Book Spotlight - Justice At Sea by Christian Klaver + Spotlight

About The Book:

Title: JUSTICE AT SEA (The Empire of the House of Thorns)

Author: Christian Klaver

Pub. Date: December 7, 2021

Publisher: CamCat Books

Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 320

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle,  Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

The tides of the Faerie War are turning, but at how high a cost for the Kasric family?

Justice Kasric, her siblings, and her parents are locked in combat on both sides of the Human-Faerie War. At fifteen, Justice may be the youngest ever Admiral to command her own ship and lead a resistance, but she has the magic and the will to do it. If only nearly every other member of her family weren't either in immediate danger of dying-or attempting to kill her!

Forced to make dangerous pacts with more than one unpredictable ally, only Justice can decide how far she'll go to save London. Is it worth sacrificing even a member of her own family?

Praise for Shadows Over London

"Klaver dazzles with an adventure rooted in complex feelings about family loyalties, and magically full to the brim with faerie mystery." -Tobias S. Buckell, World Fantasy Award Winner and New York Times Bestselling Author

"An enchanting and enthralling series opener." -Kirkus Reviews

"Fantasy at its most fantastic. Monsters, mystery, and magic in a beautiful and frightening world all their own. Justice Kasric and her strange family are a delight from first to last." -Steven Harper, author of The Books of Blood and Iron series

"This first title in a new series slowly builds into a magical adventure in a world that is dark and unique . . . the plot and world building are sure to enthrall readers." -School Library Journal

"Klaver's rich, lyrical descriptions augment the fantastical source material in this engaging series starter." -Publishers Weekly

About Christian Klaver:

CHRISTIAN KLAVER has been writing for over twenty years, with a number of magazine publications, including Escape Pod, Dark Wisdom Anthology, and Anti- Matter. He’s the author of The Supernatural Case Files of Sherlock Holmes, the Empire of the House of Thorns series, and the Nightwalker series, but has written over a dozen novels in both fantasy and sci-fi, often with a Noir bent. He worked as a bookseller, bartender and a martial-arts instructor before settling into a career in internet security. He lives just outside the sprawling decay of Detroit, Michigan, with his wife Kimberly, his daughter Kathryn, and a group of animals he refers to as The Menagerie.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of JUSTICE AT SEA, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/10/2022	Rockstar Book Tours	Kickoff Post
1/11/2022	Mythical Books	Excerpt or Guest Post
1/12/2022	YABooksCentral	Excerpt or Guest Post
1/13/2022	Writer of Wrongs	Excerpt or Guest Post
1/14/2022	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt

Week Two:

1/17/2022	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
1/18/2022	Jaime's Book World	Excerpt
1/19/2022	The Girl Who Reads	Review
1/20/2022	GivernyReads	Review
1/21/2022	Sadie's Spotlight	Excerpt or Guest Post

Week Three:

1/24/2022	The Phantom Paragrapher	Review/IG Post
1/25/2022	Karen Dee's Book Reviews	Review
1/26/2022	@sunnydeelights	Review
1/27/2022	Fire and Ice	Review
1/28/2022	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt or Guest Post

Week Four:

1/31/2022	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post
2/1/2022	Pick A Good Book	Excerpt or Guest Post
2/2/2022	The Momma Spot	Review
2/3/2022	More Books Please blog	Review
2/4/2022	Coffee and Wander Book Reviews	Review

Week Five:

2/7/2022	@lexijava	Review
2/8/2022	@jaimerockstarbooktours	IG Post
2/9/2022	BookHounds YA	Review
2/10/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review
2/11/2022	@jypsylynn	Review

Week Six:

2/14/2022

Books a Plenty Book Reviews

Review

Book Review - The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky

 

The rules are simple when it comes to horror movies. You should avoid abandoned areas at all times, never split up, and if there is a murderer on the loose, be careful of who you hang out with. However, if only real life was this easy.

After a tragic experience, new girl Rachel Chavez likes to watch horror movies for comfort. She prefers watching movies than dealing with the rich kids of Manhattan Prep and  her past trauma.

