April Showers, Books, and Tea

 

The above photo is a statue at the Women's Club in my hometown. They recently just celebrated 100 years. 

April showers bring May flowers and also seasonal allergies. I cannot stop sneezing from all the pollen but I sure do love the blooming flowers. It's a rainy Saturday morning here but I have a nice cup of tea brewed and I am ready to dive into the books that I read in the month of April.

Book 1: The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner. 

Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England's finest novelists. Now it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy. These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others—could not be more different, and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.

The book is a delightful read and enjoyed it very much but I still have some unanswered questions about the ending. To my delight, some of the characters ended up finding their happy ending after the suffering that they endured. Except for one that seems to have found a comfortable life but it hints at maybe finding someone but does not really come out and say it. The character Adam was one of my favorites in the story even though we don't see him as much as I would like because he really does seem a gentle soul and loved reading Jane Austen just as much as the other founding members. I would give this five of five stars.

Second book: Crave Book 1 in the series by Tracy Wolff

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

This is the YA romance genre with all the typical and some non-so typical teenage hardships. The protagonist Grace had lost her parents to a car accident and was sent to live with her uncle who is the headmaster of the Academy and his daughter. This story was a quick read and was actually predictable in many parts of the story. There were some nice twists in the book such as some of the students can change into dragons which I thought was interesting. Honestly, the author could have left out the vampires and focused on the dragons. This would have made it more authentic and not stuck on the Twilight and Vampire diaries.

It has always bothered me how a character could fall in love with someone within a week. I understand that it is a work of fiction but the question is why does she feel a bond with Jaxon? Why does she seem to worship him? I typically love a good vampire-witch book but in this case, sadly I just couldn't get into this character or her world at the Academy. I would give this a 3 out of 5 stars.

Book three: Southern Sorcery(Sweet Tea Witch Mysteries #4) by Amy Boyles. I failed to start the first book in this series because I stumbled across it on my library's website and thought I would give it a try. I am a sucker for a good witch story however this was not it. In all fairness, it could be because I started with book 4 and not at the beginning.

Pepper Dunn can’t catch a break. As soon as life settles down in the magical town of Magnolia Cove, Alabama, the sorcerer Rufus Mayes appears, hell-bent on stealing Pepper’s powers for himself.

When Rufus casts a spell that links his magic to hers, Pepper is determined to break the connection at all costs. Luckily, she doesn’t have to look too far for help. When an aging wizard agrees to assist her, victory is at hand.

But when the wizard winds up dead, all hope is lost. Will Pepper find a way to break the spell cast against her, or will she stay linked to Rufus forever?

The story was a quick light read and I was trying to figure out who had cast the spell and why are they helping Rufus. I really wished I had started with book one because I think I would have understood Pepper more than I did while reading. The artwork on the cover is one of my favorites and what caught my eye. I will give this a 4 out of 5 stars.

 So what will be on May's reading list? Not sure yet but I need something juicy to bite into. I think I should go on a book hunt this weekend. Who knows what I will find?

Later my fellow readers,

Armarius

J.R. Ward Event

 Good morning my bookish friends,

I have taken some time off from my blog due to life getting in my way. Life has a nasty way of getting in the way such as taking on extra side gigs to hopefully pay off bills and to get a loan for a bathroom remodel that has to get done due to moisture and water damage. So a couple of Saturdays ago I took off from side gig work and got up early to get dressed to meet the Queen of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. My friend who originally got me into this series. If you have never heard of the author or the series, I highly recommend starting the series off with Dark Lover and going in order. 

Good Reads insert of the Dark Lover first book in the series:

The only purebred vampire left on the planet and the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who killed his parents centuries ago.

But when his most trusted fighter is killed -- orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate -- Wrath must put down his dagger and usher the beautiful female into another world.

Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn’t there before, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes to her at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of the Brotherhood and blood frighten her. Yet his touch ignites a dawning new hunger one that threatens to consume them both…

Getting up early to meet my friend so that we can drive to another state to see one of our favorite authors was a dream come true but hard because I love to sleep in. Since the pandemic, I had not been to any event or made real plans with my friends to go anywhere or do anything. I truly believed it gave us introverts an excuse to stay home and avoid the outside world.

After finding where the venue was we went in search of lunch. Not knowing the area I did the next best thing two adult women could do we looked on Google Maps for nearby restaurants and read the reviews to see what others thought about them. My friend is a pickier eater than I am. When it comes to food there are a few things that I don't like one of them being green beans. We found a little southern restaurant called Libby's". Let me tell you that this is truly a hidden gem of a restaurant. The food was amazing and spoke in real depth
to my southern soul.

Yes, the second picture is a fried bologna sandwich with an egg! My friend chose wisely as I was having some enormous food envy. I chose the equally wonderful fried chicken sandwich.

After lunch, we headed back to the event where I found out how many people came to see the Ward in person. I was astonished and grateful that I had taken my anxiety pill. We waited in line for about an hour before we were finally seated. My friend and I chose to sit in the back of the room near an exit, yes I am that person who needs to know where all exits are. 

The energy that Ward brought into the room was astonishing. She is not for the faint of heart and has a mouth that would astonish the pure and chaste people out there. Thankfully I am not one of those people and found myself laughing and smiling the whole time like the town idiot. But damn did I have a fantastic time listening to her talk about herself ( she says she is boring I disagree). She talks about her characters as if they are in the room there with us. The questions that her fans asked her were so engaging and interesting that I could not bring myself to ask a question that I have for all authors out there.

My question: Have you ever been so mad at someone that you have written a character based on them to just kill them off in a book? Seems like a simple enough question but one that I was terrified to ask. 

If you ever get the chance to go to an event with your favorite author I highly recommend it. I want to go next year and have other adventures like this because I have forgotten how much I love traveling and seeing new places.

I promise to keep reading and writing. Hopefully, soon I will have a new adventure to share with you.

Truly yours,

Armarius

Spring is Here...Well kind of sort of

 Hey everyone it has been a few weeks since my last update. It has been extremely crazy between working, taking care of my house, family, and just trying to navigate this thing that we do while on this planet. I have been able to squeeze in some book time which also equals therapy time for me as well. And we all know that everyone needs therapy time. I thought it would be fun to revisit some of my favorite reads that may not be so well known but holds a special place in my heart.

 Faery Tale by Signe Pike. This is a memoir and before you say anything this doesn't read like your typical memoir but a beautiful and at times sad adventure that Signe goes on to face her personal demons. The cover work on my copy is beautiful and I believe it is what caught my attention. The story is a course centered around Signe who at the time lives in New York City with her cat and fiancee. While in New York City she is working as an editor for Penguin. Her father recently has passed away and she begins to think about her life growing up with him and her childhood. She decides to quit her job and goes on an adventure to rediscover moments that she had with her father while also searching for myths and legends about the fae folk. She travels to Mexico, Ireland, England, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Now, who has not dreamt of quitting their day jobs and traveling? I know personally, I have this dream several times a day because I personally have dreamt for so long that now I do not know if it ever will become reality. I highly would recommend this book to anyone that needs a little magic in their life. Please ignore the readers on GoodReads that have left negative comments because they did not understand the meaning of chasing your dreams and revisiting your childhood, especially after the loss of a parent. This book has been one of my favorites and I pick it up every time that I need to deal with some of my inner demons. Read this with an open mind to discovering one's self sprinkle with a little bit of fairy dust. Plus I have always wished and believed that the Fae Folk were real.

Just because here is a photo of my sweet Gizmo.

Happy reading,

Armarius

The Southern Book Club Guide to Slaying Vampires Review

 Hi, my bookish people out there

I just read one of the most interesting, terrifying books that would give popular horror authors a run for their money. Grady Hendrix author of The Southern Book Guide to Slaying Vampires was out of this world amazing. The reviews had this mashed up with Steel Magnolias, Fried Green Tomatoes meets Dracula. This was more than that it was Stepford Wives meets True Blood. 

When I first picked up my copy from the library let's be honest I had my doubts on this. One is that this was a male author writing from a woman's perspective. The second is that vampires have been done and redone thousands of times since Bram Stocker's Dracula. He nailed it especially if you were a young adult and lived through the early 1990s like I was.  Hopefully, a good director reads this book and decides to do an adaptation for a movie. Some reviews thought that Grady Hendrix was being sexist in his book with the Southern housewife bit but honestly, he wasn't it was scarily accurate of how it was and in some places still is. I loved how he portrayed housewives to being more than what their husbands thought they were. They were mothers who shoulder the responsibilities of running their households, helping with their husband's careers, and so much more that has to get done like slaying vampires.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book held my attention to the very end to see if the book club would be able to defeat the evil that hides in the night.

Trigger warnings: Suicide, rape, and abuse

Good Read's synopsis:

Patricia Campbell had always planned for a big life, but after giving up her career as a nurse to marry an ambitious doctor and become a mother, Patricia's life has never felt smaller. The days are long, her kids are ungrateful, her husband is distant, and her to-do list is never really done. The one thing she has to look forward to is her book club, a group of Charleston mothers united only by their love for true crime and suspenseful fiction. In these meetings, they're more likely to discuss the FBI's recent siege of Waco as much as the ups and downs of marriage and motherhood.

But when an artistic and sensitive stranger moves into the neighborhood, the book club's meetings turn into speculation about the newcomer. Patricia is initially attracted to him, but when some local children go missing, she starts to suspect the newcomer is involved. She begins her own investigation, assuming that he's a Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. What she uncovers is far more terrifying, and soon she--and her book club--are the only people standing between the monster they've invited into their homes and their unsuspecting community.

Happy Reading,

Armarius

Geeking Out!!

 Hi, to all my fellow readers and writers out there.

I am so excited! Why? I am so glad that you ask. Recently, I found out that one of my favorite authors will be doing a book release event near to me. With a friend of mine, we purchased tickets and have planned a day for it. Since the pandemic, I have decided not to let my inner hermit rule my life but actually enjoy life and embrace things that I love or want to do. LoL, I just realized in my excitement that I forgot to say who I will be seeing soon. J.R. Ward the author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series is who I am gushing about! She has given my love of vampires a whole new meaning. Her novels are not the typical vampire romance novels but they are filled with PLOT. Yes, a vampire story that actually has a plot and an amazing one at that. She also was the first author that I had ever read that introduced characters that were from the LGBTQ community. I remembered when some people had issues with this but I never could understand the why behind their hate.  All I cared about was if they were going to survive the battles that they were facing and if they were going to tell their love interest that they were in love with them. I am a sucker for a good romance that has plenty of action. Her new book Lover Arisen will have all of that and plus some. I am not sure how many books are in the series but I believe it is over 15 by now. My mission now will be to secure her latest book so that I can have her sign it and hopefully remember how to speak. If allowed I will be posting photos of this great adventure on here and on my Instagram account. 

With my current books, I will be posting a review on that soon.

Keep reading my friends,

Armarius

Book Blitz

Hi, Bookish Friends 

I just spent the past two weeks devouring two books that I must share with you. Both books are historical fiction one is set during the Civil War and the other during WWII. I feel as of late that I have been saying that I have not read such a good book but taking this journey to find new authors that I have not read before has opened up my eyes and mind of what I have been missing out on. Reading for me is not a chore that I must do but it comes easily as breathing does. I can not imagine a life without books in it or my husband chuckling every time I come home with a new book in hand. He may not share my passion for books but he loves it when I am happy. 

Conjure Women by Afia Atakora: 

Synopsis of Conjure Women is a sweeping story that brings the world of the South before and after the Civil War vividly to life. Spanning eras and generations, it tells of the lives of three unforgettable women: Miss May Belle, a wise healing woman; her precocious and observant daughter Rue, who is reluctant to follow in her mother's footsteps as a midwife; and their master's daughter Varina. The secrets and bonds among these women and their community come to a head at the beginning of a war and at the birth of an accursed child, who sets the townspeople alight with fear and a spreading superstition that threatens their newly won, tenuous freedom.

Magnificently written, brilliantly researched, richly imagined, Conjure Women moves back and forth in time to tell the haunting story of Rue, Varina, and May Belle, their passions and friendships, and the lengths they will go to save themselves and those they love.

This is such a moving story of just a portion of what cruelty and heartbreak happened during the time of slavery in the United States and even the hatred that continue on the people that were slaves. I can not express how well-written and historically accurate this book is, even though the characters are fiction but the horrors that the people that were bought and traded as slaves are not  I would recommend anyone to read this book.

I feel as if I should not include my second book in here yet but will save that for my next blog. This is for many reasons. One, to let this author shine on her own accord, two I find lengthy blogs overwhelming, and three it's my blog and I make the rules here. 

I think I will now go make myself a pot of tea and grab a bite to eat and wait for my next book to find me.

Armarius

Spies, Murder, & Cobras! Oh My!

 Good morning, my bookish friends

In late January I started the Betrayal of the Blood Lily. Let me be honest I was not sure if it would be something that I would read if someone had not suggested it to me. I love when people are so excited about a book that they had just read and want to share it with others. These people are my kind of people. Since my schedule has been busy I decided to listen to this book via Libby. I highly recommend Libby to anyone that is interested in audiobooks.

Now back to the book, I am in love with this book. It has everything that a mystery/ history lover would or could need in a book. It has spies, a love triangle, murder, stolen guns, and yikes, snakes! As someone that loved Indiana Jones as a child, I feel as if I was on a grand adventure. 

The story takes place in India on verge of war caught between England and France. Lady and Lord Fredrick Staines traveled to India after a scandal that caused the two to be married. Penelope finds herself in the court of Nizam of Hyderabad. Everyone has secrets and an agenda including her husband. She finds herself in a dangerous spy game and finds out who the dangerous spy Marigold is. Captain Alex seems to be in her way of discovering the truth. Can she trust him?

Good Reading,

Armarius