Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Books of 2022.

 

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

Happy Happy New Year everyone. Hope that everyone has had a good first few days of January so far. I have had some busy and productive but very tiring days. I am exhausted as I am typing this, but it is a happy exhausted. 

Today's topic is to share our top ten favorite books of last year and I can't wait to share mine. I absolutely LOVE these books and want everyone to read them!

Review: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

 Growing up, I used to watch this movie adaptation every time I went to my grandma's house. It was our movie. We loved saying that the secret was in the sauce and saying TOWANDA!!!! I got this book back in 2021, which is weird to say now, but anyways I read it in December of 2022 and I was expecting it to be so different from the movie. I am glad to say that this was 5 stars. The movie changed some things, but it is a true adaptation. 

The movie of course had to change the story telling time line. In the book we meet Smokey Lonesome in the very beginning and Ruth dies before we even read about the murder trial of Frank Bennett. The telling of events in the book actually make sense and I love that we got POV's from other characters not just Idgie and Ruth but Grady, Sipsey, Big George and Buddy and Eva. 

This book is told in dual timelines where we read about the Threadgoode's in the 20's-30's. The second timeline is in the 80's when Evelyn Couch and her husband Ed go to the old folks home to visit his mother and that is where Ninny Threadgoode is stayng with Mrs Otis. 

Watching the movie as a child and even as an adult before reading this, I always assumed that Ninny was Idgie, but this book clearly makes Ninny a sister in law to Idgie and I love the LGBT themes in this. Idgie and Ruth clearly loved one another and the small town of Whistle Stop knew and didn't even blink an eye or show any hate or discrimination towards these two women. Now Whistle Stop is a little podunk railroad town in Alabama. 

I am so happy that I read this. I did have a few problems with the constant use of the N word used, and I wonder if the sequel that was just released will have omitted the use of the word altogether. 

Happy New Year// Sunday Post #48

 

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly from The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

HAPPY 2023!!!! I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and are having a good first day of the New Year. 2022 was very eventful and overall a good year. I will miss it, but here is to having more good times and memories to come in 2023.
First a quick shoutout to Angela from Angel's Guilty Pleasures for the book off my wishlist for my birthday/ Christmas. 

It is one of my 5 star reads for the month of December and I was not expecting it to be such a good book.

My husband had the last week off of December as a vacation and it was much needed. We got some needed appointments done. 

Pizza had her second vet visit and she is a whopping 7 pounds, probably bigger now because we had to change her puppy food to a higher protein and I could tell a major difference two days later. She is starting to fill out her skin and she is growing like a weed. Tomorrow will be a month since we got her and it is very bittersweet. 

Christmas Eve was not that good. The temp on Friday night got down into the teens like 16 degrees Farenheit which NEVER happens where I live and our pipes froze. We had no water until 2pm that afternoon. We had every precaution done. Heat light on on my well and water flowing from every sink. Christmas was great. The pipes didn't freeze, which I don't understand because the temps got even lower, to 11 degrees Farenheit. The weather is stupid.

The girls got what they needed and wanted. We had a great meal. Si was spoiled. Her favorite toy is a Doctor Strange plush from Barkbox. That was actually her first ever toy and she carries it everywhere. So we decided to buy the movie because we didn't have a physical copy and we watched it on Christmas, and I swear that when Doctor Strange first got the cape till the end of the movie, Si was glued to the TV. She recognized her toy.

The cats didn't really get anything besides new collars to replace last years and new seresto flea collars. I swear by those things. The cats also had cat toy and cat treat advent calendars that they got throughout the month, so they were spoiled enough.

My girls with their Christmas favorites for the year. Addy with her Grogu legos. Sammy with her Otter blanket. Ariana with her BT21 (BTS) character Mang bluetooth microphone. 

I posted a new video yesterday on my youtube channel and I would love if you guys checked it out. 

BLOG TOUR: A Crown Forged By Victory's Consequence by Marlayna James

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the A CROWN FORGED BY VICTORY'S CONSEQUENCE by Marlayna James & Aaryanna Abbott Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: A CROWN FORGED BY VICTORY'S CONSEQUENCE (The Blackened Tablet Series, #1)

Author: Marlayna James & Aaryanna Abbott

Pub. Date: January 3, 2023

Publisher: Friends with Pens Author Group

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 438

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

The Blackened Tablet Series is an epic fantasy quest story with corrupt politics, wondrous magic, and illicit encounters in a supernatural world where no one is safe.

