The second and final week of I.L. Cruz’s blog tour for her second book in the Enchanted Isle’s series, A Noble’s Path, has come to a close. I want to give a huge thank you to each and every book blogger who participated in this tour.
In case you missed any of the stops thus far, you can see all the week one participants here. Everyone who made week two possible are listed below. Please be sure to stop by all their websites and social media to give them some love. We appreciated all the help they’ve given in making this tour possible.
I.L. Cruz decided to make writing her full-time career during the economic downturn in 2008. Since then she’s used her BA in International Relations to sow political intrigue in her fantasy worlds and her MA in history to strive for the perfect prologue. When she’s not engaged in this mad profession she indulges her wanderlust as often as possible, watches too much sci-fi and reads until her eyes cross. She lives in Maryland with her husband, daughter and a sun-seeking supermutt named Dipper.
The first week of I.L. Cruz’s blog tour for her second book in the Enchanted Isle’s series, A Noble’s Path, is already halfway over. I can’t believe we’re already a week into the tour with just a few stops left.
In case you missed any of the stops thus far, they’re listed below. Please be sure to stop by all the book bloggers’ websites and social media to give them some love. We appreciated all the help they’ve given in making this tour possible.
I.L. Cruz decided to make writing her full-time career during the economic downturn in 2008. Since then she’s used her BA in International Relations to sow political intrigue in her fantasy worlds and her MA in history to strive for the perfect prologue. When she’s not engaged in this mad profession she indulges her wanderlust as often as possible, watches too much sci-fi and reads until her eyes cross. She lives in Maryland with her husband, daughter and a sun-seeking supermutt named Dipper.
There’s still another week left in the blog tour! There are still plenty of other book bloggers to check out. You can find the schedule below. Feel free to follow along the tour through the blogs or on Twitter.
For the past couple of years, I’ve pledged to read 52 books in one year – that’s one book a week. I usually go above and beyond, especially since I tend to read two books a week during the summer. This year was no exception to that goal, but… I’ve been in a reading slump for practically half of the year.
I’ve gotten into reading slumps in the past but have always managed to reach my Goodreads goal. This is usually because I end up reading middle-grade level books or something of the kind. Not because they’re short and quick, but because I actually enjoy those kinds of books. It just helps out that they happen to be short and quick reads. But if they’re good and I enjoy them, then who cares how long they are and how long it takes me to read them?
I’ve always been the type of person to not rush through books. Reading one book a week is a good pace for me since I can typically read between 50 and 100 pages a day.
And yet, I’ve gone into a hardcore reading slump for the past few months. No matter what I try to do, I just don’t feel like reading. I’ve been going to the library and picking out textbooks for research on various topics so maybe I’ll review those books down the road. It’d be something different, at least. Still, I haven’t been reading the typical novel.
We’re now about a week into October which means there are only three months left in the year. My Goodreads goal still stands at 52 books and, according to my Goodreads, I’ve only read 14 books. This is because I haven’t been updating it at all and haven’t in a few months. Scrolling through the reviews I’ve posted on here this year, I have read and reviewed 26 books.
26 is half of 52, I know that math at least. I’m actually shocked that I reached at least half of my original goal.
Looking at the weeks ahead, I need to read about two books a week with two of those weeks reading three books if I were to reach 52 books this year.
I’m not saying I’m going to do this. I’ve been in a slump for so long that I really don’t want to try to bombard myself with books again all the sake of reaching a virtual goal.
But I’m also not saying this isn’t an impossible thing to do. I want to get back into the habit of reading again. Who knows, if I find a new spark with a certain book or two, I may actually just reach the 52-book goal.
Do you have a Goodreads goal? Have you met it yet? Let me know in the comments below. If you liked this post, please share it around!
This post contains affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission should you purchase anything from these links. It’s no extra cost to you and supports this blog. If you’d like to learn more about affiliate links on this website, please read my Privacy Policy. Thank you.
