Book Review: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

If you’ve read Rainbow Rowell’s absolutely adorable novel Fangirl (review), you’ll be familiar with the name Simon Snow. As in, the hero of the (fictional) bestselling series about a boy wizard who learns at age 11 that he’s the Chosen One, and embarks on a new life at a (fictional) school of magic. In Fangirl, the main character writes wildly popular Simon Snow fan fiction, entitled Carry On, Simon.

In Rainbow Rowell’s newest novel, Carry On, we have the continuation of Simon’s story — but not the canon version, from the (fictional) official series author, but the fanfic story, picking up where Cath’s tale leaves off in Fangirl.

Confused yet?

Carry On is set completely within the magical fantasy world of the Simon Snow series. Simon is the main character, and alternates narration with his best friend Penelope, girlfriend Agatha, roommate and archnemesis Baz, and a handful of others as well, including the Mage, the all-powerful but highly controversial headmaster of the Watford School of Magicks.

It’s the eighth and final year of their magical education, and Simon return to Watford determined to confront Baz and figure out how to defeat the Humdrum, the big evil who’s menacing the entire world of magic. But Baz doesn’t show up as expected, and Simon becomes consumed by the idea of tracking down Baz, searching the school and the Catacombs for him night after night.

Finally, when Baz shows up, Simon is forced to share with him a secret — that Baz’s mother’s ghost visited, and wants Baz to learn the truth about her death. Reluctantly, the two boys declare a truce, and set out to solve the mystery, along the way poking at the edges of the myths and prophecies of the magical community, defying the prejudices of the old families, and trying to figure out just why they’re so obsessed with each other.

As in the fanfic we read in Fangirl, the heart of Carry On is the relationship between Simon and Baz. Underneath the enmity that simmered between them for all the years they were forced to be roommates is a strong and steady and mutual attraction, which the boys finally acknowledge and explore in Carry On. It’s sweet and funny and tender, and well, complicated too. Baz hides the secret that he’s a vampire, which isn’t as much of a problem for Simon as he would have expected. Their differences are acknowledged, and they’re just so friggin’ cute together that we know they’ll figure it all out in the end.

The magical mysteries — where did Simon come from? what’s up with the prophecy? what or who is the Humdrum? — all get resolved by the end, although I’m not sure that every answer is 100% satisfying. I mean, the bit with the Humdrum and how he’s finally stopped didn’t totally work for me, and I wanted Simon to get more of an answer about his parents. As far as I could tell, even though we readers find out the truth, Simon doesn’t, and that doesn’t seem fair.

Overall, I loved this book. It’s just so gosh-darned cute! The spells that they cast aren’t faux-Latin as in a certain series that we all know and love — in the world of Simon Snow, words have power, and the more certain words are used, the more power they have. So, the spells are all cliches, from “up, up, and away” to “stay cool” to “suck it up”, and it never stops being funny to see how they work.

Carry On is great fun for anyone who’s read and enjoyed certain children’s fantasy series — especially Harry Potter, of course. There are all sorts of winking references to the world and lore of Harry Potter, and it’s done with such an air of excitement and amusement that it feels like an homage, not a parody. Having read Fangirl, I’m not really in a position to judge whether Carry On works as a stand-alone… although if I had to guess, I’d say it would still be enjoyable on its own. Still, if you’re going to read Carry On, I’d strongly suggest starting with Fangirl to get the background and flavor of the Simon Snow phenomenon.

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The details:

Title: Carry On
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication date: October 6, 2015
Length: 522 pages
Genre: Young adult/fantasy
Source: Purchased

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26Jun2016

Insta-Reaction: Outlander, Season 2, Episode 12

Posted in Outlander by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

The 2nd season of Outlander is almost over (sob). I’m writing an “Insta-Reaction” post for each episode right after viewing, to share some initial thoughts, questions, reactions — you name it.

Warning:

I may be talking about events from this episode, other episodes, and/or the book series… so if you’d rather not know, now’s your chance to walk away!

Outlander, episode 212: “The Hail Mary”

The official synopsis (via Starz):

As Jamie puts all of his efforts into turning the Jacobite army away from the impending slaughter, Claire attempts to comfort the sick Alex Randall. Alex reveals an outrageous plan to save the mother of his child.

