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Monday, May 01, 2023
The Bookish Books Reading Challenge: May Book Ideas and Linkup for Reviews
10:10 PM
Happy May Day! I don't know how April went for you, but for me it was a busy month and it rushed by in a bit of a blur. My third child graduates from high school in a few weeks, which will make May busy as well. Also hot. We haven't hit 100 degrees yet, thank goodness; we've come close, though. Ugh. It's already way too warm to read by the pool. Ours doesn't have much shade so I'll be enjoying my books inside my air conditioned house, under a whirling fan, until further notice (probably around December).
I did manage to read one bookish book in April. Book Lovers by Emily Henry has been getting all kinds of buzz ever since it came out. Contemporary romance really isn't my genre, but I wanted to see what all the hype was about. Book Lovers is a fun, enemies-to-lovers story with lots of playful banter, humorous scenes, and an entertaining plot (although it did seem overly long at times). I listened to the book on audio, with Julia Whelan narrating. She did a great job bringing the characters to life. Overall, it was an enjoyable listen. I just wish it would have been more of a closed-door, PG-13 kind of romance.
I've yet to read the majority of the books I've listed in these monthly posts as potential reads for The Bookish Books Reading Challenge. Still, here are a few that have caught my eye recently that I could, potentially, get to this month. We'll see how it goes.
I mentioned these two in my recent book haul posts:
Shaun Bythell is the owner of the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland and his books are supposed to be insightful and hilarious. I can't wait to dig in.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson is my book club's pick for May. I've already read it, but it's been a few years, so I'm going to re-read it and then move on to The Book Woman's Daughter. I've heard the sequel is just as good as the first book, which is always reassuring.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can score an e-ARC of Last Word to the Wise by Ann Claire. It's the second installment in a fun cozy mystery series set in a mystery-themed bookstore that is accessible only by (or, at least, most conveniently by) gondola. I enjoyed the first book in the series and am excited to see what happens in the second. Hopefully, the Edelweiss gods will grant my pending request...
Have you read any of these? What did you think? Which bookish books are you planning to read this month?
For those of you who are participating in the Bookish Books Reading Challenge, here's the Mr. Linky to use for linking up May reviews. If you've not yet signed up for the challenge, what are you waiting for? Join us in this low-key challenge that celebrates a genre we all love: books about books. It will be fun, I promise!
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Happy Independent Bookstore Day to Me!
7:45 PM
I felt a little bad about going on my last book shopping spree at a chain store instead of my local indie, so I decided to even out the score. Plus, it's Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 29th. Not that I ever need an excuse to visit a bookstore...Changing Hands really is a fabulous place to buy books. The Tempe location has a fun, quirky vibe. It's packed with new and used tomes as well as bookish extras and specialty items like fancy soaps, kitchen accessories, notebooks/journals, jewelry, etc. Other perks include a trade desk, where you can trade in books you no longer need for store credit. They also have a frequent buyer program that gives you one stamp for every $10 you spend; when you reach 10 stamps, you get a $10 off credit. During your birthday month, you also get $10 off your purchases. All of these things make it an enjoyable place to spend my book money! It's actually a good thing that's it a 20-minute drive away. If it were closer, I'd definitely be there more often.
Today, I traded in a stack of books and earned about $56 in credit. I also had a full punch card, which gave me $10. Five of the eight books in the stack above are new and three are hardcovers, so the actual retail price of all eight (at least at Changing Hands) was $133.10. I paid $76.60 (including tax). Not too shabby. My husband actually spent more and he only bought three used books and one (very expensive) chocolate candy bar. Both of our purchases earned me more stamps, so now I have another full card to use next time I'm in the store. Yay!
Here's what I got:
Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell—I've never heard of Bythell, but apparently, he's the owner of the second largest secondhand bookstore in Scotland. He's written several books about his experiences as a bookseller and they're supposed to be hilarious. I believe this one is his first book, which was published in 2017.
