Friday Finds (Sept 18)

Posted in Book memes, Friday Finds by rebeccabook17

FRIDAY FINDS is hosted by A Daily Rhythm and showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list. Whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

My finds this week include a women’s fiction, a young adult thriller, and a magical realism:

1. This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by by Jonathan Evison
I thought this book sounded good and it reminded me a tad of Where’d You Go Bernadette (which I LOVED) just based on the description.

2. The Next Time You See Me by Holly Goddard Jones
This was on a list of books that Gillian Flynn (author of Gone Girl) recommends. The book sounds like it will be a great thriller and its recommended by an author I like so I figured I should give it a try.

3. Season of the Dragonflies by Sarah Creech
I thought this book sounded just great and I’ve been very into the magical realism lately. Compared to books by Sarah Addison Allen and Alice Hoffman (both of which I just love) so I marked this as a definite must read!

So those are my finds this week! Please feel free to share your finds or leave a link to your own “Friday Finds” blog posting below! Happy Friday!

28Aug2015

Friday Finds (August 28)

Posted in Book memes, For the love of books, Friday Finds by rebeccabook17

My finds this week include a suspense, a women’s fiction/humor, a young adult/fairy-tale retelling, and a historical fiction:

1. A Necessary End by Holly Brown
I thought this book sounded really good, What wouldn’t a woman be willing to do when she’s desperate to become a mother and a baby is within her reach?

2. Pretty Much Screwed by Jenna McCarthy
This book has a bunch of good reviews so far on Amazon and to be honest half the reason I am excited about this book is I just love the cover.

3. Entwined by Heather Dixon
There was a Top Ten Tuesday post a couple weeks ago on Top 10 Fairy Tale Retellings and I picked up this recommendation from one of the other blogs that participated in the posts, The Bucket List. This one is a fairy-tale retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, and while I’m not super familiar with this fairy-tale I just love fairy-tale retellings and the cover on this book looks awesome.

4. Penmarric by Susan Howatch
I found this book on a listing of books to read if you’re having Outlander withdrawals. And while I haven’t read the Outlander series yet, I already am fairly certain I will love it. And this book sounds really interesting too. Historical fiction with a bunch of family drama and mistresses mixed in!

So those are my finds this week! Please feel free to share your finds or leave a link to your own “Friday Finds” blog posting below! Happy Friday!

4Aug2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Fairytale Retellings I’ve Read/Want To Read

Posted in Book memes, For the love of books, Top Ten Tuesday by rebeccabook17

Top Ten Tuesday is a book meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday there is a different bookish topic and bloggers are asked to post their own top ten list based on the topic. This week is a listing of the Top Ten Fairytale Retellings I’ve Read/Want to Read. I’ve always loved fairy tales (Cinderella was my favorite movie growing up) and I really enjoy some of the fairy tale retellings that have been published. It is a fun, usually adult spin on a childhood dream. So below are some of my favorites I have read and ones I definitely want to read:

1. Fairy Tales series by Eloisa James

I have to say this is a great series of fairy tale retellings, especially if you like historical romance novels. I really liked the series.

2. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
I LOVED THIS BOOK! Great read and I definitely recommend. Can’t wait for #2 in the series to come out next year!

3. Atlantis Rising by Gloria Craw
I’m not sure if Atlantis really counts as “fairy tales” but if we’re going to liberally use the term then I guess it counts. I read this book recently and really enjoyed it!

WANT TO READ

1. Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this series and I currently own the first and third book. I can’t wait to dive in, just have to find time to fit them in! As a side note, the last picture (Winter) is being released this fall.

2. Wicked series by Gregory Maguire

I own the first book in this series, I had started it a long time ago and never finished it (like 8 years ago at least, maybe more). I am a massively huge fan of the musical that was inspired/based on the first book though and I recently discovered that it became a series so I am looking forward to reading all 4 of these books. Gregory Maguire also has some other fairy tale retellings I would like to check out, including Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and After Alice.

Any suggestions?