I borrowed a paperback copy of this book from my library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Book Review: I Survived The San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 By Lauren Tarshis
Title: I Survived The San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 Author: Lauren Tarshis Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade
Series: I Survived, 5 Publisher: Scholastic Publication Date: March 1, 2012
Summary – I Survived The San Francisco Earthquake, 1906
Ten-year-old Leo loves being a newsboy in San Francisco — not only does he get to make some money to help his family, he’s free to explore the amazing, hilly city as it changes and grows with the new century. Horse-drawn carriages share the streets with shiny new automobiles, new businesses and families move in every day from everywhere, and anything seems possible.
But early one spring morning, everything changes. Leo’s world is shaken — literally — and he finds himself stranded in the middle of San Francisco as it crumbles and burns to the ground. Does Leo have what it takes to survive this devastating disaster?
First Thoughts
I’ve read the first couple of books in the series and I’m going down the line.
Book Cover
The cover is “realistic” enough in the sense that shows the heart of what the story is about – right in the middle of the natural disaster.
Plot
Leo goes about his normal life, selling newspapers and occasionally getting beaten up by some local bullies. He treasures his father’s piece of real gold that was passed down from his father’s father.
Then the earthquake happens and the fire spreads. Leo and his friend stick together in order to survive and possibly get out of the city – but there’s really nowhere to go. The journey they go on for those few hours is a great one of determination and survival that no one should ever have to go through. It was an interesting read.
Characters
Leo and his friend Morris were great characters to read about through this tragedy. They even help the two bullies out when they were in trouble and even become friends with one of them. It was great character development for all of them throughout.
Writing Style
As always, this book was a quick and easy read. There was just enough information about the natural disaster, but it wasn’t thrown into your face.
I Survived The San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 by Lauren Tarshis
Rating
Plot
Characters
Writing Style
Overall
This is another great, informative read. Even though it’s a big young, anyone can read it and get something out of it.
This post contains affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission should you purchase anything from these links. It’s no extra cost to you and supports this blog. If you’d like to learn more about affiliate links on this website, please read my Privacy Policy. Thank you.
I borrowed a paperback copy of this book from my library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Book Review: I Survived The Bombing Of Pearl Harbor, 1941 By Lauren Tarshis
Title: I Survived The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 Author: Lauren Tarshis Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade
Series: I Survived, 4 Publisher: Scholastic Publication Date: October 1, 2011
Summary – I Survived The Bombing Of Pearl Harbor, 1941
History’s most terrifying moments are brought vividly to life in the action-packed fictional I SURVIVED series! Do you have what it takes to survive … the bombing of Pearl Harbor?
Eleven-year-old Danny Crane is alone on his favorite beach in Hawaii when the world is torn apart and World War II officially hits the United States. Does he have what it takes to find his way home in the midst of the bombs, the smoke, and the destruction of the day that will live in infamy?
First Thoughts
I’ve read the first couple of books in the series and decided to continue them.
Book Cover
The cover says a lot of what the book is about and set it right at the climax of the story.
Plot
Danny and his mother move to Pearl City, Hawaii from New York City. She’s a nurse on the island and Danny isn’t too thrilled to be there. When she leaves for work, he’s torn with the idea of running away back to New York, but he doesn’t want to hurt his mother. Then the attacks happen.
Like the other books in this series, the plot is well-executed and the fictional character is always set up to be brave and help out in any way during the disaster. It was certainly an interesting read.
Characters
I liked all the characters in this one. Danny was a great protagonist and he was great with all the other characters. The supporting characters such as Mack and Mrs. Sudo were helpful and had a purpose throughout the story as well.
Writing Style
Like the rest of the series, this is a quick and easy read. There’s a lot of information about the bombing of Pearl Harbor in this one, including facts, resources, and other information in the back of the book. It’s certainly a good read.
I Survived The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 by Lauren Tarshis
Rating
Plot
Characters
Writing Style
Overall
This was a great read and, in my opinion, the best so far in this series. It’s worth a read to learn more about this tragic event.
4.3
Favorite Quote
“You’d have to be crazy not to be scared, with what was happening in the world, with America at war with both Japan and Germany now.”
Lauren Tarshis, I Survived The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 (I Survived 4)
I didn’t always enjoy reading. In fact, I thought it was stupid. To me, it was just homework from teachers. All the books were always picked out for me and I never cared for any of them. In the middle of all that, I did fall in love with reading.
When I Was 11
I was in the sixth grade and Erin Hunter, a group of authors under a penname, came out with a book titled Warriors. You’ve all heard me talk about this series now and again. I’m still reading the books and catching up with the series. There are a ton of books, 37 in the main series with number 38 coming out in October 2019. The very first one that started it all came out when I was 11-years-old.
It was my sister’s book. I don’t remember how she got it. I can’t remember if it was a gift from someone knowing she enjoyed reading and animals or if she had come across it at Barnes & Noble and bought it herself. Either way, she read it and enjoyed it. When I found out it was about cats, I wanted to borrow it.
She let me and I brought it to school. I remember her telling me, “Keep it nice. Don’t dogear the pages. Don’t lose it.” There was a list. She was very particular about keeping her books nice, which is fair. So, what did I do? I stepped out of the car one morning when my Mom dropped me off at school and immediately the book slipped out of my hand and fell into the snow. Of course, my sister didn’t actually care about that. We still look back on that and laugh.
“Don’t ruin it.” (Immediately drops it in the snow.)
It Didn’t Last Long
I remember reading the first couple of books and then stopped for a long time. The books assigned to me in school throughout middle school and high school pushed me away from reading. I had too many things to read for school that if I had any downtime to read whatever I wanted, I just didn’t feel like it. I was totally turned off from reading even though I enjoyed the Warriors series so much.
There were other series I enjoyed as well – Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and I enjoyed my mysteries by Joan Lowry Nixon and Caroline B. Cooney. I was just never too into reading on my own. It reminded me too much of homework.
Then, when I was in high school I rediscovered the Warriors books again. I tried my best to read them in my spare time. I got really into them again. In fact, I read one of the super edition books for a book report in my freshman year.
But again, school got in the way. The book report was an easy assignment for me since we got to pick out whatever we wanted to read. The book was about 500 pages long and when I got my grade, there was a note on it from my teacher.
“Next time, maybe pick a more age-appropriate book.”
I still got a good grade and she didn’t take any points off for me reading a book that was supposed “too young” for me, but the comment still rubbed me the wrong way. I was 14 and the book is targeted at a middle-grade level. Close enough, right? I mean, I was in middle grade less than a year before that book report was assigned anyway. I enjoyed it, that’s what I loved to read, so I didn’t see what the big deal was.
I don’t even think my teacher knew what it was. All she got out of it was that it was about cats. Therefore, animal books are too young for high schoolers. (I mean, really, I’m almost 26-years-old and I already pre-ordered the next book that comes out in three months.)
College & Blogging
This was the time in my life when I really got into reading. I graduated high school in June 2011. At that point, I already had a year of college under my belt. Sure, I had to read books for college but they actually weren’t bad books. I enjoyed them. Not to mention, later down the road, I was assigned to read The Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter for one of my classes. Yes, please.
Then I started this blog in May 2012. I didn’t start reviewing books until 2015, but I still talked about them on the blog. I still read and, in a way, the blog held me accountable for reading. I met so many wonderful writers and authors through my blog while in college that I had a better appreciation for reading – despite wanting to be a writer myself.
That’s when I really started reading. Four years ago was when I started reviewing books and really getting into a reading routine while it wasn’t until 2011/2012 that I grew an appreciation and love for reading.
If You Want To Write, Read
This is a piece of advice that I had always gotten when I told people I wanted to be a writer. I think, to a certain extent, reading does help writers. However, I don’t think it’s a huge necessity. I made t this far, haven’t I? I’ve only been actively reading books for less than ten years and voila! Here I am.
When did you first fall in love with reading? Let me know in the comments below. If you liked this post, please share it around.
This post contains affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission should you purchase anything from these links. It’s no extra cost to you and supports this blog. If you’d like to learn more about affiliate links on this website, please read my Privacy Policy. Thank you.
I borrowed a paperback copy of this book from my library. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Book Review: I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 By Lauren Tarshis
Series: I Survived, 3 Publisher: Scholastic Publication Date: March 2011
Summary – I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005
His whole world is underwater…
Barry’s family tries to evacuate before Hurricane Katrina hits their home in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. But when Barry’s little sister gets terribly sick, they’re forced to stay home and wait out the storm.
At first, Katrina doesn’t seem to be as severe a storm as forecasters predicted. But overnight the levees break, and Barry’s world is literally torn apart. He’s swept away by the floodwaters, away from his family. Can he survive the storm of the century – alone?
First Thoughts
These are quick reads and I enjoy the historical tidbits. After reading the first two books in the series, I grabbed the next three.
Book Cover
The cover shows Barry and a dog he rescued in the middle of Hurricane Katrina trying to find their way to safety. As always, it shows a lot about the plot and the design is well done.
Plot
Life is normal for 11-year-old Barry until the forecasters urge everyone to evacuate for the upcoming storm. Everyone is worried, though Barry doesn’t fully understand why until the storm is directly on top of them.
The plot was well executed with enough information about the historical tragedy without laying it on thick.
Characters
Barry was a good protagonist to follow along with such a story. He was strong and brave throughout the whole event. He followed his parents’ lead and overcame the storm. It was interesting to see the events through his eyes, even though he’s fictional.
Writing Style
This is a super quick and easy read. I learned more about Hurricane Katrina than I thought I knew. The information is easy to comprehend and it’s quick enough to read in one sitting.
I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 by Lauren Tarshis
Rating
Plot
Characters
Writing Style
Overall
This is another great addition to the I Survived series. If you’re looking for something quick with a little history boost, this is the one for you.
4
Favorite Quote
“Out there in the flood, Barry had discovered some powers of his own.”
Lauren Tarshis, I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (I Survived 3)
This post contains affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission should you purchase anything from these links. It’s no extra cost to you and supports this blog. If you’d like to learn more about affiliate links on this website, please read my Privacy Policy. Thank you.
I bought a paperback copy of this book at my local Barnes & Noble. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Book Review: Death By Eggnog By Alex Erickson
Title: Death By Eggnog Author: Alex Erickson Genre: Cozy Mystery, Fiction
Krissy Hancock is staying in her adopted hometown of Pine Hills, Ohio, for Christmas this year–and she even has a whole week off from her combination bookstore-cafe. But a killer is about to dampen her spirits . . .
Unfortunately, Krissy’s been roped into filling in for a sick elf in the local holiday musical extravaganza. With a demanding director, backstage gossip, and two men in fierce competition for the starring role, it isn’t all sweetness and Christmas lights. Then a murder puts a stop to the production, and Krissy is faced with a pageant of suspects.
Could her ex-boyfriend, a fellow elf, really be the culprit as the police are claiming? Or will the actor playing Santa be trading his red suit for an orange jumpsuit? When her behind-the-scenes investigation starts getting dangerous, the only thing Krissy really wants is to make it to Christmas dinner alive. But first she’ll have to finish wrapping up this case . . .
First Thoughts
I’ve read the first four books in the series and enjoyed them. Besides, who doesn’t want a Christmas murder story in July?
Book Cover
I always enjoy the book covers in this series that slightly hints at the mystery but showcasing the cat.
Plot
Krissy is thrown into helping the local community theatre with their play when one of the elves gets sick. Not too long after she joins, the man who plays Santa in the play is murdered. Her ex, Robert, is the accused and Krissy is sure he’s not the real killer.
I thought this plot was well done with an interesting group of people. I enjoyed the theatre setting as well as the wintery themes. I had my guess of who the real killer was and then it turned out I was wrong. Which has a nice twist, but the twist seemed anticlimactic to me.
We spent so much time with so many different suspects – even having conversations with characters that didn’t really matter – that when the real killer was revealed, it seemed out of left field. Plus, I didn’t care too much for the motive. That also felt out of left field. Other than that, I did enjoy the overall plot.
Characters
There were a lot of characters in this one to the point that we don’t see Paul, Rita, Will, or Vicki that often. In fact, we didn’t see Death By Coffee, their bookstore cafe, much at all. Krissy was on a winter break from work, but still. I missed that setting as well as her co-workers, Lena and Jeff.
The theatre group was cool though. I enjoyed all the new characters that were introduced for the purpose of the plot. However, I still missed the older characters.
Writing Style
This is an easy book to read, quick at 285 pages, and an easy cozy mystery to follow along with. My personal list of suspects changed and the ending was a surprise, even if I didn’t care too much for it.
Death By Eggnog By Alex Erickson
Rating
Plot
Characters
Writing Style
Overall
Death By Eggnog is a good read. I think it’s a great addition to the Bookstore Cafe series and I’m looking forward to the next book.
4
Favorite Quote
“I took back every nice thing I ever said about him, limited as they may be.”
Alex Erickson, Death By Eggnog (Bookstore Cafe Mystery 5)
This post contains affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission should you purchase anything from these links. It’s no extra cost to you and supports this blog. If you’d like to learn more about affiliate links on this website, please read my Privacy Policy. Thank you.
I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Book Review: LOVE The Beat Goes On By Lynda Filler
Title: LOVE The Beat Goes On Author: Lynda Filler Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Series: Standalone Publisher: Kindle Direct Publishing Publication Date: April 6, 2017
Summary – LOVE The Beat Goes On
When your cardiologist tells you to “Get your affairs in order, your heart condition is incurable,” what do you do? In 2008 that’s exactly what happened to Lynda Filler.
Lynda shares her journey in the typical fast-paced, edgy, in-your-face style she’s known for in her novels. She’s hard-hitting and tells you exactly how it is. She writes about romantic experiences that may shock you but makes no apologies for her unconventional lifestyle. Nor does she hold back taking responsibility for the things that she believes created her dis-ease.
First Thoughts
I enjoy a good memoir and love reading other people’s stories. So, when the author approached me about this book, I was more than happy to give it a shot.
Book Cover
I really enjoy the cover. It’s simple, but the colors really stands out and the heartbeat in the background tells a lot.
Plot
Lynda, the author, tells her story about when she was diagnosed with a heart disease that was supposedly incurable. She goes through all the steps of denial and acceptance, doing the right things and doing the wrong things, keeping it to yourself and talking to someone about it.
Since this is a memoir, it’s hard to discuss the “plot” of what happens. The majority, if not all, of what occurs in this book, so I can’t say whether it “worked” for me or not. The message came across nicely. I sympathized with the protagonist and her story was interesting to read.
Writing Style
This book was a quick read and it was easy to read as well. The narration was as though the author is sitting in a coffee shop with her readers. It was personable. However, there were some parts of the book that I felt like the author forgot it is, in fact, a book.
LOVE The Beat Goes On By Lynda Filler
Rating
Plot
Writing Style
Overall
This was an insightful memoir. I enjoyed reading the author’s story. There were a lot of medical terms that were explained well without info-dumping. It was a good read overall.
This post contains affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission should you purchase anything from these links. It’s no extra cost to you and supports this blog. If you’d like to learn more about affiliate links on this website, please read my Privacy Policy. Thank you.
I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Book Review: Peter Green And The Unliving Academy By Angelina Allsop
Title: Peter Green And The Unliving Academy: This Book Is Full Of Dead People Author: Angelina Allsop Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade
Series: The Unliving Chronicles (Book 1) Publisher: TCK Publishing Publication Date: November 20, 2018
Summary – Peter Green And The Unliving Academy
Fourteen-year-old Peter Green can’t remember how he died. All he has are his pajamas, a silk tie, and a one-way bus ticket to Mrs. Battisworth’s Academy and Haven for Unliving Boys and Girls, a strange and spooky school for dead orphans like himself. But that’s all he needs: the Unliving Academy has everything, from vampires in the hallways, to monsters in the cafeteria, to ghosts in the basement.
And that’s just the teachers; the students are far stranger.
As Pete learns to fit in with his new supernatural schoolmates, he starts to discover his own uniquely undead abilities, and even begins enjoying his life after death…but he just can’t shake the feeling that he’s forgotten something (or somebody!) important.
Somebody he left behind in the land of the living.
Somebody he loved very much.
Somebody who’s in terrible danger.
First Thoughts
I was approached by the author’s publicist through her publisher about reading and reviewing this book. The blurb sounded intriguing so I decided to give it a try.
Book Cover
I like the colors of the book cover. It’s a cartoon-like design, though the building in the background looks more “real” and ominous.
Plot
Peter Green is dead. How he died and why is a mystery to him. However, he’s young and is not allowed to have his memories until he graduates Mrs. Battisworth’s academy. Peter adjusts quite well but he can’t shake the feeling that he’s forgetting something important from his life when he was alive.
Unfortunately, the plot wasn’t as interesting as it sounds. Some parts of the story seemed to drag on for no reason while some parts were too quick. I honestly didn’t get into the story until the end. There was a lot of build up for the last handful of chapters.
It was an interesting concept though. The world was well done and I enjoy the idea of living after you die. Peter wasn’t able to get his memories until after he graduated, which is explained with good reasoning. However, at the same time, I felt like that was just put into place to make the plot more intense or suspenseful, but it didn’t work for me.
Characters
I enjoyed all the characters in this book. Peter had a great group of friends and they were diverse with unique personalities and tones. It was easy to tell them all apart and I enjoyed going on the adventure with them.
However, Peter is 14 though he acts much younger in the story. I actually forgot he was 14, which is mentioned in the summary, and went through the whole story thinking he was about ten. It wasn’t until I started writing this review that I realized my mistake.
Writing Style
This is a quick read. It’s not too long, though there are some parts that tend to drag on. The ending was really well done and that was when I started to get into the book. Before I knew it, it was over.
The world building was great and the characters, even though Peter was portrayed much younger than he actually is, were done well too. On the other hand, it was tough to read at times because there were a lot of typos and grammatical errors. Normally, I don’t mention that in my reviews, but there was more than just a handful which made it hard to read at times.
Peter Green And The Unliving Academy By Angelina Allsop
Rating
Plot
Characters
Writing Style
Overall
Peter Green And The Unliving Academy isn’t a bad read. It’s worth it to give it a try if you enjoy fantastical worlds with some paranormal sprinkled in.
3.3
Favorite Quote
“Did you know that the root of most hate is love?”
Angelina Allsop, Peter Green and The Unliving Academy: This Book Is Full of Dead People (The Unliving Chronicles, Book 1)
Buy Peter Green And The Unliving Academy By Angelina Allsop
Angelina Allsop lives with her husband, Bryce (and a very old and quite fat bulldog called Roree) in San Tan Valley, Arizona. Allsop enjoys reading, rainy days, and (of course) writing all about the many adventures that take place in her imagination. Peter Green and the Unliving Academy is her first book, and while she’s never personally been to AfterLife, Allsop supposes she will visit one day. As will we all.
I.L. Cruz decided to make writing her full-time career during the economic downturn in 2008. Since then she’s used her BA in International Relations to sow political intrigue in her fantasy worlds and her MA in history to strive for the perfect prologue. When she’s not engaged in this mad profession she indulges her wanderlust as often as possible, watches too much sci-fi and reads until her eyes cross. She lives in Maryland with her husband, daughter and a sun-seeking supermutt named Dipper.
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