#ashlee bree talks books

[austennerdita2533]

What were some of your favorite reads this year? Always looking for recs from you since we typically have pretty similar tastes in books.

-ACOTAR anon (for nostalgia) ❤️

AHHHH. The nostalgia is REAL, darling ACOTAR anon! I am still in shock that 2023 is over already because the year felt like it went by at warp speed. I blinked and the whole year was over!

Anyway, out of the 104 books I read in 2023, here were my favorites:

(A couple of these were/are ARCs, so they technically don't come out until 2024)

#anonymous #darling acotar anon #replies #the loveliest of lovely people #ashlee bree talks books

[a-skirmish-of-wit-and-lit]

Book Review: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

I've been in the "everybody can benefit from therapy" camp for a long time, so this book was confirming for me in a lot of ways. It was also humanizing and stimulating, with Gottlieb going to delicate lengths to highlight how we all have issues we're working through, whether we're conscious of them or not, and regardless of our age, gender, social standing, or occupation. She gives readers a better understanding of how mental/emotional health infiltrates our lives in general and why it can benefit us to seek therapy when we need it. Or want it.

There was something lovely about the way the author lifted the veil of therapy, destigmatizing it as well as demystifying what it means and how it can feel to go through the process. I appreciated her honesty, the realness and rawness of emotion. Not just when it came to the patients she was treating, either - but also the confusing highs and lows, the setbacks and breakthroughs, the blurred emotional lines she experienced in her own therapy sessions with Wendell. I liked the therapist/patient duality of this, especially. It evened the playing field in a way that underlined what it means to feel and love and hurt as a human, and how we're all out here trying our best to cope, to grow, and maybe even to heal.

All in all, this was a funny, compassionate, and poignant book that encourages mental health awareness/acceptance and doing what we can to better understand ourselves. I'd definitely recommend picking it up!

3/5 stars

**Follow me on Goodreads

#ashlee bree's book reviews #maybe you should talk to someone #lori gottlieb #nonfiction #psychology #self-help #memoirs #recs: ashlee approved! #read april 2023 #bookblr #booklr #book reviews

[strongbeautifulfulloflight]

🎉 Happy Birthday to my constantly twinning, obstinate headstrong girl! 🎉

Ashlee Bree is someone special. She has the patience of an angel, the brilliant analytical mind of a forensic scientist, the strength of a demon who followed the devil out of Hell, and a heart of purely spun gold. She must be protected at all costs.

Girl, you have become such a best friend to me. No one else in my life has such in depth discussions about writing and books with me and it seriously feels like a void has been filled. You were my missing piece! (That sounds so cheesy.) I know I say it a lot, but I am endlessly and eternally grateful for the time you have given in helping me with my novel, letting me continue to babble on constantly about it, and the genuine excitement you have in talking about it.

I also deeply, deeply appreciate the realness we have in our friendship to discuss the hard stuff, to laugh over the silly stuff, to question the weird stuff, and to help each other through the rough patches. I admire you in several aspects, and I am so glad that we became, are, and will always be friends. ❤💕

Happy birthday @austennerdita2533!

#hbd #squad #austennerdita2533 #love youuuu

[austennerdita2533]

so im supposed to send form msgs to the twelve nicest people i know but i always feel awkward sending those so ill send you a question you can choose to answer or not. What's the one book you've read this past year that surprised you?

Oooh, what a good question! It’s thought-provoking.

Hmm…

You know, I think I would have to say Summer by Edith Wharton because of how she managed to portray Charity Royall’s sexual awakening in such restricted yet intimate terms, and how she was able to draw it out in so few words. I wasn’t anticipating the emotional delicacy with which she handled everything. Nor did I expect the complexity of her characterization, it was visceral and layered.

What about you?

#gargylswoof #replies #the loveliest of lovely people #ashlee bree talks books

[austennerdita2533]

I’ve come across the atlas six a few times and I’m not gonna lie I think I’m gonna check it out. Though I’ll probably wait for the last book to come out first. Do you like the series so far? Also totally random question lol but the first time I was introduced to this series it was via an argument about Nico and Gideon over Nico and Libby and I am sort of now accidentally team former? Granted that’s vague at best but I’m curious - is this shaping up to be a love triangle cuz I do not handle those well lol.

