Tag: retelling

WWW Wednesday: Jul 6, 2022

kerrimcbooknerd9 Comments

It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Current Reads

  • The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: I’m gonna be honest and say that I had only the vaguest sense of what this classic was about before I started reading it. I knew that there is a painting that takes on the sins of it’s subject, Dorian Gray. I wasn’t prepared for how terrible Dorian actually is throughout the story! Like… why is anyone friends with this man?! Well, I know why… because he’s rich and handsome. But dear lord, he sucks! Suffice it to say, I’m having a great time reading about this terrible person 😂
  • Ariadne by Jennifer Saint: Dipping back into Greek mythology retellings with this one and, so far, I’m really enjoying it! I want to fight some people (LOOKING AT YOU, THESEUS) and loads of poor decisions have been made, but I’m liking how we get to see more of who Ariadne is beyond her part in Theseus’ tale. I’m already wishing that this book was a little longer because I would have loved to spend more time with Ariadne when Asterion was a baby. I’m intrigued by their relationship, but it’s a blip in this story. Still, this book is scratching that mythology retelling itch and I’m enjoying it!
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WWW Wednesday: Apr 27, 2022

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It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Current Reads

  • The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller: This is my last official read for the Magical Readathon and, apparently, I like to save the best books for last. I’m completely wrapped up in this book and I find it hard to put it down! I love seeing the myth of Achilles play out under Madeline Miller’s pen. It’s such an intriguing and wonderful story, and surprisingly heartwarming in moments. I know that these moments are there to try and lull me into a false sense of security. After all, I know how Achilles’ story ends. This book is just guaranteeing that it breaks me as much as possible at the end, isn’t it?
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Blog Tour: Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir/Illustrated by Myisha Haynes

kerrimcbooknerd10 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today is my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours book tour for a middle grade graphic novel that absolutely captured my heart: Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir (author) and Myisha Haynes (illustrator)! This book is a graphic retelling of Anne of Green Gables set in modern day West Philly and it is an absolute delight.

Before I start gushing about this book, though, I want to thank some folks. First, I want to thank the team at TBR & Beyond Tours for letting me be a part of this tour. Second, I want to thank the publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, for sending me a free copy of the book in exchange for my participation and an honest review. It is very much appreciated! One last thing; mine is just one stop on this magical mystery tour, so make sure you check out the other fabulous bloggers and bookstagrammers that will be celebrating this beautiful book! You can find the full schedule here.

Alright, let’s get to the post!

Book Details

  • Title: Anne of West Philly
  • Author: Ivy Noelle Weir
  • Illustrator: Myisha Haynes
  • Publication date: March 1st, 2022
  • Genre: Contemporary Graphic Novel
  • Age group: Middle Grade

Book Links

Bookshop::TBD::B&N::Indigo::
Amazon::Goodreads

Synopsis

Anne of Green Gables with a twist: in this follow-up to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy and The Secret Garden on 81st Street, this full-color graphic novel moves Anne Shirley to modern-day West Philadelphia, where where she finds new friends, new rivals, and a new family.

When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to foster a teenage girl for the first time, their lives are changed forever. Their redheaded foster daughter, Anne Shirley, is in search of an exciting life and has decided that West Philly is where she’s going to find it. Armed with a big personality and unstoppable creativity, Anne takes her new home by storm as she joins the robotics club, makes new friends in Diana and Gilbert, experiences first love, and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. But as Anne starts to get comfortable, she discovers one thing she wasn’t looking for: a family.

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Book Review: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

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Title: The Wife Upstairs

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Thriller

Content/Trigger Warnings: Murder, mentions of drowning, blackmail, forced captivity, infidelity, blood, alcohol, alcohol abuse

Rating: ★★★★

Book Links:
Bookshop::TBD::B&N::Amazon::
Goodreads

One Sentence Synopsis:

A young dog-walker named Jane, who has a past filled with secrets, finds her path crossing with the mysterious, handsome Mr. Rochester, who’s past may be just as dark as hers.

Favorite Quote:

“I’ve gone so long trying not to be seen that there’s something intoxicating about letting him really see me.”

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First Lines Friday #19

kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?  If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

After a brief hiatus, First Lines Friday on the blog is back! Today, in anticipation of the spookiest time of the year, I’ve picked a book that gives proper, creepy vibes. It also happens to be a book I’m planning on reading in the next week or so. Let’s see if the first few lines can make you want to read it, as well!

The Line(s):

“Sweltering heat hit me like the sudden leap of a bonfire when I traded the protection of the mule-drawn cart’s tarp for burning sand. I clutched my satchel, squinting against the dying sun. Heat waves created illusions of life out on the sand.”

The Hints:

This is an Ethiopian-inspired tale…

… featuring a young woman who is an exorcist…

… and is a debut fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre!

The Reveal:

Click the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page

Goodreads Synopsis

“What the heart desires, the house destroys…

Andromeda is a debtera—an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye. When a handsome young heir named Magnus Rochester reaches out to hire her, Andromeda quickly realizes this is a job like no other, with horrifying manifestations at every turn, and that Magnus is hiding far more than she has been trained for. Death is the most likely outcome if she stays, but leaving Magnus to live out his curse alone isn’t an option. Evil may roam the castle’s halls, but so does a burning desire.

Kiersten White meets Tomi Adeyemi in this Ethiopian-inspired debut fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre.“

Did those first few lines capture your attention? Did they make you want to read the rest of the story? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!