Happy New Year Readers!
Sorry to have been so MIA lately, honestly I'd love to say that I was holed up somewhere reading all the books, planning out reviews and read-a-longs, but I wasn't. I was dealing with grief, depression, holiday feels realness, and emotional stagnation. Thankfully, I'm coming out of that.
January has been a very bookish month for me. I've gotten through 12 reads, only one wasn't the best, and I'm 23% through my Goodreads challenge. Yes, this year I've only challenged myself to read 52 books, just one a week for 2019. Something I've noticed while reading my way through grief is that I will read a LOT, and listen to a LOT of audiobooks and podcasts as a way to avoid my emotions. For the past few years I've set myself up for these reading challenges, to successfully complete them, and while I have finished everything I wasn't fully enjoying the stories. I was reading to fill in the time that freed up in my life because taking care of my dying parents was no longer on my plate. I was reading to fill the hole in my chest that grief created. Yes I loved some of the books I read last year, I still can't shut up about Sadie, but I put all of this immense pressure on myself to be the book girl that I lost the fire that made me a reader in the first place. So 2019 is the year of the story for me. I'm reading books, I will always be reading books, but I'm reading them solely for the stories they contain. I'm not trying to fill bingo cards, check off challenges, or hit triple digits like I have in years past. This year, I'm just reading for the sole enjoyment of reading.
So, without further ado.....
Here are the first 12 books of 2019!
1. Essentialism by Greg McKeown
2. Empress of the East by Leslie Peirce
3. Nixonland by Rick Perlstein
4. Impeachment by Jeffrey Engel, Jon Meacham, Timothy Naftali, and Peter Baker
5. Playing With Fire by Lawrence O'Donnell
6. An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
7. Verity by Colleen Hoover
8. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass
9. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Mass
10. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
11. White Lies by Lucy Dawson
12. Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus
What I'm currently reading:
Queen of Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
Stay tuned for my RBG special, my hot take on Bad Blood, and much more this year.
XoXo
BrainyHeroine
Showing posts with label Book Nerd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Nerd. Show all posts
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Review Time: With You Always by Rena Olsen
Good Morning Readers!!
Today we're talking about a book I just finished, the second by one of my favorite authors,
With You Always by Rena Olsen; her first book is The Girl Before and she doesn't disappoint with her sophomore novel. Just a heads up, I will be spoiling the novel, so if that is going to bug you read the book first and come back tomorrow. Additionally, I listened to the Audible version of this book, because Brittany Pressley is amazing and I love listening to her; also, psycho thrillers are way more fun as audio books.
Told in multiple parts and from the perspective of Julia, our gem of a leading lady, With You Always brings you in and then leaves you feeling trapped. (In a good way I swear!)
"In the wake of a painful breakup and struggling to prove herself at work, Julia feels adrift. When Bryce blows into her life, he seems like the perfect anchor. Handsome, charming, secure, and confident, Bryce brings out the best in Julia, sweeping her off her feet with attention and affection while grounding her with his certainty and faith. Together they embark on a path guided by the principles of his family and their church, each step a paving stone leading to happily ever after.But this is no fairy tale.
Step by step, one small concession leading to another, Julia is slowly isolated from her job, her friends, and her family, until she comes to find that her dream come true is a cage. Then one day everything changes...and Julia is faced with no choice but to find a way out"
As the story begins Julia is relatable to every single woman in the world who has dated a terrible guy. Her fiance leaves her, after cheating on her multiple times, and she is seriously lacking in confidence. She has some great friends from college, a good to great relationship with her sister, nephews, and parents, and a domineering female boss that makes her feel inferior, though she's starting to make her mark at work. Julia feels disturbingly normal, and Bryce feels somehow planted. He just happens to be there when Julia is taking a break from work outside when the wind blows and scatters her papers, he just so happens to be at the bar she's at with her friends after she and Bryce have gone on a few dates. He's perfect with her nephews and parents, he even gets along with her sister's (probably soon to be EX) husband, and the only one who is skeptical is Julia's sister Kate.
So when we get brought into Bryce's life, with his "parents" the Reverend and Nancy, the church life and culture, I was getting some Scientology vibes. (I also picked up on the drug thing as soon as "The Gathering" was described the first time.) Everything about Bryce felt fake, especially compared to how real Julia felt. Their relationship, the dynamic, you know from the synopsis what's going to happen, but I wasn't anticipating HOW it happened.
Like I said this story is told in parts, and I liked that. We start off with a large cast of characters as well, and as each part is told references to other characters start dying down, I flat out forgot about a couple of them by the end, not that they weren't well written, just that the story had so completely focused on Julia and Bryce by that point that I started feeling Julia's isolation as I listened. It's brilliant.
I do wish that the bits and pieces of Bryce's back story that we got were larger. There are some flashback scenes that happen, giving us clues as to why Bryce was so enthralled with the Reverend, why Bryce left his home and changed his name from Bruce to Bryce, and sure, he killed an abusive jackass to save his mother and sister, but I wanted more from Bryce. Hell, I want more from Reverend and Nancy. Like a whole book of their backstory, how many people in their church are abusive assholes, the whole nine. I want more info on the school, I want to know what the hell happens in that punishment closet, can these characters have a spin off? Can we be told their story and have Julia and Bryce be background characters? They're so addicting!!
One thing I wasn't expecting was the foreshadowing or outright explanation of the ending. About halfway through the book, when we're getting used to the narrator telling us about Bryce's back story, we start hearing about a dead man in a tub, about him being held down by a woman, and it's written in such a way you think it has something to do with something "Bruce" did, or maybe even something Nancy did, that woman is shady as hell, when in reality, it's Julia killing Bryce.
