books – Jill's Book Blog

Review: The Compassionate Writer

Title: The Compassionate Writer
Author: Anne E. Beall
Genre: Nonfiction
Publisher: Beall Research
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 24, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Write with courage. Edit with kindness. Share your story with the world.
Every writer struggles with self-doubt, fear of rejection, and the pressure to get it just right. But what if the secret to powerful writing isn’t striving for perfection—it’s embracing compassion?

In The Compassionate Writer, you’ll discover how your inner critic and trust your creative voice.Write with vulnerability, emotional depth, and authenticity.Craft complex characters and conflicts through empathy.Overcome writer’s block and rejection with resilience.Edit your work without losing confidence in your vision.Build a supportive writing community that nurtures your growth.Through psychological insights, practical exercises, guided visualizations, and writing prompts, this book will help you cultivate self-kindness, write with emotional honesty, and create stories that resonate deeply.

Your words matter. Your voice deserves to be heard. Whether you’re writing fiction, memoir, or personal essays, this book will guide you toward a writing practice that is both fulfilling and transformative.

Are you ready to write with compassion—and change the way you tell your story?

Review:

This is a great book for writers! It teaches how to be compassionate to your readers as well as yourself while you write. This is an important skill for every writer. Each chapter had some exercises to learn how to put the ideas to use. I liked that this book discussed both fiction and nonfiction writing. They’re different types of writing, but they can use the same compassionate approach.

The Compassionate Writer is a great writing book!

Thank you iRead Book Tours for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Have you read Doctor Who: Origins? What did you think of it?

Review: The Wandering Inn (The Wandering Inn #1)

Title: The Wandering Inn
Author: Pirateaba
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Podium Publishing
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 2, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

“No killing Goblins.”

So reads the sign outside of The Wandering Inn, a small building run by a young woman named Erin Solstice. She serves pasta with sausage, blue fruit juice, and dead acid flies on request. And she comes from another world. Ours.

It’s a bad day when Erin finds herself transported to a fantastical world and nearly gets eaten by a Dragon. She doesn’t belong in a place where monster attacks are a fact of life, and where Humans are one species among many. But she must adapt to her new life. Or die.

In a dangerous world where magic is real and people can level up and gain classes, Erin Solstice must battle somewhat evil Goblins, deadly Rock Crabs, and hungry [Necromancers]. She is no warrior, no mage. Erin Solstice runs an inn.

She’s an [Innkeeper].

Review:

In this story, a human named Erin Solstice discovers an inn in a fantasy world. There are dangerous creatures all over this world and she has to figure out how to navigate around them. She can also level up and learn new skills. I really enjoyed the video game aspects of this epic fantasy novel. The characters could “level up” in their jobs and activities. Though there were some differences between our world and that fantasy world, one thing they had in common is the game of chess.

The Wandering Inn is a fun fantasy novel!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com and The Wandering Inn for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: knife violence, death

Have you read The Wandering Inn? What did you think of it?

Review: Morgana and Oz, Vol. 3

Title: Morgana and Oz, Vol. 3
Author: Miyuli
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: Wattpad Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this stunning debut series by Miyuli, perfect for fans of fantasy and romance, a struggling witch crosses paths with an angsty vampire, setting the stage for either love or war.

Morgana Winterberry belongs to a long line of witches, while Oz belongs to the rival vampire clan. After lifting a magical curse on the vampires, Morgana makes an uneasy truce with them, very much against her family’s warnings.

Morgana and Oz plan to work together to investigate who cursed the vampires in the first place, and who summoned the ghouls that are stalking the forest. Much to Morgana’s worry, signs point to someone in her family using her powerful ancestor Neil Winterberry’s grimoire.

As Morgana tries to understand her stronger but more volatile magic, and learn more about her mysterious great-great-grandfather, she starts hearing a chilling and all too familiar voice in her head.

It will take a witch and a vampire, growing closer every day, to get to the bottom of things.

This volume collects episodes 40 to 58 of the hit fantasy WEBTOON series with over 76 million reads, Morgana and Oz

Review:

This third book in the Morgana and Oz series was so fun! I love the dynamic between Morgana, a witch, and Oz, a vampire. They’re from rival groups but they have realized that they can actually help each other. This is a fun series with beautiful illustrations!

