book tag

The Romance Reader Book Tag

February 22, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd6 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today seems like as good a day as any for a nice book tag! This one is perfect for the month of February, as well. I know Valentine’s Day is over, but I still wanted to get this one end before the month of loooove was over. Why? Because it’s the Romance Reader Book Tag! Now, I’m still a novice when it comes to romance novels. I’ve only recently started actively picking them up more and trying to figure out what I like. That being said, I’ve been having a lot of fun exploring this genre and I’m eager to continue.

Before we get to the post, I want to thank the wonderful Ashlee @ Books Are 42 for tagging me! You should definitely go check out her blog if you haven’t already. I promise you’ll find something there to enjoy! I tried to discover who originally created this tag, but hit a dead end. If anyone knows, please share so I can give credit where credit is due!

Now, let’s get to the tag!

The Prompts:

What age did you start reading romance novels?

As I was thinking of the answer to this question, I was going to say I didn’t pick up a romance novel until fairly recently. I’ve read books involving romance for forever, but not something that was specifically shelved in romance. But then I recalled being a teen and discovering my mom’s collection of Amanda Quick novels! I can’t tell you for certain which ones I actually read (none of them have stuck in my memory) but I know I read at least a few. Then I avoided romances for years because, for some misguided reason, I thought all romances were like historical romances. It wasn’t until my 30s that I tried a couple of contemporary romances and found I didn’t hate it, lol. Now I’m happily digging into the genre more.

If you could pick one hero to meet from your favorite romance novels who would it be and why?

Oh, definitely Zafir from Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert! He’s such a giant teddy bear and I love how sweet he is with Dani. Besides, he would probably have good romance recs to keep me going on my romance reading journey! And he sounds like he wouldn’t be bad to look at for an extended period of time. There’s also the off-chance that he’ll bring Dani along and we can be nerds together!

I’

5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Guardian

February 21, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd2 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!

It’s time once again for another 5 On My TBR! This week’s theme had me scratching my head (and maybe being a bit creative…) as I was trying to find books that fit. That’s because the theme is guardians and I feel like that can be interpreted in so many ways! Which is just me saying, don’t judge me for my choices 😂

Anyways, let’s jump into the list!

#1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

This one seemed like a good fit. Our protagonist, Nobody, is being raised in a graveyard by a bunch of ghosts. So the ghosts (and one entity that is somewhere in between) are his guardians, boom! Besides, I really want to pick up this book sooner than later. Every time I add it to one of these lists or mention it, I kick myself a little for not having read it yet. I’m a big Gaiman fan and I especially love his middle grade work, so this promises to be an excellent read!

#2. Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Here’s another one I’m kicking myself for having not read yet! I even mentioned it recently in a blog post. But Fitz, our main character, is a bastard son of royalty who is taken into court to train to be an assassin. I have to assume he has some type of guardian! I also assume that the relationship is going to hurt me somehow. Why? Because every time I see someone talk about a Hobb book, there are tears involved…

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down the tbr hole

Down the TBR Hole #25

February 20, 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!

Another round of Down the TBR Hole has arrived and I have a confession to make. I may or may not have gone on a Goodreads giveaway spree. I don’t know why I enter them as I’m about 95% sure no one actually wins Goodreads giveaways. I mean, I’ve won in the past but I swear the algorithm has come to hate me because I haven’t won in years!

Still, my entering spree is what I’m blaming for the fact that my TBR jumped from 728 books to 739 books 😬 There were so many good books that I could, potentially, win! Let’s see if I can trim some older books I’m less interested in to make up for it.

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

We all know this is staying! Not only do I own the book, but I adored the first one in this duology, Strange the Dreamer. I don’t know what the disconnect is in my brain when I devour the first book in a series, immediately buy the second… and then never read it. Send help, please.

Verdict: Keep

The Collector by John Fowles

Complete side note, but this cover makes it seem like this book is written by someone named Vintage Fowles 😂 Anyways, this classic horror about a man who kidnaps an art student and keeps her in his basement sounds… kind of dull, if I’m being honest. Nothing about the synopsis captures my attention, so I think I’m gonna let this one go.

Verdict: Remove

Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple

I added this book because I really enjoyed Where’d You Go, Bernadette by the same author. Having read the synopsis again and a few reviews, though, I don’t think this book and I will get along. I’m not a huge contemporary reader, anyways, so realistically, this would be at the very bottom of books I would reach for if I needed something to read.

Verdict: Remove

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book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop: Feb 18 – 24

February 19, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd4 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

What genre do you refuse to read and why?

Submitted by Cheryl @ I Heart Fictional People.

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first lines friday

First Lines Friday #35

February 18, 2022February 17, 2022 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! This week, I’ve picked a classic that I’ve just started reading as part of a buddy read. So far, I’m quite enjoying it, which is unsurprising as it’s part of a series of novels featuring one of my favorite characters. I went into this expecting to enjoy it at least a little bit.

But let’s see if the first few lines can pull you in and make you want to read it, as well!

The Line(s):

“Linnet Ridgeway!”
“That’s her!” said Mr. Burnaby, the landlord of the Three Crowns.
He nudged his companion.
The two men stared with round bucolic eyes and slightly open mouths.
A big scarlet Rolls-Royce had just stopped in front of the local post office.
A girl jumped out, a girl without a hat and wearing a frock that looked (but only looked) simple. A girl with golden hair and straight autocratic features – a girl with a lovely shape – a girl such as was seldom seen in Malton-under-Wode.

The Hints:

This is a classic mystery novel that is part of a series.

There is a new movie based on this book that just came out.

It features one of my favorite fictional detectives.

The Reveal:

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blog tour · book reviews

BBNYA Finalist Blog Tour: Shadow of a Dead God by Patrick Samphire

February 17, 2022February 16, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd6 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today on the blog, I’m participating in another BBNYA blog tour hosted by The Write Reads! And this one is featuring one of my favorite reads as a panelist, a complex and humorous fantasy that I ate up: Shadows of a Dead God by Patrick Samphire! First, let me tell you a bit more about the Book Blogger Novel of the Year Award.

BBNYA is a yearly competition where Book Bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors. If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website www.bbnya.com or twitter @bbnya_official.

The sign-ups will soon be open for the 2022 BBNYA competition, be it for authors to enter their books, or for bloggers wanting to be part of the new panel, so keep your eyes peeled!!

As a note, I received this book to read and review as part of the 2021 BBNYA competition and the BBNYA tours organised by the TWR Tour team. All opinions are my own, unbiased and honest. Now, let’s get into the post!

Book Details

Title: Shadow of a Dead God
Author: Patrick Samphire
Publication date: May 27th, 2020
Genre: 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

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

Synopsis

It was only supposed to be one little job – a simple curse-breaking for Mennik Thorn to pay back a favour to his oldest friend. But then it all blew up in his face. Now he’s been framed for a murder he didn’t commit.

So how is a second-rate mage, broke, traumatized, and with a habit of annoying the wrong people, supposed to prove his innocence when everyone believes he’s guilty?

Mennik has no choice if he wants to get out of this: he is going to have to throw himself into the corrupt world of the city’s high mages, a world he fled years ago. Faced by supernatural beasts, the mage-killing Ash Guard, and a ruthless, unknown adversary, it’s going to take every trick Mennik can summon just to keep him and his friend alive.

But a new, dark power is rising in Agatos, and all that stands in its way is one damaged mage…

Third place in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off 2020 (SPFBO6)

Finalist in the Book Bloggers’ Book of the Year Award (BBNYA) 2021

Shortlisted for the Booknest Fantasy Award Best Self-published Novel 2020

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www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: Feb 16, 2022

February 16, 2022February 15, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd12 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

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Yes, I’m finally reading one of the darlings of the bookish community. So far, I have to say I’m glad I jumped on the hype train! This is such an incredible read, with complex characters and a peek into the glamour and awfulness of Old Hollywood. I’m swiftly learning that I really enjoy Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing because this book has absolutely captivated me.
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri: Speaking of captivating, this book is just phenomenal! The setting is so vivid and lush, the characters are nuanced and intriguing, and the politics are capturing my interest. I’m loving everything about this story, so far, and have been thoroughly pulled into the tale. It’s a real struggle when I sit down to read on which book I want to pick up more!

