Book Review: Painted Devils by Margaret Owen
book reviews

Book Review: Painted Devils by Margaret Owen

kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Title: Painted Devils
Author: Margaret Owen
Series: Little Thieves #2
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co
Genre: Fantasy
Age Group: Young Adult
Content/Trigger Warnings: Verbal and physical abuse, abandonment, anxiety, self-harm, physical intimacy, abusive environments, blood
Book Links: Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads

Let’s get one thing straight—Vanja Schmidt wasn’t trying to start a cult.

After taking down a corrupt margrave, breaking a deadly curse, and finding romance with the vexingly scrupulous Junior Prefect Emeric Conrad, Vanja had one great mystery left: her long-lost birth family… and if they would welcome a thief. But in her search for an honest trade, she hit trouble and invented a god, the Scarlet Maiden, to scam her way out. Now, that lie is growing out of control—especially when Emeric arrives to investigate, and the Scarlet Maiden manifests to claim him as a virgin sacrifice.

For his final test to become a prefect, Emeric must determine if Vanja is guilty of serious fraud, or if the Scarlet Maiden—and her claim to him—are genuine. Meanwhile, Vanja is chasing an alternative sacrifice that may be their way out. The hunt leads her not only into the lairs of monsters and the paths of gods, but the ties of her past. And with what should be the simplest way to save Emeric hanging over their heads, he and Vanja must face a more dangerous question: Is there a future for a thief and a prefect, and at what price?

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Let’s Talk Bookish: Reading Goals
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Let’s Talk Bookish: Reading Goals

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Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and co-hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits and Dini @dinipandareads! This meme has a discussion format, where participants get to talk about certain topics, share opinions, and spread the blogging love by visiting other posts. You can learn more about this meme here!

LTB Topic of the Week
How Many Books Do You Read in a Year?

Prompts: How many books do you typically read in a year? Do you always track your reading? Does keeping track of the books you read motivate you or stress you out? How do you keep track of the books you read? Do you have a 2025 reading goal?

How many books do you typically read in a year?

Looking back at past Goodreads Reading Challenges, my reading per year is really inconsistent, haha. There are some years where I read over 100 books (my personal best was 134!) and some years where I barely made it to 20 books. There’s one particular year where I only read 2 books! I don’t know what was going on in my life in 2018, but I was not in a bookish mood.

That being said, I usually stick around the 50-60 books per year range, which is comfortable for me. I’m not a fast reader and, until very recently, I wasn’t a big audiobook listener, either. Audiobooks have helped me up my reading numbers significantly and I’ve found I truly enjoy them! It’s fun having a book read to me and the right narrator can even tack on an extra star if their performance is especially great.

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Trope-ical Readathon TBR: March 2025
monthly tbr · readathon

Trope-ical Readathon TBR: March 2025

kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

Hello, reader!

March is right around the corner and that means it’s time for another round of the Trope-ical Readathon! This is one of two readathons I participate in every year and, every year, I make a ridiculously ambitious TBR. Will I finish all the books I list here? Absolutely not. (Are you kidding, there are 16 total prompts and I read, like, six books in a good month…) Will I give it a good try? You bet!

Before I tell you what I’m planning on reading this round, why don’t I tell you more about the actual readathon. The Trope-ical Readathon is a month-long, team-based readathon created and run by Jenny @ JenJenReviews and their partner, @BookRob. It centers around reading books that feature specific “tropes”. Think stuff like “found family” and the ever contested “love triangle”. There are thirteen general prompts geared towards thirteen different tropes, so there’s bound to be at least a couple you love! For all the info and to join a team, just check out the Trope-ical Readathon website.

All that said, let me share all the prompts and what I’m hoping to read for each one!

Team Fantasy Challenges

Team Book (Old)

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

I’ve owned this book for what feels like ages. I received it in an Illumicrate box and my copy is beautiful, but I’ve just never picked it up. Now seems the perfect time to fulfill a prompt and reduce my owned TBR. This romantasy is inspired by Persian mythology and sounds like it could be a fun ride. A long-lost heir, a crown prince, and a forbidden romance? Give it to me, please!

Team Challenge #1:
“There Be Dragons” Trope

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

This book has been on so many TBRs that it’s kind of embarrassing. Perhaps sticking on yet another one will get me to finally read it. It follows a scientist who studies, you guessed it, dragons! This is her backstory and it sounds like something that I will adore once I pick it up. Wish me luck, y’all, because the track record is not great, haha.

Team Challenge #2:
“The Woods” Trope

In the Woods by Tana French

My best friend suggested this thriller series to me ages ago, so I went out and bought the first book. Imagine how shocked she’ll be now when I finally read it, haha. This is the first novel in the Dublin Murder Squad, which does sound like something I would love. It follows a detective who survived a horrific experience in the woods and, years later, comes across a case that feels like a copycat. I think this is gonna pull me in!

