"The Sisters of Versailles" - Sally Christie

Hello fellow bibliophiles! I hope everyone was able to enjoy the three-day weekend and have a little time to relax and read. Today's review was the final book I finished as part of the Clean Slate Read-a-thon. And what a great book it was! I think I was most excited to find out that The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie is part of a trilogy, with books two and three coming out this year! Those have definitely been added to my TBR list. Who doesn't love a good French Court, 18th-century scandal :) Thanks Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

"A sumptuous and sensual tale of power, romance, family, and betrayal centered around four sisters and one King. Carefully researched and ornately detailed, The Sisters of Versailles is the first book in an exciting new historical fiction trilogy about King Louis XV, France's most "well-beloved" monarch, and the women who shared his heart and his bed.
 
Goodness, but sisters are a thing to fear.
 
Set against the lavish backdrop of the French Court in the early years of the 18th century, The Sisters of Versailles is the extraordinary tale of the five Nesle sisters: Louise, Pauline, Diane, Hortense, and Marie-Anne, four of whom became mistresses to King Louis XV. Their scandalous story is stranger than fiction but true in every shocking, amusing, and heartbreaking detail.
 
Court intriguers are beginning to sense that young King Louis XV, after seven years of marriage, is tiring of his Polish wife. The race is on to find a mistress for the royal bed as various factions put their best foot - and women - forward. The King's scheming ministers push Louise, the eldest of the aristocratic Nesle sisters, into the arms of the King. Over the following decade, the four sisters: sweet, naive Louise; ambitious Pauline; complacent Diane, and cunning Marie Anne, will conspire, betray, suffer, and triumph in a desperate fight for both love and power.
 
In the tradition of The Other Boleyn Girl, The Sisters of Versailles is a clever, intelligent, and absorbing novel that historical fiction fans will devour. Based on meticulous research on a group of women never before written about in English, Sally Christie's stunning debut is a complex exploration of power and sisterhood; of the admiration, competition, and even hatred that can coexist within a family when the stakes are high enough."

Five sisters all connected in some way to King Louis XV, fighting for power and to be his mistress?! How scandalous! And how intriguing! This book was pure gold. Christie banters back and forth between all the sisters, including both narrative and letters they wrote back and forth to each other. I loved seeing the story and struggle from each of their points-of-view! The story was full of drama, intrigue, power, and romance, romance for both the king and for each other as sisters. Positively thrilling! There are a lot of other characters throughout the book that sometimes I confused, but not enough that it had an effect on the story itself. Even better, the entire premise of the story is wrote based on actual facts. Yes, the book is historical fiction but the idea came from actual accounts. As a debut author, Christie is someone I am definitely looking forward to reading more from. She uses GREAT vocabulary. I'm all about the use of the word "pious." Don't ask. I have weird quirks :) I can't wait for books two and three, The Rivals of Versailles and The Enemies of Versailles, both due to be released this year, to complete the Mistresses of Versailles trilogy. My only fault, I wish I would have read this book sooner! As always, feel free to share any thoughts, comments, or recommendations.

Happy reading fools :)

" The Bronte Plot" - Katherine Reay

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Another book finished for the Clean Slate Read-a-thon. Four books down, one to go! Today's review is brought to you by NetGalley. Thanks again! The Bronte Sisters, English countryside, and full of history, mystery, and romance. What more could you ask for?

"Lucy Alling makes a living selling rare books, often taking suspicious measures to reach her goals. When her unorthodox methods are discovered, Lucy's secret ruins her relationship with her boss and her boyfriend James—leaving Lucy in a heap of hurt, and trouble. Something has to change; she has to change.

In a sudden turn of events, James's wealthy grandmother Helen hires Lucy as a consultant for a London literary and antiques excursion. Lucy reluctantly agrees and soon discovers Helen holds secrets of her own. In fact, Helen understands Lucy's predicament better than anyone else.

As the two travel across England, Lucy benefits from Helen's wisdom, as Helen confronts the ghosts of her own past. Everything comes to a head at Haworth, home of the Brontë sisters, where Lucy is reminded of the sisters' beloved heroines, who, with tenacity and resolution, endured—even in the midst of change.

Now Lucy must go back into her past in order to move forward. And while it may hold mistakes and regrets, she will prevail—if only she can step into the life that's been waiting for her all along."

Sometimes all you need is a good, intriguing romance to curl up with. The Bronte Plot was just that. It wasn't necessarily a great book but it was good. Everyone can relate to the main character, Lucy, in some aspect. Girl meets boy; romance ensues; unfortunate events occur; answers to long awaited questions are answered. But is she making the right choice? Lucy must face her demons and her past in order to move on fully in her life, something I think we can all relate to. Throw in delightful grandmother, Helen, who is fighting her own demons, the English countryside, literature, history and you will be hooked. The story itself has multiple relationships. The relationship between Lucy and James, the relationship between Lucy and Helen, and the relationship between Lucy and her past. For me, the most enticing part that kept me reading was the relationship between Lucy and Helen. While their relationship is reliant on Lucy's relationship with James, I felt Lucy and Helen's relationship built up a lot better. James and Lucy were too quick and abrupt at times. Things happened quickly. But with Lucy and Helen, the story continually built at a steady pace. I was intrigued to see how things would play out, often forgetting about James altogether. I don't know about you, but London and the English countryside sound simply magical. I have desired to go there for some time just to see the places where writers wrote so many of their most famous works and to stand in the moors and homes that have inspired so many. Absolutely enchanting. Heart swooning. Okay, I'm stopping now. You get the point! As always, feel free to share your thoughts, comments, or suggestions! Make sure to check out my progress post for the Clean Slate Read-a-thon! 

