Waiting on Wednesday: Nameless Queen by Rebecca McLaughlin

Nameless Queen by Rebecca McLaughlin
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 7, 2020

Synopsis:  

One girl must make a name for herself--or die trying --in this royal fantasy where an unknown peasant becomes the ultimate ruler. But how long can she keep the crown if everyone wants her dead? Perfect for fans of Furyborn, Red Queen, and Everless.

Everyone expected the king's daughter would inherit the throne. No one expected me.

It shouldn't even be possible. I'm Nameless, a class of citizens so disrespected, we don't even get names. Heck, dozens of us have been going missing for months and no one seems to care.

But there's no denying the tattoo emblazoned on my arm. I am queen. In a palace where the corridors are more dangerous the streets, though, how could I possibly rule? And what will become of the Nameless if I don't? 

Why I Am Waiting:
This cover really pulled me in and I feel like from the synopsis that this is going to have some great world building. 

Cover Reveal w/ Giveaway: Children of the Fifth Sun by Gareth Worthington

CHILDREN OF THE FIFTH SUN 
Gareth Worthington
Genre: “Science Faction” - science fiction, action and adventure with fact-based science, theories and mythology

About the Book
IN ALMOST EVERY BELIEF SYSTEM ON EARTH, there exists a single unifying mythos: thousands of years ago a great flood devastated the Earth’s inhabitants. From the ruins of this cataclysm, a race of beings emerged from the sea bestowing knowledge and culture upon humanity, saving us from our selfish drive toward extinction. Some say this race were “ancient aliens” who came to assist our evolution.

But what if they weren’t alien at all? What if they evolved right here on Earth, alongside humans . . . and they are still here? And, what if the World’s governments already know?

Kelly Graham is a narcissistic self-assured freelance photographer specializing in underwater assignments. While on a project in the Amazon with his best friend, Chris D'Souza, a mysterious and beautiful government official, Freya Nilsson, enters Kelly’s life and turns it upside down. Her simple request to retrieve a strange object from deep underwater puts him in the middle of an international conspiracy. A conspiracy that threatens to change the course of human history.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Praise for CHILDREN OF THE FIFTH SUN

"An action-packed, globe-hopping science fiction thriller... pedal-to-the-metal pacing and relentless action make it easy to turn pages..." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Insane! What Gareth did here was incredible! This author took a global look at America, China, and Russia, and added a species from another era into the mix, to create a well-researched novel of suspense, intrigue, with dashing individuals. The characters travel the world on a unique mission while trying to stay out of the line of fire as rogue government agencies from several different countries try to stop them. It's a wild ride from California to Peru, from Egypt to Siberia. The amount of research put into this novel is on par with a Michael Crichton novel. The main character, Kelly Graham, reminded me of Dirk Pitt from Clive Cussler's novels. Overall, an incredible read and a book I'm recommending." ―Jonas Saul, Best-selling author of the Sarah Roberts Series, April 2017 

Suspend disbelief and let yourself travel on a downriver, undersea, and overland adventure in this well-constructed novel. The author takes you on a fast paced journey full of intrigue, government secrets, unusual creatures and just a tad of romance. Superlatives abound and the literary illumination paints an image so clear you feel you are there with the characters. For those who know the author, there are bit of his personality revealed which makes reading the novel even more enjoyable. A bit Tom Clancy, a hint of Dan Brown -- authentically Gareth in his debut work. ―Charity Scripture 

"Scientist Worthington's understanding of the complexities and possibilities of marine biology and endocrinology are evident." ―Publishers Weekly, May 2017

AWARDS

WINNER 2017 LONDON BOOK FESTIVAL — SCIENCE FICTION

FINALIST 2018 SILVER FALCHION AWARD — SCI-FI/FANTASY/HORROR  

About the Author

PHOTO CONTENT FROM GARETH WORTHINGTON

Gareth Worthington is a trained marine biologist and also holds a doctorate in comparative endocrinology. Currently, Gareth works full time for the Pharmaceutical industry helping to educate the World's doctors on new cancer therapies. In his spare time Gareth has a number of passions, including: martial arts - he trained in Muay Thai at the prestigious EVOLVE MMA gym in Singapore and currently trains in MMA at Phoenix Sportkampf, Switzerland; playing acoustic guitar; studying ancient history; drawing; and most of all writing fiction.

An award winning author, he hopes to one day hang up the pharma hat and write full time.

You can visit his author page and blog at www.garethworthington.com  

PHOTO CONTENT FROM GARETH WORTHINGTON

Find the Author

BOOK WEBSITE /TWITTER / GOODREADS / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM

BOOK TRAILER

 

Giveaway is open to International. |
 Must be 13+ to Enter

Winner will receive a $25 Dollar PayPal/Amazon Gift Card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Building the Book Pile #315

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!  A Weekly meme inspired by Stacking the Shelves

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

I am still slacking a little but I am trying!!! I got some reading in and some reviews up this week so YAY! progress. 

I hope you are all SO well! And that you are gearing up for the holiday season in a way that is slow ans steady and not anxiety ridden. 


If you enjoy the blog and want to share some love and caffeine, you can buy me a coffee via Ko-fi

Share about your week with me in the comments below!

 

Giveaways


Coming up on the Blog

Cover Reveal: Children of the Fifth Sun by Gareth Worthington

Waiting on Wednesday 


Books Received Recently...
For Review

        

Snug by Catana Chetwynd from Andrews McMeel Publishing for review 
One Week 'Til Christmas by Belinda Misson from HQ Digital for review
The Worst Christmas Ever by Kathleen Long Bostrom from Flyaway Books for review.
A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat from Librarything Early Reviewers and Candlewick Press

Have you missed anything lately?

Recent Reads: Ramen Obsession by Naomi Imatome-Yun and Robin Donovan - 3 stars
Recent Reads: Super Cool Space Facts: A Fun, Fact- Filled Space Book for Kids by Bruce Betts - 4 stars
Waiting on Wednesday: Unicorn Training 
Recent Reads: Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber - 3 stars
Early Reader Review: You are Home with Me by Sarah Asper-Smith - 4 stars

Recent Reads: Bird Brain: Comics About Mental Health, Starring Pigeons
by Chuck Mullin  (Adult, GN) - 3 Stars
Recent Reads: Alma and the Beast by Esme Shapiro (Youth) - 4 stars
Thanksgiving Post
Monthly Re-Cap: September - November 2019

December TBR Pile
Waiting on Wednesday: I Love You Like No Otter by Rose Rossner (Youth) 
HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY

Comment and leave me a link to your Round-up/ STS/ Weekly...anything, post and I will happily stop by and say hello!

Happy Reading!

Cover2CoverBlog Holiday Giveaway 2019!!

 

🎅🏻🎄☃️Happy Holidays from Cover2CoverBlog!🎅🏻🎄☃️

I wanted to share some love this holiday season so I am doing a giveaway for a MG/YA Mystery Prize pack. It will include 2-3 books (maybe more depending on the stack of books I have at home) and a few holiday goodies.

RULES:

Enter using the Rafflecopter below. 

 U.S. Residents only.  (Shipping is $$)

Winner must be 13 with a parents permission or older. 

Please no giveaway accounts, you must have other content in order to be eligible. Please be truthful about your entries - I will be checking.

Winner should respond to prize email within 48 hours or forfeit their prize to another person. This happens so be sure to check your emails regularly.

Giveaway entry time will run from December 3 - December 30.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday: I Love You Like No Otter by Rose Rossner

I Love You Like No Otter by Rose Rossner
Publisher: SOURCEBOOKS Wonderland
Publication Date: January 1, 2020

Synopsis:  

There's no better way to say "I love you" than with a sweet and heartfelt animal pun! I Love You Like No Otter combines a warm message of love with beautifully illustrated animals, making it the perfect gift for Valentine's Day and all year round!

Why I Am Waiting:
This looks just TOO adorable not to read and then pass on to my sister who is (maybe has had) her first baby.

TBR Pile: December 2019

THE BOOKS 


    
      

  

What do you want to read this month?
Have you read any of these yet? 
If so, let me know what you thought! 

Monthly Re-Cap(s): September to November 2019

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

~~Books I Read in September - November~~

            
                  

~~Links to Some Reviews from Books Read in November ~~ 

September
The Starlight Claim by Tim Wynne- Jones  (YA)- 3 stars
Snug Harbor Stories by Will Henry (GN) -5 stars
Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World by Scott McCormick (MG) -4 stars
Jukebox Joyride by Jacob Stein, Jason Rabinowtiz and the Pop Ups (MG)- 4 stars
Harley Quinn Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Pugh (YA, GN) -5 stars
Texts from Mittens by Angie Bailey (Comic, Adult) -4 stars
Red Yellow Blue by Lysa Mullady (Youth) - 3 stars 
Snitchy Witch by Frank Sileo (Youth) - 2 stars 
The Library of Ever by Zeno Alexander (MG) - 5 stars
The Brilliant Dark by SM Beiko (YA)- 4 stars
Who Stole My Hazelnuts by Marcus Pfister (Youth) - 5 stars
The Little Grey Girl by Celine Kiernan (MG) - 4 stars
The Unadjusted by Marisa Noelle (YA) - 4 stars


October
Bird Count by Susan Edwards Richmond and Stephanie Fizer Coleman (Youth) - 5 stars
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu (YA, GN) - 4 stars
The Crayons' Christmas by Drew Daywalt (Youth) - 5 stars 
A Daily Dose of Dad Jokes by Taylor Calmus and Peter Harmon (Adult) -4 stars 
A Warm Friendship by Ellen DeLange (Youth) - 4 stars

