Month: November 2021

Top Ten Tuesday – Memorable Things Characters Have Said

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Memorable Things Characters Have Said. Here’s my list:

1. “I’d rather die on an adventure than live standing still.” – Lila Bard, A Darker Shade of Magic

2. “I remember you.” – Henry, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

3. “One should never save cake for later when it can be eaten now.” – Princess Winter, Winter

4. “An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.” – Mr. Bennet, Pride and Prejudice

5. “Reader, I married him.” – Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre

6. “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” – Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre

7. “Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something is more important than fear; The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all.” – Eduard, The Princess Diaries

8. “One must always be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” – Tessa, Clockwork Angel

9. “Life is a book and there are a thousand pages I have not yet read.” – Will, Clockwork Princess

10. “It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them.” – Will, Clockwork Prince

What’s your list for Top Ten Tuesday?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – November 8

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 All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading The Crystal Palace Chronicles: Star of Nimrod by Graham Whitlock.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading Roxy by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman.

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

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – November 7

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 7 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… Verity

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 Verity by Colleen Hoover.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – Orange Books

This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.

This week’s prompt is Orange Books. Here’s my list:

1. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

2. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

3. The Great Bear by David A. Robertson

4. Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan

5. Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy

6. Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power

(All book covers from Goodreads)

Did you make a Six for Sunday list?

Review: All Our Hidden Gifts (All Our Hidden Gifts #1)

Title: All Our Hidden Gifts (All Our Hidden Gifts #1)
Author: Caroline O’Donoghue
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQ
Publisher: Walker Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 8, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Maeve’s strangely astute tarot readings make her the talk of the school, until a classmate draws a chilling and unfamiliar card—and then disappears. 

After Maeve finds a pack of tarot cards while cleaning out a closet during her in-school suspension, she quickly becomes the most sought-after diviner at St. Bernadette’s Catholic school. But when Maeve’s ex–best friend, Lily, draws an unsettling card called The Housekeeper that Maeve has never seen before, the session devolves into a heated argument that ends with Maeve wishing aloud that Lily would disappear. When Lily isn’t at school the next Monday, Maeve learns her ex-friend has vanished without a trace.

Shunned by her classmates and struggling to preserve a fledgling romance with Lily’s gender-fluid sibling, Roe, Maeve must dig deep into her connection with the cards to search for clues the police cannot find—even if they lead to the terrifying Housekeeper herself. Set in an Irish town where the church’s tight hold has loosened and new freedoms are trying to take root, this sharply contemporary story is witty, gripping, and tinged with mysticism.

Review:

While cleaning out a closet in her school during detention, Maeve Chambers finds an old deck of tarot cards. Fiona, another student, insists that Maeve start reading tarot cards for everyone. One day Maeve reads the cards for her ex-best friend, Lily. Lily draws a card called “The Housekeeper,” that Maeve has never seen before, but that she knows is bad news. Then, Lily disappears without a trace. Maeve knows the secret to Lily’s disappearance lies with the Housekeeper card, and she is the only one who can save Lily. Along with Fiona and Lily’s gender-fluid sibling, Roe, Maeve has to explore her magic to find Lily.

This was a fascinating magic story. There’s so much mystery behind tarot cards, that are able to determine a situation, but especially when an unknown card suddenly appears in the deck. The Housekeeper card was creepy and strange, holding powers in itself. It was at the center of the mystery of Lily’s disappearance.

The magic in the story was one layer of a deeper theme of injustice. There was an extremist group in the town, who were terrorizing people who didn’t share their beliefs. They committed hate attacks, particularly against the LGBTQ community. This part of the story added some realistic social justice elements to a magical and mystical story.

All Our Hidden Gifts is a powerful magic story. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Thank you Walker Books and Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain

Edie in Between by Laura Sibson

Have you read All Our Hidden Gifts? What did you think of it?

Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow
Author: Mariko Tamaki, Natacha Bustos, Eleonora Bruni
Genre: Young Adult, Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 11, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Now, truly alone for the first time in her life, Willow must rely only on her instincts – and her magic – to save herself from a different kind of threat than Buffy ever prepared her to face in her first ever comic book series!

NO MORE SUNNYDALE. NO MORE SCOOBY GANG. NO MORE…WILLOW?

After everything – and everyone – she lost to the Hellmouth, Willow is leaving Sunnydale behind for a new school that promises “to help you prioritize your true self.” But Willow soon learns that all is not as it seems, and if your true self isn’t what the school thinks it should be…well, don’t worry, they’ll help you get there. By any means necessary. Now, truly alone for the first time in her life, Willow must rely only on her instincts – and her magic – to save herself from a different kind of threat than Buffy ever prepared her to face!

Award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki (She-Hulk) and superstar artist Natacha Bustos (Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur) bring Willow face to face with the truth of her past… and plant the seeds for a future no one could’ve predicted. Collects Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow #1-5.

Review:

Willow left everything behind in Sunnydale and moved to a new school in England. When the school wasn’t what she expected it to be, she got a one way bus ticket out of town. She ended up in Abhainn a mysterious witchy town. Willow has found her people, but she has to figure out the mystery of the town.

I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer occasionally when I was a kid, but I haven’t seen the show in years. When I saw that this was a witchy graphic novel, I had to read it. Since this book was about Willow leaving Sunnydale, it could be read as a stand-alone without knowing the background of Buffy.

I loved the beautiful art in this graphic novel. The alternate covers were particularly beautiful. Some of them had realistic images of the characters, which I always love to see. This graphic novel had lots of beautiful illustrations.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow is a fun graphic novel!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: Hellmouth by Jordie Bellaire, Jeremy Lambert

Slayer by Kiersten White

Have you read Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow? What did you think of it?

