Can't Wait Wednesday No. 48: Bright Burns the Night, by Sara B. Larson

Welcome to "Can't Wait Wednesday"!

   

This is a weekly event hosted by

Tressa @ Wishful Endings, and inspired by "Waiting On Wednesday", which used to be hosted by

 Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

For more information, please click HERE.

As in the previous meme, this one showcases future releases  we book  bloggers 
are eagerly anticipating!!
There's also a Linky widget, so participating blogs can link up!

Here's my choice for this week!

 Bright Burns the Night

(Untitled Duology, Book 2)

Sara B. Larson

Hardcover, 320 pages

Scholastic Press

     May 29, 2018       

Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult 

Ten years ago, King Lorcan of the Dark Kingdom Dorjhalon defeated Queen Evelayn and cut her conduit stone from her. Since then, he has kept her trapped in her swan form. With the loss of balance between Dark and Light, winter has descended and the Draíolon of Éadrolan lose more power every day. But once a year, Lorcan transforms her back to her Draíolon form and offers a truce. And every year Evelayn refuses -- for he requires her to Bind herself to him for life.

But now, with an Ancient power bearing down upon them, everything may change. Evelayn will learn that the truths she once believed have shattered, and that she may need her enemies even more than her allies. Lorcan and Evelayn become partners in a desperate quest to return the balance of power to Lachalonia. How far will this partnership go? Can friendship -- perhaps even love -- bloom where hatred has taken root?

Sara B. Larson delivers a thrillingly romantic and hauntingly satisfying end to this extraordinary duology.

Why I can't wait for this one!

I've had the first book on my Goodreads shelves for a while now, and was thrilled to see that there's a sequel coming! This is a beautiful retelling of the story of Odette, first immortalized in the ballet "Swan Lake", by Tchaikovsky. I ADORE fairy tale retellings!!

 I do wish this were at least a trilogy, though.....but heck, I have to read  Dark Breaks the Dawn first! Lol. I LOVE both covers, and the plot of each is also very compelling! And those titles are so poetic......I've just added Bright Burns the Night to my shelves as well!

Here's the previous book in this 

exciting duology!! Click on the

cover for the Goodreads page.

Sara B. Larson is the author of the acclaimed YA fantasy Defy, and the sequels Ignite and Endure. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t write books—although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. 

Sara lives in Utah with her husband and their three children. She writes in brief snippets throughout the day (while mourning the demise of naptime) and the quiet hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in “the art of multitasking.” When she’s not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting for her sugar addiction.

Blog/Goodreads/Facebook
Amazon/Twitter 

What do you think of my
choice this week? 
Please leave a comment and
let me know!

  

Shelf Candy Saturday No. 238: The Man Behind the Book, by Henry Van Dyke

Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!

*Late Edition*

This is my weekly feature

showcasing beautiful covers!

It also provides information, 
if available, on their 
very talented creators!

Here's my choice for this week!

The Man Behind the Book:
Essays in Understanding
Henry Van Dyke 
Trade Paperback, 388 pages
University Press of the Pacific
January 23, 2004
   Literary Criticism, Literary Essays
 

My Thoughts About This Cover

This is an incredibly GORGEOUS cover, with a design strongly influenced by the late 19th-century Art Nouveau style. This design is bold, with sinuous plant forms undulating and flowing all over the cover. The color scheme is limited to three colors, but is still highly effective. This design pulsates with life! Each form is clearly delineated, and each makes the eye move smoothly from top to bottom of the cover.

I love the way the title is framed by the vines, as well as how beautifully the grapes and tulips are integrated into the overall picture.

The font used for the title and author's name is a classic one, and unremarkable, really, but, framed by the plant forms, it becomes very remarkable indeed! I love that the subtitle has been done in upper and lowercase letters. That differentiates it perfectly from the title.

In short, this is an AMAZING cover! I would love to be able to give the name of the designer, but I'm sorry to report that I have been unable to find the name of that very talented person, as this book is out of print.

I am very much interested in the content of the book, too, by the way. It contains a collection of literary essays on several topics, as well as on the classic novels Tess of the D'Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder, and Death Comes for the Archbishop, by Willa Cather. Of course, I'm going to check Alibris and Abebooks, as these online stores specialize in out-of-print books!

What do you think of 
this week's cover?
Please leave a comment
and let me know!

Book Blogger Hop No. 117: Five Favorite Books of 2017

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

This Week's Question

What are your five favorite

books of 2017?

(Submitted  by Geybie @ 

Geybie's Book Blog)

My Answer

Well, as usual, I find it very difficult to stay within the parameters of this type of question, lol. I don't think I can pick just five favorite books for the past year. I need to pick at least.....SEVEN! Lol.

So here they are! Since I love them all, I've placed them in chronological review order, from the most to the least recent. I couldn't possibly put them in the order of "most to least favorite"!

You might notice that two of the books I picked were December reads. That's because I'm a Christmas ADDICT!! Lol.

Clicking on the covers will take you to my reviews here on this blog. You can also access the Goodreads page for each book from the review page.

Take it away, you lovely books, you!!!!

This cozy, romantic novel also features a very independent female protagonist intent on  writing great journalism, and a male protagonist, an equally independent writer, who respects and loves her as much as she does him!

 This is another wonderful Christmas romance, with a LOT of humor, joy, and very witty dialogues! Both protagonists are very evenly matched, as well!

And speaking of witty dialogues.... the ones found in this novel are razor sharp! They are also, and frequently, very funny! This is a battle of the sexes which really isn't one.

 .

This one is a lush, sprawling, family saga, with at least three romances going on. it's also a wonderful slice of life, as it depicts the daily lives of Italian-Americans living in Philadelphia in the post WWII years. It's a funny and sad story, with humor predominating, though!

 

I know this looks like the cover of a horror novel. But appearances can, indeed, be deceiving! Although there are vampires in the story, it's really a sweet tale of enduring love. The male protagonist is a vampire, and he's still mourning the death of his wife during the Salem Witch Trials....how romantic is that? Sigh......

This was an EXCITING Star Trek adventure which I GREATLY enjoyed! It was like watching the original episodes all over again! The characters were true to the beloved originals, and I was SO happy about that! I especially loved the characterization of Spock!!

This novel is based on the famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. What I LOVED about it was that a FEMALE descendant of Holmes is as brilliant as her ancestor! She's paired with Watson's MALE descendant, and well, the rest is history, with just a hint of romance! Very intriguing, indeed!

I know, I know.....there's a predominance of romance novels here. Okay, I guess all I can say is that I'm a huge sucker for happy endings, lol. But in this new year, I intend to broaden my reading horizons! I want to read more science fiction, for instance. Definitely more Star Trek novels! I also want to read other SF novels, though. Also, I'd like to read more historical fiction, as well as mysteries. I feel especially drawn to cozies. I'm getting the feeling that I'm going to surprise even myself, lol! One thing's for sure, though -- I will not read horror or erotica, this year, or any other! 

 

 

What are your thoughts on

this topic?

If you're participating in this hop,

I'll go comment on your 

own BBH post.

If not, I will then comment on one 

of your blog posts!

Thanks for visiting!!!  
 

Can't Wait Wednesday No. 47: Isle of Blood and Stone, by Makiia Lucier

Welcome to "Can't Wait Wednesday"!

   

This is a weekly event hosted by

Tressa @ Wishful Endings, and inspired by "Waiting On Wednesday", which used to be hosted by

 Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

For more information, please click HERE.

As in the previous meme, this one showcases future releases  we book  bloggers 
are eagerly anticipating!!
There's also a Linky widget, so participating blogs can link up!

Here's my choice for this week!

 Isle of Blood and Stone

(Isle of Blood and Stone, Book 1)

Makiia Lucier

Hardcover, 400 pages

HMH Books for Young Readers

     April 10, 2018       

Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult 

  

Isle of Blood and Stone, the first in a duology, is a sweeping historical fantasy full of intrigue and schemes, romance and friendship, and fearless explorers searching for the truth.

Nineteen-year-old Elias—a royal mapmaker and an old friend of del Mar’s newly  crowned king, Ulises—is eager to explore uncharted waters. But when two maps surface, each bearing the same hidden riddle, Elias must put aside his next voyage and join forces  with Ulises’s cousin, Mercedes, on a quest to solve a mystery that began eighteen years ago with the disappearance of Ulises’s two brothers. Following the clues hidden in the maps, Elias, Mercedes, and Ulises uncover long-held secrets and unimaginable betrayals.

Why I can't wait for this one!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!! 
I wish you all LOTS of GREAT 
reading this year!!!

Okay, aside from that GORGEOUS dragon cover, this book has an exciting plot!! And I'm happy that I've discovered this series (actually, it's a duology) at the very beginning! Lol. I do have to wait until April, but it will be well worth it!  There are hints of all kinds of royal intrigue and high adventure! And I can't WAIT to see how romance fits into the plot! 

Makiia is the author of historical fiction and historical fantasy for young adults. She grew up on the Pacific Island of Guam (not too far from the equator), and has degrees in Journalism and Library Science from the University of Oregon and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Her debut novel, A Death-Struck Year, was called a "powerful and disturbing reading experience" by Publishers Weekly. It was a finalist for Germany's top book prize for children's books, the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, as well as Japan's Sakura Medal, and was named an ABC Best Books for Children Selection by the American Booksellers Association.

Her second novel, Isle of Blood and Stone, will be available in Spring, 2018.

Website/Goodreads/Facebook
Amazon/Twitter 

What do you think of my
choice this week? 
Please leave a comment and
let me know!

  

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018!!! January Book Releases!!!

Wishing all the readers of 

A Night's Dream of Books

the most wonderful, 

happy, prosperous, and, above all,

PEACEFUL New Year!!!

Here are some exciting new January

releases to get all of us

addicted bookworms off to another

AWESOME reading year!!
Since this is an eclectic book blog,
I have picked books from
several genres.
Just click on the covers for
the Goodreads or Amazon pages!

Greyfriars House will be released in a 

Kindle edition on 1/25/18, and in hardcover 

and paperback on 7/10/18.

This novel was actually released in paperback 

on 12/28/17, and will be released 

in a Kindle Edition on 1/3/18.

Happy reading to all, 

and to all a GREAT year!!