Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme started by the Broke and the Bookish.  Each week they chose a new meme and bloggers pick their Top Ten Books, TV Shows, Movies, etc that fit that theme. For the next week the girls at the Broke and the Bookish are on hiatus. That means that won't be any set themes until August. It's a free for all!! So this week I'd thought I'd show case some of my favorite books by Local Authors, with a few I'm excited to read this summer!

1. Warm Bodies by Issac Marion
2. Hold Me, Closer, Necromancer by List McBride
3. Unmentionable by Therese Oneill

1. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
2. William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher
3. Lady Trent by Maria Brennan

1. The Yard by Alex Grecian - While he isn't from the Pacific Northwest, he is from my home state of Kansas. So I had to add him to the least since I love his series! Plus he writes a pretty kickass Rasputin Graphic Novel

1. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake (TBR)
2. The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood (TBR)
3. The Black Prism by Brent Weeks (TBR)

June Wrap Up

Of course I made time to go see Wonder Women! My boss was also rad and managed get my three days weekend. Which left me time to hang with some friends I haven't had time to catch up, and get use to being the only one in my house. On top of work got oddly crazy there for a few days, but it's all starting to iron itself out. There's still some bumps, but hey that's life. I've also not really been in the mood to read. I did manage to set my patio up for reading, which helped. Especially since I bought new chairs and they are amazing! Maybe I hit a slump. Maybe I got focused on my writing and forgot to make time for reading. Either way I seem to be crawling out of it today.

Books Read: 3

Pages Read: 507 pages

BINGO Books: 1 (Author with only One Book)

Currently Reading: Warlock Holmes: the Hell-Hound of the Baskervilles by G.S. Denning

DNF: 0

Events: Eddie Izzard Believe Me Book Tour

Okay, so it was a light reading month. Whatever! It happens. I did however get to do a few fun bookish things. First of which was to dehaul some of my books. The stacks have gotten out of control and I realized that I was never going to get some of them. Also there is so many Free Little Libraries around where I lived, I put a huge chunk into those. A few more went to co-workers. I still have a few that need to find good homes. So there might be another Free Little Library run in my future.

I also was able to get tickets to see Eddie Izzard talk about his new book. It was an amazing event and I'm so glad I decided to go. I've been a fan of his for almost a decade, and I always told myself the first chance I get I'm going to see him. I was lucky to get tickets. They sold out fast. The event also came with a book, but since my flatmate couldn't go because of her work. I let her snag when she ran home last weekend.

Also, via the Nerdist I found out that Levar Burton has a Podcast no called Levar Burton Reads. It is the Reading Rainbow for adults. It's available through Audible. I'm only a couple of episodes in, but I love it!! I've been listening to them on my bus ride to work.

Publisher:  Del Rey Books

Release Date: July 25th, 2017

Author: Michael J. Sullivan

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Legends of the First Empire #2

Raithe, the God Killer, may have started the rebellion by killing a Fhrey, but long-standing enmities dividing the Rhune make it all but impossible to unite against a common foe. And even if the clans can join forces, how will they defeat an enemy whose magical prowess makes the Fhrey indistinguishable from gods?

The answer lies across the sea in a faraway land populated by a reclusive and dour race who feels nothing but disdain for both Fhrey and mankind. With time running out, Persephone leads the gifted young seer Suri, the Fhrey sorceress Arion, and a small band of misfits in a desperate search for aid—a quest that will take them into the darkest depths of Elan. There, an ancient adversary waits—an enemy as surprising as it is deadly.

Unmentionable - Review

Author: Therese O'Neil

Publisher: Little, Brown USA

Genre: Nonfiction

Format: Hardback

Pages: 307

Have you ever wished you could live in an earlier, more romantic era? 

Ladies, welcome to the 19th century, where there's arsenic in your face cream, a pot of cold pee sits under your bed, and all of your underwear is crotchless. (Why? Shush, dear. A lady doesn't question.) 

UNMENTIONABLE is your hilarious, illustrated, scandalously honest (yet never crass) guide to the secrets of Victorian womanhood, giving you detailed advice

Unmnetionable has been on my radar since last year, but for some reason I just now picked it up. I have no good reason for this because my flatmate read it and loved it. It was totally worth the wait though. I ended up putting another book on hold to finish it. Plus, I feel asleep reading it more times then I can remember. I've already recommended it coworkers and friends that read. So what made it so good?

Therese Oneill's voice as the narrator is my favorite part of this book. She's full of sass and sarcasm and I loved it. Her voice had me laughing out loud as I read, which made it hard to read in public. There was also some amazing one liners that I couldn't help to share with friends as I read via Instant Message. No one ever said learning couldn't be fun!

All fun aside though, I felt the book was well researched. Therese touched on topics that appear in many Victorian novels and movies: fashion, food, servants, and social cues. All topics I knew a little about, but not a lot. A few things that had been romanticized, that were in fact horrific. Which also kept me reading, because I got to the point thinking, it couldn't possibly get worse.

