Friday Five (53)

It's Friday and I'm kicking off the weekend with another edition of The Friday Five.  I'm sharing my current favorite things, bookish news, or things that interest me. Let me know what you think!

1.  World on Fire
I have been loving this show on PBS that takes place during the WWII. The sets are incredible and Helen Hunt's acting is fantastic.  Have you guys watched it yet? 

2.  Belgravia
I read Belgravia by Julian Fellowes a few years ago and I am excited to see how it will translate to the small screen.  Fellowes never disappoints!

3.  Beach Reads....in cold weather
I have been really excited to start some of my beach reads, but the weather in Pennsylvania has been less than stellar. In fact, we have had a ton of frost warnings and I even turned the fireplace back on.  So, once those warm days arrive, I am sure I will want to start all the beach reads. What about you?

4.  Quarantine Favorites
If it wasn't for my treadmill, my Kindle, and my audio books, I think I would be a mess. What have you been relying on during your quarantine?  

5. Audio Books
I started listening to House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas and stuck with it for over a week and a half, but then decided to not continue with it.  I have been having trouble focusing and it felt just very dense. There was so much world-building and I had a hard time with it all. I may revisit it at a later date. Did you guys read it? If so, what did you think?


I hope you have a great weekend,

Friday Five (52)

It's Friday and I'm kicking off the weekend with another edition of The Friday Five.  I'm sharing my current favorite things, bookish news, or things that interest me. Let me know what you think!

1.  Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo - Did you hear that it's already being developed into a TV series on Amazon?  I just started this novel; I thought it would be the perfect Halloween read. Do you have plans to read this? I have actually never read anything by Bardugo. Shameful, I know. 

2.  Peaky Blinders - I am all caught up on this show now and starting the new season on Netflix.  At first, this show disgusted me, but my husband got me hooked. It's like The Sopranos meets historical fiction; it's a lot of fun! Do any of you watch? 

3.  Halloween Candy - I put on around five pounds every year this time of the year due to Halloween candy despite the fact that I still exercise. I am a sucker for chocolate and you know you have to "check" your kids candy to make sure it's ok. I am going to try to limit my candy intake this year.  What's your favorite type of Halloween candy? 

4.  Tessamae's Dressing - I am obsessed with the Organic Avocado Ranch dressing. Obsessed, I tell you! Have you guys tried it? It's very hard to find a creamy dressing that is dairy free and this one fits the bill. It's so.damn.good and it's vegan.  

5.  The Durrells in Corfu - If you haven't watched this gem on PBS, you need to get on board. It's one of the best shows out there and it flies under the radar. It's so well written, funny, smart, and heartwarming. If you love witty comedies with dry humor, you must check it out.  The last season is airing now, so you will have plenty of episodes to binge. Have you heard of this show? Do you watch?


I hope you guys have a great weekend!

Friday Five (51)

It's Friday and I'm kicking off the weekend with another edition of my Friday Five.  I'm sharing my current favorite things or things that interest me that aren't necessarily book related. Well, come to think of it..... most of the topics are.  Let me know what you think!

1. The Chaperone - Did you guys hear that The Chaperone is coming to PBS? I've had this book on my shelf for the past few years but never got around to it, so I decided to start the audio book. I was happily surprised to hear that it's narrated by Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern, who also happens to start in the TV show.  Have you read The Chaperone? Will you watch the show when it comes to PBS this November?

2.  Downton Abbey Movie - I saw it last week and loved it! It was like visiting an old friend. Plot wise not too much happens, but it's all about the characters in this movie and I was happy to revisit them and the gorgeous location of Highclere Castle. Fingers crossed for another movie! Did you see it?

3.  The Witcher - So, this international bestseller is coming to Netflix soon. Anything with Henry Cavill is a must-watch for me. *Swoon* Have you read the book? I am very intrigued, especially with the comparisons to GoT.

4.  Oprah's Book Club - Did you hear it's back? She has partnered with Apple TV. I am excited to hear what books she picks out since she is the original celebrity book club queen. 

5.  The Other Side of the Coin by Angela Kelly - The queen has allowed her advisor and dresser to release a memoir. This is unprecedented! As a royal lover, I will definitely have to check this out! 

Have a great weekend,

Friday Five and a Giveaway (50)

It's Friday and I'm kicking off the weekend with a fun beach read giveaway and sharing my current favorite things that aren't necessarily book related. Welp, most of them are.  Let me know what you think!

1.  The Spanish Princess on Starz - Guys, I loved Philippa Gregory's The Constant Princess which focues on a young Catherine of Aragon and this show is based on that book.  I remember I read it on the beach years ago and devoured it. It brought a whole new light to Catherine instead of this matronly curmudgeon that I envisioned, thanks to Anne Boleyn, she was once a powerful young woman.  The show on Starz truly captures this and although the first few episodes were pretty rough, it definitely got better. I am excited to hear that there will be a season two. Did you guys watch the show? Have you read the book?

2.  Elin Hilderbrand + TV - Did you guys hear that a few of Elin Hilderbrand's beach reads are going to be adapted for TV? I am thrilled! They are adapting The Identicals, The Matchmaker, and The Blue Bistro, but I haven't read any of these! I have The Matchmaker on my shelf, so I may start there. Did you guys hear this news? Have you read these books? Let me know your thoughts.

3.  Favorite Book of the Summer (so far!) - I loved Hilderbrand's Summer of '69, Dessen's The Rest of the Story, Christina Lauren's The Unhoneymooners, and Tracey Garvis Graves' The Girl He Used to Know. I have read so many amazing novels so far and I look forward to reading more beach reads this summer. What's been your favorite book of the summer so far?

4.  Beatriz Williams + TV - I also heard that Beatriz Williams' The Summer Wives will be adapted for TV, which is THRILLING. If you know me, you know I am a huge Beatriz Williams fan. I really enjoyed this book, so it will be fun to watch it come to life. Have you read it? What do you think about this news?

5.  Beach Read Giveaway - I want to kick off the weekend with a giveaway for a beach read. One winner will pick one of the ARCs from my stash.  

• ARC of Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett
• ARC of The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves
• ARC of You, Me, and the Sea by Meg Donohue 
• ARC of Uncharted by Erin Cashman

This giveaway is open to US residents only and please refer to my giveaway rules. Good luck!

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Have a great weekend,

A Friday Giveaway

It's Friday! We made it and it is going to be a nice weekend here in Pennsylvania. Finally it's spring, the birds are chirping, flowers are starting to bloom and baseball season has begun  Before we know it, beach read season will be upon us. Who is looking forward to all the amazing summertime reads coming out this year?

Thanks to William Morrow, I have an extra ARC of Meg Mitchell Moore's The Islanders, which comes out this June. I am giving it away to one lucky reader from the US.  The Islanders seems like the perfect book to throw in your bag for vacation and would you look at that cover?!  Good luck and please refer to my giveaway rules.

Goodreads says, "J. Courtney Sullivan’s Maine meets the works of Elin Hilderbrand in this delicious summer read involving three strangers, one island, and a season packed with unexpected romance, well-meaning lies, and damaging secrets.   Anthony Puckett was a rising literary star. The son of an uber-famous thriller writer, Anthony’s debut novel spent two years on the bestseller list and won the adoration of critics. But something went very wrong with his second work. Now Anthony’s borrowing an old college’s friend’s crumbling beach house on Block Island in the hopes that solitude will help him get back to the person he used to be.  Joy Sousa owns and runs Block Island’s beloved whoopie pie café. She came to this quiet space eleven years ago, newly divorced and with a young daughter, and built a life for them here. To her customers and friends, Joy is a model of independence, hard-working and happy. And mostly she is. But this summer she’s thrown off balance. A food truck from a famous New York City brand is roving around the island, selling goodies—and threatening her business.  Lu Trusdale is spending the summer on her in-laws’ dime, living on Block Island with her two young sons while her surgeon husband commutes to the mainland hospital. When Lu’s second son was born, she and her husband made a deal: he’d work and she’d quit her corporate law job to stay home with the boys. But a few years ago, Lu quietly began working on a private project that has becoming increasingly demanding on her time. Torn between her work and home, she’s beginning to question that deal she made. Over the twelve short weeks of summer, these three strangers will meet and grow close, will share secrets and bury lies. And as the promise of June turns into the chilly nights of August, the truth will come out, forcing each of them to decide what they value most, and what they are willing to give up to keep it."

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Happy Friday,

Friday Five and a Giveaway (49)

Guys, I think it's been awhile since my last Friday Five, so I'm kicking off the first weekend of December with a giveaway and sharing my current favorite things that aren't necessarily book related. Let me know what you think!

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1.  The Last Kingdom on Netflix - Guys, this show is awesome. I binged watched the latest season over Thanksgiving week and really, really enjoyed it.  The history, the setting, and the acting was all top-notch. I thought David Dawson, who plays King Alfred, was fantastic. Phenomenal, actually. If you like Vikings or Game of Thrones, you must check out this show. Plus, it's based on a series of books. Have you read them?

2.  1803 Candles - I have been meaning to switch to soy candles for a variety of reasons, but one being the fact that soy candles are supposed to be a better/healthier option. I am absolutely loving this brand, which is made in America. My current favorite smell is Home by the Fire.  

3.  Peter Thomas Roth's Pumpkin Enzyme Mask - I have a few masks on rotation, but this one has been a favorite for a few years now. It not only smells great, but works very well and is definitely worth the price.  

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4.  Sarah Dessen - Did you guys hear she has a new novel coming out this summer? I always love reading a new Sarah Dessen novel, especially in the summertime. Did you guys add The Rest of the Story to your TBR?

5.  Giveaway - I am giving away an ARC of Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes thanks to Disney Books.  I'll be sharing my thoughts on this book next week! Please refer to my giveaway rules. This giveaway is open to US readers only.  Good luck!

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Happy Friday,

Friday Five and a Giveaway (48)

Happy Friday! We made it to the end of the week. Finally! I'm sharing what I have been up to/thinking about/enjoying lately. Don't forget to enter the giveaway too!

1. Warm Weather = Beach Reads
Guys, I should probably be planning on some fall reads, but as long as my air conditioner is still running and the humidity is insane, I am going to read allllll the beach reads. There's so many that I haven't gotten to yet that I really want to read, like Beach House Reunion, Women of the Dunes, and The Ever After. Have your read any of these? 

 

2.  Kurt Seyit ve Sura on Netflix 
Some of my Outlander friends recommended this show to me on Netflix. It's a Turkish TV show and there's subtitles, but hear me out. It's surprisingly good. It's a bit cheesy at times and over romanticized, but it's a great story and the author of the book the show is based on wrote it about her family's history. I find this fascinating as someone who studies genealogy and my family's history.  I also like that it takes place in Russia and Eastern Europe during WWI, which is a fascinating time in history. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has heard about this show? Also, Seyit is dreamy....like Jamie Fraser dreamy.

3.  The Miniaturist on PBS 
I am a hardcore PBS fan, so I thought I would give this show a try. I haven't read the book that it's based on (cringe!), but I am liking it so far. It's a bit creepy, dark at times and a little bit edgier than I expect from PBS, but it's good. I didn't expect it to be very much like a thriller. Also, I find the setting of 17th century Amsterdam to be really compelling.  Have you read the book or watched the show?

4.  Josie Maran Argan Moonstone Drops 
This stuff is awesome. Seriously. If you have dry skin from time to time or you just want to have that glowy look like you just spent a week on an island, then check out this stuff. You can use it as a primer, a highlighter, on your hair, on your lips - it's fantastic. A little goes a long way though! I like to mix it with my Matte CC cream to not look so pale and blah. 

5.  Giveaway -  I'm kicking off the weekend with a great giveaway! Thanks to BlinkYA, I have an extra ARC of A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan to give away to one lucky US reader.  Please refer to my giveaway rules.  Good luck! 

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Happy Friday!

Friday Five (47)

Happy Friday! We made it to the end of the week. Finally! I'm sharing what I have been up to/thinking about/enjoying lately. 

1.  Grove Collaborative - I have been on the hunt for a website that has alllllll my favorite natural products and this one seems to be it.  My local supermarket doesn't carry all this, so I am pumped to have access to natural cleaning products, vitamins, etc, instead of always ordering them from 500 different companies online or stopping by my local Whole Foods and spending all my money.  Have you guys heard about this website? The prices are great! If interested, you can check it out here. Right now they are doing an awesome promotion (free Mrs. Meyer's products and cleaning caddy!) for new members, so go check it out! 

2.  Banished on BBC - I have been in a TV slump this summer; however, I am really liking this show on Amazon Video. I really enjoy most of the shows on the BBC and I love the historical context of this show. It take place on Australia when it was a penal colony. It reminds me a bit of Jamestown on PBS.

3.  Bug Spray - What's your favorite all-natural bug spray? The Honest Company had this fantastic bug spray that actually worked for me, but they have discontinued it. Since then, I have tried 1,000 different natural bug sprays that haven't worked in the least bit.  I am still getting destroyed outside with my kids. I really don't want to resort to anything with DEET. Do you guys have a good recommendation for me? 

4.  Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms - I love all things The Nutcracker, so I am so excited for this movie. Did you guys see the trailer yet? It looks awesome! Let me know what you think.

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5.  Beach Reads - Which book is your favorite beach read of the summer? I am still reading beach reads and probably will straight through September, but if I had to choose at this moment I would save Save the Date by Morgan Matson as my YA pick and The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams or The Secret to Southern Charm by Kristy Woodson Harvey as my Adult Fiction pick.  What would you guys pick?



Happy Friday,