Make Your Wishes Come True - A Christmas Eve Q & A

For many years now, Carl and I have had a Christmas Eve tradition where we do some sort of post together. This year we are back with a new idea that you can check out here and also over at Carl's blog.

Twas the night before Christmas...or to be more accurate, 'Tis the day before Christmas. No doubt most of us are familiar with some version of the story of the jolly old elf who delivers wished for and asked for things round the world on this one special night. It may be just a story, but it is one very timely example of the impact that storytelling has on our lives.

We all love stories, be they told in the pages of books we read, or unveiled as we push buttons on our keyboards or console controls, or shown on screens big and small through film and television. Stories inspire us, excite us, and entertain us.

In the spirit of Christmas and with the idea of stories in mind, let us each dust off our imaginations and reveal a little about the stories that have impacted us with this simple exercise:

You have been given a great gift. Jolly ol' St. Nick has given you a list of questions so that he can make up for all the years you didn't quite get what you wanted. The answers to these questions should come from the stories you love. If, for example, the question was "If you are guaranteed a safe return, which fictional locales would you want to visit on an all-expenses paid vacation?", you might answer "Pemberley from Pride and Prejudice", or "Jupiter's moon, Ganymede, in Robert Heinlein's Farmer in the Sky", or "The World's End inn in Neil Gaiman's Sandman".

Carl and I were asked to lend a hand in the question development department, and here is the final Santa-approved list. Below you will see the entire list of questions for you to cut and paste on your blog, on Facebook, or in the comments section of our blogs. In the spirit of three wishes, from another familiar story, you can give up to three choices for each question. Remember, this is YOUR list to Santa. Make sure to ask for what you want! After the questions you will see my answers to these questions, and a visit to Carl's blog will reveal his.

Questions: 

1. What story-inspired item(s) do you want to be unwrapping on Christmas morning?
2. If you could visit a place, real or imaginary, from your favorite story and suffer no harmful effects, where would you go?
3. Santa promised to bring you the yet-unwritten sequel novel you've long been waiting for. What will these novels be a sequel to?
4. Santa has a direct line into the afterlife and will ask an author to finish an uncompleted novel or write a completely new one. What author and what book are you hoping for?
5. Your favorite film maker has agreed to make a film of your favorite novel or series of novels. What films are we going to be seeing in the coming year?
6. A novel, film, game or television show can only reveal so many details about the events contained therein. If you could spend the day with characters from a story and have them tell you all the details not contained in the story, who would be coming to visit?
7. Just like those popular car commercials, Santa is going to have a vehicle with a bow on it in your driveway come Christmas morning. What will your neighbors see when they look out the window?
8. Admit it, you always hoped that one of the gifts under your tree would be a live animal. What new pet(s) is Santa bringing you this year?
9. Santa has found your dream job. What kind of work will you be doing and where will you be doing it?
10. The elves have figured out Tron technology and can transport you into any film or game you want. Where to?

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My Answers:

1. What story-inspired item(s) do you want to be unwrapping on Christmas morning?
~ hm, you could interpret this question as something that you really can find under your tree, or something that is impossible. Like I would love to get a Lightsaber. Or, wouldn't Harry Potter's cloak of invisibility, or whatever calls it, be fun. Not to mention his magic wand!

2. If you could visit a place, real or imaginary, from your favorite story and suffer no harmful effects, where would you go?
~ The Shire. First place that popped into my head.

3. Santa promised to bring you the yet-unwritten sequel novel you've long been waiting for. What will these novels be a sequel to?
~ If I wasn't forever behind on series, I would say the sequels to the Stormlight Archive (Brandon Sanderson) or The Kingkiller Chronicles (Patrick Rothfuss).

4. Santa has a direct line into the afterlife and will ask an author to finish an uncompleted novel or write a completely new one. What author and what book are you hoping for?
~ My answer would be Madeleine L'Engle. She was working on a novel when she died and I would like her to be able to finish it. I also wish Diana Wynne Jones and Terry Pratchett could come back and write something new!

5. Your favorite film maker has agreed to make a film of your favorite novel or series of novels. What films are we going to be seeing in the coming year?
~ I would love a Fables television series.

6. A novel, film, game or television show can only reveal so many details about the events contained therein. If you could spend the day with characters from a story and have them tell you all the details not contained in the story, who would be coming to visit?
~ Eowyn from Lord of the Rings. She didn't get enough time to tell her whole story and I have always really liked her character.

7. Just like those popular car commercials, Santa is going to have a vehicle with a bow on it in your driveway come Christmas morning. What will your neighbors see when they look out the window?
~ A Tardis!

8. Admit it, you always hoped that one of the gifts under your tree would be a live animal. What new pet(s) is Santa bringing you this year?
~ A Fuzzy as seen in Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi. But only to visit. I want to be better than the people in the book.

9. Santa has found your dream job. What kind of work will you be doing and where will you be doing it?
~ Probably off to somewhere magical where I can learn magic. Not necessarily any particular book, I just want to learn magic.

10. The elves have figured out Tron technology and can transport you into any film or game you want. Where to?
~ I would love to be there for the dinner scene in When Harry Met Sally. But, really, I would love to visit fantasy worlds like those in The Lord of the Rings, but I wouldn't necessarily want to involve myself in the events. But, to meet an Elf and learn Elvish. Or, to meet a Hobbit. Things like that would be fun.

Be sure to share your answers and to also visit Carl's Blog to see his!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Wordless Wednesday - Take 13

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Wordless Wednesday is hosted here.

Countdown to Christmas & #AMonthofFaves2016

Favorite Christmas songs or albums from your growing up years...

I always really enjoyed The Muppets. Still do!!

Favorite movies or Christmas specials from your growing up years...

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Muppet Christmas Carol

Mickey's Christmas Carol

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Frosty the Snowman

Favorite present(s) from your growing up years...

Books! I was always happy when I actually got some. I remember sitting off in a corner while family was visiting and reading whatever I got on the sly. My family was a bit slow understanding that was really what I wanted...

Favorite present(s) from recent years....

Okay, it is a bit materialistic, but my Canon Camera is my favourite gift over the last few years. And, books... Always books. lol

Favorite Christmas songs or albums currently...

December goes so fast! I have only really checked out the Pentatonix new album. Otherwise, it is the old favourites. For some reason I really like Amy Grant's Christmas albums and have been listening to them for years. Then, I still listen to the Muppets. lol

Favorite Christmas movies or specials currently...

I have not watched a single Christmas movie. December is going too fast. :(

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5 Books on Our Winter Reading List #AMonthofFaves2016

After really enjoying Age of Myth, I really want to read his older stuff. Thanks to audio sales, I have this trilogy and I am really excited to check it out. I have been saving it for winter listens.

I really liked this book and a couple of the sequels. I have been meaning to reread the early books and catch-up as I own all the audios. I am hoping to start this project in 2017 and it would be nice if it was a winter project of sorts.

Otherwise, 2017 is hopefully going to be a tackle the TBR pile year, so, while I have nothing set in concrete at the moment, I have hopes!

Best Changes We Made This Year

Less pressure. If I read, I read. If I blog, I blog. If my house is perfect, my house is perfect. Instead of looking at the big picture all the time, I just worry about the smaller things that make up the larger thing. And, it seems to be working out well. I read a lot this year and that included reading slumps. I blogged more than I have in a few years. My house is not perfect, but it has been cleaner to the point where there are moments where I don't feel like I should be cleaning instead of doing something fun. I still have stressful moments where I would love to accomplish more than I do, you can see it in my blog posts, but it is more relaxed than previous years and that is what matters!

5 Fave “New to Me” Author Discoveries or Audiobook Narrations This Year

Okay, so this was a recent Top Ten Tuesday topic and you can see my 10 picks on my post.

If I had to narrow the 10 to 5, it would be hard... Let's see...

Helen Sedgwick

Mira Grant

Michael J. Sullivan

V.E. Schwab

Jay Kristoff

#AMonthofFaves & Countdown to Christmas

Favorite Book to Movie or TV Shows

Those that know me, know I do not watch much TV... So, all I can think of for this is The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and Lord of the Rings. There are many others but I haven't read the book or I haven't seen the movie. (Like Still Alice. I have heard good things about the book, planned to read it before watching the movie, but the guy was watching it one night and I ended up watching it, too... It was really good. I still want to read the book.) 

#WeekendReading {Picking Favorites}

While I love the idea of #AMonthofFaves, I have not really visited many blogs participating. So, I am sure I will have a great answer for this once I have a chance to do some blog hopping!

The Most Unique, Weird or Most Memorable Book(s) Read This

~ We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson - This book is just creepy.

~ The Fireman by Joe Hill - This was my first longer work by Joe Hill and I really liked it, but it is outside of my normal genre reading so stands out to me.

~ Locke & Key by Joe Hill (Audio) - I have read the comics, so I knew what to expect, but this was my first time doing an adaptation of a comic and it was a lot of fun!

The movie I'm looking forward to watching this Christmas season...

I would have watched this all ready if I could find my copy. It's vanished!

A treat I love to make or eat during the holidays...

um, I don't really bake. There are only two of us and I just figure I will avoid the temptation. lol Our holiday tradition is lobster. We are having some for Christmas Eve this year.

Favourite thing I love to do with my family during the holidays...

I am not even sure if we have Christmas traditions to be honest. When we were kids we used to have fondue night on New Year's Eve. Nowadays, the holidays are just a big rush and I just kind of go with the flow.

#AMonthofFaves2016 & Countdown to Christmas

Most Useful Tools For Getting Sh&! Done

Bullet Journals - I started my bullet journal in the spring and I have managed to keep it up all year! I enjoy crossing off things that I accomplished. I have tweaked it a few times in an attempt to find something that works for me, but I may tweak it again in January when I start a fresh book.

Cleaning Schedules - I started cleaning on a schedule. It works really well! You basically do small things everyday for a month and then it doesn't seem so overwhelming. I still fall behind because other things happen and I don't have as much cleaning time as I would like, but it has worked really well this year.

Planner - I am still new to having an actual planner. When I have time to plan out the next few weeks spreads, I am great. I find if I am behind, though, I have a hard time finding time to catch up. I am hoping to get better at this as I go and then start to use it more to stay organised!

Libib - I started adding my unread books to Libib and it has been great. When I am at the second hand store and second-guessing what I own in a series, I can just bring up this app and check. I really need to finish adding to it. I stalled after I did my physical books, so still have audios and e-books left.

The album I'm looking forward to listening to this Christmas season...

I got two new ones to listen to! A Pentatonix Christmas by Pentatonix and The Frost is Over by Kate Rusby.

Wordless Wednesday - Take 11

Wordless Wednesday is hosted here.

#AMonthofFaves2016 & Countdown to Christmas

This Is How We Read 

I have read about 293 books this year. My Goodreads says more because sometimes I had to count single volumes of comics instead of the collected editions like I do on my blog.

Most of what I read this year falls in the fantasy category in some way.

I listened to more audio than I normally do. I think I am at 34 for the year and it was partway through the year before I got back into audios. I am hoping to listen to even more in 2017.

I read a lot of graphic novels both off of my shelves, on Scribd, and through Marvel Unlimited. I did not meet my goal of having read all of the graphic novels in my house, though. I need to do that in 2017. There really are not that many I still have to get to...

If I don't count graphic novels, my most read author this year was Mira Grant. I read 4 books under her name and 1 under Seanan McGuire, her other writing name. I think Maggie Stiefvater would come in second because I read 3 books by her. 

I managed to finish a few series this year which is always a plus. There are many others that I am starting to wonder if I will ever finish...

This is How we Blog

I have the most up and down blogging style ever. The only reason I have blogged this much in the last few months is because I have started doing so many 'themed' days. If I didn't know roughly what I was posting each day, I would have likely done one post a week and that's it. 

I don't pressure myself. My goal for blogging was to do my Week in Review post every Sunday and I have accomplished that as of right now. Anything else is just an added bonus.

I am not really technical, I really need to do something about my sidebars, so the only program I really use is Canva to make the graphics I use here and there. Otherwise, I just write up posts and stick random pictures off my computer on them.

The book I'm most looking forward to reading this Holiday season...

I honestly do not read that many Christmas novels. So, I grabbed one off my shelves this week: The Walnut Tree by Charles Todd. It has been a while since I read Charles Todd, so figured it was time to get to some of my unread books by him (well, them, as it is really a mother/son team).

Countdown to Christmas

My holiday wishlist and/or my "dream" stocking?

I may be a bit of Rush fan and love Neil Peart's other books.

This book sounds really good!

Edgar Allan Poe colouring book!

I have loved her other nonfiction. Why must this be so expensive!

There are probably other things, but lists for myself are hard!

Countdown to Christmas

My gift recommendations for the 2016 holiday season.

This was the topic for Top Ten Tuesday last week and I shared my graphic novel recommendations!

Otherwise, I recommend:

1. Journals - Bullet Journalling is therapeutic

2. Planners - Who can't be more organised?

3. Pens - I love pens. 

4. Colouring books! - Adult colouring has shown to be very relaxing.

5. An Audible Membership - Audiobooks are a great way to multi-task & still read.

Countdown to Christmas

Where do you do your shopping? Online or in store? Do you love or hate shopping? Do you have a plan and stick to it?

I am definitely an online shopper. I only enter a store if I have to! I hate shopping at the best of times. I am so happy I don't have to do the stores hardly ever. We really just enter the grocery store most of the time. lol I do not have a plan. I am very last minute. I think the only plan I have is a spending limit. lol

Countdown to Christmas & #AMonthofFaves2016

5 Popular Books Worth the Hype

1. | I actually read Illumiae and Gemina in 2016 after hearing so much about Illuminae in 2015. They were both definitely worth the read!

2. | The Nightingale was one of those 2015 books that I saw everywhere. I finally got a chance to read it a couple months ago and it was really good! I got a bit tired of WWII books for a while there, but this was worth trying them again for.

3. | The Fifth Season won the Hugo Award this year, so it was definitely buzzed about. I read it and loved it and actually bought the audiobook in the recent Audible sale because I want to reread it at some point. I am hoping to get to the sequel before the year is out or early next year.

4. | The Girls was definitely buzzed about this year and I amazingly bought it this year and read it this year. While maybe not the best book I read this year, I am still really happy that I read it and think it deserves the attention it has received.

5. | The follow-up to The Snow Child was so well done! Eowyn Ivey is an amazing author and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

Is there an album or movie you like to listen to or watch first?

Not really. My music tends to move in the direction of whatever is on my computer for my first listen of the year and then branch out as December gets going. As to movies, I make sure to watch Muppet Christmas Carol before the month is over. That is about all the planning that I do for that.

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

1. | I guess I am in a bit of a reading slump. I have been doing really well with audios, but actually sitting down and reading has not really been happening. I kind of suspect that will be the month of December. It is a busy time.

2. | Last year I did the Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar. I decided to do it again this year. I also, at the last minute, decided to do the Davids Tea Advent Calendar. I have wanted to for a few years, but it is a bit of a splurge. I justified it by talking the guy into doing it with me. New Christmas tradition for the win! The first day went well. Hoping that continues!

3. | Emma the Elf is back! I didn't do a photo-a-day with her last year, but I decided to bring her back this year. Although, as I write this up Thursday evening, I haven't actually done a picture yet. I had an idea that didn't work out yet. For those that are not sure what I am talking about, I bought an Elf on the Shift in like 2013 or so.

4. | I seem to be bought in by Audible emails lately. I am listening to Free the Darkness: King's Dark Tidings by Kel Kade. I have never heard of it before, but I guess it is good epic fantasy. So far it is pretty good. Hopefully I continue to think so because it is 16 hours.

5. | I sort of started decorating for Christmas. I put the bottom part of the Christmas tree in the stand, didn't even push down the branches, and Chloe was eating it. Finn also has been chewing at it. I forgot that I have not put a tree up in his lifetime either. Casey was the only one that saw a tree. We will see how this goes when I decorate it tomorrow!

6. | I want to do all the things this month. I think it is because it is the last month of the year and I feel like there was so much that I neglected as the year got going. I feel this way every year and figure that things will catch up with me and I will get like nothing done. We will see how that goes, too!

7. | I am thinking about what I want to do in 2017. I should make a list of things that I want to accomplish... Maybe I will start one in my Bullet Journal. But, then I probably will neglect it. There are some big things I need to do in 2017...

Countdown to Christmas & #AMONTHOFFAVES2016

These Are A Few of My Favourite Things

My fur balls. 2016 was rough in that I lost Casey and have pretty much accepted that she is not coming back. It still doesn't feel real. But, she will never be forgotten and Chloe has fit in nicely. If Casey does ever come back, I know they will get along fine.

Audiobooks. 2016 has become the year of the audiobook for me. Going on the treadmill has really improved my ankle and listening to audiobooks at the same time played a big part in it. I am hoping 2017 will be just as great! A quick flip through my read books this year shows I have listened to 33 audios. That is a good number for me and only started part way into the year.

E-Book Sales. Thanks to 1-day e-book sales, I was able to read books that I would not normally have had the chance to this year because hardcovers are way more expensive now than they used to be. So, instead of waiting for the paperback, I was able to grab a cheap e-book copy instead. (Or, listen to the audio.)

Planners. I did a bullet journal and then added in a Happy Planner. I am kind of finding it hard to keep up with the Happy Planner lately, life has been busy, but I have kept my Bullet Journal up all year except a couple days. It just took me a bit to figure out my method.

Litsy & Instagram. I love taking pictures and now I have two apps to do it with!

These are just a few of my favourite things... What are yours?

When do you begin listening to Christmas music or watching Christmas movies?

While I will listen to Christmas music here and there during November, I only officially start listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies on December 1st. After seeing how bad I am at movie watching, I am hoping to get to some older Christmas classics this year. Any suggestions? I should also check out some new music... I listen to the same stuff every year! 

Countdown to Christmas 2016

Becky and I had so much fun with our Movie Month, we decided to do a Christmas theme for December! Feel free to join in! It officially starts on December 1st.

1. When do you begin listening to Christmas music or watching Christmas movies?
2. Is there an album or movie you like to listen to or watch first?
3. Where do you do your shopping? Online or in store? Do you love or hate shopping? Do you have a plan and stick to it?
4. My gift recommendations for the 2016 holiday season.
5. My holiday wishlist and/or my "dream" stocking?
6. The book I'm most looking forward to reading this Holiday season...
7. The album I'm looking forward to listening to this Christmas season...
8. The movie I'm looking forward to watching this Christmas season...
9. A treat I love to make or eat during the holidays...
10. Favorite thing I love to do with my family during the holidays...
11. Favorite Christmas songs or albums from your growing up years...
12. Favorite movies or Christmas specials from your growing up years...
13. Favorite present(s) from your growing up years...
14. Favorite present(s) from recent years....
15. Favorite Christmas songs or albums currently...
16. Favorite Christmas movies or specials currently...
17. Favorite Christmas books (top 3, 5, 10)
18. Favorite Christmas scenes from books and/or movies...
19. When do you wrap presents? As you buy them or the very last minute? Do you love or hate wrapping presents?
20. Did you ever try to sneak a peek at presents early? Are you a present shaker?!
21. Christmas Eve traditions...
22. Christmas traditions...
23. Day after Christmas traditions...
24. A Christmas I'll never forget...
25. What I love most about Christmas...Christmas greetings.

Books for Christmas - 2015

Christmas tradition time! I didn't get quite as many books this year as in previous years, but it is still fun to share...

I had this pre-ordered, but then I cancelled a bunch of my pre-orders... So, I got it now.

From acclaimed, award-winning author Jo Walton: Philosopher Kings, a tale of gods and humans, and the surprising things they have to learn from one another. Twenty years have elapsed since the events of The Just City. The City, founded by the time-traveling goddess Pallas Athene, organized on the principles espoused in Plato's Republic and populated by people from all eras of human history, has now split into five cities, and low-level armed conflict between them is not unheard-of. 

The god Apollo, living (by his own choice) a human life as "Pythias" in the City, his true identity known only to a few, is now married and the father of several children. But a tragic loss causes him to become consumed with the desire for revenge. Being Apollo, he goes handling it in a seemingly rational and systematic way, but it's evident, particularly to his precocious daughter Arete, that he is unhinged with grief. 

Along with Arete and several of his sons, plus a boatload of other volunteers--including the now fantastically aged Marsilio Ficino, the great humanist of Renaissance Florence--Pythias/Apollo goes sailing into the mysterious Eastern Mediterranean of pre-antiquity to see what they can find―possibly the man who may have caused his great grief, possibly communities of the earliest people to call themselves "Greek." What Apollo, his daughter, and the rest of the expedition will discover…will change everything.

Had kind of stalled on this series! (Not because it is bad, but just other things getting in the way!)

This volume of the critically-acclaimed AMERICAN VAMPIRE follows the star of AV Volumes 1 and 2, Pearl, and her husband Henry, as he is recruited by a mysterious group of vampire hunters, off to World War II Japan to find a new breed of blood sucker. But what does the notorious vampire Skinner Sweet have to do with it?

Yep. Another one!

AMERICAN VAMPIRE flashes back to two very distinct points in American history. The first tale comes from the early 1800's with the "The Beast in the Cave" featuring art by the legendary Jordi Bernet (Torpedo, JONAH HEX). Learn about the original American Vampire, Skinner Sweet, and his involvement in the brutal Indian Wars, and an ancient evil hidden in the heart of the Old West. Plus, more about the man Skinner used to call his best friend - James Book! 

The second tale comes straight from 1950s America, where AMERICAN VAMPIRE is terrorizing the suburbs with hot rods, teenyboppers and fangs! "Death Race" focuses on ferocious new vampire hunter Travis Kidd - but what is his connection to Skinner Sweet? As the story comes to a violent end, a sworn enemy's identity is finally revealed, and lots of blood is spilled!

Another series I stalled on...

The critically acclaimed, smash-hit series rolls on with this collection of the blockbuster third arc, "P.E.!" The first days were just the beginning - when the faculty cancels classes and sends the students on an outing in the nearby woods, all hell breaks loose, sending the Glories on a mysterious journey through time and space. Nothing is what it seems to be as Academy's hold on the kids collapses and new threats emerge!

Got another one in this series at the same time as well.

Still reeling from the climactic events of "P.E.," the Glories find themselves lost in time and space, confronted by a new group of students who might be even more dangerous than the faculty themselves - the truants! Questions are answered and new mysteries emerge as Season One comes to a shocking end! Collects Morning Glories #20-25.

I have his other two books in hardcover, so wanted to grab this while it was still easy to get in hardcover. Such a pretty book!

Two seemingly unrelated stories--one in words, the other in pictures--come together. The illustrated story begins in 1766 with Billy Marvel, the lone survivor of a shipwreck, and charts the adventures of his family of actors over five generations. The prose story opens in 1990 and follows Joseph, who has run away from school to an estranged uncle's puzzling house in London, where he, along with the reader, must piece together many mysteries.

My friend gave me the first 5 books in this series, so I figured I should grab the last two. I find that once the year gets going, I buy mostly new releases and neglect backlist.

The reign of the Capetian kings has ended and John II, ‘The Good’, second of the Valois dynasty, has taken the throne. Under his leadership the Hundred Years War, one of the longest and bloodiest conflicts in history, escalates and England and France begin to tear each other apart. 

Cardinal Périgord, narrating the drama, shows us a monarch as vain and cruel as he is incompetent. Under his turbulent reign, warring factions plunder the land, famine threatens the people and the Black Death spreads far and wide. France is bleeding to death around the new king.

I accidentally have book 7 before book 6, but you get the idea...

The royal house of France has fallen. Charles IV is dead, fulfilling the curse of the Templars once and for all. This leaves the path to the throne open for Robert of Artois to place his cousin, Philippe of Valois, upon it. Having committed fraud, perjury and murder in the name of the new king, Robert expects to receive a title and his full reward.

But the days of betrayal are far from over and Robert is banished to England. In the land of France’s enemies vengeance sparks fresh conflict as King Edward III and his new ally prepare for war. As swords are sharpened the lion wakes and a pretender threatens France once more …

Instead of ordering this after the fact, I actually received it as a gift.

From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours, an intricately plotted, spellbinding new novel of heartstopping suspense and uncovered secrets.

Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…

One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.

Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo’s case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate—now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.

A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies, this latest novel from a masterful storyteller is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read.

I am going to be lazy and just mention I received books 3-8 in this series as a gift. So excited!

And then I bought a few e-books:

Nymeth mentioned this one and it sounds like a 'me' book.

A history of the fantasy form, this work traces the genre from the earliest years with The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey through to the origins of modern fantasy in the 20th century with such acclaimed writers as Terry Pratchett and J. K. Rowling. An exploration of the great variety of fiction published under the heading “fantasy,” this engaging study seeks to explain its continuing and ever growing popularity.

We are watching the show, so I decided to try the comics. For some reason the trade copies are on the pricey side, so I got the first two as e-books.

Meet Jessica Jones. Once upon a time, she was a costumed super hero — but not a very good one. Her powers were unremarkable compared to the amazing abilities of the costumed icons that populate the Marvel Universe. In a city of Marvels, she never found her niche. The self-destructive would-be Avenger is now the owner and sole employee of Alias Investigations — a small, private-investigative firm specializing in superhuman cases. When she uncovers the potentially explosive secret of one hero’s true identity, Jessica’s life immediately becomes expendable. But her wit, charm and intelligence just may help her survive another day. Thrust into the midst of a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels, has Jessica burned too many bridges to turn to old friends for help?

This book was an e-deal and it is one on my wish list.

The Bookseller follows a woman in the 1960s who must reconcile her reality with the tantalizing alternate world of her dreams.

Nothing is as permanent as it appears . . .

Denver, 1962: Kitty Miller has come to terms with her unconventional single life. She loves the bookshop she runs with her best friend, Frieda, and enjoys complete control over her day-to-day existence. She can come and go as she pleases, answering to no one. There was a man once, a doctor named Kevin, but it didn’t quite work out the way Kitty had hoped.

Then the dreams begin.

Denver, 1963: Katharyn Andersson is married to Lars, the love of her life. They have beautiful children, an elegant home, and good friends. It's everything Kitty Miller once believed she wanted—but it only exists when she sleeps.

Convinced that these dreams are simply due to her overactive imagination, Kitty enjoys her nighttime forays into this alternate world. But with each visit, the more irresistibly real Katharyn’s life becomes. Can she choose which life she wants? If so, what is the cost of staying Kitty, or becoming Katharyn?

As the lines between her worlds begin to blur, Kitty must figure out what is real and what is imagined. And how do we know where that boundary lies in our own lives?

And, that's it...

Christmas Bookish Loot - 2014

One tradition I always have is to either share a list of books I would like to get for my birthday/Christmas, or to share the loot after the fact. I am not sure how blogging will go in 2015, but I am going to try and post sometimes. So, I decided my first post of 2015 was going to be the books I got for Christmas.

Heard about it from Ana.

Synopsis from Amazon:

Marvel Comics presents the all-new Ms. Marvel, the groundbreaking heroine that has become an international sensation! Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City - until she is suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the all-new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! As Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to handle? Kamala has no idea either. But she's comin' for you, New York! It's history in the making from acclaimed writer G. Willow Wilson (Air, Cairo) and beloved artist Adrian Alphona (Runaways)!

Heard about it from Books on the Nightstand.

Synopsis from Amazon:

Sixty-five of the world’s leading writers open up about the books and authors that have meant the most to them.

Every Sunday, readers of The New York Times Book Review turn with anticipation to see which novelist, historian, short story writer, or artist will be the subject of the popular By the Book feature. These wide-ranging interviews are conducted by Pamela Paul, the editor of the Book Review, and here she brings together sixty-five of the most intriguing and fascinating exchanges, featuring personalities as varied as David Sedaris, Hilary Mantel, Michael Chabon, Khaled Hosseini, Anne Lamott, and James Patterson. The questions and answers admit us into the private worlds of these authors, as they reflect on their work habits, reading preferences, inspirations, pet peeves, and recommendations.

By the Book contains the full uncut interviews, offering a range of experiences and observations that deepens readers’ understanding of the literary sensibility and the writing process. It also features dozens of sidebars that reveal the commonalities and conflicts among the participants, underscoring those influences that are truly universal and those that remain matters of individual taste.

For the devoted reader, By the Book is a way to invite sixty-five of the most interesting guests into your world. It’s a book party not to be missed.

This one I got just because I love Robin Hobb.

Synopsis from Amazon:

Nearly twenty years ago, Robin Hobb burst upon the fantasy scene with the first of her acclaimed Farseer novels, Assassin’s Apprentice, which introduced the characters of FitzChivalry Farseer and his uncanny friend the Fool. A watershed moment in modern fantasy, this novel—and those that followed—broke exciting new ground in a beloved genre. Together with George R. R. Martin, Robin Hobb helped pave the way for such talented new voices as Scott Lynch, Brandon Sanderson, and Naomi Novik.

Over the years, Hobb’s imagination has soared throughout the mythic lands of the Six Duchies in such bestselling series as the Liveship Traders Trilogy and the Rain Wilds Chronicles. But no matter how far she roamed, her heart always remained with Fitz. And now, at last, she has come home, with an astonishing new novel that opens a dark and gripping chapter in the Farseer saga.

FitzChivalry—royal bastard and former king’s assassin—has left his life of intrigue behind. As far as the rest of the world knows, FitzChivalry Farseer is dead and buried. Masquerading as Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is now married to his childhood sweetheart, Molly, and leading the quiet life of a country squire.

Though Fitz is haunted by the disappearance of the Fool, who did so much to shape Fitz into the man he has become, such private hurts are put aside in the business of daily life, at least until the appearance of menacing, pale-skinned strangers casts a sinister shadow over Fitz’s past . . . and his future.

Now, to protect his new life, the former assassin must once again take up his old one. . .

Heard about this one a lot of places....

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

An audacious, darkly glittering novel about art, fame and ambition set in the eerie days of civilization's collapse, from the author of three highly acclaimed previous novels.

