Book Beginnings and the Friday 56 #15

Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56 are weekly memes hosted by Rose City Reader and Freda's Voice.

Rules: 

Book Beginnings: Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. 

The Friday 56: Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% in you eReader. Find any sentence (not spoilery) and reflect on it if you want.

This Friday the spotlight is on:

Clowders

by Vanessa Morgan 

Synopsis:

Clervaux, Luxembourg. This secluded, picturesque town in the middle of Europe is home to more cats than people. For years, tourists have flocked to this place – also known as “cat haven” - to meet the cats and buy cat-related souvenirs.

When Aidan, Jess and their five-year-old daughter, Eleonore, move from America to Clervaux, it seems as if they've arrived in paradise. It soon becomes clear, though, that the inhabitants' adoration of their cats is unhealthy. According to a local legend, each time a cat dies, nine human lives are taken as a punishment. To tourists, these tales are supernatural folklore, created to frighten children on cold winter nights. But for the inhabitants of Clervaux, the danger is darkly, horrifyingly real.

Initially, Aidan and Jess regard this as local superstition, but when Jess runs over a cat after a night out in the town, people start dying, one by one, and each time it happens, a clowder of cats can be seen roaming the premises.

Are they falling victim to the collective paranoia infecting the entire town? Or is something horrible waiting for them? Something unspeakably evil.

Aidan and Jess' move to Europe may just have been the worst decision they ever made.

Book Beginning: 

"They held the memorial service in the crematorium on the outskirts of Luxemburg City."

Okay, so we are one character down before the story even begins? These evil cats must be very effective :)))

The Friday 56:

"'I won't leave it at that,' she said, and she took Eleonore's hand and guided her toward the exit.
Eleonore screamed as if she were being dragged to a scaffold, ready to be executed."

I wonder what happened that upset the little girl (Eleonore) so much...

Let me know what you're reading this week!

Review - Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood

Title: Nothing But Sky

Author: Amy Trueblood

Publication Date: March 27th, 2018

Synopsis:

Grace Lafferty only feels alive when she's dangling 500 feet above ground. As a post-World War I wing walker, Grace is determined to get to the World Aviation Expo, proving her team’s worth against flashier competitors and earning a coveted Hollywood contract.

No one’s ever questioned Grace’s ambition until Henry Patton, a mechanic with plenty of scars from the battlefield, joins her barnstorming team. With each new death-defying trick, Henry pushes Grace to consider her reasons for being a daredevil. Annoyed with Henry’s constant interference, and her growing attraction to him, Grace continues to test the powers of the sky.

After one of her risky maneuvers saves a pilot’s life, a Hollywood studio offers Grace a chance to perform at the Expo. She jumps at the opportunity to secure her future. But when a stunt goes wrong, Grace must decide whether Henry, and her life, are worth risking for one final trick.

My Thoughts: 

I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace." 

Amelia Earhart

Wohoo, I found a gem, you guys. Don't y'all love reading about topics that are relatively new to you? I know I do. I've heard about wing walkers, but other than that I didn't know much about barnstorming before picking up this book. I'm so glad I did because not only could I travel to my favourite decade in the 20th century, I also got to learn about an interesting form of entertainment that captured many Americans' heart after the Great War.

Grace Lafferty is one of the coolest heroines ever, I'm telling you. She's a real daredevil, a sucker for adrenaline and she is fighting for what she loves with unwavering persistence. There are two things she wants to keep at all costs: her barnstorming family and the sky. If they don't make it to the World Aviation Expo she might just lose both. To avoid that end she does everything she is capable to: she practices her stunts all day, she saves money on whatever she can, she is even ready to abide the presence of Henry Patton, the team's new grumpy mechanic.

The strong theme of family and love in the book is heartwarming and most of the characters are not even related to one another. The brother/sister relationship between Grace and Daniel – the male wing walker in the team – is so pure, I melted every time they had a conversation. I also loved how Grace's presence in Uncle Warren's life slowly moulded the man into a more than decent father figure.

Beyond the family feels what made this novel extremely worthwhile for me were the little stories and details that adorned and rounded out the storytelling. Most men in the book had fought in the trenches just a couple of years before, which means the horrors of the war are still very fresh in their minds. Henry is affected the most, he's definitely suffering from shell shock. Grace doesn't know what that is of course, but she realizes something is not right with him and she is determined to make him open up to her. And so he tells her stories. My favourite was the one where Henry saved the life of his men by teaching a memeber of the enemy to dance.

The feminine power in the book is incredible. Bessie Coleman – the first black woman ever to gain a pilot licence – makes an appearance. I was so happy to learn more about her! She was quite a character and it's always a pleasure to read about women pioneers. Grace, of course, is also a character who bends society rules and follows her own mind; she wears pants and oil-stained shirts and doesn't give a damn what others think of her often manly ways. Oh, how I loved that!

The atmosphere of the 1920s seep through the pages: the clothes, old Hollywood, bootlegging, the Spanish flu, it's all there. Nothing But Sky will transport you right there, you'll feel as if you time travelled to Gatsby's age.

