It’s been a long week. Missed having a full day off work, which threw my recharge off. I definitely need two days off with the ability to just relax for the most part now. That wasn’t necessarily the case six short months ago. However, we did see an amazing play Thursday- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. If you get the chance, go see it! And Lost City of Z came out to Amazon instant view. So excited!
Got an awesome shirt in the mail! Crowley- the once and always King of Hell. I’m still pissed over Supernatural‘s last season finale.
Kaecilius and Percival Graves join Moriarty in guarding my collection of Luciano books. I have several POP! figures, and realised the other day, most are of British actors. Three are of the same person O.O
Sadly, yet again, no progress on LotT, except in my head…. However, I did do a drawing of a Sikkaran desert saur.
Added a few new events to the roster:
Book Blitz: Misadventures of Lady Ophelia by Christina Knight July 10th- 14th
Blog Tour: Biker B*tch by Andie J Christopher July 10th- 21st
Book Blitz: Temptation Trials by B Truly Sept 4th- 9th
Books read, reviewed, and posted/scheduled:
Confessions of an American Doctor by Max Kepler, 4?
Asylum of Dr Caligari by James Morrow, 4?
Adrenal7n by Russ Watts, 4?
Sketches of My Soul by TC Booth, 4?
Life Bank by Magus Tor, 4?
Best read of the week: Sketches of My Soul by TC Booth, 4?/ available no
“In the game of life, I was used to being on the losing team. The odds were stacked against me. Tegan’s Team—a mom who tried to control me, a dad who would rather drink then spend time being a father, a lying ex-boyfriend, and fake friends. Like any team however, you have that one shining star that stood out above the rest. For me that star was Emily, my best friend. I guess life had pity on me the day it gave me a friend that always had my back. Life must have felt extra giving the day it gave me a cheer leader—Mrs. White, my next-door neighbor. She’d been more of a parent to me growing up then my own parents.
And then there was Andrew. He was my shooting star. One that I never saw coming. One that I hoped became mine over the summer of my senior year.
A glimpse into a crystal ball couldn’t have prepared me for that summer, though. The summer where a letter from my mom rocked me to the core. I felt the world shake with every word I read in that letter. By the time I reached the end, my world split wide open swallowing me whole.”
Current Read: Open Your Heart by Ruth Cherry/ available now
“This is an amazing little novel, as entertaining as it is enlightening, and by the end you’ll understand what it means to embrace your own life fully and even ecstatically. There are many great lines in these pages but my favorite is, “Your greatest wisdom lies in surrendering to how you are led.” In this case the leading comes from within ourselves. This is a book with a message for anyone interested in personal growth and happiness but the message is garbed in intriguing, likeable characters who will stay with you–and possibly guide you–for the rest of your life.”
As you can see below, my Next Up! list has expanded. I’ve added in all of my pending/sponsored reviews for CBR, and various blog tours so I make sure I don’t miss them.
Next Up!
*Open Your Heart by Ruth Cherry + Jul 11. CBR
Tune Up by Joe Klingler Jul 17. CBR
The Ice Queen by Rebecca Bauer Aug 5
Misadventures of Lady Ophelia by Christina McKnight Aug. 9, Barclay
Banged Up Heart by Shirley Melis Aug 10. CBR
Women Within by Anne Leigh Parrish. Aug 10. CBR
Mr Prescott by Carlos Dash Aug 16 XP
The Funeral Flower by Michelle Jester Aug 17 XP
Northwood Magick by Desiree LaFawn Aug 20, Xpresso
Temptation Trials by B Truly. Sept 7, XPresso
Henry and the Hidden Treasure by BCR Fegan Independent
Remember, Remember by Anne Elliot (Sherlock) NG
Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Legends by Lydia Sherrer ASAP
Your Crossroads, Your Choice by EP Apicello. ASAP
Sun Born by Kathleen O’Neal and W Michael Gear CBR
Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone by Phaedra Patrick. CBR NG
Skeleton God by Elliot Patton. CBR
Mad or Bad by David Vaughn CBR
How to Be a Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci CBR NG
Spymaster by Margaret Weis. CBR
Age of Swords by Michael J Sullivan. CBR NG
The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor CBR
The English Slave by David Eugene Andrews. CBR
Education of a Coroner by John Bateson. CBR. NG
Besieged by Kevin Hearne CBR
Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton. CBR
Hail to the Chin by Bruce Campbell CBR
Hamilton and Philosophy edited by Aaron Rabinowitz. CBR
Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory NG
The Highwayman by RA Salvatore £££
13 reasons by Jay Asher ?
