Last Week I Read:
Mistress of All Evil by Serena Valentino (5 stars)
Currently Reading:
Wicked Hour by Chloe Neill (ARC)
What I Hope to Start this Week:
Mother Knows Best by Serena Valentino
Other Posts of Interest:
Sep 23, 2019
It's Monday! What are You Reading?
Sep 22, 2019
Stacking the Shelves
This week was long. Really, really long. This weekend was long in the bad way too. Too many obligated family events happening BOTH days, it's like I don't really get a weekend at all. So I'm already pining for next Saturday which is going to feel like the first day off since last weekend! I've a phone interview and an in-person interview this coming week so fingers crossed that something good happens there!
This week was pretty happy when it came to books and goodies though! Check it out!
I bought:
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle Jensen--since I ended up not ordering the correct Bae Box, I finally bought a copy of this one!
and the creme de la creme that I bought was:
Caraval by Stephanie Garber--ROMANIAN EDITION!
Legendary by Stephanie Garber--ROMANIAN EDITION!
For review from the publisher I received:
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith
THANK YOU Ace Books!
Bookish items bought:
I received my first ever Fae Crate which wasn't too bad, though I was most excited for the collector's coin and was positively devastated that out of all the mermaid fandoms we have, it wasn't one of my faves.
Beacon Book Box Goodies Only was another one that was a bit of a dud for fandoms represented, but as I said, I'm in it for three months to get those Caraval covers, which Legendary was GORGEOUS!
Owl Crate was pretty cool! The book isn't one I was aware of so I might give it a try eventually!
a gorgeous Caraval pin from Chiquic Creates! It's positively lovely and I've already added it to my Caraval pin hoop which I think is finally done!
So I was almost going to take a picture of Illumicrate's pin of the month club, but since I hadn't seen anyone else post a pic of it yet, I didn't want to spoil it for anyone else by chance! Let me just say, it's awesome!! Can't wait to add it to my pin banner!
Gifts received:
Then I got this GORGEOUS swag set from Crystal Smith for preordering Bloodleaf! There were bookmarks, a tattoo and the stunning lenticular postcard!!
THANK YOU Crystal!
Non-bookish but still AMAZING items bought:
So in honor of The Haunted Mansion's 50th Anniversary, Disney made these oh so cute Spirit in a Jar pieces! So naturally, I had to have at least one! I decided on Sally Porter, the famous Tightrope Walker from the stretching portraits! She was one of my faves and most remembered as a kid! Though I am eyeing the Librarian one as well, because BOOKS! Lol.
Sep 20, 2019
Book Blogger Hop
This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!
This week's question is: How long does it usually take you to finish a book? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)
MY ANSWER: These days it averages between 3-4 days, I feel like it depends on the genre and style of the book. Sometimes it takes me long to read a book if the pacing is slower, but still enjoyable. Oddly formatting plays a role too. When the text is teeny tiny it takes me longer to read a page and that effects the reading time of the entire book too. So I'd say on average it's roughly 3-4 days.
Sep 19, 2019
Random Thursday
(image borrowed from Country Living)
Only two words in the English language end in "-gry", hungry and angry. There are only three words in the English language that end in "-ceed," which are exceed, proceed, and succeed. There are only four words in the English language that end in "-efy," which are liquefy, putrefy, rarefy, and stupefy. There are three words in the English language that have ZERO words that rhyme with them and they are: orange, purple, and silver.
So I guess words like "hangry" and "nurple" from the "purple nurple" aren't recognized words by the English dictionary! Lol.
(image borrowed from Marshu)
Amateur gamblers would believe that if a coin is tossed ten times and lands on tails all ten times, that there is a higher probability that the eleventh flip will land on heads. Reality is that the law of averages doesn't exist and the coin's probability of landing on heads is still 50/50.
Yeah...I couldn't see how it would be more likely to land on heads the 11th time if all previous 10 flips were tails. 50/50 us 50/50.
(image borrowed from CBS News)
A baby boomer is someone who was born after soldiers of WW2 had come home and up to 18 years later. The period differs in some countries but for the US and Canada, 20 million babies were born during 1946-1964. The first baby boomer in North America was Kathleen Casey Wilkens, who was born on January 1, 1946 in Philadelphia.
And of course the favorite babies of the 90s (wayyyy after the baby boomers generation) had to be my picture! Lol. Sidebar, I am still anxiously waiting for more news on this Rugrats reboot! I tried looking things up but haven't heard anything other than the initial announcement.
(image borrowed from Encyclopedia Britannica)
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, yet it is not the tallest. Hawaii's Mauna Kea is 4,000 feet taller, but its huge base is submerged which means Everest rises higher above sea level. Satellite measurements show that the Himalayan peak K2, at 29,030 feet is 2 feet higher than Everest, yet snow and erosion make precise measurements hard to attain.
