Weekly Rewind 10.31.15

Weekly Rewind
The new books on my shelves and my week in a nutshell.


Since I started this blog I've participated in Stacking the Shelves, which is a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and I'm going to continue linking to that meme. Throughout my student teaching semester I was using my weekend post as a way to let people know what's going on in my life, so I've decided to rename my weekend post because this feature is more personal than just what books I've received. The Weekly Rewind will be about what's going on with me and my blog, as well as about the books I've added to my shelves.

My Life and Blog

Life: Making the drive again this weekend. My husband's work is keeping him busy--even on the weekends--so unfortunately he isn't able to come down. It is what it is. I know he'll make the drive more over the winter when he slows down work-wise and because he has a truck and won't want me driving on nasty winter roads. It will all even out before the end of the school year, I'm sure.

Tomorrow (Friday) is the last day of the first quarter. It went so quickly! While I really liked my school and co-workers last year, I'm truly having a better experience this year. This week the students are doing "book clubs". I gave them the choice of 5 books and guaranteed one of their top 3 choices (so the same group of talk-y girls/guys didn't all end up together), and they literally just sit and read silently. They have discussions and I give them stretch breaks, but for the most part, they are just reading. It's awesome. I finished all of my grading by the end of the day Tuesday, so I spent a good portion of yesterday and today getting some reading done myself. Tomorrow is going to be a bit different because I'm not crazy enough to believe that they are just going to sit quietly the day before Halloween--especially since they have a four-day weekend coming up with Mon and Tues being teacher work days.

Blog and reading: I joined in the fun for this week's TTT focusing on my favorite creepy covers. I also posted a WoW that has a gorgeous cover that got mistaken by two commenters as the new Cassandra Clare? As far as reading, I did finish Rooms before even getting out of the state last weekend (AND I had forgotten to grab a new audiobook! I ended up grabbing the first Percy Jackson from my school library just to have something to listen to...and then ended up mostly just listening to music). It wasn't my favorite, but I did quite like the different narrators and think it was worth listening to. I'm currently reading Guitar Notes (it's one of the book club choices), Something Real and am still doing my reread of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. I plan on starting Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl tonight. I just snagged it from the library. Yay! I started listening to You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) today which should get me at least up to PA. I'm trying to decide what else to bring with me. I have Paper Towns on audio and haven't read the book yet. I do want to read the story before the movie...but I don't feel that strongly about it. I may just watch the film. I've started the book a couple of times and it just hasn't held my attention.

New books: I have a handful of books I'm excited to share this week. So without further ado, I hope you are all having fabulous weekends!

For Review

   

Da Vinci's Tiger by L.M. Elliott

I'm super bummed about the cover change from the arc, which was absolutely beautiful. This is alright, but not even close to as original or cool. Oh, a pretty girl in a pretty dress that is obviously historical fiction. Yawn. Hopefully the story is better than the new cover.

Soundless by Richelle Mead

This is the full arc. I've been sitting on it for awhile. I've never actually read anything by this author (I know, I know). The concept of a soundless society is certainly intriguing. Anybody read this one yet?

Things I Can't Forget by Mitchell Kriegman

So I LOVED Clarissa Explains It All when I was little. Clarissa was seriously, like, the coolest girl who ever lived. I am both super excited and super nervous to read this book by the show's creator that takes Clarissa into her 20s where she is an unemployed wanna-be journalist.

For the Record by Charlotte Huang

The first line for this is: If Almost Famous were a YA novel. Sold. I don't even need to read another word. I'm in.

What I snagged from the library

   

Books:

Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein

So excited. She's such a bad-ass.

Something Real by Heather Demetrios

It is not an exaggeration when I say that I've checked this book out of the libraryat least 10 times (and from 3 different states now). I love the premise of following a girl in a John and Kate Plus 8--that's what that show was called right?--type reality show. My problem with it--and why I think I've struggled--is that I HATE when the conflict is just about being honest. All she has to do is tell her friends and love interest who she really is. They'll accept it. Problem solved. I do truly hope to get through it this time, though.  

Audio:

Paper Towns by John Green

I'm gonna go the audio route on this one.

Movie:

Poltergeist starring Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt

I watched this last night. The acting was pretty solid--especially Rockwell's portrayal of an unemployed man just trying to provide for his family--but ultimately the film isn't nearly as scary as the original (because I was super young the first time I saw it and because I knew what was going to happen), making the remake just completely unnecessary. I may write a review for this one...but honestly you probably just read my review if you just read this paragraph. Lol.

