Litsy.....a place to grow your TBR...and make friends!

So....have you heard there is like a tinder for books? It's called Litsy! It's one of the best things I have discovered this year. Litsy is an app that helps readers connect with one another. The app is similar to Instagram in that you can post photos of the books your reading. You can post quotes, blurbs and (small) reviews! This is great for me because I love to create meme's of quotes for the books I just finished. 

Also the app has helped me choose which books to read next and has made my TBR bigger. I have found that the users of this app take their books very seriously and give very honest reviews! 

The best feature of the app is the My Litfluence...it's pretty awesome. You increase your Litfluence as people like your post, comment or follow you. So far I have only 75 or so followers. A number I hope to see grow by Jan of 2017! Litsy is a must have on any book lover's phone. If your using Litsy please post your username in the comments. You can follow me there as TheBookbabeblog84 ! 

🍁......My Fall Wishlist....🍂

Sometimes a girl just have to have a few books to buy to make the next few months exciting! Of course, I have more than enough books. But here are the top for books I can't wait to buy....

Synopsis:

Sometimes I believe the baby will never stop crying.

Sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner fears she is losing her mind. When her family move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, Amanda hopes she can leave her haunting memories behind: of her sickly Ma giving birth to a terribly afflicted baby; of the cabin fever that claimed Amanda's sanity; of the boy who she has been meeting in secret. . .
But the Verners arrive on the prairie to find their new home soaked in blood. So much blood. And Amanda has heard stories - about men becoming unhinged and killing their families, about the land being tainted by wickedness.

With guilty secrets weighing down on her, Amanda can't be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or within her soul . . .

Synopsis: 

Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood—where even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Matters do not go as planned—Cora kills a young white boy who tries to capture her. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted.
     In Whitehead’s ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor—engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora and Caesar’s first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But the city’s placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom.
     Like the protagonist of Gulliver’s Travels, Cora encounters different worlds at each stage of her journey—hers is an odyssey through time as well as space. As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the unique terrors for black people in the pre–Civil War era, his narrative seamlessly weaves the saga of America from the brutal importation of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is at once a kinetic adventure tale of one woman’s ferocious will to escape the horrors of bondage and a shattering, powerful meditation on the history we all share.

Synopsis: 

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. 
 
Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. 
 
Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”  
 
In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.
 
Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.
 

Synopsis:

Chilling real-life accounts of witches, from medieval Europe through colonial America, compiled by the "New York Times "bestselling author of "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane "and "Conversion" 
From a manual for witch hunters written by King James himself in 1597, to court documents from the Salem witch trials of 1692, to newspaper coverage of a woman stoned to death on the streets of Philadelphia while the Continental Congress met, "The Penguin Book of Witches" is a treasury of historical accounts of accused witches that sheds light on the reality behind the legends. Bringing to life stories like that of Eunice Cole, tried for attacking a teenage girl with a rock and buried with a stake through her heart; Jane Jacobs, a Bostonian so often accused of witchcraft that she took her tormentors to court on charges of slander; and Increase Mather, an exorcism-performing minister famed for his knowledge of witches, this volume provides a unique tour through the darkest history of English and North American witchcraft. 
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

*all descriptions came from Google Books*

My first Book of the Month Club Selection!

Here is the synopsis:

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all--a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.
     Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years.
     What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family--a chilling tale of deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

Bookbabe Review: I Take You by Eliza Kennedy

                                       

Beware: Not your conventional chic lit: Review of I Take You by Eliza Kennedy

I received this book from Blogging for Books (a program maintained by Penguin Random House); and have promised to write an honest review. Eliza Kennedy's I Take You was not at all what I had expected. I thought it would be your typical chick lit story. But boy was I wrong. 

In this novel we are introduced to Lily; a tough talking, overly flirty, 30 something attorney. She's brutally honest and funny and Gosh It could be so easy to like her...if....she was not flirting and kissing with all these unnamed men and then swooning over how great her fiancee Will is. 

The Book actually opens with Lily making out with a man in a bar and then after having her partying cut short goes into work and proceeds to have sex with her boss. 

It was at this point; which was way to early on, that I almost wanted to ditch the book. But, I really wanted to see where the author was going. Plus, I wanted to know if she and Will would make it down the aisle; and if Will was going to find out about her cheating.

As the book goes on we start to get an even deeper look into Lily. We find out that her actions as a teenager caused the death of a friend; she cost another friend (and her first love) the lost of his freedom for a few years. She also does drugs, which is featured at least twice in the book. Lily is anything put perfect. But in reality none of us are. So maybe that is why her personality, character and the novel is so utterly realistic. 

