Books Beside My Chair #14

Can you believe another week has past. The weeks are blending together with this virus. Several times this week someone has been ahead on the days or behind. It does make for some confession. This is for the week of March 30th- April 5th. This week I read 7 books which brings my yearly total to 66 books. I read a total of 2,379 pages. I actually enjoyed all that I read this week. Now onto the books. If I give a synopsis I will use Good Reads. Now onto the books.

 This book I should have read in February. It is a women fiction book. This is an Advance Reader copy.  I gave it 4 stars. It was a really good book about survival and struggling with a life change from an accident. Margaret Jacobsen has a bright future ahead of her: a fiancé she adores, her dream job, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in one tumultuous moment.

In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Margaret must figure out how to move forward on her own terms while facing long-held family secrets, devastating heartbreak, and the idea that love might find her in the last place she would ever expect.

How to Walk Away is Katherine Center at her very best: an utterly charming, hopeful, and romantic novel that will capture reader’s hearts with every page.

 This is a middle grade book and I gave it 4 stars. I read this for the Royal Weekender readathon that happened the last week end of March. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. If you have ever read Ink Heart you will like this book. A magical adventure to delight the imagination. A curl-up-on-the-sofa debut from a uniquely talented author.

Eleven year-old Tilly has lived above her grandparents' bookshop ever since her mother disappeared shortly after she was born. Like the rest of her family, Tilly loves nothing more than to escape into the pages of her favourite stories.

One day Tilly realises that classic children's characters are appearing in the shop through the magic of `book wandering' - crossing over from the page into real life.

With the help of Anne of Green Gables and Alice in Wonderland. Tilly is determined to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother all those years ago, so she bravely steps into the unknown, unsure of what adventure lies ahead and what dangers she may face.

 This book I should have read in January. It is a young adult fantasy and the first book in a series. It is an Anastasia retelling. I gave it 3 stars. I had some problems keeping the characters straight in my mind. In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are unnatural—dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, has a terrifying secret. Her deadly Affinity to blood is her curse and the reason she has lived her life hidden behind palace walls.

When Ana’s father, the emperor, is murdered, her world is shattered. Framed as his killer, Ana must flee the palace to save her life. And to clear her name, she must find her father’s murderer on her own. But the Cyrilia beyond the palace walls is far different from the one she thought she knew. Corruption rules the land, and a greater conspiracy is at work—one that threatens the very balance of her world. And there is only one person corrupt enough to help Ana get to its core: Ramson Quicktongue.

A cunning crime lord of the Cyrilian underworld, Ramson has sinister plans—though he might have met his match in Ana. Because in this story, the princess might be the most dangerous player of all

 This is the first book that I read for the OWLS. It was for the Arithmancy prompt to read a book that is outside my comfort zone. This is a book of poetry and I don't read poetry very much. I gave this book 3 stars. This book has a rough topic and though the topic was important I just wasn't interested because to me I have already read this from her book Speak. It also was the Good Reads winner for best poetry. Bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson is known for the unflinching way she writes about, and advocates for, survivors of sexual assault. Now, inspired by her fans and enraged by how little in our culture has changed since her groundbreaking novel Speak was first published twenty years ago, she has written a poetry memoir that is as vulnerable as it is rallying, as timely as it is timeless. In free verse, Anderson shares reflections, rants, and calls to action woven between deeply personal stories from her life that she's never written about before. Searing and soul-searching, this important memoir is a denouncement of our society's failures and a love letter to all the people with the courage to say #metoo and #timesup, whether aloud, online, or only in their own hearts. Shout speaks truth to power in a loud, clear voice-- and once you hear it, it is impossible to ignore.

 This is the second book I read for the OWLS. This book was for charms which was to read a book with a white cover. I gave it 5 stars. It is a middle-grade book. Neil Patrick Harris is an amazing writer and it is fun to read his books. He really makes it easy for children to enjoy books. I highly recommend that both you and children should read this series. This was actually my favorite book for the week. Growing up in an orphanage, Leila was bullied for being different. But she turned her hardship into skill by becoming an escape artist—a valuable trait when belonging to a group of magical best friends. When a famous psychic comes to town, however, Leila and her pals won't be able to escape the big mystery heading their way. Whether chasing mad monkeys or banishing ghosts from haunted hotels, these six friends will do their best to keep Mineral Wells safe—but can they still protect themselves in the process?

Join the Magic Misfits as they discover adventure, friendship, and more than a few hidden secrets in this delightful new series. Whether you're a new fan of stage magic or a longtime expert at illusion, Magic Misfits is sure to delight even more than sawing your assistant in half!

… have more questions? I thought you might. Here are some answers:

WHERE? A sleepy town in New England and the magic shop there, run by the friendly but mysterious Dante Vernon—the gang's caped and top-hatted mentor.

WHO? Carter, who makes cards and coins vanish. Leila, who escapes from trunks and straitjackets. Theo, who levitates with the aid of his violin bow. Ridley, who invents and transforms everyday objects. And of course twins Olly and Izzy, who make everyone laugh.

WHY? Because together, these six Magical Misfits will discover adventure, friendship, and the town's long-hidden secrets.

(Psst. Hey, you! Yes, YOU! Congratulations on reading this far down. As a reward, I'll let you in on a little secret.... This book isn't just a book. It's a treasure trove of secrets and ciphers and codes and even tricks. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll discover more than just a story—you'll learn how to make your own magic!)

 This is another book I read for the OWLS. I didn't need this for my career but it is a fast read and I have been wanting to read it. I also read it for the #romancetakeoverbuddyread, that happened this last week end. The prompt for the OWLS was ancient Runes which was to read a book with heart in the title or on the cover. I gave it 5 stars. This is a graphic novel. Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. An LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the second volume of HEARTSTOPPER, for fans of The Art of Being Normal, Holly Bourne and Love, Simon.

Nick and Charlie are best friends. Nick knows Charlie's gay, and Charlie is sure that Nick isn't.

But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is discovering all kinds of things about his friends, his family ... and himself.

Heartstopper is about friendship, loyalty and mental illness. It encompasses all the small stories of Nick and Charlie's lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us.

This is the second volume of Heartstopper, with more to come. Volume two collects all of chapter three from the ongoing web series.

This is the last book that I read for the week. I read this book for a online book club that I am a member of. This is a new adult book about teenagers just before they go off to college. It was ok and I gave it 3 stars. When eighteen-year-old Ever Wong’s parents send her from Ohio to Taiwan to study Mandarin for the summer, she finds herself thrust among the very over-achieving kids her parents have always wanted her to be, including Rick Woo, the Yale-bound prodigy profiled in the Chinese newspapers since they were nine—and her parents’ yardstick for her never-measuring-up life.

Unbeknownst to her parents, however, the program is actually an infamous teen meet-market nicknamed Loveboat, where the kids are more into clubbing than calligraphy and drinking snake-blood sake than touring sacred shrines.

Free for the first time, Ever sets out to break all her parents’ uber-strict rules—but how far can she go before she breaks her own heart?

I have several more books that I have started but haven't finished yet. Why do I have several books started at one time. Well I just don't know what I will be in the mood to read for the day.  Have you read any of these books and if you have what are your thoughts. Let me know and let's talk talk in the comment area. As always keep reading and stay safe.