Waiting On Wednesday ... The Starless Sea

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 Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Night Circus, a timeless love story set in a secret underground world--a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea.

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues--a bee, a key, and a sword--that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library, hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians--it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly-soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose--in both the mysterious book and in his own life. 

The Night Circus was a beautifully written, lush, and unique read. I loved every minute of it. I was therefore thrilled to hear that Erin Morgenstern had another book coming out this year.

The Starless Sea sounds just as whimsical, and romantic as The Night Circus. It also sounds just as unique. I cannot wait to dive into this world and see what Erin has created.

Expected release date - November 5, 2019

Season of the Witch by Sarah Rees Brennan

Season of the Witch by Sarah Rees Brennan
Release Date - July 9, 2019
Publisher Website - Scholastic
Publisher Social Media - Twitter

Pages -  288 pages
My Rating - 4/5

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

** SPOILERS FOR THE NETFLIX TELEVISION SHOW ** 

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

It's the summer before her sixteenth birthday, and Sabrina Spellman knows her world is about to change. She's always studied magic and spells with her aunts, Hilda and Zelda. But she's also lived a normal mortal life -- attending Baxter High, hanging out with her friends Susie and Roz, and going to the movies with her boyfriend, Harvey Kinkle.

Now time is running out on her every day, normal world, and leaving behind Roz and Susie and Harvey is a lot harder than she thought it would be. Especially because Sabrina isn't sure how Harvey feels about her. Her cousin Ambrose suggests performing a spell to discover Harvey's true feelings. But when a mysterious wood spirit interferes, the spell backfires... in a big way.

Sabrina has always been attracted to the power of being a witch. But now she can't help wondering if that power is leading her down the wrong path. Will she choose to forsake the path of light and follow the path of night?

Our exclusive prequel novel will reveal a side of Sabrina not seen on the new NETFLIX show. What choice will Sabrina make... and will it be the right one?

As a fan of the Netflix series I was immediately intrigued when I saw there would be a prequel novel. I was hoping it would have the same tone and that the characters would feel like the same characters. Thankfully, Sarah Rees Brennan captures exactly what fans love about the show and delivers it within these pages.

The characters voices instantly felt familiar. She captures each of them so vividly. Sabrina is the same confident, head strong, inquisitive young woman. Ambrose is still the same sarcastic, caged time bomb we know and love. Harvey is still the sweet, dependable, caring young man. Those who have watched the show will immediately feel connected to these characters because we already know them. The use of alternating chapters to 'spotlight' characters helped get into their heads and ensured the emotional beats paid off.

I think those who have watched the series will get the most out of reading this. There are moments that resonate emotionally because we know the future outcome. It is this hindsight that allows the story to work in my opinion and I am not sure it lands the same without that prior history.

This book is about love and not just the romantic kind. There are familiar bonds that pack just as vital emotional punch as the romantic relationships. The scenes between the Kinkle brothers, in particular, took on a more bittersweet tone because we know what happens to Tommy. We know his wishes in regard to Harvey are not going to come true and that packed an emotional punch. The other familial bond on display is Sabrina's relationship with Ambrose. Their relationship is one of my favourites and we get to see their dynamic on full display here.

I, as a Harvey and Sabrina shipper, especially loved how romantic the storyline is. We learn exactly how much Harvey cares for Sabrina (and vice versa) and the main plot revolves around them and their relationship. I left this book even more invested in them as a couple. It's really hard to not want them together after this because it is such a focus, and done so well. Those who might be fan of Nicholas Scratch will be please to know he makes a cameo, but this really is all about Harvey and Sabrina.

There were two characters I wish had been given a little more to do. Roz and Theo (still going by Susie at this point) are mostly sidelined. We get to see them in the background and each has a brief 'spotlight' chapter. Hopefully if another book is released in this series they'll have more of a presence.

I highly recommend this for fans of the Netflix series. It captures the essence and tone of the series perfectly and allows a deeper look at some of beloved characters. It really is a treat for those who have watched the show and are looking for something extra that fleshes out the world of Greendale.

This Week On The Blog

Things may be a little chaotic on the blog this week. I am out of the country on a business thing with limited time to be checking the blog. I have scheduled some things to auto post so hopefully they actually do and things should run pretty much as normal.

