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blog · challenges

Top Ten Tuesday

Michelle1 Comment

Top Ten Tuesday for May 26: Opening Lines (Best, favorite, funny, unique, shocking, gripping, lines that grabbed you immediately, etc.)

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien

The great fish moved silently through the night water.

Jaws, Peter Benchley

From where I sit, the story of Arthur Less is not so bad.

Less, Andrew Sean Greer

It was a pleasure to burn.

Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling

There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.

The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:1 (KJV)

There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, C.S. Lewis

As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka

Marley was dead: to begin with.

A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
blog · book review · review

Book Review | Buzz by E. Davies

MichelleLeave a comment

I was suggested The Riley Brothers series by E. Davies by someone who knows I’m a sucker for hockey stories. Surprisingly, the entire 40-hour series was on sale on Audible for just 1 credit! It sounded like a steal and the series had some good reviews, so I went ahead and spent the credit.

Kind of wish I hadn’t.

There isn’t anything particularly wrong with the story or even the narration of it… it just didn’t work for me.

Up and coming hockey player, Cam Riley (one of the brothers), has to give up his dream of joining the big leagues when a medical condition causes him to pass out whenever his heart rate is too high for extended periods of time. He heads home where he meets art director, Noah Clark, and sparks fly.

Even as their relationship grows, Cam chooses not to tell Noah the entire truth about his condition and that he’d been a professional hockey player. But his condition doesn’t let him keep those secrets for long and the truth comes out.

There isn’t much conflict between the two, even with all of the lying, and they resolve things easily. Cam gets his surgery, recovers, and they live happily-ever-after.

Oh, and Noah’s uncle is a beekeeper. Cam ends up working for him, which is where the title Buzz comes from… I thought that was cute.

Like I said earlier, it’s not a bad story, just not for me.

Series: The Riley Brothers, book 1
Format: Audible audio book
Publisher: Audible
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Links: Amazon || Goodreads

blog · challenges

The Dreamy Book Cover Book Tag

Michelle2 Comments

Today is a day to celebrate! I was tagged by name for the very first time for a book tag! Whoohoo!

Thank you SO much to Evelyn over @Evelyn Reads! I’m so excited to participate. 😀

Rules:

  • Thank the person who tagged you
  • Link back to the original creator @The book raven
  • Use the original tag image in your post (you can add to it, if you’d like)
  • Tag at least 1 other blogger to join in the fun

Tagging:

Questions:

“No Ideas But in Things”
A book cover that perfectly expresses the novel inside it

The cover of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is exactly how fangirls are in real life…

We have this amazing ability to completely forget about the world around us all while being utterly focused on the imaginary places and people we are head-over-heels fannish for. 😀

Fangirls FTW!

“Dark and Lovely”
A book cover that is so creepalicious you just want to eat it up

The Gardener be S.A. Bodeen has such an amazingly creepy cover that, years later, I still want to re-read it! I’ve got chills and they are multiplying.

“Sugary Sweet”
A cute cover that is so fluffy you want to give it a hug

How could you NOT want to cuddle up with the two characters on the cover of Madeline Finn and the Library Dog by Lisa Papp?

He just looks so calm and fluffy and Madeline is absolutely comfortable with him! Ach, my heart! The feels!

“The Simple Aesthetic”
A book cover that stuns with the most minimalist of design

Yeah, I knew that Morte by Robert Repino was going to be perfect for the minimalist cover.

Honestly, the cover is a little deceiving in that it’s almost too simple for what the novel actually contains… which is an amazing story about an intelligent race of ants (yes, I said “ants”) looking to destroy mankind for good and the four-leggers who are trying to stop them.

“Cover Envy”
A book cover you wish you had on your shelves, but don’t yet

The cover for Dark Eden by Chris Beckett is so entrancing! I love the forest and the colors and what looks like snow and I really, truly cannot wait to see this on my bookshelves.