So that’s mostly it! There are just so many options for fairy-tale retellings that it is hard to narrow it down. One thing I realized while compiling this list is that I haven’t really ever seen a good retelling of The Little Mermaid. Does anyone have any suggestions for books like that? I would love to hear about them! Also let me know if you think I’ve missed any really great fairytale retellings. This is one of my favorite genres so I would love to add some of these to my TBR list!

Happy reading!

13Jul2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possession

Posted in Book memes, For the love of books, Top Ten Tuesday by rebeccabook17

Top Ten Tuesday is a book meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday there is a different bookish topic and bloggers are asked to post their own top ten list based on the topic. This week is a listing of the Last Ten Books That Came Into My Possession. I have been pretty active in both requesting e-galleys, accepting donations from family and friends, and at my local library so I am going to try and piece this together the best I can.

From Net Galley:

I’m actually pretty excited because all 3 of these were books that I wanted to read and I was able to get all of them on Net Galley for free! I have only recently discovered the greatness that is Net Galley and I am looking forward to using it much more in the future.
1. The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert
2. A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan
3. Awake by Natasha Preston

From my Gram:

This past weekend I visited my Grandma and Grandpa down in Pennsylvania. My Grandma is a part of a book club down there and every so often when I visit she lets me take some books from her leftovers (which I LOVE). So this past weekend I brought 4 books home with me that I haven’t read before and all of them look really interest and I can’t wait to read them!
4. Long Time Gone by Karen White
5. Matters of Faith by Kristy Kiernan
6. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
7. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

From Publishers:

This is the first print ARC copy I’ve ever received. I’m pretty excited about it.
8. Stove-Junker by S.K. Kalsi

Gifted from Mom’s kindle:

After all the Net Galley activity, I’ve gotten tired of using the kindle app on my phone. My mom had an older kindle that she hasn’t been using since she has both a Paper white and a Kindle Fire. When she gave me her Kindle there were a few books on it from her account and I was able to keep these two. I am trying to read more classics this year so I’m glad these are now available to me!
9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
10. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

SO! That’s my listing of books I’ve most recently received. What books have you gotten lately?

10Jul2015

Friday Finds (July 10)

Posted in Book memes, For the love of books, Friday Finds by rebeccabook17

My finds this week include a historical fiction, a young adult, a fiction, and a women’s fiction (I think):

1. Newport by Jill Morrow

This book tells the story of a family in Newport in the spring of 1921. I went to Newport recently and we did the mansion tours and I was just floored by the amount of wealth it took to make those mansions. This book is supposed to be about the “glamorous world of Newport in the Roaring Twenties” so I hope I see some of that wealth in this book!

2. Paperweight by Meg Haston

This book is about a girl who is struggling with an eating disorder in a rehabilitation center. It sounds like its going to be a really moving story about a tough issue affecting many girls today.

3. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

Don’t get excited, I know the title sounds a lot like 50 Shades of Grey but that is not this book. This book is about “Chromatacia, where the societal hierarchy is strictly regulated by one’s limited color perception.” I’ve been really into the dystopian novels lately where the population is segregated into a hierarchy based on some weird mutation, like the color of their blood in The Red Queen. I thought that this book sounded like a definite must read.

4. Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book sounds like it will be a great read. Its about a woman who is at a bar and can either go home with a friend or a guy and the book switches between the storylines on what would happen to her with either decision.

So those are my finds this week! Please feel free to share your finds or leave a link to your own “Friday Finds” blog posting below! Happy Friday! Hope you all enjoy the weekend! I am glad its here!

19Jun2015

Friday Finds (June 19)

Posted in Book memes, Friday Finds by rebeccabook17

My finds this week include a historical fiction, a mystery/thriller, a fiction, a fantasy, and a chick-lit:

1. Naked by Eliza Regold

This book is a retelling of the story of Lady Godiva, who legend tells us rode naked through the streets on horseback. It sounded super interesting and I am looking forward to reading it!

2. The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

This book is about a young man that is chronicling the life of a convicted murder as an English writing assignment. Along the way he gets involved in the truth behind what really happened. The story line sounds very interesting.

