Year: 2020

Kindle Deals You Should Check Out – 2/23/20

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If you’re anything like me, you probably check out kindle deals every once in a while. I love picking up some books here and there for a great price and if I end up loving them then there’s a good chance I’ll pick up a physical copy of them.

Sometimes kindle deals (and those in Kindle Unlimited) can be a little hit and miss, so I compiled a few that I’ve read and enjoyed and are currently at a great price. Please keep in mind that some of these are limited time deals, so make sure to double check the price before purchasing them.

Temporary Wife Temptation
By: Jayci Lee
Current price: $3.99

Garrett Song is this close to taking the reins of his family’s LA fashion empire…until the Song matriarch insists he marry her handpicked bride first. To block her matchmaking, he recruits Natalie Sobol to pose as his wife. She needs a fake spouse as badly as he does. But when passion burns down their chaste agreement, the flames could destroy them all…

Pines
By: Blake Crouch
Current Price: $1.99 (or Kindle Unlimited)

Secret service agent Ethan Burke arrives in Wayward Pines, Idaho, with a clear mission: locate and recover two federal agents who went missing in the bucolic town one month earlier. But within minutes of his arrival, Ethan is involved in a violent accident. He comes to in a hospital, with no ID, no cell phone, and no briefcase. The medical staff seems friendly enough, but something feels…off. As the days pass, Ethan’s investigation into the disappearance of his colleagues turns up more questions than answers. Why can’t he get any phone calls through to his wife and son in the outside world? Why doesn’t anyone believe he is who he says he is? And what is the purpose of the electrified fences surrounding the town? Are they meant to keep the residents in? Or something else out? Each step closer to the truth takes Ethan further from the world he thought he knew, from the man he thought he was, until he must face a horrifying fact—he may never get out of Wayward Pines alive.

Gilded
By: Christina Farley
Price: $3.99

Sixteen-year-old Jae Hwa Lee is a Korean-American girl with a black belt, a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows, and a chip on her shoulder the size of Korea itself. When her widowed dad uproots her to Seoul from her home in L.A., Jae thinks her biggest challenges will be fitting into a new school and dealing with her dismissive Korean grandfather. Then she discovers that a Korean demi-god, Haemosu, has been stealing the soul of the oldest daughter of each generation in her family for centuries. And she’s next.

Also, if you are into Netflix’s adaptation of Locke and Key and want to read the source material, the first 5 volumes are currently available through Kindle Unlimited. I listened to the fully casted audiobook version of the story, but have been reading the graphic novels now that the show is out. It adds a whole new dimension to the story to see the original art.

Happy reading!

Review: The Red Coat

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In these nine heart wrenching stories, Vidhipssa Mohan explores the lives of Indian women and the problems they face and have been facing through the ages. These women are caught between who they really are and what society expects them to be. The stories are poignant, suffused with joy, pain and suffering.

In the title story, “The Red Coat”, a young student understands the price you have to pay for your dreams when you come from poverty. In “Going Home”, a young girl understands what home really is. In “Noises”, the father of a young bride understands what it means to be a woman in the 18th century India.

In this collection the author tells the story of a number of different characters in varying situations, but always illustrating many of the challenges Indian women have faced in the past and continue to face today. It is obvious that some of these subjects are dear to the author as there is real life within some of the stories.

The writing was very simplistic at times and sometimes didn’t flow as well as I would have liked it to, but there were also some passages and paragraphs that were beautifully descriptive and had real emotion woven into them. This was especially evident in the moments when we are getting the internal thoughts of the characters.

Overall the collection was insightful and in some ways a heart wrenching read. It really was a glimpse into some of the struggles that not only Indian women but women in general can face.

Thank you again to the author for reaching out to me and giving me the opportunity to read her book. Happy reading!

Review: Dear Girl

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Aija Mayrock published her first book, The Survival Guide to Bullying, at just sixteen. A fierce advocate for women, girls, and all youth, Mayrock performs spoken word poetry as part of her activism work and has performed live to an estimated four million people. Dear Girl, her powerful debut poetry collection, includes some of her viral spoken word poems like “Dear Girl,” “Dear Sisters,” and “The Truth About Being a Girl,” as well as many never-before-published pieces. Aija’s poetry—fierce, conversational, inspirational—speaks to the pain and the beauty of being a woman in our society today. Dear Girl is a love letter to all women, amplifying Aija’s message of understanding, empowerment, and support.

If you’re looking for a poetry collection that tackles subjects such as rape culture, inequality between men and women and much more. Mayrock really takes on these subjects and addresses what many girls and women experience growing up. Not just in society but in their families, friend groups and more.

I really enjoyed this collection as it was filled with empowerment and understanding. There are definite trigger warnings as there is a lot of talk about rape culture (and the mentality surrounding it in society) and issues that face women in the workplace, school and everyday life.

Happy reading!

Review: Soul Land

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This collection of poems is a result of the author’s spiritual journey and reveals a powerful personal account through a deep and profound connection to the land of Scotland. Both emotional and touching, with universal themes of nature and love at the centre, the author portrays a transformational effect of stunning Scottish landscapes on the soul and life as a whole. Engaging in an emotional struggle to bring spiritual and earthly together, this eloquent collection is written with devotion and reverence and offers an exploration of a spiritual identity through the land. Through the poems, the author shows how the beauty of natural places can be soothing and hopeful in times of turmoil. At its heart, this volume is a spiritual love story between the land and the author, exploring the elements of nature as they are in the wild, as well as in our souls.

This poetry collection really was a love letter to Scotland and how the author feels about Scotland. There was some beautiful imagery and wonderful phrases that painted a picture of the wildness and beauty of Scotland.

I did really enjoy the poems and language, but wished it was a little longer. I would have loved to read more since I did feel it was a bit short. Still, a lot of the images inspired by her words were wonderful and definitely make you feel like you can see the landscape she’s describing.

Happy reading!

Can’t Wait Wednesday 2/19/20

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Can’t Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on the meme Waiting on Wednesday by Breaking the Spine. In this weekly post people share a book that they’re excited about being released.

This week I want to highlight The Silence of Bones, a book I have been hyped about and eagerly anticipating for months. I love everything I’ve heard about this book and will definitely be preordering it or picking it up on release day.

1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.

As they delve deeper into the dead woman’s secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.

June Hur’s elegant and haunting debut The Silence of Bones is a bloody tale perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Renée Ahdieh.

Doesn’t that sound amazing? I can’t wait to read it!

Happy reading!

Blog Tour: The Unwilling

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The Unwilling is the story of a young woman, born an orphan with a secret gift, who grows up trapped, thinking of herself as an afterthought, but who discovers that she does not have to be given power: she can take it. An epic tale of greed and ambition, cruelty and love, the novel is about bowing to traditions and burning them down.

For reasons that nobody knows or seems willing to discuss, Judah the Foundling was raised as siblings along with Gavin, the heir of Highfall, in the great house beyond the wall, the seat of power at the center of Lord Elban’s great empire. There is a mysterious–one might say unnatural connection–between the two, and it is both the key to Judah’s survival until this point, and now her possible undoing.

As Gavin prepares for his long-arranged marriage to Eleanor of Tiernan, and his brilliant but sickly younger brother Theron tries to avoid becoming commander of the army, Judah is left to realize that she has no actual power or position within the castle, in fact, no hope at all of ever traveling beyond the wall. Lord Elban–a man as powerful as he is cruel- has other plans for her, for all of them. She is a pawn to him and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Meanwhile, outside the wall, in the starving, desperate city, a Magus, a healer with a secret power unlike anything Highfall has seen in years is newly arrived from the provinces. He, too, has plans for the empire, and at the heart of those plans lies Judah. The girl who started off with no name and no history will be forced to discover there’s more to her story than she ever imagined.

Buy Links: Oblong Books Barnes & Noble Amazon Powell’s Apple Books IndieBound

First things first, this book is very dark and has a TON of trigger warnings, so if you are considering picking it up, please look into them and judge if this book is something you can handle. There is a lot of abuse in the story, so be warned about that. Also, I’m not sure why this is being described as young adult, because it clearly isn’t YA, it’s fantasy.

The story line was complex and unfortunately a little hard to follow at times, but it did come together. I feel like this is going to be a very polarizing book, so I’m sure some people are going to absolutely love it. The characters, though most of them are young, are complex and have unique bonds that grow or are cemented through the book. There are some great connections and relationships in this book.

Overall it was a very intriguing story with lots of twists and turns. Though it wasn’t the perfect read for me, I could definitely see a lot of people loving it.

Kelly Braffet is the author of the novels Save Yourself, Last Seen Leaving and Josie & Jack. Her writing has been published in The Fairy Tale Review, Post Road, and several anthologies. She attended Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA in Creative Writing at Columbia University. She currently lives in upstate New York with her husband, the author Owen King. A lifelong reader of speculative fiction, the idea for The Unwilling originally came to her in college; twenty years later, it’s her first fantasy novel. Visit her at kellybraffet.com.

Social Links:
Author website: https://www.kellybraffet.com/
Facebook: @kellybraffetfiction
Twitter: @KellyBraffet

Happy reading!

Review: Aphrodite Made Me Do It

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Bestselling and award-winning author Trista Mateer takes an imaginative approach to self-care in this new poetry and prose collection, Aphrodite Made Me Do It. In this empowering retelling, she uses the mythology of the goddess to weave a common thread through the past and present. By the end of this book, Aphrodite make you believe in the possibility of your own healing.

Since I have been picking up more modern poetry, I had high hopes that this one would be another one I loved, but that wasn’t the case. With this one I definitely think that’s more of a me thing than this collection though, a lot of times the style of poetry just didn’t suit what I was looking for.

The artwork included in the collection was amazing as it worked with and accented the poems themselves. The content of the poems was definitely heart wrenching and a tale of catharsis, growth and overcoming obstacles, they just weren’t completely for me.

If you love modern poetry mixed with artwork and in varying styles you’ll probably like this a lot more than I do and should definitely pick it up.

Happy reading!

Review: Not Your Idol Vol. 1

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A psychological suspense series about a girl who has given up her life as an idol after being assaulted by a fan.

After that day, she stopped being a girl. In the wake of an assault, Nina Kamiyama, a former idol in the group Pure Club, shuns her femininity and starts dressing as a boy. At high school she keeps to herself, but fellow student Hikaru Horiuchi realizes who she is. What secrets is she keeping? The shocking drama starts. 

Typically when I read manga I reach for the ones with a fantasy or paranormal twist, but the premise of this one sounded interesting. We’re following an ex-idol who has completely changed her appearance due to an assault she suffered and the trauma and effects that come after it. There’s also the more sinister story line of her attacker possibly still being after her and a lot of discussion about sexual harassment and assault. I was not expecting the first volume to be as complex as it was, but it all flowed together well.

I’m interested to see where this series goes, especially with how the first volume ended. There’s a definite question regarding multiple people’s motives, so I’m thinking it will be a twisting series.

Not Your Idol Volume 1 is coming out on May 5th by Viz Media, so be sure to pick it up if it sounds like it is up your alley – happy reading!

Review: The Accursed Inheritance of Henrietta Achilles

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The life of Henrietta Achilles is about to change. After years of living as an orphan, she receives a summons to the strange town of Malrenard. To her surprise, she’s the only living relative of Ornun Zol–a notorious wizard, now deceased, who leaves Henrietta with his house and everything in it.

With Ornun Zol gone, escaped creatures and misfired curses have been spilling out into Malrenard. If that’s not enough, Henrietta will discover countless squabbling squatters inside her uncle’s abode: soldiers, bandits, tiny monsters, and more. Then there’s the matter of the strange black cat following Henrietta around . . . 

The premise of this graphic novel sounded both hilarious and intriguing, so I had to check it out. Poor Henrietta is thrown into the thick of things right away and what a roller coaster ride it ends up being. This graphic novel is a great first volume and I was actually bummed when I reached the end because I wanted more.

The characters shown so far are quite a mix of personalities and I’m sure will factor in importantly as the series goes on. It’s definitely a compelling story that makes you wonder what is coming next and seems like it will be quite an adventure for Henrietta.

Happy reading!

Review: Skycircus

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When a travelling skycircus arrives in Brackenbridge, Lily and Robert can’t wait to step aboard… But there’s something sinister about the hybrid children who appear as part of the act. And before Lily and Robert can do anything, they’re captured by shadowy figures and whisked off in the mysterious flying circus to somewhere far, far away…

Treachery, tight-ropes and trickery combine in this incredible third Cogheart adventure…

I have thoroughly enjoyed both Cogheart and Moonlocket, so I had high hopes for Skycircus and it did not disappoint. Bunzl takes us on another thrilling adventure that didn’t have so much to do with a mystery as it did with people that had certain motives.

As always I so enjoyed the recurring characters and their personalities. Each book tends to see growth in both Robert and Lily as they face every challenge that comes their way. Their reactions and responses to certain situations are valid, but they also still have a lot of that impulsiveness that goes along with youth. Also, I always adore Malkin’s attitude juxtaposed against theirs.

The circus was written masterfully and was rife with danger and creepiness. It was a great setting that was perfect for the adventure. I can’t wait to get my hands on book 4!

Skycircus is out now, so make sure to pick it up with Cogheart and Moonlocket – happy reading!