BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight 2024: Anathema and Tidbit by Stephanie Barr

October 11, 2024 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

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 fantasy that has two of my favorite things… dragons and cats: Anathema and Tidbit by Stephanie Barr!

Title: Anathema and Tidbit
Author: Stephanie Barr
Publication date: October 17th, 2023
Genre: Fantasy
Age group: Adult
Length: 296 pages

Book Links

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

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bbnya spotlight

BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight 2024: Affliction by E.R. Smo

October 8, 2024 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

Hello, reader!

Our spotlight for today is shining on a YA fantasy that sounds stellar: Affliction by E.R. Smo!

Title: Affliction: Accrue’s End
Author: E.R. Smo
Publication date: October 27th, 2023
Genre: Fantasy
Age group: Young Adult
Length: 303 pages

Book Links

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

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bbnya spotlight

BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight 2024: A Blend of Magic by Katie Kenzie

October 7, 2024October 7, 2024 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

Hello, reader!

Now, let’s get this spotlight tour started with a Christmas romance: A Blend of Magic by Katie Kenzie!

Title: A Blend of Magic
Author: Katie Kenzie
Publication date: October 31st, 2023
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Women’s Fiction
Age group: Adult
Length: 388 pages

Book Links

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

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5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Lighthearted

September 9, 2024 kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

#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!

I hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend. Though the work week has just started for most of us, I’m looking forward to some sunny weather and preparing for my birthday the week after! Before all that, though, it’s time for another 5 On My TBR. This week is all about chill vibes because I’ll be talking about five lighthearted books that I want to read. This took a bit of finding because I read a lot of dramatic stuff, I’m realizing, haha. Still, I do like a more whimsical moment and I managed to pick five that I’m eager to pick up soon.

That being said, let’s dive on in!

#1. Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

This is the prequel to Legends & Lattes, which was definitely a lighthearted read, so I’m hoping the prequel is similar. I love Viv a whole bunch and I’m excited to see her before she bought her coffeeshop. I will miss the other characters from the first novel (especially Thimble!), but I’m intrigued by Viv’s reading journey, haha. And I need to know who that little owl-dog-thing is on the front. It is an actual necessity.

#2. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

I don’t know if I can really count this one as “lighthearted”… the first book in this series, A Psalm for the Wild-Built made me tear up. At the same time, though, it certainly made my heart feel full, so I think that counts! I’ve been wanting to continue the series for quite some time now. I just can’t justify spending almost 20 bucks for a book that’s barely over 100 pages, haha. I need to hunt it down at my library and finally give it a read.

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monthly tbr · readathon

Magical Readathon: Orilium Autumn Equinox 2024 TBR

September 3, 2024September 2, 2024 kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

Hello, reader!

Not only is it now the best month ever (September may or may not be my birth month, haha) but it’s time for the Autumn Equinox at Orilium Academy! I’m excited to participate in yet another round of this super fun readathon that is filled with imagination. My character is well on her way to completing another year of study to become a Beast Master, but she has one more term to get through to become an Adept.

But what is the Magical Readathon? It is the brain child of the marvelous G @ Book Roast, who created the world of Aeldia, where Orilium dwells, and every aspect therein. It’s an incredibly creative readathon where you build a character, choose and guild, and guide your character through classes to achieve their calling. I am notoriously bad at giving all the details in a coherent way, so you should definitely watch G’s announcement video for the scoop:

My Character

Before I jump into my TBR for this round, I wanted to re-introduce you all to the character I created for this readathon! She’s living her best life at this magical academy so far.

✨✨✨Name: Korrin Musgrave✨✨✨
✨✨✨Guild: The Order of the Crescent Moon✨✨✨
✨✨✨Current Guild Standing: Exalted (440 gp)✨✨✨
✨✨✨ Conduit: Quarterstaff ✨✨✨
✨✨✨Legacy: Wolf familiar (Venandi)✨✨✨
✨✨✨Background: Wildling✨✨✨
✨✨✨Province: Irtheria✨✨✨
✨✨✨Heritage: Earthling (earth element)✨✨✨

Don’t know what any of that means? You can check out the Brief History of Aeldia on the Google drive. The drive also has the syllabus for this round and lots of other incredibly imaginative information all from the mind of G!

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5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Multiple POVs

August 26, 2024 kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

Hello, reader!

It’s time for another 5 On My TBR and, this time, we’re talking about books with multiple POVs. I have quite a few on my TBR, so it took some winnowing down to pick only five, haha. I decided to pick five that I already own since I’m really trying to read my owned books instead of buying more. My poor bookcases can’t handle any more😅

That being said, let’s dive on in!

#1. Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

I’ve been meaning to read this YA thriller since I purchased it which was years ago. I even started reading it shortly after I purchased it and just… stopped. I can’t remember why because I remember enjoying what I’ve read! This novel follows two teens at a prestigious school who start to be harassed by a mysterious person who is trying to ruin their lives. I’m hoping to get to it soon and, if the reviews are anything to go by, I’m going to love it.

