Tag: literary fiction

BBNYA Spotlight: Don’t Think a Single Thought by Diana Cambridge

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Hello, reader!

Happy Tuesday! I hope you’re ready for another spotlight tour for one of the semi-finalists of this year’s Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Awards (BBNYA). I’m so excited to help shine a light on some fantastic indie books. In 2022, BBNYA is celebrating the 55 books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. But perhaps you aren’t familiar with what BBNYA entails, so let me tell you a little about it!

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner. If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA website 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.

Now, let’s get to today’s spotlight post, this one featuring Don’t Think a Single Thought by Diana Cambridge!

  • Title: Don’t Think a Single Thought
  • Author: Diana Cambridge
  • Publication date: September 26th, 2019
  • Publisher: Louise Walters Books
  • Length: 192 pages
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
  • Age group: Adult

Book Links

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

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Down the TBR Hole #34

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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 may have recently gone on a book adding spree on Goodreads, so I think it’s time for another round of Down the TBR Hole before my ‘Want to Read’ shelf gets too ridiculous 😂 I don’t know what happened… I was just poking around Goodreads and, the next thing you know, my TBR grew from 712 books to 717 books! Which, to be fair, isn’t terrible, but it’ll definitely get out of hand soon if I don’t trim some older books off. Gotta keep that TBR fresh and, conceivably, manageable.

Ya know… if I read a book a day, every single day, for the next few years. Totally doable.

The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare

Ha, I don’t even remembering adding this book to my TBR. Seeming as I removed the one other Cassandra Clare book on my ‘Want to Read’ shelf, I see no reason why I should keep this one around. After all, I probably wouldn’t have much idea of what was going on, even if it’s the start of a new series in the same Shadowhunters world.

Verdict: Remove

The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye

Okay… on the surface, this book sounds like it could be interesting. A woman running from a shady past in the 1920s and ending up at Oregon hotel that has secrets of its own. But then I realized that the main character is white… in a hotel completely populated by Black people… and I get the feeling there’s gonna be a heavy dose of ‘white savor’ syndrome in this story. No thank you.

Verdict: Remove

Borne by Jeff VanderMeer

This science fiction about a creature found after the end of the world has always intrigued me. It seems like it’s going to be a dark tale with intrigue and lots of secrets. That’s the kind of sci-fi that is absolutely my kind of thing! I’ve only read a short story by this author before, but I enjoyed what I read. I’m certainly eager to read a full length novel with his writing. Also, I love this weird cover!

Verdict: Keep

Empress by Karen Miller

I went back and forth on this one. The premise certainly sounds interesting. This book features a woman who escapes slavery and forges her own way in the world. Then I started poking through the reviews and feel a bit more hesitant. I’m not a person who will hate a book just because the main character is unlikeable. The reviews seem to hint, though, that there’s nothing about the MC that makes you want to keep reading the story. But maybe I would like it? I’m intrigued enough to let it stay.

Verdict: Keep

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick

This book gets an instant point for having on of my top-tier tropes: bookish themes! I love a book that is somehow centered around books and this certainly fits the bill. Our main character receives a book of fairytales from her long-thought dead grandma. Inside is a clue that she might not be as dead as previously believed. This sounds completely charming, so I think I’ll keep it!

Verdict: Keep

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Blog Tour First Impression: The Carnival of Ash by Tom Beckerlegge

kerrimcbooknerd5 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today is my stop on another incredible blog tour organized by The Write Reads! The book I’m featuring today is a literary fiction that showcases an alternative history that centers around a city of poets. The Carnival of Ash by Tom Beckerlegge is a feast for the eyes and unlike anything I’ve read before!

Before I get into more of my first impressions, though, I want to thank Dave @ The Write Reads and all the folks behind the scenes for giving me a spot on this magical mystery tour. I also want to thank the publisher, Rebellion Publishing, for sending me an ARC so that I could participate! All opinions in this post are my own.

