First line: There was an angry bellow from inside the woodcutter’s hovel; the woman, struggling up from the stream with a heavy bucket of icy water in each hand, raised her head and shouted back.
Summary: In the fourth installment of Philippa Gregory’s young adult series we follow Luca, Isolde and their companions on their journey. As they stumble into a small village, they find the townspeople besieged by a troupe of dancers. However, these are no ordinary dancers. These dancers seem to be possessed. What is causing this dance sickness and how can it be cured? These are just a few of the questions Luca wants to find out. But when Isolde is taken by the dancing fever the need to find a cure becomes even more important.
Highlights: I have really enjoyed Gregory’s young adult novels. She is my favorite author. Her historical fiction is amazing. She does a great job of describing the time. This is a great way to get younger readers interested in the past. Even as an adult, I learn new bits of information with each story. I also really like the covers. But if you have read my other reviews you know how much I love a good cover!
Lowlights: These are definitely for young adult. They are not as in-depth and detailed but still gets the story told in a fun and interesting way.
WARNING: If you have a book-acquiring habit that leaves your wallet bare, your shelves stuffed, and your marriage in jeopardy, you may not want to read this post.
WARNING: If you are susceptible to buying bookish items such as Harry Potter merch, posters of book characters, and limited edition covers with stained pages, autographed book plates, and specially designed bookmarks, you may not want to read this post.
WARNING: If your To-Be-Read shelf is so tall that it’s endangering your children, pets, and the value of your home, you may not want to read this post.
Lately it’s been feeling like my birthday every month. It’s because I’ve joined some book subscription boxes. If you’re unfamiliar with subscription boxes, they are a monthly box that features various, usually exclusive, items surrounding a particular theme. There are so many subscription boxes out there with themes for everybody. Beauty boxes, survival boxes, boxes for your dog or cat, boxes for your kid, boxes for your marital status. CrateJoy is the leading search engine to connect you with all kinds of boxes, including book boxes.
After drooling over YouTube videos and Instagram posts, I finally decided to take the financial plunge and buy subscription boxes from two different companies, Owlcrate and Fairyloot. My life (and bank account) haven’t been the same!
Owlcrate and Owlcrate Jr. are a US-based monthly subscription service that includes either a newly released YA novel or newly released middle grade novel along with other exclusive items from various shops and companies across the country. Owlcrate has a direct connection with US publishers and not only features an exclusive edition of a new release, but a signed edition with a letter from the author and other memorabilia.
Every month Owlcrate’s box has a new theme. This theme ranges in concept and the featured book’s genre. The February 2018 theme was Hidden Worlds, March 2018’s theme was Across the Galaxy, and April 2018’s theme is Shadows and Secrets. Owlcrate releases a teaser of the book and other items in the box so when you receive your crate, everything in the box is a surprise!
I’ve received candles, jewelry, scarves, bags, stickers, tea, coffee, mugs, prints, and even a giant wall tapestry from Owlcrate! Here are some posts of items in past boxes.
February 2018 – Hidden WorldsMarch 2018 – Across the Galaxy
With shipping and handling, Owlcrate costs about $38 a month. Considering the price of a hardcover book along with handmade, custom items, I think this is a pretty good deal. Customer service is really friendly, and once you get your first Owlcrate, you can join a private Facebook group to connect with other readers.
Fairyloot is very similar to Owlcrate, but the differences are that Fairyloot is a UK-based monthly subscription box that features only YA fantasy books. Whereas Owlcrate may include a contemporary, thriller, or mystery book, Fairyloot only features books and items inspired by the fantasy genre. The box includes an exclusive, signed edition of a newly released YA book, a letter from the author, and other awesome goodies. Monthly themes have included Oh So Regal, Ladies That Slay, and Villainous.
January 2018- Twisted TalesMarch 2018- Memorable Moments
Fairyloot’s items are mostly European including the candles and food items. Most of the time this is really cool, but there was one item, a bag of hot chocolate mix, that I personally didn’t like the taste of.
Fairyloot’s greatest attribute is the design and quality of their author letters, bookmarks, and book plates. Their graphic designer is outstanding, and every print item in the box is a piece of art. Fairyloot also features some really grand items like tote bags, exclusive scarves, and fabric book covers.
Because of international shipping and customs, Fairyloot is more expensive and takes a little longer to receive. With shipping, Fairyloot is about $60 a month and usually arrives towards the end of the month.
Give to Others or Yourself!
These book subscription boxes shine as gifts. Whether for birthdays, holidays, Mother’s/ Father’s Day, or just as a friendly gesture, both Owlcrate and Fairyloot would be so magical to receive.
