Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Quotes

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, because they love lists. 

This week's theme is...

Freebie Week.

This week, there is no assigned theme, it's a "Make up your own or do a past one". AWESOME!!! I'm going with...

Top Ten Book Quotes

This was a tough call, because there were sooooo many good themes to pick from. I guess that bodes well for other weeks/days. LOL. But without further ado, I bring you, ten of my favorite book quotes (which was also difficult to narrow down, FYI).

Book Review: Told You So by Kristen Heitzmann

Devin Bressard scarcely blinked when Grace tossed her sweet tea in his face.
His eyes were hammered steel. “Feel better?”
“Waste of a good sweet tea.”
“Sorry for your loss.” He took a napkin from the arm of a server instantly beside him.
He wasn’t sorry for anything. She snatched her purse and stood. “It’s a perfect end to this fiasco.” -Excerpt from Told You So by Kristen Heitzmann

Spoiler alert! This review will contain spoilers (a few paragraphs down) for the plot of Told You So. Do not continue reading if you don’t want to read spoilers.

Happy Monday! I know, what’s so happy about Monday? As soon as I figure it out, I’ll let you know. For now, I figure I’ll keep putting it out there and assume I can eventually speak it into being. :P  Today I’m bringing you my review of Kristen Heitzmann’s 2015 release, Told You So, a Christian novel that weaves a pinch of drama and mystery in with romance, humor, and the messiness of life and colliding values. Now, don’t read “Christian fiction” and “romance” and say “Um… nope!”, stay with me, because I’m getting a little personal with this one, because this book – while being fiction - *is* personal, for me and I suspect for many others.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite 2016 Releases So Far This Year

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, because they love lists. 

This week's theme is...

Top Ten Favorite 2016 Releases So Far This Year

This list is actually a Top Nine. I've read ten 2016 releases thus far, but one of them I just couldn't bring myself to include one of the books on this list because any book where I find myself typing "I mean, it wasn't AWFUL..." and "it kind of dragged." isn't one I can bring myself to include on a list of favorites, unless maybe it's "Favorite Books That I Was Glad I Got For Free" or "Favorite Only Okay Books". But, I digress. Let's talk about the nine 2016 releases that I *did* like.

Book Review: Courtesan by Diane Haeger

"Do you suppose... that just perhaps, if we had met under different circumstances, Madame, that we might one day have become friends?"
"It is not likely that we shall ever know the answer to that, Your Majesty," Diane said. "But had things been different, I know I should have liked that very much." -Courtesan, by Diane Haeger

Happy Monday (yeah yeah, I know. *guzzles coffee*) and welcome back to Drink Read Love. Today, I'm happy to be reviewing Courtesan, a lovely historical fiction novel by Diane Haeger (who also writes under the name Anne Girard). As is so often the case, I happened upon this book and author through another book and author. In this case, I have Sophie Perinot and her novel Medici's Daughter to thank. During the weeks leading up to the online party for Medici's Daughter, Sophie teased us all by slowly introducing the other historical fiction authors who would be her special guest hosts for the party and some of their books.

One of those was Diane Haeger and Courtesan, her novel about Diane de Poitiers (most well known as the favourite of  King Henri II of France). I recognized the name from watching Reign on Netflix, and - being fascinated at the idea of reading something about Diane rather than Mary Queen of Scots or Catherine de Medici - promptly hopped over to Amazon to pick up an e-book copy on my Kindle. If I'm being totally frank, a lot of that happened while Sophie was introducing her guests. But, I digress. Ahem. Anyways, thus was I introduced to this intriguing book and another talented author.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For The Second Half Of The Year

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature/meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, because they love lists. 

This week's theme is... 

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For The Second Half Of The Year.

It may need to be noted that for the purposes of this list, I'm translating "the second half of the year" to mean May 31 or later. LOL. I'm so excited to read all these books!