My take:

Last episode before the season finale…

Major plot points:

The Jacobite army is miserable and starving.
The Prince is as clueless as ever.
As of the start of the episode, the Battle of Culloden is only three days away. Jamie is still trying his damnedest to avert catastrophe, but it’s not looking good.
When Claire goes into Inverness to restock her medical supplies, she runs into Mary Hawkins. Mary is living with Alex Randall, and tells Claire they plan to marry. However, Alex is clearly dying.
Jonathan Randall turns up, out of uniform, to tend to his brother. In exchange for Claire’s medical assistance, he gives Claire information on the whereabouts of Cumberland’s army.
Jamie hatches a plan to sneak up on Cumberland and launch a surprise attack, but Prince Charles mucks it up, as expected. Now Culloden seems inevitable.
Alex’s dying wish is for BJR to marry Mary, so that she and her (Alex’s) unborn child will have legitimacy and protection.
Colum is dying too, and names his son Hamish as the next clan leader, with Jamie to serve as guardian until Hamish comes of age.
Two men witness their brothers’ deaths — Jonathan Randall and Dougal MacKenzie — and are left to pick up the pieces.

Insta-reaction:

The season is hurtling toward the end, which means the action is hurtling toward Culloden. No matter what Jamie and Claire try, it can’t be stopped. Jamie fails to convince the Prince that Culloden Moor is the absolutely wrong choice for a place to fight the British. Charles doesn’t listen. Jamie plans a potentially powerful sneak attack on Cumberland, and Charles screws it up. Is the lesson here that fate can’t be tampered with? That Culloden will happen, because it’s a fixed point in history that was always going to happen?

Ugh. Bonnie Prince Charlie sucks. Hi, Jamie’s knee!

The Jacobites are wet, tired, and hungry. If Charles is looking for a strong fighting force to take a stand for his cause — well, this isn’t it. Sadly, the men seem to know it too. They’re surviving on broth made from what looks like a bunch of weeds. Even at full strength, they’d stand little chance against British cannons, but as is, it’s so clear that the battle will be a slaughter.

Meanwhile, the Mary/Alex/BJR storyline is quite well done. We’re used to seeing Black Jack Randall as pure monster, but here at last we see that he has some shred of humanity that’s manifested in his love for his brother. He initially refuses Alex’s plea for him to marry Mary. He promises to look after Mary and the child, and urges Alex to marry her before he dies. But Alex has no estate or fortune to leave her. Claire reminds BJR of the curse she put on him at Wentworth, telling him the day of his death — April 16, 1746, the day of the battle at Culloden. If BJR marries Mary and then dies, she’ll be left a wealthy and respectable widow with the captain’s pension to support her for the rest of her days.

Could a bride look any more miserable?

Claire and Murtagh witness the marriage of BJR and Mary, with the ceremony conducted at the foot of Alex’s bed as he lays dying. In the book, Claire and Jamie are there, but I think it’s actually a wise choice to leave Jamie out of the scenes with BJR. There just isn’t enough time left in the episode or in the season to delve into Jamie and BJR’s complex relationship and the emotional fall-out Jamie would suffer from being in the same room as him. Alex’s death and Mary’s marriage worked just fine as it was presented.

Colum’s arrival was well played as well. He’s also dying, but first makes sure to announce his plans for the clan succession. Dougal is devastated — why wasn’t he chosen to be the next laird? But Colum points out that the men of the clan won’t follow Dougal; if it were otherwise, Dougal would have men with him at the Jacobite camp (which he doesn’t). Further, Colum knows that Jamie will always put his men before the cause, but Dougal can’t say the same — he’d sacrifice himself and all of the MacKenzies for the rightful king. Colum dies after taking the medicine Claire has left him with, allowing him to die quickly and painlessly… and dying before he can hear Dougal’s pained speech about his love — and resentment — for his brother.

Two deaths, two brothers — interesting contrasts with the dying men’s last wishes and the willingness of those left behind to carry them out.

Meanwhile, Claire and Jamie are out of time. By the end of the episode, all efforts have failed. Culloden is the next day, and nothing will stop it.

Insta-reaction wrap-up:

What is there to say? We’ve been building to this moment all season. All of the plotting and scheming that Claire and Jamie have done — and it’s all led back to the same outcome. Claire looks hopeless throughout much of the episode. She’s not one to give up, but she sees that there’s no way out of what’s to come. It’s heartbreaking.

And furthermore…

One sweet and unexpected moment is thanks to Murtagh. Rather than see Mary marry a monster like Jonathan Randall, Murtagh tells Claire he’ll marry Mary himself. It’s a sweet little speech he makes, about never having married or had children, but how he’s been a good godfather to Jamie and how he’ll protect Mary and the child as his own family. You can see that as Murtagh talks, he actually kind of likes the idea. Not that he loves Mary, but I think he’s taken up by the sweet little picture he’s created of himself with a pretty little wife and a child to raise. Claire brings him back down to earth, of course, pointing out that none of them may survive Culloden, and only by marrying BJR will Mary be provided for as a widow.

Still, bless Murtagh and his big, gruff heart!

… which makes me even more apprehensive about watching the season finale. Please, please, please don’t stick to the book when it comes to who lives and who dies! I don’t think my heart can take losing Murtagh. (Sob, sob, sob)

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23Jun2016

Take A Peek Book Review: The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

“Take a Peek” book reviews are short and (possibly) sweet, keeping the commentary brief and providing a little peek at what the book’s about and what I thought.

Synopsis:

(via Goodreads)

In 1939, as Poland falls under the shadow of the Nazis, young Alma Belasco’s parents send her away to live in safety with an aunt and uncle in their opulent mansion in San Francisco. There, as the rest of the world goes to war, she encounters Ichimei Fukuda, the quiet and gentle son of the family’s Japanese gardener. Unnoticed by those around them, a tender love affair begins to blossom. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the two are cruelly pulled apart as Ichimei and his family, like thousands of other Japanese Americans are declared enemies and forcibly relocated to internment camps run by the United States government. Throughout their lifetimes, Alma and Ichimei reunite again and again, but theirs is a love that they are forever forced to hide from the world.

Decades later, Alma is nearing the end of her long and eventful life. Irina Bazili, a care worker struggling to come to terms with her own troubled past, meets the elderly woman and her grandson, Seth, at San Francisco’s charmingly eccentric Lark House nursing home. As Irina and Seth forge a friendship, they become intrigued by a series of mysterious gifts and letters sent to Alma, eventually learning about Ichimei and this extraordinary secret passion that has endured for nearly seventy years.

My Thoughts:

While The Japanese Lover tells what should be fascinating stories of suffering and survival, the key problem I had with it was the telling. As in, show — don’t tell. Somehow, most of the narrative of this novel felt like a third party summarizing events, rather than allowing me to witness events for myself. There are a lot of shared stories and memories, but they mostly lack immediacy or a sense of real texture.

Additionally, the overall storyline felt a bit kitchen-sinky to me. Alma is sent off to American by her parents who stay behind in Poland and perish in the Holocaust. Irina’s mother was a victim of sex trafficking and ultimately causes horrible abuse to Irina herself. Ichimei and his family are forced into an internment camp during World War II. Alma’s husband leads a closeted life and dies of AIDS. Horrible things happen, but somehow I barely felt any of them.

The Japanese Lover is a fast read, and parts were quite interesting, but I simply couldn’t engage emotionally with much of it due to the style of the storytelling. This was actually pretty surprising to me, as I’ve read and loved many books by this author in the past. The individual stories all should have been compelling, but the mashing up of them all into one novel just doesn’t work. Add to this the fact that Alma and Ichimei’s love story felt flat and unexciting, and I have to say that The Japanese Lover just isn’t the best example of an Isabel Allende novel.

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The details:

Title: The Japanese Lover
Author: Isabel Allende
Publisher: Atria
Publication date: November 3, 2015
Length: 322 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Purchased

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22Jun2016

Thursday Quotables: The Japanese Lover

Posted in Thursday Quotables by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week. Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

NEW! Thursday Quotables is now using a Linky tool! Be sure to add your link if you have a Thursday Quotables post to share.

The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende
(published 2015)

I just finished reading Isabel Allende’s newest novel, published last year, and will write up my reaction in the next few days. Meanwhile, here’s a lovely little description of the power of young love:

At the age of twenty-two, suspecting their time was limited, Ichimei and she had gorged on love to enjoy it to the full, but the more they tried to exhaust it, the wilder their desire became, and whoever says that every flame must sooner or later be extinguished is wrong, because there are passions that blaze on until destiny destroys them with a swipe of its paw, and even then hot embers remain that need only a breath of oxygen to be rekindled.

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
Click on the linky button (look for the cute froggie face) below to add your link.
After you link up, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment about my quote for this week.
Be sure to visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!

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21Jun2016

Shelf Control #41: The Wrath & the Dawn

Posted in Shelf Control by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome to the newest weekly feature here at Bookshelf Fantasies… Shelf Control!

Shelf Control is all about the books we want to read — and already own! Consider this a variation of a Wishing & Waiting post… but looking at books already available, and in most cases, sitting right there on our shelves and e-readers.

Want to join in? See the guidelines and linky at the bottom of the post, and jump on board! Let’s take control of our shelves!

My Shelf Control pick this week is:

Title: The Wrath & the Dawn
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Published: 2015
Length: 388 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad’s dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph’s reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she’d imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It’s an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid’s life as retribution for the many lives he’s stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

How I got it:

I bought it!

When I got it:

Just a few months ago.

Why I want to read it:

This book hasn’t been on my shelf for all that long, but I’ve postponed reading it until I had a copy of the 2nd book as well… and now I do! I think I’ll be saving these for summer vacation reading… but who knows? If the mood strikes sooner, I may dive right in.

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Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
Add your link below!
And if you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate a link back from your own post.
Check out other posts, and have fun!

For more on why I’ve started Shelf Control, check out my introductory post here, or read all about my out-of-control book inventory, here.

And if you’d like to post a Shelf Control button on your own blog, here’s an image to download (with my gratitude, of course!):

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20Jun2016

Top Ten Tuesday: My ten favorite books (so far!) in 2016

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Top Ten Favorite 2016 Releases So Far This Year.

I’m not really focusing too much on new releases lately, so this TTT list will be about my favorite books read in 2016, regardless of publication date. In no particular order, my top ten are:

1) The Fireman by Joe Hill (review)

2) Rush Oh! by Shirley Barrett (review)

3) Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (review)

4) The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett (review)

5) All the Winters After by Seré Prince Halverson (review)

6) The Steep & Thorny Way by Cat Winters (review)

7) The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald (review)

8) The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult (review)

9) Lock In by John Scalzi (review)

10) The Travelers by Chris Pavone (review)

What are your favorite books so far in 2016? Please share your TTT links!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out our regular weekly features, Shelf Control and Thursday Quotables. Happy reading!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!

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20Jun2016

The Monday Check-In ~ 6/20/2016

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

What did I read last week?

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Loved it! My review is here.

The Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg: A so-so YA novel that bored me with lots of road-tripping before finally finding its footing in the last quarter, with a series of very touching scenes about family secrets and family reunions. The writing is funny and sweet, and I loved the author’s previous novel (Open Straight, reviewed here), but this one just doesn’t rise to that book’s level of awesomeness.

Pop culture goodness:

I’m continuing my Buffy rewatch, and am now halfway through season 6. Man, is this a depressing season. Once More with Feeling and Tabula Rasa are two of my favorite episodes of all time, but there’s so much bleak and dismal in the rest. Hello, Doublemeat Palace, anyone? And Buffy, why do you need to be so mean to Spike? Sigh. I’m a Spuffy shipper, I admit it.

Outlander update!

Here’s my reaction post for season 2’s 11th episode, “Vengeance Is Mine”:

Insta-Reaction: Outlander, Season 2, Episode 11

Fresh Catch:

I’m approaching the end of my audio re-read of The Magicians, so I treated myself to the other two books in the trilogy:

And… a library hold came in:

It’s been so long since I read The 5th Wave and The Infinite Sea that I’m not terribly excited about The Last Star, but at least for the sake of completion, I suppose I should give this one a try just so I’ll know how it all works out.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende: I have about a third left to go, which means — YAY ME! — I’ll actually be done in time for my book group discussion this week!

Now playing via audiobook:

This is a re-read via audio, and I’ve got about 3 hours left to go. I should be done this week! The narrator is doing a great job with the different characters, so it’s really fun and enjoyable to listen to. I just wish I had more time…

Ongoing reads:

My book group is reading and discussing two chapter per week of both Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon and Emma by Jane Austen. This is an online group, and anyone is welcome to join us — so if you’re interested, just ask me how!

So many books, so little time…

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19Jun2016

Insta-Reaction: Outlander, Season 2, Episode 11

Posted in Outlander by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

The 2nd season of Outlander is entering the home stretch. I’m writing an “Insta-Reaction” post for each episode right after viewing, to share some initial thoughts, questions, reactions — you name it.

Warning:

I may be talking about events from this episode, other episodes, and/or the book series… so if you’d rather not know, now’s your chance to walk away!

Outlander, episode 211: “Vengeance Is Mine”

The official synopsis (via Starz):

Claire and the Highlanders are sent north after the Jacobite leaders decide to halt their march on London. A band of redcoats makes trouble for the Scots, leading to a most unexpected reunion for Claire.

My take:

3rd to last episode of the season!

Major plot points:

The Prince’s army has advanced into northern England, but lacking the support of his generals to march on and attack London, the Prince has no choice but to turn back and return north into Scotland.
Jamie and Claire set out to lead the Lallybroch men to Inverness, but they’re attacked by redcoats along the way.
After being cornered in a church, Jamie agrees with Claire’s plan to trade her (as a pretend hostage) to the British in exchange for the Scots’ safe passage. Jamie and Claire plan to reconnect near the garrison to which Claire will most likely be taken.
After some convoluted back and forth, Claire ends up as a “guest” (prisoner) of the Duke of Sandringham.
Claire realizes that the Duke’s servant is the one who attacked her and Mary in Paris. The Duke admits that he arranged the attack and rape as a way to pay off a debt owed to the Comte St. Germain.
The Duke has set a trap for Jamie, but he’s able to rescue Claire and Mary (the Duke’s goddaughter, also staying at his home).
Murtagh cuts off the Duke’s head, Mary stabs her rapist, and they all make their escape.

Insta-reaction:

This episode was written by Diana Gabaldon herself, and it’s great to see her take on this action-packed segment of the story. People who expected Diana’s screenplay to exactly mirror the book were undoubtedly surprised — proving once and for all that this is an adaptation, and that even Herself changes the source material to fit a new medium.

Okay, descending from soapbox.

Another terrific episode! The initial scene has the Prince demanding that his generals heed his call to march on London. The military men unanimously feel that it would be a foolhardy mission and basically refuse. Only Jamie stands by the Prince and tries to rally the others, but to no avail. Why does Jamie support the Prince? Not because it makes sense militarily, that’s for sure. It’s clear that Jamie is keeping in mind all that he’s learned from Claire, including the fact that the Jacobites never did advance on London. If Jamie can make it happen this time, then perhaps the further outcomes can be changed too… but alas, the plan fails.

Dougal makes a return from his exile to deliver a message to Jamie. The Prince and his cronies have already departed, and Jamie is to take the Lallybroch men to Inverness to await further orders. Jamie and Claire exchange a brief, ironic look, seeing as the last time Claire was in Inverness was 200 years in the future!

The escape on horseback, trying to outrun and evade the pursuing redcoats, is quite well done, with our little band of heroes galloping through the woods and Dougal making an impressive jump from his horse to Rupert’s in order to save Rupert from falling off.

Rupert is shot in the eye, but survives. Claire gets the chance to perform all sorts of nasty medical procedures in this episode, from tooth extractions to pulling the bullet out of Rupert’s eye socket. That woman has got a backbone made of steel!

The Duke is as sly and slimy as ever, playing Claire and setting a trap for Jamie. It’s great to see Mary step up and fight back, rather than remaining the meek little girl, “soiled goods” to be married off to whomever the Duke considers most advantageous for himself. Hugh Munro makes a welcome reappearance as well, acting as go-between to make sure that Jamie knows where Claire is.

Murtagh sure can swing an axe! The end of the Duke is bloody and splattery. Remember back in Paris, after the attack in the streets, when Murtagh swore he’d lay vengeance at Claire’s feet? Well, now he literally has, placing the Duke’s severed head right in front of Claire’s toes.

It is a totally engrossing episode, and the action pretty much never lets up. Claire was in full-on badass mode, and it looked good on her! I hate knowing that the end is near and that disaster is just ahead, but at least this episode didn’t leave such a foreboding of tragedy as the previous one did.

Insta-reaction wrap-up:

Rupert is mourning his friend Angus the only way he knows how, by telling stories about Angus’s missing front teeth and other randomly weird facts. So, in comradely support of Rupert, I’m including this picture from last week, because I miss Angus too!

And furthermore…

While packed with action, the episode still allowed room for some more personal moments, such as Jamie saying a prayer over Claire as she sleeps before joining her in bed. It’s a sweet, tender moment that shows the depth of love and commitment between Jamie and Claire. Their love is so strong that even a moment of simply a quiet embrace tells the whole story of their devotion to one another.

It’s hard to believe we’re already so close to the end of the season! It seems like there’s still a lot of story to cover in the next two episodes — Alex Randall, Culloden, and Claire in the 20th century, as well as Roger and Brianna and Claire’s big reveal to them. I have such faith in the production team, though! I’m sure the next two episodes will be heartbreaking and amazing.

And now that we know that there will be at least two more seasons, we can all breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that this wonderful story will continue onward!

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15Jun2016

Thursday Quotables: The Porcupine of Truth

Posted in Thursday Quotables by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week. Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

NEW! Thursday Quotables is now using a Linky tool! Be sure to add your link if you have a Thursday Quotables post to share.

The Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg
(published 2015)

Okay, the title all by itself makes me giggle. I’m not very far into the book, but already the writing is making me happy. Here’s the main character, about his mom:

My mom, a therapist slash school counselor, “hears” that I feel like she’s ripped me out of my normal summer, but “what she wants to say to me” is that I need to stop moping. And what better place to drop off a mopey seventeen-year-old boy in a strange new city than at the zoo? Had she just asked me where I wanted to go, I would have been like, I don’t know, a coffee shop. A movie theater. Any place a guy in his summer before senior year might want to hang. But whatever. My mom is down with the kids and how they all just want to stare at monkeys all day.

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
Click on the linky button (look for the cute froggie face) below to add your link.
After you link up, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment about my quote for this week.
Be sure to visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables, and have fun!

14Jun2016

Shelf Control #40: Frog Music

Posted in Shelf Control by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome to the newest weekly feature here at Bookshelf Fantasies… Shelf Control!

Want to join in? See the guidelines and linky at the bottom of the post, and jump on board! Let’s take control of our shelves!

My Shelf Control pick this week is:

Title: Frog Music
Author: Emma Donoghue
Published: 2014
Length: 416 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

Summer of 1876: San Francisco is in the fierce grip of a record-breaking heat wave and a smallpox epidemic. Through the window of a railroad saloon, a young woman named Jenny Bonnet is shot dead.

The survivor, her friend Blanche Beunon, is a French burlesque dancer. Over the next three days, she will risk everything to bring Jenny’s murderer to justice–if he doesn’t track her down first. The story Blanche struggles to piece together is one of free-love bohemians, desperate paupers, and arrogant millionaires; of jealous men, icy women, and damaged children. It’s the secret life of Jenny herself, a notorious character who breaks the law every morning by getting dressed: a charmer as slippery as the frogs she hunts.

In thrilling, cinematic style, FROG MUSIC digs up a long-forgotten, never-solved crime. Full of songs that migrated across the world, Emma Donoghue’s lyrical tale of love and bloodshed among lowlifes captures the pulse of a boomtown like no other.

How I got it:

I bought it!

When I got it:

Last year (I think), when the paperback was released.

Why I want to read it:

To be honest, I’d kind of forgotten about this book until I was putting together my TTT list this week, which includes Emma Donoghue’s upcoming new release. Before I go out and get her new book, I should probably take the time to read one I already have! I think the plot of Frog Music sounds amazing, and I especially love reading historical fiction set in my adopted hometown.

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