We get it. It’s cold, it’s Friday, if you’re in the US it’s the start of a three day weekend. So we’re making things easier for you and compiling some highlights that you don’t want to miss! Before you crack open that bottle of wine or get cosy with your book of the week, take a look at what we’ve been up to.
For a laugh:
Ashley treated us to a Friday LOL with a roundup of this week’s funniest book-related tweets. It’s got it all; Gatsby, Potter, March. Ok, now I’m just listing surnames but they’re all in there! Have a read here.
For a cry:
When you need to sober up from your laugh, have a look at Emilia’s take on tears. The focus is on Heather Christle’s The Crying Book, which gives an insight into tears, human experience, mental health, the works.
It was a BIG week in the realm of book adaptations, with loads of news about all of your favorite books and their move to the screen. We’re talking Witchesand Anne Hathaway, the BBC’s Normal People and everyone’s favorite Netflix stalker.
Making us shiver with antici….pation:
New year, new books. Lauren takes us through a few books to have on our lists coming into the spring. It’s a YA dream!
Bookstr’s Three to Read
Every Friday, Nehal goes live with our current top three titles. She’s covering coffee shop reads, dark horses and hot picks every week so there is something for everyone! Check out this week’s here.
image via bookstr
DRAMA
We live for drama both on the page and off. Luckily, the rest of the booksphere is the same and this week saw some shock resignations and tragic award snubs.
image via pinterest
There you have it, you’re officially caught up on some of this week’s bits and bobs. Remember, the best way to keep up to date on all things book and pop culture is catch us on our socials!
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We hear it’s about to get really cold! So, our plans for the weekend include snuggling with a warm cup of coffee, chocolate, and a good book! Tempted? Well…
Check out Bookstr’s Three to Read, the three books we’ve picked for you to read this week!
The fifth installment in New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire’s award-winning Wayward Children series, Come Tumbling Down picks up the threads left dangling by Every Heart a Doorway and Down Among the Sticks and Bones
When Jack left Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children she was carrying the body of her deliciously deranged sister—whom she had recently murdered in a fit of righteous justice—back to their home on the Moors.
But death in their adopted world isn’t always as permanent as it is here, and when Jack is herself carried back into the school, it becomes clear that something has happened to her. Something terrible. Something of which only the maddest of scientists could conceive. Something only her friends are equipped to help her overcome.
Eleanor West’s “No Quests” rule is about to be broken.
Again.
Why?
Why read Come Tumbling Down? Well, who doesn’t love getting lost in a little dark fantasy every now and then? We know we sure do, especially after a long day of work! McGuires takes us back to the Moors for another scary adventure! Stuck in her psychopathic twin sister’s resurrected body, Jack goes to her friends for help. They have no other choice, but to break Eleanor West’s “No Quests” rule, one more time. But, will everyone make it out alive? Get ready to enter a vivid world because every chapter will drag you into a universe of magic! Kirkus praises this novel saying, “Come Tumbling Down is grotesque, haunting, lovely.”
First in an emotional, poignant romantic women’s fiction series by acclaimed inspirational romance author Pat Simmons.
No caregiver should ever have to go it alone…
Tabitha Knicely loves her career as a pharmaceutical rep, but even her health care knowledge isn’t much help with the daily challenges she now faces caring for her aunt with Alzheimer’s. Her once organized lifestyle is in disarray and her patience is tested. On Sunday mornings, when Aunt Tweet drags her to church, though Tabitha isn’t a believer, the peaceful presence of faith is a welcome relief.
Marcus Whittington believes in second chances, so he hires former inmates to staff the industrial cleaning service he owns with his brother. When a mystery woman who keeps showing up on his porch turns out to be an elderly neighbor, Marcus is outraged at what he perceives as neglect on the part of her caregiver.
Marcus soon learns that being a caregiver is a demanding, compassionate act of kindness that he has never experienced before. After several encounters with Aunt Tweet and Tabitha, his heart is drawn to the family’s distress. Marcus is determined to help Tabitha, and a friendship that started out with a grave misunderstanding soon begins to blossom into a relationship filled with love, faith, and partnership. Life is easier, when you have someone to lean on.