Well that's it for me this week. Feel free to leave a link to whatever weekend post you do (Stacking the Shelves, In My Mailbox, etc). I love to see what books people have recently snagged and especially enjoy hearing about my fellow bloggers' weeks. I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

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Waiting on Wednesday (122) The Telling

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. Click the link to see the original post plus a whole slew of links to other blogs. After you read this one, of course.

The Telling

Author: Alexandra Sirowy
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: August 8, 2016

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A chilling new novel about a girl who must delve into her past if she wants to live long enough to have a future when a series of murders that are eerily similar to the dark stories her brother used to tell start happening in her hometown.

Ben was Lana’s world. He was her big brother, her best friend. And then he was murdered in a grisly carjacking, and her world ended.

Now, six months later, Lana is trying to reinvent herself. She’s found her way into the inner circle of popular kids, and the Lana she is now—bold, daring, brash, adventurous—barely resembles the shy, unpopular girl she used to be.

And then a body turns up. At first, everyone thinks it’s just a horrible accident. But when more corpses appear, Lana begins to wonder what’s going on. Because the details of the murders are strangely similar to the dark fairy tales that Ben used to tell her—stories that only she and Ben knew.

Is Ben seeking vengeance from the grave? Or is a darker phantom from their past coming forward to haunt Lana’s present?

Why I'm excited:
This cover is pretttty! I'm always so drawn to the underwater covers. I love a good creeper, and murders that follow dark fairy tales is an intriguing premise. Definitely keeping my eyes open for this one.

What are you waiting for on this Wednesday? Link me up!

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TTT: Favorite Creepy Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme/original feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Click the link to go to their site to see the original list for today plus links to a whole slew of other blogs. After you read mine, of course.

Today's topic: Halloween Freebie/Favorite Creepy Covers

If you follow me at all, you know I never pass up the opportunity to share my favorite covers of books. I love me a creepy cover, and thankfully there are a lot of very cool ones to choose from.

    

   

   

The Replacement by Breanna Yovanoff

I really like all of her covers, but this one is my favorite. The muted colors. How just seriously unsettling it is to see weapons hovering above an old-fashioned buggy.

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

I LOVE how you can see the water and trees through her dress.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I struggled with this one, and eventually put it down, put I really do love this cover.

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

While I adore baths, I can't help but sometimes think of that scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Or Rita from the show Dexter. Whatever is going on here doesn't look very good.

They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Clair

This is seriously one of my favorite covers ever. I seriously don't know why. Anybody watching Scream Queens? That shows reminds me of this cover.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

While beautiful, this cover really is creepy. He's totally pulling her down.

The Dogs by Alan Stratton

I do not want to be anywhere near that house.

Followers by Anna Davies

I would definitely cross the street to avoid these girls.

What Waits in the Woods by Kieran Scott

Bad shit, I'm guessing.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

I have to admit that I wasn't a fan of this book, but I do love that cover.

Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst

More cheeky than creepy, but I couldn't resist. The book itself is super fun, too.

After the Woods by Kim Savage

This is one of my most anticipated books from 2016 so far. The cover is lovely, but definitely has a creep factor.

That's it for me. What did you do with your freebie week? Link me up!

Hey lovely readers. I love meeting and connecting with new bloggers. If you decide to follow, my preferred method is Bloglovin'. Let me know if you are a new follower as I follow back. Thank you!

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Weekly Rewind 10.24.15

Weekly Rewind
The new books on my shelves and my week in a nutshell.


Since I started this blog I've participated in Stacking the Shelves, which is a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and I'm going to continue linking to that meme. Throughout my student teaching semester I was using my weekend post as a way to let people know what's going on in my life, so I've decided to rename my weekend post because this feature is more personal than just what books I've received. The Weekly Rewind will be about what's going on with me and my blog, as well as about the books I've added to my shelves.

My Life and Blog

Life: Per usual (lately, at least), I'm typing this up on Thursday night. I don't know what is happening this weekend. The plan for the last two weeks has been that my husband would make the trip this weekend, but he just had two big jobs accept his bids (he owns a painting company) which is awesome, but now he may need to start one of the jobs on Saturday. He still doesn't know what is going to happen--and may not know until tomorrow--so I have to take all my shit with me to school in case I need to make the drive instead. I have to leave from the school. If I come back to my apartment, it seriously adds an hour to my drive because of the crazy-ass Friday traffic that happens in this area. It's awesome for his business, but I was seriously hoping to not have to do the drive this weekend. Oh, well. Whatever needs to happen for us to spend the weekend together. I didn't see him last week because I'd had a long weekend the one before, but I'm not going another weekend without seeing him. Long distance problems. Anybody dealing with this kind of shit?

