2022 Reading Wrap Up
year end wrap up

2022 Reading Wrap Up

kerrimcbooknerd5 Comments

Hello, reader!

We’re five days into the new year, so I figured I would finally, fully wrap up how my reading went in 2022. Honestly, last year was the year of four star reads and I wasn’t mad about it! I read so many really wonderful books and discovered some authors that I would love to continue to read. I started to dip my toe in the romance genre, I picked up a few books that I’ve been meaning to read for ages, and I actually finished a series!

That being said, let’s go ahead and get into my wrap up post!

In 2022, I read the most books I’ve ever read since I got back into reading as a hobby! It boggles my mind that I read 135 books and 41,950 pages. Like… what?! I’m not complaining though because I feel quite accomplished. I have to give props to rekindling my love for audiobooks and graphic novels. I’m hoping to continue this energy into the new year, though I think that I will be shocked if I get close to or surpass that number in 2023. We shall see!

The fact that the average length of the books I picked up was only 310 pages definitely helped me read the amount that I did, too. This was the year of short, quick reads, which I kind of needed because I was a busy bee in 2022. I think this average length also has to do with the fact that I read a lot more romance this year than I ever have before. Romances tend to be shorter than the fantasy books I usually read. Being a fan of epic, sweeping stories is both a blessing and a curse 😂 Romances also brought me so much joy in 2022, so I am most definitely continuing my exploration of the genre!

I told you that this was the year of four star reads and the fact that my average rating in 2022 was 4.1 stars proves my point! There were so many books I read that were incredible, but didn’t quite reach that five star mark. I mean, I still read 24 five star books this year, which is a great number, I think. So many new favorites! The fact that the rest of my reads were mostly still great makes me quite happy. Here’s hoping 2023 treats me just as well.

Continue reading “2022 Reading Wrap Up” →
Blog Tour: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

kerrimcbooknerd6 Comments

Hello, reader!

I’m so excited to be participating in my first TBR & Beyond Tours blog tour of 2023! I’m extra excited because it’s for a book by an author who is swiftly becoming a favorite: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert! This is Talia Hibbert’s YA debut and, spoiler alert, I adored it.

But, before I jump into my review (and a playlist I threw together while reading!) I want to say thank you. Thank you to the people at TBR & Beyond Tours for choosing me to take part in this tour. Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to the book via Netgalley. And thank you to all my readers for supporting my little blog! Also, if you’d like to support the other incredible bloggers and bookstagrammers participating, make sure to check out the tour schedule by clicking here.

Alright! Now let’s get to the tour post!

  • Title: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute
  • Author: Talia Hibbert
  • Publisher: Joy Revolution
  • Publication date: January 3rd, 2023
  • Genre: Romance
  • Age group: Young Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Depictions of anxiety and struggles with OCD, child abandonment, depictions of intrusive thinking

Book Links

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

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors–and each other.

Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.

Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption–yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.)

These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her.

Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert” →
December 2022 Wrap Up
wrap up

December 2022 Wrap Up

kerrimcbooknerd4 Comments

Hello, reader!

As we start to settle the new year, I figured I would wrap my last month of reading in 2022. Honestly, December was a bit of a blur for me. Mostly because of the holidays but also because I was trying to squeeze in books that I needed to read! This is why I need to stop procrastinating on my BBNYA reads… I love being a panelist but I really need to plan better 😂

Either way, I think that’s why my December reading felt a little all over the place and frazzled. I didn’t read nearly as much I did for most of the year and the ratings fluctuated a bit more, but I still had a good time. And I will say that I closed out the year with an absolute winner!

That being said, let’s jump into the wrap up.

Books Reads

  • The Reaper’s Quota by Sarah McKnight: This was my first BBNYA read for the final round. I don’t want to talk too much about it because there will be tours coming up for all our finalists, but I found myself really enjoying this book! It was interesting, dark, and humorous in the best way. It didn’t blow me away or anything but it was definitely a solid read. Stay tuned for my more in-depth thoughts once the tours begin! ★★★
  • Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead: I’m not a big historical fiction reader, but I continue to enjoy pretty much any historical fiction that Colson Whitehead writes. This book is no different! It focuses on a Black furniture salesman in Harlem during the 1960s and his fall into (and rise from) a life of crime. I loved following Carney on his journey and getting to know the varied personalities he runs into throughout this book. And I didn’t realize this was the first in a series, but I’m excited to give the next one a read! ★★★★
  • Lesser Known Monsters by Rory Michaelson: This was my second BBNYA read for the final round and I loved it! Again, I don’t want to talk too much about it because I want to save it for the tour, but this book totally sucked me in. I have so many angry notes about people being mean to Oscar, so you know I was invested in his story 😂 He is such a compelling character with flaws and nuances that makes him feel so real. I’ll tell y’all more once the tours start, but I highly recommend this one if you enjoy horror and would love to read one with strong LGBTQIA+ representation. ★★★★
  • Inheriting Her Ghosts by S.H. Cooper: And then I read my final BBNYA read for 2022 and it smashed it out of the park! I adored this gothic book so much! First of all, the main character is a middle aged woman and I’m here. for. IT. Second, she has two huge dogs that are her constant companions and I would die for them 😭 You know I’m going to be gushing about this book when the tours swing around, so stay tuned! ★★★★★
Continue reading “December 2022 Wrap Up” →
Blog Tour Spotlight: Malibu Burns by Mark Richardson
blog tour · book spotlight