1. Mata Hari's Last Dance by Michelle Moran
   From Amazon: "From the international bestselling author of Rebel Queen and Nefertiti comes a captivating novel about the infamous Mata Hari, exotic dancer, adored courtesan, and, possibly, relentless spy."
   Release date: July 19, 2016
2. The Autumn Throne by Elizabeth Chadwick.
   From Amazon: "England, 1176 Imprisoned by her husband, King Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of England, refuses to let her powerful husband bully her into submission, even as he forces her away from her children and her birthright. Freed only by Henru's death, Eleanor becomes dowager Queen of England."
   Release Dates: UK: September 1, 2016; USA: October 1, 2016.
3. Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford.
   From Amazon: "The Great War is over, and change is in the air, in this novel that brings to life the exciting days of early British radio... and one woman who finds her voice while working alongside the brilliant women and men of the BBC."
   Release Date: June 14, 2016
4. The Gilded Years by Karin Tanabe.
   From Goodreads: "Passing meets The House of Mirth in this 'utterly captivating' (Kathleen Grissom, New York Timesbestselling author of The Kitchen House) historical novel based on the true storyof Anita Hemmings, the first black student to attend Vassar, who successfully passed as white - un- til she let herself grow too attached to the wrong person."
   Release Date: June 7, 2016
5. A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams.
   From Amazon: The bestselling author of A Hundred Summers brings the Roaring Twentiesbrilliantly to life in this enchanting and compulsively readable tale of intrigue. romance, and scandal in New York Society, brimming with lush atmosphere, striking characters, and irresistible charm."
   Release Date: June 28, 2016
6. I'm Judging You by Luvvie Ajayi
   From Goodreads: "Comedian, activist, and hugely popular culture blogger at AwesomelyLuvvie.com, Luvvie Ajayi, serves up necessary advice for the common senseless in this hilarious book of essays."
   Release Date: September 13, 2016
7. The Girl from the Savoy by Hazel Gaynor
   From the back cover, as viewed on Amazon: "Here, amid the cocktails and the jazz, two women with very different pasts try to forget the devastation of the Great War and forge a new life in a city where those who dare to dream can have it all.":
   Release date: June 7, 2016
8. Bauldr's Tears by Alydia Rackham
   From the FB event for the launch party: " When young, solitary archaeologist Maria Feroe meets a beautiful young man with an interest in Norse myths, she believes her life has turned for the better. But the last thing she expects, when she sneaks after him into the woods one night, is that he is actually Bauldr, yoinger son of Odin. Days later, winter suddenly descends on Earth. Bauldr has been killed. Marina is the only one who knows how to bring him back-but to do so she must travel all through Midgard, with Hel's wolves on her heels. She has no choice but to bargain help from the only Aesir who will listen: Loki, the mischief maker. The one who murdered Bauldr."
   Release date: July 2, 2016
9. Katherine of Aragon by Alison Weir
   From Amazon: "Bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir takes on what no fiction writer has done before: creating a dramatic six-book series in which each novel covers one of King Henry VIII’s wives. In this captivating opening volume, Weir brings to life the tumultuous tale of Katherine of Aragon, Henry’s first, devoted, and “true” queen."
   Release date: May 31, 2016
10. Nemeses Unexpected by Miles O'Neal
    The highly anticipated sequel to Miles O'Neal's debut novel, Year of the Dragon Lord.
    Release date: unknown. Author is hoping to release by the end of 2016.

What books are you looking forward to reading?

Waiting On Wednesday: Mata Hari's Last Dance

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

And zOMG, am I ever excited for this week's selection. Pins and needles, y'all. Pins and needles.