I felt like the book flowed well through each section. One chapter leading into the next. The addition of ads from the era, and photos, with the snarky caption were fun. Especially the ads, because it's amazing to think our grand mother's ingested some of those things. Chemicals that today we aren't even allowed to buy or illegal have in our homes.

But I think my favorite part was that the punches weren't held back. Movies, TV, and books show the better side of the Victorian era. They leave out the fact the women weren't consider more than pretty thing to sit that couldn't handle the world around them. Therese Oneill tells doesn't hold back about how bad things could be, but reminds us at the end that it in fact wasn't all bad. While it seems bad for women of this century, the back then didn't know any better.

Except for Mr. Kellogg, the more I learn about the man the more I wish I could travel back in time. Now there's a man I want to punch.

Despite everything I loved about the book there was a couple of things I didn't love so much. For me I felt like the chapters jumped around on the subject. There was a couple of times when I had reread pages to get back on track, and there a few times that it felt like chapters shifted from their subject matter.

All-in-all though I loved the book. I borrowed it from the library, but I'm adding this book to my library. It's definitely one I could see myself picking up again. Unmentionable is one of those books that because there's a lot of information, a second, or third, read could present things I missed the first time around.

Buy, Borrow, or Skip: Buy it! It's a fun book to have around and pass among your friends. 

Can't Wait Wednesday - The Last Magician

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

Release Date: July 18, 2017
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Author: Lisa Maxwell
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
Pages: 512

In modern day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.

Esta is a talented thief, and she's been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta's training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.

Why I'm waiting: The cover was the first thing I noticed, it's amazing. Add to that a female theif, magic, and time travel, sounds right up my alley!

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme started by the Broke and the Bookish.  Each week they chose a new meme and bloggers pick their Top Ten Books, TV Shows, Movies, etc that fit that theme. This week theme is: Favorite Reads of the First Half of 2017!

1. Silver Volume 1 by Stephan Frank
2. Lost Boy by Christina Henry
3. Unmentionable by Therese O'Neil

1. Warrent the 13th and the Whispering Woods by Tania del Rio
2. Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
3. Howard the Duck Volume 1 by Chip Zdarsky

1. Chew Volume 1 by John Layman
2. Anno Dracula 1899 and Other Stories by Kim Newman

Can't Wait Wednesday - Arrowood

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

Release Date: July 18, 2017
Publisher: MIRA
Author: Mick Finlay
Genre: Mystery 
Pages: 352

London Society takes their problems to Sherlock Holmes. Everyone else goes to Arrowood.

The Afghan War is over and a deal with the Irish appears to have brought an end to sectarian violence, but Britain's position in the world is uncertain and the gap between rich and poor is widening. London is a place where the wealthy party while the underclass are tempted into lives of crime, drugs and prostitution. A serial killer stalks the streets. Politicians are embroiled in financial and sexual scandals. The year is 1895.

Why I'm waiting: I'm a huge Sherlockian, and while this isn't a Sherlock Holmes novel, it seems to be set in his world. So I'll definitely be picking this one up!

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme started by the Broke and the Bookish.  Each week they chose a new meme and bloggers pick their Top Ten Books, TV Shows, Movies, etc that fit that theme. This week theme is: Top Ten Series I've Been Meaning to Start!

1. Ree Varekai Series by Marie Brennan
2. Stalking Jack the Ripper Series by Kerri Maniscalco 
3. Kingdom on Fire Series by Jessica Cluess

1. The Evertide Series by Todd Lockwood
2. Wolf by Wolf Series by Ryan Graudin
3. Three Dark Crowns Series by Kendare Blake

1. Shades of Magic Series by V.E. Schwab
2. The Witchlands Series by Susan Dennard
3. Flavia de Luce Series by Alan Bradley

1. The Immortals Series by Tamora Pierce

Can't Wait Wednesday - A Talent for Murder

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

Release Date: July 11th, 2017

Publisher:  Atria Books

Author: Andrew Wilson

Genre: Mystery 

Pages: 320

Discover the real-life mystery centered on the queen of crime herself: Agatha Christie. In this tantalizing new novel, Christie’s mysterious ten-day disappearance serves as the starting point for a gripping novel, in which Christie herself is pulled into a case of blackmail and murder.

Agatha Christie, in London to visit her literary agent, is boarding a train, preoccupied with the devastating knowledge that her husband is having an affair. She feels a light touch on her back, causing her to lose her balance, then a sense of someone pulling her to safety from the rush of the incoming train. So begins a terrifying sequence of events—for her rescuer is no guardian angel, rather he is a blackmailer of the most insidious, manipulative kind.

Why I'm waiting: Agatha Christie holds a special place in my library, my great grandmother introduced her to me. So I had to add this to my list, there so many theories about the why she went missing.