Top Ten Tuesday – Holiday Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Holiday Reads. These are the holiday books I plan on reading this month. Here’s my list:

1. Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

2. A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan

3. Finding Christmas by Karen Schaler

4. We Met in December by Rosie Curtis

5. One Week ‘Til Christmas by Belinda Missen

6. 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

7. Christmas at the Second Chance Chocolate Shop by Kellie Hailes

8. The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

9. My True Love Gave to Me by Stephanie Perkins (editor)

10. Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle

(All photos taken from Goodreads)

What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?

Review: The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe

Title: The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe
Author: Angela Kelly
Genre: Nonfiction
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 29, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

THE OFFICIAL BOOK, FULLY ENDORSED BY QUEEN ELIZABETH II

From Her Majesty’s trusted confidant and Dresser Angela Kelly LVO comes a lavishly designed book of never-before-seen photos of The Queen, Her wardrobe and Her jewels and features intimate anecdotes from Angela’s 25-year career working closely with Her Majesty. A truly unique keepsake and collectors’ item to be treasured.  

‘For the nearly seven decades of her reign, Her Majesty The Queen has used clothing to create a powerful visual identity that transcends fashion and has made her perhaps the most readily identifiable person on the planet. Angela Kelly, building on the work of the great designers and milliners who have worked with Her Majesty through the years – including couturiers Sir Norman Hartnell, Sir Hardy Amies, and Ian Thomas, and milliners such as Simone Mirman and Freddy Fox – brings her own imagination to bear on an iconic ‘uniform’ that suggests continuity and tradition, and ensures that the wearer is always the most visible person in a room or a crowd.’–Anna Wintour, Vogue

When Angela Kelly and The Queen are together, laughter echoes through the corridors of Buckingham Palace. Angela has worked with The Queen and walked the corridors of the Royal Household for twenty-five years, initially as Her Majesty’s Senior Dresser and then latterly as Her Majesty’s Personal Advisor, Curator, Wardrobe and In-house Designer. As the first person in history to hold this title, she shares a uniquely close working relationship with The Queen.

In The Other Side of the Coin, The Queen has personally given Angela her blessing to share their extraordinary bond with the world. Whether it’s preparing for a formal occasion or brightening Her Majesty’s day with a playful joke, Angela’s priority is to serve and support. Sharing never-before-seen photographs – many from Angela’s own private collection – and charming anecdotes of their time spent together, this revealing book provides memorable insights into what it’s like to work closely with The Queen, to curate her wardrobe and to discover a true and lasting connection along the way.

Review:

Angela Kelly has a unique job: she is the Queen’s dresser. She designs, creates, and picks out all of the Queen’s clothes. This has created a special relationship between them.

This book had so many interesting details about the Queen’s life, which I had never heard before. This includes how they choose outfits for special events and how her luggage is packed for a trip. Angela’s job as dresser is so important, yet I hadn’t given much thought to this job before reading this book.

There were also lots of candid moments between the Queen and Angela. There were moments where they learned from each other, and other times where they played tricks on each other.

This book is a collection of special stories that I’m so glad that I read. I will be looking back at this book for years to come!

What to read next:

Dressing the Queen: The Jubilee Wardrobe by Angela Kelly

Have you read The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – December 2

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

This weekend I finished The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, The Dresser and the Wardrobe by Angela Kelly.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #3) by Holly Black.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading Homes: A Refugee Story by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah and Winnie Yeung.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – December 1

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 8 weekly blogging memes:

I also wrote a post about the Reindeer Readathon I will be doing throughout December:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe

The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

This Sunday I’m reading The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe by Angela Kelly.

Goodreads Synopsis:

THE OFFICIAL BOOK, FULLY ENDORSED BY QUEEN ELIZABETH II

From Her Majesty’s trusted confidant and Dresser Angela Kelly LVO comes a lavishly designed book of never-before-seen photos of The Queen, Her wardrobe and Her jewels and features intimate anecdotes from Angela’s 25-year career working closely with Her Majesty. A truly unique keepsake and collectors’ item to be treasured.  

‘For the nearly seven decades of her reign, Her Majesty The Queen has used clothing to create a powerful visual identity that transcends fashion and has made her perhaps the most readily identifiable person on the planet. Angela Kelly, building on the work of the great designers and milliners who have worked with Her Majesty through the years – including couturiers Sir Norman Hartnell, Sir Hardy Amies, and Ian Thomas, and milliners such as Simone Mirman and Freddy Fox – brings her own imagination to bear on an iconic ‘uniform’ that suggests continuity and tradition, and ensures that the wearer is always the most visible person in a room or a crowd.’–Anna Wintour, Vogue

When Angela Kelly and The Queen are together, laughter echoes through the corridors of Buckingham Palace. Angela has worked with The Queen and walked the corridors of the Royal Household for twenty-five years, initially as Her Majesty’s Senior Dresser and then latterly as Her Majesty’s Personal Advisor, Curator, Wardrobe and In-house Designer. As the first person in history to hold this title, she shares a uniquely close working relationship with The Queen.

In The Other Side of the Coin, The Queen has personally given Angela her blessing to share their extraordinary bond with the world. Whether it’s preparing for a formal occasion or brightening Her Majesty’s day with a playful joke, Angela’s priority is to serve and support. Sharing never-before-seen photographs – many from Angela’s own private collection – and charming anecdotes of their time spent together, this revealing book provides memorable insights into what it’s like to work closely with The Queen, to curate her wardrobe and to discover a true and lasting connection along the way.

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – Books Set Over Christmas

This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.

This week’s prompt is Books Set Over Christmas. Here’s my list:

1. Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle

2. My True Love Gave to Me by Stephanie Perkins (editor)

3. No-One Ever Has Sex on Christmas Day by Tracy Bloom

4. Snow in Love by Melissa de la Cruz, Nic Stone, Aimee Friedman, Kasie West

5. Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory

6. Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Did you write a #SixforSunday post? What was your list of Books Set Over Christmas?

(All book cover images from Goodreads)

Reindeer Readathon TBR!

Hey everyone!

This December I will be participating in the Reindeer Readathon, which is hosted by BreakEven Books. It takes place between December 1-31. You have to read books that fit into a list of prompts to earn points for your team.

It is the last day to sign up (November 30).

This is the list of prompts:

This is my TBR for the readathon:

  • Dasher: Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
  • Dancer: On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
  • Prancer: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
  • Vixen: Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
  • Comet: Homes: A Refugee Story by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah, Winnie Yeung
  • Cupid: A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan
  • Donner: The Gown by Jennifer Robson
  • Blitzen: Guts by Raina Telgemeier
  • Rudolph: Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki, Steven Pugh
  • Christmas Star: The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter

The sign up link is here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-37r5VhJt7m8wPmgbJI0jxsfiqKmwJ-hL8_ZipHTYKbwptA/viewform

After you sign up, you will be placed in a team. My team is the Mistletoe Team!

Who else is doing the Reindeer Readathon or any other holiday themed readathon?

Review: Angel Catbird, Vol. 2: To Castle Catula

Title: Angel Catbird, Vol. 2: To Castle Catula
Author: Margaret Atwood, Johnnie Christmas, Tamra Bonvillain
Genre: Science Fiction, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Dark Horse
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 14, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The cat-centric adventure continues, in the all-ages follow-up to best-selling novelist Margaret Atwood’s debut graphic novel. Genetic engineer Strig Feleedus, also known as Angel Catbird, and his band of half-cats head to Castle Catula to seek allies as the war between cats and rats escalates. 

Margaret Atwood, the respected, worldwide best-selling novelist, and acclaimed artist Johnnie Christmas continue their action-packed adventure!

Review:

The cat/humans had to run away from the rat creator, Murtroid, in this second volume. They travel through the forest to Count Catula’s castle.

I love the cat references in this series! There were new cats in this book, including NeferKitti (who is the real Nefertiti) and her mummykittens, as well as the bird human Athen-Owl (who is the Greek goddess Athena). These were really funny references.

There were more great cat facts in this book, too. Every few pages, there are some facts about cats and their impact on the world. This included how many people abandon cats and how many species of birds that cats have been involved in making extinct.

I love this series! It’s funny and great for cat lovers!

Other Books in the Series:

What to read next:

Angel Catbird, Vol. 3: the Catbird Roars

Have you read Angel Catbird, Vol. 2: To Castle Catula? What did you think of it?

Stacking the Shelves – November 30

This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I was approved for two books on NetGalley from Simon and Schuster Canada:

We Are the Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian

The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for this book!

What books did you get this week?

Review: The Marrow Thieves

Title: The Marrow Thieves
Author: Cherie Dimaline
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Publisher: Dancing Cat Books
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 10, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

In a futuristic world ravaged by global warming, people have lost the ability to dream, and the dreamlessness has led to widespread madness. The only people still able to dream are North America’s Indigenous people, and it is their marrow that holds the cure for the rest of the world. But getting the marrow, and dreams, means death for the unwilling donors. Driven to flight, a fifteen-year-old and his companions struggle for survival, attempt to reunite with loved ones and take refuge from the “recruiters” who seek them out to bring them to the marrow-stealing “factories.”

Review:

This is an amazing story that mixes the ancient Native Canadian culture with a futuristic dystopia.

In the world of this novel, Native Canadians were being rounded up so they could be studied. They were the only people who still dream, and everyone else wanted to take that ability back from them. It was unclear why they were the only people left with the ability to dream. The characters in this story had to run away into the forests to escape capture.

This story was character driven, with a very strong cast. Their only goal was to go north, so they kept walking. There was a group of kids and adults, who were not related, but lived together because they had lost the rest of their families.

The characters had detailed backstories, which were devastating to read about. There was a lot of pain in their individual histories, which was reminiscent of the real history of Native people in Canada. Many parts were difficult to read, but it is important to know these stories because they represent our real history.

This book had a beautiful ending, which made all the pain worth it. I loved the story!

What to read next:

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

Have you read The Marrow Thieves? What did you think of it?