Month: April 2020

Book Blogger Hop: Apr 17 – 23

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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.

I don’t know if you have noticed this about me, reader, but I am not one to make a monthly TBR. You may be wondering why I don’t do something that is pretty popular in the blogging community. Why don’t I pre-plan my books each month, curating what I’m going to read? Especially when I’m otherwise so organized in other aspects of my life! Well, the answer is pretty simple…

I am a HUGE mood reader.

When I’m staring at my shelves, trying to decide what I’m going to read, the only thing that sways my decision is how I’m currently feeling. Am I in the mood to read about murder and mystery? Do I want to explore a new fantasy world? Am I feeling expanding my knowledge with some non-fiction? I don’t know until I’m standing in front of my books and perusing my choices!

The fact that I may stand there for over half an hour is neither here nor there… 😅

Of course, there are exceptions to the general rule. If I’m participating in a readathon, I will, of course, build a TBR. Of course, that sometimes causes me to hit a reading slump because I’m reading something I’m not in the mood for…. *glances at her O.W.L.s TBR* Also, near the end of the year, I’ll try and pick books to help complete whatever yearly challenges in which I am participating. Other than that, though, I just follow my whims.

How do you choose what you’re going to read next? Did you do your own BBH post? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

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Can’t Wait Wednesday: Apr 15, 2020

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Image by Tressa @ Wishful Endings

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a meme where you get to flail about whatever upcoming book you’re excited to read. Though it is generally a new release, it certainly can be any book that’s on your TBR! This meme is currently hosted by Wishful Endings and it’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Hello, readers!

Ya girl is struggling with her O.W.L.s, y’all. Which means I haven’t been reading as much as I should be and an still dragging my way through The Heart’s Invisible Furies. Which means, instead of a WWW Wednesday, I’m bringing you a Can’t Wait Wednesday! Mixing it up. Keeping it fresh.

(S T R U G G L I N G)

Alright, there are a lot of books coming out in 2020 that I can’t wait to get my greedy little paws on. I decided to go with one that I’ve wanted to read since I learned it was a Thing back in 2019. Want some hints?

  • It’s a YA contemporary 📚
  • It involves a school competition 🎒
  • It’s sapphic! 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩
  • And it comes out May 12th 📅

Any guesses? My book for this Can’t Wait Wednesday is…

Goodreads Synopsis:

“When Dimple Met Rishi meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this rom com about two teen girls with rival henna businesses.
When Nishat comes out to her parents, they say she can be anyone she wants—as long as she isn’t herself. Because Muslim girls aren’t lesbians. Nishat doesn’t want to hide who she is, but she also doesn’t want to lose her relationship with her family. And her life only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life.

Flávia is beautiful and charismatic and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat choose to do henna, even though Flávia is appropriating Nishat’s culture. Amidst sabotage and school stress, their lives get more tangled—but Nishat can’t quite get rid of her crush on Flávia, and realizes there might be more to her than she realized.”

Publication Date: May 12th, 2020

Pre-order links: Indiebound::Bookshop::TBD::B&N::Amazon

Why I’m Excited:

This just sounds like it’s going to be amazing. It kinda has enemies-to-lovers vibes, though “enemies” is probably a strong word. I’m always here for a contemporary with a little social commentary, as well. I think this will be cute and it will probably hurt my heart and I am READY.

What book are you excited to finally read? Did you do your own Can’t Wait Wednesday post? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Enjoyed But Neglect

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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.”

Hello, readers!

I hope everyone is staying safe and doing well. Things are settling into a strange routine in our home. The kids are adjusting to online school and the husband is getting used to all his classes being online. And I’m just working, lol 😅 But enough about the state of the world! I’m quite excited about this week’s TTT topic because I get to talk about some of my more neglected books. This week’s TTT is all about books you enjoyed, but rarely talk about. Time to bring them into the light!

