October 2021 Wrap Up
wrap up

October 2021 Wrap Up

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Hello, reader!

Now that we are solidly into November, I figured it was time to do my October wrap up. October was a pretty decent reading month, though my lack of horror reads is truly disappointing! Still, there were quite a few books I read that had proper spooky vibes, so I’m not too mad about it. I also picked up and finished a duology that I has been on my radar for awhile and I loved it. And I read a new favorite that will most likely end up in my top ten books of the year, so bonus!

That being said, why don’t we dive into my wrap up.

Books Read

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

Book: Shadow-Stained by Rachel Hobbs

Rating: ★★★

Thoughts: I read this book for a The Write Reads blog tour. I enjoyed my time with it, though it didn’t blow my mind. It was a paranormal romance that did slow burn in the best way. I also loved Drayvex, the main male character who was a sarcastic legend. You can read my full review here.

Book: Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie

Rating: ★★★

Thoughts: Slowly catching up with an Agatha Christie readalong I’m participating in with some bookish friends! I do enjoy her Hercule Poirot stories, though I always have to remind myself of the time period they were written in. Especially when two separate racial slurs are dropped on one page. Still, this was an interesting mystery and I loved the twist.

Book: The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah

Rating: ★★★★

Thoughts: I read this book because I was on a blog tour for the sequel. It had also been on my TBR for a minute since watching a rave review about it. I think this is an underrated YA gem! I had such fun reading this exciting and beautiful book. And I enjoyed the sequel just as much!

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#5OnMyTBR – Grey Cover
5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Grey Cover

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#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 the beginning of another week and time for another 5 On My TBR! The theme this week is books with grey covers. I honestly can’t think of many books I own with grey covers, but there were certainly plenty on my Want to Read shelf. So here are five that I’m super excited to get to. Eventually 😅

#1. Deity by Matt Wesolowski

I’ve really been enjoying the Six Stories series. This is the fifth book and, if it’s anything like the others, I’m sure it’ll be a twisty ride. I really want to listen to at least one of this books as an audiobook because I’ve heard great things about them! Perhaps I’ll try it with this one. I’m so glad this series was picked for a book club because I probably would never have read it otherwise.

#2. Shiver by Allie Reynolds

This cover is probably more white in person… but it looks grey on Goodreads, so I’m counting it! I received this thriller in an Once Upon a Book Club box. I still haven’t read it, but I’m eager to get into not only the story, but the goodies included in the box! This is the perfect time of year to read this one, too, since it’s set in the French Alps.

Continue reading “#5OnMyTBR – Grey Cover” →
Down the TBR Hole #16
down the tbr hole

Down the TBR Hole #16

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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!

I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend. I had to work both Saturday and Sunday, so I’m just getting a moment to sit down and do my Down the TBR Hole post! Prepare yourself for a shock, though. Last round, I ended with 647 books on my Want to Read shelf and I’m currently sitting at… 646 books. I know, surprising, right? I’m not sure how I managed to reduce the amount of books on my TBR (albeit only by one, lol), but I’m fairly certain that won’t last long.

That being said, let’s get into round sixteen!

Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

Buckle up, y’all, because I apparently went on a non-fiction adding spree back in 2016. Which is strange because I’m not a huge fan of non-fiction. Case in point, this book doesn’t sound appealing at all. I think the “medicine” in the title is what caught my interest? Maybe? Whatever it was, it’s doing nothing for me now.

Verdict: Remove

The Killer of Little Shepherds by Douglas Starr

This, however, sounds fascinating. I’m a big fan of true crime and forensic science, so this sounds like my perfect non-fiction! I want to know all the nitty-gritty of how forensic science got its start and this seems like a good book for that. It has decent ratings, as well, so my interest is still piqued.

Verdict: Keep

Missoula by Jon Krakauer

I’ve read non-fiction by this author before, which is why I originally added this to my TBR. I enjoy how he approaches writing about his topics because it doesn’t read like a textbook. The other reason I added this was because of the topic. I’m intrigued to see how he handles such a sensitive subject.

Verdict: Keep

Continue reading “Down the TBR Hole #16” →
Book Blogger Hop: Nov 5 – 11
book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop: Nov 5 – 11

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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

What is your least favorite social media app, and why?

Submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver’s Reviews.

When I first read this question, I thought it was going to be a tough one.

Then I remembered that Facebook exists.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have and maintain my Facebook, but it is solely to keep in touch with my family. We’re scattered throughout the States and none of us are really big on phone calls. So I have my Facebook to share photos of the kids and keep up with my family. To be fair, there are also a couple of groups that I follow, mostly bookish ones. And one for Lore Olympus because I’m obsessed with that Webtoon.

But I don’t like Facebook. I don’t like their lack of customer service. I don’t like their seemingly arbitrary blocking/flagging rules. And I especially don’t like their CEO.

That being said, the only social media I use religiously (too much, actually…) is Twitter and it’ll probably stay that way for a long time 😂

First Lines Friday #24
first lines friday

First Lines Friday #24

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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
  • Finally… reveal the book!

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

Hello, reader!

We’ve made it to another Friday and, for once, I don’t have a blog tour post to share. You know what that means? We’re doing First Lines Friday! Today’s featured book is one I snagged from the library recently. I’ve heard so many great things about it and have been curious, so when I spotted it in the new book section, I had to grab it!

Now, let’s see if the first few lines can grab my attention.

The Line(s):

“A boy is coming down a flight of stairs.
The passage is narrow and twists back on itself. He takes each step slowly, sliding himself along the wall, his boots meeting each tread with a thud.”

The Hints:

This book is an award-winner, having won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020 (among others).

It’s a historical fiction where The Bard himself makes an appearance.

The title is interchangeable with my favorite Shakespeare play.

Continue reading “First Lines Friday #24” →
Blog Tour: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

kerrimcbooknerd7 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today is my stop on yet another book tour hosted by the wonderful people at TBR & Beyond Tours! Today’s featured book is Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen and it caught my interest as soon as I saw the cover. It’s a YA fantasy inspired by West African mythology and, y’all, there are Black mermaids. How could I not want to read it?

Before we get to my post, I want to thank the wonderful team at TBR & Beyond Tours for allowing me a spot on this tour. Don’t forget that there are other incredible bloggers and bookstagrammers participating along the way! You can check out the full schedule HERE. I also want to thank the publisher, Random House Books, and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my participation with this tour and an honest review. It is, as always, much appreciated!

Alright, now let’s get into the post!

Book Details

  • Title: Skin of the Sea
  • Author: Natasha Bowen
  • Publication date: November 2nd, 2021
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Age group: Young Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, enslavement, death, suicide, blood

Book Links

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

Synopsis

“An unforgettable fantasy debut inspired by West African mythology, this is Children of Blood and Bone meets The Little Mermaid, in which a mermaid takes on the gods themselves.

A way to survive.
A way to serve.
A way to save.

Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata–a mermaid–collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.

But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi does the unthinkable–she saves his life, going against an ancient decree. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy it.

To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There’s the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail. . . . Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she doesn’t, then she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.”

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen” →
WWW Wednesday: Nov 3, 2021
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: Nov 3, 2021

kerrimcbooknerd4 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:

  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

  • Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen: Every time I see the cover of this book, I fall in love all over again. It’s so gorgeous! I’m reading this Black mermaid tale for a book tour and, I have to say, I’m having a great time. It’s steeped in West African mythology and I love the lush, vibrant world that the author has created. You can expect to see my full review soon.
  • Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark: I’ve only just started this book, but I am loving it so far! I think the concept is fascinating and I’m hoping there will be a lot of demon-slaying and a lot of white supremacist ass-kicking. I am curious to see how much can be packed into this short novella, as well. Hopefully, this small book will pack a large punch!
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The Fantasy Tropes Book Tag
book tag

The Fantasy Tropes Book Tag

kerrimcbooknerd5 Comments

Hello, reader!

It’s Tuesday, which is the perfect day for a tag, yeah? This one is right up my alley because it’s the Fantasy Tropes Book Tag! Fantasy is my favorite genre, it’s what I gravitate towards the most, so you know I’m excited to do a tag focused around the inherent tropes.

We all know how long it takes me to do tags. This time, it took so long I got tagged twice 😅😂 So I want to thank two of my favorite bloggers, Danni @ _ForBooksSake and Erika @ And On She Reads, for tagging me! They both have incredible blogs that cover books of all genres and you should definitely check them out 💖

Alright, let’s jump in!