Review: We Are One: How the World Adds Up

Title: We Are One: How the World Adds Up
Author: Susan Hood, Linda Yan (illustrator)
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book, Nonfiction
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 26, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts–and unity and connection are most important of all–in a beautifully illustrated counting book with a timely message. 

One can be one thing all on its own–one star, one stream, one stick, one stone. But those on their toes, those using their smarts, know one can be more than the sum of its parts.

Consider the two slices of bread that make up one sandwich, or the three lines of poetry that form one haiku, or even the ten years that form one decade. From one to ten, from sandwiches to centuries, every part is necessary to the whole. In this fascinating concept book, a simple rhyming narration aimed at younger children is complemented by informational panels about subjects like the four compass points, the five acts in Shakespeare, the seven colors of a rainbow, or the nine innings in baseball. Award-winning author Susan Hood and debut children’s book illustrator Linda Yan offer a mind-expanding look at early math concepts such as part/whole relationships, fractions, and addition–while underlying themes of cooperation, peace, and kindness make this beautiful volume one to be enjoyed by anyone at any age.

Review:

The world is made up of “ones.” You can have one stick, but a bunch of sticks makes one pile. Many other numbers can create one too. Two slices of bread make one sandwich. Seven colours make one rainbow. This picture book explains the way that numbers, and especially the number one, make up the whole world.

This was a fascinating book. The world is made up of the same numbers. Things found in nature and man-made things all consist of numbers. There were examples from around the world, such as Haiku poems from Japan (one poem with three lines) and Shakespeare plays from England (one play with five acts).

The story was told in rhyming lines that were illustrated on the page. Each page also had more in depth details about the history of what was mentioned on the page. For example, it explained how Braille is made up of six dots in different formations to create the language, and how the seasons come from the way the Earth tilts as it circles the sun. These facts could be interesting for some older children who would also like this book.

We Are One is a beautiful and educational picture book!

Thank you Candlewick Press and Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Elephants Listen With Their Feet by Emmanuelle Grundmann, Clémence Dupont

Double Take!: A New Look at Opposites by Susan Hood, Jay Fleck (illustrator)

Have you read We Are One? What did you think of it?

TBR Thursday – November 4

TBR Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads, where you post a title from your shelf or e-reader and find out what others think about it.

My pick this week is Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

London banking heiress Hattie Greenfield wanted “just” three things in life:

1. Acclaim as an artist.
2. A noble cause.
3. Marriage to a young lord who puts the gentle in gentleman.

Why then does this Oxford scholar find herself at the altar with the darkly attractive financier Lucian Blackstone, whose murky past and ruthless business practices strike fear in the hearts of Britain’s peerage? Trust Hattie to take an invigorating little adventure too far. Now she’s stuck with a churlish Scot who just might be the end of her ambitions….

When the daughter of his business rival all but falls into his lap, Lucian sees opportunity. As a self-made man, he has vast wealth but holds little power, and Hattie might be the key to finally setting long-harbored political plans in motion. Driven by an old revenge, he has no room for his new wife’s apprehensions or romantic notions, bewitching as he finds her.

But a sudden journey to Scotland paints everything in a different light. Hattie slowly sees the real Lucian and realizes she could win everything—as long as she is prepared to lose her heart.

Going toe-to-toe with a brooding Scotsman is rather bold for a respectable suffragist, but when he happens to be one’s unexpected husband, what else is an unwilling bride to do?

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Blog Tour Review: You Can Go Your Own Way

Title: You Can Go You Own Way
Author: Eric Smith
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: November 2, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

No one ever said love would be easy…but did they mention it would be freezing?

Adam Stillwater is in over his head. At least, that’s what his best friend would say. And his mom. And the guy who runs the hardware store down the street. But this pinball arcade is the only piece of his dad that Adam has left, and he’s determined to protect it from Philadelphia’s newest tech mogul, who wants to turn it into another one of his cold, lifeless gaming cafés.

Whitney Mitchell doesn’t know how she got here. Her parents split up. She lost all her friends. Her boyfriend dumped her. And now she’s spending her senior year running social media for her dad’s chain of super successful gaming cafés—which mostly consists of trading insults with that decrepit old pinball arcade across town.

But when a huge snowstorm hits, Adam and Whitney suddenly find themselves trapped inside the arcade. Cut off from their families, their worlds, and their responsibilities, the tension between them seems to melt away, leaving something else in its place. But what happens when the storm stops?

Review:

Adam Stillwater helps his mom run the pinball arcade that his father started. Though pinball isn’t as popular today as it once was, Adam is determined to keep their arcade running, and not sell it to Philadelphia’s newest tech mogul. Whitney Mitchell runs the social media account for her dad’s esport cafe. That job takes up so much of her time that her friends have ditched her and her boyfriend has broken up with her, because she never had time for them. After an accident with Whitney’s brother breaking a pinball machine at the arcade, Whitney and Adam start a social media argument that goes viral. Whitney and Adam used to be best friends, but stopped talking in high school. Then, a huge snowstorm hits, trapping Whitney and Adam together for the night. They have no choice to but to talk about their feelings and figure out where they’re meant to be in life.

There was a lot of 80s and 90s nostalgia in this book. Pinball machines may seem like an ancient technology to young readers today. I loved how passionate Adam was about the pinball machines. He knew every detail of them. Adam also loved the rock bands that his father loved. He wore vintage a lot of band shirts. There were also some more modern references from Whitney, who was from a more modern, high tech background. Adam and Whitney were the best of both worlds.

This book is the perfect winter read. The descriptions of the storm were so evocative that I was actually feeling cold while reading it. I wouldn’t want to be trapped in a cold building during a snow storm, but it’s fun to read about.

You Can Go Your Own Way is a great new contemporary novel!

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

Have you read You Can Go Your Own Way? What did you think of it?