I have enjoyed The Atlas Six series so far, yes. You should definitely check it out if you're curious! It's kind of a cross between fantasy, sci-fi (because some of the characters' powers have a scientific basis - like there are two who can manipulate the quantum realm - which is neat), and dark academia. Makes for an interesting premise to build an Academy around. The second book was messier plot-wise -meandering, in a way - but I still liked it and am looking forward to the conclusion.

As for your question, I will admit that there are a bunch of different romantic entanglements in the series. Not exactly what I'd call a love triangle, but the romantic progression of the characters is gray enough that you really can't predict who's going to end up with who because there are so many different points of connection. Personally, that's what I find to be half the fun of the books. You never know who's going to team up with who or when/why/how.

#anonymous #replies #the loveliest of lovely people #ashlee bree talks books

[austennerdita2533]

I hope you like "The Cloisters" when you get to it! I read it in January for a book club and it had a cool dark academia vibe—I enjoyed the overall atmosphere. :)

Thanks, friend! I loveeee atmospheric books, especially when there’s a dark academia edge to it so I’m looking forward to getting my hands on that one. I’ve been on a real academia-in-literature kick lately for some reason.

If I’m remembering correctly, I think I put The Cloisters on hold on the Libby app a while ago so hopefully I’ll get it soon. (Usually depends on the wait time + how many ARCs for upcoming releases I have to clear out of my inbox first. ☠️)

#heatherfield #replies #the loveliest of lovely people #ashlee bree talks books

[austennerdita2533]

HAPPY SEPTEMBER AKA WRATHEMILIA COME BACK MONTH

YASSSS!!! I cannot believe Wrath and Emilia are coming back to us this month, finally! IT'S WHAT WE DESERVE.

I've been crossing off days for Kingdom of the Feared's release day all summer. I am like an impatient kid on Christmas waiting for that book to drop. Already pre-ordered my copy!

#anonymous #darling acotar anon #(has to be you right? haha) #replies #the loveliest of lovely people #ashlee bree talks books #there are so many good books #coming out this fall #i s2g my tbr is like 8 miles long

[austennerdita2533]

I don’t have a netgalley but I did see someone mention atlas paradox is now on it!! Very exciting omg

-ACOTAR anon

AHHHH no way! I’M SO PUMPED. I’ve been checking regularly for months now. Thanks for the heads up because I’m gonna go see if it’s on there right now and request it. If I’m lucky maybe I’ll get an ARC. 😏

(If I do, you best believe I’ll be absolutely feral. 😂)

#anonymous #darling acotar anon #replies #the loveliest of lovely people #ashlee bree talks books

[a-skirmish-of-wit-and-lit]

This question was inspired by a gwynriel reblog (although I do know you reblog elriel stuff too so I’m assuming you like both) but what are some book ships that you have that you wished were canon/wish will be canon for ongoing series?

Hi there, nonnie! Thanks for the ask. :D

I do like both Gwynriel and Elriel. And Elucien, too. (I even shipped Mor and Azriel back in the day, when the series was still in its infancy.) I'm a walking contradiction, what can I say? I think you'll find that I'm pretty open and flexible when it comes to ships/shipping. I am an unapologetic multi-shipper, so all that I really require is intriguing characters and imagination. 🙃

As for your question, I think one of the ships I most want to be canon is Jaime and Brienne from ASOIAF. If GRRM ever finishes and publishes TWOW (I've been waiting impatiently for YEARS!!!), I am hoping that comes to fruition. 🤞🏻I would love for some canon Gendry/Arya as well.

I was also hoping for a Grayson/Avery endgame in The Inheritance Games trilogy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I mean, I did enjoy Avery/Jameson as well - they had a playfulness that was pleasing - but Avery/Grayson had a convoluted intensity that I thought was entrancing and deserved more development. (There is a book 4 coming, though. So who knows what'll happen.)

There's also The Ballad of Never After trilogy by Stephanie Garber. Evangeline and Jacks have such a heady dynamic, and given the cliffhanger at the end of book two, I'm so curious to see if/how they'll end up together.