  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: This is probably my favorite classic that I’ve ever read. And yet I never talk about it! There was just something about this dark, strange tale that pulled me in and kept me interested. Unlike another Brontë sister’s book…
  • Duma Key by Stephen King: I picked this up on a whim when I was browsing books at the library and ended up loving it. It’s not a Stephen King book you hear much about, but it’s so damn good! And it’s one of the few King books that actually scared me. It’s terrifying at points, but in the best of ways.
  • A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson: This is the book that showed me that non-fiction can be engaging and hilarious. It also made me want to go on all the hikes, lol! I love Bill Bryson’s tone and writing. He puts such a human touch to the most random of subjects and I absolutely love it!
  • The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist: I rarely ever talk about this series, but I looooooove it. I randomly picked it up at the bookstore years ago and fell hard for it. Which kind of sucked because I could only find book two in store and ended up having to hunt the internet for books three and four. (Four was especially hard to find…) Anyways! It’s steampunky and weird and thrilling and I’m glad I picked it up.
  • Artemis by Andy Weir: So most people know Any Weir for The Martian, which was the first book I read by him. I adore The Martian so much, so when I heard he wrote another space-y book, I had to read it. Though I don’t think Artemis holds as special a place in my heart, it was still an incredibly fun ride.
  • Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire: I love most of the books in the Wicked series, but this is by far my favorite one. This was such an excellent sequel to Wicked! It’s just such a sad, heart-wrenching tale. Definitely worth the read!
  • The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn: This is our second non-fiction on the list! Because I honestly never talk about non-fiction books 😅 This is such a disturbing book to read but it is so. good. I learned a ton about both Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple. It’s terrifying how so many people could be brainwashed into worshiping a man like Jim Jones. Such an incredibly interesting, if horrifying, read.
  • The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead: This was my first experience reading Colson Whitehead and, I have to say, I was bowled over. I really enjoyed the experience of this book, even though it dealt with quite a heavy topic. It was so well-written and thought-provoking. It hurt my heart, but gave me hope, as well. Such a great book!
  • A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles: I had no idea what to expect when I went into this book, but I ended up absolutely loving it. It’s a beautiful character study of, well, the “gentleman in Moscow”. You find yourself becoming so connected to the main character and wanting only the best for him. I became so wrapped up in his story and just loved the whole reading experience!
  • Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien de Castell: I don’t even remember why I read this book but, damn, was it a fun read! An interesting take on The Three Musketeers that had a lot of intrigue. We all know I love some good political intrigue in a book! I really need to continue on with the series.

What are some books that you enjoy, but don’t talk about much? Did you do your own TTT? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

#5OnMyTBR – Heartwarming Books

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Image by Local Bee Hunter

#5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook where you chose five books from your to-be-read pile that fit that week’s theme. If you’d like more info, head over to the announcement post!

Happy Monday, readers!

It’s time to dig into our TBRs and explore 5 books that we’ve been meaning to read! The theme for this week’s #5OnMyTBR is heartwarming books. Books that are out in the world to give ya all the warm, fuzzy feelings. That make your heart feel comforted and give you hope for humanity. Even though I am a woman who likes her fiction on the darker side, I do enjoy being wrapped up in all the good feelings every once in awhile.

So, let’s jump in!

#1. The Tea Dragon Festival by Katie O’Neill

If this graphic novel is anything like it’s predecessor, The Tea Dragon Society, then this will most definitely be a heartwarming read! The first book gave me all the feels and was just so adorably cute and I’m excited to read this one. I want to meet all the dragons!

#2. Well Played by Jen DeLuca

Again, the first book in this series, Well Met, made my heart so happy, so I’m assuming the second will give me more of the same. I’m excited to follow Stacey, who was a side character in the first book, and see where her story takes her. The cover is also so sunny and warm and gives me all the “heartwarming” vibes.

#3. Heartstopper Vol 3 by Alice Osman

This is yet another book where I’ve read the previous ones and got all the heartwarming feelings. This series, of course, throws in some other feelings, as well. The angst! But, for the most part, it’s such a wonderful story of these two boys falling in love.

#4. The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

I’ve read an excerpt of this book and it definitely had a heartwarming tone. It’s the story of a woman who can literally talk to books and her efforts to save her small town. It sounds like it’s going to be whimsical and fun and make my heart happy! I can’t wait to pick it up.

#5. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

I’ve been hearing about this book in various corners of the internet. It sounds like such a cute read with some heavier feels, but it certainly sounds like the ending will be heartwarming. I could, of course, be completely wrong… Still, it seems like it’ll be good for the heart. I’m excited to read it!

Are there any heartwarming books on your TBR that you can’t wait to read? Did you do your own #5OnMyTBR? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

Book Blogger Hop: Apr 10 – 16

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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

Image by Coffee Addicted Writer

This week’s prompt is submitted by LeeLynn @ Sometimes LeeLynn Reads

Honestly, when I get in a bad place, one of the first things that tends to suffer is my reading. I just can’t pluck up the energy to pick up a book. Thinking of my lowest point in life, so far, I remember watching a lot of mindless television and eating all the sweets. And there was a lot of cuddling with our cat and sleeping.

I will say, though, that if I’m down and I do get the idea to pick up a book, I usually reach for a book I’ve loved before. Something like Ready, Player One or The Westing Game or, of course, the Harry Potter series. Something I know I love, so there’s no chance my sadness will be compounded by suffering through a terrible book. It might not kick me out of my funk, but getting lost in a favorite book definitely helps to remind me of one of the good things in life. And that small reminder helps to improve my outlook on life.

