Cover Runway Sunday

     

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

From the author of Cursed Objects and The United States of Cryptids comes an eye-popping compendium of the most infamous, audacious, and dangerous cults in history. Have you ever wondered how smart, normal people end up enmeshed in extreme cults? Weird history expert J. W. Ocker strives to answer that question in Cult Following. Everything you've ever wanted to know about history's most notorious cults–and the psychology of the people who join them–is packed into this accessible, engaging volume. Walk in the footsteps of the followers who were lured into these sinister groups,   Branch Led by David Koresh, this cult was waiting out the apocalypse in 1993 when the FBI infamously raided their compound in Waco, Texas. This cult of drug traffickers in 1980s Mexico was led by Adolfo de Jesús Constanzo, who believed he had magic powers and committed human sacrifice. Brotherhood of the Seven The earliest known UFO cult, the infiltration and study of the Brotherhood by psychologists inspired the term “cognitive dissonance. "Ho No Hana The founder, Hogen Fukunaga, claimed to be able to tell someone’s fortune by examining their feet. Breatherians believe that humans can live on air alone. Their founder, Wiley Brooks, claimed to have gone without food for nineteen years. This twenty-first century cult attracted several members of Hollywood and engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, and racketeering under the guise of personal development seminars. In Cult Following, Ocker sheds light on the terrifying attraction of cults, demonstrating the elasticity of belief, the desperateness of belonging, and the tragedy of trust.

HAPPY READING!!

Convenant, Vol 1 - Review

Author: Lysandra Voung

Genre: Fantasy / Graphic Novel

Format: Paperback

Pages: 240

Author: Lysandra Voung

Genre: Fantasy / Graphic Novel

Format: Paperback

Pages: 240

I've seen this all over my Instagram Dash for the last few months. And I will not tell a lie, the title threw me all the back to a movie of the same title, and I giggled every time. That aside, what pulled me toward this was the sort of John Constantine vibes that really drew me toward this book. 

I went into this not really knowing what to expect from it. Despite how much I was seeing it across my Dash, I managed to stay focused on what people were saying. I wanted to form my own thoughts and opinions on it. What I did gather was a lot of people were really enjoying it.

I am now one of those people. 

Outside of anything else the world that LySandra Voung created is amazing. We also see a lot of how that world works in this first volume, but it's done so well. It flows along with the plot really well as you start to pick up the pieces of how these exorcisms work. How the people inside the church work. And even a little bit of how the demons work.

Even the flashbacks in this volume flow really well. Allowing us to see a bit of the two of the main characters' past, without giving too much away. There are still parts of Sunny's and Ezra's past that we got nuggets of, but not full-fledged answers to.

Another thing I liked about this is the 'young' characters in this are in college. It's nice to see Young Adult pushed out of the teenage halls and into the early twenties portion of Young Adult.  It's a little thing, but it's personally I thought it was nice to see.

The plot moves pretty quickly but unfolds in a way I never once got lost. It just kind of keeps you on the edge of your seats with the Sunny situation and the fighting between two of the churches. A lot is going on in this plot, but I'm a hundred percent invested. 

I also really like this is a slow-burn romance. A lot of time in the sort of urban fantasy, and paranormal, genres romance is what kickstarts everything. Or sort of just happens somewhere in the middle. So it was nice that the interest is there, but nothing has really kicked off yet.

Ezra and Sunny have a lot on their plates right now.

My own real downside with this book is waiting until October for the next volume. I'm not good at waiting. I like binging graphic novels.

 

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

This was not for me. It was even the genre or theme that wasn't for me. The whole throuple was handled well. It was just everything else that just sort of fell flat for me. I wasn't overly fond of any of the characters. The plot never really took off for me. There were too many roadblocks and wait and see. The action sequences felt forced, and just when you think you've reached the end. Oh no, another problem. The last hundred pages felt like they should have been another book because the whole plot twist felt extra. Like there was no reason for it, other than to move the other bigger plot along, and that's when I rage-read until the end. So I won't be finishing this series.

Adorable! As a cat lady myself, I couldn't pass up the chance to read this one. I've seen some of the illustrations on Instagram and was so excited to see them finally book formation. Basically, this has little affirmation inside, told you by a cat, in the tone we use to talk to scouts. It's a quick read with an adorable cat illustration, some biting involved, and lots of fun! This is one of those books you get to have guests look at during the visit. A fun little talking point. Or a fun little gift to give to the cat person in your own life! The Book of Purrs will hit shelves on October 22, 2024!