In the Grisha trilogy, I was and am an Alarkling/Darklina girlie. I loved how they were opposite sides of the same coin and I'll never not be disappointed by how that series ended. It's that light/darkness trope. I'm a sucker for opposites attract, too. And their chemistry was *chef's kiss* I never warmed to Mal and Alina for various reasons, even though I typically eat up friends to lovers dynamics. I did enjoy Nikolai and Alina, though!

In If We Were Villians, which is a standalone, I was genuinely torn between Oliver/Meredith and James/Oliver. I still can't decide.

Oooh, another one is the HP series. I get on board with canon Romione, but I always liked the idea of Harry and Hermione more. They had a really healthy and supportive dynamic and I think that would have parlayed well into romance. Also, I totally crack ship the hell out of Dramione.

I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting but these are the ones that jumped to the forefront of my mind.

#anonymous #replies #lovely people #ashlee bree talks book ships

[a-skirmish-of-wit-and-lit]

🧚‍♀️🔮💭this is the hobby fairy! 🧚‍♀️you've been visited and blessed with creative motivation and inspiration 💫poof💫 ! share with your followers a hobby/hobbies that aren't related to the main subject of your blog! then pass the love 💞 on to 5 of your favorite blogs!💭🔮🧚‍♀️

Aww, thanks sweets! xx

Aside from being an unapologetic bookworm, I'm also a prolific baker (I'm always making treats and desserts for friends and loved ones) and I enjoy landscaping/gardening. These hobbies require patience, creativity/artistry, and getting your hands dirty in their own way so it makes sense to me why I enjoy them.

#appleinducedsleep #replies #lovely people #ashlee bree talks about things (other) than books

[austennerdita2533]

ohh i hope you'll like next book because i like St. Vincent so muuuuch

I think I will. I tend to like my fictional heroes a little devilish, anyway. I actually thought he was more engaging on the page than Westcliff at times, so I think he and I will get along fine in book three. 😏 It was just what he did at the end of It Happened One Autumn with the Lillian that left me 😮😮😮. I simply wasn’t expecting it!

#arrenemris #replies #the loveliest of lovely people #ashlee bree talks wallflower series #book things

[a-skirmish-of-wit-and-lit]

What are some 2023 releases you’re looking forward to?

I definitely have a few!

Happy Place by Emily Henry - It has fake dating AND second chance romance tropes, which has me pumped because I know the author will slay both of these!

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black - The Folk of the Air is one of my fave fantasy series so I'm looking forward to this new spin-off duology with Oak.

To Swoon and To Spar by Martha Waters - This historical romance series is a delight!

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey - I really enjoyed the Bellinger Sisters series so I'm excited for this one. The premise sounds cute.

Spare by Prince Harry - I love memoirs, what can I say?

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin - I actually already read this one because I got early access to an ARC, but I'm curious to see how other people like it.

Lone Women by Victor LaValle - It's a horror novel set in the American west in 1914. (It's waiting for me in my inbox.)

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi - It's a gothic fantasy and her adult debut.

#anonymous #replies #lovely people #ashlee bree talks most anticipated releases 2023 #book things

[austennerdita2533]

As the resident Olivie Blake fan I feel the need to share that she just got another book deal!! Two of her self published books Masters of Death (which I’ve read and it’s so good one of my fav reads this year for sure) and One for My Enemy (which I haven’t read yet but I own haha), a new YA rom com called Twelfth Knight (under Alexene Farol Follmuth), and 3 untitled new adult sff standalones!!! I’ll by tor! have literally been freaking out all morning so I felt the need to share!

-ACOTAR anon

HOW EXCITING, OMG!!! I’ve loved all I’ve read from Olivie Blake so far (she’s an extremely talented writer and what a way she has with words! ahhhh! *cue awe and writer’s envy*) so I think it’s amazing that the traditional publishing world is set to publish more of her stuff. As they darn well should. ‘Bout time they caught on!

Thanks so much for sharing this news with me! I’m looking forward to diving into titles of hers I haven’t read yet. ❤️

#anonymous #darling acotar anon #replies #the loveliest of lovely people #ashlee bree talks olivie blake #i still have to reread the atlas six b4 book 2 comes out #i’m curious af #to see which two scenes were majorly changed

[austennerdita2533]

OMG OMG OMG!!! Madeline Miller on her Instagram posted that she is working on a Persephone story!!! AHHH this month just keeps on getting better and better

-ACOTAR Anon

AHHHHHH, NO FREAKING WAY!!!!!! That's so exciting! The Song of Achilles and Circe were awesome books, but for her to be writing a book about Persephone, my favorite Greek goddess? I am going feral!!!

We have been blessed this month with book news. Absolutely blessed.

xx

#anonymous #darling acotar anon #replies #the loveliest of lovely people #ashlee bree talks books

[austennerdita2533]

What are some of your favorite “underrated” books??

Had to think about this for a bit!

Anything by Natalia Jaster. Not only does she write steamy fantasy romances but her writing is lyrical and evocative and lovely. She deserves a broader readership.

VIP series by Kristen Callihan. It’s probably my favorite rock star/celeb contemporary romance series out there

Stardust by Neil Gaiman. He has a lot of reputable literary works, but this one reminds me of being a kid, tucked in bed, listening as my parents read me fairy tales about far away magical places.

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier. The author is known primarily for her gothic novel, Rebecca, which I also love, but this book is fantastic in its own way. You’re left hanging on the ambiguity, never knowing for sure whether Rachel was genuine in her love or not.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. It’s a kinda-sorta YA Beauty and the Beast retelling, and idk, I just thought it was neat. I got lost in the language. Ignifex was an enigma, too.

The Regency Vows series by Martha Waters. It’s historical romance but with modern sensibilities. So much fun!

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones. It’s a wedding weekend murder mystery

The Duff by Kody Keplinger. There’s a movie by the same name but the book is a lot different and made me lol multiple times.

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf. It’s beautiful in its minimalism. You, as the reader, end up filling in the spaces where you’d expect description to be but that’s okay because the sentiment, the connection the characters share, is never lost.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. As an introvert who can adapt to social situations and feign extrovertedness when the occasion requires it, even though it costs me substantial peace and energy, this book helped me understand myself better

The Lady’s Handbook for Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey. Perfect for people who want to understand better what it’s like for those of us who suffer from mysterious/invisible disease.

The London Celebrities series by Lucy Parker. There are some modern Jane Austen vibes ✌🏼

I could go on probably, but I think that’s a good list for now. ❤️

#anonymous #replies #the loveliest of lovely people #ashlee bree talks books

[austennerdita2533]

Did you discover any new authors this year that have become just read authors for you??

That's a great question, nonnie! I do think I have a couple new ones, yes.

Anthony Doerr. The beauty of his words, the masterful way he weaves his sentences together--makes me want to weep. I thought he was fantastic after reading All The Light We Cannot See but he wasn't a must read until after I read Cloud Cuckoo Land this year. Years may pass between publication of his books, but I will be hanging on my heart strings to get my hands on anything new of his.

Martha Waters has become a must read author for historical romance this year. The Regency Vows series is a subversive, regency delight and I cannot stop squeeing about it. I rec her books to anyone who will listen. I can't wait to see what else she pens in the future!

Olivie Blake has become another must read for me. I read The Atlas Six (a fantasy) and Alone With You in the Ether (a contemporary romance) by her this year and I'm obsessed. She has a backlist - as well as Dramione fanfiction - that I'm looking forward to diving into soon.

Erik Larson is another one. He writes nonfiction that reads like fiction. It's gripping stuff! I will read anything he writes in the future.

I also really enjoyed Courtney Gould's debut, The Dead and the Dark, so I'm super curious to see what she writes next.

Some other writers who have been on my my Will Read Their Entire Backlist As Well As Their Future Titles list for a while now:

Emily Henry - Gimme all the contemporary romance!

Taylor Jenkins Reid - Her historical fiction is *chef's kiss*

Fredrik Backman - He makes me laugh, he makes me cry

Neil Gaiman - A literary wizard. No joke.

V.E. Schwab - I’ve read a bunch of her books already, but I have so many more to go

Natalia Jaster - If you like atmosphere and poeticism in your fantasy romance, you’ve got to read her books. It’s required!

Thanks for the ask, lovely! xx

#anonymous #replies #the loveliest of lovely people #ashlee bree talks books