So, yeah, no specific book, but I definitely think books can help you when you’re at your lowest.

Book Tag: My Life in Books

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My Life in Books Tag

I was doing a little blog-hopping, catching up on all the wonderful posts out in the blogosphere, when I came across this tag on Flowers in the Brain’s blog. I’m not sure where the tag originated, but I enjoyed reading their answers and the questions looked like a lot of fun. I decided to give it a go because I love a tag that is also kind of a challenge!

Without further ado, let’s dive in!

#1. Find a book for each of your initials

K – Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

E – Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

R – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

R – Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

I – In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

#2. Count your age along with your bookshelf. What book is it?

This is actually the newest book on my shelf, as well! It was my April BotM club pick and I’m super excited to read it. It sounds like it’s going to be fun, which is all I’m looking for in my romances, tbh.

…I say like I’ve read so many romances before, lol.

#3. Pick a book set in your city/country.

Part of the appeal of this book was that it is set in Boston. We’re recent transplants and I find I love reading books set in our new home! Also, this book is so damn creepy and good and I loved it!

#4. Pick a book that represents a destination you’d love to travel to.

We can pick fantasy realms, right? Of course we can. I would love to go to Aritsar and travel through the twelve realms! Preferably after they take care of some… things 😬 Also, everyone should read this when it comes out in August. Seriously. You’ll want to come along with me!

#5. Pick a book that has your favorite color on it.

Blue has been my favorite color pretty much since kindergarten. Also, come on… just look at it! That is a gorgeous cover 😍 It’s a rather beautifully written book, as well.

#6. Which book do you have the fondest memories of?

This was one of my favorite series when I was a kid! I still think about it every once in awhile, though my copies of the books were unfortunately lost a long time ago. I would love to have another set one day.

#7. Which book did you have the most difficulty reading?

Dear LORD I hated this book! H A T E D I T! I honestly don’t know how I forced my way through this slog of a novel. It was so boring that I could feel my brain atrophying.

Okay, I may be exaggerating. But not by much 😒

#8. Which book in your TBR pile will give you the biggest accomplishment when you finish it?

  • It’s a thicc boi and I am v. intimidated by it.
  • When I started reading Stephen King, it was because I wanted to eventually read this book.
  • Pennywise is the reason I hate clowns to this day and it is time to FACE MY FEARS!

If you enjoyed this post, consider yourself tagged! I’d love to see your answers, so drop a link in the comments if you decided to do it.

And, as always, happy reading!

WWW Wednesday: Apr 8, 2020

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It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Current Reads

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne: Yup, still reading my first book for my Magical Readathon TBR 😅 I kind of got distracted by another book (which will talk about in a moment!) and this one got completely neglected. Also, this book is kind of weird. Like, I enjoy it while I’m reading it, but… am I supposed to be finding it funny? Because there are some heavy things being discussed, but I keep shaking my head and chuckling at all the antics. This may be because I went into this book thinking it was going to be a super serious literary work. Either way, I am enjoying this weird book.

Recently Finished

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton: This is the book that distracted me from my Magical Readathon goals! I’m a part of the Round Table (read: street team) for this lovely YA contemporary romance and the author was sweet enough to send me a copy of the book. Since it comes out May 5th (pre-order here!), I wanted to read it in April so I could write a timely review. I started it April 1st, thinking I’d read a little bit of both books each day.

Hahahaha, that didn’t happen. This book pulled me and refused to share! I lost myself in the world of Kit and her fight for equality at her local medieval-themed restaurant. Kit is so fierce and sassy and everything I wish I had been when I was a young woman making my way into the world. I adored our Girl Knight, I adored her romance, and I adored this book! My review will be up soon.

What’s Next

The Whisper Man by Alex North: In attempt to make sure I actually complete my Magical Readathon TBR, I’m focusing on only those books for the rest of the month. The Whisper Man is my book for Charms (book with a white cover) and I’m excited to get to it! I’ve heard it’s wonderfully creepy and I’m in the mood to be spooked.

The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith: This book is for my History of Magic prompt (book featuring a witch or a wizard) and I honestly don’t know much about it. It sounds like it’s going to be an interesting ride, though. I mean, the Goodreads synopsis promises betrayal and vengeance, so I’m pretty stoked!

What are you reading right now? Any recent favorites? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

ARC Review: Bonds of Brass

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Title: Bonds of Brass

Author: Emily Skrutskie

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Publication Date: April 7th, 2020 (TODAY!!!)

Source: e-ARC (Netgalley)

Rating: ★★★★★

Book Links:

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

One Sentence Synopsis

Ettian, a young solider training to fight for the Umber empire (the empire that dominated his people in a bloody war), finds himself having to protect the Umber heir who just happens to be his best friend, Gal.