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Super adorable! Mothman is one of my favorite cryptids and Andrew Shaffer is one of my favorite authors. So I knew this was going to be a perfect match. This is great for kids of all ages. It's a super fun and quick read, perfect for Halloween! The illustrations are bright, fun, eye-catching, and full of fun little details. I love the idea of a snow day but with pumpkin guts, even with the smell. I also loved the kid version of what other cryptids appeared in this book. Just a lot of fun! I had a great little read with my morning coffee before hitting a day full of adult errands. Mothman's Happy Cryptid Halloween will hit shelves on August 6, 2024!

This was an interesting read. Full review to come closer to publishing day, Sept 10, 2024!

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

The hilarious first novel in a cosy and inclusive historical romantasy series by the writer of Horrible Histories In an alternative Elizabethan London, Upper London residents Fang and Lazare awake from their deaths to discover they are not quite human anymore. In fact, despite having acquired the power of immortality, they’re also not quite vampire, zombie, werewolf or any of the other supernatural beings that reside in the underground city of Deep London. Thrown together by the curse they share, the two strangers set out to reverse the spell, all the while trying to ignore the intense connection between them. As they are drawn further into the shadowy world of Deep London, they unearth a dangerous plot which they appear to be right in the middle of…

Why I'm Waiting: Okay, so romantasy series aren't my usual vibe, however this one has my attention with two people waking up and being surprised that their dead.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

Feminist psychological horror about the making of a female serial killer from a Korean-American perspective.

Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her mother, distraught. Her younger sister, hurt and confused. Her college freshman grades, failing. Her dreams, horrifying… yet enticing.

In them, Ji-won walks through bloody rooms full of eyes. Succulent blue eyes. Salivatingly blue eyes. Eyes the same shape and shade as George’s, who is Umma’s obnoxious new boyfriend. George has already overstayed his welcome in her family’s claustrophobic apartment. He brags about his puffed-up consulting job, ogles Asian waitresses while dining out, and acts condescending toward Ji-won and her sister as if he deserves all of Umma’s fawning adoration. No, George doesn’t deserve anything from her family. Ji-won will make sure of that.

For no matter how many victims accumulate around her campus or how many people she must deceive and manipulate, Ji-won’s hunger and her rage deserve to be sated.

A brilliantly inventive, subversive novel about a young woman unraveling, Monika Kim’s The Eyes Are the Best Part is a story of a family falling apart and trying to find their way back to each other, marking a bold new voice in horror that will leave readers mesmerized and craving more.

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

     

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

Henry, a brilliant but reclusive engineer, has achieved the crowning discovery of his he's created an artificially intelligent consciousness. He names the half-formed robot William.

But there's something strange about William.

It's not that his skin feels like balloon rubber and is the colour of curdled milk, nor is it his thick gurgling laugh or the way his tongue curls towards his crooked top teeth. It is the way he looks at Henry's wife, Lily.

Henry created William but he is starting to lose control of him. As William's fixation with Lily grows and threatens to bring harm to their house, Henry has no choice but to destroy William.

But William isn't gone. Filled with jealousy for humanity, for its capacity to love and create life, William starts to haunt the house.

He lurks behind each locked door. You can hear him muttering in the eaves of the attic. He is whispering in Henry's head. And he will be the one to take control . . .

HAPPY READING!!

Prince and Pawn - Review

Author: Tavia Lark

Genre: Fantasy / Romance

Format: e-Book

Pages: 291

So I read this in a day because the plot of this one is really good. I loved that we got to see the three Sandry brothers working together, along with their husbands. Say what you want but if Julien and Whisper aren't married by the end of this series I will riot. Rakos and Bell are husband-coded, so they're an island of their own. I liked that we finally get to see the castle and everything with Cyril is wrapped up along with a few of the small plot holes from the first book about why everyone was trying to kill Julien.

It was great that we went to see the scalestone mines because we didn't get to see much of that with the second book. My favorite little creature did make a small appearance, being a menace as always. Plus there were fellcat cubs. They were adorable, and I loved that were just wandering around the castle, tricking people into feeding them. 

