeking Between the Pages (Review)
July 13 Reflections of a Book Addict (Preview)
July 14 Living Read Girl (Review)
July 15 Confessions of a Book Addict (Review)
July 16 vvb32 Reads (Review)
July 17 Paige Turner (Review)
July 18 Truth, Beauty, Freedom & Books (Preview)
July 19 Marie Antoinette’s Gossip Guide (Excerpt)
July 20 Laura's Reviews (Review)
July 20 The Calico Critic (Review)
July 21 So Little Time…So Much to Read (Excerpt)
July 21 Poof Books (Excerpt)
July 22 Babblings of a Bookworm (Review)
July 23 Austenprose (Review)
July 24 Peeking Between the Pages (Review)
July 25 My Love for Jane Austen (Excerpt)
July 25 Living Read Girl (Review)
July 26 Delighted Reader (Review)
July 27 My Jane Austen Book Club (Review)
July 27 Austenesque Reviews (Review)
July 27 Laura's Reviews (Review)
July 28 She Is Too Fond Of Books (Review)
July 29 English Historical Fiction Authors (Preview)
July 30 vvb32 Reads (Review)
July 30 Babblings of a Bookworm (Review)
July 31 CozyNookBks (Excerpt)
Aug 01 The Calico Critic (Review)
Aug 01 More Agreeably Engaged (Review)
Aug 02 Scuffed Slippers Wormy Books (Review)
Aug 03 Romantic Historical Reviews (Review)
Aug 03 Psychotic State Book Reviews (Review)

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Copenhagen (2014)

Copenhagen (2014)
Directed by: Mark Raso
Screenplay by: Mark Raso
-Adventure, Romance, Travel

Starring:
Gethin Anthony as William
Frederikke Dahl Hansen as Effy

My rating: 5

Per imdb:
When the girl of your dreams is half your age, it's time to grow up.

PeekInside:



My two-bits:
Really loved the shots of the quaint town of Copenhagen while the characters bike around town as the main character, William, is on his search to find out more about his father and grandfather. However, William comes to some reality checks about himself as well.

AND a cute romance begins. But an age difference complicates things.


Along with falling in love with this couple, I fell in love with the song, Vi To Er Smeltet Sammen (by Stoffer og Maskinen), which Effy sings during the karaoke scene. Band acoustic version is below.



Translated:
The Two of Us Have Melted Into One

The two of us have melted into one
We can no longer separate
But we were let down by my thoughts
You were changed into another than before
In my thoughts we'll change until the day we die

We are melted into one
We can no longer separate
Cause even though my thoughts have changed
And we no longer exist
My thoughts will change until the day we die

You are my pulse heavily throbbing
That makes my blood circulate
With every beat of every second
You'll follow the rhythm of my heart around

You are the centre of gravity of my thoughts
My lightness when I feel heavy
And if I float for no reason
You'll pound the rhythm of my heart around

You are my pulse heavily throbbing
That makes my blood circulate
With every beat of every second
You'll follow the rhythm of my heart around

You are the centre of gravity of my thoughts
My lightness when I feel heavy
And if I float for no reason
You'll pound the rhythm of my heart around

We can never go back
We can never go back
You whispered to me and said
You whispered to me and said

All alone and without a day
All alone and without a day
Cause we will never go back
Cause we will never go back

~*~

* sources: lyrics, movie river scene

* part of my Armchair Summer Travel (details) - check it out to enter Armchair Summer Travel Book Box Giveaway

* made me want to visit country? Denmark - YES

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Pieces by Maria Kostaki

Pieces
by Maria Kostaki

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Twitter @mariakostaki

Just released: May 5, 2015
Publisher: She Writes Press
Genre: Women's Fiction
Paperback: 209 pages
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
Dad, a year after your funeral I left New York and moved back home to Greece. Mom and Alexi flew off to Brazil a month earlier. Alexi went to indulge in some prime South American code and shoot a documentary about voodoo rituals in the tribes of the Amazon. Mom went for a major facelift.

