Tag: Upcoming

Quincy

January 8, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Welcome to the mostly true memoir of Quincy, an Irish soft-coated wheaten terrier. Read about Quincy’s life as he describes his time with his dog mom and his puppy siblings and feel the mixture of concern and excitement as they all go to their forever homes with their new pet parents. Quincy tells us his thoughts as he moved to New Jersey with his new parents, Diane and John, and then describes the adventures he experiences with his humans until his parents bring home a tiny wheaten terrier puppy named Duffy. Through Quincy’s eyes, we watch as Duffy grows up and becomes a partner in Quincy’s escapades. Together they travel from the sea to the mountains, the absolute best of buddies, until their world is upended by a little girl wheaten terrier named Kitty. Quincy talks about how Kitty changed their routines and has taken his spot on the bed, but the affection between Quincy and Kitty becomes evident over time. When Alvin joins the family, the dynamic changes again; but as usual, Quincy guides the youngster as he joins the pack and learns the rules of the household. Throughout the book, Quincy shares perspective on his journey, and along the way, he provides some tips and ideas that are right for raising any dog.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and to be completely honest I was pleasantly surprised by it. Was it perfect? No, but very few debut titles are. When I started I was a little worried as this isn’t my usual type of book, but Quincy and his family stole my heart. As a dog mom I loved to see the relationships between all of the pets and I loved that I felt like I learned something about raising a dog. I got this book right around when I adopted my own puppy and needed the advice, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a puppy.

So I’ll reiterate that this book was not perfect, but it was a truly enjoyable ride. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves animals, is thinking about getting a pet, or is just starting their pet journey. I also have to give credit to the illustrator, Wendy Carty. I loved getting little peeks of the story and getting to see what everything might have looked like in the authors mind while she were writing. Diane McHutchison wrote a lovely book and I am very excited to see what else she has in store.

Rating

Rating System

May 15, 2022 / / 1 Comment

Am I too quick to five stars? Do I write reviews too quickly after reading books, and unjustly rate? Those are all possibilities I need to take into consideration. I have come to realize I need a rating system, and I will explain below what each star rating will mean below.

In addition to a rating system, I’ve realized I shouldn’t get too excited and write reviews right away. It has occurred to me that in writing a review directly after finishing a book, especially books that I truly enjoyed, I have been rating and reviewing books and then realizing flaws after the book and story has sunk in. I have decided to write my reviews at least 24 hours after finishing a book, to try to fairly rate. I have also begun taking notes about books as I read them so I can look back at how I felt throughout the whole story, and not just at the end.

So, without further ado, the new rating system. It will still be a star-based rating, but each rating will have meaning:

1 star: DNF. This is a book I could not finish, that the writing was poor, or I didn’t like the author’s style. This is a book I would not try again and an author I won’t give a second chance.

2 stars: DNF/almost DNF’d. This is a book that I could not finish, or almost couldn’t not finish, that I could see potential in. The story maybe wasn’t for me, but it was well written and a good plot.

3 stars: This is a book that is enjoyable, but nothing special. I was happy to read but didn’t feel like I couldn’t live without the story.

4 stars: This is a book that is amazing. I loved reading and wished I could keep reading even when I was doing other stuff.

5 stars: God tier. This is a book that changed my life. The kind that I wish I could step into or read again for the first time.

Book Haul (sorry babe)

May 14, 2022 / / 3 Comments

Much to my boyfriend’s exasperation I have a book haul I would love to share with you guys! I’m hoping this haul will hold the answers to getting out of this reading slump. So without further ado, I present to you, my book haul:

The Shadow in the Glass: A gothic, dark retelling of Cinderella with a Victorian backdrop.

Second Star to the Left: A NA Peter Pan retelling that is a love story between Tink and Hook.

Bravely: A new YA story set after Disney’s Brave with a new adventure for Merida.

Book of Night: Holly Black’s debut adult novel, a dark fantasy perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Erin Morgenstern.

Portrait of a Thief: A debut heist story that has Asian and LGTBQ+ characters.

Darling Girl: Another Peter Pan retelling that tells the story of Wendy’s granddaughter.

The Priory of the Orange Tree: A monster of a novel that’s an epic fantasy that focuses on women and their stories.

Kingdom of the Wicked: The first in a new NA trilogy by Kerri Maniscalco that tells the story of sisters, and what lines you would cross for those you love.

The Wilder Women: The newest book by the author of Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance about magical sisters looking for their lost mother.

Mistakes Were Made: A sapphic rom-com about embracing the unexpected.

As I said before, normally when I go on vacation, I pack a bag dedicated just to books, but I’m trying to be a little more practical. I think I want to bring 3-4 books, to give myself variety, and my Kindle. Now I know I said that I’m in the mood to read physical books only, but that could change at any time, plus having my Kindle gives me the opportunity to download any sequels if I need to.

So, the question becomes, what books do I bring with me? Do I want to bring some of the books I just got, or do I want to read something older from my TBR? I think the answer may be that I need to bring a mix. My head feels like maybe fantasy is the way to go, but I’ll bring at least one realistic with me in case I’m wrong. I’m starting to get really excited about my vacation now, and thinking about what books to pack is really putting me in the vacation mood. What do you think I should bring?

All books are tagged if you’re interested in purchasing! I got a few of these titles through Book of the Month. Book of the Month is a monthly subscription box where the reader gets to pick! Each month pick from 5-7 new titles, and then add from their hundreds of add-ons. Skip anytime, or pick up to 3 books each month. Sign up here for your first month to be only $5.

Love on the Brain

April 9, 2022 / / 1 Comment

Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project—a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia—Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward. Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school—archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. There’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?

Ali Hazelwood, you have done it again. I have once again devoured a story you have written. Another love story, Gina? Yes. I’m apparently in a mood, and Ali Hazelwood has delivered. I was worried after her debut, “how will she do it again?” “She’s an exceptional writer, but will her story be as good?” The answer is, she’s amazing and I will forever read her stories.

I loved the characters. Nerdy scientists may just be some of my favorite characters to read. They were quirky, but not in an unrealistic, creepy way. They developed nicely. I laughed, and cried, and felt a whole range of emotions. The side characters were charming and fun, and while I wished I got to see more of everyone, I would not have wanted to take anything away from the story.

The two main characters, Bee and Levi, made my heart feel large and my head hurt. Normally the lack of communication trope makes me irrationally angry, but in this book, it was almost charming. Trope-wise it had one of my all-time favorites: when the man falls first. There’s just something so romantic to a story when you see a man fall in love with the woman, and then patiently waits for her to catch up. And let me tell you, Levi was patient.

Overall, I won’t say this book wasn’t without its flaws. I’ve read too many books to say any book is truly perfect. However, this book was exactly what I wanted it to be. Funny, romantic, quirky, emotional. It had it all. I am desperate for another novel by Ali Hazelwood.

Rating

My Very Hopeful April Book List

April 1, 2022 / / 0 Comments

I’m hoping for a better April than I had March. Overall March was not great, and I didn’t get the chance to read as much as I wanted to. With some personal stuff going on, as well as being sick I was only able to read 3 books in March. In April I’m aiming to read 6 books.

Up first I have Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood. Given how much I loved The Love Hypothesis, I’m incredibly excited to read this book coming out August 23, 2022. I like to go into books by authors I know I enjoy blind, so I don’t know much about the synopsis, but I’m hoping for another grumpy/sunshine trope.

For the second book, I’m hoping to read So This Is Ever After. It was pitched to me as Carry On meets Arthurian legend, and honestly that was enough to have me asking for a digital review copy. The way I screamed when I woke up and saw that I was approved was a little bit embarrassing.

Third, we have Hotel Magnifique. The synopsis of this book gives me Carnaval and The Night Circus vibes. When I saw Edelweiss had this title available, I pushed the request button so fast. I just hope it lives up to my expectations.

Fourth, fifth, and sixth are all from one series. I’m going back into the world of the Shadowhunters and finally reading The Infernal Devices. Many years ago, I read all six of the Mortal Instrument books and I loved them. Just last year I decided I wanted to read EVERYTHING in the Shadowhunter world, and I wanted to do them in the order Cassandra Clare recommends. I read The Mortal Instruments part one, so next is The Infernal Devices. My only fear is that I will get obsessed and not want to leave this world until I finish, and that is so many books.

April will hopefully be full of great reads, and while I’m excited to read all these incredible books, I’m hopeful that life will allow me to actually read what I want to read. Everyone wish me luck!

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