I hope you all are having a great weekend! #SixforSunday is a weekly meme hosted by Steph @ A Little But a Lot. This week’s topic is the books we’re excited about for the rest of the year so I included the 2021 fall releases that I can’t wait to read!
Continue reading “#SixforSunday: 2021 Fall Releases on My TBR”
Welcome to my stop on the Pride and Premeditation book tour! Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours for organizing the tour and allowing me to participate as a tour host!
Title: Pride and Premeditation (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #1)
Author: Tirzah Price
Release: April 6, 2021
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
When a scandalous murder shocks London high society, seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seizes the opportunity to prove herself, despite the interference of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious firm Pemberley Associates.
Convinced the authorities have imprisoned the wrong person, Lizzie vows to solve the murder on her own. But as the case—and her feelings for Darcy—become more complicated, Lizzie discovers that her dream job could make her happy, but it might also get her killed.
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ARC provided by Harper Teen through NetGalley.
Pride and Premeditation is a Jane Austen retelling with a murder mystery twist and I was seriously impressed with this book! It was enjoyable, fun, and an excellent new take on a beloved classic.
My favorite thing about this book was how well it incorporated elements of Pride and Prejudice. The characters and major plot points remained, staying true to their source material, but the rest of the story was uniquely woven around them to give it a fresh feel. The murder mystery also added an aspect of unpredictability that I always find important when reading retellings, and this was done perfectly.
Tirzah Price is very clearly a seasoned writer, and it really shows in her debut book. The writing was engaging, the pacing was excellent, and the weaving of Pride and Prejudice elements with originality was cleverly done. I look forward to reading more Jane Austen murder mysteries from her in the future!
Tirzah Price grew up on a farm in Michigan, where she read every book she could get her hands on and never outgrew her love for YA fiction. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is a former bookseller and librarian. Now, she’s a contributing editor at Book Riot, where she writes about YA books and cohosts the All the Books and Read Harder podcasts. When she’s not writing, reading, or thinking about YA books, she splits her time between experimenting in the kitchen and knitting enough socks to last the fierce Michigan winters. Tirzah is pronounced TEER-ZUH.
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I hope you all are having a great weekend! #SixforSunday is a weekly meme hosted by Steph @ A Little But a Lot. For this week’s theme, I decided to feature my favorite authors whose books I’ll always pick up. I’m always looking to try new authors and read debuts, but there’s just something extra special about diving into a new book by one of your favorite authors.
1. LAINI TAYLOR
Laini’s writing is unparalleled in my opinion. She is such a fantastic storyteller and creates the most wonderful, imaginative stories. I’ve had the pleasure to meet her multiple times and I think almost every book I have by her has been signed. I’m really looking forward to her next book and I hope one is announced soon!
Favorite Book: Muse of Nightmares
2. ROSHANI CHOKSHI
Roshani is another author whose writing is absolutely beautiful and vivid. Every time I read one of her books I’m easily transported into the story. Her characters are always well-written and she excels at developing different dynamics between them. I’m so excited for The Bronzed Beasts to come out this year!
Favorite Book: A Crown of Wishes
3. LEIGH BARDUGO
I’ve called her the Boss-Queen of YA Fantasy and I stand by that title. I don’t think there is any book by her that I haven’t enjoyed and look forward to reading many more of her works in the future.
Favorite Book: Shadow and Bone
4. KATE QUINN
Kate Quinn is my absolute go-to for historical fiction. Her stories are always captivating and incredible. She does an amazing job weaving fiction with historical facts and I can always expect a story full of suspense, romance, heartbreak, and everything in-between.
Favorite Book: Mistress of Rome
5. ADRIENNE YOUNG
Adrienne is newer favorite author, but I’m captivated by every story she tells. She’s obviously a very talented writer, creating complex characters and a world that readers can immerse themselves in. I love that we don’t have to wait a year between books and that Namesake will be out in the world soon!
Favorite Book: Sky in the Deep
6. TESSA DARE
Whenever someone mentions dabbling into historical romance, Tessa Dare is the author I throw at them. How much do I love her books? I’ve read them all. Yes, every. single. one. And as any historical romance fan knows, that is quite a lot of books.
Favorite Book: Do You Want to Start a Scandal? / Any Duchess Will Do
7. CHRISTINA LAUREN
CLo are my go-to gals when I want a fun, sexy, witty contemporary romance. Every time I pick up one of their books, I know I’m about to have a great reading time. And while they aren’t all winners in my eyes, there’s not a single one that I haven’t at least enjoyed.
Favorite Book: Beautiful Player / Love and Other Words
Hello everyone! Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is books we’d love to have adapted in a Netflix movie or series. I was working on a blog post very similar to this theme so luckily I had already put in some good thought into which books I would love to see on Netflix!
