Giveaway: The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett

Charlie Lovett's new book, The Lost Book of the Grail, is released today and I am very happy to have three copies to offer on giveaway! This giveaway is open to US residents only.

About the Book: In THE LOST BOOK OF THE GRAIL (Viking; On-Sale: February 28, 2017; ISBN: 9780399562518; Price: $26.00), his fourth and most ambitious book yet, Lovett gives us his whimsical take on the legend of King Arthur and the Holy Grail.

THE LOST BOOK OF THE GRAIL is a deftly layered mystery written in the bold, questing spirit of Arthurian tales. Set in the fictional English cathedral city of Barchester, the novel chronicles the story of Arthur Prescott, a middle-aged, obsessive bibliophile and Holy Grail fanatic, who for years has haplessly worked to uncover a long lost secret about the cathedral’s past and its connections to King Arthur. But it’s not until Arthur meets Bethany Davis, a beautiful young American Millennial with a penchant for modern technology, that his quest takes on new meaning. Soon Arthur and Bethany’s search takes on grave importance, leading the pair to discover secrets about the cathedral, about the grail, and about themselves that neither expected.

Imbued with reverence and mythical storytelling, THE LOST BOOK OF THE GRAIL is a mystery of the kind that’s wildly popular in the entertainment world—think Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and National Treasure, not to mention Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code—yet deeply ruminates on timeless themes like faith, perceived truth, and how the past has informed the present day. Here Lovett provides a wholly entertaining story that will not only make you smile and laugh, but also think—prompting readers to reconsider the important roles that spirituality, family, and, yes, reading, play in their lives.

To enter, just fill in the form below by March 10, 2017.

Five Things That Made Me Happy This Week

We live in a trying time. This is perhaps always true, but for myself, the first month of the year has been a challenge. Between sifting through legitimate issues and problems, panic and misinformation, I have realized I need to step back from the immediacy of a constant stream of news and focus. It doesn't help that I have my own personal issues to contend with.

When things are hard it's the little things...the little pop culture things that have nothing to do with my own life that often provide a bit of respite and pleasure and so this year I'm going to try to recap the things I enjoyed the most in the previous week! For this week, I made gifs to go with it, but I can't promise I'll do that every week.

1) The Good Place was renewed!

I loved this show a lot for it's generally good heart, good humor, clever cliffhangers. The ratings weren't totally awesome so it was a bit unsure if it would live to see another season, but it will! I really recommend catching up on the show if you can.

2) TWD aired a promo that featured a smiling Rick and Michonne!

The first half of the seventh season of The Walking Dead was a bit dark. Okay really dark. And there is still a huge foe that our heroes must face. It's a resistance. But they are willing to start making that fight together. And my favorite characters smiling (and being in love) is still a great thing!

3) Carlos Martinez signed an extension with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cardinals had some bad news with the punishment for the hacking incident being handed down but managed to cheer us all up by signing our favorite young pitcher to an extension. Martinez has a lot of talent and a lot of personality so it's nice I won't have to watch him on another team!

4) NBC aired Powerless and it's adorable

With The Good Place being done for the year, I was sad about no comedies to watch. I have a very particular taste so while I tried a few popular options, I didn't really like them. Critics didn't like this one, but I found it adorable and even somewhat timely. Vanessa Hudgens in particular is great. Looking forward to seeing more!

5) Meryl Davis and Charlie White participated in Art on Ice

I'm a huge ice dance fan as those of you who follow me on Twitter know! Current competition has been a bit disappointing for me this year with hard outings for my favorites and a retirement by one of my favorite young teams. So it was nice to finally see some video of Davis and White at Art On Ice with a beautiful performance to Adagio for Strings.

So what little things made you happy this week? (personal life stuff or pop culture please! this is our escape space)

Catching Up on Contemporary YA

I read some great YA books last year that would fall into the contemporary category and I wanted a chance to talk about them! (yes I'm still catching up on last year!)

I Was Here by Gayle Forman

I always forget until I'm reading her books the kind of writer Forman is...that she has the ability to grab me right in my heart. She is thoughtful and perceptive and her books really make me care about the characters. I Was Here was no exception. The subject matter is incredibly heavy as it deals with suicide and those left behind. Cody's best friend kills herself and Cody finds it such a shock that she wants to find out why. The depth and anguish felt true to life and while there was a romantic development I struggled with, I ultimately loved this book. It's not an easy read but it felt worth my time for helping me to understand even more how hard life is, the influence we have on each other and the importance of forgiving ourselves.

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

Whenever national disasters happen, we often think of them for a news cycle and then they fade from memory. Torn Away is the story of Jersey who endures a horrible tornado in her midwest town. Going from the catastrophic storm itself to the unthinkable aftermath, Jersey's is the story of someone who loses their entire life in the storm. Like Hate List, this book made me cry a lot as Jersey struggles to make sense of her life in the aftermath, the memory of those she's lost, and finding a new place for herself in the world. Riveting and emotional, I definitely recommend this one!

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

I love Sara Zarr's books and this was no exception. Lucy is a piano protege until a family loss makes her want to stop forever. But when her brother starts getting taught by a new young teacher, she finds herself interested in returning to playing. But is this new teacher just using her? Lucy struggles with finding her own creative voice, autonomy over her gift and growing up in this book that is thoughtful and considerate of the many emotional depths in a young girl. I love how Lucy comes to take ownership over her playing AND her decisions in a way that is extremely satisfying. Recommend!

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

I enjoyed this book in that I was completely gripped by it while I was reading it. My emotions and mind were engaged. But there's a twist that once I realized it, I felt overall frustrated with the book. I really don't want to go into more detail than that, but it was still a great read!