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First Lines Friday – September 14

This is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words, where you give the first few lines of a book to hook your readers before introducing the book.

Here are my first lines:

“Mom doesn’t show up. I shouldn’t be surprised – she never shows up – but I can’t get rid of the empty, twisted feeling in my stomach. Emery always says that being alone isn’t the same thing as being lonely, but sometimes it feels like they’re exactly the same thing.”

Do you recognize these first lines?

…

And the book is… Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman.

Goodreads synopsis:

Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin.

But then Kiko doesn’t get into Prism, at the same time her abusive uncle moves back in with her family. So when she receives an invitation from her childhood friend to leave her small town and tour art schools on the west coast, Kiko jumps at the opportunity in spite of the anxieties and fears that attempt to hold her back. And now that she is finally free to be her own person outside the constricting walls of her home life, Kiko learns life-changing truths about herself, her past, and how to be brave.

From debut author Akemi Dawn Bowman comes a luminous, heartbreaking story of identity, family, and the beauty that emerges when we embrace our true selves.

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

Review: No Fixed Address

Title: No Fixed Address
Author: Susin Nielsen
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Release Date: September 11, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From beloved Governor General Literary Award–winning author Susin Nielsen comes a touching and funny middle-grade story about family, friendship and growing up when you’re one step away from homelessness.

Felix Knuttson, twelve, is an endearing kid with an incredible brain for trivia. His mom Astrid is loving but unreliable; she can’t hold onto a job, or a home. When they lose their apartment in Vancouver, they move into a camper van, just for August, till Astrid finds a job. September comes, they’re still in the van; Felix must keep “home” a secret and give a fake address in order to enroll in school. Luckily, he finds true friends. As the weeks pass and life becomes grim, he struggles not to let anyone know how precarious his situation is. When he gets to compete on a national quiz show, Felix is determined to win — the cash prize will bring them a home. Their luck is about to change! But what happens is not at all what Felix expected.

Review:

This is a great story, with tons of emotions.

Felix is homeless, though he tries to hide it. He and his mother live in a van. He tries to keep that a secret from his friends, but it keeps coming back to haunt him that he has no address. His biggest fear was that he would be taken from his mother, so he had to keep it a secret.

Felix has a modern, complicated family. His parents were never together. His “father” was his mom’s gay friend who was a sperm donor. His grandparents have passed away, and his mom’s brother died of an overdose when she was a teenager. This all makes for a unique situation for Felix. Though he has had many hardships in his young life, Felix works hard toward his goal of being on a trivia game show.

I liked his narration style. Felix did a great job of explaining things about his family in an entertaining way. For example, he listed the different kinds of lies his mother tells, and he made acronyms for different things.

This is a great middle grade story!

TBR Thursday – September 13

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 Catwoman: Soulstealer (DC Icons #3) by Sarah J. Maas.

Goodreads Synopsis:

When the Bat’s away, the Cat will play. It’s time to see how many lives this cat really has. . . .

Two years after escaping Gotham City’s slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals. Gotham City is ripe for the taking.

Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing. He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most. She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman may be Batwing’s undoing.

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

Review: Another Woman’s Husband

Title: Another Woman’s Husband
Author: Gill Paul
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Headline Review
Source: Purchased
Release Date: November 2, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Another Woman’s Husband is the latest gripping novel from Gill Paul.

Two women who challenged the Crown. Divided by time. Bound by a secret…

1911

At the age of fifteen, carefree Mary Kirk and indomitable Wallis Warfield meet at summer camp. Their friendship will survive heartbreaks, separation and the demands of the British Crown until it is shattered by one unforgivable betrayal.

1997

Rachel’s romantic break in Paris with her fiance ends in tragedy when the car ahead crashes. Inside was Princess Diana. Back in Brighton, Rachel is haunted by the accident, and intrigued to learn the princess had visited the last home of Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, only hours before the crash. Soon, the discovery of a long-forgotten link to Wallis Simpson leads Rachel to the truth behind a scandal that shook the world…

Richly imagined and beautifully written, Another Woman’s Husband is a gripping, moving novel about two women thrust into the spotlight, followed by scandal, touched by loss.

Review:

I love the British monarchy, so I was curious about this story about Wallis Simpson and Princess Diana.

This story has two narratives, one that begins in the early twentieth century and another that begins in 1997, with Diana’s death. The narratives do not focus directly on the two women. The first narrative is about Mary, a friend of Wallis Simpson. The second is about Rachel, a woman who witnessed the crash that killed Diana. Rachel’s boyfriend produces a documentary about Diana’s death, so they have to investigate the crash and the end of her life.

I liked how the story didn’t tell the women’s stories directly, but instead it is told through the eyes of people who watched them, either personally or publicly. The two stories were also tied together to make the narratives complete, though the connection between the women was fictional.

I also liked that there was an explanation of the historical facts at the end of the book. When I read historical fiction, I’m always curious to see what events really happened and what was made up for the book. A lot of this book was made up from facts, though parts that I suspected were fiction, because they made the narrative complete, were made up.

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – September 12

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 Wildcard (Warcross #2) by Marie Lu.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo’s new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she’s always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.

Determined to put a stop to Hideo’s grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone’s put a bounty on Emika’s head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn’t all that he seems–and his protection comes at a price.

Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?

What books are you waiting on this week?

Review: Judy Moody and the Right Royal Tea Party

Title: Judy Moody and the Right Royal Tea Party
Author: Megan McDonald
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Release Date: September 11, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Jolly smashing! Could the Moodys really have royal blood? Judy brings her new look to a comical episode about the ups and downs of exploring a family tree.

Judy Moody is in a royal purple-mountain-majesties mood. Make that Majesty with a capital M! With Grandma Lou’s help, Judy has dug up proof that some old-timey Moodys (aka the brave Mudeyes) lived in merry olde England. In fact, if her grandpa’s notes are right, Judy might even be related to — royal fanfare, please — the Queen herself! Should Judy start packing her purple robe for a sleepover at Buckingham Palace? But then Judy’s family tree gets a few more shakes — thanks to her nemesis, Jessica “Fink” Finch — and some more surprises come tumbling out. Crikey! These new gems are not nearly as shiny or sparkly as the crown jewels. Now Judy has some right royal family secrets she’d like to keep hidden away in a dungeon somewhere — and especially away from Jessica, the princess in pink herself!

Review:

Judy Moody becomes a Queen in this new story.

I had never read a Judy Moody book before this one, and I enjoyed it. Judy is a quirky, funny girl. She reminded me of Junie B. Jones, who was one of my favourite characters when I was a kid.

I liked the plot of this story. Judy has to do a family tree project for school, which I remember doing too. It was surprising that Judy’s grandmother could trace their family back to Queen Elizabeth I! It encouraged Judy to explore her royal roots and become a queen herself.

I really enjoyed this story. It would be great for middle grade readers!

Top Ten Tuesday – Hidden Gems

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 Back to School, so I will be listing Books That Take Place at a School. Here’s my list:

1. Another Woman’s Husband by Gill Paul

2. The Raging Ones by Krista and Becca Ritchie

3. Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga

4. My Name is Victoria by Lucy Worsley

5. I See London, I See France by Sarah Mlynowski

6. The Brightsiders by Jen Wilde

7. Ghost by Jason Reynolds

8. The Window by Amelia Brunskill

9. The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross

10. Giant Days, Vol. 1 by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Whitney Cogar

(All photos taken from Goodreads)

Blog Tour Review: How (Not) to Marry a Duke

Title: How (Not) to Marry a Duke
Author: Felicia Kingsley
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Aria
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Release Date: August 21, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A hilarious romantic comedy perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Jo Watson and Meg Cabot.

One minute, Jemma Pears is a struggling theatrical make-up artist in London. The next, she’s been left a vast fortune by her estranged grandmother. The catch: she must marry a man with a title to inherit.
Jemma thinks this is truly impossible: she’s a romantic, searching for true love, not just a convenient marriage… and besides, where would she even find a titled guy?

Enter Ashford, the new Duke of Burlingham. His legacy: massive debts that he must pay back immediately or risk the bank seizing his assets. Or worse: his mother’s wrath!

When their lawyer hears of their situations, a secret match is made despite their mutual hatred of each other: through marrying Ashford, Jemma can inherit and Ashford can pay back his debts immediately. Problem solved. That is, until their marriage is leaked to the press and everyone finds out…

Now they have to play out the charade for at least a year or risk going to jail for fraud!

A hilarious pretense ensues and Jemma must battle against a crazy mother in law, a stuffy aristocracy, and finally, and most surprisingly of all, confusing feelings for Ashford…!

Review:

I absolutely loved this book! It was cute and funny!

The ending was kind of predictable because of the storyline. Jemma needs to marry a man with a title to receive her inheritance from her grandmother and Ashford is a Duke who requires a lot of money for him to save his properties. By coincidence, they have the same lawyer who sets them up to solve both of their problems! Of course, at first they hate each other because Jemma is not part of the aristocracy that Ashford usually associates with. But after living together for a while, things change.

There were a number of times that I laughed out loud. Ashford’s mother reminded me of Jane Fonda’s character in the movie Monster-In-Law. Jemma could not please her no matter what she did. They were completely different, so many of the scenes reminded me of that movie.

Though I could see where the story was heading, I loved the ending. I really enjoyed the whole story, and I fell in love with the characters. This is a great romantic comedy!

About the Author:

Felicia Kingsley was born in 1987. She lives in a small town near Modena and works as an architect. Her debut novel How (Not) to Marry a Duke was the second most read e-book in Italy in 2017.

Thank you to Aria for letting me participate in this blog tour.

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – September 10

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 How (Not) to Marry a Duke by Felicia Kingsley.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading Another Woman’s Husband by Gill Paul.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen.

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

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – September 9

I had a great week. I finished my Master’s dissertation for my Master’s in Critical and Creative Writing! I’m so relived to have it finished, and I’m excited to continue writing my book.

Here’s my weekly wrap up!

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

Study Hall of Justice (DC Comics: Secret Hero Society #1) ★★★★
Valiant High ★★★
The Benefits of Being an Octopus ★★★★
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle ★★★★★
Hilda and the Hidden People ★★★★
Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) ★★★★★

I did 7 weekly blogging memes:

I also shared my unboxing of my Litjoy Crate from July 2018

Litjoy Unboxing – July 2018

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Goodreads synopsis:

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Review:

What to read next:

Clara Voyant

Quid Pro Quo

Goodreads Synopsis:

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Review:

What to read next:

Diana: Her True Story – In Her Own Words by Andrew Morton

Wallis in Love: The Untold Life of the Duchess of Windsor, the Woman Who Changed the Monarchy by Andrew Morton

Goodreads Synopsis:

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Review:

What to read next:

Nancy Clancy Seeks a Fortune by Jane O’Connor

Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentime by Barbara Park

1. Another Woman’s Husband by Gill Paul

2. The Raging Ones by Krista and Becca Ritchie

3. Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga

4. My Name is Victoria by Lucy Worsley

5. I See London, I See France by Sarah Mlynowski

6. The Brightsiders by Jen Wilde

7. Ghost by Jason Reynolds

8. The Window by Amelia Brunskill

9. The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross

10. Giant Days, Vol. 1 by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Whitney Cogar

(All photos taken from Goodreads)

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

About the Author:

What I just finished:

What I’m currently reading:

What I’m reading next: