writing – Jill's Book Blog

Review: Hocus and Pocus and the Dragon Next Door (Hocus and Pocus #2)

Title: Hocus and Pocus and the Dragon Next Door (Hocus and Pocus #2)
Author: A.R. Capetta, Charlene Chua (illustrator)
Genre: Children’s, Fantasy
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: March 4, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Magical puppies Hocus and Pocus have a new Bye-Bye the dragon! Hocus is delighted, but Pocus is nervous about making friends—and about fire breath. A funny and affirming adventure.

On a walk around the neighborhood delivering potions with their magical family, puppies Hocus and Pocus discover that the wizard next door, Jade, has a new pet—a dragon named Bye-Bye. Hocus is excited! She loves making new friends and thinks Bye-Bye’s wings and fire breath are cool. But Pocus is afraid. He already has five friends, which feels like a lot. Plus Bye-Bye might eat them! Right? When Hocus bounds into Bye-Bye’s yard wanting to play, the dragon shies away, then chases her off. Could it be that Bye-Bye isn’t scary—she’s scared? How can the puppies help? Maybe if Hocus uses a potion to turn into a dragon temporarily, or if Pocus learns some friendly phrases in dragon language, it might help Bye-Bye open up. And it just might help Pocus feel braver, too. This charming series continues with another fun-filled and enchanted romp in a world where everyone can be their unique selves.

Review:

This is a cute story about making new friends and conquering your fears. Hocus and Pocus were nervous about meeting the scary dragon next door, so they brewed a potion to take away their fear. However, they discovered that the dragon was actually scared of them. Sometimes new people can seem scary if they aren’t friendly, but that can actually be because they’re also scared. Once Hocus and Pocus got to know the dragon, they became friends.

Hocus and Pocus and the Dragon Next Door is a great children’s book!

Thank you Candlewick Press for sending me a copy of this book!

Other books in the series:

Hocus and Pocus and the Spell for Home (Hocus and Pocus #1)

Have you read Hocus and Pocus and the Dragon Next Door? What did you think of it?

Review: This Was Written For You

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?

Review: Tongue Teasers

Title: Tongue Teasers
Author: Dr. D.W. Knight
Genre: Children’s, Poetry
Publisher: Giggle Spoon
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 24, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Tongue Teasers is a collection of illustrated poems written in rhyming verse with hilarious wordplay and outlandish inventiveness imbued with wit, life-lessons and wisdom that transcend age but equally entertain children with zany, memorable characters, making this book a favorite for all ages!

Written and illustrated by Professor D.W. Knight, Tongue Teasers is the foundational body of work that inspired GiGGLE SPOON Laugh-Along Songbooks which is the artistic collaboration of two brothers – one a poet and artist, the other a composer, singer-songwriter and musician. Combining their talents, the brothers create laugh-along songbooks using rhyming verse and catchy original songs, serving up laughter to the kid in all of us!

Review:

This book is a collection of illustrated poems for kids. Some of the poems teach lessons, such as the importance of washing your hands, while others are silly. I think kids would love these funny, rhyming poems.

At the beginning of the book there is a QR code that leads to a website with songs that go along with some of the poems. Those were really fun to listen to while I read the poems because they gave the poems a specific rhythm. That would be great for kids who are reading the book on their own, because it would teach them how to read the poem.

Tongue Teasers is a great kid’s book!

Thank you Dr. D.W. Knight and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!

Have you read Tongue Teasers? What did you think of it?

Review: Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author

Title: Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author
Author: Lucinda Halpern
Genre: Nonfiction
Publisher: Hay House
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 6, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A step-by-step guide from a New York literary agent that will show you how to create a winning concept, craft an irresistible pitch, and land your dream book deal.

In this practical, immediately actionable guide, Lucinda Halpern , founder of the prestigious New York agency Lucinda Literary, divulges what agents look for in authors and the shortcuts they use to get book deals but have never revealed—until now.

Lucinda has personally witnessed how dramatically writers’ lives can change when they publish their first book. But the path to literary success begins with knowing the answers to questions

With her unique 6-step method, Lucinda provides the tools and concrete strategies

Packed with interviews from best-selling authors, leading book editors from Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, and more, Get Signed is the indispensable roadmap you need right now to get noticed and become a published author.

Review:

This book is a step-by-step guide to how to sign with a literary agent. There are great tips on things that agents look for as well as examples of real query letters.

I’ve been querying my manuscript for four months without any luck. When I heard about this book on the Happy Writer podcast with Marissa Meyer, I had to get it. I’m definitely going to implement some of these tips in my query letter!

Get Signed is a great book for querying writers!

Have you read Get Signed? What did you think of it?

Review: Diary of an Artist in Love

Title: Diary of an Artist in Love
Author: The Muse Frequency
Genre: Poetry
Publisher: Independently Published
Source: BookInfluencers.com
Format: Audiobook
Release Date: August 15, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A slender, beautifully illustrated volume of 30 poems, enumerating love in all its configurations and through enchantment, presence, magnetism, illusion, nature, restlessness, wonder, and memories that rise from our past, and follow us into our future. Readers will be immersed in a series of 15 poems called “Love is” I through XV, with 15 additional poems that sit between them, threading the eye of the needle that we call love, with topics that seem to successively build on one another and chronicle the different phases of this intangible marvel that rules our lives. These poems · “We Start Here”
· “Stay With Me”
· “Wondering”
· “Beautiful Things”
· “Limitless”

For seekers, artists, lovers, moon-gazers, anyone that dares to glimpse the beating heart within, this collection is a goldmine of inspiration and magical fairy dust. On Audible
Diary of an Artist in Love is an intimate new audiobook of prose poetry best listened to with headphones on and eyes closed. The Muse Frequency presents listeners with a calming and ethereal meditation on love. Throughout this profoundly serene and uplifting experience, the artist and sound designer gently coax us into a meditative state using Solfeggio frequencies and by communicating in the most direct possible way through a sacred one-on-one conversation.

Originally inspired by the work of diarist Anaïs Nin, The Muse Frequency aims to design an audio experience that feels confessional and personal. At the heart of it all, this wholly unique project creates intimate experiences meant for one listener, where they can close their eyes, shut out the rest of the world and drift off to beautiful places.

Sound Design for Audiobook by Sébastien Nouat

Review:

Diary of an Artist in Love is a collection of poems about love. There are 30 poems, with 15 of them called “Love Is” alternating between the other poems.

The audiobook is beautiful. It is in an ASMR style, with relaxing, meditative music playing along with the narrator. The auditory experience is unlike any other audiobook I’ve heard.

I highly recommend Diary of an Artist in Love for poetry lovers.

Thank you The Muse Frequency and Book Influencers for providing a copy of this audiobook.

Have you read Diary of an Artist in Love? What did you think of it?