2018 Thankfully Reading Weekend Sign-Ups Open!

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Jenn

What is this Thankfully Reading Weekend I speak of?  Here are the details:

This year, Thankfully Reading Weekend will take place November 21-25th! There are no rules to the weekend, we’re simply hoping to devote a good amount of time to reading, and perhaps meeting some of our reading challenges and goals for the year. We thought it’d be fun if we cheered each other on a bit. If you think you can join in, grab the button  and add your sign up post to the link-up below. If you don’t have a blog, you can sign up the comments or sign up using a link to your Twitter account or Facebook page, or Instagram account!

Want to host a challenge? Email me directly at jennsbookshelf@gmail.com.

We’ll also be checking in on Twitter and Instagram using hashtag #thankfullyreading. Join in for the weekend or for only a single day. No rules, no pressure!

To sign up, fill out the linky below! Link to wherever you will be posting your updates, be it Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook!


Posted in Thankfully Reading Weekend | 16 Comments

2018 Thankfully Reading Weekend!

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Jenn

ThankfullyReading

 

Thanksgiving is just right around the corner. With that comes the dreaded Black Friday (well, now lately, it’s Black Thursday, too!).

I’m pleased to announce that I will once again be hosting Thankfully Reading Weekend, November 21-25th! Yes, that’s a long weekend, but I figure people have time off for the holidays and, therefore, time to read! Want to avoid the crowds & shopping on Black Friday? Plan on spending a nice, quiet holiday at home? Join us!

Just what is this Thankfully Reading Weekend I speak of?  Here are the details:

There are no rules to the weekend, we’re simply hoping to devote a good amount of time to reading, and perhaps meeting some of our reading challenges and goals for the year. We thought it’d be fun if we cheered each other on a bit. If you think you can join in, grab the button  and add your sign up post to the link-up below. If you don’t have a blog, you can sign up the comments or sign up using a link to your Twitter account or Facebook page, or Instagram account!

Want to host a challenge? Email me directly at jennsbookshelf@gmail.com.

We’ll also be checking in on Twitter and Instagram using hashtag #thankfullyreading. Join in for the weekend or for only a single day. No rules, no pressure!

Stay tuned; more details to come!

Posted in Thankfully Reading Weekend | 1 Comment

Review: Elevation by Stephen King

Posted on November 7, 2018 by Jenn
Review: Elevation by Stephen KingElevation by Stephen King
Also by this author: Finders Keepers, Gwendy's Button Box
Published by Simon and Schuster on October 30, 2018
Genres: Fiction, Literary, Supernatural, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 160
Format: Hardcover
Source: personal copy
Scott Carey doesn't appear to be losing weight.  Yet when he steps on the scale, he's noticed a steady decline in his weight, roughly a pound per day.  Additionally, he weighs just as much clothed as without.  He isn't attempting a diet (he prefers gravy on everything) yet this apparent weight loss has him concerned.

Meanwhile, Scott is in an escalating battle with his neighbors. They allow their dog to walk free throughout the neighborhood, not carrying to clean up after it.   Unknown to Scott, his neighbors, a lesbian married couple, are struggling to keep their restaurant afloat. The town of Castle Rock, set in its ways, refuses to allow a gay couple to succeed.

Scott's ailment provides a mechanism for the most unlikely of alliances to come together.  Prejudices are lifted, bringing out the very best in the small Maine town.

Admittedly, when I received my copy of Elevation I was quite shocked. It’s tiny, not only in page count (under 200), but in size as well.  It looks more like a gift book than the typical Stephen King volume.  I was a bit disappointed, craving a chuckster of King brilliance.

I should have trusted Uncle Steve. This tiny, miniature size book packs a big punch.  King excels at horror, but he also excels at exploring and bringing to life the darkest part of our society.  In this instance, he brings hope and love and light to a world that is struggling with hate and divisiveness.

I read this in one sitting and I cannot wait to read again.  This is a book that I will gift to dozens of readers for it’s the very thing we need right now: Hope.

 

Highly, highly recommended.

