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paperbackrevolution · 4 years ago

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“Book People”: a response

I have been thinking about an essay I read on Jezebel for the last while. It fit in so nicely with something I have been mulling over for months: readers. I mean serious readers. The kind of people that track their reading, that keep up with the publishing industry, that can relate to bookish memes, that overthink how their bookshelf is organized, and that seek out like-minded readers to interact with on social media. This essay, by Joanna Mang, uses a phrase for these kinds of readers: ‘Book People’. Mang uses it in a derogatory manner, and I have heard it used as such before though in those cases I believe the phrase Book Snob would have been more fitting. For Mang, Book People, are not the good sort of reader, but I want to unpack that in a bit.

Mang’s article is titled “We Have to Save Books from the Book People”. I actually only found it through a response written at Book Riot by Tika Viteri (“Back-Talking the Tone Police: Book People are Not Your Enemy”). Essentially, after rereading Mang’s essay a half dozen times (to try and follow the meandering argument and to seek what the point was) I think Mang is arguing a few things: that classics should still be taught in high school and not argued about on twitter, that English teachers bear no responsibility to encourage reading, and that Book People are bad for liking books a whole lot and have a Secret Plot to keep the publishing industry running. What any of this has to do with the title of her article remains unclear.

Mang opens her essay by complaining about people complaining on twitter. Specifically, people that are complaining about the classics they had to read in high school. The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter, and Catcher in the Rye are all mentioned. Even more specifically Mang is upset at the redundancy of these arguments, that they come up again and again. I mean she is definitely correct, because once someone talks about something no one else is allowed to talk about that thing ever again. Ever. Right? I doubt it is the same person rehashing this conversation daily, more likely Mang has stumbled across or perhaps actively searched out these conversations as they are being had by different people. I mean as far as I know there are more than a handful of people using twitter, right? And if it is the same person dredging up this conversation daily, I have a suggestion: unfollow them. Problem solved. But then if that had happened, we would not have this essay to unpack.

Mang seems upset that people on twitter say that they felt forced into reading books that they did not enjoy. According to Mang anyone that disliked these books did so because these books are classics that they just failed to understand. Mang mentions that with a good lesson plan anyone can like classics, but perhaps they did not have a good teacher with a good lesson plan or maybe it is because they just did not connect with the book. Not everyone must like classics simply because they are part of the canon. A book’s inclusion within the canon does not mean that it is necessarily enjoyable to read or study for every single person. It simply means that it was influential in some way. I can recognize and value the significance of a classic novel and still also dislike the reading experience.

I did find it ironic that these conversations on twitter are doing exactly what Mang says she encourages her students to do: “When I teach literature, my goal is to give students the tools and confidence they need to attack and write about texts, to “talk to” the text rather than receive it passively” (Mang 2021). On these twitter threads we have people reflecting back on books that they were required to read in school. But because they are engaging with these texts on twitter it cannot count as the same thing? I have come across some fascinating analysis on classic books on social media that would have made my English professors proud. I fail to see the problem here.

Mang then goes on to speak about the notion of whether certain books should or shouldn’t be taught in school to avoid “turning kids off” reading, since this is often an extension of those twitter conversations. This is something that people in education have been honing for years. A quick google search reveals many theories, pedagogies and lesson plans that can help encourage reading. Teachers and other education experts are out there exploring options to encourage reading in their students. Why though? Why do we want turn children in to readers? Mang suggests that Book People have an odious plot to save the book-as-object which I will unpack in a moment. But maybe it is actually because it increases empathy? Or because it builds vocabulary? Because it prevents cognitive decline as we age? Because it is a stress reducer? Might even make you live longer? Improves general knowledge? Improves writing skills? Aids sleep? Could even help prevent alzheimers? I think it could be at least one of those reasons, especially since most of these studies explain that these benefits do not come from reading those three books back in high school but as a sustained habit over a lifetime. Though Mang, an educator, also states in her article “It’s not an English teacher’s job to make students love reading; an English teacher’s job is to equip students to read and communicate” (Mang 2021). Which I think is certainly true, but (thankfully) many other educators are attempting to go beyond the pressure to yield good test results and are still trying to help their students become readers. Of course, as Mang does mention, the formation of a sustained reading habit is based on more than a single factor (Mang mentions “parental attitudes, family wealth, the student’s disposition and other sources of stimulation”). Why this should excuse English teachers from even trying to encourage reading is lost on me. Further I also wonder what the point there is in teaching students how to actively engage with books if they are not continuing to read outside of school? Why bother with English class at all if this is the case?

I am not here to say that schools should not teach classic literature or should not encourage students to engage with the canon, I am here, however, to say that we can also all go on to complain about it on the internet afterward. If someone does not find value in these conversations, then they are free to tune them out.

After talking about education and American schools’ reading lists, Mang finally gets to the part about Book People. Mang differentiates between readers and Book People stating:

“A reader is someone who is in the habit of reading. A Book Person has turned reading into an identity. A Book Person participates in book culture. Book People refer to themselves as “bookworms” and post Bookstagrams of their “stacks.” They tend towards language like “I love this so hard” or “this gave me all the feels” and enjoy gentle memes about buying more books than they can read and the travesty of dog-eared pages. They build Christmas trees out of books. They write reviews on Goodreads and read book blogs and use the hashtag #amreading when they are reading. They have TBR (to be read) lists and admit to DNFing (did not finish). They watch BookTube and BookTok. They love a stuffed shelf but don’t reject audiobooks and e-readers; to a Book Person, reading is reading is reading” (Mang 2021).

Let’s dig into this before we get to the conspiracy. Just because I am baffled by the snobby tone of this paragraph, and I do not understand what is wrong with any of this.

A Book Person has turned reading into an identity: Just as many people do with any hobby, they tend to entrench themselves within it. People who hike seriously can and have turned that into an identity, they’re hikers. But just about everyone can walk so hikers should then not make their hobby part of their identity? Sometimes people really, really enjoy something and it becomes a big part of their daily life. What is wrong with that?

A Book Person participates in book culture: A culture can form around a social group. So, if we have a hobby group, which is a kind of social group, it is not hard to imagine that eventually a culture would build up around it. So then, yes, people would then also participate in that culture.

Book People refer to themselves as “bookworms”: What I am most puzzled by are the quotation marks, as if this nickname is something strange and new. The first known use of the phrase bookworm dates back to the 1590s and is defined as “a person unusually devoted to reading and study”. Yeah, it is a little dorky, but many hobbyists across various hobbies have silly names for the people of their hobby. Star Trek fans call themselves Trekkies or Trekkers and apparently train enthusiasts call themselves railfans. It’s a hobby thing.

and post Bookstagrams of their “stacks”: As for this, I think this is an example of a fascinating development among readers. Robert A. Stebbins, a scholar of leisure activity and hobbies, has long denied that reading could be considered a ‘serious’ hobby or what he refers to as a Serious Leisure Pursuit (SLP). He has maintained that reading is a prime example of a casual pastime, and even explores his stance in more depth in the book The Committed Reader: Reading for Utility, Pleasure and Fulfillment in the Twenty-First Century. He argues that reading cannot be a SLP due to the solitary nature of reading and the lack of a social world. To Stebbins a social world is a social network group made up of hobbyists and others connected to that hobby. Social media has changed that, however, allowing serious readers to form a social world and also find ways to make the act of reading more social itself. Book clubs have always been an attempt by readers to make reading more social. But social media allows these attempts to get closer to the mark. Readers on twitter host reading sprints to encourage people to read together at the same time. Others host read-a-longs on various platforms such as instagram to encourage a more engaging version of a book club that invites readers to read the same book section by section. And some booktubers (Book People on youtube), host live videos that invite their subscribers to grab a book and read with them. I will digress here for now, but this is something I plan on exploring more on this blog in the future. Put simply, what Mang is disparaging here is actually evidence of reading achieving SLP status under Stebbins’ hobby model. This is simply an active social world of readers.

They tend towards language like “I love this so hard” or “this gave me all the feels”: This is simply how people tend to talk on the internet? Especially amongst fandom communities, of which there is huge overlap in bookish communities. This is hardly exclusive to Book People.

and enjoy gentle memes about buying more books than they can read: memes are things people share on the internet. I am failing to see the issue with this. Again, not something exclusive to book people. What I am starting to see here is that Mang seems to take issue with internet culture in general, more so than with Book People.

and the travesty of dog-eared pages: Only Book Snobs care if other people dog-ear their own books. I am using the phrase Book Snob to distinguish between avid readers and people that find the book-as-object almost sacred. There can be overlap, certainly, but not all Book People see books this way.

