#Harper 360

[bookliteratibookreviews]

The Romanov Brides by Clare McHugh

Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks (28 Mar. 2024)Language ‏ : ‎ EnglishPaperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pagesISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063250934ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063250932 Book Blurb They were granddaughters of Queen Victoria and two of the most beautiful princesses in Europe. Princesses Alix and Ella were destined to wed well and wisely. But while their grandmother wants to join them to the English and German…

[cherylmmbookblog]

#Blogtour Counting Lost Stars by Kim van Alkemade

It’s a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Counting Lost Stars by Kim van Alkemade. About the Author Kim van Alkemade is the New York Times bestselling author of the historical novels Orphan #8 and Bachelor Girl. Born in Manhattan, she grew up in New Jersey and went to college in Wisconsin, where she earned a Ph.D. in English. For many years, she was a professor at Shippensburg University in…

[lilibetbombshell]

[dogsill]

january patreon releases

left: alore hair, releases to public 01/20/2024. middle: alpine hair, releases to public 01/24/2024. right: harper hair, releases to public 01/28/2024.

download

360s under cut

[shallowseeker]

Gosh, Chuck really set up Amara to trust Dean and then lose hope, didn't he?

What a cosmic dick!

The truth is: Amara's love was an immature love, a love of childhood, and even a little like Harper Sayles. In her own way, she's struggling with the Idealization of Apple Pie and the Romanticized Notion of the White Picket Fence.

In season 8, when Dean was reeling from total 24/7-360-degree war and the uncomfortable grayness of real-world civilian life, he too became fixated on an unobtainable concept of love (and people) as something that will never let you down.

In season 15, we find Amara dressed in vibrant hues and exploring life. And it's lovely that Amara has gained so much wisdom in her time spent individuating.

She encourages Chuck to see meaning in his creation. She lectures Dean about how "now is always better than then." She laments the loss of the opportunity to get to know Jack.

However, she's not integrated in terms of how she conceptualizes love, and in particular, she speaks of Dean in always-or-never statements.

AMARA: Like I told you when we first met, you and I will always help each other.

On accepting the wholeness of life, we can turn to Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön, who wrote in her deeply insightful book When Things Fall Apart:

“We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.

Amara is a long, long way from the disillusionment necessary to truly see another person as a complex individual. She's a long way from the mature disillusionment-and-choosing of real relationships.

In season 15, it's even more of a contrast than usual, as it's flanked by the disagreement-and-repair spousal dynamic that characterizes Dean-and-Cas. Dean became disillusioned with Cas as early as season 4, when Cas and Uriel attacked Anna and especially so in season 6 during the Angelic Civil War. Cas became disillusioned with Dean as early as Dean giving in to Michael in season 5.

///

Chuck eases Amara into thinking that her love connection is real, in exactly the way she had conceptualized it:

CHUCK: The Winchesters have gotten to you, huh? Figures-- you and Dean have that whole weird... thing. AMARA (an awed, wondering smile): That wasn't you? Writing? CHUCK: Ugh! Not that part. Gross. Amara gives another, privately pleased little smile.

Then, once the plan he knows is brewing springs into action, he in turn snaps his jaws shut on her. He'd been grooming her for hopelessness and slaughter all along. And so, he consumes her.

AMARA: No, but... but Dean can't hurt me. CHUCK: No, but he can lie to you. He could send you into the meat grinder with a wink and a smile.

He capitalizes on and then leverages her naivete to cannibalize her. He cuts off her development in order to use her as fuel. "She's in here somewhere," is so ominous. It calls to mind how Amara talked about the beings she devoured, not an egalitarian shared mind-space of equals.

CHUCK: Look, I get it. You wanted him to care about you, but humans... they'll break your heart every time.

Chuck thrives on hopelessness.

[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

🎉 HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY 🎉

All the Painted Stars by Emma Denny

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[instagram]

Thank you Harper 360 and Netgalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I’m a sucker for a female knight in all honesty, and Lily just suits the role so well. Lily as William was such a joy to read about.

I LOVED Mabel and the brewery. So, so much. It was the perfect setting for Jo to realise not only what she wanted, but that she was ALLOWED to want. Jo’s journey through the middle part of this book made me so happy.

