Jill's Book Blog

Weekly Wrap Up #2

Here’s my weekly wrap up!

This week, I subscribed to Scribd. It’s a subscription service with ebooks and audiobooks. I used to have it, but then I just had too much to read. I got it again in preparation for a road trip my family is going on in a few weeks. I can’t read in the car, so I plan on listening to some audiobooks so I don’t lose any reading time.

I read 8 books this week, and reviewed 7 of them:

I really enjoyed all of these books. It was a good reading week! My favourite was Home Fire. I highly recommend it! My least favourite (though I still liked it) was Life of a Bastard.

I also did a weekly book meme everyday:

What did you read this week? Have you read any of these books?

Review: Home Fire

Title: Home Fire
Author: Kamila Shamsie
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Source: Goodreads Giveaway
Release Date: August 15, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Isma is free. After years of watching out for her younger siblings in the wake of their mother’s death, she’s accepted an invitation from a mentor in America that allows her to resume a dream long deferred. But she can’t stop worrying about Aneeka, her beautiful, headstrong sister back in London, or their brother, Parvaiz, who’s disappeared in pursuit of his own dream, to prove himself to the dark legacy of the jihadist father he never knew. When he resurfaces half a globe away, Isma’s worst fears are confirmed.

Then Eamonn enters the sisters’ lives. Son of a powerful political figure, he has his own birthright to live up to—or defy. Is he to be a chance at love? The means of Parvaiz’s salvation? Suddenly, two families’ fates are inextricably, devastatingly entwined, in this searing novel that asks: What sacrifices will we make in the name of love?

Review:

Wow! This book was amazing. I had some trouble getting into it for about the first third, but halfway through you really understand what’s going on and it’s so good!

I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll make this brief.

I really liked the characters. They were quite convincing. Some even turned out to be different from what you first expected. Others stuck to their beliefs no matter what.

This story gives an aspect of terrorism that is often ignored in the Western world, either literature or film. This is a look at the struggles of the family of the terrorist and what they face in the aftermath of losing their family member, to terrorism or death. They are often blamed for the actions of their son or daughter, though the rest of the family didn’t commit those crimes.

This was a moving story that kept me hooked until the very end. It’s definitely a must read!

Stacking The Shelves #1

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This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I didn’t get many new books this week.

I was approved for one ARC on NetGalley:

The Shoe on the Roof by Will Ferguson.
Ferguson is a Giller Prize winner, so I hope this book is good!

I received one piece of book mail, a Goodreads Giveaway: Unqualified by Anna Faris.

This book sounds so good! I’ll be reviewing it in October.

Did you get any fun books this week? Leave me the links to your Stacking the Shelf posts!

Review: The Artsy Mistake Mystery

Title: The Artsy Mistake Mystery
Author: Sylvia McNicoll
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Dundurn
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: August 29, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

They say he’s been stealing art. But is Attila being framed?

Outdoor art is disappearing all over the neighbourhood! From elaborate Halloween decorations to the Stream of Dreams fish display across the fence at Stephen and Renée’s school, it seems no art is safe. Renée’s brother, Attila, has been cursing those model fish since he first had to make them as part of his community service. So everyone thinks Attila is behind it when they disappear. But, grumpy teen though he is, Attila can do no wrong in Renée’s eyes, so she enlists Stephen’s help to catch the real criminal.

Review:

This was a really cute story. It takes place in Burlington, about an hour south of Toronto. I’ve never read a story set there, so that was really different for me.

I liked how the dog walking was so prominent in the story. It shows Stephen and Renee working and earning money, which will make them well rounded kids. We also see some of the challenges they face, when Stephen is reported to Animal Control.

Mistakes are a big part in this book. The chapters are divided between the mistakes that Stephen notices him and other people making throughout the day. Sometimes he realizes something was a mistake after it’s happened and it’s too late to change it. This story demonstrates that everyone makes mistakes, and that’s okay.