Juniper by Kelly and Thomas French (A to Z) NG £££
Firefly Summer by Nan Rossiter (A to Z) NG £££
79 Squares by Malcolm Bosse NG
Lord of Pleasure by Erica Ridley. NG £££
The Threat Level Remains Severe by Rowena McDonald. NG £££
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero EdW
Luca by Sarah Castillo NG £££
Nice hardcopy haul, as well as several egalleys.
I’m most interested in:
The History of Bees by Maja Lunde/ releases Aug 22
“In the spirit of Station Eleven and Never Let Me Go, this dazzling and ambitious literary debut follows three generations of beekeepers from the past, present, and future, weaving a spellbinding story of their relationship to the bees—and to their children and one another—against the backdrop of an urgent, global crisis.
England, 1852. William is a biologist and seed merchant, who sets out to build a new type of beehive—one that will give both him and his children honor and fame.
United States, 2007. George is a beekeeper fighting an uphill battle against modern farming, but hopes that his son can be their salvation.
China, 2098. Tao hand paints pollen onto the fruit trees now that the bees have long since disappeared. When Tao’s young son is taken away by the authorities after a tragic accident, she sets out on a grueling journey to find out what happened to him.
Haunting, illuminating, and deftly written, The History of Bees joins these three very different narratives into one gripping and thought-provoking story that is just as much about the powerful bond between children and parents as it is about our very relationship to nature and humanity”
The Ascendence of Harley Quinn by Shelley E Barba/ releases November 1st.
“Since her first appearance in 1991, Harley Quinn–eccentric female sidekick to the Joker–has captured the attention of readers like few new characters have in eight decades of Batman comics. Her bubbly yet malicious persona has earned her a loyal and growing fan base as she has crossed over into television, theater, video games and film.
In this collection of new essays, contributors explore her various iterations, focusing on her origin and contexts, the implications of her abusive relationship with the Joker, her relationships with other characters, her representations across media, and the philosophic basis of her character.”
Hamilton and Philosophy, edited by Aaron Rabinowitz/ available now
“In Hamilton and Philosophy, professional thinkers expose, examine, and ponder the deep and controversial implications of this runaway hit Broadway musical.
One cluster of questions relates to the matter of historical accuracy in relation to entertainment. To what extent is Hamilton genuine history, or is it more a reflection of America today than in the eighteenth century? What happens when history becomes dramatic art, and is some falsification of history unavoidable? One point of view is that the real Alexander Hamilton was an outsider, and any objective approach to Hamilton has to be that of an outsider. Politics always involves a debate over who is on the margins and who is allowed into the center.
Then there is the question of emphasizing Hamilton’s revolutionary aspect, when he was autocratic and not truly democratic. But this can be defended as presenting a contradictory personality in a unique historical moment. Hamilton’s character is also one that blends ambition, thirst for fame, and concern for his immortal legacy, with inability to see his own limitations, yet combined with devotion to honor and the cultivation of virtue. Hamilton’s evident ambition led him to be likened to Macbeth and Shakespearean tragedy can explain much of his life.”
Lucia Zarate by Cecilia Velastegui/ available now
“Lucia Zárate is based on the poignant, real-life odyssey of the world’s smallest woman. Pretty and gregarious, Lucia Zárate was just twenty inches tall. A celebrity after her ‘display’ at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial International Exhibition, Lucia’s extraordinary, heartbreaking story is one of exploitation by greedy sideshow hucksters and a fishbowl existence on the road, from New York to Victorian London. We follow the adventures of diminutive Lucia Zárate and her devoted governess as they grapple with life and death, finding joy and adventure in their bumpy sideshow journey of more than fourteen years. This is an artfully balanced novel that is a mesmerizing tale of survival, resilience, and the uplifting force of friendship.”
