Waiting On Wednesday .... Gallant

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 Gallant by Victoria Schwab

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

#1 New York Times–bestselling author Victoria Schwab weaves a dark and original tale about the place where the world meets its shadow, and the young woman beckoned by both sides. The Secret Garden meets Crimson Peak in this stand-alone novel perfect for readers of Holly Black and Neil Gaiman.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

New York Times bestselling author Victoria Schwab crafts a vivid and lush novel that grapples with the demons that are often locked behind closed doors. An eerie, standalone saga about life, death, and the young woman beckoned by both. Readers of Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Melissa Albert, and Garth Nix will quickly lose themselves in this novel with crossover appeal for all ages.

I have always enjoyed Victoria Schwab's books. I have e eagerly anticipated many of her previous releases and am happy to add Gallant to that list.

Her writing is beautiful and she manages to capture that beauty in things that are hreabreaking or eerie. I expect this will be no exception.

There is a bit of a wait of this as it does not come out until 2022 but there is a substantial blacklist to keep you occupied in the meantime.

Expected release date - March 1, 2022

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 week. 

MOVIES/ TELEVISION 

Toronto International Film Festival Announcement 

The full movie line up will not be announced until later this summer but we've been teased with some of the movies coming to TIFF this year and I am very excited! Last Night in Soho is one of the films that has already been announced and I cannot wait to see it.

I am hoping to get a digital pass this year and am keeping my fingers crossed for House of Gucci to be announced. 

The Idea of You Adaptation

One of my favourite books is being turned into a movie! Robinne Lee's The Idea of You is a perfect summer read and I think it'll make an amazing movie.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Studios and Welle Entertainment have made a deal to develop the Robinne Lee novel #TheIdeaOfYou as a star vehicle for Anne Hathaway https://t.co/uWHtvm4Ah6

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 21, 2021

It appears that Anne Hathaway will be starring as Solène (renamed Sophie for the film) which I think is a good fit. I am very curious who they'll cast as Hayes which is the casting news I am sure all fans of the book are waiting for.

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

Waiting On Wednesday ... Fan Club

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 Fan Club by Erin Mayer

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

In this raucous psychological thriller, a millennial office worker finds relief from her crippling ennui in the embrace of a cliquey fan club, until she discovers the group of women is bound together by something darker than devotion.

Day after day our narrator, a gloomy millennial, searches for meaning beyond her vacuous job at a women's lifestyle website—entering text into a computer system while she watches their beauty editor unwrap box after box of perfectly packaged bits of happiness. Then, one night at a dive bar, she hears a message in the newest single by child-actor-turned-international-pop-star Adriana Argento, and she is struck. Soon she loses herself to the online fandom, a community whose members feverishly track Adriana's every move.

When a colleague notices the extent of her obsession, she’s invited to join an enigmatic group of adult Adriana superfans who call themselves the Ivies and worship her music in witchy, candlelit listening parties. As the narrator becomes more entrenched in the group, she gets closer to uncovering the sinister secrets that bind them together—while simultaneously losing her grip on reality.

With caustic wit and hypnotic writing, this unsparingly critical thrill ride through millennial life examines all that is wrong in our celebrity-obsessed internet age, and how easy it is to lose yourself in it. 

I am super into all these amazing sounding thrillers that are popping up recently. This one sounds particularly interesting for those are a fan of pop culture, and fandom.

It's October release means it'll offer up something for those who are not into horror but still want something thrilling for the spooky season.

Expected release date - October 26, 2021

Blackout by Angie Thomas, Tiffany D Jackson, Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk

 

Blackout by Angie Thomas, Tiffany D Jackson, Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon,  Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk

Release Date - June 22, 2021

Publisher Website - Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy

Pages - 256 pages
My Rating - 4/5

**received for an honest review from the publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teen love to this interlinked novel of charming, hilarious, and heartwarming stories that shine a bright light through the dark.

A summer heatwave blankets New York City in darkness. But as the city is thrown into confusion, a different kind of electricity sparks…

A first meeting. 

Long-time friends. 

Bitter exes. 

And maybe the beginning of something new.

When the lights go out, people reveal hidden truths. Love blossoms, friendship transforms, and new possibilities take flight.

Beloved authors—Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—celebrate the beauty of six couples and the unforgettable magic that can be found on a sweltering starry night in the city.

Summer days often remind people of hot weather, ice cream, and romance. It may also remind you blackouts if you are from certain areas. A group of powerhouse young adult authors teamed up to write a novel with interconnecting stories that celebrate Black joy, summer love, and the magic that can be found even in the dark.

The most impressive element of this novel to me was the way in which the story flowed. Each of the interconnected stories progresses naturally into the next with the narrative feeling continuous while still shifting to a new couple. Each section offers up a different kind of love story for you to enjoy and the way they all swirl together only adds to the enjoyment of the story. It also features characters with different sexaulities furthering the variety and representation.

