Just Call Me Braggy McBraggerson...

So, guess what was waiting ever so patiently in my mailbox when Eleanor and I arrived home from vacation today!

I'll give you three guesses but I bet you only need one.

No, Dan Jones was not actually in my mailbox.

But this was:

Why yes, you are looking at copy #78 of 120 LIMITED EDITION PROOFS! And it is autographed! I HAVE A BOOK THAT DAN JONES PHYSICALLY OPENED AND SIGNED! Even without the lettering, it is gorgeous. I was lucky enough to win one of the copies given away a couple weeks ago by the UK publisher, Head of Zeus books - which is how I snagged the UK cover in the first place which, as you might recall, is my favorite.

Also, US tour info has finally been updated and I will be going to one of Jones' book signings in the fall! Eek.

I'm telling you, we are so going to be best friends. Once he sees I am a normal person and not actually as crazy as I seem, of course.

Happy Reading!

Sarah

Update!

I know it has been a while since I have posted any reviews. I miss it terribly, but I am in the middle of working on my own writing project that is really important to me and so while I am still reading a lot, I am not reviewing nearly as often. I will be back to it in a while, or at least post  a few reviews here and there, but none like the quantity before until my own project is done.

As an aside, I received an ARC of The Templars by Dan Jones, so you KNOW I will be posting a review of that one closer to the publishing date 😏

Happy Reading!
Sarah

First Line Friday: Coach K Edition

Happy First Line Friday!

This week's line comes from:



"Sitting in the tower that had been built for him, Mike Krzyzewski had a spectacular view of his kingdom."

I took the line from the first chapter instead of the introduction, because the intro was about Dean Smith. And as a wish-I-were-a-Cameron Crazy, I could not abide that. I hugely respect Dean Smith as one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time, but abhor his program and every player to come out of Carolina - except, of course, for Michael Jordan (sorry I'm not sorry LeBron, you'll never be The G.O.A.T.). I am a huge college basketball fan. I have loved Duke since I was 9 years old. Very specifically, I became a fan on March 28th, 1992. My cousin Jenny loved basketball and Duke at the time, so I loved whatever she did. This date is very specific because it was the first - and one of the greatest - Duke games I had ever seen. Even if you are not a sports fan, you might be vaguely aware of a play commonly referred to as The Shot, where Christian Laettner hit a highly improbable shot to reduce Kentucky to tears (something I always love because I might actually despise Kentucky MORE than Carolina, which is kind of insane to think about) and propel Duke into the Final Four, on their way to their second national title in two years. If you have never seen The Shot, please allow me the honor of showing you now:

While my cousin outgrew her attachment a year or so later, I never did. So, for the last 25 years of my life, I have been a Duke fan and March Madness is my most favorite time of year. I love Duke so much in fact, that had Eleanor been a boy, her name would have been Cameron David (Cameron for Cameron Indoor Stadium where Duke plays, and David for my grandpa). I only chose Cameron because my mom said Krzyzewski was not a nice first name for a baby to be saddled with. As a teacher, I knew logically she was right. I have watched students for YEARS struggle to spell their own names because their parents are ridiculous. But I digress.

Let me know what you think of the line, and/or leave a line of your own. Then, visit my fellow First-Liners to see what they have this week.

Bree - Bibliophile Reviews

Rachel - Bookworm Mama

Heather - Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Beth - Faithfully Bookish

Katie - Fiction Aficionado

Lauraine - Lauraine's Notes

Andi - Radiant Light

Carrie - Reading is my SuperPower

Robin - Robin's Nest

Sydney - Singing Librarian

(Sydney is currently on hiatus but her previous FLF posts will still be available)

Kathleen - Kathleen Denly

Amanda - With a Joyful Noise

Jessica - A Baker's Perspective

Trisha - Joy of Reading

Jeanette - CJaneReads

Christina - Moments Dipped in Ink

Molly - Molly's Cafinated Reads

Anna - Romances of the Cross

If you want to join in on First Line Friday, let Carrie know!

Happy Reading!

Sarah

DEAL ALERT!!!