Not going to lie, I also really liked that Audric has a bit of a dark side to him. Up until this book he's the duty-bound older brother, soon to be heir to the throne, next king, and all that. It was nice that what we saw up until now was his 'court face' or 'big brother' face, and outside of that he had a personality. Wants, thoughts, feelings. So that gave him a bit more dimension. He's the warrior of the three boys, that was made very clear. And it was brilliant to see him finally get to see the full force of Sandry magic.

I did find him a bit dull, though. Like he's fine, a good person, and I'm sure we'll see in later books that he's a good King. But compared to Bell and Julien, meh. Just meh. With the other brothers, I'd read more books with them (with or without their husbands). I don't think I'd read another book about Audric. There's nothing about his character that pulled me toward him. 

And, while I adored Corin because he's so delicate and sad. You just want to bundle the poor kid up and name anyone who likes him sideways. Because he's got a good heart despite the fact he's been treated like nothing for a very long time. He had really great growth in this book, finding some confidence and starting to learn who he was as a person.

I just don't need another book with either couple. They are cute and work but I don't know. I fell instantly in love with Julien and Bell grew on me. There was something about their stories that immediately had me downloading the audiobook to listen to the story I'd just finished reading. But Audric and Corin's didn't feel that way. Their romance felt like a thing that happened on the side of this epic finale to the Sandry story.

Which was epic, I liked how that all played out. Because I was convinced that Corin was a grail, and it wasn't until the last handful of pages that I figured out who Cryil was. Plus the fight in the mines was so good. As I mentioned it was amazing to Audric finally show exactly what Sandry's magic can do. We heard stories from the little brothers, from Rakos and Sarka, but it was super cool to see just what Audric could do with it. 

And, Corin's power was perfect for him. Because he is a ray of freaking sunshine. This makes him dangerous because of that little end with this half-brother, I wish we'd seen more of Corin sooner in the book. 

So yeah, I liked this book as a wrap-up to the Sandry plotline, which I'm sure will bleed over into the Draskora storyline in the last three books somehow. Also, it was great to see the boys working together to solve problems, and I hope to see more of that one the next three books. Which I'm excited for! 

I still really like Lark's writing style and world-building. Her play on the classic tropes is great and a lot of fun. While there is drama in these books, I love that it's short-lived. It serves to push the plot along. But the best part about this book is there is communication. Not great communication because that would be too much, but at least one person in the duo at one time has the brain cell. This series has just been a lot of fun, and as a whole, I've liked these books.

I'm super excited that the next three take place in Draskora and will introduce a new set of brothers, with a new set of problems. All while keeping the characters we've just met here and there. I also really hope that Lucien gets that dragon. He puts up with so much and he just wants a dragon. He's so cute!

So, yeah this was a three-star read for me, but it was still fun, and still a series I want to finish! 

HAPPY READING!!

July Silent Book Club

A small turnout for the June book club, but still a great group of people. Even had some younger readers so show up! With summer finally here and the patio doors wide open, the tables we take over at Leftcraft are getting plenty of sun! There's some great beer on tap and all sorts of great summer bites on the menu. I even managed to make a huge dent in the book I was reading and finished it when I got home. That's book 33 finished up.

If you missed the June event that's okay. The weather was amazing for the first in what feels like forever. But, if you're in the Edmonds area on July 17th, and want to join us for an hour of reading and connect with other readers. Well, we started reading at 7:30pm, but we started eating and chatting at 7pm. So join us next month at Leftcraft! We'd love to see what you're reading.

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

 

I've read all prequels to this series and lost count of the number of times I've read or listened to, Crown Tower. But the Revelations series has always been intimidating because of their size. Since they are two books in one they are between six and seven hundred pages. So they've been sitting on my shelf with me going, I should read these this year. Finally, it has happened. Well, more correctly I listened to this one since there is a full cast audio on Audible! I liked this one, hard not to one when Royce and Hadrian are some of my favorite duos. I liked seeing where the prequels fit into this story because I think all of them were mentioned, even the one coming out this year had a small, blink and you'll miss it, moment. There is a lot of setup in this one for the next two books. So it's more dialogue-heavy than I was expecting. But there are still tons of sword fights, bickering, stealing, and even some sort of dragon thing. And Royce is full of sarcasm left and right. 

