{ The Sunday Post }: September 30, 2018

The Sunday Post is a weekly wrap-up meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to recap the past week on our blogs, share new books we've received, and talk about what's coming up on our blogs for the week ahead.

{ New Books }

I didn't get a lot of new books this week - nothing from NetGalley since I need to catch up on reviewing what I've got - but I did get a few interesting things from library holds that came in...

{ From the library } :

I've had Bizenghast on my TBR for a while (because if it's tagged "gothic" it's almost guaranteed that I will want to read it... and this one is a gothic drama graphic novel so obviously YES), so this shiny new collector's edition called me.

I found Amy Tangerine in an art magazine one time and I liked her style - I'm interested to see what she has to say in Craft a Life You Love. The tagline "infusing creativity, fun, and intention into your everyday" appeals, so hopefully her ideas work for me. 

{ Latest Reviews }

None... *sob* ... it was a busy week!

{ Currently... }

Reading: Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft edited by Jessica Spotswood & Tess Sharpe

Watching: The Great British Baking Show (catching up on old episodes... thank you Netflix)

Playing:  Armikrog ... So I guess I'm a "gamer," but a really specific one. As in, only strategic board games and old school point-and-click computer games. No shooters. No MMORPGs. I need to feel like I'm solving a mystery or going on a quest or exploring something. I spent countless hours of my teen and preteen years playing Myst (and most of its sequels) and King's Quest V, VI, and VII. For a long time I didn't have a computer that could run games, but now I fiiiiinally do again and I'm constantly on Steam looking for games on sale. This week it was Armikrog, from the makers of the Neverhood. I played that one with my brother when we were younger and I don't remember much about it except that it was claymation-animated and bizarre and it made me laugh way too hard at some points. So my brother and I downloaded this new game and we're going to play it together (from afar... since we're both grown up with jobs and other real-life responsibilities now) and hope that it's as fun as the Neverhood...

{ Last Week at the Book Nook }

• { Binge, Borrowed, Bargain }: Circuses, Wonderland, & Mermaids ... in which I binge-read a delightful little story about a girl in a traveling circus, borrowed a nonfiction picture book biography of Lewis Carroll, and got a bargain Kindle freebie about a girl turning into a mermaid.
• I joined Blogoween! A book-blog-related Halloween party, basically, that runs all October long! I can't wait!!

{ Last Week's Goals }

• Read and review at least 2 books.
- Nope :(
• Participate in at least 1 new book blog meme.
- Nope :(
• Join a reading challenge.
- Yes!! Blogoween counts, right??

{ Goals for This Week }

For the blog...

• Read and review at least 2 books.
• Participate in at least 1 new book blog meme.
• Post for Blogoween (?/13).

For real life...

• Try at least 1 new recipe.
- Getting real bored of our current meal rotation. :/
• Keep practicing mindfulness.
- I've noticed that I either dwell on the past or focus on the future so much that I just stress out and obsess over things that I can't change anymore or that haven't even happened yet. I'm trying to just be happier in the here and now. That's easier said than done... but I'm working on it.
• Take a little more time for self-care.
- This week I took my first bubble bath since my almost-2-year-old was born ... wow that's crazy!! I just need to make time for a little *me* time!

That's it for me this week! How was your week? Link to your weekly wrap-up post in the comments - I'd love to come visit! :)

Blogoween!

Aha! I finally found something book-blog-related for Halloween!!

Have you heard of Blogoween, hosted by Book Dragons and others? It's all about Halloween or Autumn themed posts related to books, blogging and/or writing throughout October! THIS was what I was looking for when I started my Halloween Reading Challenge! (which I guess I'm keeping open, since I'm too embarrassed to take it all down now that I started it... lol... so feel free to join me in that too if you'd like!)

So this is my official sign-up post, and I'm choosing Level 1: 13 Days of Blogoween which means I post on any 13 days in October, including Halloween. I can post reviews, discussions, lists, tags, or use the prompts from the hosts.

I'm excited! Come on, October!!

{ Binge, Borrowed, Bargain }: Circuses, Wonderland, & Mermaids

Book Riot does a thing called Buy, Borrow, Bypass that I like, and I wanted to do something similar but in my own style. So in my version, I'll share something I have binged or am about to binge-read (the Binge, obviously), something that I have discovered at the library (the Borrowed... again, kind of self-explanatory), and something I have found for free on Amazon for my Kindle (the Bargain).

{ Binge }

Violette Around the World, Vol. 1: My Head in the Clouds!
by Teresa Radice


Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition
Pages: 48
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Publication date: March 20, 2018
Suggested tags: middle grade (ages 9-12), graphic novel, historical fiction, circus/carnival


From Goodreads:

"A 12-year-old girl travels the globe with her parents' circus, having adventures and learning to appreciate the joys of being different.

"My name is Violette Vermeer: Dutch father, French mother...citizen of the world! My house has a thousand rooms...one for every place we've passed through!"

Her name is Violette, like the flower in the spring, like the seventh color of the rainbow. She lives with the Circus of the Moon, where her mother is the stuntwoman and her father is the insect tamer. At the end of the 19th-century, Violette is a curious, happy 12-year-old who is fascinated by the beauty of the world around her: music, painting, drawing, nature, and much more. She shares adventures with her friend Samir (a budding trapeze artist), her unusual animal friends, and her father's trained insects!

This, the first of three books, takes place in Paris, where Violette has to balance her time between the freedom of the circus and her homework at school. But Paris is the city of beauty and art, and soon she will make an encounter with a very special person!"

I grabbed this one just because I thought the cover was cute and I'm so glad I did! It's surpassing my expectations in every way - art, story, and charm. I love it so far, and I can't stop reading!

{ Borrowed }

One Fun Day with Lewis Carroll: A Celebration of Wordplay and a Girl Named Alice
by Kathleen Krull,& Júlia Sardà

Available as: hardcover, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 32
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication date: January 9, 2018
Suggested tags: children's (ages 6-9), picture book, nonfiction, biography


From Goodreads:

"The wordsmith Lewis Carroll is famed for the freewheeling world of Wonderland in his beloved classics Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. In this gloriously illustrated picture book, Carroll's childlike love of life is showcased alongside his brilliance at creating and adapting playful words and phrases. From brillig and uglification to frumious and chortle, the award-winning author Kathleen Krull uses many of Carroll’s own words to tell the story of a man who wanted to make children laugh and whose legacy continues to entertain and delight."

I am a serious Wonderland fan... I love the original books, I love all kinds of retellings, I love nonfiction books about how Wonderland came to be. So when I saw this picture book biography about Lewis Carroll and his brilliant wordplay, I had to snag it.

{ Bargain }

How to be a Mermaid
by Erin Hayes

Available as: paperback, Kindle edition, ebook
Pages: 214
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication date: July 7, 2015
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 13-17), fantasy, mermaids



First in The Cotton Candy Quintet series. From Amazon:

"All Tara ever wanted was to be a mermaid.

So she takes a year off between high school and college to don a fake tail and tour aquariums across the country in a professional mermaid troupe.

Everything's great until she meets a gorgeous real-life merman named Finn. Suddenly, what she thought was a dream turns out to be a nightmare -- she's turning into a mermaid herself. For real.

Yet when she returns to the sea to seek out Finn and reverse her transformation, she finds herself in the middle of an impending war between the land and sea. Tara may have always wanted to be a mermaid, but now it's sink or swim. In order to survive, she has to learn how to be one, too."

I'm a sucker for a pretty cover. And what girl hasn't dreamed of being a mermaid at some point in her life? So when I saw this one for free, I snagged it!

*** This Kindle book was free as of the publishing of this post... 

but please double-check the price before you buy! ***

That's all I've got for now! Enjoy your Kindle freebie and see you next week!

{ The Sunday Post }: September 23, 2018

The Sunday Post is a weekly wrap-up meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to recap the past week on our blogs, share new books we've received, and talk about what's coming up on our blogs for the week ahead.

{ New Books }

I got so many great books this week!! Isn't that the best feeling?... when your shelves are stocked with more books that you can realistically read at any given time... I don't know, it just makes me feel so happy and complete. lol.

{ From NetGalley } :

First of all, that DC Ink sampler looks like it's full of amazing ladies and I can't wait to read it!! It has samples from Mera: Tidebreaker, Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, and Teen Titans: Raven.

I had The Wren Hunt on my Fall 2018 TBR list and requested it not really expecting to be approved... but SURPRISE, it is mine now and I'm so excited. :3

The Histronauts have a series of middle grade time travel adventures and I can't wait to check out ancient Egypt with them.

I am a little bummed though, because Time for Bed, Miyuki got archived literally RIGHT after I was approved for it, so I didn't get to download it. :/ I'll have to try to find it at the library or a bookstore because I really wanted to read it! It looks like a beautiful picture book!
 
{ From the library } :

Ok, when I hit the library, I hit it hard. I take that "maximum items allowed" limit on my card as a challenge. And the moment the list of new books comes out each week, I am online placing holds on all the good stuff.

And look at all this good stuff that came in this week!! A CLUE GRAPHIC NOVEL. I am soooo excited to get to that!! There was a big beautiful new edition of The Princess Bride, which I unfortunately have not yet read but have had on my TBR for like forever. Hopefully I can get this version read before it's due back!

Some neat middle grade novels too - Mightier than the Sword is supposed to be interactive and put *you* in the story, and Mystery in the Mansion is a choose-your-own-adventure style mystery!

Rounding out my haul are some nonfiction picture books, which I'm really into lately. I love books (obviously) so I had to get that first one about the collection at the British Library. My undergrad degree was in Archaeology so I'm interested to read this picture book bio of Howard Carter (who discovered King Tut's tomb). And Magnificent Creatures has been getting rave reviews, so I had to see what the buzz was about.

{ Latest Reviews }

Archival Quality
by Ivy Noelle Weir & Steenz
Read my review here (2 stars)
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 13-17), graphic novel, mystery, ghosts, mental health







Spectacle, Vol. 1
by Megan Rose Gedris
Read my review here (4 stars)
Suggested tags: young adult (ages 13-17), graphic novel, mystery, ghosts, circus/carnival

{ Last Week at the Book Nook }

• I started a 2018 Halloween Reading Challenge! Never hosted a challenge before, but I figured one of my favorite holidays was a good excuse to start! I loooove reading creepy books to get me in the spirit. You're welcome to join no matter what gets you in the mood for All Hallow's Eve - kidlit or adult, Halloween or Dia de los Muertos, fiction or nonfiction, horror, gothic, suspense, humor, romance... anything! You can sign up here!

{ Goals for This Week }

This is looking like a busy week for me, so I'm going to set my goals a little low... Hoping to kick it up next week!

• Read and review at least 2 books.
• Participate in at least 1 new book blog meme.
• Join a reading challenge.

That's it for me this week! How did your week turn out? Link to your weekly wrap-up post in the comments - I'd love to come visit! :)

The 1st Annual Halloween Reading Challenge!

So I'm browsing some book blogs today, and I see some Christmas Reading Challenges... and I'm like "oh that's awesome, I'll have to get involved in that this year..." But then I thought, "wait, you know what I love reading more than Christmas books... Halloween books..."

Am I the only one who loves to read as many spooky stories as I can get my hands on during the month of October?? Why can I not find any Halloween Reading Challenges out there?

If they exist, please point me in their direction. If they don't exist... well, I'm about to start one. :D

 

<center><a href="https://pidginpeasbooknook.blogspot.com/p/2018-halloween-reading-challenge.html"><img alt="http://pidginpeasbooknook.blogspot.com/p/2018-halloween-reading-challenge.html" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7wuf_iMR8Jzop9XbWc6m6PGWw5Mz3pQo8BFMfJoebfMRsBS5y2okPLi5Tym22HBajPIE7lXjwhrDOluE2WKfQnBxhaBp9NNQRbMXfzmds8LZhFIBVrKQlUleShsKP0W6gVfO4FVUJVM/s320/Halloween+reading+challenge.png" width="320" /></a></center>

 { The Rules }

There aren't going to be a lot of rules, since I'm starting this so late into September... just an excuse to read some creepy books and have fun!

1. Spread the word about the Halloween Reading Challenge! Blog it, tweet it, pin it, however you best like to spread info! We gotta get the word out since I'm starting this so close to October!
2. Make a blog post about the books you intend to read for the challenge - you can find my list below. (You can of course read off-list... this is just a starting point.) Feel free to use the image above in your post if you'd like, but please be sure to link back to the Halloween Reading Challenge page so other bloggers can find the sign-up if they want to join in.
3. Add your name and blog to the link-up here. Visit the other bloggers who signed up to see what they're reading too!
4. You can link your reviews as you get them done, or you can link a wrap-up post. The last day to link up a post is November 2 (when Dia de los Muertos ends, in case you're wondering).
   
5. Feel free to read whatever genres and subjects interest you - kidlit or adult, Halloween or Dia de los Muertos, fiction or nonfiction, horror, gothic, suspense, humor, romance... whatever gets you in the mood for All Hallow's Eve!
6. Read as many or as few books as you want... just have fun!

Sign up here for the 2018 Halloween Reading Challenge!


Link to your reviews and/or wrap-up posts here: (coming soon... please stand by!)

 { My Halloween Reading List }

There's no way I'm going to get to read all of these this year, unfortunately. :/ Some of them are rereads, some are classics that I'm way overdue to read for the first time, some are new finds that I hadn't heard of until now... and I'm excited to read every one (eventually)!

{ Top Ten Tuesday }: Books On My Fall 2018 TBR

{ Top Ten Tuesday } was started by The Broke and the Bookish but is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. She says, "It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together."

Books On My Fall 2018 TBR

Wow, just realized my Fall TBR is kinda dark. And I'm so ready. Bring me everything creepy, weird, and mysterious!

{ #1 }
An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason
by Virginia Boecker

Despite the fact that every time I look at this book I think it's a part of the Montague Siblings series, I'm still excited for it. Murder plots and royal spies set around a Shakespeare play in the days of Queen Elizabeth I? Yes, please.





{ #2 }
Blanca & Roja
by Anna-Marie McLemore

Reviews say this is a retelling of a mix of Snow White & Rose Red and Swan Lake, with rival sisters, a diverse cast, and beautiful writing. Sign me UP.






{ #3 }
The Boneless Mercies
by April Genevieve Tucholke

The Goodreads synopsis says: "Full of fierce girls, bloodlust, tenuous alliances, and unapologetic quests for glory, this elegantly spun tale challenges the power of storytelling—and who gets to be the storyteller." I mean... To say I want to read it is an understatement.




{ #4 }
Empress of All Seasons
by Emiko Jean

A fantasy with Japanese mythology. An enchanted palace with rooms themed by the seasons. A competition where girls try to survive the rooms to become empress. Also, at least two of the girls are monsters.





{ #5 }
Girls of Paper and Fire
by Natasha Ngan

Paper girls are taken to become concubines of the king... until one falls in love, and dares to change her fate. Sounds amazing. I hope it lives up to the hype.






{ #6 }
Grim Lovelies
by Megan Shepherd

This one strikes me as almost a reverse Beauty & the Beast - animals are enchanted to become human by an evil witch, and they must solve the mystery of her murder before the enchantment keeping them human disappears. It's getting mixed reviews, but the Parisian setting and (let's be honest) that cover are really drawing me to it.



{ #7 }
Nightingale
by Amy Lukavics


Set in the 1950s, a girl who aspires to be a horror writer is committed to a mental institution, where people disappear and she begins having hallucinations... Some reviews say it's hard to figure out what is going on, due to an unreliable narrator, but that sounds like just my kind of read.



{ #8 }
Sawkill Girls
by Claire Legrand

The synopsis alone for this one sounds so eerie and magical and fantastic, I can't wait to get my hands on the actual book.







{ #9 }
When We Caught Fire
by Anna Godbersen


Anna Godbersen hooked me way-back-when with her Luxe series - I loved the romantic, dramatic, elegant atmosphere in those books. This one set amidst the Great Chicago Fire and the synopsis says it's "sweeping, soapy, and romantic," and contains "an epic love triangle—one that will literally set the city ablaze." I'm ready, y'all.


{ #10 }
The Wren Hunt
by Mary Watson

There are two groups of people fighting for a magical power, and one girl is chased through the woods every year, for some reason? I don't even understand what this one is about, but I'm really excited for it. It sounds magical and intricate.







What books made your list this week? Let me know in the comments!