#2. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

I still need to finish the first Mistborn trilogy, but I’m also eager to start the Stormlight Archives! I would wait until the series is complete but that’s not gonna happen for awhile, haha. Although, I suppose the first series is only supposed to be five books, right? Either way, I do want to pick this up soon. It’s just… intimidating and I’m already reading so. many. series! If anyone can convince me to start a new one, though, it would be Brando Sando.

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5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Starts With I

August 12, 2024 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

Hello, reader!

It’s Monday and that means it’s time to poke through my TBR and talk about another five books. This week’s 5 On My TBR is all about books with titles that start with the letter I! Which, apparently, is not common, at least on my TBR. That made picking five books to feature at lot easier than usual, haha.

That being said, let’s dive on in!

#1. I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

Stephen Graham Jones is slowly becoming one of my favorite horror authors. I loved his take on werewolves in Mongrels, the first book in his Indian Lake trilogy blew my mind, and I devoured The Only Good Indians. So I have to assume that his newest release will keep the hits coming. The premise is that we’re following a kid that has been cursed to kill for revenge. It sounds like it’ll be a wild ride and I’m excited to jump on board!

#2. Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor

Nnedi Okorafor is another author that I love to read. Her science fiction and her afrofuturism always pull me in and I have a great time reading her novels! This is a middle grade novel she wrote in 2020 that is about a young boy on a quest for revenge. It sounds like it will be action-packed and filled with magic! Besides, I need more books in the house with young, Black boys as the protagonists and this seems like it’ll be the perfect fit.

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www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: August 7th, 2024

August 7, 2024August 7, 2024 kerrimcbooknerd9 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

Nine Tailed by Jayci Lee: I received an e-ARC for this romantasy that just came out this month. I figured I should stick it on my Trope-ical Readathon TBR so that I will read it before it has been over a year like some of my e-ARCs 😅 So far, I’m interested in the world but, be warned… here thar be insta-love. Like… the most instant of insta-love. I mean, the two leads did know each other for a long time, but they haven’t seen each other in eight years, they were never together previously (as far as I know), and they are currently investigating the male lead’s brother’s murder. Maybe not the time to be so dang thirsty? The world is intriguing enough that I’m willing to continue, but the relationship is a little ick for me at the moment.
Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend: I’m finally continuing the Nevermoor series! I’ve just started this book and I’ve already fallen back in love with the world that the author has created. I missed Morrigan and Jupiter and everyone in this magical series! I’m also interested to see how Morrigan gets on with her training at the Wunderous Society and with her mysterious powers. And Jupiter has somehow managed to already be awesome in the first 50 pages. I think this read is going to go very well, haha.

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5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Already Bought

July 29, 2024July 28, 2024 kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Hello, reader!

It’s time for another 5 On My TBR! And this week’s topic definitely had me rethinking my life choices, lol. Why? Because it’s all about books on your TBR that you’ve already bought, so I went about updating my physical TBR bookshelf on Goodreads. Guess how many books there are? 406! And I don’t think I actually got them all! At least I had plenty of books from which to choose for this 5 On My TBR, right? Hahahahaaaaaa… right 😅

Anyways! I decided to go with five on my TBR that are newer purchases because, let’s be honest, I’m more likely to go for the new and shiny than my poor TBR veterans. Let’s get into it!

#1. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

I’m starting with this one because, embarrassingly enough, I recently discovered that I have two copies of this book because I forgot I had bought it 🙈 Book hoarder problems, amiright? Still, this is the second book in the Broken Earth series that starts with The Fifth Season and I absolutely adored that book. I don’t know why it has taken me so long to get to the sequel. Probably because I lost the copy I had on my shelf for quite some time, heh. But now that it has resurfaced, I’m eager to jump back in!

#2. The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

This was a recent Book of the Month Club pick and I’m so excited about it! It’s a book with bookish themes which is one of my favorite things to read, so I’m pretty hyped to give it a go. I’m also a big fan of the cover and I can’t even say why. It just looks so whimsical and intriguing and I makes me want to know more! The synopsis also says that this is “a fairy tale for grown ups” and that’s really all they needed to say. Sign me up expeditiously.

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www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: July 24th, 2024

July 24, 2024 kerrimcbooknerd2 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

Role Playing by Cathy Yardley: I was randomly scrolling through my Kindle, trying to find an ebook to read, and this popped up. I’ve had it on my Kindle for awhile but just hadn’t read it yet. I decided to give it a whirl and I’m so glad that I did! This is a contemporary romance that features older love interests (late 40s-early 50s older!), who are both video game nerds, and it’s grumpy x sunshine where the woman is the grump. This romance was basically handcrafted for me to love, haha. So far, I’m really enjoying the banter and, much like Maggie (even if she won’t admit it), I would fight someone if they were mean to Aiden 😤 I’m loving this so far and I’m eager to continue.
Heartstopper Vol 5 by Alice Oseman: I’m finally reading the next installment in the Heartstopper series! It’s been a minute since I’ve checked in with Nick and Charlie, so I’m looking forward to getting more into the fifth volume of their story. I’ve only just started but, so far, this is just as adorable (and potentially heart-wrenching) as the other volumes. This graphic novel series will forever be a favorite, so I’m sure I’ll love this one.

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