Friday, September 23, 2022

Book Review - The French House by Helen Fripp

 

In 1805, Reims, France Nicole Clicquot is grieving her beloved husband. He left behind a vineyard and a little girl. Nicole must work hard to support her daughter and secure their future even if it means ignoring the gossip about her. As Nicole tries to ignore them, she hears a rumor about her husband and that he died with a terrible secret. His secret can cause the entire town to turn against her.

Nicole is heartbroken and her reputation is in tatters. She turns to her husband's oldest friend, Louis. He is eager to help with a warm smile and advice that eases her troubled heart. After a good harvest season and her first wine has been produced, Nicole feels her that her luck has  finally turned. She feels that she will be welcomed back into the local community and her future will be secure.

The ongoing war has caused complications and some of Nicole's friends are hiding secrets from her. She doesn't know who she can trust. Nicole is torn between trusting her head and her heart. She knows that she will have to pour her entire life into her business otherwise, she will face ruin.

I thought this was an interesting read about a person I never knew about. I assumed that the champagne house was actually owned by a man. It was interesting to read about Nicole's struggles to follow her heart while everyone was doubting her. However, I did find that the book was rather lengthy and slowly moved along at times. If the book was a bit shorter, I would have found it a lot more entertaining.

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Book Review - Ghostcloud by Michael Mann + Giveaway

 

Twelve year old Luke Smith-Sharma was kidnapped and forced to shovel coal underground. He feels that if he keeps his head down, he can win his freedom from Tabitha Margate. Everything changes when he realizes that one day he is able to see things others can't. He is able to see spirits and other otherworldly things. He befriends a ghost girl named Alma, who can bend clouds according to her will and ride them through the night sky. Luke discovers his innate powers with Alma's help. However, he discovers a darker truth behind his kidnapping. Luke is desperate to escape but, will they be able to find a way out?

The novel was an entertaining read and it remind me of one of my favorite childhood author, Roald Dahl. The book had delightful world building details. The characters were all well developed albeit quirky.  The more we learn about Tabitha's nefarious plot, the more we worry for our beloved characters. The book does wrap up the story but, the author left a potential thread for a second book.
 
**Disclosure - I received a free unedited copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion. **
 

About The Book:

Title: GHOSTCLOUD

Author: Michael Mann

Pub. Date: September 27, 2022

Publisher: Peachtree

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 320

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle, Audible, B&NiBooks, KoboTBD, Bookshop.org

 

A riveting, magical escapade about finding friendship and the courage to set yourself free against all odds.

Kidnapped and forced to shovel coal underground, in a half-bombed power station, 12-year-old Luke Smith-Sharma keeps his head down and hopes he can earn his freedom from the evil Tabitha Margate. Then one day he discovers he can see things that others can’t. Ghostly things. A ghostly girl named Alma, who can bend the shape of clouds to her will and rides them through the night sky. With Alma’s help, Luke discovers his own innate powers and uncovers the terrible truth of why Tabatha is kidnapping children and forcing them to shovel coal. Desperate to escape, Luke teams up with Alma, his best friend Ravi, and new girl Jess. Can Luke and his friends get away before they each become victims to a cruel and sinister scheme?
 
Debut author Michael Mann delivers a wildly imaginative middle grade fantasy set in a smoke-stained world that’s sure to entertain readers who are eager for an adventure with paranormal superpowers.

 

About Michael Mann:

Michael’s first writing success was for a poem about potatoes - in a competition run by a Yorkshire school catering company. As a ‘reward’, he had to shake hands with a giant potato mascot in front of his entire school. It would be many years before he dared write again.

These days, Michael is a teacher by day, dad by night, and mostly writes when he should be sleeping. He owes the idea for his middle grade novel, Ghostcloud, to his coal-mining grandad and a lifelong love of cloudspotting. He’s half-Indian and passionate about diversity in children’s literature, and loves books that keeps kids turning the page.

He has a first-class degree in anthropology, lives in East London with his (very patient) partner and their (less patient) toddler, and can be found playing board games when he’s not busy losing his wallet. Michael was an Undiscovered Voices 2020 finalist, and his debut middle grade novel Ghostcloud will publish with Hachette in October 2021.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of GHOSTCLOUD, US Only.

Ends October 4th, midnight EST.

 

Rafflecopter Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21520/?

 

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/19/2022

Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog

Review/IG Post

9/19/2022

laura's bookish corner

Review/IG Post

9/20/2022

Nerdophiles

Review

9/20/2022

Beers Books Boos

Review/IG Post

9/21/2022

More Books Please blog

Review/IG Post

9/21/2022

@jael_and_jenessa_reads

Review/IG Post

9/22/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review

9/22/2022

Lisa-Queen of Random

Excerpt/IG Post

9/23/2022

@ablueboxfullofbooks

IG Review

9/23/2022

onemused

IG Spotlight

 

Week Two:

9/26/2022

Eli to the nth

Review/IG Post

 
 

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Book Review - The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

 

At forty years old, Linus Baker leads a quiet and solitary life. He lives in a tiny house with a mischievous cat and listens to old records. He works as a case worker for the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth. He inspects the government-sanctioned orphanages and checks on the well-being of children. Day in and day out, Linus follows the same routine and he has dreamed of visiting the ocean.