All in all, this novel was every single bit as compelling as The Girl Before. I couldn't finish it fast enough, and I want more. I'm excited to see what comes next from Rena Olsen, because hands down I will always be here, ready to read or listen.
Until Next Time!
XoXo
BrainyHeroine
P.S. Rena Olsen's first novel is also how I found J.P. Delaney, who's second book I'm currently listening too. Sooooo you'll get that review by the end of the week I'm sure.
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Wife, Widow, and Warrior in Alexander Hamilton’s Quest for a More Perfect Union
From the New York Times bestselling authors of America’s First Daughter comes the epic story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton—a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy. Haunting, moving, and beautifully written, Dray and Kamoie used thousands of letters and original sources to tell Eliza’s story as it’s never been told before—not just as the wronged wife at the center of a political sex scandal—but also as a founding mother who shaped an American legacy in her own right.
Order your copy of MY DEAR HAMILTON today!
A general’s daughter…
Coming of age on the perilous frontier of revolutionary New York, Elizabeth Schuyler champions the fight for independence. And when she meets Alexander Hamilton, Washington’s penniless but passionate aide-de-camp, she’s captivated by the young officer’s charisma and brilliance. They fall in love, despite Hamilton’s bastard birth and the uncertainties of war.
A Founding Father’s wife...
But the union they create—in their marriage and the new nation—is far from perfect. From glittering inaugural balls to bloody street riots, the Hamiltons are at the center of it all—including the political treachery of America’s first sex scandal, which forces Eliza to struggle through heartbreak and betrayal to find forgiveness.
The last surviving light of the Revolution…
When a duel destroys Eliza’s hard-won peace, the grieving widow fights her husband’s enemies to preserve Alexander’s legacy. But long-buried secrets threaten everything Eliza believes about her marriage and her own legacy. Questioning her tireless devotion to the man and country that have broken her heart, she’s left with one last battle—to understand the flawed man she married and imperfect union he could never have created without her…
✭✭✭ ORDER MY DEAR HAMILTON TODAY✭✭✭ Amazon | B&N | GooglePlay | iBooks | Kobo | Autographed Paperback
Add to Your Goodreads
Get a FREE Bonus Book – through April 9!
Join Stephanie and Laura’s VIP mailing list
EXTRA CONTENT: EXCERPT TIME!!!
So after nursing my newborn, I took Philip
for a short but painful stroll to the printer, then up Broadway past the
hospital to the nearby apothecary shop. “Mrs. Hamilton,” the apothecary
said in a scolding tone, his bushy brows knitted behind the counter. “You’re so
soon out of childbed. I’d have come to you if you’d sent a servant or Colonel
Hamilton to fetch me.”
“I just needed some fresh air,
raspberry leaves for my cramps, and a little lavender oil for my aching head.”
While I kept my curious boy from
reaching for one of the many fascinating corked glass jars on the counter, the
apothecary rummaged through the drawers and we chatted about the various states
that had ratified the Constitution—six by my count, five by his.
“You forgot Massachusetts,” I said,
just as the roar of angry voices reached our ears.
We both looked up toward the street to
see a horde of angry men marching from the direction of the battery. A mob. I’d
once seen a group of men like this armed with feathers and tar. This time, they
had sticks and, as I was about to learn, a far more righteous rage.
“Grave-robbing bastards!” someone shouted, just before a brick sailed through
the glass window, sending a spray of shards at my feet. Instinctively, I
grabbed my son and pulled him behind the counter. But from where I crouched, I
saw the swarm move right past us on the street.
I could guess their destination.
The hospital. For the Constitution was
not the only divisive thing in the newspapers that year. It had been reported
that medical students, in need of cadavers to dissect, dug up bodies in the
Negro Burial Ground outside the city. No one of prominence had seemed to care
until the corpse of a white woman from Trinity Churchyard was also dug up and
stolen.
Now the public was in an uproar.
I knew the importance of cadavers to
the field of medical science, but I couldn’t help but shudder at the gross
indignity of having anyone I loved violated and dissected in such a way.
As we heard the crash of more windows
farther down the street, the apothecary rose to wrap a sheltering arm around my
shoulder. “I’ll get you and the boy home,” he said, rushing us out the back.
Across the way, furious citizens broke the hospital door to splinters and
overran the hospital, sending young medical students running in every
direction. Over my shoulder, I saw a young doctor climbing from a window. And
my son stared as shouting men hauled cauldrons of dismembered body parts out of
the hospital, the stench of it recalling the war immediately to my mind.
We saw a bloody foot, a swollen human
head in a bottle, and some poor fellow’s pickled genitals hanging from a string
before we fled up Broadway, only to come against hundreds more furious
men blocking our way. The jostling crowd swept us up like a tidal wave,
separating us from the apothecary and nearly tearing Philip’s hand from mine.
Breathless and frightened, having quite forgotten about aches and pains, I
realized the mob was descending upon the original nearby buildings of the old
King’s College—which had been recently renamed the more republican Columbia
College.
“Bring out the butchers!” someone in
the mob cried, and I knew they were looking for medical students to punish.
“Keep walking,” I whispered to Philip.
But my son made of himself a dead weight, pointing with one hand at something I
couldn’t see. And then the crowd parted to reveal my husband on the college
stairs, pleading with the mob to see reason.
