Author: jilljemmett

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.

Review: Catkwondo

Title: Catkwondo
Author: Lisl H. Detlefsen, Erin Hunting (illustrator)
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Capstone
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 1, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Kitten wants to a break a board, and she wants to do it now. But Tae Kwon Do is not easy. Kitten must focus. She must practice. And above all, she must be patient. Will Kitten’s determination and dedication pay off when it’s finally time to break a board? Author Lisl Detlefsen delivers a turbo-charged story filled with action, fun, and encouragement. Korean phrases are intermixed throughout Catkwondo, and the Tae Kwon Do Oath and a Tae Kwon Do glossary complete this energetic picture book.

Review:

Kitten goes to a Tae Kwon Do class. She wants to break a board right away. Before she can break the board, she has to practice and learn the rules of Tae Kwon Do. With practice and determination, Kitten can break the board.

I have never done Tae Kwon Do but I had friends who did when I was a kid. I remember how they were so excited about breaking a board. It was one of their biggest goals, and they were so proud when they could finally do it.

There was a great glossary of Korean terms at the back of the book. There were Korean terms that are used in Tae Kwon Do in the story. I wasn’t familiar with these words, so it was great to see this glossary with pronunciations.

I loved the message of this story. Kitten was able to reach her goal of breaking a board through lots of practice and focus. Even though Kitten wanted to break the board immediately, she came to realize that she needed to do the work before she could break the board. This can be applied to any goals you may have, which is an inspiring message for children.

This is a great children’s book!

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

What to read next:

1, 2, 3 Jump! by Lisl H. Detlefsen, Madeline Valentine (illustrator)

Cone Cat by Sarah Howden, Carmen Mok (illustrator)

Have you read Catkwondo? What did you think of it?

The Friday 56 – Permanent Record

This is a weekly meme hosted by Freda’s Voice.

The Rules are:

  • Grab a book, any book.
  • Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
  • Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it) that grabs you.
  • Post it. And share your link.
  • It’s that simple.

I chose Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi.

Here is my line from page 56 in my copy:

“I love my mom best in the early hours after work.”

Did you make a post for the Friday 56?

Review: The Love Square

Title: The Love Square
Author: Laura Jane Williams
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Avon
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

She’s single. But it can still be complicated…

Penny Bridge has always been unlucky in love.

So she can’t believe it when she meets a remarkable new man.

Followed by another.

And then another…

And all of them want to date her.

Penny has to choose between three. But are any of them The One?

The bestselling author of Our Stop will have you laughing, crying and cheering Penny on in this funny and feel-good exploration of hope, romance and the trust it takes to finally fall in love. Perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane’s If I Never Met You and Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare.

Review:

Penny is a café owner who is discouraged by the lack of romance in her life. When Francesco walks into her café one day, she thinks that her luck is about to change. They have a whirlwind romance that seems too good to be true. Penny is suddenly called away from London, to return to her home town in Derbyshire to run her uncle’s restaurant. Francesco makes it easy for her to leave, but she can’t help thinking about him while she starts two new romances in Derbyshire. Penny strings all three men along, which can only end in heartbreak.

This story started out as a slow burn. Penny and Francesco’s romance was quite slow, and took up almost the first half of the book. I was wondering when the “love square” was going to come in, because it was just the two of them for so long. I think some of the details of that romance could have been condensed to get to the main point of the plot sooner, which was Penny’s love square with three men.

Penny was a frustrating character. At the beginning, a man told her that he didn’t want to be with her because she was too confident. However, by the end, she was letting certain men put her down to the point that she thought there was something seriously wrong with her. The men made her feel bad for doing the same things that they did to her. It was frustrating to see her being insulted and lacking the confidence that she was told she had the beginning of the story.

The cover didn’t match the story. The three men who are pictured on the cover don’t match the ones in the story. On the cover, one man has a dog and another has a bike, even though bicycles were never mentioned and a dog barked in one scene. These men didn’t match the chef, wine merchant, and concert tour manager in the story.

This slow burn romance didn’t work for me.

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

What to read next:

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

The Switch by Beth O’Leary

Have you read The Love Square? What did you think of it?

TBR Thursday – August 20

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 Intercepted (Playbook #1) by Alexa Martin.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Marlee thought she scored the man of her dreams only to be scorched by a bad breakup. But there’s a new player on the horizon, and he’s in a league of his own…

Marlee Harper is the perfect girlfriend. She’s definitely had enough practice by dating her NFL-star boyfriend for the last ten years. But when she discovers he has been tackling other women on the sly, she vows to never date an athlete again. There’s just one problem: Gavin Pope, the new hotshot quarterback and a fling from the past, has Marlee in his sights.

Gavin fights to show Marlee he’s nothing like her ex. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to let her escape her past. The team’s wives, who never led the welcome wagon, are not happy with Marlee’s return. They have only one thing on their minds: taking her down. But when the gossip makes Marlee public enemy number one, she worries about more than just her reputation.

Between their own fumbles and the wicked wives, it will take a Hail Mary for Marlee and Gavin’s relationship to survive the season.

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

Review: Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns #3)

Title: Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns #3)
Author: Kendare Blake
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake returns with the highly anticipated third book in the Three Dark Crowns series! And while Arsinoe, Mirabella, and Katharine all have their own scores to settle, they aren’t the only queens stirring things up on Fennbirn Island.

Queen Katharine has waited her entire life to wear the crown. But now that she finally has it, the murmurs of dissent grow louder by the day. There’s also the alarming issue of whether or not her sisters are actually dead—or if they’re waiting in the wings to usurp the throne.

Mirabella and Arsinoe are alive, but in hiding on the mainland and dealing with a nightmare of their own: being visited repeatedly by a specter they think might be the fabled Blue Queen. Though she says nothing, her rotting, bony finger pointing out to sea is clear enough: return to Fennbirn. 

Jules, too, is in a strange place—in disguise. And her only confidants, a war-gifted girl named Emilia and her oracle friend Mathilde, are urging her to take on a role she can’t imagine filling: a legion-cursed queen who will lead a rebel army to Katharine’s doorstep.

This is an uprising that the mysterious Blue Queen may have more to do with than anyone could have guessed—or expected.

Review:

Queen Katharine won the battle, so she is ruling Fennbirn Island. Her sisters, Arinsoe and Mirabella, are on the mainland, where they escaped after the duel with Katharine. Katharine doesn’t know if her sisters are alive or not, which means they could come and threaten her reign. Arsinoe’s friend Jules also escaped and is living in disguise. Jules’s friends Emilia and Mathilde want her to fill the role of the legion cursed queen to oppose Katharine. At the same time, the legendary Blue Queen is appearing in Arsinoe’s dreams, pointing her back toward Fennbirn Island. The biggest danger may be something they can’t see.

This story had a lot of world building, even though it is the third in the series. It opens with a flashback 400 years ago when Queen Illian, the Blue Queen, was born. She plays an important role in the story. I loved that history returned to the island in this story.

The plot took a twist I didn’t see coming. Some characters that were minor in previous books became more important to the story in this book. I love that the plot arc has changed in a surprising way, yet it still makes sense to the story as a whole.

I loved this book! I’m going to have to get the next book right away!

What to read next:

Five Dark Fates (Three Dark Crowns #3) by Kendare Blake

Queens of Fennbirn (Three Dark Crowns #0.1-0.2) by Kendare Blake

Other books in the series:

Have you read Two Dark Reigns? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – August 19

This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.

The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is Majesty (American Royals #2) by Katharine McGee. The expected publication date is September 1, 2020.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Is America ready for its first queen?

Power is intoxicating. Like first love, it can leave you breathless. Princess Beatrice was born with it. Princess Samantha was born with less. Some, like Nina Gonzalez, are pulled into it. And a few will claw their way in. Ahem, we’re looking at you Daphne Deighton.

As America adjusts to the idea of a queen on the throne, Beatrice grapples with everything she lost when she gained the ultimate crown. Samantha is busy living up to her “party princess” persona…and maybe adding a party prince by her side. Nina is trying to avoid the palace–and Prince Jefferson–at all costs. And a dangerous secret threatens to undo all of Daphne’s carefully laid “marry Prince Jefferson” plans.

A new reign has begun….

What books are you waiting on this week?

Review: Monsters 101

Title: Monsters 101
Author: Cale Atkinson
Genre: Children’s
Publisher: Tundra Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 4, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Readers who loved Unicorns 101 will love this laugh-out-loud picture book that finally sets the record straight about monsters! 

