The Book Blogger Memory Challenge Book Tag

January 31, 2022January 30, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd15 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today, I’m bringing you a challenge wrapped up in a tag and I’m so excited! Why? Because I love a good challenge and I love tags. So win-win! This one is probably gonna be quite difficult, too, as it relies on my very VERY bad ability to recall things off the top of my head. Like, when someone asks you for a book recommendation and all the books you have ever read are somehow miraculously forgotten.

That’s me, y’all, but I’m still going to attempt to do the Book Blogger Memory Challenge Book Tag! The rules are as follows: You have to answer the prompts without using the internet or looking at your bookshelves. Your answers have to all come from memory! Make sure to link to the person who originally tagged you and, once your done, you can tag five other people if you’d like.

I was tagged by the wonderful Tabitha @ Behind the Pages. You should all go check out her answers and her lovely blog. Maybe give her a follow while you’re over there! This tag was originally created by Laura @ Laura’s Book Reviews. Though the link I found doesn’t seem to work anymore, I still want to give credit where credit is due!

Alright, now let’s jump into the questions and see how I do 😄

The Prompts:

Name a book written by an author called Michael

The first book that came to mind was The Company of Demons by Michael Jordan. And you would not believe the mental gymnastics my brain went through to get to this one 😂 It started with me thinking of famous Michaels and ended with this. This is a thriller I won from either Goodreads or Bookish First (I think it’s the latter) and have yet to read because I’m terrible. It sounds interesting and it’s set near where I used to live in Ohio! I really need to pick it up at some point.

Name a book with a dragon on the cover

Oh, this was an easy one: Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne! This book has been all over the bookish community since it was but a twinkle in John Gwynne’s eye and I distinctly remember when this cover was revealed. I took one look at it and knew I was going to read this book. Eventually. But, seriously, how can I resist such an epically cool looking dragon?! And the cover for the second book, though severally lacking in giant, scaled beasts, is just as incredible.

Name a book about a character called George

Look, all I’ve got is Curious George…

I loved these books as a kid. As an adult, reading about George’s antics gives me ✨anxiety✨ I don’t know how the Man in the Yellow Hat takes it! Of course, he shouldn’t have a wild animal in a downtown hotel… but I digress! These are still fun books to read to my youngest.

Book Review: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

January 30, 2022 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

Title: The Wife Upstairs

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Thriller

Content/Trigger Warnings: Murder, mentions of drowning, blackmail, forced captivity, infidelity, blood, alcohol, alcohol abuse

Rating: ★★★★

Book Links:
Bookshop::TBD::B&N::Amazon::
Goodreads

One Sentence Synopsis:

A young dog-walker named Jane, who has a past filled with secrets, finds her path crossing with the mysterious, handsome Mr. Rochester, who’s past may be just as dark as hers.

Favorite Quote:

“I’ve gone so long trying not to be seen that there’s something intoxicating about letting him really see me.”

Book Blogger Hop: Jan 28 – Feb 3

January 29, 2022 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

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

Have you ever attended a book signing? If so, who was the author?

Submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer.

Yes, I have! Two, actually, both in 2019. I had never been to a book signing before that, mostly because I had never lived in a place where they were both close and convenient. My family and I had recently moved to the greater Boston area, however, and suddenly I was spoiled for choice! But this was in late 2019… and we all know how 2020 went down.

But I digress! At least I was lucky enough to experience the two that I did!

Anyways, the first signing I went to was for Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo! I was pretty proud of myself for attending the signing by myself. I am not a fan of doing social things alone because I am ✨awkward✨ But I really wanted to read Ninth House and I really wanted to meet the author, so I sucked it up and signed up. I had a great time, too! Leigh Bardugo is quite funny and it was interesting listening to her talk about the book and her inspirations. And she complimented me on my Hamilton shirt when I got my book signed! I don’t remember at all what I said in response… probably some bumbling thanks followed by nervous laughter… but it was a lovely experience all around. It also took place in this beautiful library, so win-win!

Not to downplay Ms. Bardugo and the fun I had at her signing, but the next one I went to was, by far my favorite. And that’s because it was for The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern! Though I had been nervous about attending the Ninth House signing, I held no such reservations when it came to Morgenstern’s sophomore novel. I didn’t care that I was going by myself to an unfamiliar part of town in the middle of the night. There was no way I was going to miss it! And I’m so glad I went because I had such a great time! First of all, fans of The Night Circus are a passionate bunch and I saw so many incredible outfits that reflected the passion that night. There was one woman in full Victorian garb and she looked fantastic! Second of all, they were allowing people to have other books signed beyond our fresh, new copies of The Starless Sea, so I got to have my original copy of The Night Circus signed, as well! Most importantly, though, is the fact that Erin Morgenstern is an absolute gem. She has a wit and charm about her that makes you feel like you’re having a casual chat with a friend. I remember us talking about Dragon Age: Inquisition as I got my book signed! And I was actually able to talk like a normal person and not be 100% awkward! More like… 90% 😂 It was such a fun night and a memory I will cherish forever.