“Traveling Abroad”
A beautiful book cover featuring a country outside of your own

The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera is such a magical, heart-wrenching story about a young Maori girl who is trying to prove her worth to her family, to her friends, and to herself.

Kahu is such a great character and her story is one I believe everyone should read.

“The Color Wheel”
A cover that showcases one of your favorite colors

So, if you weren’t aware, I’ve consistently been sorted into Slytherin house since sorting quizzes became a thing… which is nice, because I love all things green.

Verdi by Janell Cannon is one of my favorite picture books both because the story is great AND that the art is amazing! From the cover to the last page, you will be absolutely entranced!

“Switching Gears”
A cover change you absolutely adore

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card so desperately needed an update and what better time than when the movie was set to be released? I enjoyed both the book and the movie, but I have to say that the movie cover is MUCH better than the original. 😛

“Oldie but Goodie”
A favorite cover of your favorite classic

Walter Farley’s The Black Stallion is probably my most favorite classic ever.

The story is one that my young, horse-loving heart couldn’t get enough of as a kid. Both the cover art and the illustrations within created in me a lifelong love of not only Arabian horses in particular, but of all horse breeds!

“And the Winner is…”
Which book cover mentioned above is your favorite?

For sheer creep-factor, The Gardener wins my favorite cover (of this post ;P)

blog · book review · review

Book Review | Altered Heart by Kate Steele

MichelleLeave a comment

Altered Heart by Kate Steele was the first book I read for my O.W.L.’s back in April and it was a good one to kick off the book challenge with.

Mick Matranga is basically a supernatural enforcer who hunts down bad guys and gives them their due, whether it be jail time or death. It’s his job and he likes it.

But when the victim of his latest case, one Rio Hardin, turns out to be his mate, Mick isn’t sure what to do.

Widowed for four years after being happily married to the woman of his dreams, Mick doesn’t need the hassle of falling in love and then losing another person he cares about. He chooses to keep Rio at a distance, even while the human-turned-werewolf comes closer and closer to his first shift.

Rio hates that he’s been turned and is terrified of his first real shift. After the psycho-alpha who bit him forced him from shifting into his wolf during his first full moon, all he can think of is the absolute pain he experienced. When Mick tells him that sex can help distract a were from the pain of the shift, he begins to have hope that things won’t be so bad with Mick around.

But Mick is too bull-headed to accept what Rio wants and ends up torturing the both of them when he refuses to open up and accept Rio as his mate.

My favorite thing about Altered Heart was how believable Rio and Mick were as characters. Their decisions made sense; from Rio’s running away from home to Mick’s refusal to start anything serious with Rio, there is a reason for every choice they make. (even if they are stupid decisions, lol)

Altered Heart is a solid 3/5 stars for me. The writing and world building is solid, but it didn’t blow me out of the water. It was good enough that I think I’ll read the sequel Amended Soul if I can get my hands on it.

Format: Paperback
Publisher: Loose ID
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Links: Amazon || Goodreads

Blog | The Netflix Book Tag
blog · challenges

Blog | The Netflix Book Tag

Michelle2 Comments

Blair, over at Feed the Crime, shared this lovely book tag awhile back and I thought it sounded like fun. I know it’s a lot late, but here are my answers and if you like, join in and keep this game of tag going!

These kinds of blog posts are always a welcome challenge for me. They get me thinking about what I’m reading and what I could be reading… opening my eyes to new and interesting genres.

Recently Watched: The last book you finished reading.

I re-read this for my 2020 O.W.L.’s and it was just as good as I remembered it being. I love the world-building, the characters, and the romance.

Just an all-around entertaining read!

Top Picks: A book/books that have been recommended to you based on book you have previously read.

Recently Added: The last book you bought

I found The Radium Girls by Kate Moore on sale in a used book store for an absolute steal of less than $5.

Such an interesting tale of a really disturbing part of history. It’s really interesting how, at the time, people had no idea how dangerous radium was and how enamored the whole world was with this new discovery.