It’s also a great form of self-care and indulgence for yourself as a reader. The great thing about both boxes is that they reveal next month’s theme a few weeks before payment is due so you can decide if you’d like to skip that month’s box and save some money.
Owlcrate May 2018 ThemeFairyloot May 2018 Theme
Whether one time or every month, I definitely recommend giving one of these boxes a try!
Summary: When Eliza Fontaine, a debut author, is found at the bottom of a pool her family believes that she has tried again to commit suicide. Eliza knows that she was pushed into the pool but cannot remember who pushed her. As she looks deeper into the incident, she learns more secrets have been kept from her. Why is everyone assuming that her upcoming book is a parallel with her life? It is fiction. Or is it?
Highlights: I liked the mystery and fast pace of the second half of the novel. I kept thinking the story was finished but a new twist was added digging deeper into the mystery. The cover was really pretty as well. I really enjoy reading Sara Shepard’s books. She can write a fun story that keeps me coming back for more. Dorothy was a very interesting character. She is flamboyant and eccentric. She added a little fun and spice to the story.
Lowlights: The first half of the novel was slow moving. I nearly gave up on it. I did not like the intertwining with Eliza’s book but as the story progressed, it grew on me. And Desmond was not a character I liked or connected with.
Summary: Magic once flowed through the land of Orisha. Maji’s controlled the magic. However, the king led a raid on the Maji of the land, killing them all. Zelie had to watch her mother die because of her magic and she has never forgotten. When Zelie stumbles upon the escaping Princess Amari she starts a quest to bring back magic to the land and revive the Maji. On their tail is Amari’s brother, the prince of Orisha, Inan who is determined to stop the return of magic but he is also hiding a dark secret.
Highlights: That cover! Skies! It is amazing. The author, Tomi Adeyemi, is a born storyteller. In her debut novel, she develops a fantasy world with great cast of characters and rich history. Tomi builds a world that resembles West Africa. The beasts and landscape are easily comparable but also very different. She weaves magic and heart into the whole story. While I was reading, I could easily picture it all happening right before my eyes. I loved all the action sequences. Zelie is badass! She has to hide her skills but she can whoop anyone. Also secretly, Amari is skilled as well. I love seeing amazing female characters that can kick butt and do!
The story is told from three different perspectives. Zelie, Amari and Inan each play an important part in the narrative. Zelie, a Diviner, is the child who had everything taken away from her when the Raid killed her mother. Amari is the princess who grew up sheltered but sees her friend, a Diviner like Zelie, killed by her father. And Inan, the crown prince, who has been taught to fear magic and fight to eradicate it. From each character, we get a look into the prejudices and history of Orisha and its people. All three have to learn from the events of the story and overcome their challenges in order to find peace and equality.
“You crushed us to build you monarchy on the backs of our blood and bone. Your mistake wasn’t keeping us alive. It was thinking we’d never fight back!”
This book is a powerful story that was written in a time of unrest. In the author’s note, she describes turning on the TV and feeling afraid. It is important that we have more books that show that just because we look different we are really all the same no matter what.
Lowlights: The only fault I found was the quick progression of the love story. At least to the reader very little time had passed and they were already talking love. This is one of the biggest troubles with YA fiction but it can easily be overlooked when there is a great story line like this.
FYI: Perfect for fans of Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard and the movie, Black Panther!
If you’ve read my other posts I’m guessing you already know I’m a lover of food. So I think it goes without saying that I also LOVE cookbooks! But even though I love them I really don’t own too many. I’m not a fan of clutter and being a librarian means I can almost always find a way to get my hands on any cookbook I want to peruse. However, once I laid eyes on Dining In I knew I’d have to own it.
When we received it at the library I took it home and instantly fell head over heels. Alison’s recipes are a breath of fresh air. They aren’t too difficult or trendy. They don’t call for a crazy amount of ingredients you can’t find or cooking techniques you need a culinary degree to master. Her book is just filled with wonderful food you can’t wait to make and beautiful pictures that spark the desire to get in the kitchen and make something amazing for those you love.
Thankfully my husband knows me well and without any hints he purchased this book for me as a Christmas gift. Since then I have made and loved several of the recipes. The Perfect Steak with Buttered Radish Toast is probably my favorite, but Anchovy-Butter Chicken with Chicken Fat Croutons comes in a close second. I also really enjoyed the Persimmons and Pears with Blue Cheese and Spicy Pecans.
If you love to cook or just love to eat I urge you to give this wonderful book a try. If you do, please let me know what you made and how it turned out.
First line: I often think of what Hendrich said to me, over a century ago, in his New York apartment.
