tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54856492357458347512020-05-21T13:28:17.397-04:00Belle of the Literati
My thoughts on the books I read to avoid having a one-sided conversation with myself.
Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.comBlogger917125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-33545526033640369182019-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:002019-01-25T08:00:04.808-05:00Beware the Outback<img alt="The Dry (Aaron Falk, #1)" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456113132l/27824826.jpg" /><img alt="Force of Nature (Aaron Falk, #2)" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501790749l/34275222.jpg" /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I'm always on the lookout for a great page-turning mystery/thriller and it's not a genre I read often enough. I rarely blind read this type of book so it's great when a trusted friend recommends a book or series to me. Hannah read Force of Nature earlier this year and told me it was so interesting to read and the premise was creepy so I gave it a try. I read the first book of Jane Harper's Aaron Falk series, The Dry, first and then moved on to Force of Nature. I had such a fun time reading these books, they were so easy to get into, the right amount of eerie/creepy to me without being scary, and I loved following the same detective! Here are my thoughts!<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><b>THE DRY</b><br />I love a good thriller. I fell head over heels in love with the <a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/07/who-dunnit.html" target="_blank">Cormoran Strike series</a> earlier this year and have been on the lookout for something similar to get my brain working. Hannah read FORCES OF NATURE, the second book in the Aaron Falk series and really enjoyed it. So I decided to check out that book and the first book of the series THE DRY. I was not disappointed! An easy read, compelling and interesting characters, set against the backdrop of rural Australia with a horrific murder-suicide of a family of 3, THE DRY had me hooked from the beginning.<br /><br />Aaron Falk was run out of town with his father 20 years earlier and is back for his childhood best friend’s funeral for him and his family. He is a financial federal agent in Melbourne but gets pulled in to unofficially investigate if his friend’s family’s death was as cut and dry—pun intended—as it seems. From there we get questionable characters, the underbelly of small-town Australia, and a cold case death of another one of Falk’s friends. While the writing wasn’t anything to write home about, I loved that the book was easy to fall into and once I started I didn’t want to stop. The conclusion of the book was satisfying as a reader and I loved the twists of how we got our answer.<br /><br /><b>FORCE OF NATURE</b><br />After THE DRY I knew I had to jump in and read the second book, FORCE OF NATURE right away! This book tells the story of a company retreat gone horribly awry. A team of men and a team of women hike a mountain range in Australia and one woman doesn’t make it back. The book alternates between present-day when she is missing and the beginning of their 3-day hike to meet in the middle of what actually happened. An added suspense element that I loved was this area of nature was suspect to a serial killer with a secret cabin that was put in prison twenty some odd years ago. <br /><br />The element of being lost out in the woods was satisfyingly creepy. I’ve hiked for days on end and thank goodness I got that all out of my system because after this book I’m not sure I can sign up for another long-haul hiking excursion. The dynamics of the women’s group was also so interesting. The woman who went missing wasn’t well-liked so that added another layer of potential foul play. They get lost, tensions are high, and I just loved reading this book having no guess as to the outcome.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>READ THESE IF…you love suspense, complex and layered characters, and a good nature setting. </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eqa1k08MsVQ/WeVGC69GCJI/AAAAAAAALbs/4Sux3TbHgbQOrUVETzEIjRW-y-rSebUKwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/xoxo%2Bkelly%2Bnina.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="141" data-original-width="305" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eqa1k08MsVQ/WeVGC69GCJI/AAAAAAAALbs/4Sux3TbHgbQOrUVETzEIjRW-y-rSebUKwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/xoxo%2Bkelly%2Bnina.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-17784717027844947112018-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:002018-10-26T08:00:01.948-04:00Light Up the Darkness | What Throne of Glass Means to Me<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUnB1u-88LU/W8zu4FKl7AI/AAAAAAAALos/3dSdgEW_9n0HUtn4z8pNT7pdP12hkdE5wCEwYBhgL/s1600/tog-celebration-banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="700" height="228" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUnB1u-88LU/W8zu4FKl7AI/AAAAAAAALos/3dSdgEW_9n0HUtn4z8pNT7pdP12hkdE5wCEwYBhgL/s640/tog-celebration-banner.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div>Welcome to the final day of the<strong> Light Up the Darkness |</strong> <strong>A Throne of Glass Celebration</strong>! This week is so exciting! The final book of the <em>Throne of Glass</em> series, <strong>Kingdom of Ash</strong> by Sarah J Maas, released this week and it was...epic. Everything I wanted from the finale of this series and more.<br /><br />To honor this exciting moment in one of my favorite series, <a href="https://www.soobsessedwith.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Hannah</a> from <strong>So Obsessed With</strong>, <a href="http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Alexa </a>from <strong>Alexa Loves Books, </strong><a href="http://www.hello-chelly.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Rachel</a> from <strong>hello, chelly</strong><strong> </strong>and I are doing a blog event to celebrate the series! This series means so much to me in so many ways and I know it does to the other ladies, too. We have had so much fun putting together these posts and talking about the series. Fun but also painful having to make some difficult choices as to favorites!</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Today we are each sharing what the <em>Throne of Glass</em> series mean to us and I have been looking forward to writing this post since we decided to do this event even if I'm about to struggle and get real inarticulate.<br /><a name='more'></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wVaVCHtBTGQ/W9EFTQF-f-I/AAAAAAAALpA/uJGxA1OAqigg6v_QtTLxEaXa-JcjoHx6ACLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-10-24%2Bat%2B6.44.22%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="603" height="316" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wVaVCHtBTGQ/W9EFTQF-f-I/AAAAAAAALpA/uJGxA1OAqigg6v_QtTLxEaXa-JcjoHx6ACLcBGAs/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-10-24%2Bat%2B6.44.22%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a><br /><br />I could honestly wax poetic about this series all day. I have had deep dive discussions about this series with my own Cadre. The themes, the characters, the romances, the battles, everything about this series works for me on so many levels. First and foremost, and most importantly to me, is the heroine Aelin. I love Aelin so much. So, so, so incredibly much. I get her. I understand her. She makes sense to me. Because she is so similar to me in both positive and negative ways. Aelin is a tough nut to crack because her walls are so thick. She has a reputation for being abrasive and scary and standoffish and snarky. All these things are true. But she's also kind and thoughtful. She does the right thing when it matters. She has her people and she is unwaveringly loyal. She is not <strong>just</strong> an unfeeling fire-breathing bitch queen, people matter to her but she will not allow bad behavior and calls people out appropriately. I can relate to all of these things.<br /><br />Also like Aelin, one of the moments of this series that really resonated with me was a flashback to a conversation her parents had about her. Her father was concerned because little Aelin said her closest friends are characters in books. At the risk of sounding like a total loser, this was me growing up. I didn't have a lot of friends, books were my comfort, my safe zone, my escape from a less than ideal friendship zone. Books are still the most amazing things to me and the closest we will get to real magic in this world. I identified with her loneliness and difficulty connecting with other people. I still do.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6e4GU6i6sIM/W9EFUClAVJI/AAAAAAAALpE/8FdiQLcABIALCcWaON1gDZMVfntJUjKsgCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-10-24%2Bat%2B6.47.32%2BPM.png" imageanchor="0" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="600" height="236" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6e4GU6i6sIM/W9EFUClAVJI/AAAAAAAALpE/8FdiQLcABIALCcWaON1gDZMVfntJUjKsgCLcBGAs/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-10-24%2Bat%2B6.47.32%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a>People see Aelin as one stereotypical fire-breathing bitch queen but unless you choose to look closer, that's all you'll see and that's all she'll ever be to you. The people who see beyond her swagger and snark can see that her kindness knows no bounds. She believes in humanity and people, she believes the world is worth saving. I work as a nurse and as much as I joke I hate everyone and people suck, I go to work every shift and take care of people in their time of need, show grace for people in their darkest moments, and give all the empathy I have to make them feel comfortable. Not many people see or know that side of me. I have had many implosions of friendships because some people are the worst, aka the Iskras and Maeves of the world, so I know there are a dozen people who would have awful things to say about me but then there are those few amazing friends I have who see me for who I am. We all need our court.<br /><br />Ok, enough emotional stuff. Besides Aelin, this series as a whole inspires me. When I reread this series I get chills, I get pumped up, I feel like I can conquer the world, somebody put me on a battle field, I GOT THIS! I do not got this but that's what it feels like! The goodness of these characters in a world intent on striking them down is beautiful. They all want to make the world a better place. They want to be better than their predecessors. That's what this series also inspires in me...to be better. To show grace when I want to show snark. To reach out when I want to be selfish. To be strong when I want to cry. To get up when I've been knocked down.<br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fIDnTyD2tgw/W9EJFIKRCPI/AAAAAAAALpk/CjBN7XJ7a0Usgc-g3tVjZR1kz8g6JULZACLcBGAs/s1600/ACS_0064.JPG" imageanchor="0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fIDnTyD2tgw/W9EJFIKRCPI/AAAAAAAALpk/CjBN7XJ7a0Usgc-g3tVjZR1kz8g6JULZACLcBGAs/s320/ACS_0064.JPG" width="240" /></a><br /><br />One of my favorite quotes from a different series is to the effect of 'when I am scared or afraid I just imagine I'm one of my favorite book characters and ask myself what they would do.' I am not so embarrassed to say I do this sometimes. When I was climbing Mt Kilimanjaro last year and wanted to die of exhaustion, Aelin and the crew came into my head and I knew they would not quit. They would persevere and get up that freaking mountain, explore the stone marshes, or cross the sea to Doranelle. They would dry their tears--I did--and tell themselves to stop being afraid--I also did--and get a move on--I made it to the top.<br /><br />The incredible threads of feminism in this series can also not be missed. The friendships and strengths among these women is incredible. They are all so compelling and relatable in their own ways. They are imperfect, they make mistakes, they feel weak, but they always get up. They always show up for their friends. Their strength and courage of conviction is often more highlighted than the males which is so refreshing. The women save the day with both their mental, emotional, AND physical strength. The female empowerment in these books is on another level. The women are so strong and have such depth of power and compassion and loyalty. Broken record--they just inspire me so, so much, I can't get enough! I love that this is such an overarching theme...who run the world??<br /><br />My feelings after rereading only deepened my love. It is almost unreal to me how much I feel while reading. I am so incredibly inspired and emotional I teared up and cried many, many times while rereading. I also loved the homage to the quote 'get up' that is littered throughout the series. Especially when its the women saying it to their men. The belief that no matter how many times you are broken down or made to believe you aren't good enough, you can always get up.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yV9O3csiJqU/W9EJDdpU1pI/AAAAAAAALpo/lP6ilMie4EEK4H9j-3jIAUKTUVPReA-JACEwYBhgL/s1600/ACS_0067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="1188" height="314" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yV9O3csiJqU/W9EJDdpU1pI/AAAAAAAALpo/lP6ilMie4EEK4H9j-3jIAUKTUVPReA-JACEwYBhgL/s320/ACS_0067.JPG" width="320" /></a>Lastly, to quote my carranam Hannah, one of my favorite takeaways from this series is that no act of kindness is ever wasted and that people matter. We are all imperfect people who make mistakes but we are not hopeless. We all have moments we need somebody to reach out and be kind and show grace and Aelin hit the mark so many times showing kindness and empathy over judgement and selfishness.<br /><br />This series is truly something special to me. It teaches so much about compassion and kindness, friendship and love, courage and strength in so many different forms. This series and this book would not succeed if every character was the same or perfect. They are a cast of imperfect people who work together to do what is right. The world could learn a lot from this court of dreamers.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Don't forget to check out <a href="https://www.soobsessedwith.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-what-throne-of-glass.html" target="_blank">Hannah</a>, <a href="http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-what-throne-of-glass.html" target="_blank">Alexa</a>, and <a href="http://www.hello-chelly.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-what-throne-of-glass.html" target="_blank">Rachel's</a> posts!</span></b></div></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-77062649037951558622018-10-24T08:00:00.000-04:002018-10-25T14:01:31.287-04:00Light Up the Darkness | 20 Questions<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-THEBQsch1-o/W8zQtPwKbRI/AAAAAAAALoM/nni9SQpGjcMnLdqSEixEyoyyomiq9Ow4ACLcBGAs/s1600/tog-celebration-banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="700" height="228" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-THEBQsch1-o/W8zQtPwKbRI/AAAAAAAALoM/nni9SQpGjcMnLdqSEixEyoyyomiq9Ow4ACLcBGAs/s640/tog-celebration-banner.png" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><div><br />Welcome to the second day of the<strong> Light Up the Darkness |</strong> <strong>A Throne of Glass Celebration</strong>! This week is so exciting! The final book of the <em>Throne of Glass</em> series, <strong>Kingdom of Ash</strong> by Sarah J Maas, released yesterday and I spent all day reading because that is what you do when a new SJM book comes out!<br /><br />To honor this exciting moment in one of my favorite series, <a href="https://www.soobsessedwith.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Hannah</a> from <strong>So Obsessed With</strong>, <a href="http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Alexa </a>from <strong>Alexa Loves Books, </strong><a href="http://www.hello-chelly.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Rachel</a> from <strong>hello, chelly</strong><strong> </strong>and I are doing a blog event to celebrate the series! This series means so much to me in so many ways and I know it does to the other ladies, too. We have had so much fun putting together these posts and talking about the series. Fun but also painful having to make some difficult choices as to favorites!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Today we are doing 20 Questions about the series. Each blog will feature one discussion question and an additional 4 quick fire questions about the books. Be sure to check out the other posts because they will have all different questions for you to see and think about as well.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>1. What aspect of the series differentiates TOG from other fantasy series for you?</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Kelly</a> •</b> Oh man, I don’t know, there’s just a je ne sais quoi. The writing, the friendships, the romances, the epic battle scenes, the quiet moments of rebellion, there are so many things I love about this series and there’s just something bigger about it. Something that makes you want to be better when you read, something that inspires you. Epic. Indescribable. <br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.soobsessedwith.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Hannah</a></b> <b>•</b> I’ll go into more details about this in my post on Friday, but what sets this series apart for me is the fact that it made me love fantasy as a genre. I didn’t grow up reading fantasy – I was in my 20s before I read Harry Potter and still have only read one Narnia book. As much as I loved escaping to another world through historical fiction, I struggled to imagine a completely made-up setting and suspend my disbelief. With Throne of Glass, all of that changed. The world came alive, and I found myself completely invested in everything that was happening. With each re-read, my love for the series deepens. It’s for all the reasons these other ladies have articulated: the gorgeous writing, the descriptive setting, the meaningful relationships, the complex characters, and the rich emotions.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.hello-chelly.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Rachel</a></b> • It all comes down to Sarah’s writing. She made this world, its characters and every relationship in it come alive in a way that I think is so rare and special. Every book makes me feel SO much (laughter, tears, my heart racing -- you name it!) and it’s 100% because everything in it is so vivid that you can’t help but be completely immersed.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Alexa</a></b> • I love the way Sarah writes, and I truly think it’s a testament to her skill that the places she describes - whether it’s the tiny nondescript town of Innish to the shifting sands of the Red Desert to the alleys and buildings in Rifthold, just to name a few examples - instantly just felt real to me, both the first time I read the books and on my rereads. It feels like I’m being transported into a new world each time, and that’s an incredible experience. It also helps that there’s a raw honesty to all these descriptions, where the environment can be both beautiful and dangerous, enthralling and strange. Not to mention that, on top of the settings, I also think Sarah just does an admirable job of bringing characters to life, depicting complicated and rich relationships, writing epic action scenes and bringing on all sorts of feels (laughter, tears, swoons, anger) with her words.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2. What’s your favorite fight scene from the book?</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Kelly</a> •</b> Manon and Aelin in Queen of Shadows for a billion reasons. The respect to a fellow fighter and alpha female is incredible.<br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.soobsessedwith.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Hannah</a> •</b> The huge battle in Skull’s Bay from Empire of Storms will always be one of the most vivid fight scenes for me, especially because it’s #SquadGoals.<br /><div><br /></div><b><a href="http://www.hello-chelly.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Rachel</a> • </b>The epic showdown between Aelin and Manon in Queen of Shadows.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Alexa</a> • </b>I will never get over seeing Manon and Aelin meet for the first time because there’s something so powerful about seeing both these women - who are strong in a number of ways - go head to head.<br /><div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>3. What outfit from the series would you most want to wear?</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Kelly</a></b> • The dress Aelin wears to her dinner with Arrobyn in Queen of Shadows. OR Manon’s red cloak sans murder.<br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.soobsessedwith.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Hannah</a></b> • Is there a scene where Aelin wears Rowan’s shirt? If so, I pick that. (Rachel: There is, she sleeps in his shirt multiple times. Also, can I share this answer?!)<br /><div><br /></div><b><a href="http://www.hello-chelly.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Rachel</a></b> • Yrene’s simple amethyst gown (purple is my favorite color). <br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Alexa</a></b> • I almost said that I would wear Celaena’s assassin suit, but I don’t think I’m cool enough so I’m going to go with the dress that Celaena wears on Chaol’s birthday in Crown of Midnight.<br /><div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>4. If you had to choose a second, who would it be?</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Kelly</a></b> • My main man Aedion, no one is more loyal to family, crown, and country.<br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.soobsessedwith.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Hannah</a></b> • I’d choose Lysandra because 1) she’s constantly underestimated, 2) she is a loyal as they come but would still challenge you when needed, 3) she’s a survivor, and 4) her shapeshifting abilities are invaluable.<br /><div><br /></div><b><a href="http://www.hello-chelly.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Rachel</a></b> • Asterin. Her loyalty and love for Manon shows what an awesome second she is.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Alexa</a></b> • My instinctive answer for this question was Chaol Westfall. He’s flawed, true, and he doesn’t always make the best choices over the course of the series. But he’s also got a really big heart, a deep sense of loyalty to those he loves, a talent for pushing people to stretch their limits (I’m thinking about all the training he and Celaena did in the early books) and he’s willing to grow. He’d make a really good second, if he could also put aside his concern and fear that the person he loves (AKA yours truly) would be in dangerous situations.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>5. Pair a TOG character with a character from another series.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Kelly</a></b> • I’d love to see Aelin and Katniss in a room together. My two favorite heroines have flaming hands and flaming arrows between them, I’d die to see how those two get along over coffee or hunting Careers in the arena.<br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.soobsessedwith.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Hannah</a></b> • Elide and Sorcha from Daughter of the Forest are born to be friends. Both are quiet, overlooked women who have to overcome so much. They both lost their mothers at a young age, go through traumatic experiences, and find love with men who seem all wrong for them at first glance. Despite numerous setbacks, neither one ever gives up and both have to rely on their wits to save them. Sorcha needs a female friend in her life, and Elide is surrounded by such outspoken women in the Throne of Glass series that I think she’d appreciate Sorcha’s quiet, calming presence.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.hello-chelly.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Rachel</a></b> • Aelin and Alina from Shadow & Bone. Between their two powers, they’d be pretty unstoppable. <br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Alexa</a></b> • Nesryn Faliq + Inej Ghafa would make for a very interesting encounter, in my opinion. I’d both love to see them clash and love to see them team up!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Don't forget to check out <a href="https://www.soobsessedwith.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Hannah</a>, <a href="http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Alexa</a>, and <a href="http://www.hello-chelly.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-twenty-questions.html" target="_blank">Rachel's</a> posts to see what questions they are featuring on their blogs!</b></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-24500268976310852102018-10-22T08:00:00.000-04:002018-10-22T08:00:03.199-04:00Light Up the Darkness | Series Roulette<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-THEBQsch1-o/W8zQtPwKbRI/AAAAAAAALoM/nni9SQpGjcMnLdqSEixEyoyyomiq9Ow4ACLcBGAs/s1600/tog-celebration-banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="700" height="228" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-THEBQsch1-o/W8zQtPwKbRI/AAAAAAAALoM/nni9SQpGjcMnLdqSEixEyoyyomiq9Ow4ACLcBGAs/s640/tog-celebration-banner.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Welcome to the first day of the<strong> Light Up the Darkness |</strong> <strong>A Throne of Glass Celebration</strong>! This week is so exciting! The final book of the <em>Throne of Glass</em> series, <strong>Kingdom of Ash</strong> by Sarah J Maas, releases tomorrow and I am so.excited.I.cannot.wait.I.have.been.waiting.for.this.book.for.years.!. I cannot wait to see what happens to all my babies and what they do and what happens to them and how they all end up and everything!<br /><br />To honor this exciting moment in one of my favorite series, <a href="https://www.soobsessedwith.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Hannah</a> from <strong>So Obsessed With</strong>, <a href="http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Alexa </a>from <strong>Alexa Loves Books, </strong><a href="http://www.hello-chelly.com/2018/10/light-up-darkness-series-roulette.html" target="_blank">Rachel</a> from <strong>hello, chelly</strong><strong> </strong>and I are doing a blog event to celebrate the series! This series means so much to me in so many ways and I know it does to the other ladies, too. We have had so much fun putting together these posts and talking about the series. Fun but also painful having to make some difficult choices as to favorites!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Today we are doing series roulette--a play on our previous collaboration of Book Boyfriend Roulette. We're each choosing our favorite female character, male character, and book to share. And then on my blog, I'll share our choices for favorite Member of the Cadre/Thirteen. The other ladies are featuring one other favorite category unique to their blog, so don't forget to check out theirs, too! AND feel free to share your choices and picks in the comments below!<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2wIfO6qnza0/W8zQtHsZ7PI/AAAAAAAALoQ/yg9kkpbK9HwG9CKECSVfQ2BqWt5g8JKKACEwYBhgL/s1600/tog-roulette-femalechar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="700" height="139" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2wIfO6qnza0/W8zQtHsZ7PI/AAAAAAAALoQ/yg9kkpbK9HwG9CKECSVfQ2BqWt5g8JKKACEwYBhgL/s640/tog-roulette-femalechar.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><b>AELIN ASHRYVER GALATHYNIUS</b> will always be my favorite character. Quite possibly of all time. I see so much of myself in her that it's hard not to love her. The dichotomy of her personality speaks to me. I love that she is fierce and outspoken and stands up for what is right but I also love that she has so much kindness and thoughtfulness in her. She is the last person you want to mess with and will gut you with words or swords but if you are hurting or in need she will not hesitate to help those who need it. She always has the last word and her wit is astounding. Her snarky comebacks never fail to make me laugh. I am going to go in so much harder on her personality on Friday in my discussion post so I'll leave it at that for now because I could be here all day talking about how much I love her!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TmQrzpHh_0E/W8zQtfP9shI/AAAAAAAALoU/HEuQDQscsUwdMyBLUgV56Du8CkQIFf_3ACEwYBhgL/s1600/tog-roulette-malechar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="700" height="138" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TmQrzpHh_0E/W8zQtfP9shI/AAAAAAAALoU/HEuQDQscsUwdMyBLUgV56Du8CkQIFf_3ACEwYBhgL/s640/tog-roulette-malechar.png" width="640" /></a></div><b>SARTAQ </b>was not the male character I thought I would choose but while rereading I could not help but be completely enchanted by him! He is a prince of his realm but he identifies more as a warrior and with the family of his choosing in the mountains. This is what I love about him. He could be a pampered prince and only concern himself with politics and how to be heir but instead he couldn't care less. He wants to be a defender of his people. A warrior prince who is not too good to muck out the Ruk stables or clean up around the cave. And he loves Nesryn for who she is and one of my favorite lines of the series is when he says, 'I think I loved you before I even saw you.' I love this because it shows he cares more about outward appearance and beauty, he cares about the soul of a woman who would put herself at risk to save another with an impossible shot of her arrow. He is incredible and I absolutely cannot wait to see what is in store for him in Kingdom of Ash.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k4fhHdFMq7g/W8zQs4y-3rI/AAAAAAAALoE/5M9CE9qGOpYtL-ml8CVTLwaPgm-KEm6zACEwYBhgL/s1600/tog-roulette-bookseries.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="700" height="138" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k4fhHdFMq7g/W8zQs4y-3rI/AAAAAAAALoE/5M9CE9qGOpYtL-ml8CVTLwaPgm-KEm6zACEwYBhgL/s640/tog-roulette-bookseries.png" width="640" /></a></div>I can easily make an argument for why every book in the series is the best but <b>EMPIRE OF STORMS </b>cracks my heart wide open. It is just...everything. It <em>has</em> everything. Redemption, loyalty, revenge, friendship, love, standing up for what is right, seeing beyond judgments, finding yourself, EVERYTHING!! I thought Queen of Shadows would have been my choice, and it was for awhile but when I started rereading EoS I couldn't not choose this. This book has the most incredible scene in Skull's Bay where everyone comes together like total badasses and #squadgoals to defeat an armada. It has Manon realizing once and for where she stands and what she stands for. It has Elide being her badass self and owning who she is and not taking any shit from anyone, learning strength comes in all forms. It has Dorian coming into the King he will one day be. Lorcan discovering that the world isn't just one shade of black. It has Aelin making mistakes and owning up to them but ultimately choosing others over herself. It has everyone coming together against a common enemy and choosing to make a stand for what is right and not what is easy. The end of this book, and many moments in between, gives me chills and while every book in this series is incredible and important, Empire of Storms just has all the players finally making a stand and that I just cannot get enough of.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--6J283P8fwY/W8zQszbVSwI/AAAAAAAALog/lqqQnoiQpBQJCtRrn_Fnwiu1NTVtSZ8DgCEwYBhgL/s1600/tog-roulette-cadre13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="700" height="138" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--6J283P8fwY/W8zQszbVSwI/AAAAAAAALog/lqqQnoiQpBQJCtRrn_Fnwiu1NTVtSZ8DgCEwYBhgL/s640/tog-roulette-cadre13.png" width="640" /></a></div><b>LORCAN</b> is my Carranam and favorite member of the Cadre/Thirteen because he is the other side of my coin. While Sartaq is my love because he would balance out my fire with his cool level-headedness, Lorcan would feed the fire inside me and ask <em>when and where </em>we are going to destroy my enemies vs <em>why </em>/ let's talk about this first. But in reality, he'll probably already have beaten me to it because he's just that way. Lorcan fits my MO of being the moody, broody bastard who is so much more than meets the eye. He is broken and scarred and stubborn in his ways that people aren't worth saving. His code is unbendable and misguided and he doesn't even know it. But he's not a lost cause or unchangeable. He has goodness in him even if he'll never see it in himself, his actions speak louder than his mental doubts ever will. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Who are you favorites in these categories?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Are you ready for Kingdom of Ash tomorrow?</b></span></div><br />Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-32817997421686175352018-09-14T08:00:00.000-04:002018-09-14T08:00:03.195-04:00I'm Fine, You're Fine, We're All Fine...Right?<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "dancing script"; font-size: x-large;">"These days, loneliness is the new cancer – a shameful, embarrassing thing, brought upon yourself in some obscure way. A fearful, incurable thing, so horrifying that you dare not mention it; other people don’t want to hear the word spoken aloud for fear that they might too be afflicted, or that it might tempt fate into visiting a similar horror upon them.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "dancing script"; font-size: x-large;">"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "dancing script"; font-size: x-large;">--Gail Honeyman, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine</span></i><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1516037427l/35900387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1516037427l/35900387.jpg" width="209" /></a><b>My Thoughts</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b> </b> <b>The Belle</b><br /><br />Wow. This book. This book is one of those magical books that makes me remember why I love reading. It made me feel to the deepest part of my heart how characters and their stories can change you. This book is about Eleanor who is quite different than the average bear. She lives alone, has zero friends, is awkward in her social interactions, and the only people she talks to her coworkers who aren’t very kind to her and her mother who calls once a week. Her voice sounds very traditional in it’s viewpoint, stuffy, if you will which makes it sound like it would be difficult to connect to her as a reader but I found the exact opposite to be true.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />I fell in love with Eleanor’s voice. Her awkwardness. Her stilted, old-fashioned way of speaking. Her odd views about social interactions. Everything in the first few pages of this book leads you to believe that the title is absolutely not true. Eleanor is lonely. Lonely in a way that is bone-deep and crushing and an abyss you believe you will never get out of alive. Her situation and her thoughts about her life broke my heart, you guys. Broke. It. In. A. Million. Pieces. I think that every reader at time or another can relate to Eleanor’s loneliness and sense of apartness. I believe that we all, at one time or many, feel as if nobody understands us, that we are completely and utterly alone in our feelings and that is why I was rooting so hard for her. She made me so sad yet so hopeful. Eleanor is a character you cannot help but root for and that is also what made this book so special to me. I love complex characters that are fleshed out and imperfect. Eleanor is one of those characters and will always hold a special place in my heart.<br /><br />The plot of this book are character-driven, go figure if you read my last paragraph. It is about how one moment of differentness changes Eleanor’s entire life trajectory and I.was.here.for.it. If you’ve read Jane Eyre—YOU HAVEN’T READ JANE EYRE, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU FIX IT IMMEDIATELY—then you will see a lot of parallels and similarities between not only the heroine but the plot as well. I haven’ tread JE in years but even I could point out a few of the parallels and I loved it! Huge nod to the book is that Eleanor’s favorite book is—wait for it—Jane Eyre. I had a giggle to myself about that insertion which non-Jane Eyre readers would miss but IF you haven’t read JE, I know you can still fall in love with this book…but still add Jane Eyre to your TBR because you are missing out.<br /><br />ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE is a book that made me want to be a better person. Reading about Eleanor being treated unkindly by her coworkers because she’s a little odd broke my heart. The reader knows Eleanor and her inner voice and obviously her coworkers do not but still, it made me so sad. I try my hardest in life to be open-minded which I think I succeed at 95% of the time. But I’m human, I’m imperfect, and I cannot help the initial scanning over somebody or speaking with a random person and the snap judgement my brain makes about them in that first 0.0007 seconds. My future interactions obviously change my opinion of them, or maybe it doesn’t, but it made me realize all the small ways I judge people even if it’s quick and fleeting. I do not know their story. I am not their judge and jury. Only One is and it made me want to try and fight my brain and truly try not to make a snap judgement about somebody I just met because we are all fighting our own battles and do not need the unkindness of strangers to add to our plate. This book made me want to be better. In short, I can really only end this review in one way with one sentence…Reader, I loved it.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">VIP</span><br />If you love <span style="text-align: left;">character-driven novels, stories that aren’t always what they seem, and one amazing heroine. </span>...this book is for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Genre</b>: Adult Contemporary </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Harper Collins</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Pages</b>: 383 </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: January 25th, 2018</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source</b>: Bought</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Find on: </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35900387-eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-79543692965859668152018-09-11T08:00:00.000-04:002018-09-11T12:02:31.628-04:00Quick and Dirty Mini-Reviews {7}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FtPWhfe6NVs/W5fm-q2jdEI/AAAAAAAALnk/mtemCarnPrQx5ApfgEbDCm6YZpd0nTxuACLcBGAs/s1600/Quick%2B%2526.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FtPWhfe6NVs/W5fm-q2jdEI/AAAAAAAALnk/mtemCarnPrQx5ApfgEbDCm6YZpd0nTxuACLcBGAs/s640/Quick%2B%2526.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I know it's been quiet on the blog recently but I'm trying to get some motivation to cross post my mini-reviews from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xoxokellynina/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and write longer reviews for the books I have more to say about. I've got a few reviews and ideas in the wings so stay tuned if you're still here! I've been reading so many incredible books lately so here's a roundup of mini-reviews of the books I've been reading and loving lately!<br /><div><br /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1515690904l/36373413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dear Mrs. Bird" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1515690904l/36373413.jpg" width="133" /></a><b>DEAR MRS BIRD by AJ Pearce | </b>A few weeks ago I read DEAR MRS BIRD because Hannah had read and loved. She definitely nailed it with a historical Bridget Jones vibe and I had such a great time reading this book. A woman with goals to be a Female War Correspondent accidentally finds herself instead being an assistant to a crotchety, set-in-her-archaic-views advice columnist. I loved this book! It was so fun to read, I loved the heroine Emmy and her ambitions and her relationship with her best friend. While there are many moments of humor, there also was a surprising level of emotional depth that I wasn’t expecting. War time does not come without its costs and how Emmy navigated her own choices and the advice she gave was fantastic to read about. <b>READ THIS IF...you love historical fiction, WWII London, and females with Ambition.</b><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1532537353l/36373310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Charlotte Walsh Likes To Win" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1532537353l/36373310.jpg" width="132" /></a><b>CHARLOTTE WALSH LIKES TO WIN by Jo Piazza | </b>After reading (and LOVING) THE KNOCKOFF by Jo Piazza and Lucy Sykes, I knew both authors were ones I had to have on my radar. CHARLOTTE WALSH LIKES TO WIN is about a woman from small-town Pennsylvania, who has been living and thriving in California the last few decades, who decides to run for office in her hometown. A very successful tech icon, Charlotte wants to do for her country what she has done for her company. She made huge changes in her company with progressive healthcare for women’s issues and advocating for women, the middle and working class in general. It is brutally honest in its dissection of what it really means to be an ambitious woman in this world, especially in the world of politics. It made me rage on the inside the ridiculous injustices the heroine was forced to face and then I got even more angry because I’ve seen exactly the kind of unsupported smear campaign happen to women in real life. The discussion this book brought on with friends who’ve read it was just as insightful and really made me think about how utterly backwards the overarching view of women is in this world AND how much more scrutiny we are under for the actual dumbest, most insignificant shit. <b>READ THIS IF...you are into politics but ready to be infuriated about women of this world are treated.</b><br /><br /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1513038496l/35754629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1513038496l/35754629.jpg" width="131" /></a><b>GIRL, WASH YOUR FACE by Rachel Hollis | </b>I started this book after seeing a snapshot of a page when Laura was reading it and it sounded very uplifting while being that perfect blend of honest and funny. When I actually got my hands on the book it was that and so much more. I absolutely fell head over heels in love with this book and Hollis’ voice. I felt connected to this book and it’s messages on a soul-deep level. Hollis has—to me—that perfect blend of honest, hilarity, self-deprecation, and poignancy without being preachy or look like she’s trying too hard. Her incorporation of many beliefs I already had before reading only made me love this book and author more. Her inclusion of Christianity and it’s teachings also played a large role in the book and it’s message. Gah, I just felt like conquering the world after reading this book. It’s hopeful, inspiration, and makes you feel good about yourself. The chapters all start with a common lie we tell ourselves on why we can’t do things and then she goes into why you can. I loved everything about this book and cannot say how amazing it is enough. <b>READ THIS IF….you love Jesus, inspirational women, and female empowerment.</b><br /><br /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1528143315l/36464087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ghosted" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1528143315l/36464087.jpg" width="132" /></a><b>GHOSTED by Rosie Walsh | </b>After being in a bit of a reading slump/feeling like it was taking forever to finish a book, I decided to read GHOSTED by Rosie Walsh hoping it would engage me quickly and I could read an enjoyable book fast. That is exactly what this book was and more. After an intense week with a man she met in her hometown while visiting, Sarah is ghosted by Eddie. Something sets off her gut that he didn’t just bail on her and he’s really gone missing. The story was compelling because not only do we have the current ghosting missing person potential, we also have hints to something else that happened in Sarah’s life when she was younger. As the story unfolds and the pieces are put together, I was shocked in more than one way. Just when I was getting a little bored with this book about halfway through and 99% convinced I figured out the twist it took a turn for the unexpected. Books rarely leave me shocked, not gonna lie, and this one did in the best way. A twist I didn’t see coming, a theme and exploration of emotional depth I wasn’t anticipating, and a story that really had me turning the pages until the middle of the night to finish. While there is a part of me that could see how the reader wouldn’t like how the story turned thematically, I really enjoyed it. It brought a new layer and level of depth to this story that I honestly never expected and I found myself getting more emotional than I ever could have thought! <b>READ THIS IF…you’re looking for AN engaging, twisty, and also heartfelt story.</b><br /><b><br /></b><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1525876152l/38492048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kiss the Girl (The Naughty Princess Club, #3)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1525876152l/38492048.jpg" width="138" /></a><b>KISS THE GIRL by Tara Sivec | </b>Having read and LOVED the first two books in the series, I was DYING with excitement when I got the KISS THE GIRL widget in my email. Ariel was the character I was most looking forward to because, oh my goodness, she is so foul-mouthed I can’t help but love a girl after my own heart. I think Tara Sivec did an amazing job of balancing Ariel’s crass attitude and vulnerability. Like all women, no matter our facade we all have weaknesses and pasts and people who have hurt us. Even us loud-mouthed obnoxious women who swear like sailors have hearts and feelings and insecurities. It felt very relatable and I couldn’t help but find a few parallels between myself and the heroine. The romance was both heartfelt and snarky. The swoons evoked by Eric and all the subtle ways he showed Ariel he loved her and valued her melted my cold, black heart. <br /><br />My other favorite part of this book and series as a whole are the friendships between Cindy, Belle, and Ariel. Those girls have each other’s BACK, you guys! They are sassy and defensive and ready to jump through fire to defend their friends and help them. Love love loved this! And the nods and parallels to the original fairy tale and how Sivec made it applicable to a present day story was incredibly clever, per usual. This crazy amazing balance of fairy tale throwbacks and female empowerment gave me life. <b>READ THIS IF…you love Disney princesses, female friendships, snarky heroines and the men who worship them.