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Review: The Diviners

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Series: The Diviners #1
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on 12/03/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 578
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Buy on Amazon, Buy on Book Depository
Goodreads

Evangeline O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is ecstatic. It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult. Evie worries he'll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far.

When the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer. As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfurl in the city that never sleeps. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened....

Alright, I’m officially a YA convert! While I’ve always been a Potterhead because that’s what I grew up in, the Young Adult genre hasn’t been something I’ve really delved into until now. The Diviners is the second YA title that I’ve loved in the past while and I’m into it. Maybe it’s more the Historical Fiction or Fantasy side of things that I love but this is a series I want to continue reading.

Characters

The Diviners has some really fun and dynamic characters! We’ve barely scratched the surface on some of them which makes me excited to read more of this series.

I wasn’t feeling Evie as a protagonist at the beginning but she grew on me as things progressed. It seems I wasn’t the only one who felt that way either! Similarly, Mabel tended to bore me and many others BUT I did find her a great contrast to Evie and Theta.

This fan art by @AceArt3mis of the girls in THE DIVINERS by @libbabray is just the bee’s knees—and it’s only the first of many gorgeous renditions of the hip to the jive characters in the series! https://t.co/Fa0U5sNF85 pic.twitter.com/qzgCf70LEQ

— NOVL ☔️ (@TheNovl) April 12, 2019

Speaking of Theta, she was one of my favourite characters and I have a suspicion that we’ll be learning more about her in other books in the series! This girl gives no shits and I love her for it. There’s so much more to her than what we have learned thus far and I can’t wait for more of her! Same goes for her “partner” Henry. The two of them together have some of my favourite interactions which, looking back, makes me really wish I had marked some examples of this so I could have shared. I am a mediocre blogger at best.

See my review of The Raven Boys for more YA love!

If you’ve been around for a while, you already that I love a bad boy so it should come as no surprise that Sam had me hooked from the get-go. The looks, the sarcasm and wit, the street smarts! Swoon! He’s also got a mysterious and intriguing backstory that I can’t wait to explore. In stark contrast to Sam, Jericho bored me for most of the book until I learned his dirty little secret close to the end. His personality still doesn’t excite me like Sam’s does but I am curious to have more of his story unfold.

Brothers Memphis and Isaiah have such a sweet and interesting dynamic that I really loved and I can’t wait for the Memphis & Theta pairing to flesh out. While romance isn’t a main theme through the book, it didn’t take away from it either. I felt like the focus in The Diviners was more on relationships in general rather than only romantic ones. Friendships, mentors, family, etc. The mentorship between Will and Jericho is one I’m curious about as well as the strange intrigue added by the Proctor sisters, Miss Addie and Miss Lillian.

The John ‘Naughty John’ Hobbes character is a real doozy! From the origin story and flashbacks into his motivations throughout the book, he is complex and frightening. Many of his creepy scenes stayed with me for a while after putting the book down. The whistle, his song … I have chills right now thinking about it!

Setting

1920’s New York City is such a cool time and place in history that it is the perfect backdrop for this thrilling tale. A creepy museum, glamorous theatres, dark speakeasies, a haunted mansion, even an old cemetery! This is the stuff my dreams are made of!

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I love reading about the flapper lifestyle and The Diviners satisfied me with it in the way that The Great Gatsby did. So glamorous and forbidden … women after my own heart! It gives the city a certain noir feel that I enjoy and is such a character in its own right.

In many regards, the various locations were characters in themselves. The old house certainly had a life and persona all it’s own! The museum also had a fantastic mysterious aura about it and I was able to picture the ambience of the opulent theatre. Libba Bray does a fantastic job creating a dark, intriguing atmosphere that is full of detail and personality which made reading this book a very rich experience for me and worth the 5 star rating.

Did you love The Diviners as much as I did?

My Bookish Holy Grail – Bodies in the Backyard

For years now, there’s been a book that I wanted to own a physical copy of. I read a borrowed copy a long time ago but it’s not enough for me just to have read it, I need to have it in my personal collection. It’s my bookish holy grail. I read a lot more ebooks these days, but that won’t do for this particular book. It’s special. I could own it in digital form, but that just won’t do.

If you’ve read the post all about me you already know that all things true crime is an obsession of mine. I love the gritty details, intriguing people, and horrifying discoveries. Lightly put, I’m a fan of the macabre. Weird? Maybe. Cool? Most definitely!

