Author: The Novel Girl

Best of 2018…

Posted on by The Novel Girl

                                                                              The Best of 2018!!!

Hi all!!! 

I can’t believe that we are already at the end of 2018! It feels like this year has been extraordinarily long, but has gone by in a flash at the same time, if that makes sense. This year has certainly seen its share of highs and lows, but I hope that your year in books has been one of the highlights! Despite reading quite a bit less than I did last year, thanks to a marked uptick in work and several reading slumps, I can say that my literary journey was definitely a high note of the year. I read so many wonderful books this year from many, many wonderful authors- from old favorites to debuts. It was very difficult to narrow down my favorite reads of the year, so much so that I had to choose a fiction a non-fiction as I couldn’t decide between the final two! So, without further ado- my favorite books of 2018: 

                                Favorite Fiction of 2018: For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig

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This book, the first in a new series by the amazing author of The Girl from Everywhere duology (another favorite of mine!), was released at the end of September of this year. It is a hefty book at a little over 500 pages (hardback edition), but I got so absorbed in it and it read so quickly that I read it while on a weekend trip. The world building was so phenomenal and the writing so lyrical (literally at times!), that it was easy to get swept away in the novel. I loved the strong female lead, and that this was an own voices novel so the writing was true to the character. This is technically YA Fantasy, but anyone who is a fan of well written fantasy would enjoy this. You can find the full review here: For a Muse of Fire (For a Muse of Fire, Book 1)

Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Muse-Fire-Heidi-Heilig/dp/0062380818/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546224730&sr=8-1&keywords=for+a+muse+of+fire

                            Favorite Non-Fiction of 2018: Becoming by Michelle Obama

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After the review that was posted yesterday, this may come as no surprise, but this is definitely the bet non-fiction that I read this year. This memoir was published in mid November, and I read it while I was on vacation. It took me a bit to write my review, because there was so much that I wanted to say about it, but I didn’t want to just summarize the entire book. I find Michelle Obama so inspirational, and this book made her even more so. She was open, witty, honest, funny, and relatable. This book left me with a feeling of hope. If you’re looking to add more memoirs to your reading list this year and haven’t read this one yet, I highly recommend it! Find my initial review here: Becoming

Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Michelle-Obama/dp/1524763136/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546225152&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+michelle+obama

I hope that you guys enjoy these as much as I did! What were your favorite reads of 2018? Anything that I should check out? I’ll be spending the next couple of days attempting to get together some semblance of a reading list for the first part of 2019. There are some exciting new books coming out this year!!

I wish you all an amazing new year!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Becoming

Posted on by The Novel Girl

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Author: Michelle Obama

Genre: Memoir

Pages: 448

Publisher: Crown Publishing

I don’t think that I need to tell anyone who the author of this memoir is. Michelle Obama, a brilliant, beautiful former first lady, but she is so much more. She is a wife, mother, Princeton and Harvard Law graduate; a very accomplished woman well before she ever in the public eye as the First Lady of the United States. Inside this memoir, Mrs. Obama opens up her world and tells the readers of her life experiences, both good and bad, and how they molded her in to the woman that she is today. 

I have long admired Michelle Obama as a woman of intellect, grace, and integrity. I can truly say, after reading her memoir, that I admire her even more. She opened up in this book about her whole life. We learn about her upbringing in Chicago, where she was encouraged to use her intelligence to move forward and make a difference. She speaks about her married life, which hasn’t always been roses and butterflies but they worked through it and it is real. She tells us, of course, about their time in politics and the White House and the highs and lows of that life. And we learn what her life is beginning to look like now, as she is settling in to “normal” life again. 

I loved this memoir, because Michelle Obama was so real in it. She told her truth in no uncertain terms. She was raw, honest, witty, poignant, funny, and relatable. There were criticisms of those who followed she and President Obama, but they were measured and not unwarranted or nasty. She made me feel that it was ok if “leaning in” didn’t necessarily work to get me where I needed to be, and I had to go a different route. She, overall, left me with a feeling of hope- not false hope- but hope that we can become more. 

Schmuck the Buck: Santa’s Jewish Reindeer

Posted on by The Novel Girl

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Author: EXO Books

Genre: Picture Book/Holiday

Publisher: EXO Books

Pages: 60

Larry and his family are the only Jewish reindeer inhabitants of the North Pole. Larry, however, is even further excluded as he is relentlessly bullied, called names, and just treated in an all-around horrible way. That all comes to an end, though, when Larry comes up with a brilliant plan to save Christmas. 

This was such a cute and sweet book! It had everything, from laugh out loud funny parts, to all the feels parts, and a great message wrapped up in it. It is a fresh new take on a classic holiday tale. The illustrations are lovely, and really bring it to life. This would make a wonderful addition to anyone’s holiday library! 