Three hundred years ago, the sacred tablet granted by their god, Jezabet, turned black, and eight kingdoms broke free, plummeting into the bottomless sea. There was no warning, and no one knows why.

Now, a strange illness plagues Aldersward. Crowned Prince Aedyn's sisters, Achelle and Annora, his father, and countrymen are desperate and grief-stricken. All hope is lost...

Until someone dreams, and Aedyn leaves behind his mistress and his betrothed to cure their nation. He enlists his friends; a brazen playboy, a gentle strongman, and an ancient mentor. Together, they set out on a perilous journey-few believe they will survive.

This isn't a fairy tale-s3x becomes currency, murder is ordinary, and love doesn't conquer all.

Everyone loves a hero-good triumphs evil. But few dare to question how victory ripples into consequences. Explore this exciting concept in the Blackened Tablet Series.

Review: coming soon

About Marlayna James:

Marlayna lives in Canada where she writes romance, erotica, women's fiction, and fantasy. She loves video games, TV, reading, and writing.

About Aaryanna Abbott:

This is another of my pen names. For every pen name, I use a different part of who I am. I imagine this is how she looks.

What’s this part of me like?

I was a daddy’s girl. The very epitome of spoilt.

I love to be wild and crazy—experience everything the world has to offer. I’m adventurous and my carefree disposition is contagious.

I’m loyal to a fault and don’t care what expectations or labels society has bestowed upon me. I believe one’s truth is more valuable than anyone’s perception.

This part of me writes for escapism—to be free of my mundane day to day and live in a magical world almost as real to me as earth. Except in my imaginary world, I control all things and it pleases me to no end.

Do you know how happy you would be living there?

 

Find all of Marlayna James & Aaryanna Abbott’s Links HERE- https://friendswithpensauthorgroup.com/letshookup/

 

Giveaway Details:

5 winners will receive an eBook of A CROWN FORGED BY VICTORY'S CONSEQUENCE, International.

Ends January 10^th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

12/1/2022	Mythical Books	Guest Post/IG Post
12/2/2022	The Momma Spot	Guest Post
12/3/2022	Sadie's Spotlight	Guest Post/IG Post

Week Two:

12/4/2022	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Guest Post/IG Post
12/5/2022	A Dream Within A Dream	Guest Post
12/6/2022	Jazzy Book Reviews	Guest Post/IG Post
12/7/2022	Lady Hawkeye	Guest Post/IG Post
12/8/2022	Books and Kats	Guest Post
12/9/2022	Living in a Bookworld	Guest Post
12/10/2022	Two Chicks on Books	Guest Post

Week Three:

12/11/2022	@jaimerockstarbooktours	IG Post
12/12/2022	Nagma | TakeALookAtMyBookshelf	IG Review
12/13/2022	Books With A Chance of Traveling	Review/IG Post
12/14/2022	Nerdophiles	Review
12/15/2022	The Book Countess	Review
12/16/2022	Books a Plenty Book Reviews	Review
12/17/2022	Fire and Ice	Review

Week Four:

12/18/2022	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
12/19/2022	More Books Please blog	Review/IG Post
12/20/2022	Forthenovellovers	Review
12/21/2022	@allyluvsbooksalatte	IG Review/TikTok Post
12/22/2022	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post
12/23/2022	The Girl Who Reads	Review/IG Post
12/24/2022	NO POST	NA

Week Five:

12/25/2022	NO POST	NA
12/26/2022	Ashe_and_ink	IG Review
12/27/2022	the book near me	Review/IG Post
12/28/2022	@froggyreadteach	IG Review
12/29/2022	Emily Ashlyn	IG & Facebook Review
12/30/2022	@booksrn_rashi	IG Review
12/31/2022	Lifestyle of Me	Review

BLOG TOUR: Broken Wish by Julie C. Dao

 A fairy tale retelling that got a 5 star rating from me. I am not a fan of fairy tales. I didn't grow up watching all the Disney princesses and some I didn't watch until I had kids. I watched all the sad animal Disney movies. Anyways, I went into this thinking I was going to read it and forget it and read the next two books that I was sent by Disney. 

