Sundays In Bed With… Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu

June 12, 2022June 12, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd9 Comments

Sundays in Bed With… is a meme that dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

Hello, reader!

After working last weekend, I’m being particularly lazy this lovely Sunday! So I thought I would tell you about what book I’ll be spending my Sunday curled up reading. This is a middle grade novel that I got as an ARC and have been eager to pick up! I’ve only just started it, but already, I’m finding myself drawn into the story.

Now, let me tell you more about my book for this lazy end of the weekend.

My Sunday Read Is…

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu

This middle grade fantasy is all about a young girl who discovers that her Afro hair contains superpowers. It’s billed as Black Panther meets X-Men, so I was pretty much immediately on-board. It’s also set in Nigeria and I do love books set in Africa. This promises a lot of Black Girl Magic and seems like a great book to kick off summer. Plus, I promised my son he could read it after I was done because he fell in love with the cover. I gotta get through it before he steals it 😂

Goodreads Synopsis

Black Panther meets X-Men in this action-packed and empowering middle grade adventure about a British Nigerian girl who learns that her Afro hair has psychokinetic powers—perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers, The Marvellers, and Rick Riordan!

Onyeka has a lot of hair—the kind that makes strangers stop in the street and her peers whisper behind her back. At least she has Cheyenne, her best friend, who couldn’t care less what other people think. Still, Onyeka has always felt insecure about her vibrant curls…until the day Cheyenne almost drowns and Onyeka’s hair takes on a life of its own, inexplicably pulling Cheyenne from the water.

At home, Onyeka’s mother tells her the shocking truth: Onyeka’s psycho-kinetic powers make her a Solari, one of a secret group of people with super powers unique to Nigeria. Her mother quickly whisks her off to the Academy of the Sun, a school in Nigeria where Solari are trained. But Onyeka and her new friends at the academy soon have to put their powers to the test as they find themselves embroiled in a momentous battle between truth and lies…

What are you reading this Sunday? Are you enjoying whatever you are reading? Let me know in the comments!

And, as always, happy reading!

first lines friday

First Lines Friday #48

June 10, 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!

We’ve made it to the end of another week, which means it’s time for First Lines Friday! This week, I’m featuring a book that has been hovering around my radar since it was released. It finally got on my TBR after it was chosen as a book of the month for a Goodreads group I’m in. I’m excited to give it a read!

Now, time to read the first few lines and see if they ramp up my excitement even more.

The Line(s):

“Long ago, when the gods were young and Asgard was new, there came a witch from the edge of the worlds.”

The Hints:

This is a fantasy centered around Norse mythology.

It has a gorgeous cover which may be half the reason I wanted to read it.

It was a Goodreads Choice Award nominee for Fantasy last year.

The Reveal:

Continue reading →

Blog Tour: Son of Shadow by John Lenahan

June 9, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd4 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today, it’s my pleasure to participate in the blog tour hosted by The Write Reads for a fantasy that mixes contemporary with Irish folklore. Son of Shadow by John Lenahan is the first book in a new series by the author of the Shadowmagic trilogy. I had a fun time with this one, though I kind of wish I had read the original trilogy first!

Before I get more into my review, let me thank Dave @ The Write Reads and all of the crew for giving me a spot on this tour! I also want to thank the publisher and author for sending me a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions contained within are my own.

Alright, now let’s get into it!

Title: Son of Shadow
Author: John Lenahan
Publication date: June 25th, 2022
Genre: Fantasy
Age group: Adult
Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, blood, brief stay in a mental health facility

Book Links

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

A world of faeries, leprechauns and dragons – and magic fuelled by the blood of trees.

A mystery portal to the Real World.

And a pair of curious young adventurers who know they shouldn’t step through it…

Meet Fergal the Second, nicknamed ‘two’. Or ‘Doe’, in his own language. He can do magic. But, for the moment, he’s forgotten where he’s from. Or what’s happened to his blind friend Ruby.

He’s actually from Tir na Nog, the enchanted world of Shadowmagic, where a new generation of the royal House of Duir are cheeking their parents, preparing for adulthood and itching to see the Real World for themselves – whatever the peril.

Continue reading →

sundays in bed with

Sundays In Bed With… Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

June 5, 2022 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a comment

Hello, reader!