Here’s hoping I’ll be able to make more memories like that in the future.

First Lines Friday #32

January 28, 2022January 28, 2022 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first (I cheat a little bit here 😉)
Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

We’ve made it to the end of another work week. We’re supposed to be getting a massive snow storm this weekend and I am not happy about it. Mostly because I have to work, boooo. If I could just sit at home and watch it snow, I’d be all for it! Alas, I work in healthcare and, snow or not, there are always samples to run.

In an effort to get my mind of my snowy drive tomorrow, I’ve picked something lighthearted for today’s First Lines Friday. This is a book I’ve just started reading and, so far, I’m digging the main character’s vibes! And, I have to say, the first line really caught my attention. Let’s see if it does the same for you!

The Line(s):

It was the exploding unicorn that final broke him.”

The Hints:

This rom-com is perfect for someone with a sweet tooth.

It just came out last year and is the first book in a new series.

It’s my first read from my 12 friends, 12 recommendations challenge!

The Reveal:

Down the TBR Hole #23

January 27, 2022January 26, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

It’s time for a new round of Down the TBR Hole! This is where I go through my Goodreads ‘Want to Read’ shelf and do a bit of cleaning up. If you want to see the full description of what this post is all about, check out my first round HERE.

Hello, reader!

It’s time to take another look at my Goodreads Want to Read shelf in today’s Down the TBR post! And, perhaps, we can trim off a few more books than I have in the last two rounds. Last round, we ended with 726 books. Now, I’m sitting at 733 books and I’m not entirely sure how that happened. I must have blacked out while browsing Goodreads 😅 But let’s see if can get a least a few books I’m no longer interested in off the TBR and make this more reflective of my actual TBR.

With that said, let’s jump into round twenty-three!

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Though I don’t read a lot of non-fiction, there is something about memoirs involving hiking that get me. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson is one of my favorite books of all time! So when I heard about this book, one that follows the author as she hikes and learns, I immediately wanted to read it. Easy choice here!

Verdict: Keep

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

I made a meager attempt to start reading the Discworld books a couple of years ago and, frankly, got a little intimidated by how many there are. But I really loved the first two books I read in the series! I’m going to continue because I know I’m probably going to love the rest. Besides, this book is on my “22 books in 2022” list!

Verdict: Keep

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

I still haven’t read anything by Patrick Ness, but I certainly want to. This one sounds like it could be the one for me. I mean it follows an “ordinary” person surrounded by superheroes and just trying to live their life. It’s a slice-of-life but with, like, death rays. It seems like something I could definitely love.

Verdict: Keep

WWW Wednesday: Jan 26, 2022

January 26, 2022January 26, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd5 Comments

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:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
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

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley: Beyond the three other books I’ve talked about in recent WWW Wednesday post, this is the only other book I’ve started recently. And I’m only our chapters in, which is kind of terrible as I’m meant to be doing a buddy read 😅 What I’ve read so far, though, is certainly promising! I like the culture and the introduction to our main character, who seems like she’s made of some tough stuff. I’m really excited to see where the story goes!

The Cat Markings Book Tag

January 25, 2022January 24, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd12 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today, I’m bringing you a tag that combines two of my favorite things: cats and books! This is The Cat Markings Book Tag, which was created by Laura @ The Corner of Laura. If y’all don’t know, I have three cats and my family has had cats since I was around five years old. I’ve grown up with this furry little predators all my life and I can’t picture myself ever not having a cat in the house. So, when I was tagged by Riddhi @ Whispering Stories to do this, I jumped at the chance! You should definitely go check out her answers to the tag and her blog, as well 😊

Alright, let’s get the post!

The Rules:

Link back to the original creator (The Corner of Laura) and link back to this page (otherwise, the original creator won’t get a notification).
Thank whoever tagged you and link back to their post (Thanks for the tag, Riddhi!)
(Optional) Use the graphics and don’t forget to credit the original creator (The graphics were also created by Laura @ The Corner of Laura)
(Optional) Tag 5 or more other people.

The Prompts:

Black Cats: Pick a book that doesn’t get the love it deserves.

I’m going with Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine but, honestly, the entire Great Library series deserves so much more love than it gets! I’ve not met many people who have read it and that is a shame. It’s an incredible start to a fantastic series that centers around the concept of what the world could look like if the Library of Alexandria never burned down. It’s a fantasy, so it takes this idea in some intriguing directions. The best thing about this book/series, though, is the found family element. You’ll find yourself rooting for these characters in a surprisingly short amount of time!

White Cats: Pick a book with great disability rep

A book I read recently that jumps to mind is Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn. The main character in this story is a siren whose tail was crushed by a cruel sea captain. As a result, she no longer has any feeling below the waist. She has to learn how to manuver around in this new body and I think the author did an excellent job of conveying the feelings that can go with that situation. Of course, I would take my opinion with a grain of salt as I’m not part of the disabled community! I do think it was well done and it was great to see a MC with a disability being featured in a fantasy novel. I need and am going to make reading more books with disability rep a top priority.

