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Review: Harry Moon: Snow Day

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Title: Harry Moon: Snow Day
Author: Mark Andrew Poe
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Rabbit Publishers
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: January 16, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kligore’s halloween alarm fails to awaken him so that he can cast his daily early morning spell over Sleepy Hollow. Harry and his friends awaken to three feet of freshly fallen snow as winter punches through Halloween for one wonderful moment. Sleepy Hollow Middle School’s very first SNOW DAY! The Good Mischief Team has a whole day to figure out what to do with a glorious, magnificent, juicy twenty-four hours, a gift courtesy of Mayor Maximus Kligore.

Review:

This is another great middle grade story about the Moon children.

I love the “moon” refererences in the children names: Honey Moon and Harvest Moon. They are so cute.

The mayor is quite a villain in this story. He doesn’t cast a spell to prevent snow from coming to Sleepy Hollow, so it snows there the next day. I can’t imagine a town without snow, or a spell that can prevent snow from falling! We have had so much snow in Toronto already, and it’s only January so we have a few more months of snow to go!

This is a good twist on the snow day story. Most kids are always wishing for a snow day so they can be off school, but the kids in Sleepy Hollow had never had a snow day before so it was an extra special occasion.

This is a great winter story for kids!

Review: Ruin and Rising

Title: Ruin and Rising
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Source: Purchased
Release Date: June 17, 2014
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The capital has fallen.

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling’s secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

Review:

This was a thrilling conclusion to the Shadow and Bone trilogy!

This story was quite fast paced. One of my favourite parts about Bardugo’s stories is that when the characters explain their plans and what they want to happen, something comes to ruin it. Even when you think you can predict what is going to happen, someone comes in to crash the plans so it doesn’t happen and it turns the plot in a completely different direction. It keeps her readers on their toes.

I found the ending of the story so emotional. The characters go through so much love and loss through this book. Some losses were very hard to take.

This may be a bit of a spoiler, but I liked the epilogue. The characters went through so much throughout the series that it was calming to see how it all ended. I was satisfied with the ending, but I am glad that there are more books in the GrishaVerse for me to read!

Review: We Were Liars

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Purchased
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.

And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Review:

This is an original story.

The unusual style that Cady, the narrator, uses takes a while to get used to. She often drifts off into her own fantasies. For example, at the beginning she describes when her father left her and her mother. She says he got into the car, then shot her in the chest and she started bleeding. When I first read that, I was shocked! But that’s not what really happened. Cady often exaggerates events or makes up stories.

The mystery of what happened to Cady was really suspenseful. Since she lost her memories, she couldn’t remember everything that happened the night she was injured. As Cady remembered events, the reader was also told what happened.

I also liked the family dynamic of the story. The different generations all come together on their own island. The mothers used their children to try to manipulate their grandfather into giving them their inheritances. It’s sad to think about, but I can see that happening in very wealthy families.

The ending gave me goosebumps! I was definitely not expecting it. It left me speechless. You’ll just have to read the book to find out how it ends!

Blog Tour: Let’s Talk About Love

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Title: Let’s Talk About Love
Author: Claire Kann
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Source: Xpresso Book Tours, NetGalley
Release Date: January 23, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting–working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan? Her girlfriend (who ended things when Alice confessed she’s asexual). Alice is done with dating–no thank you, do not pass go, stick a fork in her, done.

But then Alice meets Takumi and she can’t stop thinking about him or the rom com-grade romance feels she did not ask for (uncertainty, butterflies, and swoons, oh my!).

When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn, and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library employee badge (close enough), Alice has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated—or understood.

Review:

I loved this book. This is the first book I’ve read with an asexual character.

At first, I was worried when Alice started having feelings for Takumi. I didn’t want the story to turn into her discovery that she wasn’t actually asexual. I was relieved that didn’t happen. The story is about Alice learning to accept her orientation.

Even though many readers may not be able to relate to Alice’s orientation, her relationship with Takumi is relateable. She has butterflies in her stomach for the first time, when she meets him. She’s constantly thinking about him and she can’t figure out why. This is the first time she experienced romantic attraction.

I think the book needed more tension. Alice had her personal problems, which were important and valid. But there weren’t a lot of exciting, tense moments to drive the story. I would have loved a surprise or shocking event throughout the story. I also would have liked to have seen more of her family. They created conflict with Alice, because they didn’t agree with what she wanted to do in life.

I really enjoyed this story and I highly recommend it!

About the Author:

Claire

Claire Kann hails from the glorious Bay Area where the weather is regrettably not nearly as temperate as it used to be. She has a BA in English/Creative Writing from Sonoma State University, works for a nonprofit that you may have heard of where she daydreams like she’s paid to do it. LET’S TALK ABOUT LOVE is her debut novel.

