Books from the Backlog #1

Books From the Backlog is hosted by Carole's Random Life in Books and is a way to feature 

some of those neglected, unread books sitting on our bookshelves. 

As I mentioned in yesterday's WWW Wednesday post, I've been feeling particularly uninspired when it comes to posting. Visiting other blogs? I'm on it. Commenting? Yep, I'm there for that, too. But here at home base? Yeah, not feeling it so much. So in my search for enlightenment inspiration, I remembered Carole's Books from the Backlog feature and decided to take part. And now for the deep dive into the recesses of my bookshelves...

The Diplomat's Wife (The Kommandant's Girl #2)

Pam Jenoff

Published: May 1, 2008

Average Goodreads rating: 3.93

Synopsis: How have I been lucky enough to come here, to be alive, when so many others are not? I should have died.… But I am here.

1945. Surviving the brutality of a Nazi prison camp, Marta Nederman is lucky to have escaped with her life. Recovering from the horror, she meets Paul, an American soldier who gives her hope of a happier future. But their plans to meet in London are dashed when Paul's plane crashes.

Devastated and pregnant, Marta marries Simon, a caring British diplomat, and glimpses the joy that home and family can bring. But her happiness is threatened when she learns of a Communist spy in British intelligence, and that the one person who can expose the traitor is connected to her past.

Why I Added This Book to My Shelves

I read The Kommandant's Girl by Jenoff back in 2013 and it was such a moving story. Another spotlight on the roles some women played during WW II, the harrowing circumstances they endured, and the bravery they showed. The Diplomat's Wife isn't a sequel but more a companion novel in the series. 

I tend to enjoy historical fiction, particularly the WW II-era setting. But it's not something I pick up on a whim; it's very much a genre I have to be in the mood for. 

How about you? Have you read this book? 

If you read historical fiction, what time period/setting do you prefer?

Top Ten Tuesday: Extraordinary/Favorite Book Titles

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 

Extraordinary/Favorite Book Titles

I'm sure there are some amazing book titles out there. Ones that are hilarious or bizarre or unique. But since I'm basing my picks solely on books that I've read, the truly extraordinary titles will have to be mined by someone else. Here are some of my favorite titles.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things - Bryn Greenwood

I Wish You All the Best - Mason Deaver

The Infinite Moment of Us - Lauren Myracle

Hope and Other Punch Lines - Julie Buxbaum

Simon vs the Home Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli

Autoboyography - Christina Lauren

We Now Return to Regular Life - Martin Wilson

The Reckless Oath We Made - Bryn Greenwood

Furiously Happy - Jenny Lawson

Love Scene, Take Two - Alex Evansley

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Debbie Harry Sings in French - Meagan Brothers

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World - Debbie Tung

Murder of Crows - Anne Bishop

My Booky Wook - Russell Brand

The Things You Kiss Goodbye - Leslie Connor

Have you read any of these books?

WWW Wednesday #59 | August 21, 2019

WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

Just answer three questions and share what you're reading.

My morning started at the dentist office. 
It has to get better from there, right?

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

   

The Reckless Oath We Made - Bryn Greenwood

I haven't had much time reading this week (or I haven't made much time for reading) so I'm only 25% into The Reckless Oath We Made but I am seriously Loving It. It may seem premature, but I'm already predicting a 5-star rating. Greenwood's gift at creating utterly unique, fully-realized characters is breathtaking. And several times I have come across a sentence or phrase that captures a feeling so perfectly... I just sit there and stare at it. Zee and Gentry are giving me life.

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

Just For Now (Sea Breeze #4) - Abbi Glines

I had a love-hate relationship with the fourth book in the Sea Breeze series. Preston was a typical Abbi Glines guy: meaning he slept with anything on two legs and acted like a caveman with the one special snowflake who made his heart go pitter-patter. But he ran so hot and cold with Amanda that I wanted to do him bodily harm. But (there's always a but when I read Abbi Glines), this one was also surprisingly emotional. It took a darker turn near the end that I wasn't expecting and that triggered some events that actually got to me. So, yes Preston was another reformed man-whore (yawn), but Abbi still managed to reel me in with the emotion, So, go Abbi.

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'LL READ NEXT?

  

     

Sometimes It Lasts (Sea Breeze #5) - Abbi Glines
When You Were Mine - Lisa Swift 

I might jump back into the Sea Breeze series or I might move on to When You Were Mine. We'll see how I feel after I finish The Reckless Oath We Made. 

What are you currently reading?
I wanna know! :)

WWW Wednesday #56 | July 24, 2019

WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

Just answer three questions and share what you're reading.

Finally a break from the heat! *the crowd cheers*
We have a front coming in that is going to drop 2-6 inches of rain over the next couple days and temps will drop from the high 90's to the low-to-mid 80's. I'm one happy girl! 