Almost everyone has that local crime story and Bodies In The Backyard describes mine. It’s one of those spooky stories told around the campfire late at night only this one is true. The book itself, written by Brian O’Neill and published in 1993 only ever had a single print run and was not considered successful at the time. My mother, who is friends with 2 of the author’s sisters, believes she had bought a copy back then for $10. Fast forward to today and you’ll be lucky to get your grubby paws on a copy.

Over the past few years as the interest in true crime has risen, copies are extremely hard to come by. Last year a copy went at an auction for $250 and I’ve come across copies in local buy and sell groups and on eBay for over $100. I’ve had my eyes open and feelers out there with local antique stores and booksellers for a while and last weekend, finally struck bookish gold! I got a message from someone who knew I was on the hunt for my bookish holy grail. He said that there was a copy at an antique store near me for $50. Fifty!!!! You’d better believe I jumped right into the car before they changed their mind!!

While not in pristine condition, it’s one of the best I’ve seen. There is currently a filthy, tapped up copy on a buy and sell site for $150 so I know I scored big! Slight creases in pages and small coffee stains add to the story of this sought after bit of local murder lore.

If you like true crime, check out my review of Pathological!

I didn’t intend for this post to be a review of the book although I can certainly write one if there is interest. It’s an account of the crimes of Noel Winters of Saint John, NB which just happens to be where I was born, raised, and currently reside. The murders (that we know of) were carried out in the sleepy town of Brown’s Flat where I worked during the summers of my teenage years at a campground. If you want to get really specific, near Crystal Beach where I spent many childhood summers swimming and eating ice cream! Those were the days!

If you’re really into true crime, you may want to go down the rabbit hole with this one. The story is mentioned in another true crime book called Cold North Killers: Canadian Serial Murder and was also the inspiration for the 2014 movie Black Fly. You can also check out the Goodreads page for the book or if owning a copy isn’t important but you do want to read it, it’s available in ebook format! If you love true crime, it might be up your alley.

If you’re not subscribed already and would like to receive a monthly update in your inbox, feel free to sign up! I’ll give you the rundown of what’s been happening on the blog as well as some more personal news and info from me on what I’ve been reading and doing. In the off chance that there is something I feel you need to know, I may also send out emails here and there as well but those should be rare.

Do you have a bookish holy grail! Tell me about it!

8 Booktubers To Watch

Believe it or not, reading isn’t my only hobby! While it’s way up there in the things I love (obviously), I also enjoy playing hockey, cooking, watching true-crime documentaries and playing video games. While playing games, I often have YouTube up on my second monitor and I have a playlist of new videos from my favourite creators.

You can read more about me in this post if you’re so inclined!

Booktubers are some of my favourite people to watch because I feel like they’re my people. Especially when our other interests overlap! I love getting book recommendations, tracking ideas and even organizational inspiration from these people and sometimes it’s just nice to hear someone talk about books as passionately as I do!

9 Booktubers to Watch || Pages and Pekoe

Here are some wonderful booktubers for you to check out when you want to watch something but you still want those bookish feels! Be sure to share your favourites in the comments and if you make bookish videos, share those too!

A Court of Books and Love

Do you have a favorite booktuber? Help me find more people to add to my list!

Review: Pathological

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Pathological by Henry Cordes, Todd Cooper
Published by WildBlue Press Genres: True Crime, Non-Fiction
Pages: 260
Source: NetGalley
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

A Brutal Serial Killer Was Stalking Omaha. But Who Could Kill With Such Precision?

Detective Derek Mois wasn’t sure what he was dealing with when in March 2008 he walked into a home in an affluent Omaha neighborhood and was confronted with the bodies of an 11-year-old boy and the housekeeper. Both had been murdered with kitchen knives plunged into their throats. Who would do something so vile, and why? Lacking answers, Mois and other detectives working the case were stumped.Five years later, a strikingly similar crime occurred in which two more victims were brutally murdered with knives expertly thrust into their jugular veins. The modus operandi of the murders pointed Mois and a special task force in the direction of looking for a serial killer. But no one could have anticipated that path would lead to the Department of Pathology at Creighton University.

In PATHOLOGICAL: The Murderous Rage Of Dr. Anthony Garcia, authors Henry J. Cordes and Todd Cooper, who covered the story for the Omaha World-Herald, recount the dramatic tale of deep-seated revenge, determined detectives, and the sensational trial of the doctor-turned-serial killer.

