Tag: contemporary

Top 5 Tuesday: Books With An Emotion in the Title
top 5 tuesday

Top 5 Tuesday: Books With An Emotion in the Title

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!

I haven’t participate in Top 5 Tuesday in a minute and I thought it was high time I rectified that! This is a fun little meme that lets me revisit some of my favorite books. This week was a bit of challenge for me, though, I’m not gonna lie! I had to find five books with an emotion in the title and that was no easy task. Still, I managed to round up five (though I may be fudging it a bit 😅) that fit the bill.

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

#1. The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

I’ve always been a fan of epic fantasy, but I can count on one hand how many I’ve read that were written by a Black author and featured Black people. This book is definitely on the top of that pile! I loved this intense, revenge-fueled novel for all the worldbuilding and action, but mostly for the deep dive into the main character’s psyche. The second book is even better and I can’t wait til I get to read the third, which is, hopefully, coming out later this year!

#2. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I promise there is not a theme to the emotions I’m picking! This modern classic got me to realize that I could, in fact, enjoy a young adult contemporary novel. I’m sure this is partly the subject matter, but it was mainly Thomas’ incredible writing. She has a way of weaving a story that makes it very difficult to stop reading! I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by her, but this is by far my favorite.

Continue reading “Top 5 Tuesday: Books With An Emotion in the Title” →
Let’s Talk Bookish: Women in STEM
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Let’s Talk Bookish: Women in STEM

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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
Women in STEM in Books

Prompts: Over the years, there have been an increasing number of books about women in STEM. What do you think of this trend? Do you like it or is it/can it be poorly done? In honour of International Women’s Day tomorrow (March 8), what are your favourite books ft. women in STEM and what books are still on your TBR?

Over the years, there have been an increasing number of books about women in STEM. What do you think of this trend? Do you like it or is it/can it be poorly done?

Let me tell you, when I saw the topic for this week’s Let’s Talk Bookish, I smiled from ear to ear. As a woman in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), I think you can probably guess how I feel about the rise of femme or femme presenting characters in books being in the STEM field. I love it! I know we’ve all heard this phrase before but, representation matters, and the fact that girls and young women can now freely get their hands on books featuring women in typically male-dominated fields is the kind of representation I can absolutely get behind. Books like that weren’t around when I was a kid. I still aspired to do something science-based, but I was never exposed to women in fields I was thinking of going into. The lack of representation wasn’t exactly a deterrent, but it wasn’t encouraging, either. I’m so happy we’re getting more women in STEM books and I hope this trend continues!

Now whether or not it can be poorly done… I think that’s a matter of personal taste. I’m sure there are books out there that have poor representation because people do love to jump on a trend without doing proper research, but I don’t think that’s overall the case. I also think it’s easier this days to seek out the gems while avoiding the trash, haha. So even though some of the books featuring women in STEM might be not-so-great, I don’t think that takes away from the impact of the trend overall.

Continue reading “Let’s Talk Bookish: Women in STEM” →
BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight 2024: Angels by Rachel Churcher
bbnya spotlight

BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight 2024: Angels by Rachel Churcher

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Hello, reader!

Today on the blog, I’m helping the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) spotlight all the books that made it to the semi-finals! We had an incredible line up of novels in 2024, which was very exciting for me as a panelist. My TBR grew exponentially just from reading my assigned excerpts! So, even though I didn’t delve into every semi-finalist, they all deserve a shout-out because the competition was tough this year.

But what is BBNYA, exactly? It is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 16 finalists and one overall winner. It’s a way to celebrate indie novels, which don’t get nearly enough love, and hopefully bring more attention to indie authors and indie publishing in general.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on 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.

Our spotlight for today is shining on a new adult literary fiction: Angels by Rachel Churcher!

  • Title: Angels
  • Author: Rachel Churcher
  • Publication date: November 24th, 2023
  • Genre: Contemporary/Literary Fiction
  • Age group: New Adult
  • Length: 400 pages

Book Links

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

Continue reading “BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight 2024: Angels by Rachel Churcher” →
WWW Wednesday: June 19th, 2024
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: June 19th, 2024

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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

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

In an effort to try and cut down on the amount of books on my physical TBR, I’ve been picking up some books that I’ve been meaning to read for years. This one sits near the top of the list, haha. I actually own both this and the sequel, Children of Virtue and Vengeance, because I bought them forever ago when the hype for this was peak. Then I saw that the last book in the series was coming out this month so I figured this was perfect timing! So far, I’m really enjoying this novel and I’m excited to see how it all wraps up.

Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: June 19th, 2024” →
#5OnMyTBR – Contemporary
5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Contemporary

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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 start of another work week and that means it’s time for another 5 On My TBR! This week’s theme is contemporary books and I’m gonna be honest… I don’t gravitate towards contemporary books. So I twisted it a little bit and I’m going to share five contemporary romances that I want to read soon. I’ve been really getting into the romance genre lately and contemporary romance is my happy place, at the moment. So there were quite a few from which I could choose, but these are the five that are at the top of the pile.

Now let me share them with you!

#1. The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert

I’ve loved everything I’ve ever read by Talia Hibbert, so of course The Princess Trap is high on my TBR! This one contains a trope I haven’t explored much in romance: royalty. The cover is what pulled me in, too, because just look at it! I’m hoping this as fun and steamy as Talia Hibbert’s other adult romances. And then I continue exploring her backlist while I wait for whatever else she’s going to write for forever.

#2. Codename Charming by Lucy Parker

The main reason this book got onto my TBR is because of how much I loved the first book in this companion series, Battle Royal. I especially loved Pet, who stars in this book. The fact that this is also grumpy x sunshine, which is one of my favorite tropes, just sealed the deal. I’m hoping that I love this book just as much as I loved the first one and that there’s plenty more to come.

Continue reading “#5OnMyTBR – Contemporary” →
Blog Tour Spotlight: Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan
blog tour · book spotlight

Blog Tour Spotlight: Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan

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Hello, reader!

It’s time for another blog tour hosted by The Write Reads! I’ve got a spotlight for a queer Freaky Friday that sounds like an incredible time! Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan promises fun and romance, all contained in quite a gorgeous package.

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: Straight Expectations
  • Author: Calum McSwiggan
  • Publication date: May 4th, 2023
  • Genre: Contemporary/LGBTQIA+
  • Length: 272 pages
  • Age group: Young Adult

Book Links

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

Continue reading “Blog Tour Spotlight: Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan” →
Blog Tour: If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude
blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude

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Hello, reader!

Today on the blog, I’m bringing you a blog tour for a YA debut I truly enjoyed! If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude is an incredible speculative story that had me on an emotional rollercoaster. I’m so excited to join The Write Reads in shouting its praises!

But, before I get to my review, 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, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC of the book so that I could participate in this tour. It is, as always, appreciated!

Now, let’s get the post!

  • Title: If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come
  • Author: Jen St. Jude
  • Publication date: May 9th, 2023
  • Length: 416 pages
  • Genre: LGBTQIA+/Contemporary Romance/Science Fiction
  • Age group: Young Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Suicidal ideation (on page, frequent), grief, violence, sexual harassment, homophobia, blood

Book Links

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

We Are Okay meets They Both Die at the End in this YA debut about queer first love and mental health at the end of the world-and the importance of saving yourself, no matter what tomorrow may hold.

Avery Byrne has secrets. She’s queer; she’s in love with her best friend, Cass; and she’s suffering from undiagnosed clinical depression. But on the morning Avery plans to jump into the river near her college campus, the world discovers there are only nine days left to live: an asteroid is headed for Earth, and no one can stop it.

Trying to spare her family and Cass additional pain, Avery does her best to make it through just nine more days. As time runs out and secrets slowly come to light, Avery would do anything to save the ones she loves. But most importantly, she learns to save herself. Speak her truth. Seek the support she needs. Find hope again in the tomorrows she has left.

If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come is a celebration of queer love, a gripping speculative narrative, and an urgent, conversation-starting book about depression, mental health, and shame.