My favourite part of the whole book was when Mabel’s husband came home, not gonna lie. I won’t spoil, but I was hella emotional about all that.

Jo and Lily’s romance was slow and uncertain and tender and sweet and I loved every moment of it.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3.5/5

Book Blurb:

To win her heart, she'll have to fight…

Oxfordshire 1362

When Lily Barden discovers her best friend Johanna’s hand in marriage is being awarded as the main prize at a tournament, she is determined to stop it. Disguised as a knight, she infiltrates the contest, preparing to fight for Jo’s hand. But her conduct ruffles feathers, and when a dangerous incident escalates out of Lily’s control, Jo must help her escape.

Finding safety with a local brewster, Lily and Jo soon settle into their new freedom, and amongst blackberry bushes and lakeside walks an unexpected relationship blossoms. But when Jo’s past catches up with her and Lily’s reckless behaviour threatens their newfound happiness, both women realise that choices must always come at a cost. The question they need to ask is if the cost is worth the price of love…

Review:

Sapphic medieval friends to lovers romance? How cute! Lily Barden and Johanna are best friends who are also pen pals, yet when Johanna's latest letter informs Lily that she is to be wed off as the main prize a a tournament Lily decides the best way to save Johanna is to fight for Jo's hand herself..., even if it means entering into the contest. But things are never easy and things escalate and now its up to Lily and Jo to find a way to get out safely... but what they don't expect is that they are also falling for one another, but can they really be together in a world where they've never really had choices. This was a sweet slow burn read and overall I thought it was okay. It could be better but honestly, it just felt okay to me. I love reading sapphic romances and I do think that this would be a fun read for anyone who enjoys slow burn friends to lovers romances that is light.

Release Date: November 5,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Harper 360 | HQ for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[stevebattle]

RB2000, JR Robotics and Vstone (2006). "If robots are going to take over the earth, they're obviously going to want to be active about it, even if it's only so they can stop us humans from pulling the plug. Taking a very tiny step towards such a fit robotic uprising is the RB2000, a 12-inch tall programmable gymnasticbot from JR Robotics in collaboration with Vstone. The RB2000's most innovative feature is that it's capable of performing complex swinging maneuvers on a crossbar, as the little fella does pull-ups and 360 degree swings with quite some competance." – The RB2000 gymnastbot: next step to real robot olympics? by Conrad Quilty-Harper.

[tbthqs]

Em 2014, a personagem Arabella Dankworth (@helterskxlter) encontrou o seguinte item no meio de seus pertences: Uma página do Daily Bruins sobre a morte da professora Carmen Kfouri na mesinha do lado da cama. A matéria não há muitos detalhes, apenas que ela foi encontrada morta perto do carro dela, no estacionamento do prédio de direito. A polícia achava que ela havia sido envenenada, mas não havia rastro de nenhum veneno, e ela parecia ter tido uma morte natural por velhice.

Em 2014, a personagem Celeste Lockhart (@thebclly) encontrou o seguinte item no meio de seus pertences: Um caderno escrito "Anotações das Aulas do Professor Harris - Jan/2013" no seu armário. No que dava para entender, estava na última página: "O Professor Harris estava bastante errático hoje. Não consegui entender muito do que ele falou, mas repetia constantemente que o projeto chronos(?) havia sido um erro e que ele precisava consertar antes que eles o achassem. Ele ainda falou algo sobre um neto(?) O que é estranho, já que dizem que ele não tem muito contato com a família"

Em 2014, a personagem Jawie Peralta (@theambitiousj) encontrou o seguinte item no meio de seus pertences: Um controle de XBox 360, com a inscrição: “Salão de Jogos. Rieber Terrace, Terceiro Andar.”

Em 2014, a personagem Katherine Lewis (@thxnerd) encontrou o seguinte item no meio de seus pertences: Cartão de acesso do laboratório de física em nome de Emmett Davis Hall.

Em 2014, a personagem Riley Kalman (@thepartyanimalkalman) Uma caixa de uma versão para PS3 de Call of Duty: Ghosts, com a inscrição “Salão de Jogos do Olympic & Centenial Hall. 2o. Andar”

Em 2014, a personagem Sabine Rogers-Sinclair (@thcactivist) encontrou o seguinte item no meio de seus pertences: Camera Canon EOS5 R5 com a inscrição "Laboratório de Física 1"

Em 2014, a personagem Harper Wang (@chefhwang) encontrou o seguinte item no meio de seus pertences:um óculos VR da Samsung.

