My Fair Mermaid

 

My Grandma Paulsen loved the movie 'My Fair Lady', and shared that love with me. A singing Audrey Hepburn? What's not to like?! I also have a deep love for all things beach/mermaid/ocean related. So, when I found a book that was the plot line of 'My Fair Lady', but with mermaids, I jumped on that ship instantly. 'My Fair Mermaid', by Sarah Beran, is the story of a young orphaned mermaid named Maribel. After her parents died, Maribel was taken in by her uncle, who had five daughters of his own. Eager to please her cousins, Maribel will do anything that they ask, even if it may be dangerous or uncomfortable. However, Maribel finds herself in an overwhelming, and impossible, situation when her youngest cousin rescues, and then falls in love with, a human prince of the nearby kingdom. Her cousin manipulates her into becoming human alongside of her to win the prince's heart, even though the effects of becoming human are extremely painful. What's worse, is that there are dire consequences if her cousin fails to marry the prince within ten weeks when the seasons change. It's do or die for Maribel, and failing is not an option! This heartwarming story of sacrifice will take you on the journey of a little mermaid, who not only finds her voice, but her destiny as well. 

A Sweet Royal Romcom

 I love proper romance books, spicy romance ones are just not my jam. Most of the closed door romance novels I have read have been historical ones, taking place hundreds of years ago. Just recently however, I read my first modern day romcom book and I am here for it. It makes sense that I would love them, seeing as I love every Hallmark movie ever made. These books were exactly like those. You may know who ends up together in the end. parts of it may come off as a little cheesy, and sometimes the endings seem too good to be true, but man, don't you love the journey of watching two people fall in love? 

The series that I started with contains two books, though I hope more are on their way. They are called, 'Royally Rearranged' and 'Royal Gone Rogue', by Emma St. Clair. The theme of the books is different royals, trying to fall in love, in impossible situations. The characters are bursting to the brim with personality. The humor is laugh out loud kind of funny. The romance is sweet with a little spice thrown in, but definitely sticking with it's "closed door" mantra. And my goodness, they left me with wanting more. I have a feeling that this modern day romcom genre will become one of my new favorites. Instead of playing games on my phone before bed, I opened up my Kindle app and read these sweet stories. It was so convenient having them on my phone, my social media usage definitely took a hit, which is always a bonus. 

The Summer of Broken Rules

Meredith doesn't know if she is more nervous or excited to be back at her family's annual reunion at Martha's Vineyard. It has been two years since she came with her mom, dad, and sister, but after her sister, Claire, died, her family couldn't muster up the desire to return. This year however, is not just a family reunion, but her cousin's wedding as well. While she is dying to see everyone again, she also dreads having to return to a place that holds so many memories for her and Claire. Not to mention facing all of the people closest to her that she shut out of her life as she battled her grief. Will they be angry with her for pushing them away? Will it be awkward interacting with them without her bubbly extrovert sister by her side? And can she forgive her cousin for her sister's death?

As Meredith struggles to reconnect with family, honor her sister's memory, and find forgiveness in her heart, she also is in one of the most intense games of her life. The game is called 'Assassin' and her family has been playing it for as long as she can remember. The players in the game are crazy competitive, but Meredith feels a strong desire to take home the trophy this year.... for Claire. As alliances are formed and battle lines are drawn, a certain groomsmen with a charming smile may very well threaten Meredith's chance at a victory.

'The Summer of Broken Rules', by K.L. Walther, is what summer dreams are made of. This book fills you with a nostalgia for someone else's childhood. It makes you want to spend lazy days at the lake, wander through small towns, and of course, enter the high stakes game of Assassin and obliterate your family members. It is heartwarming, adventurous, freaking hilarious, heartbreaking, romantic .... basically, it has allllllll the feels. In short, it is the perfect summer read!

