Top Ten Tuesday: Spring 2020 TBR

March 18, 2020 kerrimcbooknerd6 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish back in June 2010. It is currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and, as is stated on the blog, it was “born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.”

We’ve come to another Tuesday and today, we are anticipating Spring! I’m overly ready for the warm weather, the budding plants, and the sunshine. And, of course, I’m ready for the books!

This Spring, however, is a weird one, with the coronavirus looming over all of us. It’s especially a weird one for any authors that have books coming out from now until June! So I decided to highlight those ten of those books for my TTT. I’ll also leave a link to their Indiebound pages, as well, because our independent bookstores need some love during this crisis, too 💕

Alright, let’s get to my list!

Book Review: The Chalk Man

March 17, 2020March 17, 2020 kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Title: The Chalk Man

Author: C.J. Tudor

Genre: Thriller

Source: Bought (BotM)

Rating: ★★★★

CW: Rape, graphic violence

Book Links:

Indiebound::TBD::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads

One Sentence Synopsis

Eddie and his friends discovered a body when they were young and, in 2016, now they are being haunted by the chalk men that led them to it.

Favorite Quote

“There are some things in life you can alter – your weight, your appearance, even your name – but there are others that wishing and trying and working hard can never make any difference to. Those things are the ones that shape us. Not the things we can change, but the ones we can’t.”

Magical Readathon: O.W.L.s 2020

March 15, 2020 kerrimcbooknerd12 Comments

Magical Readathon 2020

One of my favorite times of the reading year is almost here! It’s almost time for the Magical Readathon O.W.L.s!

What is the Magical Readathon?

Every April for the last three years, the Magical Readathon (created and run by Book Roast) is held. It’s a readathon based on sitting the O.W.L.s, which is a test that exists in the Harry Potter universe. I love Harry Potter and I love readathons, so it makes sense that I would love this one! What makes the Magical Readathon extra special, though, is how much thought and preparation Book Roast puts into it. It’s so beautifully creatively!

There is a pamphlet that lists all the possible magical careers that you could possibly want. It includes things like the ever popular Auror and more obscure jobs like Mind Medic. Once you have chosen your job, it lists what O.W.L.s you will need to sit in order to start down the path towards your chosen magical career. Each O.W.L. subject correlates to a reading prompt and you choose books to fit said prompts. Then you have all of April to read those books and finish your O.W.L.s!

This is, of course, a very basic explanation, so if you’re interested, head over to the Magical Readathon website to learn more. The website has the info you could possibly want and there are a ton of links to great resources.

My Chosen Magical Career

There are a TON of careers to choose from and they all sound so freakin’ cool. Honestly, I’m in awe every year with the creativity put into the pamphlet and the career descriptions! This year, I was having a difficult time picking. Last year, I chose the Magizoologist career path because, come on… who doesn’t want to learn how to take care of their favorite cryptid? I considered doing that one again, but I kind of wanted to go for something different this year. After browsing the pamphlet for waaaay too long, I finally settled on a career that sounded right up my alley. And the winner is…

Trader of Magical Tomes

The description starts with the question, “Have books always been your one true love?”, and if that ain’t me, I don’t know what is! And I don’t have to sit too many O.W.L.s, which works for me cause I am not a fast reader 😅

So What O.W.L.s Must I Sit?

To start down the path that will lead me to owning the swankiest magical bookstore in Diagon Alley, I have to sit four different O.W.L.s

Ancient Runes
Charms
History of Magic
Transfiguration

As I mentioned, each of these subjects corresponds to a different reading prompt. You can find all the subjects and their corresponding prompts on the website, so I’m just going to talk about the above four and tell you what I’m planning on reading for them.

#1. Ancient Runes:

The prompt for this subject is to read a book with a heart on the cover or in the title. For this, I’ll be reading…

I got this book from Book of the Month Club forever ago and it has been chilling on my bookcase for MONTHS. Seems like a perfect time to pick it up. It’s the chonkiest book on this TBR, so I’ll probably start this right at the beginning on the month so I have enough time to finish, lol.

#2. Charms:

The prompt for this subject is to read a book with a white cover. For this, I’ll be reading…

I just finished The Chalk Man and now I’m in a mood to read all the thrillers! I got this book from BotM, as well, though it hasn’t been on my shelf nearly as long as the last book. It sounds like it’s going to be spooky and I’m excited to read it!

#3. History of Magic:

The prompt for this subject is to read a book that features witches/wizards. For this, I’ll be reading…

Imma be honest, I found this book on my Kindle app, it’s short, and it had witches so… here it is! I don’t even remember buying this, but it does sound interesting. And I realize I have a lot of books on my Kindle app that I don’t remember buying. Because I have a problem.