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WWW Wednesday: February 26th, 2025
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WWW Wednesday: February 26th, 2025

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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

Painted Devils by Margaret Owen

In anticipation of the release of Holy Terrors, the last book in the Little Thieves trilogy, I thought it was about time I gave the second book a read. I have a bad habit where, when I’m loving a series, I take forever to read the books because I don’t want it to be over 😭 But now that I’m back with Vanja and Emeric, I can’t believe I stayed away so long! I love this gremlin girl and her prefect and am loving this read.

Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: February 26th, 2025” →
Blog Tour: Buddy the Knight and the Queen of Sorrows by Peter David
blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: Buddy the Knight and the Queen of Sorrows by Peter David

kerrimcbooknerd3 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today is my stop on the a blog tour run by The Write Reads! The book I’ll be reviewing today is a middle grade fantasy that spoke to my inner child: Buddy the Knight and the Queen of Sorrows by Peter David. From the beautiful cover to the wonderful story contained within, this captured my imagination!

But, before I give you my full thoughts on the book, I have people to thank. First, thank you to Dave @ The Write Reads and all of the crew for giving me a spot on this tour! Second, thank you to the author for providing me with a free copy of the book so that I could participate in this tour. It is, as always, appreciated!

Alright, now let’s get to the post 🧸

  • Title: Buddy the Knight and the Queen of Sorrows
  • Author: Peter David
  • Publisher: Self-published
  • Publication date: August 31st, 2024
  • Length: 160 pages
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Age group: Middle Grade

Book Links

B&N::Amazon::StoryGraph::
Goodreads

Buddy is no ordinary teddy bear.

He’s a Knight, crafted by The Nameless Wizard himself, and sworn to protect his Person, 10-year old Mieya, from all the Things-That-Go-Bump-In-The-Night.

When Mieya is cursed into a magical sleep, it’s up to Buddy and his friends Esteban the Bard, Sasha the Warrior-Princess, and Copper the Butterfly to journey across The Realm-Under-The-Bed and find the one responsible.

But this is no ordinary Quest. The Realm is a dangerous place, filled with jungles, deserts, lightning storms, and Monsters. But worst of all is The Queen of Sorrow who waits for them in her dark castle in the crags. To break her curse, Buddy will need more than his skill with a blade, Esteban’s witty songs, or Sasha’s ferocious might.

He’ll need Heart.

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Buddy the Knight and the Queen of Sorrows by Peter David” →
BBNYA 2024 Finalist Tour: Curse of Souls by Niranjan
blog tour · book reviews

BBNYA 2024 Finalist Tour: Curse of Souls by Niranjan

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Hello, reader!

Our finalists for 2024’s Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award are on tour and I’m joining in! Today, I’ll be bringing you my thoughts on our 15th place finalist, a true sci-fi/fantasy blend with a good dash of romance called Curse of Souls by Niranjan!

But, before I go on, let me tell you more about this award. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with, typically, 15 finalists (though we had 16 in 2024) and one overall winner.  If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website http://www.bbnya.com or Twitter @bbnya_official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

And, now, let’s talk about Curse of Souls!

  • Title: Curse of Souls
  • Author: Niranjan
  • Publisher: Self-published
  • Publication date: January 19th, 2024
  • Length: 158 pages
  • Genre: Fantasy/Romance
  • Age group: Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Death, violence, war, blood

Book Links

Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::StoryGraph::
Goodreads

The fates of two nations hang on the balance on a man’s choice between love and an arcane bond. 

Philip has been spearheading a rebellion in his country, with Casey, his lover and partner, at his side. The rebellion has snowballed into a civil war and casualties on both sides are mounting. In a desperate attempt for peace, Philip decides to approach Raylan, the second in command of the other side. He has learned that Raylan is not as stubborn as his mentor and that he may be open to negotiations.

The last thing Philip expects is for a soul mate bond to spring to life between him and Raylan, activating an ancient curse that will kill them both if the bond isn’t consummated. Philip has never loved anyone but Casey, and Raylan is a total stranger who he has no feelings for. Yet, the delicate negotiations between the two nations will fail without him and Raylan. Philip’s life is not his own, after all; it belongs to the people he has pledged his service to. 

With more than his life at stake, will Philip be able to let go of the love of his life to bring peace to his people? 

Curse of Souls is dystopian futuristic fantasy. If you love fantasy tales with high personal and world changing stakes, and protagonists who struggle to make hard choices, you will enjoy Niranjan’s Curse of Souls about people pushed to the limits of their endurance. 