Alright, now let’s get to my stop!

Book Details

  • Title: The Carnival of Ash
  • Author: Tom Beckerlegge
  • Publication date: March 15th, 2022
  • Genre: Literary Fiction/Alternative History
  • 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

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

Synopsis

Cadenza is the City of Words, a city run by poets, its skyline dominated by the steepled towers of its libraries, its heart beating to the stamp and thrum of the printing presses in the Printing Quarter.

Carlo Mazzoni, a young wordsmith arrives at the city gates intent on making his name as the bells ring out with the news of the death of the city’s poet-leader. Instead, he finds himself embroiled with the intrigues of a city in turmoil, the looming prospect of war with their rival Venice ever-present. A war that threatens not only to destroy Cadenza but remove it from history altogether…

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Blog Tour Spotlight: These Walls Were Never Really There by Bryan Blears

kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Hello, reader!

It’s my pleasure to bring you another spotlight for a blog tour sponsored by The Write Reads! The book I’m featuring today is a compelling contemporary that is partially based on the author’s own life experiences. These Walls Were Never Really There by Bryan Blears sounds riveting and I can’t wait to tell you more about it.

First, I want to thank Dave @ The Write Reads and all the folks behind the scenes for allowing me to participate in this tour. It’s always fun discovering new reads, even if I’m too busy to read them right this second. And I do love promoting books and authors ❤

Speaking of, let’s get to the post!

Book Details

  • Title: These Walls Were Never Really There
  • Author: Bryan Blears
  • Publication date: April 1st, 2022
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
  • Age group: Adult

Book Links

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

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#5OnMyTBR – Family

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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 time for another 5 On My TBR! This week’s theme is pretty broad. We’re talking about books about family. There are so many books on my TBR that could fit this category! I’ve decided to go with books that really focus on family drama or family dynamics. There were still a ton of those to choose from, but I’ve finally narrowed it down to five I want to feature.

With that being said, let’s jump in!

#1. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

This family drama featuring two Black sisters has been on my TBR since it was released. I don’t read a lot of literary fiction, but this sounds like something I could love. It also sounds like it might break my heart… we shall see! It’s the story of sisters who lead very different lives. I’ve heard nothing but great things about this book, so I hope to get to it soon!

#2. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Spoiler alert: all the books on this post are literary/historical fiction. For someone who doesn’t read from those genres a lot, I certainly have a lot on my TBR 😂 This is a book that I got solely because I loved another book by this author. It does sound interesting, though. It follows a family surviving off the grid in Alaska. I can only imagine there will be plenty of drama involved.

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#5OnMyTBR – Literary Fiction

kerrimcbooknerd13 Comments

#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 been a minute since I’ve done a 5 On My TBR, hasn’t it? This week, I had to dig through my pile of books to find five literary fictions that I’m looking forward to reading. I don’t delve into literary fiction too much, but I have quite a few that are hanging out in the limbo that is my TBR. And quite a few that I’m very interested in! It’s just… my fantasy-centric brain definitely shifts me away from them, lol. Still, the five books I’ve picked are at the top of the list when it comes to literary fiction I would like to read soon!

#1. The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré

I got this book through Book of the Month because of severe FOMO. Everyone I knew who had picked this one up was raving about it! It sounds like it will be a difficult, but compelling read as it follows a young Nigerian girl and her struggles to find her voice. I’m not the best when it comes to getting on with literary fiction, but the premise sounds great and I want to know why everyone has loved it so much.

Plus, like, look at that cover! Gorgeous 😍

#2. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Funnily enough, this is another book I got through Book of the Month, haha. I read my first Backman a couple of years ago and instantly fell in love with his writing. I still think about A Man Called Ove to this day! So when I saw this book, which tells the story of people meeting during a bank heist/hostage situation, I knew I was going to want to read it. I’ve heard great things about this one, as well! I imagine it will be fun, quirky, and strangely dark, and I am here for it.

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