Title: The Bad Luck Nickel Author: Matthew Leslie Genre: Young Adult Publisher: Ausable Books Source: iRead Book Tours Format: Ebook Release Date: August 13, 2024 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
When Blair Matthews, teen celeb and son of rock legend, The Blade, shows up at a high school in Montreal amidst rumors of a drug-fueled sex scandal, it’s the most excitement the students at Trudeau High have seen in years.
And when Marco and his twin sister Julianna become fast friends with Blair, it seems like a dream. For Marco, Blair lifts him out of his post-breakup funk, and joins his band, The Bad Luck Nickel, instantly making it one of the hottest groups in town. And for Jules, Blair is her celebrity crush come to life in her living room.
But can Blair leave his past behind and start fresh at Trudeau High? Or will his infamy follow him from LA to MTL?
Review:
Blair Matthews causes a lot of excitement when he moves to Montreal. He’s a teen heartthrob and the son of a famous rock star. He joins Marco’s band, The Bad Luck Nickel, and they finally start booking shows. Blair also starts dating Marco’s twin sister Julianna. However, the scandal that sent Blair to Montreal threatens to come back and ruin his life, bringing his new friends down with him.
This was such a fast paced story. I couldn’t put it down. It started with a bang, with the boys finding a man passed out in the snow and having to give him CPR. The story was so intense. The characters were drinking, doing drugs, and getting into dangerous situations. It was such a page turner.
The Bad Luck Nickel is a fast paced story about teenage drama!
Thank you iRead Book Tours for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign.
Title: Trick or Treat on Scary Street Author: Lance Bass, Roland Garrigue (illustrator) Genre: Children’s, Picture Book Publisher: Union Square Kids Source: Manda Group Format: Paperback arc Release Date: July 23, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
From musical superstar Lance Bass, this quirky and surprising Halloween story is perfect for trick-or-treaters who love extra tricks and treats.
Come one.
Come all.
Come follow thirteen trick-or-treaters down Scary Street. Dare to stop at the vampire’s lair? Tempted to take a bite of the witch’s delight? How about a peek inside a ghostly haunt? Who will make it to the end. . . and what last trick (or treat) awaits?
Celebrate the thrills and chills of the season with this unforgettable trip down Scary Street!
This engaging Halloween tale appeals to young readers who love scary books and anyone looking for Halloween books for kids. Parents and kids alike will be drawn to this Lance Bass book, as the *NSYNC star brings his creative flair and love of Halloween to the world of scary stories for kids ages 4 to 6.
Trick or Treat on Scary Street, is a must-have for families who eagerly anticipate the Halloween season and enjoy sharing in its playful frights together.
Review:
Go trick-or-treating on Scary Street in this picture book! You can visit many different houses, like a gingerbread house or Dracula’s house. There’s a special trick waiting at the end of the street!
This is such a cute picture book! I loved the rhyming lines. The illustrations were beautiful and detailed. I know I would have loved this book as a kid!
Trick or Treat on Scary Street is a great Halloween picture book!
Thank you Manda Group for sending me a copy of this book!
Have you read Trick or Treat on Scary Street? What did you think of it?
Title: The Weirn Books, Vol. 2: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon Author: Svetlana Chmakova Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Fantasy Publisher: JY Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: October 15, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
In the Night Realm, shifters, vampires, weirns (a particular kind of witch), and other night things passing for human may prowl the streets, but school is still in session—and you still have to do your homework!
In The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods (released June 2020), Ailis and Na’ya are pretty average students, but when a shadow starts looming and a classmate gets all weird, they’re the first to notice. It gets personal, though, when Na’ya’s little brother D’esh disappears. To get him back, she has no choice but to confront the secrets of the forbidden mansion in the Silent Woods!
Just in time for Halloween, The Weirn Books, Vol. 2: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon (released October 15, 2024) takes readers back to Chmakova’s supernatural world full of magic, adventure, and… dragons! After her terrible adventures in the Silent Woods, Na’ya’s world seems to have returned to normal… that is, except for the nightmares that keep haunting her. What she needs is the power to protect everyone, and she has the perfect solution—she’ll turn into a dragon, once and for all! With help from Ailis and Jasper, everything seems to be going according to plan. But what’s that dark shadow slithering around the spell-casting range?
