#book reivews

[wttnblog]

"I Want You More" Plays Into Our Innate Desire To Be Desired

It’s been a long time since I’ve picked up a thriller, but the cover of Swan Huntley’s I Want You More drew me in immediately. This sapphic story is about a ghostwriter, Zara, who goes to the house of her client, Jane, to interview her for her memoir. This isn’t a thriller in the traditional sense of the word. Instead, it’s marked more by a persistent sense of uneasiness. This feeling is…

[allbookedupblogstuff]

Laozi's Dao Di Jing translated by Ken Liu

TL;DR: A very friendly exploration of a philosophy I’ve heard of but didn’t know many details. Source: Netgalley! Thank you so much! I also purchased my own copy after completion. Structure: This includes essays from Ken Liu about the translation and his thoughts on several of the chapters which really helped add to the overall message and understanding.Readability: This is very newbie friendly…

[nemuibibliophile]

Legends & Lattes

This is the sequel to the recent book I've read, Bookshops Bonedust by Travis Baldree.

When I first finished Bookshops Bonedust, I knew off the bat that I would love to know what Viv, the young female orc was up to. I love how her character was portrayed, the adventurous kind, and yet while recovering, getting into books and knowing people from Murk as a mystery pops along the way.

So I was pretty excited when the second book came and I have to say that Legends & Lattes did not disappoint me one bit. I was glad that the book skipped the gory part of her adventure and went straight into her next divulge at which she decided to stay put in one place called Thunes and open up a cafe.

Here is the thing, the place where she decided to establish the cafe has yet to introduce coffee to society, she first got into it in a place called Azimuth via a friendly gnome she met when she entered the cafe through the exotic "bean" she smelled.

That's when she decided to own a cafe and sell coffee but she had another idea along with it. She came about a song that bards used to sing about Scalvert Stone and if it is placed along the ley lines it will produce a "ring of fortune" with the aspect of the heart.

Along the way as she established her cafe, she met a few kindred characters whom I truly love how they grew with Viv and became her lucky stars. I feel I should name one of the characters that I am very fond of. He is a rattkin and his name is Thimbles. He's such a cute and lovely character in the story. Love it when he appears. So keep a lookout on him.

Here is my spot of tea, it is a very lovely book and I finished it in a sitting. Got to show how much I really enjoyed this book. The sad thing is it did not link the previous book's characters like the rattkin Fern except for the short introduction to Legends & Lattes in the first book. I would love to see them interact in a way but it does not dampen the atmosphere it has established in the story. Would recommend getting both books to enjoy

Sleepy review: 4.5/5

[readthebookfirstpodcast]

Isaac and Jenessa break down Studio Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle and discuss how it's different (better?) than the book it's based on. Listen to find out which scene made Jenessa cry. 

All episodes can be played at readthebookfirst.buzzsprout.com

[books-in-a-storm]

Paranormal Star Review

Title: Dino Magic #1 Dinosaurs, Disasters & Albert Einswine

Author: Sedona Ashe

Pages: 190

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)

Synopsis:

I have huge man problems. Literally, since one of my mates is a T-Rex.

Things are about to get interesting, because my day job happens to be in a museum. A museum full of dinosaur bones, if you know what I mean.

It turns out my bloodline is older than dirt, and ancestral matchmaker decided to send me some gifts…aka, men. And not just any men, but dinosaur shifters from the past.

I’ve read enough paranormal romance to know all about fated mates, but I’ve never heard of fated dinosaur mates. These men are supposed to be my perfect match, here to help me learn about my magic. Rawr. Yes, they are as sexy as you are imagining.

My life had been a routine of working and spending time watching TV with my pet pig, Albert Einswine. Now I needed to learn to control the magic I never knew I had, learn more about my family line, and help these sexy dino shifters adjust to modern society.

All while hiding a T-Rex sized secret from the world.

To make matters worse, detectives are looking into the explosion I may or may not have caused when my blood mixed with some magic-infused ancient dust, which is a serious problem since the sexy green-eyed detective has my heart flip-flopping in my chest.