Lily's fiancé, Will, seems absolutely perfect. He's funny, intelligent, well educated and employed at the Met. However, Will, is not at all what he seems. He is as bad as she is. However, he has been hiding it will and Lily was none the wiser. However, Will knew very will what Lily was doing. She was not as good at hiding it. She kept odd hours and came home smelling of liquor and sex. Also, she had weird text messages from strange contacts on her phone. Will, however, had a two phone system. A phone just for texting and talking to random women. One of which was Lily's college roommate Nicolle. Who he sleeps with, more than once. Lily is not made aware of Will's betrayals until their rehearsal dinner. He reaction is a bit infuriating; she actually gets mad. Which makes absolutely no sense. And Will tells her as much. Lily has no right to be made because she has been sleeping with anyone and everyone. Will is just the male version of herself; which makes them perfect for one another. 

This book was not exactly one of my favorite reads of the summer. But, it was enjoyable. It was like watching a train wreck, you just could not look away. In the end, the only character I really liked was the Grandmother. Kennedy could have featured her a little more in this book....because she was funny. I gave this book 3/5 stars on Goodreads.

Quotes I loved:

"Think positive, Iz....Your kitchen skills could jump start a new career. The legal profession's loss could be the prison food industry's gain."

"The human heart is the darkest of all mysteries. Who among us can honestly say he knows, truly knows, anyone else? Who even knows himself? Not you. Certainly not me."

"Can you imagine what would happen if people knew their spouses properly before marrying them? It would be calamity."

"A recent law school grad is like a newborn panda, mewling and useless. She needs a few years of growth and experience before she can be released into the wild without getting eaten."

     

Fall means....Tea and Pumpkin everything....but...let's focus on the Tea!

Hey Bookies,

Warm Pre Autumn greetings! As you all know Fall is for Book lovers. But did you know God also created Fall for Tea lovers? Well, as always, around the end of August I start buying Pumpkin everything and getting my Tea Game together. Which is exactly what I did today. My pal Michelle and I met up today to visit the Delmarva Pagan Pride Festival in Downtown Dover. My main objective was to visit a good friends tent to shop her incense (I use them for meditation and prayer) and just to see all the wonderful wares everyone has. I always love to see the fairy art. In fact, last year there were some amazing fairy doors, garden stuff etc. 

However, this was the first year I had seen loose leaf teas and of course I jumped at the chance to buy these. The Sabbat Tea: Litha; contains cinnamon, ginger and pomegranate. It also have apple and rose hips. And can I just tell you it smells heavenly! It's supposed to he a summer tea but it's just perfect for fall evenings and bonfires...I can not wait to taste it while reading a good book. 

The second tea I purchased was Two Faces Bitch! I will admit that I purchased it because of the name. This tea has lavender and honey brush. It smells smoothing and rich. I really can not wait to try it out. If you would like to check out these teas you can find them at 

http://blackthornhoodooblends.com .

Also, Check out The Enchantdrose on Facebook; that's the shop I purchased it from. Well...til next time...Happy Reading!

The Bookbabe goes Book Shopping.....

I got more books....here is my mini book Haul for August 2016! 

 **All Synopsis' are from Goodreads.com**

1) A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees by Kenõ

Synopsis: 'It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met...' 

Moonlight, sake, spring blossom, idle moments, a woman's hair - these exquisite reflections on life's fleeting pleasures by a thirteenth-century Japanese monk are delicately attuned to nature and the senses. 

2) Lover Unleashed by J.R: Ward

Synopsis: Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, warrior cloth as her brother: A fighter by nature, and a maverick when it comes to the traditional role of Chosen females, there is no place for her on the Far Side... and no role for her on the front lines of the war, either. 

When she suffers a paralyzing injury, human surgeon Dr. Manuel Manello is called in to treat her as only he can—and he soon gets sucked into her dangerous, secret world. Although he never before believed in things that go bump in the night—like vampires—he finds himself more than willing to be seduced by the powerful female who marks both his body and his soul.

3) Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham

Synopsis: Sebastian Rudd is not your typical street lawyer. He works out of a customized bulletproof van, complete with Wi-Fi, a bar, a small fridge, fine leather chairs, a hidden gun compartment, and a heavily armed driver. He has no firm, no partners, no associates, and only one employee, his driver, who’s also his bodyguard, law clerk, confidant, and golf caddy. He lives alone in a small but extremely safe penthouse apartment, and his primary piece of furniture is a vintage pool table. He drinks small-batch bourbon and carries a gun.

 
Sebastian defends people other lawyers won’t go near: a drug-addled, tattooed kid rumored to be in a satanic cult, who is accused of molesting and murdering two little girls; a vicious crime lord on death row; a homeowner arrested for shooting at a SWAT team that mistakenly invaded his house.  Why these clients? Because he believes everyone is entitled to a fair trial, even if he, Sebastian, has to cheat to secure one. He hates injustice, doesn’t like insurance companies, banks, or big corporations; he distrusts all levels of government and laughs at the justice system’s notions of ethical behavior.

