Jill lives in Toronto, Canada. She has studied English, Creative Writing, and Publishing. Jill is the creator and content producer of Jill’s Book Blog, where she has published a blog post every day for the last four years, including 5-7 book reviews a week. She can usually be found with her nose in a book.
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 Sarah’s Dream (The Grémillet Sisters #1) by Giovanni Di Gregorio, Alessandro Barbucci.
What I’m currently reading:
I’m currently reading A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.
What I’m reading next:
Next I will be reading Barry Squires, Full Tilt by Heather Smith.
What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?
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 A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price …
Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.
Title: Jackie and Maria: A Novel of Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas Author: Gill Paul Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: William Morrow Source: Purchased Format: Paperback Release Date: July 22, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
From the #1 bestselling author of The Secret Wife comes a story of love, passion, and tragedy as the lives of Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas are intertwined―and they become the ultimate rivals, in love with the same man.
The President’s Wife; a Glamorous Superstar; the rivalry that shook the world…
Jackie Kennedy was beautiful, sophisticated, and contemplating leaving her ambitious young senator husband. Life in the public eye with an overly ambitious–and unfaithful―man who could hardly be coaxed to return from a vacation after the birth of a stillborn child was breaking her spirit. So when she’s offered a holiday on the luxurious yacht owned by billionaire Ari Onassis, she says yes…to a meeting that will ultimately change her life.
Maria Callas is at the height of her operatic career and widely considered to be the finest soprano in the world. And then she’s introduced to Aristotle Onassis, the world’s richest man and her fellow Greek. Stuck in a childless, sexless marriage, and with pressures on all sides from opera house managers and a hostile press, she finds her life being turned upside down by this hyper-intelligent and impeccably charming man…
Little by little, Maria’s and Jackie’s lives begin to overlap, and they come closer and closer until everything they know about the world changes on a dime.
Review:
Jackie Kennedy was the beautiful, sophisticated husband of the senator Jack Kennedy. She knew he was unfaithful, and after the still birth of her son, she needed a break from him. Jackie traveled to her friend Ari Onassis’s yacht, which changed the course of her life. Maria Callas was a world famous opera singer. She was introduced to Ari and they began a love affair. However, Maria wanted to have a family and marry Ari but he didn’t want to commit. Jackie and Maria are two powerful women who both love the same man.
I didn’t know much about the Kennedys before reading this book and I had never heard of Maria Callas. I usually look up the real people while I read historical fiction to find out which events really happened, but I resisted this time so I was surprised at what happened in the story. I tend to read historical fiction about real people I am familiar with, so this was a different read for me. I learned a lot about the Kennedys, Ari Onassis, and Maria Callas.
This story was intense and tragic. There were some tough situations, such as stillborn babies, suicide, murder, and affairs. What makes these things even more tragic in the story is that they are based on real events. Even though there were some upsetting scenes, I couldn’t put this book down. I had to keep reading to find out what would happen next. I was also quite surprised at the twists since I didn’t know what would really happen with the characters.
This is an amazing, well written story.
What to read next:
The Woman Before Wallis by Bryn Turnbull
The Secret Affair by Gill Paul
Have you read Jackie and Maria? What did you think of it?
Title: Princesses Versus Dinosaurs Author: Linda Bailey, Joy Ang (illustrator) Genre: Children’s, Picture Book Publisher: Tundra Books Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: September 15, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Two popular storybook titans, princesses and dinosaurs, battle to determine who should star in this laugh-out-loud picture book for fans of Shark vs Train and The Book With No Pictures.
This is a princess book!
No, it’s a dinosaur book!
No, it’s . . . a T. rex book? A dragon book? A rubber ducky book?!
From Linda Bailey, award-winning and critically acclaimed author, and Joy Ang, Adventure Time-artist and illustrator of the Mustache Baby series, comes an irresistibly irreverent picture book in which plucky princesses and determined dinosaurs have a battle royale over whose book this is. When they start calling in the big guns — or rather, the big carnivores — and decide to build a wall to resolve their differences, princesses and dinosaurs alike learn a thing or two about open-mindedness and sharing.
