Happy Pub Day to all of these new books!
What books are you most excited for this week?
Title: Lobizona (Wolves of No World #1)
Author: Romina Garber
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 4, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★
Some people ARE illegal.
Lobizonas do NOT exist.
Both of these statements are false.
Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who’s on the run from her father’s Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.
Until Manu’s protective bubble is shattered.
Her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, and finally without shackles, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past–a mysterious “Z” emblem—which leads her to a secret world buried within our own. A world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong.
As Manu uncovers her own story and traces her real heritage all the way back to a cursed city in Argentina, she learns it’s not just her U.S. residency that’s illegal. . . .it’s her entire existence.
Manuela Azul has spent her life hiding with her mother in Miami. They are undocumented immigrants, and they have to hide until they get their citizenship papers. Manu’s mother has also hidden her because of her unique eyes. Manu wears sunglasses everywhere to disguise her golden eyes with stars in the pupils. When the woman who Manu and her mother lives with is attacked, Manu has to escape, so she runs to her mother’s work. However, she learns that her mother has actually been lying. Everything Manu thought she knew about their lives is a lie. She runs away to find the real place she belongs.
This story tells an uncomfortable truth about illegal immigrants. Manu lived in fear because of the lies her mother told her, even though she had no say in the matter. The secrets behind Manu’s background added another layer to her immigrant story.
I liked how the story talked about Manu’s body in a realistic and honest way. Her menstrual cycle was related to the lunar cycle, in a way that is described in the book. I’ve often heard readers complain, and I’ve noticed myself, how so many characters in novels, particularly fantasy novels, don’t have to deal with their bodily functions. Sometimes this is explained as the characters being malnourished or stressed and therefore changing the way their body works. The honest way it was talked about in this book makes it relatable for young female readers.
There were a lot of Harry Potter references in this book, which I loved. Though J.K. Rowling has said many offensive things which has lead to people boycotting her, I can’t deny that her books had a great influence on mine and many other people’s childhoods. She may not be the creator we thought she was, but Harry Potter is imbedded in our culture as a way of sharing our stories. Harry Potter has a special meaning to the author, which was mentioned in the author’s note at the end. These references made me relate to and understand the story in a way that wouldn’t have been the same without them.
This is a fabulous story! I can’t wait to read the next story!
Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
ROMINA GARBER (pen name Romina Russell) is a New York Times and international bestselling author. Originally from Argentina, she landed her first writing gig as a teen—a weekly column for the Miami Herald that was later nationally syndicated—and she hasn’t stopped writing since. Her books include Lobizona. When she’s not working on a novel, Romina can be found producing movie trailers, taking photographs, or daydreaming about buying a new drum set. She is a graduate of Harvard College and a Virgo to the core.
Have you read Lobizona? 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!
This weekend I finished Lobizona by Romina Garber.
I’m currently reading The End of Her by Shari Lapena.
Next I will be reading Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey.
What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?
Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:
I did 9 weekly blogging memes:
How was your week? What did you guys read?
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 Lobizona by Romina Garber.
Some people ARE illegal.
Lobizonas do NOT exist.
Both of these statements are false.
Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who’s on the run from her father’s Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.
Until Manu’s protective bubble is shattered.
Her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, and finally without shackles, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past–a mysterious “Z” emblem—which leads her to a secret world buried within our own. A world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong.
As Manu uncovers her own story and traces her real heritage all the way back to a cursed city in Argentina, she learns it’s not just her U.S. residency that’s illegal. . . .it’s her entire existence.
What book are you in bed with today?
This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.
This week’s prompt is Spring Colours, so I chose some Spring Covers. Here’s my list:
(All book covers from Goodreads)
Did you make a Six for Sunday list?
Title: No Judgments (Little Bridge Island #1)
Author: Meg Cabot
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: William Morrow
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
The storm of the century is about to hit Little Bridge Island, Florida—and it’s sending waves crashing through Sabrina “Bree” Beckham’s love life…
When a massive hurricane severs all power and cell service to Little Bridge Island—as well as its connection to the mainland—twenty-five-year-old Bree Beckham isn’t worried . . . at first. She’s already escaped one storm—her emotionally abusive ex—so a hurricane seems like it will be a piece of cake.
But animal-loving Bree does become alarmed when she realizes how many islanders have been cut off from their beloved pets. Now it’s up to her to save as many of Little Bridge’s cats and dogs as she can . . . but to do so, she’s going to need help—help she has no choice but to accept from her boss’s sexy nephew, Drew Hartwell, the Mermaid Café’s most notorious heartbreaker.
But when Bree starts falling for Drew, just as Little Bridge’s power is restored and her penitent ex shows up, she has to ask herself if her island fling was only a result of the stormy weather, or if it could last during clear skies too.
Bree Beckham moved to Little Bridge Island in the Florida Keys after a bad break up and some startling discoveries about her family. A hurricane is due to arrive on the island, which is causing many residents to evacuate, but Bree thinks she can wait it out. She goes to her boss’s home, where an extended family lives in a mansion high above sea level and safe from the storm. The storm is much worse than expected, leading to power outages and destroying the bridge that connects the island to the mainland. Bree volunteers to help look after the pets that were left behind, but she needs the help of Drew Hartwell, who has the reputation of being the island’s sexy heartbreaker.