It’s a universal truth that the mind of a serial killer is a complex place to be. Pathological is a true crime tale about the misdeeds and mental state of Dr. Anthony Garcia. More importantly, it outlines the events leading up to the murders he committed and how the exceptional detectives were finally able to track him down and put him where he belongs.

The pace of the book is incredibly quick while still allowing the reader to easily follow along the timeline of events. The authors actually covered the story for the Omaha World-Herald and were able to take the information they had and weave it into an entertaining, albeit tragic story. without sensationalizing it any further.

In many true crime books, the victims are briefly mentioned but the authors do a wonderful job in telling their stories and those of their grief stricken families. I was so touched by the feelings of respect and duty shown by the involved detectives who truly took this case to heart.

Pathological is a great book for true crime lovers who want something they can quickly get through while still getting all of those gory facts that we love!

This is my Review of the Month for the review collection on LovelyAudiobooks.info

Pinterest Traffic Secrets Revealed!

This post contains affiliate links and if you purchase using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. Thank you for supporting Pages and Pekoe!

One of the things that I am learning from my recent reader survey is that people want me to talk about blogging this year. Which is great! I love blogging and it’s always fun to talk shop with other bloggers.

I’m not an expert on the topic by any stretch of the imagination. This isn’t my first blog and I’m sure it won’t be the last! The knowledge that I can share is based on the experiences that I’ve had so far and I am always happy to share whatever I can. Keep in mind here that algorithms and things are always changing so you never know if this will work a year from now!

Pinterest Secrets Revealed | Pages and Pekoe

One of the things that people have expressed an interest in working on is Pinterest and I’m more than happy to spill my secrets here. Pinterest is my biggest driver of traffic by far and it’s easy for me to pinpoint why that is.

There are a few reasons. The first and most important is Tailwind. I don’t exaggerate when I say that. I started my Pages and Pekoe Pinterest account when I started the blog a little over a year ago, however I only just started actively using Tailwind scheduling and tribes in December. You’ll be able to tell exactly when by looking at this image!

Scheduling with Tailwind

The first benefit to using Tailwind to up your Pinterest game is the ability to schedule your pins well in advance to post throughout the day. While I do manually pin sometimes, the majority of my pins are pre-scheduled. And using the Smart Schedule, it will choose the times when your followers are most active so your pins are more likely to be seen. Pretty handy!

Tailwind Tribes

Tailwind tribes are the second biggest reason to use the service. I always fill my pinning queue with pins from my tribes first before I even log into Pinterest itself. Think of it kind of like post sharing groups on Facebook. Not only have I found lots of amazing pins to share, I have also found some great bloggers to follow from my tribes. Win-win!

Now, I’m not saying you have to use Tailwind in order to be successful on Pinterest. It’s just something that has worked really well for me. If something works for you, keep doing what you’re doing!

Another huge part of my Pinterest success have been Christina’s courses from OrganizeYour.Biz, beginning with the Pinterest 101 course. She has some amazing paid courses that are well worth it (I’ve taken them) but this one is free and is fantastic for someone just getting familiar with the platform.

One thing that I purposely left out of this post is creating graphics for Pinterest. That’s another post for another day!

Leave me your secrets in the comments! Preferably about Pinterest 😉

January Reader Survey

I definitely want to blog better in 2019 which means that I need to give the people what they want. Let them eat cake and all that. Not that you’re all peasants … I just like the quote .

If you wouldn’t mind, I would love it if you would answer 3 quick questions to give me a better idea of what to write about this year. Feel free to use the “other” field to give suggestions or leave them here in the comments.

Create your own user feedback survey

Thanks for your help!

2019 Reading and Blog Goals

This post contains affiliate links and if you purchase using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. Thank you for supporting Pages and Pekoe!

Happy New Year, folks! I love a good goals post so here I am with mine! New year, new me … and all that. Just kidding, I’m going to be the same asshole in 2019 that I always have been, don’t you worry! If you want to have a giggle, take a look and my reading goals post for 2018 and you’ll see how far I’ve come graphics wise alone!

I learned a long time ago that I’m not a resolutions kind of girl. I don’t like to lock myself into anything. Goals sounds like a much friendlier and more gentle word. Semantics? Maybe. I never claimed to make sense!

