blogmas

Blogmas Day 28: 11 DNFs of 2019

Happy BLOGMAS Day 28!

I know this is probably a shock for some people. Some readers never put down a book for good. I just don’t put up with books I’m not enjoying. I understand that some of these were from NetGalley, which should take priority, but I’m still not going to finish it if I’m not enjoying it. Here’s to hoping that 2020 is better!

The Guest Book by Sarah Blake

I won this one in a Goodreads giveaway, but I would sit down for an hour and only get 20 pages in. I would get distracted because I didn’t want to read it. The sentences were all so long. I just decided to put it down.

The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo

A friend recommended this to me because it was one of her favorite books. It sounded really cute, so I picked it up. I didn’t jibe with the writing style. I don’t even think I got 20 pages into in before I decided to put it down.

The Hiding Place by C.J. Tudor

I read The Chalk Man by Tudor, and it was actually an okay read. I was excited to pick this up because the books can only get better, right? Wrong. I was bored.

The Editor by Steven Rowley

I actually really enjoyed the writing style of this one. I realized that I’m just not a fan of books about writers. I couldn’t really tell you why. I may try to give this another shot in the future.

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

The beginning was quite interesting, but it became confusing very fast. I didn’t care about any of the characters. I gave it a good shot though.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

This novel was problematic for me. There were a few lines in the beginning that just deterred me from continuing. It was a no from me. This is a DNF for good!

The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames

I don’t even know about this one. It’s almost a 500-page book, and it confused the crap out of me. The writing was okay, but it didn’t hold my interest.

Fallen too Far by Abbi Glines

I love romance novels but this didn’t do it for me. I realize that I like to read books with a good balance of plot and smut. It cannot be all smut.

The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal

I didn’t fancy the writing style or the story. I couldn’t justify continuing when I have so many other books I’m excited about.

The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton

I can’t express how much I disliked this one. The writing was good, but the story was flat. I was so excited for this and it disappointed me.

To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

*Yawn*

If you enjoyed this, then give it a like and follow my blog. Be respectful and happy reading!

Blogmas Day 27: Let’s Talk Bookish – Who is Qualified to Write About Diverse Characters?

Happy BLOGMAS Day 27!

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books

There are chosen topics to discuss and share your opinions on.

Please link back to the host!

This Friday’s topic is: Who do you think is qualified to write a book with diverse characters?

Short answer: Everyone.

I don’t think there should be qualifications. Even if it is an own voices book, everyone is different. What rings true for someone may not have any significance to someone else. If an author who isn’t “diverse” does their research, then I don’t see any issues with writing a novel with diverse characters. Will the book seem more realistic? Maybe, but that specific person could also just be a horrible writer.

There is so much pressure to be inclusive, but there is so much hate toward authors who don’t have that “qualification”. It’s all fiction and there will always be problematic books. Just let people have fun, and if it absolutely offends you, then state your opinions and move on. One person isn’t more qualified to write a book with diverse characters than the next. I’m sure if the reader didn’t know who the author was, it wouldn’t make a blatant difference.

Please remember that this is my opinion. There is no right or wrong answer.

If you enjoyed this, then give it a like and follow my blog. Be respectful and happy reading!

Blogmas Day 26 – Book Review: On the Corner of Love and Hate (Hopeless Romantics #1) by Nina Bocci

Happy BLOGMAS Day 26!

On the Corner of Love and Hate (Hopeless Romantics #1) by Nina Bocci

Published: 8/20/19 by Gallery Books

336 pages

ISBN: 9781982102036 (paperback)

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Thank you to NetGalley / Gallery Books for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

B&N | Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis

What’s a campaign manager’s worst nightmare? A smooth-talking charmer who’s never met a scandal that he didn’t like.

When Emmanuelle Peroni’s father—and mayor of her town—asks her to help rehab Cooper Endicott’s image, she’s horrified. Cooper drives her crazy in every way possible. But he’s also her father’s protégé, and she can’t say no to him without him finding out the reason why: Cooper and her have a messy past. So Emmanuelle reluctantly launches her father’s grand plan to get this Casanova someone to settle down with and help him lose his lothario reputation.

Cooper Endicott wanted to run for Mayor, but he never wanted the drama that went with it. Now that he’s on the political hamster wheel, the other candidates are digging up everything from his past. Even though he’s doing all the right things, his colorful love life is the sticking point for many of the conservative voters. He wants to win, badly, and he knows that if he wants any chance of getting a vote from the female population, he needs to change his image. The only problem? He might just be falling in love with the one person he promised not to pursue: the Mayor’s off-limits daughter.

Review

At the end of this, we’re still whatever we were before. No matter how ugly or how pretty. We’re Cooper and Emmanuelle. Whether you’re mayor or back in the office driving me insane. We’re still us.”
Emmanuelle Peroni

Writing |

I thought that the writing was inconsistent at times. It would talk about one thing and then something raunchy would come out of a character’s mouth. It caught me off guard a few times. Other than that, it was written quite well. It wasn’t anything I haven’t seen before.

