Good morning, my darlings!
My goodness – autumn is really here, isn’t it? In Maryland we’ve got full on falling leaves, crisp breezes, and gourds on our stoops. I love this time of year, although it often feels all too brief. Soon I’ll be whining about the cold, but right now I’m super excited about scarves and cardigans.
Talking about fall weather was a silly way to start this post, actually, because I’m about leave it! I’m heading South to Miami today, to bring you live coverage of the illustrious Italian Pavilion at the JIS Miami trade show!
I’m super excited about this project. I’m going to be partnering with the Italian Trade Agency (like I did in Vegas!) to bring you an exclusive look at some of the best extraordinary Italian jewelry for sale on American soil.
Follow me on Instagram to see the action as it’s happening, or stand by for a full recap here on the blog when I get home!
xoxo,
Becky
What I’m reading:
The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox: I tried to read this book late last night…but there was a creepy part about a possible ghost and it was too scary to read alone while hopped up on cold meds at 2 am so I had to put it down!! A promising start besides my wimpiness, though. I look forward to reading this some more during daylight hours.
Thief of Cahraman: A Retelling of Aladdin by Lucy Tempest: I didn’t particularly like the beginning of this book, but I was on a bus so I kept reading and it really picked up. It’s not the most original plot ever created, but it has enough twists to it that it’s interesting and the main character is feisty in a way that makes the story feel fresh. Silly but quite enjoyable, with powerful female friendships at the forefront.
Thief of Cahraman is being billed as “for fans of The Selection” but I like this book MUCH more than I liked any of The Selection series (read my review of The Selection here). The primary difference – #spoileralert – is that the heroine of The Selection is an irritating idiot and while the Thief of Cahraman has a bold and resourceful young woman at its center.
Internets:
From Liz Taylor to Joan Crawford, the secret history of celebs’ diamonds.
HAPPY 35TH ANNIVERSARY, ALANNA THE LIONESS.
Fantastic Animals – The surreal creations of Julien Tabet. These are extremely cool.
Oldest bones ever found belonged to Neanderthal child whose fingers were ‘chewed by a giant bird.’
Author of first English novel kept it hidden for ten years – here’s why.
10+ Illustrations Of Hilda: The Forgotten Plus-Size Pin-Up Girl From The 1950s.
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Can I make recommendations? Also, do you think the Thief of Cahraman would be good for my 14 yo twins? They blew through The Selection…at SUMMER CAMP two years ago! Their bunkmates couldn’t believe it.
Definitely appropriate for 14 year olds! And the heroine is a much better role model, IMHO (even though she’s a thief). She’s smart and daring and stands up for her friends.
You should be aware, though, that it’s an unfinished series. Kind of frustrating for those of us who blow through books (your twins sound like they read the way that I read!). The second book in the series comes out next week, though, so that’s not too terrible a wait.
And I always love recommendations!! BTW, have your twins read Tamora Pierce’s Tortall books? The Alanna the Lioness series has twins as the main characters (boy/girl twins).
Those books have a liiiittttttlee pre-marital sex, although it is only within loving relationships, treated like a serious step, and is preceded by a brief but very practical discussion about birth control. I read them when I was 12, but I always like to mention it when I’m recommending the series for someone’s children.
Ok, taking notes. For you: I’ve just started S. A. Chakraborty’s series (The City of Brass). I’m 100+ pages in and it is phenomenal so far, but fair warning: it’s a series and this is the first book. Second reco: Katherine McGee’s The Thousandth Floor series. I am reading book 3 now and it is SO. GOOD. This series has sex, drugs, and murder and may be a bit much, but I am going to let the girls read it because the way she weaves all of the story lines together is impressive. I have one that is totally into Sci/Fi Fantasy, the other is into literature (she’s reading East of Eden now, has read seven Shakespeare plays and War and Peace…) and they both like dystopian fiction (hence The Thousandth Floor series). They also both hated the third Divergent book (and so did I, what a disappointment).
Ahh yay I love this!!
I recently read City of Brass and It totally knocked my socks off. I can’t wait for the rest.
I haven’t read Thousandth Floor but it sounds fantastic! I’ll have to check it out.
And I’m 10000% with you and your girls on the third Divergent. That series was such a letdown at the end.
I also recommend Rachel Hartman’s Seraphina. It’s a series and I didn’t love the 2nd book as much as the first, but the first book is so good that I read it and reread it by itself.
Also, Kristen Cashore! She writes badass fantasy heroines and I love her books. They definitely have sex, though. It’ carefully considered and not explicitly described sex, but still worth mentioning.
Here’s my review of one of the Cashore books: https://diamondsinthelibrary.com/fire-graceling-realm-2-by-kristin-cashore/