1. IF I’M BEING HONEST
Netflix romcoms are the best, and I’m not even sorry about it. There are so many great YA romantic comedy books that I think would make a fantastic movie, but one of the one’s I’d love to see adapted the most (and that I think would be a huge hit) is If I’m Being Honest.
2. DARK MATTER
“I would love to see a movie adaptation of this, because if done correctly, I think it would be a big hit,” –Me, in my review.
This book is a complete mind-fuck. It would make such a tremendous thriller movie because the reader is taken on such a wild ride throughout the book.
3. 10 BLIND DATES
When I read this book, I said that it was perfect for anyone who enjoys holiday Hallmark movies. But you know what? It would also make a great holiday movie. It’s cute, it’s heartwarming, and it would be the perfect feel-good story for the holidays.
4. SALT TO THE SEA
I would absolutely love to see a movie adaptation of this book. The story is based on the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustlaff, which had the largest loss of life of any maritime disaster in history. Never heard of it? Neither had I until I read this book. It gets hardly any attention–especially compared to the Titanic–so I would love a movie adaptation or at the very least, a historical documentary.
5. THE POPPY WAR
Listen, if I could choose any book or book series to be made into a Netflix series, it would be this one. PLEASE NETFLIX, GIVE ME THIS ADAPTATION. Honestly, if these books were ever adapted into a movie or series, I would literally die (just like [redacted] in the burning god 😩).
6. THE PRISONER’S WIFE
This would make such a good World War II film! It’s an amazing book and I would love to see it adapted into a movie. Historical fiction movies always tend to do really well and I believe this book as all the makings for a real hit. It’s got romance, suspense, action, friendship and a message of hope and perseverance.
7. THE BEST LAID PLANS
Another YA romantic comedy that I think would be a fantastic candidate for a Netflix adaptation. Like I said in my review in February, “If I could choose only one book from this year to have made into a movie it would be The Best Laid Plans (@Netflix I’m looking at you).”
8. GODDESS THE MACHINE
Only the first book has been released, and already I know this would make an amazing sci-fi/apocalyptic Netflix series. The book is perfect for fans of The 100, which is in its last season, so this is the perfect opportunity to fill in that gap and pull in those who loved the show with something new, yet similar.
9. THE HUSBAND’S SECRET
I’m hoping that since Big Little Lies is such a huge hit on HBO, one day my dreams will come true and The Husband’s Secret will also be adapted as either a movie or series. I actually love this book way more than Big Little Lies. When you finally learn the husband’s secret and everything that goes along with it? 🤯
10. THE MEDIATOR
These books were hot shit when I was in middle school/high school. To this day, they remain one of my favorite series of books. They would be so much fun adapted to a Netflix series! A smart, snarky teenage mediator who can balance schoolwork, hot boys, and sending murderous ghosts back to the beyond? Suze could be the next Buffy if given the chance.
Title: The Orphan Collector
Author: Ellen Marie Wiseman
Rating: ★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher through BookishFirst.
The Orphan Collector is a captivating story about the Spanish Influenza outbreak of 1918, and eerily timely giving the events of today. The author weaves together a story that is poignant, heartbreaking, and thrilling. I was absolutely glued to the pages and found it difficult to put the book down.
“A hollow draft of fear swept through her. It felt like the end of the world.”
Many of the events that occur during this time period are, unfortunately, relevant to the events going on around the world regarding COVID-19. When I first read the excerpt of The Orphan Collector on BookishFirst back in March, it felt like some of the passages could have been pulled from current headlines, and it sent chills down my spine.
“The churches and schools are to be closed. All places for gathering, even the factories and moving picture houses, will not be open. No funerals are to be allowed either. Many people are getting sick, so everyone is to stay home.”
It was impossible not to feel for Pia. The poor girl knows nothing but hardship and heartbreak from the first chapter of this book. Just when you think things are about to get better, another wrench is thrown into her search for her twin brothers. I wanted nothing more to than to have her happy and reunited with her loved ones by the end of the book, and while it wasn’t all sunshines and daisies, I do believe she is give the (mostly) happy ending that she deserved.
The book is also told through the point of view of Bernice, a grieving mother. As a reader, we start out feeling sorry for her situation, but very quickly those feelings change. I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve hated a character as much as I hated Bernice. I must give kudos to the author for writing such a well-written villain.
The Orphan Collector is an extremely poignant and vivid recollection of one the worst periods of time. Ellen Marie Wiseman excelled at writing the story in a way that the fear and confusion were palpable to the reader. I highly recommend this book to any fan of historical fiction. You will not be disappointed by Pia Lange’s journey.
Paws & Paperbacks 