Thursday, June 30, 2022

Book Spotlight - The Last Fallen Moon by Graci Kim + Giveaway

 

About the Book:

Title: THE LAST FALLEN MOON (Gifted Clans #2)

Author: Graci Kim

Pub. Date: June 14, 2022

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 384

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, KindleAudibleB&NiBooks, KoboTBD, Bookshop.org

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents the second book in Graci Kim's magical and mysterious Gifted Clans trilogy.

"Graci Kim does such an amazing job of blending Korean mythology into the modern world, I am now wondering how I ever lived without knowing all this cool information."--New York Times #1 best-selling author Rick Riordan

For Riley Oh, life as the Godrealm’s last fallen star is not all it’s cracked up to be. Her new divine heritage doesn’t even come with cool magical powers; half of her friends and family (including her parents) can’t remember her; and to top it all off, the entire Gom clan is mad at her for killing the Cave Bear Goddess and stripping away their healing abilities.

But when their anger boils over and a group of witches curse Riley’s home, she knows it’s up to her to restore magic back to her clan – even if it means sneaking into the Spiritrealm.

Luckily, Riley has some backup. Along with her sister, Hattie, Riley meets Dahl, a heaven-born boy with shockingly white hair and a fondness for toilets who might not be telling the whole truth about who he is. Together they’ll fight vicious monsters, discover dark underwater worlds, and race to save the land of the dead from a fate that no one could have foreseen.

And this time, Riley won’t let anything get in her way. Because she can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is coming their way – and the gifted community is going to need all the powers they can get.

Grab THE LAST FALLEN STAR now!

 


About Graci:

Graci Kim is the bestselling author of The Last Fallen Star, book one in the Korean mythology-inspired middle grade adventure series. Called a “sparkling yarn” by Entertainment Weekly, the Gifted Clans trilogy has been optioned by the Disney Channel for a live-action television series, and was a 2021 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for “Best Middle Grade & Children’s Book”.

Graci is also one of the authors of The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities short story collection, published by Rick Riordan Presents (Disney Hyperion), which became an instant New York Times bestseller.

In a previous life, Graci was a diplomat for the New Zealand foreign service, a cooking show host, and once ran a business that turned children’s drawings into cuddly toys. She lives in New Zealand with her husband and daughter. You can find her sometimes on Twitter (@gracikim), more often on Instagram (@gracikimwrites), and always at her website (www.gracikim.com).

Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a finished copy of THE LAST FALLEN MOON, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/1/2022

YABooksCentral

Excerpt

6/2/2022

Feed Your Fiction Addiction

Review/IG Post

6/3/2022

More Books Please blog

Review/IG Post

6/4/2022

onemoreexclamation

Review/IG Post

Week Two:

6/5/2022

Lifestyle of Me

Review

6/6/2022

Okie Dreams

Review/IG Post

6/7/2022

The Bookwyrm's Den

Review

6/8/2022

laura's bookish corner

Review/IG Post

6/9/2022

A Court of Coffee and Books

Review/IG Post

6/10/2022

wilted pages

Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

6/11/2022

beersbooksandboos

Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

Week Three:

6/12/2022

@drewsim12

IG Review/TikTiok Review

6/13/2022

Read With Serena

Review/IG Post

6/14/2022

Nonbinary Knight Reads

Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

6/15/2022

meetcuteromancebooks

Review/IG Post

6/16/2022

@coffeesipsandreads

Review/IG Post

6/17/2022

@ReadsReaders

YouTube Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

6/18/2022

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Review/IG Post

Week Four:

6/19/2022

Emmiepooh2

IG Review

6/20/2022

Bookwyrming Thoughts

Review

6/21/2022

The Real World According To Sam

Review/IG Post

6/22/2022

The Girl Who Reads

Review/IG Post

6/23/2022

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

6/24/2022

BookBriefs

Review/IG Post

6/25/2022

Ruei's Reading Corner

Review/IG Post

Week Five:

6/26/2022

onemused

IG Review

6/27/2022

Library of Alexandria Archives

Review/IG Post

6/28/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review

6/29/2022

popthebutterfly

Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

6/30/2022

@enjoyingbooksagain

IG Review


Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Book Review - A Summer to Remember by Erika Montgomery

 

Thirty-year-old Frankie Simon took over her late mother's movie memorabilia shop. The shop serves as not only her source of income but, as the last remaining link to the only family she has ever known. As Frankie tries to come to term with her mother's passing, she receives a mysterious package in the mail. The package contains a photo of her mother alongside famous movie stars Glory Cartwright and her husband at a film festival the year before Frankie's birth.

Frankie decides to visit the coastal village to find out the truth behind her birth along with the secrets her mother has been keeping. Along the way, Frankie discovers that the past doesn't always stay buried and there are different types of families.

The book was an interesting cozy read with a few twists. I thought it was disappointing that Frankie went to discover her father but, that story line took a backseat to other story lines. I felt that the story was more of a fluff read than a story with actual punch. It was an interesting read and I would be open to reading more books by the author.

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Book Spotlight - Rise of the Snake Goddess by Jenny Elder Moke + Giveaway

About the Book:

Title: RISE OF THE SNAKE GODDESS (Samantha Knox #2)

Author: Jenny Elder Moke

Pub. Date: June 7, 2022

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 320

Find it: GoodreadsAmazonKindle, AudibleB&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Samantha Knox is back for another adventure in this 1920s female-driven mystery-adventure series!