Both books are a great setup for the rest of the story as a whole. I'm super excited to see how all of this going to play with the Chruch of Novron. While the characters themselves might now know who the heir is, I do and it's the worst-kept secret in this universe. Or, maybe the best. Either way. I'm excited to finally, a year later, wrap up this series this year and see how it all ends. Even if the next book is going to break my heart because I don't like when the boys fight. Because Hadiran needs Royce and Royce is Hadrian's unicorn. (No I'm never letting this line go. Nothing will ever give me more joy than Hadrian calling Royce a unicorn. It gives me life.)

In full honesty, this is not my favorite of the series. I still liked this story very much, I've always been a fan of Rider's work, and this is one of my favorite little add-ons to Holmes's canon. This is more of a legacy series with Sheffield being his own person, while still having the keen eye his Uncles are known for. I love this look at a younger Sheffield and his adventures in India, and I'd love to see more of these characters from this era before he met his Watson and so on. I think for me there was a big chunk of this story missing. Sheffield goes off on his own and the reader is left alone to wait and see what he saw. Only to take his word for everything at the end. I knew the tiger was a misdirect, but I was sad that we only got to see a little of young Sheffield at work. Still has a whole this solid and I always enjoy this series. Like I said, I hope to see more Kickstarters with more younger Sheff in the future. Just seeing him solve more of the crime! Even if I don't know how all the pieces fit, I just want to see him do his thing. Understand that working pieces. Something I felt the first series did a little better. 

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

Discover the history and culture of the 100 most fearsome mythical creatures to capture the human imagination in this startlingly illustrated compendium.

Accompanied by illustrations of each beast, Freaky Folklore is your guide to the world’s most terrifying beings, from ancient times to today. Hosts from the leading horror podcast network, Eeriecast, present the most frightening—and entertaining—tales of these mysterious creatures, revealing everything you need to know.

This beautifully creepy collection is filled with wicked monsters,
 
Freaky Folklore has the stories, culture, and illustrations for you to be on the lookout for these beasts. Dive into the world of mythology and find what makes each creature unique.

Why I'm Waiting: I'm actually not. Thanks to NetGalley I've been lucky enough to already read this one! But this is a great read for anyone who is into this folklore and myths! 

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

Horror isn’t horror unless it’s real.

Max Maury should be on top of the world. He’s a famous horror director. Actors love him. Hollywood needs him. He’s making money hand over fist. But it’s the 80s, and he’s directing cheap slashers for audiences who only crave more blood, not real art. Not real horror. And Max’s slimy producer refuses to fund any of his new ideas.

Sally Priest dreams of being the Final Girl. She knows she’s got what it takes to score the lead role, even if she’s only been cast in small parts so far. When Sally meets Max at his latest wrap party, she sets out to impress him and prove her scream queen prowess.

But when Max discovers an old camera that filmed a very real Hollywood horror, he knows that he has to use this camera for his next movie. The only problem is that it came with a cryptic warning and sometimes wails.

By the time Max discovers the true evil lying within, he’s already dead set on finishing the scariest movie ever put to film, and like it or not, it’s Sally’s time to shine as the Final Girl.

HAPPY READING!!

Silent Book Club Edmonds

Hey! Just me again reminding ya'll that if you're in the Edmonds area on the 19th of June and looking for some good food and even better company, come read with us at our Silent Book Club. We hold it at Leftcraft Tavern right in the middle of downtown. They have a great summer cocktail menu and a ton of beers and cidars on top. Not to mention a great menu full of great small bits and shareables if you bring a friend. Plus great sandwiches and flatbreads. 

It doesn't matter how you read, or even what you read. My cohost reads from her Kindle and I go back and forth from my Kindle to a physical book. Just depends on what I'm reading this month! Everything kicks off at 7pm so everyone can order and get settled. Then we kick off reading at 7:30 for an hour! If you have questions, we're on Instagram (@edmondssilentbookclub). Drop my cohost a DM! And maybe, hopefully, we'll see you there!

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

     

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

The sole survivor of a serial killer might hold the key to stopping a new spree of murders in this propulsive thriller in the vein of The Black Phone and The Whisper Man.

Dark and twisting at every turn, fans of Catriona Ward will love this chilling new tale from the deviously inventive horror author that Peter Farris calls the “clear heir to Stephen King.”

Beware the one who got away . . .

Father Silence once terrorized the rural town of Twisted Tree, disguising himself as a priest to prey on the most vulnerable members of society. When the police finally found his “House of Horrors,” they uncovered nineteen bodies and one survivor–a boy now locked away in a hospital for the criminally insane.