Buy Curse of Souls today for a tale of love, sacrifice and redemption that will leave you breathless.

Continue reading “BBNYA 2024 Finalist Tour: Curse of Souls by Niranjan” →
WWW Wednesday: February 19th, 2025
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WWW Wednesday: February 19th, 2025

kerrimcbooknerd7 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

  • The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune: Y’all, I went into this book already being a pretty big lover of T.J. Klune’s novels. I mean, that was the entire reason I picked this book as my February Book of the Month pick! I didn’t even know what the book was about before I cracked it open, haha. Well, I picked this up on Monday and I almost finished that day. I probably would have if I didn’t have errands I needed to run and those would have been abandoned if I could have! That’s how much I am loving this book! It’s getting finished today, I can promise you that, and I already know it’s going to be 5 stars. It’s follows a man who goes to a cabin in the woods to pick up the pieces of his recently shattered life and encounters a couple of squatters instead. It doesn’t sound like something that would be both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and yet here we are 😭
  • Buddy the Knight and the Queen of Sorrow by Peter David: I’m reading this book for a tour hosted by The Write Reads. It’s a cute middle grade tale that I’ve just started, so I can’t really give you my feelings on it just yet. I am having a good time! I do love a story about toys that are alive because that was a particularly favorite fantasy when I was a kid. I’m hoping I end up loving this one!
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: February 19th, 2025” →
First Lines Friday: February 14th, 2025
first lines friday

First Lines Friday: February 14th, 2025

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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!

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope all of you are having a wonderful Friday. I’ve had the day off and have spent it getting breakfast with my husband and reading in bed. Kind of a perfect Valentine’s Day, if you ask me! Today’s featured book for this First Lines Friday has a bit of a romance sprinkled in, so I think it’s a perfect pick for the day. Also I’m loving my reading experience with it, so far, so I would have picked it either way 😂

I’ve already been sucked into the story, but let’s see if the first few lines can capture your imagination.

The Line(s):

“The modern world is severely lacking in magic, and those who crave it are at a constant disadvantage because they are desperate and it’s in short supply. Some places – amusement parks, country fairs, museums, old bookstores – can temporarily fill the void, but there will always be people who check every armoire for a door to Narnia, every rabbit hole for a road to Wonderland.“

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday: February 14th, 2025” →
WWW Wednesday: February 12th, 2025
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: February 12th, 2025

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:

  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

  • Reforged by Seth Haddon: I’ve been eyeing this book for awhile. Honestly, ever since I saw the cover, I knew I wanted to read it (total cover read, lol). It’s a royalty/bodyguard romance which is a trope I’m learning I quite enjoy. But this goes beyond just the romance. There’s quite a bit of political intrigue going on in the background, as well. I’m loving it so far! I’m listening to the audiobook and the narrator, Gary Furlong, is knocking it out of the park. This may not been on my mental TBR for the month, but I’m so glad I picked it up!
  • Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson: I’m reading this for the Weirdo Book Club as this is the pick for February. I’ve heard so many great things about this novel and, so far, it has not disappointed! The writing is engaging and quite evocative, painting a vivid picture in my mind of this story. I’m also enjoying the quiet dread that has been peppered throughout the early chapters. This is a short one and sounds like it’s gonna get wild, so it’s interesting to see the foreshadowing slipping in between the main character’s bi-awakening.
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: February 12th, 2025” →
Book Review: Child of the Dream by Sharon Robinson
book reviews

Book Review: Child of the Dream by Sharon Robinson

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Title: Child of the Dream: A Memoir of 1963
Author: Sharon Robinson
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Genre: Non-fiction/Memoir
Age Group: Middle Grade
Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, racism, segregation, police brutality
Book Links: Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads

An incredible memoir from Sharon Robinson about one of the most important years of the civil rights movement. In January 1963, Sharon Robinson turns 13 the night before George Wallace declares on national television “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” in his inauguration speech as governor of Alabama. It is the beginning of a year that will change the course of American history. As the daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, Sharon has opportunities that most people would never dream of experiencing. Her family hosts multiple fundraisers at their home in Connecticut for the work that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is doing. Sharon sees her first concert after going backstage at the Apollo Theater. And her whole family attends the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. But things don’t always feel easy for Sharon. She is one of the only Black children in her wealthy Connecticut neighborhood. Her older brother, Jackie Robinson Jr., is having a hard time trying to live up to his father’s famous name, causing some rifts in the family. And Sharon feels isolated — struggling to find her role in the civil rights movement that is taking place across the country. This is the story of how one girl finds her voice in the fight for justice and equality.

Continue reading “Book Review: Child of the Dream by Sharon Robinson” →