Posts By: Bonnie

Bonnie

Lover of tea. Crazed Bibliophile. Daydreamer.
I have a ridiculous love for the written word. I read anything and everything: Adult fiction, YA, Middle Grade, even the occasional Non-Fiction.

When I'm not reading I'm caring for my step-children, drinking obscene amounts of tea and contemplating what life will be like in the impending apocalypse.

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Book Review | The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

February 14, 2019 Bonnie 2019, Adult, Book Reviews 12 Comments

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Book Review | The Dreamers by Karen Thompson WalkerThe Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
Published by Random House on January 15, 2019
Pages: 320
Genres: Sci-fi
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Audible
Goodreads

Also by this author: The Age of Miracles

four-stars

In an isolated college town in the hills of Southern California, a freshman girl stumbles into her dorm room, falls asleep—and doesn’t wake up. She sleeps through the morning, into the evening. Her roommate, Mei, cannot rouse her. Neither can the paramedics who carry her away, nor the perplexed doctors at the hospital. Then a second girl falls asleep, and then another, and panic takes hold of the college and spreads to the town. As the number of cases multiplies, classes are canceled, and stores begin to run out of supplies. A quarantine is established. The National Guard is summoned.

Mei, an outsider in the cliquish hierarchy of dorm life, finds herself thrust together with an eccentric, idealistic classmate. Two visiting professors try to protect their newborn baby as the once-quiet streets descend into chaos. A father succumbs to the illness, leaving his daughters to fend for themselves. And at the hospital, a new life grows within a college girl, unbeknownst to her—even as she sleeps. A psychiatrist, summoned from Los Angeles, attempts to make sense of the illness as it spreads through the town. Those infected are displaying unusual levels of brain activity, more than has ever been recorded. They are dreaming heightened dreams—but of what?

‘…so much of this life will remain always beyond her understanding, as obscure as the landscapes of someone else’s dreams.’

In Southern California, a small town becomes the epicenter of a strange contagion that causes people to sleep indefinitely. Some won’t ever open their eyes again. There’s confusion and hysteria regarding how it’s spread, how to contain it, and meanwhile, more and more people fall victim to the seemingly unavoidable illness. But while it appears that these individuals are sleeping peacefully, inside, their minds are more active than any recorded human brain in history. But what exactly do they dream of, in this inescapable slumber? While they sleep, the waking ones are left to care for their bodies to ensure that one day it will be possible for them to wake again. As the day’s pass and questions remain unanswered, the dreamers begin to outnumber the ones that remain awake.

Karen Thompson Walker once again brings us a dystopian tale that is unsettling in its plausibility. The Dreamers shows us a glimpse at a multitude of individuals within this town without becoming overwhelming: the student that regrets leaving for college and hopes for a day when she’s able to go home, the parents with a newborn who fear falling victim and leaving their baby alone, the young girls that have always fended for themselves fine but now have no other choice when their father falls asleep. The focus on a variety of individuals manages to show the differences in how they react to the unknown by the different facets of their fear and builds on that frenzy of inner turmoil, not knowing what actions to take to avoid becoming the next victim. It’s when the reader is given a glimpse into the mind of a dreamer that you begin to wonder if these individuals are in fact “victims”.

I was a huge fan of Walker’s debut, The Age of Miracles, and I was thrilled to see her focus on another dystopian centered story. The Dreamers, however, takes a different route focusing on the philosophical aspects of the contagion rather the scientific reasoning behind it. This difference in focus, and Walker’s enchanting writing style, inevitably gives the story a dreamlike feel that pairs well with the feeling of disconnect these characters exude, quarantined within a town and simply waiting for the day that they too fall asleep and never wake. The Dreamers doesn’t necessarily end in ambiguity but it certainly lacks concrete answers that would normally be expected in novels of this ilk but are exactly what you’d expect in an actual dream. This story still manages to be incredibly satisfying as long as you’re willing to lose yourself in its slow, hypnotic rhythm.