Ginger Cats: Name your favourite male character

Now I know The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern was not for everyone, but I adore this book. One of the reasons I adore it is because of the main character, Zachary Ezra Rawlins. I connected with him so much! He reminded of myself in college (although his experiences turned out to be vastly more interesting) and he had a lot of mannerisms that I share. He’s just such a quiet and unassuming protagonist and I thought it was compelling to see such an “ordinary” person get tossed into extremely extraordinary circumstances. Also, gotta love a fellow bookworm who loves gaming, as well.

#5OnMyTBR – Horror

January 24, 2022January 23, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd7 Comments

#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!

Hello, reader!

Welcome to another week and another 5 On My TBR! And I’m super excited for this one because the theme is horror 👻 I love horror movies, but I’m still dipping my toes into reading horror novels. Not because I don’t like them! Just because I usually push them to the side for my tried and true SFF books, lol. But I love a scary story and so I have quite a few horror books on my TBR that I hope will give me a spine-tingling good time.

Of course, that means it took me awhile to pick just five to feature. I’m happy with the ones I chose, though, because they are all books that are high on my list! Let’s jump in the post.

#1. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Ever since I read Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones, I’ve wanted to give another one of his books a try. I really got on well with his writing and his take on werewolves! Now I want to sink into one of his horror novels that taps into some dark places. I’ve heard so many good things about this one, as well! Fingers crossed that I have as good a time with this as I did with Mongrels.

#2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

I had to include a classic of the genre! I’ve been wanting to read The Haunting of Hill House since I saw the 1999 movie adaptation. Which I loved even though it was terrible 😂 I have a soft spot for bad horror movies, okay? I’ve been curious about reading the source material for a minute and that curiosity ramped up when the Netflix series came out. I’m hoping to give this one a go soon because winter always seems like a good time to curl up with a scary story.

22 Reads In 2022

January 23, 2022January 22, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd7 Comments

Hello, reader!

A couple of weeks ago over on Instagram, I shared a post about another reading challenge I want to accomplish in 2022. I picked 22 books that I want to prioritize reading this year. Now, to keep myself accountable, I wanted to bring it over to the blog, as well!

Now I tried to wiggle out of my comfort zone a bit and now choose all fantasy novels. Fantasy is definitely a significant portion of the stack, but I wanted to make sure I had a bit of variety. I’m really happy with the books I’ve chosen and I think it’ll make for an even more exciting reading year! Let’s go through my choices by genre.

Fantasy

Though I tried to choose more than just fantasy, it doesn’t mean I can’t start with my favorite genre! It also makes up the majority of my list because, being a fantasy lover and someone who loves completing challenges, I want to give myself a fighting chance of finishing this, lol. Twelve of my 22 books fit in the fantasy genre and they are as follows:

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
Jade City by Fonda Lee
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

These Violents Delights by Chloe Gong
Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown

The Part About the Dragon was (Mostly) True by Sean Gibson
For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
Equal Rights by Sir Terry Pratchett

Mystery/Thriller

The rest of the genres that make up my stack of 22 are sprinkled throughout in smaller numbers. The next highest would be the mystery/thrillers! I found three that I’m desperate to read and I’m hoping I’ll love them! The three books I chose from this genre are as follows:

While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Science Fiction

This is another genre that is high up on my favorites list. You wouldn’t really know it with as little sci-fi I read in a year, though 😅 I don’t know why I don’t pick it up more… I tend to really love the books I do read in this genre. Hence it being one of my favorites! I’m hoping the same holds true for the two science fiction books I picked. Although one could be considered fantasy, but I felt like it had more of a sci-fi feel. The two books I chose from this genre are as follows:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Romance

As I may or may not have mentioned before on the blog, I’ve been feeling the urge to read romance rising as of late. I’m not sure where this urge is coming from as I’m really not a big romance reader. No shade, it’s just not a genre I gravitate towards. I blame my generally apathetic attitude towards most rom-com movies. Lately, though, I’ve noticed that if the rom-com is in book form, then I am totally on-board! That being said, I’ve chosen two romance novels for my stack, and those are as follows:

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Well Played by Jen DeLuca

Horror

There was no way I was making a list of books to read in 2022 and not including any horror novels! What would I read during the spooky season? Or whenever I feel like a good scare? Horror is a genre that can be pretty hit or miss for me, so I tend to be a little wary when I pick them up. I’m hoping that the two I chose will be hits! The two horror novels I picked are as follows:

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig

Poetry

Rounding out my list is a genre that I rarely, if ever, pick up: poetry I talked about this in a recent Book Blogger Hop, but poetry is definitely on the low end of genres I willingly choose to read. But I honestly think I just haven’t found the right poetry for me! So, though there is only one poetry book on this stack, it hopefully won’t be the only one I read in 2022. I really want to give this genre the chance it deserves. That being said, the one poetry book that made it on my stack is as follows: