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 meme is hosted by Lainey from Thoughts on Tomes. The Goodreads Group for Top 5 Wednesday can be found here.
This week’s prompt is Favourite SFF (Science Fiction/Fantasy) Booktubers, but since I don’t watch a lot of book tubers, I chose to list my Favourite SFF Books instead. Here’s my list:
Title: The Hummingbird Dagger Author: Cindy Anstey Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Historical Publisher: Swoon Reads Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: April 16, 2019 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
1833. After young Lord James Ellerby witnesses a near-fatal carriage accident on the outskirts of his estate, he doesn’t think twice about bringing the young woman injured in the wreck to his family’s manor to recuperate. But then she finally regains consciousness only to find that she has no memory of who she is or where she belongs.
Beth, as she takes to calling herself, is an enigma even to herself. She has the rough hands of a servant, but the bearing and apparent education of a lady. Her only clue to her identity is a gruesome recurring nightmare about a hummingbird dripping blood from its steel beak.
With the help of James and his sister, Caroline, Beth slowly begins to unravel the mystery behind her identity and the sinister circumstances that brought her to their door. But the dangerous secrets they discover in doing so could have deadly ramifications reaching the highest tiers of London society.
Review:
I love Cindy Anstey’s books! They are set in the 19th century, which is my favourite time period to read about. However, the subject matter is something that couldn’t have been written about during that time. In this story, there is a kidnapping and murder.
The cast of older teenagers have to search out the answers as to who the young lady is that was involved in an accident. She lost her memory, so they have the difficult task of finding her identity. I loved the characters. They reminded me of Jane Austen characters. Their family friend, Mrs. Thompson, especially reminded me of Mrs. Bennet in the way that she was really clueless to the things that were going on around her.
The mystery of the story kept me guessing until the end. I loved the ending. This is a great historical, YA mystery!
What to read next:
Suitors and Sabotage by Cindy Anstey
Duels and Deception by Cindy Anstey
About the Author:
Whenever she is not sitting at the computer, throwing a ball in the backyard, gardening or reading, Cindy can be found–actually, not found–adventuring around the world with her hubby.
She has lived on three continents, had a monkey in her yard and a scorpion under her sink, dwelt among castles and canals, enjoyed the jazz of Beale St and attempted to speak French.
Cindy loves history, mystery and… a chocolate Labrador called Chester.
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 Rainy Day Reads. This is a perfect list for this week because it’s raining all week in Toronto! These are books that are hard to put down, so they’re perfect for a rainy day when you have lots of time to read. Here’s my list:
1. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
2. An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
3. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
4. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Title: Restore Me (Shatter Me #4) Author: Tahereh Mafi Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction Publisher: HarperCollins Source: Purchased Format: Hardcover Release Date: March 6, 2018 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Juliette Ferrars thought she’d won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she’s still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she’s got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?
Review:
This was an amazing story in the Shatter Me series! The first three books can be read as a trilogy. This continuation of the series is even better than the first three books.
Even though so much happens in the first three books, there is still an entire world to discover in this one. The first trilogy was centred around Juliette in Sector 45. This story explores the leaders of the other continents. There was so much information that Juliette didn’t know, and that we learn along with her.
This story was different from the other ones because the chapters alternate between Juliette’s and Warner’s points of view. There are betrayals and lots of new discoveries to be made, so it was important that the two different perspectives be shown in this story. It’s also great to see Warner’s narrative again. He was the narrator in the novella Destroy Me. He’s a complicated character and I love reading his scenes.
I loved this book! I’m so glad I’m almost caught up! I can’t wait to see what happens next.
What to read next:
Shadow Me (Shatter Me #4.5) by Tahereh Mafi
Defy Me (Shatter Me #5) by Tahereh Mafi
Have you read Restore Me? What did you think of it?
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 Restore Me (Shatter Me #4) by Tahereh Mafi.
What I’m currently reading:
I’m currently reading The Hummingbird Dagger by Cindy Anstey.
What I’m reading next:
Next I will be reading The Temptation of Gracie by Santa Montefiore.
What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?
Title: The Agony of Bun O’Keefe Author: Heather Smith Genre: Young Adult Publisher: Razorbill Canada Source: Library Format: Ebook Release Date: September 5, 2017 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Set in 1980s Newfoundland, The Agony of Bun O’Keefe is the story of a 14-year-old girl who runs away to the city and is taken in by a street musician who lives with an eclectic cast of characters: a pot smoking dishwasher with culinary dreams; a drag queen with a tragic past; a Catholic school girl desperately trying to reinvent herself; and a man who Bun is told to avoid at all cost.
Review:
After reading Chicken Girl, I wanted to check out Heather Smith’s other books. I loved this one!
This story had a diverse cast of characters, who lived in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Bun runs away from home and ends up moving in with a busker she meets on the street. He lives with a variety of people, including a guy who dresses up in drag as Cher and a chef. The Busker boy is Native Canadian. Bun comes from a mother who was a hoarder. There were many tough issues discussed in this story, including suicide.
I loved Bun! She had a childlike innocence, even though she was fourteen. She didn’t have experience in schools, because she was only sent to kindergarten. She was educated by movies that she memorized. She took everything literally, which created some funny misunderstandings. She read and memorized the dictionary for fun. I loved her innocence. She had to grow up physically and emotionally in this story.
I loved this book! I highly recommend it!
What to read next:
Chicken Girl by Heather Smith
Baygirl by Heather Smith
Have you read The Agony of Bun O’Keefe? What did you think of it?
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 Restore Me (Shatter Me #4) by Tahereh Mafi.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Juliette Ferrars thought she’d won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she’s still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she’s got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?
Title: Stay Up with Hugo Best Author: Erin Somers Genre: Fiction, Literary Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: April 2, 2019 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
An incredibly timely, terrifically witty and moving debut about a young writer’s assistant on a late night comedy show and what transpires when she accepts an invitation from its enigmatic host to spend a long weekend at his mansion in Connecticut.
June Bloom is a broke, cynical twenty-nine-year-old writer’s assistant on the late-night comedy show, Stay Up with Hugo Best. Hugo Best is in his sixties, a beloved icon of TV and humor, and a notorious womanizer. After he unexpectedly retires and a party is held for his now unemployed staff, June ends up at a dive bar for an open-mic night and prepares for the sad return to the anonymous comedian lifestyle. What she’s not prepared for is a run-in with Hugo at that dive bar. Nor for the invitation that swiftly follows: Hugo asks June to come to his mansion in Greenwich for the long Memorial Day weekend. “No funny business,” he insists.
June, in need of a job and money, confident she can handle herself, but secretly harboring the remains of a childhood crush on the charming older comedian and former role model, accepts. The exact terms of the visit are never spelled out, but June is realistic and clear-eyed enough to guess. Even so, as the weekend unfolds and the enigmatic Hugo gradually reveals himself, their dynamic proves to be much more complicated and less predictable than she expected.
At once hilarious and poignant, brilliantly incisive and terrifically propulsive, Stay Up with Hugo Best is an incredibly timely exploration of sexual politics in the #MeToo age, and the unforgettable story of one young woman’s poignant stumbling into adulthood.
Review:
I enjoyed this new literary story. It has some humourous parts, but it is also sad.
The characters developed in different directions in the story. It takes place over a weekend, but you really get to know them in that short period of time. June goes from a quiet assistant writer to a confident young woman. Meanwhile, Hugo moves from being a late night comedian to a lonely, friendless old man. June grew up, while Hugo deflated.
Some of the story was difficult to read. There were some depressing parts. June gets to live this fancy life for a weekend, where she can pretty much have anything she wants. However, she knows it will end. She has always idolized Hugo, but he isn’t really the person she has always fantasized about. Hugo loses his career and his friends over the space of a few days. They have both lost their jobs, but June’s youth gives hope for her future.
This was a good story with a satisfying ending.
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
The Showrunner by Kim Moritsugu
Have you read Stay Up with Hugo Best? What did you think of it?
