The Friday 56 (138) & Book Beginnings: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders... but her father isn't a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife's dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers' pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed--and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold. But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it's worth--especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand....

Beginning: "The real story isn't half as pretty as the one you've heard."

56: "He put the bag down on the table. We all gathered around and stared at it as though it were a live coal that might at any moment set the whole house ablaze."

Comments: I finally read Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. I loved it. What are you reading this week?

ARC Review: The Lost Carousel of Provence by Juliet Blackwell

Title: The Lost Carousel of Provence
Series: n/a
Author: Juliet Blackwell
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC
More Details: Historical Fiction
Publisher/Publication Date: Berkley Books; September 18, 2018

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

An artist lost to history, a family abandoned to its secrets, and the woman whose search for meaning unearths it all in a sweeping and expressive story from the New York Times bestselling author of Letters from Paris...

Present day, San Francisco. During her free time, professional photographer Cady Drake shoots local carousels, a hobby inspired by a gift that transformed her childhood: a wooden rabbit supposedly created by master French carver Gustave Bayol a century ago. And when she's offered a freelance assignment for a book on the antique merry-go-rounds of Paris, Cady can't refuse the opportunity to visit the famous carousels for the first time....

1900s, France. In a small town outside of Avignon, a husband and young wife struggle to keep up their ancestral chateau--and start the family they so desperately desire. For the children they hope to have, the Clements hire the famous Bayol to build a carousel, but as the carver and his apprentice work on the beautiful and whimsical creation, fate will entwine them all in unseen ways--for generations to come...

Present day, Provence. As Cady's research leads her to the dilapidated Chateau Clement and its fabled carousel that was lost to the ravages of World War II, she will uncover a shocking truth in a set of one-hundred-year-old photographs that could guide her in reuniting a family torn apart by petty jealousies over several generations.

In 2016, I read a book called Letters from Paris. Before then, I was unfamiliar with books by Juliet Blackwell. I loved Letters from Paris and was ecstatic to see that Blackwell was writing another book with dual storylines, and that it was also set in France. And, oh man, The Lost Carousel of Provence was as good as I was hoping it would be. It was a compelling story about found family, loss, tragedy, love, and second chances spanning across more than a hundred years from past to present.

Blackwell has a way with words. Right from the start, the writing was descriptive with the settings being rife with vividly described scenery. There were other little things too, details about everything from daily life to even the carousels the character, Cady, loved so much. Carousels were a big part of the story, and I liked the fact that the author included so much detailed information about them including how they were constructed—from concept to completion—with mention of work by Bayol and other notable carousels in France.

While the present storyline was good, I also liked the historical aspects of The Lost Carousel of Provence. Blackwell did a good job of setting the tone for these parts with a mix of fiction and historical fact. A loose image of the time period before, during, and after World War 2 in France was presented with the focus on people from one family. The dual storylines featured more than two perspectives, particularly the ones that took place in 1900 and around the 1940s. That being said, there was never a moment where the characters got muddled. The narrators were unique, their stories varied, and I loved how it all eventually connected in the present without being too or immediately obvious how everything was related. And the build up to the reveals and the ending was one of my favorite things about the story.

As I mentioned above, the characters were pretty unique. One of my favorites was Cady. She was a little rough around the edges and had few connections, but the ones she had were genuine. Her chapters were among my favorites. There was also little romance, but it was subtle, very slow burn.

All in all, I enjoyed The Lost Carousel of Provence. And I guess it’s time to read that copy of The Paris Key that’s been sitting on my shelf since 2016....

About the author....

Juliet Blackwell is the New York Times bestselling author of Letters from Paris and The Paris Key. She also writes the Witchcraft Mystery series and the Haunted Home Renovation series. As Hailey Lind, Blackwell wrote the Agatha-nominated Art Lover's Mystery series. A former anthropologist, social worker, and professional artist, Juliet is a California native who has spent time in Mexico, Spain, Cuba, Italy, the Philippines, and France....

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by First to Read for this review, thank you!

Music Monday (57): Divide with FabvL, JT Music, & NerdOut + music by Lone

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: My pick this week is a fan song for Ready Player One. It’s called Victorious by Divide with FabvL, JT Music, and NerdOut. I love this song. If you’re interested in giving it a listen, then head over to NerdOut’s youtube channel HERE.

Adri: I’ve already talked about this artist a lot –so for this Music Monday I’m jamming to Lone’s new song Oedo 808.

Andrea: Hi all, I hope everyone has had a great week.

What are you listening to this week?

Music Monday (56) Janet Jackson & Miguel

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: My pick this week is Caramelo Duro by Miguel featuring Kali Uchis.