The writing also flows naturally together. Each author has a distinct voice but they all harmonize together perfectly. The shift in tone never felt jarring or out of place. The similarities and differences felt like the entire point to me. It just blended together perfectly to me and it is all the more impressive with this many authors. There is a collaboration here that is different than an anthology where the stories are normally just linked by theme and stand on their own

This book's other highlight is that it is a short, breezy read. It is perfect for the subject matter and also makes it a page turner. You can easily finish this in a day while at the beach or poolside because it reads so quickly. The sections are like little doses of sunshine so it makes you want to keep going.

As for the stories themselves there will be some you love more than others but I found them all to be a good read. I especially enjoyed the ones by Angie Thomas, Tiffany D Jackson, and Nic Stone. 

If you are a fan of fun, light reads that focus on teen romance (and all the joy and heartbreak that comes with it) I recommend picking this one up. It pairs perfectly with summer and I expect it to be a reading choice for many teens (and fans of young adult novels in general) this summer.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Release Date - June 1, 2021 

Publisher Website - Penguin Random House Canada
Publisher Social Media - Twitter

Pages - 384 pages
My Rating - 4/5

**purchased**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Malibu: August 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over--especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud--because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he's been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can't stop thinking about promised she'll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own--including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind. 

Taylor Jenkins Reid's books transport you. She made us desparate to watch Evelyn Hugo on the big screen and yearn to listen to Daisy Jones and the Six's greatest hits. In Malibu Rising she once again spins a tale of fame but instead focuses on the bonds of family and the thrill of the surf.

Malibu Rising is like a warm summer day spent at the beach. You can almost taste the salt water, and smell coconut scented sunscreen while reading this book. Malibu, and it's waves, become a character in the book and the setting is just as important as the plot in this case. She brings Malibu to life so vividly that you can picture it even if you've never been there.

Capturing a particular time period seems to be a talent this author has. It is part of what transports you into the world of the novel and makes it feel all the more authentic. This book focuses on the 1980s and you definitely get that vibe. The neon colours, the teased hair, and fashion are just some of the callbacks to that time. There are little things, like Nina's sexed up ad campaign and calendar, that are so clearly of that time period.  

Fans of this author's previous books may have spotted a familiar name in the synopsis. Yes, it is THAT Mick Rivera. If you thought he was an asshole in The Seven Husband's of Evelyn Hugo just wait until you see what else he got up to. He is easily the worst and yet I was still strangely captivated by him. The magnetic pull he is referenced as having works on readers too, apparently.

Much more interesting (and sympathetic), are his children. Nina, in particular, made my heart ache for many reasons but I loved all of the Rivera children. They are all scarred by the events that have touched them. Their fiercely close bond is the heart of this novel that revolves around family, trauma, forgiveness, and hope. These kids had to grow up much faster than they needed to and that is something that is woven deep into all aspects of who these characters are and who they want to become.

The infamous Rivera party is as ridiculous as you hope it will be going in. It is indeed the stuff of legend and you can see how it became this out of control thing from its humble beginnings. The chapters with the party shenanigans are funny, dizzying, and the perfect build up to the emotional and cathartic end section.

The emotional payoff comes from the ending like so many of Taylor Jenkins Reid's other novels. It is that ending that makes the entire journey for me and I definitely found myself sobbing through parts of it. 

Taylor Jenkins Reid has once again slayed me with her ability to make you fall into the story. I cannot wait to follow her into the 90s (where I assume she is headed with her next book) and am breathlessly awaiting to discover what exactly that will look like.

Waiting on Wednesday ... True Crime Story

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 True Crime Story by Joseph Knox

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

On the outside, Manchester University student Zoe Nolan was blessed: intelligent, kind, popular and extremely talented. But then one night she goes missing. She is presumed dead but no body is found.

Years later, Evelyn, a young writer starts looking into that fateful night, and begins to uncover the sinister secrets that have kept Zoe's disappearance a mystery. As she records the testimonies of those who knew Zoe, she starts to build up a picture of a group of friends who loved and lied to hide the truth.

But as every true crime story tells us, the truth always comes out. Whatever the cost... 

This, from my understanding, is set up like a transcript of a true crime documentary. This immediately sold me on wanting to read this. It has already released in the United Kingdom but will be releasing in Canada (and the United States) this fall. 

Fellow Murderinos will probably want to join me in waiting for this book to be released. It definitely sounds like it could be a unique and chilling read.

Expected release date - November 2, 2021

Feedburner Email Subscription Update

You may have heard that Google's Feedburner is going away in July. This means that those of you who have followed my blog via email subscription would no longer receive email updates unless I shuffle it over to a new provider.

I have decided to go with follow.it as they have made it very easy to switch over as seamlessly as possible. It should mean no disruption to you all recieving my blog posts. It should all be done by the end of the week.

I am not sure if those of you are subscribed currently will be sent an email to confirm you wish to remain subscribed but I figured I would give you advance warning just in case.  You may also receive two emails until Feedburner is officially shut down. If you wish to unsubscribe you will be able to at the bottom of the emails as always.

I hope it is as smooth of a transition as I am anticipating and I thank you all for your patience while it all gets sorted/switched over.