sunday post #40

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

I can't believe the year is practically over! Christmas went well and was a very quiet affair, just my parents and I. That's usually how we celebrate and I love the low-key tone the entire day has, rather than spending long hours stressing over meals, outfits, and entertaining distant relatives. Holidays still take a bit of preparation though, so between the weekday timing of Christmas and the lingering need to finish some projects before moving on to my new job, it was plenty busy this week.

Beyond my gradual re-read of Goblet of Fire I got very little reading done and almost no blog hopping; I'm hoping to catch up today, along with the necessary errands and chores, before starting another wonky work week. I have Monday and Tuesday off, with no big plans for New Year's Eve, then make a quick work trip on Wednesday. Honestly, I'm just excited at the prospect of getting back into the usual swing of things and settling into my new office for good! It feels like I've run around like a crazy person for the last month, and there's no better time to start fresh than on January 1st!

book review: the winter of the witch by katherine arden

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
Del Rey Books, 384 pp.
Published January 8, 2019

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

The Winternight Trilogy introduced an unforgettable heroine, Vasilisa Petrovna, a girl determined to forge her own path in a world that would rather lock her away. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse.

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

sunday post #39

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

It's been a long, but good, week. On Monday I broke the news I teased in last Sunday Post to my boss: I'm starting a new job in January! I'll have a much shorter and less stressful commute, better pay, and overall a more comfortable environment, so this is a very good thing. My current job has offered a lot of great experience, which I'm grateful for, but it was obvious to me very early after starting that I could not and would not want to build a career with that group. I'll be with them through the first part of January in order to wrap up some on-going projects, then make my transition!

Phantom of the Opera was fantastic, with one glaring exception: the venue allows late seating, so for the first 20 minute or so, ushers and late-comers were standing in front of our section and blocking the view of the stage. Since I'm a season subscriber I shared my very negative impression of that particular policy with their office, but I don't know if it will change anything for future shows. The set design and performances were all outstanding, though, so if the American touring company visits your city I highly recommend catching a show!

With Christmas coming up, my weekly schedule will be totally wonky. I am taking a couple of days off of work and hope to get a lot of seasonal tidying, shopping, and reading done in the meantime. Today and tomorrow I'll also do a lot of prep work for Christmas Day, including all my holiday baking!

the best books i read in 2018

I can't believe another year has come and gone! As I write this post, I've officially read 100 books in 2018, a number I never would have believed possible just twelve short months ago. When you encounter so many books — so many stories and so many ways of telling them — you inevitably encounter a few disappointments. Luckily, I've had far more success than failure when it came to picking my current reads this year, and I've discovered plenty of new favorites that I know I'll gush over for years to come. Below the cut are some of my absolute favorite titles read throughout the year. Some are new releases, some are backlist titles, but all of them are equally deserving of a new reader or two. Which one will you choose?

sunday post #38

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

My last big work trip of the year was this past week (to Philadelphia) and I'm so happy to have it behind me! I'll have some exciting professional news to share next week, but first I needed to get that last task out of the way. The trip ended on high note, as well. While waiting for my 6 AM flight back home I ran into an old friend from high school —they'd also gone to Philly for work and we were taking the same plane home! Because we were on an airline with no assigned seating, we got to sit next to one another and catch up, which made the three hours breeze by.

Tonight I have a fun little Christmas party to attend. For the last few years, a group of girls have hosted a potluck tacky sweater and sock exchange party. Everyone brings a snack and wears an outrageous Christmas sweater, then after we've all had a chance to eat we do a Secret Santa-ish exchange of tacky winter socks. It's always a lot of fun and very laid back, which is the perfect kind of get-together for this time of year!

And my musical season tickets begin this week too! On Wednesday I get to see Phantom of the Opera; it's been years since I got to see the stage musical and I'm really excited to have a little solo date night.

tagged: end of the year book tag

I wasn't actually tagged by anyone, but I've seen this particular meme going around as part of the blogmas celebrations! Now I don't know about y'all, but personally I love end-of-year wrap-ups, summaries, stats, and all the other "big picture" goodies that people post in December and January. This tag gives the perfect taste of how 2018 went and how I hope 2019 will go, plus it gets me thinking on my own wrap-up posts that still need to be written!

book review: vengeful by v.e. schwab

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
Titan Books, 575 pp.
Published September 25, 2018

Eli Ever and Victor Vale were only medical students when their mutual discovery that near-death experiences can, under the right conditions, manifest extraordinary abilities.

They were best friends, and rivals, and then enemies. They were dead, then alive, and then---Eli killed Victor, once and for all.

Or so he thought---but Sydney Clarke felt otherwise, and used her own superpower to tip the scales. Now, a trio hides in the shadows, while another takes advantages of post-death life to take over the city of Merit.

If there can be life after death—will there be calm after vengeance, or will chaos rule?

sunday post #37

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

Another week, another trip. This time I had to visit a site in southern Georgia, but luckily I flew into Atlanta. I drove there several times in college for football games and built up a small list of places I liked to visit; it was nice getting to stop into some again after a few years! Travelling somewhere slightly familiar made everything a little less tiring, a nice treat as the holidays loom closer.