They build Christmas trees out of books: No books were harmed in the making of those christmas trees. Oh, is this where the title comes in? Are we saving books from becoming christmas trees? I promise it doesn’t hurt the books.

They write reviews on Goodreads: I am confused by what is wrong with this. Mang stated earlier in her article that and I quote again, “when I teach literature, my goal is to give students the tools and confidence they need to attack and write about texts, to “talk to” the text rather than receive it passively.” How is reviewing a book not doing exactly that? Not all reviews are as aggressive as an essay can be perhaps, but it is still an act of engaging with a text rather than simply consuming it. Further, many Book People likely either have access to or want access to ARCs (advanced reader copies) from publishers and part of that deal is writing an honest review in exchange for the free copy of the book. So that would be them holding up their end of that deal. I am uncertain if Mang takes issue with goodreads in particular or with writing reviews in general.

and read book blogs: People that are active within a hobby often seek out other like-minded individuals. And beyond that most book bloggers are reviewers. Meaning people may be seeking reviews of a book to help them curate their reading selection.

and use the hashtag #amreading when they are reading: another example of Mang’s dislike of internet culture. People use hashtags to help get their media piece to others that may enjoy it or find commonality with it. They are using this form of metadata as it was intended.

They have TBR (to be read) lists: I think non-serious readers have TBR lists as well, but I think they tend to be more unconscious in nature. For example, a non-serious reader may vaguely know that there are some classics that they want to get to, or maybe the latest hyped general fiction novel. Book People are hobbyists, and if we used Stebbins’ model, they are serious hobbyists. They take their chosen leisure pursuit seriously and as such it is on their mind a lot because they intend to spend a significant amount of time pursuing that activity. So, it seems only natural that they may want to organize the content that they want to consume. It appears to me that Mang is more upset that this hobby group has formed in-group vocabularies. This means that only people residing within the group will understand some of the words or phrases used. This is a natural progression of language. You need words to succinctly capture the meaning of something. In this case, many readers have lists of books they want to read, rather than saying all of that it gets shortened down to TBR.

and admit to DNFing (did not finish): Are we saving books from not being fully read? Many of the books that Book People are reading are for enjoyment. If you are not enjoying something, why would you continue it? Do you watch the entirety of a season of a tv show that you are hating? No. Finish a snack that is making you want to vomit it back up? No. Same logic for books. To suggest you must complete a book simply because it is a book is more like Book Snob behaviour. This seems so common sense that I am again inclined to point to this as evidence of Mang’s distaste for in-group vocabularies more than the idea of not reading a book.

They watch BookTube and BookTok: This is further example of the community and social world that readers are setting up on the internet. People typically like making connections and further, making connections over something you share in common is natural. The internet made this easier, and social media has made it easier still. This is just evidence of readers seeking connections with other readers.

They love a stuffed shelf but don’t reject audiobooks and e-readers; to a Book Person, reading is reading is reading: This line is fascinating. Because following this, Mang’s article takes a turn toward a conspiracy about how Book People are trying to save the book-as-object since ereaders have threatened the physical book. And yet here, as part of her definition of Book People, she disparages Book People for finding value in ebooks and audiobooks. Mang herself becomes the Book Snob here, rejecting other book formats. Ebooks are convenient, you can have access to hundreds of books from your chosen device (I like to use my phone personally not an ereader). And audiobooks are great for when you are performing another task such as chores or driving. Both formats also allow people with disabilities better access to books. Audiobooks are perfect for people with visual impairments or who struggle to read. And with ebooks the size of the font can be changed to allow the book to be turned in to a large print book as needed and can even allow the font to be changed into a dyslexic-friendly font. To suggest that ebooks or audiobooks are not real books or don’t count as books is just blatantly ableist.

Let’s get to the conspiracy now. Mang claims that reading became an identity and a culture in response to the decline of interest in reading. She also continues on to say that not only is reading threatened by other media and diversions, but that ebooks and audiobooks distract from physical books. And so with the book-as-object threatened by television and alternate book formats, physical books became more precious. She even goes as far as to say books are fetishized. And then Mang says, “This could be why those arguing that classic books alienate young readers suggest 21st Century titles as substitutions: if we want to keep the book alive, we have to read, and more to the point buy, the books being produced now” (Mang 2021).

So let’s make this clear. According to Mang, Book People are people who have made reading an identity and revel in book culture. And Mang also already said that Book People “love a stuffed shelf but don’t reject audiobooks and e-readers; to a Book Person, reading is reading is reading”. But then Mang changes her argument and says that all of this is about the physical book. So, the people that complain about classics they read in high school on twitter, some of which are Book People, are all actually attacking classic literature because it may turn children off reading which would be bad because that would mean that less people are reading books regularly which is bad because then it means that less people are buying books which is bad because the book-as-object is precious and must be protected and perpetuated.

Riiiiight. I believe Mang conflated Book People with Book Snobs partway through this essay. They are not one in the same and by Mang’s own definition, Book People see any format of book as worthwhile. Meanwhile a Book Snob would uphold the physical book-as-object as the supreme format. So saying that Book People are behind this conspiracy simply does not hold up under scrutiny. Not that this conspiracy should carry much weight at any rate.

But then Mang wipes that argument away, saying that Book People are not that practical. That actually their purpose in complaining about classics books on twitter is solely to revolutionize American schools’ text selection policy. Further Mang seems to think that people ranting about their least favourite classic novel on social media is all about putting pressure on teachers and public education to shape their students into model human beings. When in reality, sometimes one simply needs to whine about a bad book, even if it’s a classic.

At the end of all of this, I am left simply confused about this essay. Firstly the title: “We Have to Save to Save Books from the Book People”. What books are we saving from Book People and how exactly do we go about doing it? Are we saving classics? Or are we saving the current school reading list books? Or physical books? Or ebooks? Perhaps it is that books are somehow being ruined by those that worship that book-as-object? I propose that Mang just thought it sounded good, especially seeing as how it does little to pertain to the wandering argument of this essay.

Secondly, I am also confused about what exactly is the point of this essay. The three main conclusions reached at the end of it seem to be that 1) arguing about classics on twitter does not impact text selection policy in schools, 2) teachers bear no responsibility in encouraging their students to make reading a habit, and 3) that books are not sacred objects. So what?

While I disagree with Mang’s essay, I do still find value in some of the points she brings up, and in her definition of Book People. I have been casually curious about the leisure studies, and where committed readers fit within leisure studies, for the last couple of years. Mang may not understand what she sees before her, but she did see something. It is that insight that has finally spurred me to dig into the social world of committed readers, or as Mang calls them, Book People.

#booklr #book blog #readers #bookworm #bookstagram #booktube #amreading #bookish #book people #paperback revolution

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searchingwardrobes · 4 years ago

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It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a book review on my blog. That’s because I have been spending a lot of time posting them to my professional website. You can find that here along with my TBR list, Currently Reading list, and lists of my favorite books in different genres. ( @xhookswenchx I think you’ll like something on my TBR list 😉) Today’s review isn’t so much a review as a trip down my reading memory lane. A trip that circles back around to discovering a new favorite writer.

Tagging: @snowbellewells @reynoldsreads @whimsicallyenchantedrose @ekr032-blog-blog @superchocovian @lfh1226-linda @nikkiemms @thislassishooked @branlovestowrite @tiganasummertree @xhookswenchx

When I was a teenager and a baby Christian, I first discovered Christian Romance when I read the classic Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke. I went on to devour that entire series along with everything else Oke wrote. Not only did it satisfy my book-obsessed tendencies in a healthy way, it also became a way for my mom and I to bond. We read the The Love Comes Softly series together over the course of a summer, discussing them as we went. She and I went to the local Christian bookstore together to purchase more books by Oke and others. The common thread? All of them were westerns.

I’m not sure if it’s just that my mom and I loved the western setting or if that was the genre most Christian romances were at that time. The two of us did like to watch western shows together - Little House on the Prairie, Young Riders, Dr Quinn: Medicine Woman - but it also seemed like most of the books on the shelves were westerns. We read books about girls who went west on the orphan train, young women who were mail order brides, and women who fell in love with mounties in the Canadian west (yep, those).

To be honest, by the time college rolled around, I was burned out on Christian westerns and stopped reading them. I also went through my “intellectual phase.” I was an English major, thank you very much, and my tastes were meaningful. I roll my eyes at myself now, realizing that I had lost the point of reading - the love of it. My mom gave me Redeeming Love for Christmas my junior year of college, and it sat on my bookshelf for three years or so before I cracked it open. (Silly me!) Like most people, I was blown away by Francine River’s masterpiece, but the fact that it was set in the west didn’t change my mind about western books in general.