Andrea: Over the past week, I've been listening to Janet Jackson & Daddy Yankee's latest single Made for Now. I absolutely love this video. The song's upbeat tempo makes it the perfect addition to my workout playlist! You can check out the video below:

iTunes

What are you listening to this week? 

ARC Review: Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay

Title: Hitting the Books
Series: Library Lover's Mystery 
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC
More Details: Cozy  Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: Berkley Books; September 11, 2018

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

It's murder by the book in the latest hit Library Lover's mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Death in the Stacks...

When a stack of library materials is found at the scene of a hit and run, library director Lindsey Norris finds herself dragged into the investigation as the police try to link the driver of the stolen car to the person who borrowed the books. Before Lindsey can delve into the library's records, the victim of the hit and run, Theresa Houston, suffers another "accident" and the investigation shifts from driver negligence to attempted homicide. A clue surfaces in the confiscated library materials that could crack open the case and it is up to Lindsey to piece it all together. But things are not as they seem in the sleepy town of Briar Creek and when the driver of the stolen car turns up dead, Lindsey, her staff and her library friends have to hit the books before the murderer gets the last word...

Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay is the third book I’ve read in the Library Lover’s Mystery series, and it’s by far one of my favorites. It’s been a while since I last thought about this series, but I still remember the previous book. I liked Death in the Stacks—it was one of my favorite books I read in 2017—but Hitting the Books just seemed like more of everything. I mean that in a good way.

The basic premise of the story is: Lindsey Norris, library director and avid fan of fiction, gets involved in yet another mystery, a hit-and-run that leads to a complicated case. In terms of cozy mystery novels, Hitting the Books was a solid read.

It had an excellent story. The opening chapters were a great setup for the mystery that the main character, Lindsey Norris, ends up involved in. Some parts I was able to guess. That being said, the build-up to the end had an excellent pace. The reveals came at the right time and were bolstered by some unexpected action that led to a continued sense of tension. There was more action due to the danger being posed to the characters, because of the kind of mystery Hitting the Books was. The subsequent implications and later ramifications raised the stakes and made the story seem more exciting. I liked it a lot.

The world-building was also nice. It’s kind of a typical setting for cozy mysteries—small, idyllic coastal town that’s portrayed as being a close-knit community. That being said, the characters were interesting—some were a little more unique than others—and the overall story was good.

The characters are worth noting here, because I liked a lot of them. Most of them were familiar faces from the previous books. There was a good deal of character development that took place alongside the mystery. I liked those scenes because it showed the usual cast of characters at varying stages of their lives including the newly married, new parents, budding romances, and long-term relationships that continued to develop.

Overall, Hitting the Books was good, and I’m looking forward to whatever McKinlay writes next....

About the author....

Jenn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several mystery series and will be debuting a new women's fiction series in June 2017, starting with the title About a Dog. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets and her husband's guitars.

Twitter     Goodreads     Website     Instagram

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by First to Read for this review, thank you!

Music Monday (55): Imagine Dragons, Diana Ross, Sade, Fugees, & Soul ll Soul

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: My pick today is Natural by Imagine Dragons. Admittedly, I don’t listen to enough of their music. That changed recently when I decided to check and see if they’d done anything and happened to listen to Natural. It’s now one of my favorite songs….

I’m also listening to I’m Coming Out by Diana Ross. This is one of my favorite songs by Ross….

Adri: Ironically, I first heard of Sade from a Community (or Public) Access Television Channel that was playing their song, I Couldn’t Love you More. As I searched for more music, I realized that I heard of Sade way beforehand. It’s just that when it came out and was the first thing on iTunes, I didn’t pay much attention to their album Soldier of Love – which I now love… So, for this Music Monday, my pick is Soldier of Love by Sade.

Andrea: Over this past week, I've been listening to some of my old favorites: Killing Me Softly With His Song covered by the Fugees and Back To Life by Soul 'll Soul. 

And that's it for today. What are you listening to this week?

The Friday 56 (137) & Book Beginnings: Farming and the Food Supply by Debra A. Miller

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Outlines how global warming is effecting agriculture and the steps that are being taken to remedy those effects...

Beginning: "Earth's climate is a complex system of interacting natural components."

56: "The negative impacts of climate change on agriculture will be felt differently in different parts of the world."

Comments: I'm currently reading Farming and the Food Supply by Debra A. Miller. It's one of the books I recently checked out from the library, and so far it's an interesting read. The beginning is from the foreword and the 56 is from page 53. What are you reading this week?