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Cover Reveal! One Small Sacrifice by Hilary Davidson

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Jenn

Those who know me well know that I don’t typically do cover reveals on my blog. Yet when one of my favorite thriller writers, Hilary Davidson, reached out to me, I couldn’t resist.  I’m a huge fan of everything she’s written and I can’t wait to read this latest! Release date is May 19, 2019.

 

An apparent suicide. A mysterious disappearance. Did one man get away with murder—twice?

NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling has had her eye on Alex Traynor ever since his friend Cori fell to her death under suspicious circumstances a year ago. Cori’s death was ruled a suicide, but Sheryn thinks Alex—a wartime photojournalist suffering from PTSD—got away with murder.

When Alex’s fiancée, Emily, a talented and beloved local doctor, suddenly goes missing, Sheryn suspects that Alex is again at the center of a sticky case. Sheryn dislikes loose ends, and Cori’s death had way too many of them.

But as Sheryn starts pulling at the threads in this web, her whole theory unravels. Everyone involved remembers the night Cori died differently—and the truth about her death could be the key to solving Emily’s disappearance.

 

Pre-order now!

 

Posted in Thriller | 2 Comments

Review: The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter by Hazel Gaynor

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Jenn

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

Review: The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter by Hazel GaynorThe Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor
Also by this author: Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War, The Girl from the Savoy
Published by HarperCollins on October 9, 2018
Genres: Fiction, General, Historical
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Source: the publisher
Longstone Lighthouse on the Farne Islands in Northumberland, England is the only home Grace Darling has known. Her father, the lighthouse keeper, has instilled in her a passion and love for the lighthouse and the sea it overlooks. Saving the lives of shipwrecked victims is one of the responsibilities of being the lighthouse keeper, so when a ship wrecks in 1838, Grace instantly joins her father in the rescue of the survivors.  Following, Grace becomes a hero, an angel that swooped in to rescue the victims from the raging sea.  Not a fan of the fame, Grace finds salvation in a rejuvenated friendship with a visiting artist, the brother of one of the victims she's rescued.

One hundred years later Matilda Emmerson, nineteen and pregnant, is sent from her home in Ireland to Newport, Rhode Island to wait out the arrival of her child.  She resides with Harriet, an assistant lighthouse keeper who seems less than thrilled to have a guest in her home. In time, however, their connection is revealed, unveiling a bond that goes back centuries.

 

If this isn’t a page-turner, I don’t know what is! I devoured this in one sitting, instantly captivated by the strong, hard-headed female characters who both seemed to be ahead of their time when it came to the role of women in Society.  Grace, forced into fame due to an act that she considered to be natural, and Matilda, a young mother banished from her family due to her pregnancy.

This novel is full of rich detail, from the characters to the setting. It’s not difficult to become invested in the characters and their fate.  They each endured a terrible amount of tragedy and loss.  The sea, too, is its own character, for it plays a very active role in the fate of those who reside near it.

All in all, I highly highly recommend this read. Be prepared to devote every waking moment!

 

Purchase Links: HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
 
Author Links: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Posted in Historical Fiction, Review | 2 Comments

Dewey’s October 2018 #Readathon Closing Post

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Jenn

After the last update, I crawled in bed and read about another 175 pages.  Total pages read: 1300, 10 Hours read!

Closing Survey!

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

None, really. When I got tired, I went to bed 🙂

2. Tell us ALLLLL the books you read!

Broken Things by Lauren Oliver
Coldbrook by Tim Lebbon
The Godsend by Bernard Taylor
The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel by Alyssa Palombo (started)

3. Which books would you recommend to other Read-a-thoners?

I enjoyed all of them, but for different reasons.  I’d recommend Broken Things and The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel for most “mainstream” readers. 

4. What’s a really rad thing we could do during the next Read-a-thon that would make you happy?

I think you are all doing an amazing job already!

5. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? Would you be interested in volunteering to help organize and prep?

As always, I’m here to help!

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Dewey’s October 2018 24-Hour #Readathon Update Post!

Posted on October 20, 2018 by Jenn

 

Who is ready to get their read on!? I am! Thanks to a nice, restful evening last night I’m up and ready to go!