Review:
Ailis and Na’ya think their lives have returned to normal after defeating The Headmistress in the woods. Na’ya is going to focus on her goal of becoming a dragon. When a spell she casts goes horribly wrong, she accidentally summons a dragon to their town instead. Then, they discover a dark shadow sneaking around their school, so the evil Headmistress may not be gone after all.
This was a great sequel! The story was fast paced and action packed. There was more danger and intensity throughout the story than in the first book. It ended with such a good cliffhanger! I can’t wait to see what happens in the rest of the series.
The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon is a great middle grade graphic novel!
Thank you Publicity Prose and Yen Press for sending me a copy of this book!
Q: What draws you to your signature manga- and anime-influenced art style?
A: It’s just what I love and where I feel most comfortable as a creative, where I can express the widest range with my art—the silly, the profound, the funny, the dramatic, the beautiful, the ridiculous, the horrifying, etc. That whole branch of comics is an incredibly versatile approach to cartooning. Manga was a bedrock formative artistic experience for me, those random issues and volumes I managed to get my hands on were the first comics that made me go ‘this is so cool, I want to do something like that!’ The other formative artistic influence was ElfQuest by Richard and Wendy Pini, reading the first issue of that and then furiously creating something resembling a comics narrative for 4 pages/3 solid hours was the first memorable step in my comics-making journey.
Q: What is your creative process like? Which comes to you first — the story or the visuals?
A: My creative process is pretty messy and it starts with both writing and images—I’ll write down and sketch scenes or character interactions, locations, try to flesh out events with both words and drawings. Once I have enough notes I would start crafting a written script with many visual notes, followed by roughly sketched storyboards/page layouts for the entire narrative. My editor is a very big part of that process—she is my first line of defense against bad story and pacing choices; when I am writing without a proper break it is very difficult to maintain perspective and see what I wrote instead of what I wanted to write, so it’s invaluable to have a fresh set of eyes with the knowledge to recognize the rough spots that need fixing. Once both my editor and I agree that the storyboarded book reads well, I start finishing the designs for places/characters and final page art production starts.
Five (5) winners will receive a paperback set of The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods and The Weirn Books, Vol. 2: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon!
Title: The Ex Hex (The Ex Hex #1) Author: Erin Sterling Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fantasy Publisher: Avon Source: Purchased Format: Paperback Release Date: September 28, 2021 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two.
That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all.
Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.
Review:
Nine years ago, while drinking vodka one night, Vivienne Jones cursed the man who had just broken her heart. Now, that man, Rhys Penhallow, has come back to her town of Graves Glen to recharge the ley lines. However, when things start going wrong with Rhys, Vivi realizes her curse on Rhys must have worked and is going to ruin her town. Vivi must own up to cursing Rhys and help him find a way to break the curse.
This was such a fun witchy rom com! It was hilarious from beginning to end. They got into funny and strange situations, such as plastic souvenir skulls coming to life, sneaking into a haunted house where one of Vivi’s students is trying to hook up with someone, and magical ley lines that turn them on. I’m so excited to read the rest of this series!
The Ex Hex is a fun rom com!
Content warnings: death, parental death (off page)
Other books in the series:
The Kiss Curse (The Ex Hex #2)
The Wedding Witch (The Ex Hex #3)
Have you read The Ex Hex? What did you think of it?
Title: Taxi Ghost Author: Sophie Escabasse Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Paranormal Publisher: Random House Graphic Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: September 3, 2024 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
At a certain age, every kid expects growth spurts and puberty…but no one mentioned the ability to see ghosts?! This hilarious and heart warming graphic novel about family secrets and the importance of community is great for fans of Witches of Brooklyn and Katie the Catsitter.
Adèle just wants to spend her winter break at the library, cozied up with her favorite books, and completely forgetting abut her friends who are all traveling to warmer climates. Unfortunately life has other plans…not only does Adèle get her first period…but she learns she comes from a long line of mediums!
And if seeing ghosts wasn’t enough of a surprise, Adèle learns that not only can she interact with them, but apparently they’ve been using her sister’s car to get around the city for years! These annoying ghosts won’t leave Adèle alone but maybe they will be exactly what Adèle needs for an exciting winter!
From Sophie Escabasse, the author of the beloved Witches of Brooklyn, comes a brilliant graphic novel that explores growing up and the importance of standing up for what you believe in.
Review:
Preteen Adèle wants to spend her winter break cozy at home with her books, but she gets her first period and discovers that she has inherited her grandmother’s talent of seeing ghosts. Her grandmother hates ghosts and does everything she can to stay away from them, but Adèle embraces her new skill and wants to help the ghosts move on to what’s next.
I love stories with ghosts. This was a great coming of age story. I liked that it started with Adèle getting her first period. Her family treated it as a celebration. There aren’t many middle grade books that talk about that, even though almost all preteen girls experience it. This was a fun read!
Taxi Ghost is a great middle grade graphic novel!
Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for providing a copy of this book.
Have you read Taxi Ghost? What did you think of it?
Title: Fall into Midnight (The Fall Trilogy #1) Author: Arden Coutts Genre: Romance, LGBTQ, Thriller Publisher: CEI Media Source: Author Format: Paperback Release Date: September 30, 2023 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Gyrating to the beat and downing shots isn’t Dr. Hannah Winter’s cup of tea. But when a good friend drags her out of the sanctuary of her sunroom for a rare night out at Club Midnight, a chance encounter with an enigmatic bouncer ignites an undeniable spark of passion she can’t resist. Working at Club Midnight comes with a heavy price that Gray Alexander has grown weary of paying. But even as the treacherous underworld associated with her work threatens to destroy her, the love of a sweet-faced, ginger-haired doctor may be her saving grace. As Hannah and Gray seize their unexpected chance at love, they quickly realize the very place that pulled them into each other’s orbit may inevitably tear them apart…
Review:
Dr. Hannah Winters goes to Club Midnight one night with her best friend and her two bodyguards. Despite not wanting to be there, Hannah has a chance encounter with one of the security guards, Gray, and she can’t get her out of her mind. Gray’s job at Club Midnight also involves getting into dangerous situations with her boss. Hannah and Gray quickly fall for each other, but their relationship is tested when their lives are threatened.
This was such a great, intense romance. Gray and Hannah had steamy chemistry. There was a surprising twist at the end of the story that I didn’t see coming. I’m so glad there are more books in this series because I loved these characters!
Fall into Midnight is a great start to the Fall Trilogy!
Thank you Arden Coutts for sending me a copy of this book!
Content warnings: stabbing, drugging, sexual assault, shooting
Other books in the series:
Fall Into Me (The Fall Trilogy #2)
We All Fall (The Fall Trilogy #3)
Have you read Fall into Midnight? What did you think of it?
Title: The Weirn Books, Vol. 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods Author: Svetlana Chmakova Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Fantasy Publisher: Yen Press Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: June 16, 2020 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
In the Night Realm, vampires, shifters, weirns, and other night things passing for human prowl the streets… but they still have to go to school! Ailis and Na’ya are pretty average students (NOT losers), but when a shadow starts looming and a classmate gets all weird, they are the first to notice. It gets personal, though, when Na’ya’s little brother D’esh disappears-It’s time to confront the secrets of the forbidden mansion in the Silent Woods!
Review:
Ailis and her cousin Na’ya are weirns, witches born with a demon guardian spirit who is bound to them for life. While they’re walking to school through the woods, Ailis sees a mysterious figure. After seeing the figure again, Na’ya’s little brother disappears. Ailis, Na’ya and their friends must go into the forbidden house in the woods to save Na’ya’s brother and the rest of their magic world.
This was a great magical world. It was well developed right from the beginning. Though Ailis and Na’ya went to a magic school where all the other students also had magic, they were bullied by the popular girl. Their bully actually had secrets and insecurities of her own that they discovered in the house in the woods.
Be Wary of the Woods is a great spooky middle grade graphic novel!
Thank you Publicity Prose and Yen Press for sending me a copy of this book!
Other books in the series:
The Weirn Books, Vol. 2: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon
Have you read Be Wary of the Silent Woods? What did you think of it?
Title: This Was Written For You Author: Anonymous Genre: Philosophy, Contemporary Publisher: Explore Unguided Source: Bookinfluencers.com Format: Ebook Release Date: November 1, 2024 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
WHAT IF THERE WAS A PART OF YOU THAT YOU KNEW NOTHING ABOUT?
“This was written for you”, is a story that was found in the possessions of a wealthy book collector after their death.
It was a discovery that captivated those who made it.
Typed in a leather journal and discovered next to first editions of very well known works of literature, no other copy of this specific text is known to exist. *This is the first time it has been made available to the public…* Don’t miss your opportunity to read it.
This eBook is an exact transcript of what was discovered in the leather journal – a wild philosophical adventure about an imaginary version of yourself who is jealous that you are real.
