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Top Ten Tuesday – Books I DNF (or Almost DNF)

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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 I Did Not Finish (or almost DNF). I don’t usually DNF books, but there are a few that I wasn’t able to finish, or they were really hard to read until the end. Here’s my list:

1. The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1)

2. The Night Watch

3. The Heirs

4. Wicked

5. The Giver

6. The Kite Runner

7. The Life of Pi

8. The Animators

9. Heart of Darkness

10. Longbourn

(All photos taken from Goodreads)

Review: Clara Voyant

Title: Clara Voyant
Author: Rachelle Delaney
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Release Date: May 15, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Clara can’t believe her no-nonsense grandmother has just up and moved to Florida, leaving Clara and her mother on their own for the first time. This means her mother can finally “follow her bliss,” which involves moving to a tiny apartment in Kensington Market, working at a herbal remedy shop and trying to develop her so-called mystical powers. Clara tries to make the best of a bad situation by joining the newspaper staff at her new middle school, where she can sharpen her investigative journalistic skills and tell the kind of hard-news stories her grandmother appreciated. But the editor relegates her to boring news stories and worse . . . the horoscopes.

Worse yet, her horoscopes come true, and soon everyone at school is talking about Clara Voyant, the talented fortune-teller. Clara is horrified–horoscopes and clairvoyance aren’t real, she insists, just like her grandmother always told her. But when a mystery unfolds at school, she finds herself in a strange situation: having an opportunity to prove herself as an investigative journalist . . . with the help of her own mystical powers.

Review:

I really liked this middle grade novel!

This story is set in Toronto, in Kensington Market. It’s a quirky area of the city, so it is perfect for Clara’s mystical mother.

I liked the twist on the story when Clara had to write horoscopes. She didn’t want to write them because she didn’t want to be like her mother, and then she was shocked when they started coming true! She was given the nickname Clara Voyant, but she suspected it was probably just a coincidence that her horoscopes came true.

One thing I would have liked to see more of was Clara’s grandmother. Clara used to live with her grandmother, but she recently moved to Florida. Her grandmother was so busy having fun at her new home that she didn’t even answer Clara’s phone calls! I found that strange, and I wish she would have communicated with Clara or visited her.

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

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – June 4

It's Monday! What Are You Reading

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:

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This weekend I finished My Name is Victoria by Lucy Worsley.

What I’m currently reading:

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I’m currently reading The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang.

What I’m reading next:

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Next I will be reading Blood Will Out by Jo Treggiari.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books? Let me know in the comments!

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – June 3

Here’s my weekly wrap up!

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

That Inevitable Victorian Thing ★★★★★
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal ★★★★
Doctor Who: Summer Falls ★★★★★
Small Things ★★★★★
Crooked Kingdom ★★★★★
Lumberjanes, Volume 1: Beware the Kitten Holy ★★★★★

I did 5 weekly blogging memes:

Last weekend I went to the first Montreal YA Festival. Here is my post about that:

Montreal YA Festival

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… The Kiss Quotient

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 reading The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases–a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice–with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan–from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he’s making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic…

What book are you in bed with today?

Review: Lumberjanes, Volume 1: Beware the Kitten Holy

Title: Lumberjanes, Volume 1: Beware the Kitten Holy
Author: Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Faith Hicks, Brook A. Allen
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: BOOM! Box
Source: Purchased
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX!

At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together… And they’re not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here.

Collects Lumberjanes No. 1-4.

Review:

This was my second time reading the Lumberjanes, Volume 1, and I enjoyed it much better than the first time.

The story is hilarious. Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s camp for hard-core lady-types isn’t your typical summer camp. The girls in the Roanoke cabin encountered three-eyed foxes and living statues, as well as mysterious boy scouts! Their encounters get more and more outrageous as the story progresses!

I found it hard to differentiate between the girls when I first read this book. I would love it if there was a diagram at the beginning or end that gave a description of each girl with their pictures. I was able to tell them apart this time because I have read the recent novels based on the series. However, they may be confusing for new readers, so I recommend reading the stories over again.

I love the Lumberjanes! Have you read this series? What did you think?

Review: Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2)

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Title: Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Source: Purchased
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

When you can’t beat the odds, change the game.

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

Review:

This book is another amazing story from Leigh Bardugo!

Leigh’s writing is amazing. I felt immersed in the world immediately. And the story started right away. Kaz was in the middle of a heist when the story began. The end of the book returned to that first mission, so the story came right back around.