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

  

Hope and Other Punch Lines - Julie Buxbaum

The very day I picked this one up I started to feel the slight stirrings of a reading slump. Ack! Nothing at all to do with the book but I promptly set it aside and read absolutely nothing for two or three days. That seemed to do the trick - the little break was just what I needed - and on Monday I started reading this one in earnest. I'm about 120 pages in and even though I'm enjoying it, I'm already convinced it's going to break my heart.

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

Awakening Autumn - Lora Richardson

Lora Richardson did it again and delivered the sweetest, most heartwarming YA contemporary I've read since... well, since she released Vanishing Summer back in March. :) I really loved main character Meredith and I'm already excited for Lora's next release which focuses on a side character from this book. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'LL READ NEXT?

  

The Last Post - Renee Carlino

I still plan on picking up The Last Post when I finish Hope and Other Punch Lines. I'm a little apprehensive because of the rather lukewarm reviews, but I loved what I've read by Carlino so far so I'm hoping to be wowed.

What are you currently reading?
I wanna know! :)

WWW Wednesday #53 | June 19, 2019

WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

Just answer three questions and share what you're reading.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

  

     

     
Superfan (Brooklyn #3) - Sarina Bowen

I'm flying through this one (a total contrast to the almost two weeks it took me to read Red, White & Royal Blue!) and am already halfway through it. It kind of kills a piece of my soul to read book #3 in a series without having read the other books, but I just didn't have time to squeeze those in and still be able to get this one read by release day (June 25). I'll definitely go back and read the first two books, though. Because Sarina Bowen and because hockey. Although, there has been basically zero hockey in this one so far (womp womp). Still, I'm loving Silas... and I'm warming to Delilah. :)

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

     

Red, White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Him (Him #1) - Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Yes, it took me a day shy of two weeks to read Red, White & Royal Blue, but don't take that as a negative sign. Because I loved this story that managed to strike the perfect balance between romance + politics + sexuality/identity + humor + heartbreak. 

I also just finished my 673rd re-listen of Him. (Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration. It's probably more like the 9th or 10th.) I never get tired of Wes and Jamie's story and the narration by Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan is sheer perfection. This is a total comfort read for me. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'LL READ NEXT?

  

   

Raze - Roan Parrish
Birthday - Meredith Russo
There's Something About Sweetie - Sandhya Menon

Raze will probably be next up since it's an arc that releases on July 2. Birthday and There's Something About Sweetie are both library loans and it's anyone's guess if I'll get to them before they're due back. If I can only get to one of them it will be Birthday. I've seen some stunning reviews for that one and the premise really grabs me. I requested Sweetie on a whim when a blogger was raving about it but, truth be told, Menon's brand of YA just isn't really for me. I enjoyed Dimple, but Menon's style seems to be more of the cute/sweet YA and I gravitate more to the gritty/emotional stories (think Katie McGarry). But we'll see... maybe I'll manage to get to all three books. 

What are you currently reading?
I wanna know! :)

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2019

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 

Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2019

Goal: Do a better job of keeping track of upcoming TTT topics.

Reason: Three days ago I posted my most anticipated releases for Summer 2019. Yeah, so that happened. LOL And since I don't want to repeat any of the books I shared in that post, I only have eight releases to share today. Since my post on Saturday covered new releases through September, all of the ones I'm sharing here will release in October, November and December.

October 8
Reveal Me (Shatter Me #5.5) - Tahereh Mafi
The Burning Shadow (Origin #2) - Jennifer L. Armentrout
October 22
Twice in a Blue Moon - Christina Lauren
November 5
The Bromance Book Club - Lyssa Kay Adams
November 19
The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #3) - Holly Black
December 3
Blitzed (Playbook #3) - Alexa Martin
December 10
Regretting You - Colleen Hoover
December 31
The One for You (The Ones Who Got Away #4) - Roni Loren

Are you excited for any of these releases?
What new release are you most looking forward to this year? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books From My Favorite Genre (Contemporary Romance)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 

Books From My Favorite Genre

At first glance this week's topic is a cakewalk. I get to just wallow in the love for my favorite genre? I can become a pile of mush and goo and I revisit all my favorite swoony reads? Too easy! 

Ha! Not so fast, Sunshine. It's contemporary romance. It's my favorite genre. So I have somewhere in the ballpark of 1,492 "favorites." How can I choose just 10?! This isn't easy, it's torture! Sooo, don't be surprised when I refuse to stop at ten... :)

These are all contemporary romances but I'm splitting them up into sub-genres.