The Rules:

  • Mention the creator ( one’s peculiar )
  • Answer the questions
  • Tag as many people as you like
  • HAVE FUN!

The Prompts:

1 – The Lost Princess – A book/series you lost interest in halfway through.

When I first started the Anita Blake series, I was into them. Like, really into them. I tore through the first few books and was hungry for more. And then they just kept coming. And the actually story line started getting a little… dull. Which is hard to do when your main character is a vampire hunter and there’s lots of paranormal sexy times going on! I think I stopped at book 10 and I have no interest in going back.

2 – The Knight in Shining Armor – A hyped book/series you were swept up by.

The hype around The House in the Cerulean Sea was real! I had been hearing about it everywhere and it certainly piqued my interest. But, as happens sometimes with hyped books, I kept putting off reading it because I was nervous the hype built my expectations way too high. Funnily enough, not only did this book meet my expectations, it blew them out of the water!

3 – The Wise Old Wizard – An author who amazes you with his/her writing.

Erin Morgenstern. Hands down. When I read The Night Circus, I knew I would read absolutely anything she wrote. That’s usually a decision I reserve until I’ve read at least two things by an author! My faith was solidified when I read The Starless Sea which I loved as much if not more than her first book. Her writing is just top tier.

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#5OnMyTBR – R.I.P.
5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – R.I.P.

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#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!

Happy November! We made it through another month of 2021 and we’re in the home-stretch. Which is honestly mind-boggling to me. How are we this close to 2022 already?! I feel like 2021 has zoomed by to make up for the slog that was 2020. But I’m getting off topic, aren’t I? We’re here for another 5 On My TBR post! The theme this week had me kind of mystified, I must say. It’s simply R.I.P.

There are a lot of ways I could interpret this, but I decided to be on the nose. I’m going to choose five books by authors who have passed away for this week’s post! Morbid? Yes. But there are a lot of books I really want to read that fit the category. So, without further ado, let’s jump in!

#1. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Okay, this one is kind of cheating as I have already read this book. That being said, I want to re-read it and all the other ones I read before I kind of fell out of love with the Wheel of Time series. I’ve always regretted not sticking with it until the end of the series and, now that the Prime series will be out soon, I’m kicking myself even more! So I want to get back into these books and hopefully finish this time.

#2. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

I’m a little embarrassed that I still haven’t read anything written by Octavia Butler. Black sci-fi written by a Black woman? Say less! She has always been on my radar (how could she not be?) but I’ve just never got around to picking up on of her books. This is definitely the one that captures my interest the most. Seems like a good place to start when it comes to her work, as well! I’m hoping to get to this sooner rather than later.

Continue reading “#5OnMyTBR – R.I.P.” →
Down the TBR Hole #15
down the tbr hole

Down the TBR Hole #15

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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!

Happy Halloween! I’ve spent the day preparing for trick-or-treaters, but now it’s time to sit and do another Down the TBR Hole post. In the last round, I ended up with 651 books on my Goodreads Want to Read shelf. And, as the shock of the century, I’m actually still sitting at the same number! That never happens 😂 Let’s see if I can trim the list a bit more before I start looking ahead to 2022 books.

That being said, time to get into round fifteen!

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Well, I know this one is definitely staying. A book that brings together two mythical creatures from Yiddish and Middle Eastern folklore? I would like to consume that, please! This poor book has been on my TBR so long because I keep forgetting about it’s existence. One of the many benefits of doing these posts, right? I rediscover these incredible sounding books!

Verdict: Keep

The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood

I mean… it’s called The Summer *Dragon*! How could I not want to read it? Though the premise doesn’t exactly sound terribly unique, I am still willing to give it go simply because dragons. Yes, I am that easily swayed. No, I will not be taking questions at this time.

Verdict: Keep

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Well, I own this one, so that’s already a point towards keeping it. I’ve also always been intrigued by the premise. Time travel and politics from an author who’s forte is horror? I’m interested! Of course, like quite a few of King’s books, this is a thick one. Probably explains why it’s still on the TBR, if I’m honest. But one day I will get to it!

Verdict: Keep

Continue reading “Down the TBR Hole #15” →