Greetings! My Mommy is officially on holidays and the last time we had time to do a Friday Fives, was the first Friday of the term. It was a hectic term and my Mommy sure needs a bit of a break! Of course she is going to spend just about the whole holidays reading and sorting out her books. Especially the review copies. We do try to keep review copies at a bare minimum, but some books can be so tempting that you just can’t resist requesting them. And then there’s the author’s and publishers who always ask ever so nicely for a fair and honest review and you really imagine them looking at you like this:
I’ve also perfected that look and I know that my Mommy really can’t say no to those begging eyes. So keep on sending those review copies, between you and me, we’ll get her to review it. Just to keep us a bit organized as well, today’s Friday Fives will be
As always, we link up with Connect Five hosted by the BookDate. Connect Five is really very easy, just pick 5 books that are connected in some or other way. Theme, cover, genre, author – you name it.
1. Camelot Games by Oliver F. Chase – When Mommy started blogging again, she actually decided not to access her Netgalley account again. That only lasted as long as a gecko can last on a wall with a cat nearby. To her shock, she realized that she actually still have a book on her Netgalley shelf from 2018. Shocking. We hope to read it soon and get it off her shelf.
2. L’Origine: The secret life of the world’s most erotic masterpiece by Lilianne Milgrom – We’ve received this one from France Book Tours and my Mommy is very excited for this one. Definitely something different!
In 1866, maverick French artist Gustave Courbet painted one of the most iconic images in the history of art: a sexually explicit portrait of a woman’s exposed genitals. Audaciously titled L’Origine du monde (The Origin of the World), the scandalous painting was kept hidden for a century and a half. Today, it hangs in the world-renowned Orsay Museum in Paris, viewed by millions of visitors a year.
As the first artist authorized by the Orsay Museum to re-create Courbet’s The Origin of the World, author Lilianne Milgrom was thrust into the painting’s intimate orbit, spending six weeks replicating every fold, crevice, and pubic hair. The experience inspired her to share her story and the painting’s riveting clandestine history with readers beyond the confines of the art world.
L’Origine is an entertaining and superbly researched work of historical fiction that traces the true story of the painting’s unlikely tale of survival, replete with French revolutionaries, Turkish pashas, and nefarious Nazi captains. But L’Origine is more than a riveting romp through history-it also sheds light on society’s complex relationship with the female body.
After being shanghaied by pirates, Gregory Wilson escapes to a small English village where he runs into an obnoxious auburn-haired beauty. When he learns she is about to set sail on dangerous waters, he signs up to join her crew, hoping to defend her from the pirates seeking her great-grandfather’s treasure. But, will he be able to protect her from the ghost that haunts her or the curse running through her veins.
But before the engineer can find a way to cure the masses, he himself is injected with the virus, forcing him to dig deep to track down the leader of the terrorist group. Using strength from recent losses in order to save the lives of millions, Jake overcomes drone strikes and bunker bombs to discover the mastermind behind the plot, but not until the very end does he realize he’s been chasing someone who can’t possibly be caught.
When Chloe Martin makes the long overdue trip to Jericho Falls, Nevada, to check on her grandma, she doesn’t plan to stay long. In fact, she has every intention of hightailing it right back to Idaho and leaving the historic mining town she loves to hate, for good. But then, a man turns up dead in the flower bed and memories about lost loves and lost lives begin to surface. To complicate matters, Chloe finds herself in a love triangle almost as tricky as the mystery she has to solve. Will Chloe be able to solve the murder and get them all out of trouble? Just as important–will she finally find peace in Jericho Falls?
Friday Face-Off
We’ve missed doing Friday Face-Off with Lynn. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book (this doesn’t have to be a book that you’ve read), compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. This week’s theme:
Ruin or derelict, old and worn, could be the book itself, a building, a place
Mommy decided to just go with the theme in a literal manner today and look for the oldest, most derelict, old and worn book we could find on the shelf.
