The Sunday Salon... and Bookstores Are A Dangerous Place to Go (for me?)

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the place where Book Bloggers from around the world share their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to for Deb at ReaderBuzz keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post! 

Well Summer peeked from around the corner this week with 80 degree weather for a few days before we were back in the 60's. It was a busy week too, and those gorgeous days slipped by without me making those seed snails I talked about last week, but as long as today stays nice out, those seeds will be planted! But about this past week...

                                                                                                                                                                   

For those of you who don't know, I live in a rural part of South Carolina and the "Big City" is about 45 minutes away. So this week I had to go to the "Big City" to get a new charger for my new cell phone (I forget that those things don't come with the phone anymore), and when pulling out of the parking lot of where I had to get the charger, you can only make a right hand turn, so I have to basically turn around to get back home... well, turning around means pulling into the next parking lot down the road, and in that parking lot is.... Books a Million. My excuse for going to a bookstore this week ( I couldn't help it?!?)

I am dangerous in a bookstore. I'm sure if you're reading this, the bookstore is a dangerous place for you too! I love walking around and looking at all the books. I ,of course, always end up taking books home with me. It's dangerous for me to actually be able to open the books, feel those silky pages under my fingers, read a little. This also causes me to pick up books I would never look at otherwise and sometimes that means they go in the basket... Here are 3 books that went in the basket...

I Medusa by Ayana Gray... Meddy has spent her whole life as a footnote in someone else’s story. Out of place next to her beautiful, immortal sisters and her parents—both gods, albeit minor ones—she dreams of leaving her family’s island for a life of adventure. So when she catches the eye of the goddess Athena, who invites her to train as an esteemed priestess in her temple, Meddy leaps at the chance to see the world beyond her home. In the colorful market streets of Athens and the clandestine chambers of the temple, Meddy flourishes in her role as Athena’s favored acolyte, getting her first tastes of purpose and power. But when she is noticed by another Olympian, Poseidon, the course of Meddy’s promising future is suddenly and irrevocably altered. When her locs are transformed into snakes as punishment for a crime she did not commit, Medusa must embrace a new identity—not as a victim, but as a vigilante—and with it, the chance to write her own story as mortal, martyr, and myth. Exploding with rage, heartbreak, and love, I, Medusa portrays a young woman caught in the crosscurrents between her heart’s deepest desires and the cruel, careless games the Olympian gods play.

I have seen this book everywhere lately. I didn't even give it a second look because I know the mythology behind Medusa and didn't have much faith that whoever wrote it would make it interesting and "original"... but then I walked into the bookstore and there it was, and I opened it up, and started reading... I wasn't even going to open it, but I decided I should while I was able to read parts of it in the actual book... Omg, Ayana Gray had me at "Meddy"! I read the beginning where Medusa is the horror that she is and she turns someone to stone (he really deserved it), and then the story pivots to her as a young innocent girl that she was at one time-- Meddy. Ayana really made Medusa come to life off of those pages and I was hooked. So, in the basket it went. Published by Random House last November... on to the next book...

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman... You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what. Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show. Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.

I had seen Matt Dinniman's other book, Operation Bounce House, everywhere too. Published by Ace Publishing this past February, it's been getting lots of press. Another book I was meh about, but now that it was looking right at me, I had to pick it up. So, I started reading and I liked Matt's writing. The story seemed really good too. Not my usual genre, but I was interested. Right next to that book was a bunch of Matt's other books in a series referred to as the Dungeon Crawler series. There are 8 books, so far, in that series and I opened up the first book in the series...alright, how can I resist a sci-fi adventure with a cat. Especially a cat named Princess Donut. In the basket this book went... I resisted putting Operation Bounce House in the basket because I wanted to read this book first to make sure my love would go beyond Princess Donut. Okay, next book... 

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao... Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun. Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves. Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel, dissolute heir of the blood-gutted Azalea House―where poetry magic is power, but women are forbidden to read. But in a twist of fate, the palace now stands on the knife-edge of civil war, with Wei trapped in its center. .  with a violent prince. To save herself and the nation, she must survive the dangers of court, learn to read in secret, and compose the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of love. . . and death.

First of all this book is beautiful, which is why I just had to pick it up. Gilded edges and book art inside just made my heart sing. Of course the setting also speaks to me-- I just love the book being based on Chinese history. I love the name of the dynasty (Azalea) and when I read a chapter, I loved Shen Tao's writing. Yes, this will be a good read I'm sure. I have since read a Q&A with Shen Tao on Reddit, where people were talking about this book being referred to as "romantasy". From the comments from people who have actually read it, it is NOT romantasy, which is fine with me. Give me the history and a strong female character and I'm happy. Published by Bramble this past January... AND, into the basket. Boy this basket is getting heavy (of course my wallet is getting lighter)... But I stopped at 3 and put my blinders on the other books that were crying out for attention...

*********************************************************

Weekly Wrap-up...

Memoir Monday... We started the week with Jenny Lawson and her new book published by Penguin Life and coming out March 31st. If you haven't read anything by Jenny Lawson, you should. Follow the LINK to read about her new book!

New Book Tuesday... 3 Great Books you NEED to put on your TBR list! Follow the LINK to read about them!

First Lines Friday... I googled authors in the Upstate of SC (where I live) and I found Scott Gould. Read about Scott and tell me if you'd read his book based on the first lines HERE.

Did you find anything interesting here?! Have you read any of these books?! What books did you start reading this week?!

Are You Dangerous in a Bookstore?

I hope you did find something interesting here today! Come by next week for more books... and until then,

Happy Reading... Suzanne