The Wars of the Roses by Dan Jones is on sale right now for $1.99. This is a MUST READ if you enjoy the time period. 

I found the deal via BookBub and it is on sale for Kindle, Nook, and a few other e-readers. Get your copy today!!

First Line Friday - Templars Edition

Happy Friday!

This week's book is extra special because it is a book I have been dying to read for months - and it is not even being published until September. I am posting both covers because I am partial the UK one (white) over the US one (black and red).

 

Note: The first lines are taken from an advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley.

"The Templars were holy soldiers. Men of religion and men of the sword, pilgrims and warriors, paupers and bankers. Their uniforms were emblazoned with a red cross, symbolizing the blood Christ had shed for mankind and that they themselves were prepared to spill in the Lord's service."

Okay, I am about to fangirl pretty hard, and brag a little too. Be prepared.

It is no secret that Dan Jones is one of my most favorite authors, and definitely my favorite historian. He's intelligent and hilarious, which is almost always a winning combo. The last few weeks he has been doing various giveaways using Facebook Live on his page. He posts the giveaway and participants only needed to comment on the post to be in the mix to win, which he announces live on Fridays. Sadly, I had yet to win and was not very happy about that by last week, which involved a giveaway of an autographed ARC of The Templars. I had also been watching NetGalley for The Templars to be posted in that time. I requested it as soon as it was up but was very upset when I was declined. It was pretty traumatic - my profile even says that Jones is my fave.

Naturally I took my whiny self right on over to Dan's Facebook post about the Templars giveaway and lamented the fact that I had been declined by Viking on NetGalley, and thus deserved the autographed ARC.

That did not happen.

But that is okay, because guess what happened instead?

Dan Jones SENT ME A MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK saying that because I had been such a loyal supporter, he asked Viking to get me a galley! You can imagine my surprise and absolute giddiness that not only was Dan Jones TALKING TO ME, I was going to get my hands on a book that I thought I would be waiting on until September. I received an email from Viking on Monday with a link to download my copy, and am pleased to say it is exactly as great as I expected it to be and I am a very happy history nerd right now.

Now, you might be wondering why I would rather have a digital galley instead of a signed one, and the truth is I wouldn't. However, Jones will be doing a US tour to promote the book in the fall and you can bet I will be in St Louis to ugly-cry and tell him how much I adore him. It's going to be great. In the meantime I get to read a great book and think about which of the zillion Plantagenet questions I will ask him in the brief moment we will have to chat while he signs my book. For the record, I want him to sign my copy of The Plantagenets, because that is the book that introduced me to Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Let me know what you think of the line, and/or leave a line of your own. Then, visit my fellow First-Liners to see what they have this week.

Bree - Bibliophile Reviews

Rachel - Bookworm Mama

Heather - Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Beth - Faithfully Bookish

Katie - Fiction Aficionado

Lauraine - Lauraine's Notes

Andi - Radiant Light

Carrie - Reading is my SuperPower

Robin - Robin's Nest

Sydney - Singing Librarian

(Sydney is currently on hiatus but her previous FLF posts will still be available)

Kathleen - Kathleen Denly

Amanda - With a Joyful Noise

Jessica - A Baker's Perspective

Trisha - Joy of Reading

Jeanette - CJaneReads

Christina - Moments Dipped in Ink

Molly - Molly's Cafinated Reads

Anna - Romances of the Cross

If you want to join in on First Line Friday, let Carrie know!

Happy Reading!

Sarah

First Line Friday

***Warning: This week's line is from a book about a journalist who was sexually assaulted while on assignment and her subsequent investigation into the man's life***

Happy Friday all!

It is no secret that I am addicted to books. Seriously addicted. I can not stop wandering the shelves in search of new books, when I already have so many at home. This week has been especially rough, as we have been to one library twice so Eleanor and her BFF could play and we are going to a different library tomorrow for story time. Needless to say, I now have a stack of about 30 books by the couch, when there are already so many that I own on my desk and Kindle. On the other hand, there are worse things to be addicted to, so...