Hamilton was a great orator, and his
military voice could just be heard over the fray. “The mayor has already jailed
the culprits. Allow the law—”
The mob pushed past him, breaking open
the doors to the chapel, the library, and the dorms of the college he’d
recently helped reopen.
Then he caught sight of us and dodged
the rioters until we were all together, and he tugged us into his arms. “Dear
God, Betsy, what the devil are you doing here?”
Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie’s MY DEAR HAMILTON – Blog Tour Schedule:
April 2nd
Book review Virginia lee – Excerpt
Books A-Brewin' – Excerpt
Brandy Paige Roberts Blogger page – Excerpt
My Girlfriends Couch – Excerpt
April 3rd
Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents – Excerpt
It's All About the Romance – Excerpt
My Book Snack – Review & Excerpt
Smexy& Fabulous – Excerpt
April 4th
Always a happy ever after –Review & Excerpt
Ficwishes – Excerpt
Movies, Shows, & Books – Excerpt
Quirky Lady Bookworm Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Stephanie's Book Reports – Excerpt
SJAT's Books and More – Review & Interview
April 5th
Hearts & Scribbles – Excerpt
Literature Goals – Excerpt
Reviews by Tammy and Kim (Rachel & Jay) – Review & Excerpt
What Is That Book About – Excerpt
April 6th
Books After Fifty – Excerpt
History Undressed – Review & Excerpt
Under the Covers Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
True Book Addict – Excerpt
Zili in the Sky – Excerpt
April 7th
3 Degrees of Fiction Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Books According to Abby – Excerpt
Evermore Books – Excerpt
KDRBCK – Review & Excerpt
April 8th
BookCrushin – Interview
Liz's Reading Life – Excerpt
Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews – Excerpt
Vagabonda Reads – Review & Excerpt
April 9th
Book Bug Blog – Review & Excerpt
Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Just One More Chapter – Review
Read-Love-Blog – Excerpt
April 10th
Miss Riki – Review & Excerpt
My Fictional Escape – Review & Excerpt
Oh, for the Hook of a Book – Review & Interview
April 11th
Bound By Books Book review – Review
Sofia Loves Books – Review & Excerpt
April 12th
Denny S. Bryce – Review & Excerpt
Good Drunkard – Review & Excerpt
Ruth Downie – Interview
Margie's Must Reads – Excerpt
The Voluptuous Book Diva – Excerpt
April 13th
A Bookaholic Swede – Review
Creating Herstory – Review & Interview
Historical Fiction Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Kris Waldherr Art and Words – Excerpt
April 14th
Book Nook Nuts – Excerpt
Deluged with Books Cafe – Review & Excerpt
Leigh Anderson – Review
Nerdy Soul – Review & Excerpt
Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt
Teatime and Books – Excerpt
Two Girls with Books – Review & Excerpt
About Stephanie Dray:
Stephanie Dray is a New York Times bestselling author of historical women’s fiction. Her award-winning work has been translated into multiple languages, illuminating women of the past so as to inspire the women of today. She is a frequent panelist and presenter at national writing conventions and lives near the nation’s capital.
Stephanie Dray Website |Newsletter | Facebook |Twitter | Dray & Kamoie Website
About Laura Kamoie:
Laura Kamoieis a New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction, and the author of two nonfiction books on early American history. Until recently, she held the position of Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy before transitioning to a full-time career writing genre fiction under the name Laura Kaye, also a New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels.
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Writer, Seeker, Killer... Talk About a Thriller!
Hey Readers,
(TRIGGER AND SPOILER WARNING, THIS BOOK INVOLVES SUICIDE)
Today we're talking WSK, that's Writer, Seeker, Killer by Ryan Starbloak!
WSK was published in November of 2017, and though it is a collection of novellas, don't start reading thinking you are going to be underwhelmed. If anything each part of this story is a sucker punch to the gut, while simultaneously making you want to sleep with the lights on. Stay tuned to the end, where I have a brief interview with the author to lighten the mood!
"New Orleans; our lady of perpetual sirens." Hinanya Ven has but one interest in this life, and that is death. This great question has enveloped her into a deranged obsession, a need for transcendence in proximity to grand suffering. The search takes her back to her childhood home of New Orleans, where she returns after a six year absence following her family's permanent retreat from the city in the unanticipated catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina. On her own there for the first time, Hinanya inquires into whether or not there is a metaphysical substructure to the universe we all perceive. In the course of her journey, she, through inexplicable and violent circumstances, appropriates the pistol identical to the make, model, and serial number her friend had used to commit suicide several months prior to her arrival in New Orleans. The weight of the mystery augments her desire to part from her body... to have an out-of-body experience. The suicidal girl's path takes her from becoming a writer, a graffiti artist in the glittering menace of the New Orleans nightscape to search for a secretive substance which may settle her ceaseless curiosity. From there, she uncovers a jarring conspiracy which inextricable undermines her being into that brutal principle of the natural world: kill or be killed."
Told in three parts, Writer, Seeker, Killer, follows Hinanya Ven, a completely death obsessed woman who is working through a few things. She's a few screws loose and the way her mind works is expansive enough that each of these novellas could have become their own stand alone novels. Hinanya's obsession with death leads to the asking of the big questions, and we start asking them slowly, with her return to New Orleans after a 6 year hiatus due to Hurricane Katrina. While contemplating so many big questions, Hinanya comes across the pistol her friend used to commit suicide. Now I mentioned before that she is death obsessed, so reading about her becoming suicidal was a complicated experience as a reader. From here the novellas dig deeper into some dark and dangerous truths about life.
After reading WSK I had to step away from it for a few days. Starbloak has mastered in 256 pages what many authors master in a thousand; that paranoid, frightened, thrilling feeling of reading a book that will fuck you up. There is nothing soft or gentle about this book, though there is love in it. Very little hope can be found inside but I have never felt a character's emotions so completely and so immediately than with Hinanya's. I would love to see each story fleshed out into it's own novel, I'd love to one day find this on the shelves as a trilogy, but I am terrified of what may come of the story if that happens. Hinanya's story ends when the book does, but the characters she interacts with, the implied history she discovers, there's so much more here. Additionally, I've never been a fan of authors who have multiple characters commit suicide, but I will give Starbloak credit here for not having it feel like a rush job, or as a plot device. Hinanya's spiral will consume you like a tornado; it'll pick you up and drop you off somewhere new completely disoriented.
To purchase the book for yourself or a friend CLICK HERE!!
To keep up with Ryan check out his site www.starbloak.com
And now for Five Questions! The fun thing where I ask the author 5 questions and cross my fingers for some great answers!
"Yesterday's Gone" by Sean Platt & David Wright, a sprawling serialized work that becomes rather addictive. These guys do so good at cliffhangers!
"Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier, thought it'd be a delightful English romance. That's the first impression. And with du Maurier's prose, I was sold already. But this novel became more like a suspense piece that had me tense and in awe at the same time.
"A Scanner Darkly" by Phillip K. Dick, a look at the consequences of trying to slay a monster by impersonating one. I find this one really somber... use & abuse of drugs definitely does not lead to a happy ending here. I found myself really inspired by the work, & there's definitely some elements to be seen of it in "Writer, Seeker, Killer."
That's all for now readers, until next time...
XoXo
BrainyHeroine
(TRIGGER AND SPOILER WARNING, THIS BOOK INVOLVES SUICIDE)
Today we're talking WSK, that's Writer, Seeker, Killer by Ryan Starbloak!
WSK was published in November of 2017, and though it is a collection of novellas, don't start reading thinking you are going to be underwhelmed. If anything each part of this story is a sucker punch to the gut, while simultaneously making you want to sleep with the lights on. Stay tuned to the end, where I have a brief interview with the author to lighten the mood!
"New Orleans; our lady of perpetual sirens." Hinanya Ven has but one interest in this life, and that is death. This great question has enveloped her into a deranged obsession, a need for transcendence in proximity to grand suffering. The search takes her back to her childhood home of New Orleans, where she returns after a six year absence following her family's permanent retreat from the city in the unanticipated catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina. On her own there for the first time, Hinanya inquires into whether or not there is a metaphysical substructure to the universe we all perceive. In the course of her journey, she, through inexplicable and violent circumstances, appropriates the pistol identical to the make, model, and serial number her friend had used to commit suicide several months prior to her arrival in New Orleans. The weight of the mystery augments her desire to part from her body... to have an out-of-body experience. The suicidal girl's path takes her from becoming a writer, a graffiti artist in the glittering menace of the New Orleans nightscape to search for a secretive substance which may settle her ceaseless curiosity. From there, she uncovers a jarring conspiracy which inextricable undermines her being into that brutal principle of the natural world: kill or be killed."Told in three parts, Writer, Seeker, Killer, follows Hinanya Ven, a completely death obsessed woman who is working through a few things. She's a few screws loose and the way her mind works is expansive enough that each of these novellas could have become their own stand alone novels. Hinanya's obsession with death leads to the asking of the big questions, and we start asking them slowly, with her return to New Orleans after a 6 year hiatus due to Hurricane Katrina. While contemplating so many big questions, Hinanya comes across the pistol her friend used to commit suicide. Now I mentioned before that she is death obsessed, so reading about her becoming suicidal was a complicated experience as a reader. From here the novellas dig deeper into some dark and dangerous truths about life.
After reading WSK I had to step away from it for a few days. Starbloak has mastered in 256 pages what many authors master in a thousand; that paranoid, frightened, thrilling feeling of reading a book that will fuck you up. There is nothing soft or gentle about this book, though there is love in it. Very little hope can be found inside but I have never felt a character's emotions so completely and so immediately than with Hinanya's. I would love to see each story fleshed out into it's own novel, I'd love to one day find this on the shelves as a trilogy, but I am terrified of what may come of the story if that happens. Hinanya's story ends when the book does, but the characters she interacts with, the implied history she discovers, there's so much more here. Additionally, I've never been a fan of authors who have multiple characters commit suicide, but I will give Starbloak credit here for not having it feel like a rush job, or as a plot device. Hinanya's spiral will consume you like a tornado; it'll pick you up and drop you off somewhere new completely disoriented.
To purchase the book for yourself or a friend CLICK HERE!!
To keep up with Ryan check out his site www.starbloak.com
And now for Five Questions! The fun thing where I ask the author 5 questions and cross my fingers for some great answers!
 |
| Author Ryan Starbloak |
1. What are your top five books right now?
"The Three-Body Problem" by Cixin Liu, amazingly mind-blowing first contact read. The science fiction concepts found in this trilogy are so fresh and vibrant... & here I was thinking another Transformers movie would tarnish the genre for good! But for every disgraceful science fiction franchise there is an author like Liu pushing things forward in unexpected ways.
"The Long Walk" by Richard Bachman (Stephen King), always & forever my most beloved King read. The journey is utterly humane yet the premise of the story is not. It's an evocative contradiction.