Title: Mata Hari's Last Dance
Author: Michelle Moran
Release Date: July 19, 2016

From Amazon: 

"From the international bestselling author of Rebel Queen andNefertiti comes a captivating novel about the infamous Mata Hari, exotic dancer, adored courtesan, and, possibly, relentless spy.
Paris, 1917. The notorious dancer Mata Hari sits in a cold cell awaiting freedom…or death. Alone and despondent, Mata Hari is as confused as the rest of the world about the charges she’s been arrested on: treason leading to the deaths of thousands of French soldiers.
As Mata Hari waits for her fate to be decided, she relays the story of her life to a reporter who is allowed to visit her in prison. Beginning with her carefree childhood, Mata Hari recounts her father’s cruel abandonment of her family as well her calamitous marriage to a military officer. Taken to the island of Java, Mata Hari refuses to be ruled by her abusive husband and instead learns to dance, paving the way to her stardom as Europe’s most infamous dancer.
From Indian temples and Parisian theatres to German barracks in war-torn Europe, international bestselling author Michelle Moran who “expertly balances fact and fiction” (Associated Press) brings to vibrant life the famed world of Mata Hari: dancer, courtesan, and possibly, spy."

Michelle Moran is only one of my favorite historical fiction authors, and authors in general. I can not WAIT for Mata Hari's Last Dance. I already have my copies pre-ordered and everything. Are you planning on reading it?

Book Review: Toddlers are A**holes by Bunmi Laditan

"What is a toddler? A toddler is a cross between a sociopath, a rabid animal, a cocker spaniel, a demon, and an angel. Depending on the time of day and when you toddler's last meal was, you will see all of these sides."

-Toddlers Are A**holes, by Bunmi Laditan

My friends, today I'm writing you a blog post I've been dreaming about for ages. It's a book that made me both laugh so hard I almost peed my pants and made me cry with relief that Someone Else Gets It. What book is this? My favorite parenting book EVER: Toddlers Are A**holes by Most Blessed Bunmi Laditan (well, she's blessed by me and a whole bunch of other parents, anyways). And just so you know, this post will be a little different, because I'm really relishing the chance to channel my inner Bunmi I feel that my background and experiences as a parent are highly relevant and give important context.

I'll tell you a secret. I'm a parent, but I'm not usually a fan of parenting books. Why? None of it ever really seems to fit, and the advice never works. Our kids are 3 1/2 (that's an important distinction, but more on that later), 5, and 7. I can't tell you how many times I've thought that the world sets future parents up for failure by making a big fuss about The Terrible Twos. Why is this setting us up for failure? Because the way society so often talks about The Terrible Twos, we end up with the idea that when our little darlings turn 2, they turn terrible, we have a terrible year, and then once they're not 2 anymore, we're out of danger and can breathe safely.

This could not possibly be farther from the truth.

Medici's Daughter is The Cat's Meow

Happy Friday! Usually, I'd be asking if you're as excited as I am that the week is over, but I can't even say that because it's been *such* a great week. It started with a review I'd been looking forwards to, that of Sophie Perinot's Medici's Daughter, then continued with a lovely Author Q&A with Sophie herself. Wednesday was really the best day of the week. For one thing, it was June 1, which made me happy by itself just for the sheer fact of meaning that May 2016 was finally over (terrible, horrible, no good, very bad month of nightmarish awfulness. I blame Mercury). And I am taking it as a good omen that June 1 was also the night of the long-awaited online party celebrating the 6-month anniversary of the release of Medici's Daughter.

Medici's Daughter Author Q&A with Sophie Perinot

Hello, and Happy Hump Day! Welcome back to Drink Read Love. Today, I'm being joined by Sophie Perinot, author of Medici's Daughter, which I reviewed yesterday. You can read it here if you haven't already. When I reached out to Sophie and asked if she'd be willing to do a Q&A, I was delighted when she said yes. Quite frankly, Author Q&As are my favorite part of this blog, and getting to chat with Sophie is no exception.

Anyways. Today is the big day: the online party celebrating the 6-month anniversary of the release of Medici's Daughter! I'm pre-gaming with a glass of ginger ale (gotta save my champagne for tonight, and I do have to drive and care for children today). Grab a drink and join me for a chat with Sophie.