This was a clever mystery. Many pieces of art disappear from the neighbourhood. There isn’t one obvious culprit, since there are multiple victims.

This is a great Canadian book for middle grade readers.

First Line Fridays #1

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:

“We must have met the brothers in 1950, because USA had defeated England in the FIFA World Cup. They arrived with the sun in them, their bodies hard and tan like peanuts, eyes chlorine blue – even in the woods, my bedroom, the log where Patrick burned the moths with a magnifying glass. Kenneth was handsome except the bridge of his nose where his brother had thrown a dictionary at his face. The bump made his smile slope.”

Do you recognize these first lines?

…

And the book is… Demi-Gods by Eliza Robertson.

Here’s the Goodreads synopsis:

It is 1950, and nine-year-old Willa’s sheltered childhood is about to come to an end when her two new stepbrothers arrive at her family’s summer home in British Columbia. As Willa’s older sister pairs off with the older of these boys, Willa finds herself alone in the off-kilter company of the younger, Patrick. When, one afternoon, Patrick lures Willa into a dilapidated rowboat, Willa embarks upon an increasingly damaging relationship with Patrick, one that will forever reconfigure her understanding of herself and her place in a menacing, male-dominated world.
Demi-Gods traces the tumultuous years of Willa’s coming-of-age, as she is drawn further into Patrick’s wicked games. Though they see each other only a handful of times, each of their encounters is increasingly charged with sexuality and degradation. When Willa finally realizes the danger of her relationship with Patrick, she desperately tries to reverse their dynamic, with devastating results.
Daring, singular, and provocative, Demi-Gods explores a girl’s attempt to make a life of her own choosing in a world where woman’s independence is suspect, a world that threatens to claim a woman’s body as a mere object for men’s pleasure. A sensitive, playful, and entirely original evocation of the dualities within ourselves and our history, Eliza Robertson’s debut novel announces the arrival of one of the most exciting new voices in contemporary literature.

This book comes out on September 5! Look for my review next week!

Cover Reveal: Savage

Hello readers! Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Savage (Dragonrider Legacy #1)
by Nicole Conway

Be on the lookout for this upcoming title from
Month9Books!

HERE WE GO!
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE COVER?

Savage begins the Dragonrider Legacy series, a thrilling companion to the international bestselling Dragonrider Chronicles.

Never send a hero to do a monster’s job.

Forty years have passed since Jaevid Broadfeather brought peace to Maldobar and Luntharda. But that fragile truce will be tested as darkness gathers on the horizon. The vicious armies of the Tibran Empire have crossed the far seas and are threatening to destroy Maldobar completely. Not even the dragonriders can match the Tibran war machines. And after an attempt to awaken Jaevid from his divine sleep fails, the fate of Maldobar is looking grim.

Reigh has never known what it means to be a normal human. Raised amongst the gray elves in the wild jungle of Luntharda, he’s tried everything to fit in. But the dark power within him is bursting at the seams—refusing to be silenced. And while his adoptive father, Kiran, insists this power must be kept secret, Reigh knows he’s running out of time.

As Maldobar burns, the world is desperate for a new hero. Destiny has called, and one boy will rise to answer.

Savage (Dragonrider Legacy #1)
by Nicole Conway
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books

Available for Pre-order:
Amazon

Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series, and is now working on the third and final book.
Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.
She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation.
Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

Review: Life of a Bastard (Vol. 1)

Title: Life of a Bastard (Vol. 1)
Author: Damien Black
Genre:
Publisher: Bootlocker
Source: Author
Release Date: August 15, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

“My memories from this period are often nebulous. They bend and warp like clouds caught between two fronts. A lot of terrible things happened to me that I try not to remember, but I was a child, I was innocent, and I used to be happy sometimes. ”

Born in Spanish Harlem in 1972 to a teenage Puerto Rican mother and a Black father, Javier Soto is a blemish on the face of American society. After a suspicious fire allegedly set by his mother, while his father serves time in prison, Javier and his sisters are removed from their home into foster care. This true story of Javier Soto’s life takes you on the soul-stirring journey of a young boy in the custody of a brutal world.