That's just wow.
(image borrowed from Wikia)
In 1845, scientists believes that Mercury's confusing and erratic orbit of the sun could only be explained by the presence of a gravitational pull from an unseen planet nearby. This unseen planet was given the name Vulcan. Eventually, Albert Einstein explained Mercury's behavior through his theory of relativity and this quickly eliminated the hypothetical planet, Vulcan...until Gene Roddenberry resurrected it for Star Trek of course.
Never knew that Vulcan was real for a time! Lol.
Sep 18, 2019
Waiting on Wednesday
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings,
to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet
to read. It's
based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.
Summer camp is a traditional teenage rite of passage, but when you add supernatural powers to the typically high dosage of adolescent hormones - you get an even more combustible mix. Sixteen-year-old werewolf twins Kate and Logan Danvers are none too thrilled at being shipped off to a supernatural youth leadership conference in West Virginia.
From the moment they arrive at the camp, the twins sense something is off and they react in their usual manner - Logan reserving judgement and surveying the setup, while Kate charges forward determined to get answers. Kate and Logan quickly ascertain that most of the conference attendees have already formed hostile factions, leaving the twins and a few other misfits to band together.
What seems like teen hormones in overdrive becomes something much more dangerous, even deadly. Add in a strange magic-warded cabin in the woods and a local history rife with curses and macabre legends, and it becomes clear this was a really, really bad place to build a camp for teenage supernaturals.
Can't wait to read this one as I never did read it when it was a serial novel. I'm terrible about reading those, plus as I mentioned before, I like to be able to read everything all together and not have other reads in between or at the same time. So basically, I've been waiting for this one without even realizing it! Lol.
TITLE: Wolf's Bane
AUTHOR: Kelley Armstrong
PUBLISHER: Kla Frickle Inc
GENRE: YA Paranormal
RELEASE DATE: October 15, 2019
When Catherine Cooper settles in the Hamptons on the heels of a nasty split from her long-time husband, the luxurious coastal community seems like the perfect place to get back on track in style. But as Cat soon discovers, starting fresh on the East End can be deadly...
Cat Cooper never imagined selling off her in-demand marketing firm would mean going from the pinnacle of success to a walking hot mess. Gouged from an unexpected divorce, Cat suddenly finds herself struggling through a new career as a business-savvy life coach for the hopelessly adrift in East Hampton and contending with Heather Holland--a spiteful neighbor who will do anything to bully her out of town. But her second act may very well continue behind bars when Heather's dead body turns up next to a shattered punchbowl...and Cat's pinned as the murderer.
But given Heather's mean girl reputation, any one of the guests at her invite-only luncheon could have committed the crime before planting Cat's punchbowl next to the body. Determined not to trade designer duds for an unflattering prison jumpsuit, Cat sides with her best friend Gilley to scour chic boutiques and oceanfront mansions in search of the criminal who framed her. With a stoic detective looking to get her in cuffs, it's up to Cat to catch the real killer and land on her feet once again...
I somehow missed news of this spinoff! And even better, it's combining both Psychic Eye and Ghost Hunter with Cat and Gilley and I am SO excited!! Though I think I ought to get caught up with Psychic Eye before diving into this one right away...just in case!
TITLE: Coached to Death
AUTHOR: Victoria Laurie
PUBLISHER: Kensington Publishing Corporation
GENRE: Paranormal Mystery
RELEASE DATE: October 29, 2019
Sep 17, 2019
Review--Mistress of All Evil by Serena Valentino
The tale is told as if it's happening once upon a dream: the lovely maiden meets her handsome prince in the woods. The story has been told many times and in many ways. But always the maiden finds out that she is a princess-a princess who has been cursed by a dark fairy to prick her finger on a spindle and fall into an eternal sleep. Though her three good fairies try to protect her, the princess succumbs to the curse. But the power of good endures, as her true love defeats the fire-breathing dragon and awakens the princess with true love's first kiss. The two live happily ever after.
And yet this is only half the story. So what of the dark fairy, Maleficent? Why does she curse the innocent princess? What led to her becoming so filled with malice, anger, and hatred? Many tales have tried to explain her motives. Here is one account, pulled down from the many passed down through the ages. It is a tale of love and betrayal, of magic and reveries. It is a tale of the Mistress of All Evil.
Another Disney Villains novel read! I can’t believe I waited so long to read this series! It’s is seriously good! Serena Valentino takes the Disney movies we know and love and tells us the other side of the story, the story we only thought we knew. In the Mistress of All Evil, we thought we knew why Maleficent did what she did to Aurora, but we were very, very wrong.