</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">What have you been reading and loving lately??</span></b></div></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-55029772162004175212018-08-24T08:00:00.000-04:002018-08-24T08:00:03.653-04:00Mad for Marchetta<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cMuAW6c0VqQ/W3yCSQTvM0I/AAAAAAAALnA/mJFyZkETbsgaIC0w8BMrKw1M78tp6W_3QCLcBGAs/s1600/40A93939-01AA-44D1-BF35-F48C0F814DB2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cMuAW6c0VqQ/W3yCSQTvM0I/AAAAAAAALnA/mJFyZkETbsgaIC0w8BMrKw1M78tp6W_3QCLcBGAs/s400/40A93939-01AA-44D1-BF35-F48C0F814DB2.JPG" width="300" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><b>My Thoughts</b><br />I am well aware that I may be the last person in the bookish world to read Melina Marchetta. I am self-aware enough to realize this but I am not above proclaiming her as an instant favorite author. After my binge of Finnikin I knew I had to try her other books and I knew from Hannah that she write a variety of genres which I was SO EXCITED about! I was not disappointed with any of them! It was SUCH an incredible treat to find an author who writes so many different kinds of stories. I was obsessed with each and every one for different reasons. Here are those reasons.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a name='more'></a><b><br /></b><b>The Lumatere Chronicles | </b>I did an Instagram post awhile back after reading but never talked about them on the blog. I think Finnikin was one of the most perfect books I have ever read. It was engaging, character-driven, dark, hopeful, inspiring, and filled with love in every corner. Froi and Quintana were also incredible and had such a beautiful prose that I couldn't put them down. The world-building was intricate and stunning. The characters were on.another.level. I loved each and every one of them and was rooting for everyone. The theme of family, the kind you are born with and the kind you make, was beautiful. I cannot say enough about how much I loved this fantasy world<br /><br /><b>Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil | </b>If that isn't one of the coolest titles I have ever heard, I would be lying. Loved it! Adult thriller/mystery if you will, this book follows a suspended cop whose daughter was on a bus that had a bomb on it while traveling in France. This book had so many hidden layers and hints you didn't realize were hints. The characters are all so complex and hiding so many things for different reasons. I loved how this book took an incredibly serious subject and brought light to the prejudices so many people have today and how life-ruining those prejudices can be to people. And it did it in a way that didn't feel pretentious or preachy which is something I always appreciate; it made me think which are always my favorite kind of books.<br /><br /><b>Jellicoe Road | </b>This book was....different. The way the book is laid out and chronicled can be confusing and difficult to grasp but the payoff is so, so worth it. There are two different storylines that you're reading and you don't know how they connect/if they do at all except the setting and its not until about halfway-ish that it starts to come together. It's a longer payoff but holy crap is it worth it. The characters are so engaging and complicated and I honestly can't tell you anything about it but know it is an emotional read and so, so, so, so incredible!<br /><br /><b>Saving Francesca | </b>Before reading, Hannah told me she was most nervous for me to read this one because she wasn't sure if I would vibe with it; she had no reason to worry. Of all the Marchetta books I've read, this is the one I already see myself re-reading. Some books just have this magical quality where you feel like you're falling into it so easily and it just reads so easily and well and you love the characters and the journey and you just want to live in it forever....this was one of those books. Francesca's time at a new school plus her mom suffering from acute depression plus finding friends was INCREDIBLE!! I LOVED IT SO MUCH! Everything about it. I can't describe why I loved it so much because it's hard to articulate the special feeling I got while reading it, only that I loved it!<br /><br /><b>The Piper's Son | </b>It shouldn't come as a surprise that after reading Francesca in a single afternoon, I dove right into The Piper's Son. Tom comes from a family that is incredibly loving but have a lot of problems. His aunt has taken him in and is struggling with her own issues. Tom feels lost and has made a ton of terrible decisions. They're both trying to figure things out and get their family back together. I adored his aunt and her POV and life. She was so smart and snarky--okay, everyone was snarky and it was amazing--and she was just the best. Tom was trying his best and while the book is mostly about him, it was his entire family that captivated me. Their history, their story, their lives, everything about it worked and was amazing. I loved that family was at the core of this story and that even though they had their own issues and demons, at the end of the day they loved each other so, so much.<br /><br /><b>Looking for Alibrandi | </b>This book took me a little longer to get into and was the weakest of her books for me, I still enjoyed it. You can tell it's her first book as the ending felt a little odd, like she was trying to do something emotionally poignant and it just fell a little flat for me. However, everything leading up to the ending, I really loved. With her usual candor and growing pains, Marchetta introduces us to Josie. A teenage girl who is outspoke to a fault, opinionated, and just a little too leaps before she looks. The antics she gets up to are hilarious but at the core, it's about growing up and getting a glimpse into real like problems that the adult world has waiting for you. The theme of family is still at its core which will forever be one of my favorite components of Marchetta's books. While this book compared to the others was not a fav, this book on its own was still fantastic.<br /><br /><b>READ MELINA MARCHETTA IF...you love an author who can do multiple genres amazingly well, an escape into books that will leave you wanting more, and amazing family values. </b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-91107393325882224722018-08-22T08:00:00.000-04:002018-08-22T08:00:10.594-04:00Adventures in the Great Wide Somewhere // Tourist Tuesday at Voyageur Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q993_aJXJ6c/W3x8fraQqcI/AAAAAAAALmY/N_oZ4AE9dQcGAy6sVwiFwSP_aeduR2jOgCLcBGAs/s1600/Adventures%2BBanner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="650" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q993_aJXJ6c/W3x8fraQqcI/AAAAAAAALmY/N_oZ4AE9dQcGAy6sVwiFwSP_aeduR2jOgCLcBGAs/s1600/Adventures%2BBanner.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; display: inline !important; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--701s-2glKE/W3x8llZfLTI/AAAAAAAALm4/LIb1Piryd08VIe2G8562Po7sVInXP_9zgCEwYBhgL/s1600/F501EB24-EF84-4A92-9485-FB0B6C0A50CD.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--701s-2glKE/W3x8llZfLTI/AAAAAAAALm4/LIb1Piryd08VIe2G8562Po7sVInXP_9zgCEwYBhgL/s640/F501EB24-EF84-4A92-9485-FB0B6C0A50CD.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><b></b>If you read <a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/08/adventures-in-great-wide-somewhere-bff.html" target="_blank">my post last week</a> or been following <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xoxokellynina/" target="_blank">my Instagram,</a> you'll know that I have just started to adopt Tourist Tuesday. This means that every Tuesday--or as each Tuesday allows--I will try and do something big, small, or in-between that I have never done before. It can be as simple as walking by a part of a neighborhood I've never been to, a new restaurant, a cafe, etc. ANYTHING that I haven't done before. This idea was inspired by <a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/08/adventures-in-great-wide-somewhere-bff.html" target="_blank">ALONE TIME</a> by Stephanie Rosenbloom. This week the weather derailed what I really wanted to do so I'll save that idea for another day; what I actually did decide to do was Google search bookstores near me and I found one I've never been to before!<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><div><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--dhTH5JvbbM/W3x8jptHYaI/AAAAAAAALm0/_ftU76YQLeYZsYH8Z6DR73UHjDKAQXRPwCEwYBhgL/s1600/97FE9301-FD0F-43D7-8E96-EB7F3B458F70.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--dhTH5JvbbM/W3x8jptHYaI/AAAAAAAALm0/_ftU76YQLeYZsYH8Z6DR73UHjDKAQXRPwCEwYBhgL/s200/97FE9301-FD0F-43D7-8E96-EB7F3B458F70.JPG" width="150" /></a>Voyageur Books downtown was such a great choice! It was such a fantastic surprise to walk into this lovely store and browse their shelves. There was a moderate selection of Fiction and a good assortment of almost any genre you can think of including local history which I always think is fun. Their downstairs had a few gorgeous tables, chairs, and sofa to sample your selected books or take a few quiet minutes to start reading which I definitely took advantage of before I purchased my books! What started as a disappointing weather day making me change my plans ended up being such a wonderful afternoon. </div><div><br />I ended up walking away with one new-to-me book that is an historical ficiton about Catherine the Great and anybody that knows me can figure out why I chose that one; I have a weak spot for Russian historicals! I also found a copy of Julie Buxbaum's THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE which I've been wanting on my shelves for a while. And finally, I found a what looks like brand new copy of the new mass market paperback of DARK LOVER by my all-time fav JR Ward! So exciting and awesome so find such great books at a new bookstore!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sRXPV3WDDks/W3x8kWPZzpI/AAAAAAAALm4/9Op4X_moQ_8-cvv1tiIDjlySWzR5nqZAACEwYBhgL/s1600/C48E9117-B59D-4633-8366-6914CEB462B5.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sRXPV3WDDks/W3x8kWPZzpI/AAAAAAAALm4/9Op4X_moQ_8-cvv1tiIDjlySWzR5nqZAACEwYBhgL/s200/C48E9117-B59D-4633-8366-6914CEB462B5.JPG" width="150" /></a></b><b><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pvgxLlINTM8/W3x8iZgnlWI/AAAAAAAALmw/gISuCOX1XPk79_PiqPIRboC_NFKZ4zGjwCEwYBhgL/s1600/8F44A754-961A-478A-9E25-1252257A911D.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pvgxLlINTM8/W3x8iZgnlWI/AAAAAAAALmw/gISuCOX1XPk79_PiqPIRboC_NFKZ4zGjwCEwYBhgL/s200/8F44A754-961A-478A-9E25-1252257A911D.JPG" width="150" /></a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Are there any local bookstores you've never been to or haunts you've wanted to try for awhile?!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-25058448364200339842018-08-15T08:00:00.000-04:002018-08-15T11:06:17.040-04:00Adventures in the Great Wide Somewhere // BFF Visit, Alone Time, & Tourist Tuesday <div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXKuHOlvtkc/WosFIeFkVjI/AAAAAAAALeU/v3VLTfUJPN4_WKVncYN97eYtbY3UfEsxQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Adventures%2BBanner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="650" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXKuHOlvtkc/WosFIeFkVjI/AAAAAAAALeU/v3VLTfUJPN4_WKVncYN97eYtbY3UfEsxQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Adventures%2BBanner.png" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0T2XQdygebg/W3OEbmqo_EI/AAAAAAAALmA/nxHjnKagj0slf3ZqmdV7JbpPu4nlcJZrgCLcBGAs/s1600/ACS_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0T2XQdygebg/W3OEbmqo_EI/AAAAAAAALmA/nxHjnKagj0slf3ZqmdV7JbpPu4nlcJZrgCLcBGAs/s640/ACS_0002.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>Last week, my BFF Hannah came to Wisconsin to visit! It was SO much fun but if I start going into details about what we did and how fun it was this post will literally turn into a dissertation because it was THE BEST! Before she came to visit, I was thinking of things to do with her. My initial response was 'there's nothing to do here' which is ridiculous but its still the thought I had. Milwaukee is a big city but it's not New York or Seattle or Denver, places that tourists flock to visit. But after thinking about it more, I realized there were so many things big and small that I could take her to do. I think that wherever you grow you, or maybe it's just me, you become a little desensitized to your surroundings and take for granted the uniqueness around you. I know I definitely did!<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />Shortly after she left I started a book called ALONE TIME by Stephanie Rosenbloom and the timing couldn't have been more perfect. If you've been here before you know I travel solo a lot. I enjoy it, I like doing my own thing, I like the deep introspection I feel when experiencing a new place for the first time. People--most people--think I'm weird. When I read the synopsis I knew this book would be right up my alley. This book is all about solo travel and the feelings it evokes in somebody when they experience a city solo. You may or may not think it's that different but it 100% is completely different than when you're with somebody. I loved how the author was able to accurately and eloquently describe the profoundness that is walking a city completely by yourself. The details and sounds of a city, the quiet and reflective part of your mind that is awakened, the centering at peace feeling that all is right with the world, and that intense feeling of excitement and anticipation are all things I feel when exploring a city by myself and Rosenbloom captures that with her book perfectly.<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lb6GhUl2kBg/W3RBKaUbYBI/AAAAAAAALmM/SUGP0A8ADVUuh88NbpzsMckL1MkXAV2rACLcBGAs/s1600/ACS_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lb6GhUl2kBg/W3RBKaUbYBI/AAAAAAAALmM/SUGP0A8ADVUuh88NbpzsMckL1MkXAV2rACLcBGAs/s400/ACS_0005.JPG" width="300" /></a>However, one of my favorite parts of ALONE TIME came in the final season when she explores her home city of New York as if she was a tourist. Starting a tradition she calls Tourist Tuesday, Rosenbloom decides to do one thing--big, small, or in-between--every Tuesday that she hasn't done before. It can be as simple as walking by a part of a neighborhood she's heard about but has never been to, a new restaurant, a museum, a city tour, ANYTHING that she hasn't done before. I. Loved. This. Idea.<br /><br />The combination of Hannah visiting and feeling like I was seeing my city with new eyes <i>plus </i>reading this book was the perfect storm to prompt me to do my own Tourist Tuesday (even though I hate the word tourist but I digress). I started yesterday with a morning at a cafe I've driven by a hundred times and have never been to. It always looked super cool and after being inspired I decided to make that my first stop. It was amazing! The coffee was delicious, the staff was so friendly, and the ambiance was fantastic. I brought my current read, took my basic bitch picture, and settled in for a morning of reading and sipping my latte. I was SO happy I did this! I have a few more ideas of what to do on Tuesdays, a lot right now are other cafes or restaurants I haven't tried, but hoping to incorporate a few more attraction-type things.<br /><br />I felt so inspired after Hannah's visit plus reading this book that I am so excited to continue to do this, even if it is something small. Another big part of the book and this idea talks about the high of anticipation and traveling and the comedown that occurs when you get back home. The author wanted to recreate this feeling of excitement and anticipation that you get from travel and turn it into a year-round feeling with your own city or hometown. I would love and try and make this my own tradition and I think I started off on the right foot!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>What about you?! Do you ever act like a tourist in your own city? Do you try and continue to explore the 'ordinary' surroundings you've become accustomed to?</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Reserved Seating</span><br />If you love solo travel, feeling inspired, and hometown love...this book is for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Genre</b>: Adult Nonfiction, Travel </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Viking</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Pages</b>: 272 </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: June 5th, 2018</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source</b>: Borrowed from Library</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Find on: </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36723047-alone-time" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-35068784379348671302018-08-06T08:00:00.000-04:002018-08-06T08:00:03.547-04:00True Love Starts With You<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NkgBnfu21FU/WOK4xc3QEoI/AAAAAAAAK9Y/KZgJGID1g9wbQU4IweYs13aaIgzircE-ACLcB/s1600/Finding%2BYou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Good Luck with That" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1515944137l/36950133.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>My Thoughts</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b>The Belle</b><br />I have read and loved every Kristan Higgins book I have read before this and Good Luck With That is no exception. This book as part of the pseudo series that takes place in Cambry-on-Hudson has a different feel from her other romance books. They are definitely more women's fiction that romance, although romance does play a part, they are also much deeper and more emotional in my opinion. And wow, was this particular book emotional and hard to read at times. I know there’s been a lot of criticism of this book and it’s topic, I have to say in my opinion and POV it’s unfounded. But this is my opinion. Not to say it won't be hurtful for some readers but it's also not a story that shouldn't be told.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />This book, to me, is not about fat shaming or how losing weight makes your life better, it’s about the very real struggle we as people (and not just women) face in regards to food, healthy eating habits, past hurts, and self-acceptance and love. This book was difficult for me to read at times because I was able to understand all too well, unfortunately, the emotional struggle our main characters dealt with. The mental berating of one’s self when you don’t feel good enough and the self-loathing that comes along with feeling a lack of control in your own life was very honest and real. But I'm getting ahead of myself.<br /><br />Emerson, Georgia, and Marley are best friends since meeting at a camp to help them lose weight as teenagers. Georgia and Marley ended up being roommates as adults with Emerson staying in touch but not as frequently because, as we find out, Emerson has gained so much weight it's difficult for her to leave her house and she's embarrassed by her weight. Emerson dies at the beginning of the book due to complications of her weight. Georgia and Marley are still struggling with food and weight related issues, one woman more than the other but in different ways.<br /><br />Georgia and Marley and Emerson are all very different in how they approach food and their own weight. It was super interesting to read about how differently they saw food and body image and how much love they had for themselves. What I also loved about this book were the secondary characters. Georgia's nephew and Marley's client also struggle with their own versions of self-acceptance. I loved this. I loved seeing yet more angles and the different ways people struggle and how they overcome them. <br /><br />While weight and relationships with food is a constant element, what I took away from this book was more about self-acceptance and self-love than anything else. I cannot discount the importance food and eating plays in this, though. A lot of people struggle with a healthy relationships with food and body image, I felt that Higgins talked about this in a brutally honest way which will be hard for some people to read. It was hard for me to read at times, too with my own personal history of food complications. But that didn't take away how raw and honest this book felt about a very complex topic. I really and truly commend Higgins for tackling the topic. If you’ve struggled with self-acceptance, control, or unhealthy eating habits this book will be difficult to read but not in a bad way per say.<br /><br />What made it difficult for me was how much I could relate to the characters struggle of self-acceptance and how I had similar thoughts myself at one point in my life. But it was also such a good book to read in that I could see how far I’ve come and how much it broke my heart to read about intelligent, kind, strong, and compassionate women hate on themselves so much. This book was cathartic. It put me through a ringer of emotions but the triumphs of so many characters was beautiful to see. True love starts with yourself and I think this book was a great example of how hard it can be to get there.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Backstage Pass</span><br />If you love honest emotion, difficult stories, and triumph...this book is for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Genre</b>: Adult Contemporary, Women's Fiction, Romance</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Publisher</b>: Berkley</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Pages</b>: 480</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Publication Date</b>: August 7th, 2018</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source</b>: ARC provided by publisher</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Find on: </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36950133-good-luck-with-that" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-44302039376259680002018-07-18T08:00:00.000-04:002018-07-18T08:00:07.297-04:00Consumed: The Wedding from Hell Blog Tour by JR Ward<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1531363442l/40788282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Rehearsal Dinner Part 1: The Wedding From Hell (Firefighters #0.5)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1531363442l/40788282.jpg" width="206" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anybody that knows me knows how deep my love for all things JR Ward goes. The Black Dagger Brotherhood is lifeblood. The Fallen Angels series was inspiring. The Bourbon Kings was scandalous and exciting. I AM SO EXCITED for her next series about firefighters! Oh, my word who doesn't love a man in uniform, especially a firefighter?!</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">To prep for this new series, JR Ward is writing a free--yes, you heard right FREE--three part novella to help give you some background about this setting and world and characters. I am personally ridiculously here for anything and everything she writes and you should be, too! Today on this blog tour, the publisher and JR Ward are sharing an exclusive look at the series with a summary, excerpt, AND a video from JR Ward herself! All the info and good stuff is below, so pull a Dory and just keep reading! </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><b>About the Series: </b><br />Don’t miss #1 New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward’s three-part ebook serialization: The Wedding From Hell. This exclusive prequel to her upcoming standalone suspense Consumed (available in Fall 2018) takes us back to where it all started between arson investigator Anne Ashburn and ‘bad boy’ firefighter Danny Maguire. The Wedding From Hell is a sexy standalone novella that sets up Consumed’s storyline, leaving fans hungry for more and dying to snatch it up.