Fast forward many years and three kids later. I was on vacation with my extended family, and as usual my Mom, my sister, and I had all brought books with us. My sister’s was Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer. You know that saying “don’t judge a book by its cover?” Well, I did, okay. It reminded me of those westerns I read as a teenager, and I kind of rolled my eyes at my sister.

“I know it looks cheesy,” she explained hurriedly, “but it’s really good! I’ve read a lot of books by that author, and she’s great.”

A week later, I was shopping at this deep discount store here in my hometown. It’s one of those places where you never know what you’ll find - a Dyson vacuum for a hundred bucks, Christmas Peeps in July for fifty cents, or rain boots for five dollars. One thing they always have is books - especially Christian books. Every time a local Christian bookstore closes, I swear this store gets their inventory. As you can probably imagine, this store’s book section is my weakness.

What do you think I saw sitting right there on the shelf for only $2.99? A Karen Witemeyer book - The Short Straw Bride to be exact. I picked it up and remembered what my sister had said. For only $2.99, it was worth a try, even though the cover still wasn’t my taste.

I devoured it! Couldn’t put it down! I was totally sucked into the lives of the Archer brothers and their ranch. I loved it so much I took a picture of the book and raved about it on Facebook. I swallowed my pride and borrowed Full Steam Ahead from my sister. I was thrilled to discover that there was either a book or novella on every single one of the Archer brothers. The library had most of Witemeyer’s books, and soon I had read everything she had written. At this point, I am a bonafide fan. There isn’t anything she’s put out that I haven’t read, and currently my Kindle wish list includes her next book that hasn’t come out yet : At Love’s Command.

It’s interesting how things have come full circle. As a baby Christian, Oke’s books were like water in the desert. Now Witemeyer similarly quenches the storytelling thirst of this SAHM mom/amateur writer.

And I guess I’m always a sucker for a western!

#melanie reads #book review #westerns #christian westerns #karen witemeyer #favorite authors

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sampagnereads · 5 years ago

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Hi, lovelies! In July 2019, I’ll be hosting my first ever readathon, which is the DND Readathon, Race Edition! Basically, an edition of this readathon will take place about every two months (they won’t all be one-month long, though), and the main goal is to build up a DND character based on knowledge that can be found in the Fifth Edition Player’s Handbook! If you don’t have access to that, though, this website has a lot of information about DND that can be helpful. For more information on the readathon itself, I recommend following its twitter account right here! And just in case, here’s the thread that explains everything, and to which information will be slowly added throughout the month of June!

Basically, for this readathon, you need to complete all three challenges associated to a race for your character to be part of that race. You can try to complete as many challenges as possible, though, so that you have more options. Plus, if you read at least one book for a race, you’ll have an advantage when it comes to choosing your companions’ races! But, yes! Enough explaining! Let’s talk about my TBR now! I’m going to try to complete four races altogether, which are dragonborn, gnome, half-orc and tiefling! I’ll also be doing my best to read at least one book for all the other races. And so, below the cut, you can find all that I plan on reading for the readathon during the month of July!

DRAGONBORN

INVOLVES DRAGONS.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Shatter the Sky, by Rebecca Kim Wells. To put this summary really simply, it’s about a girl who plans on stealing one of the empire’s dragons to save her girlfriend, and basically, it sounds right up my alley. I was lucky enough to receive an eArc of it through Netgalley, and I honestly cannot wait to get to it. Obviously, there are dragons, or at least one dragon in this story, and so it fits perfectly for this challenge!

RECOMMENDED BY A PARENT/GUARDIAN/MENTOR.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Le Roi de fer, by Maurice Druon. This is called The Iron King in English, and is the first book in Les Rois maudits series (The Accursed Kings). It’s about a line of kings descending from a king who killed templars, and on whose family was placed a curse by one of those templars. It’s historical fiction, very much romanticized, and I’m oh so excited to read it. My mother has been trying to get me to read it for years now, and I’m so excited for us to be able to talk about it together.

BUDDY-READ.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Girls With Sharp Sticks, by Suzanne Young. This is a book about girls who go to this academy where they’re taught to be docile, obedient, and not have any opinions of their own, until one day they realize there’s more going on than they had originally realized. As for the buddy-read, I’ll be buddy-reading this book with two of my favourite people, aka Sage ( sageshelves ) and Kat ( stardustreviews )!

DWARF

FOIL ON THE COVER.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Mirage, by Somaiya Daud. This is a moroccan-inspired sci-fi fantasy about a girl who’s forced to become the body double of a princess who’s very much so hated by her subjects. Problem is, the main character starts to get used to life at court. This has foil both on the dusk jacket and underneath it (as I have the Owlcrate exclusive edition), so I think it’s a perfect fit for this challenge!

ELF

UNDER 200 PAGES.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Giant Days, Vol. 5, by John Allison & more. This comic series follows three young women who became fast friends in university, and I’ve been loving it so far. It’s a lot more interesting than the premise leads you to believe, and I cannot wait to get to the fifth volume! It’s only 112 pages, too, so that works perfectly for this challenge!

GNOME

BRIGHT COVER.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Prince Charming, by Rachel Hawkins. This follows an american teenage girl whose older sister is marrying the fictional prince of England, and who has a temperament that could lead her into some trouble, hence why the crown appoints a guy to help her like, chill! I don’t know if everyone would consider this cover to be bright, but I do, so! Yes!

5-STAR PREDICTION.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Captain Marvel, Vol. 3: Alis Volat Propriis, by Kelly Sue DeConnick & David López. This is the last volume in this particular run of Captain Marvel, who’s a superhero who mostly helps out in space. She’s my favourite superhero, and though I have given the first two volumes only four stars, I have a feeling like the third volume will get a higher rating than that!

CALLED UNDERHYPED AND/OR UNDERRATED.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Wild Savage Stars, by Kristina Pérez. This is the sequel to Sweet Black Waves, which is a retelling of Tristan and Iseult told through Branwen’s perspective, who happens to be Iseult’s lady in waiting, cousin and best friend. The first book is my favour of all time, and it is way too underhyped, in my opinion. I was lucky enough to get an arc of the second book, Wild Savage Stars, and so I’ll be reading it in July!

HALF-ELF

ONLY ONE POV.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling. It is definitely at least 99% told from one POV, so it definitely counts. I’ve decided to re-read the Harry Potter books physically this year, and so I’m planning on reading two of them in July! One of which you’ll hear about a bit later on in this list.

HALF-ORC

THAT ISN’T IN PRISTINE CONDITION.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading The Collapsing Empire, by John Scalzi. This is an adult sci-fi novel about three people who are trying to salvage what they can from an empire on the brink of collapse. It comes highly recommended, and I cannot wait to get to it. It fits this challenge due to the fact that there’s a tear in the hardcover; I got it from BookOutlet and so I didn’t fuss about it, which worked out well for me since I can now use it for this challenge!

WITH A MORALLY GREY PROTAGONIST.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Sadie, by Courtney Summers. It’s a book about a girl who sets out on a revenge quest after her younger sister has been killed, and a podcast that talks about her and what happened. I heard a few people describe the main character of this book as morally grey, considering what she’s doing, and so I’ll be counting it for this challenge!

OVER 500 PAGES.

For this challenge, I’m either going to read Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon OR A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin. Both are well over 500 pages long, and I know I’ll go for one of the two for this challenge. I’m currently reading A Game of Thrones, and so I feel like I might want to read the sequel next month, but also, I’m super excited for Priory, so! We’ll see!

HALFLING

WITH A POV THAT DIFFERS FROM YOUR OWN.

For this challenge, I’m going to be reading Blanca & Roja, by Anna-Marie McLemore. This follows latinx characters, and as I’m not latinx myself, it works perfectly for this challenge! Basically, this book follows two sisters who come from a family where, out of every two girls born to a woman, one will eventually be turned into a swan. Anna-Marie McLemore’s one of my favourite authors of all time, and I can’t believe I haven’t read this yet!

HUMAN

BORROWED AT THE LIBRARY.

This might change depending on whether or not it’s available at the library, but if it is, I’ll be borrowing I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 2: Fluff My Life for this challenge. This is an adult comic that will also work for The Book Junkie Trials, a readathon I’m also reading in July and for which I’ll post a tbr asap!

TIEFLING

BANNED BOOK.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter is one of the most banned series in the world, and so I feel like it will work perfectly for this challenge! I’m not reading the first book in July, though, because I read it just a few months ago. However, I am counting this as the start of my physical re-read of Harry Potter in English!