Why?
Pat Simmons plays with our emotions in this novel. She opens our eyes to the hardships of being a caregiver and how, every once in a while, we need someone to lean on. Tabitha and Marcus’ encounter may have started out with a misjudgment, but it turns into a loving and caring relationship. We guarantee you’ll be flying through these pages, both chuckling at some parts and crying at others! So, grab your box of Kleenex and get ready for an emotional rollercoaster ride like no other! Publishers Weekly acclaims Simmons writing stating “Simmons balances the sadness of Alzheimer’s with the heartwarming bonds of family and friendship, and the combination is sure to tug at readers’ heartstrings.”
Middle school best friends Andrew and Foz’s superhero comic adventure is all about saving the day! But what happens when Andrew’s sister gets her hands on the sketchbook and unleashes a new and powerful villain?
Fifth grade best friends Andrew and Foz are creating the perfect superhero crossover with the power of their imaginations! Andrew’s laser-eyed heroes Drew and Jot team up to fight Foz’s Doctor Danger, as the pair trade sketchbooks back and forth to create their action epic with new characters and new adventures. But what happens when Andrew’s little sister doodles in his sketchbook and changes the world of Drew and Jot forever? Can Andrew and Foz work together to save their creation?
Enter a brand new world of action and imagination with Eisner Award winner and New York Times bestseller Art Baltazar (Tiny Titans, Aw Yeah Comics) where every drawing has a life of its own.
Why?
So adults can enjoy children books right? I mean we all have a child deep inside of us, so why not? But on a serious note, this graphic novel is a perfect read for middle grade children. It shows them that it’s easy to make friends, but most importantly it takes them on an exciting adventure! Everything changes when Andrew’s little sister doodles in his sketchbook. Now Andrew and Foz must embark on their own little adventure to save their comic creations. Children are bound to love it with all its eye catching and colorful doodles, transporting them into a world of imagination and creativity.
IMAGES VIA AMAZON
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On their first date back in law school, Natalie and Will Clarke bonded over drinks, dinner and whether they could get away with murder. Now married, they’ll put the latter to the test when an unchecked danger in their community places their son in jeopardy. Working as a criminal defense attorney, Nat refuses to rely on the broken legal system to keep her family safe. She knows that if you want justice…you have to get it yourself.
Shocked to discover Nat’s taken matters into her own hands, Will has no choice but to dirty his, also. His family is in way too deep to back down now. He’s just not sure he recognizes the woman he married. Nat’s always been fiercely protective, but never this ruthless or calculating. With the police poking holes in their airtight plan, what will be the first to fall apart: their scandalous secret—or their marriage?
Why?
Hunt wastes no time jumping right into this wildly thrilling story about a mom desperate to protect her son, even if that means turning to murder. Natalie truly believes that she can get away with this heinous crime, but when the carpet is swept from under her feet, her and her family’s lives are turned upside-down. Trust is in question between Natalie and her husband Will, and hope that their happy life together is in tatters. Praised as the best thriller of the year by Book of the Month, this book is sure to keep your hair on end and throw you into a nonstop rollercoaster ride.
Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike.
Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body.
With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara.
While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets, resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together.
Why?
New York Times Bestseller Colleen Hoover is at her best in this emotionally hard-hitting story that shares a genuine and struggling relationship between mother and daughter. Better have a box of Kleenex by your side because this one is definitely a tear-jerker! With high hopes for each character to find their own happiness, Hoover’s newest release is a beautiful story that teaches us that sometimes the most complicated circumstances can turn out perfectly okay if you remember to love. As sappy as this may seem, the book is nothing like that at all. Raw, true, and full of emotion, Regretting You can give us what we really need in the darkest of time—a good cry. Booklist echoes praise for Hoover’s book stating, “There is plenty of trademark Hoover emotion and surprises in this engrossing read…This twisting novel will instigate excellent book discussions about regrets and second chances.”
Enter the world of HBO’s global television phenomenon Game of Thrones with The Photography of Game of Thrones—the definitive photographic collection from the set of the hit series.
Witness how official unit stills photographer and Nikon ambassador Helen Sloan and the unit photography team selected 850 incredible images from the production of HBO’s legendary series Game of Thrones, including candid, never before seen images of cast and crew. Enjoy exclusive access and images directly from the set as George RR Martin’s world of Westeros was translated to the TV screen.
One of 4 comprehensive and officially licensed Game of Thrones retrospective books from Insight Editions.
• UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS – 416 pages of images, details, and anecdotes covering Game of Thrones seasons 1-8.
• EXCLUSIVE IMAGES – Curated from an archive of 1.5 million photos. Enjoy over 850 hand-selected images direct from the set.
• UNSEEN MOMENTS -View legendary characters such as Tyrion, Daenerys, Cersei, Jaime, Brienne, and Jon Snow uniquely captured through Helen Sloan’s lens.
• HEAR FROM THE SHOW’S CREATORS – Features an exclusive foreword from Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
• A PRESTIGE COFFEE TABLE BOOK – Deluxe 9.75 × 13 inch format.
• A HIGHLY DESIRABLE GIFT FOR FANS – Released in time for the holiday season, this is the perfect gift for Game of Thrones fans.
Why?
Winter is here! And what perfect timing for this in-depth look as Game of Thrones photographer Helen Soan shares, documents from the entirety of filmmaking from season 1 to 8. As the behind-the-scenes photographer, Sloan had free reign to roam around studios, offices, and more interestingly, the beautiful set locations in person! She shares that and more in this coffee table book that really is the perfect gift for any GoT fan. Even as frustrating as the final season was, there is no doubt beauty and artistic perfection with the cinematography, set design, clothing design, and well everything else outside of the story’s end. Screen Rant has said it the best, The Photography of Game of Thrones is “[a] wonderful look into not just the characters, but the sheer artistry behind creating a series as epic as this one.”
Images via Amazon
Bookstr is community supported. If you enjoy Bookstr’s articles, quizzes, graphics and videos, please join our Patreon to support our writers and creators or donate to our Paypal and help Bookstr to keep supporting the book loving community. Become a Patron!
Autumn is here. It’s getting cold outside, the sun is sinking below the horizon earlier and earlier. The sand on the beach is easier to walk across barefoot, yes, but the water is freezing. All the pools are closing, all the water parks are closed. It’s depressing, but think about the bright side: all the leaves are changing, giving us a rainbow of colors.
And just as the leaves fall, we’d like to fall into a great book.
Check out Bookstr’s Three to Read, the three books we’ve picked for you to read this week!
Movies (And Other Things) is a book about, quite frankly, movies (and other things).
One of the chapters, for example, answers which race Kevin Costner was able to white savior the best, because did you know that he white saviors Mexicans in McFarland, USA, and white saviors Native Americans in Dances with Wolves, and white saviors Black people in Black or White, and white saviors the Cleveland Browns in Draft Day?
Another of the chapters, for a second example, answers what other high school movie characters would be in Regina George’s circle of friends if we opened up the Mean Girls universe to include other movies (Johnny Lawrence is temporarily in, Claire from The Breakfast Club is in, Ferris Bueller is out, Isis from Bring It On is out…). Another of the chapters, for a third example, creates a special version of the Academy Awards specifically for rom-coms, the most underrated movie genre of all. And another of the chapters, for a final example, is actually a triple chapter that serves as an NBA-style draft of the very best and most memorable moments in gangster movies.
Why?
We hyped this book up and boy did it not disappoint. Following Serrano’s Basketball (and Other Things), which notably made Barack Obama’s 2017 year-end list, Shea Serrano’s Movies (and Other Things) is a must-have for any movie lover, pop culture aficionado, or someone who just wants to read a great book instead of a good book. This book puts each piece of media in its proper place in the pop culture sphere. I can’t in the right mind tell you this book is a page-turner, because it either had me laughing so hard I could barely finish a page or I had to stop and take in something truly poignant. As Serrano himself jokingly said, “Please buy a copy of it or go to hell.”