ARC Review: Seafire by Natalie C. Parker

Title: Seafire
Series: Seafire #1
Author: Natalie C. Parker
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC
More Details: Young Adult; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Razorbill; August 28, 2018

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains her ship, the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, whose lives have been turned upside down by Aric and his men. The crew has one misson: stay alive, and take down Aric's armed and armored fleet. But when Caledonia's best friend and second-in-command just barely survives an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect, Caledonia finds herself questioning whether or not to let him join their crew. Is this boy the key to taking down Aric Athair once and for all...or will he threaten everything the women of the Mors Navis have worked for?

The synopsis for Seafire by Natalie C. Parker doesn’t reveal much about the book, but I was still interested in it because I was looking to read something by this author. For the most part, I liked this book with a few minor exceptions. There were a lot of interesting ideas here and they were done well. Seafire was a fast paced story brimming with action. There was danger around every corner, and the Mors Navis was commanded by an all-female crew.

If you know anything about Mad Max: Fury Road, then you’ll probably like this book since Seafire was kind of like that movie. There was an almost dystopia feel to the story, because of how the world was described. There were hints of advanced technology—like some of the systems that kept the Mors Navis running—but it was hard to place a time period because some of those things were presented without much context about their origins. And instead of a harsh desert climate, this book takes place on a ship, and the setting was mostly open waters with few exceptions. Despite that, Parker made the story exciting with plenty of action and mostly memorable characters.

Caledonia Styx was fairly interesting. She had a tragic past and was determined to fight back against Aric Athair’s army. But at times, it seemed like she was too consumed by what happened and made decisions that put herself, Mors Navis, and her crew at risk. In the first third of the book, I didn’t mind that as much. However, the middle of the book was where I struggled with reading the story. I mean, for all her talk of trust and family and sisterhood, Caledonia seemed to almost use that to avoid having her actions and decisions questioned. Still, she wasn’t a bad character. As for the supporting characters, I liked how they were characterized. As a crew, they were skilled and worked well together. And it was interesting to see the character development happen while they were experienced harsh circumstances.

I was a little conflicted about the ending. On one hand, there were parts that I really loved. In the last few chapters the story picked up. The pace of the action and the revelations were on point. I liked that a lot. On the other hand, there was this one thing that happened that seemed to throw away some of the character development that Caledonia went through. That being said, it didn’t change how I felt about the rest of the book.

Since Seafire is the first book in a new trilogy, there’s more to the story, and I want to see where it goes. So, I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel....

About the author...

Natalie wears many hats: author, editor, entrepreneur. She is the author of Southern Gothic duology Beware the Wild (a Junior Library Guild Selection) and Behold the Bones (both available from HarperTeen) as well as the forthcoming Seafire Trilogy (Razorbill, 2018). Her first anthology, Three Sides of a Heart, is an exploration of the love triangle (HarperTeen, 19 Dec 2017). Parker is the founder of Madcap Retreats, an organization offering a yearly calendar of workshops and retreats for aspiring and established writers. Though she earned her BA in English literature from the University of Southern Mississippi and her MA in gender studies from the University of Cincinnati, she now lives on the Kansas prairie with her wife...

Website     Twitter     Goodreads     Instagram     Tumblr

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by First to Read for this review, thank you!

Music Monday (54): Res, RL Grime, Delta Heavy, & Meghan Trainor

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I’ve been listening to some newer music—like Nicki Minaj's album, Queen—but instead I wanted to mention one of my all-time favorite songs. So, today, I’m talking about Ice King by Res. I don’t recall when I first heard this song. I just know that it was a while ago. I like Res’s style, but Ice King is extra fantastic and it also happens to be the song that introduced me to her music...

Adri: Lately I've  practically been listening to the same group of songs, so here's two of them. Reminder (feat. How To Dress Well) (Jonah Baseball Remix) By RL Grime, and Ghost (Infuze Remix) by Delta Heavy. With both of these songs I adore the originals, but these remixes really stood out to me.

Andrea: On August 6^th, Adri and I attended Meghan Trainor’s Jimmy Kimmel Live performance. Her live performance was amazing, and I absolutely fell in love with her new song, Treat Myself. You can check out the video below. It is available for pre-order now and will be released on August 31^st, which is this Friday. Needless to say, I’ll be purchasing a copy of her new album, Treat Myself, and adding it to my playlist.

What are you listening to this week?

The Cookie Book Tag

It’s been a very long time since I last participated in a book tag, and I kind of missed doing this type of post. Recently, I saw someone do The Cookie Book Tag, and even though I wasn’t tagged, I really wanted to do this one since the questions looked fun. So today, Adri and I are going to do The Cookie Book Tag. This is going to be a long post. However, before we get started, there are some technical details that need to be listed.

The Cookie Book Tag was created by Nicole @ Sorry, I’m Booked. And you can check out the original tag post here: Sorry, I’m Booked, The Cookie Book Tag.