Beginning at the Catholic Home Bureau, Javier’s tale depicts the evolution of an innocent child into an enraged teenager as he battles his way through the perils of abuse, starvation, and neglect. Like thousands of American children who are driven into the foster care network Javier and his siblings are repeatedly shuffled through numerous foster homes, each one less welcoming than the last. Following eventual separation from his sisters, Javier is left to continue his crusade of survival alone.

An indelible account that tells of a boy’s anguish, self-loathing and an unsatisfied yearning for love that is the birthright of every child. With such little grounds for hope, how far will Javier go?

Review:

Many contemporary YA books I’ve read lately have main characters in foster care. But the endings for those children are not realistic. They get adopted by amazing families or reunited by long lost siblings or even discover that they have magical powers. This book shows the truth of what happens in foster care.

Black did a great job of creating a narrative out of this true story. It was quite graphic at times when describing the abuse that Javier experienced, including beatings and rape. But it shows the real experience of many children in foster care.

There were illustrations throughout the book that were childlike. They were good, but I think they make the book seem more like a children’s book, when it is definitely for an adult audience.

This book also could have used some more proofreading. There were many errors that could have been fixed with an extra proofread.

This book really opened my eyes to the struggles that many children face. It’s a harsh truth but a reality nonetheless. I hope this book spreads awareness of this horrible life, so kids in foster care receive better treatment.

TBR Thursday #1

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 To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han.

I’ve had this book on my TBR list for ages! I received it as a gift last winter and I even met Jenny Han in the spring! But I just haven’t had the time to read it yet.

What do you guys think of it? Should I move it up on my reading schedule?

Review: Young Jane Young

Title: Young Jane Young
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: August 29, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Aviva Grossman is a bright, ambitious congressional intern with a promising political future ahead of her until she makes the mistake of having an affair with her very married boss … and writing what she thinks is an anonymous blog about it. When the affair dramatically comes to light, it’s not the popular congressman who takes the fall, it’s Aviva–and her life suddenly seems over before it’s hardly begun. Slut-shamed and hounded by the media, she becomes a late-night talk show punchline. Determined to rebuild her life on her own terms, Aviva changes her name, moves from Florida to a small town in Maine, starts her own wedding planning business … and decides to continue a surprise pregnancy.

But when “Jane” decides to run for public office, that long-ago mistake–an inescapable scarlet A–trails her via the Internet, threatening to derail her life yet again. It’s only a matter of time until her daughter finds out who her mother once was–and is forced to reconcile that person with the one she thinks she knows …

Review:

I was super excited about this book. For the most part, it didn’t disappoint.

The struggles that Aviva faced after her affair with the congressman highlights the sexism of those scandals. Though he was just as involved as her, and he had more to lose, she took all of the blame. It carried through life and affected her chances to get a job. However, she was a smart girl so she figured out a way to reinvent herself.

I really liked Ruby’s voice. Ruby is Jane’s daughter. She was very blunt and straightforward. She was also very intelligent.

I was confused when the story started. It begins with Rachel Grossman’s perspective. She was Aviva’s mother. Each of the subsequent parts are about a different woman in the story.

I think the story fell apart in the final two parts. They weren’t as interesting as the beginning. The final part backtracks a lot and gives some extra details that weren’t necessary for the story. I was expecting a more spectacular ending, because the first half was so good.

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

‘Waiting On’ Wednesday

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 Girls Made of Snow and Glass.

I love fairytale retellings so when I heard about this Snow White retelling, I had to request it. on Netgalley. I’ve read some really great reviews on this book, and only one or two negative ones. I’m excited to read and review it next week. Look for my review on September 5!

What books are you waiting on this week? Let me know in the comments!