Everything changes when Linus is unexpectedly summoned by the Extremely Upper Management. He is given a highly classified assignment to travel to a remote island where six dangerous magical children reside. Linus must set aside his fears and determine if the orphanage is a safe place for the children. As Linus conducts his investigation he realizes that the children are not the only secret the island keeps.

The book was an enchanting and magical read. While I could predict most of the "secrets", the novel still kept me entertained. The characters were all well-developed and loveable. You couldn't help root for each of them. The only thing I didn't like was the epilogue seemed rushed and a bit out of place. Otherwise, if you like reading about acceptance, having a place to call home and finding yourself, then you will enjoy this book.


Monday, September 19, 2022

Book Review - The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

 


In 1925, Miss Nan O'Dea is apart of a world that she always felt was out of her grasp before. She has become friends with Agatha Christie and the mistress of Archie Christie. Nan devises a way to lure Archie from his devoted wife and she is desperate for Archie to marry her.

Nan has been working on her plans for years. It all started a few decades ago when she was just a young girl. She loved a man and felt they were destined to be together. After a brief tryst, the War torn them apart and their secrets kept them apart.

I was torn on this novel. It had an interesting plot and it was told from a different point of view but, I still couldn't really sympathize with Nan. I also thought the novel was a bit long and boring at times. I felt like the book included a lot of unnecessary detail that just dragged on. At times, a character would be mentioned and little tidbits and then they will tie in later but, by then I forgot about them. However, I did like that there was a murder mystery story line tied in. If you are interested in reading about the Archie Christie affair from the mistress point of view, then you might enjoy this book.

Saturday, September 17, 2022

Book Review - The Haunting of Leigh Harker by Darcy Coates

 

Leigh Harker considers her suburban home to be her sanctuary for more than a decade, until she starts to notice things. Things around her house keeps moving around and then there is a dark figure looming around in the dark. The figure is watching her sleep at night. Leigh refuses to abandoned her home to the mysterious figure even if she unable to sleep or feel comfortable in her own home. As Leigh tries to investigate the dark figure, she realizes that she is trapped within the walls of her home.

I usually love reading Darcy Coates' novels but, this one was a huge disappointment. The entire first half of the novel was boring, repetitive, and felt disjointed. It felt like the author spent majority of time building the mood and ambience. The entire novel was so boring and just dragged on. It was only towards the end did the novel pick up but, the ending seemed so unbelievable and far-fetched to me. After reading this lackluster book, I think I might take a break from the author's books for awhile.

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Book Review - The Truth About Ben and June by Alex Kiester

 

 

 

 

**May contain spoilers**

Ben and June always felt that they were destined to meet since, the moment they met in a hospital waiting room on New Year's Eve. They knew that their chance encounter and subsequent relationship was special because of all the unlikely decisions that bought them together. After a few years of marriage, June is struggling as a new mom. She wonders about the her life before the birth of her son and if she didn't give up the lead role in a famous ballet company to become a mother. June feels like she is a bad mom and feels alone when she is betrayed by someone close to her. She decides to write to her deceased mother in hopes that her mother would guide her.

One morning, Ben wakes up to the sound of his son crying. He tries to locate June but, quickly realizes June is gone along with her suitcase. Ben is desperate to find June and tries to piece together why she left. As he talks with her friends, he realizes that there were things June were keeping a secret from him.  As Ben continues to dig into June's daily life, he starts to realize that he might know his wife as well as he thought.

I thought that the book had an interesting premise and was excited to read it. The first third of the book kept me intrigued but, when the cause of her disappearance becomes clearer, I started disconnecting from the book. I thought that the cause would have been something different. Personally, I am not a mother so, I couldn't connect with June on that level and that seemed to the main driver for her wanting to disappear. I even found that the connection between June and her friends a bit trivial at times. For example, when June was so upset that she plucked bananas  from her friend's bag and dropped it on the floor. Then her friend called her a psychopath or something like that. Perhaps, as mentioned maybe I just couldn't relate to any of the characters. I believe readers who have children might be able to connect better with the characters and would find this book more enjoyable than I did.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Book Spotlight - Wrassle Castle Book 3: Put a Lyd On It! by Paul Tobin + Giveaway

 

Lydia faces off with her newest competitor in the last round of the competition. She has been training for this moment her entire life. As Lydia prepares for her final battle for her brother's freedom, she realizes that someone is plotting against her family and that everyone she knows might be in danger.

