state of the arc #4

State of the ARC is a monthly meme hosted by Avalinah's Books. It's a way to track your reading progress and see how fellow book bloggers are doing as well.

The rules for State of the ARC are quite simple; I couldn't put them any better than Evelina already has:

• Mention that you’re linking up with State of the ARC @ AvalinahsBooks, which is a fun way to share our ARC progress, challenges, wins, woes and mishaps.
• Include the link to this post, or the current State of the ARC post. You can use my State of the ARC image too.
• Don’t forget to visit all the other people in the link-up and comment.
• And most importantly – have fun!

sunday post #16

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.

A calm week sandwiched between two busy ones, how nice! Unfortunately yesterday brought with it some spring allergies, which I've never really suffered from before. Claritin keeps the worst of the symptoms at bay, but a couple nights of mediocre sleep makes the days drag a little. I'm hoping the air quality clears later in the week since Thursday marks the start of a week-long film festival! I've attended several times in the past, just never as press, so I'm more excited for it than usual. It's too many films in too short a time to cover them all here; I will put together a little recap post for the end of the month, though!

Besides the festival I have a little blog catch-up to play this week. I haven't been able to blog hop and answer comments as regularly as I like this past week, so don't be surprised to see me popping up more than usual over the next few days!

book review: our kind of cruelty

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall
MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 288 pp.
Published May 8, 2018

This is a love story. Mike’s love story.

Mike Hayes fought his way out of a brutal childhood and into a quiet, if lonely life, before he met Verity Metcalf. V taught him about love, and in return, Mike has dedicated his life to making her happy. He’s found the perfect home, the perfect job, he’s sculpted himself into the physical ideal V has always wanted. He knows they’ll be blissfully happy together.

It doesn’t matter that she hasn’t been returning his emails or phone calls.
It doesn’t matter that she says she’s marrying Angus.

It’s all just part of the secret game they used to play. If Mike watches V closely, he’ll see the signs. If he keeps track of her every move he’ll know just when to come to her rescue…

A spellbinding, darkly twisted novel about desire and obsession, and the complicated lines between truth and perception, Our Kind of Cruelty introduces Araminta Hall, a chilling new voice in psychological suspense.

tagged: sunshine blogger award

Quite a while ago I was tagged for the Sunshine Blogger Award by Sheila @ She's Going Book Crazy—thank you! It's been quite a while since I've done one of these, so it's high time I got back in the habit.

RULES

1. Thank the person who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

buddy read: the little friend

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
Vintage, 624 pp.
Published October 22, 2002

Bestselling author Donna Tartt returns with a grandly ambitious and utterly riveting novel of childhood, innocence and evil.

The setting is Alexandria, Mississippi, where one Mother’s Day a little boy named Robin Cleve Dufresnes was found hanging from a tree in his parents’ yard. Twelve years later Robin’s murder is still unsolved and his family remains devastated. So it is that Robin’s sister Harriet - unnervingly bright, insufferably determined, and unduly influenced by the fiction of Kipling and Robert Louis Stevenson--sets out to unmask his killer. Aided only by her worshipful friend Hely, Harriet crosses her town’s rigid lines of race and caste and burrows deep into her family’s history of loss.

Several years ago I read and enjoyed The Secret History. Not long after finishing it I got Donna Tartt's second novel, The Little Friend, and allowed it to languish unread ever since. Thankfully Evelina of AvalinahsBooks invited me to do a buddy read and this was one of the books our TBRs had in common! I say thankfully not only because Evelina was one of the first to welcome me into the book blogging community and I consider her one of my dearest friends in the community, but also because...this was kind of a difficult book to finish. While it provided a lot of good discussion topics for our Twitter messages, the narrative ambled around with little momentum for much of the 600+ pages. Tartt is a strong writer with genuine talent for wordcraft and characters, but the plot here left something to be desired. Even so, there's still plenty to discuss about The Little Friend and you can read my answers to Evelina's questions down below! Once you're done, don't forget to read Evelina's answers to my questions right here too!

down the tbr hole #17

As my Goodreads to-read shelf creeps closer to 500 books, I've been eyeing it with a growing feeling of apprehension. It would take forever to get through so many...and that's not counting all of the new books I hear about along the way. Thankfully I discovered Lost In A Story's series (by way of Boston Book Reader) at the beginning of the year and it sounds like a great way to trim down my TBR.