When her mother, Anna, abandons her to move abroad with her new husband, Sasha is passed around her three grandparents in Cold War-era Moscow, attending first grade with a Lenin star pinned to her breast. Five years later, Anna and her husband reappear and whisk Sasha off to a “better life” in Athens, Greece. But they are not the gallant rescuers they first appear to be, and Sasha soon finds herself caught between a violent stepfather and a psychologically abusive mother. In her struggle to survive in her new world, Sasha turns to a world of invisible friends—even as she continues to long for something real. At turns haunting and uplifting, Pieces is the story of one girl’s survival and self-discovery—and her continual search for love in a world where she has been given none.

My two-bits:

Although this story finds the protagonist traveling back and forth from New York to Greece, the focus is more on the protagonist's inner turmoil rather than the places.

This story gets into the restlessness, grieving and searching mindset of the main character. As she comes to terms with her past relationships with family members and friends, she finally finds her way towards a semblance of happiness.

Although the process of self discovery kind of stories could get tedious, this gave just enough to keep me interested to the end.

About the author:
Freelance writer and copywriter based in Athens, Greece.

Treasured subjects will always be art, design, photography, architecture, literature.

~*~

* added this to my Books On The Nightstand Bingo challenge (details) - square: Set in another country

* part of my Armchair Summer Travel (details) - check it out to enter Armchair Summer Travel Book Box Giveaway

* review copy courtesy of Summer Reading Challenge 2015. It's not too late! You can join the challenge here. @booksparks #SRC2015
Destination: Island hop to Athens, Greece


Tuesday, June 16, 2015

A Boy Like Me by Jennie Wood

A Boy Like Me
by Jennie Wood

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Facebook
Twitter @JennieWoodNDid

Published: 2014
Publisher: 215 Ink
Genre: LGBTQ, YA
Paperback: 270 pages
Rating: 4.5

First sentence(s):
"Katherine, would you like to go next?" But Mrs. Blunt wasn't really asking.

Born a girl, Peyton Honeycutt meets Tara Parks in the eighth grade bathroom shortly after he gets his first period. It is the best and worst day of his life. Determined to impress Tara, Peyton sets out to win her love by mastering the drums and basketball. He takes on Tara's small-minded mother, the bully at school, and the prejudices within his conservative hometown. In the end, Peyton must accept and stand up for who he is or lose the woman he loves.

My two-bits:

This is a good introduction to the transgender world which is a topic in the forefront these days since Bruce Jenner's reveal.

The story covers the span from the main character's middle grade to just right after high school years which felt like slow pacing but more realistic for a coming out moment.

Sadly, the inevitable negative aspects of what a transgender individual would encounter are touched upon. But, they do not overpower the main points of this story of self realization, growth and love.

Music plays a little part in the storyline with some behind the scenes of working at a music store and in a private recording studio.

End pages include resources for more information on transgender and LGBTQ.

~*~

* review copy courtesy of publisher

* added this to my Bookish Bingo challenge - square: We Need Diverse Books

Monday, June 15, 2015

Paperweight by Meg Haston

Paperweight
by Meg Haston

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads -signup to win this, expires Jun 15
Facebook
Twitter @meghaston

Release date: July 2, 2015
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Genre: Illness - Eating Disorder, YA
Paperback: 304 pages
Rating: 4

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Struggling to deal with her brother's death and a past she refuses to confront, Stevie knows she has problems. But she's still furious about the fact that she's been packed off to a health clinic, in the middle of nowhere, where mobile phones are banned and communication with the outside world is strictly by permission only. The regimented and obtrusive nature of the clinic and its staff is torture to the deeply private, obstinate Stevie - and don't even get her started on the other 'inmates'.

All she wants is to be left alone...But as Stevie is about to find out, life is full of surprises. And she will prove herself stronger than she knows - even when her past finally catches her up in the most shocking and brutal way possible.


My two-bits:

A serious read indeed.

The tough road to healing in mind, body and spirit are addressed in this story that deals with different kinds of loss for a teen including grief from death, parents divorce and self love.

The process that the main character goes through was handled well in pacing and with relationships formed at the clinic.

~*~

* added this to my Bookish Bingo challenge - square: Green Cover

* review copy courtesy of Epic Reads

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Us by David Nicholls

Us
by David Nicholls

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Website
Facebook

Published: 2014
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Hardback: 416 pages
Rating: 4.5

David Nicholls brings the wit and intelligence that graced his enormously popular New York Times bestseller, One Day, to a compellingly human, deftly funny new novel about what holds marriages and families together—and what happens, and what we learn about ourselves, when everything threatens to fall apart.

