musing

Musing: Quarantine reading

Posted by

0


How are you guys doing? Have you read anything good lately? Sorry I’ve been distant. It’s been a rough year so far. I’m not my usual crazy self.

Up here in Michigan we’ve been self quarantined for over a month now. Since my hubby is a first responder we’ve been staying home longer than most people. I’ve only left my house to shop twice. So you would think I’d have plenty of time to read. But sadly, I don’t. The stress of the world has brought me down and I find it hard to review, let alone read anything. I also have a senior who now had her year cut short and we’re missing out on all the end of the year activities. So there’s a sense of sadness in the air. But since there’s nothing we can do, we’re trying to move past it.

Because of my lack of concentration I’ve been rereading some old favorites In the midst of the ARCs I’m working my way through. I just need to not think, ya know? And I am usually one who LOVES to cry while reading, but lately I’m struggling and don’t need to added emotions. So I’m sticking with fantasy books that usually have plenty of sass and snark.

I have managed to read a few that I’ve been excited over but they take me longer than usual to finish. There are so many on my TBR but finding the time between cooking, baking and cleaning, has proven a bit difficult. But I will try to post some reviews, even if they’re short, just in case you’re looking for new books to add to your TBR.

~Melpomene

Summer rereads and ramblings

Posted by

0

This summer I had high hopes of reading only books from my summer reading list. But that all changed when my hubby asked to listen to one of my books. So I suggested the Rock Chick series. And then I got in the mood to listen as well. But when I started listening, I realized that I should probably go in order, according to Kristen’s website. See that HERE So that means if I listen/read the Rock Chicks, I need to read the Colorado Mountain series also. And if I read the Colorado Mountain series, then I have to read The ‘Burg ones as well. And since I’m reading The ‘Burg, I should probably just continue with the Magdalene series. which has the bonus factor that it will be fresh in my mind since the final book releases and the end of summer. So basically my summer should be themed “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.” But at least there’s a method to my madness, right? 🙂

The best part about rereading these books is that, besides the Rock Chicks, I don’t remember much of them. Well, at least not the finer points. I read so many books, everything get all jumbled up. I even went to Goodreads to try and refresh my memory and I really wanna smack myself. Let me give you an example. Here’s my review for Soaring. I’m cracking up cuz I have NO IDEA what’s going on!

I swear, for the first 25% or so, I thought I was gonna die from depression. So much emotion.

But then it all started to work out.

And then a BANG in the middle-ish made me super worried.

But then it all started to work out.

And then around 75% was making me nervous. I wasn’t sure what was happening.

But then it all worked out. Beautifully.

I love KA.

I mean, what am I supposed to do with that?!?! Unreal. I mean seriously!! Clear as mud. Who writes a review like that?! I’m rolling my eyes so hard over here.

Now if only the weather would cooperate, then I could at least relax as I read these books for the the “first time”, as I float in my pool.

Hope you’re enjoying your summer reads!!

~Melpomene

Urania Talks Book Lists…

Posted by

0

So here is where I ramble on about a book list I ran across last week. It all started with an email I received from Off The Shelf containing this list (13 Books to Make You Ugly Cry)

Here are the books they listed. Watch the Vlog to hear my (RAMBLING) thoughts…

Buy Them Now
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
When Breath Become Air by Paul Kalanithi
Oh My Stars by Lorna Landvik
Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Lucky by Alice Sebold
The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

Make sure to keep updated so you can see what I think of my two picks from this list…

Until next time…

Urania xx

Musing: Catching up… Prepare for a Trifecta 

Posted by

0

Slacker Calliope here. Been reading but not reviewing for a couple weeks, but all that’s about to change. Three reviews will come your way this weekend – maybe more if I finish another book! And the rest of the titles you see here will be reviewed in upcoming weeks, barring the distraction of acquiring more books, in which case… slacker Calliope here. 😜
Btw, my current read is The Final Vow by Amanda Flower 

GUESS THAT MUSE — and Pegasus 

Posted by

6

Guess the right muses & Pegasus, and win a prize! 

I was going to make a little chart with 5 essential things each of us loves (besides books), but I think a game will be more fun. 

We are Melpomene, Thalia, Urania, Calliope and Pegasus. You know us by what we read and review. Can you guess who’s who by the list of what else we enjoy? 

A) New Orleans, The Saints (and football in general), Movies, Yarn & vinyl, Scary stuff. 

B) Tarantulas, Scarves, Coffee, My bed, Food.

C) The beach, Traveling, Shoes, Coffee,  Quiet places. 

D) Coffee, Traveling, Tequila, Movies, Chocolate.

E) Making bookish crafts, Disney, Relaxing by the pool, Grocery shopping, Spending time with my family.

Give us your best guesses. We will reveal the answers later this week!

Musing: Reading in Bed

Posted by

4

I may be addicted to reading, but it’s never so evident as before I go to sleep. Now that Kindles have convenient and dimmable front lighting, I can read for hours without disturbing anyone else. 

Problem is, I just keep reading. Many of you might share this same problem… get lost in a good story, and next thing ya know it’s 1am. If you’re me, you see that 1am and raise it an hour or two, very well knowing that the morning won’t be pretty – but hey it’s nothing you haven’t done before. 😂

So if anyone wonders why I reply to an email at 2am, or check GoodReads in the wee hours, that’d be because I Just. Can’t. Stop. Reading. Not for a good night’s sleep, not for reduced under eye circles, not for bright eyes and a bushy tail at 0600hrs. That’s what coffee is for. ✌🏼️

-calliope

Remembering a Friend….Musings of a Muse

Posted by

3

fullsizerenderSome people come into your life and you don’t even realise it. You see them around day after day and suddenly realise that you can’t remember a time that they weren’t around. You can’t even remember why they are there every time you turn around. You even take them for granted perhaps.

Of course, no one wants to admit that. That you can take a giving and caring person for granted…but there you have it…

I do want to confess that to anyone that is reading this. I never expected Rich to leave so soon. He always made time for everyone…and I perhaps should have let him know a bit more often what his candor and his posts meant to me…

I just figured that as long as there was a WWW that my mate, Rich would be around to harass me. By harass, I mean that Rich ALWAYS had a moment to comment on your latest FB picture or status. You were sure to always wake up to one of his posts that was either going to make you laugh out loud, be outraged, or just piss you off. Rich took no prisoners when it came to anything he saw as an injustice.

Hell, I can’t go into all he has meant to so many people…there’s just no way…but that is it…right there…Rich made everyone he cared about feel special. He made everyone take him for granted. If there is anything all of his mates are sharing right now besides grief, it is disbelief. No one can believe that such a life force is gone. No one expected someone so full of life to pass away so suddenly…

He will so be missed. By me…and others…I am outraged that the small and the large injustices of the world have lost a superhero that was always ready and willing to fight for their causes…

There now resides a massive black hole in the cybersphere…as there is now also in my heart…

Amazing how people you’ve never met outside of cyberspace can change how you view the world…and how you can start to expect better from those that you actually do know in the *real world*…

RIP Mr Meyer…my heart goes out to your wife and to your furbabies…

I hope Raptor Jesus is there to great you with open arms full of comic books and b movies…

you are so very missed my friend…xx

Until we meet again,
Urania xx

Musing: A go-to author disappoints

Posted by

3

 Many of us have those go-to authors … writers we follow on social media so we know exactly when their latest book will hit the shelves AND when it’ll be available for preorder. I scour NetGalley for my faves because I’m too impatient to wait for the publication date! 

What happens when you finally get one of those yummy advance copies? Or you wait up for your preorder to appear on your kindle? You eat it up, right? Maybe stay up all night, or stick a virtual bookmark in whatever you’re currently reading so you can get to THIS ONE. The one you’ve been waiting for. 

Until it disappoints. That awesome writer did something different this time. And maybe some people like it, but you don’t. You can’t stand it but you keep reading because it’s GOT to get better, right? It’s by a wonderful author, after all! Aaaaaannnnnndddd it doesn’t get better. You muddle through, and then you hope it doesn’t happen with the next book by this writer. 

I don’t want to name names, but my latest disappointment included off-kilter character development and a weird/disjointed storyline. I thought the hero was just bizarre, and I was unsympathetic toward the heroine. What a downer after all those I loved by a favorite author. 

What’s your latest disappointment? 

-calliope

Musing: Christmas Novels 

Posted by

2

  
Is it too early to read Christmas-themed books? I don’t think so. They’re a sweet, uplifting gesture in a world sometimes full of heartbreak, heartache, and tragedy. 

I’ve read a few Christmas novels already, and you can look forward to a handful of reviews this week! 

Some titles include: 

Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses: A feel good Christmas romance novel

Christmas at Evergreen Inn (A Jewell Cove Novel)

Merry Mistletoe (Kindle Single)

Four Weddings And A White Christmas

Wish Upon A Christmas Cake