The guidelines, per Lost In A Story, are simple:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
• Order on ascending date added
• Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

I'll be going through 10 books every week, meaning it should take me almost the whole year to reach the end! If you'd like to do this yourself, be sure to visit Lost In A Story's original post and let her (and me!) know you'll be joining in the fun.

book review: the pisces

The Pisces by Melissa Broder
Hogarth Press, 224 pp.
Published May 1, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this book from Hogarth Press for review purposes.

Lucy has been writing her dissertation about Sappho for thirteen years when she and Jamie break up. After she hits rock bottom in Phoenix, her Los Angeles-based sister insists Lucy housesit for the summer—her only tasks caring for a beloved diabetic dog and trying to learn to care for herself. Annika’s home is a gorgeous glass cube atop Venice Beach, but Lucy can find no peace from her misery and anxiety—not in her love addiction group therapy meetings, not in frequent Tinder meetups, not in Dominic the foxhound’s easy affection, not in ruminating on the ancient Greeks. Yet everything changes when Lucy becomes entranced by an eerily attractive swimmer one night while sitting alone on the beach rocks.

Whip-smart, neurotically funny, sexy, and above all, fearless, The Pisces is built on a premise both sirenic and incredibly real—what happens when you think love will save you but are afraid it might also kill you.

sunday post #15

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.

Yesterday I went to the North Texas Teen Book Festival, which was so much bigger and crazier than I expected it to be! A four-story convention center was absolutely packed with attendees. I only got there about halfway through the day for a couple of panels and book signings. If I went next year I would definitely make it an all day commitment because of all the cool sneak peaks and giveaways that publishers do. It was a very smoothly-run event considering all the people; there's a lot of standing in line, but most folks are super sweet and help you pass the time. I also got some books signed by Stephanie Garber and Claire Legrand, which was the perfect cap to a busy afternoon!

Looking forward, things are quiet between now and the film festival in early May. I'm grateful for it too, since I'm usually exhausted by the end of a week-long fest!

book review: warcross

Warcross by Marie Lu
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 368 pp.
Published September 12, 2017

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

between daemons: does 'required reading' ruin books?

Between Daemons is a discussion post series dealing in bookish and filmish topics. Inspired by the spiritual companions from the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman, I chose that specific title to encourage comments and conversations grounded in the personal thoughts, feelings, and opinions you may not have the chance to share very often. While disagreement is welcome, disrespect is not. As always, please be polite to your fellow commenters!

A recent Twitter discussion about a user's average Goodreads rating (started by @WordsWithLara!) had me re-examining my one-star reviews. Since joining in 2012, I haven't added that many: only 12 out of a total 426 ratings. Some of them were books I'd picked up for pleasure only to very grudgingly, grumpily finish because I'd already paid for them, but others were books assigned to me in school. Out of that small brotherhood, a full third are required reading titles. They all have an average rating close to four stars or better, so these are a far cry from universally reviled books.

This disparity has me asking another question: do 'required reading' assignments negatively impact your enjoyment of a book?

With the school year approaching another end, it seemed like a fitting time to talk about our positive and negative experiences with school reading assignments. Personally, I can't fit all of my assigned readings into one category or the other. This is partly thanks to having high school English teachers who preferred to designate a category of books to choose from, rather than making the entire class read the same thing. Because of that flexibility I had my choice of National Book Award winners, classic novels, Shakespearean plays, and even current releases. While this made the actual school year much more enjoyable, summer reading usually didn't allow the same freedom of choice.

Those are the books I'm going to focus in on for this discussion: books assigned to the entire class with no input from students. I've selected a few that (I believe) are relatively common in American high school classrooms. Breaking them down into books I liked, disliked, and want to revisit, I dredge up my memories of required reading assignments through the years. Let's start with the positive, shall we?

down the tbr hole #16

As my Goodreads to-read shelf creeps closer to 500 books, I've been eyeing it with a growing feeling of apprehension. It would take forever to get through so many...and that's not counting all of the new books I hear about along the way. Thankfully I discovered Lost In A Story's series (by way of Boston Book Reader) at the beginning of the year and it sounds like a great way to trim down my TBR.

The guidelines, per Lost In A Story, are simple:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
• Order on ascending date added
• Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

I'll be going through 10 books every week, meaning it should take me almost the whole year to reach the end! If you'd like to do this yourself, be sure to visit Lost In A Story's original post and let her (and me!) know you'll be joining in the fun.

book review: liar's candle

Liar's Candle by August Thomas
Scribner, 320 pp.
Published April 17, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free digital ARC of this book from Scribner via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Penny Kessler, an intern at the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, wakes up in a hospital on the morning of July 5th to find herself at the center of an international crisis. The day before, the Embassy was the target of a devastating terrorist attack that killed hundreds of Penny’s friends and colleagues. Not only has a photograph of Penny as she emerged from the rubble become the event’s defining image, but for reasons she doesn’t understand, her bosses believe she’s a crucial witness.