Rachel comes across a club called the Mary Shelley Club, which is a secret society of students who love watching horror movies. The club hosts Fear Tests that are elaborate pranks that are inspired by movie and urban legend tropes.  At first, Rachel loves the idea and the power that comes with pranking other students. However, as the Fear Tests progress, the competition becomes deadlier and Rachel realizes this is one game she can't afford to lose.

I thought the book was a unique and entertaining read. I can't say that I liked any of the characters or liked how Rachel reacted towards the end. However, I was interested in how things will play out.  I didn't care for the romance portion of the book as it was mostly Rachel following any guy who showed her affection. I also didn't like that she kept trying to be a part of something when other people made it obvious they didn't want her there. I did wish that horror portion of the book took place a bit earlier. I felt like during the middle of the book, it was a quiet lull without much going on. The story was an entertaining read and I look forward to reading more books by the author.

Book Spotlight - Luckenbooth by Jenni Fagan

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pegasus Books (January 4, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1643138871
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1643138879

Praise for LUCKENBOOTH

“[Luckenbooth] is a cabinet of curiosities that is both a love letter to the Scottish capital, and a knife to its throat. The sparking nervous system of the book is its characters, all broken, all reassembled in their own ways, like Kintsugi, the Japanese process of highlighting cracks by mending them with gold...Despite its darkness, the novel is carried by jagged delight and optimism, a bright hope coming through the walls and a fundamental belief in people. Filled with blistering social critique, Luckenbooth is an ambitious and ravishing novel that will haunt me long after.” —Lauren Beukes ― The New York Times

“Luckenbooth is a deliciously weird gothic horror. Fagan once again examines the way people are affected by unhealthy spaces. Having survived the state care system that bounced her among dozens of homes, she writes about placement and displacement with an arresting mix of insight and passion. ‘No. 10 Luckenbooth,’ Fagan writes, ‘has some kind of purple memory vibrating through it like an endless hum.’ But it’s not so much a hum as a muffled scream—with a feral melody and a thundering bass line. Her prose has never been more cinematic. This story’s inexorable acceleration and its crafty use of suggestion and elision demonstrate the special effects that the best writers can brew up without a single line of Hollywood software—just paper, ink and ghosts." —Ron Charles ― The Washington Post

"In this inventive, experimental novel, Jenni Fagan traces a century in one Edinburgh tenement building and the lives of its occupants. When an unholy union forms between a childless government minister, his wife, and their fertile young maid — who happens to be the Devil’s own daughter — the building they live in is cursed for decades, affecting residents for generations." —Bustle ― Most Anticipated Books Of January 2022

"Fagan pulls out all the stops, looking evil straight in the eye and working the numerous components of this ambitious tale into a cohesive whole. " —The Washington Independent Review of Books

"In Jenni Fagan’s stunning new novel, an apartment building at 10 Luckenbooth Close in Edinburough first is scene to a terrible crime, then witness to all the blazing currents of the 20th century, moving on to explore visions of alternative history and future dystopias. Perfect for those who liked Things in Jars by Jess Kidd." —Molly Odintz ― CrimeReads, Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of 2022

"The interwoven lives of the tenants of No. 10 Luckenbooth Close, a tenement in the heart of Edinburgh, drive this outstanding novel from Fagan (The Panopticon), set over the course of the 20th century. All the tenants’ stories enchant as the action builds to a satisfying conclusion. This highly original novel with its fairy tale quality will appeal to fantasy fans as well." —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

ONE OF GRANTA MAGAZINE'S BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELISTS

SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE FOR FICTION AND THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE FOR THE PANOPTICON

'One of the most stunning literary experiences I've had in years' Irvine Welsh

'Dazzlingly ambitious' Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain

'A gloriously transgressive novel' Ian Rankin

1910, Edinburgh. Jessie, the devil's daughter, arrives on the doorstep of an imposing tenement building and knocks on a freshly painted wooden door. She has been sent by her father to bear a child for a wealthy couple, but, when things go wrong, she places a curse on the building and all who live there - and it lasts a century.