The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine by Janice P. Nimura—This non-fiction book has been on my TBR list since it came out a few years ago. It's about Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell, two American women who received M.D.s in the 1800s. Elizabeth was the first ever to do so. Sounds fascinating!
The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson—I'm not even a little bit alone in my love for The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. This is the sequel, which stars the daughter of the titular book woman.
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom—Grissom was kind enough to send me a review copy of her new novel, Crow Mary, and I can't wait to read it. In the meantime, I want to re-read The Kitchen House, which I loved, and then read its sequel, Glory Over Everything. The Kitchen House is about a young white girl who is orphaned while sailing from Ireland to America. She becomes an indentured servant at a Southern plantation, where she becomes part of the servants' family, despite their differing skin colors. When she upsets the order of things, however, life as she knows it changes forever.
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen—This memoir was on clearance and I've been wanting to read it, so I grabbed it. It's the story of Rhoda's journey back home to the insular Mennonite family and culture she left behind. The book's supposed to be both hilarious and touching. I'm in!
Lone Women by Victor LaVelle—I probably don't need to tell you what this one's about since it's been getting all kinds of buzz in the book blogosphere. It sounds unique and compelling. The novel concerns a Black woman who leaves California to homestead in Montana in 1915. Not only does she have to eke out a life on the brutal prairie, but she also has a dark secret. One that makes the people around her disappear. How will she fare in her attempt at a new life?
The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine by Lindsey Fitzharris—When my husband saw this book, he added it to my to-buy stack, saying, "This sounds like your kind of book!" Ha ha. He knows me so well.
Ashton Hall by Lauren Belfer—Ashton Hall is my favorite kind of novel, one in which a modern-day woman enters a mysterious old house and becomes obsessed with unearthing all its secrets. I'm always up for this kind of story.
What do you think of my haul? Have you read any of these? Which should I read first?
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: The One With the Silky-Smooth Audiobook Narrators
1:48 PM
It's been a couple weeks since I did a Top Ten Tuesday. Since these are about the only posts I've been making this year, it's really good to be back! Today's topic—Top Ten Favorite Audiobook Narrators—is one that won't appeal to everyone. I, myself, wouldn't have had much to say about it just a few years ago. Now, though, I've gotten into the habit of having an audiobook going always so that I can listen while I drive and do housework. Not only does it make tedious chores more entertaining, but it multiplies the amount of time I get to spend reading. A win-win for sure.
As always, TTT is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Click on over to her blog to read all about this fun weekly event.
Top Ten Favorite Audiobook Narrators
- in no particular order -
1. Katherine Kellgren—Kellgren narrated one of my favorite YA series, an ongoing tale of swashbuckling sensation "Bloody" Jack Faber. Her animated readings are the best! Unfortunately, she passed away after a long battle with cancer in 2018. The author of the Bloody Jack books is also deceased, which is incredibly sad as Kellgren and Meyer made a wonderful team. Hopefully, they're still making books together in heaven.
Kellgren books I've enjoyed: The Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer
2. Jim Dale—Everybody loves this versatile narrator who's so entertaining with his immense skill at creating unique voices. Listening to him read the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is an absolute delight.
Dale books I've enjoyed: The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
3. Guy Lockard—Jason Reynolds is one of my favorite middle grade authors. Lockard is a long-time friend of the author and comes from the same inner-city background as Reynolds. His voice rings with authenticity when he narrates his buddy's work. Plus, he does some super fun voices (Coach Brody from the Track series is my favorite).
Lockard books I've enjoyed: Track series by Jason Reynolds
4. Julia Whelan—I've listened to several books read by Whelan, whose smooth voice makes characters seem so alive that you almost forget they're not real.