Blog Tour Spotlight: Malibu Burns by Mark Richardson

kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today on the blog, I have a blog tour spotlight for y’all! This tour is hosted by The Write Reads which is 100% my favorite blog tour company with which to work. If you’re a book blogger and interested in getting in on blog tours, you should definitely check them out! Now, though, let me tell you more about a dystopian fantasy that sounds like it would be an intense read: Malibu Burns by Mark Richardson.

Before I jump into my spotlight, I want to thank Dave @ The Write Reads and all the lovely people behind the scenes for allowing me to participate in this tour! It is, as always, very much appreciated.

Alright, now let’s get to it!

  • Title: Malibu Burns
  • Author: Mark Richardson
  • Publication date: September 29th, 2022
  • Genre: Dystopian Urban Fantasy
  • Age group: Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: For a list of potential content and trigger warnings, check out this book’s page on BookTriggerWarnings.com

Book Links

Amazon::Goodreads

Continue reading “Blog Tour Spotlight: Malibu Burns by Mark Richardson” →
Top Ten Reads of 2022
book discussion

Top Ten Reads of 2022

kerrimcbooknerd4 Comments

Hello, reader!

Happy New Year! I always enjoy looking back on a year of reading and looking forward to a brand new one. Part of looking back, of course, is thinking about all the books I adored this year.

I had 24 five star reads in 2022 which is just wild to me. I think my most common rating was four stars, but I’m excited that I found so many books this year that just blew me away. That being said, there were definitely some stand outs, even among my five stars. That’s why I decided to narrow it down to my top ten books that I read this year! I’m sharing these in no particular order because I think I loved them all equally, if for differing reasons.

Now, let’s jump into the list!

The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies

The Basics: Adult gaslamp fantasy featuring gods and twelve dazzling realms and CHAOS.

What I Loved: I could just say ‘everything’ for all of these books, but I’m gonna try to be more specific 😂 The characters in this book are what captured my heart. Kayl and Quen live in my head rent-free and it’s weird but I love them so much. I do have a full review that you can find here.

The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

The Basics: A woman finds out that a mysterious map that caused her to have a falling out with her dad may also be the reason he died. Hijinks ensue.

What I Loved: This was compulsively readable! I’m not a fast reader and this book is around 400 pages, but I read it in a day. I enjoyed this mixture of mystery and fantasy. You can read my full review here.

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

The Basics: A group of morally grey characters plan a heist in 1889 Paris. You like found family? *slaps the cover* The beauty has so much found family!

What I Loved: I discovered in 2022 that I really love the found family trope and this book absolutely delivers in that realm. The characters wormed their ways into my heart. I also really loved the writing in this book.

Continue reading “Top Ten Reads of 2022” →
First Lines Friday #67
first lines friday

First Lines Friday #67

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!

Can you believe that it’s almost 2023? This year will be over in one more day! Are y’all ready for 2023? I don’t know if I’m ready for the new year but I’m certainly ready for 2022 to be over 😂 All that said, let’s get into my last First Lines Friday of the year! This week, I’m featuring a book that I’m not picking up until January and I’m very much looking forward to it.

Now, let’s see if the first few lines will get me even more excited!

The Line(s):

“I was born with a broken heart. The day I arrived into this lonely little world was also the first time I died.”

The Hints:

This is an adult thriller with a suitably atmospheric cover.

It was a Book of the Month Club pick in August.

The synopsis gives me major And Then There Were None vibes.

The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday #67” →
Book Blogger Hop: Dec 23 – 29
book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop: Dec 23 – 29

kerrimcbooknerd6 Comments

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

Did Santa bring you any books?

Submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer.

Continue reading “Book Blogger Hop: Dec 23 – 29” →
ARC Review: Hollow by Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White, and Berenice Nelle
book reviews

ARC Review: Hollow by Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White, and Berenice Nelle

kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Title: Hollow

Author: Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White

Illustrator: Berenice Nelle

Publisher: BOOM! Box

Genre: Fantasy

Age Group: Young Adult

Rating: ★★★★

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

Goodreads Synopsis

Sleepy Hollow and queer romance meet in this coming-of-age tale from the co-creator of Lumberjanes!