<br /><br /><br /><b>About the Book:</b><br />It’s a classic recipe for disaster: Take one bridesmaid who thinks pink is the root of all evil, mix with a best man who’s hotter than a four-alarm fire, add in their explosive sexual attraction, a nightmare bridezilla, two cat fights, and an emergency call, and you have the wedding from hell. Experience the sizzling start of Anne and Danny’s intense relationship. Is this the start of something good...or just an erotic one-night stand that rocks their world, but must never be repeated?<br /><br /><b>About the Author:</b><br />J.R. Ward is the author of more than thirty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. There are more than fifteen million copies of her novels in print worldwide, and they have been published in twenty-six different countries around the world. She lives in the South with her family.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Here's a word from J.R. Ward herself:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1vty_f_3hZs?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Excerpt:</u></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Thursday, October 29</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>T minus 48 hours ’til blastoff</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>College Row, New Brunswick, Massachusetts</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Because women are not frickin’ groomsmen! That’s why she can’t be in the goddamn wedding!”<br /><br />As Anne Ashburn walked in the back door of the shotgun apartment, that happy little explosion was not only what she’d expected all along, it also offered her the out she’d been praying for. And it was probably the one and only time she was ever going to agree with the bride.<br /><br />Not about the role of females in bridal parties, but that Anne wasn’t going to be in the “goddamn wedding.”<br /><br />Everyone standing in the kitchen turned and looked at her: Deandra Cox, the impending wearer of the white dress; Robert “Moose” Miller, her exhausted fiancé and Anne’s fellow crew member down at the 499 fi rehouse; and . . . Dannyboy Maguire.<br /><br />Who was the only one she really noticed and, for that reason, the person she refused to look at.<br /><br />Too bad Danny always made an impression. Like most firefighters, he was in great physical shape, his big body thickly muscled and ready to snap into motion in an instant. With his heavy arms linked over that chest and his long legs crossed at the boots, he was leaning back against the chipped countertop, his too-blue stare missing nothing. He was fresh from a shower, his glossy black hair wet, and Anne tried not to picture him naked under the spray, his tattooed torso arching as he rinsed the shampoo out of his—<br /><br />She put her hands up to stop herself as much as the argument. “Look, I don’t want to cause any problems. I’m happy to step aside—”<br /><br /> “And now I have one too many bridesmaids.” The bride-to-be refocused on her intended. “My count is wrong. You wait until two days before the wedding to tell me this when you know I’m not going to like it, and now my count is off!”<br /><br /> As the groom focused on the linoleum floor, it was impossible not to picture a wax version of the couple on a multi-tiered cake: Deandra in skinny jeans and that tight cashmere sweater, her dark hair streaked blond, her body cocked forward like she was going to throat-punch the man she was going to marry; Moose in his New Brunswick Fire Department T-shirt, all broad-shouldered and bearded around the face, easing back like someone with the flu was about to sneeze in his face.<br /><br /> Ah, true love.<br /><br /> “I didn’t think it was a big deal,” Moose muttered. “Anne’s a member of the four-nine-nine crew, and everyone else is with me.”<br /><br /> “She’s a girl.” Deandra pointed at Anne. “It throws off everything.”<br /><br /> “I really don’t want to cause any problems.” Anne put her hands up again. “So I’ll just be in the congregation. It’s perfectly fine—”<br /><br /> Deandra’s glare swung Anne’s way. “The count is still wrong. And my friends have already paid for their dresses. They were a hundred and twenty dollars apiece.”<br /><br /> And that’s my cue to go, Anne thought. Moose may have volunteered for this, but no one else had or needed to—<br /><br /> “I think women can be whatever they want.”<br /><br /> As Danny spoke up, everyone looked at him—including Anne, who suddenly felt shades of what Deandra was throwing out.<br /><br /> Don’t you dare, she mouthed at him behind the bride’s back.<br /><br /> Danny just shrugged like he’d thrown on a pantsuit and was channeling Oprah, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton all at once. “I mean, Deandra, you’re above all that sexism, aren’t you? No one’s going to tell you what’s right and wrong for your own wedding. You’re more secure than that.”<br /><br />I am going to kill you, Anne vowed. “I think Deandra wants things done properly for her only wedding.”</i></span><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I hope you all enjoyed this excerpt and video and are as excited for the new series as I am!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Stay tuned for part 2 of this story and blog tour!</span></b></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-82854627974805086572018-07-16T09:37:00.001-04:002018-07-16T09:37:35.924-04:00Who Dunnit?<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U5Lf9UrAYFk/WzsUGvGphhI/AAAAAAAALls/-Eug9h2UP34YdcwNDLKFlzRk3Dl5q2YIwCLcBGAs/s1600/C5444103-CD98-416F-ABB9-7370195D48B0.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1266" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U5Lf9UrAYFk/WzsUGvGphhI/AAAAAAAALls/-Eug9h2UP34YdcwNDLKFlzRk3Dl5q2YIwCLcBGAs/s640/C5444103-CD98-416F-ABB9-7370195D48B0.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">With minimal encouragement from <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/" target="_blank">Hannah</a> while I was looking for books to pad my TBR with, she suggested a change of pace with the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling. I have always been hesitant to pick up her pseudonym books because Harry Potter has a Horcrux on my soul and I didn't want anything to taint my love for this author in case it didn't jive with me. Fortunately for me, I had nothing to worry about. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><a name='more'></a><br />The mystery/thriller/crime genre isn't one I seek out on my own, but I can't help being completely bewitched by them when I do stumble upon ones that are good. I love a good whodunit, a mystery to solve, trying to stay one step ahead of the main characters by trying to figure it out myself. I love that rush of adrenaline while reading when I can't turn the pages fast enough because I have to find out what happened. The Cormoran Strike series hit every bullet point on my list and so many more.<br /><br />What I loved about this series as a whole was the setting. Taking place in central London and surrounding Britain, I loved being back in my favorite place in the world...even if they were talking about fictional crimes committed there. The characters Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott are a dynamic duo and a very unlikely pair. We follow them as they get to know one another, become more of a team dynamic, and surprise each other on many occasions. I loved getting to know these characters, what made them tick, what affected them, their strengths, their weaknesses, their lives. I loved every moment I got to spend with Cormoran and Robin and I already am eagerly anticipating the next books.<br /><br /><b>THE CUCKOO'S CALLING </b>is the first book in the series and plays out in a very matter-of-fact detective manner. While investigating the possible murder of a famous model that was initially ruled a suicide, we follow Cormoran interviewing all possible suspects. I will say very boastfully that I did call the perp in this book very early on and, not gonna lie, was very proud of myself. What I loved about this book was the discussion of fame and how much celebrity is just a facade of who a person really is and how people think they know somebody when in all actuality they hardly know them at all. It was so interesting to hear people talk about the deceased model and how many different variations of person she portrayed to those around her.<br /><br /><b>THE SILKWORM </b>was by far the most grotesque and I was shocked many times while I was reading. A well-known author has gone missing and turns up murdered in the most horrifying way after a first draft of his newest book roasting all the people in his life goes public in the book world circle of the people talked about. While the content was a little cringe-worthy because of how the author wrote his book and how he was murdered, I could not wait to find out who the murderer was because it was set up in such a way that ANYONE could have been guilty. I loved this! There were so many different ways the pieces of the puzzle could have fit together and when it did, it made perfect sense. <br /><br /><b>CAREER OF EVIL </b>takes another slight departure from the previous book because it focuses on Cormoran, somebody who is out to get him, and a POV from the person he's trying to catch. It was so eerie and unsettling to be in the murderer's head and, similar to the last book, it could have been any of the people suspected. My small criticism with this book was that, unlike the previous book, while anybody could have done it, the puzzle pieces felt so interchangeable that there wasn't a hint at all as to who it could have been. I am aware that is sometimes the point but I also think a really great mystery gives you clues that you don't realize are clues. I felt that this was the case with THE SILKWORM but not CAREER OF EVIL.<br /><br />Overall, I was obsessed with this series and couldn't put it down. When I found the BBC television version was just starting to air in the US, I was ecstatic. While not as good as the books--they never are--I do enjoy seeing the story played out in front of me. And the actor who plays Cormoran is a total dish. Rawr.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">VIP</span><br />If you love twisty mysteries, amazing characterizations, and crime in central London...this series is for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-71692501100061397822018-07-06T08:00:00.000-04:002018-07-06T12:45:22.693-04:00An Open Love Letter to My Best Friends<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LDGVCjQ1QeQ/WzrsetJiqgI/AAAAAAAALkw/qC50LnFEnb4EKyXDRL82CQ9nPpTk-ux6wCLcBGAs/s1600/3B961567-F217-4AC6-9E55-BDC5CF2B7371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LDGVCjQ1QeQ/WzrsetJiqgI/AAAAAAAALkw/qC50LnFEnb4EKyXDRL82CQ9nPpTk-ux6wCLcBGAs/s640/3B961567-F217-4AC6-9E55-BDC5CF2B7371.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">While taking to <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/" target="_blank">Hannah</a> one day, okay one of the several times that day, and she told me about a book called TEXT ME WHEN YOU GET HOME by Kayleen Schaefer that she heard was about female friendships and how important they are and I knew right then I had to read it. Let me start with the book review. </div><a name='more'></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I really enjoyed this book. It was quick, easy to get into, and I loved the very honest truths the author spoke about her own female friendships over the years. She didn't always get it right and it took her awhile to figure out that being a girl's girl vs a guy's girl was something she should have been striving for instead of distancing herself from. She referenced multiple pop culture platforms and how movies, TV shows, and popular opinion has influenced how society views female friendships and how that view has evolved over the last 100 years. She discussed how women are biologically engineered to reach out to one another in good times and bad. She dissects the guy's girl and girl's girl mentality. And best of all, she goes in deep about how find a best friend or friends is just as important as romantic love and that it is a kind of love.<br /><br />I--pun intended--loved this. I loved reading about the evolution of how female relationships have been portrayed in pop culture and all the different examples of how power female friendships are in our lives. But what I loved most was that it made me reflect on my own female friendships that I'm going to go deep on in a moment. While the book itself felt like it had some repetition in it, the overall sentiment for me was that it's purpose was to help you reflect on how you view your friendships and how important female friendships truly are to women. I get the warm fuzzies just thinking about how impactful this book felt to me while reading. It is a celebration of women, our connection to one another, and how beautiful it is when you find another woman to connect to and call your best friend.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UtH29YnWj90/WzsF69j5cdI/AAAAAAAALlE/MZomKiD3h7skzaqjOwLeoZZGRpOXcolYACLcBGAs/s1600/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UtH29YnWj90/WzsF69j5cdI/AAAAAAAALlE/MZomKiD3h7skzaqjOwLeoZZGRpOXcolYACLcBGAs/s400/4.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now...lemme talk about how much I was moved by this book. I couldn't help but think about all the amazing women who have impacted my life and who are still doing so today. For those who don't know, I have had a very long, very brutal, very hurtful history with quite a few friendships over the years. I'm talking dumpster fire implosions of friendships that I thought I would have forever. I know I'm not alone in those situations either. I don't think there is a woman on this Earth who has not felt the devastating loss of a friendship they thought was going to stand the test of time, however, I'm not here to talk about them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I want to write an open love letter to all the friends I have today. Mindy Kaling nailed it in The Mindy Project when she said '<i>best friend isn't a person...it's a tier</i>' and I believe this 100%. The women in my life today I consider my Inner Circle would all have the title of best friend. It is a tier. It is a level of vulnerability, compassion, and understanding that more than one person can reach. The purpose of my writing--and spastic flailing if we're being honest--today is to say thank you. Thank you to those women who know who they are who have picked me up when I've been down, laughed with me, cried with me, encouraged me, hyped me, listened to me, and inspire me to be the person I am today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nhSWgEkr6D0/WzsF7QuNwjI/AAAAAAAALlQ/PDhiL0E9bo0XHDZ9lxXNNhKy8J0SCRJUQCEwYBhgL/s1600/6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nhSWgEkr6D0/WzsF7QuNwjI/AAAAAAAALlQ/PDhiL0E9bo0XHDZ9lxXNNhKy8J0SCRJUQCEwYBhgL/s400/6.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">There is a special kind of high I get when hanging out with my best friends. I feel energized and loved and appreciated in a way that only a best friend can give me. After a long phone call where we talk about everything and nothing, I feel a level of self-love that I never thought I could reach. Society has molded women into thinking they are one half of a whole, they are complete when they find their male counterpart. I'm not denying that a romantic relationship is an important one but I think that there is a different level of understanding that comes from a female best friend. Women get women. A woman's intuition is something legends are made from and the positive encouragement I get from my friends when I need it or at random is something so, so special because it comes from a place of deep understanding.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ll4Awin2WDM/WzsF63tZB_I/AAAAAAAALlI/i_0R_WNhhvs_eqMdSKvkqOLt2FLqjXUHACEwYBhgL/s1600/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ll4Awin2WDM/WzsF63tZB_I/AAAAAAAALlI/i_0R_WNhhvs_eqMdSKvkqOLt2FLqjXUHACEwYBhgL/s400/3.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thank you. Thank you to the friend who I can't get enough of and who I talk to all day, every day. Thank you to the friend I don't talk to every day but who I know is always there for me and vice versa. Thank you to the friend who dropped everything and drove an hour and a half to comfort me after I initially didn't get into nursing school. Thank you to the friend who knows what I'm going to say before I even say it. Thank you to the friend who acted as a human shield when I was viciously dumped and humiliated in public in front of a group of people. Thank you to the friend who dresses up and goes to nerd events with me. Thank you to the friend who offers bodily harm to anyone that hurts me. Thank you to the friend who can snark with me and the best of them, who always makes me laugh. Thank you to the friend who let me cry on the phone to them after another failed attempt at a relationship. Thank you to the friend who knew I needed a phone call when I had a health scare and wouldn't take texting as an answer. Thank you to the friend who is my constant hype girl, never doubting me and what I am capable of achieving. Thank you to the friend who sees me. Thank you to the friends who know this is a two-way road and that as much as you're there for me, you know I'm there for you as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WahO-baJzmA/WzsF6zSLhUI/AAAAAAAALlA/A2V1O9AyN1UF1pO-S_RZcEUPZE_Gh1y_ACEwYBhgL/s1600/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WahO-baJzmA/WzsF6zSLhUI/AAAAAAAALlA/A2V1O9AyN1UF1pO-S_RZcEUPZE_Gh1y_ACEwYBhgL/s400/2.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Female friendships are so important to women and I think it is the most underrated relationship and most criticized. I recently saw Ocean's 8--which was amazing, by the way--and my favorite line from the entire movie fits this post and book sentiment perfectly. One character asks another why she wanted to join the heist and she responds, '<i>I don't have a lot of female friends.' </i>Reply: <i>'So you wanted to be a felon because you're lonely?' </i>I found this not only hilarious but also so sad and true. Female friendships are powerful, they are strong, they are inspiring. They are the phone calls both good and bad. They are the ones who pick us up when we are down and hype us up to the next level. They are the heart and soul of almost everything.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QG9EQolJQRc/WzsF7KH7FDI/AAAAAAAALlM/FHRgwsvpJiwUIkHwQqOC3lYHTH6-_nM5gCEwYBhgL/s1600/5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QG9EQolJQRc/WzsF7KH7FDI/AAAAAAAALlM/FHRgwsvpJiwUIkHwQqOC3lYHTH6-_nM5gCEwYBhgL/s400/5.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">It took me reading this book to really pinpoint how crucial female friendships have been in my life. I always loved them but I never really thought too deeply about how much they've shaped my life and how central they are to me. I am single. I've never had a longterm relationship, I don't know what that romantic companionship feels like. I don't know if I ever will. I would like to but we never really know the direction our life is headed. One thing I do know is this, up until this point and possibly for the rest of my life...my female friends <i>are </i>the loves of my life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vb9XZnkmzm0/WzsF72PdzxI/AAAAAAAALlU/2onRoA_PjXEBxcoupsGz84q8_gOaMiaLgCEwYBhgL/s1600/7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vb9XZnkmzm0/WzsF72PdzxI/AAAAAAAALlU/2onRoA_PjXEBxcoupsGz84q8_gOaMiaLgCEwYBhgL/s400/7.png" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Backstage Pass</span><br />If you love reflecting on your female friendships, the evolution of female friendships, and your girlfriends...this book is for you.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Genre</b>: Adult Nonfiction </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Dutton</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Pages</b>: 288 </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: February 6th, 2017</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source</b>: Bought</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Find on: </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35342932-text-me-when-you-get-home" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-81493985251349120382018-07-03T08:00:00.000-04:002018-07-03T08:00:04.800-04:00Adventures in the Great Wide Somewhere // Travel by Page Behind Enemy Lines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXKuHOlvtkc/WosFIeFkVjI/AAAAAAAALeU/v3VLTfUJPN4_WKVncYN97eYtbY3UfEsxQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Adventures%2BBanner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="650" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXKuHOlvtkc/WosFIeFkVjI/AAAAAAAALeU/v3VLTfUJPN4_WKVncYN97eYtbY3UfEsxQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Adventures%2BBanner.png" /></a></div><br />As I'm sure many of you readers can relate to, I am constantly being inspired by books. I recently started rereading THE ALICE NETWORK by Kate Quinn on audio and it immediately brought me back to my deep love for this book. It also reminded me of my deep love, fascination, and inspiration for the very real women spies that played such a vital role in previous wars. With this love and inspo running through my veins, I thought it would be a fun post idea to do a Travel By Page...Behind Enemy Lines to highlight my favorite female spy novels. If you haven't read any of these books below, you need to immediately because they.are.amazing.!.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vV2t1GGSnp0/WzsFwm0nz7I/AAAAAAAALk8/1FohPZnyuaIhfL2GyYB9ivohQ5XQeIclQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Copy%2Bof%2B5%2BReasons%2BTo%2BRead%2BPillars%2Bof%2Bthe%2BEarth.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vV2t1GGSnp0/WzsFwm0nz7I/AAAAAAAALk8/1FohPZnyuaIhfL2GyYB9ivohQ5XQeIclQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Copy%2Bof%2B5%2BReasons%2BTo%2BRead%2BPillars%2Bof%2Bthe%2BEarth.png" /></a></div><br /><a name='more'></a>1. <b><a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2017/06/adventures-in-great-wide-somewhere-from.html" target="_blank">THE ALICE NETWORK by Kate Quinn </a></b>// As I mentioned above, this book was the inspiration behind this post. Dual timeline featuring the very real spy network called the Alice Network that operated during WWI and a woman trying to find her lost cousin post-WWII, this novel is everything. It is inspiring, emotional, heart-wrenching, and will leave you with such a sense of pride in your fellow females it is unreal.<br /><br />2. <a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/01/what-gal.html" target="_blank"><b>SHINING THROUGH by Susan Isaacs</b></a> // After finishing THE ALICE NETWORK, I needed more women empowerment! This book is historical fiction about a secretary turned housewife turned spy that read like a contemporary women's fiction novel in that there was so much development of the heroine and lead-up to her spy association and that really blew me away. It's not 'just' a novel about a female spy, it's a novel about a women and how her life and decisions brought her to where she is today.<br /><br />3. <a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2012/12/sweet-tooth-by-ian-mcewan.html" target="_blank"><b>SWEET TOOTH by Ian McEwan</b></a> // It's been quite a few years since I read this book but what I do remember is being entranced by Serena's voice and the Cold War. A woman recruited to work for MI5 and inspire an author for an Animal Farm-esque novel to dissuade people from Communism, she has more than a few complications along the way, including falling for her mark.<br /><br />4. <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21853621-the-nightingale?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah</a></b> // I am probably one of the last people to have read this but obviously I loved it. Two sisters separated by war, one of whom is a spy in an official capacity, the other a spy in small ways that make a big difference. I LOVED reading about how vital one of the character's spy efforts were and how the enemy always assumed it was a man operating it. Emotional and engaging, this book will have you turning the pages as fast as you can to see how it all ends.<br /><br />5. <b><a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-alteration-of-new-generation.html" target="_blank">THE VIRGIN'S DAUGHTER by Laura Andersen</a> </b>// While Lucy is not the most savvy spy there every was, I couldn't leave out an opportunity to highlight the very real spy network that Elizabeth I operated. Extensive and secretive, a war with France and Spain was always on her horizon and I love how Andersen manipulated history once again to include a Courtenay spy.<br /><br />6. <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11925514-code-name-verity" target="_blank">CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein</a> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> // </i>Quite possibly on the most emotionally traumatizing reads of my life, CODE NAME VERITY is not a book for everyone. Different style of writing combined with not really knowing who is who and what is happening, it can be a little jarring to read and difficult to get into. I was not one of those people. I loved this book fiercely and was so impressed and inspired by the two women characters who are best friends that I can't help but feel emotional about it now, years after reading it. It is intense, emotional, and inspiring, and even though it won't be for everyone, I can't help but want to push everyone to read this book.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Have you read any of these books?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Do you have any female spy books for me to read?!</span></b></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-1432911009463699022018-06-18T08:00:00.000-04:002018-06-18T08:00:03.459-04:00Quick and Dirty Mini-Reviews {6}Back for another edition of Quick and Dirty Mini-Reviews! I fell into a huge blogging slump with less than zero motivation so here's a few highlights of some of my favorite reads over the past few months...and longer...Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430401814l/1848666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430401814l/1848666.jpg" title="The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum" width="140" /></a><b>The Opposite of Love </b>is one of <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/" target="_blank">Hannah's</a> all-time favorite books and I knew at one point I had to give it a try...and I was SO happy I did! I loved this book. There are so many quiet elements to this book that had me thinking about it long after I shut the final page. At it's core, it truly is the making of a family. I loved reading about Emily's journey to the family she's always wanted and felt like she'd been missing. I adored her relationship with her grandfather. I loved that she was imperfect and had flaws and struggled to figure out what she wanted in life. I loved that it was about family. This book was a slow delve in Emily's life and being in her head and living her story was a fantastic journey. It's one of those beautiful books that doesn't shout at you to listen, it sits back and lets you absorb it's message slowly and long after the final page is turned. I was thinking about this book and certain moments from it for days after reading it. <b>If you're looking for a story about family that takes a roundabout way to get there but is beautiful in its quiet moments...this book is for you. </b><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1332107580l/9977379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The First Husband by Laura Dave" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1332107580l/9977379.jpg" title="The First Husband by Laura Dave" width="140" /></a><b>The First Husband </b>was a book I didn't expect to love as much as I did. It was quick read that picks up immediately after the heroine, Annie, gets dumped by her longterm boyfriend and falls head over heels for a chef that she quickly marries. I'm gonna be honest, while I felt a little disconnected from the romance, the overall sentiment really was a win for me. I loved the heroine’s (and author’s) insightful words about traveling and the reasons why we do it. The thought-provoking moments Tegan reflects upon while traveling felt like they were meant for me. The idea that you can travel to escape and trick yourself into believing that was your everyday life hit so close to home. But more than anything, I loved that discussion on choosing somebody every day even when it’s hard. Making somebody your choice day after day is a commitment that is beautiful and hard, vulnerable and honest. <b>If you're looking for a quick yet insightful read...this book is for you.</b><br /><br /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1415582468l/23012475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Knockoff by Lucy Sykes" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1415582468l/23012475.jpg" title="The Knockoff by Lucy Sykes" width="140" /></a><b>The Knockoff </b>was the surprise This book was such a surprise love that it's very hard to articulate WHY I loved it so much except that I did...love it...every second of it. There are books that you can't turn the pages fast enough because you just can't wait to find out the ending and that is so exciting! And, for me, there are a few rare books that you just fall leisurely into and just enjoy reading the story without feeling rushed or over excited or impulsive--and I say all of these things in the most positive way--and this was one of those books. Imogen's story was full of interesting characters, complex work dynamics, and truly evil villains. The commentary on technology in life and work and all the moments in between was brilliant. The characterization of Imogen was incredible. I LOVED her! SO many positive things to say about this book, I just fell in love with everything about it and everything just worked for me! I loved Imogen so much I want to be her friends in real life. It was so refreshing to read about a heroine who is inherently kind, takes the high road every time, and still comes out on top. <b>If you're looking for a satire on technology and fashion, and a heroine who you can't help but root for because she is everything classy and fabulous...this book is for you.</b><br /><br /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1426248045l/23569705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Come Away with Me by Karma Brown" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1426248045l/23569705.jpg" title="Come Away with Me by Karma Brown" width="140" /></a><b></b><br /><b>Come Away With Me </b>was an emotional read and I knew going into this book I was in for some feels, I just didn’t know how many. This book had beautiful moments of healing and vulnerability interlaced with traveling far away to find yourself again. I obviously loved the travel aspect because it made so much sense to me when faced with tragedy. Y’all, I legit cried throughout most of this book but don’t let that deter you. It’s beautiful, heart-breaking, poignant, and honest. Tegan's journey to heal was emotional but honest.<br /><br /><b>If you’re looking for a book to get lost in, emotions to work though, or just a really good cry...this book is for you.</b><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1397776375l/18143967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ember Island" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1397776375l/18143967.jpg" width="130" /></a><b>Ember Island </b>was gifted to me by <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/" target="_blank">Hannah</a> after one of her culls. I read Kimberly Freeman's other novel, <a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2016/11/bittersweet-love.html" target="_blank">Wildflo</a><a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2016/11/bittersweet-love.html" target="_blank">wer Hill</a>, because of her and I loved it. Historical fiction set in Australia is hard to come by plus dual timeline and I'm sold. Like Wildflower Hill, the backdrop of an Australian island was breathtaking to read about. The setting was incredible, the historical component of a jail on an island and it's inhabitants was enthralling. I loved the subtle romance, I loved the daughter of the warden, I loved it all. It was about atoning for sins and making mistakes and I loved every second of reading this. The contemporary component was equally compelling as it was about an author who inherits this same house on the island and is trying to write her next novel. I love reading about author's and their writing. It's one of my reading quirks. <b>If you're looking for some unique historical fiction settings, this book is for you.</b><br /><br /><b></b> <b></b><br /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327859184l/6081088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Into Thin Air" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327859184l/6081088.jpg" width="129" /></a><b>Into Thin Air </b>is a book I am embarrassed to say I've never read. Somehow I skipped that class in high school when it was required reading. Regardless, I'm fascinated by Everest, mountain climbing, pushing one's body to the limits to achieve a goal, and the firsthand account of the 1996 disaster of Everest was something I couldn't pass up and FINALLY just checked out from the library. They say hindsight is 20/20 and that can't possibly be more true than this situation. There were so many hints, circumstances, near misses that could have been avoided but alas, hindsight is forever 20/20. Jon Krakauer's account was fascinating to read about. I love reading about the everyday on the mountain, the process of acclimatizing to the brutal altitude, what it was really like on the mountain and what really happened on that fateful day in May. I am by no means a 'climber,' but I do like to push myself for attainable goals, i.e. Macchu Piccu and Kilimanjaro, so my very minimal point of reference only added to my reading experience. <b>If you're looking for a quick, readable, and fascinating non-fiction about the world's highest mountain, this book is for you. </b><br /><b><br /></b> <br /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490035454l/33296129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Duchess Deal (Girl Meets Duke, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490035454l/33296129.jpg" width="117" /></a><b>The Duchess Deal </b>was on my radar because I LOVE Tessa Dare's other historical romance novels. This book was no exception. Complete with a sassy heroine who wants nothing more than to be independent and not rely on a man for her success and a wounded, scarred and broken hero who really just needs to be loved, The Duchess Deal was Tessa Dare hitting the mark. Emma is a wedding dress designer and I LOVED that she had a profession that she was good at! I loved reading about her making dressing and knowing fashion, it's another quirks of mine. Ashbury was involved with the war and came back scarred and broken. His previous fiance was awful and left him so *le sigh* Emma has to show him he's worthy of love. If that doesn't make you want to read this book, I don't know how to help you. <b>If you love Beauty and the Beast vibes, snarky heroine, and scarred heroes, this book is for you. </b><br /><b><br /></b> <b><br /></b>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-27150591303932465642018-06-13T10:37:00.001-04:002018-06-13T10:46:40.628-04:00Adventures in the the Great Wide Somewhere // Travel Books That Aren't Travel Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXKuHOlvtkc/WosFIeFkVjI/AAAAAAAALeU/v3VLTfUJPN4_WKVncYN97eYtbY3UfEsxQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Adventures%2BBanner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="650" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SXKuHOlvtkc/WosFIeFkVjI/AAAAAAAALeU/v3VLTfUJPN4_WKVncYN97eYtbY3UfEsxQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Adventures%2BBanner.png" /></a></div>When <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/" target="_blank">Hannah</a> mentioned that this week's <a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/" target="_blank">Top Ten Tuesday</a> was about travel books, I knew I needed to write a post about books that inspire me to travel. Then I thought a little more about it and wanted to do a little different twist to the topic. My informal title of this would probably be 'Books You Wouldn't Expect that Inspire Me to Travel' OR 'Books Whose Settings are a Character on Their Own' OR 'Unconventional Books That Make Me Want to Pack My Bags' What do I mean by this? I mean, I've read books where the setting of the story is such a big part of the story it feels like a character and/or while the book itself isn't about travel, it still made me want to go to that place immediately.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n41oPYeYPUI/WyErZ-lJNOI/AAAAAAAALkU/jxgwm6Px4m8Xic7wOM-0Tk8qU1xyB_SjgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n41oPYeYPUI/WyErZ-lJNOI/AAAAAAAALkU/jxgwm6Px4m8Xic7wOM-0Tk8qU1xyB_SjgCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_6320.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>View from St Mary's in Oxford, England</i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1287968990?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" target="_blank"><b></b></a><br /><a name='more'></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1287968990?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" target="_blank"><b>Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center</b></a> is a book that made not only want to carpe every diem but to really push my own boundaries and do one those wilderness adventures that the heroine does in the book. It is an incredibly inspiring read about finding yourself and pushing your own boundaries.<br /><b><br /></b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2383443930" target="_blank"><b>My Oxford Year by Julie Whelan</b></a> is an emotional read--full review coming soon--that I didn't know I wanted or needed. While the plot will work for some and not others, this book is also a love letter to Oxford, in my opinion. I have been to Oxford twice, it's a soulmate city to me, and Whelan really does the scholarly city justice. I texted Hannah after reading and said let's just go live in Oxford for a month because it is that good!<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16160797-the-cuckoo-s-calling?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><b>The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith</b></a> is probably my most unique pick for this list. It's a mystery/crime book about a private detective and it takes place in London. I fell into this book like you fall down the rabbit hole. I just loved reading it, the setting made me feel right at home in my favorite city in the world. For me, it's the subtle, quiet descriptions a book has of its setting that usually wow me and make it resonate with me after the final pages...this book did that.<br /><br /><a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2016/11/memory-of-love.html" target="_blank"><b>The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley</b></a> had me actually contemplating how I could rent a cabin in Scotland by the sea and live out my days. The ocean, the cliffs, the beach, the grassy hills, it was all so distinctive in my mind's eye that I fell in love with this book pretty early on. It is everything beautiful and right that I love about Scotland.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="No automatic alt text available." aria-busy="false" class="spotlight" height="300" src="https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/27459399_10101970370544143_1233185782896336316_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=0ddc263161834d3aec243d7a488a2678&oe=5BB6A48A" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lady of the Eternal City <br />(fourth book in Mistress of Rome series)<br />while in Rome.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2017/02/love-me-hard.html" target="_blank"><b>Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn</b></a> is a historical fiction taking place in 80s AD. I read it a few months before going back to Rome and it was perfect timing! It gave me such insight into the Colosseum days and the history that was made that is still present today. It was incredible to learn about this time period and then to see it all in real life shortly after. </div></div><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237209.In_the_Woods?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><b>In the Woods by Tana French</b></a> is another one that might seem odd. A murder mystery/thriller taking place in Ireland brought the everyday living context to life. While the story was sad, I couldn't help but feel like the setting of small town Ireland really was brought to the forefront.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/386187.Midnight_in_the_Garden_of_Good_and_Evil?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><b>Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt</b></a> no joke helped me manipulate my sisters to taking a trip to Savannah, Georgia. The beautiful squares, the housing architecture, the quirky inhabitants. Savannah is the main character in this book and is written about in such a lovely way that I couldn't help but book a plane ticket there. Note: don't go in August, you will be miserable.<br /><br /><a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2016/09/pasta-with-side-of-love.html" target="_blank"><b>Roman Crazy by Alice Clayton and Nina Bocci</b></a> is a perfect modern-day foray into the city of Eternal Love. It gives you Roman Holiday feels as the heroine is running around the city, exploring the culture, tasting the food, and finding herself. Of all the books I've mentioned, this book has the capability to make you feel as if you are IN ROME while reading on your couch.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bcwXNFYrp1g/WmZis8E1TUI/AAAAAAAALck/imjRlIN0hm074SxAD16M0xWtX2Oe0nbFgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_9220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bcwXNFYrp1g/WmZis8E1TUI/AAAAAAAALck/imjRlIN0hm074SxAD16M0xWtX2Oe0nbFgCPcBGAYYCw/s400/IMG_9220.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Isle of Skye, Scotland</i></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1774194228?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" target="_blank"><b>Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole</b></a> takes place on the beautiful Isle of Skye off the coast of Scotland. I read this while I was in Scotland and going to Skye and it was incredible. The beautiful landscape contrasted with the difficulty and harsh living circumstances that accompanied the island in the 40s, this book will and should make you want to book a flight and a ferry immediately. It is to this day, the most beautiful place I have ever been.<br /><br /><a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2016/12/adventures-in-great-wide-somewhere-from.html" target="_blank"><b>Who's That Girl? by Mhairi McFarlane</b></a> bring the city of Nottingham in England to life. The pubs, the city center festivals, the houses, I loved reading about this English town. I've never been, shocking, but I plan on making it a priority the next time I'm there. McFarlane's books in general always being the English setting to life so if you're looking to couch escape to England, pick up any of her books.<br /><b><br /></b><a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2017/01/quick-and-dirty-mini-reviews-4.html" target="_blank"><b>The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley</b></a> is a historical fiction taking place in Russia so duh, I'm all about it. It brought the city of St Petersburg to life in a way that the Bronze Horseman doesn't. It's a lighter affair with the city that is my number one travel destination. I'd also like to note that ALL of Susanna Kearsley's books do this to me. Coast of Scotlant, French cottage, smalltown Germany, Russia, all her books make me want to travel to where they take place immediately!<br /><br /><a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2017/06/adventures-in-great-wide-somewhere-from.html" target="_blank"><b>The Alice Network by Kate Quinn</b></a> give life to France during some of the worst moments in our collective history. Exploring the important role of female spies in WWI and WWII, this book has emotional moments but there is beauty in this darkness. The friendships of the women combined with the beauty of the French countryside, this book gives you travel inspo and emotional feels.<br /><br /><b>Hope these books can give you a little bit of a different kind of travel inspiration! Don't forget to check out my previous posts that I've done of <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2016/06/adventures-in-great-wide-somewhere-top.html" target="_blank">Best Travel Books</a>, <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2016/09/adventures-in-great-wide-somwhere.html" target="_blank">Travel by Page to England</a>, <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2016/12/adventures-in-great-wide-somewhere.html" target="_blank">Travel by Page to Scotland</a>, and <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2017/05/adventures-in-great-wide-somewhere_17.html" target="_blank">Travel by Page to Italy</a>!</b>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-83695255063966538022018-06-11T08:00:00.000-04:002018-06-11T08:00:09.634-04:00Not Your Typical Rockstar<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4pVmLd-c8y4/WVqyDDmt46I/AAAAAAAALQ0/YVVryCMaR7IWfDgai3r6zcwXb_dSzakRACLcBGAs/s1600/Lick.jpg" imageanchor="0"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4pVmLd-c8y4/WVqyDDmt46I/AAAAAAAALQ0/YVVryCMaR7IWfDgai3r6zcwXb_dSzakRACLcBGAs/s200/Lick.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yRWu6uFNUx4/WVqyDe4Fx4I/AAAAAAAALRA/a4L4wTEQz-IKo0bU03lAhiMg6S2ImC3MwCLcBGAs/s1600/Play.jpg" imageanchor="0"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yRWu6uFNUx4/WVqyDe4Fx4I/AAAAAAAALRA/a4L4wTEQz-IKo0bU03lAhiMg6S2ImC3MwCLcBGAs/s200/Play.jpg" width="149" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HF3MyNHgaQk/WVqyDGmoMLI/AAAAAAAALQ8/oHajC2UtIGcxiQdVVBwtRrrshQn_Mq-0QCLcBGAs/s1600/Lead.jpg" imageanchor="0"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HF3MyNHgaQk/WVqyDGmoMLI/AAAAAAAALQ8/oHajC2UtIGcxiQdVVBwtRrrshQn_Mq-0QCLcBGAs/s200/Lead.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jAiw0smObZ8/WVqyDG508iI/AAAAAAAALQ4/vTEfASfQNkUMP6cqK9DLAOF-hiCWK_cNACLcBGAs/s1600/Deeo.jpg" imageanchor="0"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jAiw0smObZ8/WVqyDG508iI/AAAAAAAALQ4/vTEfASfQNkUMP6cqK9DLAOF-hiCWK_cNACLcBGAs/s200/Deeo.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm not gonna lie. For the longest time I really had no interest in this series. I am very anti-celebrity, royalty, anything having to do with being famous. I don't like reading about. I don't care. I don't like the theme of 'he's a prince or he's a famous actor what's he doing with me' because it's all bullshit to me. Nobody is better than anybody else and because of my opinion on that, I stay away from royalty and celebrity-based romances. HOWEVER. If something comes highly recommended enough by a very trusted friend, I'll usually at least give it a college try. When I saw these on my library's Overdrive for audio, I thought I'd give it a try...and I am so glad I did!<br /><a name='more'></a><br />The major reason I ended up giving these a chance is because Steph told me there really isn't a big emphasis on their fame. It is discussed but it really focuses on the two people in the relationship and their own personal issues. I loved this. Each and every couple felt unique and special.<br /><b><br /></b><b>David and Evelyn in Lick </b>might be my favorite. I loved that they got married in Vegas, she doesn't remember a thing, and the series of unfortunate events that occur that help them get to know each other for real. It warmed my heart and I loved every second of it. I LOVED the conflict and how it all played out. It felt super organic and as true to a real life situation as possible which I feel is hard to do with a celebrity romance.<br /><b><br /></b><b>Mal and Anne in Play </b>were probably the most funny and light-hearted of the books. They both have their relationship shortcomings but I adored reading about them! Mal is so funny and wears his heart on his sleeve but I also loved Anne's reservation and vulnerability.<br /><b><br /></b><b>J</b><b>immy and Lena featured in Lead </b>were definitely the most melodramatic and it's to be expected with Jimmy being the lead singer of the band and all-around pretty boy. They had a lot to overcome in order to find their HEA but it was worth every second. While a lot of fighting and lack of communication can annoy me, it didn't in this. I loved the push and pull of their tension-filled relationship and the payoff was even better.<br /><br /><b>Lizzy and Ben in Deep </b>took a turn I didn't expect with Lizzy discovering she's pregnant in the first chapter. I was SO excited for their story because it was hinted at for a few books. And while overall I liked it, it felt a little unnecessary in some of the conflict. Like the two characters were finding issues that weren't there to fight over and not be together.<br /><br />Regardless, all of the books felt cohesive and complemented each other. Honestly, I wanted to start over at the beginning and listen to them all over again. It was such a great reading experience and I just fell in love with the characters and story and everything about it!<br /><br />I listened to the audiobooks of the entire series and it was fantastic! I loved the narrator and I honestly could not get through these fast enough, I never wanted to stop listening. They were so fun and funny, snarky and sexy. It was almost a blessing in disguise the day I had a 6 hour migraine because I just laid in a dark room and listened to my book. If you're thinking about reading or listening to these, definitely give them a shot, they are awesome!</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Reserved Seating</span><br />If you love snark, sexiness, and fantastical beginnings...these books is for you.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Genre</b>: Adult Contemporary Romance </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: St. Martin's Griffin</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source</b>: Audio borrowed from library</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Find on: </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/105846-stage-dive" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/2nUtH8P" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span> </div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-66750295888836730922018-06-08T08:00:00.000-04:002018-06-08T08:00:02.214-04:00Mug Life {6}<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8J8NE8voUlM/WxDNEOiBN8I/AAAAAAAALjc/QiTnCu4mzd0x0WGzDd4trbDsBG-fK3_rQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_8658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8J8NE8voUlM/WxDNEOiBN8I/AAAAAAAALjc/QiTnCu4mzd0x0WGzDd4trbDsBG-fK3_rQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_8658.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">While I've got my blog motivation going, might as well do an updated yet throwback Mug Life! I took this picture in Seattle and ironically it has all--mostly--of the elements I needed for it so why not! Let's do a travel version of Mug Life, switch it up a bit AND combine it with a review of the book pictured...you can kind of see it...sorry *shrugs*<br /><b><u><br /></u></b> <b><u>M</u>y Current Read </b>// Not the best picture but what I WAS reading IN BED WITH THE BEAST by Tara Sivec and LOVING IT!! It's the second book in the Naughty Princess Club series. I was so excited for this book because--duh--Beauty and the Beast, pease note my book sleeve. I thought this book was clever and smart and I loved Belle and the 'beast.' I loved that she was shy and unsure of herself and really came into her own. Beast was patient and kind and so thoughtful. I loved the twists and nods to the original fairy tale in the first book and this book also was SO clever in it's delivery. Her bad dates and parallels to the inanimate objects from the story were just too, too good. The friendship between Belle, Cindy, and Ariel was incredible. They are so honest and real yet supportive of each other in the perfect balance. I CANNOT WAIT for Ariel's book because she is so crass and in your face, I cannot wait to see her vulnerable and fall in love *sigh*.<br /><br /><b><u>U</u>nderneath the Mug </b>// I took this in the moment while at a cafe recommended by Wendy! So it's not a mug per say but I was really enjoying my morning coffee at an adorable cafe in Seattle!<br /><br /><b><u>G</u>et Nailed</b> // Essie's Mint Apple Candy was perfect for Spring! I'm not a huge fan of spring colors but I've been definitely vibe'ing with some pastels lately!<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><b><u>L</u>ook</b> <b>Book</b> // My new obsession is stackable rings. I love love love love love wearing multiple rings at a time and mixing and matching and adding more than one per finger. I think it is so easy and simple to do and so funky yet chic. I love everything about it.<br /><br /><b><u>I</u>nspired</b> <b>By</b> // As we all know, I haven't been blogging a lot recently so I've been inspired by traveling and reading and Hannah's best hype girl speech to get back into this!<br /><br /><b><u>F</u>rame</b>-<b>Worthy</b> <b>Moment</b> // Can't pick a favorite so I'm gonna go with a pic of me with <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/" target="_blank">Hannah</a> in Atlanta and me and my sister in NYC! As always, I love the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xoxokellynina/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and would love if ya followed me on there! No pressure or anything.<br /><br /><b><u>E</u>xplore</b> // As I talked about in my Itinerary Update, I was in Seattle, Atlanta, AND New York in the past month and it was absolutely incredible. Exhausting but in the best way!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P5ieEr-Jwrg/WxDSFRpuADI/AAAAAAAALj0/IIgU49TIwY0Cz3QDpVTOo8pxpcfspLhZQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9007.jpg" imageanchor="0"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P5ieEr-Jwrg/WxDSFRpuADI/AAAAAAAALj0/IIgU49TIwY0Cz3QDpVTOo8pxpcfspLhZQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9007.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kRvP-0pv0dw/WxDSE9BB2qI/AAAAAAAALjw/5fX3OdNzYsY0oRe1ahxUpEKUJJqqIpf1gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9600.jpg" imageanchor="0"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="1024" height="237" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kRvP-0pv0dw/WxDSE9BB2qI/AAAAAAAALjw/5fX3OdNzYsY0oRe1ahxUpEKUJJqqIpf1gCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9600.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: black; font-family: "dancing script"; font-size: x-large;">"I want the fairy tale. I DESERVE THE FAIRY TALE.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "dancing script"; font-size: x-large;">"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "dancing script"; font-size: x-large;">--Tara Sivec, In Bed With the Beast</span></i><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U81G_G9MhDw/WxdyQ8oJ55I/AAAAAAAALkI/JcAVNJAPW34KGVfiKXCPTQCCFTM-QIJ6gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_8653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U81G_G9MhDw/WxdyQ8oJ55I/AAAAAAAALkI/JcAVNJAPW34KGVfiKXCPTQCCFTM-QIJ6gCLcBGAs/s200/IMG_8653.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NkgBnfu21FU/WOK4xc3QEoI/AAAAAAAAK9Y/KZgJGID1g9wbQU4IweYs13aaIgzircE-ACLcB/s1600/Finding%2BYou.jpg" imageanchor="0"><img alt="In Bed with the Beast (The Naughty Princess Club, #2)" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520125959l/38492044.jpg" width="138" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Reserved Seating</span><br />If you love fairy tales, modern takes, and Beauty and the Beast...this book is for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" imageanchor="0"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Genre</b>: Adult Contemporary Romance, Travel </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Swerve</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Pages</b>: 304 </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: June 5th, 2017</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source</b>: ARC provided by publisher</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Find on: </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38492044-in-bed-with-the-beast?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-29126204191760916402018-06-06T08:00:00.001-04:002018-06-06T08:00:03.661-04:00Adventures in the Great Wide Somewhere // Travel By Page to the West End<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hjCSk1KIku8/WxDJW31-LYI/AAAAAAAALjQ/iNwjFlr3K1ExnDhMY7O8CsLiW_4DjycTgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hjCSk1KIku8/WxDJW31-LYI/AAAAAAAALjQ/iNwjFlr3K1ExnDhMY7O8CsLiW_4DjycTgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_7194.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: "dancing script"; font-size: xx-large;">"I wouldn't have to lose my temper if people weren't such morons."</i><br /><span style="font-family: "dancing script"; font-size: x-large;"><i>--Lucy Parker, Act Like It</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1437804753l/25750546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Act Like It (London Celebrities, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1437804753l/25750546.jpg" width="125" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b> <b><i>My Thoughts</i></b><br /><b> </b> <b>The Belle</b><br />When Hannah started telling me about a book she read on the plane home and how great it was, I was intrigued. Then she mentioned it 1. takes place in London 2. is low on drama and high on hilarity and 3. focuses on people in the West End theater scene, I was sold! And I am so incredibly happy with my decision to impulse buy these books and read them immediately. They were the perfect balm to my soul after leaving the UK (and battling a bout of the stomach flu).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a name='more'></a><b><br /></b> <b>Act Like It</b><br />The first book in the series focuses on Lainie and Richard. Two actors in the same play, Lainie is kind and beloved by the British tabloids while Richard is the grumpy short-fuse prick of the same tabloids. Because his bad publicity will soon affect the run of the show, the PR director has a scheme to turn it to their favor...fake date and be seen out together. Whaaaaa?! Yes! In a world of social media and instant information, Richard and Lainie agree to date for different but mutually beneficial reasons. Obviously they end up falling for one another but how they get there is the story...and what a story.<br /><br />I loved the snarky dynamic between the two characters. Sass doesn't even begin to describe it. They never fail to have a witty comeback and neither backs down in their retorts. They are borderline mean and it.is.hilarious! I loved every second of their hate-to-love romantic adventure. The book is on the shorter end and while I would have loved more of them as a couple, I thoroughly appreciated Parker's style of writing in regards to the conflict. It wasn't drawn out of melodramatic. I actually really like the twist and how everything played out. <b>In a romance world of melodramatic miscommunication and conflict, Parker is a breath of fresh air in the way she writes her stories. If you're looking for a fun, snarky, and hilarious hate-to-love romance that takes place in London, this book is for you.</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b><br /></b> <a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479518906l/30631124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pretty Face (London Celebrities, #2)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479518906l/30631124.jpg" width="125" /></a><b>Pretty Face</b><br />While Pretty Face has similar elements that I loved to Act Like It, what I loved most was how unique it felt in comparison. We have the snarky retorts and hate-to-love components but the hero and heroine felt completely unique and I loved that! So many times I binge read a romance series and they kind of blend together in my head. This is no the case. Lily is a 'scandalous' TV actress on a show where she plays a character with as many brain cells as she has boobs, Luc is a very successful director...and about 15 years her senior. I was READY for this dynamic!!<br /><br />The age difference, the power imbalance, the cliche, I was here for it all to be worked through and figured out and I loved every second of it. As with the first one, Parker takes you down the road less traveled. Where I thought the book would focus, it did not and I loved it. I loved Luc's silent but strong demeanor. I loved Lily's intelligence and perseverance. Watching her come into her own on the stage where she has so longed to be was incredible. Luc's journey to understand love and truly caring about another person was beautiful. Their dynamic was snarky and no-holds-bar. Again, the setting of a theater and play was so interesting to read about. I loved reading about the actor's temperaments and stage directions and how things work. It was just enough of a focus to now overpower the story with inane details but just enough that I was super interested and invested. <b>If you love a slightly unconventional love story, this book is for you. </b><br /><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Backstage Pass</span><br />If you love theater, snark, and London...this series is for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Genre</b>: Adult Contemporary Romance </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Carina Press</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source</b>: Purchased for Kindle</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Find on: </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/198158-london-celebrities" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: "dancing script"; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "dancing script"; font-size: x-large;">"<i>Aww...Look at them. I'm never going to have someone look at me like that...</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: "dancing script"; font-size: x-large;"><i>Or like that. Man. I'm going to die alone. I should get a puppy."</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: "dancing script"; font-size: x-large;"><i>--Lucy Parker, Making Up</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520427531l/36533218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Making Up (London Celebrities, #3)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520427531l/36533218.jpg" width="201" /></a><b>My Thoughts</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b> </b> <b>The Belle</b><br />My favorite part about the London Celebrities series was the setting. I love musicals, I love London, and when you combine the two and set a romance series in the West End, HELLO! Sign me up! So I thought the final book would be a perfect addition to Adventures in the Great Wide Somewhere feature Travel by Page! I am so sad to see this series go but fingers crossed there is more from this author soon!<br /><br /><!--more--><br /><br /><br />When I binge read the first two London Celebrity books, I was crossing fingers I'd be approved for the third and spoiler alert: I was! I immediately started reading it to close out my binge of this fantastic series. I was excited to read about the Khal Drogo lookalike hero who was a successful makeup artist...I mean...rawr. And Lily's friend Trix who we know has had a rough go of relationships because of the previous book. I was not disappointed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />What we don't know before going into the book but find out in the first few pages is Trix and Drogo, err, I mean Leo have a history. They cannot help but needle each other every time they are forced together. When Leo gets a job on Trix's show, their run-ins are inevitable...but so are the sparks. Their contrary behavior to one another is a constant and I loved seeing these two argue while fight their obvious feelings for one another. How they end up getting together felt natural and genuine, their similar interests and hobbies were nerdtastic and it was uh-may-zing. I loved picturing this big handsome beast with a huge nerd soul. I also loved trying to envision Trix's cirque de soleil-esque show and her acrobatics.<br /><br />Again, as with the previous books, the drama was not drawn out or melodramatic. It real and genuine to the story with minimal casualties and fallout. The communication between the two characters could be misinterpreted at times but it wasn't obnoxious or irritating to the reader, my opinion. I also ADORED the epilogue! Of all the books, this was my favorite one. It was so sweet and adorable and gah, all kinds of feels! I really hope this series is more than three books because I would love to spend more time in this setting and get glimpses of our previous couples!<br /><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Backstage Pass</span><br />If you love Khal Drogo-looking heroes, cirque de soleil, and snark...this book is for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Genre</b>: Adult Contemporary Romance </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Publisher</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: Carina Press</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: inherit;">Publication Date</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">: May 28th, 2018</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source</b>: ARC provided by publisher</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Find on: </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36533218-making-up" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-31344141605654292392018-06-01T08:00:00.001-04:002018-06-01T08:00:01.830-04:00Itinerary Update {6}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kVDlQD7VQVg/Ww8He1_3vgI/AAAAAAAALig/_Rbe8ywycLESFXyDMpTNpGGlb2f2063PwCLcBGAs/s1600/Itinerary%2BUpdate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="640" height="412" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kVDlQD7VQVg/Ww8He1_3vgI/AAAAAAAALig/_Rbe8ywycLESFXyDMpTNpGGlb2f2063PwCLcBGAs/s640/Itinerary%2BUpdate.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Oh, hello! It's more than likely that you haven't noticed--except <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/" target="_blank">Hannah</a>--that I've been pretty MIA in regards to the blog the last few months. I've loved doing special posts like <a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/02/youre-my-person-galentines-day-gift.html" target="_blank">Galentine's Day</a> with <a href="http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/" target="_blank">Alexa</a>, Hannah, and <a href="http://www.hello-chelly.com/" target="_blank">Rachel</a> and <a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/search/label/UK%20Recs%20Fit%20For%20A%20Queen" target="_blank">UK Recs Fit for a Queen</a> & <a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/search/label/UK%20Recs%20Fit%20For%20A%20Queen" target="_blank">UK Recap</a> with Hannah, but I just haven't been motivated to write reviews or travel posts or lifestyle posts. I don't know guys, blogging has always been a passion project of mine; a place to call my own to express my thoughts on books, travel, and life so if I wasn't feeling inspired to blog or write...I wouldn't.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />It hasn't been for lack of good books or travel or life events, I just found more of my time being relegated to reading and not worrying about writing reviews. Not to mention I've gone pretty deep into the planner world--Lord, nobody saw that coming that's for sure--and I've loved doing that kind of scrapbooking stuff so yeah! Long story short--but clearly not--hi, I'm still here! You haven't missed me because I'm not that important but maybe some of y'all are still around. Hannah has been instrumental in my inspiration to blog again because she is my number one hype girl in life and in this blog and her saying she missed my reviews and Mug Lifes pretty much meant the world to me so here we are! I apparently had quite a few old book reviews drafted from MONTHS ago that will be unleashed over the next few weeks so yay for content.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-npKPlVRRsf0/WxDCxX2KjsI/AAAAAAAALi0/XdaTjdG6k_Q1rQ6tVUwNHaTVtRoe_EcTQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_8623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-npKPlVRRsf0/WxDCxX2KjsI/AAAAAAAALi0/XdaTjdG6k_Q1rQ6tVUwNHaTVtRoe_EcTQCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_8623.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gas Works Park in Seattle, WA</td></tr></tbody></table><b>What else have I been up to?</b><br />Traveling! My 2018 motto was 'Make It Count' and to me that means taking advantage of life as much as I can aka traveling and just being in the moment living that hygge life. I recently went to Seattle, Atlanta to visit Hannah, and NYC with my sister. They were all AMAZING adventures! Seattle was such an incredible solo trip--partner trip if you count Marty the minivan--and reiterated why I love to travel by myself. There is a serenity that comes over me when I'm discovering a new place and have only myself to rely on. The quiet moments of reading in a cafe or park are what will always stick with me and usually are the best parts of my trips because I live for the calm in between the storms of activty.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bi-Ouxo0jL0/WxDCwYaWJgI/AAAAAAAALis/mMAYwKNbh5EFPX6ktuKQg85KW3IrGmengCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bi-Ouxo0jL0/WxDCwYaWJgI/AAAAAAAALis/mMAYwKNbh5EFPX6ktuKQg85KW3IrGmengCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_4884.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baelin & Feybae</td></tr></tbody></table>Any time spent with Hannah is much-needed and too short! My 5 days in Atlanta always go by way too fast because we have so.much.fun.!. You'd think we would have run out of things to talk about by now but that's a hard no. Planner nights and frosted coffees and bookstore wandering and a perfect day in the North Georgia Mountains were just a few amazing moments of our trip. I'm pretty sure we could be locked in her house for 5 days and we'd still have the best time ever. She's my person and I'm already counting down until the next time we see each other! *cough please let a passport be needed cough*<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lHSPApPY49M/WxDCw_yD4yI/AAAAAAAALi8/BUJ1XYST0vEjROTtU3hmfma0IpeSyUa2ACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_9494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lHSPApPY49M/WxDCw_yD4yI/AAAAAAAALi8/BUJ1XYST0vEjROTtU3hmfma0IpeSyUa2ACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_9494.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />My sister is in graduate school for physical therapy and she only had one week that we could take a trip so right after ATL it was! She has never been to New York and always wanted to go so we took a short 3.5 day trip which was SO much fun! As pictured above, the weather could have been better but we definitely rallied and made the most of it. Kinky Boots and seeing Carrie Bradshaw's apartment were the highlights of our trip! And while it was convenient because we wanted to see more than one show, I will never stay in Midtown again...ever. There are WAY too many people for my taste and I will suffer through extra subway rides next time and stay downtown because wandering aroung Greenwich and Soho was SO much more my style and scene. Phew!<br /><br /><b>Is there more to life than travel?</b><br />Besides travel, I've been reading a TON of good books! Most of which can be seen in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xoxokellynina/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> because, like I said before, I've been MIA from the blog but living my best life on my favorite social media platform because I love photos! I've got a ton of recs from Hannah to work through because I was again down to zero books on my TBR so I browsed her shelves and took a ton of recs from her and I am seriously living my best life with about 17 books checked out from the library and it is amazing! I'll also be moving into a new apartment next month with my sister and I SO EXCITED to have my own desk and place to put all my planner stuff--yes, I am SO that person now *shrugs*.<br /><br />GAH! Wow, I have gone on way too long SO ipso facto, I'm gonna be trying to blog more consistently like I used to and be inspired to post so yay!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What have you been up to?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What books have you been reading?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What trips have you been planning?</span></b></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-45490575574911388832018-03-06T13:59:00.000-05:002018-03-06T13:59:00.305-05:00The Castle Always Knows<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500948160l/35822664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Darkling Bride" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500948160l/35822664.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> Genre</b>: Adult Contemporary, Historical Fiction, Gothic Mystery</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Publisher</b>: Random House</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Pages</b>: 368</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Publication Date</b>: April 17th, 2018</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source</b>: ARC provided by publisher</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Find on: </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35822664-the-darkling-bride" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span><br /><b><br /></b><b></b> <b> </b> <b>My Thoughts</b><br />If you've been here before or know me you'll know that I love <a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/search?q=laura+andersen" target="_blank">Laura Andersen's alternate history Tudor novels</a>. When I saw that she was writing a Gothic mystery taking place in Ireland I was like, SIGN ME UP! And while it's always exciting to start a new book by one of your favorite authors, it's also a littler nerve-wracking not knowing if you'll enjoy this departure in genre as much as the other. I can safely say I had nothing to worry about.<br /><a name='more'></a>The Darkling Bride takes place mostly in modern day Ireland in the Wicklow mountains at Deeprath Castle. This castle is home to not only the ancient Gallagher family but also numerous tragedies. Carragh is hired by the pseudo-matriarch of the family to catalog it's infamous library before it is given to the National Trust. Along the way, she meets Aiden, the current Viscount of the manor, his eccentric and complicated family, both past and present, and also a little more of herself.<br /><br />While the synopsis can be a bit confusing as there are three different times we are dealing with, I was never confused. The story is majority present-day with a few flashbacks to 1992 and a few more from 1883. I really liked how this was done. We had the contemporary storyline fueling all our questions with great insight to the past spaced out along the way. The questions we want answered? Why Aiden's parents were found dead in a horrific fashion when he was 10 years old and what happened to his ancestors in 1883 that caused a famous author never to write again and his wife to commit suicide? I loved this mystery. It kept me turning the pages and if the mystery itself didn't engage me, the setting did.<br /><br />Set in a beautiful Norman style castle deep in the Irish countryside, I loved being in Ireland. It is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to and Andersen absolutely brought this setting to life. The infamous library, the crumbling tower, the countryside lake, it all came to life while reading. The setting can make or break a book for me and this setting only added to the book.<br /><br />The cast of characters was....interesting. The Gallagher family is not without their eccentricities to say the least. Consistent with old aristocratic families, this one had its share of secrets, problems, and things that go bump in the night that they would like to stay hidden. I loved unraveling the mystery and figuring out everyones motives and whereabouts and what exactly happened all those years ago.<br /><br />If you're looking for a book to cozy up to under a blanket with a cup of cocoa to unravel a mystery over 100 years old, then this is a book for you!<br /><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Backstage Pass</span><br />If you love Ireland, Gothic mysteries, and ghosts that laugh in the night...this book is for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZQcVxvnmhM/WOLMkmhl1xI/AAAAAAAAK-Q/LHnFMnIzRrMyg5Y6ldr3K2pME0Mm8tCBACLcB/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-04-03%2Bat%2B5.27.54%2BPM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-42149630060976466042018-03-05T08:00:00.000-05:002018-03-05T08:00:10.150-05:005 Reasons You Should Read Pillars of the Earth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iMeKy1-9sOE/WotJJF49VGI/AAAAAAAALeo/usRLrVDmImUL0He6g8orKJWvdLpbc9VSgCLcBGAs/s1600/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iMeKy1-9sOE/WotJJF49VGI/AAAAAAAALeo/usRLrVDmImUL0He6g8orKJWvdLpbc9VSgCLcBGAs/s1600/1.png" /></a></div><br />A few weeks ago, I found myself in a state that no book person ever expects to find themselves...my TBR was 0. I had a few 'keep in the back of your head' books I could have picked up but one book had been haunting my Kindle for the last 3 or so years...Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Why has it been haunting my Kindle, you ask? Because its approximately a thousand pages and quite the undertaking. But...I had no other books to read and was in the mood to commit to a thousand page tome of historical fiction. The results? Better than I could have ever imagined.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div><a name='more'></a><br /><b>1. </b><b>The Story is Sensational</b><br />You'd think a story about the building of a cathedral couldn't be anything but dry and dull. Pillars and Ken Follett proves you wrong. For every reason I'm about to list below and so much more, this story is so engaging and amazing that you will be shocked at how quickly you can get through a thousand-page tome. The characters, the drama, the town, the people, the royals, the wars, EVERYTHING that happens keeps you interested and wanting to know more. It is a classic case of just a few more pages that turn into a marathon of reading.<br /><br /><b>2. The Conflicts are Captivating</b><br /> With a story spanning so many pages, the conflicts are many. And while there are multiple times you want to scream at the injustice of the villains, you can't help but keep reading. The drama that comes along with building a cathedral are unreal. Ordinary stuff becomes so intense and compelling that you absolutely cannot help but get sucked into the drama and conflicts. Page-turning obsession is an understatement.<br /><br /><b>3. </b><b>The Characters are Compelling</b><br />This book starts off and takes a long time to set up the foundation of the main players in our tale and it is so worth it. The drama of the plot I'll talk about shortly, but what really kept me turning the pages was how much I was invested in the characters. Jack, Aliena, Phillip, and Ellen were people you loved and hated, rooted for and rallied against, cried for and yelled at, all within the course of these thousand pages. I love books that do this and it only comes with long-ass books like this. When the character development is so deep, you can both love and hate everyone at one time or another. THIS is what I love about long books and this book in particular.<br /><b><br /></b><b>4. The Setting is Vivid</b><br />While Kingsbridge is a fictional town, it's easy to imagine a very real medieval English town and even a present-day cathedral. I recently visited York Minster which gave me so many vivid Pillars feels it was unreal! The mechanics of how they were able to build a building of this caliber and intricacies without our own modern technology is literally magic to me. I loved reading about how they built a building of this stature so long ago. I loved reading about the town politics and how much goes into building and financing how that affects the surrounding towns. There is so much involved I couldn't help by try and picture if similar things happened when, say, Westminster Abbey was built!<br /><b><br /></b><b>5. The Emotions are Poignant</b><br />Along with the character development comes the intensity of their conflicts. Because you feel so deeply for all the characters involved, the charge of the conflicts is that much more intense. When things go wrong you feel it as a personal insult, when things go right, a personal triumph. There came a point in the story I texted <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/" target="_blank">Hannah</a> BEGGING her to tell me if certain characters ended up okay or what happened with them. Of course, she told me nothing and retroactively I was thankful, at the time I wanted to know all the things. The depth of emotion I felt for these characters was on another level and truly, in my opinion, can only come from books where you see them at their best, worst, and everything in between.<br /><br />While Pillars--and the sequel World Without End (I haven't read the third yet but am eagerly waiting for my copy)--are not light undertaking in reference to time and commitment, but they are so incredibly worth it. To give you a point of view, I read both books, ~2,000+ pages, in two weeks. I think I finished World Without End in about 5 days. I was a machine because I just had to know what happened and couldn't put them down!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">VIP</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Give these books a chance because if you're a fan of historical fiction and well-written stories, this book is definitely for you!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eqa1k08MsVQ/WeVGC69GCJI/AAAAAAAALbs/4Sux3TbHgbQOrUVETzEIjRW-y-rSebUKwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/xoxo%2Bkelly%2Bnina.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="141" data-original-width="305" height="92" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eqa1k08MsVQ/WeVGC69GCJI/AAAAAAAALbs/4Sux3TbHgbQOrUVETzEIjRW-y-rSebUKwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/xoxo%2Bkelly%2Bnina.png" width="200" /></a></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-46938445147175725882018-03-02T08:00:00.000-05:002018-03-02T08:00:02.793-05:00UK Recap Fit for a Queen // Back at Home • Mug Life 5<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V2v3kOOdhMM/WpBWDhyJBQI/AAAAAAAALe4/Rq0tqDSkIfk-V89MDZ_x4nX3XdTqXfNbQCLcBGAs/s1600/60CCDDC0-FDDF-43CC-80B5-49470753AF28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V2v3kOOdhMM/WpBWDhyJBQI/AAAAAAAALe4/Rq0tqDSkIfk-V89MDZ_x4nX3XdTqXfNbQCLcBGAs/s400/60CCDDC0-FDDF-43CC-80B5-49470753AF28.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mug Life is a periodic feature on the blog where I talk about what <br />I'm reading, wearing, drinking out of, and wanderlust dreaming about.</i></td></tr></tbody></table>If you've been following on the blog or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xoxokellynina/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, you know that <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/" target="_blank">Hannah</a> and I were traveling in the UK--but kind of don't bring it up or I'll cry all the tears of sadness that 1. I'm no longer with her 2. I'm not in the UK anymore and 3. I'm no longer with Hannah. I didn't think it was possible to love her more but it was! I am mourning the loss of this trip still today but I digress. While we were there, we did a UK Recs series for <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/02/uk-recs-fit-for-queen-books.html" target="_blank">books</a>, <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/02/uk-recs-fit-for-queen-movie-and-tv-shows.html" target="_blank">TV/Movies</a>, and <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/02/uk-recs-fit-for-queen-favorite-places.html" target="_blank">places we love</a>; we thought we would do a parallel 3 day recap talking about books, what we did, and a back home mug life!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>On Monday, we talked about the <a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/02/uk-recap-fit-for-queen-books-abroad.html" target="_blank">books we read while traveling</a>; Wednesday was <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/02/uk-recap-fit-for-queen-besties-abroad.html" target="_blank">our trip recap</a>, and today is our Mug Life featuring the book we read when we got home. The fates aligned and <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/" target="_blank">Hannah</a> and I had a parallel with the first books we read after our trip together. She read something I rec'd to her and I read something she rec'd to me! We both fell in love with our respective books AND the London mugs we bought so, of course, a Mug Life was born!<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><b><u>M</u>y Current Read // </b>After visiting so many royal palaces, Hannah mentioned a non-fiction book about Diana's life and I picked it up from the library straight away. But what she really had to push on me was the London Celebrities series by Lucy Parker. Hannah knows how militant I am about my TBR so any book she pitches, she knows she has to pitch right or I'll give a noncommital 'I'll look it up.' Especially after I saw the cover, I was kinda surprised this was a 'Hannah So Loved It' kind of book. She read me well though. With the words, 'quick read,' 'hate to love,' 'West End theater,' and 'the drama is realistic but short-lived,' she had me at hello.<br /><br />Act Like It is pictured, the first book of the series, and I very quickly was captivated by the romances of the West End. Could not put these down! Def read them if you haven't yet if you're looking for a fun, sassy, hilarious, low-grade drama romance set in London's West End!<br /><b><u>U</u>nderneath the Mug // </b>I bought this mug in London, woot woot! I love the black and white images of all the token London attractions with the pop of red color on the guards and telephone booths. So sad I'm no longer there but will always have a smile on my face when I use this mug.<br /><b><u>G</u>et Nailed // </b>Sally Hansen Jealous Boyfriend. I love this dark green color for winter. I've been wearing it a lot and was one of the two colors I allowed myself on the trip.<br /><br /><b><u>L</u>ook Book // </b>One of my new favorite go to tops is anything with a fun neckline. I love this jewel-toned t-shirt that ties in the front (not pictured) and the straps of fabric on the neckline. Another favorite top is a gray t-shirt from Express with a scrunchy turtleneck and fabric X over the chest. Love love love!<br /><b><u>I</u>nspired By // </b>Travel, friendship, books, everything! The UK trip with Hannah was so incredible (even if I am super sad we're not together anymore, damn geography!) and fun. I loved seeing history come alive with her and visiting both new places and old ones. The books I read while abroad and shortly after were so fun and just what I needed. I have been inspired to kick ass on my travel journal, be creative in my planners, and blog! I haven't felt inspired to blog in so long and it feels so good to not only be inspired but get things done!<br /><b><u>F</u>rame-Worthy Moment // </b>Gah, how do I choose a picture from the trip?! I decided to go with my favorite selfie of us in Scotland and two Queens on their thrones. Duh. Don't forget to check out my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xoxokellynina/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> for more photos!<br /><b><u>E</u>xplore // </b>The UK...over and over and over and over again! I can't wait to go back and already have a running list of new places to explore!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Don't forget to check out <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/2018/03/uk-recap-fit-for-queen-back-at-home.html" target="_blank">Hannah's Mug Life</a> today and find out what book I convinced her to read!</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iSRAmtMTHwU/WpBZACdqH8I/AAAAAAAALfE/RD_DZVIPs8EwbMJviLaMHMahphPUW1TMwCLcBGAs/s1600/8C8351E5-CAE8-49F5-A726-E96916BE3A36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iSRAmtMTHwU/WpBZACdqH8I/AAAAAAAALfE/RD_DZVIPs8EwbMJviLaMHMahphPUW1TMwCLcBGAs/s320/8C8351E5-CAE8-49F5-A726-E96916BE3A36.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--XSNF6Zgg9Y/WpBZAazULGI/AAAAAAAALfI/NfzlACJ-Du0emAVObbMJEycFGamGX0LpACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--XSNF6Zgg9Y/WpBZAazULGI/AAAAAAAALfI/NfzlACJ-Du0emAVObbMJEycFGamGX0LpACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_6932.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-60933745404849040502018-02-28T08:00:00.000-05:002018-02-28T08:00:02.216-05:00UK Recap Fit For a Queen // Besties Abroad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PZx_HBJnMj4/WpRvc0bD_YI/AAAAAAAALgI/YsV6usK-ZxoYfHfCmXUMYMc2u1us09sKQCLcBGAs/s1600/UK_Trip.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PZx_HBJnMj4/WpRvc0bD_YI/AAAAAAAALgI/YsV6usK-ZxoYfHfCmXUMYMc2u1us09sKQCLcBGAs/s640/UK_Trip.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />If you've been following on the blog or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xoxokellynina/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, you know that <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/" target="_blank">Hannah</a> and I were traveling in the UK--but kind of don't bring it up or I'll cry all the tears of sadness that 1. I'm no longer with her 2. I'm not in the UK anymore and 3. I'm no longer with Hannah. I didn't think it was possible to love her more but it was! I am mourning the loss of this trip still today but I digress. While we were there, we did a UK Recs series for <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/02/uk-recs-fit-for-queen-books.html" target="_blank">books</a>, <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/02/uk-recs-fit-for-queen-movie-and-tv-shows.html" target="_blank">TV/Movies</a>, and <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/02/uk-recs-fit-for-queen-favorite-places.html" target="_blank">places we love</a>; we thought we would do a parallel 3 day recap talking about books, what we did, and a back home mug life!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Yesterday we talked about the <a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/02/uk-recap-fit-for-queen-books-abroad.html" target="_blank">books we read while traveling</a>, today is our real recap of what we did and 3 Good Things about each day. Hannah and I both keep a 3 Good Things planner/journal so this was the perfect format for us to reflect back on what we did AND what our favorite parts of each day were.<br /><a name='more'></a><b><br /></b> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1n5F2rxtxmM/WpRxBwOGbTI/AAAAAAAALgY/71vxQ30YsEoCOHJPUNAvd82m0lR9tQGVACLcBGAs/s1600/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1n5F2rxtxmM/WpRxBwOGbTI/AAAAAAAALgY/71vxQ30YsEoCOHJPUNAvd82m0lR9tQGVACLcBGAs/s640/1.png" width="640" /></a><br /><b><br /></b> <b>TUESDAY FEBRUARY 6 // LONDON</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b>1. REUNITING WITH HANNAH • </b>While I was so excited to be back in my favorite place in the whole world, I was most excited to see Hannah for a FULL ENTIRE WEEK! PLUS we were in our favorite city and it was just everything! I definitely did an embarrassing happy dance when I saw her at Cafe Nero. Best. Day. Ever.<br /><br /><b>2. </b> <b>TROUBLE AT THE TOWER • </b>I love The Tower of London and go every time I'm in London; finding out Hannah had never been was extra special! I got to play terrible tour guide and go around to point out my favorite historical haunts and we got to check up on our Crown Jewels that are on display. Spoiler alert: they're all still there.<br /><br /><b>3. ITS A BOOK THING • </b>Book shopping for some coveted UK editions was a constant on our trip, our first night there I found some Mhairi editions and Jojo I've been wanting! Hannah was the worst influence on me this entire trip but I love my UK library so much!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lXrfJ9bfFvI/WpRxDU8-BxI/AAAAAAAALgg/_Y9eSGfngtID0L4kHSka3o1MYhA8JPbQQCLcBGAs/s1600/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lXrfJ9bfFvI/WpRxDU8-BxI/AAAAAAAALgg/_Y9eSGfngtID0L4kHSka3o1MYhA8JPbQQCLcBGAs/s640/2.png" width="640" /></a></div><b>WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 7 // OXFORD & LONDON</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b>1. BIRTHDAY • </b>I never in a million years thought I would 1-ever spend my birthday with BFF who lives a billion miles away and 2-would spend my birthday in my favorite place in the world. I rang in 31--oof--doing both these things! Hannah made my day so special and complete and indulged me in all book obsessions that take place in Oxford--see below! Words cannot describe how amazing of a day it was and I am still on cloud nine thinking about it now!<br /><br /><b>2. </b> <b>WITCHES AND WONDERLAND VIBES • </b>One of my favorite books series ever is A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. If you've read the series, you know Oxford plays a huge part in that story. I got to visit Matthew deClairmont's college, see the rivers Diana rows in, and all around just feel like I was in the story. We also went to The Alice Shop because I LOVE Alice in Wonderland and the shop was so adorable and had so many cute knick knacks, she definitely indulged me in all my whimsical bookish fantasies.