I haven’t read many books about hurricanes, and I have never experienced one. It seems like a scary experience, that can bring unexpected destruction. The hurricane in this story added some extra tension that isn’t usually seen in a romance novel. Bree is naive in thinking the storm won’t affect her very much, since it ends up taking out the power and destroying the only way on and off the island. This storm made the stakes much higher for the characters, but it also threw Bree and Drew together in a way that wouldn’t be possible without it.
I liked how the title “no judgments” was woven through the story. People made many misguided judgments throughout the story. Drew was judged as staying with many different women on the island because his truck was parked at various houses every night. Bree kept saying that the pet owners who left their pets behind when they evacuated shouldn’t be judged for their decision. Bree’s mother was also a famous judge. Despite these reminders not to judge others, characters still made judgments that weren’t necessary.
There are a couple of content warnings for this story. There was a brief scene of animal abuse and a sexual assault was described. These warnings can often make me dislike a book, but these were mild scenes that weren’t offensive. These scenes were short and resolved quickly.
I really enjoyed this romance!
Have you read No Judgments? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted Devouring Books. This week’s prompt is Hidden Gems. Here’s my list:
(All book covers from Goodreads)
If you’d like to do this list too, consider yourself tagged!
Did you make a Top 5 Saturday list?
Title: Harvey Holds His Own (Harvey Comes Home #2)
Author: Colleen Nelson, Tara Anderson (illustrations)
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher: Pajama Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: August 11, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★
The West Highland Terrier that brought Harvey Comes Home to life returns with his tail wagging and his nose sharp, ready for a new adventure
Harvey the West Highland Terrier, hero of Harvey Comes Home, is back with his beloved Maggie. He is also back at Brayside retirement home, where he and Maggie now volunteer along with their friend Austin. There Maggie is drawn to a new resident, Mrs. Fradette, who tells stories of learning to fix cars as a twelve-year-old during the flood of 1950. Mrs. Fradette, with her bold fashion and love of poker, doesn’t fit in among the beige-cardigan-wearing, bridge-playing ladies of Brayside, but she doesn’t seem to care. Maybe that’s why Maggie likes her so much. Since seventh grade began, Maggie hasn’t been fitting in well with her friends, either.
Harvey has a problem of his own. He can smell an intruder in his yard, and he needs to find it. He is so intent on the nighttime fiend that he almost doesn’t notice how worried Austin is about his grandfather, who has been Brayside’s custodian for longer than Harvey has been alive. It seems like the retirement home is planning to give the job to a younger man, an injustice that Austin can’t let pass unchallenged.
In intertwining perspectives, Colleen Nelson tells four stories of individuals standing firm for what they know is right: Josephine Fradette, insisting on her right to become a mechanic; Maggie, certain that her friends’ expectations shouldn’t define who she becomes; Austin, indignantly campaigning against ageism; and Harvey, who has found his home at last and is determined to protect it.
Maggie still holds a grudge against Austin, who found her dog Harvey and kept him for a while when Harvey got lost before searching for his owner. When Maggie’s class is given a volunteer assignment, Maggie decides to volunteer at Brayside retirement home, where Austin helps his grandfather, who is the caretaker there. Harvey is allowed to go visit the retirement home too because the residents love him. Austin takes Harvey for a walk one day where they discover a newborn puppy who had been abandoned. This time Austin brings the puppy right to the animal shelter to get help. Then, Austin finds a job posting for the caretaker position that his grandfather has. He’s worried that his grandfather is going to be fired, so Austin has to try to find a way to save his grandfather’s job. Meanwhile, Maggie enjoys spending time with the residents and learning their history, while avoiding the drama with her friends at school.
This story was so cute. I enjoyed it much more than the first one. Harvey Comes Home was sad, since Harvey was missing from his owners and there was a death at the end of that story. This one was more uplifting and cheery, which I liked much more.
There are three alternating perspectives in this story. I love that parts that are from Harvey’s perspective. He spends a lot of time sniffing things and cataloguing them for later. It’s great to see this dog perspective. The two other perspectives are from Maggie’s and Austin’s points of view. Austin’s is in first person, since he was a main character in the first book and this one. Maggie didn’t have a big role in the first book, so her chapters are written from the third person point of view. It made a distinction between hers and Austin’s chapters, even though they were both main characters. However, it worked since it is a continuation of the first book.
This is a great story! It could be read as a stand-alone or as a sequel to Harvey Comes Home.
Thank you Pajama Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read Harvey Holds His Own? What did you think of it?
This is a weekly meme hosted by Freda’s Voice.
The Rules are:
I chose No Judgments (Little Bridge Island #1) by Meg Cabot.
Here is my line from page 56 in my copy:
“There was about as little Floridian as you could imagine in the Hartwells’ home, except for a large parrot cage that I passed in the living room on my way toward the back of the house, from which I could hear the music. The parrot greeted me with a cheerful ‘Hello, Joe!’ as I made my way past.”
Did you make a post for the Friday 56?
Jill's Book Blog 