Morgana and Oz, Vol. 3 is a great graphic novel!

Thank you Wattpad Books for sending me a copy of this book!

Other books in the series:

Have you read Morgana and Oz, Vol. 3? What did you think of it?

Review: A Heart for Christmas

Title: A Heart for Christmas
Author: Sophie Jomain
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A teen reclaims her independence and opens her heart to Christmas with the help of a handsome ski instructor in this swoon-worthy young adult holiday romance told in a groundbreaking advent calendar format, with chapter-a-day reading making it a true slow-burn!

When eighteen-year-old April heads to the foothills of Mont Blanc in the Alps to spend her first Christmas at her father’s chalet, she’s hoping for a change. Ever since her heart operation two years ago, she’s lived as carefully as possible. Supervised exercise, green tea, rice cakes, focusing only on her studies. But now, she’s healthy and there’s a world out there that she’s missing.

When April’s ski instructor turns out to be her best friend’s older brother, Augustin, it feels like a sign. As Augustin encourages April to build up her strength, April feels drawn to him in ways she wasn’t expecting. Augustin is daring and gorgeous, and April doesn’t want to let her life pass her by any longer. But is her just-healed heart ready for a Christmas miracle?

With this book’s unique advent calendar format, each of the twenty-four chapters is sealed by its own perforated enclosure that readers can gently tear open—by hand or with the help of a ruler—to read a chapter a day in the weeks leading to Christmas!

Review:

This is an advent story, with 24 chapters. Each chapter is sealed so they can be opened and read in the 24 days leading up to Christmas. Each chapter ended in a way that made me want to keep reading. April had a heart transplant 3 years earlier so she had to protect her heart both literally and figuratively. This YA romance had a heartwarming holiday romance.

This is a great advent YA romance!

Thank you Simon and Schuster for providing a copy of this book.

Content warnings: heart transplant, hospital scenes, attempted suicide (mention), bullying (mentions)

Have you read A Heart for Christmas? What did you think of it?

Review: Deception (A Hollywood Mystery #1)

Title: Deception (A Hollywood Mystery #1)
Author: Britt Lind
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Bublish
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 12, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Blood and dreams run red through the magical land of Hollywood, and rarely do kind souls win the spoils of war…

Singer/songwriter Josh Sibley is handsome, talented, and smart, but he tries to appease his demons with alcohol in an effort to break free of his complicated past. When he gets the opportunity to write songs for a multi-million dollar feature film, he throws himself in head first, determined to shake his bad luck streak. Then he meets Lila Levy, the sexy singer/actress who is married to the producer of the movie. She attempts to use her sexuality to hook Josh into a secret love affair—but Josh surprises himself by keeping his feelings under wraps while trying to teach Lila to sing his songs.

But this is Hollywood, and dark souls are clothed in glamour and secrets. When Lila’s husband Stan is murdered, Lila disappears, leaving Josh to deal with the woman determined to track her down—Sergeant Rosemaria Baker of the Beverly Hills Police Department. Beautiful yet disenchanted with the glitz of Hollywood, Rosemaria considers Josh a delusional loser but he’s her best lead. Too bad Josh doesn’t know Lila in the way he thought he did. When the cops finally bring Lila in, she declares herself innocent and builds her case around disturbing childhood trauma that will twist Josh’s soul.

Review:

This was an intense thriller. I liked the Hollywood setting. Many of the characters were in show business. I liked that this story showed every part of the crime from before it happened to the trial afterwards. I’m curious to see how this series continues!

Deception is a suspenseful thriller.

Thank you iRead Book Tours for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: death, gun violence, incest, adultery

Have you read Deception? What did you think of it?

Review: That Kind of Girl

Title: That Kind of Girl
Author: Natalie C. Anderson
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: June 24, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this gripping YA thriller perfect for fans of Jessica Goodman and Amber Smith, two girls from opposite worlds play a dangerous game of cat and mouse when a rich classmate is murdered and they’re both prime suspects. The race is on to find out which one is a killer.