Review:
This book starts out with some princesses singing and dancing. The next page has dinosaurs roaring. Is it a princess book or a dinosaur book? They can’t decide so they have to bring in their friends to figure out what kind of book it is. Eventually they separate the book with a wall, but it may be more fun for everyone if they can all play together.
As soon as I saw the title of this book, I knew it would be adorable. The characters break the fourth wall by talking about what the book is about. It was also funny when they brought in some friends who took over the story.
This book defies the stereotypical gendered children’s stories. Princess stories are usually targeted towards girl readers, while dinosaur books are targeted towards boys. This book has both princesses and dinosaurs, so it is for everyone. There was also a princess who looked like a boy, so any child can see themselves in the princess characters.
This is a fun picture book!
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur by Linda Bailey, Colin Jack (illustrator)
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, Oliver Jeffers (illustrator)
Have you read Princesses Versus Dinosaurs? What did you think of it?
Title: Smash It! Author: Francina Simone Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary Publisher: Inkyard Press Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: September 22, 2020 Rating: ★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Refreshingly authentic and bold… Don’t miss this smashing #ownvoices novel from Francina Simone! Filled with heart, humor and a heroine to root for, Smash It! is a perfect read for fans of Julie Murphy, Ibi Zoboi and Ashley Poston.
Olivia “Liv” James is done with letting her insecurities get the best of her. So she does what any self-respecting hot mess of a girl who wants to SMASH junior year does…
After Liv shows up to a Halloween party in khaki shorts–why, God, why?–she decides to set aside her wack AF ways. She makes a list–a F*ck-It list.
1. Be bold–do the thing that scares me.
2. Learn to take a compliment.
3. Stand out instead of back.
She kicks it off by trying out for the school musical, saying yes to a date and making new friends. Life is great when you stop punking yourself! However, with change comes a lot of missteps, and being bold means following her heart. So what happens when Liv’s heart is interested in three different guys–and two of them are her best friends? What is she supposed to do when she gets dumped by a guy she’s not even dating? How does one Smash It! after the humiliation of being friend-zoned?
In Liv’s own words, “F*ck it. What’s the worst that can happen?”
A lot, apparently.
#SMASHIT
Review:
Olivia James is ready to leave her insecurities behind. She’s inspired by Shonda Rhimes’s book “Year of Yes” to make a list of things she wants to do to smash her junior year of high school. She auditions for the school play, which is something she’s always wanted to do. She also falls into a “love square,” when she starts crushing on three different guys, two of whom are her best friends. Olivia tries to make this the best year ever, but with so many mixed feelings, someone is bound to get hurt.
There were a lot of feelings in this book. Olivia and her friends had to figure out their own feelings while also discovering the complicated relationships of the adults around them. They experienced a lot of “firsts” that go with teenage love. The love triangle Olivia had with her two best friends was very uncomfortable. They all seemed to have feelings for each other but didn’t speak up until it was too late. These were awkward situations, but they also felt authentic.
I read some reviews for this book when I started reading it, and there were many negative comments about the racism in the story. One character is half Israeli and half Palestinian. This was a controversial choice, and I’m not sure why the character had this background because it didn’t really have anything to do with the plot. I found that the characters made a lot of racist comments about the Black characters. Even though the characters and author are Black, these comments were offensive. The characters briefly pointed out that these comments were offensive, but I think there could have been a firmer stand against these racist comments.
I wish some of these sensitive topics were treated more delicately in this story. However, this was an authentically emotional teenage story.
Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
About the author:
Francina Simone believes in one thing: authenticity. She writes YA stories full of humor and hard life lessons with sprinkles of truth that make us all feel understood. Her craft focuses on stories about girls throwing caution to the wind to discover exactly who they are and what it means to love. Francina is also known for her BookTube channel, where she discusses controversial topics in books.
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 Blood and Honey (Serpent and Dove #2) by Shelby Mahurin.
Goodreads Synopsis:
After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.
To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.
The hotly anticipated sequel to the New York Times and IndieBound bestseller Serpent & Dove—packed with even steamier romance and darker magic—is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas.
Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