Caught in the crossfire are the residents of 10 Luckenbooth Close, and they all have their own stories to tell. While the world outside is changing, inside, the curse creeps up all nine floors and through each door. Soon, the building's longest kept secret - the truth of what happened to Jessie - will finally be heard.

You can purchase Luckenbooth at the following Retailers:

        

Photo Content from Jenni Fagan

Jenni Fagan is an award-winning novelist, poet, screenwriter and artist - she has published several fiction novels and poetry collections, and her work has been translated into numerous languages to great critical acclaim worldwide. Jenni has been on multiple award lists including becoming a Granta Best of Young British Novelist - a once in a decade accolade - for her debut The Panopticon. Her first two fiction novels received the front cover of The New York Times Book Review, who described her as “the Patron Saint of Literary Street Urchins.”

She has written for The Independent, Marie Claire and the New York Times, and been on lists for Desmond Elliott, Encore, James Tait Black, Sunday Times Short Story Award, BBC International Short Story Prize among others, and was twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She has concluded a PhD at the University of Edinburgh in 2020, becoming a Dr. of Philosophy, and has a vast body of photography and other artworks that she intends to collate and exhibit at some point. She is the current Poetry Lecturer at Strathclyde University.

Jenni grew up in the local authority care system for 16 years, before spending several years in homeless accommodation, she has moved over forty-five times and spent her teens and early twenties playing in punk and then grunge bands. She has been a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellow in Grez, France, a Gavin Wallace Fellow as Poet in Residence at Summerhall for a year where she engraved poetry onto bones and installed her poems around the building, also a University of Edinburgh Writer in Residence, Arvon Tutor and she has worked with young people, blind and visually impaired writers, people in prison or secure facilities, among other vulnerable groups.

Jenni has held residencies at Shakespeare and Company in Paris, writing several of her poetry collections there, it is her favourite place to read and she considers it one of her literary homes.

She is working on several projects across the page and screen.

        

WEEK ONE

JANUARY 24th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW

JANUARY 25th TUESDAY Insane About Books GUEST POST

JANUARY 25th TUESDAY 100 Pages A Day REVIEW

JANUARY 26th WEDNESDAY TTC Books and More EXCERPT

JANUARY 27th THURSDAY Movies, Shows, & Books INTERVIEW

JANUARY 28th FRIDAY Wottaread INTERVIEW

JANUARY 28th FRIDAY #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog EXCERPT

WEEK TWO

JANUARY 31st MONDAY A Court of Coffee and Books REVIEW

FEBRUARY 1st TUESDAY Ya It's Lit REVIEW

FEBRUARY 2nd WEDNESDAY Hannahlovestoread REVIEW

FEBRUARY 2nd WEDNESDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW

FEBRUARY 3rd THURSDAY The Bookwyrm's Den REVIEW

FEBRUARY 3rd THURSDAY Gwendalyn's Books REVIEW

FEBRUARY 4th FRIDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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February 2022 Empties!

 

I can't believe it is already February, I felt like January went by so quickly. I finished a few things but, it was mostly a lot of face masks, lip balms and moisturizers. I finished a few things that I enjoyed using and will repurchase but, not many things made that list.

I tried a few masks and some were noteworthy. The TULA instant facial mask was okay and it kind of burned when I applied it. I am not sure if the pad was supposed to peel off but, I got little "plant fibers" all over my face that was a pain. I don't foresee myself purchasing this again. The Rain Organica Firefly Facial Mask was one of the most annoying masks I ever used. The large grained mask was hard to apply and stay put. The ingredients were coarsely chopped so most of it was caught in my drain stopper.

I liked the OneKind Dream Cream Nightime Moisturizer as was very creamy and I felt like I noticed my skin more hydrated when I woke up in the morning. The Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser was okay, it didn't really remove tough mascara makeup and I had to use a lot of product before I noticed any results. I loved the Tbg. Lava Face Mask as it smelled like tootsie rolls. I did notice that this mask was very hydrating and it kind of lead to me getting a lot of breakouts after using. However, I love the packaging and the scent so much!