Popular on Netflix: Books that everyone knows about that I have no interest in…

Comedies: A funny book

The Soul of an Octopus was such a pleasant surprise! I listened to the audio book and it’s amazing.

Honestly, I thought it would be kind of a dry, scientific book about the intelligence of octopuses. In reality, it’s an entertaining story about the author’s relationship with various octopuses and the lessons she learned from them.

Dramas: A character who is a drama queen/king.

Animated: A book with cartoons on the cover

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is such an interesting little book. It really makes you think about life and how adults and children perceive things in entirely different ways.

Action and Adventure: An action packed book

Watch it again:
A book/book series that you want to re-read

I’d absolutely love to get back into the Valdemar universe and just roll around in it. Along with the Dragonriders of Pern, this was one of my favorite book series as a young adult. With brilliant world building, characters you’d love to hang out with, and adventures galore, the Valdemar series will hook you immediately!

New Releases: A book that just came out or will be coming out soon that you can’t wait to read.

Documentaries:
A non-fiction book you’d recommend to everyone

Once Upon a Flock by Lauren Scheuer is probably one of my favorite non-fiction / autobiographies EVER! It’s a super cute, fun, and endearing tale of Lauren’s life with her chickens.

This is probably the book I suggest most to people.

Max: Tag some people

If you’re reading this post and think this would be fun to do, I encourage YOU to join in this game of Netflix Book Tag!

Knittering; First Adult Socks
blog · knitting life · life

Knittering; First Adult Socks

Michelle2 Comments

NothingButKnit’s shared one of her sock projects in her Sock It To Me Monday post and they looked so good that I knew I had to attempt adult-sized socks… again.

I’ve been trying to knit my sister a pair of socks for nearly a year now, but I just can’t seem to get the patter to jive in my brain. It’s the Toe Up Socks pattern by Haalu and… I just can’t knit them. Maybe it’s the pattern, maybe it’s the yarn I bought, but it’s definitely been relegated to the unfinished projects bin.

Now, the Slip-It Simple Socks on the other hand have been an absolute breeze! They are knit cuff down, like my Micro-Preemie socks, and it’s easy to get into a rhythm when working on them. I knit these socks mostly while doing other things, like being in meetings or watching movies/television.

This pattern is SO easy to follow!

As for the yarn? Well, it’s a vacation yarn, which is to say that I purchased a skein of this amazingly soft, light grey yarn while on a trip back home to Wisconsin. It was really easy to work with and only occasionally did I have trouble with the strands wanting to unwind themselves (is that the right term?).

Continue reading “Knittering; First Adult Socks” →
Two Book Tuesday
blog · book review · review

Two Book Tuesday

MichelleLeave a comment

Still dealing with the Covid-19 craziness. Even though I’m blessed to be allowed to continue working during this time, I can feel mental exhaustion creeping in. So, I’ve been diving into various fictional worlds as a means of escape… it’s also a free vacation, in it’s own way.

The Elven King’s Blade is actually a web-based serial title, written by X. Aratare (or RaytheReign).

Ciaran has been fighting an unknown wasting disease his entire life, a disease which took the life of his mother, and has resigned himself to an early death. He decides to travel to a family-owned cabin with his pet fox, Twig, who adopted him when he was a young boy and has never left his side.

What he finds in the small, country town is proof that he didn’t hallucinate the black riders he and his mother fought and that there is more to the world than he ever imagined. After saving Elven King Aethaden’s life and discovering what he really is, Ciaran decides to follow his destiny and go to the elven realm to fight the ‘forces of evil’ there.

If you’re at all interested in web-serials, then I would suggest checking this title out.

This book was suggested to me by a co-worker at the library. She is very well-read and had only just started reading Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo.

I am familiar with Bardugo’s young adult works, but hadn’t heard about this venture into adult fiction.

As an urban fantasy title, I am expecting it to be darker than my usual fare, but am excited to hop into the world she’s created. 🙂