One snowy night a famous Hollywood actor slumps over and dies onstage during a production of King Lear. Hours later, the world as we know it begins to dissolve. Moving back and forth in time-from the actor's early days as a film star to fifteen years in the future, when a theatre troupe known as the Travelling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains-this suspenseful, elegiac, spellbinding novel charts the strange twists of fate that connect five people: the actor, the man who tried to save him, the actor's first wife, his oldest friend, and a young actress with the Traveling Symphony, caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous self-proclaimed prophet. Sometimes terrifying, sometimes tender, Station Eleven tells a story about the relationships that sustain us, the ephemeral nature of fame and the beauty of the world as we know it.

Just saw this one around and was curious.

Synopsis from Amazon:

A riveting work of historical detection revealing that the origin of one of the world’s most iconic superheroes hides within it a fascinating family story—and a crucial history of twentieth-century feminism.

Wonder Woman, created in 1941, is the most popular female superhero of all time. Aside from Superman and Batman, no superhero has lasted as long or commanded so vast and wildly passionate a following. Like every other superhero, Wonder Woman has a secret identity. Unlike every other superhero, she has also has a secret history.

Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore has uncovered an astonishing trove of documents, including the never-before-seen private papers of William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman’s creator. Beginning in his undergraduate years at Harvard, Marston was influenced by early suffragists and feminists, starting with Emmeline Pankhurst, who was banned from speaking on campus in 1911, when Marston was a freshman. In the 1920s, Marston and his wife, Sadie Elizabeth Holloway, brought into their home Olive Byrne, the niece of Margaret Sanger, one of the most influential feminists of the twentieth century. The Marston family story is a tale of drama, intrigue, and irony. In the 1930s, Marston and Byrne wrote a regular column for Family Circle celebrating conventional family life, even as they themselves pursued lives of extraordinary nonconformity. Marston, internationally known as an expert on truth—he invented the lie detector test—lived a life of secrets, only to spill them on the pages of Wonder Woman.

The Secret History of Wonder Woman is a tour de force of intellectual and cultural history. Wonder Woman, Lepore argues, is the missing link in the history of the struggle for women’s rights—a chain of events that begins with the women’s suffrage campaigns of the early 1900s and ends with the troubled place of feminism a century later.

Heard about this one on Books on the Nightstand.

Synopsis from Amazon:

From internationally acclaimed author Haruki Murakami--a fantastical illustrated short novel about a boy imprisoned in a nightmarish library. A lonely boy, a mysterious girl, and a tormented sheep man plot their escape from the nightmarish library of internationally acclaimed, bestselling Haruki Murakami's wild imagination.

Got this because I love Sarah Waters!

Synopsis from Amazon:

A truly extraordinary, masterful novel of brilliant storytelling, sensuality, and psychological suspense set in post-WWI London, from the internationally bestselling author of The Little Stranger. Three-time Booker Prize finalist Sarah Waters is at the height of her powers.

A psychological and dramatic tour de force from beloved international bestseller Sarah Waters. The year is 1922, and London is tense. Ex-servicemen are disillusioned, the out-of-work and the hungry are demanding change. In South London, in a large silent house now bereft of brothers, husband, and even servants, life is about to be transformed, as Mrs Wray and her daughter Frances are obliged to take in lodgers.

With the arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, the routines of the house and the lives of its inhabitants will be shaken up in unexpected ways. And as passions mount and frustration gathers, no one can foresee just how far, and how devastatingly, the disturbances will reach.

Waters proves once again that her eye for the telling details of class and character that draw people together as well as tear them apart is second to none in this masterpiece of psychological tension and emotional depth.

Heard about this from Kim.

Synopsis from Amazon:

In 1973, a young filmmaker named George Lucas scribbled some notes for a far-fetched space-fantasy epic. Some forty years and $37 billion later, Star Wars –related products outnumber human beings, a growing stormtrooper army spans the globe, and "Jediism" has become a religion in its own right. Lucas's creation has grown into far more than a cinematic classic; it is, quite simply, one of the most lucrative, influential, and interactive franchises of all time. Yet incredibly, until now the complete history of Star Wars -its influences and impact, the controversies it has spawned, its financial growth and long-term prospects-has never been told.

In How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, veteran journalist Chris Taylor traces the series from the difficult birth of the original film through its sequels, the franchise's death and rebirth, the prequels, and the preparations for a new trilogy. Providing portraits of the friends, writers, artists, producers, and marketers who labored behind the scenes to turn Lucas's idea into a legend, Taylor also jousts with modern-day Jedi, tinkers with droid builders, and gets inside Boba Fett's helmet, all to find out how Star Wars has attracted and inspired so many fans for so long.

Since the first film's release in 1977, Taylor shows, Star Wars has conquered our culture with a sense of lightness and exuberance, while remaining serious enough to influence politics in far-flung countries and spread a spirituality that appeals to religious groups and atheists alike. Controversial digital upgrades and poorly received prequels have actually made the franchise stronger than ever. Now, with a savvy new set of bosses holding the reins and Episode VII on the horizon, it looks like Star Wars is just getting started.

An energetic, fast-moving account of this creative and commercial phenomenon, How Star Wars Conquered the Universe explains how a young filmmaker's fragile dream beat out a surprising number of rivals to gain a diehard, multigenerational fan base-and why it will be galvanizing our imaginations and minting money for generations to come.

Next book in the Cainesville series...

Synopsis from Amazon:

In the second book in bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's exciting new Cainsville series, Olivia's newly discovered power to read omens leads to the discovery of a gruesome crime with troubling connections to her hometown.