My students finished A Monster Calls this week. For the most part, they really seemed to enjoy it. We got through all but 30 pages on Tuesday, and my the students in my first class were like: Can't we just stay in English all day. I love that. Tomorrow is a testing day, which is awesome, because that means quiet, quiet, quiet all day. They know to bring their individual reading books on testing days because I give them the whole period to work on the test, so they can read when they finish up.

Blog and reading: I was a pretty efficient blogger this week. I posted a review of Carry On on Monday, a WoW on Wednesday on a book that has a hate-to-love relationship, and a Discussion Post (read: rant) on Thursday about movie trailers that give away the complete storyline.

I seriously just read Carry On on Sunday. I had started it during the week, but was only about 100 pages in or so. I started reading around 10AM with the intention of taking the butt-load of essays that needed grading to a late breakfast around 1...and then just kept reading until I'd finished it. Again, I did post a review for it if you are interested. I'm currently rereading Me and Earl and the Dying Girl in anticipation of the film now that it is on DVD. I started reading NEED last night, but I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I am still listening to Rooms, and should be done this weekend. I'm on the second to last CD right now. If I end up doing the drive, I'll be done with it before I get out of VA. Lol.

New Books: I'm pretty excited about the titles I have to share with you today. So without further ado, I hope you are all having fabulous weekends!

For Review

  

Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young

Has anybody been watching the new season of AHS? I've only seen the first episode. My honey and I watch it together...and I haven't been home for a couple of weeks (I wasn't hugely impressed by the premiere. The hotel is amazing, but it felt very The Shining and just kind of confusing. And WHY would those girls stay in the hotel after the dude crawled out of their mattress. Like, for real). Anyhoo...hotels can be scary-ass places and this looks fun as hell.

Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray

I still need to read the first book, but it is high on my list. I LOVE these covers. So much.

NEED by Joelle Charbonneau

I'm a few chapters in to this and am not loving it so far. It's about a mysterious new social networking site that is somewhat interesting, but I'm not connecting with the main character and find her pretty annoying so far.

What I bought

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Mmmmiiiiiinnnnnnneeeeee

What I snagged from the library

   

Books:

Harry Potter and the Socerer's Stone: Illustrated Edition by JK Rowling and Jim Kay

I will most definitely own this someday, but I was happy to snag it from the library until that happens. SO PRETTY!

Weight of Feathers by Anne-Marie McLemore

I've heard great things about this book about warring circus families. It sounds awesome.

Audio:

You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day

I had this in book form a few weeks ago, but decided I'd rather listen to it. It's up next.

Movie:
Mad Max: Fury Road starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron

Finally! SOOOO excited!

Well that's it for me this week. Feel free to leave a link to whatever weekend post you do (Stacking the Shelves, In My Mailbox, etc). I love to see what books people have recently snagged and especially enjoy hearing about my fellow bloggers' weeks. I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

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Discussion Post: Why are Trailers Giving Everything Away?

Discussion Post: Why are Previews Giving Away the Full Film


 This summer, a friend and I went to see the movie Spy in the theater. We sat down a few minutes before the movie started, just in time to see the previews. The first one was for the movie Trainwreck, starring the amazing Amy Schumer. I watched excitedly for the first minute or so. I absolutely adore Amy Schumer and this was the first time I had seen anything for her movie. After a minute, though, I became annoyed. I was already sold, why was this preview pretty much laying out the entire film? I turned to my friend and whispered, "I feel like we are literally watching this film right now."

A few weeks ago I read an article about this very subject (an article I was going to attach, but cannot now seem to find) that stated that audiences WANT the long previews that practically give away the story. It talked about test groups that chose the previews that gave the most information. The article talked about a couple different films, but one summer film in particular: Jurassic World and its preview showing the raptors running alongside Chris Pratt, which is a scene that doesn't happen until very late in the film. This seriously annoys me. When you see a certain scene in a preview, you tend to wait for it to happen in the film. So when it doesn't happen until the third act, you begin to realize how much of the film its own preview spoiled for you.