4) The Invisible Library by G. Frogman

Synopsis: Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she's posted to an alternative London. Their mission - to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.

Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested - the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene's new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own.

Soon, she's up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option - the nature of reality itself is at stake.

5) Black Skin, White Mask by F. Fanon

Synopsis: A major influence on civil rights, anti-colonial, and black consciousness movements around the world, Black Skin, White Masks is the unsurpassed study of the black psyche in a white world. Hailed for its scientific analysis and poetic grace when it was first published in 1952, the book remains a vital force today. “[Fanon] demonstrates how insidiously the problem of race, of color, connects with a whole range of words and images.” — Robert Coles, The New York Times Book Review 

6) Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling

Synopsis: It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

7) Graceling by Kristen Cashore

Synopsis: Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight - she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po's friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away... 

                 ***not pictured***

8) The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly

Synopsis: Mickey Haller gets the text, "Call me ASAP - 187," and the California penal code for murder immediately gets his attention. Murder cases have the highest stakes and the biggest paydays, and they always mean Haller has to be at the top of his game.

When Mickey learns that the victim was his own former client, a prostitute he thought he had rescued and put on the straight and narrow path, he knows he is on the hook for this one. He soon finds out that she was back in LA and back in the life. Far from saving her, Mickey may have been the one who put her in danger.

Crisp Autumn Air, Crunchy Colorful Leaves and Big Books....aren't we all itching for Autumn!

Fall is this Book Lover's favorite Season!

 And like always I have compiled my Autumn TBR list! Please feel free to suggest books to me via email or on the blogs Facebook Page and Forum! 

Here are my Top Five (to be read immediately):

1) The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Synopsis: Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood—where even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Matters do not go as planned—Cora kills a young white boy who tries to capture her. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted. 

2) End of Watch (Bill Hodges #3) by Stephen King 

Synopsis: In Room 217 of the Lakes Region Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, something has awakened. Something evil. Brady Hartsfield, perpetrator of the Mercedes Massacre, where eight people were killed and many more were badly injured, has been in the clinic for five years, in a vegetative state. According to his doctors, anything approaching a complete recovery is unlikely. But behind the drool and stare, Brady is awake, and in possession of deadly new powers that allow him to wreak unimaginable havoc without ever leaving his hospital room. 

Retired police detective Bill Hodges, the unlikely hero ofMr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers, now runs an investigation agency with his partner, Holly Gibney—the woman who delivered the blow to Hartsfield’s head that put him on the brain injury ward. When Bill and Holly are called to a suicide scene with ties to the Mercedes Massacre, they find themselves pulled into their most dangerous case yet, one that will put their lives at risk, as well as those of Bill’s heroic young friend Jerome Robinson and his teenage sister, Barbara. Brady Hartsfield is back, and planning revenge not just on Hodges and his friends, but on an entire city. 

3) The Shining by Stephen King

Synopsis: Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote . . . and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.

4) Conversion by Katherine Howe

Synopsis: It’s senior year at St. Joan’s Academy, and school is a pressure cooker. College applications, the battle for valedictorian, deciphering boys’ texts: Through it all, Colleen Rowley and her friends are expected to keep it together. Until they can’t. 

  
First it’s the school’s queen bee, Clara Rutherford, who suddenly falls into uncontrollable tics in the middle of class. Her mystery illness quickly spreads to her closest clique of friends, then more students and symptoms follow: seizures, hair loss, violent coughing fits. St. Joan’s buzzes with rumor; rumor blossoms into full-blown panic. 
  
Soon the media descends on Danvers, Massachusetts, as everyone scrambles to find something, or someone, to blame. Pollution? Stress? Or are the girls faking? Only Colleen—who’s been reading The Crucible for extra credit—comes to realize what nobody else has: Danvers was once Salem Village, where another group of girls suffered from a similarly bizarre epidemic three centuries ago . . . 
  

5) In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Synopsis: Ruth Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood has all the hallmarks of a good psychological thriller-- a woman lured back to a past she's spent a decade trying to escape, a few unstable characters, and a shocking death. The impending marriage of Nora's best friend from that long ago time brings her to a glass-walled cabin deep in the woods, for a hen party (the U.K. equivalent of a bachelorette weekend). But why is she there when the two haven't spoken since Nora fled their college town ten years ago? As the party gets underway things start to take a dark turn that builds with each passing moment. In a Dark, Dark Wood is a slow burn, each revelation and obfuscation luring the reader at an ever faster pace towards its ultimate life and death conclusion.--Seira Wilson

 ---------------------------------------------

        The rest of the wild bunch 

6) Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding 

7) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

8) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

9) The Silkworm by Robert Galibrath 

10) Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

*all synopsis are taken from Amazon.com*