Author links:

https://www.clairekann.com/

https://www.facebook.com/kannclaire/

https://twitter.com/KannClaire

Purchase:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Talk-About-Love-Claire-ebook/dp/B073NZYT45/

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lets-talk-about-love-claire-kann/1125855883?ean=9781250136121#/

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lets-talk-about-love/id1257640599?mt=11

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/let-s-talk-about-love-3

Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (US/CAN)

Print copy of Let’s Talk About Love

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

January 22nd
–Margie’s Must Reads >> Excerpt
–Fannatality >> Review
–Actin’ Up with Books >> Review
–The Heart of a Book Blogger >> Review
–The Hopeless Romantic Bookworm >> Review

January 23rd
–The Candid Cover >> Review
–BookCrushin >> Guest post
–Married To Books Reviews and Blog >> Review
–Books of a Shy Girl >> Review
–Olivia’s Catastrophe >> Review

January 24th
–The Avid Reader >> Interview
–Jill Jemmett >> Review
–The Hermit Librarian >> Review
–Butterfly-o-Meter Books >> Interview

January 25th
–Lisa Loves Literature >> Interview
–Abooktropolis >> Review
–A Dream Within A Dream >> Excerpt
–Literary Meanderings >> Review
–Bookwyrming Thoughts >> Review

January 26th
–Rolling with the Moments >> Review
–Belle’s Book Blog >> Review
–Book Stacks Amber >> Guest post
–missbriony.com >> Review
–The Nocturnal Fey >> Review

Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for letting me participate in this blog tour.

‘Waiting On’ Wednesday – January 24

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 Things To Do When It’s Raining.

Here’s the synopsis:

When secrets tear love apart, can the truth mend it?

Mae Summers and Gabriel Broadbent grew up together in the idyllic Summers’ Inn, perched at the edge the St. Lawrence river. Mae was orphaned at the age of six and Gabe needed protection from his alcoholic father, so both were raised under one roof by Mae’s grandparents, Lilly and George. A childhood friendship quickly developed into a first love—a love that was suddenly broken by Gabe’s unexpected departure. Mae grew up, got over her heartbreak, and started a life for herself in New York City.

After more than a decade, Mae and Gabe find themselves pulled back to Alexandria Bay. Hoping to find solace within the Summers’ Inn, Mae instead finds her grandparents in the midst of decline and their past unravelling around her. A lifetime of secrets stand in the way of this unconventional family’s happiness. Will they be able to reclaim the past and come together, or will they remain separate islands?

From the bestselling author of Mating for Life comes a powerful story about guilt, forgiveness and the truth about families: that we can choose them, just as we choose to love.

I can’t wait to read this new book when it comes out on February 6.

What books are you waiting on this week?

Release Week Celebration: Right Kiss Wrong Guy

Welcome to the Release Day Celebration for

Right Kiss Wrong Guy (Offsides #2)
by Natalie Decker

presented by Swoon Romance!

Be sure to grab a copy of this new release
and enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

CONGRATULATIONS NATALIE!

You’d think a girl with the most romantic name in the world would have her pick of boyfriends.

But Valentine’s Day sucks when you’re single. Just ask Juliet Valentine, whose last name happens to also be the name of the most dreaded made-up holiday ever.

A romantic at heart, this year is especially hard on Juliet. Her sister, Layla, is in a new relationship, her mom’s match-making business is doing great, and her school’s new fundraiser is “Love-Grams.”

Juliet’s miserable, a little jealous, and lonely.

Quarterback Jared Black is the most popular guy in school. A star athlete, Jared tops the most-eligible bachelor list year after year. But to Juliet Valentine, he’s all but invisible. She isn’t impressed.

Jared’s never had to work hard to get the attention of a girl before. Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and he’s determined to ask Juliet out. After all, if Tyler can win over Layla, Jared ought to have a shot with Layla’s sister.

Unlike Tyler and Layla, charm, flattery and good looks won’t work on Juliet. So with the V-Day dance coming up, Jared uses the school’s Love-Grams to let Juliet know how he feels. Should be simple enough, right?

Wrong. Each attempt ends up either in the trash or thrown in someone’s face. Juliet won’t play his game.

Now, without a date to the dance Jared realizes it’s going to take a Hail Mary to win the girl of his dreams.

Right Kiss Wrong Guy (Offsides #2) by Natalie Decker
Publication Date: January 23, 2018
Publisher: Swoon Romance

Amazon

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Natalie Decker is the Author of Rival Love. She loves oceans, sunsets, sand between her toes, and carefree days. Her imagination is always going, which some find odd. But she believes in seeing the world in a different light at all times. Her first passion for writing started at age twelve when she had to write a poem for English class. However, seventh grade wasn’t her favorite time and books were her source of comfort. She took all college prep classes in High school, and attended the University of Akron. Although she studied Mathematics she never lost her passion for writing or her comfort in books. She’s a mean cook in the kitchen, loves her family and friends and her awesome dog infinity times infinity. If she’s not writing, reading, traveling, hanging out with her family and friends, then she’s off having an adventure. Because Natalie believes in a saying: Your life is your own journey, so make it amazing!