2. They say inspiration comes from everywhere, where is the weirdest place you've found a story's
inspiration?
Hm, challenging question, but after a lot of thought, one thing keeps coming back to me. Those ghost hunter programs on TV really got to me this one time. I'm a skeptic and philosophy has some issues with the existence of ghosts. Hell, I'd love to see one though. No matter how scary it might be in the moment, that's confirmation of an afterlife. Good deal, in my mind. Anyway, I got to thinking in the way a skeptic like me might roll their eyes at these ghost hunter people, some of whom believe in ghosts, what would make THEM roll their eyes at someone? That's how I got the idea for my short story "Ghost Eggs."
3. Chocolate or Vanilla?
(Dark) Chocolate. Mhm. I have some stockpiled in my freezer as I'm typing (excuse me, it's calling to me).
4. Does WSK have a book 2 coming out?
Ah, good question! Well, I certainly felt good with the scope of the world I created there. That seedy New Orleans underbelly truly yields some brutal and decadent tales. There are absolutely more stories to tell there, but would you believe it? I don't know what they are as of yet. I sure did love writing in the thriller genre though!
5. What's your next project about?
I've been working on a science fiction serial for some time. It's going to be at least four books. What's taking so long is I'm trying to write out all four books before launching the first. For the cohesion and integrity of the story. Yay J.K. Rowling for doing that. Boo for "Lost" for failing to do that. Eh, on second thought the "Lost" people were probably on a ridiculously tight schedule.
Anyway, it is about the first contingent of human beings to emigrate from Earth and live on a spaceship for keeps. I explore the consciousness change the first generation experiences as a result of leaving Earth behind. Space is sad! And there are many hazards both psychologically and externally. I also address the development of their offspring, who have never known Earth. I'd drop the tentative title, but my friends snickering at it (because apparently, the title sounds like it's a book about butts) advise I keep that in the vault. Okay, okay, if you really want to know there's a loophole. Pretty sure I have it listed somewhere on my website (www.starbloak.com). Oooops! Will you go there in time or will I have already purged it?That's all for now readers, until next time...
XoXo
BrainyHeroine
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Thunder and Lightning and ROAR
From New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack comes her debut young adult fantasy, ROAR, now available in eBook for $2.99 today only! ROAR takes readers on an adventure filled with charismatic characters in an enthralling world sure to keep them turning the pages. Grab your copy today!
About ROAR (Stormheart #1):
New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack's young adult debut: Roar.
In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.
Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora's been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.
To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.
Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage. She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.
Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Book Depository
Add to your Goodreads
About Cora Carmack:
Cora Carmack is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Since she was a teenager, her favorite genre to read has been fantasy, and now she’s thrilled to bring her usual compelling characters and swoon-worthy romance into worlds of magic and intrigue with her debut YA fantasy, Roar. Her previous adult romance titles include the Losing It, Rusk University, and Muse series. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages around the world. Cora splits her time between Austin, TX and New York City, and on any given day you might find her typing away at her computer, flying to various cities around the world, or just watching Netflix with her kitty Katniss. But she can always be found on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and her website www.coracarmack.com.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
The List by Patricia Forde
Goooooood Morning Readers!!!
Day Two of my Birthday Week is all about The List by Patricia Forde, which happens to publish TODAY!!! While it is a middle grade book, yes I am a grown woman reading middle grade books, the concept of language and its importance in society is so profound, abstract, and intense, that The List does a great job of getting younger readers into that critical thinking space; hopefully it starts a discussion that never ends.
A quick synopsis...
In the city of Ark, speech is constrained to five hundred sanctioned words. Speak outside the approved lexicon and face banishment. The exceptions are the Wordsmith and his apprentice Letta, the keepers and archivists of all language in their post-apocalyptic, neo-medieval world. On the death of her master, Letta is suddenly promoted to Wordsmith, charged with collecting and saving words. But when she uncovers a sinister plan to suppress language and rob Ark's citizens of their power of speech, she realizes that it's up to her to save not only words, but culture itself. (Thanks Goodreads!)
Let that sink in for a moment. THIS GIRL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SAVING LANGUAGE! Throughout history the right to speech, the access to speech, the very nature of speech, has been the stuff of wars! Cultures have lived and thrived based on their means of communication. And we have ALL been that person using primitive sign language and interpretive dance to find out where the bathroom is.
As I was reading The List I found myself having to wonder why the importance of language has never really been brought up in my circle. We're avid readers, intellectuals, and most of my friends are artists of some form, heck I'm married to a poet who proposed via poem. When I wrote my wedding vows, even when I write these blogs I subconsciously pick and choose the vernacular I use, the dialect and tone, even the syntax of a sentence to best convey the message I have.
Forde does a great job of blending some time periods and genres, this book is futuristic and medieval at the same time, and she does a good job giving us characters to root for. There are some plot issues, and one or two holes you can skirt around, but I think the biggest asset to this novel is Letta. The maturity she exhibits, as well as the urgency of her position aren't to be taken lightly. However there is the good risk that a lot of this book is going to be glanced over, or not even considered. "Everything is a risk. Life is a risk. We have to be what we are. Our souls are not like the soul of a fox. Hour hearts are not like the heart of a sparrow." - Marlo pg 86
The relationships in this book are bitter sweet, and the undying allegiance can be frightening to an over thinking adult like myself, but read The List, and ask yourself why language matters. I asked some of my friends, and their answers surprised me.
"Let's eat kids! Let's eat, kids! Punctuation saves lives." -B. Scott (Can you tell he's a teacher?)
"The written word lets you say what cannot be spoken." E. Savageau
"Language allows sharing and fosters relationships and (I hope) cooperation. It is how ideas spread." - L. Meyers
"The way we speak effects, and is effected by the way we think. It is expression but it is also neural programming." A. Estes
"We are all here because we believe in the power of communication based on love and trust." B. McBroom quoting the #WhyISign campaign.
"Language is important because it has the potential to open doors and close them. It can mean the difference between access or restriction in a modern, global, and competitive market." S. Bilquist
(Seriously, I know some great teachers!)
"Language conventions provide the order and scaffold that allows for common understanding." S. Carpenter (See... GREAT teachers!)
Personally, I find that language is what finds us loved, freed, understood, and what gives us hope. If I can express to you my ambition, excitement, joy and love, language is what lets you understand me. I could go on forever about cultures and their languages, how some cultures don't have the same words for the same things, how some have words for emotions that can't be described any other way, but for now I'll leave you with this, language matters.
Until next time....
XoXo
BrainyHeroine
Day Two of my Birthday Week is all about The List by Patricia Forde, which happens to publish TODAY!!! While it is a middle grade book, yes I am a grown woman reading middle grade books, the concept of language and its importance in society is so profound, abstract, and intense, that The List does a great job of getting younger readers into that critical thinking space; hopefully it starts a discussion that never ends.
A quick synopsis...
In the city of Ark, speech is constrained to five hundred sanctioned words. Speak outside the approved lexicon and face banishment. The exceptions are the Wordsmith and his apprentice Letta, the keepers and archivists of all language in their post-apocalyptic, neo-medieval world. On the death of her master, Letta is suddenly promoted to Wordsmith, charged with collecting and saving words. But when she uncovers a sinister plan to suppress language and rob Ark's citizens of their power of speech, she realizes that it's up to her to save not only words, but culture itself. (Thanks Goodreads!)
Let that sink in for a moment. THIS GIRL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SAVING LANGUAGE! Throughout history the right to speech, the access to speech, the very nature of speech, has been the stuff of wars! Cultures have lived and thrived based on their means of communication. And we have ALL been that person using primitive sign language and interpretive dance to find out where the bathroom is.
As I was reading The List I found myself having to wonder why the importance of language has never really been brought up in my circle. We're avid readers, intellectuals, and most of my friends are artists of some form, heck I'm married to a poet who proposed via poem. When I wrote my wedding vows, even when I write these blogs I subconsciously pick and choose the vernacular I use, the dialect and tone, even the syntax of a sentence to best convey the message I have.
Forde does a great job of blending some time periods and genres, this book is futuristic and medieval at the same time, and she does a good job giving us characters to root for. There are some plot issues, and one or two holes you can skirt around, but I think the biggest asset to this novel is Letta. The maturity she exhibits, as well as the urgency of her position aren't to be taken lightly. However there is the good risk that a lot of this book is going to be glanced over, or not even considered. "Everything is a risk. Life is a risk. We have to be what we are. Our souls are not like the soul of a fox. Hour hearts are not like the heart of a sparrow." - Marlo pg 86
The relationships in this book are bitter sweet, and the undying allegiance can be frightening to an over thinking adult like myself, but read The List, and ask yourself why language matters. I asked some of my friends, and their answers surprised me.
"Let's eat kids! Let's eat, kids! Punctuation saves lives." -B. Scott (Can you tell he's a teacher?)
"The written word lets you say what cannot be spoken." E. Savageau
"Language allows sharing and fosters relationships and (I hope) cooperation. It is how ideas spread." - L. Meyers
"The way we speak effects, and is effected by the way we think. It is expression but it is also neural programming." A. Estes
"We are all here because we believe in the power of communication based on love and trust." B. McBroom quoting the #WhyISign campaign.
"Language is important because it has the potential to open doors and close them. It can mean the difference between access or restriction in a modern, global, and competitive market." S. Bilquist
(Seriously, I know some great teachers!)
"Language conventions provide the order and scaffold that allows for common understanding." S. Carpenter (See... GREAT teachers!)
Personally, I find that language is what finds us loved, freed, understood, and what gives us hope. If I can express to you my ambition, excitement, joy and love, language is what lets you understand me. I could go on forever about cultures and their languages, how some cultures don't have the same words for the same things, how some have words for emotions that can't be described any other way, but for now I'll leave you with this, language matters.
Until next time....
XoXo
BrainyHeroine
Monday, August 7, 2017
Little Gray Dress
Happy Monday All!!
Today we're kicking of my birthday week with something I find to be pretty amazing, A NEW RELEASE BOOK TOUR BLOG!! Needless to say I'm pretty excited to be a part of this and super grateful to Aimee Brown and Crooked Cat Publishing for this opportunity. So poke around at will, I've got plenty of goodies packed into this post! We're talking a review, an Author Q&A, and even an excerpt from the book! All rounded out by a giveaway! Can you tell I'm excited?
Let's start off with the details shall we? #BookBlub time!
Author: Aimee Brown
Release Date: August 2nd, 2017
Publisher: Crooked Cat Books
Genre: Romantic Comedy/Chick Lit
GoodReads: add Little Gray Dress to your to be read list
Emi Harrison
has avoided her ex-fiance, Jack Cabot, for nearly two years. Her twin
brother Evan’s wedding is about to end that streak.
From bad
bridesmaid’s dresses, a hyperactive sister-in-law, a mean girl with even meaner
secrets, and too much to drink, nothing seems to go right for Emi, except when
she’s wearing her little gray dress.
When she
speed-walks into Liam Jaxon’s bar, things get more complicated. He’s
gorgeous, southern, and has no past with Emi. He may be exactly what she
needs to prove for the last time that she doesn’t need or want Jack!
Her favorite
little gray dress has made an appearance at nearly every major event in Emi’s
adult life. Will it make another when she least expects it?
Wasn't that tease too much to handle? Get yourself a copy!!
Wasn't that tease too much to handle? Get yourself a copy!!
Barnes & Noble: print –
$9.99
Side note, I am in love with the name of this author! We're both Amy's- spelled with "i's"!! (Though I don't use the ee at the end of my name.)
Aimee
Brown – author bio:
Aimee Brown
is a writer and an avid reader. Little Gray Dress is her first
published novel. My second novel is in the works now. She’s currently studying
for her Bachelor’s degree in English Writing. She spends much of her time
writing, doing homework, raising three teenagers, binge watching shows on
Netflix and obsessively cleaning and redecorating her house. She’s fluent in
sarcasm and has been known to utter profanities like she’s competing for a
medal.
Aimee grew
up in Oregon but is now a transplant living in cold Montana with her husband of
twenty years, three teenage children, and far too many pets.
She would
love to hear your thoughts on Little Gray Dress! If you’d like to
chat with her she’s very active on social media. You can find her at any of the
networks below. Stop by and say hello!
An introduction is never enough, and I had a few questions I wanted to ask! Aimee was kind enough to respond to them.
An introduction is never enough, and I had a few questions I wanted to ask! Aimee was kind enough to respond to them.
We've
all heard of the LBD, that sexy dress giving you all the confidence in the world,
or at least a free drink at the bar. Why did you opt for Gray? How did it
become Emi's favorite color? Did your own Little Gray Dress give you
inspiration?
I think the part of the book that represents
me the most is the fact that Gray is Emi’s favorite color. I love the color
gray and if it’s an option in any clothing I like, it’s what I choose. My
closet looks like I spend every single day mourning a loved one, it’s all black
and grays! LOL.
I didn’t want to be ‘just another book about a
little black dress’ so I opted for another color, my favorite color, Gray!
Actually, I don’t think I’ve worn a dress
since my wedding day in 1997. I’m just not really a ‘dress’ kind of girl. Jeans
and t-shirts fill my closet. I love the idea of the girly girls wearing dresses
and heels though so it would figure that I would write my characters with that
trait.
In
an era of body positivity Emi seems pretty harsh on herself appearance wise; do
you feel that you're representing a more realistic image of women post break
up?
I feel like Emi is true to life. As a woman
myself who is not a perfect size 2, I can say that in that same ‘body positive’
world you’re speaking of, it’s still hard to be the ‘nonperfect’ girl. Despite
everyone screaming for body positive thoughts, judgment
is still around every corner.
Every woman, no matter how positive they try
to be on the outside, has some kind of body issues. Whether it be her weight,
hair, stretch marks or ingrown toenails. There is just no way around it. Emi
represents that woman, the woman who loves herself but wishes that maybe it was
a little easier to lose that extra 30 pounds.
Romance
novels have either had a cult following or taboo feel to them, think of the dimestore, throbbing members of older
generations, how do you feel you've enhanced the genre? Do you believe that
Romance is making a comeback?
I actually don’t think romance has ever gone
out. If you look at the Bestseller lists there is ALWAYS a romance novel on
there. Whether women want to admit it or not, they love romance. Some like the
dirty kind, some the sweet kind and some the funny kind (like Little Gray
Dress).
We all dream of that ‘happily ever after’
feeling. Even if we’re married. It’s fun to read a book that you can close with
a smile, feeling like you’ve just made a new group of friends and went on a
tiny vacation right from your favorite chair.
Little Gray Dress is a fun read, you’ll laugh
out loud and not regret skipping a meal or two while you finish it. I think
those are the kinds of books that really make you feel good. The ones you
absolutely can not put down. I think that is what Little Gray Dress adds to the
world, fun and a bit of laughter.
What
about the Romance and ChickLit genres made you decide to write LGD as a
Romance? Were these genres long held favorites of yours?
For me, romantic comedy/chick lit is just what comes out when I try to write.
I love it as much as I loved the 90’s rom/com
movies. From the first Sophie Kinsella book,
I knew it was the genre for me.
I saw Sleepless in Seattle in the theaters when it was released when I was a
teen… it (and so many movies after) have held a piece of my heart. I just can’t
get enough of the quirky heroines and happy endings.
I have no doubt that most every book I write
will be in this genre. It’s just me.
Where
will we be seeing your career take you next? Any upcoming projects?
Absolutely! I’ve got all kinds of tricks up my
sleeve.
Right now I’m working on another romantic
comedy, whose main character, Riley is not
the smoothest with men. She’s hilarious and completely real as she navigates
through set-ups, accidental run-ins, and
some real oddballs. There may even be a character I love from Little Gray
Dress. 😉
The Getaway
“He
asked you to go away with him? Already?” Lily almost drops her fork into her
lasagna when I say it. Like it’s such a shock that a man could ask me to go
away with him. Even though it has never actually happened.
“Yeah.
I guess his parents own a house in Malibu, California.”
“Out
of state?”
“Yes,
Malibu… Like where Barbie lives.” I wink at her.
“What
did you say?”
“I
said yes, duh.”