I can tell almost immediately whether or not I want to see a film. Yes, I enjoy a brief preview that gives me a brief synopsis of a film. I'll even read a review or two before deciding to see it in the theater, but I am LESS likely to see a film if the preview has laid out the entire story for me. For example, the newest Meryl Streep film, Ricky and the Flash's preview shows Meryl singing at her daughter's wedding. The entire film is about a mom trying to reconnect with her daughter. Gee, if she is singing at her wedding, I'm going to say that she is probably successful. I know exactly what happens in the film because of the preview. Why do I need to see the movie now? I totally 100% know how it ends. I bet that scene from the preview is in the last 2-5 minutes of the film. The Intern's latest preview shows the entire office clapping for Robert DeNiro's character. What are the odds that that is one of the very last scenes of the film (pretty high, I'm betting).

I get it. With video on demand, Netflix, and Redbox all getting movies mere months after theaters, it doesn't seem pressing to see a movie in the theater. I'm a huge movie geek (you probably guessed that by my blog name), but I rarely see movies in the theater. Movie tickets are ridiculously expensive, snacks even more so, people are douchebags who can't be off their phones for *gasp* a full two hours. Studios believe (and have apparently even tested) that if they give away the story, people will be more likely to see their films, but I disagree. I go watch films to be entertained, and if I know what is going to happen, I'm not entertained--I'm waiting. I want movie to surprise me.

It's a thin line. People aren't going to go see a movie they know nothing about, but, in my humble opinion, they also aren't going to go see a movie if they know TOO much. People were going to go see Jurassic World this summer. Period. Because dinosaurs. And Chris Pratt. The preview with the raptors wasn't the swaying factor. If anything, audiences felt ripped off when they realized how late in the film that scene occurred. Its preview didn't hurt it because the film was always going to be huge. I think the films that are hurt the most by revealing too much are the littler films--which are also the films that need to give information because otherwise the general public won't know what its about. It's a Catch-22.

What all this rambling boils down to is this: I wish previews would give just the basic information: who's in the film and what is it about. I don't want scenes from the second or third acts of the film. And for God's sake: Stop showing scenes from the last 5 minutes!

What do you think? Do you want previews to give you a full picture of the film so you know exactly what you're going to see, or do you like for films to have some surprises? Sound off below!



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Waiting on Wednesday (121) The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. Click the link to see the original post plus a whole slew of links to other blogs. After you read this one, of course.

The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You

Author:
Publisher: St. Martins Griffin
Release Date: May 17, 2016

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Trixie Watson has two very important goals for senior year: to finally save enough to buy the set of Dr. Who figurines at the local comic books store, and to place third in her class and knock Ben West--and his horrendous new mustache that he spent all summer growing--down to number four.

Trixie will do anything to get her name ranked over Ben's, including give up sleep and comic books--well, maybe not comic books--but definitely sleep. After all, the war of Watson v. West is as vicious as the Doctor v. Daleks and Browncoats v. Alliance combined, and it goes all the way back to the infamous monkey bars incident in the first grade. Over a decade later, it's time to declare a champion once and for all.

The war is Trixie's for the winning, until her best friend starts dating Ben's best friend and the two are unceremoniously dumped together and told to play nice. Finding common ground is odious and tooth-pullingly-painful, but Trixie and Ben's cautious truce slowly transforms into a fandom-based tentative friendship. When Trixie's best friend gets expelled for cheating and Trixie cries foul play, however, they have to choose who to believe and which side they're on--and they might not pick the same side.

Why I'm excited:
So I love a good love/hate relationship. I just do. Pride & Prejudice? Yes, please! 10 Things I Hate About You? You betcha ya. This is the second week in a row I've featured lighter fare. It must be what I'm craving lately. This sounds adorable, but I have to admit that I'm not loving the cover. I like the comic book look, but this is The Unbreak My Heart PB cover. I hate that. Like you guys can't afford a new picture? Regardless, I'll be keeping my eyes open for this one.

What are you waiting for on this Wednesday? Link me up!

Hey lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin. (I like to follow back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!) Thank you!!!

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Carry On (Book Review)

Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin
Release date: October 6, 2015

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Rainbow Rowell continues to break boundaries with Carry On, an epic fantasy following the triumphs and heartaches of Simon and Baz from her beloved bestseller Fangirl.

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.  