The Fever by Megan Abbott [Purchase|Review]
Lock In (Lock In #1) by John Scalzi [Purchase]
Blindness by José Saramago [Purchase|Review]

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Waiting on Wednesday – The Right Swipe (Modern Love #1) by Alisha Rai

February 13, 2019 Bonnie Waiting on Wednesday 4 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday – The Right Swipe (Modern Love #1) by Alisha RaiThe Right Swipe by Alisha Rai
Series: Modern Love #1
Published by Avon on July 2, 2019
Pages: 384
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Format: Paperback
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository
Goodreads

Alisha Rai returns with the first book in her sizzling new Modern Love series, in which two rival dating app creators find themselves at odds in the boardroom but in sync in the bedroom.

Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionized romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career—and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules:

- Nude pics are by invitation only

- If someone stands you up, block them with extreme prejudice

- Protect your heart

Only there aren't any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former pro-football player Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night... and disappears.

Rhi thought she'd buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful—and in league with a business rival. He says he won't fumble their second chance, but she's wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that’s too high a risk…

About Alisha Rai

Alisha Rai writes award-winning emotionally complex contemporary romance novels and is frequently sought as a speaker on a range of topics covering romance and media.

She is the first author to have an indie-published book appear on Washington Post’s annual Best Books list. Her books have also been named Best Books of the Year by NPR, Vulture, Entertainment Weekly, Amazon, Kirkus, Bustle, and Cosmopolitan Magazine and her novels have won the RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for erotic and contemporary romance. When she’s not writing, Alisha is traveling and tweeting.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

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Something To Look Forward To – Week of February 12th, 2019

February 11, 2019 Bonnie Something To Look Forward To 1 Comment

Here’s what’s releasing this week: a blend of YA, Adult, and the occasional Middle Grade. Something for everyone to look forward to! All book purchase links go to their respective Amazon page.
Help support this blog and use the purchase links to get your copy!

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Week of February 12th, 2019

The Sisterhood by A.J. Grainger [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

The Triumphant (The Valiant #3) by Lesley Livingston [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Razorbill

Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Tor Teen

Bloodwitch (The Witchlands #3) by Susan Dennard [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Tor Teen

The Blood Spell (Ravenspire #4) by C.J. Redwine [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Balzer + Bray

Crown of Feathers (Crown of Feathers #1) by Nicki Pau Preto [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Simon Pulse

The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Berkley

Awake in the World by Jason Gurley [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Roaring Brook Press

The Black Coats by Colleen Oakes [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by HarperTeen

The Truth and Lies of Ella Black by Emily Barr [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Philomel Books

What Every Girl Should Know by J. Albert Mann [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Eventown by Corey Ann Haydu [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Katherine Tegen Books

The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Walden Pond Press

To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan & Meg Wolitzer [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Dial Books

The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Tor Books

Early Riser by Jasper Fforde [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Viking

The Test by Sylvain Neuvel [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Tor.com

The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Crooked Lane Books

The Revenant Express (Newbury and Hobbes #5) by George Mann [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Tor Books

Terminal Uprising (Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse #2) by Jim C. Hines [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by DAW Books

The Hunting Party: A Novel by Lucy Foley [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by William Morrow

The Secretary by Renée Knight [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Harper

A Deadly Divide (Rachel Getty & Esa Khattak #5) by Ausma Zehanat Khan [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Minotaur Books

The Good Lie (Peter Rena #2) by Tom Rosenstiel [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Ecco

Careless Love: A DCI Banks Novel (Inspector Banks #25) by Peter Robinson [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by William Morrow

Say You’re Sorry (Sacramento, #1) by Karen Rose [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Berkley Books

Trigger by David Swinson [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Mulholland Books

The Cassandra by Sharma Shields [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Henry Holt & Company

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Flatiron Books

The Heavens by Sandra Newman [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Grove Press

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Random House

Leading Men by Christopher Castellani [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Viking

The Chef’s Secret: A Novel by Crystal King [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Touchstone

The Sisters Hemingway: A Novel by Annie England Noblin [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by William Morrow Paperbacks

Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Knopf Publishing Group

Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Ballantine Books

Northern Lights by Raymond Strom [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Simon Schuster

Death Is Hard Work by Khaled Khalifa [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Farrar Straus and Giroux

Rutting Season: Stories by Mandeliene Smith [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Scribner

Honey in the Carcase: Stories by Josip Novakovich [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Dzanc Books

Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 12th 2019 by Simon Schuster

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Monthly Rundown: January 2019

February 7, 2019 Bonnie Monthly Rundown 2 Comments

Books Read = 9

I only read 4 books in December so I didn’t even bother doing a Rundown. This month, I think I finally found my groove again when it comes to reading. Only 9, but it felt like a success. Still trying to work on getting back into a reviewing groove but for now, at least I’m reading again.

Posted Reviews

Unreviewed Reads

 

Best of the Month: One Day in December by Josie Silver ★★★★★
This was a completely spontaneous Audible purchase and I’m so glad I took the chance. I thoroughly enjoyed this love story and the dual-narration was absolutely superb. I can’t wait for more from this author.

Least Favorite: The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #2) by Rick Riordan ★★★
The Hammer of Thor was far from the worst book I read this month, I did give it 3 stars after all, but it was the one I was least impressed with. Honestly, I’ve been pretty unimpressed with the entire Kurt Cobain, *cough*, Magnus Chase series from the beginning. I’m so unimpressed that I’m not even interested in picking up the next book, but considering it’s the last in the trilogy I probably will just to see it through.

Biggest Surprise: The Child Finder (Naomi Cottle #1) by Rene Denfeld ★★★★
I read Denfeld’s debut and while The Child Finder was a completely different genre, I never really intended on picking this one up. I was in need of an audiobook and picked this one up completely at random and ended up being pleasantly surprised at how enthralled I was. Will definitely be picking up the next book in the series.

Biggest Disappointment: 99 Percent Mine: A Novel by Sally Thorne DNFLife’s Too Short – Transcription, The Clockmaker’s Daughter, 99 Percent Mine
I adored The Hating Game and I’d been anxiously awaiting Thorne’s next release with crazy anticipation. Suffice it to say, I couldn’t even bring myself to finish it and I’m “disappointed” is the understatement of the year.

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Waiting on Wednesday – My Life in Shambles by Karina Halle

February 6, 2019 Bonnie Uncategorized, Waiting on Wednesday 3 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday – My Life in Shambles by Karina HalleMy Life in Shambles by Karina Halle
on February 13th 2019
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eBook
Goodreads

Also by this author: Come Alive, Shooting Scars, Bold Tricks

When Valerie Stephens made the resolution to say yes to new adventures, she never thought she’d end up in the tiny town of Shambles, fake engaged to one of Ireland’s top rugby players. But there’s a first time for everything.

They say bad things happen in threes.

After my boyfriend broke off our engagement, I lost my apartment, and was laid off from my job, I can definitely attest to that.

They also say life is what happens when you say yes to new adventures.

So when my two sisters invited me to ring in the new year in Ireland, I decided to throw all caution to the wind and go for it. I was going to let “saying yes” be my new resolution.

Little did I know I’d spend New Year’s Eve having a hot and dirty one-night stand with Padraig McCarthy, one hell of a sexy Irishman. I also didn’t know that the brooding and intense sex god was one of Ireland’s top rugby players.

A rugby player with a proposition for me:

Come with him to his tiny hometown of Shambles and pretend to be his fiancé for a few days, just so that his ailing father can have some peace of mind.

It sounded simple enough.

It was anything but.

Not when a town gets up in your business, not when the media hunts you down, not when your past comes back in the picture, not when there are real hearts and feelings at stake.

Not when there are secrets that could break you.

They say life is what happens when you say yes to new adventures.

This is my life in Shambles.

