The Midnight Library

I can't believe it's April already. Where did January, February, and March go?! Anyway . . .

Let's have a giveaway!

I just finished this book and would love to give away a (new) copy. Have you read this one yet?

 Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?”

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

My Review:

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nora is giving up. It seems like nothing in her life is going the way she thinks it should, or wants it to, and she has no hope for the future.

The Midnight Library tackles the big question of "what if"? What if you'd made different decisions at certain points in your life? Would things really be better? What if you had all the things you thought you wanted? Would you be happy? What is necessary for happiness anyway?

Nora gets to explore some of these other lives she might have had, had she made different choices.
I absolutely loved this book! It was a page-turner for me, wanting to see what would happen to Nora next. The ending was somewhat predictable but in the best way possible.

View all my reviews

Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. United States residents only. You must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

 

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I'd Rather Be Reading Review and Giveaway

TODAY is the last day to preorder Anne Bogel's new book, I'd Rather Be Reading and claim some preorder exclusives at I'd Rather Be Reading.com!

Bonuses include a free digital download of the audio edition read by Anne herself (I LOVE her voice!), access to her online class, "7 Ways to Get More Out of Your Reading Life", and digital artwork from the book. I got a copy enlarged to frame and I love it! Order TWO copies or more and also receive bookmarks, postcards, signed book plates and other goodies.

Although I received an ARC copy to read and review, I have preordered three copies: one each for my best friends, and one to give away to one lucky winner here!

I absolutely love this little gem of a book. First of all, it's GORGEOUS. The watercolor artwork used for the cover was an original created by David Holmes and is a representation of Anne's own library. The text is in a sparkling gold. This is a book to not only be read but displayed. If I had a coffee table it would surely live there. As it is, I want to get a book stand and give it a place of prominence on a bookshelf.

Inside, it's just as delightful. Anne explores the reading life with her trademark warm humor and keen insights. Anyone who loves books and reading will adore this beautiful book!

The first chapter is "Confess Your Literary Sins" and she encouraged those of us on her launch team to share ours. I couldn't think of any until recently, but a couple of things have come up:

I confess that, although I read it multiple times in elementary school, I have never owned my own copy of The Black Stallion. Although I grew up reading, I believe it was the first real chapter book I read, probably in the third grade. I credit Walter Farley's wonderful horse story with turning me into an avid reader. I would go on to read all the books my mother had kept from her youth - Alice In Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Gulliver's Travels, Arabian Nights, and others. I still have those books, many of them published in the early 1900s. They are treasures and I'll pass them on to my children to share with their children. Other books I would later fall in love with - Marguerite Henry's horse stories, Austen and the Brontes, C.S. Lewis, Harry Potter - have been reread over the years and intentionally collected. I HAD to have them for myself. And yet I've never bought The Black Stallion or read any of the sequels. I don't think my children ever read it either. This must be rectified!

I also confess that I have a weakness for art books, including graphic novels - but I don't read them! Until an Instagrammer I follow asked for recommendations for graphic novels, I hadn't thought too much about the ones I own. But when looking to see which ones I would recommend, I couldn't recommend any of them BECAUSE I'VE NEVER READ THEM! I'm a sucker for good artwork, but still prefer reading traditional books. This also must be rectified!

So even in the very first chapter, Anne's book of essays has caused me to examine my reading life. The whole book is a delight to read and has resonated deeply with me and made me think about my reading habits, history, and future goals. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is in love with books and the reading life!

I am giving away a copy of Anne's book, I'd Rather Be Reading, to one lucky winner. (US only.)

Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. United States residents only. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW
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Bronze can be ordered through any bookseller (ISBN 9780982893678) or order now at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.
Visit theglisterjournals.com for news, excerpts, and more about The Glister Journals series.
Reviews for Bronze

All original text and materials by or commissioned by B. B. Shepherd are copyright 2012-2018 to B B Shepherd.

Just Couldn't Put It Down Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Just Couldn't Put It Down Giveaway Hop!
I am featuring The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert and giving away a $15 gift card to the book store of your choice. Thanks to Stuck In Books for hosting this giveaway!

From Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.

I have to admit that I am still reading this book, but I'm reading it much faster than I normally read. If you look at the reviews, they're all over the place. Some people have found it boring, but I'm not finding it so. Some people rating the book low seem to have had certain expectations of what the book would be like and were disappointed. I had no expectations and am mostly enjoying it.

It's not, strictly speaking, pure fantasy. And it's not, as some people assume, a retelling of Alice in Wonderland (according to the author). It is dark and creepy and pretty twisted. The main character is almost completely unlikable and is the only thing I'm disliking about it, but I haven't found out why she's as annoying, angry, foul-mouthed, and completely insensitive and self-absorbed as she is, beyond a hard life of basically being on the run forever. There's some content that makes me question the appropriateness of a YA label, but leaving that aside, I'm finding the story compelling and want to get to the end. Some of the writing is over the top, but much of it is fantastic. Goodreads shows this as the first in a series, so there's that, too.

If you like dark and creepy, don't approach it with preconceptions, and aren't easily offended, you might enjoy this one. This is one of Modern Mrs. Darcy's Summer picks.

EDIT: I just finished this one and loved it. I acknowledge it's a bit uneven towards the end and I think it gets a little carried away with some of the description, but I enjoyed it and definitely couldn't wait to keep picking it up to read more. And yes, there's a reason the MC is as unlikable as she is. Give her the benefit of the doubt and remember this is a Fairy Tale world. The Hazel Wood has been picked up by Columbia and the adapters of Divergent to become a movie.

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Bronze can be ordered through any bookseller (ISBN 9780982893678) or order now at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.
Visit theglisterjournals.com for news, excerpts, and more about The Glister Journals series.
Reviews for Bronze

All original text and materials by or commissioned by B. B. Shepherd are copyright 2012-2018 to B B Shepherd.

Beach Reads Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Beach Reads Giveaway Hop!I'm hoping to get in a little beach time this summer. If I do, the book I plan to take with me is The Anatomist's Wife by Anna Lee Huber. Have you read it? It's waiting on the shelf right now, but if I go to the beach it's coming with! What do you plan on reading at the beach (ocean, lake, river) this summer? Here's the description from Goodreads:

Scotland, 1830. Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister's estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when her hosts throw a house party for the cream of London society, Kiera is unable to hide from the ire of those who believe her to be as unnatural as her husband, an anatomist who used her artistic talents to suit his own macabre purposes.

Kiera wants to put her past aside, but when one of the house guests is murdered, her brother-in-law asks her to utilize her knowledge of human anatomy to aid the insufferable Sebastian Gage--a fellow guest with some experience as an inquiry agent. While Gage is clearly more competent than she first assumed, Kiera isn't about to let her guard down as accusations and rumors swirl.

When Kiera and Gage's search leads them to even more gruesome discoveries, a series of disturbing notes urges Lady Darby to give up the inquiry. But Kiera is determined to both protect her family and prove her innocence, even as she risks becoming the next victim...



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Bronze can be ordered through any bookseller (ISBN 9780982893678) or order now at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.
Visit theglisterjournals.com for news, excerpts, and more about The Glister Journals series.
Reviews for Bronze

All original text and materials by or commissioned by B. B. Shepherd are copyright 2012-2018 to B B Shepherd.

May I Suggest . . . Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the May I Suggest Giveaway Hop. I am featuring two of my recent reads: Force of Nature by Jane Harper and All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Steifvater.

I am giving away one $15 gift card to the book store of your choice!
This giveaway runs May 1st -15th

From bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater, a gripping tale of darkness, miracles, and family. Saints. Miracles. Family. Romance. Death. Redemption.

My thoughts: I have to admit that I struggled with this one and a couple of times almost gave up. Not because it wasn't well-written. Anyone who has read Maggie knows she can WRITE. But the style she used for this one was over the top for me. It felt a little heavy-handed and forced. I prefer books where I'm NOT aware of the author and little tricks and devices. I felt the same way about The Dream Thieves, my least favorite Raven Boys book. Having said that, The Dream Thieves was a lot of people's favorite, so it's probably just me.