Sixteen-year-old amateur sleuth Roxie is shrewd, nimble, cunning, and only a little bit damaged. She also has a real knack for finding things, making her the perfect go-to detective for her rich classmates at St. Margaret when they’re looking to retrieve the things they’ve “lost”— no questions asked. So when queen bee Kirsten Montgomery-Wiggins pays Roxie a hefty sum to track down a mysterious blonde who “stole” her phone, Roxie accepts. Although Kirsten is a bully and she and Roxie have bad blood between them, Roxie could really use the cash. But that same night, Roxie finds Kirsten murdered in her mansion, and police zero in on her as a prime suspect.

On the outskirts of town in a trailer park, Inez, a part-time maid and part-time sex-worker, keeps finding blood everywhere. Crusted in her earring, threaded into her shoelace. She should really toss her shoes so there’s nothing to tie her to the body, but these shoes cost her a few “favors” and several hours of cleaning houses. How could the night have gone so wrong? She really thought she was working her way to a better life, but now she could be headed to jail if the wrong someone puts two and two together.

Roxie doesn’t know who she’s looking for and Inez doesn’t know who she’s hiding from. But all roads seem to lead to Montgomery House, as Roxie works to clear her own name and Inez attempts to stay one step ahead of the law and the men who hurt her.

Review:

This was a thrilling and suspenseful story. The short chapters made this a quick read because I couldn’t put it down. There were a few mysteries that didn’t seem to be connected but they were interwoven by the end. There were also some tough subject matters, such as cults and the dangers of sex work.

That Kind of Girl is an intense and thrilling story!

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for providing a copy of this book.

Content warnings: death of parent, murder, gun violence, sex work, sexual assault, drugging, cult

Have you read That Kind of Girl? What did you think of it?

Review: Sister Acts

Title: Sister Acts
Author: Sharon Adelman Reyes
Genre: Fiction, Historical
Publisher: Lake Grove Press
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 6, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Four sisters. Four clashing personalities. Four different ways of living in the world.

Sister Acts explores the impact of loss on three generations of one family –- in particular, the degree to which, to paraphrase Phyllis Chesler, women are capable of inhumanity toward other women. At times heartbreaking and at times hilarious, the novel illuminates the resilience that can come from knowing one’s roots and the estrangement that can result from trying to escape them.

Sophie Malinsky’s sudden death leaves her Left-wing Jewish family in disarray. Rather than bringing her young daughters closer, the loss creates a tangle of jealousies and recriminations. Rose, the eldest, recognizing their father’s limitations, at first tries to become a surrogate mother for her three sisters. But they resent her efforts, each one channeling – or repressing – her grief in a different way. In the absence of Sophie’s love and guidance, two sisters lose their way. Naomi moves to Mexico and tries to shed her Jewish identity. Betti ends up in Nashville pursuing a dream, never realized, of stardom as a rockabilly musician. A fourth sister, Marla, strives for dominance from an early age. Her jealousy of Rose leads to a toxic rivalry that persists well into middle age, affecting their own daughters as well. Lurking behind the conflicts is a family secret that Sophie had planned, but failed, to reveal. Decades later, when Rose finally uncovers it, the Malinskys’ saga finally comes into sharp focus.

Review:

This book is a family drama that follows four sisters as they grow from children into adults. Their relationships morphed as they aged and had different life experiences. They each went on their own paths, even though they had the same upbringing. There was a fun twist at the end that I didn’t expect, but it made the ending satisfying.

Sister Acts is a great family saga!

Thank you iRead Book Tours for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: death of parent, attempted suicide, miscarriage, Alzheimer’s, alcoholism

Have you read Sister Acts? What did you think of it?

Review: The Haunting of Paynes Hollow

Title: The Haunting of Paynes Hollow
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Fiction, Horror
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: October 14, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a nail-biting supernatural horror about a haunted lakeside property and twisted family secrets.

When Samantha Payne’s grandfather dies, she figures she won’t even get a mention in the will. After all, she hasn’t seen him in fourteen years, not since her father took his own life after being accused of murdering a child at their lakefront cottage. Her grandfather always insisted her father was innocent, despite Sam having caught him burying the child’s body, his clothing streaked with blood.

But when she does attend the reading of the will at the behest of her aunt, she discovers that her grandfather left her the very valuable lakefront property where the family cottage sits. There’s one catch: Sam needs to stay in the cottage for a month. To finally face the fact she was wrong and her father was innocent, in her grandfather’s words.

