Month: December 2018

Review: If The Shoe Fits (Whatever After #2)

Title: If the Shoe Fits (Whatever After #2) 
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

Once upon a time my brother and I found a magic mirror…

Tonight the mirror swept us into Cinderella’s fairy tale. Now, we are NOT messing this story up. No way. Cinderella is going to marry her prince just like she’s supposed to.

Uh-oh.

Cinderella broke her foot, and there’s massive swelling. The glass slipper won’t fit, the prince won’t know she’s the one for him, and they won’t live happily ever after. And it’s all our fault!

To save the day we’ll need to:
– Learn how to use a dustpan
– Stay out of jail
– Find Cinderella a job
– Make sure true love finds its way

We just have to get it all done before the clock strikes twelve and the chance for a happy ending is gone . . . forever! 

Review:

Abby and Jonah return to the fairytale world in this second book in the series. Instead of going back to Snow White’s world, they enter Cinderella’s story.

Cinderella’s story changes when they enter it, just like Snow White’s did in the first story. Abby and Jonah have to fix the story so that Cinderella still gets her happy ending. However, she learns how to be independent along the way. This story gives an important message: that the princess doesn’t need a prince to save her at the end. She can make her own happy ending.

I loved this book and I’m so excited to read the rest of the series!

What to read next:

Sink Or Swim (Whatever After #3) by Sarah Mlynowski

Bras and Broomsticks (Magic in Manhattan #1) by Sarah Mlynowski

Have you read If the Shoe Fits (Whatever After #2)? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – December 17

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

This weekend I finished We’ll Always Have Christmas by Jenny Hale.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life by Rachel Cohn.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – December 16


Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 7 weekly blogging memes:

I also did three additional posts:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Litjoy Unboxing – September 2018

Here’s my unboxing post of the September 2018 Litjoy box!

I love these little tea lights! They’re battery operated. We love using battery operated candles at my house, and these ones are so cute.

This is a gorgeous infinity scarf. It has pictures of the patronuses from Harry Potter. The picture doesn’t do it justice, because it really is beautiful, and it it super comfy too!

It took me a minute to realize what this bag is a picture of, but I loved it when I figured it out. It is the Peverell brothers defeating deaths with the Deathly Hallows from Harry Potter.

This is a beautiful picture of Zelie from Children of Blood and Bone. 

And here is the book: For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig. I had never heard of this book before but it looks awesome!

I love the trading cards in the Litjoy boxes! These ones are characters from Daughters of Smoke and Bone.

Did you get this Litjoty box? What did you think of it?

Sundays in Bed With… We’ll Always Have Christmas

The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

This Sunday I’m reading We’ll Always Have Christmas by Jenny Hale.

Goodreads Synopsis:

An enchanting story about the magic of Christmas, the importance of family, and the joy of falling in love during the most romantic season of the year… 

Christmas has always been a special time for Noelle Parker. Winter evenings spent with family and friends, drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies at her family’s cozy bakery have shaped her love for all things festive. But this year everything is changing… 

The beloved bakery is facing closure and Noelle needs a miracle to save Christmas. 

Determined to raise funds for the family business, Noelle sets about revamping the bakery while juggling a surprise new job, caring for the elderly and cantankerous William Harrington in his luxurious, sprawling mansion. 

As Noelle melts the frostiness of the house with cake baking, snowball fights and glittering decorations, she helps William to reconnect with a romance that has spanned decades and unexpectedly finds herself falling for his grandson – the gorgeous but mysterious Alexander Harrington… 

In the countdown to Christmas, can Noelle save the bakery, reunite a family and create some magical memories of her own along the way?

What book are you in bed with today?

Review: The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories

Title: The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories 
Author: P.D. James
Genre: Mystery, Short Stories
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 4, 2016
Rating: ★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

As the acknowledged ‘Queen of Crime’ P.D. James was frequently commissioned by newspapers and magazines to write a special short story for Christmas. Four of the very best of these have been rescued from the archives and are published together for the first time. P.D. James’s sparkling prose illuminates each of these perfectly formed stories, making them ideal reading for the darkest days of the year. While she delights in the secrets that lurk beneath the surface at enforced family gatherings, her Christmas stories also provide enjoyable puzzles to keep the reader guessing. 

From the title story about a strained country house gathering on Christmas Eve, another about an illicit affair that ends in murder, and two cases for James’s poet-detective Adam Dalgliesh — each treats the reader to James’s masterfully atmospheric story-telling, always with the lure of a mystery to be solved.