FOLLOWS A HUMANOID (BUT NOT FULLY HUMAN) CHARACTER.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Unnatural, Vol. 1: Awakening, by Mirka Andolfo. I’m not exactly sure what this is about, as I think it’s nice to go into some comics without knowing too much, but I do know that it follows a pig girl, and therefore a humanoid, but not fully human character, which is perfect for this challenge!

RECOMMENDED TO YOU BY SOMEONE YOU TRUST.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading La Reine étranglée (The Strangled Queen in English), by Maurice Druon. This is the second book in Les Rois maudits (The Accursed Kings in English), a series of historical fiction novels that are heavily romanticized. It comes highly recommended from my mother, and as I’m already reading the first book of this series for the readathon, and I’ve heard that I’ll want to continue straight away, I decided to add this book to July’s tbr!

#tbr #booklr #readathon #dndreadathon #sam's tbrs

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becbibliophile · 5 years ago

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Boy, what a year 2019 ended up being! As I’m closing in on the year, I’m nearing 278 books read this year. So picking the top 10% (ish) is quite a task. This year held a lot of surprises for me. I had some of my most anticipated make this list but also had some new to me authors and so of my old favorites make a comeback into the list. I had such a hard time getting it down, so I fudged a little, including some entire series (all released this year) because I just couldn’t pick which one to choose.

I hope you’ll give some of the authors on my list a try, especially ones you may not have heard of because each one of these authors is a shining star! I can’t wait to see what 2020 brings to my kindle and my never-ending TBR!

#ROMCOM #FriendsToLovers

‘Getting lucky’ is a phrase I could barely say without blushing…

Yep! I’m that girl. The one my friends call goody two shoes…

But…good girls don’t finish first. THEY—GET—DUMPED. Even after investing—no, wasting—six years of their life on the guy who was supposed to be the one.

So…I traded in my halo for a pair of horns!

Hello, world…Clover Kelly is single and ready to mingle!

Then it happened, I suddenly found myself staring in the dating game to beat all dating games.

While pouring out my heart to my best friend, my new quest for lust is accidentally broadcast live…ON THE RADIO! Yay, me!

Did I mention my best friend is an uber-famous radio personality…and a guy? A really hot guy? Yeah, his face isn’t plastered all over town simply for his name…

When the requests to win my heart came pouring in and became date after horribly bad date – I couldn’t help but wonder…

Could he? Could we? I mean I’m already breaking all the rules.

What’s a girl gotta do to get lucky?

MY THOUGHTS

What could go wrong when you fall in love with your best friend? LOL

Friends-to-lovers is my favorite genre and Cary nailed it in this super cute, fun yet sexy read.

Cary is one of those diamonds in the rough – more people need to be reading her. And this ROMCOM is the perfect segway into reading one of my favorite authors. If you haven’t picked up this book you must! Check out the trailer for the book.

vimeo

GOODREADS | AMAZON

#SuspenceRomance #MafiaRomance #FriendsToLovers

She fled from the depths of hell, her life barely intact.

Iris is finally living a peaceful life away from all that she fears. She’s ready to come out of hiding and start living again.

He walked away from a life no one is supposed to escape.

Callan’s been looking over his shoulder for the past two years. There’s a reason they say the mafia is for life. Now, in a new city, and as the guardian of his sister, he has the chance to create a life he can be proud of.

Iris’s world is rocked off its axis when she meets her new neighbor with turquoise eyes and a protective streak a mile wide. Soon the chemistry between them sparks to life and it’s not long before passion consumes them. But their pasts are never too far away…

When those he loves the most are threatened, will the cost of his sacrifice be his own life?

MY THOUGHTS

Vow of Sacrifice was book 5 in the series but each can be read as a standalone. This entire series is AMAZING!

We finally get mysterious Callen’s story and it did not disappoint. I loved seeing the softer side of Callen and Iris brought out all the softness and sexiness of Callen.

This book gives you a wide range of emotions, as Iris is running from an abusive relationship, while Callen is trying to live his life the best he can away from the mafia. From the first time we meet Callen in James’ book, you know that there is a depth and such a story behind his stormy eyes. How he’s raising his little sister and now as he takes in Iris to be her protector.

Emma does a great job of balancing the suspense with the romance. Once you start one of her books, you don’t want to put it down. As always, each book can be read as a standalone but I would highly recommend Emma’s Vow Series. It’s seriously one of my top suspense romance series!

vimeo

SERIES GOODREADS | AMAZON | B&N | APPLE BOOKS | KOBO

#FakeRomance #SportsRomance

Wanted: one hot guy with rock-hard abs and a big stick.

Broke and desperate, Sugar Ryan has no use for arrogant, bad boy athletes . . . until she’s forced to bargain with the cockiest of them all.

If only he knew she was alive.

Her mission? Get on this hockey player’s radar any way possible.

Zack Morgan is the king of the ice and the bedroom—but nothing prepares him for the mystery girl who shows up everywhere he does—frat parties, his favorite bar, and finally his front door with an offer he can’t refuse. The only rule in her boyfriend bargain: no falling in love.

But after one (um, two) smoking-hot hookups, he’s done with pretending and vows to make their fake relationship real. Too bad she can’t trust a player with a reputation for breaking hearts.

Will this hockey star score his forever girl or will their Boyfriend Bargain end in heartbreak?

A standalone hockey romance.

MY THOUGHTS

TALK ABOUT SWOONY!!! OH MY Z for the WIN! And everyone knows that I am a big sucker for hockey romances.

Sugar and Z were so much fun!

Boyfriend Bargain starts as the typical fake boyfriend story – but as you dive in, it becomes so much more than the need to pull the wool over someone else’s eyes. From the start, Sugar and Z are burning hot together. And with each page turn, you become more and more invested in these two into becoming more. Both have pasts that are full of demons and heartache which makes them all the more better to become a team together.

Zane is smoking HOT. And thank you, Ilsa, for this cover because he definitely makes the perfect Z

GOODREADS | AMAZON

#FriendsToLovers #SportsRomance

What happens when an almost thirty-year-old virgin agrees to let her Scottish footballer best friend give her some lessons in seduction?

Lots of banter, awkwardness, jealousy, and heat.

Midfielder Maclay “Mac” Logan is a loud-mouthed, tattooed ginger content with focusing on football. But when an adorably-freckled seamstress comes barreling into his life, he finds Netflix-And-Bickering with her to be his new favorite pastime.

Freya Cook is used to being the invisible woman with a needle and thread, offering cheeky punchlines as she helps dress London’s finest. She’s plus-sized in body and spirit, and other than her friendship with Mac, talking to the opposite sex is one skill she never mastered.

However, after one innocent game of Never Have I Ever, Mac offers to play Love Coach for Freya.

What neither of them see coming are the feelings that develop when the clothes come off.

Now they’re both about to learn the biggest lesson of all: Don’t fall in love with your best friend.

MY THOUGHTS

Such a cute story about best friends who decide to add some benefits to their lives and it ends up being a lot more than either of them expected!

First off, I have to say that I want Amy to never stop writing in the Harris world. I feel like she could go on forever with this klan and I would be plum happy to aways have storylines coming from the other side of the pond with their sexy footballers.

Freya and Mac may seem like an odd couple but the two have been the best of friends for the past year. But after an innocent game of Never Have I Ever at a party – Mac comes to find out that Freya has little experience with the opposite sex. So he decides that maybe he can give her some pointers on how to date. What he never expected was that his own feeling for the quirky yet cute redhead would come bubbling to the surface and he would come to find his jealous side when it comes to all things Freya.

This was such a fun, laugh out loud, cute yet super sexy read. I loved Mac and Freya together!

GOODREADS | AMAZON

#MilitaryRomance #SecondChance #SuspenceRomance

We were best friends at ten. Lovers at sixteen. Going to be married at nineteen.

Until she woke up one day and couldn’t remember me.

Leaving the small town was easy. Leaving her was my only regret. Ten years later, with a resume that said I had the perfect kill shot, I landed a job at a Security firm. Finding my way in the civilian life, I never thought it would be her I would find.

She still owned my heart. She still looked at me like I was a stranger. I wasn’t leaving her again. This time, we were playing by my rules. I’d been given a second chance to right my wrongs and I was going to start by claiming what was mine.

We were lovers at twenty-eight. Getting married at twenty-nine.

Until she woke up and remembered me.

MY THOUGHTS

WOW!!! This book was Amazing!! I don’t even know where to begin with this book. Tina is a new to me author and I was so taken by this book, I read it all in one sitting.

There really isn’t much I can tell you about the book without giving away major plot points. But it was a page-turner. It will keep you on edge and surprises arise throughout the book.