I did manage to get a tablet shipped to me before I left: I went with the Amazon Fire 8! I'm really pleased with all the features you can get for a budget price point. It has a decent screen for watching movies and TV shows, as well as enough space for a few e-books (not something I regularly read, but much better than my smartphone for the occasional e-ARC sent my way). Thank you to everyone who chimed in with their suggestions last week!

fictional worlds i never want to live in

Every reader has a favorite world, a place they would escape to in reality if they could, and not just through the printed word. But for all the beauty in literature, there are those kingdoms, countries, and planets that we wouldn't want to set foot on in a million years. These are a few of those places—all from books I absolutely adored and highly recommend picking up!—that I was delighted to explore in fiction, but hope to avoid in real life.

book review: the sisters of the winter wood by rena rossner

The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner
Redhook, 464 pp.
Published September 25, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free finished copy of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

Raised in a small village surrounded by vast forests, Liba and Laya have lived a peaceful sheltered life - even if they've heard of troubling times for Jews elsewhere. When their parents travel to visit their dying grandfather, the sisters are left behind in their home in the woods.

But before they leave, Liba discovers the secret that their Tati can transform into a bear, and their Mami into a swan. Perhaps, Liba realizes, the old fairy tales are true. She must guard this secret carefully, even from her beloved sister.

Soon a troupe of mysterious men appear in town and Laya falls under their spell-despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And these are not the only dangers lurking in the woods...

The sisters will need each other if they are to become the women they need to be - and save their people from the dark forces that draw closer.

sunday post #36

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

This week I traveled to snowy Wisconsin and learned I was not built for sub-freezing temperatures! The good news is my work went smoothly and I managed to drive on the icy roads without an accident; even though I was perpetually cold, it was still a success.

Work continues to dominate the news in my personal life, for better or worse. No, this week it's for the better! There are more changes on the horizon that should give me more flexibility, more room for growth, and make me happier overall. I'm excited about the next couple of months as these changes develop, even if it means a little extra stress in the short-term.

Also, with all of this travelling I'm starting to think about picking up an inexpensive tablet for random internet surfing and Netflix-watching while I fly, if only to help save the battery on my phone. Which I need to keep powered up for actual calls (taking calls? on a cell phone? what??). Do any of y'all have recommendations for tablets you like?

book review: lethal white by robert galbraith

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
Mulholland Books, 650 pp.
Published September 18, 2018

When Billy, a troubled young man, comes to private eye Cormoran Strike’s office to ask for his help investigating a crime he thinks he witnessed as a child, Strike is left deeply unsettled. While Billy is obviously mentally distressed, and cannot remember many concrete details, there is something sincere about him and his story. But before Strike can question him further, Billy bolts from his office in a panic.

Trying to get to the bottom of Billy’s story, Strike and Robin Ellacott—once his assistant, now a partner in the agency—set off on a twisting trail that leads them through the backstreets of London, into a secretive inner sanctum within Parliament, and to a beautiful but sinister manor house deep in the countryside.

And during this labyrinthine investigation, Strike’s own life is far from straightforward: his newfound fame as a private eye means he can no longer operate behind the scenes as he once did. Plus, his relationship with his former assistant is more fraught than it ever has been—Robin is now invaluable to Strike in the business, but their personal relationship is much, much trickier than that.

tagged: book blogger test

I was tagged (ages ago) by Greg at Greg's Book Haven. He always includes me in the coolest memes and has a fantastic blog to boot, so go give him a visit!

The Rules:

Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.
Answer the questions asked on this post- don't stress it's quick.
Nominate and notify some peeps. 5 preferred.

book review: melmoth by sarah perry

Melmoth by Sarah Perry
Custom House, 320 pp.
Published October 16, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

For centuries, the mysterious dark-robed figure has roamed the globe, searching for those whose complicity and cowardice have fed into the rapids of history’s darkest waters—and now, in Sarah Perry’s breathtaking follow-up to The Essex Serpent, it is heading in our direction.

It has been years since Helen Franklin left England. In Prague, working as a translator, she has found a home of sorts—or, at least, refuge. That changes when her friend Karel discovers a mysterious letter in the library, a strange confession and a curious warning that speaks of Melmoth the Witness, a dark legend found in obscure fairy tales and antique village lore. As such superstition has it, Melmoth travels through the ages, dooming those she persuades to join her to a damnation of timeless, itinerant solitude. To Helen it all seems the stuff of unenlightened fantasy.

But, unaware, as she wanders the cobblestone streets Helen is being watched. And then Karel disappears. . . .

sunday post #35

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

Whew. It's been a while, hasn't it? That new job I mentioned in my last Sunday Post is still going strong. The positives? $$$ The negatives? For a couple of months, I found myself completely drained of motivation to tend to my blog. I'm choosing to get back into a semblance of my routine right before it looks like I'll be taking on more responsibilities, but compared to the end of the summer I'm much more relaxed and confident about my situation. I might be a little choosier about the reviews I take time to write or how often I post (in the short-term, at least) but I'm so happy to return to the hobby and friends that add so much happiness to my days!

book review: muse of nightmares by laini taylor

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 514 pp.
Published October 2, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.

Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice—save the woman he loves, or everyone else?—while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the Muse of Nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of.

As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?

book review: sawkill girls by claire legrand

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
Katherine Tegen Books, 320 pp.
Published October 2, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

Beware of the woods and the dark, dank deep.

He’ll follow you home, and he won’t let you sleep.

Who are the Sawkill Girls?

Marion: the new girl. Awkward and plain, steady and dependable. Weighed down by tragedy and hungry for love she’s sure she’ll never find.

Zoey: the pariah. Luckless and lonely, hurting but hiding it. Aching with grief and dreaming of vanished girls. Maybe she’s broken—or maybe everyone else is.

Val: the queen bee. Gorgeous and privileged, ruthless and regal. Words like silk and eyes like knives, a heart made of secrets and a mouth full of lies.

Their stories come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where gleaming horses graze in rolling pastures and cold waves crash against black cliffs. Where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires.

Where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight… until now.

book review: the boneless mercies by april genevieve tucholke

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke
Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR, 384 pp.
Published October 2, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review consideration. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies—girls hired to kill quickly, quietly, and mercifully. But Frey is weary of the death trade and, having been raised on the heroic sagas of her people, dreams of a bigger life.

When she hears of an unstoppable monster ravaging a nearby town, Frey decides this is the Mercies' one chance out. The fame and fortune of bringing down such a beast would ensure a new future for all the Mercies. In fact, her actions may change the story arc of women everywhere.

Full of fierce girls, bloodlust, tenuous alliances, and unapologetic quests for glory, this elegantly spun tale challenges the power of storytelling—and who gets to be the storyteller.

book review: damsel by elana k. arnold

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
Balzer + Bray, 256 pp.
Published October 2, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review consideration. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: when the prince-who-will-be-king comes of age, he must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been.

When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, however, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon, or what horrors she has faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome prince, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny to sit on the throne beside him. Ama comes with Emory back to the kingdom of Harding, hailed as the new princess, welcomed to the court.

However, as soon as her first night falls, she begins to realize that not all is as it seems, that there is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows–and that the greatest threats to her life may not be behind her, but here, in front of her.

book review: red clocks by leni zumas

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
Little, Brown and Company, 368 pp.
Published January 16, 2018

Five women. One question. What is a woman for?

In this ferociously imaginative novel, abortion is once again illegal in America, in-vitro fertilization is banned, and the Personhood Amendment grants rights of life, liberty, and property to every embryo. In a small Oregon fishing town, five very different women navigate these new barriers alongside age-old questions surrounding motherhood, identity, and freedom.

Ro, a single high-school teacher, is trying to have a baby on her own, while also writing a biography of Eivør, a little-known 19th-century female polar explorer. Susan is a frustrated mother of two, trapped in a crumbling marriage. Mattie is the adopted daughter of doting parents and one of Ro's best students, who finds herself pregnant with nowhere to turn. And Gin is the gifted, forest-dwelling homeopath, or "mender," who brings all their fates together when she's arrested and put on trial in a frenzied modern-day witch hunt.

book review: the dark descent of elizabeth frankenstein by kiersten white

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
Delacorte Press, 304 pp.
Published September 25, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review consideration. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

Elizabeth Lavenza hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her "caregiver," and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything--except a friend.

Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable--and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.

But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.

book review: small spaces by katherine arden

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 256 pp.
Published September 25, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review consideration. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think--she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man," a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn't have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.

Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver's warning. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small."

And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

book review: rule by ellen goodlett

Rule by Ellen Goodlett
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 384 pp.
Published September 11, 2018

The king is dying, his heir has just been murdered, and rebellion brews in the east. But the kingdom of Kolonya and the outer Reaches has one last option before it descends into leaderless chaos.

Or rather, three unexpected options.

Zofi has spent her entire life trekking through the outer Reaches with her band of Travelers. She would do anything to protect the band, her family. But no one can ever find out how far she's already gone.

Akeylah was raised in the Eastern Reach, surrounded by whispers of rebellion and abused by her father. Desperate to escape, she makes a decision that threatens the whole kingdom.

Ren grew up in Kolonya, serving as a lady's maid and scheming her way out of the servants' chambers. But one such plot could get her hung for treason if anyone ever discovers what she's done.

When the king summons the girls, they arrive expecting arrest or even execution. Instead they learn the truth: they are his illegitimate daughters, and one must become his new heir. But someone in Kolonya knows their secrets, and that someone will stop at nothing to keep the sisters from their destiny...to rule.

book review: the 7 ½ deaths of evelyn hardcastle by stuart turton

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Sourcebooks Landmark, 512 pp.
Published September 18, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review consideration. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

How do you stop a murder that’s already happened?

At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed—again. She's been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden's only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle's murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend—but nothing and no one is quite what they seem.