Em 2014, a personagem Jacob Harris (@jacobisalive) encontrou o seguinte item no meio de seus pertences: Cartão de acesso do laboratório de física de 2024"

Em 2014, a personagem Coraline Parton (@femmefctale) encontrou o seguinte item no meio de seus pertences: apontador laser com as iniciais "CK"

Em 2014, a personagem Gwen Vickers (@nascitadiveneres) encontrou o seguinte item no meio de seus pertences: IPhone 12 do Reitor Dean Robertson Smith

Em 2014, a personagem Vincent Kingsley (@thefallen) encontrou o seguinte item no meio de seus pertences:cadeado do armário 5834-C, de senha: 132124

Em 2014, a personagem Theodore Clarke (@imperfekt) encontrou o seguinte item no meio de seus pertences: MP3 Walkman com Wake Me Up do Aviici salvo.

Em 2014, a personagem Ollie Priestly (@wxllflowers) encontrou o seguinte item no meio de seus pertences: um bloco de anotações escrito na primeira pagina,"Este bloco pertence a Carol Rosenthal. Jun/1948"

Os Itens estavam acompanhados de um bilhete que dizia "Faça bom uso, mas tome cuidado para não perder." Os objetos são presentes porque o mod endoideceu.

[bookliteratibookreviews]

The Royal Windsor Secret by Christine Wells

Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks (26 Oct. 2023)Language ‏ : ‎ EnglishPaperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pagesISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063268248ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063268241 Book Blurb Cleo Davenport has heard the whispers: the murmured conversations that end abruptly the second she walks into a room. Told she was an orphan, she knows the rumor—that her father is none other than the Prince of Wales, heir to the…

[cherylmmbookblog]

#Blogtour The Romanov Brides by Clare McHugh

It’s a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Romanov Brides – A Novel of the Last Tsarina and Her Sisters by Clare McHugh. About the Author Clare McHugh is the author of A Most English Princess, a historical novel about the family of Queen Victoria, and The Romanov Brides. A former newspaper reporter and magazine editor, McHugh graduated from Harvard College with a degree in European…

[simgrump-main]

Day Fourteen - TALLY DAY!!

It’s that time of the week where we find out how our guests did. Here are the current points:

Points (day/total)

Lily Feng - 45/350

Diego Lobo - 50/390

Sergio Romeo - 0/285

Penny Pizzazz - 50/210  deceased

Eliza Pancakes - 40/360

Leo Harper - 55/375

Zoe Patel - 45/330

Our two lowest guests are...Sergio Romeo and Zoe Patel! That means they will be going home this week. Here are their reviews of the New Penelope Hotel. 

Sergio Romeo - 4 out of 5 stars

“This place needs a wicked exterminator to get rid of the creepy crawlies. Except the bats. The bats can stay. Met the love of my life here, though! And I’m not just talking about the new gym. Looking forward to the future and it’s all thanks to the New Penelope!”

Zoe Patel - 5 out of 5 stars

“The owner is the sweetest, kindest, most amazing old man you’ll ever meet in your life. He’s got a little spunk left in him, though, so watch out for his wicked pick up lines. The Hotel is amazing and I met my boyfriend here. I can tell we’re going to be together for a long time with memories like the ones we made here.”

----

As Sergio and Zoe leave, two more guests will be brought into the hotel to replace them. Now, let’s take a look at our finances. 

Payment for the Day: $1,175 Furnishing for the Gym: $3,290 Total Money: $2,842 Total Amenities Unlocked (1/7) Total Amenities Finished (1/7)

----

At the end of every tally day, we will be adding a layer of difficulty to the challenge. Our second full week had a lots of ups and downs. Can we withstand any further changes to the Hotel? 

Added: Grody

That’s it for our second week! See you all for another round of fun!!

[kicksaddictny]

Conair Takes the Spotlight at Harlem Fashion Row Event

Last night, Conair took center stage as a sponsor of Harlem’s Fashion Row’s 17th Annual Fashion Show and Style Awards, celebrating icons in the fashion industry. The event honored notable figures like Shiona Turini, named Stylist of the Year, Samira Nasr of Harper’s Bazaar as Editor of the Year, and the legendary Naomi Campbell as Icon of the Year.