To sum up, this novel was a real joy to read and there are no words how much I recommend it to everyone who likes historical fiction and is just a tiny bit interested in aviation history!

Goodreads | Amazon

Review - Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Red Queen (Red Queen #1)

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Synopsis:

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. 

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

My Thoughts:

I  think the hype around Red Queen is well-deserved. The book is a solid fantasy that transports the reader to a cruel world where the colour of people's blood decides about their place in the social hierarchy, since it renders them weak or strong from the moment they're born.

When Mare Barrow finds out she is special, she realizes her exceptional state can serve the Red cause. Only by that time she is involuntarily put on display at the Silver Court where the Royal Family does everything they can to hide her 'otherness'. A power play begins that shatters families and turns hearts.

Red Queen would have been a very quick read for me had I not signed up for a scheduled read-along that featured this title. The story pulls you in and you want to know what happens next. There are quite a few twists and turns along the way; there was a part towards the end that left me kinda shocked because it put Mare and Cal (the crown prince – love interest no. 1) in an entirely unexpected situation.

I loved how varied silver powers were in the story. They were like superpowers and they came in all shapes and kinds: someone could temper with nature, others could control metal or force people's mind to yield to them. These powers were amply used in the story for a myriad of purposes – good and bad. I found that creative.

The politics are intriguing. Silvers are desperate to hold onto power but Reds even without abilities are able to scare their overlords. I can't wait to see if later they'll manage to weaken the evil royals' grasp on the realm.

You cannot help but care for the characters and you'll find yourself trying to put yourself in their shoes. I found Cal especially fascinating because he struggles between two sides all the time and I myself couldn't figure out what I'd have done had I been in his place.

There are truly spiteful characters as well, like the Queen and Evangeline, Cal's betrothed. You'll love to hate them, I'm sure.

The story is rich, the characters make an impression, the world building is superb and I was not bored for one minute when I was reading this book. What's more to ask? I do recommend it to every fantasy-lover!

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Tour - Succubus Lips by Lina Jubilee

Title: Succubus Lips (Succubus Sirens #1)

Author: Lina Jubilee

Publication Date: May 8th, 2018

Synopsis:

Her lips have the power to boost. Her love can grant power unparalleled. In an ongoing conflict against ravishingly beautiful beings from another dimension, Aurora Haddix’s abilities allow her to turn the tide of the battle.

Born a Natch, one of the population naturally endowed with superhuman powers at birth, Aurora tries to make the right choice. Her handsome, overprotective best friend and her tortured, grizzled mentor want her to use her powers for good. Kiss a Natch and they become more powerful for a few minutes. Allow one inside her and their powers are intensified for a full day. She wants to help, but she can’t get their roguish, virile former comrade out of her mind—and he wants her to join his underground band of Renegades. Then there’s the dark elf king, the leader of the otherworldly Nelians determined to infiltrate Earth—Aurora’s number one target and the most devastatingly gorgeous man she’s ever seen.

Aurora’s body makes her the most sought-after Natch in a war that might end on her say-so. Only with the way her inner passion ignites at each touch, she’s not so sure of her true reasons for pursuing the four alluring men who seek to possess her. 

Goodreads | Amazon

***Excerpt***

Nash ignored it. “You don’t think that’s a good idea, though?”

Wait, what? Time to focus on what was in front of me. What had Nash wanted again? Right. To have sex. Right now. As usual.

Roulette snickered. “Anything to get into Aurora’s pants, right?” She grabbed her can of ginger ale from where it rested precariously on the computer console and tossed her head back to take a sip.

Nash’s lips went thin. “I’m serious.” He looked back and forth at Roulette and me. “And you two should have sex, too.”

Roulette spit her drink out, spraying several feet in front of her.

I couldn’t help it. I laughed.

“I’m not kidding,” said Nash, not a trace of a smile on his face. “Every day. Like clockwork. Have sex with us all.”

Roulette and I locked gazes. She broke it first, shaking her head and putting her can back beside the computer keyboard. “You sure you just don’t want to watch, big boy? Me and Rora. Toss in Chastity, too?”

Nash was turning red again. “I wouldn’t need to watch, no.”

“How magnanimous of you,” I said.

Shaking his head, Nash scoffed. “You’re laughing at me. You’re both laughing.”

Roulette was indeed giggling, and I found myself stifling a snicker.

“Okay, look,” said Nash in an excellent imitation of Wade, the man whose Natch powers meant his intelligence outstripped the rest of ours combined by miles, “hear me out. Aurora, what do your Natch powers do?”

I rolled my eyes and hugged my arms to my chest. “You know what my powers do.”

 “Humor me.”

 I looked to Roulette for help, pleading, but she just smiled and shook that voluminous dyed bright red hair that popped so vividly against her imperfection-free dark brown skin. She turned back to the screen and the DM window popped up again, and I could see her sending Darien kissy emojis.

I sighed. “Yes, professor. I boost Natch power.”

“For how long?”

I chewed on the inside of my lip for a bit. “Anywhere from a few minutes to a whole day.”

“And how do you boost Natch powers?”

“Roulette?” I asked.

She flung a hand up in the hair, her attention still riveted on the screen. “You’re on your own with this one.”

I met Nash’s eyes. He just nodded at me, as if to convey he wasn’t dropping this until we finished our charade.

“I kiss them,” I admitted, my voice growing quiet.

About the Author:

Lina Jubilee loves reading, writing, drinking tea, and rooting for her favorite fictional romances. When not lost in a book, she cooks dinner at lunchtime, plans errands in fewer trips, and does everything she can to get back to romping through fictional worlds ASAP.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | BookBub |  Instagram

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Weekend Wrap-up #8

The Sunday post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things you have received.

I've spent most of this week in Eger (a lovely little Hungarian town and hometown of my boyfriend). We had a good time – we visited his grandma, took long walks and binge-watched tv shows on Netflix (Timeless and Killjoys).

I'm living in constant anxiety these days because NBC hasn't renewed Timeless yet and that show has become soooo important to me I cannot even....... Seriously guys, if you feel like doing me a favour, please watch the two-hour season final this Sunday at 9/8 c live. My heart will surely break if the ratings won't be convincing enough and Timeless won't make it. (If you don't know what Timeless is, you can read my Timeless Showtime post here.)

 

This evening I'm planning to watch Eurovision, which will be fun, I'm sure. The Hungarian contestants seem to be popular this year so we have a good chance to end up close to the top. Fingers crossed.

My reading progress this week is a bit slower than usual and it's bugging me. I've started reading The Stolen Girl by Zia Wesley but I'm considering picking up something else as well and read more books simultaneously like I did last month because then I can do some mood-reading, which may lead to a more steady progress.

Recent posts on the blog:

Monday: Goodreads Monday #13

Wednesday: WWW Wednesday #13

Friday: Book Beginnings and the Friday 56 #14

I have no incoming books to show you this week. Actually I'm proud of myself for not giving in to the NetGalley pull in the past few days. 

I'd really like to post my Red Queen review tomorrow and my Nothing But Sky review next week, so you have those to look forward to.

Have a nice weekend, Lovelies!

Book Beginnings and the Friday 56 #14

Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56 are weekly memes hosted by Rose City Reader and Freda's Voice.

Rules: 

Book Beginnings: Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. 

The Friday 56: Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% in you eReader. Find any sentence (not spoilery) and reflect on it if you want.

 

 

The book I'm currently reading is:

The Stolen Girl

(The Veil and the Crown #1)

by Zia Wesley

Synopsis: 

 

The legend of Aimée Dubucq de Rivery, has survived on three continents for more than two hundred years. The Stolen Girl tells the first part of her extraordinary story, her adolescence on the Caribbean island of Martinique, and her voyage to Paris where her hopes of finding a husband are shattered. Resigned to live as an old maid at the ripe age of eighteen, she decides to become a nun and sets sail to visit her relatives on Martinique one last time. On the journey, she meets and falls in love with a dashing young Scotsman. But fate had other plans for Aimée, ones that were foretold by an African Obeah woman when she was fourteen years old.

 

Book Beginning:

 

"Aimée was fairly certain she would burn in hell for the sin she was about to commit."

 

Deeply Catholic, this girl is.

The Friday 56:

"Overcome with deep sadness, she sat up slowly and ran her fingers over the chains of gold and rubies wound around her ankles. They are so beautiful. Are these jewels to take the place of true love?"

That's a sad thought. Hopefully true love is not entirely lost for her.

Don't forget to leave your Friday post links in a comment below! Happy reading!

WWW Wednesday #13

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

WWW stands for three questions:

 

What are you currently reading?

 

The Stolen Girl

(The Veil and the Crown #1)

by Zia Wesley

 

  

Synopsis:

The legend of Aimée Dubucq de Rivery, has survived on three continents for more than two hundred years. The Stolen Girl tells the first part of her extraordinary story, her adolescence on the Caribbean island of Martinique, and her voyage to Paris where her hopes of finding a husband are shattered. Resigned to live as an old maid at the ripe age of eighteen, she decides to become a nun and sets sail to visit her relatives on Martinique one last time. On the journey, she meets and falls in love with a dashing young Scotsman. But fate had other plans for Aimée, ones that were foretold by an African Obeah woman when she was fourteen years old.

 

I've never heard of the legend of Aimée Dubucq de Rivery but this synopsis caught my attention because the story seems to be full of adventure...

 

 

What did you recently finish reading?

 

Nothing But Sky

by Amy Trueblood

This book was a real treat! My review is coming soon!

What do you think you'll read next?

Norse Mythology 

by Neil Gaiman

Synopsis:

The great Norse myths, which have inspired so much of modern fiction, are dazzlingly retold by Neil Gaiman. Tales of dwarfs and frost giants, of treasure and magic, and of Asgard, home to the gods: Odin the all-father, highest and oldest of the Aesir; his mighty son Thor, whose hammer Mjollnir makes the mountain giants tremble; Loki, wily and handsome, reliably unreliable in his lusts; and Freya, more beautiful than the sun or the moon, who spurns those who seek to control her.

I'm very excited to read a new Gaiman this month! His writing never ceases to amaze me.

Show me your bookish past, present and future! Please leave your links in a comment below!