Recent Read: Bookshops & Bondust by Travis Baldree

Bookshops & Bondust by Travis Baldree

Series: Legends & Lattes #0
Publisher: Trade
Publication Date:  November 7, 2023

 

Format: Paperback
Source: Bought/Own

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn't always what we seek.

In Bookshops & Bonedust, a prequel to Legends & Lattes, author Travis Baldree takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books.

Viv's career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam's Ravens isn't going as planned.

Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she's packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she'll never be able to return to it.

What's a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine.

Still, adventure isn't all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.

Review: 

This is book 2 from Travis and I really enjoyed his first, Legends and Lattes. This book is actually a prequel to the other. Viv is a young mercentary but has gotten herself severly injured and she is stuck in a small town recooping while her group is off on a hunt for a necromancer. It was her own stubbornness and hubris that got her into this mess. Now in the small town she is settling in for her healing process and developing friendships with the townies. She meets the owner of a bookstore, the guard captain, a stab-happy mercernary that wants to join her crew, and a bakery owner that all lend to her story. 

This is when Viv finder her love for books and reading and I LOVE that. She makes friends and helps around the town as well. I appreciate that this sets the tone for Legends & Lattes, her passion here shows into that book. I love Viv, she is so stubborn and I appreciate that for her. 

The book overall gives off this warm and cozy vibe that just warms my soul. The town and the eating and the fires of the setting really lend well to that feeling and I think that these fantasy/cozy/ mysteries encompass such a nice feeling when you read them. 

If you enjoyed L&L, I think you will enjoy Viv before she gets there - it was a fun read.

Recent Reads: Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver  

Series: The Ruinous Love Trilogy #1

Publisher: Slowburn
Publication Date:  December 12, 2023

 

Format: Paperback
Source: Bought/Own

Rating:

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Every serial killer needs a friend.

Every game must have a winner.

When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of a like-minded, pitch-black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?

Butcher & Blackbird is the first book in the Ruinous Love Dark Romance trilogy of interconnected stand-alone dark romantic comedies. This dual POV novel ends on a HEA.

Review: 

I kept hearing about this book all over the internet and I had to pick it up to see if it was worth a read. It had me hooked from the beginning. It is a serial killer meets dark romance meets friends to lovers situation and I was here for it.  Sloan is a serial killer making her way through other serial killers when she gets caught in a trap while on a hunt - she meets Rowan, another serial killer who, interestingly enough, does something similar and he helps her out of a bind. From then on they have a yearly competition to figure out who is the next person they are disposing of... and eventually fall for each other. 

The female main character, Sloan, is strong, independant and funny. The male main character, Rowan, is funny, adorable and quirky, and cooks! We love a cook/chef situation. I liked them both. I loved the overall premise and plot, and I liked the overall flow of the read. Their banter was cute and fun and I really enjoyed all the gross,weird things that they could connect over. 

The other characters were also wonderful and I wanted to learn more about them, so I am glad that this series follows two others in the next book. 

I think what made this book everything, was the willingness to put it all out there. It is 2 serial killers falling in love ... while killing other serial killers... and being themselves. The author also popped in this lovely disclaimer at the start or the book announcing all the weird triggers you will experience. And "accidental cannibalism" is when I was like ... oh yea... let's go. 

So if you dig dark romance, witty banter, a challenge, and a he falls first plot, this one could be for you. 

Early Reader Review: Fortune Tellers by Lisa Greenwald

Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Fortune Tellers by Lisa Greenwald 

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date:  May 7, 2024

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:

Goodreads Synopsis: 

What if your fortunes really came true?

Once upon a time, Millie, Nora, and Bea were best friends who loved slumber parties, exploring their Manhattan neighborhood, and making fortune tellers with their Magic Markers. Now, in the summer before seventh grade, they haven’t spoken in over a year—thanks to a big fight, the pandemic shutting down their school, and each girl moving away for different reasons. The girls routinely check each other’s social media, but none of them can muster the courage to reach out, even if they might want to.

