Saturday, April 3, 2021
Happy Easter! The Sunday Post #1 of April 2021!
Thursday, April 1, 2021
New Release by Brittney Morris #TheCostofKnowing #NetGalley You Can't Put This Down!
Brittney Morris writes the kind of book you can't put down. Her YA characters are compelling and loveable and you just want all the good things for them. If you have not yet read her novel Slay, I suggest you add Slay and The Cost of Knowing to your TBR pile and follow Brittney Morris so you don't miss any of her future books. Reviewing this book is a little tricky because I want to be sure not to spoil anything and yet I want to tell you so much!
On Goodreads, Brittney Morris wrote: "My love letter to all the Black men who had to grow up too early." This love letter is wrapped in an amazing tale about a teen, Alex, who in the aftermath of a car accident that killed his parents on election day, now sees visions of the future whenever he touches any person or object with his hands.
Alex has been managing to be a functioning human for four years even as he is hit with a vision every time he touches anything and the longer the touch continues the further into the future of the object or person's life he sees. Worst of all Alex can't change the future. He tried a few times and it didn't change anything, all the bad things happen. What a nightmare! I could not function.
Brittney Morris gives us an excellent depiction of crippling anxiety and how it affects Alex due to his power. Additionally, she shows how anxiety permeates Alex's life because he is a Black teenager. He has to navigate a world of never-ending minefields. He has to use code-switching not only to hide his power but also to make his existence more palatable to white people.
This is a five-star read for me. It is beautifully descriptive as it deals with hard subjects, you can feel the love Brittney Morris has for the characters on each page you read, and I don't think it would be possible to read this and not love these kids. I stayed up late to finish it and my heart is filled with both joy and deep sadness.
The Cost of Knowing is the sort of book that will stick with me for a very long time; it's a book that makes me want to send a thank-you note to Brittney Morris for putting it out into the world.
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Boy Am I Going To Miss The Reluctant Royals! #SeriesinaMonthChallenge And Avocado Toast Disappointment
I would like to move to the alternative universe of Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals series. Too bad you can't do a Go Fund Me to raise funds to buy a magical ticket into the fictional realm. At least I had the #SeriesinaMonth Challenge. This series was a wonderful escape during the last few weeks of winter.
What a great-looking cover, right? I like the bold colors and the dresses each of our heroines has worn on the series covers and this dress is no exception. Beautiful! This book is featured in the book so it's nice to see a representation of Nya in it.
I am pretty bummed that this is the last book in the series and that I have already read the first book in the spin-off series, How to Catch A Queen. At least I can look forward to reading the second book n the spin-off series (Runaway Royals) this summer.I loved A Prince on Paper, a 5-star review for me. Picture me ticking these features off on my hand 1. It has the wonderful Nya, cousin to Naledi, who is inexperienced, but not naive and sensitive in the best ways rake, Johan. 2. There is a tiny fake kingdom 3. there is an exploration of life for someone who has experienced Munchhausen by Proxy. 4. There is a fantastic, fantastic subplot about gender identity and Number five, but really first in my heart... A fake engagement! I love a good fake engagement. Alyssa Cole is on the top of her game in this book, it's so good and why isn't it a Netflix limited series already. C'mon now!
Alyssa Cole's writing contains just the right amount of humor!Do yourself a favor and get this book, get the whole series but esp get my two favorites, A Prince on Paper and Can't Escape Love!
*******
Welp, this whole growing avocado tree from a pit is not panning out so well. Dare I say, it's the pits? Yes, I do dare to make that pun!
At least I have spring in the great outdoors to look forward to and on that note; time for a couple of springtime photos:
I see this bird's nest on my walks and runs, so far no eggs. If that changes y'all will be the first to know--well besides the birds!
Look!! You can see the first hints of green!!
Bungled! Out today! Who knew Sport Fishing Was So Deadly?
Stella starts Bungled: A Rylie Cooper Mystery out with a great hook, George the part-time park ranger explains to Rylie how to get yourself out of zip-tie handcuffs. Well, now I need to drop everything and read this book to find out if and when Stella is going to need to get herself out of handcuffs. As if that wasn't enough, then there are all the comments by friends and family members asking Rylie if she's sure she should get married. What a great distraction of a book!
I appreciated how Stella made a fishing tournament interesting for someone who doesn't fish. Her descriptions of how a fishing tournament works and ways one might try to cheat are seamlessly part of the narrative making sure they don't become information dumps for the reader.
The mystery keeps you reading and guessing about who did it and why, and the side characters are properly quirky. The book ends with Rylie questions her life choices and that is a good place to end things and get the reader interested in what will come next!
4 stars for Bungled: A Rylie Cooper Mystery. The perfect book to take with you fishing! Click here to add it to your Goodreads TBR.
It is available on Kindle or in Paperback and is included in a Kindle Unlimited Subscription!
Sunday, March 28, 2021
The March Cozy Mystery Book Club Book! Who's Joining Us For the Live Stream Tomorrow?
This month the Cozy Mystery Book Club is reading the first book in Alexia Gordon's award-winning Gethsemane Brown Mysteries series! I have been waiting to read this book with the Club for a while now I am glad that the time finally arrived! Not only did I enjoy the writing, I also enjoyed the distinctive signature look of the covers in this series.
Saturday, March 27, 2021
#The Sunday Post - Last of Sunday of March is Here- Let's Make it Count!
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Who Has Times for Affairs and Politics? Apparently The Women of the Regency! Me on the Other Hand, I like to Cook!
Lastly, as always I have some referral emails for a few Blue Apron meals, if you've not tried Blue Apron and would like to try for free, just let me know your email and I'll send you a link for a free box!
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
#ASeriesInAMonth Two Novellas and An Update on Future Avocado Toast!
― Alyssa Cole, Can't Escape Love
Sunday, March 21, 2021
#NetGalley Coming soon! #AHexForDanger and Have You Ever Tried To Make DIY Coasters?
A Hex for Danger is the second book in the Enchanted Bay Mystery series by Esme Addison. The first book in the series is A Spell for Trouble. You can definitely read this book and enjoy it without having read the first book--but if you like to read Cozy Mysteries, why not read both, right?
The book takes place in the small Coastal town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina. Personally, Coastal Cozy Mysteries are one of my favorite types of mysteries. Something about a beachy small town on the edge of a continent--so cozy! My perception may be colored by the fact that I live in the landlocked Midwest so any coast seems romantic and magical. And this is most certainly a magical series. Alex is a descendent of the Mermaid of Warsaw and is learning the extent of her magical abilities while living with her aunt and cousin.
This book is a thriller of a cozy. The action-adventure is fast-paced and Alex is not afraid to ask too many questions while she is sleuthing. Unlike a traditional cozy, this book has corporate espionage and scheming governments. I enjoyed how Esme Addison has woven science and mythology together in her books and extended the environment of the small-town cozy. Best of all, at one point near the end, I thought the story was wrapped up with a pretty standard cozy murder motivation; but, that was not the end of the story, more twists and turns were ahead!
On the romance end, I don't know if I'm supposed to be rooting for Jack or Dylan to wind up with Alex. This subplot alone is enough to ensure I'm going to preorder book number three! As someone whose favorite genres are cozy mysteries, romance, and contemporary fantasy, I've found the Enchanted Bay Mystery series very fun read!