I came across this book in the biography section and the title intrigued me. I had no idea what it was about until I saw the cover. I considered putting it back; it is heavy subject matter and truth be told, once I had a child I could not even watch Law and Order: SVU anymore, so the idea of reading about one woman's real life trauma was almost too much. But then I reconsidered. While I am not a survivor of sexual assault, I know many women who are. I have a daughter who I am raising in this incredibly difficult time when rape-culture and victim-blaming is still the norm. So, with caution I am starting this one tonight after I post the line.

"I was thirty years old when I left my body for the first time."

Let me know what you think of the line, and/or leave a line of your own. Then, visit my fellow First-Liners to see what they have this week.

Bree - Bibliophile Reviews

Rachel - Bookworm Mama

Heather - Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Beth - Faithfully Bookish

Katie - Fiction Aficionado

Lauraine - Lauraine's Notes

Andi - Radiant Light

Carrie - Reading is my SuperPower

Robin - Robin's Nest

Sydney - Singing Librarian

(Sydney is currently on hiatus but her previous FLF posts will still be available)

Kathleen - Kathleen Denly

Amanda - With a Joyful Noise

Jessica - A Baker's Perspective

Trisha - Joy of Reading

Jeanette - CJaneReads

Christina - Moments Dipped in Ink

Molly - Molly's Cafinated Reads

If you want to join in on First Line Friday, let Carrie know!

Happy Reading!

Sarah

First Line Friday: David and Goliath Edition

Happy First Line Friday!

In the wake of VBS ending recently, I myself feel so invigorated after a fun but tiring week and am ready to confront some things head-on that need to be taken care of. I found this gem recently at a local Christian bookstore and am ready to get started. It is non-fiction, of course, relying on the David and Goliath narrative to help us conquer our own giants by "fixing our eyes on the size of our God, not the size of our giant(s)".

"The king ducked his head, shuffled outside his tent, and stared at the far hill that lay just outside his war camp."

I'm sure, given the context, you can guess which king and war camp is being discussed.

Let me know what you think of the line, and/or leave a line of your own. Then, visit my fellow First-Liners to see what they have this week.

Bree - Bibliophile Reviews

Rachel - Bookworm Mama

Heather - Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Beth - Faithfully Bookish

Katie - Fiction Aficionado

Lauraine - Lauraine's Notes

Andi - Radiant Light

Carrie - Reading is my SuperPower

Robin - Robin's Nest

Sydney - Singing Librarian

Kathleen - Kathleen Denly

Amanda - With a Joyful Noise

Jessica - A Baker's Perspective

Trisha - Joy of Reading

Jeanette - CJaneReads

Christina - Moments Dipped in Ink

Molly - Molly's Cafinated Reads

If you want to join in on First Line Friday, let Carrie know!

Happy Reading!

Sarah

First Line Friday: Chuck Klosterman Edition

Happy First Line Friday!

This week my line is from one of my most favorite authors who is not a historian. Shocker, right?? This author very much writes of the here and now...or sports/music/pop culture-related events within the last couple decades or so. Give or take. Really depends on the essay.

Chuck Klosterman is MY. FAVE. I absolutely love his humor and writing style; if you have not read anything by him, I definitely recommend starting now. He has written for SPIN, The A.V. Club, WaPo, GQ, and Grantland, among many others.

My line this week comes from:

"What is the most villainous move on the market?"

If you are new to Chuck Klosterman, please allow me to make a few recommendations.

 is by far my most favorite. Start here if you have never read anything else by him. I just lied to you, however, because  is actually tied for my most favorite. Both are excellent and I have read them multiple times.  was Klosterman's first foray into fiction and I loved it. He has another fictional work, , which I did not like nearly as well. If memory serves (and really, it doesn't. I had a baby almost four years ago and my memory is still shit), I really did not like the main character. I mean, you weren't supposed to, but I REALLY did not like him. I will probably have to revisit this one and see if my memories are correct.  is another one I do not feel as strongly about. I don't know why, and I probably need to reread it again, too. I really liked  and . I am also currently reading  and  in addition to Black Hat.

So, there you go. Several recommendations in one post. Choose one and enjoy. You're welcome.