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top 5 tuesday

Top 5 Tuesday: Series I Need To Complete

February 15, 2022March 29, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd6 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! And this one is calling me out. Why? Because I’ll be talking about the top five series I haven’t finished and I am spoiled for choice 😅 I’ve found that I am excellent at starting series and… not so great at actually completing them. I partly blame this on having to wait for new installments in ongoing series. Mostly, though, it’s because I get distracted very easily!

But enough excuses. Here are my top five series that I haven’t finished but really want to complete.

#1. The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

Before we begin, I know that there is a complete separate trilogy that is technically part of the Mistborn series. I am choosing to ignore it for now! Mostly because I finished the second book in this series years ago and still haven’t picked up the last one. I don’t know why, either! I love Vin and the world of Mistborn! And every time I pick up a Brandon Sanderson book, I get completely sucked in. I’m gonna finish it this year, I swear, and I just know I’m gonna love it.

#2. The Great Library series by Rachel Caine

This entry is actually quite embarrassing because I absolutely adore this series and recommend it all the time. Yet I haven’t even finished it! For this series, I think I’m just not ready for it to be over. I love the characters in this series, I love the world, and I’m not ready to say goodbye! Still, finishing this series is one of my goals for 2022, so it’s getting done this year. I know I’m going to love it ❤

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book reviews

Book Review: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

February 14, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd4 Comments

Title: The Love Hypothesis

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Publisher: Berkley Books

Genre: Romance

Content/Trigger Warnings: For a list of potential content and trigger warnings, check out this book’s page on BookTriggerWarnings.com

Rating: ★★★★

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

Goodreads Synopsis

As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor–and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding… six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

My Review

“Did you… Did you just kiss me?” He sounded puzzled, and maybe a little out of breath. His lips were full and plump and… God. Kissed. There was simply no way Olive could get away with denying what she had just done.
Still, it was worth a try.
“Nope.”

As you may or may not know, I’m still a relative newbie when it comes to the romance genre. I’m still trying to figure out which tropes do and don’t work for me. So I went into this fake dating rom-com with an open mind and, happily, it didn’t not disappoint!

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down the tbr hole

Down the TBR Hole #24

February 13, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd4 Comments

Hello, reader!

It’s time for another Down the TBR Hole, where I try and trim down my Want to Read shelf to something that is more reflective of books I actually want to read. We’ve all been there where we add books to our TBR and then completely forget that they exist, right? I’m choosing to believe so 😂 I’ve been doing these posts for awhile and, every round, I stumble across books that I don’t even remember adding. And this is why I do it! Nothing wrong with losing interest in a book, after all. No matter how much I wish I could, there’s no way I can read all the books that ever caught my fancy within my short lifespan.

That being said, last round I ended on the nice, round number of 730 books. And, shock of all shocks, my TBR is currently sitting at the same amount! Color me surprised! Let’s see what this round brings us and if I can continue to pare it down a little.

Stiff by Mary Roach

This non-fiction about what can happen to our bodies after we die sounds like something I would thoroughly enjoy. I love science, I love forensics, and I’m intrigued why this is also tagged as ‘Humor’ 👀 If I’m gonna like a non-fiction book, it’ll probably be something like this!

Verdict: Keep

The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich

And here we have another book about dead bodies! Was I okay in May of 2017? This is more of a true crime non-fiction as opposed to focusing on the science, but it sounds fascinating. I’m curious how a true crime book from the view of a lawyer will read, so it gets to stick around for now.

Verdict: Keep

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Oh, this one is definitely staying. It has Shakespeare and repellent characters and it’s a thriller! It sounds like it would absolutely be my jam. It’s also got dark academia going for it, so you know my interest is piqued. I’m honestly surprised that I haven’t read it yet!

Verdict: Keep

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