Bonjour Elza, so thrilled your Mommy is going to read this book set in Paris!! I hope she loves it
Hi Emma! I'm sure we are going to love it! Can't wait to curl up on the couch with her.
I love the copy of Gullivar's Travels! I have my grandmother's copy of At the Back of the North Wind and it's one of my favorite possessions. Love the gecko with a cat nearby though if there was a gecko anywhere near my cat he'd probably be scared of it!
Oh my gosh, no!! But then again, I think the gecko thing differ from cat to cat. All geckos where quite safe in our house for the first 3 years of living here. Not Stinkie or any of the other ones paid them any attention. Enter Elza. Gecko skeletons everywhere…
Ooh enjoy holiday! And this " That only lasted as long as a gecko can last on a wall with a cat nearby" cracked me up!
History of Murder sounds pretty good!
What a copy of Gulliver's- very nice!!
Hi Greg! Holidays still feel a bit unreal, but it will kick in soon enough! I am spending more time on the blog, so that helps already! I've played around a bit today and it actually just frustrates me!
History of Murder is next on my TBR list when I'm done with The Journey.
I too, can never resist NetGalley, especially as I have auto approval from a couple of publishers, which means I can grab any of the titles they list. I do need to be a bit more savvy about getting them scheduled in to read though, as my review stats. are not very good and I don't want to get banned from the site!!
You have some great reading lined up for your time off work, I particularly like the sound of the Brook Peterson book. Another new to me author and it looks like the start of an interesting series.
Have a relaxing time 🙂
Yvonne xx
HI Yvonne! As you can see from the comments I always leave for you on your Netgalley choices, I admire you for always getting the best Netgalley reads! You are a real champ with picking them, but I think auto approved publishers sure will help too!
The Brook Peterson one is next in line after I'm done with The Journey. Quite enjoying that one.
Looks like some interesting selections coming up. Love that Gulliver's Travels though, we have quite a few older books here too, most of which are packed up.
Hi Brian! I've just received another box filled with the most gorgeous classics. Can wait to unpack them all! Yes, I am excited for my review copies.
Netgalley has piqued my interest but I haven't had much time to do longer in depth reviews, focusing instead on play reviews. I'll note the books you mentioned.
Hi Trin! I only visit there once in a blue moon and that' rather literally! I also just don't have enough time to get to everything…!
Good luck with your reading plans! I hope you love them all. I have a few old books on my shelf that came from used bookstores. I also have a few childhood favorites that I read so many times the pages fell out.
Aj @ Read All The Things!
Hi AJ! I have to re-stick fallen out pages from the library books on a daily basis. But it's good that the kids enjoy all the books so much! I also have a few old copies here and when all the renovations will finally be done, I will showcase a few of them.
Thanks for hopping by to say hi!
I just love your derelict book <3 Ah, Netgalley, vade retro satanas ! I try not to access my account these days and so far, I sticked to that resolution. L'origine du monde is a scandalously famous painting, enjoy your read 🙂
Oh I know about L'Origine's scandelous reputation. Can't wait to read the book!!! I only access my Netgalley account now and then. I rather accept review books from publishers or authors directly. I don't have enough time to browse through all the stacks and then we get blocked very easily here in SA.
Thanks for stopping by my friend!
Wow that copy of Gulliver's Travels – your grandad's too. How fantastic and thanks for sharing that.
Lynn 😀
Yes! When I sort out my bookshelves when all the renovations are done, I will showcase some more of the older books on my shelf. Very fond of them.
Friday Fives is a fun grouping, and love the cats' logo too. And I'm very envious of that copy of Gulliver's Travels; it is history in the making in more ways than one. Wow.
Happy weekend to you yoo. ~Lex
Hi Lex! I love doing al those fun graphics for the post headers. I like things to be a bit organized…! I am very fond of my grandfather's copy of Gulliver's Travels!