First And Last Sentence: Here

[asummerofstories]

When I was a kid, I desperately wanted to be an archeologist and adventurer discovering lost ruins across the world. I also wanted to be a librarian, a police officer, a writer. The list was inspired by the books I was reading and the television I was consuming at the time, changing almost every other day as I acquired new information.   

What’s striking when reading ‘Bad Blood’ is that when Elizabeth Holmes was asked the question about what she wanted to be when she grew up, the answer was not about a particular field or job role. She wanted to be a billionaire. The term doesn’t describe much about what a person with this status would��do day-to-day but when we think about the term there are a few obvious names that come to mind.  

Inspired by Steve Jobs, Elizabeth set out to change the world with an idea that would revolutionize the medical field.  

Theranos was the next Silicon Valley “Unicorn” - experiencing a meteoric rise gaining attention and investments from the rich and powerful. Everything was in place for Elizabeth Holmes to realize her dream of becoming a billionaire, the only problem? The technology didn’t work.  

‘Bad Blood’ is the triumph of investigative journalism – it was John Carreyrou’s articles in the Wall Street Journal that exposed the fraudulent claims made by Elizbeth Holmes and Theranos. This book is fast paced and breathtaking, after each chapter you will find yourself asking why no one had caught on as the years went by.  

Even though the heart of the book is one case, the story points to a much bigger issue with attitudes and investment within Silicon Valley. In an attempt to chase the next gold rush from new technology corners were and due diligence forgotten while real patients were put at risk.  

As a side note, I’d also highly recommend ‘The Smartest Guys in the Room’ by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind if you enjoy reading about corporate fraud!  

[teenageread]

Review: The Impossible Climb

Synopsis:

The climbing community had long considered a "free solo" ascent of El Capitan an impossible feat so far beyond human limits that it was not worth thinking about. When Alex Honnold topped out at 9:28 am on June 3, 2017, having spent fewer than four hours on his historic ascent, the world gave a collective gasp. His friend Tommy Caldwell, who free climbed (with a rope) the nearby Dawn Wall in 2015, called Alex's ascent "the moon landing of free soloing." The New York Times described it as "one of the great athletic feats of any kind, ever." It was "almost unbearable to watch," writes Synnott.This majestic work of personal history delves into a raggedy culture that emerged decades earlier during Yosemite's Golden Age, when pioneering climbers like Royal Robbins and Warren Harding invented the sport that Honnold would turn on its ear. Synnott paints an authentic, wry portrait of climbing history, profiling Yosemite heroes John Bachar, Peter Croft, Dean Potter, and the harlequin tribe of climbers known as the Stonemasters. A veteran of the North Face climbing team and contributor to National Geographic, Synnott weaves in his own amateur and professional experiences with poignant insight and wit. Tensions burst on the mile-high northwest face of Pakistan's Great Trango Tower; photographer/climber Jimmy Chin miraculously persuades an intransigent official in the Borneo jungle to allow Honnold's first foreign expedition, led by Synnott, to continue; armed bandits accost the same trio at the foot of a tower in the Chad desert

Plot:

Free solo sounds what it means, you are free and alone. No ropes, no harness, just your chalk-covered hands and a thousand-foot surface of a wall, waiting for you to reach the summit, or die. Of all the forms of climbing, free soloing is one of the most dangerous, as one mistake could cost you your life. Yet, to Alex Honnold, one of the world's greatest free soloists, it was everyday life. The first time Alex Honnold went climbing, was the day his life changed forever, as his days were spent chasing the sun and the next wall he had to climb. At the front of it, all was El Capitan. Found in Yosemite Park, this 2308 meter tall slab of rock. It was always Honnold’s dream to climb it, and on June 3, 2017; he completed this climb before some of us even woke up. Yet, before Honnold's solo El Captian, he did a lot more climbs, and a lot of climbers before him also completed legendary routes. Mark Synnott, author, and fellow climber write this book not only to tell the public of the great Alex Honnold, but to mark it as a tribute to the history of climbing, taking you on Synnott’s journey as a climber, who they meet along the way, and give life to climbers who are no longer with us but have made the sport what it is today. 

Thoughts:

This book is written for climbers, but the general public can read it too. As a non-climber, I am not sure how well Mark Synnott makes this book appealing and accessible. Synnott does explain the more complex climbing terminology such as the styles and the grading system, yet does it more when it comes up in the story vs. all at the beginning. This gives it a natural flow, despite Synnott's time jumping a lot. With the first chapter talking about Honnold thinking about soloing El Capitan, he does not actually complete the climb till the final chapter, leaving ten chapters to talk about other climbs that sometimes Honnold is not even a part of. With a bit of a historical underselling, Synnott also writes it as a story, making up conversations, giving us the rivalries, the bickering, and painting vivid pictures on the climbs of these big walls and how cramped Honnold’s box was. As a climber, this book is fantastic, and truly captures the history of climbing. Alex Honnold free soloing El Capitan, where a plot point is one of several, as Synnott takes you through multiple famous climbs, name drops a lot of great climbers, and uses their own knowledge of the sport to make it enticing for all. If this book does not make you want to start climbing and join this growing population, I do not know what will, because Synnott is an incredible writer and a fantastic climber.

Read more reviews: Goodreads

Buy the book: Amazon

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb:

Part dark gothic fantasy, part journey into the bizarre, this delicious blending of tall tales and Latin American surrealism will haunt you as you devour it!

"Highly imaginative and powerfully affecting."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

1836, Wisconsin. Catalina lives with her pa and brother in a ramshackle cabin on the edge of the wilderness. Harsh winters have brought the family to the brink of starvation, and Catalina has replaced her poet's soul with an unyielding determination to keep Pa and her brother alive.

When a sudden illness claims Pa, a strange man appears—a man covered in bark, leaves growing from his head, and sap dripping from his eyes. He scoops up her brother and disappears, leaving behind a bird with crimson wings. Catalina can’t let this man—if that’s what he is—have her brother. So, she grabs Pa’s knife and follows the bird.

Along the way, she finds help from a young lumberjack, who has his own reasons for hunting the Man of Sap. As their journey takes them deeper into the woods, they encounter strange beasts and tormented spirits. The more they uncover about the Man of Sap, the more they learn how deeply Catalina’s fate is entwined with his, planted long ago in cursed seeds.

An enchanting mixture of American tall tales and Faustian elements, Before the Devil Knows You’re Here centers a fierce Mexican American poet on a quest to save her brother. Autumn Krause’s vivid, haunting prose and rich symbolism make this a must-read for fans of Maggie Stiefvater and Erin Craig.

Review:

A unique dark gothic fantasy take on the story of Johnny Appleseed? I am in! The story follows Catalina, a young woman in 1836, Wisconsin who lives with her father and brother in a cable in the wilderness. They have been struggling to just get by, crops failing, and hunger gnawing at them... but their father has always told them to be weary of the Sap Man and his apples, apples that will kill them. When her father suddenly becomes sick, a strange man covered in bark appears with sap dripping from his eyes and kidnaps her brother. Catalina knows it is the Sap Man and now she must find a way to get her brother back. Along the way she meets a lumberjack also hunting this man down... and together they journey deeper into the woods and encounter strange beasts and tortured souls. The story is also told from the point of view of Johnny, the Sap Man, detailing his life from before he became what he was and the deal with the devil that he made, and ultimately the cost. Catalina must find a way to save her brother but there will be a cost to getting what she wants and that might mean making a deal with the same devil that made Johnny what he is now. This was such a fascinating story and honestly so unique. I love the take on the story of Johnny Appleseed and the gothic fantasy tones in this were amazing. I really had a great time with this one and think it would make a great autumn read! If you like gothic fairytales, a little bit of romance, and good atmospheric writing, pick this one up!

*Thanks Netgalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink, Peachtree Teen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[readingcottage]

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general - also known as her tough-as-talons mother - has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. But when you're smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away . . . because dragons don't bond to 'fragile' humans. They incinerate them. With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother's daughter - like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. She'll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise. Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret. Alliances will be forged. Lives will be lost. Traitors will become allies . . . or even lovers. But sleep with one eye open because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

Goodreads 4.69/5 | Amazon 4.8/5

BUY IT NOW

[pipperoni32-blog]

The Cruel Prince

By Holly Black 

A friend recommended that we re-read The Folk of the Air in preparation of “The Stolen Heir” coming out this month. Plus, she knew that I would never say no to Cardan. 

As I’ve seen many fan blogs and fanart, I know I’m not alone in loving this series. My first foray into the faerie world was through Julie Kagawa’s book “The Iron King”. Though I haven’t finished that series, I hope to some day! I loved the cleverness of the characters, the way it drew from myth’s and fairy tales, and how the fairy world lived alongside the human one - though the human one was poisoning their world. Then I got a different glimpse of faeries in Sarah J. Maas’ books. Then I stumbled across The Cruel Prince, and my life was forever changed. 

There is no doubt that Holly Black knows how to make the Faerie realm come to life. How she can draw you and allure you with the magic of it, while making no attempt to hide the ugliness and cruelty. Then you have such a great heroine in Jude. 

Jude watched her parents be slaughtered by the man who would later come to be her father, Madoc. He dragged her - along with her twin sister Taryn and their older sister Vivienne, who was Madoc’s true daughter - to live in Elfhame afterward, to be raised amongst the gentry despite being a mortal. Though Madoc does truly love her in his own way, Jude isn’t fooled into thinking that the fae are simple creatures. 

She changes to try to fit herself into their world, despite being a target for cruel pranks from Prince Cardan and his friends. Despite the very real danger that awaits her at every turn in this beautiful, magical, horrifying world. Soon, trying to fit in isn’t good enough. She wants to have power, to stop being underestimated and terrified all the time. She wants to be better than the fae, and she’ll do whatever it takes along the way. 

Again, Holly Black does such a perfect job at balancing things out. You’re not so overcome by the crueler side that it turns into a horror story. Yet you’re not reading an innocent fairy tale, either. The fae are a tricky folk, and they are so very clever. The plot is expertly woven, with unexpected twists, humor, and more clever riddles and dialogue than I could ever hope to come up with. 

Then there’s Cardan. My friend who I’m re-reading the series with still doesn’t understand my fascination with him, and to a degree I don’t myself. But I’ve claimed him as mine (along with several thousand other people... xD) and I’m sticking with that. After reading this book several times, it’s so fun to come back to it, knowing how it all ends and looking for little tells in the beginning. 

If you haven’t read this series yet, I highly, highly recommend them! One of my all time favorites! 

[earthbornstudio]

 Last month I was able to get my hands on a copy of a book I have wanted to read for a very long time. “ The Artists Guide to Sketching” by James Gurney and Thomas Kinkade

 Both authors are well known artists with James Gurney being best known for his “Dinotopia” books, and Thomas Kinkade for his prints.

 I had heard it was a must read for anyone wanting to up their sketching game, That was indeed correct.

 The book covers sketching exercises, mindsets, techniques, and more. It is one of the most in-depth sketching books I have ever read.

 Someone watching you sketch? Here is how to deal with it !

 Weather issues? Here is how to deal with it!

 Are you a hobo looking for shelter and food? Yep kinda covers that too (Seriously)

The techniques sections have taught me a lot that other books on sketching I have read have not. For example how to create semi accurate perspective lines with no rulers.

There are lessons on how to take photographs with your mind, and how to observe a subject most effectively.

 There is a section on how to change what you see to better fit what you want to draw. How to pick the mood you want.

 The emphasis is on sketching both from life and the mind with a lesson on things not having to be fully exactly what you see (go ahead throw a dragon into the empire state building it will be fun!).

 All and all I learned quite a bit from this book and I will probably read it again just for inspiration! I would recommend this book if you can get your hands on it.