#4. Transfiguration:

The prompt for this subject is to read a book/series that includes shapeshifting. For this, I’ll be reading…

I’ve been wanting to read this graphic novel for a long time! And I love reading graphic novels for readathons so it’s a win-win! The main character is a shapeshifter so it is a perfect fit for this subject.

So it looks like my reading plans for April are set 😁 Are you planning on doing the Magical Readathon? What career would you like to do? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

Book Blogger Hop: Mar 13 – 19

March 13, 2020March 13, 2020 kerrimcbooknerd5 Comments

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Crazy-For-Books and is currently being hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Every Friday, a new question is posted for book bloggers to answer in the coming week. The purpose of the hop is connection and community. You can discover new blogs to follow, new books to read, and you may end up with some new followers, as well!

This Week’s Question

This week’s prompt is submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver’s Reviews.

Other than book reviews, I love doing the weekly memes like Top Ten Tuesday, WWW Wednesday, and, of course, the Book Blogger Hop! I think TTT might be my favorite because I love the varying topics. They are always so creative and helps to get the blogging inspiration flowing. Even if sometimes I find it hard coming up with ten things to write about! The variety is why I like the BBH, as well. The questions tend to be very thought-provoking!

I also enjoy doing book tags. There are so many unique and fun book tags out there! I love reading book tags on other blogs and I love coming up with my answers. I mean, I loved doing that before I had a blog, but now I have a space to actually participate! I’m terrible at actually tagging people, though, because I feel like I’m excluding people if I tag specific people. I want everyone to do the tags so I can read everyone’s answers!

Beyond that, this is still but a baby blog, so I’m still exploring other ideas for posts. I’m keeping it kind of simple, for now, but my brain is definitely ticking. If you couldn’t guess, I like variety and I want my blog to reflect that!

What kind of posts do you like to feature on your blog? Any suggestions for book tags to check out? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Mar 11, 2020

March 11, 2020March 23, 2020 kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

Ya girl is still reading the same books she was reading last week, so instead of doing WWW Wednesday, I thought I’d try out Can’t Wait Wednesday! I discovered this meme over at One Book More, which is a great blog you should all give a look/follow, just sayin’. It is currently hosted by Wishful Endings and was previously hosted by Breaking the Spine. The point is to highlight an upcoming book which you are excited to read.

I have so many books that I’m anxious to read in 2020, so I decided to focus on the one that is coming out the soonest. Want some hints?

It’s a young adult sci-fi romp
There’s an empire and a rebellion, so I’m expecting C H A O S
GAYS IN SPACE 🌟🌈🌟

My book for Can’t Wait Wednesday is…

Goodreads Synopsis:

“A young pilot risks everything to save his best friend–the man he trusts most and might even love–only to learn that he’s secretly the heir to a brutal galactic empire.

Ettian Nassun’s life was shattered when the merciless Umber Empire invaded. He’s spent seven years putting himself back together under its rule, joining an Umber military academy and becoming the best pilot in his class. Even better, he’s met Gal Veres–his exasperating and infuriatingly enticing roommate who’s made the Academy feel like a new home.

But when dozens of classmates spring an assassination plot on Gal, a devastating secret comes to light: Gal is the heir to the Umber Empire. Ettian barely manages to save his best friend and flee the compromised Academy unscathed, rattled both that Gal stands to inherit the empire that broke him and that there are still people willing to fight back against Umber rule. As they piece together a way to deliver Gal safely to his throne, Ettian finds himself torn in half by an impossible choice. Does he save the man who’s won his heart and trust that Gal’s goodness could transform the empire? Or does he throw his lot in with the brewing rebellion and fight to take back what’s rightfully theirs?”

Publication Date: April 7th, 2020

Why I’m Excited:

I mean, did you read the synopsis? It sounds like it’s gonna be a RIDE! I’ve been really loving sci-fi, lately, and I’ve been wanting to read more books with LGBTQIA+ rep. When I found out about this book, my heart did a little dance. It sounds like it’s going to play with my emotions and I am R E A D Y.

Also, I kind of love the cover 😍

Also also, I really need to stop starting all these dang series when I have so many to freakin’ finish…

…Like that’s ever gonna happen 😂🤣

Did you find the synopsis of this book intriguing? What’s an unreleased book that you can’t wait to read? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

Mini Reviews: Graphic Novel Edition

March 9, 2020 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

Mini Reviews

It’s time for another set of mini reviews! I’ve been sitting on this one for awhile, as I finished all the books I’ll be reviewing back in 2019. I just find it difficult to review graphic novels since they are so short! Still, I wanted to talk about these three graphic novels because each of them left me with such a happy feeling and really helped close out my reading year.

