Hello everyone! Today I’m going to be sharing my monthly tbr for November. Like many of you I am partaking in CW’s #StartOnYourShelfathon, Andee’s and El’s, Clear Your Shit readathon. For more details please click on the link.
My goal for these readathon’s is to read as many owned books as possible, be it new releases or old ones. GR links for (only) the book titles. Let me know in the comments what books you plan on reading in November!
Hello everyone! Today I’m going to be sharing my October monthly wrap-up. I read 5 books. Click on the title to see my reviews. Either from WordPress or GR mini reviews. I’ll mention which of the two. If I haven’t reviewed a book I will include the book GR link. Author links not included.
I will also be sharing my wrap-up for the #StartOnYourShelfathon. The readathon is hosted by CW. Let me know in the comments what you read in October!
Hello everyone! Today I’m going to be sharing my October book haul. Book Haul is when you share books that you bought from the bookstore, ebooks/kindle, borrowed from the library or a friend, books you won through giveaways, and books for review purposes. GR links for (only) the book titles. Let me know in the comments what books you hauled in October!
Hello everyone! Today as apart of the Fall of Night street team hosted by Danika Stone, I am going sharing Danika’s post on book trailers. Let me know in the comments what you think!
Creating Book Trailers:
The world of publishing has changed, but no part as drastically as what it means to be an author. Unlike the playwrights and poets of generations past, today’s writers must balance many roles. One of the newest (and most terrifying) expectation of new authors, is that of promoter. cue horror movie sounds That’s right. The book trailer.
We’ve all seen them: The trashy my-twelve-year-old-made-this montage of quotes cobbled together in Windows Movie Maker. The endless sound bites, the awkward transitions. Good trailers are difficult to create, but poor ones are torture to watch.
If you don’t have your own production team (and who does?), then you need to figure the process out yourself. As someone whose Superman job is writing novels, and whose Clark Kent job is teaching New Media, here are a few rules I’ve learned to follow as I put together the trailer for Fall of Night:
Remember: In the end, a book trailer only works if it markets your novel. So put in the time, simplify down, and get ready to lure your readers in. Here’s the Fall of Night trailer to show you what I mean!
Fall of Night, by D.K. Stone.
My Rating: 3 Stars
Rich Evans is desperate to say goodbye to his past in New York and embrace a future in Waterton with fiancee Louise Newman, a small-town mechanic with an uncanny gift of foresight. But even Lou’s warnings are not enough to avoid the new troubles threatening the isolated border town. Rich returns to Waterton to discover the body of his estranged ex-girlfriend has been found in a remote mountain lake.
Constable Sadie Black Plume uncovers grisly details linking Gabrielle’s murder to a web of organized crime with connections to all layers of Waterton’s close-knit community. With Rich as the main suspect, Rich and Lou are forced to prove his innocence in a small town where the term ‘outsider’ can be applied to anyone who wasn’t born there.
Beware spoilers ahead!
Disclaimer: I received this E-ARC via the author for partaking in the street team and in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger Warning(s): Animal cruelty.
Rep: Audrika and Vasur are Indian-Canadian. Louise is half Canadian half Japanese.
My Thoughts Before Reading: Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the previous instalments, I was very excited to read this conclusion!
I enjoyed Fall of Night!
What I Liked: Just like the previous instalments, the mystery was exciting! It kept me on the edge of my seat, whilst I continued to guess who did it. I guessed some parts correctly, but did not see that big reveal coming!
I enjoyed learning more about Rich and his life before Waterton. I also thoroughly enjoyed that Fall of Night has such a large focus on Sadie. It was fun being in her head, while she worked on the murder cases. And of course to read about her relationship with her new partner as well as Lou (towards the end).
Lou and Rich’s relationship is tested in this instalment. With Rich lying to her in the beginning, and Lou trying to choose how to react to all the new information about Rich.
The two of them managed to work through all of the obstacles, and come out stronger. I loved reading about their wedding and that last page!
My Criticism(s): It took a long time before the mystery hooked me. I didn’t care for Gabby so I think that’s why I wasn’t invested in the beginning.
I didn’t see the point reading in Bryce and his girlfriend’s point of view. It added nothing to the plot.
I was really disappointed when Audrika was murdered. She is my favourite character after Lou.
Conclusion: Overall I enjoyed Fall of Night. I highly recommend this series for mystery lovers.
Flying Over Water by: Shannon Hitchcock and N. H. Senzai
My Rating: 3 Stars
Twelve-year-old Noura Alwan’s family is granted asylum in the United States, after spending two years in a Turkish refugee camp, having fled war-torn Aleppo. They land in Tampa, Florida, on January 30, 2017, just days after the president restricted entry into the US from nations with a Muslim majority population.
