17 Jul 2019

Upcoming Event: Margaret Atwood In Conversation about The Testaments live! #atwoodlive

17 July 2 Comments

Margaret Atwood In Conversation about The Testaments live!

I am so excited to share about an upcoming event with you today: Margaret Atwood In Conversation about The Testaments live! On September 10th across North America and the UK, you can watch Margaret Atwood discussing her newest release, THE TESTAMENTS. Join the conversation online using #atwoodlive

I absolutely loved THE HANDMAID'S TALE and cannot wait to see how the next installment is going to continue the story and explore our current political climate.

Learn more below and check to see if it is playing at your cinema here: https://www.margaretatwoodlive.com/ 

Fane Productions presents Margaret Atwood live on stage and in cinemas on Tuesday, September 10th in celebration of the global publication of The Testaments, Atwood’s highly anticipated sequel to her seminal work, The Handmaid’s Tale.

Margaret Atwood: Live in Cinemas will be broadcast to over 1,000 cinemas across the globe, including cinemas throughout the US, UK and Canada, with delayed screenings planned in Australia and New Zealand. Filmed live from the National Theatre in London, BBC journalist and New York Times best-selling author Samira Ahmed will interview Atwood about her remarkable career, her diverse range of works and why she has returned to her handmaid story, 34 years later. The event, presented in partnership with Equality Now, will include a number of special guests to be announced later this year.

Margaret Atwood: Live in Cinemas will be broadcast to Cineplex cinemas across Canada. Cinema tickets go on sale Friday, March 8 at 10AM ET at www.margaretatwoodlive.com.

I am delighted that the launch of THE TESTAMENTS will take place not only in London on September 10th, but also by live-streaming to over 1000 cinemas around the world. I can't be in all placed at once in my analogue body, but I look forward to being with so many readers via the big screen.

The publication of Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale in 1985 and the current, Emmy Award-winning television series have created a cultural phenomenon, as handmaids have become a symbol of women’s rights and a protest of misogyny and oppression. In this brilliant sequel, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades. When the van door slammed on Offred’s future at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, readers had no way of telling what  lay ahead. Margaret Atwood’s sequel The Testaments picks up the story fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead. 

THE TESTAMENTS

Author: Margaret Atwood
Series: The Handmaid's Tale #2
Publisher: Nan A. Talese
Publication Date: September 10, 2019

Summary
:
In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades.



When the van door slammed on Offred's future at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her—freedom, prison or death. 



With The Testaments, the wait is over. 



Margaret Atwood's sequel picks up the story fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead. 



"Dear Readers: Everything you've ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we've been living in." —Margaret Atwood
Purchase:

Are you excited about the next installment to THE HANDMAID'S TALE? Are you going to check this out?

15 Jul 2019

#Discussion: ARC August 2019 Sign-Up + TBR!

15 July 5 Comments

ARC August 2019 Sign-Up + TBR

I am always behind on ARCs because that's my life so I love when ARC August rolls around! I hope to be able to finish 20 books during the month but I'm also just hoping to finish one at the same time. One of my 2019 Reading Goals was to read my NetGalley ARCs so I should probably get to those at some point!

I am putting below the options that I am going to choose from and I will say this is in no way an exhaustive list. Click on the picture to go to Goodreads and add it to your TBR!

ARC August is hosted by the amazing bloggers over at Read.Sleep.Repeat.

Are you going to participate in ARC August?

13 Jul 2019

Stacking the Shelves (18): July 13, 2019

13 July 6 Comments
Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks!
I have been reading and working hard to get my blog under control for the next few weeks so I am excited to share all the posts with you! Is there anything you want to see? I will do my best to make it for you!

How has everyone's 2019 been going so far?

12 Jul 2019

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: THE BRIDGE KINGDOM by Danielle L. Jensen

12 July 1 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays

introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

THE BRIDGE KINGDOM

Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Series: The Bridge Kingdom #1
Source: Audible
Publisher: Context Literary Agency, LLC
Publication Date: October 16, 2018


Summary:
What if you fell in love with the one person you'd sworn to destroy? 