This month, my reading speed slowed. It took me a week to finish this book and that is not a bad thing. It kept my attention and I savored the story. I went into this thinking that it would be a retelling of just one fairy tale and it has different aspects of a couple different. This cover gives sleeping beauty vibes and that is the main fairy tale that is being retold, but more like a fanfiction of Maleficent. 

The story starts off with this married couple who has just moved to this small village in Germany to start anew. They buy this cozy little cottage in the woods and the village people tell them to stay away from their neighbor that lives up the mountain because she is a witch. The town is full of gossipers.

The wife Agnes, befriends Mathilda in secret and they leave little gifts for each other. Agnes' husband wants her to cut off contact because he cares about what the villagers say and he doesn't want to be shunned once again. Over the friendship, Mathilda offers to help Agnes have a baby on the condition that she continues to visit and keep being friends. Agnes goes back on her promise and over the years, she had three kids and believs that a curse has been set on the family. Two good things and one bad thing will happen.

The oldest daughter Elva has just turned 15 or 16 and she has had magical abilities that she has had to hide her whole life because her parents don't want the villagers finding out because they have grown into a respectable family and don't want to lose their status. 

When I finished this, I was obsessed and wanted to immediately pick up the second book in this series. But it follows different characters and it is written by Dhonielle Clayton. I know that it will have some links to this first book and that it will be a type of generational family???? story which I have realized that I really enjoy reading. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Wishes for Birthday and Christmas

 

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

Is that time of year again when we share our bookish wishes that we hope to see under the tree. This will always be a mix of birthday and Christmas and my 32nd birthday is tomorrow. I am suffering the birthday blues this year big time. 

With my TBR being so out of control, there are only a handful of books that I really want the physical copy of. Two are continuations of series that I started this year and the others are ones that I read that I had an arc of or a library copy. 

3 Days Until My Birthday & 1 Week Until Christmas// Sunday Post #47

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly from The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

How is Christmas next Sunday. Mentally, I am not ready. Physically, I am ready for it to be over so I can have my living room back and space to walk, and also my closet where I hide the presents. But before Christmas, I have to get through my birthday which is on Wednesday. I will be 32 and I am suffering the birthday blues severely this year. I am not ready to turn another year older. Turning older is a special kind of torture especially when you have kids. I had my oldest when I was 18, so we "grew up" together and she will be 14 in April and I just can't deal with that. Last year around my birthday I was asked to share my amazon wishlist, so I will be including it this year. 

WISH LIST

The past week was good but again exhausting and stressful. But I did have this weekend to look forward to. My dad took my girls roller skating for the first time on Friday and they made new friends. Now they want to go back next weekend and want their own pair of skates. Those will have to be birthday presents.

Puppy update... Pizza is growing like crazy. One morning I looked at her and realized she had grown overnight. She got brave and ventured into the kitchen, she touched noses with the cats and got bopped on the head by one of them because her sniffing the cat got to be too much. My big dog Si is doing well. She is trying to play more with Pizza. She is also still trying to eat Pizza's head...lol.

I got to see the toddlers again for the first time in months. They kept hugging me and the girls. Their parents had an adult Christmas party and the toddlers got to make grinch cookies and eat chicken nuggets. I also got permission to share a picture of them but their names will remain private.

Reading update: I finished Broken Wish by Julie C. Dao and absolutely LOVED it. I went in ecpecting it to be a retelling of a certain fairy tale, but it had different fairy tale elements and I loved each character. I will be reading the second book in the series, but it is by Dhonielle Clayton and follows different characters. I don't know how it is going to be connected to Broken Wish, but I hope it does live up to my high expectation now.

I am currently reading:

Growing up I used to watch this movie with my grandmother all the time. We always used to say the secrets in the sauce and quote this movie by heart. Last year, I was meant to read this and I have finally decided to pick it up because I was a little hesitant because I didn't want my memories of the movie to be changed and the movie be totally different from the source material. But, surprisingly it works in the story telling. I understand why they changed most of the stories around because if they would have kept it the way it is in the book, the movie would be confusing as hell. Like learning about Smokey the hobo before meeting Ruth and then learning about Buddy's death and then Ruth's marriage, and then Buddy Jr losing his arm. It would have been a hot mess of a movie.

Hope everyone has a great week.