I’m linking this post to Sunday Post, Stacking the Shelves, and It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
This weekend we celebrated the Lunar New Year. We live in a predominately Asian neighborhood, and every year they put on a huge festival near our house. On Friday we walked down for the opening night festivities, and had a blast. We got to watch the lion dances, dance team competition, and stayed for The Ha Brothers (DJ) afterwards. I’ll be honest though, I’ve never felt so old before. There were so many young teens there, dancing and having a blast, and I felt like I was out past my bedtime.
Speaking of the Tết Festival, if you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my story on Friday night that had a short clip of one of the lion dances. While I’m still learning the ins and outs of this smartphone thing, case in point I accidentally did a 2 second live video on Facebook when I was just trying to take a normal video, I am loving the fact that I can share a more personal side to your guys of what I’m up to, without it bogging down my feed with a ton of posts.
New arrivals…
Books I read this week…
With the winter Olympics in full swing, I couldn’t think of a more perfect book to read. Shot On Gold is a sports romance between a hockey player and a figure skater who are both competing in the winter Olympics.
Currently reading…
I’m really enjoying To Kill a Kingdom. Imagine The Little Mermaid, but with Ariel as a prince killing siren. Lira’s banished from the sea and cursed to live on land as a human after she kills one of her mother’s subjects. Her task is to kill the prince who moonlights as the siren killing pirate. If she can rip out his beating heart before her time is up, and bring it back to her mother, the Sea Queen, she can return to her people. This story is so dark and twisted… and I am totally loving it!
On Instagram…
What books did you read this week?
That festival sounds like so much fun, and glad you had such a good time. I always enjoy looking at your Instagram pictures. Happy Sunday to you! Hugs…RO
Thanks, Ro! I try to not go crazy on Instagram with photos and stories, but some things I have to share. I’ve never been in a place that had Lunar festivals and I’ve really enjoyed attending this one the last couple of years.
Haha, if it can be of any consolation, I would have felt like I was out past my bedtime, too! It’s still a pretty cool event, though 🙂 Also, I’m very happy you are enjoying To Kill a Kingdom, I got it via NetGalley and I’m eager to start it 😀
It’s really good! I like that it’s a bit on the dark side with the whole murdering princes, murdering sirens, and all of that. I’m not even halfway through it yet and I’m already excited about how it all ends. I think I’m most excited that it’s a standalone and won’t be some long drawn out story.
Happy Lunar New Year, the festival by your house sounds like fun. Shot on Gold does sound like the perfect read right now and To Kill a Kingdom sounds good too. Have a nice week!
Shot on Gold was fun to read while the Olympics were going on. To Kill a Kingdom is a really good book so far. I’m not even halfway through yet, but I’m really glad I have the opportunity to read it. 🙂
Okay, so I have never been really interested in To Kill a Kingdom, despite seeing it everywhere around the blogosphere lately and seeing some people loving it. I don’t know why, never took the time to look at the synopsis or something, but you made it sound SO cool?! I’m so glad you’re loving it so far 🙂
Hope you’ll have a lovely week! xx
What got me was the cover at first. It just looked so dark. I wasn’t overly sure with it being a YA if it would be fluffed up and light though. I did have some reservations going in. However, I love that the sirens are these fierce warrior creatures. They kind of remind me of the mermaids in Harry Potter during the Triwizard Tournament.
I have seen To Kill A Kingdom around and have seen some reviews that this is a great villain book. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping over at my #SundayRoundup! I also want to read The Trouble With Unicorns! Have a great week or reading!
I’m not even halfway through, but so far I’m really enjoying it. I hope to start The Trouble with Unicorns next.
OF…why do I always type or…It’s a habit I need to break..Sorry about that.
So, you won me over on to Kill a Kingdom because I have been eyeing this book but trying to keep my list down but I’m going to have to add it. I would love to have been able to experience the festival, it sounds like fun.
So far it is really good. I’m loving that no one in the story is innocent. They are all killers of some sort, but you can’t help but root for them anyways.
Oh wow what a week. And you know I have never heard of this holiday but now I am intrigued!! I love the idea of lion dances.
I plan on reading Shot on Gold like this week so I can’t wait!! I just adore Jaci Burton and I am also excited because the hero is the son of the first couple in the series. So neat. And yes I love winter olympic romances for sure.
I’ve heard of the Lunar or Chinese New Year but our previous locations never did anything for it. So, I’ve been soaking up all the culture while we are here. I hope you enjoy Shot on Gold! The book you’re thinking about is the previous one called, The Final Score. That book has Nathan in it, this one is Will’s story and his parents run a bar.
The festival looks like fun, and your photos are wonderful. The kitty is cute. Have a great week!
Thank you, Aj! <3 The festival was a lot of fun. I had planned to go back on Sunday but didn't get a chance to stop by for the last day of festivities.
The festival sounds like a blast. Glad you had fun.
To Kill a Kingdom is definitely on my radar. Has a totally cool premise.
Hope you have a great week!
So far I’m really enjoying To Kill a Kingdom. I will be honest and say that I wasn’t in the mood for a fantasy retelling when I started it. However, I’m enjoying how dark it is and how no one is perfect or innocent. It’s turned out to be a really good story so far.
The festival sounds fun. Glad you are having a little fun.
Thanks, Mary. It was a lot of fun. Our community puts on a great festival.
The Lunar New Year festival sounds like a lot of fun. Glad you had a great time.
I’ll look forward to your review of To Kill a Kingdom. I had requested it but didn’t get approved, so now I’m impatiently waiting for the publication date, lol.
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear about that. I always get bummed when I don’t get approved for a book. I don’t ask for them all that often so it blows when I get denied. I will say that I feel like it is worth the wait. I’m not even halfway through and I’m really enjoying the story so far. Plus, I really like that it’s a standalone and won’t be drawn out of end on a cliffhanger.
Such great books this week. I can’t wait to read To Kill a Kingdom.
I’m really enjoying To Kill a Kingdom. I hope you enjoy it when you read it. 🙂
The trouble with unicorns and the o kill a kingdom I keep coming across. Need to really check these out.
To Kill a Kingdom is really good so far. I’m really enjoying it. I haven’t started The Trouble with Unicorns yet but I’m excited about a dragon shifter who hunts demons… who also has a dragon shifter as a bodyguard.
That sounds like a lot of fun!
I’m hoping to start Squared Away this week.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
Squared Away sounds so good! I loved the last book in the series (the only one I’ve read so far) and I’m really looking forward to starting this one later in the week.
Oh yikes, accidentally sharing a clip to FB – now that could have been a disaster but turned out well.
Yeah. Apparently there was one lucky viewer who got a live video of the lions dancing at the festival we were at. Whoops.
We’ll be celebrating Tết this coming weekend since hubby’s family was out of town 🙂 How fun that yall actually have it down the street!!
Yay! That’s awesome. I love our community. There’s so much culture to my little pocket of San Diego. I’m very fortunate that they put on a free event for the festival. I had never been to one before moving here and I will miss it so much when we move away.
Fun town you live in. I look forward to your play by play series review. I am hoping to get to this series this year.
It’s great. I love our neighborhood. I will be very sad when we have to move again. It was a great read and I actually reviewed Shot on Gold on Friday. 😉
http://booksniffersanonymous.com/review-shot-on-gold-by-jaci-burton/
I like the Jaci Burton book- Happy Lunar New Year to you as well!!
https://justmeandmyblogreviews.blogspot.com/2018/02/its-monday-what-are-you-reading.html
It was a good read. Are you a fan of the Play-by-Play series?
To Kill a Kingdom sounds good. My post this week.
It was a really good read. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a little dark YA retelling. 😉
To Kill A Kingdom looks really good, I like the sound of that take on Ariel. And the Lunar New Year festivities sound fun!!
It was a really good read. I recommend it if you are looking for something a little darker in your retelling. Plus, it’s a standalone so there’s no cliffhangers or waiting around to see how the story ends. 😉
Love how To Kill The Kingdom sounds. I may get a copy when it is out. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
I really liked it and thought it was a great debut novel. I definitely plan to keep an eye out for her next book.
Your instagram picts look great,though I am not on Insta currently. The cover of the bubbles with unicorns is so adorable. Have a festive week!
I’m just starting to really get into Instagram. So thank you for the compliment, and for stopping by. 🙂
Oh how fun. But, ha, ys on feeling like an old one. I need my pjs and bed before it gets too late. lol
Ugh. I’m the same way. If I am not in my PJs by 8:30, I’m not a happy camper. HaHaHa