Heading to TIFF!

 

I will be headed to Toronto very soon to attend TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival). I am excited to see so many movies and attend the festival for the first time.

I have secured tickets and, while I did not.get everything I wanted, I am looking forward to what I did manage to get tickets to.

Here are the movies I managed to get tickets to in no particular order:

1. The Menu

2. The Fabelmans

3. My Policeman

4. In Conversation with Damien Chazelle

5. Empire of Light

6. The Son

7. The Greatest Beer Run Ever

8. Triangle of Sadness

9. Women Talking

I really wanted to get a ticket to Glass Onion and the Taylor Swift event but I am happy with what I am going to see.

Are you heading to TIFF? What movies are you most excited to see from the festival line up? Let me know in the comments.

Waiting on Wednesday ... How I'll Kill You

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 How I'll Kill You by Ren DeStefano

Here is the Goodreads synopsis 

Your next stay-up-all-night thriller, about identical triplets who have a nasty habit of killing their boyfriends, and what happens when the youngest commits their worst crime yet: falling in love with her mark.

Make him want you.

Make him love you.

Make him dead.

Sissy has an...interesting family. Always the careful one, always the cautious one, she has handled the cleanup while her serial killer sisters have carved a path of carnage across the U.S. Now, as they arrive in the Arizona heat, Sissy must step up and embrace the family pastime of making a man fall in love and then murdering him. Her first target? A young widower named Edison--and their mutual attraction is instant. While their relationship progresses, and most couples would be thinking about picking out china patterns and moving in together, Sissy's family is reminding her to think about picking out burial sites and moving on.

But then something happens that Sissy never anticipated: She begins to feel protective of Edison, and then, before she can help it, she's fallen in love. But the clock is ticking, and her sisters are growing restless. It becomes clear that the gravesite she chooses will hide a body no matter what happens; but if she betrays her family, will it be hers?

This book just recently came on to my radar and I instantly was sold thanks to the synopsis. A group of serial killer sisters? Yes, please. Add in one of the sisters falling in love with the guy she is supposed to kill and I am already obsessed. 

I am looking forward to reading this when it releases in March. I can see it being a popular one for next beach season.

Expected release date - March 21, 2023

Lore Olympus: Volume Two by Rachel Smythe

 

Lore Olympus: Volume Two by Rachel Smythe

Release Date - July 5, 2022

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

Pages - 368 pages
My Rating - 5/5

**purchased**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Witness what the gods do after dark in the second volume of a stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology from creator Rachel Smythe.

Persephone was ready to start a new life when she left the mortal realm for Olympus. However, she quickly discovered the dark side of her glamorous new home—from the relatively minor gossip threatening her reputation to a realm-shattering violation of her safety by the conceited Apollo—and she’s struggling to find her footing in the fast-moving realm of the gods. Hades is also off-balance, fighting against his burgeoning feelings for the young goddess of spring while maintaining his lonely rule of the Underworld. As the pair are drawn ever closer, they must untangle the twisted webs of their past and present to build toward a new future.

This full-color edition of Smythe’s original Eisner-nominated webcomic Lore Olympus features a brand-new, exclusive short story, and brings Greek mythology into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 26–49 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.

I have always been fascinated by Greek mythology and was intrigued when I heard about Lore Olympus. I devoured the first volume and immediately became obsessed. I am happy to say that the second volume is just as engrossing as the first. It is everything you loved about the first volume and more.

I absolutely love all of the characters in this (even the ones I love to hate) except Apollo. I genuinely hate that guy and want to scream whenever he appears on the page. Otherwise these characters are the stand out of the story with all of them sparking something in the reader. It creates a compulsion to continue the story as you are invested in the characters and the story.

The amount of character building is rather awe inspiring. These characters have been given space to grow and the plot beats are given room to breathe. I sometimes feel like this development is missing from graphic novels but that is not the case here. It's a rich, layered story that flourishes in this medium.

There are choices made by certain characters that will make you desperate to get the next volume. They will also make you want to force some of the characters to talk to each other. A lot of the angst in this could be resolved with some communication. It makes it a little excruciating in the best possible way.