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Keep Her Safe

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Title: Keep Her Safe
Author: K.A. Tucker
Genre: Fiction, Thriller
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: January 23, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Noah Marshall has known a privileged and comfortable life thanks to his mother, the highly decorated chief of the Austin Police Department. But all that changes the night she reveals a skeleton that’s been rattling in her closet for years, and succumbs to the guilt of destroying an innocent family’s life. Reeling with grief, Noah is forced to carry the burden of this shocking secret.

Gracie Richards wasn’t born in a trailer park, but after fourteen years of learning how to survive in The Hollow, it’s all she knows anymore. At least here people don’t care that her dad was a corrupt Austin cop, murdered in a drug deal gone wrong. Here, she and her mother are just another family struggling to survive…until a man who clearly doesn’t belong shows up on her doorstep.

Despite their differences, Noah and Gracie are searching for answers to the same questions, and together, they set out to uncover the truth about the Austin Police Department’s dark and messy past. But the scandal that emerges is bigger than they bargained for, and goes far higher up than they ever imagined.

Complex, gritty, sexy, and thrilling, Keep Her Safe solidifies K.A. Tucker’s reputation as one of today’s most talented new voices in romantic suspense.

Review:

This is an amazing thriller!

There are so many emotions in this story. I was rooting for Noah and Grace. But I had sympathy for their situation. And the corrupt officials were so frustrating. I was emotionally invested in this story.

K.A. Tucker did a fantastic job with this narrative! It switches between Noah and Grace, and occasionally returns to Abe and Jackie from fourteen years ago. It was fast paced so I was never bored. I loved the way the story unraveled through these different narrators.

The mystery was great. There were twists and turns throughout the book. It was difficult to know where it would head next. The ending became very complex and unpredictable. Though I did suspect one person who was involved in the plot, I was surprised at the ending.

I absolutely loved this book. If you’re looking for a gripping, thrilling mystery, this is the book for you!

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Really Liked But Can’t Remember

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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 Really Liked But Can’t Remember Anything/Much About. Here’s my list:

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1. Deception Point

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2. Be Frank With Me

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3. The Husband’s Secret

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4. Two Nights

5. Arboria Park

6. Definitions of Indefinable Things

7. The Ashes of London

8. Death on the Nile

9. The Sunday Philosophy Club

10. Paper Girls, Volume 1

(all images taken from Goodreads)

Blog Tour: Robin Hood’s Dawn

Title: Robin Hood’s Dawn
Author: Olivia Longueville
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Angevin World Publishing LLC
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: January 16, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

England, 1154-1194
A kingdom under assault.
A conspiracy born of anarchy.
A hero standing against tyranny.

Falsely convicted of a shocking crime, Robin Fitzooth, the Earl of Huntingdon, finds refuge in Sherwood Forest and becomes Robin Hood.

Leading a band of men against the injustices of a malevolent sheriff and his henchmen, Robin begins to unravel a web of treachery threatening the English royal family.

As shadowy forces gather to destroy the future of a nation, Robin faces deceit, betrayal, and the ravages of war as he defends his king, his country, his people, and the woman he loves from a conspiracy so diabolical, so unexpected, that the course of history hangs in the balance.

From the mists of an ancient woodland, to lavish royal courts teeming with intrigue, to the exotic shores of the Holy Land – Robin Hood leads the fight in a battle between good and evil, justice and tyranny, the future and the past.

Part one of an exciting three-part retelling of the Robin Hood legend!

Review:

When I was approached about reading this book, I was only vaguely familiar with the story of Robin Hood. I watched the Disney movie and I read some Robin Hood books when I was a kid. I knew he took from the rich and gave to the poor, but that was just a small part of this story. This book gave so much more fascinating details about Robin Hood.

I loved the background of the characters that was given at the beginning. The characters all had so much depth, because their family histories were told before they were introduced. I enjoy English historical fiction, so I really liked this story.

The story wasn’t just about Robin Hood. It really talked about the royal issues at the time, such as who will inherit the throne. Many people took advantage of their position to abuse their power, such as the Sheriff. But these situations only gave Robin Hood an opportunity to become a hero.

The story was incredibly detailed. So much happened in the story, that I can’t imagine what will happen in the next instalments. This story would be great for fans of historical fiction and Robin Hood.

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – Jan 22

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!

It’s been a long time since I participated in these weekly memes, because the winter just became so hectic. But this week, I’m going to do them again!

What I just finished:

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