Favorite Quote

This quote is from an uncorrected copy and may change in the final version

“But I don’t believe in the empire that pulled me out of the rubble and glued me back together. And I don’t trust the empire that crumbled to dust and left me to die.”

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March 2020 Wrap Up

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March Wrap Up

Man. What a weird, long month. March is the month that COVID-19 turned the world upside down. Even though I still go to work (essential personnel, yo) so it wasn’t as big of adjustment for me, everything still feels a little surreal! Thankfully, March treated me rather well when it came to the quality of the books I read! I read two five star books. In a row! So, even if the world felt like it was falling apart, at least I had my favorite hobby to lift my spirits.

With that said, let’s get into the wrap up!

Books Read

Click on the covers to be taken to the book’s Goodreads page

  1. The Deep by Rivers Solomon::★★★★::My review
  2. The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor::★★★★::My review
  3. The Last Human by Zack Jordan::★★★★::My review
  4. Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko::★★★★★::My review
  5. Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie::★★★★★::Review to come!

Challenges

Popsugar Challenge prompts completed: 4

  1. A book by a trans or nonbinary author (The Deep)
  2. A bildungsroman (The Last Human)
  3. The first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed (The Chalk Man)
  4. A book with a three-word title (Bonds of Brass)

#StartOnYouShelfathon books completed: 1

  1. The Chalk Man

Best/Worst Books

So this month produced not one, but two five star reads! Which leaves me in a bit of a lurch when trying to decide which one is the best book of March…

Which is why I choose both!

Both Raybearer and Bonds of Brass were transportative stories that made me forget the madness that is our world right now. They both had stories that completely wrapped me up in their worlds and characters. Raybearer is so beautifully evocative and richly written that I wanted to settle myself into Aritsar and never leave! Bonds of Brass is a high-octane ride from start to finish that had me on the edge of my seat! They both thrilled me in different ways, so they both get to hold the top spot this month.

And now for the worst book of March… and, just like last month, I really have nothing! All my other reads of the month were four stars. I thoroughly enjoyed everything I read in March. I’m on kind of a streak here, y’all!

Annnnnd, I probably just jinxed myself 😂🤣

Reflections

*claps her hands together*

Listen. I am clearly terrible at year-long challenges 😅 I only checked off four from the PopSugar Challenge, one from the #StartOnYourShelfathon, and ZERO from the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge! Which is why that I’m planning on focusing on my challenges more in April and May. For April, the month of the Magical Readathon, I chose all of the books to fulfill my prompts from my TBR shelf. That will be four more books checked off for the #StartOnYourShelfathon! And I’m going to use May to try and tackle more prompts from the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge. I’m determined to get better at this!

Something I’m pretty proud of, though, is my continued success on keeping up with my ARCs. I’ve read all of my April ARCs and will be posting my review for the last one tomorrow (yay, Bonds of Brass!), which means I am currently caught up on my 2020 ARCs! I mean, it’s not like I have a ton, but I’m still pretty pleased. I think part of that is keeping myself from mindlessly scrolling through Netgalley and requesting anything that looks mildly interesting, lol.

I also just noticed that I read five books in both February and March. Perhaps that will be my average? I’m not a fast reader, so I’m pretty stoked with that. I think I could probably pick it up, as well. What I really need are new headphones because mine are broken and I can’t listen to audiobooks without my headphones! Audiobooks always tend to bump up my reading numbers. Of course, if I only read five books each month for the rest of the year, I’ll still be a happy camper 😊

I hope everyone read some great books in March. Perhaps it helped you take a breather from the real world, if only for a moment. Here’s to an excellent reading month in April!

And, as always, happy reading!

The Mystery Blogger Award

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Hello, readers!

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. This is one of my few weekends off and I’m enjoying it by reading and playing Animal Crossing. But there’s something even more exciting to talk about…

I was tagged for The Mystery Blogger Award! I was tagged by the lovely Just_Me @ HappymessHappiness. I love their blog because it has such a variety of posts from poetry to six-word stories and beyond! Thank you again for thinking of me 💕

The Mystery Blogger Award was created by Okoto Enigma to highlight bloggers that “haven’t been discovered yet”. Hence the mystery! It was created to help make the blogging community a friendly and welcoming place. I’ve seen it floating about the blogosphere and I always love reading the posts because the questions get so interesting. Before I continue on, let’s go over…

The Rules

  • Put the award logo/image on your blog.
  • List the rules.
  • Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
  • Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well.
  • Tell your readers 3 things about yourself.
  • You have to nominate 10 – 20 people.
  • Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog.
  • Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify).
  • Share a link to your best post(s).
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