I love that the stories are complex. When things went wrong in Six of Crows, it seemed like a mistake, but Kaz had planned it. When I read these stories, I can’t imagine the planning Kaz would have had to make. And in reality, I can’t imagine how Leigh writes these complicated stories. I just love them!

Have you read Six of Crows or Crooked Kingdom? What did you think of them?

Montreal YA Festival

Last weekend I went to the best book festival! It was the first Montreal YA festival, and it was amazing!

First, there were three sessions of panels. The first one I went to was called “New On The Scene” and featured the authors Nic Stone, Gloria Chao, S.M. Beiko, and J.F. Dubeau. This was a great panel for aspiring authors, because they talked about their journey to being published.

The next panel I went to was called “Far Off Places, Daring Sword Fights, Magic Spells… A Prince in Disguise!” and featured the authors Danielle Paige, Sarah Mlynowski, S.M. Beiko, and Karl Kerschl. I went to this panel because I want to write a fantasy novel after I finish my current book. These authors gave great advice, and I’ve been working on my fantasy idea since then.

The last panel I went to was “Uncharted Territory” with the authors Sarah Mlynowski, Brendan Kiely, Adi Alsaid, and Chantel Guertin. This one was interesting, because most of the authors had been on the same road trips that their characters went on in their books.

Now came the best part: the book signing! Since it was such a small festival, I was able to have some chats with authors that I wouldn’t normally be able to speak with at a large event. I spoke with Gloria Chao, who wrote the amazing book American Panda. It was so great to meet her because we’ve chatted online. I also spoke to Brendan Kiely, who has written multiple books including Tradition, which I reviewed on a blog tour. Some other great authors I spoke to are Sarah Mlynowski, E.K. Johnston, Danielle Paige, and Nic Stone.

This was a great festival! I hope they do it again next year! I’ll definitely be there.

Also a special thank you to my dad, for going with me and taking most of the photos in this post! He used his amazing photography skills to get some great shots of the festival! You can check out his website, Pics by Rob.

Tomorrow I’m going to BookCon!! It’s my first time going, so I’m super excited!

Did you go to Montreal YA Fest? Are you going to BookCon? What is your favourite book festival?

Review: Small Things

Title: Small Things
Author: Mel Tregonning
Genre: Picture book
Publisher: Pajama Press
Source: Publisher
Release Date: March 1, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

On the cusp of having everything slip from his grasp, a young boy has to find a way to rebuild his sense of self. An ordinary boy in an ordinary world. With no words, only illustrations, Small Things tells the story of a boy who feels alone with worries but who learns that help is always close by. An extraordinary story, told simply and with breath taking beauty.

Review:

When I was a kid, I didn’t like picture books without words. However, now I know that the pictures can tell a more powerful story without words. This is the case with this book.

This book tells the important story of childhood anxiety. Children are not always diagnosed with anxiety, though it is very common. The main character in this story has little creatures or demons that are slowly eating away at him, until he is surrounded by them. His sister speaks to him one day and shows him that she has the same problems. Then, he notices that other kids at school also have the same problems, but he didn’t notice them when he was only thinking of his own problems.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful. The pictures look like detailed pencil sketches. The depiction of his demons were much more prominent though the images than they would have been with words. The number or demons increased so much that they eventually filled the entire page. This is a great, honest way to show how the demons of anxiety can consume a child or adult.

I loved this picture book! It is a powerful story for adults or children.

TBR Thursday – May 31

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 The Harper Effect by Taryn Bashford.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Harper was once a rising star on the tennis court–until her coach dropped her for being “mentally weak.” Without tennis, who is she? Her confidence at an all-time low, she secretly turns to her childhood friend, next-door neighbor Jacob–who also happens to be her sister’s very recent ex-boyfriend. If her sister finds out, it will mean a family war.

But when Harper is taken on by a new coach who wants her to train with Colt, a cold, defensive, brooding young tennis phenom, she hits the court all the harder, if only to prove Colt wrong. But as the two learn to become a team, Harper gets glimpses of the vulnerable boy beneath the surface, the boy who was deeply scarred by his family’s dark and scandalous past. The boy she could easily find herself falling for.

As she walks a fine line between Colt’s secrets, her forbidden love, and a game that demands nothing but the best, Harper must decide between her past and her future and between two boys who send her head spinning. Is the cost of winning the game worth losing everything?

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