“I
hope you’re planning on having sex with him, because guys don’t take girls to fancy
Malibu beach houses for a long weekend and not expect to get laid. Not to
mention that you’ve been dating six months and you still haven’t given it up.”
She scrunches her face in confusion.
“I
wanted to be sure!” I glance around the restaurant to see who now knows what a
prude I am since she’s talking so loud about it. No one appears to be listening
in, but who knows?
“Sure
of what?”
“That
he wasn’t just one of those guys who would screw me and then move onto the
next.” I shrug my shoulders. “Apparently, he’s not.”
“I’ve
told you the whole time, Ems, he’s a good guy. You should stop holding him at
arm’s length like you’re scared of him. This is a big step in your
relationship.”
“I
know it is, and I’m so freaking nervous. I have no idea what this is going to
be like.”
“Don’t
even pack clothes, you won’t need them.” She takes a bite of her lasagna before
nearly choking on it when she looks up at my horrified face. “I’m kidding! If I
know Jack, and I think I do, it’ll be all romance and rainbows and he’ll set
the tone for your entire relationship.”
“A
good tone?”
“A
rich, romantic tone, but yes, probably good too. Maybe we should go shopping?”
“For
what?”
“Uh,
hello, have you not been listening? For lingerie ya weirdo. You do want to make
him want you on your first time, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then
you need good lingerie. Have any?”
I
think about my underwear drawer for a minute. “I have a pair of bra and panties
that match.”
“You’re
so sad.”
“I
know, seriously, you have to help me.”
“I
know. Don’t worry, I will.” She grabs her phone and starts tapping away,
planning goodness knows what, in order to get me ready to consummate my
relationship.
When
we walk into the shop I’m almost a little scared. This is no Victoria’s Secret. Lily’s
friend Merri used this shop when she was shopping for her wedding night. They
make private appointments and do fittings to suit your body type.
“I
don’t know about this…” The room is filled with racks of swanky lingerie,
expensive underwear, and floor-to-ceiling mirrors. “I feel like I’m in a secret
sex shop.”
“Ladies!”
A middle-aged woman in a dress far too tight and far too short comes walking in
from the back part of the shop, carrying an armload of what looks like hot pink
lace string bikinis.
“Are
you Esther?” Lily asks.
“I
am!” Esther has a sing-song type voice. “You must be Lily! I’m thrilled to meet
you!” When she speaks, every single sentence ends with either a question mark
or an exclamation mark. Lingerie obviously excites her.
“And
you must be Emi!” She looks at me with a huge smile on her face. “Lily told me
a bit about you, and based on what she
said I pulled out a few items for you to try on. They’re waiting in here…” She
leads me to a giant dressing room with three-way mirrors and a plush velvet
couch. “Try them on and come out for our opinions.”
“I
have to model?”
“Well…”
She glances over at Lily. “You don’t have to
come out, but we’re here to help you make the best decision for this special
occasion. You’re in a safe place and there is no one here with us.”
“No
cameras?”
She
bursts out a laugh then quickly stifles it away. “No! No. No cameras; that
would make the news, dear. No, go, try and model.”
Personally, I found my own little gray dress while reading this book. Very similar to the Emi's! I never thought of gray being this sexy, powerful, beautiful color until now.
Personally, I found my own little gray dress while reading this book. Very similar to the Emi's! I never thought of gray being this sexy, powerful, beautiful color until now.
Alright, so now you've come to the nitty gritty, my review of The Little Gray Dress by Aimee Brown. To begin, I've broken my cardinal rule to never read romances; and thankfully nothing in this book "quivered". I found LGD to be refreshing, I read it in a few hours and laughed almost every other page; the situations Emi found herself in were extremely familar and comical. I loved the friendship between Emi and Lily. The genuine support, advice, and candor between the two honestly felt real. Emi and Jack's relationship seems like a Cinderella tale at first, until the pumpkin arrives in the form of "May" and midnight breaks the glass slipper. I appreciated the back and forth version of the narrative, you are never able to get mired down in something for two long, and Aimee does a great job of not letting you wonder or wander for too long. I did find the pacing to be a bit quick at times, and the stand in love interest didn't feel like it really went anywhere beyond a few great kisses; though I kind of liked that because, again, we avoided any quivering.
In the end I found this to be a great and easy read that's fun, different, and great if you're looking for something to engross you for a couple of hours or as a beach read. It is also a fantastic introduction to the Romance Genre or a great one to read if you aren't a fan of the genre; I'm also calling it chick-lit that won't annoy you. There is real substance here, the relationships are real, the love in this book is palpable, and you find yourself rooting for true love all the way. You won't be disappointed.
And, as promised, a give away!!!!!!!!
In the end I found this to be a great and easy read that's fun, different, and great if you're looking for something to engross you for a couple of hours or as a beach read. It is also a fantastic introduction to the Romance Genre or a great one to read if you aren't a fan of the genre; I'm also calling it chick-lit that won't annoy you. There is real substance here, the relationships are real, the love in this book is palpable, and you find yourself rooting for true love all the way. You won't be disappointed.
And, as promised, a give away!!!!!!!!
Aimee Brown has the cutest Giveaway for the
tour - pictured here & opened worldwide.
Included is a 'create' coffee cup,
some dark & handsome K-cup pods, a cute Life is Short, Eat Cake wall
art, some tiny macaroons, a Little Gray Dress bookmark & postcard!
Enter here:
Be sure and stay connected to the author via Social Media!!
Until Next Time!
XoXo
BrainyHeroine
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)