Isabel “Izzy” Crane and her family have just relocated to Sleepy Hollow, the town made famous by–and obsessed with–Washington Irving’s legend of the Headless Horseman. But city slicker-skeptic Izzy has no time for superstition as she navigates life at a new address, a new school, and, with any luck, with new friends. Ghost stories aren’t real, after all…. Then Izzy is pulled into the orbit of the town’s teen royalty, Vicky Van Tassel (yes, that Van Tassel) and loveable varsity-level prankster Croc Byun. Vicky’s weariness with her family connection to the legend turns to terror when the trio begins to be haunted by the Horseman himself, uncovering a curse set on destroying the Van Tassel line. Now, they have only until Halloween night to break it–meaning it’s a totally inconvenient time for Izzy to develop a massive crush on the enigmatic Vicky. Can Izzy’s practical nature help her face the unknown–or only trip her up? As the calendar runs down to the 31st, Izzy will have to use all of her wits and work with her new friends to save Vicky and uncover the mystery of the legendary Horseman of Sleepy Hollow–before it’s too late. New York Times-bestselling writer Shannon Watters (Lumberjanes) and debut author Branden Boyer-White are joined by artist Berenice Nelle (Wanderlicht) in a coming of age tale that’s at once a faithful homage and a free-wheeling spin-off of the classic Legend of Sleepy Hollow and everyone’s favorite headless specter.

Continue reading “ARC Review: Hollow by Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White, and Berenice Nelle” →
November 2022 Wrap Up
wrap up

November 2022 Wrap Up

kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Hello, reader!

We’re getting to the point where I need to start planning my December (and yearly!) wrap ups, so I figured this was the perfect time to wrap up what I read in November! One of these days, I will write these wrap up posts in a semi-timely manner 😂 I’m going to blame the fact that I’ve been wrapped up in BBNYA business for pretty much all of December, which was a blast! Now, it’s time to get back on track and actually tell you all about what I read last month.

And try not to have a crisis over the fact that 2022 is almost over!

Books Read

  • Spy x Family Vol 7 by Tatsuya Endo: I continue to love this manga series, though this one was probably my least favorite of the ones I’ve read so far. If I remember correctly, Yor’s brother featured prominently in this volume? That would explain why I didn’t like it as much because he truly creeps me out 😂 Even with him, though, I love watching Loid, Yor, and Anya grow closer and closer. Even if Loid pretends like they aren’t. This reminds me that I need to catch up with the anime… ★★★
  • The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow: My goodness, this book was a freakin’ gem. Harrow’s writing is always magical and it lent well to this story about witches and suffragettes. I adored the three sisters featured in this story and how this book is not only about women’s rights, but the fractious relationship between the Eastwoods. I’m a sucker for a book with great characters, so when I’m presented with three of them, you know I’m gonna love it. I also thought the magic in this was fascinating! This has certainly cemented Alix E. Harrow as one of my favorite authors. ★★★★
  • The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill: Last month, a bunch of the TWR gang got together and decided to do Netgalley November. The ARCs are getting out of hand, y’all! A good problem to have, but I joined in to try and start knocking some books off of my shelf. This was my first e-ARC of the month and I enjoyed it! It was an interesting story about a young woman who finds herself whisked into another life after a mysterious benefactor includes her in his will. The concept was intriguing, though the main character made me want to shake her. And the love interest was pretty… meh. Overall, though, I had a fun time reading this! ★★★
  • Nubia: The Awakening by Omar Epps and Clarence A. Haynes: This was my second Netgalley read of the month and I loved it! It’s a young adult fantasy that features young, Black kids gaining superpowers. It is an adventure that you are happy to jump into because the writing absolutely pulls you in. I loved how cinematic the writing could be and I found myself enthralled with the story. I also loved that this book tackles some social issues within the story and I think the authors did a great job incorporating it. I’m eager to read the sequel! ★★★★
Continue reading “November 2022 Wrap Up” →
First Lines Friday #66
first lines friday

First Lines Friday #66

kerrimcbooknerd3 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!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve, to those who celebrate 😉😂 I’m actually excited for Christmas this year because I’m not working. I’m technically working the holiday, but my job is counting Monday as the actual “holiday”. Which works out great for me! I’m happy that I’ll be able to actually open presents with the family this year. But, before we get all festive, it’s time for another First Lines Friday post! Today, I’m featuring a book that was on one of my year long 2022 TBRs. I may not be finishing those TBRs, but I want to read at least one more, dang it!

Now, let’s see if the first few lines can get me pumped to pick it up.

The Line(s):

“Patricia was crying.

Wallace Price hated it when people cried.”

The Hints:

This is an adult fantasy that was released last year.

I read a book by this author and absolutely loved it.

It heavily deals with death and what happens after.

The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday #66” →