Marshmallows and Mistletoe Review

Posted on by The Novel Girl

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Author: Marianne Rice

Genre: PNR

Publisher: Star Hill Press

Pages: 145

Noel, much as her name would suggest, adores Christmas and everything about it: decorating, cooking, family time, presents, all of it! While she is visiting her parents’ home, she finds herself alone when the power is taken out during a storm. Ian and his young son have been having a pretty rough go of it, but he is really hoping that their move to Maine will be a new start for them. While taking him to see Santa, he slides off the road a crashes right in to Noel’s parents’ mailbox. Now he finds himself stranded in a strange home, with a strangely enthusiastic woman. Will this turn in to a nightmare, or turn out to be exactly what they both have been needing? 

Guys, I was not wrong to be excited about reading this while I was on my little vacation! This turned out to be exactly that “holiday movie in a book” that I was looking for. It gave me all the feels! As always, the characters were nicely developed, and felt like people that you’d want to get to know better and hang out with, The setting was wonderfully atmospheric. This was just so much fun to read and get lost in. If you’re looking for a sweet holiday romance to round out your December reads, I recommend giving this one a try! 

I’m Back!

Posted on by The Novel Girl

Hi All!!

I hope that you all had a wonderful week. I’ve made it back home from the woods, and picked the four-legged babies up. 😊

We’re all happy to be home! I’ll be working on some posts for you all this evening and tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Always,

-T

The Last Dance: Cover Reveal!!!

Posted on by The Novel Girl

Hi All!!

Aimee Brown, author of The Lucky Dress (previously known as Little Gray Dress), has a new book coming out and I have the cover for you!!

Introducing The Last Dance:

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Can you truly forgive and forget?
Ambri and Henry have been best friends forever. They’ve been through the highs and
lows of life with each other by their sides.
The worst? When Henry’s wife, and Ambri’s sister, died. Together, they can face it
all. Until one night destroys everything. Two years after he stepped out of it Henry
walks back into Ambri’s life and she’s more than a little shocked.
But as old friends fall into even older habits they need to decide whether they can
forget the past and embrace their future.
Perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult and Anna Bell.

Sounds pretty awesome, right?! I’m super excited for this!! If it sounds great to you, too, here’s the link to pre-order: Mybook.to/TheLastDance

About the author:

Aimee Brown is a writer of romantic comedies set in Portland, Oregon, and an avid
reader. She spends much of her time writing, raising three teenagers, binge-watching
shows on Netflix and obsessively cleaning and redecorating her house. She’s fluent in
sarcasm and has been known to utter profanities like she’s competing for a medal.
Aimee grew up in Oregon, but is now a transplant living in cold Montana with her
husband of twenty years, three teenage children, and far too many pets. She is a lot
older than she looks and yes, that is a tattoo across her chest. (In the Portlandia spirit,
yes, I lived many years in PDX and I do indeed have a bird tattooed on me (2!))
Aimee is very active on social media. You can find her at any of the networks below.
Stop by and say hello!

You can follow her here:

Twitter: @AimeeBWrites
Instagram:@authoraimeeb
Facebook: @authoraimeeb

You can follow the publisher, Aria, here:

Website: www.ariafiction.com
Twitter: @aria_fiction
Facebook: @ariafiction
Instagram: @ariafiction

I’ll keep you guys updated as I get more info!

Off the Grid

Posted on by The Novel Girl

Hi all!!

Are you all getting excited for the Thanksgiving holiday?! I’m going to have a house full of family and friends here tomorrow, and I am making so much food! I love to feed people, so I’m really happy to have everyone coming to dinner. We’ll also be joining the mad shopping crowds afterwards, so that should be a blast!

I’m heading out in to the woods for a week beginning this weekend, to decompress for a bit. I’ll have limited, if any, internet access and I am really looking forward to it. Sometimes it’s nice to go a bit off the grid! I’m taking my kindle, a few books, and my MacBook to format some reviews for when I return.

I have at least one review that will post while I’m gone, and I’m going to try to get another written up before I go. I wanted to give you guys a peak at a couple of the things I’ll be reading while I’m away, though!

First is one that I have really been looking forward to since I heard it was coming out:

Becoming by Michelle Obama

I think she is so brilliant and inspiring, and I can not wait to see what she has to say in this memoir!

Next:

Marshmallows and Mistletoe by Marianne Rice

New out from the lovely lady who made me enjoy contemporary romance is this holiday story. This looks like it will fit right in with those cozy, feel good holiday reads that I was wanting, so I’m excited for this one as well!

There are, of course, several others going with me, but these I’m very excited to talk to you about when I return. What are your holiday plans?! Anything exciting?! I hope that you all have a lovely holiday and a great week ahead!