It’s the end (or beginning, depending on how you read the calendar) of another week, which means it’s time for another Sundays In Bed With… post! I had to work this weekend after having a wonderful two weeks off and it was hard, y’all. Lots of wondering if I actually need a job 😂 My mortgage, bills, and family all say I do, but I would have much rather been at home, reading.

Be that as it may, I’m home now and have a book I’m eager to curl up with on the couch. And now it’s time to tell you more about it!

My Sunday Read Is…

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sun Lynn Tan

I’ve been listening to the audiobook for this novel for the past few days and, let me tell you, it is not a good book to listen to at work. Why? Because I get so wrapped up in the story, I sometimes forget what I’m doing 😂 This book has everything: action, suspense, romance. And it’s so beautifully told that it’s easy to get lost in the tale. I’m so glad I picked this one up on a whim because it’s been a wonderful experience so far.

Continue reading →

blog tour · book spotlight

Blog Tour Spotlight: Merchants of Knowledge and Magic by Erika McCorkle

June 3, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Hello, reader!

Welcome to my spotlight stop on a The Write Reads blog tour for Merchants of Knowledge and Magic by Erika McCorkle! This is a fantasy novel that sounds like it would be absolutely epic! Not to mention the gorgeous cover. On my stop, I’ll tell you more about this novel and, maybe, have you adding another book to your TBR.

Before I jump in, though, I want to thank Dave @ The Write Reads and all the folks behind the scenes for allowing me to participate in this tour! It is, as always, very much appreciated. If you’re a book blogger looking to participate in book tours, you can’t go wrong with The Write Reads.

Alright, now let’s get to my spotlight!

Title: Merchants of Knowledge and Magic
Author: Erika McCorkle
Publication date: April 2nd, 2022
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

B&N::Amazon::Goodreads

Continue reading →

blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna

May 31, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd9 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today, it’s my stop on the book tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours for one of my most anticipated reads of 2022: The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna! After reading (and loving!) The Gilded Ones last year, I could not wait to get my hands on the latest installment in this lush world. Especially after what happened at the end of the first book!

Before I get into my post, however, let me take a moment to thank some people. First, thank you to the wonderful team at TBR & Beyond Tours for allowing me to participate in this tour. I was so excited when I got the email confirmation! Second, thank you to the publisher, via Netgalley, for providing me with a free e-ARC so that I could participate. It is, as always, very much appreciated. Rest assured that all opinions contained in my post are my own.

Also, I want to make sure y’all check out all the other incredible bloggers and bookstagrammers that have stops on this tour! There is a wide variety and, if you would like to follow along with the tour, you can find the schedule HERE.

Alright, now let’s get to my tour stop!

Title: The Merciless Ones
Author: Namina Forna
Series: The Gilded Ones #2
Publication date: May 31st, 2022
Genre: Fantasy
Age group: Young 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::Indigo::
Amazon::Goodreads

Fans of The Gilded Ones and Children of Blood and Bone will love the second book in an epic fantasy series about a girl who is the key to saving the empire–or its greatest threat.

It’s been six months since Deka has freed the goddesses and discovered who she really is. There are now wars waging across the kingdom. Otereans now think jatu are traitors to the nation. Deka is called a monster.

But the real battle has only just begun and Deka must lead the charge. Deka is tasked with freeing the rest of the goddesses. Only as she begins to free them, she begins to see a strange symbol everywhere in places of worship and worn on armor. There’s something unnatural about that symbol; just looking at it makes Deka lose her senses. Even worse, it seems to repel her powers. She can’t command or communicate with the new deathshrieks. In fact, she can’t even understand them when they speak.

Deka knows freeing the goddesses is just the beginning. She can tell whatever dark force out is powerful and there is something sinister out there threatening the kingdom connected to that symbol–something merciless–that her army will need to stop before humanity crumbles. But Deka’s powers are only getting stronger…and her strongest weapon could be herself.

Content Warning: scenes of violence, including some graphic violence and description of sexual assault

Continue reading →

5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Title Starts With S

May 30, 2022 kerrimcbooknerdLeave a 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!

Happy Monday and Happy Memorial Day to those in the United States. Having served in the military, I always make sure to set aside some time today to think about those who lost their lives serving. It’s also the unofficial beginning of summer, which makes me happy! The warm weather is here to stay and it’s about time.