 Is there anything you finished this month that you liked? 

Book Review - Dava Shastri's Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti

 

Dava Shastri is one of the world's wealthiest woman and she is well known for her sterling reputation. At the age of seventy, she was diagnosis with brain cancer. The news causes Dava's entire world to be turned upside down. Dava decides to take control of her death just like everything else in her life.

She decides to plan a trip with her four adult children to her private island to disclose the truth. She plans to tell them about her medical diagnosis along with arranging for the news of her death to break early so, she can read what people said about her.

Dava has dedicated her life to philanthropy and to helping others especially, to the arts and the empowerment of women. Dava was expecting to be praised on her philanthropic work. Instead, the news of her death reveals two secrets that Dava thought she buried forever. Not only is the truth exposed but, the entire world including her children know the truth.

As Dava tries to connect with her family with the limited time she has, she will also need  to come to terms with the decisions she has made while making peace with her family. Will Dava be able to connect and fix the frays with her family before it's too late?

I thought the novel had an interesting premise and it was as a heart warming read. At times, I felt like the book did drag on. I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters and including, Dava. I felt like she was very much focused on what she wanted to do that sometimes. I felt like she took her children for granted and want they needed from her. I also found it weird that she wanted to take care of all her children except for one child who seemed the most like her. I thought that the author had way too many characters in the beginning and at one point, it seems that she herself got two names mixed up. I was also confused why the author picked to write this story in the future as there wasn't many futuristic elements except the time Dava went to space. Overall, the novel was a good attempt at a debut and has some thought-provoking moments.

Book Review - Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian

 

Chloe Sevre looks like your average girl next door. She is an honor student, spends her time going to frat parties, and doing yogalates. Except, Chloe isn't your average hot girl next door. She is a psychopath that is planning to kill her childhood friend, Will Bachman, after he wronged her.

Chloe is one of seven students at her college that are a part of a unique clinical study of psychopaths. The study is lead by a renowned psychologist who tracks their movements and their moods. One of the students from the study is found dead. Chloe becomes the prey as the dangerous game of cat and mouse begins. She races to find the killer while trying to execute her own revenge plan. Will Chloe be able to find the killer before she becomes the next victim?

I thought the book was an interesting read. I didn't really care for any of the characters but, I was interested in where the story was going. The ending was a bit of a surprise that I didn't see coming. I did like that there was multiple story lines going on but, after all it felt like the book was dragging along. Overall, it was an interesting read and I would be open to reading more books by the author.

Book Spotlight - Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian + Giveaway

 

About the Book:

Title: CASTLES IN THEIR BONES (Castles in their Bones #1)

Author: Laura Sebastian

Pub. Date: February 1, 2022

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 528

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

A spellbinding story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown. Immerse yourself in the first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the author of the New York Times bestselling Ash Princess series.

Empress Margaraux has had plans for her daughters since the day they were born. Princesses Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz will be queens. And now, age sixteen, they each must leave their homeland and marry their princes.

Beautiful, smart, and demure, the triplets appear to be the perfect brides—because Margaraux knows there is one common truth: everyone underestimates a girl. Which is a grave mistake. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz are no innocents. They have been trained since birth in the arts of deception, seduction, and violence with a singular goal—to bring down monarchies— and their marriages are merely the first stage of their mother’s grand vision: to one day reign over the entire continent of Vesteria.

The princesses have spent their lives preparing, and now they are ready, each with her own secret skill, and each with a single wish, pulled from the stars. Only, the stars have their own plans—and their mother hasn’t told them all of hers.

Life abroad is a test. Will their loyalties stay true? Or will they learn that they can’t trust anyone—not even each other?

