Weekly Mews: The One Where I Cram It All Into One Post (Vote in My July TBR List Poll!)

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz where participants discuss what they are reading and other bookish topics. In addition, I am linking to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews and Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently. I am linking up to Kathryn of The Book Date It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where readers share what they have been reading throughout the week.

 View from our hike in the San Jacinto Mountains

California is doing a bit of rockin' and rollin' all of its own as of late. I hope all my fellow Californians who felt it are safe. It's a good reminder for those of us living in earthquake prone areas to be prepared.

My family and I spent last week in the mountains, getting some much needed relaxation and quiet time in. I love being surrounded by trees and nature. Our time there went by too fast and it was back to the real world this week.

We attended a local minor league baseball game who was hosting a Girl Scout night the last Friday in June. Mouse and some of her troop members were able to parade on the field. Mouse took part in a pudding eating contest during one of the inning breaks. The girls had to lay on the grass field, head to head, with one of them feeding spoonfuls of pudding to the girl behind her. Mouse and her partner won, making Mouse very proud!

Mouse attended Girl Scout camp earlier this week. Most of her troop are attending a horse camp the end of this month, but because of the summer show schedule, she is not able to go. She was nervous about going to camp without knowing a soul, but Mouse tends to make friends easily, and she enjoyed herself quite a bit.

With the show dates bumped up a weekend due to venue availability, it has put everything into more than the usual rush mode. With extra rehearsals for both my husband and daughter, including dress rehearsals (which means I will be busy helping with costume changes and such), there will be little rest for us this month. Family will be coming in from out of town as well, which brings with it its own extra level of stress.

June was busy as expected. There was dance camp and Anjin's birthday, along with Father's Day, which we spent mini-golfing and visiting the local amusement park. Anjin started his rehearsals as Don Quixote. Work has also been keeping us busy. You know. The usual.

I did manage to get in a lot of reading for myself this past month, I am happy to say; although my blogging completely fell by the wayside.


Tell me what you have been up to! How was your June? Do you have anything planned for this month?  

Be sure and vote in my TBR List Poll this week, and help me decide what to read next! You can find the poll at the bottom of this post. Thank you!

What I Am Watching: I recently watched Netflix's Dead to Me starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini, which I enjoyed quite a bit. Those two actresses were amazing in their roles, and I liked the depth and complexities of each of their characters. The short episodes make it perfect for binge-watching, not to mention the way each episode builds on the other. For those who do not know, the show is a domestic thriller about a newly widowed woman and mother who is befriended by another grieving woman during a support group.

I also caught a couple episodes of Legacies, which somehow I completely missed hearing about until I found it on Netflix. I never did see the last couple seasons of The Vampire Diaries or ever really get into The Originals, of which Legacies is a spin off.  That doesn't seem to matter though.

Movie wise, my family and I saw the live action Aladdin this past month. I think my daughter has a new appreciation for Jasmine. I liked it more than I expected. And yes, I even liked even Will Smith as the genie. The new song, "Speechless" had a bit too much of a pop sound to it as compared to the songs from the original, but I appreciated the added women empowerment message.

What I Am Listening To: My personal listening time is very limited, and so I am only two thirds of the way through Marie Lu's Warcross. But when I am able to listen, I am loving it! It reminds me a bit of Ready Player One, but likely only because of how much of it takes place in the virtual world.

Meanwhile, on our drive up and back to the mountains, my husband, daughter and I listened to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I enjoyed Jim Dale's narration. And my daughter is loving it too. She's seen the movie, but this is her first experience with the book. My husband and I were reminded of things about the book we'd forgotten since we first read it, remembering why we loved the books in the first place.

What I Am Reading: I was on a romantic thriller kick last week, reading Katie Ruggle's Fan the Flames and Monica McCarty's Off the Grid. Both were on the fun side. I also finished Ruth Ware's upcoming thriller Turn of the Key, which I will be discussing closer to the release date. Let's just say I have no interest in living in a smart house any time soon!

Mouse and I are reading the Pippi Longstocking Goes on Board by Astrid Lindgren, and are enjoying it quite a bit. I never read the books as a child, but remember seeing the television show and movies based on the character. Mouse has really taken to Pippi, just like I did. We plan to continue with the series.

I currently am reading a couple of books, one on my phone and the other on my Kindle: Out of Time  (Lost Platoon, #3) by Monica McCarty and The Gossamer Mage by Julie E. Czerneda. I am having a little trouble getting into the latter book, and hope it will pick up for me soon.

Books Read in June:
Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
The Lady and the Thief by Megan Derr
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
Smitten by the Brit by Melonie Johnson
Death in Kew Gardens by Jennifer Ashley
False Step by Victoria Helen Stone
Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
Fan of the Flames by Katie Ruggle
Off the Grid by Monica McCarty

What are you reading, listening to and watching? 

Along with my mini reviews, I am linking to both Book Beginnings, a meme in which readers share the first sentence of a book they are reading, hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader and Friday 56 hosted by Freda of Freda's Voice, in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading.