With echoes of Rules of Civility and The Boston Girl, a compelling and thought-provoking novel set in postwar New York City, about two women—one Jewish, one a WASP—and the wholly unexpected consequences of their meeting.
One rainy morning in June, two years after the end of World War II, a minor traffic accident brings together Eleanor Moskowitz and Patricia Bellamy. Their encounter seems fated: Eleanor, a teacher and recent Vassar graduate, needs a job. Patricia’s difficult thirteen-year-old daughter Margaux, recovering from polio, needs a private tutor.
Though she feels out of place in the Bellamys’ rarefied and elegant Park Avenue milieu, Eleanor forms an instant bond with Margaux. Soon the idealistic young woman is filling the bright young girl’s mind with Shakespeare and Latin. Though her mother, a hat maker with a little shop on Second Avenue, disapproves, Eleanor takes pride in her work, even if she must use the name “Moss” to enter the Bellamys’ restricted doorman building each morning, and feels that Patricia’s husband, Wynn, may have a problem with her being Jewish.
Invited to keep Margaux company at the Bellamys’ country home in a small town in Connecticut, Eleanor meets Patricia’s unreliable, bohemian brother, Tom, recently returned from Europe. The spark between Eleanor and Tom is instant and intense. Flushed with new romance and increasingly attached to her young pupil, Eleanor begins to feel more comfortable with Patricia and much of the world she inhabits. As the summer wears on, the two women’s friendship grows—until one hot summer evening, a line is crossed, and both Eleanor and Patricia will have to make important decisions—choices that will reverberate through their lives.
Why?
Gripping and wonderfully compelling, this tale weaves together themes of friendship, class, prejudice, and love expertly with the care and skill of a seamstress. The period piece details engross you—from the clothes, the glamour, the excitement, the feeling of 1947 New York. The characters live and breath 1947 New York and have a rich history, yet at the same time, Zeldis manages to effortlessly craft a story that not only fits the decade it’s set in, but transcend it.
After the sudden death of her husband, Annie Devereaux flees to England, site of the nostalgic fantasies her father spun for her before he deserted the family. A chance encounter in London leads Annie to cancel her return to New York and move in with Julian, the disaffected, moody son of Helena Denby, a famous British geneticist. As their relationship progresses, Annie meets Julian’s sisters Isabel and Sasha, each of them fragile in her own way, and becomes infatuated with visions of their idyllic childhood in England’s West Country. But the more she uncovers about Julian’s past, the more he explodes into rage and violence. Finally tearing herself away, Annie winds up adrift in London, rescued from her loneliness only when she and Isabel form an unexpected bond.
Slowly, with Isabel as her reluctant guide, Annie learns of the emotional devastation that Helena’s warped arrogance, her monstrous will to dominate, inflicted on her children. The family who once embodied Annie’s idealized conception of England is actually caught in a nightmare of betrayal and guilt that spirals inexorably into tragedy.
Why?
When you take away all the romance and all the illusions, what’s left of love? Is there any love? Or can love only survive on us not truly understanding our partner? Toynton’s third novel asks these questions and follows through to the answers and what it means for this disintegrating aristocratic family. A small story, the real drama comes from the family and how you could cut the tension with a knife in every scene, but are afraid to, because of how everything can shatter at a moment’s notice. Frighteningly intense, it explores class and the way we react, and don’t react, to tragedy when it hits us in the face.
The inevitable has arrived. Summer is almost over. Before you know it, it will be too cold to go to the beach and too cold to hit up those water parks. I have bummed myself out, and I apologize if I’ve bummed you out too. So, make yourself feel better and embrace your denial of the season’s end with these reads!
Check out Bookstr’s Three to Read, the three books we’ve picked for you to read this week!