Then their long-ago paper fortune tellers start popping up in the most unexpected places. The fortunes carry some eerily accurate wisdom for each girl: Your future is hidden in your past. Hold on to the memories. Go back to where you started. Could this be the push the girls need to reconnect and reunite? Or is the gap between them too wide to mend?

Review: 

This was a cute middle grade read about best friends falling apart and then trying to piece their friendship back together. Told in both alternating POVs as well as alternating past POVs, girls Bea, Millie, and Nora show the reader how they fell apart and how they are living now. In the 3-5th grade they were obsessed with making paper fortune tellers, most had generic messages and they sold them to classmates for a fundraiser at one point. Inevitably that is what tore them apart when one of the girls was still very much into them and the others were phasing out. 

The girls were interesting, albeit a bit one note all around, it was a bit hard to tell them apart. There was a lot of jumping from people and in the timeline so that might have made it harder. That said, they were, what I would consider, your normal middle school girls. They are trying to grow up, trying to make and keep friends, and dealing with those struggles. I think how they come together to try to rebuild was great. I appreciated how they were able to talk about their feelings with each other.

There wasn't much said about the 'magic' the fortune tellers had or brought, other than that weird things were happening.  This might be more magical realism than realistic fiction in that way, had it been addressed. One concern I have is - does eveyone know what a fortune teller is? I know that most young girls in the US probably do, but is this an international thing as well? I am just wondering for the sake of the story and its international reach.

Magical nature aside, there are things that I wanted more of out of this story. I liked the friendship and resolution, but I would have liked more character development and feel like we only got deep, emotional characters out of the side characters like Roger and the topic of poverty, or Sam and her emotional instability around friends. (Also this Sam read a lot like "Sam" from iCarly).

Overall, I think this was a cute read for middle grade readers. It has a diverse family element that is wonderful and handles dynamics of moving pretty well. I enjoyed reading it and it brought a smile to my face to hear the girls get excited about themselves and each other.

Building the Book Pile #449

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Happy Sunday friends/readers. I hope you had a great week. We has a few lovely days of sun followed by lots of rain which is good but soooooo gloomy. Always nice reading weather though. 

We got new chicks for the homestead... and 5/6 are looking and acting good but one is struggling so we are trying to take good care of her and help her. Please cross fingers and send good vibes our/her way. We are calling her Lil Miss for now. 

Lil Miss, sadly, didn't make it through the night. I know people lose chicks, but she is our first and I am probably more devastated about it than I should be.

Coming up on the Blog

This Week:

Early Reader Review: Fortune Tellers by Lisa Greenwald (YA)

Recent Reads: Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver (Adult, 🌶)

Recent Reads: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree (Adult)

Next Week:

Spotlight: Excerpt - The Days of Our Birth by Charles Laidlaw (Adult)

TBD

Books Received Recently...  

 

A Bold Pumpkin Plan by Katy Hudson - for review.

Wacky Witches and their Peticular Familiars by April Suddondorf - for review

Have you missed anything lately?

Monthly Re-Cap and TBR Pile (May 24)

Early Reader Review: Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly (YA)- 4 stars

Early Reader Review: The Fellowship of the Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr (Adult) - 4 stars

Early Reader Review: Sunday Money by Maggie Hill (MG) - 3 stars

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Donate on Ko-fi

What have you been reading?  Leave a comment for me.

Happy Reading!

Early Reader Review: Sunday Money: A Novel by Maggie Hill

Source: From the publisher for review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Sunday Money: A Novel by Maggie Hill  Publisher: She Writes Press
Publication Date:  May 14, 2024

 

Format: Paperback ARC


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

It's 1971, but for Claire Joyce and girls’ basketball, it might as well be 1871. Stilted rules (three-bounce dribbling, two roving players for full-court games, and uniforms that include bloomers) set their play unfairly apart from the boys’ basketball Claire’s older brother John has trained her in.Basketball is the only constant in Claire life, and as she enters her teen years the skills she’s cultivated on the court—passing, shooting, and faking—help her guard against the chaos of an alcoholic mother, an increasingly violent younger brother, and the downward spiral her beloved John soon finds himself unable to climb out of. Deeply cut from the cloth of the Catholic Church, Brooklyn’s working class, and the limited expectations her world has for girls, Claire strives to find a mirror that might reflect a different, future self. Then Title IX bounces on the scene. Suddenly, girls’ basketball becomes explosive, musical, passionate, and driven—and if Claire plays it just right, it just might offer a full ride to a previously out-of-reach college.Sunday Money follows Claire as she narrates her way through 1970s Brooklyn, hustling on and off the court and striving to break free of the turmoil in her home and the rulebook “good” girls are supposed to follow.