Always-

T

Let’s Talk Podcasts! (Part 1)

Posted on by The Novel Girl

I don’t know about you guys, but I am a big fan of podcasts! I have many that I listen to weekly, or bi-weekly as they come out, and they span many different genres. There are great ones out there, from bookish ones (of course!), to political, pop culture, and awesome fiction ones! They are a great way to keep up with what’s going on, or just to zone out for a while and pass the time. I thought that I would take some time today to share with you guys a few of my favorite book related podcasts. These are, by no means, in any specific order:

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All the Books

Host: Liberty Hardy (and whomever she has on with her at the time)

Schedule: Weekly- Mondays

This is a Book Riot podcast that is generally all about the new releases of the week (although sometimes they’ll discuss books they’re excited about that are “recent” releases). This is a great way to find out what the new and exciting books are that are being released, and Liberty is amazing! She also has All the Backlist every Thursday, where she discusses books within a certain “theme” from her backlist.

 

No Thanks We’re Booked

Hosts: Katie & Mollie

Schedule: Weekly- Thursdays

This is a great bookish podcast, where Katie and Mollie (online turned IRL friends) discuss the books they’re reading, what’s going on in their lives, some pop culture, etc. They always have a “theme” of the podcast, of course (classics, YA, books to movies, reading slumps, favorite books, etc). They occasionally have guests on with them or have interviews with authors. Honestly, their podcast is like hanging out with some of your best book nerd friends.

 

Overdue

Hosts: Andrew & Craig

Schedule: Weekly- Sundays

This podcast is all about backlisted books! Each week either Andrew or Craig reads a new book from their backlist and discusses it on the pod. There are definitely spoilers, but none of these are recent releases, and so far there hasn’t been anything that would keep me from enjoying the books if I chose to read them after listening to the podcast about them. These guys are hilarious! I really look forward to this one every week.

 

Book Riot- The Podcast

Hosts: Jeff and Rebecca

Schedule: Weekly- Sundays

This Book Riot podcast is a weekly update about anything and everything new and newsworthy in the book world. This includes everything from books themselves to booksellers, authors, the publishing industry, to awards and more. If you want to know what’s going on in the world of books, I highly recommend this one!

 

Books in the Freezer

Hosts: Stephanie and Rachel

Schedule: Bi-Weekly- Mondays

This pod is strictly dedicated to horror fiction (if you didn’t catch that Friends reference in the title!). They discuss all the horror books from horror lite to graphic horror. This is a great pod, if you enjoy horror reads. These ladies know their stuff!

 

Get Booked

Hosts: Amanda & Jenn

Schedule: Weekly- Wednesdays

This is another cool Bok Riot podcast. On this one, Amanda and Jenn give personalized book recs based on questions that listeners send in to them. I have gotten some great gift ideas from listening to his pod!

 

Well, that’s all I have for you guys for now! I hope that you find a pod or two that will interest you in this list. What about you guys? Any great bookish podcasts that you think that I should be tuned in to?!

An Anonymous Girl

Posted on by The Novel Girl

Hey guys!

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, the brilliant authors behind The Wife Between Us, have a new release coming out on January 8, 2019. Guess who got her hands on an ARC of it, thanks to the lovely folks at St. Martin’s Press!!! I”m very excited to present to you An Anonymous Girl:

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Jessica signs up for a psychological study thinking that all that she is going to have to do is answer questions in order to receive the payment for participation. The questions, however, become more and more intense and invasive. It then moves from just answering questions to going on outings coordinated by this doctor, who is telling her what to do and what to wear. As Jessica becomes more paranoid, she can no longer tell the difference between real life and the experiment. She quickly learns that obsessions can become deadly.

This looks like another amazing psychological thriller, and I can not wait to dive in and bring you guys my full review!

A Christmas Date (First Comes Love, Book 3)

Posted on by The Novel Girl

A Christmas Date cover

Author: Camilla Isley

Series: First Comes Love

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Pink Bloom Press

Pages: 231

 

Nikki is not a Christmas fan. In fact, she could be described as quite the grinch. She dreads the holidays and having to having to go home to face her family every year. It has been increasingly difficult since her younger sister has been in a serious relationship, and she has been seen as the “old maid”. This year is looking to be even worse, as Nikki just found out that her sister and her boyfriend (whom Nikki has long been in love with) are now engaged. Dreading this Christmas more than any in recent memory, she takes the advice of her assistant and decides to hire someone to play her boyfriend while she’s home. Luckily, her job gives her access to the perfect database to find her man. There’s only one thing that may pose a problem…she may have trouble separating business and feelings.

This was the first book in my foray in to the sweet, cozy, wintry, holiday reads that I told you guys in a previous post that I was wanting to read this season, and I will say that it was a good start. It had some fun, interesting characters. Some were maybe not completely fleshed out, but this was a short book, so it would have been a bit difficult to flesh out the secondaries more than they were. The story moved quickly, and it was all there. It is a great read if you’re looking for a sweet little holiday romance. This is the third in a series, but it is the first one that I read, and I didn’t feel that I was missing anything as far as the plot or storyline. If this is the type of book that you’re feeling in this season, give it a try!

It’s out now!