New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews)

It's been a quieter week mailbox wise (which is good considering all the books I got at ALA). I have a recap up if you are interested in what I got while at ALA.

I came back from New Orleans with an amazing package from Raincoast Books. I had taken part in their blogger preview and won one of the prize packs.

Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean (goodreads)

A huge thank you to Raincoast Books for all of this. The candles smell amazing and I cannot wait to try out my new reading socks in the winter.

I also purchased two ebooks this week.

Hollywood Dirt by Alessandra Torre (goodreads)
Heartthrob by Belinda Williams (goodreads)

Both are Hollywood set romances that I thought sounded good and had high Goodreads ratings. I am looking for some good end of summer reading and I hope these two will be exactly what I am looking for.

What bookish goodies made their way into your mailbox this week? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOK

Cover of King Of Fools by Amanda Foody (goodreads)

I read and really enjoyed Amanda Foody's Ace Of Shades. I am so excited to read the sequel! The cover was just released and it, in my opinion, is even better than the one for Ace Of Shades.

The colour scheme is eye catching and it matches the first wonderfully. The tagline is also PERFECT for how Ace Of Shades left off.

TV/MOVIE

The Hate U Give Trailer

I read The Hate U Give and, like pretty much everyone else, loved it. I was excited when they announced a movie was going to be made and am now even more excited after watching this trailer.

It is a great trailer. It packs just the right amount of punch and is filled with the emotions that the book invokes. I was also encouraged to see how close it seems to be sticking to the source material. The cast looks great (perhaps some Oscar nom potential) and I anticipate it'll be a huge box office hit. I cannot wait to go see it opening weekend.

Beautiful Boy Trailer

This movie has had some Oscar buzz for quite some time now and this trailer solidifies that it is going to be in the conversation at least.

It is emotional and Timothee Chalamet makes all of this look too easy. I can tell it is going to be a movie that will make me ugly cry in public and I am excited about it.

OTHER

Stranger Things San Diego Comic Con Exclusive Funko Pops

My Funko collection is pretty big. I particularly like collecting the Stranger Things line. I also look forward to the San Diego Comic Con exclusives being announced each summer. They had a Stranger Things line announced this year and I need all of the Pops from it.

The fact that the Billy Pop has a cookie is pretty much everything! Nancy's mom even has a little blush to her cheeks. The attention to detail is pretty amazing. How cute is the Snow Ball ready Dustin Pop? Adorable, right? Hopefully they are both shared with stores that will make it easy for me to get them.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

ALA 2018 Recap

As many of you know I traveled to New Orleans recently to attend ALA's (American Library Association) annual conference. It was a week filled with a lot of books, incredible food, more alcohol than I usually consume, and amazing sites. 

I'll first share the books I got while attending the conference. I had a fantastic time walking around and seeing all the books that the publishers were eager to showcase. ALA is a much more relaxed than Book Expo and as a result I feel you get more time to really look at the booths and see what is on display.

Day one consisted of me snagging the following review copies:

Kens by Raziel Reid (goodreads)

Sadie by Courtney Summers (goodreads)

The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman (goodreads)

Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok (goodreads)

Only A Breath Apart by Katie McGarry (goodreads)

The Dark Descent Of Elizabeth Frankenstein (goodreads)

What If It's Us by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli (goodreads)

The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle (goodreads)

A Curse So Dark And Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (goodreads)

Courtney Summers is an actual ray of sunshine. She was so kind. It made me even more excited to devour Sadie as soon as I get the chance. It was also exciting to see ARCs of Spectacle as I wasn't anticipating it being available at the conference. 

Day two was just as fun and informative at the first day. I got the following books:

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory (goodreads)

Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend by Karen Blumenthal (goodreads)

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas (goodreads)

Enchantee by Gita Trelease (goodreads)

The 7 1/2 Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (goodreads)

Hunting Charles Manson by Lis Wiehl (goodreads)

The Lady's Guide To Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee (goodreads)

Dear Evan Hanson by Val Emmich (goodreads)

Escaping From Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco (goodreads)

The Gentleman's Guide To Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (goodreads)

I  went to the panel that Lis Wiehl had discussing the process of writing Hunting Charles Manson and was blown away by the research and access she had. It made me want to read the book even more and was thrilled to learn that there would be a signing right after the panel. I got to say hello to both Kerri Maniscalco and Mackenzi Lee. I love both of their books and was so happy to get to meet them again. I also got to gush about The Wedding Date with Jasmine Guillory and was so excited to get a copy of her next book, The Proposal, to review on the blog.

My final day of the convention was much quieter. I stumbled across a great sounding thriller, snagged a YA book everyone has been gushing about and got to pick up a copy of a book I have been wanting to read ever since I saw the movie.

Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman (goodreads)

Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward (goodreads)

Jack Of Hearts (And Other Parts) by Lev A.C. Rosen (goodreads)

I looked forward to not just the conference but see New Orleans itself while I was in town. The city did not disappoint. I had so many memorial experiences while there and cannot wait to go back. Here are just a few of my favourite photos from the trip and some details about what I did while there:

As a huge true crime fan I had to stop by the LaLaurie mansion while I was in New Orleans. It's a rather pretty house that does not reflect the horrors that happened inside. This place is rumoured to be cursed (information provided by the amazing true crime tour I took while there) and I believe it.

Drinks were very much a part of the New Orleans experience. My favourite place that we had drinks at was Saints and Sinners. The restaurant/bar that Channing Tatum built in New Orleans.

It's a fun little place on Bourbon Street and they had the best cocktails! I may have drank more than I should have there that night (but it was so worth it).

Two of my favorite drinks were the Love Potion #10 which was DELICIOUS!

I also loved the Saint which is one of their signature drinks along with the Sinner. Kelly and I each ordered one of them so we could try both and I definitely preferred the one I ordered. 

One of my favourite parts of the trip was the true crime tour that we booked. The tour company is called Unique NOLA Tours. The guide, David, was great at making sure everyone was having fun and told some great (but chilling) stories. It made me see New Orleans in a different light and also made me immediately want to research all of the stories we were told (and I am never going to forget the one that feature an oven *shudder*)

If you're in New Orleans I would highly recommend booking one of the tours they offer. They have a few different ones so no matter what you want to experience they should have something to fit your needs. 

No trip to New Orleans would be complete without trying beignets. We, obviously, went to Cafe Du Monde and I loved them. They were so incredibly delicious (and so obviously bad for you).

The other must try was a Hurricane. We went with the, rumouredly, best in the city and tried one at Pat O'Briens. This was perhaps my favourite meal out of all the ones I had in New Orleans. 

I can also confirm that Hurricanes and delicious (and extremely strong).

We also took a quick trip to the Historic Voodoo Museum which had some interesting things relating to Marie Laveau including this portrait. 

The architecture was incredible and I was constantly looking at buildings as we passed by. This is St. Louis Cathedral which is near Jackson Square and it is stunning in person.

That's pretty much it for my trip to New Orleans I am excited to dive into the books I got, and am pretty sure my body still needs to recover from the trip. 

Me and my friend Kelly (from Kellyvision) enjoying our Hurricanes

One Small Thing by Erin Watt

One Small Thing by Erin Watt
Release Date - June 26, 2018
Publisher Website - HarlequinTeen

Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  384 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received from the publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Beth’s life hasn’t been the same since her sister died. Her parents try to lock her down, believing they can keep her safe by monitoring her every move. When Beth sneaks out to a party one night and meets the new guy in town, Chase, she’s thrilled to make a secret friend. It seems a small thing, just for her.

Only Beth doesn’t know how big her secret really is…

Fresh out of juvie and determined to start his life over, Chase has demons to face and much to atone for, including his part in the night Beth’s sister died. Beth, who has more reason than anyone to despise him, is willing to give him a second chance. A forbidden romance is the last thing either of them planned for senior year, but the more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings get.

Now Beth has a choice to make—follow the rules, or risk tearing everything apart…again.

I was intrigued by One Small Thing after reading the synopsis. It sounded so different than all the previous Erin Watt novels, and I was curious to see what they would do with this premise. It ended up being a well crafted look at grief, the people who are left behind after a tragedy, and the process of healing. It also was a lot more than that as well.

Erin Watt's previous novels have been fun, soapy, addictive reads that went at a high octane pace. This book is a complete game changer for them. This one is more quiet, but also deals with issues in a much more direct way than the previous novels did. It's a step in a different direction that I think may open them up to new fans because of how different than their previous works.

Beth and her parents are in a state of stasis after the death of Rachel. They are each dealing with their grief in different ways and not dealing with it in others. The tension in their household is stifling and so are the rules that Beth's parents enforce out of a desperate need to keep her safe. It was crushing to experience this broken family continue to spiral when it was clear they needed each other. Their actions are coming from a place of both love and hurt and that makes from some explosives circumstances. The book easily allows you to place yourself in this situation and the heartbreak each of the family members are carrying with them.

The forbidden romance element was the part I was most concerned about before I picked up this novel. Chase played a role in Rachel's death. This should mean that Beth wants nothing to do with him but when they meet, without knowing their previous connection, sparks fly. This part of the plot was, in my opinion, handled really well. Chase's actions are never excused but the point is made that he shouldn't pay for those actions forever. He punishes himself more than anyone else could, and I think that part of his character allows for a lot of sympathy from the reader. It also helps that the situation is so very different than what I anticipated going into the story.

There was an unexpected part of the plot that dealt with abusive relationships that I felt was also handled rather well. It is used not only to contrast Chase's character but show that people are not always as we perceive them to be. There is also an undercurrent of girls supporting each other and being there for each other that I found really resonated. I didn't expect it to examine any of this and was surprised at how well it folded into the main plot of the story. It felt effortless and not tacked on at any point.