Reviews:

"Enchanting...filled with captivating court intrigue and espionage." --Kirkus Reviews

“A page-turner that brilliantly blends magic, romance, and adventure. A twist ending leaves readers reeling but ready for the second installment in the planned trilogy.” --Booklist

"Sebastian excels at world building...and a few tantalizing open threads certainly warrant interest in the future two volumes in this trilogy." --The Bulletin

"Anextravagantly built series starter" --Publishers Weekly

 

 

About Laura:

Laura Sebastian grew up in South Florida and attended Savannah  College of Art and Design. She now lives and writes in London, England, with her two dogs, Neville and Circe. Laura is the author of the New York Times bestselling Ash Princess series: Ash Princess, Lady Smoke, and Ember Queen, as well as Half Sick of Shadows, her first novel for adults. To learn more about Laura and her books, follow @sebastian_lk on Twitter.

 

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

 

Giveaway Details:

 

3 winners will receive a finished copy of CASTLES IN THEIR BONES, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/31/2022	YABooksCentral	Interview
1/31/2022	History from a Woman’s Perspective	Review
2/1/2022	A Court of Coffee and Books	Review
2/1/2022	onemused	Review
2/2/2022	Star-Crossed Book Blog	Review
2/2/2022	Lifestyle of Me	Review
2/3/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review
2/3/2022	Celia's Reads	Review
2/4/2022	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review
2/4/2022	@lexijava	Review

Week Two:

2/7/2022	The Caffeinated Reader	Review
2/7/2022	The Reading Devil	Review
2/8/2022	BookBriefs	Review
2/8/2022	Momfluenster	Review
2/9/2022	The Momma Spot	Review
2/9/2022	@drewsim12	Review
2/10/2022	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
2/10/2022	A Bookish Dream	Review
2/11/2022	More Books Please blog	Review
2/11/2022	Nerdophiles	Review

Book Review - Life Flight (Extreme Measures, #1) by Lynette Eason

 

Penny Carlton is used to high stress situations as an EMS helicopter pilot. However, when she was forced to land on a mountain in a storm with a critical patient and a serial killer is on the loose; her nerves are a bit frayed. She was able to escape the killer's grasp with the help of FBI Special Agent Holt Satterfield.

As Penny tries to put the day behind her, she realizes that she might still be a target. She finds herself under attack and then she finds out that Holt might have killed the wrong man. Penny and Holt will need to work together to catch him before he claims another victim.

I thought the story was an interesting and entertaining read but, I didn't care for any of the characters. I felt like there were a lot of characters with different backstory. I felt like the connection that Penny and Holt had was unrealistic and had no bond. I didn't really feel a connection between the pair. I thought that the novel had a lot of different side stories and I didn't like how they were all dragged out through the entire story only to be tied up neatly in the end. I loved the story itself but, the execution was a bit choppy. However, I would be opened to reading more books by the author.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

January 2022 Haul Part 2!

I can't believe that January is almost over! But, I would be glad for some warm weather. I been so lazy to apply any products. But on to the goodies!

I got a "new" bottle of perfume from Clinique called "Happy". I remember liking it when I was younger. I hope I still enjoy the scent. I wonder what scent memory this fragrance will evoke. Usually my favorite scents are tied to very specific memories.

I got a few masks and one from Dr. Jart+ I have good experiences with this brand so, I am excited to try this new mask. I got these individual mask ampoules from VT. It seems interesting and my skin has been needing extra attention lately. Speaking of extra attention to my skin, I got these Tula's Instant Facial wipes. I have tried the PHAT facial from Ole Henriksen and loved it, so I am hoping these work well too.

I got the earth body scrub from Tbg. and I am excited to try it. The body scrub smells like coffee but, the earth face mask smelled like tootsie rolls and smelled so delicious! I got a new facial oil from Herbivore called Lapis. It's this beautiful soft blue color. 

I got several lip products but, I am excited to try the Patrick Ta lip gloss in "She's Expensive". It looks like a beautiful nude clearish color but, I am surprised on how small the container is for how expensive it was. I guess Patrick did get the name correctly. I got the Nars Afterglow Lip Balm in "orgasm" which is also a soft nude peach color.

Is there anything you got this month that you are excited to try?