Sam Knox’s second adventure takes her to the island of Crete, just off the coast of Greece, where she discovers the ancient Snake Goddess’s golden girdle in the depths of a cave shrine that has been buried for decades. After having been belittled by her archaeology professor throughout her first college semester, Sam knows this triumph will prove her worth in the field, but before she can take credit for the find, the girdle is stolen and the island is hit with a series of earthquakes that don’t feel quite geological.

Soon Sam, Bennett and Jo are embroiled in a wild hunt―one that takes them to tiny island shops, a glamorous auction party and a near fiery death―to find the girdle before someone can use it to raise an ancient goddess from her slumber. The final battle features gryphons, a labyrinth, the minotaur of legend and lots of snakes. Lots.

Reviews:

"Another action-packed, romance and mythology filled mystery...Themes of wealth, power, and chauvinism are skillfully woven throughout the story while readers are provided with a cast of characters they will easily find themselves rooting for!"―School Library Connection

"Billed as the heir apparent to Indiana Jones, Samantha is a witty and wise adventurer, and it feels as though Moke is building towards an eventual greater purpose for her heroine."―Booklist

"Jenny Elder Moke has done it again! Witty banter, ancient mysteries, thrilling action, and a mix of clever and dubious characters will keep you up all night in book two of the Samantha Knox series. A fantastic adventure!"―Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, author of Lies Like Wildfire

"Sam’s response to misogyny and classism propels the book’s action but also, in the deft hands of the author, provides readers with insights into the complexities of identity, self-awareness, and right action. While never becoming preachy, the book also thoughtfully explores issues related to the ethics of the acquisition and ownership of antiquities...Another satisfying supernatural adventure featuring an intrepid solver of puzzles."―Kirkus Reviews

“Ahead of her time and a force to be reckoned with, Samantha Knox is the female Indiana Jones we've long been waiting for! You haven't lived until you've read a Samantha Knox novel.”―Jen Calonita, New York Times best-selling author of the A Twisted Tale series

 


 

About  Jenny Elder Moke:

Jenny Elder Moke writes young adult fiction in an attempt to recapture the shining infinity of youth. Her debut novel, Hood, was a Junior Library Guild Selection, a Mayor's Book Club selection, and received critical acclaim.

When she is not writing, she’s gathering story ideas from her daily adventures with her two irredeemable rapscallions and honing her ninja skills as a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Jenny lives in Denver, CO with her husband and two children.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub



Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of RISE OF THE SNAKE GODDESS, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/1/2022

YABooksCentral

Excerpt

6/2/2022

@simplybeccamee

IG Review

6/3/2022

Just Another Teen Reading Books

Review/IG Post

6/4/2022

Review Thick And Thin

Review/IG Post

Week Two:

6/5/2022

A Court of Coffee and Books

Review/IG Post

6/6/2022

Karen Dee's Book Reviews

Review/IG Post

6/7/2022

Book-Keeping

Review/IG Post

6/8/2022

More Books Please blog

Review/IG Post

6/9/2022

Lisa Loves Literature

Review/IG Post

6/10/2022

@wraithreads

TikTok Review/IG Post

6/11/2022

DB’S Guide to the Galaxy

Review

Week Three:

6/12/2022

@drewsim12

IG Review/TikTiok Review

6/13/2022

Read With Serena

Review/IG Post

6/14/2022

@ReadsReaders

YouTube Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

6/15/2022

Star-Crossed Book Blog

Review/IG Post

6/16/2022

popthebutterfly

Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

6/17/2022

Fire and Ice

Review/IG Post

6/18/2022

@coffeesipsandreads

Review/IG Post

Week Four:

6/19/2022

beersbooksandboos

Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

6/20/2022

The Real World According To Sam

Review/IG Post

6/21/2022

@jacleomik33 The Page Ladies

IG Post Review

6/22/2022

The Reading Devil

Review/IG Post

6/23/2022

Emmiepooh2

IG Review

6/24/2022

The Girl Who Reads

Review/IG Post

6/25/2022

Lifestyle of Me

Review

Week Five:

6/26/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review

6/27/2022

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

6/28/2022

BookBriefs

Review/IG Post

6/29/2022

Library of Alexandria Archives

Review/IG Post

6/30/2022

onemused

Review/IG Post


Monday, June 27, 2022

Book Review - Billy Summers by Stephen King

 

Billy Summer is the best for hire killer in the business. He will only take a job if the target is a bad guy. Billy wants out of the business but, he needs to complete one last job. Billy is a decorated war veteran who is known for his sniper skills. He is also a pro at vanishing after the job is completed. Will Billy be able to complete his last job?

This was my first time reading any of King's books but, I am familiar with his writing from movies and made for TV series. I thought the book was an okay read as I was expecting the novel to be a horror book since, I usually think of him as the "king of horror". The book was thought-provoking read providing a lot of "what ifs" but, I also felt like the book dragged on for a bit.  When all the fluff was removed, the story line was pretty straight-forward and predictable and almost ripped straight from the headlines. Personally, I do not care for Donald Trump as a person but, I felt like King's constant reference to him was like a dog with a bone to pick. While I am in no rush to run out and read another one of his books, I might pick up one of his horror books in the future.