Tuesday 31 August 2021

Teaser Tuesdays - Black Sun

 

I'm still reading Black Sun. It's really good so far.

But it wasn't enough. His rage told him it would never be enough. He screamed, a half-formed sound, and doubled his efforts.


(page 146, Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse)

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Tuesday 24 August 2021

Back next week

I know, I'm taking a lot of breaks lately, but I'm not reading a lot at the moment. I hope to get back in the groove soon.

Friday 20 August 2021

A Bad Day for Sunshine - Book Review

 

A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1)
by Darynda Jones

What is it about:
Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o' joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.

Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee - and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff - thanks to her adorably meddlesome parents who nominated her--and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter's new school, plus and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny.

But even clouds have their silver linings. This one's got Levi, Sunshine's sexy, almost-old-flame, and a fiery-hot US Marshall. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol's normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger. Can Sunshine face the call of duty - and find the kidnapper who's terrorizing her beloved hometown - without falling head over high heels in love . . . or worse?

What did I think of it:
I know! I still haven't finished the Charley Davidson series and now I'm already starting another series by Darynda Jones. I'm terrible. On to my thoughts on this book.

This is a really fun read with some minor annoyances and grumbles. The biggest grumble of those being the love interest. I'm not sure what Jones was going for, but to me Levi seems like a really skeevy dick. Of course there are things in the book to make you think he's a good guy, but in over half of his interactions with Sunshine he's a total douche.

But as I'm used to me not liking the main love interest I stuck with it and luckily most of this book is very enjoyable. The viewpoint switches between Sunshine and her daughter Auri, and I liked reading about both of them. I was eager to see where the story would lead and if Sunshine and Auri would solve the kidnapping in time to save the day.

There are side characters I really liked and who I hope will return in the next book. I especially liked Quincy, Sunshine's best friend. Not holding my breath of Sunshine seeing the light and hook up with him though.

All in all I had a great time with this book, and will be picking up the second book soon.

Why should you read it: 
It's an enjoyable read filled with Jones' signature humor.


buy from amazon

Thursday 19 August 2021

On McPig's wishlist - A Snake Falls to Earth

 

A Snake Falls to Earth
by Darcie Little Badger

Nina is a Lipan girl in our world. She's always felt there was something more out there. She still believes in the old stories.

Oli is a cottonmouth kid, from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he's been cast from home. He's found a new one on the banks of the bottomless lake.

Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli's best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven't been in centuries.

And there are some who will kill to keep them apart.

Darcie Little Badger introduced herself to the world with Elatsoe. In A Snake Falls to Earth, she draws on traditional Lipan Apache storytelling structure to weave another unforgettable tale of monsters, magic, and family. It is not to be missed.


Expected publication: November 9th 2021
buy from Amazon


Tuesday 17 August 2021

Teaser Tuesdays - Black Sun

"This is excessive," Iktan whispered at her side. She startled. Xe rarely spoke in public.


(page 50, Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse)

buy from amazon

---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday 16 August 2021

The Little Witch - Quick Book Review

 

The Little Witch
by M. Rickert 

What is it about:
A strange dark fantasy about an elderly woman visited every Halloween by a trick or treating child dressed as a witch. Over time, they development a tenuous relationship.

What did I think of it:
This is a short, but nice read.

There's probably more layers in it than in a layered cake, but I wasn't in the mood to analyze the story, so as it is, it's a pleasant, story with a Halloweeny atmosphere to it.

Why should you read it:
It's about Halloween and witches.


buy from Amazon


Thursday 12 August 2021

On McPig's Wishlist - These Hollow Vows

 

These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows #1)
by Lexi Ryan

From New York Times best-selling author Lexi Ryan, Cruel Prince meets A Court of Thorns and Roses in this sexy, action-packed fantasy about a girl who is caught between two treacherous faerie courts and their dangerously seductive princes.

Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she'll do whatever it takes to get her back—including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.

Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done. Brie's only choice is to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits with their own secret agenda. As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his seductive charm.

Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.


Buy from Amazon


Wednesday 11 August 2021

Rise to the Sun - Book Review

 

Rise to the Sun
by Leah Johnson 

What is it about:
Three days. Two girls. One life-changing music festival.

Olivia is an expert at falling in love . . . and at being dumped. But after the fallout from her last breakup has left her an outcast at school and at home, she’s determined to turn over a new leaf. A crush-free weekend at Farmland Music and Arts Festival with her best friend is just what she needs to get her mind off the senior year that awaits her.

Toni is one week away from starting college, and it’s the last place she wants to be. Unsure about who she wants to become and still reeling in the wake of the loss of her musician-turned-roadie father, she’s heading back to the music festival that changed his life in hopes that following in his footsteps will help her find her own way forward.

When the two arrive at Farmland, the last thing they expect is to realize that they’ll need to join forces in order to get what they’re searching for out of the weekend. As they work together, the festival becomes so much more complicated than they bargained for, and Olivia and Toni will find that they need each other, and music, more than they ever could have imagined.

Packed with irresistible romance and irrepressible heart, bestselling author Leah Johnson delivers a stunning and cinematic story about grief, love, and the remarkable power of music to heal and connect us all. 

What did I think of it:
I loved You Should See Me in a Crown, so I had to give this book a try as well.

And this is yet another cool read.

The book alternates viewpoints between Olivia and Toni so you get to see into both their heads. I liked Toni a bit more than Olivia, because Olivia seems a little selfish at times, but overall I rooted for both of them.

AS the story takes place over a weekend the bonding and romance is a bit fast, but still Johnson makes it feel believable. I wouldn't have minded if the story had been a bit longer to see how the two of them would be together over a longer period time though. 

All in all a very enjoyable read. I'll keep an eye out for more by Johnson.

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable YA read.


buy from Amazon


Tuesday 10 August 2021

Teaser Tuesdays - A Bad Day for Sunshine

 

She paused and  glanced around at each panic-stricken face. The deputies were all taller than she was, so it took a bit of effort.


(page 38, A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones)

buy from amazon

---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


Monday 9 August 2021

Six Crimson Cranes - Book Review

Six Crimson Cranes (Six Crimson Cranes #1)
by Elizabeth Lim 

What is it about:
Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama's betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her. 

What did I think of it:
I will confess I had trouble getting into this book, and when a character was introduced I really didn't care for I was close to throwing the book aside. But as the character in question said he was going away for a while, I decided to stick with the story a bit longer.

And it did turn out to be an enjoyable read.

I wasn't a fan of the writing style, but the story was interesting enough to overlook that. It is a re-imagining of the fairytale The Six Swans, and Lim did a good job giving it a unique spin. 

There was one storyline (with the character I didn't like) that felt like it didn't belong, but it looks like it was put in there for the sequel where that particular character will probably have a bigger role. I'm not sure if I'll read it I'll confess.

There was also another pet peeve of mine in this story I didn't much care for, but apart from those two things I had a good time with this book. I will most probably not reread it, but I might try something else by Lim if I run into it.

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable Fairytale re-imagining


buy from amazon