Omens, the first installment in Kelley Armstrong's Cainsville series, introduced Olivia Taylor-Jones, daughter of notorious serial killers, and Gabriel Walsh, the self-serving, morally ambiguous lawyer who became her unlikely ally. Together, they chased down a devious killer and partially cleared her parents of their horrifying crimes.

Their success, however, is short lived. While Olivia takes refuge in the old, secluded town of Cainsville, Gabriel's past mistakes come to light, creating a rift between them just when she needs his help the most.

Olivia finds a dead woman in her car, dressed to look like her, but the body vanishes before anyone else sees it. Olivia's certain it's another omen, a sign of impending danger. But then she learns that a troubled young woman with a connection to Cainsville went missing just days earlier--the same woman Olivia found dead in her car. Someone has gone to great lengths to kill and leave this young woman as a warning. But why? And what role has Olivia's new home played in this disturbing murder?

Olivia's effort to uncover the truth places her in the crosshairs of old and powerful forces, forces that have their own agenda, and closely guarded secrets they don't want revealed.

Yay! Thomas King! Yay!

Synopsis from Amazon:

This is Thomas King’s first literary novel in 15 years and follows on the success of the award-winning and bestselling The Inconvenient Indian and his beloved Green Grass, Running Water and Truth and Bright Water, both of which continue to be taught in Canadian schools and universities. Green Grass, Running Water is widely considered a contemporary Canadian classic.

In The Back of the Turtle, Gabriel returns to Smoke River, the reserve where his mother grew up and to which she returned with Gabriel’s sister. The reserve is deserted after an environmental disaster killed the population, including Gabriel’s family, and the wildlife. Gabriel, a brilliant scientist working for Domidion, created GreenSweep, and indirectly led to the crisis. Now he has come to see the damage and to kill himself in the sea. But as he prepares to let the water take him, he sees a young girl in the waves. Plunging in, he saves her, and soon is saving others. Who are these people with their long black hair and almond eyes who have fallen from the sky?

Filled with brilliant characters, trademark wit, wordplay and a thorough knowledge of native myth and story-telling, this novel is a masterpiece by one of our most important writers.

This book has kind of been everywhere... Needed to check it out...

Synopsis from Amazon:

From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.

Doerr’s “stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors” (San Francisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, he illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer “whose sentences never fail to thrill” (Los Angeles Times).

Heard about it from Ana.

Synopsis from Amazon:

Hero! Pilot! Avenger! Captain Marvel, Earth's Mightiest Hero with an attitude to match, is back and launching headfirst into an all-new ongoing adventure! As Captain Marvel, a.k.a. Carol Danvers, comes to a crossroads with a new life and new romance, she makes a dramatic decision that will alter the course of her life - and the entire Marvel Universe - in the months to come. But as Carol takes on a mission to return an alien girl to her homeworld, she lands in the middle of an uprising against the Galactic Alliance! Investigating the forced resettlement of Rocket Girl's people, Carol discovers that she has a history with the man behind the plot. But when the bad guy tries to blackmail Carol and turn the Avengers against her, it's payback time! Guest-starring the Guardians of the Galaxy!

Heard about it from Ana.

Synopsis from Amazon:

Discover a terrifying world in the woods in this collection of five hauntingly beautiful graphic stories that includes the online webcomic sensation “His Face All Red,” in print for the first time.

Journey through the woods in this sinister, compellingly spooky collection that features four brand-new stories and one phenomenally popular tale in print for the first time. These are fairy tales gone seriously wrong, where you can travel to “Our Neighbor’s House”—though coming back might be a problem. Or find yourself a young bride in a house that holds a terrible secret in “A Lady’s Hands Are Cold.” You might try to figure out what is haunting “My Friend Janna,” or discover that your brother’s fiancée may not be what she seems in “The Nesting Place.” And of course you must revisit the horror of “His Face All Red,” the breakout webcomic hit that has been gorgeously translated to the printed page.

Already revered for her work online, award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll’s stunning visual style and impeccable pacing is on grand display in this entrancing anthology, her print debut.

Heard about it from Ana.

Synopsis from Amazon:

Kelly Sue DeConnick (Avengers Assemble, Captain Marvel) and Emma Rios (Dr. Strange, Osborn) present the collected opening arc of their surprise-hit series that marries the magical realism of Sandman with the western brutality of Preacher. Death's daughter rides the wind on a horse made of smoke and her face bears the skull marks of her father. Her origin story is a tale of retribution as beautifully lush as it is unflinchingly savage. "It's a perfect match for the gorgeous, dizzying artwork in a sumptuous palette-overlaid panels add intricate choreography to fight scenes, and detailed, whirling splash pages beg for long-lingering looks. Couple that, along with a handful of Eisner nominations, with a multicultural cast of tough-as-nails women who all fight for their own honor, and this is a series to watch out for." - Booklist "It's ambitious and challenging (two qualities that are not often valued, but that probably should be), under a facade of violence and sacrifice. Rio's art is lush and detailed, and is more than capable of keeping up with the far-reaching story." - PW

I also got The Unwritten Volume 9 and 10 and Fairest Volume 4.