November 9

 

November 9'th is a date that Falon wishes she could forget. November 9'th is the date when her life changed forever. Badly scarred from a house fire, Falon could no longer work as an actress. Her dreams were literally ripped from her grasp overnight. On the day before she moves to New York City to try and create a new life for herself, she meets Ben, an aspiring writer who doesn't look away from her deformed face. They spend the entire day together, and for the first time, November 9'th isn't so horrible. Together they come up with a plan. They are going to meet on the same day, every year, and Ben is going to write their story, a love story. However, can it truly be a love story if Ben has been lying to Falon all along for the sake of his book? Only time will tell.

November 9, by Colleen Hoover, is told from Falon and Ben's perspectives on alternating chapters. It's a story of a girl who learned not only how to survive, but to thrive. It's a story about a boy who feels lost and haunted, who meets a girl he never expected to love. The plot line was intriguing to me, but I wasn't immediately hooked. I had to find out how it ended though, and I am glad that I didn't give up on it, because it had one of the greatest plot twists! It was seriously so unexpected my mouth literally hung open. I would recommend this book just for that reason alone. If you like adult romance novels, then you'll like this book. Steamy romances have never really been my thing, but this one wasn't terrible, it was actually pretty good. 

The Circus Train

 Theo Papadopoulos is one of the greatest illusionists in the world, and the biggest act in the World of Wonder's circus. His daughter however, has never quite found her place on the circus train as they travel through Europe. Lena had polio when she was a child, and because of it, she has lost all movement from the waist down. In a world full of theatrical artists, Lena feels like an inconvenience. When Lena finds a thief in the kitchens, she not only discovers a new friend, but a strength within herself that she never knew she had. However, the new boy is Jewish, and if the Nazi's discover that fact, all of their lives could be in danger. 

    'The Circus Train', by Amita Parikh, is the story of war, hope, family, friendship, and the survival instinct that every human being carries within themselves. Set during WWII, it shows a different perspective of the war that you may have never seen before. The character development is fantastic. The writing is eloquent. The plot is addictive. 

A Thousand Heartbeats

 

Some people get excited about a new song that their favorite artist releases. I get excited about new books that my favorite authors publish. One of that authors is Kiera Cass, author of The Selection series. Thanks to an Amazon email, I was instantly informed that she had a new book coming out. Did I pre-order it? Why, yes. Yes I did.

A Thousand Heartbeats is the love story between two people who were definitely not supposed to fall in love. A real Romeo and Juliet kind of thing. Annika is a princess who isn't in control of her own life. Her father has become cold and unfeeling. He is determined to marry Annika off for political gain. Lennox is a soldier in the Dahrainian army, determined to reclaim what has been taken from him- Annika's castle and country. Only one of them can win. There is no happy ending meant for these two. With everything and everyone around them fighting against them, how can these two young lovers find a way to overcome?

Once again, Kierra Cass is the reason for late nights and very little sleep. This may be one of her longest novels, but it sure didn't take long to read. I couldn't put it down! I absolutely had to find out how it ended, and then was sad when it did. Dear Kierra Cass, please write another book ASAP. Sincerely, an overcaffeinated, tired, diehard fan. 

Beyond the Wand

 I'm not a huge non-fiction fan, I probably only read the genre once a year, but when I heard that Tom Felton had written a memoir, I knew that I absolutely HAD to read it. Hey, guess what? I am a hardcore pott-head, who knew? (That was sarcasm in case you missed it). I am also a huge Tom Felton fan. While a lot of the other actors have moved on to other things, Tom Felton is constantly keeping the magical world alive on social media. He is hilarious, kind, and nerdy in the best way. 

The book is perfectly titled, 'Beyond the Wand'. Although Tom is mostly known for his role as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movie series, he gives us a detailed outline of his life, starting from adolescence, to his years after the Potter films. Tom is open and honest about his problems with alcohol. He addresses his families mental health problems. He illustrates the darker moments of his life. However, the book is not all about his hardships. He also tells us of his best moments. His funniest moments. And how honored and grateful he is for the life that he has lived. 

I loved this book. I thoroughly enjoyed Tom Felton's witty sense of humor, his crazy antics as a child, and his in depth look at working on the Harry Potter sets. It was so interesting to get a glimpse of the other actors and actresses through Tom's eyes. I loved hearing about the deleted scenes, the sets, costumes, special effects, basically I was eating it all up. This is definitely a must read for any and every pott-head out there!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

 

Addeline LaRue is a young French woman who wants to live her life, her way. While all the other girls want to become wives and mothers, Addie dreams of freedom. Her friend Estelle has taught her to pray to the gods of nature, but never pray to the gods who answer after dark. When her parents choose a husband for her, Addie becomes desperate. She pleads with the gods to answer her prayers, but Addie doesn't realize that the sun has gone down. The wrong god comes to her rescue, but is she willing to sell her soul for her freedom? 

'The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue' is a thought provoking novel full of history, romance, art, and human emotion. What does it mean to be human? What are our basic needs to thrive? How much would you be willing to sacrifice to make your biggest dream become reality? This story will have you contemplating all of these questions and more. 

This year I decided to do the 12 books in a year challenge that was going around on Facebook. Basically you asked your friends for recommendations for books, and then chose books that you have not read before. The idea is to broaden your reading horizons and read books that you wouldn't normally choose for yourself. I got a late start on the challenge this year, so this is only the first book from that challenge that I have read. I am so glad I started out the year strong. I definitely would recommend this book. It was one of those books that keeps you guessing until the very end. I am excited to continue on with this challenge, I have a feeling that it is going to be a great year of reading!

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen

 I was meandering around my local bookstore when I saw 'Long Live the Pumpkin Queen', by Shea Ernshaw, sitting on a shelf. Loving all things associated with Halloween, there was no way I was going to just pass it by, especially since it was the last copy. My kids and I are die-hard fans of the movie (who isn't?!), but sometimes spinoff stories don't hold up to childhood nostalgia, so I went into this read with somewhat low expectations. Boy was I surprised when the author had me hooked from page one. Ernshaw did her homework on Halloween Land and I loved delving deeper into Jack and Sally's world. Exploring all of the other lands besides just Christmas Land was such a treat! The author does such a wonderful job at staying true to the mythical worlds that Tim Burton has created, and by the end of the book I was crossing my fingers hoping that this would be turned into a movie as well. 

The story begins with Jack and Sally's wedding. They decide to go to Valentines Land on their honeymoon and have a wonderful day exploring this new land together, for this is the only land that Jack has yet to visit, saving it just for this momentous occasion. They unfortunately can only stay away from home for 24 hours however since it very close to Halloween day and there is just so so much to do still. As soon as Jack and Sally re-enter Halloween Land they are both bombarded by holiday preparations. As the new pumpkin queen, Sally is overwhelmed by all of the new expectations that sit on her shoulders. She begins to have high levels of anxiety about being a ruler, and she desperately wishes she could just be "Sally and Jack", and not "Queen and King". When the witch sisters begin fitting her for a new royal gown, the pressure becomes too much for Sally, and she finds herself fleeing her home in desperate need for some time alone. As she is wandering around the forest, Sally discovers a hidden door that has a moon on it. Leaving the door open unleashes the beginning of a wild adventure for Sally that leads her to a shocking discovery about her past. 

This book will become a Halloween treasure that both you and your kids will enjoy reading together time and time again. 

Lemon Tart

 'Lemon Tart' is Josi Kilpack's debut culinary murder mystery novel. Sadie Hoffmiller is a widow, substitute teacher, mother, and your typical nosy neighbor who prides herself on knowing everything about her neighbors. When a young single mother is murdered in Sadie's cul-de-sac, she is determined to help the police find the culprit, even if that means crossing the line a time or two. The victim's son is missing and the clock is ticking to find him before anything worse happens to him. There are plenty of suspects and Sadie soon discovers that she might not know her neighbors as well as she thinks she did. 

I haven't read mystery books in a while, but I found this one very intriguing. I love when books keep me guessing until the very end and this one definitely kept those pages turning. It was also refreshing to read a murder mystery that wasn't gory, disturbing, or too scary. I am pretty sensitive to those kind of books, but love mysteries, so this one was right up my alley.