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Let’s get into these goals, shall we?

Reading Goals

Complete 2019 Goodreads Challenge (40 books) – Since I didn’t make it this year, I’m keeping the same goal for 2019 in the hopes that I’ll be even more motivated. 40 is definitely a reasonable number.
PopSugar and Modern Mrs Darcy Reading Challenges. I’ll probably dabble in others but I really want to finish these two.
Be more diligent in keeping track of ARCs, review requests, etc.
Keep a more organized reading journal.
Give annotating a try!

Blog Goals

Create a more organized social media posting schedule.
Pre-schedule posts and actually make use of the editorial calendar! Stop posting on the fly and have a plan, dammit!
Grow Instagram followers to 1500
Grow Pinterest followers to 500
Finally finish Elite Blog Academy!! I always see improvements when I work on it so I need to complete it!
Improve my photography. I recently took the Create, Capture, Conquer course on better phone photography from Ivory Mix. It has been a game changer and has taught me how to actually make use of my phone camera resulting in better photos. I want to continue to use the things I learned and I may even go through it again!
Be more involved in the bookish community and make more bloggy friends!

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There are lots of other things I know that I’ll think of along the way so it may be a good idea for me to do monthly goals posts throughout the year. I’ll have a post coming up very soon with a reader questionnaire so that I can better tailor my content to what you’d like to see!

For now, my hope is that you had a safe and happy New Year’s Eve and I wish you and yours all the very best in 2019. Cheers to good books, good drinks, and good friends!

Goodreads Stats 2018

I’m such a nerd for reading statistics. I have been loving all of your Goodreads stats for the year too so keep posting them and leave me a comment so I can check out yours! If you’re interested, you can check out my stats from 2017 too.

Goodreads does a fantastic job of keeping track of your reading statistics throughout the year. Now if you’re really into diving deep into the numbers, I definitely recommend checking out Kaleena’s spreadsheet from Reader Voracious. It’s much more in depth and has tabs that will be helpful for bloggers too.

None of the numbers surprised me other than my average rating of 3.6 stars. I had thought that I usually lean on the higher side for my star ratings but this number makes me think otherwise! Other than that, I was really happy with what I read in 2018.

I’ll go ahead and let these images speak for themselves!

While I’m really disappointed in myself for not reaching my reading goal this year, I know that it was probably a reach based on what was happening in our lives this year. I have higher hopes for myself in 2019 and I’m excited to get going!

Have you posted your Goodreads Stats 2018? Let me know!

Tea Talk 3

You guys! How is it almost Christmas already? Thankfully, I’m all ready to roll and I’m not running around at the last minute this year. Last year all 4 of us were very sick on Christmas Day so keep your fingers crossed for us this year. That’s been my biggest fear leading up to this point.

I know that this time of year can be very hard and lonely for some people so if you’re one of those, I’ll be thinking about you and am sending my love!

Just Released

I’m not going to lie. The only reason I chose this book as my favorite new release is for the title. It certainly makes me want to read it just to see what it’s all about!

Cover Story

How fun is this cover?! This book has been recommended for fans of the cult classic TV show Firefly so this nerdy girl is definitely intrigued. YA books always have the best covers!

In My Cup

I’m getting caught up on my 24 Days of Tea advent calendar from David’s Tea today and right now, I’ve got the delicious Zest Wishes in my cup. If you are a fan of Juicy Orange you’ll love this one too. Such a nice orange flavor!

Posts of Note

As usual, I read some fantastic blog posts this week. You guys are all killing the blogging game and I bow to your greatness! I always love a good yearly recap post and there were some awesome ones in there too.

Here are some of my favorites! I totally could have kept going!

Many Things Bookish – My Goodreads’ Year in Books 2018

Meeghan reads and bakes – Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests Read-a-thon ’18-19

The Uncorked Librarian – Winter Drinks to Warm Up Your European Travels

Lili’s Blissful Pages – Best Book Covers of 2018

Bionic Book Worm – My Year in Books – 2018 Wrap Up Metaphors and Moonlight – Cover Characteristics: Best Book Covers from Books I Read in 2018

I hope you all have a lovely week ahead and enjoy the holiday time with your loved ones!

From my home to yours, Merry Christmas my friends!

14 Ways to Use Your Local Library

I think it’s obvious by now that I love books. I love reading physical books, e-books, and I am even finding myself getting into audiobooks. While I love to shop for books, sometimes I think something that is really underused is the ultimate bookish resource, the library!