<br /><br /><b>3. ITS THE LITTLE THINGS • </b>I really am a simple creature at heart and the day ended on a perfect note with takeaway pizza, cupcakes, pajamas, and a British home designs show. I'm actually getting emotional just thinking about how amazing the day was and how relaxing and perfect the end of my birthday was. Take me back!!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-STH1nWmedPg/WpRxEd9cLCI/AAAAAAAALhE/E96cFR1uYzk0KrpwnuorTX5LdNwoQzIRwCEwYBhgL/s1600/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-STH1nWmedPg/WpRxEd9cLCI/AAAAAAAALhE/E96cFR1uYzk0KrpwnuorTX5LdNwoQzIRwCEwYBhgL/s640/3.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8 // EDINBURGH</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b>1. TRAIN RIDE NORTH • </b>Something weird about me when I travel is I LOVE train rides. I love relaxing into the scenery listening to music or reading. I love the quiet moments they bring so I was definitely looking forward to our 4 hour train ride north to Scotland. In theory, Hannah and I are freaks of nature who literally never run out of things to talk about and we spend the majority of the ride talking and laughing and overall probably annoying the people around us. #jealous<br /><b><br /></b> <b>2. ARTHUR'S SEAT</b><b> • </b>It's no secret I love a physical challenge. Hiking Arthur's Seat was my number one thing I hadn't done in Edinburgh and I had to schmooze Hannah just a bit to get her to agree to do this...it was way harder than I thought it would be and bless her she didn't complain for a second. I loved it but it was definitely hard! So worth it though and the reward Diet Coke--definitely my treat lol--was perfection.<br /><br /><b>3. BOOK SHOP TALK AND TAKEAWAY • </b>Again, the little things. I knew of a fantastic Waterstones on Princes' Street that is like 3 levels! It's beautiful! We found some books to creep on and got a hot chocolate to wash away some of the rain earlier in the day. We also ended the night in our beautiful swanky--and cheap!--hotel that was just stunning...with some classy Five Guys takeaway. Shower plus food plus more British home shows equals unparalleled bliss.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KCrQW8RP1KQ/WpRxEZgOg7I/AAAAAAAALhI/inILfJRQpgQgH4YBPONhZy6S2nZnByVrQCEwYBhgL/s1600/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KCrQW8RP1KQ/WpRxEZgOg7I/AAAAAAAALhI/inILfJRQpgQgH4YBPONhZy6S2nZnByVrQCEwYBhgL/s640/4.png" width="640" /></a></div><b><br /></b> <b>FRIDAY FEBRUARY 9 // EDINBURGH</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b>1. BOSS MODE EDINBURGH EDITION • </b>We did so much today! To add insult to injury we went beast mode as well as boss mode and climbed Scott's Monument, 283 odd steps that get more claustrophobic the higher you go but the view was on another level. The weather was amazing and nobody was there, hashtag pros of off season travel, holla!<br /><br /><b>2. PALACE FIT FOR A QUEEN</b><b> • </b>Holyrood Palace is another place in Edinburgh I hadn't been before and it was my favorite thing we did! It's beautiful, the architecture is so cool, and it's filled with history. I loved learning about how it was built and who has stayed here in the past. Getting new Mary Queen of Scots info was just icing on top of the cake!<br /><br /><b>3. SCOTTISH STROLL • </b>Because we did so many things we really got to explore a lot of Edinburgh by foot! I felt like we stumbled upon so many cute shops and streets and it just felt amazing to take our time in this incredible city I love so much.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A2yh7ySva2s/WpRxEkc9YOI/AAAAAAAALhI/kMrwCHKmnRczNN-aHHFZeL_WnQSwg15LQCEwYBhgL/s1600/5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A2yh7ySva2s/WpRxEkc9YOI/AAAAAAAALhI/kMrwCHKmnRczNN-aHHFZeL_WnQSwg15LQCEwYBhgL/s640/5.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>SATURDAY FEBRUARY 10 // LAKE DISTRICT</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b>1. LEMONS TO LEMONADE • </b>When you wake up in the Lake District so excited to explore this beautiful area of London only to see steady rain outside...it's a bit of a downer. Our day tour got cancelled as we were getting ready but if you think that was gonna bring us down, you are wrong. See below for more details BUT thanks to Google Maps we found a breakfast place a few minutes away in the heart of Windermere Village that was ADORABLE. The food was incredible, the coffee was way too fancy for our tastes, and the company couldn't have been better. If I have to be stranded in a one horse town in the middle of the Lake District, there's nobody I'd rather be with than Hannan (no, I didn't mispell her name, ask her about it). Thanks to Shashawn at Trainline, he graciously refunded our non-refundable train tickets leaving oh, you know 12 hours from now, and we booked<br /><br /><b>2. FIRST CLASS TREATMENT</b><b> • </b>Because we still wanted to make the most of our day, we wanted to try and see if we could get back to London earlier. Thanks to Shashawn at Trainline, he graciously refunded our non-refundable tickets that left, you know, 12 hours from time of phone call and we were able to get into London about 5 hours earlier than scheduled. AND SURPRISE the ticket was First Class! Who lives this luxury life?! WE DO. Completely convinced that good karma and our great attitude was instantly rewarded.<br /><br /><b>3. ITS A BOOK THING...AGAIN • </b>Because we got back to London so early, a stop to Picadilly Circus Waterstones was a must...it's 6 levels. AND HAD A COVETED AND HARD TO FIND ROMANCE SECTION OMG! I found so many of my favorite books there that I went a little nuts but it was so worth it! I also finished reading Still Me while relaxing there and openly yet silently cried in front of Hannah and about 4 strange men who were also sitting read. I am not ashamed.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5HH5cC8nWfg/WpRxGVNwHVI/AAAAAAAALhM/t0CCwqm3Ez0739AXNra_AtZ6bLa85dWcgCEwYBhgL/s1600/6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5HH5cC8nWfg/WpRxGVNwHVI/AAAAAAAALhM/t0CCwqm3Ez0739AXNra_AtZ6bLa85dWcgCEwYBhgL/s640/6.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>SUNDAY FEBRUARY 11 // LONDON</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b>1. ROYAL TREATMENT • </b>Because I'm nuts, I yet again bought a Historic Royal Palace membership, and made Hannah, too. It's so worth it because we went to Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace. It's so worth the money and you get into some great places. I loved exploring the gardens of HCP and seeing the sunken gardens of Kensington again. These places will never get old to me and I love revisiting.<br /><br /><b>2. FIT FOR A QUEEN</b><b> • </b>Not gonna lie, the throne-like chairs found at Hampton Court made my freaking life. Hashtag prof pic, haha.<br /><br /><b>3. ITS THE LITTLE THINGS • </b>We had a busy, jam-packed week! Being Hannah's last night in London--sniff--we decided to head back to the hotel early, relax, work on travel journals, and just enjoy our last night together!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z6k0k5t5DkY/WpRxGaf9QRI/AAAAAAAALhM/7-9VJjFCvDsQyFjQtkZEIU7pkDKFkcoeACEwYBhgL/s1600/7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z6k0k5t5DkY/WpRxGaf9QRI/AAAAAAAALhM/7-9VJjFCvDsQyFjQtkZEIU7pkDKFkcoeACEwYBhgL/s640/7.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>MONDAY FEBRUARY 12 // LONDON</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b>1. BYE BYE BESTIE • </b>This is not really a good thing but regardless, I couldn't chain Hannah to me forever and she had to go home eventually. Sigh. I had the absolute best week exploring the UK with her and I can't talk more about how much I love her and appreciate her as a friend or I'll start crying. NO, YOU'RE CRYING!<br /><br /><b>2. COFFEE AND TEARS</b><b> • </b>To console myself, I went to Costa to get coffee and just relax and read. The Secret has one of the best friendships ever so it was the perfect balm to my wounded soul.<br /><br /><b>3. WICKED COOL • </b>To console myself some more, I bought tickets to see Wicked that night. The show was amazing the both Elphaba and Glinda were two of the best I've ever seen. I'm not sure anyone will beat Rachel Tucker for Elphaba but Alice Fearn was a close second for sure!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diupMY4wnEg/WpR6e2GtEfI/AAAAAAAALhY/pg9jwYyALD4cx6-d7CYyCS15ze7FwyvcwCLcBGAs/s1600/8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diupMY4wnEg/WpR6e2GtEfI/AAAAAAAALhY/pg9jwYyALD4cx6-d7CYyCS15ze7FwyvcwCLcBGAs/s640/8.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>TUESDAY FEBRUARY 13 // YORK</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b>1. HISTORY COMING ALIVE • </b>With my obsession with UK history being on the obsessive level, the city of York is a huge part of that history and it's a place I have read about for years! I was so excited to finally be in this iconic city and it did not disappoint! The walled city is steeped in history and you can see it. Everything looks so old and the city walls are epic, they're just so cool! I loved walking around this city, the only thing I'd change is the weather could have been better. Win some, lose some.<br /><br /><b>2. PLANTAGENET LOVE</b><b> • </b>I really enjoyed visiting the Bars at the corners of the city. They had a Richard III and Henry VII exhibits. I LOVED going to these and reading their sides of the story. They themselves have a lot of history between them so it was extra cool to see their respective exhibits.<br /><br /><b>3. PILLARS FEELS • </b>York Minster was at the top of my York to-do list and oh, my goodness it was spectacular! I recently read Pillars of the Earth and it was so similar to what I pictured in my head that I was getting major vibes of that book and I loved every second of it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uspz2Ves7jY/WpRxHtJTKcI/AAAAAAAALhM/jrvPzy4Lmmoppy_fvc7i5NN-quBC7vc5gCEwYBhgL/s1600/9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uspz2Ves7jY/WpRxHtJTKcI/AAAAAAAALhM/jrvPzy4Lmmoppy_fvc7i5NN-quBC7vc5gCEwYBhgL/s640/9.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 14 // LONDON</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b>1. JUST A CASUAL STROLL • </b>Holland Park was on my short list of things I haven't done in London, it was beautiful. Their various gardens are fantastic. The pigeons are assholes. Don't ask.<br /><br /><b>2. COFFEE CATCHUP</b><b> • </b>One of my friends I met while traveling in South America lives in London and I adore her! I try to see her when I'm here and we met up for coffee and it was so great to see her and catch up with her!<br /><br /><b>3. ANNE BOLEYN IS MY HOMEGIRL • </b>I have never been to the National Portrait Gallery but on a rainy London afternoon it was a priority. I had to see the infamous Anne Boleyn painting in person and it was amazing. The entire Tudor exhibit is really impressive and it felt great to spend time with old friends, hehe.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dZWzkGLXj3Q/WpRxCDODqlI/AAAAAAAALhA/_1EbwQTuNb0cNLUTOdIMJMqhm8Bbz4RegCEwYBhgL/s1600/10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dZWzkGLXj3Q/WpRxCDODqlI/AAAAAAAALhA/_1EbwQTuNb0cNLUTOdIMJMqhm8Bbz4RegCEwYBhgL/s640/10.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>THURSDAY FEBRUARY 15 // WINDSOR & LONDON</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b>1. IMPROMPTU DAY TRIP • </b>Because Hannah had recommended it, I booked a last minute train to Windsor to see the castle there. Wow. Beautiful!! I did not expect it to be so vast. I also didn't know St George's Chapel is the resting place of Elizabeth Woodville, one of my favorite historical heroines. WIN!<br /><br /><b>2. QUALITY TIME WITH MY CITY</b><b> • </b>I didn't really have a plan for after Windsor so when I got off the train at Paddington, I just picked a direction and wandered. I found some random beautiful streets that were so pretty and quiet amidst the chaos of London.<br /><br /><b>3. BEING PRESENT • </b>Wandering around and just enjoying the quiet moments in my city was the perfect end to my last day. I just slowly walked around with zero aim or direction and, as always when I'm there, it just worked out that I walked through some really great neighborhoods as I took the LONG way back to my hotel.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W5WHtf2jSDc/WpRxB-yIBWI/AAAAAAAALg8/CsKuhipHNlQD0hDRrtRKgAtlbBBhYowqACEwYBhgL/s1600/11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W5WHtf2jSDc/WpRxB-yIBWI/AAAAAAAALg8/CsKuhipHNlQD0hDRrtRKgAtlbBBhYowqACEwYBhgL/s640/11.png" width="640" /></a></div><b><br /></b> <b>FRIDAY FEBRUARY 16 // LONDON</b><br /><b><br /></b> <b>1. FLYING SOLO • </b>I really don't have three good things for this day. I mean I was excited to see my family and sleep in my own bed but overall, I was sad to leave. I love this place so much and I never know when I'll be coming so each day is so precious to me. I did get 3 seats to myself on the flight home so that was definitely a nice surprise!<br /><br /><b>I hope you enjoyed my UK Recap Fit for a Queen! Don't forget to check out <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/2018/02/uk-recap-fit-for-queen-besties-abroad.html" target="_blank">Hannah's post</a> and pics!!</b>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5485649235745834751.post-3176567385323321372018-02-26T08:00:00.000-05:002018-02-26T16:39:03.912-05:00UK Recap Fit For a Queen // Books Abroad<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gTnROw9_6eo/WpMYqm0Nz5I/AAAAAAAALfw/gn6f29nSHK8dQiHAHPGoiGzYllFm-al0QCLcBGAs/s1600/UK_Books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gTnROw9_6eo/WpMYqm0Nz5I/AAAAAAAALfw/gn6f29nSHK8dQiHAHPGoiGzYllFm-al0QCLcBGAs/s640/UK_Books.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rE0GhP75jGY/WosFabNLbmI/AAAAAAAALeQ/2L401zCgM7UC4yVCSQGTcmGTAaYUv6nIQCLcBGAs/s1600/E6507E3E-BFD0-41C3-933C-E8361187AF0D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>If you've been following on the blog or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xoxokellynina/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, you know that <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/" target="_blank">Hannah</a> and I were traveling in the UK--but kind of don't bring it up or I'll cry all the tears of sadness that 1. I'm no longer with her 2. I'm not in the UK anymore and 3. I'm no longer with Hannah. I didn't think it was possible to love her more but it was! I am mourning the loss of this trip still today but I digress. While we were there, we did a UK Recs series for <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/02/uk-recs-fit-for-queen-books.html" target="_blank">books</a>, <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/02/uk-recs-fit-for-queen-movie-and-tv-shows.html" target="_blank">TV/Movies</a>, and <a href="https://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2018/02/uk-recs-fit-for-queen-favorite-places.html" target="_blank">places we love</a>; we thought we would do a parallel 3 day recap talking about books, what we did, and a back home mug life!<br /><br />While I didn't read that much while I was away, I did manage to get a few books read via planes, trains, and late nights. I'm also very happy to report, with the exception of one, all the books I read were freaking great! When I travel, I tend to load my kindle with fun romances or adult contemporary or review books from fav authors I've been saving which did not changed for this trip. My first choice books for this trip were STILL ME by Jojo Moyes, HOW TO WALK AWAY by Katherine Center, MARRY IN SCANDAL by Anne Gracie, FATAL THRONES by an assorted array of authors, and some Julie Garwood rereads! Hope you enjoy!<br /><div><br /></div><div><a name='more'></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hU7xISzeadA/WpMYpDkrwcI/AAAAAAAALf0/CEu_Mj-3OpIRDxATV6C3YUAVRvV6RRtJgCEwYBhgL/s1600/15364FFD-DEE5-475E-B020-BE5EC6EE476F.JPG" imageanchor="0"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hU7xISzeadA/WpMYpDkrwcI/AAAAAAAALf0/CEu_Mj-3OpIRDxATV6C3YUAVRvV6RRtJgCEwYBhgL/s200/15364FFD-DEE5-475E-B020-BE5EC6EE476F.JPG" width="149" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rE0GhP75jGY/WosFabNLbmI/AAAAAAAALeQ/2L401zCgM7UC4yVCSQGTcmGTAaYUv6nIQCLcBGAs/s1600/E6507E3E-BFD0-41C3-933C-E8361187AF0D.JPG" imageanchor="0"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rE0GhP75jGY/WosFabNLbmI/AAAAAAAALeQ/2L401zCgM7UC4yVCSQGTcmGTAaYUv6nIQCLcBGAs/s200/E6507E3E-BFD0-41C3-933C-E8361187AF0D.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mSugvZL2Wow/WpMYpbeO7oI/AAAAAAAALf0/mqvgyorGA2EdTVbOuN5wHz3jBaSYub6egCEwYBhgL/s1600/77348E95-8E1A-4D10-B08F-14111CA229C3.JPG" imageanchor="0"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mSugvZL2Wow/WpMYpbeO7oI/AAAAAAAALf0/mqvgyorGA2EdTVbOuN5wHz3jBaSYub6egCEwYBhgL/s200/77348E95-8E1A-4D10-B08F-14111CA229C3.JPG" width="149" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35791968-still-me" target="_blank">STILL ME</a> BY JOJO MOYES • </b>It is no secret Jojo Moyes is a favorite author of mine. Prior to Still Me I've been eagerly anticipating a NEW book by her, not a collection of short stories or continuation of a previous series. I take this back after having read Still Me. The final installment in the story of Lou Clark was everything I didn't know I was waiting for and more. Lou Clark is back with her quirky wardrobe, manic-level of optimism, and so much more. It felt like catching up with an old friend while I was reading. I fell effortlessly into the story and was engaged immediately. I loved the trials Lou faced, I loved her tenacity, and most of all I just loved her. She's real and relatable and flawed. The story took some turns I wasn't expecting but in a good way. I'm clearly not giving too much detail because I don't want to ruin any plot aspect and as it's the third in a series I don't want to ruin it for future readers--if you haven't read Me Before You, you need to get your life right.<b> If you're a fan of Jojo Moyes, if you hated After You, you need to read this book. Ask Hannah and Cass if I haven't convinced you, this final book is more than worth the read even if you disliked After You!</b></div><div></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36249638-how-to-walk-away" target="_blank"><br />HOW TO WALK AWAY</a> BY KATHERINE CENTER • </b>Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center was a top book of the year for me when I read it. I even reread it recently in one sitting and fell in love even more. When her newest book showed up on NetGalley I had to snatch it up! I, again, read this in about one sitting. This story was a difficult one to read as the heroine suffers a horrific accident that changes her life forever. What was so refreshing, if not a little awkward at times, was the attitude of the heroine Margaret. While it felt completely realistic for her to have bad days and bouts of depression, overall I found her positive attitude incredible and not an attitude I could personally have. The family dynamics were taut with clashing personalities and family secrets of past. The overall arc of Margaret's story was hopeful and uplifting but nonetheless real. I thought the conflicts were great and, again, realistic. The only gripe I have is sometimes the dialogue felt awkward and the epilogue was very weird to me. It had this odd sense of poignant reflection that did not fit with the rest of the story. It didn't really affect my feelings about the book but was just kinda bizarre to me. <b>The story and characters are what really stole the show for me and if you're looking for a difficult but inspiring character-driven story, this book is for you!</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35540636-marry-in-scandal" target="_blank">MARRY IN SCANDAL</a> BY ANNE GRACIE • </b>Another non-secret of mine is I am obsessed with Anne Gracie! Her historical romances are an incredible breath of fresh air with their incredible female friendship positivity, family dynamics driven plot, and swoony romances. Marry in Scandal was no exception! I got the email for this eARC the DAY I was leaving for London and clearly the timing couldn't have been more perfect! As with Marry in Haste, this marriage of convenience was delicious. The chubby, forgotten sister of the Rutherford clan never expected anything in her love life but it didn't stop her from dreaming of it. Lily is a doll. Sweet, kind, intelligent, and full of grit. She is not one to take anything lying down and I loved that about her! The hero, Edward, sees Lily for exactly who she is and I looooooved him for it! He never saw any of her "flaws" that she sees. What I also loved about this book, and Anne Gracie in general, was the short-list of unnecessary conflict. There is conflict among the couple to be sure but it's never drawn out. My biggest gripe with recent historical romances is this idea they have to be pushing 400 pages and draw everything out, I can't stand that. This book and author never does that. The plot is tight, the romance is swoony, and the drama is realistic and concise. Love love love. <b>If you're looking for a new historical romance author to fall in love with who feels like a breath of fresh air, Anne Gracie is your girl!</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36554832-fatal-throne" target="_blank">FATAL THRONES</a> BY VARIOUS AUTHORS • </b>My obsession with Anne Boleyn and the Tudor era is widely known. When I got the email pitch for Fatal Thrones, I jumped on it. A book from all six wives POVs with a little Henry VIII thrown in? Duh. Sadly, this was the one book that didn't work for me. The writing was erratic and anecdotal but it didn't flow or make sense. Well, seeing as I know the history it made some sense to me but I'm thinking of a first-time reader and the frustration would be next level. The aspects they put in for Katherine of Aragon were bizarre and, to me, 100% inaccurate. The Anne Boleyn chapters were all from the days prior to her death with a few flashbacks. Henry was unsympathetic per usual and just annoying. I DNF'd when I got to dumb (my opinion) Jane Seymour. <b>If you're looking for a great Tudor book or first time Tudor book to get your started, read Katherine Longshore's series or Alison Weir or Philippa Gregory even, leave this one for the scaffold. </b><br /><b><br /></b> <b><a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.com/2015/05/you-say-savage-i-say-husband-material.html" target="_blank">THE SECRET</a> BY JULIE GARWOOD • </b>I only ever bring one physical book with me so why not, again, bring my favorite Scottish historical romance to reread! I loved every second spent with Judith and Frances Catherine and Iain; their story never gets old to me. It's especially fun to read while I'm there being so close to places they've 'been' even if they are fictional. I even did a gift guide for Galentine's Day inspired by the friendship portrayed in the book.<b> I cannot say enough about this amazing story and I'm already looking forward to rereading it again! </b><br /><b><br /></b> <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Don't forget to check out <a href="http://www.soobsessedwith.com/2018/02/uk-recap-fit-for-queen-books-abroad.html" target="_blank">Hannah's Books Abroad</a> post about what she read while we were traveling!</b></div><b><br /></b> *<b>Please note--Every book above publishes in April or May with the exception of Still Me*</b><br /><b>I was too excited not to post mini-reviews after reading them on my trip so go pre-order these bad boys!</b></div>Belle of the Literatihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01014781249826788311noreply@blogger.com0