FEEL-GOOD ROMANCE

Attachments - Rainbow Rowell

Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating - Christina Lauren

Until It Fades - K.A. Tucker

SPANS MANY YEARS ROMANCE

One Day in December - Josie Silver

One True Loves - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Before We Were Strangers - Renee Carlino

Love and Other Words - Christina Lauren

MADE MY HEART HURT ROMANCE

Long Shot - Kennedy Ryan

Archer's Voice - Mia Sheridan

Ugly Love - Colleen Hoover

ALL-TIME FAVORITE ROMANCE

Easy - Tammara Webber

Him - Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Addicted After All - Krista & Becca Ritchie

Wait For You - Jennifer L. Armentrout

So there you have it - my favorite books from my favorite genre. 

And yeah, there are 14 instead of 10.

Do we share any of the same favorites?

WWW Wednesday #52 | May 29, 2019

WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

Just answer three questions and share what you're reading.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

  

      

       
Mrs. Everything - Jennifer Weiner

I'm still getting into this ARC for Weiner's latest (I'm at 6%, I think) but I'm already enjoying it. This novel spans decades and decades and follows the lives of two sisters. I'm excited to see where it goes.

Block Shot (Hoops #2) - Kennedy Ryan

While Block Shot doesn't have the same gut-wrenching emotion that Long Shot did, I'm still totally invested. I'm about 85% in and I think I know how things are going to go, but if Long Shot was any indication of Kennedy Ryan's style there could still be plenty of surprises in store.

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

Storm and Fury (The Harbinger #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

Storm and Fury was all kinds of fun from start to finish. It was typical Jennifer Armentrout - and I mean that in a good way. When it comes to YA paranormal/fantasy, JLA has a formula and it works. I loved returning to the world from The Dark Elements trilogy and how JLA expanded on it. She kept me guessing on a few important aspects and getting to revisit some old favorites (Layla, Caymen, ROTH! and Bambi!) was absolutely priceless.   

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'LL READ NEXT?

  

 

Red, White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston

I'm not going to rush through Mrs. Everything but I can tell you that just as soon as I turn that last page I am dropping everything and picking up Red, White & Royal Blue! I am crazy-excited for this one!

What are you currently reading?
I wanna know! :)

Top Ten Tuesday: Book to Movie Adaptations

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 

Book to Movie Adaptations

It's equal parts exciting and terrifying when a good book is adapted for the big screen. Because it can be awesome (The Hunger Games) or it can go horribly wrong (*cough* City of Bones *cough*). For my list, I'm only including adaptations where I've seen the movie and read the book so I could actually make a fair assessment.

      

It's been a long time since I read the trilogy but I do remember seeing the movie for the first time and thinking, "Yes! They got it right!" From the casting to the story to the sets... nailed it.

     

Here's an instance of the movie actually surpassing the book. I liked the book but I thought Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller truly brought those characters to life. 

      

This one is an example of not one but two great adaptations. After reading the book I watched the 2009 Swedish adaptation which was excellent and then saw the U.S. version in 2011 which was every bit as good (if not better).

     

This is another case where I might like the movie just a tad better than the book. There were times in the book where Bridget was a bit much to take, but in the movie Zellweger made Bridget funny and charming and relatable. And say what you will about Hugh Grant, but he plays the smarmy jerk role very well. :)

Loved this adaptation. Yes, there were some changes but I felt like they did so much right that I could overlook they few things I wasn't wild about. Loved Moretz, loved Kat and Denny, loved the music... big thumbs up.

      

This might be cheating since it was adapted as a TV mini-series and not a film, but I'm going with it anyway. While nothing could 100% encompass the epic nature of the book (I mean, it's 1,153 pages of Stephen King), the mini-series pulled me right in and I tuned in night after night to watch it unfold. Gary Sinise and Rob Lowe were total stand-outs.

      

I've gotta say, I'm not the biggest John Green fan. In fact, TFiOS is his only book that really did anything for me. But the movie adaptation really struck gold. Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort became Hazel and Augustus and I was totally on board for it.

      

Amazing book... stunning film.

      

Back in the day when I first read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants it was a decent read. But subsequent re-reads had me finding all of the girls pretty insufferable. The movie version managed to lose the qualities that drove me crazy in the book and make the girls likable and really showcase their bond. I admit, I still can't help watching this if I ever see it on TV.

     

All my picks have been in no particular order, but I will say that Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda/Love, Simon comes in at #1. One of my favorite books ever is also my favorite movie adaptation. I was so nervous when I heard about the movie but there was no need. Because they nailed it. Yes, there were a few changes (Leah in love with Simon... say what??) but they managed to capture all the charm and sweetness and humor from Albertalli's amazing book and translate that to the screen. Nick Robinson was perfection as Simon Spier and the rest of the casting was just as spot-on. (Right down to Natasha Rothwell as Ms. Albright.) There's no telling how many times I've read the book and listened to the audio, and I've watched the movie over and over again. Love. It. ♥

Have you seen any of these?
What's your pick for best/worst adaptation?