The story begins with Maleficent seeking out the odd sisters, needing their help in the spell she cast upon Aurora. Thanks to the three good fairies, her spell isn’t permanent as she intended and she wants their help to make it so Aurora will never awaken. Here we believe that Maleficent is as evil as we always thought, but the story doesn’t truly begin until we start to read the chapters regarding Maleficent’s childhood.
Poor Maleficent never had it easy, it seems everyone had condemned her to be evil before she even had a chance to find herself. This story will have you shooting daggers at Cinderella’s fairy godmother and the three good fairies who take care of Aurora as a child. And to think, I used to like Merryweather. Now, I know these are just stories and aren’t meant to rip apart the Disney movies we know and love so well. It’s just amazing how detailed the stories are in maintaining the character-likeness from the movies we know so well.
The story continues to do a bit of back and forth in showing us the present going-ons with Maleficent and even Aurora who is trapped in a dream world while under the enchanted sleeping spell. I quite liked this since poor Aurora is literally one of the only Disney princesses who doesn’t get as many lines as the rest. It was said that she was the only title character with the least lines, and I think that is in all Disney movie history, not just princesses too! So this added little bit with Aurora was rather intriguing.
Of course, the biggest surprise of them all ended up being the twist Serena threw into the story regarding Aurora! Wow! Did not see that one coming and just WOW! I want to know more, but of course the story is over and I don’t foresee there being any other answers to that fact other than what was already given. Of course, that wasn’t the only jaw-dropping secret that was revealed as there was yet another one thrown into the mix regarding the odd sisters themselves. Boy that was surprising! I can’t wait to see what will happen next in Mother Gothel’s story!
What I find really enjoyable about these books to date is how the movies we know and love are still being put into action! The outcomes are still the same, though there could be something new happening behind the scenes that we were never privy to before. And I love that Serena includes all the dialogue too, all those well-known and beloved lines! I am literally seeing the movie play in my head at these times!
I cannot recommend this series enough to my fellow Disney fans! As a Disney lover, I always enjoy seeing a Disney movie take a different twist here and there or like the other beloved Twisted Tales series that suggests what if something else happened instead…what then? These kinds of Disney novels are surprising, yet utterly delightful! I cannot wait to read the rest and I am dying to know what other villains Serena might take on next. I feel like I might know one possibility…though it might take a while to get that story, as Maleficent was hinted at for the first three books and she didn’t come around until the fourth one. So who knows, time will tell and I will be reading whatever else Serena decides to throw at us in this world!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker.
1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.
"Maleficent quickly realized that she could teach herself almost anything she wanted to do by reading a book. There wasn't a subject that didn't fascinate her. She coveted her time alone after school in her tree house, where she could read, and she'd often share her findings with her crows." p. 54
TITLE: Mistress of All Evil
AUTHOR: Serena Valentino
PUBLISHER: Disney Press
GENRE: Disney Retelling
RELEASE DATE: October 3, 2017
This week's topic is: Favorite Things to Eat/Drink While Reading (submitted by Jana’s mom)
*let me note that I generally don't eat or drink with my book after the great devastation of splattering my fruit punch some feet away from a book and still had it stained. Never ever again. So yeah, eating and drinking is minimal around my books. I've mastered eating my lunch one handed for this reason!
**in no particular order
5. SODA--I'll easily drink a can of soda while reading...given that the soda sits at least an arm's reach away.
4. PRETZELS--they're healthy and they don't leave fingers greasy for page turning
3. POPCORN--okay, this can get a little greasy, even my Healthy Pop. But it's totally easy to eat one handed!
2. ANIMAL CRACKERS--the tasty treat that's good to eat and doesn't leave fingers greasy or anything! Lol.
1. MY LUNCH--I'm one of those boring people who will happily eat the same lunch every day (at least during the week!). I have a ham sandwich, a few chips, and a snack bar as my dessert.
Sep 16, 2019
Fall Book Tag
Well, I decided I'd better choose a more recent read so Fairest of All was pretty fresh and unique! I mean, we all thought we knew the Disney story of Snow White, but we were so very, very wrong!
Nightblood was pretty shocking! Things were happening and I wasn't entirely sure how much soul crushing Elly was going to do to me! Lol.
I bet you were expecting a totally different novel here! Lol. Blood and Chocolate might not be your typical warm and fuzzy kind of book, minus the furry werewolves, but when I think back on it, I did get a lot of warm fuzzies by its ending!
Some more oldies and goodies! The 13 to Life Series was a favorite of mine and as you can see, it has some really great covers, two with Fall colored vibes!
I'm going to go with Finale for this one! While the action may have been more of a building of tension and things to come, there was never a dull moment!
Okay, cheating with this one because I've two that I CANNOT WAIT TO READ this Fall! Naturally, The Beautiful is one, and The Queen of Nothing is the other because omg, Holly Black!!
If this looked like fun and you want to join in, consider yourself tagged!!
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