Friday, October 28, 2022

Book Spotlight - Gleanings: Arc of a Scythe by Neal Shusterman + Giveaway

 

About The Book:

Title: GLEANINGS: Stories from the Arc of a Scythe

Author: Neal Shusterman—along with collaborators David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofía Lapuente, Michael H. Payne, Michelle Knowlden, and Joelle Shusterman

Pub. Date: November 8, 2022

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 432

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

The New York Times bestselling Arc of the Scythe series continues with thrilling stories that span the timeline. Storylines continue. Origin stories are revealed. And new Scythes emerge!

There are still countless tales of the Scythedom to tell. Centuries passed between the Thunderhead cradling humanity and Scythe Goddard trying to turn it upside down. For years humans lived in a world without hunger, disease, or death with Scythes as the living instruments of population control.

Neal Shusterman—along with collaborators David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofía Lapuente, Michael H. Payne, Michelle Knowlden, and Joelle Shusterman—returns to the world throughout the timeline of the Arc of a Scythe series. Discover secrets and histories of characters you’ve followed for three volumes and meet new heroes, new foes, and some figures in between.

Gleanings shows just how expansive, terrifying, and thrilling the world that began with the Printz Honor–winning Scythe truly is.

 

Haven’t started the Arc of a Scythe series? Start your journey now!

 

 

About Neal Shusterman:

Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including the Unwind dystology, the Skinjacker trilogy, Downsiders, and Challenger Deep, which won the National Book Award. Scythe, the first book in his latest series, Arc of a Scythe, is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. He also writes screenplays for motion pictures and television shows. Neal is the father of four, all of whom are talented writers and artists themselves. Visit Neal at StoryMan.com and Facebook.com/NealShusterman.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Tumblr | Pinterest | YouTube | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 



Giveaway Details:

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

End November 8th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/24/2022

A Bookish Dream

Review/IG Post

10/24/2022

@jacleomik33

IG Review

10/25/2022

The Moon Phoenix

Review/IG Post

10/25/2022 or TBD

Ooodlesofbooks

Review/IG Post

10/26/2022

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Review/IG Post

10/26/2022

pluvioreads

Review/TikTok Post

10/27/2022

A Dream Within A Dream

Review/IG Post

10/27/2022

@readerofthewrittenword

IG Review

10/28/2022

@just_another_mother_with_books

IG Review

10/28/2022

two points of interest

Review

Week Two:

10/31/2022

booksaremagictoo

Review/IG Post

10/31/2022

Feed Your Fiction Addiction

Review/IG Post

11/1/2022

MandaTheBiblio

Review/IG Post

11/1/2022

Book Briefs

Review/IG Post

11/2/2022

Jael Just Reading

Review/IG Post

11/2/2022

The Momma Spot

Review

11/3/2022

@drew_ambitious_reading

IG Review/TikTok Post

11/3/2022

@thebookishfoxwitch

IG Review

11/4/2022

Karen Dee's Book Reviews

IG Review

11/4/2022

onemused

IG Review


Thursday, October 27, 2022

Book Review - Summer at Hope Haven (Dune Island, #1) by Kristin Harper

 



Emily returns to Hope Haven on the remote Dune Island after her family perishes in a terrible accident and her fiancé leaves her. Emily hopes that renovating the house will help her broken heart but, the cottage holds a lot of bittersweet childhood memories. While moving furniture around, Emily comes across a note in an antique writing desk. She discovers a devastating secret about her parents that turns her entire world upside down. 

When Emily meets Dr. Lucas Socorro, she feels that he can help her heal and handle her trauma. She feels with Luke by her side, she can overcome her grief. Emily feels she can finally call Dune Island home until, her secret is exposed to the locals. Emily is heartbroken because the only person who knows is Luke and she is worried that she trusted him too soon.

I didn't really care for the book. I found the secret and the plot to be too predictable and boring. Nothing really exciting happens that keeps readers attached to the book. I can't say that I cared for Emily, she was so whiny and quick to dismiss others and feel that she was always being wronged by others. At times, I found Emily and Wilson to be annoying and two peas in a pod. The two characters are both stubborn and have a way of talking to people in a rude manner while they work through their problems and expect people to forgive their behavior. Emily is very quick to make snap judgments and then feels slighted during every interaction even when the miscommunication was her fault. I also don't understand how Emily can be such a gutter-brain when she is a college professor. She heard partial of a call and instead of telling the person she didn't hear them, she continued talking to them like she heard them. Then she doesn't check her emails and forgets to sign a contract. I found this entire novel to be a nonsensical and filled with poor writing and character development.


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

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Book Spotlight - The Rick Riordan Presents: Lords of Night: A Shadow Bruja Novel, Book 1 by J.C. Cervantes + Giveaway

 

About The Book:

Title: THE LORDS OF NIGHT (A Shadow Bruja Novel Book 1)

Author: J.C. Cervantes

Pub. Date: October 4, 2022

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 320

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

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents J. C. Cervantes's exciting new spin-off from the best-selling STORMRUNNER trilogy.


"This duology opener is accessible to readers who are new to this world. An engrossing, god-filled delight."--Kirkus Reviews

Fourteen-year-old Renata Santiago is the most powerful godborn of them all, a bruja with a unique combination of DNA. The Mexica blood from her dad's side gives her the ability to manipulate shadows. Her mom Pacific, a Maya goddess, gifted her a magical rope that controls time, and Ren recently used it to save a few gods from getting stuck forever in 1987. She brought them back to the present, but her BFF Ah Puch, the once fearsome god of death, darkness, and destruction, is now a teenager with no divine powers.

Ren is also a girl with ordinary hopes and dreams. She wishes, for example, that her blog about alien sightings would garner more respect. She's always been absolutely convinced that there's a connection between aliens and the Maya civilization. Plenty of online haters feel differently, and they call her a fake, a liar, and a loser.

When Ren receives an email about an alien sighting in Kansas, she thinks it may support her theory. She also suspects that the cinco--five renegade godborns--are up to no good. Soon she finds herself embroiled in a quest to prevent the troublemakers from awakening the nine Aztec Lords of Night. Problem is, none of Ren's friends are available to help her hunt down the cinco and the dangerous gods they are resurrecting. Ren has no choice but to team up with two strangers recruited by Ah Puch: Edison, a teen hybrid demon, and Montero, an eleven-year-old Aztec hunter. Succeeding in this quest will prove that Ren is no fake, liar, or loser. But it isn't just another challenge. It could well be an impossible one that leaves Ren questioning her very existence.

Anyone who enjoys fast-paced myth-based adventures will be swept up in this one featuring Maya and Mexica gods and their magical offspring.


 

About J. C. Cervantes:

J.C. is a New York Times best-selling author of books for children and young adults. Her books have appeared on national lists, including the American Booksellers Association New Voices, Barnes and Noble’s Best Young Reader Books, as well as Amazon’s Best Books of the Month. She has earned multiple awards and recognitions, including the New Mexico Book Award, the Zia Book Award, and most recently the 2021 New Mexico Land of Enchantment Readers’ Choice Award. 

She currently resides in the Land of Enchantment with her family, three spoiled dogs, and a lifetime collection of books. But she keeps part of her heart in Southern California, where she was born and raised. When she isn’t writing she is haunting bookstores and searching for magic in all corners of the world.

Her work is represented by Holly Root at Root Literary.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | Bookbub

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of THE LORDS OF NIGHT, US Only.

Ends November 5th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/1/2022

A Dream Within A Dream

Excerpt/IG Post

Week Two:

10/2/2022

@meetcuteromancebooks

Excerpt/IG Post

10/3/2022

Ya Books Central

Excerpt/IG Post

10/4/2022

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

10/5/2022

Wanderingwitchreads

TikTok Review/IG Post

10/6/2022

YA Book Nerd

Review/IG Post

10/7/2022

Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog

Review/IG Post

10/8/2022

booksaremagictoo

Review/IG Post

Week Three:

10/9/2022

@jacleomik33

IG Review

10/10/2022

The Bookwyrm's Den

Review

10/11/2022

Nonbinary Knight Reads

Review/IG Post

10/12/2022

Ohyouread

IG Review

10/13/2022

A Backwards Story

Review/IG Post

10/14/2022

travelersguidetobooks

IG Review

10/15/2022

Jeff_of_allmedia

IG Review

Week Four:

10/16/2022

GryffindorBookishNerd

IG Review

10/17/2022

The Moon Phoenix

Review/IG Post

10/18/2022

Blog Write. Read. Live

Excerpt/IG Post

10/19/2022

The Chatty Bookworm

TikTok Review/IG Post

10/20/2022

Mindyourshelf

Review/IG Post

10/21/2022

Lifestyle of Me

Review

10/22/2022

Kait Plus Books

Excerpt/IG Post

Week Five:

10/23/2022

onemused

IG Spotlight

10/24/2022

bookbriefs

Review/IG Post

10/25/2022

Enthralled Bookworm Blog

Review/IG Post

10/26/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review/IG Post

10/27/2022

@drew_ambitious_reading

Review/IG Post

10/28/2022

PopTheButterfly Reads

Review/IG Post

10/29/2022

Books with Brandie Shanae

YouTube Review/IG Post

Week Six:

10/30/2022

Jenguerdy

IG Spotlight

10/31/2022

The Erudite Labyrinth

Excerpt


Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Book Review - Verse Book 2: The Second Gate by Sam Beck

 

Neitya is held captive by an organization that has a dark motive. While in captivity, Neitya has to come to terms with the darker side of her abilities even if it means losing everyone that matters to her. Fife and Neitya realizes the only way they can find their way back to each other is to face their own destinies alone and discover if they have the strength to face their worst fears.

I feel like the second book but, it didn't flow as smoothly as the first one. The author did say that they took a break and created the second half later because they were writing during the pandemic. It made the second volume feel a bit disjointed. The second volume does leave off on a cliffhanger and I am excited to see how the series ends.

Monday, October 24, 2022

Book Review - The Brothers Flick: The Impossible Doors by Ryan Haddock + Giveaway

 

Weird things happen at the Strander House. You might open a closet and find an orge with a knight inside or you might slip on a puddle and end up in an underwater adventure. Time moves differently at the Strander House, you might walk into a closet or a room and end up missing a few days without even knowing it. However, for all these strange and supernatural occurrences, the Flick Brothers are here to help solve the mystery.

The graphic novel was a fun and entertaining read with some serious moments of lost and remembering loved ones intertwine. The characters were all well developed and fun. The book is broken down to a smaller easy to digest chapters but, they all contribute to the overarching story. I can't wait to see what other adventures the brothers get into.

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

 

 

 

About The Book:

Title: THE BROTHERS FLICK: THE IMPOSSIBLE DOORS

Author: Ryan Haddock, Whitney Cogar,  Nick Wyche (Illustrations), David Stoll (Illustrations), Jim Campbell, Rebecca Taylor (Editor)

Pub. Date: October 11, 2022

Publisher: Wonderbound

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 208

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

Sherlock Holmes meets the Wayside School in this Middle Grade supernatural sleuthing graphic novel about the Flick brothers - four siblings searching for explanations to outbreaks of supernatural strangeness and otherworldly weirdness in their Edwardian-era hometown.    

A bump in the night? They're on the case! At Strander House, things are…weird. There’s an ogre wedged in the closet, and you have to be careful not to slip on the leak coming from the ocean in the attic. What’s possibly weirder than the fact that you can walk into the bathroom and end up in next Tuesday are the four brothers who investigate these strange supernatural occurrences…the Brothers Flick!

Leo, Desmond, Remy, and Cub seek to get to the bottom of every shadow you swear you saw move. If they happen to stumble upon answers to the mysterious disappearance of their own family along the way, all the better.   For fans of  Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate EventsGravity FallsWhispering Pines, the Hardy Boys, the Winterhouse series, the Greenglass House series, and the Wayside School series!

Reviews:

“… the metaphor of “impossible doors” leading toward unending universes, where even the smallest changes reverberate, provides a unique framework for themes of grief and healing.”   – Publishers Weekly

“…enjoyable.” – Kirkus

“… this graphic novel will attract mystery and adventure fans by the droves..."     -- Kirkus

“… a “Jonny Quest meets the Hardy Boys” vibe with a few modern twists…”  -- Kirkus

 

About Ryan Haddock:

Ryan Haddock has wanted to write books since he was six years old. Over the years, his career aspirations also included rock star, lawyer, rock star lawyer, and teacher, but writing books never left his heart. Thank goodness someone finally let him write a book.

Ryan resides with his wife and kids in a charmingly quaint city known for its ridiculously fast internet and a jingle about a train.

Hometown/State: Chattanooga, TN

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 


About Nick Wyche:

Nick Wyche lives in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains with his wonderful wife, Suzanne, overlooking the Tennessee River. He has been obsessed with comics and cartoons for over 4 decades and still can't believe he gets to draw professionally.
Hometown/State: Chattanooga, TN

Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

 




Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of THE BROTHERS FLICK: THE IMPOSSIBLE DOORS, US Only.

Ends November 1st, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/26/2022

A Dream Within A Dream

Guest Post

9/27/2022

@allyluvsbooksalatte

IG Spotlight

9/28/2022

BookHounds YA

Guest Post/IG Post

9/29/2022

Lady Hawkeye

Guest Post/IG Post

9/30/2022

Review Thick And Thin

Review/IG Post

10/1/2022

amandainpa

Review/IG Post

Week Two:

10/2/2022

#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Guest Post

10/3/2022

Mom with a Reading Problem

Review/IG Post

10/4/2022

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Review/IG Post

10/5/2022

Rajiv's Reviews

Review/IG Post

10/6/2022

@enjoyingbooksagain

Review/IG Post

10/7/2022

More Books Please blog

Review/IG Post

10/8/2022

@meetcuteromancebooks

Review/IG Post

Week Three:

10/9/2022

One More Exclamation

Review/IG Post

10/10/2022

Little Red Reads

Review

10/11/2022

RavenzReviewz

Review/IG Post

10/12/2022

Ya Books Central

Guest Post

10/13/2022

Two Chicks on Books

Guest Post

10/14/2022

GryffindorBookishNerd

Review/IG Post

10/15/2022

@ablueboxfullofbooks

IG Review

Week Four:

10/16/2022

@jaimerockstarbooktours

IG Spotlight

10/17/2022

@jacleomik33

IG Review

10/18/2022

@froggyreadteach

IG Review/Read Part of Book Out Loud

10/19/2022

The Bookwyrm's Den

Review/IG Post

10/20/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review/IG Post

10/21/2022

Nerdophiles

Review/IG Post

10/22/2022

hodophile_z

Review/IG Post

Week Five:

10/23/2022

pickagoodbook

Review/IG Post

10/24/2022

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

10/25/2022

@thebookishfoxwitch

IG Review