A second chance romance with a twist!

Such a great read and I look forward to reading more from Tina!

GOODREADS | AMAZON

I hope you will check out these books – at least add them to your TBRs and I’ll see you back here tomorrow for #25-21.

xo –

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See my list of the top reads for 2019! I'm kicking it off with numbers 26-30 today. @authorcaryhart @authoremmaren @ilsamaddenmills @amydawsauthor and Tina Saxton Boy, what a year 2019 ended up being! As I'm closing in on the year, I'm nearing 278 books read this year.

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paperbackharlot-blog · 8 years ago

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For the last couple of years I have been trying to refine the way I keep myself organised. These have come in various guises over the years and each year I try to improve the efficiency of my system. This is the first year though that I am truly trying to embrace the bullet journal as a repository for all my comings and goings (and often brain vomit too).

Now, I know a lot of people like to hand draw their bujo’s and fill them with what can only be described as calligraphic pornography, but that way just isn’t going to work for me. For one thing, my creativity has always been best utilised through digital means. I’ve never been much of one for drawing but also, realistically, I know I just don’t have the time to lay out all those beautiful and intricate pages by hand. Even with the best will in the world and much as I would like to, I know that I suck at sticking to things if they don’t fit comfortably within my already established routines. That’s why I’ve never managed to stick to long hand journaling for more than a few weeks before and why my previous attempts at bullet journal’s haven’t ever been quite as helpful and efficient as I need them to be.

So I took everything I’ve learned from my past experiences and put them together into my new, improved, proper bujo for 2017.

Here’s the format I decided on:

Firstly, it’s A5. I learnt last year that anything bigger than this that won’t fit easily into most of my handbags isn’t going to get filled in. It’s just not convenient and if I can’t carry it with me, it’s not getting filled in.

Secondly, it’s spiral bound. I settled on this so I could easily pull it apart and thread it together again and without too much hassle can choose to add in extra pages at a later date if I so wish. The book itself is actually designed to be a sketchbook. It’s just a cheap one so I wouldn’t actually recommend the paper weight as being high enough for watercolours, say, but it is thick enough that my pens are going to have a hard time bleeding through on the other side.

After I decided on the format I started designing the pages in Photoshop. I made them all black and white with the intention of decorating and colouring them as I filled them out. I did a fair bit of research on Pinterest (where else?) first and from this inspiration I brought together all my ideas into one great Frankenstein of a layout plan that would suit my needs.

2017 at a glance

Movies record

TBR shelf

The contents are as follows:

2017 at a glance

3 page year planner (for birthdays and key dates)

Monthly spread including:

a habit/mood tracker

a diary of events

a to do list

a blank page for brain vomit

Weight tracker

Savings tracker

Self care advice

Movies archive

Books read and to be read archive

I know many people like weekly or even daily breakdowns but again, this is too much detail and pressure for me to stay on top of. I’d spend more time recording things than actually doing them, which doesn’t make for being very productive.

Monthly layout

Prior to this year my bullet journals were really just diaries to help me manage my month but with added lists stuck in here and there but this time I tried to really concentrate on things I wanted to track in advance.

One thing I want to focus on this year is self care and my own mental wellbeing so that was the driving force behind the habit and mood tracker. The idea being that it will help me form new (healthy) habits as well as provide clear evidence of what happens to my mood when I either do or don’t keep up with them, hopefully motivating me to stick with it if I can see real gains.

Habit and mood tracker

We shall see how the format goes. A couple of weeks in and I’m already seeing the benefit of the mood and habit tracker and I love having a colourful and creative space to record my books and movie choices. A few people at work have seen it over my shoulder in the office and I’ve had some lovely compliments about the layout and design which is a nice boost too. One thing I feel like I am missing as a result of not having a weekly spread is a place to meal plan and/or record a shopping list, something which I find really useful when I’m a. on a diet and b.trying to save money. So this might be something I choose to incorporate next year.

I’m a great believer that to lead a fulfilling, creative and productive life takes a certain amount of discipline. I’m a huge advocate of The Action Method as set out by Scott Belsky in his book ‘Making Ideas Happen‘ and my bujo fits into that mentality well.

Here’s to an exciting, happy and productive 2017.

My 2017 bullet journal For the last couple of years I have been trying to refine the way I keep myself organised.

#bujo #bullet journal #journal #organisation #planning

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willreadforbooze · 5 years ago

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Hello fellow boozie readers!

If you haven’t heard about #Booziebookathon, it’s our week long readathon we host every year! We had such a blast hanging/reading with you guys!

Sam’s Update:

I got a lot of reading done this week, it was Booziebookathon, Dewey’s Reverse Readathon, AND NEWTs.

What Sam finished this week:

Booziebookathon Gin: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: There was the Sam before Evelyn Hugo and the Sam after Evelyn Hugo. I will never be the same. I’m gonna drunk review it.

Booziebookathon White Wine and Smirnoff Ice: Demon in the Whitelands by Nikki Z. Richard: I did not enjoy this very much. I wanted to, it was such a unique concept but it was choppy and very little was answered.

Booziebookathon Beer and NEWTs Charms A-level Exam: Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed: This was a really cute quick story and I really enjoyed it! It shows the ins and outs of indentured servitude on this planet. 3.5/5 shots.

NEWTs DADA A: Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel: These books are fab. It’s really hard to say what I did and didn’t like because the audiobook is just so good and so much happens that it’s hard to describe.

What Sam’s reading now:

NEWTs Transfiguration A: Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera: This is a book about a newly-out lesbian on an internship on the other side of the country. I’m still at the beginning but I’m loving the bits of Spanglish, and the crazy hippies, and the tone overall. I can’t wait to keep going.

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad: Buddy reading with Ginny and Liz and also for book club. I’m ready for more, but I don’t want to say any more thoughts because we still have to discuss as a group. I might figure out how to work this into my NEWTs but it’s not currently there…

Ginny’s Update (Aka Reads-with-the-wind):

Hi Everyone, good to have wrapped up the BoozieBookathon! Happy August, we’re only a few weeks away from going back to tolerable weather. I’m already looking at my closet looking forward to jackets and jeans and basically not being a walking sweat-being as soon as I walk outside.

Currently Reading

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad: This is still for a book club, I’m still reading it slowly. There was a pretty big twist and I’m enjoying seeing it ripple out.

The Ten thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow: I grabbed this book from bookcon and I am so looking forwarding to reading this.

Finished (aka ALL THE MF BOOKS)

Leap Days: Chronicles of a Midlife Move by Katherin Lanpher: this was one of my books for Boozie Bookathon and it fulfills my Gin challenge (book on tbr forever). Also technically fulfilled white wine. This book is an autobiography that focuses on change and really how to move between what you expected things to be and what things actually are. I really enjoyed some of the chapters, but I also don’t necessarily feel ridiculously drawn to the city of New York and found some of the descriptions a little tedious. 3/5

The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman: IT’S THAT TIME! I’m reading the fifth book in this series that I adore. Irene is being called in to act as mediator in a conversation between the Dragons and Fae. This book was delightful. I also enjoy a mystery where all of the players are on the table early. (If you’d like to start at the beginning, my first review is here.) Most definitely writing a review.

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews: Some people have crazy wild powers and one of those people is going crazy. Neva is tasked with bringing him in ssafely. Except dude is kind of a psycopath. Neva ends up working with pretty much the strongest other person, Mad Rogan (I know, that name…) who is trying to snag one of Adam’s (I think it was Adam) co-conspirators. I’m unsure of how I feel about this book. The plot was wild and a lot of fun, but some of the romance felt weird due the question of where consent should come into play…. I’m going to keep reading because I like the universe but will keep an eye out for consent issues.

All the Bad Apples by Moira Fowley-Doyle: This is a bookcon book (that I finally got around to) and I’m planning on writing a review, so brief summary. On Deena’s 17th birthday, her sister goes missing. She follows some loose threads to learn a lot more about her family history and the “family curse.”

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh: I’ve read a few of the books that come much further in this series but I really liked them and decided to come back to the beginning. Sascha is a Psy who has been taught emotion is weakness but is struggling to uphold the “Silence.” Lukas is the head of his clan and is trying to find a serial killer. Also they fall in love. Sascha is a lot of fun and it would have been completed different to read this book first when I didn’t already know about some various things. Still, a romp of a read! 4/5

A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole: Alyssa Cole is an always read for me now. I might prefer her contemporary things, but dear god is this series great. Marlie is the illegitimate daughter in a white family, which has given her a protected status but still a status of “other.” Ewan was responsible for torturing the Rebs captured by the North and then was captured himself. He escapes from prison and hides in Marlie’s house with her help. Due to circumstances she ends up as trapped as she is. This book was lovely. Ewan had a slight level of autism (I assume, it’s never directly diagnosed) but is one of those people who one sees his deficiencies rather than the things that made him wonderful. Marlie is just a brilliant character and the way they worked together was great! I enjoyed watching them learn their own self-worth. 4/5

Minda’s Update:

Booziebookathon is complete! Now full focus is on NEWTs Readathon for the rest of the month.