Determined to be real too, they begin a journey that takes them to the enchanting fields of an eccentric cult and onwards into a manipulative and dangerous experiment that blurs the boundaries between body and mind. As they discover more about the limits of their existence, they learn something about themselves. Something very strange. Something that they struggle to believe, even though it’s clearly true.
This magical book delves into the profound human desire to understand who we are. Maybe, just maybe, we are far more extraordinary that we ever dared to dream.
“This was written for you” is an extraordinary example of literature that breaks down the barriers between fiction and reality – a story, within a story, where there is no separation between the reader, the writer, the narrator or the characters. Everyone is in the action together and it is written by whoever is reading it, as they read. For some, it is a supernatural book. For others, it is a literary experiment of the most remarkable kind.
Review:
This story is a philosophical journey that happens in the reader’s imagination. The narrator is the reader’s imagination who meets other people who are in the reader’s mind and represent people in their real life. The narrator must figure out who they are and what their purpose is in life.
This was a unique story. The narrator speaks in the second person often, addressing the reader as “you.” The narrator was going on their own self discovery journey, which involved drug experimentation and war. This story will make you think about how your mind works.
This Was Written For You is a fascinating philosophical story.
Thank you Michael Roberts and Bookinfluencerscom for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!
Content warnings: rape, drug experiments, drug addiction, torture, poisoning
Have you read This Was Written For You? What did you think of it?
Title: Stars, Hide Your Fires Author: Jessica Mary Best Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, LGBTQ Publisher: Quirk Books Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: July 11, 2023 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
A wanted thief. A murdered emperor. A killer loose on the station. A gripping YA mystery set in space.
As an expert thief from a minor moon, Cass knows a good mark when she sees one. The emperor’s ball is her chance to steal a fortune for herself, her ailing father, and her scrappy crew of thieves and market vendors.
Her plan is simple:
1. Hitch a ride to the planet of Ouris, the dazzling heart of the empire. 2. Sneak onto the imperial palace station to attend the emperor’s ball. 3. Steal from the rich, the royal, and the insufferable.
But on the station, things quickly go awry. When the emperor is found dead, everyone in the palace is a suspect—and someone is setting Cass up to take the fall. To clear her name, Cass must work with an unlikely ally: a gorgeous and mysterious rebel with her own reasons for being on the station. Together, they unravel a secret that could change the fate of the empire.
Review:
Cass is a thief who decides to go to the Emperor’s ball on another planet to steal a fortune for her sick father and her group of friends. However, when she gets there, instead of announcing the Emperor’s heir, they announce that the Emperor is dead. Someone plants a murder weapon on Cass, and she must join up with a resistance movement to prove she’s innocent.
This is a great sci-fi heist story. Cass was a good thief, but she was realistic because she made mistakes which other thieves caught. There were unexpected twists throughout the story. However I did correctly guess who the real murderer was, but I enjoyed reading the end of the story.
Stars, Hide Your Fires is a great YA sci-fi story!
Thank you Quirk Books for sending me a copy of this book!
Content warnings: death of parent
Have you read Stars, Hide Your Fires? What did you think of it?
Title: The Pumpkin Spice Cafe (Dream Harbor #1) Author: Laurie Gilmore Genre: Romance, Contemporary Publisher: One More Chapter Source: Publisher Format: Paperback Release Date: August 30, 2023 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
When Jeanie’s aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.
Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor’s gossip at all costs. But Jeanie’s arrival disrupts Logan’s routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.
Will Jeanie’s happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won’t fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes…
Review:
After losing her job after her boss’s death, Jeanie takes over her aunt’s cafe in the small town of Dream Harbor. Logan is a local farmer in Dream Harbor, who has been the subject of town gossip since his last girlfriend rejected his public proposal. Jeanie enlists Logan’s help when things start going wrong in the cafe. Logan is drawn to her, but he’s hesitant to get too attached because he doesn’t want to have his heart broken again.
This was such a cute fall read. The town of Dream Harbor was so much like Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. I especially loved their town hall meetings and their quirky mayor who used his dreams to make decisions about the town. I would have loved to see more of these funny aspects of the town, so I hope there will be more of them in the next books in the series.
The Pumpkin Spice is a cute cozy fall romance!
Thank you Frenzy Books for providing a copy of this book!
Other books in the series:
The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore (Dream Harbor #2)
Have you read The Pumpkin Spice Cafe? What did you think of it?
Jill's Book Blog 