My real-time updates will happen on Instagram and Twitter, but I will link them all below! Here’s to a successful read-a-thon, everyone!

Update 1:   When the dog wakes you up at 2:30 AM, you opt to sleep in for a bit! I’m up, showered, cinnamon roll and coffee in hand.  Meatballs for munching off of later are in the crock pot.  Let’s get this started! Starting off with Lauren Oliver’s Broken Things!

Update 2 (12:30 PM): First book finished!  Going a little spookier with my next read!

Update 3 (6:00 PM): Second book finished.  Zombie novel meets eco-thriller. Certainly unique! Switching to the Kindle now; holding a book for several hours is painful!

Update 4: (9:00): Third book finished! Removed Fantastical Tales of Terror from my reading queue.  I couldn’t get into it at all.  The first 4 stories were not fantastical or full of terror!  Also, the font was teeny tiny; the format didn’t allow me to increase it on my Kindle either!  So, I started Godsend, a book from the small press I just recently discovered. Nice, short and spooky!  On to book 4!

Posted in Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon | 2 Comments

Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon Mini Challenge!

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Jenn

It’s time to take a break from reading and exercise the more creative side of your brain!  For this mini-challenge, I task you with creating a haiku or short story using the titles from your TBR!

Now, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy; as you’ll see in the photo below I had a challenge of doing this challenge myself!

My haiku reads:

The Bone Witch
Brightly Burning
We Sold Our Souls
Chasing Ghosts!

You can share your entries by adding the link to the Mr. Linky below! At the end of the read-a-thon, I will select one person to receive a bookish Halloween prize!


Posted in Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon, Murders, Monsters, & Mayhem | 29 Comments

Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon: October 2018

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Jenn

 

Yay! My favorite fall activity, second only to Halloween itself, is upon us!  Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon!

 

The October read-a-thon is always my favorite.  It’s likely because I tend to focus on reading horror and all things spooky!  The weather here is cool, perfect “leggings/layers/books” weather!

Here’s a sampling of my read-a-thon TBR (I did just pick up some MORE books from the library). I have a few on my Kindle as well.  I certainly won’t read all of them (typically I do get through about 5 books and 1200ish pages) but I like having a variety to choose from!

My boys love read-a-thon for the food!  Here’s what we have on our menu:

  • sweet & spicy meatballs and little weenies
  • Pizza rolls
  • Nuts!
  • Celery & peanut butter
  • Red Vines
  • Coffee
  • A host of pastries from our favorite apple orchard
  • More Coffee!

I’ll also be hosting a mini-challenge, so stay tuned for that!

 

Are you taking part in the read-a-thon? What books & snacks do you have lined up!?

 

 

Posted in Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon | 1 Comment

Review: Lullaby by Jonathan Maberry

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Jenn
Review: Lullaby by Jonathan MaberryLullaby by Jonathan Maberry
Also by this author: Glimpse
Published by Audible Studios on October 4, 2018
Format: Audiobook
Matt and Gillian knew they were buying a haunted house.  It seemed perfect, their dream home sat next to a lake in the Catskills.  They couldn't resist the list price; it would allow Matt to build that home office he'd been desiring. It would be the perfect home to raise their new daughter...or would it. Quickly, their dream house turns into a nightmare and the perfect life they've built up is quickly shattered.

Anything…I mean anything, Jonathan Maberry writes I will purchase. I’ve devoured everything he’s ever written, from his zombie series, Rot & Ruin to his Joe Ledger thrillers.  I can’t get enough.  When I heard he was releasing an audio short, I knew it had to be mine.

Maberry excels at writing stories that chill you to the core.  This is no exception. At just over thirty minutes long, this story gets to the core of what scares us.  Haunted house? Yes, please! Add Scott Brick’s narration and you have an all around phenomenal listening experience! Best of all, Audible subscribers: it’s included in this month’s selection of FREE Audible originals!  What are you waiting for?!

Highly, highly recommended!

Posted in Audiobook, Horror, Murders, Monsters, & Mayhem, Review, Supernatural | Leave a comment