Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Book Review - Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting by Roseanne A. Brown + Giveaway

 

Twelve year old Serwa Boateng catches fireflies. Unlike, the usually harmless summer activity, for Serwa it can be life or death. The fireflies she hunts are really shapeshifting vampires that prey on the innocent. They drain their victim's blood and possess their minds. Serwa and her parents have been protecting people from these threats for years in silence and secrecy.

Serwa is the best slayer for her age and she knows more about combat than things "normal" children do. However, everything changes when a witch destroys her home while searching for a drum that can bring about mass destruction. Instead of taking Serwa with them, her parents decide to leave her with her extended family for her own safety, while they search for the witch. Serwa is disappointed that she won't be joining her parents in the hunt. Serwa finds herself out of her element dealing with going to school and managing friendships.

When Serwa adjusts to her new norm, she realizes a vampire has infiltrated her school. After Serwa was unsuccessful at removing the vampire on her own, she decides to recruit a few friends to help. Will Serwa be able to fight the vampire with the help of her new friends?

I thought the book was an interesting read. I enjoyed reading about mythology and customs from Ghana. I loved that the author included an in depth informational guide about her culture. The beginning was a bit slow but, it gradually got better. I enjoyed reading how Serwa grew into her own independent person and adapted to her new surroundings. I liked how the book showed different sides of  "good and evil" and none was portrayed as just good or bad but, shades of grey. I look forward to seeing how the series progresses. 

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


 About The Book:

Title: SERWA BOATENG'S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING (Serwa Boateng #1)

Author: Roseanne A. Brown

Pub. Date: September 6, 2022

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 400

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

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents best-selling YA author Roseanne A. Brown's middle grade debut about a pre-teen vampire slayer with a strong helping of Ghanaian folklore.

For most kids, catching fireflies is a fun summer activity. For twelve-year-old Serwa Boateng, it's a matter of life and death.

That's because Serwa knows that some fireflies are really adze, shapeshifting vampires from the forests of Southeastern Ghana. Adze prey on the blood of innocents, possessing their minds and turning them into hulking monsters, and for generations, slayers like Serwa and her parents have protected an unknowing public from their threats.

Serwa is the best adze slayer her age, and she knew how to use a crossbow before she could even ride a bike. But when an obayifo (witch) destroys her childhood home while searching for a drum, do Serwa's parents take her with them on their quest to defeat her? No. Instead, they dump Serwa with her hippie aunt and cryptic-obsessed cousin in the middle of Nowheresville, Maryland "for her own safety." Now, instead of crossbows and battle armor, she's dealing with mean girls and algebra, and for the first time in her life she doesn't have to carry a staff everywhere she goes, which is . . . kind of nice, actually.

Just as Serwa starts to get the hang of this whole normal girl who doesn't punch vampires every day thing, an adze infiltrates her school. It's up to her to whip some of her classmates into monster-fighting shape before all of them become firefly food. And when she uncovers a secret that upends everything she thought she knew about her family's role in the slayer vs. adze war, Serwa will have to decide which side of herself--normal girl or slayer--is the right one.

After all, seventh grade is hard enough without adding vampires to the mix.


 

About Roseanne A. Brown:

Roseanne “Rosie” A. Brown was born in Kumasi, Ghana and immigrated to the wild jungles of central Maryland as a child. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and was also a teaching assistant for the school’s JimĂ©nez-Porter Writers’ House program. Her debut novel A Song of Wraiths and Ruin was an instant New York Times Bestseller, an Indie Bestseller, and received six starred reviews. She has worked with Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney among other publishers.

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

 


Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of SERWA BOATENG'S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING, US Only.

Ends October 7th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/1/2022

booksaremagictoo

Review/IG Post

9/2/2022

More Books Please blog

Review/IG Post

9/3/2022

xbookwormcafe

Review/IG Post

Week Two:

9/4/2022

BookHounds YA

Excerpt/IG Post

9/5/2022

wiltedpages

Review/IG Post

9/6/2022

The Real World According to Sam

Review/IG Post

9/7/2022

GryffindorBookishNerd

IG Review

9/8/2022

Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog

Review/IG Post

9/9/2022

Feed Your Fiction Addiction

Review/IG Post

9/10/2022

hodophile_z

IG Review

Week Three:

9/11/2022

Wanderingwitchreads

TikTok Review/IG Post

9/12/2022

Log Cabin Library

Review

9/13/2022

Lifestyle of Me

Review

9/14/2022

@lexijava

Review/IG Post

9/15/2022

A Backwards Story

Review/IG Post

9/16/2022

Confessions of a YA Reader

Review

9/17/2022

@meetcuteromancebooks

IG Review

Week Four:

9/18/2022

Nerdophiles

Review

9/19/2022

The Bookwyrm's Den

Review

9/20/2022

hauntedbybooks

Review/IG Post

9/21/2022

onemused

IG Spotlight

9/22/2022

Ya Books Central

Excerpt/IG Post

9/23/2022

@thebookishfoxwitch

IG Review

9/24/2022

@jacleomik33

IG Review

Week Five:

9/25/2022

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

9/26/2022

PopTheButterfly Reads

Review/IG Post

9/27/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review

9/28/2022

@ReadsReaders

YouTube Review/IG Post

9/29/2022

@drew_ambitious_reading

IG Review/TikTok Post

9/30/2022

The Clever Reader

Review/IG Post


Monday, September 26, 2022

Book Review - Ghoster Heights by Lisa Larose

 

Eight year old Ona had the rug pulled from under her. She lost everything except for her father and she almost lost her own life. She and her father decided to move into her grandmother's apartment complex after the devastating events. They are hoping for a clean start but, a mysterious specter keeps following her around.

Ona decides to befriend the ghost that is haunting the boiler room. She starts to spot other ghosts that are haunting other residents. She decides to use her ability to help her new neighbors face their troubles and free themselves of their ghost. However, Ona soon realizes her neighbors are not the only ones who have a ghost. Will Ona be able to face her own trauma and grief?

The graphic novel had quirky vivid drawings. I enjoyed reading about Ona's struggles and how she tries to help others before she can come to terms with her own struggles. The graphic novel had themes of grief, trauma, and friendship that teach children in an easy to digest manner.

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


 

About The Book:

Title: GHOSTER HEIGHTS

Author: Corey Landsell, Kelly Mellings, Lisa Larose, Becca Carey, Rebecca Taylor (Editor)

Pub. Date: September 27, 2022

Publisher: Wonderbound

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 208

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

A haunting and hopeful Middle Grade graphic novel about a girl, ghosts, and grief.  For fans of SheetsSmall Spaces, and Ghosts.

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBOOHOOD!

Eight-year-old Ona has lost just about everything: her home, her possessions, her mother, and almost her life. When she and her father move into her Baba’s apartment complex after these traumatic events, they had hoped for a clean start. But a mysterious specter follows her, and Ona befriends the ghost she discovers haunting the boiler room. When her new friendship starts allowing her to see other ghosts—the ghosts who haunt the other residents of her building—she decides to use her ability to help her new neighbors face their troubles and free themselves from their specters. In doing so, however, Ona must eventually come face to face with a much darker foe—her own trauma and grief. The earnestness of Judy Bloom meets the raw emotion of I Kill Giants in this beautifully hopeful story of childhood tragedy.

An original graphic novel for Middle Grade readers about grief, loss, and the ghosts that haunt us all.

For fans of Brenna Thummler’s Sheets and Delicates.


About Corey Landsell:

Corey Lansdell is a multiple award-winning illustrator and animator. He is a skilled communicator, expert storyteller and passionate collaborator. Corey heads up a SCBWI illustrators group in Edmonton, Alberta.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 





About Kelly Mellings:

Kelly Mellings is an award-winning art director, illustrator, and designer. His work has
appeared in comic books, TV commercials, magazines, apps, museum exhibits, and video
games. He is the co-writer of Ghoster Heights and illustrator of the Canadian best-selling
graphic novel, The Outside Circle. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta.

 

Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

 



About Lisa Larose:

Lisa LaRose is a pop surrealist painter, illustrator, and comics artist in Vancouver, Canada. She is best known for her paintings: Bizarre and Colourful artworks. She creates lively and exciting colour palettes and is always making something a little weird. Lisa loves middle-grade fiction (books, comics, cartoons, you name it) and so she also moonlights as a middle-grade comics artist.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads

 


Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of GHOSTER HEIGHTS, US Only.

Ends October 11th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/12/2022

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Review/IG Post

9/13/2022

hauntedbybooks

Review/IG Post

9/14/2022

hodophile_z

IG Review

9/15/2022

Jazzy Book Reviews

Guest Post/IG Post

9/16/2022

Two Chicks on Books

Guest Post

9/17/2022

@jaimerockstarbooktours

IG Spotlight

Week Two:

9/18/2022

Ya Books Central

Guest Post

9/19/2022

Eli to the nth

Review/IG Post

9/20/2022

@allyluvsbooksalatte

IG Spotlight

9/21/2022

One More Exclamation

Review/IG Post

9/22/2022

A Dream Within A Dream

Guest Post

9/23/2022

BookHounds YA

Guest Post/IG Post

9/24/2022

RiverMose-Reads

Guest Post

Week Three:

9/25/2022

The Real World According to Sam

Review/IG Post

9/26/2022

Nerdophiles

Review

9/27/2022

Novel Novice

IG Spotlight

9/28/2022

@jacleomik33

IG Review

9/29/2022

The Bookwyrm's Den

Review

9/30/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review

10/1/2022

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Review

Week Four:

10/2/2022

@enjoyingbooksagain

IG Review

10/3/2022

@thebookishfoxwitch

IG Review

10/4/2022

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

10/5/2022

booksaremagictoo

Review/IG Post

10/6/2022

GryffindorBookishNerd

Review/IG Post

10/7/2022

Mom with a Reading Problem

Review/IG Post


Sunday, September 25, 2022

Book Review - More Than You'll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrez

 

In 1985, Lore Rivera marries Andres in Mexico City, while she is currently married to Fabian Rivera in Laredo, Texas. In Texas, she shares twin sons with Fabian. Lore splits her time between two countries and two families as she travels as an international banker. The truth is revealed with one husband is arrested for murdering the other.

In 2017, true crime writer Cassie Bowman is looking for articles to write for work when she comes across an article talking about the murder and Lore's double life. Cassie is consumed by the case because what would cause a mother to risk everything for a secret double marriage? Cassie is desperate to learn more so, she tracks down Lore and tries to convince Lore to tell her side of the story. As Cassie and Lore spend more time with each other, Cassie starts to question the facts around the murder. She is determined to find out the truth behind that faithful night even if it means exposing truths both women are trying to keep secret.

I thought the book was an okay read. I didn't care for the times when the author mixed in some Spanish phrases because I had to look up what they meant and that ruined the flow of the book. The twist at the end was a predictable and I was able to figure it out fairly early on. I felt that the book was unnecessarily long as there are several pages where nothing happens. I didn't really care for any of the characters as the story slowly progressed. I would have liked this story more if the author included some translations for the Spanish phrases and edited down the book to a quicker pace.

Saturday, September 24, 2022

Book Review - The Last Book You'll Ever Read: Complete Series by Cullen Bunn + Giveaway

 

Olivia Kade wrote the book that could bring about the end of the world. She needs someone to protect her who hasn't read the book. Her book, Satyr, is being blamed for the violence and bloodshed all over the world. Olivia's own life is in danger when her readers are attacking her. However, she is still determine to do a book tour for her book.

I thought the graphic novel was gorgeously rendered but, it did have some adult themes. However, I felt that the graphic novel didn't really have much of a story and everything was being repeated several times. I also don't understand why Olivia was so persistent in spreading her book when her life was in danger and so many violent things were happening. The book was a collection of all eight comics but, nothing was answered and I was left with more questions. I felt that this entire book was rather pointless. 

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

 



About The Book:

Title: THE LAST BOOK YOU'LL EVER READ: The Complete Series

Author: Cullen Bunn, Vlad Popov, Leila Leiz (Illustrations), Adrian F. Wassel (Editor), AndWorld Design

Pub. Date: September 20, 2022

Publisher: Vault Comics

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 192

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

A supernatural horror thriller for readers of Chuck Palahniuk (Lullaby and Haunted: A Novel),  Marisha Pessl,(Night Film), and Scarlett Thomas (The End of Mr. Y), The Last Book You’ll Ever Read tells the terrifying story of a woman who knows the horrific truth about the past – and future - of humankind, and, when captured in her book SATYR, it becomes the catalyst for worldwide, mind-numbing violence.

Read this book at your own peril.
Olivia Kade wrote the book that ended the world. Now she needs someone who won't read it.

Civilization is a lie. Hidden deep in our genes is the truth. And it is slowly clawing its way to the surface. Olivia Kade knows the truth, and she has become the prophet of the coming collapse. Her book, SATYR, is an international bestseller, and it is being blamed for acts of senseless violence and bloodshed all over the world. Olivia's own life is in danger from those who have read her work. Determined to conduct a book tour, she hires security professional Connor Wilson to act as her bodyguard. She only has one requirement: he cannot read her work.

John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness meets Chuck Palahniuk’s Lullaby in this terrifyingly dangerous tale of the descent of humankind where reality and fantasy collide.

Collects the entire smash 8-issue series.


Reviews:

"I truly hope this terrific horror comic is in no way prescient or timely."  - Patton Oswalt

…perfectly disturbing and mysterious.” – The Beat

“It’s creepy stuff… you won’t want to miss it.”  - Kurt Busiek (Eisner Award and Harvey Award-winning comics writer of Astro City, The Avengers, Thor, Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and more)

 

About Cullen Bunn:

Cullen Bunn is a New York Times bestselling author and prolific writer of horror/supernatural comics series and graphic novels including THE SIXTH GUN, HARROW COUNTY, BONE PARISH, THE DAMNED, THE EMPTY MAN, THE GHOUL NEXT DOOR, BASILISK, SHADOWMAN, and many other titles including The Last Book You'll Ever Read for Vault Comics. He has fought for his life against mountain lions and performed on stage as the World’s Youngest Hypnotist.

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

 



About Leila Leiz:

Born and raised in France now living in Italy, Leila Leiz is a self-taught artist who worked for several years at European publishers including Soleil and Sergio Bonelli before fulfilling her lifelong dream of making the leap to American comics. Best known for her work on Paul Jenkins’ ALTERS for AfterShock and Horde with Marguerite Bennet, she has also worked on 451 Media’s NVRLND and was a contributor to AfterShock’s SHOCK anthology. She is working on M.O.M with Emila Clark (from Game of Thrones) and Marguerite Bennet for Image Comics and The Last Book You’ll Ever Read with Cullen Bunn for Vault Comics.

Leila has a HUGE Instagram following: 77,200 followers (!) and 9.2K Facebook followers

Website | Twitter | FacebookInstagram | TikTok | Goodreads

 

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of THE LAST BOOK YOU'LL EVER READ, US Only.

Ends October 7th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/1/2022

Two Chicks on Books

Guest Post

9/2/2022

@jaimerockstarbooktours

IG Post

9/3/2022

#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Guest Post

Week Two:

9/4/2022

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Review/IG Post

9/5/2022

@bookstagramofmin

Review/IG Post

9/6/2022

Review Thick And Thin

Review/IG Post

9/7/2022

@allyluvsbooksalatte

IG Post

9/8/2022

Brandi Danielle Davis

Excerpt/IG Post

9/9/2022

Sadie's Spotlight

Guest Post/IG Post

9/10/2022

BookHounds

Guest Post/IG Post

Week Three:

9/11/2022

@just_another_mother_with_books

IG Review

9/12/2022

Fire & Ice

Review/IG Post

9/13/2022

RavenzReviewz

Review/IG Post

9/14/2022

Lifestyle of Me

Review/IG Post

9/15/2022

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

9/16/2022

Forthenovellovers

Review/IG Post

9/17/2022

@lexijava

Review/IG Post

Week Four:

9/18/2022

Lady Hawkeye

Guest Post/IG Post

9/19/2022

Laurenreads._

Review/IG Post

9/20/2022

GryffindorBookishNerd

Review/IG Post

9/21/2022

A Dream Within A Dream

Guest Post/IG Post

9/22/2022

@enjoyingbooksagain

IG Review

9/23/2022

The Real World According to Sam

Review/IG Post

9/24/2022

@thebookishfoxwitch

IG Review

Week Five:

9/25/2022

See Sadie Read

Review/IG Post

9/26/2022

Wanderingwitchreads

Tik Tok Review/IG Post

9/27/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review/IG Post

9/28/2022

Nerdophiles

Review/IG Post

9/29/2022

brittyoreads

Review/IG Post

9/30/2022

hodophile_z

Review/IG Post


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.