Review | Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

In Be Prepared, all Vera wants to do is fit in—but that’s not easy for a Russian girl in the suburbs. Her friends live in fancy houses and their parents can afford to send them to the best summer camps. Vera’s single mother can’t afford that sort of luxury, but there’s one summer camp in her price range—Russian summer camp.

Vera is sure she’s found the one place she can fit in, but camp is far from what she imagined. And nothing could prepare her for all the “cool girl” drama, endless Russian history lessons, and outhouses straight out of nightmares!

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I enjoyed this cute representation of how someone can feel like they’ve finally found the place where they are going to fit in, only to find out that they don’t really and that making friends is about more than being similar to people. This is the first title I’ve read by Vera Brosgol and I really enjoyed not only her art style but her story telling in general. She perfectly captures so many facets of what girls (and children in general) experience in their pre-teen ages – especially when they feel like they can’t fit in with anyone. I did really enjoy the experiences shown at camp and all the emotions Vera went through.

Happy reading!

Can’t Wait Wednesday | 11/18

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.

Ok, truth time – I haven’t yet read the 2nd book in this series, but it’s sitting behind me in my YOU NEED TO READ THESE LAST WEEK pile, so it’s definitely going to be read soon. Still, when I saw this next book get a release date I was all sorts of grabby hands and so sad that I have to wait until August 2021 for it. Plus – THAT COVER. Let’s take a look at Dark Waters by Katherine Arden.

Having met and outsmarted the smiling man in Dead Voices but fearful of when he’ll come again, Ollie, Brian, and Coco are anxiously searching for a way to defeat him once and for all. By staying together and avoiding remote places, they’ve steered clear of him so far but their constant worry and stress is taking a toll on their lives and friendship. So when Ollie’s dad and Coco’s mom plan a “fun” boat trip on Lake Champlain, the three are apprehensive to say the least. They haven’t had the best of luck on their recent trips and even worse their frenemy Phil is on the boat as well. But when a lake monster destroys their boat, they end up shipwrecked on a deserted island. This isn’t just any island though. It’s hidden from the outside world in a fog and unless everyone works together to find a way to escape, they won’t survive long.

Happy reading!

Review | Ozy and Millie: Perfectly Normal by Dana Simpson

Millie is one unusual fox, and she knows it. She comes up with highly unusual thoughts, invents ingenious excuses to get out of her homework, and her classmates are not always sure quite what to make of her. But thankfully she has Ozy, one of the most loyal friends anyone could ask for. Together the two of them, their friends, and Ozy’s dad, Llewellyn (who happens to be a red dragon) enjoy various misadventures, whimsical conversations, elaborate schemes, and delightful bouts of mischief. Whether they’re navigating cliques, inventing new games, or just trying to make sense of life, Ozy and Millie are the perfect companions for upper middle grade readers as well as fans of Dana Simpson’s bestselling Phoebe and Her Unicorn series.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I didn’t know this web comic existed, but now I’m glad I do. The adventures that Ozy and Millie have are adorable and the two of them seem to balance each other well. Plus other characters, such as their parents, were great voices in the comics as well. I loved the art style and how vibrant the colors were. These comics are great for all ages and I do really enjoy that they included a glossary in the back for younger readers to learn about words they may not know and people mentioned.

Happy reading!

NaNoWriMo | Halfway Point!

Well everyone, it’s the 16th so we have officially reached the halfway point of NaNoWriMo! How are your totals doing? Are you completely pantsing it, or did you have plans in place?

I’m still happy with my progress, I haven’t written anything today but right now I’m sitting at 23,603 words. I’m slightly behind target, but I’m hoping for a decent writing session tonight and trying to get caught up with projected totals.

I’m still totally okay with how things are progressing. I had hoped to write more this weekend but adult things took over and I didn’t have as much time as I had hoped – plus when I did have time I just wasn’t feeling it, and that’s ok. I know if I try to force it I won’t be able to write at all.

All signs still point to me being able to reach 50k this month, so fingers are crossed!

Happy writing!

Review | Quincredible Vol 1 by Rodney Barnes, Selina Espiritu and Kelly Fitzpatrick

Invulnerability is a pretty useless superpower if you’ve only got a one-hundred pound frame to back it up. That’s what Quinton West’s life became when he went from small guy who got beat up to small guy who can’t get hurt after the meteor shower dubbed “The Event” gifted him the power of invulnerability but no other powers to compliment it.

But there’s more to Quin than meets the eye, and after some encouragement from his new mentor—a local New Orleans–based superhero named Glow—Quin realizes that he can use his quirky hobby of creating Rube Goldberg devices to outsmart the opposition. But being a hero paints a target on your back, and Quin’s got to risk it all to join the ranks of the superheroes he looks up to. It’s a good thing he can take a punch.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

This adventure was definitely a fun spin on the idea of people suddenly having superpowers and what they do with it but also unpacked some very relevant issues that are prevalent today. In it we follow Quin who can’t be hurt, but doesn’t really feel like it’s of much value in the grand scheme of things. A lot of the internal dialogue Quin has it really good introspection about what constitutes the right thing and how perceptions of what that is can vary. Overall it was a fun take on the superhero trope and I really enjoyed the art style especially. All of the colors were dynamic and I really enjoyed the varying ways panels were put together.

Happy reading!

Cover Reveal | Stop Me by Michelle Jester

Stop Me
Michelle Jester
(Rue the Day Series, #1)
Publication date: February 1st 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary

After moving to a new city with her parents, Jeselle Parsons quickly found friends and a life full of money, power, and privilege. Even though her parents weren’t wealthy like the other kids’ parents, Jeselle felt lucky to be welcomed into the circle of friends, until she learned how costly that type of life could be. A life that would cost her everything.

For fifteen years, Jeselle, with the help of her friend Dennis, worked to ensure nothing would stand in the way of her revenge on the people who played a part in ruining her life.

All the years of planning, all the years of working, have all come down to this.

Her enemies will learn that revenge has never been so cold.

Add to Goodreads


Author Bio:

Michelle Jester lives in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana with her husband, high school sweetheart and retired Master Sergeant. Together they have a son and daughter. She is a hopeless romantic and has been writing poems and stories for as long as she can remember.
One of her prize possessions is a bracelet with only a yellow, Rubber Duckie charm on it; which she wears every day to remind her to enjoy the fun and happy things of life!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Review | Martian Ghost Centaur by Mat Heagerty

The town of Southborough used to be a major tourism destination, drawing folks from all over in the hopes they’d spot the famous Sasquatch, reportedly seen in the town many times over the years. But it’s been ages since anyone’s spotted the ‘squatch, and tourism is starting to dry up. A tech company called Start-up.com (a start-up that helps people start their own start-ups) decides to begin buying up places all over town in order to build their techie headquarters, driving out all the local townspeople. Luckily, Southborough is also home to Louie O’Connor, firm believer in the Sasquatch’s existence and all-around, mega ’squatch fan.

When Louie’s dads’ restaurant, Squatch Burger, starts to go under and fall prey to the techie start-up, Louie and her best friend Felix decide they’ll do whatever it takes to save the town from losing all the people and places that make it special. In hopes that convincing people the Sasquatch is real and to drive back tourism, Louie and Felix plan an elaborate hoax in hopes of saving the town from the dot-com takeover. But when Felix starts talking about leaving their hometown for college in LA, Louie will have to face some tough questions about herself, her future career, and her place in her beloved hometown.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Just the premise of this one sounded fun to me, so I knew I wanted to pick it up. We follow Louie who is trying to save her town after the tourism market seems to dry up. Woven into the story is also her going through that period of late teens where she’s trying to figure out what she wants to do and what comes after high school. It has a diverse and unique cast of characters and Louie is quite a character herself, but I was surprised when I discovered she was 17 as she does read a tad younger. There were times that her reactions were a little more adolescent than her age, but those were minor things. It’s a fun adventure of one girl trying to save her town from being bought up and renovated and all the different things she tries on the way there.

Happy reading!

NaNoWriMo 2020 | Week Two Update

So here we are, almost two weeks into NaNoWriMo and I have to say I am happy with how it is going. I am below target right now, but I’m not bothered by it. My initial plan for this round was to write what I can during my work week, but not kill myself trying to hit the goal every single day. I figured I could catch up and get on par during the weekend.

So far that plan has gone as expected. I’ve made sure that I write at least something each day, but I used my time off on the weekend to get myself on target heading back into the work week. I haven’t felt the best this week, so I’m glad I haven’t forced myself to write more than I’ve felt like writing.

As of this writing I’m sitting at 15,356 words and I am perfectly happy with that total. I’ve added something every single day and anticipate holding my plan through the month.

Making the decision to not push myself extra hard through the work week was definitely the right decision as I’m not nearly as stressed as I have been in the past and the writing is flowing pretty well.

How is everyone else doing?

Happy writing!

Review | In Love & Pajamas by Catana Chetwynd

When you’ve reached that sweatpants-wearing cozy place in your relationship, it’s all In Love & Pajamas!  This brand-new collection of Catana Comics presents some fan favorites and half of the book features never-before-seen comics that delight and amuse readers of all ages.  Wholesome, sweet, feel-good humor!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I had no idea that Catana Chetwynd was releasing another collection of her comics, but as soon as I saw it I had to give it a read. Her comics are so relatable and easy to identify with, especially when you’re able to see your own relationship in her vignettes and snapshots of her relationship. If you’ve seen her comics on the internet, then you will recognize her style. She perfectly captures situations that can be both common and rare, but equally special, in a great relationship. This one definitely ends up being a great companion to her other collections.

Happy reading!

Tag Tuesday | End of the Year Book Tag

This one is floating around on youtube this time of year and I believe it was originally created by Ariel Bissett. Anyways, I thought it would be fun to do on the blog so I decided to tackle it!

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

Yeah, there are a few books that I currently have bookmarks in right now. I did do a great job of clearing out my currently reading shelf on Goodreads earlier in the year, but I haven’t been adding to it either. I’d say the book I’ve started that I definitely want to finish is The Silence of Bones by June Hur. I started this one and immediately got sucked in, it just got set down because I had to take care of some review books that had deadlines, but I’m hoping to finish it this month, fingers crossed!

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Hmm, not so sure on this one. I still have a number of spooky books that I wanted to get to in October which I’m still hoping to get to and most of those are set in fall or winter – so I’d say there’s quite a few.

Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

I need to pick up a few books that have come out recently, but I’ve been resisting because my owned TBR is a very good size, but I would say the next new release I will probably pick up would be Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao (which came out today)!

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

I’m still planning on picking up Home Before Dark by Riley Sager, and I’m fairly sure from what I’ve been hearing that I’m going to love it!

Have you already started making reading plans for 2021?

Yes, I always have my physical TBR to pull from, and I do already have some blog tours set up for next year. Here’s hoping it ends up being a better year than 2020 has been!

Happy reading!