Douglas Petersen may be mild-mannered, but behind his reserve lies a sense of humor that, against all odds, seduces beautiful Connie into a second date . . . and eventually into marriage. Now, almost three decades after their relationship first blossomed in London, they live more or less happily in the suburbs with their moody seventeen year-old son, Albie. Then Connie tells him she thinks she wants a divorce.

The timing couldn’t be worse. Hoping to encourage her son’s artistic interests, Connie has planned a month-long tour of European capitals, a chance to experience the world’s greatest works of art as a family, and she can’t bring herself to cancel. And maybe going ahead with the original plan is for the best anyway? Douglas is privately convinced that this landmark trip will rekindle the romance in the marriage, and might even help him to bond with Albie.

Narrated from Douglas’s endearingly honest, slyly witty, and at times achingly optimistic point of view, Us is the story of a man trying to rescue his relationship with the woman he loves, and learning how to get closer to a son who’s always felt like a stranger. Us is a moving meditation on the demands of marriage and parenthood, the regrets of abandoning youth for middle age, and the intricate relationship between the heart and the head. And in David Nicholls’s gifted hands, Douglas’s odyssey brings Europe—from the streets of Amsterdam to the famed museums of Paris, from the cafés of Venice to the beaches of Barcelona—to vivid life just as he experiences a powerful awakening of his own. Will this summer be his last as a husband, or the moment when he turns his marriage, and maybe even his whole life, around?


My two-bits:

The painful realities of this family's life with an unlikable narrator made this story uncomfortable and unpleasant to read about. BUT, as the story progressed the growth development of each character (especially the narrator) changed my view.

I also liked how this story intermingles past and present in a summer road trip kind of setting with travels through European countries that include France, The Netherlands, Italy and Spain.

AND, I really enjoyed the descriptions of the places visited with museum art trivia thrown in. More places to add to my travel bucket list!

~*~

* listened to audio version

* part of Man Booker Prize Reading challenge

* added this to my Books On The Nightstand Bingo challenge - square: Red Cover

* part of my Armchair Summer Travel (details) - check it out to enter Armchair Summer Travel Book Box Giveaway

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Stacking the Shelves - 6.13.15

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

For Review:

Vote for Remi
by Leanna Lehman
-YA
courtesy of BookSparks
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Pieces
by Maria Kostaki
-Women's Fiction
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Summer Secrets
by Jane Green
-Women's Fiction
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015
Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Library:

#GIRLBOSS
by Sophia Amoruso
-Business, Memoir
Amazon | Goodreads

The founder of Nasty Gal offers a sassy and irreverent manifesto for ambitious young women

At seventeen, Sophia Amoruso decided to forgo continuing education to pursue a life of hitchhiking, dumpster diving, and petty thievery. Now, at twenty-nine, she is the Founder, CEO, and Creative Director of Nasty Gal, a $100+ million e-tailer that draws A-list publicity and rabid fans for its leading-edge fashion and provocative online persona. Her story is extraordinary—and only part of the appeal of #GIRLBOSS.

This aspirational book doesn’t patronize young women the way many business experts do. Amoruso shows readers how to channel their passion and hard work, while keeping their insecurities from getting in the way. She offers straight talk about making your voice heard and doing meaningful work.

She’s proof that you can be a huge success without giving up your spirit of adventure or distinctive style. As she writes, "I have three pieces of advice I want you to remember: Don’t ever grow up. Don’t become a bore. Don’t let The Man get to you. OK? Cool. Then let’s do this.”


=====> listening to audio version and finding her story inspiring

OTHER things bookish-related:


Participating in Out of Time's YOU are Appreciated! - a Blogger/Author Love Project (details here). Why not join in and send some blog loving to fellow book bloggers.

Armchair Summer Traveling
check out my list here

An alternative to those who are not able to travel out-of-country for summer vacationing this year.

AND binge watching:

Inside Amy Schumer
tv series, season two
-comedy
Amazon | imdb

Amy Schumer switches from sketches, doing stand up, to interviewing people on the street and people of interest usually following a certain theme.

=====> She has a kind of sexy humor that teases that touches on some feminist issues.

~*~

* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

 
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