Nearly two decades later, Father Silence is finally put to death, but by the next morning, the detective who made the original arrest is found dead. A new serial killer is taking credit for the murder and calling himself the Outcast.

The detective’s daughter, Tess Claibourne, is a detective herself, haunted by childhood trauma and horrified by the death of her father and the resurgence of Father Silence’s legacy.

When Tess’s daughter is kidnapped by the Outcast, Tess is forced to face her worst fears and long-buried memories. With no leads to follow, she travels back to Twisted Tree to visit the boy who survived and see what secrets might be buried in the tangled web of his broken mind.

With captivating prose and an old-school horror flair, Sleep Tight is a must-read, haunting tale from a true master of the genre.

HAPPY READING!!

Prince in Disguise - Review

Author: Tavia Lark

Genre: Fantasy / Romance

Format: e-Book

Pages: 298

This series. I wonder if it's just this series, or maybe I don't mind fantasy romance. Either way, I devour this book, slower than the first one. Though to no fault of the book's own. My reading time was just mostly early in the morning with breakfast, or right before bed. I fell asleep reading this most nights last week. It's super cute and I want to be wholesome, but that feels like a lie considering certain scenes. But, Bell is absolutely adorable. 

Also, I thought the fellcats in the last book, were the coolest thing ever. Ten out of ten, would pet one and lose a hand. But. But! A blinkmink. Yeah, that tops fellcats. If I ever end up in a fantasy world, I'm going to need one of those. I will even name it Bastard in honor of Bell's blinkmink.

I stand by my original statement that Julien is still my favorite Sandry brother. However, Bell is without a doubt the most adorable of all the Sandry brothers. Bell's character follows the baby sibling trope of being overprotective with zero life skills. Though thanks to a sort of traumatic experience as a child, Bell has been handled delicately his whole life. So it makes the most sense to dump in a hostile land that just a few short years ago was at war with his own people. 

He is for the first few chapters our damsel. Bell doesn't stay that way though. As the story unfolds he discovers his limits to his powers and his own personal strength. To the point you even see him stand up to Claude when she tries to wrap him back into bubble wrap at the end of this book.

I didn't dislike Rakos as our reluctant hero. The warrior who never really wanted to go to war, he just wanted to ride a dragon. I don't really think there was much character growth for Rakos throughout this story because he was a solid character from the start. He's been to war, he's seen some things, but he's not perfect. We see him make mistakes. What he does get throughout this story is kind of a purpose. Something to fight for that isn't just the King and Country. With Bell, he has something to lose and he wears that well.

We got a few more sprinkles of the major conspiracy that's circling each book's plot. I'm still not sure what's going on. To give a little bit of a spoiler I know it has to do with a mage named Cyril, dragons, and the rocks that make it possible for dragons to exist within a realm. I have no idea how all those dots come together. I have a few thoughts on the matter. Under no circumstances do I trust Claude. Though I don't think she's evil, I wouldn't be surprised if she's doing something sinister for what she thinks is the right reason. 

This was the first book where we really got to see Claude as a character, and I don't know, there's just something about her that makes me suspicious. 

Though I am very excited for Lucien and dream of riding a dragon! I so hope he bonds with one. He deserves for putting up with Julien as he does.

This was also the first book where we saw Draskora. It was mentioned in the first book as sort of a footnote that Silaise went to war them Draskora and others were dragons. In this book, we finally get to see Draskora as a place and its people, and for a small couple of scenes, it's royalty. This makes me excited for the last book in the series because there's something wrong with that family. We didn't get a good look at the chaos that is House Dire, but something is definitely hinky.

I give mad props to Lark for finding every single way to do the one-bed trope that she could: one bed, one horse, one wagon, and one dragon. Plus their both lying about several things, and I love how there are several points where there could be drama. Where either one of them could walk away angry, but they are so in love, and such adults they actually communicate. After lying about magic and backgrounds and whatnot.

But, I think that's what I like about this book. For all the tropes that Lark uses she hasn't used the 'they don't communicate' or the 'miscommunication' trope. It's fine, but I find that one frustrates me the most. Where I just want to shove them in a room and make them have a freaking conversation. So kudos for not having a break-up chapter(s).