Continue reading “Blog Tour: If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude” →
May 2023 TBR
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May 2023 TBR

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Hello, reader!

After two months of readathons, I’m back to building my TBR according to my own whims, haha. The books I’m hoping to get to in May are an eclectic mix, but I’m quickly learning that’s what I need to keep my reading mojo high. Too many of one genre in a row (even fantasy) tends to make me start to feel bored. So I’m hoping to keep it fresh this month by bouncing from fantasy to romance to horror and back again!

Now, let me share with you what I’m planning to read in the month of May.

  • 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne
  • Witchlings: The Golden Frog Games by Claribel A. Ortega
  • The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  • Belladonna by Adalyn Grace (my 12 friends, 12 recommendations read of the month!)
Continue reading “May 2023 TBR” →
February 2023 Wrap Up
wrap up

February 2023 Wrap Up

kerrimcbooknerd6 Comments

Hello, reader!

Now that the month of March is almost over, perhaps it is time that I finally wrap up my reading from February 😂 March has been A Month and my focus has been shot because of it. I meant to get to this post ages ago but, hey, at least I’m here now, right? Right! February was a decent reading month, though I didn’t read as much as I did in January. Still, I read a lot of books that I thoroughly enjoyed and even had a five star read!

But enough of my rambling. Let me tell you all about the books I read in Feburary!

Books Reads

  • Sacrifice by Vicky Walklate: This was my first read for the currently running blog tours for all of BBNYA’s 2022 finalists! I say this every time I read one of these books, but I can see why this made it to the final round. This was such a quick read that had me immersed in the world the author created. I loved the characters and the worldbuilding. This book certainly made me excited to pick up the next in the series! You can read my full review here. ★★★★
  • Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano: Here begins my binging of the Finlay Donovan series, haha. I wanted to join in on the Literally Dead Book Club discussion of the third book in the series, the pick for February, so I had to catch up! This first book was definitely my favorite in the series so far. It was fun, quirky, and charming in a way that had me completely invested in Finlay and her shenanigans. I have to give props to the audiobook narrator, Angela Dawe, because she really made the story come to life! This was a great first installment to a cozy mystery series. ★★★★
  • Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano: I immediately jumped into the sequel because, ya know, I was on a timeline, lol. I enjoyed this one as well, but not as much as the first book. It was still fun and charming, but the shenanigans started to really stretch my suspension of disbelief. I think this is a concept that can only continue to get more and more unbelievable and I know it’s eventually gonna lose me because I can’t 😂 Still, this was fast-paced, engaging and I still love Finlay and Vero to pieces. Steven can die in a fire, but those two are great! ★★★★
Continue reading “February 2023 Wrap Up” →
#5OnMyTBR – Title Starting With F
5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Title Starting With F

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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 Presidents Day for those of you in the United States! Or, if you’re lucky enough to have the day off, happy long weekend, haha. I took the week off because I honestly needed a break and I wanted some time to hang out with my kiddos. I’m looking forward to a week of lounging and chilling with the family! Right now, though, it’s time for another 5 On My TBR. This week, I’ll be talking about five books on my TBR that have titles that start with ‘F’. Which was a lot harder to find than I thought it was going to be! The ones I picked, though, are five that I’m eager to read soon.

With that said, let’s get to the list!

#1. Fate of the Fallen by Kel Kade

When I first heard about this book, I knew I was going to want to read it. It follows the best friend of the Chosen One, who thinks this whole ‘save-the-world’ stuff is overrated. That sounds like such a fun concept! I’ve heard mixed reviews about the book since it was released, but it’s still high up on my radar. I’m hoping I fall on the side of loving it!

#2. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

I’ve been meaning to read this book since it was released! This book about a trans boy who is being blackmailed while simultaneously falling in love sounds like it would be such an incredible read. I’ve heard nothing but great things about it, as well! It seems like it would be a great read about settling into one’s skin and finding out how to love yourself. Plus the cover is 🔥

Continue reading “#5OnMyTBR – Title Starting With F” →