Twelve-year-old Jordyn Johnson is a record-breaking swimmer, but hasn’t swum well since her mom had a miscarriage during one of her meets. Her family has volunteered to help the Alwan family through their church. She knows very few people of Arab descent or who practice Islam.
The girls’ lives intersect at Bayshore Middle School where Jordyn serves as the Alwan children’s school ambassador. Noura knows that her family is safe from the civil unrest in her home country, but is not prepared for the adversity she now faces on American soil. Jordyn is sympathetic to Noura’s situation, but there are other members of their Florida community who see the refugees’ presence to be a threat to their way of life. While the president’s Muslim ban tests the resolve and faith of many, it is friendship that stands strong against fear and hatred.
Disclaimer: I received this E-ARC via Edelweiss+ and Qamar Blog Tours, as a part of the #FlyingOverWaterTour.
Trigger Warning(s): Islamophobia, mention of miscarriage, bullying, harassment, property vandalism, anxiety attacks, depression, and mention of war.
Rep: Noura and her family are Syrian Muslims. Noura has anxiety. Jordyn is a white Christian and has anxiety. Jordyn’s mother show signs of depression. Lea is Cuban. Joel is a white Jew. Amani is a Muslim.
My Thoughts Before Reading: I was so happy when I received the tour confirmation email! I am always happy to read about books written by Muslim authors with Muslim characters.
I am happy to say that I enjoyed it!
What I Liked: I adored the rep! It was nice to read about all these characters from different backgrounds.
I really appreciated the adults! They were supportive and came through for the main characters. It’s always nice to read about adults that are important to the overall story.
I loved the friendship between Jordyn, Noura, and Ammar’s friendship! In the beginning Jordyn was mostly nice to Noura and Ammar on account off being their ambassador.
After that Noura and Jordyn started to bound when they were assigned a history project and their mothers started getting along. The girls also just start to connect with one-another. Relating to their own fears and working through them together.
Jordyn makes sure to insure that Ammar and Noura are comfortable at school. Going as far as standing up for the two of them. While that in-itself is the bare minimum, it is really hard to stand-up to Islamophobia.
I also really appreciated their history teacher and the students. They were a very well informed and diverse group. I especially liked Penny, Joel, and Lea.
Noura and Ammar’s relationship with one-another was so sweet! I loved that they supported each other and challenged the other to conquer their fears.
Noura’s family have fallen on some hard times. On top of the Islamophobia, adjusting to life in America hasn’t been easy. Luckily they have a community in the Mosque, Noura’s teacher and classmates, Jordyn and her family, and most importantly each other.
Jordyn’s relationship with her parents is a bit strained. Her father spends most of the time working, and her mother never leaves the house. Jordyn herself can’t bring herself to swim.
Making friends with the Alwan family helps that. Jordyn’s mother gets excited teaching Noura’s mother English. In return Noura’s mother teaches Jordyn’s mom how to cook some Syrian food.
I loved the Islam rep! It was positive and portrayed in a sensitive light, considering when the novel takes place. I liked how Noura was able to build a supportive community in her school, and even arranged for a Prayer room for everybody.
My Criticism(s): Absolutely nothing!
Conclusion: Overall I enjoyed Flying Over Water! I highly recommend if you are looking for novels with Muslim rep.
Please check out the tour schedule!
Hello everyone! Today I’m going to be sharing my monthly tbr for October. Like many of you I am partaking in CW’s #StartOnYourShelfathon. For more details please click on the link.
My goal for this readathon is to read as many owned books as possible, be it new releases or old ones. GR links for (only) the book titles. Let me know in the comments what books you plan on reading in October!
Hello everyone! Today I’m going to be sharing my September monthly wrap-up. I read 10 books. Click on the title to see my reviews. Either from WordPress or GR mini reviews. I’ll mention which of the two. If I haven’t reviewed a book I will include the book GR link. Author links not included.
I will also be sharing my wrap-up for the #StartOnYourShelfathon. The readathon is hosted by CW. Let me know in the comments what you read in September!
Hello everyone! Today I’m going to be sharing my September book haul. Book Haul is when you share books that you bought from the bookstore, ebooks/kindle, borrowed from the library or a friend, books you won through giveaways, and books for review purposes. GR links for (only) the book titles. Let me know in the comments what books you hauled in September!
Hello everyone! Today I’m going to be sharing my monthly tbr for September. Like many of you I am partaking in CW’s #StartOnYourShelfathon. For more details please click on the link.
My goal for this readathon is to read as many owned books as possible, be it new releases or old ones. GR links for (only) the book titles. Let me know in the comments what books you plan on reading in September!