Ya know what else it’s time for? Another 5 On My TBR post! The theme for this week is to pick a previous theme you missed and I decided to go with an easy one: book titles that start with ‘S’. It was a bit too easy cause it took me awhile to pare this list down to just five. Just know, this is a drop in the bucket of all the books I want to read that have titles that start with the letter ‘S’, haha.

That being said, let me show you what did make the cut!

#1. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

I’ve only read one book by Elizabeth Lim, but I enjoyed her writing so much I’m eager to read more. I’ve heard great things about this fantasy that weaves in East Asian folklore. The premise of a princess who does not speak searching for her brothers that have been magically turned into cranes is definitely intriguing! I’m hoping to pick this one up soon because, the more I hear about it, the more I want to read it.

#2. The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

This is another book I’ve heard nothing but great things about, though it is a much more recent release. It has magic and secrets and thieves and jinn. In short, it sounds absolutely incredible! It has been on my radar for a minute and, now that’s it is out in the world, I’m eager to pick it up! The fact that’s it is currently sitting at a 4.29 Goodreads rating makes me want to give it a read even more.

Continue reading →

sundays in bed with

Sundays In Bed With… The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna

May 29, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Hello, reader!

It has been a lazy Sunday here and lazy Sundays are perfect for reading. What book have I been spending my day with this lovely Sunday? It’s the sequel to one of my favorite reads of last year and one of my most anticipated reads of 2022! I’ve been eager to read this book, so was very excited to be included in the TBR & Beyond Tours book tour for it.

Now, let me tell you more about this read that has re-captured my imagination!

My Sunday Read Is…

The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna

I’ve dived right back into the world that Namina Forna has created and it is just as captivating the second time around! It throws us right into the action, with Deka and crew dealing with the consequences of the end of book one, The Gilded Ones. There are strange things happening and I’m captivated by all that is going on! This is just as vivid and cinematic as the first one. I’m not sure how this is going to end but, if what I’ve read so far has been incredible!

Continue reading →

book reviews

ARC Review: A Universe of Wishes edited by Dhonielle Clayton

May 26, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd1 Comment

Title: A Universe of Wishes

Edited by: Dhonielle Clayton

Publisher: Random House Children’s Books

Genre: Fantasy Anthology

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

From We Need Diverse Books, the organization behind Flying Lessons & Other Stories, comes a young adult fantasy short story collection featuring some of the best own-voices children’s authors, including New York Times bestselling authors Libba Bray (The Diviners), Victoria Schwab (A Darker Shade of Magic), Natalie C. Parker (Seafire), and many more. Edited by Dhonielle Clayton (The Belles).

In the fourth collaboration with We Need Diverse Books, fifteen award-winning and celebrated diverse authors deliver stories about a princess without need of a prince, a monster long misunderstood, memories that vanish with a spell, and voices that refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. This powerful and inclusive collection contains a universe of wishes for a braver and more beautiful world.

AUTHORS INCLUDE: Samira Ahmed, Libba Bray, Dhonielle Clayton, Zoraida Córdova, Tessa Gratton, Kwame Mbalia, Anna-Marie McLemore, Tochi Onyebuchi, Mark Oshiro, Natalie C. Parker, Rebecca Roanhorse, Victoria Schwab, Tara Sim, Nic Stone, and a to-be-announced debut author/short-story contest winner.

Continue reading →

www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: May 25, 2022

May 25, 2022 kerrimcbooknerd3 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 A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie: I’m continuing on my Poirot reading and, so far, this has been one of the more interesting ones. I’ve only just begun, but I’m loving the mystery in this! I’m also loving that Hastings is back. He may be completely obtuse, but he’s my favorite, haha. The friendship between Poirot and Hastings is one of my favorite things in these books, so I always miss Hastings when he’s not around. Anyways, I’m really enjoying this one so far.
The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna: I’ve started in on one of my most anticipated reads of the year and, so far, it’s living up to expectations. Of course, I’m only a few chapters in, but this is just as cinematic and vivid as the first one! I feel like this book is going to contain a bit more action than the first since, ya know, there’s a war going on and I am ready for it. I’m excited to see how this one turns out.

Continue reading →

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28