What Minda finished this week:

The Liar’s Daughter by Megan Cooley Peterson (Beer) – This book was kind of a trip—girl taken from her cult family resents having to readjust to life in society. Definitely recommend!

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (Whiskey & Champagne) – Slog is the best word used to describe how I felt about this one.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Shot & White Wine) – Loved this one! Super short and just what I needed after the above. Counts for the first part of the Ancient Ruins exam for NEWTs Readathon!

The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon (Vodka, Gin, and Red Wine) – I did like this one and it was on the shorter side, but not as much as I feel I could have from the premise. I thought it was a weird decision to have only one person tell the perspective of three. Also counts for Ancient Ruins exam.

What Minda is reading now:

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler – My final read for the Ancient Ruins exam, this has been on my TBR for a bit. Excited to see how it goes!

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow – Counts for the first part of this History of Magic exam! I got really excited about this when everyone picked it up at BookCon.

Linz’s Update:

Booziebookathon is OVER and I can finally get back to The Starless Sea *takes nap*

What Linz read (jmj what didn’t I read):

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay: Published this summer, this book is about a Filipino-American teen who goes to the Philippines to find out the real story behind his cousin’s murder. This book could not have spoken to me more and it was EVERYTHING.

Our Dark Duet by V.E. Schwab: I’m glad I finally read this sequel to This Savage Song but it wasn not nearly as solid a book

Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi: I sat on this book foreeeever; it’s about an alien race approaching a Hollywood agent to help them be introduced to the human race. It wasn’t what I thought it would be, and it was super tell-y and monologue-y

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas: EXCELLENT romance novel, could have used like 1-2 more sex scenes

All Systems Red by Martha Wells: A bombass novella about a science team’s mission gone wrong and the android sent to protect them, told from the android’s perspective.

SLAY by Brittney Morris: Thanks Jesus I managed to get a copy of this book at BookCon because I do NOT know what I would have done if I had to wait til its release. In case you’ve been living under a rock, this is about a black teen girl, Kiera, who created an underground computer game for the black community. One of the players is killed in real life over a dispute in the game, and a lot of shit happens. It’s an incredible book and I’m absolutely reviewing it.

What Linz is currently reading:

The Revisioners by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton: a forthcoming novel about women’s relationships and racial identity, told by a mixed-race mother in the modern day and her ancestory, a former slave. It’s the only challenge I didn’t finish for Booziebookathon, but it’s not a book that you should rush through.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern: THANK GOD I CAN FINALLY GET BACK TO THIS, I don’t know what I was thinking starting it 2 days before Booziebookathon.

Until next time, we remain forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Melinda, Linz, and Ginny

Weekly/Booziebookathon Wrap-Up: July 29 – August 3, 2019 Hello fellow boozie readers! If you haven't heard about #Booziebookathon, it's our week long readathon we host every year!

#Wrap Up

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cathygeha · 7 years ago

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Jennifer Gracen is back with a brand new contemporary romance! In BETWEEN YOU AND ME, a woman and her friend make an arrangement: he'll be her sperm donor, if she pretends to be his girlfriend. But maybe they're not just pretending...

Rafflecopter for Between You and Me Blitz Tour Giveaway:

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Title: Between You and Me

Author: Jennifer Gracen

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: November 28, 2017

Publisher: Kensington Publishing/Penguin Random House

Series: The Harrisons

Format: Print & Digital

Synopsis:

As the only daughter of the wealthy Harrison clan, Tess Harrison has everything—except the baby she longs for. With no husband in sight, she escapes to her family’s retreat in Aspen, Colorado, visions of sperm donors dancing in her head. Instead, she finds Logan Carter. When the ruggedly handsome manager of the Harrison ski house offers to be her baby daddy in exchange for her playing his girlfriend, Tess is breathless to begin the charade. After all, the brokenhearted heiress knows better than to fall in love . . .

She would be Logan’s dream girl, if his dark past had left him with any dreams. Now the brooding bachelor’s only hope is to satisfy his mother’s dying wish to see him happily paired off—and give lovely Tess the baby she longs for. But when he and Tess opt to make a baby the old- fashioned way, he’s fighting hard against the longing to hold on to the elusive Harrison beauty forever . . .

Available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

Add to your TBR list: Goodreads

REVIEW:

Between You and Me by Jennifer Gracen

The Harrisons #4

Tess really wants a child and at 37 feels her time to fall in love and have one with a husband may be running out SO she decides to head to the family ski resort where she will resort to a sperm bank for insemination. Well, the house manager for the family home just happens to be a hunk and a half named Logan Carter and after spending a bit of time with him she decides he might be the perfect person to ask to donate to her project. It seems perfect to both of them because he doesn’t want a family and she doesn’t want a husband so getting together a few times in a month during her fertile period should be a piece of cake, right? And, making a baby without test tubes and such just doing what comes naturally should not impact things at all…

As the two get to know one another better, share their pasts, explore the ski slopes together, spend those fertile nights together and become friends they find that perhaps things are not as easy as they had hoped they would be but as neither wants to renege on the bargain they made…it becomes dicey.

I enjoyed the story and the interactions between Tess and Logan BUT from personal knowledge know that sex can lead to feelings even if you don’t think it will happen…they were setting themselves up for trouble and trouble they did get…true…it was trouble they overcame and a HEA was achieved once they communicated with one another but still…

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing-Zebra Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

An excerpt from BETWEEN YOU AND ME

By the time Logan pulled up in front of Tess’s house, she was warm, full, tired, and happy. “I had a great time today.”

“I did too,” he said with a smile. “Thanks again for inviting me.”

“Any chance you’d like to do it again sometime soon?”she asked. “You’re a worthy ski partner, and I had fun with you.”

“Yeah, I’d like that,” he said. “But next time, I pay for my lift ticket.”

“Deal. Sometime next week?”

“Sure. Give me a call, we’ll work out a time.”

“Well, you have a job with a real schedule. Right now, I don’t. I’m free as a bird. So you give me a call.”

His eyes held hers as he said, “Okay. I’ll do that. You’re on. Got yourself a ski buddy.”

God, she wanted to kiss him. Sitting so close in the warmth of his truck, he smelled good and his eyes were intense and his mouth was inviting and she wanted to kiss him so bad. But this new friendship—all the things they’d revealed to each other that day—she didn’t want to cross any lines or mess it up. For now, she’d hold back.

But still couldn’t resist flirting a little bit. “So,” she said boldly. “Are you coming in to soak in my tub or what? The offer stands.”

His gaze turned hot, a full-out smolder that made her belly do a wobbly flip. “The offer is more tempting than you know.” His voice had dropped low and dead sexy, making her shiver. “But I think I’d better head home for tonight.”

They stared at each other for a moment, pure electricity crackling between them. She could feel her blood in her veins, racing now, hot and needing, as his eyes lowered to her mouth for a few seconds before lifting to meet her gaze again. “You sure?” she asked. Her heart thumped in heavy beats.

“Only so much temptation a man can take,” he murmured. “And you’re testing my limits as it is, Tess. You have to know that.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Well . . .”

She leaned in, her face so close to his that she could feel his hot breath feather against her lips.

“Tess.” He whispered it as a protest, but his eyes gave him away. He wanted her too, she could see it all over his face.

She closed the distance between them, pressing her mouth to his. It was a brush of her lips against his, just the slightest touch. But his hand lifted to cup the back of her neck and hold her there. He took control of the kiss, gently but surely, slanting his mouth over hers to take more of what he wanted. Her mouth opened with a little sigh as their tongues met and swirled slowly. As they leaned into each other, his fingers threaded through her hair and his other hand came up, cradling her head in his hands as his mouth consumed hers.

Her senses reeled. His full beard tickled her face, surprisingly soft against her skin. The feel of his mouth on hers, his hands in her hair, his big, warm body so close . . .her head swam with it all. He deepened the kiss and groaned softly into her mouth, and she was lost. She surrendered willingly, kissing him back with the same slow, sensual pace he’d set, her fingers clutched in his ski jacket. She could have kissed him for days.

