Top 5 Tuesday: Series to Finish in 2023

January 31, 2023 kerrimcbooknerd7 Comments

Top 5 Tuesday is a fun, weekly meme that asks you to pick 5 books that fit that week’s theme. It was created by Bionic Bookworm and is currently being hosted by Meeghan Reads. You should check out their wonderful blog for more details and the list of prompts!

Hello, reader!

It’s time for another Top 5 Tuesday! Last week’s topic was all about series I wanted to start this year. This week is the opposite: series I’d like to finish in 2023! I am in the middle of… a lot of series. Like, a ridiculous amount, y’all. That means it took me a minute to trim this down to just five I wanted to feature, haha. Just know that this list is definitely not exhaustive.

That being said, let’s get to it!

#1. The Great Library series by Rachel Caine

I have been on the last book of this series for an embarrassingly long time. At this point, I probably should reread the entire series, but, funnily enough, I remember pretty much everything that has happened so far. Which, if you know me at all, is an anomaly! I just need to finally pick this up and prepare myself to say goodbye to Jess and company. It’s gonna be bittersweet.

#2. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin series by Roseanne A. Brown

The second book in this duology was on my 22 in 2022 TBR and we all know how well that went 😂 I’m still eager to pick up A Psalm of Storms and Silence, so I’m sticking it on this list. I was fascinated by the world that Roseanne A. Brown created in the first book. I’m also completely attached to the main characters, Malik and Karina. I need to know how their story ends!

Book Review: Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

January 29, 2023 kerrimcbooknerd3 Comments

Title: Daisy Darker

Author: Alice Feeney

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Genre: Mystery

Age Group: Adult

Content/Trigger Warnings: Death, alcoholism, infidelity, chronic illness, child abuse, murder, sexual assault

Rating: ★★★★

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

Goodreads Synopsis

The New York Times bestselling Queen of Twists returns…with a family reunion that leads to murder.

After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in Nana’s crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.

The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows…

Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed.

With a wicked wink to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Daisy Darker’s unforgettable twists will leave readers reeling.

Book Blogger Hop: Jan 27 – Feb 2

January 28, 2023January 28, 2023 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

Do you prefer to read in a quiet or noisy setting?

Submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer.

First Lines Friday #71

January 27, 2023January 27, 2023 kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

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 *cough*)
Finally… reveal the book!

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

Hello, reader!

It’s time for another First Lines Friday! Today, I’m featuring a book that I’ve been wanting to read for awhile now. I’ve already started it and can confirm that the first line immediately captured my interest. This is a book that I know, now that I don’t have any books I need to finish for tours, will bogart all of my attention until I’ve finished it.

Now, let’s see if the first line piques your interest as much as it did mine!

The Line(s):

“You think you’d know what a killer sounds like.”

The Hints:

This is a young adult thriller with a blood red cover.

It is the second book in a series.

It has a podcast element which is something I love in books!

The Reveal:

Characters of the Year Book Tag

January 26, 2023 kerrimcbooknerd3 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today is a good day for a tag! I’ll be doing the Characters of the Year Tag, which I always mean to do at the beginning of the year, but never quite manage, haha. Thankfully, I was tagged by Ashlee @ Books Are 42, who is an incredible book blogger and helped remind me to get this done in 2023. If you haven’t checked out her blog before, I highly suggest you do ❤ I’m not sure who originally created this tag, but if you know, please share!

Alright, now let’s get to the tag!

Favorite Male Character of The Year

Piranesi (Piranesi by Susanna Clarke)

I found the titular character in this book to be absolutely fascinating! I loved getting the story through his various journal entries and seeing the world through his eyes. It made learning about the world feel more personal, somehow, and certainly connected me to Piranesi quickly. I was very invested in his well-being!

Favorite Female Character of The Year

Eudora Fellowes (Inheriting Her Ghosts by S.H. Cooper)

I read a lot of incredible female characters this year, but Eudora stands out in my mind. It read this book closer to the end of the year but I knew I was going to love her from the moment I read the first excerpt for BBNYA. She’s independent, smart, and a great dog mom. I also love that we get to see both her strong and softer sides throughout this story. And she’s an older character which we need more of, honestly!

Most Relatable Character of The Year

Literally all the POC characters (Babel by R.F. Kuang)

Literally all of them! Though mostly Robin, Ramy, and Victoire, of course. The things they had to put up with resonated to my soul and the willful ignorance of their white counterparts made me want to rage right alongside them. I will admit to relating to Victoire the most, which makes sense as she is a Black woman, but I felt a true connection to all three of them in one way or another.

WWW Wednesday: Jan 25, 2023

January 25, 2023 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

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

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson: I’m finally continuing with the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series! So far, I’m enjoying the second book. I can tell it’s going to pull me in just as easily as the first book did. I had to set it aside to get some tour books read, but I’m eager to pick it back up! I’m only a few chapters in and things are already getting intense. I’m excited to see where this new story goes.
Slappy, Beware by R.L. Stine: I’ve finally picked up my first read off of my 12 friends, 12 recommendations TBR! I have all the books on that list in a TBR jar and this was the lucky one I drew out for January. I’m only a couple of chapters in, but the nostalgia is already hitting hard, haha. I was a big fan of R.L. Stine when I was a kid and this is bringing back memories! I don’t think I ever read any of the Slappy books (because evil puppets freak me out…) so it’ll be interesting to see how I like this one compared to the other Goosebumps books I’ve read.

Top 5 Tuesday: Series I Will Start in 2023

January 24, 2023 kerrimcbooknerd7 Comments

Hello, reader!

Happy Tuesday to you all. I’m here to bring you another Top 5 Tuesday post! This week is all about series I want to start in 2023 which I have plenty from which to choose, haha. I really should hold off since I’m in the middle of so many series, but I’m not known for making the best choices when it comes to my reading 😂 Besides, the five series I’ve decided to feature are series I’ve been wanting to start for awhile!

That being said, let’s get to the list!

#1. The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb is such a talked-about author in the book community and I still haven’t read any of her books! I’ve wanted to read Assassin’s Apprentice for ages, but I’m always intimidated by two factors. One: though this is only a trilogy, there are so many books in the full series of books set in this world. Two: this series seems to emotionally destroy people, haha. Still, this is such an iconic series and I want to know what all the hype is about.

#2. The Binti series by Nnedi Okorafor

I have mentioned I want to try and read more science fiction this year, so of course I gotta include this series about a Black girl fighting aliens. I mean, it’s about a lot more than that and that’s exactly why I want to read it! I’ve also read a few books by this author, now, and I’ve enjoyed every single one. Her brand of sci-fi is always fascinating and I’m excited to discover more.

#5OnMyTBR – Multiple POV

January 23, 2023 kerrimcbooknerd4 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!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous Monday. It’s currently snowing and sleeting outside right now, so I’m very glad that I’m not working today and already ran all my errands. This is the perfect weather to stay inside and curl up with a book! Speaking of, it’s time for another 5 On My TBR where I talk about books that I want to read. The theme for this week is books with multiple POVs and I have a lot of books that can fit.

So let me show which five I decided to pick!

#1. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

I’m embarrassed to admit how long this book (and the series) have been on my TBR 😬 This fantasy revolves around two people living in a very military focused world. It is a pretty beloved series and I have major FOMO because I still haven’t read it! I do own this book, though, so hopefully I can get to it this year since I’m trying to mainly read from my owned books.

#2. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

This is another book and author that I’ve been meaning to try for awhile. It is set during a devastating pandemic and we’re following a troupe of Shakespearian actors. I’ve heard nothing but praise for this book and the author, which is why I’ve been intrigued. I also love that we’re following a bunch of actors in the end times. It can only add to the drama, haha. I’m hoping to pick this one up sooner rather than later!

Blog Tour: Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury

January 22, 2023 kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today, it’s my stop on the tour for Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury hosted by Hear Our Voices Tours! I’m so excited to be talking with y’all about this young adult horror for two reasons. One, I’m doing something a little different with my review which I think is gonna be fun. And two, this book was ✨INCREDIBLE✨

Before I get to my review, though, I have people to thank. First, a big thank you to the brains behind Hear Our Voices who gave me a spot on this tour. Second, thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free ARC so that I could read and participate. It is, as always, very much appreciated!

Also, if you’d like to check out any of the other fabulous posts done by the incredible bloggers and bookstagrammers and BookTubers on this tour, you can check out the schedule here.

Now, let’s get to my post!

Title: Delicious Monsters
Author: Liselle Sambury
Publication date: February 28th, 2023
Genre: Horror
Age group: Young Adult
Content/Trigger Warnings: childhood sexual assault (off page), childhood physical abuse (corporal punishment, off page), childhood physical abuse (confinement punishment), childhood neglect, gaslighting, grooming, suicide (off page), killing of a goat (off page), discussions of fatphobia, body horror/gore, violence, death

Book Links

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

The Haunting of Hill House meets Sadie in this evocative and mind-bending psychological thriller following two teen girls navigating the treacherous past of a mysterious mansion ten years apart.

Daisy sees dead people—something impossible to forget in bustling, ghost-packed Toronto. She usually manages to deal with her unwanted ability, but she’s completely unprepared to be dumped by her boyfriend. So when her mother inherits a secluded mansion in northern Ontario where she spent her childhood summers, Daisy jumps at the chance to escape. But the house is nothing like Daisy expects, and she begins to realize that her experience with the supernatural might be no match for her mother’s secrets, nor what lurks within these walls…

A decade later, Brittney is desperate to get out from under the thumb of her abusive mother, a bestselling author who claims her stay at “Miracle Mansion” allowed her to see the error of her ways. But Brittney knows that’s nothing but a sham. She decides the new season of her popular Haunted web series will uncover what happened to a young Black girl in the mansion ten years prior and finally expose her mother’s lies. But as she gets more wrapped up in the investigation, she’ll have to decide: if she can only bring one story to light, which one matters most—Daisy’s or her own?

As Brittney investigates the mansion in the present, Daisy’s story runs parallel in the past, both timelines propelling the girls to face the most dangerous monsters of all: those that hide in plain sight.