Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Waiting On Wednesday: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.



The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Expected publication: June 6th 2017 by William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Historical Fiction

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth ...no matter where it leads.


Kate Quinn's new upcoming novel sounds absolutely amazing. I've loved all the books I've read by her so far (I still need to read a few) but I think this one will be really good. The cover alone has me wanting this book so badly. Only the wait for June will be SO hard!




What book are you waiting for?
Leave me the link to your post so I can stop by!



Monday, November 28, 2016

Monday Madness: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling

Monday Madness is a bookish meme hosted by Bookfever & Booklover's Teaparty

You know that feeling when you feel like you are gonna go mad if you do not get a certain book right away, when you are obsessed and all you want is that one book and you will be happy? That is what Monday Madness is about. All those books you that drive you mad.

Pick a book. Talk about it- why do you want it? What has drawn you to it? Why is it making you mad with want for it.




Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books. Featuring a cast of remarkable characters, this is epic, adventure-packed storytelling at its very best.

Whether an existing fan or new to the wizarding world, this is a perfect addition to any reader's bookshelf.


I saw this book at the bookstore last saturday. The cover is even more gorgeous in real life and I looked inside it very briefly. I put it on my christmas wishlist for my mom so I hope she'll get it for me. If there's no new Cormoran Strike book this year I might as well ask for this one. And of course I really want to see the movie because everyone's been raving about it. I bet it's amazing!




And as always don't forget to check out Christina's post! ♥




Friday, November 25, 2016

Gilmore Girls Book Tag ~ Part 1


In honor of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life me and Christina @ Booklover's Tea Party decided to post the Gilmore Girls Book Tag from Yvonne @ A World Between Folded Pages.







1.   I just got hit by a deer! 
- character having the worst day ever –

Christina: Under the never sky, The Hunger games, Maze Runner. Any dystopian book really? Are there ever any of those where we get into it and think oh what a lovely day, sun is shining, birds are chirping. Never takes long for it all to go to hell all in the span of one day and usually brings the characters closer to an awful death unless they somehow survive.

Stephanie: Sophie Hatter in Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. She sure has a bad day when the Witch of the Waste puts her under that spell that changes her into an old lady. But then again, she met Howl because of that so it definitely was worth it, I think.


2. Stars Hollow
- wildly eccentric cast-

Christina: Night Huntress by Jeaniene Frost. Took me a little while to think of one, but then I remembered.. I pretty much love everybody in the Night Huntress series. They’re all different; all have their own unique personality. Some crazy *cough* Ian *cough* some badass like Cat herself and of course Bones, I mean still one of my all time favorite vampires.

Stephanie: The characters of Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. There are vampires, ghosts, demons, ghouls etc. It's also one of my very favorite series!

                                                                
3. Kim's Antiques
- a world you'd be afraid to enter –

Christina: Again I’lll say, any dystopian book..  None that I have read so far is a place I want to be. Does not seem fun. Think I’d be terrified to enter the Hunger games though.

StephanieMy mind jumps to a bunch of dystopian books but that seems too obvious so I'm going with the world of An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. I loved the book but to live inside it would be pretty terrifying.


4. Coffee
- a book you're addicted to –

Christinaa book as in just one? Impossible. So many series and books to love and more being added all the time. I want to mention the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare cause that series was one of the first where I really had the whole “JUST GIVE ME THE NEXT!” I mean I read the first in Danish and that didn’t stop me from buying them myself in English like I want and going right on to the second, cause no way was I going back, I had to know what would happen next.
More recent one is Sarah J. Maas A Court of Thorns and Roses. Really couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next and you know the books hasn’t even been standing that long on the shelf before I picked it up and now I am finally reading the second.

Stephanie: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (and any other book in the series). I just love these books and it's my top favorite current series so I'll be beyond sad when the last book releases in January. *sniffles*



5. Lorelai & Luke
 - a book about best friends who fall in love –


Christina: I can’t believe I had to think about this. When I first remembered the book I just went Duh cause obviously it’s With a twist by Staci Hart. I love this book! Kind of like Luke and Lorelai it takes a while before either wants to admit that they have more feelings for eachother, and West the Luke of the story realized first and then came Lily the Lorelai and finally, FINALLY they found eachother.
Honorary mention, Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. Since their story isn’t done yet, who knows what will happen. But so far I really like Emma and Julian.

StephanieEmma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn in Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. They're not only best friends but also parabatai.



                                                              
6. Mr. Medina
- an illicit affair –

Christina: Hmmm, I kind of think of Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover because they are keeping it a secret and it’s all about the sex and nothing more and they also hide it from Tate’s brother.

Stephanie: Nico by Sarah Castille. This is my current read and so far the book is amazing. The illicit affair in it is between Nico and Mia who are from rival mafia families. The chemistry is off the charts!


7. Dean
- first book love –

Christina: So when I first started reading, I read in Danish obviously. With those I had a completely different taste compared to now. It was all these teen books about boys and all that. Then one day, I saw Twilight the movie with my friend and don’t know, just thought I want that book and I want it in English because it’s the original language. So by some miracle the book store actually had an English shelf and of course Twilight was on there. The rest is history I guess. I read it, loved it. Read it multiple times before I got my hands on some of next in the series. Then came the Host, which I remember I had to order from the bookstore to get it. So it’s Twilight, but also the Host because the Host brought me deeper into the much bigger universe of books, with so many options because I didn’t have to count on which the danes wanted to translate. And of course The Host is what me and Stephanie first bonded over. We’re still waiting for that sequel.

Stephanie: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. I've always loved reading even before I read the book but Artemis Fowl was the first one that I wanted to read over and over again which is exactly what I did.


8. Luke's Diner
- a comfort read –

Christina: I guess now I don’t really have one. Sure I get the urge to take certain books and read in them a bit, but a full on re-read because I feel like it never really happens. The only time that happened was back when the only book I owned was twilight so I read that over and over. Also happened with The Host though, partly because I didn’t have anything else, other than the twilight books, but also because well it was that good. I guess now my comfort reads are the romance books I read on my kindle.

Stephanie: Airman by Eoin Colfer. This book always makes me cry but everytime I start reading it I feel like I'm coming home, if that makes any sense. Love it!



9. Am I crying or laughing?
- a book that messed with your emotions –

Christina: Clockwork princess by Cassandra Clare. I had a full on sob crying going on at the end and it’s wasn’t because it was like sad sad. It was sad, but also just beautiful and all the emotions in there just got to me. I tried it the next day… still cried.

Stephanie:  Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult. One of the best books ever and the elephant stories in it were amazing but damn that ending. Totally didn't expect it at all.



10. I pushed him in the lake!
- a book you'd throw in a lake –

Christina: A book I want to throw in a lake doesn’t really need to be a bad one. Some of the best are usually the ones I want to throw away because they make me feel so much and then when the character does something stupid I just want to throw it away. Also happens with the end of series where that are really good where I just want to throw it away, because how dare it end.  I have mentioned it before, but Clockwork Princess.. the end of that, all I wanted to do was throw it away- in anger that it was over, amazement, the end gave me so many feels you have no idea.
However a book where I forced myself to finish and really wanted to give up was Lover Eternal by J.R Ward.. I know a lot love those Black Dagger brotherhood books, but my god I am sorry I just can’t with those. I already had to force myself through the 1st and the second just got worse so yeah multiple times I wanted to throw it in a lake or burn it or something just to get it to stop.

Stephanie: People who know me well will not be surprised by my choice: The Elite by Keira Cass. I hated that book with a passion. 

--

Gilmore Girls book tag part 2 is coming next friday!


Check out Yvonne's Gilmore Girls Book Tag answers here.
Check out Christina's Gilmore Girls Book Tag answers here.





Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Waiting On Wednesday: Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.


Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
The Dark Artifices #2
Expected publication: May 23rd 2017 by Margaret K. McElderry Books


Sunny Los Angeles can be a dark place indeed in Cassandra Clare’s Lord of Shadows, the sequel to the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Lady Midnight.

Emma Carstairs has finally avenged her parents. She thought she’d be at peace. But she is anything but calm. Torn between her desire for her parabatai Julian and her desire to protect him from the brutal consequences of parabatai relationships, she has begun dating his brother, Mark. But Mark has spent the past five years trapped in Faerie; can he ever truly be a Shadowhunter again?

And the faerie courts are not silent. The Unseelie King is tired of the Cold Peace, and will no longer concede to the Shadowhunters’ demands. Caught between the demands of faerie and the laws of the Clave, Emma, Julian, and Mark must find a way to come together to defend everything they hold dear—before it’s too late.



I was so excited when we finally got the cover for Lord of Shadows. I love it so much! I've always been a huge fan of Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter books (especially The Infernal Devices) but the first Dark Artifices book, Lady Midnight really impressed me in a way. I hadn't expected it to be as good as it turned out. So of course that makes me extra excited for Lord of Shadows! I have a feeling May will be a great bookish month. ;)




What book are you waiting for?
Leave me the link to your post so I can stop by!



Monday, November 21, 2016

Monday Madness: The Countess by Rebecca Johns

Monday Madness is a bookish meme hosted by Bookfever & Booklover's Teaparty

You know that feeling when you feel like you are gonna go mad if you do not get a certain book right away, when you are obsessed and all you want is that one book and you will be happy? That is what Monday Madness is about. All those books you that drive you mad.

Pick a book. Talk about it- why do you want it? What has drawn you to it? Why is it making you mad with want for it.



The Countess by Rebecca Johns

Was the “Blood Countess” history’s first and perhaps worst female serial killer? Or did her accusers create a violent fiction in order to remove this beautiful, intelligent, ambitious foe from the male-dominated world of Hungarian politics?

In 1611, Countess ErzsĂ©bet Báthory, a powerful Hungarian noblewoman, stood helpless as masons walled her inside her castle tower, dooming her to spend her final years in solitary confinement. Her crime—the gruesome murders of dozens of female servants, mostly young girls tortured to death for displeasing their ruthless mistress. Her opponents painted her as a bloodthirsty škrata—a witch—a portrayal that would expand to grotesque proportions through the centuries.

In this riveting dramatization of ErzsĂ©bet Báthory’s life, the countess tells her story in her own words, writing to her only son—a final reckoning from his mother in an attempt to reveal the truth behind her downfall. Countess Báthory describes her upbringing in one of the most powerful noble houses in Hungary, recounting in loving detail her devotion to her parents and siblings as well as the heartbreak of losing her father at a young age. She soon discovers the price of being a woman in sixteenth-century Hungary as her mother arranges her marriage to Ferenc Nádasdy, a union made with the cold calculation of a financial transaction. Young ErzsĂ©bet knows she has no choice but to accept this marriage even as she laments its loveless nature and ultimately turns to the illicit affections of another man.

Seemingly resigned to a marriage of convenience and a life of surreptitious pleasure, the countess surprises even herself as she ignites a marital spark with Ferenc through the most unromantic of acts: the violent punishment of an insolent female servant. The event shows Ferenc that his wife is no trophy but a strong, determined woman more than capable of managing their vast estates during Ferenc’s extensive military campaigns against the Turks. Her naked assertion of power accomplishes what her famed beauty could not: capturing the love of her husband.

The countess embraces this new role of loving wife and mother, doing everything she can to expand her husband’s power and secure her family’s future. But a darker side surfaces as Countess Báthory’s demand for virtue, obedience, and, above all, respect from her servants takes a sinister turn. What emerges is not only a disturbing, unflinching portrait of the deeds that gave Báthory the moniker “Blood Countess,” but an intimate look at the woman who became a monster.



Ever since I saw the movie The Countess with Julie Delphy in the lead as Erzsebet (or Elizabeth) Bathory I've been intrigued by the Bathory Legend. My interest in it grew even more when I read House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty back in 2014 but I haven't read about about Countess Bathory since then so I think I should remedy some time soon! This historical figure was seen as the first female serial killer but there's still so many mystery that surrounds her and I loooove mystery. 
So if anyone knows any other books about Erzebeth Bathroy feel free to leave them in the comments!




And as always don't forget to check out Christina's post! ♥





Saturday, November 19, 2016

Stacking The Shelves: November 19, 2016

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews.




Bought:
The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
These were two of my highest anticipated books and I finally got them last saturday. The Sun Is Also a Star I bought at a bookstore and Gemina I ordered from Bol.com because I got €5 off so it was pretty cheap. I still have to read them but I can't wait!


For Review:
Dollars by Pepper Winters
The second book in the Dollars series has finally been released! I've read it and oh my god it is so good, even better than Pennies! Pepper always crushes my heart but I love her anyway.

For Review:
The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown
I'm so excited that I got this new historical fiction for review, which comes out in March 2017. I hope to read it soon!

Freebie:
Dancer of the Nile by Veronica Scott
Free historical romance set in Ancient Egypt! It's still free here!




Please leave me links to your book hauls so I can stop by! :)




Friday, November 18, 2016

Release Blitz: Dollars by Pepper Winters

DOLLARS_RELEASE_BLITZ.jpg



DOLLARS_LIVE.jpg

“I should never have asked for a night with you. This would never have happened if I’d had more willpower.”


******
The story continues in Dollars by Pepper Winters.

NOW LIVE!
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1VxvqM7
Google Play: http://bit.ly/24jqbzX


dollars.jpg

Blurb
A thief met a possession and did what he did best.
Now, he has to live with the consequences.
Including the girl he claimed.

Pimlico was stolen and sold all before her twenty-first birthday.
Two years with a master who almost killed her is over.
She has a new master now.
A master who demands everything, expects everything, and requires ultimate access to her mind.

Elder broke countless rules when he took the girl who wasn’t his.
She confuses and bewitches him, but his fascination won’t save her from his desires.

He wants to know her.
She wants to forget.
Together…they’re doomed.


Pennie$ Book One in the Dollar Series
Order your copy here:
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1Plgtvw


Pre-order the Entire Series HERE!
Hundreds (Book Three)
Release date to be determined

Thousands (Book Four)
Release date to be determined

Millions (Book Five)
Release date to be determined
About the Author
Pepper.jpg

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex... her books have sex.
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

STALK Pepper: Website | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads