Mini(bot) Reviews: Matrimony, Inc. & A Cloud of Outrageous Blue

I’ve got a couple books which were sent to me to review…that I’m here…to review…

Mini(bot) Reviews: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me

June is Pride Month and while I rarely put together a TBR for myself, and almost never around a theme, I’ll have at least managed to post about one queer book this month.

Mini(bot) Reviews: Summer of Salt

Popping in quick to share my thoughts on a magical YA book with queer characters and the depth and character development I see most often in middle-grade.

Judging A Book By Its Cover: Making Friends

This is my weekly post where I highlight beautiful books from my collection. We all judge book covers to some extent (don’t lie, you totally do!) I created this feature to showcase and admire the art and design elements of some of the books I own. If covers didn’t matter, publishers wouldn’t make so many wonderful editions!

Mini(bot) Reviews: The Ask and the Answer & Monsters of Men

After our mixed thoughts on the first of the Chaos Walking books, The Knife of Never Letting Go, Mum and I finished our buddy read of the series last month. I wanted to share some quick thoughts with you, though this could easily turn into a ranting review if I had the energy.

Re-Review: The Ables

The Ables
By Jeremy Scott

My Edition:
ARC paperback, 399 pages
2019 reprint, Turner Publishing
ISBN: 9781684423361

Thank you to Turner Publishing for sending me this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Phillip and his family just moved to the town of Freepoint, NY, but before he can start at his new school, his dad has “the talk” with him. Only this talk isn’t about the birds and the bees – it’s about Phillip’s superpowers. Excited to find that superheroes are real and his telekinesis makes him one, Phillip is ready for a new school year in a town populated with heroes and their helpers. His excitement dims when he discovers he’s been put into the special ed class; in addition to being a telekinetic, he’s also blind. When the school announces a training competition open to all students except those with disabilities, Phillip and his classmates band together to fight for their right to compete and prove that those with disabilities are just as powerful as those without.

This was a reread for me and I enjoyed the story more the second time around!

Book Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Knife of Never Letting Go
By Patrick Ness

My Edition:
Paperback, 512 pages
2014, Candlewick Press
ISBN: 9780763676186

Todd lives in Prentisstown – a place where all the residents can hear each other’s every thought. They call it Noise and even the animals have it. As Todd nears manhood, he discovers a secret which forces him to run for his life.,,only it’s hard to escape when the people after you can hear your thoughts.

This book has been on my shelves for –checks watch- an embarrassingly long time. I’ve always been “meaning to read it” just like every damn book, right? Well they’re making a movie and Mum wanted to read it beforehand. I’m glad she suggested a friend buddy read so I could finally experience this book! Mum kindly agreed to write up some of her thoughts too, so today I bring you our dual review (wow, sweet rhyme.)

Book Review: Trail of Crumbs

Trail of Crumbs
By Lisa J. Lawrence

My Edition:
ARC paperback, 247 pages
2019, Orca Book Publishers
ISBN: 9781459821217

I won a copy of this book from LibraryThing in exchange for my honest review.

Greta’s been keeping her head down at school until senior year when she meets Rachel, and through her, Dylan. Greta finds herself attending parties with her new friends – only after one such party, she wakes up in bed with Dylan, naked. Confused and ashamed, she avoids her old friends and hides the truth from herself and her twin brother, Ash. Meanwhile, at home, the twins are bullied by their stepmother and their father seems powerless to stand up for them. When the twins wake up to find their parents gone, they find themselves relying on the unexpected kindness of strangers.

For some reason, I thought this was a middle-grade read and while it’s not explicit, it is more suited for teen readers. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I absolutely loved another YA book!

Book Review: Smoke & Summons

Review originally posted on Geek Girl Authority

Smoke & Summons
By Charlie N. Holmberg

My Edition:
Hardcover, 319 pages
2019, 47 North
ISBN: 9781503905436

Thank you to 47 North (via Geek Girl!) for sending me this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Sandis is a vessel – an ancient and powerful spirit can be summoned through her, transforming and using her body to wreak the havoc demanded by its master. Sandis can host more powerful beings than her fellow vessels and she finds she can do something else the others can’t – retain some memories and feelings from when she’s possessed. When she finds an opportunity to escape, she takes it and runs into a clever thief with a magical object that grants limited immortality. In over their heads, the two must learn to trust each other if they hope to escape their lives and save the ones they love.

I’ve read one of Holmberg’s books before, The Paper Magician, and it was a huge letdown for me. The YA genre and I don’t always get along, but I wanted to give this a shot, because I was intrigued by the premise.

Mini(bot) Reviews: The Hidden Witch and The Ghost Road

Coming at you today with some spoopy middle-grade and YA reads that I enjoyed.