Here are 14 fantastic ways to make use of your local library … and I didn’t even mention the usual borrowing books! Just so that you’re aware some of the links below are affiliate links which don’t cost you any extra but help to fund my book addiction!

Make sure to hit up the comments to let me know how you use your library.

14 Ways to Use Your Local Library | Pages and Pekoe

Try another format

Physical books aren’t the only things you can get from the library! E-books, audiobooks, magazines, movies, and more are available or course BUT did you know that some libraries will let you try out e-readers? This would be a great way to kick your reading slump that I wrote about before! Check with your local library to see if they have some on hand as a sort of “try before you buy” experiment if you’re thinking or buying a Kindle or Kobo.

Shop for less

We all love a good sale! Especially when books are involved. My local library always has a cart of books for sale and some libraries do a yearly sale. The first reason this is great because it brings in a little bit more money for the library but also, the prices are deeply discounted so you get to keep a little bit more money in YOUR pocket! While I love shopping Book Outlet , sometimes I like that physical shopping feeling too.

Activities for Kids

Did you know that many libraries have scheduled activities and events for children? It’s amazing. Someone else will entertain your kids FOR free! FREE!! Now if only I could convince them to provide wine for the parents at the same time. Also for free.

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Take a Class

We can all stand to learn a new skill. I sure can at least! Many libraries offer single classes or even whole courses and most of the time they’re free. Are you seeing a trend here? I like things that are free. It’s my second favorite F word!

Go Down a Rabbit Hole

The beautiful thing about being in a library is that, just like in a bookstore, there are sections for anything and everything. You want to learn to knit? See above point … or just check out the Crafting section. My library has a whole section of local history books and references. This is great for when you want to read about something in particular and also great for when you want to keep reading things about that because now you’re down that rabbit hole.

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Place Holds from Home

You don’t even have to put on a bra and leave the house for this one so that’s a real bonus! If you already know what you’re looking for, you can go onto your library’s website and have it set aside for you so it’s ready to pick up and you don’t even have to search.

Hold a Meeting

Sometimes being a blogger (or anyone who is self employed) can be lonely. Want to meet with your peeps? Lots of libraries actually have multipurpose rooms that you can book. A few years ago some mom friends and I got together and had a Halloween party with all of our kids at our local library. We had fun and nobody had to make their house presentable!

See a Movie

If you’re in the mood for some cheap entertainment, check the library’s schedule! My local library screens movies twice a week and yours might too! There’s usually an evening movie through the week and a children’s movie on weekends. Sometimes they’re seasonal and sometimes they’re just random. Every so often my library does Disney movie marathon days of classic Disney movies!

Get Your Game On

Lots of libraries have board games to play and some even have video games consoles! When I took the kids to the library the other day, there were a few kids there on the computers playing Minecraft which is great because now all my 5 year old wants to do is play Minecraft. Thanks library …

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Explore Your History

Don’t want to pay for your own Ancestry account? No problem! Make use of the computers at the library and use theirs! Not only that, but there are a whole host of resources to choose from when doing genealogy and family historical research. Your library should also be able to point you in the right direction for whatever information you’re looking for.

Let the Kids Play

Want to know what my favorite thing to do when I just need to get out of the house with the kids is? We go to the library and they just play! On the way, I’ll grab a fancy drink at the drive-thru so I can sit and enjoy a hot beverage while the kids enjoy playing with fun toys at the library! Our library often has crafts and things set up for the little ones if that’s something they like too!

Learn a Language

This is in line with taking a class but I know that my local library offers conversational french once a week and yours would probably have something similar. I am in New Brunswick which is Canada’s only officially bilingual province so lots of anglophones want to take the opportunity to brush up on their francais from time to time. I should probably do that myself!

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Create Something

My library has something fantastic called Makerspace. They’ve got sewing machines, tools, Photoshop, video editing software, and even 3D printers! If you can dream it up, you can probably create it there. How cool is that?

Play in the Past

We’ve already talked about genealogy but what if you want to learn some local history from the source? Scour through old newspapers and microfilm. I always find it so cool to look at old public records like passenger manifests from ships on microfilm because there’s something so personal about seeing someone’s handwriting from the past.

And there you go! There are 14 great ways that you can make good use out of your local library!