So, without further ado, let’s dive in!

Title: The Tea Dragon Society

Author/Illustrator: Katie O’Neill

Source: Borrowed (library)

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon::B&N::TBD::Indiebound

Of the three graphic novels I read, this one was the most adorable. And it’s solely because of the TINY, BABY DRAGONS!! They are so stinkin’ cute 💕

Other than the adorable artwork, the story was quite enjoyable, as well. This is the story of Greta, who saves a tiny dragon from roaming dogs and ends up joining a long defunct society. It’s so interesting learning about not only the dragons, but the world in which both they and Greta live. I also love the incredible diversity that is such an easy part of the story. I think my only gripe with this book is that it’s soooo shooooort! I wanted more! Thankfully, The Tea Dragon Festival, the sequel, is already out there in the world so I can jump back in anytime I want.

Title: Pumpkinheads

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Illustrator: Faith Erin Hicks

Source: Borrowed (library)

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon::B&N::TBD::Indiebound

I read this in December, but I felt like I was smack in the middle of spooky season. This is one of those graphic novels that just pulls you into the setting with the gorgeous art and the storytelling. I felt like I was hanging out at the pumpkin patch with Deja and Josiah. This story follows Deja and Josiah on their last day working at the local pumpkin patch. They have worked there every year, but this is not only their last day, but their last year there, as they’ll both be off to college soon. So Deja has decided to help Josiah do the one thing he’s never done at the pumpkin patch: talk to his long-time crush.

I will say that, solely from looking at the cover, I guessed how this book was going to end. And, yet, that didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all! I may have known what was waiting at the end, but the ride was so damn enjoyable that I didn’t care! I absolutely adored this graphic novel! The art was A+, the story was so dang cute, and the ending made my heart go pitter-pat.

I am a huge sap, though, soooooo… 🤷‍♀️ I thought this was a beautiful story with beautiful art to match!

Title: The Prince and the Dressmaker

Author/Illustrator: Jen Wang

Source: Borrowed (library)

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon::B&N::TBD::Indiebound

This was the last book I read in 2019 and, can I just say, what a way to end out the year!

This is the story of a young seamstress named Frances, who dreams of her skills being adored by the masses. She ends up in the employ of Prince Sebastian, who sometimes wears dresses and loves Frances’ style. Together, they take the Paris fashion scene by storm, but how can Frances and her creations be recognized when no one can know who she is or who she works for?

Uuuuugh, this book hurt me and brought me joy in equal amounts. It was so beautiful! And I’m not just talking about the art, though the art is just *chef’s kiss* This was a touching story about trying to be accepted for who you are. There are definitely rough parts of this story that made me ache, but it is overall a wonderfully hopeful tale. And I recently found out that it’s going to be a movie and I am very excited!

Have you read any of these graphic novels? Do you have any suggestions for ones I should pick up? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

Book Blogger Hop: Mar 6 – Mar 12

March 6, 2020March 6, 2020 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

Book Blogger Hop

This Week’s Question

Hahahaha, just my whole dang life?

Just kidding! I think the first time I truly hit me that I was what would be considered a bookworm was in fourth grade. My teacher would give me additional books to read after I would finish whatever book we were reading for class. She knew I read fast (at least back then!) and didn’t want me to get bored. Reading was always my favorite thing to do at school and at home, though video games were a close second once we got a Sega Genesis.

I think what really brought it home, though, was that none of my friends liked to read as much as I did. In fact, they would actively try and get out of having to read. They would try and watch movies instead of reading the books or just ask me what happened, lol. It really struck me then that not everyone thought books were as magical as I did. Thankfully, the internet became a Thing and now I can find all the bookish people I could want to meet! I love the online bookish community 💕

As for losing sleep over a novel… there are so many! One I distinctly remember, though, was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was the last book. People had a field day spoiling others just for fun. So I was determined to read the whole book right after picking it up at a midnight release party.

Maaaan, I was exhausted the next day! Was it a smart idea? No. Would I do it again? Of course! Because that’s just the kind of person I am 😂

What made you realize you were a bookworm? What was the last book you lost sleep over? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

ARC Review: The Deep

March 6, 2020 kerrimcbooknerd3 Comments

Title: The Deep

Author: Rivers Solomon w/Daveed Diggs, William Butson, and Jonathan Snipes

Publication Date: Nov 5th, 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Source: e-ARC (Netgalley)

Rating: ★★★★