Summary: Tom Hazard may look like an ordinary man but he is anything but. He is several hundred years old. He has seen the world change from Elizabethan England to the modern era. Sounds like a dream right? Maybe so but it can be lonely. When a group called the Albatross Society discovers him, he learns that there are many more people like him. Their main rule is to never fall in love. It complicates things. Tom has led many different lives but now he takes on a role that could jeopardize his existence, a history teacher. When he intrigues a fellow teacher, he has to decide if it is worth it to break from the rules of society or start over again.
Highlights:
“I sometimes want to stop time. I sometimes want, in a happy moment, for a church bell never to ring again. I want not to ever have to go to the market again. I want for the starlings to stop flying in the sky…But we are all at the mercy of time.”
Such a great story! I love the thought that someone can live forever and see so many things. I would love to be able to see the world of Shakespeare and the Roaring Twenties. These are iconic times in history. Being a history major, this book was right up my alley.
“It’s not that long ago, not really. History is right here, Anton. It’s breathing down our necks.”
I like that Tom does age. He is not immortal. He just ages slower than the average person does. He has demons. He wants to know what and who he is. He feels guilt. He knows love. He is a flawed character instead of the perfect ones in many stories of immortals. He has made mistakes and learned from them. He has not collected tons of wealth and profited off his condition. He has lived. He has searched for years for someone and never given up.
Lowlights: I listened to part of this on audiobook. The reader was good but when there are many changes from time and location it makes that story harder to follow. Tom often looks back at his past in order to help explain his present. However, while reading it flowed much easier.
FYI: It is already optioned to be a movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch!
April 3: The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
From Goodreads: “Greer Kadetsky is a shy college freshman when she meets the woman she hopes will change her life. Faith Frank, dazzlingly persuasive and elegant at sixty-three, has been a central pillar of the women’s movement for decades, a figure who inspires others to influence the world. Upon hearing Faith speak for the first time, Greer- madly in love with her boyfriend, Cory, but still full of longing for an ambition that she can’t quite place- feels her inner world light up. And then, astonishingly, Faith invites Greer to make something out of that sense of purpose, leading Greer down the most exciting path of her life as it winds toward and away from her meant-to-be love story with Cory and the future she’d always imagined.”
April 3: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (young adult)
Zombies, Gettysburg, and combat schools to put down the dead. What’s not to love? It’s the Civil War, and at the battles of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville, the dead begin to walk, completely derailing the war and changing the country forever. The safety of the country’s citizens lies in the hands of a relatively few people. New laws require certain people to attend combat schools where they learn to put down the dead. And for Jane McKeene, this means more opportunity than she would have had otherwise as she studies to become an Attendant, and trains in weaponry and etiquette to prepare to protect the well-to-do.
April 3: A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee
In this followup to A Rising Man, Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant “Surrender-Not” Banerjee are called upon to solve the mystery of the assassination of the heir to the throne of the kingdom of Sambalpore. Prince Adhir was a moderniser, but his attitudes and romantic relationship may have upset the religious elements of his country. But the new heir, Prince Adhir’s brother, appears to be an irresponsible playboy. As Wyndham and Banerjee work to untangle the mystery of the murder, they find themselves in a race to find the murderer before the murderer finds them.
April 5: Macbeth by Jo Nesbo (Hogarth Shakespeare)
Famed crime writer Jo Nesbo tackles the classic story of Macbeth. From Goodreads: “Set in a dark, rainy northern town, Nesbo’s Macbeth pits the ambitions of a corrupt policeman against loyal colleagues, a drug-depraved underworld and the pull of childhood friendships. Get ready to helter-skelter through the darkest tunnels of human experience.”
April 10: Circe by Madeline Miller
Circe is the daughter of a Titan, but without the powers of either her mother or her father. Because she is such a strange child, she turns to the mortal world for companionship, where she learns she is not powerless. She discovers that she possesses the power of witchcraft, which allows her to transform her rivals into monsters. Threatened by this discovery, Zeus banishes Circe to a deserted island, but this just allows Circe to hone her craft.
April 10: Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
A then-and-now story of love. Macy is a pediatrics resident who is busy planning her wedding to a financially secure older man. She has a plan — keep her head down and her heart tucked away. Then she runs into Elliott, the love of her life, around whom her whole world used to revolve. From the teenage Elliott and Macy who grow from friends to much more, to the adult Elliott and Macy who have become strangers until their chance reunion, this story explores what happens when love gets a second chance.
Dark Tracks (Order of Darkness series) by Philippa Gregory
The Elizas
Children of Blood and Bone
How To Stop Time
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