You can check out my Twitter or Instagram for some pictures and to follow along on my adventures. Things will resume as normal next week once I am back.

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 lot was revealed this week so this post may end up being a little longer than usual!

BOOKS

Cover For Harley In The Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman (goodreads)

This caught my attention first with the synopsis. Novels set in a circus of some kind are always intriguing to me. The cover was just recently revealed and I think it's perfect.

The colour scheme really works for me and the view of the reader looking up is striking. The circus tent and shadow work together to give you a sense of what the story is going to be. It's made me even more excited to read it.

Down Comes The Night by Allison Saft (goodreads)

I saw the deal announcement for this book and could not add it to my Goodreads fast enough. It sounds absolutely incredible.

a gothic romance set in a Guillermo del Toro-esque world. The book is about a healer torn between duty and her heart, a soldier broken by his crimes, and the darkness that threatens to consume them.

A gothic romance is exactly what I want to read and I cannot wait to see the world building in this book. This is going to be one of the books I cannot wait to get my hands on in 2021!

TV/MOVIES

Trailer For Carnival Row

Remember how things set in a circus like setting caught my attention? This trailer was also released this week and I am in!

The fantasy mixed with steampunk setting. The forbidden love aspect mixed with the murder mystery (both of which I got from reading more about the show) have only made me more intrigued. Excited to check this one out when it releases on Amazon on August 30th.

Trailer For Ford v Ferrari

I had heard that there was some potential Oscar buzz for this movie and that the studio moved it from its original summer time slot to a more awards season favourable fall one.

The trailer was just released and I think the talk could hold some weight.

Christian Bale looks great, and it certainly looks capable of picking up a few tech nominations. Not sure it is Best Picture worthy but the trailer is promising at least.

Poster For Carnival Row

Along with the above trailer Amazon also released key art for Carnival Row. It leans into the fantasy steampunk vibe the trailer had going on.

This image alone would have made me check out the first episode. I am intrigued and hope it is as good as I am picturing it being.

OTHER

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

My Book Expo 2019 Experience

I recently traveled to New York City to attend what is essentially a book lover's version of heaven. Book Expo America is three days of being immersed in bookish nirvana with like minded people. You get to hear about the hottest titles of the fall/winter season, meet some incredible authors and make friends while waiting in lines.

I arrived into New York City an entire day early because I wanted to rest before heading into the conference and wanted some time to do things in the city. My first day there was Tuesday and I decided to go to the TKTS booth in Time Square and go see a play. I decided on seeing Burn This starring Kerri Russell and Adam Driver in the beautiful Hudson Theatre.

Part of my decision may have been made by amazing ads like this while I was waiting:

I enjoyed the play, particularly Adam Driver's performance. He's incredibly funny in this. It was a really fun experience and I definitely want to go see more plays next time I am in New York. It didn't hurt that I had an incredible view of the stage.

The next day was the first day of Book Expo. Excitement was high because Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo was to be given out that day. 

I, sadly, did not get a copy (and was literally next in line to get a ticket when they handed out the last one).  As expected there was a mad dash to the Macmillan booth when the floor opened at noon that day to get tickets for the afternoon signing. People were running and it was really chaotic and intense. I personally think authors as popular as Leigh Bardugo should not be in booth signings. It creates security/safety issues and this was a clear indicator of that. Hopefully they put her in the autographing area next time with advance ticketing. It controls some of the chaos. I was sad to miss out on my most anticipated book from the convention and cannot wait for it to be released so I can read it (or hopefully snag an ARC some other way).

The rest of Wednesday was mostly much more manageable (minus the Mackenzi Lee signing). I got to meet Billy Jensen and any murderino out there knows how excited I was by this. I was a whole mess of nerves so I had to let the person behind me go up first because I just couldn't be the first person to go up. He's incredibly kind in person and we had a laugh over Paul Holes not getting the idea of the Weekly Distraction segment on their podcast (The Murder Squad and you should totally check it out). It was one of the more exciting moments of Book Expo for me and I cannot wait to read his book!