Suddenly, everyone is intensely interested in what Penny knows. But what does she know? And whom can she trust? As she struggles to piece together her memories, she discovers that Zach Robson, the young diplomat she’d been falling for all summer, went missing during the attack. And one of the CIA’s most powerful officials, Christina Ekdahl, wants people to believe Zach was a traitor.

What actually happened?

Penny barely has time to ask before she discovers that her own government wants her dead. Soon, with only a single ally—a rookie intelligence officer fresh out of the Navy—she is running a perilous gauntlet, ruthlessly pursued by Turkey’s most powerful forces and by the CIA.

To survive, Penny must furiously improvise. Tradecraft takes a lifetime to master. She has less than thirty-six hours. And she’s only twenty-one years old. This is her first real test—one she can’t fail.

sunday post #14

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.

A much quieter week follows the excitement of TLA. This afternoon marks the final opera of the season: Don Giovanni. It's a Mozart classic I've neither heard nor seen performed, so it should be a treat. Otherwise I've enjoyed the pleasant spring weather and taken advantage of my free time to cross off some lingering errands—you know the type...

Next weekend is North Texas Teen Book Fest, which I'm hoping to check out! Most of the publisher events during the day are (understandably) for teens only, so I haven't decided just how much of the day I'll be in attendance. There are signings in the afternoon, though, and a couple new-to-me favorite authors will be there. As long as I get to hear one or two of their panels and chat for a moment in line, I'll consider it a success!

book review: the gold-son

The Gold-Son by Carrie Anne Noble
Skyscape, 304 pp.
Published June 20, 2017

DISCLAIMER: I received a free finished copy of this book as a giveaway prize from Skyscape hosted on Goodreads.

All sixteen-year-old Tommin wants is to make beautiful shoes and care for his beloved granny, but his insatiable need to steal threatens to destroy everything. Driven by a curse that demands more and more gold, he’s sure to get caught eventually.

When mysterious Lorcan Reilly arrives in town with his “niece,” Eve, Tommin believes the fellow wants to help him. Instead, Lorcan whisks him off to the underground realm of the Leprechauns, where, alongside Eve, he’s forced to prepare to become one of them.

As Lorcan’s plans for his “gold-children” are slowly revealed, Tommin and Eve plan their escape. But with Tommin’s humanity slipping away, the fate-crossed pair has everything to lose unless they can find a way to outsmart a magical curse centuries in the making.

dust motes: march 2018

Dust Motes is a monthly post featuring mini-reviews of new film releases, as well as new-to-me movies, that I've watched over the past month.

This month I watched a total of 13 new and new-to-me movies and TV series; this brings my total for the year to 51 new watches. My viewing habits continue to decline as I've been prioritizing my reading habits. This is also a time of year where there are relatively few movies I need to see in theaters compared to the build up to awards season, which cuts down on my numbers. Film festival season will be here before I know it, though, so I won't complain about the lull just yet!

MARCH 2018 VIEWING HABITS

My one new television show for the month is The Terror, about two British ships that become trapped in the Arctic Sea while searching for the Northwest Passage. It's still early in the ten episode run so I chose not to select it for a mini-review, but I'm enjoying it quite a lot so far!

down the tbr hole #15

As my Goodreads to-read shelf creeps closer to 500 books, I've been eyeing it with a growing feeling of apprehension. It would take forever to get through so many...and that's not counting all of the new books I hear about along the way. Thankfully I discovered Lost In A Story's series (by way of Boston Book Reader) at the beginning of the year and it sounds like a great way to trim down my TBR.

The guidelines, per Lost In A Story, are simple:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
• Order on ascending date added
• Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

I'll be going through 10 books every week, meaning it should take me almost the whole year to reach the end! If you'd like to do this yourself, be sure to visit Lost In A Story's original post and let her (and me!) know you'll be joining in the fun.

book review: the beloveds

The Beloveds by Maureen Lindley
Gallery Books, 336 pp.
Published April 3, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free digital ARC of this book from Gallery Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

An exploration of domestic derangement, as sinister as Daphne Du Maurier’s classic Rebecca, that plumbs the depths of sibling rivalry with wit and menace.

Oh, to be a Beloved—one of those lucky people for whom nothing ever goes wrong. Everything falls into their laps without effort: happiness, beauty, good fortune, allure.