Behind the scenes, Conair played a vital role in runway preparation, ensuring every designer's collection looked flawless. Armed with the Conair SteamStylist 3-in-1 Steam, Press, and Iron, designers and stylists used the powerful tool to make sure garments were wrinkle-free and runway-ready.

Designer Aaron Potts and his team were particularly impressed with the 3-in-1 functionality, noting how its versatility and efficiency simplified their styling process.

Elevate Your Style with the Conair SteamStylist 3-in-1 Steam, Press, and Iron (MSRP: $49.99)

The Conair SteamStylist 3-in-1 is the ultimate tool for achieving a polished look with ease. Whether you're steaming, pressing, or ironing, this versatile device ensures your clothes are always in perfect shape.

Key Features:

3-in-1 Functionality: Seamlessly transitions between steaming, pressing, and ironing for professional, dry cleaner-quality results at home.

360° Steam & Press Technology: Designed to reach every part of your garment, whether used vertically, horizontally, or at any angle.

Dual-Sided Pressing: Reduces ironing time by pressing both sides of the fabric simultaneously.

Easy-Glide Plates: Ceramic-coated aluminum plates ensure smooth transitions between functions, making garment care effortless.

Compact & Portable: Lightweight and travel-friendly, it’s ideal for on-the-go touch-ups.

With the Conair SteamStylist 3-in-1, achieving a runway-ready look has never been easier. Shop now at select retailers or visit Conair.com.

[curlygirl79]

Sunrise Nights - Jeff Zentner & Brittany Cavallaro

I am joining my first blog tour for Insta Book Tours today as I jump on board the tour for Sunrise Nights by Jeff Zentner and Brittany Cavallaro. Many thanks to Harper 360 YA for providing me with a copy of the book, and to Insta Book Tours for inviting me to take part. BLURB: Two young artists have a chance meeting on the last night of summer arts camp in this YA novel in verse and dialogue…

[bucolicbook]

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods US pub date - 11/7/23

As a lifelong reader, books about books never fail to interest me, and tempt me to read them.  I was thankful, therefore, to receive a DRC for this and began it eagerly. 

Upon starting this, I was immediately drawn in by the gorgeous writing. And kept in thrall by the writing, the characters, the story, the messages…

I could go on and on about the utter magic of this novel, but I will simply say that I loved it, and I’m so, so glad I read this 😍. 

Full recommendations from me. 

Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for the DRC 

[catedwrites]

The Story Collector by Evie Woods (Evie Gaughan?)

The Story Collector is an interesting dual-timeline novel, with one modern story (set in 2010/2011) and one historical (1910/11). Woods does a good job balancing the two storylines, making sure that each has good supporting characters and enough plot to keep them going. However, the tricky part of dual-storyline novels is that both characters/stories HAVE to be compelling enough you don't mind leaving one for the other, and this is where the Story Collector did not work for me. While the modern story, with Sarah, has an interesting narrative voice and a solid supporting cast (except poor Fee, who is just there for Sarah to trauma-dump on her. Gag.), is painful to get through. I found Sarah as a character whiny and pretentious, and would honestly skim those chapters to get back to Anna's story. I don't want to spoil Sarah's story and why she leaves the US for Ireland, because Woods seems to think it was a climactic reveal, but I can see many women connecting with her story and struggles.

All that said, I enjoyed the 1911 storyline with Anna SO much. Her story and thinking were more interesting and richly layered; I wanted to spend more time getting to know turn-of-the-century Ireland, because Woods described it so well and so delightfully. She was really able to capture the nauances of the period and the characters. (which made her writing choices in the other timeline so baffling. Honestly. She's a good writer! Sarah was just not the character for me.) My biggest complaint is that Anna's ending, while realistic and probably more true to the period, does this fantastic character so dirty; she didn't deserve it.

A note: this is tagged as a fantasy novel, but I would not consider it such. There are some elements that COULD be magical or magical-realism, but Woods (Gaughan?? Goodreads, figure out your authors' names) toes the line and never tips her hand. So readers coming in expecting more outright fantasy will be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

Note for readers: On Goodreads, this is under the author "Evie Gaughan" AND "Evie Woods" I'm not sure why.