I've already downloaded the next book in this series, and this one is an arranged marriage trope. I'm excited to Audric as a fully-rounded character finally. So far we've only seen him in big brother mode. Not much of him as a person. So I'm excited to see what kind of trouble he's about to stumble into. Sadly I think he might be the only Sandry brother not to get himself a Draskoran husband.

HAPPY READING!!

Summer Graphic Novel TBR

Summer is only six very short days away. I'm so ready for long sunny days! Don't get me wrong I love curling up and reading while it rains all snuggled up under a blanket. But there is also a part of me that is like a lizard and just wants to curl up in a sunny spot and read too. I'm very much in the latter era right now. Even if it means wearing the same amount of sunscreen as a vampire. Of course, the question is what to read, and I have so many very good choices of books on my shelves. Many, many good choices. Some have been collecting dust since before I lived in my current apartment for six years.

That picture drawn, this post is not about those books. No, that would make sense. This post is in fact about the graphic novels that I want to read this summer. There's a lot. Not all of them are pictures here because I have a TBR set aside at the library to pull from because there is a series I want to start (Earthdivers), a series I need to finish (Something is Killing the Children), and some stand-alones that have come across my dash.

But first I'd like to get through this stack before I jump into anything else. Mostly because Something is Killing the Children is going to emotionally end me, and I'd love to put that off with happier things for as long as possible. I have to emotionally read to be emotionally compromised. They've already killed off my favorite characters twice. Who knows if the second will hold. Still, after Sleep Tight I need to distance myself from more trauma. Because that had trauma by the bucket loads. Thousand and thousands of buckets.

Anyway... This is just the tip of the iceberg of books I want to read this summer! 

HAPPY READING!!

Book Mail

When I saw I ran to Kickstarter when I got the email that there was about to be more Sheffield Holmes, it's not a joke. Have I already read the short story I book from last year, the year before last, doesn't matter? Yes, is this probably the same short story I've already read. Yes, when I tell you I adore Sheffield, I really adore him, and I also really love supporting Jeff Rider. So really this is a win-win for me. And finally, finally, it's in my hands! There will be no savoring this. They will only read it from cover to cover at least twice. Then put it in its protective sleeve and put it with its friends. 

Listen you don't have to be a fan of Sherlock Holmes to enjoy these. These are fun historical fiction stories as well. They are meant to be fun and ridiculous and occasionally full of drama and trauma. The main series ended not exactly happily. I was a little bummed for Sheffield. But, still, I really enjoy them I cannot recommend them enough to people. 

-HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

 Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

A Jewish mother of four, a gracious society hostess, a beloved member of her community—and the first widely renowned crime boss in America. Discover the true story from the bestselling author of The Confidence Men.

In 1850, Fredericka Mandelbaum traveled to New York in steerage and worked as a peddler on the streets of Lower Manhattan. By the 1870s she was a widow with four children, a fixture of high society, and an admired philanthropist. What had enabled a woman on the margins of American life to ascend from tenement poverty to immense wealth?

In the intervening years, “Marm” Mandelbaum, as she was known, had become the country’s most notorious “fence”—a receiver of stolen goods—and a successful criminal mastermind. By the mid-1880s as much as $10 million worth of purloined luxury goods (the equivalent of nearly $300 million in today’s money) had passed through her modest haberdashery shop on the Lower East Side. Called “the nucleus and center of the whole organization of crime in New York City” by the New York Times , she planned, financed, and profited from robberies of cash, gold, diamonds, and silk throughout the city and across the United States.

But Fredericka Mandelbaum wasn’t just a successful She was a business visionary—one of the first entrepreneurs in America to systemize the formerly scattershot enterprise of property crime. Handpicking a cadre of New York's foremost bank robbers, housebreakers, and shoplifters, and neatly bribing anyone who stood in her way, she handled logistics and organized supply chains—turning theft into a viable, scalable business .

The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum paints a vivid image of Gilded Age New York—a city teeming with delightful rogues, capitalist power brokers, and Tammany Hall bigwigs, all of whom straddled the line between underworld enterprise and the realm of “legitimate” commerce. Combining deep historical research with the narrative flair for which she is celebrated, Margalit Fox tells the unforgettable story of a once-famous, now-forgotten heroine, a tale that exemplifies the cherished rags-to-riches narrative of Victorian America while simultaneously upending it altogether.

Why I'm Waiting: I know a little about Mrs. Mandlebaum, but not a lot. So I'm excited to dive more into her story.

HAPPY READING!!