Happy reading fools :) 

"My Life on the Road" - Gloria Steinem

Hello fellow bibliophiles! We're halfway through the Clean Slate Read-a-thon, I hope you're keeping up! Today's review marks the third I finished this week for the challenge. My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem was a last minute change-up on my reading plan for the week. I had planned to read an ARC I had from Netgalley but forgot to get it downloaded and unfortunately, it was archived. Whoops! Then I heard about Emma Watson (aka Hermoine Granger)'s new book club on Goodreads and had to join in on that! (Details at the bottom) It just so happened that the first book, My Life on the Road, was published last year so I threw it in the challenge in place of the other. Thanks Emma!

Gloria Steinem—writer, activist, organizer, and one of the most inspiring leaders in the world—now tells a story she has never told before, a candid account of how her early years led her to live an on-the-road kind of life, traveling, listening to people, learning, and creating change. She reveals the story of her own growth in tandem with the growth of an ongoing movement for equality. This is the story at the heart of My Life on the Road.

What I wouldn't get to spend a day listening to her tell stories. I was hooked from the prelude. I started suggesting the book to others before I was even finished with the prelude! Gloria Steinem, you're a true force to be reckoned with. You made my soul ache even more for a wanderlust lifestyle. I want to travel more and learn more and meet all the incredible people you talk about who are smarter than I can ever imagine being! The book is very candid and simplistic; sometimes I didn't think it was always laid out in the best format or timeline of events, but I still hung on to every word. There were two sections that I enjoyed the most. Steinem telling stories from talking with cab drivers across the country and her section on political campaigns. And hold onto your hats for the last chapter about her friend Wilma. Oh my, oh my. Wilma Mankiller, I wish I could have known you even if it was just to shake your hand and say hello. Your concepts and thoughts are something I cannot even describe. 

Go read this book. Don't walk to get it, run. It's something that will lead to new thoughts and ideas, changes in our world. Steinem has been making waves and taking steps for years and years towards change. It's time to make a jump.

As always, feel free to share your thoughts, comments, or suggestions! I'd love to hear what you thought of the book! If you would like to check out Emma Watson's book club through Goodreads, CLICK HERE! Below is her description for the book club, Our Shared Shelf:

"As part of my work with UN Women, I have started reading as many books and essays about equality as I can get my hands on. There is so much amazing stuff out there! Funny, inspiring, sad, thought-provoking, empowering! I’ve been discovering so much that, at times, I’ve felt like my head was about to explode… I decided to start a Feminist book club, as I want to share what I’m learning and hear your thoughts too." -Emma Watson-

Happy reading fools :)

"I'll Meet You There" - Heather Demetrios

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Today's review is the second book I have finished as part of the Clean Slate Read-a-thon. I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios was part of the FYA book club that I am in. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish it at the time and boy do I regret that now! What. A. Book. I started the book last night, and once again, didn't put it down until I finished. Finishing a book like this is so bittersweet. Oh book ache....

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

I loved this book. The characters. The relationships. The plot line. The hopes and dreams. Everything. Simple as that. I felt I could resonant on many levels with parts of all the characters. Growing up in a small town, same friends since preschool, and all the feelings that come with the summer before college, I harbored all those sentiments about getting out and away for college and beyond.  Then there was Skylar and Josh. My oh my! I loved all aspects of them. The back and forth. The worries and concerns they both had. The building of the relationship from friends to more. And then the final debate, will be together or is it too much for either of them to take on? The book came together really well. It brings to light issues a lot high school and college aged kids are facing, especially the military aspect of the book. Demetrios researched a great deal to perfectly portray how young kids are dealing with PTSD, missing limbs, and all aspects of life after coming home from war and the struggles they face. Great book! I highly recommend it! As always, feel free to share any comments, suggestions, or recommendations. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading fools :) 

Bookish Revolutions! (Clean Slate Read-a-thon Mini Challenge #1!)

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Today's post is the first mini challenge in the Clean Slate Read-a-thon! Today's mini challenge is Bookish Resolutions hosted by Novel Ink.  I have a lot of resolutions this year for myself pertaining to books and this blog! And while it is already the 2nd week of January, I have already started on these! Tell me your resolutions! What are looking forward to reading this year? How many books are you hoping to finish? Share your thoughts!

Bookish Resolutions

1. Blog OVERHAUL! I started this blog almost a year ago with not many plans or ideas on where I wanted to go. It was more of an experiment. Since then, it has grown to be so much more! This year I want to work on bettering the blog itself. New themes, custom buttons and plugins, exciting sidebars, more non-review posts! So much new will be coming over the next few months so make sure to keep stopping by!

2. Organizing. It's the only thing that makes sense to me. I long to make spreadsheets in every part of my life. I'm weird. I accepted this a long time ago :) I hope to organize and create the world's greatest spreadsheet for my books and what I need to finish and post each month. The spreadsheet is already in the works, just needs some tweaking!

3. ARCS's. Limiting the amount of ARC's I request and agree to read each month to 3. I often request a whole bunch at a time without paying attention to dates and then get swamped. Reading isn't as enjoyable when it's something you have to do. 

4. Book buying. It's on a hiatus. Or a book buying freeze! I have an entire shelf of books to read as well as an ever going TBR list that needs some serious attacking. The library and I are going to become even greater friends than we already are :) Only exception, my birthday. I always buy myself a birthday book! 

5. Read more books! Last year I read 103 books. This year I made the lofty goal to read 150. Woah, that's a scary number but I am up for the challenge! Thank heavens for Goodreads. I use that site religiously to keep track of my books. It's amazeballs. 

So there you have it! My bookish resolutions for the year. Make sure to keep coming back throughout the week as I will be posting more book reviews than normal as part of the Clean Slate Read-a-thon. Lots of changes coming throughout the next few months. Make sure to let me know if there is something you want to see improved or added to my blog!

Happy reading fools :)