November
You are Home with Me by Sarah Asper-Smith (Youth) - 4 stars 
Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber (Adult) - 3 stars
Super Cool Space Facts: A Fun, Fact- Filled Space Book for Kids by Bruce Betts (MG)  - 4 stars

How to Catch a Dragon by Adam Wallace - 3 stars
Black Canary: Ignite by Meg Cabot - 5 stars
The Unicorn Whisperer by Dana Simpson - 5 stars 
Frog's Rainy-Day Story and Other Fables by Michael James Dowling and Sarah Buell Dowling -3 stars  
Ramen Obsession by Naomi Imatome-Yun and Robin Donovan (Cookbook) - 3 stars
Bird Brain by  Chuck Mullin (GN, Adult) - 3 stars
Alma and the Beast by Esme Shapiro (Youth) - 4 stars

Happy Thanksgiving from Cover2CoverBlog

I am so thankful this year and every year for many things! That you are here reading the blog (still) and are my internet friends is one of the things I am MOST thankful for.

You are with me through life, school, and blogging messes. I appreciate you all so much.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving if you are in the US and a wonderful day even if you aren't celebrating...

Gobble Gobble!

Nom Nom!

Recent Reads: Alma and the Beast by Esme Shapiro

Source: From Librarything Early Reviewers and Tundra Books in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

Alma and the Beast by Esme Shapiro
Publisher: Tundra Books
Publication Date:  September 3, 2019

 

Format: Hardback

Rating: 







Goodreads Synopsis: 

Alma's beautiful, hairy world is turned upside down by the arrival of a stranger. From the utterly original imagination of the author-illustrator of Ooko comes a story about celebrating differences and making new friends. For fans of Where the Wild Things Are and Wild.

Alma lives happily in her hairy world, where she can braid the trees, comb the grass, pet the roof and feed her plumpooshkie butterfly. Until one day . . . a hairless, button-nosed beast appears in the garden! At first Alma is scared but when she realizes the beast is lost and misses her hairless home, Alma offers to help her find her way back. As the two take a fantastical journey through the red-headed woods and the bearded mushroom glen to the beast's bald abode, they discover that they are much more alike than different.

This quirky and charming story about friendship, tolerance and perspective invites readers into a surreal, fantastical world that evokes Alice in Wonderland, Where the Wild Things Are and The Lorax. 

 Review: 
Alma and the Beast is a cute and colorful book about overcoming differences and fear to help each other. When Alma and the Beast first meet they are both scared and the beast is very lost. Alma must help her back to her home.

This book has a little bit of everything for young readers. It is about overcoming differences, in this case beasts and fuzziness, and learning how to help one another anyway. It is colorful and the adventure these characters go on to find home is beautifully illustrated. All of the places and plants are very interesting and there are so many layers in the illustrations. The book is large with big bold two pages spreads for the little ones that want pictures and to point and ask questions but the story is a nice one for both listeners and adults.

I think that parents will really like this as an alternative to their normal book collections and it is a very creative imaginary world that young readers would be happy to experience.

Recent Reads: Bird Brain: Comics About Mental Health, Starring Pigeons by Chuck Mullin

Source: From Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review this in no way alters my opinion or review.

Bird Brain: Comics About Mental Health, Starring Pigeons by Chuck Mullin
Publisher:  Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date:  November 19, 2019

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:







Goodreads Synopsis: 

Bird Brain is a collection of brutally honest, brilliantly weird comics exploring what it’s like to live with mental illness . . . using pigeons.
When Chuck Mullin began experiencing anxiety and depression as a teenager, she started drawing comics to help her make sense of the rollercoaster. Eventually, she found that pigeons—lovably quirky, yet universally reviled creatures—were the ideal subjects of a comic about mental illness. Organized in three sections—"Bad Times," "Relationships," and "Positivity"—and featuring several short essays about the author’s experiences, Bird Brain is a highly relatable, chuckle-inducing, and ultimately uplifting collection of comics for anyone who has struggled to maintain their mental health.

Review: 
Bird Brain is a graphic novel of sorts that is about mental health but told through pigeons instead of people. It addresses things like fear, depression, anxiety, social awkwardness and overall just the bad times and how they impact life. 

I did not expect this book to be so heavy as it is comics about pigeons, but it is about a very difficult subject matter for some and might even be a little triggering. However, the comics are relatable and put mental health on the forefront which it needs to be more often. 

I also didn't expect for this book to also include blocks of narration from the author. I think it might have been better served throughout with the comics versus in the long blocks. They seems a bit long-winded and since I was expecting comics I found that they really took my attention away from the images.

I liked this collection and found it to be soothing, in that I related to so many of the anxiety based comics, but it wasn't a love it book for me. 

If you are looking for an interesting take on mental health in a more whimsical medium, this would fit that build.