The rules…

• Link back to the person who tagged you + the creator of this tag 
• Pick a book that corresponds with the cookies theme 
• Have fun 
• Tag 1-3 people

Chocolate Chip: A Classic Book That You Love or Really Enjoyed (interpret classic how you want, it can be a classic written 100 years ago or 20 years ago)

Breana: I’m going to go with Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott. It’s one of my recent classic reads, and it also happens to be one of the best stories I’ve read so far this year. It’s such a great story. The unusual narrator and setting are just two things I enjoyed about Flatland.

Adri: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is absolutely one of my favorite classics.

Thin Mints: A Fandom That You Really Want to ‘Join’ AND/OR a Hyped-Up Book You Want To Read (your source(s) of a book being hyped can be from anywhere)

Breana: There’s no particular fandom that I’m looking to be a part of right now. So, I’m going with a hyped book I want to read. This one is easy: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. I really enjoyed Uprooted for the world building. I read an excerpt of Spinning Silver and was immediately interested.

Adri: I'm actually looking forward to the sequel to the Dragon with the Chocolate Heart, The Girl with the Dragon Heart By Stephanie Burgis. As for fandom, I'm also not eyeing any.

Shortbread: An Author You Can’t Get Enough Of

Breana: Holly Black. I read The Spiderwick Chronicles when I was a kid, and since then, I’ve been hooked on her stories that focus on fairies. I love her interpretation of them since, more often than not, they’re tricksters that have a cruel streak.

Adri: Connie Amaden-Crawford. I’ve only read two of her books, but I’m looking forward to reading more of them to expand my sewing/design knowledge.

Samoas/ Caramel DeLites: An Emotional Rollercoaster (this cookie was hard … so any book that made you feel more than one emotion, strongly. The choice of emotions is up to you)

Breana: There was one book that had me on the verge of tears, the third and final book of The Divine Cities trilogy: City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett. There was no shortage of tragedies in this trilogy, but the finale book was on a whole other level. This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. The ending was incredibly bittersweet—so freaking sad—but I was also happy because it was a fitting end to one of my all-time favorite trilogies.

Adri: One of the most emotional books I’ve read is the Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. The ending hit me in the feels once I started thinking about it.

Oreos: A Book Whose Cover Was Better Than The Story OR Vice Versa, Where The Story Was Better Than Its Cover

Breana: There are a number of books that fit the bill for the first half of this question, but I’m going to go with Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix. I really wanted to like this book. The premise was interesting and I loved the cover + how much it resembled an IKEA catalogue on the inside. But, I didn’t really enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

Adri: I find the cover for The Time Travelers: Book One in the Gideon Trilogy by Linda Buckley-Archer (and the other two books) absolutely gorgeous. Though interesting, the story wasn't my favorite.

Tagalongs/ Peanut Butter Patties: A Book That Wasn’t What You Expected (good, bad, or just different, interpret how you wish)

Breana: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco was so unexpected. I mean that in a good way. The synopsis doesn’t do the book justice. It’s a slower paced fantasy, but I loved the magic system + the past and present storylines were fantastic. I need to get caught up on this series.

Adri: My most unexpected read was The Book of Elsewhere: the Shadows, by Jacqueline West. First of all, I never expected paintings to be so evil. Second I didn’t know I’d like it as much as I did (and I really need to finish reading the series).

Snickerdoodles: A Book You May Never Stop Rereading/ Loving

Breana: I’m going to go with Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. I loved the rest of the series, but Ancillary Justice will always be my favorite.

Adri: Can I add an s to book? Because I absolutely adore the Wondla Trilogy By Tony Diterlizzi. I don’t feel like I could read one without the other two! I love the art, the story, the characters. I feel like I could read the series forever and never get bored. However, if I must pick one, I'm going with the Search for Wondla.

Bonus: Choose a cookie I didn’t list and make up a question!

Monster Cookies have bold flavors and a long and varied list of ingredients such as M&Ms, chocolate chips, peanut butter, oats, and even sometimes raisins. It’s like a handful of cookie types mashed into one monster of a cookie. So… Monster cookie: name a book with a bold and whimsical title or a book title with four or more words.

Breana: The Hate U Give; The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet; and The House of Shattered Wings....

Adri: I’ve probably read more books with titles more than four words but I’m going with

 Leading Lady: Sherry Lansing and the Making of a Hollywood Groundbreaker by Stephen Galloway, and Dork Diaries: Tales from a not-so-glam TV Star by Rachel Renee Russell.

And that’s about it for today. We’re not tagging anyone specific. If you want to participate, then we tag you! Also, if you answer our Monster Cookie question, let us know in the comments down below.