Book Review: The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

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The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Summary:   Only a few years before becoming a famous silent-film star and an icon of her generation, a fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita, Kansas, to study with the prestigious Denishawn School of Dancing in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone, who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle, a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip, has no idea what she’s in for. Young Louise, already stunningly beautiful and sporting her famous black bob with blunt bangs, is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will transform their lives forever.
 

Just In: Walnut Brown Pure Wool Infinity Scarf

I love natural fibers & have a fair amount of wool & alpaca existing
in my usual yarn stash. I went with a bit of pure wool in this lovely
Walnut Brown Pure Wool Infinity Scarf Loop SAMANTHA. All the style and perfect for winter. When I looped it to photograph, it reminded me of
a rose.

Stay tuned for more that's new in the 'tique. Also, my review for "The
Chaperone" should be up in the next day or two. I've been really busy.

Book Review: A Modern Day Persuasion: An Adaptation of Jane Austen's Novel by Kaitlin Saunders

A Modern Day Persuasion: An Adaptation of Jane Austen's Novel by Kaitlin Saunders
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Summary:   Nearly eight years ago, Anne’s family, specifically her father, convinced her that she was too young to wed and insinuated that her fiancé Rick was solely interested in her wealth and status. Against her better judgment, Anne agreed to postpone the marriage, only to watch the love of her life walk away, never to be heard from again. Almost a decade later, still single and no longer wealthy, Anne struggles to make a name for herself designing greeting cards. Unable to move on with her life, she finds herself still emotionally bound to the man who disappeared the moment things didn’t go his way. Through a series of serendipitous events, however, Anne is reunited with her old love—just as a new beau enters the scene. Only time will tell if her heart can finally be set free to love again, or if Rick’s initial betrayal will leave her single…forever.

Book Review: Sins of the House of Borgia by Sarah Bower

Sins of the House of Borgia by Sarah Bower

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Summary:   Violante isn't supposed to be here, in one of the grandest courts of Renaissance Italy. She isn't supposed to be a lady-in-waiting to the beautiful Lucrezia Borgia. But the same secretive  politics that pushed Lucrezia's father to the Vatican have landed Violante deep in a lavish landscape of passion and ambition.

Violante discovers a Lucrezia unknown to those who see only a scheming harlot, and all the whispers about her brother, Cesare Borgia, never revealed the soul of the man who dances close with Violante.

Big & Chunky Eternity Scarves

I had some really nice thick yarns in my yarn stash & I never really
seem to get around to using them, so this summer, I dove in & got to
work. Two things happened. I made some really great big & bulky
infinity scarves & I found out that my wrists don't like working with
big chunky yarns for prolonged periods of time. Ouch. I do love the
results of the chunky yarns though & here are the two I made.

The top is Long Chunky Infinity Scarf Brown Cream PERRI. The other is Fern Green Alpaca Blend Infinity Scarf Unisex LINDEN.

And yes, LINDEN is named after Sarah Linden of AMC's The Killing. The
show may be cancelled but her big chunky sweaters are what the scarf
reminded me of when I'd finished making it.

Shoemint: Melissa Booties & Mary Metallic Strappy Flats

In a previous post, I lamented receiving a damaged pair of metallic Marys from Shoemint. My return went very well & now I'm the happy recipient of an undamaged pair. They're cute & comfy for walking & I think I'll be able to wear them well into a temperate fall season. YaY!
The Melissa booties in leather are seriously my new favorite shoes. They feel great on & have treaded bottoms. My Janice boots needed tread pads because they were slip-slidey. Melissa has no such problem. I already have the perfect bag to accompany so I'm ready!
So, Shoemint love remains & my closet is a little happier.

Pretty Marled Pink & Grey Infinity Loop Scarf SARA

I have a thing about marbled yarns & this is the result of that. The
yarn I used in this infinity scarf is a very soft acrylic & the color
mixes they create make for fab finished products. Marled Pink Grey Infinity Scarf SARA is named after a character I quite
liked in one of the books I've read & reviewed this year. ;)

What I've Made: Olympian Blue Infinity Scarf SAMANTHA

I'm a bit obsessed with the Olympian Blue shade this year & it made
its way to my crochet. The result is a new Olympian Blue Infinity Scarf SAMANTHA. Long live the loop! ;)

Book Review: Maul by Tricia Sullivan

Maul by Tricia Sullivan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Summary:   In a mall like any other, two gangs of teenaged girls are about to embark on an orgy of shopping and designer violence. In the battleground of cool, they'll fight for their lives to prove that "image is everything." And in another place, within a sealed room, a lone man fights an equally desperate war against a new virus and the scientists who have developed it. If anyone gets out alive, it will be a small miracle.

Adventures In Scarves & Summer Reading

It's August & once again I'm crocheting up a storm of cuddly scarves & hats for the coming cooler weather (yes, that pic up there  is of my working pile for the day. riveting, i know). I never feel ahead but it is fun to work through my yarn stash. The feeling of accomplishment is pretty fantastic. It also frees up space... well, if I'm honest, it really only gives me license to buy more yarn. ;)

I'm still trundling through my summer reading list, so  there are more reviews to come. I've been on a sci-fi tear lately but I'll mix it up a bit more after the book I'm reading right now. I've some fetching historical fiction I've been dying to get to. And speaking of historical fiction, I'm in deep Downton Abbey withdrawal. I think I need to find some fiction of the time to get my fix. Recs or ideas?

Book Review: Confessions from an Arranged Marriage (The Burgundy Club #4) by Miranda Neville

Confessions from an Arranged Marriage by Miranda Neville

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Summary:   They couldn't be more different—but there's one thing they agree on...

In London after a two-year exile, Lord Blakeney plans to cut a swathe through the bedchambers of the demimonde. Marriage is not on his agenda, especially to an annoying chit like Minerva Montrose, with her superior attitude and a tendency to get into trouble. And certainly the last man Minerva wants is Blake, a careless wastrel without a thought in his handsome head.

Shoemint Disappointment: Damaged Shoes Out of the Box!

I suppose it had to happen eventually but I'm sad just the same. After months of Shoemint bliss, I've been issued a bitter pill.
A few posts ago, I mentioned that I was waiting for a pair of Jills I'd ordered to arrive. They did arrive but were a bit snug so I figured I'd send them back in exchange for the cute metallic Marys. Shoemint's customer service by phone made this a breeze & were very accommodating. I sent back the Jills & yesterday my Marys arrived. I promptly opened the box to find, to my extreme dismay, a very much damaged shoe. After a good few minutes of very vocal & colorful complaining, I took the pics above & called customer service again. Again, customer service was helpful & accommodating (thanks Courtney!) & I'll be sending these back to get another pair.
My main contention of annoyance remains however. How the hell are shoes this damaged making it out to a customer at all?! Admittedly, I do have plenty of flawless shoes & transactions with Shoemint but this really put me off. I can only hope that they up their quality control at Beachmint & this is a complete one off.
In other Shoemint related items, I'm wondering how often they'll offer handbag selections. I was hoping it'd be monthly, like the shoes but that seems not to be the case. I am looking forward to autumn selections.

Book Review: Butterfly (Butterfly Trilogy #1) by Kathryn Harvey

Butterfly by Kathryn Harvey

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Summary:  Above an exclusive men's store on Rodeo Drive there is a private club called Butterfly, where women are free to act out their secret erotic fantasies. Only the most beautiful and powerful women in Beverly Hills are invited to join... JESSICA--The lawyer, who longs for the days when men were men, and women dressed to please them.

TRUDIE--The builder, who wants a man who will challenge her --all of her--with no holds barred.