Have you ever had a deadline for a big work project, only to find yourself down to the wire because you spent too much time on social media? Or gotten excited about meeting someone new, only to convince yourself he isn’t really interested? How many Januarys have you resolved that this is the year you’re finally going to lose the weight, only to abandon your diet in just a few weeks? If these scenarios sound familiar, you are stuck in a cycle of self-sabotage.
At one point or another, we’ve all done something that undermines our best interests and intentions. Even the most successful people get in their own way—often without realizing it. In Stop Self-Sabotage, licensed clinical psychologist, tenured professor, and television personality Dr. Judy Ho takes a fresh look at self-sabotage to help us answer two vital questions: Why do we do it? How do we stop?
Combining therapeutically proven strategies with practical tools and self-assessments, Dr. Judy teaches you how to identify your triggers, modify your thoughts and behaviors, find your true motivation, and unlock your willpower to stop this vicious cycle in its tracks.Practical and transformative, Stop Self-Sabotage is your ultimate guide to jumpstart lasting, positive change and start living the life you want.
Why?
No one enjoys admitting their faults, but in the end, doing so will only help us improve. Award-winning clinical psychologist and TV personality Dr. Judy Ho won’t judge, and is here to help! If you’ve been stuck in an unproductive head space (that you might not even know you’re stuck in), or a fixed mindset that keeps you from approaching for your goals just a little bit differently, then Dr. Judy will help you navigate these obstacles in your life. Whether they’re external or personal, through this book she will help you to return you to a more positive path, and you too will find the strength to better your life—doctor’s orders.
In 1960s Florida, a young Cuban exile will risk her life—and heart—to take back her country in this exhilarating New York Times bestselling historical novel from the author of Next Year in Havana,a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.
Beautiful. Daring. Deadly.
The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez—her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost.
As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must make a choice between her past and future—but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything—not just the island she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart…
Why?
Reese Witherspoon reviews When We Left Cuba as “a beautiful novel that’s full of forbidden passions, family secrets, and a lot of courage and sacrifice.” Some stories and characters transcend the decade that they’re set in. A USA Today bestselling author, Chanel Cleeton delivers heroine Beatriz Perez’s quest to take back the life that was ripped away from her unjustly. If you’re looking to be taken on a thrilling maritime adventure filled with high stakes, historic revolution, and dangerous love, while also enjoying your sandy escape, pick this one up for your next beach trip.
Nate and Annie Forester are faced with every parent’s worst nightmare when their three-year-old daughter, Penelope, is hit by a car right before their eyes. In the aftermath of her death, the distance between them grows. Nate just wants to move on and return to some version of normal, while Annie finds herself stuck in the quicksand of her grief.
Josh, 22 years old – third party to the nightmare – was behind the wheel on the fateful day Penny ran into the middle of the street. Unable to stop thinking about Nate and Annie, Josh has started to stalk them, thinking up ways to approach them and apologize. One morning, he is sitting in his car, in front of their house, when he sees Annie leave, suitcase in tow. Hours later, he witnesses Nate in a frenzy of worry. His wife has disappeared and he is left only with a vague note.
Tiny follows the harrowing journeys of Nate, Annie, and Josh―three people unwillingly tied together by tragedy. There is Nate, staying strong on the surface, but slowly losing his mind as he faces the suspicions of Annie’s family and the police in the wake of Annie’s disappearance. There is Annie, attempting to start a secret brand new life in a 100-square-foot house in the middle of nowhere. And there is Josh, who desperately wants forgiveness and, ultimately, finds himself responsible for reuniting the people whose lives he changed forever.
Why?
Author Kim Hooper’s newest release about the aftermath of tragedy is both frightening and powerful. It can be even harder when senseless and truly accidental, with no one to truly blame. Things shouldn’t get any more complicated once tragedy has already stricken, but Hooper’s portrayal of life overtaken by grief shows us otherwise. However, her depiction of redemption and reconciliation in the face of impossible circumstances will inspire and move hearts as well.
All In-text Images Via Amazon.
Featured Image Via PhotoCollage