3. Love and Miss Communication by Elyssa Friedland

This book is about finding love in this over-technological word. I often find that a lot of our lives end up being taken over by technology and I think that this book about stepping back from the smart phone is a great idea for a book.

4. Uprooted by Naomi Novik

I’ve been really into the fairy-tale retelling type books lately and this book just sounds like its going to be right up my alley. A wizard dragon who gets a new slave girl every ten years? Yes. I’m on this boat.

5. The Cake Therapist by Judith Fertig
This is about a woman who can “taste” the feelings in her cakes, and she creates custom cakes for each person based on what they need. The description of this book reminded me a lot of The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee (I can’t say if it is going to be similar but it sounds like it will) and I very much enjoyed that book so I am definitely going to read this one.

So those are my finds this week! Please feel free to share your finds or leave a link to your own “Friday Finds” blog posting below! Happy Friday!

3Jun2015

Waiting on Wednesday (9): Friction by Sandra Brown

Posted in "Waiting On" Wednesday, Book memes, For the love of books by rebeccabook17

“Waiting On” Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.

This week’s spotlight is on:

Friction by Sandra Brown (unfortunately no cover has been released yet)

Release Date: August 18, 2015

Blurb from the cover (Amazon):

Crawford Hunt wants his daughter back. Following the death of his wife four years ago, Crawford, a Texas Ranger, fell into a downward spiral that left him relegated to deskwork and with his five-year-old daughter Georgia in the custody of her grandparents. But Crawford has cleaned up his act, met all the court imposed requirements, and now the fate of his family lies with Judge Holly Spencer.
Holly, ambitious and confident, temporarily occupies the bench of her recently deceased mentor. With an election upcoming, she must prove herself worthy of making her judgeship permanent. Every decision is high-stakes. Despite Crawford’s obvious love for his child and his commitment to being an ideal parent, Holly is wary of his checkered past. Her opinion of him is radically changed when a masked gunman barges into the courtroom during the custody hearing. Crawford reacts instinctually, saving Holly from a bullet.
But his heroism soon takes on the taint of recklessness. The cloud over him grows even darker after he uncovers a horrifying truth about the courtroom gunman and realizes that the unknown person behind the shooting remains at large . . .and a threat.
Catching the real culprit becomes a personal fight for Crawford. But pursuing the killer in his customary diehard fashion will jeopardize his chances of gaining custody of his daughter, and further compromise Judge Holly Spencer, who needs protection not only from an assassin, but from Crawford himself and the forbidden attraction between them.
FRICTION will keep you on the edge of your seat with breathtaking plot twists and the unforgettable characters that make Sandra Brown one of the world’s best-loved authors. It is an extraordinary novel about the powerful ties that bind us to the ones we love and the secrets we keep to protect them.

Why Am I Waiting?

I am a huge fan of Sandra Brown’s suspense thrillers. They are riveting, exciting, often unpredictable, and just fantastic. I just found out how much I love her books within the past year or so, and I am really exciting for her upcoming release since I’m sure its going to be great.

8May2015

Friday Finds (May 8)

Posted in Book memes, For the love of books, Friday Finds by rebeccabook17

My finds this week include a fiction, a mystery, a young adult historical fiction, a thriller (I think?), and a historical fiction:

1. Whiskey & Charlie by Annabel Smith

I thought this book just sounded really interesting. It is about twin boys who become estranged as adults, citing their irreconcilable differences as the reason why they haven’t talked in years. But when one of the brothers is in a terrible accident, the other twin must come to terms with the past and find a way to move forward. Whole thing just sounds like a winner to me. I’ll probably end up balling my eyes out. “A compelling and unforgettable novel about rivalry and redemption, Whiskey & Charlie is perfect for anyone whose family has ever been less than picture-perfect.”

2. Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman

This book was made into a movie starring Diane Lane, Elizabeth Banks, and Dakota Fanning. When I saw the trailer for the movie I thought it looked really interesting so I will probably try to read the book first. Its about two sisters who do some unspeakable crime and get sent to juvie and then when they get out a similar crime happens so we have to figure out if they did the second crime too. Movie comes out next Friday I think (May 15th).