He broke away slowly, leaning his forehead against hers, eyes still closed. “Jesus,” he whispered. When his eyes opened to focus on her, they were heavy lidded with lust. “You . . . you better go inside now.”

Still catching her breath, she touched his cheek. “You sure you don’t want to come in?”

“I do want to,” he said, his voice thick. “Too much. So I’m not going to.”

She pulled back, trying to hide her disappointment. “Okay.”

“Tess . . .” He stared at her, his mouth opening and closing as he fought with what he wanted to say. “You’re an amazing woman. I like that we’re . . . kind of friends now. Let’s try to stick with that for now, okay?”

The disappointment sharpened in her gut, but she pasted on a smile. “Fine.”

“Ah crap. No, no, don’t say fine,” Logan demanded gently. “When a woman says fine, it’s never fine. Even a loner lumberjack like me knows that.”

She couldn’t help but giggle.

“Tess, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he said earnestly. “Don’t think for a second that I wouldn’t love to go inside with you right now, because I would. But you have an agenda, you’re gearing up to go through some medical . . . stuff . . . and I don’t want to get in the way of that.”

She gaped at him in shock. “I . . . I don’t know what one thing has to do with the other.”

“You have big plans,” he murmured, trailing the backs of his fingers along her cheek, eyes locked with hers. “I’d be a distraction. You said it yourself, you don’t want any distractions right now.” His gaze turned wicked and hot as he added, “I promise you, it’d be a fantastic distraction. A sexy, fun, passionate distraction . . . but this friendship we’ve started? Means more.”

“We’re attracted to each other,” she said flatly.

“Can’t deny that.” He touched his mouth to hers again, a light brush of his lips, and her whole body shuddered. “But I shouldn’t go inside with you. Not tonight.”

Her nerves jangled, every nerve ending alight and aware of him. Her heart beat hard and fast as she nuzzled into his palm, stared right into his eyes, and whispered, “If you insist.”

“I do,” he said, not breaking their gaze. “C’mon, you know I’m right. Last thing you need right now is us starting something up like this. Didn’t you tell me your first doctor

appointment is tomorrow?”

She didn’t like it, and wasn’t sure she fully agreed with it, but had to admit she’d thought along those lines herself before his kisses had turned her brain to mush and her insides to jelly. With a heavy sigh, she nodded and pulled back from him. “Pretty early, in fact. I should go inside and get into bed.”

Logan growled, his head falling back against the leather seat. “Had to put an image like that in my head right before you leave. You, climbing into bed . . . not nice, Tess. Not nice.”

She laughed lightly, and he grinned back at her. Their eyes held for a long beat and she took a slow, deep breath, exhaling it before she said, “Good night, Logan. Thanks again for a great day.”

“Back at you,” he said. “Good night, Tess. Sleep well. Good luck tomorrow.”

With a sweet smile, she climbed out of his truck and into the cold night.

About Jennifer Gracen

Jennifer Gracen hails from Long Island, New York, where she lives with her two sons. After spending her youth writing in private and singing in public, she now only sings in her car and is immersed in her passion for writing. She loves to write contemporary romance for readers who look for authentic characters and satisfying endings. When she isn’t with her kids, doing freelance proofreading, or chatting on Twitter and Facebook, Jennifer writes. She’s already hard at work on her next book.

Connect with Jennifer: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Google+

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ishouldreadthat · 7 years ago

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Image courtesy of Bionic Book Worm

TBR Thursday is one of my favorite weekly posts from Bionic Book Worm’s lovely blog, so I thought I’d try my hand at it. If you aren’t following her yet, well, you really should be. Not only does she do great reviews and bookish posts, she’s an all-around lovely person. You can find her blog here! All credit for this idea and the stunning TBR Thursday graphic go to her!

I’m starting up a ‘read everything in the flat before you go out and buy more books, you fool’ initiative, much to my fiance’s delight. I definitely have a book-buying problem and starting this blog has definitely made it worse. So I’m hoping that TBR Thursday will help me sort through my shelves and get me excited to read some of my older books that are gathering dust.

Fantasy

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan

In the tenth book of The Wheel of Time from the New York Times #1 bestselling author Robert Jordan, the world and the characters stand at a crossroads, and the world approaches twilight, when the power of the Shadow grows stronger.

Anyone who knows anything about the Wheel of Time series is chuckling at me from behind their hands at this. A 14-book series and the granddaddy of modern fantasy, reading the series is a huge undertaking. And, of course, there’s the dreaded book 8-10 slump. If you thought A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons were disappointing, Wheel of Time fans scoff at you.

I’m at the very tail end of that slump with Crossroads of Twilight, which is according to Wheel of Time fans, one of the worst in the series. I struggled so hard with Winter’s Heart, the ninth book, and I’m so not looking forward to reading Crossroads. I desperately want to finish the series though because it apparently improves dramatically, so I need to buckle down and just read it. Ugh.

Science Fiction

Abaddon’s Gate by James S. A. Corey

Humanity has colonized the solar system – Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond – but the stars are still out of our reach.

Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for – and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.

Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to the Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.

Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations – and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.

You may notice I’ve taken the copy from the first book, Leviathan Wakes. I didn’t want any spoilers for the first two books here because it’s such a great series and you should seriously read it!

Abaddon’s Gate is the third book in The Expanse, an amazing series of science fiction novels that have been turned into a TV show by SyFy. I loved the first two books and have had this one sitting on my shelf for ages. I have a tenancy to not read books in a series back to back because I burn out really quick, but of course this means that I get distracted and it takes me ages to finish a single series. I really do love The Expanse, so I need to get back to it!

Historical Fiction

A Company of Liars by Karen Maitland

The year is 1348. The Black Plague grips the country. In a world ruled by faith and fear, nine desperate strangers, brought together by chance, attempt to outrun the certain death that is running inexorably toward them.

Each member of this motley company has a story to tell. From Camelot, the relic-seller who will become the group’s leader, to Cygnus, the one-armed storyteller . . . from the strange, silent child called Narigorm to a painter and his pregnant wife, each has a secret. None is what they seem. And one among them conceals the darkest secret of all–propelling these liars to a destiny they never saw coming.

I absolutely love historical fiction, but haven’t been reading much of it lately. You may have seen me mention this book several times over the past couple of weeks – my lovely co-worker lent it to me months ago and I haven’t read it yet! It’s one of her favorites and I trust her opinion, so I’ve got to get going on it. It sounds absolutely fantastic!

Non-Fiction

Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the War of the Roses by Sarah Gristwood

The events of the Wars of the Roses are usually described in terms of the men involved; Richard, Duke of York, Henry VI, Edward IV and Henry VII. The reality though, argues Sarah Gristwood, was quite different. These years were also packed with women’s drama and – in the tales of conflicted maternity and monstrous births – alive with female energy.

In this completely original book, acclaimed author Sarah Gristwood sheds light on a neglected dimension of English history: the impact of Tudor women on the Wars of the Roses. She examines Cecily Neville, the wife of Richard Duke of York, who was deprived of being queen when her husband died at the Battle of Wakefield; Elizabeth Woodville, a widow with several children who married Edward IV in secret and was crowned queen consort; Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, whose ambitions centred on her son and whose persuasions are likely to have lead her husband Lord Stanley, previously allied with the Yorkists, to play his part in Henry’s victory.

Until now, the lives of these women have remained little known to the general public. Sarah Gristwood tells their stories in detail for the first time. Captivating and original, this is historical writing of the most important kind.

I love British history and women’s history, so Blood Sisters is pretty much the perfect book for me! The War of the Roses is absolutely fascinating period in history and I love learning as much as I can about it. This has been sitting in my TBR pile for awhile because I am always tempted by shorter, faster reads. I need to pick up this and more of the history books I have sitting around the flat.

That’s it for this week! Have you read any of these books? Do any look interesting to you? Let me know!

*All book copy is courtesy of Goodreads

Looking at what's already on my shelf: TBR Thursday #bookbloggers #bookreviews TBR Thursday is one of my favorite weekly posts from Bionic Book Worm’s lovely blog, so I thought I’d try my hand at it.

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cover2covermom · 7 years ago

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Books included in this post: Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan, The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall, Every Single Second by Tricia Springstubb, Pillage by Obert Skye & Pax by Sara Pennypacker.

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*Book titles link to Goodreads

» Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica.

Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each, in turn, become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. And ultimately, pulled by the invisible thread of destiny, their solo stories converge in an orchestral crescendo.