Tales of the Fae by L.J. Hamlin

Less Than Three Press, 2018

Fantasy/Romance (Short Stories); 35 pgs

Walking into the gallery, brightly lit with amazing art on the walls, Alice is almost glad she came. [Opening of "Hearts in Motion" from Tales of the Fae]

"Do not worry, little one. Nothing you say in my forest will ever leave it. You're safe here with me, for as long as you want to stay." [excerpt from "Ode the the Forest Fae", 56% of Tales of the Fae]

I have not read much in the way of LGBTQIA romance, and thought L.J. Hamlin’s Tales of the Fae would be a good one to dip my toe into. I do enjoy a good story about the fae, after all. I wanted to like this collection more, but was underwhelmed by all three of the short stories. I never felt like I really got to know any of the characters well—always a risk with short stories, I suppose. The first one, “Hearts in Motion,” was perhaps the strongest, and the one I enjoyed the most. It is about a yeti shifter who steps out of her comfort zone when she meets a beautiful faerie artist who asks to paint her. I connected with the yeti shifter and would not have minded a longer story involving her character. And the fae artist too, of course. I was the least moved by “Ode to the Forest Fae,” sadly. It is about an ancient forest faerie who is awakened by a young human girl’s singing. While I liked the idea of the story, it never really got off the ground for me. I would have liked more in the way of character development so I could better understand—and feel--what drew these two women together. The third story, “The Fae by the Lake,” held promise, but ultimately failed me in much the same way as the second, although worked a bit more for me. In that one, a photographer stumbles into a lake and is saved by a faerie. I think the stories had promise, but ultimately, were not what I was hoping for. 

The Lady and the Thief  (Deceived, #5) by Megan Derr
Less Than Three Press, 2018
Romance/Historical/Mystery; 78 pgs

"Lisette!" Adeline hissed, and when Lisette turned, wisps of her beautiful hair fluttering about her face, Adeline beckoned to her. [Opening of The Lady and the Thief]

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life hearing that I should be gateful someone was willing to marry me. Like I'm a punishment people endure so they can tell everyone how good and wonderful they are." [excerpt from 56%]

The Lady and the Thief is my first experience with Megan Derr’s writing. I was immediately struck by the synopsis which offers us a taste of what the reader can expect: the story of a teenage orphan, Adeline, who, while in the care of her aunt and uncle, falls in love with her maid. Then the maid turns around and steals from them, including taking the only piece of jewelry Adeline has left of her mother. Now, older and wiser, Adeline is at a ball when she sees who other than her former maid, the love of her life. Only, her maid is no longer Lisette, as Adeline once knew her, but Lady Wisteria.

I expected a romance when picking up The Lady and the Thief, with a bit of mystery—and was pleasantly surprised that the mystery is quite strong in this one (you can’t take the mystery lover out of me, I’m afraid). This was a fun read. I really liked Adeline in her innocence and straightforwardness. She was not going to back down until she found out what Lisette/Lady Wisteria was up to. I can definitely see, too, why Adeline was drawn to Lisette. She’s charming and earnest in her concern for Adeline. Even I wanted to trust her even despite her past actions, wanting to at least hear her out. The chemistry between the two was palpable. The novella has a Victorian feel to it, time period wise, but I really appreciated, even with that, the fact that same sex marriages were not only acceptable, but encouraged in the world Derr has set her story in. If I had any complaints, it would be that it was too short, and so the characters weren’t as fleshed out as I might have liked (forever my complaint about short stories and novellas). I hadn’t realized this was part of a series, but I would like to go back and read the earlier books in the series.

Source: I received eARC copies of both of these books via NetGalley in exchange for honest reviews. This does not affect my opinion of the books or the content of my reviews.

New to My Shelves (all books purchased by me): 

Love_Is_Love: An Anthology for LGBTQIA+ Teens edited by Emma Eden Ramos

One of my blogging friends and poet, Serena Agusto-Cox (of Savvy Verse & Wit), has a couple poems in the collection and graciously signed my copy for me. I could not miss the opportunity to support a good cause, The Trevor Project, not to mention feed my love for poetry.

Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox, #2) by Julie Kagawa

Crime and Punctuation (Deadly Edits, #1) by Kaitlyn Dunnett

Have you added any new books to your shelves recently?

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Do you review all of the books you read? (submitted by Elizabeth @Silver's Reviews)

There was a time I would have answered yes to this question, but over the past eight years, I have not reviewed every book I have read. The books that tend to get overlooked are the children's books I read with my daughter. I have reviewed some, but not most. There may be the occasional health related book I feel is too personal to mention or review. And I do not count DNF (Did Not Finish) books as having been read, and so rarely talk about them. If I remember though, I might at least explain why I could not finish a book. I do not think it is fair to call my thoughts on why I did not finish a book a review, however.

What about you? If you are a blogger, do you review or share your thoughts about all the books you read?

Thank you for helping me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:

My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise). 

I am excited about all three of this week's TBR List options and look forward to seeing which one wins!

Vox by Christina Dalcher 

Set in an America where half the population has been silenced, VOX is the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter.

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than 100 words daily, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial--this can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

This is just the beginning.

Soon women can no longer hold jobs. Girls are no longer taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words a day, but now women only have one hundred to make themselves heard.

But this is not the end.

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice. [Goodreads Summary]

Dear Martin by Nic Stone 

Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack. [Goodreads Summary]

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

New York Times bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS.

While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other. [Goodreads Summary]

Thank you for voting! 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Happy Reading!

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