Let me know what you think of the line, and/or leave a line of your own. Then, visit my fellow First-Liners to see what they have this week.

Bree - Bibliophile Reviews

Rachel - Bookworm Mama

Heather - Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Beth - Faithfully Bookish

Katie - Fiction Aficionado

Lauraine - Lauraine's Notes

Andi - Radiant Light

Carrie - Reading is my SuperPower

Robin - Robin's Nest

Sydney - Singing Librarian

Kathleen - Kathleen Denly

Amanda - With a Joyful Noise

Jessica - A Baker's Perspective

Trisha - Joy of Reading

Jeanette - CJaneReads

Christina - Moments Dipped in Ink

Molly - Molly's Cafinated Reads

If you want to join in on First Line Friday, let Carrie know!

Happy Reading!

Sarah

Cover Reveal: Hearts Are Like Balloons

Cover Reveal!

Hearts are Like Balloons 

by Candace Robinson

This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The cover is designed by Jenny Zemanek from Seedlings Online (http://www.seedlingsonline.com/)

Hearts are Like Balloons

By Candace Robinson

Genre: Contemporary

Age category: upper Young Adult

Release Date: June 30, 2017

Blurb:

May Falkner’s past two years have been a rough road. When her father suddenly passes away, May needs to find a job to help out her mom and regain some control over her life. Working at the bookstore helps her heal, laugh, and hope again. It also leads her to cross paths with Nico Evitts, who begins as just a co-worker, but becomes so much more

When it all becomes perfect, because there is no perfect, life steps in to prove once again that it all can crash down harder than before. This is a story about finding yourself, love, and the things in life that are still here.

Hearts are like balloons. Sometimes they inflate… Sometimes they deflate…

You can find Hearts are Like Balloons on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34807723-hearts-are-like-balloons

Pre-order your copy of Hearts are Like Balloons for only $0.99 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Like-Balloons-Candace-Robinson-ebook/dp/B0722ZHDMP/

About the Author:

Candace Robinson is just your average hemiplegic migraine sufferer. Her days are spent writing, book reviewing and traveling through books. She live just outside of Houston, Texas, where it feels like the hottest place on Earth with the crazy weather. No, seriously, one day it's 30 degrees and the next it's 70 degrees! She resides with her husband and daughter.

You can find and contact Candace here:

- Website: https://authorcandacerobinson.wordpress.com/

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/literarydust

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/literarydust

- Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16541001.Candace_Robinson

- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Candace-Robinson/e/B06XR7CB7Z/

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/literarydust/

First Line Friday: Magna Carta Edition

Happy First Line Friday! It is also my first Friday of freedom, as school and teacher meetings/work days are also DUNZO. I am looking forward to making more progress on my own writing projects, but even more so to having a lot of awesome time with my baby girl. We have very busy summers filled with camps and museums and of course trips to the library.

This week's line is from a book I really like, by an author you may have seen me mention once or twice. 

If you are either unsure what Magna Carta is or why it actually matters, definitely give this one a read. You might be surprised that what you thought you knew about this document is not entirely accurate. Jones does a fantastic job explaining the true meaning of it; you won't be disappointed.

"Eight hundred years after it was first granted beneath the trees of Runnymeade, by the fertile banks of the river Thames, the Magna Carta is more famous than ever. This is strange."

Just why it is strange is something you will have to find out for yourself!

Let me know what you think of this line, and/or leave a line of your own. Then, visit my fellow First-Liners to see what they have this week.

Bree - Bibliophile Reviews

Rachel - Bookworm Mama

Heather - Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Beth - Faithfully Bookish

Katie - Fiction Aficionado

Lauraine - Lauraine's Notes

Andi - Radiant Light

Carrie - Reading is my SuperPower

Robin - Robin's Nest

Sydney - Singing Librarian

Kathleen - Kathleen Denly

Amanda - With a Joyful Noise

Jessica - A Baker's Perspective

Trisha - Joy of Reading

Jeanette - CJaneReads

Christina - Moments Dipped in Ink

Molly - Molly's Cafinated Reads

If you want to join in on First Line Friday, let Carrie know!

Happy Reading!

Sarah