Characters |

Emmanuelle Peroni: Father is current mayor of Hope Lake, PA. Cooper is an old friend who is running for Mayor. He drives her insane, but her father insists that she run his campaign. She agrees but no one can know that she’s doing it. She keeps him involved with the community. She slowly starts to find that she has feelings for him.

She watches Bob Ross on Netflix which gave her points in my book.
- She was probably my favorite character if I had to pick one. She has a good head on her shoulders and she cares for the ones she loves. Emma kept Cooper afloat the whole book.

Cooper Endicott: Running for Mayor. He has a colorful past with the ladies. It has gotten him in trouble more often than not.

I hated him at first, just like Emma did. He is cocky, arrogant, and lazy. Then he changes when Emma becomes his campaign manager. He actually sees how great the community actually is.
- He’s terrible at staying away from cameras.

Kirby: Opponent of Cooper in the Mayoral election.

Doesn’t play a huge roll in the novel. He’s a huge jerk though. He’s just there to serve as the “villain”.

The Jacksons: Haley Jackson, JOE founder and the majority stakeholder’s wife, is the woman who Cooper has a scandal with. They eventually agreed to work with Cooper again. Another “scandal” is revealed, but it’s debunked. No worries!

Whitney: Emma’s old roommate, now Cooper’s fake lawyer girlfriend. She makes him look good during the campaign.

She’s a total brat toward Emma for no reason. Emma definitely has jealous tendencies toward her but that doesn’t matter in the end.

Story |

It’s another meh romance novel for me. This reminds me of Red, White & Royal Blue in the political sense. I knew that it dealt with politics but it completely took over. I wanted more romance and smut. Do not go into this expecting sexy. It’s far from it. It’s just a buildup of back and forth sexual tension, an accidental passionate kiss, and a cute resolution. It drags the whole way and speeds up tenfold at the end.

The story isn’t horrible, but I don’t typically understand much about politics. It lost me. I hesitated to pick this up for months, and I’m sad it really did nothing for me.

There was a Golden Girls reference made, and I’m pretty sure that was where the third star came from. I love the Golden Girls! Dorothy was probably my favorite out of all the girls.

Overall |

The writing wasn’t bad, the characters were actually decent, but the story didn’t do what I expected. Not enough romance for me. There’s something in me that wants to read the next one though. Is that bad? I’m just curious to see if anything changes.

Do I recommend this? Probably not. It might be great for people who are entering the romance genre or people who don’t like a lot of smut in their romance novels.

If you enjoyed this, then give it a like and follow my blog. Be respectful and happy reading!

Blogmas Day 25: 5 Reasons I Love to Read

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY BLOGMAS DAY 25!

I wish I could give out ribbons to people who have read every Blogmas post of mine. Only 6 more days left! The fun won’t be over though. There will be my end of the year reading stats and my 2020 reading goals coming up in January. Who’s excited?

A Getaway from the real world

There is no greater feeling than being sad, upset, anxious and being able to dive into a whole new world. Books help me forget about my struggles for a little while. There are enough novels in the world that I’ll never run out of options for my infinite amount of mood swings.

It’s cozy

I love cuddling up on the couch with a book. Nothing screams comfort more than that. Add in coffee or hot cocoa and you’re probably one of the coziest people in the world. It doesn’t matter if it’s hot or cold outside, books are there to help you be cozy all-year round.

Learning

Not all books are published for educational purposes, but I sure do love reading the books that are. I think that’s why I enjoy historical fiction so much. They will usually highlight an event in history, duh. I love the research process that happens after I’m done reading. It makes reading fun!

It keeps me occupied

Lunch break? Read. Waiting in line? Read. Sitting awkwardly at a family event? Read. It will always keep your mind off the inconveniences of life.

Allows me to be part of the book community

If I never started avidly reading, I would have never become part of the book community. Thank you for getting me this far. I have been able to connect with so many people. I have had the opportunity to be part of a couple of blog tours, interview a few authors, and read books early. It’s so much fun, and I’m so honored to be part of such a great community.

Why do you love reading?

If you enjoyed this, then give it a like and follow my blog. Be respectful and happy reading!

Blogmas Day 24: Top Ten Tuesday | Books I Hope to Find Under My Tree!

Happy BlOGMAS Day 24 / Merry Christmas Eve!

Rules for Top Ten Tuesday:

Every Tuesday there is a new topic that you will find over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

The goal is to give your top ten answers, but you can give as many as you want. Put a twist on the topic to make it work for you!

Most importantly, make sure you link to the host (That Artsy Reader Girl ↑).

Giant Days by John Allison | All volumes

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill

The Tenth Muse by Catherine Chung

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas

Dig by A.S. King

These are all books that I have read and loved! I’m slowly getting out of buying/requesting books for my shelves that I haven’t read. I almost find it to be a waste—in my situation—when the library exists. Unfortunately, I just don’t have the space.

If you enjoyed this, then give it a like and follow my blog. Be respectful and happy reading!

Blogmas Day 23: Bookish Christmas Gift Ideas

Happy BLOGMAS Day 23!

Here are some bookish Christmas gifts you can get for other book lovers! They are small, simple, and thoughtful.

Bookmarks

Funko POPS!

How “on brand” of me to include a baby Yoda Funko.

Tote Bags

Keychains

Bullet Journal

Shout out to the brand Archer & Olive. Their bullet journals are amazing and great quality.

This is not sponsored. I wish it was though.

If you enjoyed this, then give it a like and follow my blog. Be respectful and happy reading!

Blogmas Day 22: Christmas Cookie Book Tag

Happy BLOGMAS Day 22!

I found this one on Krystyna’s blog @ Turning the Pages. I’m not sure who created this one.

Disclaimer: None of these images are mine. They are all from an old-fashioned Google search.

Chocolate Chip: A classic book you loved or really enjoyed

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Thin Mints: A fandom you really want to join or a hyped book you want to read

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

Shortbread: An author you can’t get enough of

John Allison – The writer of the Giant Days graphic novel series. I have been really loving them lately.

Samoas/Caramel DeLites: An emotional roller coaster

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo

Oreos: A book whose cover was better than the story (or vice versa)

House on Fire by Bonnie Kistler – Cover is way better than the story.

Tag-a-Longs/Peanut Butter Patties: A book that wasn’t what you expected

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

Snickerdoodles: A book you may never stop rereading/loving

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

Soft Sugar Cookies: A book just as good as it sounds

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

I’m not tagging anyone because you all are free to participate! 🙂

If you enjoyed this, then give it a like and follow my blog. Be respectful and happy reading!

Blogmas Day 21: If I Hosted a Book Club | Books I’d Choose

Happy BLOGMAS Day 21!

I found this idea on someone’s blog, but I unfortunately can’t remember who. I thought it was so clever, and I’m sure you all were dying to know. Since this is the first one I’ve done, I’m going to use books I’ve read.

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

This book has a heartbreaking and heartwarming mother/daughter relationship. I know there are a lot of people who love to read about that. This one in particular is a favorite of mine. It’s such a new mother/daughter story that I’ve never read before.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

This is another favorite of mine. It has interesting topics to discuss one big one being adoption. There are a lot of big secrets, strong opinions, and butting heads. I would love to reread this one, eventually.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Evelyn Hugo gives readers a piece of the LGBTQ+ community. I think it’s the perfect amount someone entering that genre. I know it won’t be for everyone, but I love to hear the different opinions.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

A Pulitzer Prize Winner (2015). This is a beautiful and polarizing WWII book. There is a character in here that readers either hate or love. It would be interesting to see everyone’s thoughts during a book club. The chapters are very short, and I know that the audio book is a great one to listen to.

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

Are you tired of hearing about this book yet? I’m not. I know that this is my favorite book, but I think it would also be a fantastic novel to pick apart during discussion. There are diverse characters, interesting plot points, and some rich Native American history.

If you enjoyed this, then give it a like and follow my blog. Be respectful and happy reading!

Blogmas Day 20: Let’s Talk Bookish – Is There a Time Limit on Spoilers?

Happy BLOGMAS Day 20!

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books

There are chosen topics to discuss and share your opinions on.

Please link back to the host!

This Friday’s topic is: Is there a time limit on spoilers?

My answer is quite simple, but I’m assuming unpopular: No.

Spoilers need to be done carefully because obviously there is always going to be someone who hasn’t read the book yet. I think there should always be warnings that a comment/review involves spoilers. If you want to spoil a book that is a week old or one that is fifty-years old, then be my guest. I’ll read your review when I have read that specific book. Just keep other people in mind when posting, that’s all I really ask when it comes to spoiling a book.

I know this is super short, but I truly don’t have other thoughts on this. I find that it’s either yes or no. Either way is perfectly fine! This is just my opinion.

If you enjoyed this, then give it a like and follow my blog. Be respectful and happy reading!

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Blogmas Day 17: Top Ten Tuesday – Winter TBR

Happy BLOGMAS Day 17!

Rules for Top Ten Tuesday:

Every Tuesday there is a new topic that you will find over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

The goal is to give your top ten answers, but you can give as many as you want. Put a twist on the topic to make it work for you!

Most importantly, make sure you link to the host (That Artsy Reader Girl ↑).

—

I don’t typically read books seasonally. Whatever mood I’m in determines which book is next on my TBR. These are just some of the books I want to get to.