Lara has only one thought for her husband on their wedding day: I will bring your kingdom to its knees. A princess trained from childhood to be a lethal spy, Lara knows that the Bridge Kingdom represents both legendary evil - and legendary promise. The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom controls all trade and travel between lands, allowing its ruler to enrich himself and deprive his enemies, including Lara's homeland. So when she is sent as a bride under the guise of fulfilling a treaty of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture the defenses of the impenetrable Bridge Kingdom. 

But as she infiltrates her new home - a lush paradise surrounded by tempest seas - and comes to know her new husband, Aren, Lara begins to question where the true evil resides. Around her, she sees a kingdom fighting for survival, and in Aren, a man fiercely protective of his people. As her mission drives her to deeper understanding of the fight to possess the bridge, Lara finds the simmering attraction between her and Aren impossible to ignore. 

Her goal nearly within reach, Lara will have to decide her own fate: Will she be the destroyer of a king or the savior of her people?
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD

This is ADULT Fantasy just so everyone is aware. But I definitely really enjoyed it. The audiobook probably helped that fact because you got the emotions and tone of the voice for the characters which I really enjoyed. I thought that this was a really good novel and I am looking forward to the next!

I think there was a lot of really good political action in this one. I liked learning more about the different countries, their boundaries, and how they interacted with one another. I think the alliances and breaking of them were great and I look forward to seeing how it plays out in the future.

I loved the setting and the worldbuilding of this one too. The details were astounding and I felt like I was there the entire time. I loved traversing the world with Lara and Aren. I felt immersed in the world the entire time and look forward to learning more about it in the future!

Honestly there was a lot of goodness in this one. I really enjoyed reading it, learning about the characters, and seeing how it played out in real time. However, I know if I had been reading it in physical or ebook format, I would have stopped at about 30% because I was a little bored. The narrators definitely made this one.

I will say though this is a super slow burn romance and every time I wanted them to get it on, they did not get it on. So be prepared for that!

What are some of your favourite Adult SFF books?

10 Jul 2019

ARC #Review: FAKE IT TILL YOU BREAK IT by Jenn P. Nguyen

10 July 2 Comments

FAKE IT TILL YOU BREAK IT

Author: Jenn P. Nguyen
Series: N/A
Source: ARC via Publisher
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Publication Date: May 28, 2019
Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:


Summary:
Mia and Jake have known each other their whole lives. They’ve endured summer vacations, Sunday brunches, even dentist visits together. Their mothers, who are best friends, are convinced that Mia and Jake would be the perfect couple, even though they can’t stand to be in the same room together.

After Mia’s mom turns away yet another cute boy, Mia and Jake decide they’ve have had enough. Together, they hatch a plan to get their moms off their backs. Permanently. All they have to do is pretend to date and then stage the worst breakup of all time—and then they’ll be free.


The only problem is, maybe Jake and Mia don’t hate each other as much as they once thought...

Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD


Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

Fake relationship tropes are my favourite and this did not disappoint on that front. However, I thought the ending was a little too abrupt and easy to smooth over considering all the drama. I would have liked a bit more spent on the fallout and coming together at the end, especially between families. But Jake and Mia were super cute and I loved reading about them!


I am glad that Jake and Mia decided to do the whole fake relationship thing. I thought their motivations behind it were logical and made sense - far too often these types of tropes are forced. I did think some of the aspects were a little convenient but they did work for me.

I thought that all the characters could have been a little bit more developed - I would have liked more time for the characters to think about themselves in their own perspectives as I found each of them to focus on the other. I would have liked just more and I felt like it wasn't enough.

But I definitely still recommend it and I really enjoyed reading the book! I did it all in one sitting but I think a large part of that was the Fake Relationship Trope aspect. I would have just liked to see a bit more of the two getting back into the swing of things and learning about each other all over again during their "fake" relationship. Because while that was there, it felt superficial.