Monsters! They’re so much more than just that scary thing under your bed. Join Professors Vampire, Blob and Werewolf, and their trusty lab assistant–a zombie named Tina–as they reveal eerie and frankly ridiculous monsters facts never uttered outside a crypt! For example:

– Monsters love competitive board game nights!
– Favorite monster foods include clam pudding with fish heads and pickled ant ice cream!
– In addition to cauldrons and spider gardens, monster homes often include homemade collages!
– Werewolves hate the sound of vacuum cleaners!
– Monsters aren’t all scary! Try being nice to one for a change! Offer them a compliment!

Full of eye-popping illustrations and a story with nonstop sidesplitting laughs, plus a removable Professor of Monstrology diploma at the end of the book, Monsters 101 will have children–and adults–eager to enroll, time and time again!

Review:

This is a reference book about monsters. It talks about different kinds of monsters, and includes sections on what monsters eat and what they do in their day to day lives.

This would be a great book for kids who love monsters. There were tons of fun facts about different monsters, including vampires, werewolves, and zombies. This would also be a great book to teach kids not to be afraid of monsters. It shows what monsters do when they hide under a bed, and they are actually more afraid of humans than humans are of them.

The book ends with a diploma to show that the reader has completed the Monsters 101 book. This is such a cute book for kids.

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

What to read next:

Unicorns 101 by Cale Atkinson

Have you read Monsters 101? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Should Be Adapted Into Movies

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 Books That Should Be Adapted Into Movies. Here’s my list:

1. City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

2. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

3. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

4. Royals by Rachel Hawkins

5. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

6. Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

7. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

8. Well Met by Jen DeLuca

9. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

10. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

(All photos taken from Goodreads)

What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?

Happy Pub Day – August 18

Happy Pub Day to all of these new books!

The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan

Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan

The Queen of Tuesday by Darin Strauss

Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy by Kelly Jensen (editor)

The Faithless Hawk by Margaret Owen

Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho

Jackie and Maria: A Novel of Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas by Gill Paul

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy

Title: Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy
Author: Kelly Jensen (editor)
Genre: Non-Fiction, Anthology
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 18, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s time to bare it all about bodies!

We all experience the world in a body, but we don’t usually take the time to explore what it really means to have and live within one. Just as every person has a unique personality, every person has a unique body, and every body tells its own story. 

In Body Talk, thirty-seven writers, models, actors, musicians, and artists share essays, lists, comics, and illustrations—about everything from size and shape to scoliosis, from eating disorders to cancer, from sexuality and gender identity to the use of makeup as armor. Together, they contribute a broad variety of perspectives on what it’s like to live in their particular bodies—and how their bodies have helped to inform who they are and how they move through the world.

Come on in, turn the pages, and join the celebration of our diverse, miraculous, beautiful bodies! 

Review:

In this anthology, 37 writers talk about different body issues. Some of these pieces of writing were universal, like reproductive health, while others were about specific disabilities.

This book was informative and enjoyable. I’m quite squeamish and don’t typically like reading medical texts, so some of these essays were difficult to get through. However, I learned a lot about muscular diseases and scoliosis, which was referenced in a number of pieces.

Between the articles were some FAQ. These included things like the use of the word “fat,” and how to use identity first language when talking about disabilities. That means you say “a disabled person” rather than “a person with a disability.”

These pieces were written by a variety of different writers. They were celebrities, young adult authors, and doctors. It was great to see these first hand accounts of body issues, as well as the medical science to back it up. Some of the pieces were previously published elsewhere. They were good pieces of writing, but I’m not sure why they were included with original works.

This was a really great book for everyone to read!

Thank you Algonquin Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

[Don’t] Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation About Mental Health by Kelly Jensen (editor)

The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat and Fierce by Angie Manfredi (editor)

About the author:

Kelly Jensen is a former librarian and current editor at Book Riot and her own popular book blog, Stacked. She’s the editor of two highly-acclaimed YA anthologies, Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World and (Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start The Conversation About Mental Health. Her writing has been featured in Bust Magazine, Fortune, Bustle, and more. When not working with words, she teaches yoga, hangs out with a motley crew of pets, and enjoys all of the black licorice no one else wants. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen and her website kellybjensen.com.

Have you read Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy? What did you think of it?