This was final book in the series and I thought this book was the best one out of the series. The book did have some fluffy parts and used the word "wrassle" a lot but, compared to the other two books, it tapered out with this one. The book did have a tied up ending but, the author did leave it up for additional story lines.  Overall, it was a fun and unique story.

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

 

 

About The Book:

Title: WRASSLE CASTLE BOOK 3: PUT A LYD ON IT!

Author: Paul Tobin, Colleen Coover, Rebecca Horner (Colorist), Galaad (Illustrator), AndWorld Design

Pub. Date: September 6, 2022

Publisher: Wonderbound

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 96

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle, B&NiBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

It’s the end! And it’s time for Lydia to step into the ring for a slam-to-the-mat finish … something that she has trained for her entire life. For fans of The Nameless CityLumberjanes, and She-Ra!

THE FINAL SHOWDOWN IS HERE! IT’S THE CHAMPIONSHIP: FOR FREEDOM (HER BROTHER’S) and GLORY (HER OWN)!

Lydia Riverthane readies herself for the finals of the Wrassle Castle tournament, hoping to win her brother’s freedom and get back his good name. But Lydia and her diverse group of friends, Chelsea, Nyle, and Dee, discover that the plot against the Riverthane family goes deeper than any of them thought. Lydia will have to dig deep and unlock the secrets behind her own wrassling if she wants to have any hope of saving her home and family.   

Book 3 of the three-book original graphic novel series.

"A rock 'em sock 'em hum-dandy knock-out of a graphic novel!" 
Shannon Watters, Co-Creator of "Lumberjanes"

 

 

About Paul Tobin:

Paul Tobin is the New York Times best-selling author of the Plants vs. Zombies graphic novels, as well as a wide range of other titles for all ages of readers. Paul wrote extensively for Angry Birds, and for Marvel’s all-ages “Adventure” line, and teamed with artist Benjamin Dewey on the Eisner-nominated I Was The Cat graphic novel, and with his Plants vs. Zombies artist Ron Chan for their recently released Earth Boy graphic novel. Along with his wife, artist Colleen Coover, Paul is the creator of the multiple Eisner-Award-winning Bandette comics featuring the antics of the world’s best—and most charming—thief. Paul and Colleen also teamed up on their Banana Sunday graphic novel, and now as the writing team on Wrassle Castle. Paul lives in Portland, Oregon, where he feels that it rains frequently enough, but not hard enough.

 

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

About Colleen Coover:

Colleen Coover is a comic book storyteller and illustrator living in Portland, Oregon. With writer Paul Tobin, she is the co-creator of the comics Banana Sunday and Bandette. Colleen and Paul are the co-writers of Wonderbound’s new series Wrassle Castle, drawn by the artist Galaad. When she is not making comics or creating illustrations for a variety of clients, Colleen spends her time spinning yarn, knitting sweaters, and eating ice cream. She is a member of Helioscope, a collective of Portland-based creators. colleencoover.net

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads

 



About Galaad:

Galaad is a French comic book artist and a former freelance illustrator, animator, concept artist, and storyboard artist for the entertainment industry – specifically for video games and animation.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

 





Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of WRASSLE CASTLE BOOK 3: PUT A LYD ON IT!, US Only.

Ends September 20th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/22/2022

WOTTAREAD BOOKS BLOG

Guest Post

8/23/2022

@allyluvsbooksalatte

IG Spotlight

8/24/2022

Ya Books Central

Guest Post

8/25/2022

BookHounds YA

Guest Post/IG Post

8/26/2022

Lady Hawkeye

Excerpt/IG Post

8/27/2022

#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Excerpt

Week Two:

8/28/2022

A Dream Within A Dream

Guest Post

8/29/2022

Lisa-Queen of Random

Guest Post/IG Post

8/30/2022

Two Chicks on Books

Guest Post/IG Post

8/31/2022

hauntedbybooks

Review

9/1/2022

Little Red Reads

Review

9/2/2022

hodophile_z

IG Review

9/3/2022

Nagma | TakeALookAtMyBookshelf

IG Review

Week Three:

9/4/2022

Laurenreads._

IG Review

9/5/2022

GryffindorBookishNerd

IG Review

9/6/2022

One More Exclamation

Review/IG Post

9/7/2022

Nerdophiles

Review

9/8/2022

Rajiv's Reviews

Review/IG Post

9/9/2022

Because I said so -- and other adventures in Parenting

Review

9/10/2022

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

Week Four:

9/11/2022

More Books Please blog

Review/IG Post

9/12/2022

Celia's Reads

Review/IG Post

9/13/2022

Books a Plenty Book Reviews

Review

9/14/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review

9/15/2022

@jypsylynn

IG Review

9/16/2022

@enjoyingbooksagain

IG Review