One Small Thing is a book that tackles a lot of hard topics but manages to do them quite well. There is a lot of substance to this one as well as a lot of heart. The title reference is a hopeful one, and that is ultimately the note that this story is left off on. I think many readers will enjoy this emotion filled offering from Erin Watt and enjoy their time with Beth and Chase. 

Waiting On Wednesday .... The Reckoning Of Noah Shaw

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is The Reckoning Of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin

** Spoilers for The Becoming Of Noah Shaw and The Mara Dyer Trilogy **

Here is the Goodreads synopsis 

Noah Shaw doesn’t think he needs his father’s inheritance.
He does.

Noah believes there’s something off about the suicides in his visions.
There is.

Noah is convinced that he still knows the real Mara Dyer.
He does not. 

Everyone thought the nightmare had ended with Mara Dyer’s memoirs, but it was only the beginning. As old skeletons are laid bare, alliances will be tested, hearts will be broken, and no one will be left unscarred.

I loved the first trilogy that makes up this series and was excited to jump back into this world when the first book of Noah's series was released. The ending of the first novel only made me more desperate to find out what is going on and to continue this journey with these characters I love so much.

These are not light, or happy books in any way. Noah's head space is not the most pleasant to be in. It makes them perfect reads for the Fall season. The November release date seems far away, but it gives anyone not caught up on this series a chance to read them before its release. 

Expected release date - November 13, 2018

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

A very small Weekly Obsessions post this week. I am in New Orleans for ALA this week so everything else is just kind of a blur.

TV/MOVIE

Posters For A Simple Favor

These immediately caught my attention. I love the colour scheme that is being used, and how Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively are sort of in shadow. They also really make me want a martini.

       

 

I've seen two trailers for this movie and I only vaguely know what it is about but it's quickly becoming one of my must sees for the fall season.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

The Art Of French Kissing by Brianna R Shrum

The Art Of French Kissing by Brianna R Shrum
Release Date - June 5, 2018
Publisher Website - Sky Pony Press

Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  256 pages
My Rating - 3/5
**received from the publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Carter Lane has wanted to be a chef since she was old enough to ignore her mom's warnings to stay away from the hot stove. And now she has the chance of a lifetime: a prestigious scholarship competition in Savannah, where students compete all summer in Chopped style challenges for a full-ride to one of the best culinary schools in the country. The only impossible challenge ingredient in her basket: Reid Yamada.

After Reid, her cute but unbearably cocky opponent, goes out of his way to screw her over on day one, Carter vows revenge, and soon they're involved in a full-fledged culinary war. Just as the tension between them reaches its boiling point, Carter and Reid are forced to work together if they want to win, and Carter begins to wonder if Reid's constant presence in her brain is about more than rivalry. And if maybe her desire to smack his mouth doesn't necessarily cancel out her desire to kiss it.

Enemies to lovers is a favourite trope of mine. When it works it is pretty much irresistible. It is also really hard to execute well. The Art of French Kissing has some elements that really worked for me, and other that just didn't quite hit the mark for me. It does, however, offer up an enjoyable romance read with a unique setting.

Foodies will rejoice that there are plenty of delicious sounding descriptions of food within these pages. The descriptions are mouth watering and I will pretty much guarantee that this book will make you hungry at some point while reading it. The cooking competition is also well written. The stakes are perfect for a young adult setting and it has just the right amount of tension woven throughout the competition. I think people who especially like the food competition angle will enjoy this book.

Carter is a headstrong girl who can often be insecure. The feeling of not belong or being looked upon as not worthy of something is something that her character grapples with. It reaches out into all of the other elements of that plot that worked for me. The decisions she made are not always the same ones that I would have made, but I can respect that they felt within character for her to do so.

I had two slight issues that kept me from loving this novel. The first is the 'culinary war' that is mentioned in the synopsis. I was expecting more mild high jinks than meanness. It gets nasty at some points and I found it hard to ship them together at times because of it. I appreciated it more when it was more reigned in and fun. There are moments where it really works though and those shining moments are great. The other is that there isn't a lot of transition time. The competition isn't that long and their progression from enemies to lovers is more rapid than I expected, particularly when you factor in how cutthroat it gets at some points. There are some things that counter act this and the author is good at giving the characters scenes where we see that they are bonding, but it felt a little rushed to me.

The romance did have it's good points. Brianna Shrum can capture the feeling anticipation so accurately. Her make out scenes are really more about the anticipation and that feeling that you get as a reader right before the couple is about to kiss. That moment where the character is clearly displaying how much they want to kiss the other person, if done right, can be really powerful and Brianna gets that. It's one of the strongest elements of the book and the romantic relationship within it.

The ending was another strong point for me. There were a couple of ways in which the plot went into different directions that I expected it to. The relationship aspect of the novel, in particular, ends on a rather realistic note. I felt more realistic overall with just enough wish fulfillment thrown in for good measure.

I recommend this one for those who love competition shows that feature cooking, some great banter and make out scenes. While there are a few little issues I had with the book, I mostly enjoyed it overall. I liked the romance scenes and for those alone I would read another romance written by the same author.