Review:

This is a festive collection of murder mysteries. This is the second collection of P.D. James stories that I’ve read, and I find her stories a little disappointing. I find that many of her stories don’t end in justice being served. That was the case in some of these stories.

I didn’t like the ending of The Mistletoe Murder, because I thought it was too obvious. The Boxdale Inheritance was very complicated, and I think it would have been better as a full novel because there were so many characters. The Twelve Clues of Christmas was anticlimactic, even though it was about an unusually, staged suicide on Christmas. I liked A Very Commonplace Murder the best because it was unpredictable, and I couldn’t guess the ending.

If you like P.D. James, I’m sure you will love this collection. However, it didn’t work for me.

What to read next:

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

Cover Her Face (Adam Dalgliesh #1) by P.D. James

Have you read The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories? What did you think of it?

Owlcrate Unboxing – September 2018

It’s time for my September 2018 Owlcrate Unboxing! I know it’s a few months late, but this fall was a very busy time for me. I still wanted to share these goodies with you all!

I love these “Crows Club Fingerless Gloves!” They make me feel like I’m part of the Crows Club from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.

I love this mug, with images from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, including dementors and the Knight’s bus!

This really cute nail polish advertises the new book, Grim Lovelies by Megan Sheperd. I love the metallic colour.

This piece of art by Kristy Carter Art is inspired by Lila Bard from the A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab.

This “Nemesis” pack of bath salts is inspired by the Diabolic boy S.J. Kincaid.

I love this lip balm! It’s apple-spearmint flavour, which is so unique but so good!

And finally, the book is Mirage by Somaiya Daud! I can’t wait to read it!

The October theme is Lost in the Bookstore! 

Did you get this Owlcrate box? What did you think of it?

Stacking the Shelves – December 15

This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I received 2 books from Penguin Random House Canada:

The Dark Days Deceit (Lady Helen #3) by Alison Goodman

Rick Mercer Final Report by Rick Mercer

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for sending me these books this week! 

What books did you get this week?

Review: P.S. I Still Love You

Title: P.S. I Still Love You (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before #2) 
Author: Jenny Han
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 26, 2015
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Timesbestseller To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing. 

Review:

I loved this sequel to To All The Boys I Loved Before.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. Since the whole story of the letters being sent out was completed in the first book, I didn’t know what else was going to happen. There was lots of drama and some love triangles in this story.

I found the last third of the story really emotional. I don’t want to spoil what happens, but I’ll say that there were a lot of confused romantic feelings in that part of the book. It made me feel so emotional, which surprised me. I think these feelings demonstrate that the story is very realistic.

I enjoyed this book, and I’m curious to see what happens next!

What to read next:

Always and Forever Lara Jean (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before #3) by Jenny Han

The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer #1) by Jenny Han

Have you read P.S. I Still Love You? What did you think of it?

Bookish Naughty or Nice Tag

Thank you to Meghan at Meghan’s Whimsical Explorations & Reviews for tagging me!  

The Rules

  • Tag & link the person who tagged you.
  • Tag and link Jenniely’s post, for she’s love to read everyone’s answers!
  • Tick/cross off the ones you’ve done.
  • Tag another 10 people.
❌

Nice

✔️

Naughty

1. Received an ARC and not reviewed it  ✔️

2. Have less than 60% feedback rating on Netgalley ❌

3. Rated a book on Goodreads and promised a full review was to come on your blog (and never did) ❌

4. Folded down the page of a book ❌

5. Accidentally spilled on a book ❌

6. DNF a book this year ✔️

7. Bought a book purely because it was pretty with no intention of reading it  ✔️

8. Read whilst you were meant to be doing something else (like homework) ✔️

9. Skim read a book ✔️

10. Completely missed your Goodreads goal ❌

11. Borrowed a book and not returned it to the library ❌

12. Broke a book buying ban ❌

13. Started a review, left it for ages then forgot what the book was about ✔️

14. Wrote in a book you were reading ❌

15. Finished a book and not added it to your Goodreads ❌

16. Borrowed a book and not returned it to a friend ✔️

17. Dodged someone asking if they can borrow a book ❌

18. Broke the spine of someone else’s book ❌

19. Took the jacket off a book to protect it and ended up making it more damaged ❌

20. Sat on a book accidentally ✔️

Final Score: 8/20

Last year my score was  9/15, so I was naughty, but this year I’m nice!

Tags:

If you don’t want to do it or have already done it, no problem. If you do the tag, please tag me so I can see your answers!