Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Books N Bloggers Winter 2015 Show Off

It's time!  Are you ready to see the books my partner- Kelly from Kelly's Kinda Crazy picked for me?  Is it weird that I love people picking books for me?  I mean as long as they have a guideline of what I like, I hate to being browsing in the thrift shop and someone recommends a book for me because it is "soooo good" and they have no idea what my tastes are or what I like.  But book swaps are awesome!  I've always been fortunate to have partners who picked awesome books.

Anyway, on to the swap!!!  (And please don't mind my funkily lit pictures, it was getting dark last night when I took them.)

Kelly's Picks!
So, for those of you unfamiliar with Chaotic Goddess' book swap, here's what you do: pick three books for your partner, one off their wishlist, one you've read and think they should try, and one you haven't read but sounds like something they'd enjoy.

For a book off my wishlist she picked:

The Lace Reader
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry.  I don't remember if I read a review for this one on a blog or if Amazon told me I should read it or what, but it sounded good.  Here's how Goodreads describes it.
Look into the lace? When the eyes begin to fill with tears and the patience is long exhausted, there will appear a glimpse of something not quite seen... In this moment, an image will begin to form? in the space between what is real and what is only imagined. Can you read your future in a piece of lace? All of the Whitney women can. But the last time Towner read, it killed her sister and nearly robbed Towner of her own sanity. Vowing never to read lace again, her resolve is tested when faced with the mysterious, unsolvable disappearance of her beloved Great Aunt Eva, Salem's original Lace Reader. Told from opposing and often unreliable perspectives, the story engages the reader's own beliefs. Should we listen to Towner, who may be losing her mind for the second time? Or should we believe John Rafferty, a no nonsense New York detective, who ran away from the city to a simpler place only to find himself inextricably involved in a psychic tug of war with all three generations of Whitney women? Does either have the whole story? Or does the truth lie somewhere in the swirling pattern of the lace?


For the one she's read and think I'll love she picked:

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
 Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs has been on my wishlist for a while.  I think it sounds interesting and the pictures throughout the book are an interesting touch.  Here's Goodreads description:
A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography.
Sounds creepily delicious!


And  for a book she hasn't read but thinks I should read, she picked:

Gone Girl

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.  This is my third novel by her and while I usually find the endings a bit too fantastic, they are an awesome thrill ride that keep me up way too late.  Here's what Goodreads says about Gone Girl
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?


I haven't seen the movie yet, because I usually like to read the book first so I'm not 100% sure how this one goes, although I have gathered bits and pieces from reviews online.  And the crazy thing is, I picked this same book for Kelly as a book I haven't read but sounded like she'd enjoy. 

I'm so excited! I've already put one of the books in my February to read stack.  If you want to see what everyone else got, check out the link up by clicking the picture below.  And if you want to play next time, we'll be doing it all again in March!

16 comments:

  1. Awesome package. I was in the blog swap as well and am waiting for my package to arrive. OMG I'm so excited because this is my first year in the blog swap. I'll have to join next year as well because it is definitely loads of fun! Congrats on all the wonderful books you got. Gone Girl was so amazing!

    Alex @ The Book's Buzz

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    1. Alex, you're going to love Books n Bloggers. And every swapper I've met through Chaotic Goddess has been great.

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  2. I think you will like Gone Girl but (if you are like me) hate every single character in the book LOL. Great swap package.

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    1. I love Gillian Flynn's books, but so far the endings always leave me a little perturbed. She can definitely write page turners though, so I look forward to Gone Girl.

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  3. Oh I LOVE Miss Peregrine! I haven't read the others yet, but I think you'll love it! (I think everyone will! LOL!) Great swap!

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    1. I plan on starting Miss Peregrine next month! It looks pretty intriguing.

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  4. Ohhhh Great books!! I've been off and on debating about Gone Girl!

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    1. I should really read Gone Girl first so I can get on with life and watch the movie, but I'm really interested in Miss Peregrine's so I think Gone Girl may have to wait until March (unless I go on a reading rampage this month).

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  5. Hahaha! I love that you two picked the same book for each other! I hope you both love it (I did!), and thanks for joining us for this swap! :D

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    1. You and Miss Angie always do such a fabulous job hosting these swaps and making sure everything goes smoothly. Thanks for putting all the time and effort into it!

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  6. oo! I've heard good things about all three of these books! I love this swap - the three categories guarantee that you should get great books and it's fun to pick books for other people.

    Emily @ Follow the Yellow Book Road

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    1. Agreed! I like that you submit a wishlist, but your partner still has some leeway to think outside the box and get you something they think you may like that you haven't heard about yet.

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  7. You got some great books! I loved Miss Peregine and I know everyone else loves Gone Girl.

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    1. I finished Miss Peregrine early this morning. I thought it was pretty good!

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  8. You've got some great books!!! I LOVED The Lace Reader!! I actually bought that for my swapping partner, too!! I agree, books as gifts is always better than trying to figure out what to get for yourself.

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    1. Glad to hear you loved The Lace Reader. I don't remember who recommended it to me, but I'm looking forward to reading it!

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