Traveling to Paynes Hollow, Sam is faced with the realities of her childhood and the secrets kept hidden in the shadows of her memories. When her aunt goes missing a couple days into their stay, Sam begins to question everything again. Plagued by nightmares and paranoia, she begins hearing sounds in the forest and seeing shapes crawling from the water as the rippling waves of the lake promise something unspeakably dark lurking just below their surface.

Review:

This was a super creepy story. Sam’s grandfather left her a multi-million dollar property in his will, but she could only receive it if she spent a month on the property where her father killed himself. I thought I had figured out the ending but I was wrong. There was a supernatural element to the story that I wasn’t expecting but I liked it.

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow is a great spooky read!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this book!

Content warnings: Alzheimer’s, death, murder, death of animals, stalking

Have you read The Haunting of Paynes Hollow? What did you think of it?

Review: Super Science, Vol. 1

Title: Super Science, Vol. 1
Author: N. Alessandro K., Perker
Genre: Graphic Novel, Science Fiction
Publisher: The Lab Press
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: August 12, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a world where imagination becomes reality, a global phenomenon grants ordinary people extraordinary scientific powers.

Super Science is a sci-fi/comedy about a world where the limits of human imagination have become real. For five days the entire sky over twelve spots across the globe turn amethyst purple. The inexplicable result was in each location, professional engineers and scientists, as well as tinkers, amateur inventors, and high school science teachers were able to create scientific and engineering breakthroughs in ways far surpassing the world’s top scientific institutions. Our story starts three years later in Los Angeles, where a breed of actual superheroes and super villains are emerging.

Dealing with this new phenomenon is LAPD’s new “Mad Scientist Division.” Our two main characters are the no-nonsense Sergeant Esmerelda Villanueva and her idealistic young partner, Officer Jack Mantle. Other main characters are manipulative industrialist Burt Montague, and his bold lab assistant Felicia Bari; perpetually unlucky Karen Katz, a former biology teacher who has turned herself into a human-cat hybrid; Esmerelda’s son Gabe, who might be the smartest teenager on the planet; and finally, nefarious super villain Dr. Cornelius Otherland, and his nemesis, bumbling superhero Gas Giant.

This mind-bending graphic novel from THE LAB ships in a gold-foil stamped cloth slipcase.

Review:

In this graphic novel, scientists have discovered how to give themselves scientific super powers. Many of them use their powers for evil, rather than good. However, it’s difficult for law enforcement to figure out how to keep the peace. I liked the vibrant illustrations and the colorful cast of characters!

Super Science, Vol. 1 is a great start to a graphic novel series!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: death, violence

Have you read Super Science, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?

Review: Cranky the Snowman

Title: Cranky the Snowman
Author: Carrie Hager
Genre: Children’s, Board Book
Publisher: Taffy Tales
Source: Publisher
Format: Board book
Release Date: November 4, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Cranky the Snowman comes to life, it’s a full-on winter disaster. Raised from the icy depths of the local dump (because, where else?), Cranky’s idea of spreading holiday cheer involves a little chaos… and a lot of naughty behavior. Instead of building snow forts or having snowball fights, Cranky drives an ice cream truck and raises the prices, shuts down the town’s Wi-Fi, and—get this—he even chops down his neighbor’s Christmas tree! (We told you he’s cranky.)

Rhyme, rhythm, and mischief galore!
From the moment Cranky hits the streets, it’s an all-out snowstorm of trouble. The town’s residents are absolutely up in arms—who can stop this frosty menace before things really get out of hand? But after Cranky is arrested, a shocking twist leaves us with… just a puddle in his jail cell.

What happened to Cranky? Did he melt? Escape? Head for a vacation in the tropics? We may never know… but one thing’s for sure—you’ll be laughing all the way through this hilarious, frosty tale!

Review:

This is a fun story in the style of Frosty the Snowman. Cranky the snowman is the opposite of Frosty. He isn’t warm and friendly. Instead he chases children and cuts off the Wi-Fi. I always found Frosty the Snowman a little sad because he melts at the end of the story. However, I didn’t feel bad about Cranky melting in this story.

Cranky the Snowman is a fun winter board book!

Thank you Taffy Tales for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign.

Have you read Cranky the Snowman? What did you think of it?