This is a full-length contemporary standalone romance

About Karina Halle

Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and the USA Today Bestselling author of Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, and other wild and romantic reads. She lives in a 1920s farmhouse on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Next week!! 😍

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

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Top Ten Tuesday – Hyped Releases of 2019

February 4, 2019 Bonnie Top Ten Tuesday 11 Comments

I have difficulty sometimes when books are overly hyped. People read them and love them, then shout from the rooftops about how wonderful they are. This automatically makes me nervous because I fully expect the book to have the opposite effect because I’m contrary like that. These ten 2019 releases are ones I’m nervous about diving in, but hope they end up being worth all that hype.

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing | Expected publication: March 26th 2019 by Berkley Books
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid | Expected publication: March 5th 2019 by Ballantine Books
Little Darlings by Melanie Golding | Expected publication: April 30th 2019 by Crooked Lane Books
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey | Expected publication: June 4th 2019 by Tor Books
The Lost Man by Jane Harper | Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Flatiron Books

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo | Expected publication: May 7th 2019 by HarperTeen
The Gutter Prayer (The Black Iron Legacy #1) by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan | Published January 22nd 2019 by Orbit
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern | Expected publication: November 5th 2019 by Doubleday Books 
The Beautiful (The Beautiful #1) by Renée Ahdieh | Expected publication: October 8th 2019 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver | Expected publication: December 26th 2019 by Penguin

What books are you nervous about picking up in 2019?

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Something To Look Forward To – Week of February 4th, 2019

February 4, 2019 Bonnie Something To Look Forward To 1 Comment

Here’s what’s releasing this week: a blend of YA, Adult, and the occasional Middle Grade. Something for everyone to look forward to! All book purchase links go to their respective Amazon page.
Help support this blog and use the purchase links to get your copy!

_________________________________________________

Week of February 4th, 2019

Courting Darkness (His Fair Assassin #4) by Robin LaFevers [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by HMH Books for Young Readers

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Balzer + Bray

The Antidote by Shelley Sackier [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by HarperTeen

Following by Jeffry W. Johnston [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Sourcebooks Fire

A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa B. Sheinmel [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Sourcebooks Fire

Stolen Time (Dark Stars #1) by Danielle Rollins [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by HarperTeen

Enchantée by Gita Trelease [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Flatiron Books

Drop Dead Gorgeous (Return to Fear Street #1) by R.L. Stine [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by HarperTeen

Dark of the West (Glass Alliance #1) by Joanna Hathaway [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Tor Teen

Between Before and After by Maureen Doyle McQuerry [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Blink

Lady Smoke (Ash Princess Trilogy #2) by Laura Sebastian [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Delacorte Press

The Waning Age by S.E. Grove [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Viking Books for Young Readers

Look Closer by Stewart Lewis [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Sourcebooks Fire

Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by HarperTeen

The Deceivers (Vale Hall) by Kristen Simmons [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Tor Teen

The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Salaam Reads

Prosper Redding The Last Life of Prince Alastor (The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding #2) by Alexandra Bracken [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Disney-Hyperion

Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Delacorte Press

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Nancy Paulsen Books

A Tear in the Ocean by H.M. Bouwman [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

A Sprinkle of Spirits (Love Sugar Magic #2) by Anna Meriano [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Walden Pond Press

Swap’d (CodeGirls #2) by Tamara Ireland Stone [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Disney Book Group

Ruby in the Sky by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Farrar Straus and Giroux

The Unspeakable Unknown by Eliot Sappingfield [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Harper Voyager

Break the Bodies, Haunt the Bones by Micah Dean Hicks [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

More Deadly than the Male: Masterpieces from the Queens of Horror by Graeme Davis [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Pegasus Books

Black Leopard, Red Wolf (The Dark Star Trilogy #1) by Marlon James [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Riverhead Books

Suspicious Minds (Stranger Things #1) by Gwenda Bond [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Del Rey Books

Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Daw Books

Strife’s Bane (Shattered Kingdoms #3) by Evie Manieri [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Tor Books

The Ruin of Kings (The Godslayer Cycle #1) by Jenn Lyons [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Tor Books

Stray Moon: A Novel (Strays #2) by Kelly Meding [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Harper Voyager

The Ingenious by Darius Hinks [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Angry Robot

Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You by Scotto Moore [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Tor.com

Fog Season (Tales of Port Saint Frey #2) by Patrice Sarath [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Angry Robot

Endgames (Imager Portfolio #12) by L.E. Modesitt Jr. [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Tor Books

The Lost Man by Jane Harper [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Flatiron Books

Connections in Death (In Death #48) by J.D. Robb [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by St. Martin’s Press

Watcher in the Woods (Rockton #4) by Kelley Armstrong [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Minotaur Books

One Fatal Mistake by Tom Hunt [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Berkley Books

The Dead Ex by Jane Corry [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Pamela Dorman Books

Stalker (Joona Linna #5) by Lars Kepler [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Knopf Publishing Group

The Wedding Guest (Alex Delaware #34) by Jonathan Kellerman [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Ballantine Books

The Winter Sister by Megan Collins [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Touchstone

The Girl in the Glass Box (Jack Swyteck #15) by James Grippando [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Harper

The Bone Keeper: A Novel by Luca Veste [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Sourcebooks Landmark

A Spy in Exile: A Thriller by Jonathan de Shalit [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books

The Stranger Inside by Laura Benedict [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Mulholland Books

Forget You Know Me by Jessica Strawser [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by St. Martin’s Press

House of Beauty by Melba Escobar [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Fourth Estate

Brothers Keepers by Donald E. Westlake [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Hard Case Crime

I Invited Her In by Adele Parks [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Mira Books

Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Harper Paperbacks

The Hiding Place by C.J. Tudor [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Crown

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Celadon Books

After She’s Gone (Flickorna och mörkret #2) by Camilla Grebe [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Ballantine Books

The Murder Pit (Arrowood #2) by Mick Finlay [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Mira Books

The Coronation (Erast Fandorin Mysteries #7) by Boris Akunin [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Mysterious Press

Irish Above All by Mary Pat Kelly [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Forge

The Falcon of Sparta: A Novel by Conn Iggulden [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Pegasus Books

The Seamstress by Allison Pittman [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Tyndale House Publishers

This Shall Be a House of Peace by Phil Halton [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Dundurn

The Black Ascot (Inspector Ian Rutledge #21) by Charles Todd [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by William Morrow

The Last Thing You Surrender by Leonard Pitts Jr. [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Agate Bolden

The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Little, Brown and Company

The Beantown Girls by Jane Healey [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Lake Union Publishing

The Curiosities by Susan Gloss [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by William Morrow

Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury by Marc Levy [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by AmazonCrossing

More Than Words by Jill Santopolo [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons

When You Read This by Mary Adkins [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Harper

The Wrong Highlander (Highland Brides #7) by Lynsay Sands [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Avon

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Dial Press

American Pop: A Novel by Snowden Wright [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by William Morrow

The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by St. Martin’s Press

The Glovemaker by Ann Weisgarber [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Skyhorse Publishing

Bowlaway: A Novel by Elizabeth McCracken [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Ecco

The Peacock Feast by Lisa Gornick [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Sarah Crichton Books

The Hundred Wells of Salaga by Ayesha Harruna Attah [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Other Press (NY)

Sea Monsters by Chloe Aridjis [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Black Balloon Publishing

The Last Romantics: A Novel by Tara Conklin [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by William Morrow

Where Reasons End by Yiyun Li [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Random House

Such Good Work: A Novel by Johannes Lichtman [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Simon Schuster

The Atlas of Reds and Blues by Devi S. Laskar [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Counterpoint

This Is Not a Love Song by Brendan Mathews [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Little, Brown and Company

The Spirit of Science Fiction by Roberto Bolaño [Purchase]
Expected publication: February 5th 2019 by Penguin Press

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Showcase Sunday (192)

February 3, 2019 Bonnie Sunday Book Haul 4 Comments

Last Week’s… Posts

Last Week’s… Book Mail

For Review
A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself: A Novel by William Boyle
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

eBooks
The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander (Tor Freebie!)

Audible
Lucky Suit by Lauren Blakely
Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

Last Week’s… Obsession

Image result for true detective season 3 poster

I didn’t start this one immediately but as soon as I did, I caught up quick. It’s a real slow burn and seems a bit boring at first but knowing how the previous seasons went, there are all sorts of shockers to come.

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Life’s Too Short – Transcription, The Clockmaker’s Daughter, 99 Percent Mine

January 31, 2019 Bonnie Book Reviews, Life's Too Short 15 Comments

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Life’s Too Short – Transcription, The Clockmaker’s Daughter, 99 Percent MineTranscription by Kate Atkinson
on September 25, 2018
Pages: 352
Genres: Historical Fiction
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Audible
Goodreads

Also by this author: Life After Life


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In 1940, eighteen-year old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathizers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying. But after the war has ended, she presumes the events of those years have been relegated to the past forever. Ten years later, now a radio producer at the BBC, Juliet is unexpectedly confronted by figures from her past. A different war is being fought now, on a different battleground, but Juliet finds herself once more under threat. A bill of reckoning is due, and she finally begins to realize that there is no action without consequence. Transcription is a work of rare depth and texture, a bravura modern novel of extraordinary power, wit and empathy. It is a triumphant work of fiction from one of the best writers of our time.

DNF @ 5%

I tried reading this in print twice. I even tried listening on audio thinking I’d have better luck. I never got past 5% on either occasion. I could very well blame it on my mood reading tendencies or even my impatience, however, it’s simple: this book never managed to hook me. WWII, mid-century London, espionage… this really should’ve worked for me but I think I was anticipating much more action than what was being delivered and it ended up being a similar case like Sweet Tooth. Life After Life was stunning yet A God in Ruins was another DNF. Atkinson is an incredible writer but alas, I’m not sure her stories are the best fit for me.

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Life’s Too Short – Transcription, The Clockmaker’s Daughter, 99 Percent MineThe Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton
Published by Atria Books on October 9, 2018
Pages: 485
Genres: Historical Fiction
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
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Also by this author: The Secret Keeper, The House at Riverton

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My real name, no one remembers. The truth about that summer, no one else knows.

In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of the Upper Thames. Their plan: to spend a secluded summer month in a haze of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless heirloom is missing; and Edward Radcliffe’s life is in ruins.

Over one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London, uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated items: a sepia photograph of an arresting-looking woman in Victorian clothing, and an artist’s sketchbook containing the drawing of a twin-gabled house on the bend of a river.

Why does Birchwood Manor feel so familiar to Elodie? And who is the beautiful woman in the photograph? Will she ever give up her secrets?

DNF @ 15%

My track record with Kate Morton isn’t great, The Secret Keeper-5 stars, The House at Riverton-3 stars, The Lake House-DNF, and now another DNF. I’m drawn to her stories because I’m a huge fan of the dual timelines, the English settings she favors, and this one apparently included a ghostie mystery! Unfortunately, I hadn’t even gotten to 10% before I was bored and confused because I think I had counted 5 different timelines and I was having to bust out my post-its to keep notes on who’s who. I’d still love to revisit Morton’s earlier works that everyone highly recommends (The Forgotten Garden and The Distant Hours) and hope that it comes close to the entertainment I found in The Secret Keeper.

I received this book free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Life’s Too Short – Transcription, The Clockmaker’s Daughter, 99 Percent Mine99 Percent Mine: A Novel by Sally Thorne
Published by William Morrow Paperbacks on January 29, 2019
Pages: 368
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Edelweiss
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Also by this author: The Hating Game: A Novel

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Crush: a strong and often short-lived infatuation, particularly for someone beyond your reach…

Darcy Barrett has undertaken a global survey of men. She’s travelled the world, and can categorically say that no one measures up to Tom Valeska, whose only flaw is that Darcy’s twin brother Jamie saw him first and claimed him forever as his best friend. Despite Darcy’s best efforts, Tom’s off limits and loyal to her brother, 99%. That’s the problem with finding her dream man at age eight and peaking in her photography career at age twenty—ever since, she’s had to learn to settle for good enough.

When Darcy and Jamie inherit a tumble-down cottage from their grandmother, they’re left with strict instructions to bring it back to its former glory and sell the property. Darcy plans to be in an aisle seat halfway across the ocean as soon as the renovations start, but before she can cut and run, she finds a familiar face on her porch: house-flipper extraordinaire Tom’s arrived, he’s bearing power tools, and he’s single for the first time in almost a decade.

Suddenly Darcy’s considering sticking around to make sure her twin doesn’t ruin the cottage’s inherent magic with his penchant for grey and chrome. She’s definitely not staying because of her new business partner’s tight t-shirts, or that perfect face that's inspiring her to pick up her camera again. Soon sparks are flying—and it’s not the faulty wiring. It turns out one percent of Tom’s heart might not be enough for Darcy anymore. This time around, she’s switching things up. She’s going to make Tom Valeska 99 percent hers.

DNF @ 49%

I was one of the many that adored The Hating Game so admittedly, my expectations were through the roof. But unfortunately, this reads like her actual debut, and if this was the first Sally Thorne I picked up I’d be hard-pressed to pick up anything else of hers. It worked for me at first and I came close to finishing but clearly didn’t make it.

Darcy Barrett read like my kind of girl, at first. Badass bartender, take no shit from anyone, does anything and everything she wants… I don’t know, that’s some shit to aspire to. Enter the love interest that she’s apparently been in love with since she was eight. Yes, eight years old. Everything went downhill from there. She started acting excessively weird and was damn near intolerable and her obsession with the love interest is nothing more than just that and there was never any real rhyme or reason to it. Sure, she was attracted to him, she found him to be the most perfect human being, but there was never any real clarification why. Yes, I need at least some reasoning behind “the spark”. I’m not a romantic, you say? Yeah, so sue me. Between her ripping actual cabinets off the hinges mid-conversation (yes, they were in the middle of a remodel but still) and her actual purring when he touches her in a pretty platonic way, the weird behavior was just too much for me in the end.

“I know my eyes probably go black and crazy, but I press back into his palm and exhale a weird purr. His reaction is instant. I’m bumped away and my skin goes cold. He looks shocked, like I’ve just coughed up a furball.”

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Waiting on Wednesday – On Cussing: Bad Words and Creative Cursing by Katherine Dunn

January 30, 2019 Bonnie Waiting on Wednesday 7 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday – On Cussing: Bad Words and Creative Cursing by Katherine DunnOn Cussing: Bad Words and Creative Cursing by Katherine Dunn
Published by Tin House Books on March 26, 2019
Pages: 64
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Paperback
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F uck the Fuckity Fuckin’ Fucker. Readers of Katherine Dunn won’t be surprised that this was her father’s favorite sentence, or that, as a young girl, she heard it as a kind of profane poem, a secret song. For many of us, the language of Geek Love carries a similar staying power, born of Dunn’s agile use of language and her strange, beautiful diction. And as a true exegete of the expletive, she remained undividedly devoted to obscenity—both as scholar and practitioner.

In On Cussing, Dunn sketches a brief history of swear words and creates something of a field guide to their types and usages, from the common threat (“I’ll squash you like a shithouse mouse”) to the portmanteau intensifier (“Fan-fucking-tastic”). But she also explores their physiology—the physical impact on the reader or listener—and makes an argument for how and when to cuss with maximum effect. Equal parts informative and hilarious, this volume will delight Dunn’s legion of fans, but it’s also a must-have for anyone looking to more successfully wield their expletives, be it in writing or in everyday speech. 

About Katherine Dunn

Katherine Dunn is best known for her beloved novel "Geek Love," which was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1989. She is also the author of the novels "Attic" (1970) and "Truck" (1971). A fourth novel, entitled "The Cut Man," has been in-progress for decades and was purportedly scheduled for a September 2008 release.

Dunn is also known as a prolific sports journalist in the field of boxing, and has written several articles on the subject.

Goodreads

Sounds like my kind of fucking book.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

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