[wttnblog]

"The Night We Lost Him" is a Story of Loss and Love

I’ve always been driven towards psychological mysteries that put more emphasis on the people involved than the mystery itself. That way, I’m normally never disappointed by the (inevitably silly) reveal at the end. That was very much the case in The Night We Lost Him, the latest book by Laura Dave. As was the case with her first thriller I read, The Last Thing He Told Me, the actual mystery here…

[bookish-wanderer]

Book Review: Play the Game (Blue Devils Hockey #1) by S.J. Sylvis

There’s nothing wrong with playing the game – except when you know you’re about to lose.⁣As a little girl, I dreamed of becoming many things. A twenty-five-year-old photographer struggling to make ends meet with a mountain of legal fees wasn’t one of them. Making questionable decisions wasn’t either. ⁣⁣After hanging up my camera, I start a job I loathe that has me questioning my morals on a daily…

[readthebookfirstpodcast]

We're back with an exciting episode! Marissa has returned to help us dive into Meg Cabot's infamous, The Princess Diaries. 

All episodes can be played at readthebookfirst.buzzsprout.com

[cameracourt]

Series Review: The Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir by Nichole Van

[anneelizabeth1317]

A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant

One of the first things I must say about this novel is not to let the cover fool you. While there are plenty of intimate moments between our hero and heroine, this book is not about writhing virgins surrendering to lust.

"I love the romance genre, but one thing that annoys me is the stereotypical book covers. Particularly, romances between men and women often feature a certain style of cover, regardless of the novel’s content.

This novel has a wonderful backbone heavily steeped in period accurate portraits of country living and the impact the landed gentry had on the lives of the people around them. 

Martha Russel, Mistress of Seton Park, is deeply committed to her community and doing all she can to make it better. Her focus is on bettering the lives of her tenants and those tenants' children by championing a local school and encouraging the families to send all their children, not just the boys.  Her neighbor, Theophilus 'Theo' Mirkwood, initially lacks direction but is inspired by Martha's dedication. Witnessing the poor conditions of his laborers, he becomes more involved in estate management. 

We are shown how seriously Martha takes her duty through her interactions with the Vicar, Mr. Atkins. She’s heavily involved with speaking to the local families and trying to convince them of the benefits of sending all their children. I truly enjoyed watching her execute her strategy on the parents. Most families were okay with sending their sons, and having the daughters stay home. Martha understands the family's hesitancy and is in it for the long haul. Her plan is subtle, starting with the girls just going to Sunday school for an hour at first then hoping to transition the female students to the school during the week. 

She also appeals to the idea that if the girls have some education they might be able to marry a tradesman of some standing. I enjoyed Martha being progressive and fighting for what she believes is right. As women have done for centuries she’s able to advocate for better circumstances within the confines of society using her wit, wiles, courage, and resourcefulness.

Theo sees the beauty in her determination: 

But she was never lovelier than when she spoke this way, all afire with the knowledge of wrongs to be righted and good to be done

Theo is a youngish man who has never had high expectations placed on him and, as a result, hasn’t really applied himself. He is sent to the Sussex countryside  to gain an education in estate management by his father, the Baronet. Theo has been a wastrel in London and his father is hoping some time at one of the family homes will help him gain a sense of responsibility. A visit to the homes of the laborers on his estate impacts him deeply as he finds their living conditions unacceptable This spurs him to become better acquainted with the people living on the property. Seeing Martha’s example of taking care of her tenants he begins to take more of an interest in estate management. With Martha’s help and support Theo begins to see the impact he has on the lives of those around him. He takes initiative to better the lives of those around and even comes up with an idea to create a local dairy since there is no good cheese, butter or milk to be had for laborer and tenet families. 

The pacing of this novel is exceptional. Grant quickly establishes the stakes, engaging the reader from the outset. She also trusts her reader is smart enough to make connections with subtle hints. I enjoyed the fact that once I made a connection once certain information was revealed, Grant revealed the information in the next section. I cannot begin to state how frustrating it is when an author stretches out an obvious conclusion in a novel. 

If you’re looking for great character development, good dialogue, and women being supported and protected in the regency era, Cecilia Grant’s A Lady Awakened is for you! 

Enjoy your reading!

Novel TW: mentions of sexual assault