Betty Stash is not a Beloved—but her little sister, the delightful Gloria, is. She’s the one with the golden curls and sunny disposition and captivating smile, the one whose best friend used to be Betty’s, the one whose husband should have been Betty’s. And then, to everyone’s surprise, Gloria inherits the family manse—a vast, gorgeous pile of ancient stone, imposing timbers, and lush gardens—that was never meant to be hers.

Losing what Betty considers her rightful inheritance is the final indignity. As she single-mindedly pursues her plan to see the estate returned to her in all its glory, her determined and increasingly unhinged behavior—aided by poisonous mushrooms, talking walls, and a phantom dog—escalates to the point of no return. The Beloveds will have you wondering if there’s a length to which an envious sister won’t go.

sunday post #13

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 was an exciting bookish week because I decided to check out the last day of TLA! Stephanie Garber was signing ARCs of Legendary in the morning, which was reason enough to go, but I decided to stick around for the organized frenzy as vendors gave away their stock and packed up to go home. There were so many good books to see and discuss! The publishing reps were all very sweet and loved to give out recommendations; you could tell they'd been asked about the same five titles all week, so it was nice to hear about some lesser-known gems. I was fortunate enough to pick up a few fall releases but let me tell you: my haul was tiny compared to the regular attendees who were there all week and know all the little tricks to making it successful. Overall I was happy to go since it was happening less than 15 minutes from my house, but I'm not sure I would trek all over Texas each year to do it regularly.

In another exciting piece of news, DIFF announced the first 12 films for this year's festival! I've attended the last couple of years (ever since I moved back) but this will be the first time I get to go as press instead of a regular moviegoer. (I think...my editor requested a pass, but they haven't been sent out yet.) The programming is usually solid, with the exception of horror; the organizer and I apparently have very different tastes. With a Mr. Rogers documentary and a couple of SXSW darlings, this first taste bodes well. The festival itself runs for a week in early May. I won't be posting every review I write (last year I saw 23 movies in total, averaging nearly 3 per day) but I will put up a recap for those who are curious!

book review: ace of shades

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody
Harlequin Teen, 400 pp.
Published April 10, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free digital ARC of this book from Harlequin Teen via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…
and secrets hide in every shadow.

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

book review: circe

CIRCE by Madeline Miller
Lee Boudreaux Books, 352 pp.
Published April 10, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this book from Lee Boudreaux Books in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (via Goodreads): In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power--the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world.

down the tbr hole #14

As my Goodreads to-read shelf creeps closer to 500 books, I've been eyeing it with a growing feeling of apprehension. It would take forever to get through so many...and that's not counting all of the new books I hear about along the way. Thankfully I discovered Lost In A Story's series (by way of Boston Book Reader) at the beginning of the year and it sounds like a great way to trim down my TBR.

The guidelines, per Lost In A Story, are simple:

• Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
• Order on ascending date added
• Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

I'll be going through 10 books every week, meaning it should take me almost the whole year to reach the end! If you'd like to do this yourself, be sure to visit Lost In A Story's original post and let her (and me!) know you'll be joining in the fun.

book review: fates and furies

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
Riverhead Books, 390pp.
Published September 15, 2015

Every story has two sides. Every relationship has two perspectives. And sometimes, it turns out, the key to a great marriage is not its truths but its secrets. At the core of this rich, expansive, layered novel, Lauren Groff presents the story of one such marriage over the course of twenty-four years.

At age twenty-two, Lotto and Mathilde are tall, glamorous, madly in love, and destined for greatness. A decade later, their marriage is still the envy of their friends, but with an electric thrill we understand that things are even more complicated and remarkable than they have seemed.

sunday post #12

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 was a lovely week with all the rain here! I know that as the storms moved further north and east the risk of severe weather increased, so I hope all of you in their path stayed safe and dry. The showers gave me a perfect excuse to curl up on the couch (or dash out to the theater) and catch up on a few movies. I finally saw Black Panther—and loved it! As the MCU has consolidated all of its movies have started feeling homogeneous; when something like Thor: Ragnarok or Black Panther comes along, with a unique design and tone, it's invigorating to watch. Also, all of the women were inspiring. Can we please have a girls-only spin-off yesterday?

This coming week has a little bit of excitement: I'm going to the last day of TLA! Since the convention is right in my backyard this year I couldn't resist going to check it out. Attending the first day was tempting but I'd prefer to avoid the massive crowds. The calmer atmosphere might also make it easier to chat with reps for all the publishers and hear what books they're excited about for the rest of the year!