3. The Revelation of Louisa May by Michaela MacColl

This book is about Louisa May Alcott. It has a few facts thrown in there but is mostly fiction. I love Alcott’s story Little Women and I think it would be interesting to read about her, even if the story is mostly fiction. From Amazon, “Intertwining fact, fiction, and quotes from Little Women, Michaela MacColl has crafted another spunky heroine whose story will keep readers turning pages until the very end.”

4. Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight

This book was actually recommended to me by a quiz I took online, I think it was a BookPage quiz but I can’t remember, about what book I should read next. I just love the last paragraph in the description on Amazon, it sounds like this is going to be a really good novel. “Told from the perspectives of three Ridgedale women, Kimberly McCreight’s taut and profoundly moving novel unwinds the tangled truth behind the tragedy, revealing that these women have far more in common than they could ever have imagined: that the very worst crimes are committed against those we love. And that—sooner or later—the past catches up to all of us.”

5. Swimming in the Moon by Pamela Schoenewaldt

I have found a new love for historical fiction lately, and this one sounds too good to pass up. It starts off in Italy and then moves to America and just sounds like it is going to be full of tension and drama and lots of the feels. It has a ton of great reviews on Amazon. I am excited to read it!

So those are my finds this week! Please feel free to share your finds or leave a link to your own “Friday Finds” blog posting below! Happy Friday!

6May2015

Waiting on Wednesday (8): Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt

Posted in "Waiting On" Wednesday, Book memes, For the love of books by rebeccabook17

“Waiting On” Wednesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.

This week’s spotlight is on:

Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt

Release Date: May 26, 2015

Blurb from the cover (Amazon):

HE CAN GUARD HER
Lady Phoebe Batten is pretty, vivacious, and yearning for a social life befitting the sister of a powerful duke. But because she is almost completely blind, her overprotective brother insists that she have an armed bodyguard by her side at all times-the very irritating Captain Trevillion.
FROM EVERY DANGER
Captain James Trevillion is proud, brooding, and cursed with a leg injury from his service in the King’s dragoons. Yet he can still shoot and ride like the devil, so watching over the distracting Lady Phoebe should be no problem at all-until she’s targeted by kidnappers.
BUT PASSION ITSELF
Caught in a deadly web of deceit, James must risk life and limb to save his charge from the lowest of cads-one who would force Lady Phoebe into a loveless marriage. But while they’re confined to close quarters for her safekeeping, Phoebe begins to see the tender man beneath the soldier’s hard exterior . . . and the possibility of a life-and love-she never imagined possible.!

Why Am I Waiting?

I have read every book in the Maiden Lane series so far (one of which is reviewed on my blog and I hope to have the earlier releases re-read and up in the future as well), and have loved them all. I can’t wait to read the next installment in the series. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who likes historical romance!

So what about all of you, any books you’re anxiously waiting to be released?

21Apr2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Authors

Posted in Book memes, For the love of books, Top Ten Tuesday by rebeccabook17

Top Ten Tuesday is a book meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday there is a different bookish topic and bloggers are asked to post their own top ten list based on the topic. This week is a listing of the Top Ten All Time Favorite Authors. My favorite authors can fluctuate every so often but below I’ve put together a listing of my 5 all-time favorite authors , 3 authors that I’ve discovered in the last year or so that I’m in love with, and 2 authors of which I read their debut novels and absolutely loved them.

All-time favorite authors:

1. Linda Howard – I’ve loved most of her novels, especially Mr. Perfect and Now You See Her
2. Kristan Higgins – Just love entirely. There are no other words.
3. Meg Cabot – I love her adult series, they’re funny and witty and sweet
4. MaryJanice Davidson – Every book I’ve read of hers is funny. Every one.

Recently added favorite authors:

5. Emily Giffin – Loved her Something Borrowed and Something Blue
6. Eloisa James – LOVE the Fairy Tale series
7. Sandra Brown – I always end up on the edge of my seat with her books