*4.5 Stars

Echo was a beautiful middle grade book that blended fairytale, history, and music together into a very unique read. I did not realize when I started this book that it was going to start off as a fairytale, but eventually turn into a WWII historical fiction. Through Friedrich, Mike, and Ivy’s stories, we experience different challenges that people faced during WWII: Nazi Germany under Hitler’s regime (specifically the preservation of “traditional German values” and “purifying” the German population), segregation of the races in the U.S., Japanese Interment Camps in the U.S…. There are many different historical aspects of WWII history portrayed in Echo. I thought the way the author took multiple story lines and wove them together was very clever. I also liked how each story ends on a cliffhanger, but you don’t really find out how they all end until the end of the book.

I cannot stress enough that if you are able, audiobook is definitely the way to go with this one. Not only is each section of this book narrated by a new narrator, but the music is also played out. I would recommend this one to any music lovers, and especially any of you that are musicians yourselves. I think the author really captured the essence of the love that musicians have for creating music.

Despite my love for this book, I wonder how much it would appeal to a middle grade audience… I probably would only recommend this one to older MG readers who enjoy historical fiction and/or music.

» The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall

It was a bitterly cold day when Arthur T. Owens grabbed a brick and hurled it at the trash picker. Arthur had his reasons, and the brick hit the Junk Man in the arm, not the head. But none of that matters to the judge—he is ready to send Arthur to juvie for the foreseeable future. Amazingly, it’s the Junk Man himself who offers an alternative: 120 hours of community service . . . working for him.

Arthur is given a rickety shopping cart and a list of the Seven Most Important Things: glass bottles, foil, cardboard, pieces of wood, lightbulbs, coffee cans, and mirrors. He can’t believe it—is he really supposed to rummage through people’s trash? But it isn’t long before Arthur realizes there’s more to the Junk Man than meets the eye, and the “trash” he’s collecting is being transformed into something more precious than anyone could imagine. . . .

Inspired by the work of American folk artist James Hampton.

*Part of my Ohioana Book Fest TBR

I really adored this book. At the core, The Seventh Most Important Thing is about judging others based off appearances alone, and how there is generally more to people than meets the eye. This book is also a story of loss, grief, guilt, and friendship. I had no idea this book is based off of true events, though I won’t share which parts because it is better going in not knowing until the end like I did. *Highlight to see spoiler ⇒ This novel gives a fictionalized back story to the famous piece of art, The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly by James Hampton. I had never heard about this piece of art before, but I really enjoyed how the author spun this tale around it. ⇐ I think this would be a wonderful book to use in a classroom setting.

My only issue with this book would be the fact that it was set in the 1960’s, but I didn’t feel like I was in the 60’s while reading it. There were a few references of the past: a record player, pay phones, going to the library to use the encyclopedia, but when I read “historical fiction” I want to feel like I’m in that time. I wish the author would have spend a little more time “setting the scene.” Other than that, this was a very unique and delightful read.

» Every Single Second by Tricia Springstubb

From acclaimed author Tricia Springstubb comes an incredibly powerful and timely novel about how a single act impacts a community, a city, and the way a young girl views the world around her.

A single second. That’s all it takes to turn a world upside down.

Twelve-year-old Nella Sabatini’s life is changing too soon, too fast. Her best friend, Clem, doesn’t seem concerned; she’s busy figuring out the best way to spend the “leap second”—an extra second about to be added to the world’s official clock. The only person who might understand how Nella feels is Angela, but the two of them have gone from being “secret sisters” to not talking at all.

Then Angela’s idolized big brother makes a terrible, fatal mistake, one that tears apart their tight-knit community and plunges his family into a whirlwind of harsh publicity and judgment. In the midst of this controversy, Nella is faced with a series of startling revelations about her parents, friends, and neighborhood. As Angela’s situation becomes dangerous, Nella must choose whether to stand by or stand up. Her heart tries to tell her what to do, but can you always trust your heart? The clock ticks down, and in that extra second, past and present merge—the future will be up to her.

Tricia Springstubb’s extraordinary novel is about the shifting bonds of friendship and the unconditional love of family, the impact of class and racial divides on a neighborhood and a city, and a girl awakening to awareness of a world bigger and more complex than she’d ever imagined.

*Part of my Ohioana Book Fest TBR

I’m really conflicted over this one. On one hand, there were many great aspects about this book, but on the other I think the author may have been a little too ambitious with all the “heavy topics” that she included in one book. This book includes topics like *highlight to see text ⇒ PTSD, drunk driving, a white man shooting a black man, racism, autism, the media frenzy, etc. etc ⇐ ((What I’ve hidden isn’t necessarily a spoiler, but I did want to hide it from those who like to go into a book not knowing much about the plot)) With all these “heavy topics” plus the alternating timeline, this book felt very busy to me. I also struggled at first with the author’s writing style, but it did get easier over the course of the book. Most of all, I struggled with how the author handled the race relations within the book. It isn’t necessarily problematic, but I don’t necessarily think it was handled correctly either. In my opinion, it was very risky attempting a book that has this particular scenario *highlight to see spoiler ⇒ a white security guard shooting and killing an unarmed black man. The author gives both sides of the story, to show that it isn’t always so cut and dry. While I understand what the author was trying to do here, it rubbed me the wrong way. I can’t exactly explain it. Even though this was a race relations issue, racism was never fully addressed or acknowledged in the book? ⇐ I think if the author had left out the race relations, and focused on the other topics, then I would have enjoyed this book a lot more. Don’t get me wrong, this book had some good things going for it: themes like friendship, family, and community. I also really liked the portrayal of growing up in a catholic school, as it brought me lots of nostalgia.

» Pillage by Obert Sky

Upon his mother’s death, fifteen-year-old Beck Phillips is sent to live with an eccentric uncle he had never met in a remote manor house, where he learns that his family suffers from a curse that allows him to make plants grow on command and dragon eggs hatch.

*Part of my SOKY Book Fest TBR

This one was not my cup of tea. I had a hard time connecting to the author’s writing style… it felt a little too basic, even for a middle grade read. The storyline and characters were cheesy and cliché if I’m being honest. I contemplated DNFing it a few different times, but ultimately decided to stick with it to see if things picked up… They didn’t.

» Pax by Sara Pennypacker

Pax was only a kit when his family was killed, and “his boy” Peter rescued him from abandonment and certain death. Now the war front approaches, and when Peter’s father enlists, Peter has to move in with his grandpa. Far worse than being forced to leave home is the fact that Pax can’t go. Peter listens to his stern father—as he usually does—and throws Pax’s favorite toy soldier into the woods. When the fox runs to retrieve it, Peter and his dad get back in the car and leave him there—alone. But before Peter makes it through even one night under his grandfather’s roof, regret and duty spur him to action; he packs for a trek to get his best friend back and sneaks into the night. This is the story of Peter, Pax, and their independent struggles to return to one another against all odds. Told from the alternating viewpoints of Peter and Pax.

I knew after seeing the cover for this one last year that I was going to read it eventually. Kuddos to Klassen for this stunning cover design! I read this book via audiobook, so I can’t comment on the illustrations throughout, but since Jon Klassen is the illustrator, I think it is a safe bet that they are well done.

This book is told in dual perspectives of a boy named Peter and his pet fox, Pax. I really like how Pennypacker told part of the story from Pax’s perspective, and felt she did a really good job putting us inside the head of a fox. I would venture to say it was one of the most realistic feeling animal perspectives that I’ve encountered. It is very clear to me that Pennypacker did a lot of research on foxes for this book, which I always appreciate.

Pax takes on some very heavy topics like death, war, and sacrifice, which are woven together with themes like love, forgiveness, friendship. I enjoyed the journey that both Peter and Pax go on as well as the growth of these characters throughout the book. I will warn you that I’ve read a few reviews where people were disappointed with the ending, but I personally thought it was the perfect way to end this story.

My only issue with this book would be that I didn’t feel things were wrapped up with Vola & Peter’s Dad. Vola’s portion of the book felt a little disjointed because it ended so abruptly. Vola plays a huge part in Peter’s growth in the book (and vice versa) but I didn’t feel enough closure with this part of the plot. I had similar feelings with the relationship between Peter & his father. Nothing was exactly resolved there either. I think the author could have easily resolved these issues with an epilogue.

Overall this was a beautiful story about a boy & the love for his pet fox. This book had a few similarities with the movie Fox and the Hound , which I absolutely loved as a kid, so if you loved that movie I think you’d enjoy this book. Also, if you enjoyed books like Charlotte’s Web, Where the Red Fern Grows, and Shiloh, then I would recommend this book to you.

Have you read any of these middle grade books? If so, what did you think?

Comment below and let me know 🙂

Mini #MiddleGrade book reviews up on the #blog today! #BookBlogger #KidLit #ChildrensBooks Books included in this post: Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan, The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall, …

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