The tension between Hades and Persephone is absolutely delicious. I ship them so much and part of the enjoyment of this series is tied to the exquisite torture of waiting for them to get together. 

This volume continues to expand and develop the world it takes place in. It feels like each volume opens a door we haven't walked through yet. The artwork is essential to crafting the world and the reader is given another entry point in to the story. The colours are so rich, and vivid. The artwork is arresting as you will stop to inspect each image. A successful graphic novel uses the artwork as an extension of the story and that is masterfully done here.

I am absolutely hooked on this breathtaking and nuanced take on the Greek myths. The story has expanded on the first volume in a way that ensures that readers are desperate for the subsequent volumes that will be released.

Waiting on Wednesday .... In Nightfall

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 In Nightfall by Suzanne Young

Here is the Goodreads synopsis 

In the quaint town of Nightfall, Oregon, it isn't the dark you should be afraid of—it's the girls. The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this propulsive novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Treatment.

Theo and her brother, Marco, threw the biggest party of the year. And got caught. Their punishment? Leave Arizona to spend the summer with their grandmother in the rainy beachside town of Nightfall, Oregon—population 846 souls.

The small town is cute, when it’s not raining, but their grandmother is superstitious and strangely antisocial. Upon their arrival she lays out the one house rule: always be home before dark. But Theo and Marco are determined to make the most of their summer, and on their first day they meet the enigmatic Minnow and her friends. Beautiful and charismatic, the girls have a magnetic pull that Theo and her brother can't resist.

But Minnow and her friends are far from what they appear.

And that one rule? Theo quickly realizes she should have listened to her grandmother. Because after dark, something emerges in Nightfall. And it doesn’t plan to let her leave. 

I love both The Lost Boys and Buffy so I was immediately excited to learn about this book. It definitely sounds like a fun read and I love that vampires are back.

This does not come out until March so there is a bit of a wait. I expect it will be worth it though.

Expected release date - March 28, 2022

Monthly TBR and Wrap Up

I am officially back. I've had a lot going on with a new position at work, some traveling, and just adjusting to everything. It's impacted my reading and my blogging.

There may be a lot of changes coming to the blog as I decide what I want this to be going forward and you can definitely expect some more movie posts as I head to Toronto to experience the Toronto International Film Festival.

I think I am just going to start this with a clean slate since I didn't post one of these for July. 

Before I talk about what August will bring for me reading wise I am going to share what I read since my last wrap up post.

Here is what I managed to read since June:

I'm The Girl by Courtney Summers (goodreads)

Heartstopper: Volume 2 by Alice Oseman (goodreads)

Heartstopper: Volume 3 by Alice Oseman (goodreads)

Lore Olympus: Volume 2 by Rachel Smythe (goodreads)

Clementine: Book One by Tillie Walden (goodreads)

I am going to get back on track with my #PopCultureResolution reading. The books for June and July are Nimona by Noelle Stevenson and The Prince and The Dressmaker by Jen Wag. I have read Nimona and will review it shortly. The August pick is V for Vendetta by Alan Moore. The movies are Sing Street, Cabaret, and Dreamgirls. Expect some posts playing catch up in the next little bit.

Here is what I hope to read in August:

Women Talking by Miriam Toews (goodreads)

She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey (goodreads)

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (goodreads)

Bones and All by Camille DeAnglis (goodreads)

Next up is an update on my two reading challenges:

I am not doing any new reading challenges this year. My goal is to finish the one from last year so I am posting what I have left to read here. I have made no progress, but hopefully I can scratch these off this summer.

Jan - The Seven Husband's of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Kelly)

Feb - The Birthday List by Deveny Perry (Emilie)

Mar - Mouthful of Forevers by Clementine Von Radics (Ciara)

April - Marriage for One by Ella Maise (Katie)

May - Written In The Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur (Christy)

June -  The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth (Christa)

July - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Jess)

August -  The Grace Year by Kim Leggitt (Christa)

Sept - Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (Meaghan)

Oct -   Among the Beasts and Briars by Ashley Poston (Katrina)

Nov - Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott (Kim)

Dec - Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney (Julia)

As for the reading challenge inspired by The Bachelor. No progress to report this month, but i am hoping to sneak in one this month. We'll see how it goes. 

1. Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant

2. If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

3. Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

4. Further to Fall by Catherine Cowles

5. One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

6. Isn't it Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams

7. My Favorite Souvenir by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland

8. Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

9. Marriage for One by Ella Maise

10. Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks by Nathan Burgoine

11. Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

12. Open Book by Jessica Simpson

13. Isn't it Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams

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

Waiting on Wednesday .... Mistakes Were Made

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 Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner

Here is the Goodreads synopsis 

From the critically acclaimed author of Something To Talk About comes a sharp and sexy rom-com about a college senior who accidentally hooks up with her best friend’s mom.

When Cassie Klein goes to an off-campus bar to escape her school’s Family Weekend, she isn’t looking for a hookup—it just happens. Buying a drink for a stranger turns into what should be an uncomplicated, amazing one-night stand. But then the next morning rolls around and her friend drags her along to meet her mom—the hot, older woman Cassie slept with.

Erin Bennett came to Family Weekend to get closer to her daughter, not have a one-night stand with a college senior. In her defense, she hadn’t known Cassie was a student when they'd met. To make things worse, Erin’s daughter brings Cassie to breakfast the next morning. And despite Erin's better judgement—how could sleeping with your daughter’s friend be anything but bad?—she and Cassie get along in the day just as well as they did last night.

What should have been a one-time fling quickly proves impossible to ignore, and soon Cassie and Erin are sneaking around. Worst of all, they start to realize they have something real. But is being honest about the love between them worth the cost? 

I loved Something To Talk About so naturally I am very excited about Meryl's next book. This one isn't  a slow burn, and I hear it is very good (and very sexy).

This one releases in October, but it is the kind of read that seems like it'll remind you summer. If you are wanting something to read while you wait for this amazing sounding book and haven't already picked up Something To Talk About I recommend you do that immediately.

Expected release date - October 11, 2022

Fall Reading 2022

It's August and for most people that means the beginning of the end of summer. It means getting in those last summer reads and a few more trips to the beach. As someone who loves fall it means the beginning of the countdown to my favourite season. It means that pumpkin spice, sweater weather, and some of the best books of the year are on their way.

The turn of the season always make me excited to plan my reading list and I have five books that I hope to read this fall and one that I hope you will all add to your own reading list.

The five books I hope to read this fall are:

1.Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (goodreads)

This holiday set raunch-com has been high up on my must read list for this year and I am so excited that it is finally almost here. This sounds like a cute, funny, sexy read that will be the perfect way to switch from spooky to merry!

2.The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D Jackson (goodreads)

A Carrie inspired horror by one of my must read authors? Yes, please. It's a perfect fit for October as we devour everything scary. 

3.How To Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine (goodreads)

This sounds like a great way to kick off the fall season and even has some inspiration from one of my favourite horror movies. It's a unique premise and one that I hope lives up to its potential.

4. The Prince of Song and Sea by Linsey Miller (goodreads)

This sounds like great counter programming to all of the horror/mystery/suspense reads coming out in the fall. This is the first in a season that focuses on the Disney Princes and it begins with Price Eric's story. I love The Little Mermaid so this should be a fun read.

5.Each Night Was Illuminated by Jodi Lynn Anderson (goodreads)

Jodi Lynn Anderson is one of my all time favourite authors and I rejoice every time a new book from her is released. I don't even have to know what the book is about. This one sounds a little sad, a little hopeful and I cannot wait to devour it while enjoying a pumpkin spice latte. 

The one book I hope you all add your own reading lists:

1. I'm The Girl by Courtney Summers (goodreads)

This is one of my favourite Courtney Summers books. It has everything you've come to expect from a Courtney Summers novel and it also has some things that you may not expect. It is devastating in a way that all her books are and in a way that feels very now. I don't want to say too much about this one now (my review will post closer to the release date) but it's one I am highly recommending for your fall reading.