I also manged to get in line for Mackenzi Lee's Loki signing. That line rivaled the Leigh Bardugo ticket race for the most chaotic part of Book Expo. Security had to come to handle the unorganized mess. I am sure this kind of reaction is amazing to both the author and publisher. It creates a lot of buzz and ensures your book is the talk of the Expo.I imagine it is less fun for the attendees trying to walk through the area or other exhibitors whose booth gets blocked or disturbed in the process. It was amazing to see Mackenzi again. She's always the sweetest and I am really excited to read Loki. 

I managed to snag a couple of other books on the first day. I left the conference with:

American Royals by Katharine McGee (goodreads)

Season Of The Witch by Sarah Rees Brennan (goodreads)

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw (goodreads)

Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen (goodreads)

Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee (goodreads)
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky (goodreads)

There was a lot of buzz for Imaginary Friend as this is Stephen Chbosky's first novel in about 20 years. The publisher had a lot of drops and a signing to ensure that everyone who wanted to read this one got the chance.

Day Two was a much earlier start to the day and filled with after Book Expo fun as well. I also manged to get one of my other most anticipated books of the conference this day. I had a lot of things right at the beginning of the day so I went and got in line early. I, personally, love this part of Book Expo. Getting to chat with the other people in line is one of my favourite parts of the entire event. I met so many really nice muderinos and got to talk to some amazing book lovers as well.

I managed to meet Raina Telgemeier and get a signed copy of Guts which will promptly be given to my niece once I have read it. She's a huge fan and is going to love getting this book.

I also wanted to get My Dark Vanessa because it was one of the buzz selections on my radar before it was picked. Kate Elizabeth Russell was really sweet and there was quite a bit of buzz on the floor for her feminist Lolita inspired debut.

I managed to get a copy of Emery Lord's newest (which was one of my most anticipated) and I totally hugged the book the second I got it.

All in all I left the convention center with the following after the second day:

The Map From Here To There by Emery Lord (goodreads)
Guts by Raina Telgemeier (goodreads)
Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi (goodreads)
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (goodreads)
Cursed by Thomas Wheeler and Frank Miller (goodreads)
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (goodreads)

Cursed was an example of the show floor putting a book on my radar that hadn't been there previously. Hearing about it from other attendees and the people at the Simon and Schuster booth made me want to read it. It's going to be a Netflix show and it sounds like an interesting take on the King Arthur tale.

This was also the day that I was attending the My Favourite Murder book tour stop to celebrate the release of Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered! My friend Kelly (from Kellyvision) came to town to attend with me. We, of course, had to get Shake Shack before the event.

We do not have Shake Shack in Canada so I am always excited to have it whenever I go to New York. I usually end up having it twice. It started to rain and we had a disastrous time getting an Uber (which turned into us getting a taxi) but we made it to the Town Hall Theatre with time to spare for the event. The event was Q and A style with someone from the New York Times as the moderator. It was funny, and insightful. Karen and Georgia were lovely as always and it made me love the book even more than I already did.

I, obviously, love the swag and the fact that I have a signed copy of this book! It was a fantastic evening and the perfect way to end the second day.

Kelly left early on the third day and I headed over to the Javits Centre early for the last day of Book Expo. I was most excited to meet Renee Ahdeih and get another of my most anticipated books of the conference.

I also snagged a copy of the new Christina Lauren book! I love all of their books and this one sounds especially good. I love second chance romances so I think this will may end up be a favourite. I had to go brave the Macmillan booth to get tickets again, but this time was much more organized. It felt less chaotic but still energetic. I managed to get tickets for both the Cora Carmack and Jennifer L Armentrout signings.

The last day saw me leaving with the following books:

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh (goodreads)

No Judgments by Meg Cabot (goodreads)

Twice In A Blue Moon by Christina Lauren (goodreads)

Rage by Cora Carmack (goodreads)

The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L Armentrout (goodreads)

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer (goodreads)

I had missed all of the previous giveaways of A Heart So Fierce and Broken so I wanted to try to get a copy on this last day. I loved A Curse So Dark and Lonely and am looking forward to finding out what comes next.

I got to gush to Renee about how excited I am for The Beautiful! It has so many things I love: vampires, historical setting, New Orleans, and a murder mystery. I love the paranormal genre so I am happy to see vampires making a comeback.

That wrapped up my Book Expo experience this year. Overall it was a fun, more relaxed conference. It felt like the publishers had less on offer and were focusing on autographing sessions more than the typical galley drops (even though there were still plenty of those). I also noticed a lack of promotion of romance novels overall. There were a few sprinkled throughout but there are so many amazing sounding titles coming out. Berkley in particular has an incredible sounding autumn line up, but was there was two books being given out that were not romance. They did have Jasmine Guillory signing however which was great but it was promoting an older release instead of one of her upcoming ones. I hope the publishers realize there is a desire for those books to be there and make an effort to bring more in the future.

I had one half day in New York City before I left which I spent taking a true crime tour of the city. It was an interesting and surprisingly informative experience. The guide infused his stories with a lot of historical facts about the city and how the areas had changed since the events had happened. It was fascinating to hear about how drastically some of the neighbourhoods had changed. I also left with a few cases that I want to see if there are podcasts about.

I said goodbye to New York by getting some dinner and Stranger Things themed ice cream after the tour before my bus was scheduled to leave.

I always leave New York immediately wanting to go back. There's something about the city that feels pretty magical. I, once again, left rejuvenated and inspired by the book community. It's sometimes a lot but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way.

My hopes for next year are a bit more attention to crowd control and ensuring that safety concerns are dealt with in some manner (I do think they have gotten better at this overall though). I also wanted to shout out Sourcebooks for their lines/crowd control. It was excellent this year. The autographing area was also well planned.

Did you go to Book Expo? If so, what was the one book you were most excited to come home with and what was your favourite part of attending? For those who did not get to attend this year, what book would you have wanted to get? Let me know in the comments!

Waiting On Wednesday .... A Heart So Fierce And Broken

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 A Heart So Fierce And Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

** SPOILERS FOR A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY ** 

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

In the sequel to New York Times bestselling A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer returns to the world of Emberfall in a lush fantasy where friends become foes and love blooms in the darkest of places.

Find the heir, win the crown. 
The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.

Win the crown, save the kingdom. 
Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been on the run since he destroyed Lilith. He has no desire to challenge Rhen--until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall?

The heart-pounding, compulsively readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war. 

I loved A Curse So Dark and Lonely. I thought it was one of the most imaginative and unique takes on Beauty and the Beast that I have ever read. It was romantic, action packed, and filled with excellent plot set up for the sequel.

A Heart So Fierce and Broken seems to be making Grey's role even more prominent which is certainly welcome as he was one of the stand out characters in the first novel. It also seems that he may have a love interest of his own in this one.

This book doesn't release until early 2020 but will be perfect to use those holiday gift card on when you get them. It also gives you plenty of time to read A Curse So Dark and Lonely if you haven't already.

Expected release date - January 7, 2020

Monthly TBR and Recap

It is the start of another month which means checking in with how I did with my May list and what I have added for June. I had a busy May so I did not have a lot of reading time. I went to Book Expo and I always think I am going to get so much reading done but end up being too exhausted after a busy day on the floor that I crash shortly after I eat dinner.

The books that were on my list are:

Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered by Karen Killgariff and Georgia Hardstark (goodreads)
Finale by Stephanie Garber (goodreads)
Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo (goodreads)
The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg (goodreads)

Plus I had a bunch of ebooks on my list:

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly (goodreads)
Wicked Saints by Emily A Duncan (goodreads)
Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett (goodreads)
King Of Fools by Amanda Foody (goodreads)
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (goodreads)
Last Things by Jacqueline West (goodreads)
There's Something About Sweetie by Shandya Menon (goodreads)

I managed to read four books this month and all of them were on my list for a change. I read:

The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg (goodreads)
Last Things by Jacqueline West (goodreads)
Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered by Karen Killgariff and Georgia Hardstark (goodreads)
Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly (goodreads)

I am now looking forward to June and the books I am hoping to read.

Finale by Stephanie Garber (goodreads)
Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo (goodreads)
Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen (goodreads)
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (goodreads)
Season Of The Witch by Srah Rees Brennan (goodreads)

I also have some ebooks on my list for June as well. You can see that many of them are left overs from last month:

Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett (goodreads)
King Of Fools by Amanda Foody (goodreads)
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (goodreads)
There's Something About Sweetie by Shandya Menon (goodreads)
Waiting For Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey (goodreads)
The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory (goodreads)

What books are you reading this month? Have you read any of the ones in my list? If so, let me know what you think in the comments.