All the Crooked Saints is a quirky and ultimately enjoyable read, set in the 1960s in rural Colorado. It's full of magical realism, which I enjoy, but like I said, I felt a bit browbeaten by this one at first. It either got better or I got used to it because I did finish and really enjoyed this one. Any fans of Maggie or magical realism will probably enjoy this. This is a stand alone story.

Five women go on a hike. Only four return. Jane Harper, the New York Times bestselling author of The Dry, asks: How well do you really know the people you work with?

When five colleagues are forced to go on a corporate retreat in the wilderness, they reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking down the muddy path. But one of the women doesn’t come out of the woods. And each of her companions tells a slightly different story about what happened.

Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing hiker. In an investigation that takes him deep into isolated forest, Falk discovers secrets lurking in the mountains, and a tangled web of personal and professional friendship, suspicion, and betrayal among the hikers. But did that lead to murder?

My thoughts: We first met Aaron Falk in The Dry, which was one of my favorite reads last year. I'm not an authority on mysteries or crime novels - I'm just getting into the genre - so I have no idea if Jane Harper's work is cliche or not. So far I am greatly enjoying it. I especially like that it's set in Australia. I preferred The Dry, mainly because we get to know the main character, Aaron, and he had such a strong connection to the other people in the story. In Force of Nature he feels more like a minor character with some side issues that almost felt tacked on as an after thought. So I felt a bit disconnected for at least the first part of the story. This one was also difficult to get into because of this. But it did get more interesting and suspenseful as it went along and kept me guessing and changing my mind throughout. You don't need to have read the first book, but it would help a little to have a connection to the "main" character as you're not going to get it through this book.

I consider both novels solid four star reads!

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Bronze can be ordered through any bookseller (ISBN 9780982893678) or order now at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.
Visit theglisterjournals.com for news, excerpts, and more about The Glister Journals series.
Reviews for Bronze

All original text and materials by or commissioned by B. B. Shepherd are copyright 2012-2018 to B B Shepherd.

Lucky Is Reading Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Lucky Is Reading Giveaway Hop!

Thanks to Stuck In Books for hosting this giveaway.

I am giving away a $10 gift card to the bookstore of your choice. I'm also featuring one of my favorite books from last year, The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson.

From Goodreads: With empathy, grace, humor, and piercing insight, the author of gods in Alabama pens a powerful, emotionally resonant novel of the South that confronts the truth about privilege, family, and the distinctions between perception and reality---the stories we tell ourselves about our origins and who we really are.

Superheroes have always been Leia Birch Briggs’ weakness. One tequila-soaked night at a comics convention, the usually level-headed graphic novelist is swept off her barstool by a handsome and anonymous Batman.

It turns out the caped crusader has left her with more than just a nice, fuzzy memory. She’s having a baby boy—an unexpected but not unhappy development in the thirty-eight year-old’s life. But before Leia can break the news of her impending single-motherhood (including the fact that her baby is biracial) to her conventional, Southern family, her step-sister Rachel’s marriage implodes. Worse, she learns her beloved ninety-year-old grandmother, Birchie, is losing her mind, and she’s been hiding her dementia with the help of Wattie, her best friend since girlhood.

Leia returns to Alabama to put her grandmother’s affairs in order, clean out the big Victorian that has been in the Birch family for generations, and tell her family that she’s pregnant. Yet just when Leia thinks she’s got it all under control, she learns that illness is not the only thing Birchie’s been hiding. Tucked in the attic is a dangerous secret with roots that reach all the way back to the Civil War. Its exposure threatens the family’s freedom and future, and it will change everything about how Leia sees herself and her sister, her son and his missing father, and the world she thinks she knows.

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Bronze can be ordered through any bookseller (ISBN 9780982893678) or order now at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.
Visit theglisterjournals.com for news, excerpts, and more about The Glister Journals series.
Reviews for Bronze

All original text and materials by or commissioned by B. B. Shepherd are copyright 2012-2018 to B B Shepherd.