*****************************************************************

 

My thoughts:

 

Like most people who read Fangirl, one of my favorite things about the book were the glimpses into the fanfic that Cather was writing based on the fictional (Harry Potter-like) Simon Snow series entitled Carry On. So when I heard that Carry On was being published on its own merits, I was excited...albeit a bit skeptical. It was the skepticism that kept me from buying this book, even when the hardback went on super pre-order sale. Luckily, I requested this the minute it popped up in the library catalogue, so I got it through the library, like, 2 days after its release. I read it a little last week (I don't get a whole lot of reading done during the week), but plowed through the final 400+ pages today (completely ignoring the many, many essays I have to grade...and continue to ignore in order to write this post...). To be honest, this isn't a decision I regret. Because as downright entertaining as this book is--and it is very, very entertaining--it does still read like a Harry Potter rip-off. Thankfully for me, I love Harry Potter.

 

In Carry On, you do not see any rehashing of scenes that existed in Fangirl. Instead, the story jumps right into what is the fan-fiction of the 8th book of the series. Simon is returning to the Watford School of Magic for his final year of school where he shares a room with his sworn enemy, the vampire Basilton (Baz). He gets to school before his roommate, and waits for him to show up. And waits. And waits. Weeks goes by without Baz, and Simon is wondering if he has left school for good. Is he up to his old scheming ways? His best friend, Penelope, wants him to just stop obsessing. There are other things to worry about besides his stupid roommate. Like the Insidious Humdrum who is still sucking magic out of the world. Simon's girlfriend, Agatha, however, is also waiting for Baz to show up because she may be in love with him, even though she knows that it would break Simon's heart to lose her to his nemesis. Simon resigns himself to the idea that he may never see Baz when Baz shows up (of course he does), setting the story into action.

 

I very rarely (lately) read books as obsessively as I read this one. I tend to read several at a time without finishing any of them. Since starting teaching, and maybe even since I went back to school, a story has to really be holding my interest to stop me from picking something else up halfway through. It's unfortunate, but true. Part of it boils down to just being insanely busy (see 70+ essays I should be grading right now), and some it has to do with the sheer number of books I have available to me at any given time what with my book buying habits, my extreme library habits, and the new ARCs I get weekly. It's like Aziz Ansari talking about the many options given to singles because of online dating. How do you just pick, and stick, with one?! (So thankful I found my love before online dating was really a thing.) ANYHOO...So I have to give major props to this tome for holding my attention to the point that I couldn't put it down for an entire day. That said, this for real reads like a HP rip-off. There are differences in the story, of course, but I'm guessing that this story wasn't ever going to be real book on its own when the author first wrote Fangirl, and the Simon Snow series in Fangirl was most likely very much meant to read Harry Potter-y.

 

Penelope is Hermione and Ron combined. She's dead smart, but from a large, "pure" wizarding family. Baz is Draco Malfoy if he was a vampire, complete with the snobby family that wants more power. The Mage is Dumbledore, albeit not nearly as lovable, and definitely more absent. The Humdrum is Voldemort, even though he is not nearly as scary. And Simon is Harry--the bumbling chosen one, and an orphan to boot, who often gets by through luck and friendships.

 

THAT SAID, this was still SO much fun to read. There are enough differences between Carry On and HP (with our main character enmeshed in a will-they-or-won't-they gay love story not-withstanding) that make this incredibly fun. It's interesting how many modern things these magicians use, like laptops and cell phones, with the mentions of things like Downton Abbey (and the cursing that remind you this is imaginary fanfic--I doubt the "actual" Simon Snow series throws fuck around nearly as much--or at all). I LOVED how the story is told through multiple characters first-person POVs. I love seeing a story through several characters eyes. And Rainbow Rowell can write. Despite not being able to get through Eleanor and Park, I really liked Attachments, and adored Fangirl. The woman has undeniable talent, and I can't wait to read whatever she puts out next.

 

Above all else, Simon and Baz are just lovely. And hot. Once the story really picked up, they had me swooning all over the place. Love. Love. LOVE.

 

Now what I really, really want is the "actual" last book in the Simon Snow series. We know from Fangirl that Cather was trying to finish Carry On to wrap up her version before the final Simon Snow book was released. Seriously, how meta would that be? C'mon, Rainbow Rowell, let's make that happen...

 

Definitely, happily recommend.



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Weekly Rewind 10.17.15

Weekly Rewind
The new books on my shelves and my week in a nutshell.


Since I started this blog I've participated in Stacking the Shelves, which is a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and I'm going to continue linking to that meme. Throughout my student teaching semester I was using my weekend post as a way to let people know what's going on in my life, so I've decided to rename my weekend post because this feature is more personal than just what books I've received. The Weekly Rewind will be about what's going on with me and my blog, as well as about the books I've added to my shelves.