Whelan books I've enjoyed: Book Lovers by Emily Henry, The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation by Rosemary Sullivan
5. Karissa Vacker—Some of the first books I listened to on audio were read by Vacker. She does an excellent job.
Vacker books I've enjoyed: Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling, Momentuous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
6. Bethan Rose Young—Young brings Myrtle Hardcastle, one of my favorite MG sleuths, to life so well. I love listening to the series on audio.
Young books I've enjoyed: Myrtle Hardcastle series by Elizabeth C. Bunce
7. Sophie Roberts—Roberts has another voice that's so smooth it melts into the background and lets the story she's narrating really come alive.
Robert books I've enjoyed: The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan
8. Celebrities reading their own books—I'm not much into celebs, so I don't read many of these, but I've enjoyed the few that I've listened to.
Celebrity-read books I've enjoyed: The Answer Is... by Alex Trebek (co-narrated with Ken Jennings), Surrender by Bono (The husband and I are in the middle of this one right now. It's 20 hours long!)
9. Saskia Maarleveld—I've listened to one book read by Maarlevald and she narrates several more that I'd like to read.
Maarleveld books I've enjoyed: The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong
10. Keylor Leigh—I've only listened to one book read by Leigh, but I would definitely listen to more!
Leigh books I've enjoyed: The Renegade Reporters by Elissa Brent Weissman
I'm still a bit of a newbie to the world of audiobooks. Which narrators should I be searching out? Who are your favorites? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to comments here, so check back.
Happy TTT!
Thursday, April 20, 2023
Thursday This & That
1:26 PM
I've been a bit M.I.A. this month. Although I've still been reading, everything else has kind of taken a back burner to the big exam I just completed. I became an accredited genealogist earlier this year, with a specialty in the U.S. Southwest region (Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and California, as defned by ICAPGen), but, because I'm a little crazy, I decided to accredit in an additional region. This one has actually been a long time coming thanks to COVID delays, but I finally took the 8-hour exam to accredit in the U.S. Great Lakes region (Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois). It was stressful, but I'm done. Keep your fingers crossed that I pass it!
As a reward for completing my testing (not that I ever really need an excuse), I treated myself to a Barnes & Noble trip. I considered driving to Tempe to hit up my local(ish) indie, Changing Hands Bookstore, but after a long morning of testing, I was basically on the verge of collapse and I just didn't want to drive that far. So, I stayed really local and bought this lovely trio at B&N:
(My son was shocked that I posed my treasures by the pool. Don't worry, no books were harmed in the making of this post!)
I've been dying to read all of these:
Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson—This is the fifth book in Johnson's fabulous Truly Devious series. The books are YA mysteries starring a teen true crime aficianado who uses her skills to solve cold and hot cases.
The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden—There's nothing I like better than a Gothic mystery set in a mysterious old house. This one fits the bill nicely.
Homecoming by Kate Morton—I may have mentioned a few (hundred) times that Morton has a new book out. She's one of my all-time favorite authors, so this was an auto-buy. I should have put Homecoming on top of the stack because it has a gorgeous cover. The novel is about a murder that takes place in Australia in 1959 and the modern woman who's determined to solve it once and for all.
I don't know what the weather's looking like in your neck of the woods, but here in the Arizona desert it's been in the low 80s. It's cool enough (in the shade at least) to read poolside. I'm super wimpy so I don't actually get in the water until the temperature's over 100. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your opinion of Arizona's ridiculously hot weather), it won't be long now. Summer is my least favorite season, but at least I can always step outside and take a refreshing dip in my pool. Could be worse!
What are you all up to? Read anything good lately? I just started an e-ARC of Warrior Girl Unearthed, Angeline Boulley's second novel, which comes out on May 2. It has to do with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). I'm only a few chapters in and it's already eye-opening and intriguing. On audio, I'm listening to The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan. I've read and loved most of Ryan's books. This one feels slower than her others, but it's still an enjoyable listen.
Breaking news: I'm hoping to actually get a review posted before the week's out! Right? It's been a hot minute since that's happened around here. Stay tuned...
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