Life and Blog

 

Life: I'm staying in VA for the weekend since I just did the drive on Monday and simply don't have the 8 hour round-trip in me this weekend. I have 75 essays to grade anyway, which I wouldn't even look at if I went home (or if my husband came here), so it is fine. While it kind of sucks we won't see each other, going two weeks is nothing after last year when we were going as many as 8 or 9 weeks apart. Perspective.

 

This week was pretty great. It's always nice to have a four-day work week. We started reading our anchor text this week. Each teacher in my department chose what they were going to use to teach plot (exposition, rising action, climax, etc). I chose A Monster Calls and my students are LOVING it. I've been reading part of it to them (I'm, frankly, a better narrator than they are), but have also let them take turns reading aloud. If you've read the book, you know the best parts are the stories the monster tells the main character, so I've been reading those parts. Today was hilarious. I stopped after reading the second story (which ends on a bit of a cliffhanger), and in each one of my classes when I said, "Alright, and we are going to stop there," pretty much every student in every class shouted: NOOO! Cracked me up. I love how much they are loving it. When the students are enjoying your class, it makes the days SO much easier and more enjoyable.

 

Fall is in full force here. Driving back from PA last weekend was unbelievably gorgeous. Both PA and VA are full of gorgeous color right now. I hope the leaves are still on the trees next weekend. I'm hoping my husband is able to come down because I would like to explore the wilderness around my new area. Find a lake or something new we can explore (so I can take some pretty foliage pictures to post on IG. Lol)

 

Blog and reading: Just a WoW this week for a book that sounds like a YA Groundhog's Day. One good thing about staying here this weekend is that I'll hopefully be able to get some posts written up. I have a discussion post I would really like to draft tomorrow. I'm also hoping to get a film or two watched, so hopefully I'll get a movie review up next week. This week I finished reading/listening to Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. While more serious than Let's Pretend This Never Happened, it is still incredibly funny in parts, and just so real in others. Maybe I'll get a review for it drafted this weekend, too. Right now I'm reading Carry On and Black Widow: Forever Red. When those two books came in for me at the library, everything else I was reading kind of fell by the wayside. I'm currently listening to Rooms by Lauren Oliver. I've seen middling reviews for the book, but I'm enjoying the audio so far. It has different narrators for the different parts, which I like.

 

New books: I have some awesome new books for review, but it is my library haul that I'm most excited about. So without further ado, I hope you are all having fabulous weekends!

 

For Review

 

   

 

These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

This historical novel follows a girl trying to solve the mystery of her father's murder. I love this cover.

Persuasion by Martina Boone

I've heard great things about the first book, but haven't read it yet.

Underneath Everything by Marcy Beller Paul
I really don't know much about this beyond that it is about a toxic friendship...but I love stories about toxic friendships, so it sounds right up my alley.

Flashes by Tim O'Rourke

This is supposed to be a detective thriller with a supernatural twist. Sounds intriguing.

 

What I snagged from the library

 

   

 

 

Books:

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Like most people who read Fangirl, I was intrigued by the Harry Potter-like world that Cather wrote fan-fic about, so of course I was beyond excited when my hold for this came through immediately. I'm roughly a hundred pages in, and though it is seriously reads like a HP rip-off, I'm still enjoying it.

Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl

I've been excited for this since first hearing about it. I love Marvel, and am so happy that Black Widow is getting singular attention.  

Diary of a Teenage Girl by Phoebe Gloeckner

After learning that Kristen Wiig's latest film was based on a this book, I immediately ordered it. I love that it is a combination of diary entries and comics, but I cannot help but weirded out that it is about a teenage girl who is sleeping with her mom's boyfriend. Because, ew.

Audio:

Rooms by Lauren Oliver

Like I said in my ramblings, I'm enjoying this audio book about a woman, her grown daughter and her daughter, and her teenage son who have gathered at her estranged husband's house after his death. The book is mostly narrated by the ghosts who live in the house--which is different. I like that the audio is narrated by several people.

Movie:
Unfriended

We'll see...It looks pretty bad, but I love me some scary movies.

 

Well that's it for me this week. Feel free to leave a link to whatever weekend post you do (Stacking the Shelves, In My Mailbox, etc). I love to see what books people have recently snagged and especially enjoy hearing about my fellow bloggers' weeks. I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

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