Review: 

Sunday Money is a coming-of-age story of young girls in 1970's Brooklyn navigating being young women in sports and the birth of Title IX. The story follows Claire, a female basketball player whose passion, resiliance, and determination leads her to find comfort and refuge in her sport. 

This was a nice read, it was a pretty short book at about ~200 pages, from Claire's point of view. It followed her experiences in 1970's Brooklyn and was mostly a book about her family and their struggles. Claire's brothers have a number of problems, her mother is a drinker, and her dad works nights, so she is normally on her own. Basketball was her outlet and with the help of the community around her, she is able to see a future in the sport. 

I felt like this story left a few too many things open at the conclusion. I wanted to know more about her journey, we see a snippet of college, but I wanted more and felt like all the lead up of the story warrented it. I liked that the overall book used basketball as not only a theme throughout the plot but also for chapter headings. Each chapter used a basketball term or team that related to how the chapter was going to go/feel. 

I think this was an emotional story of the evolution of females in sports, but it wan't fully for me. I wanted more conclusion, I wanted ...more turmoil. I understand that Claire went through a lot, but she was pretty easily able to navigate everything that came her way. I know that there isn't such a thing as "enough struggle" but it feel a bit flat there for me. 

Overall, if you are looking for a well written book about a girl's passion for her sport, you will get that here. 

Early Reader Review: The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr

Source: From the Publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr  

Publisher: Doubleday
Publication Date:  April 9, 2024

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

An extraordinary, gloriously uplifting novel about the power of friendship and the puzzling ties that bind us

Clayton Stumper might be twenty-six years old, but he dresses like your grandpa and drinks sherry like your aunt. Abandoned at birth on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, he was raised by a group of eccentric enigmatologists and now finds himself among the last survivors of a fading institution.

When the esteemed crossword compiler and main maternal presence in Clayton's life, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away, she bestows her final puzzle on him: a promise to reveal the mystery of his parentage and prepare him for life beyond the walls of the commune. As Clay begins to unpick the clues, he uncovers something even the Fellowship have never been able to solve—and it's a secret that has the potential to change everything.

Review: 

I really like puzzles - jigsaw, crossword, searches, riddles. I wouldn't say that I am necessarily good at them but I do enjoy them. I almost always have a jigsaw puzzle on the table and I am a daily user of the New York Times mini games app. When I read about this book, it seemed like something that would be really interesting. 

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers alternates between the timeline of Pippa Allsbrook, creating her fellowship with likeminded- puzzlelovers and her adopted son, Clayton. Clayton was left on the stoop as a baby and after Pippa's death wants to learn more about who left him on the Fellowship's doorstep. 

There were a number of puzzles through the read, however the formatting on the review copy ebook was horrible and so I was unable to participate in that part of the book, and I think I would have loved this book all the more had I been able to solve out the clues in turn with Clayton. 

That said, I did enjoy this book. It was like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day -it just felt cozy. There was no big suspenseful bits, no shock and awe, but love and appreciation thoughout. I think that I enjoyed the Pippa story more than Clayton's more modern tale. I wanted more of the Fellowship group, the puzzles they worked on and the overall drama from their time together in the fellowship house. Clayton seemed too boring and blah for me. I read his sections to get to the Fellowship ones. 

Overall, this book was really rooted in found family and finding yourself. I liked that about it. Both stories were important in this depth and I think that others will enjoy it. Especially if you like puzzles. 

Early Reader Review: Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly

Source: From the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly  

Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date:  May 7, 2024 

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

From New York Times bestselling, award-winning author Jennifer Donnelly comes a revolutionary, gender-swapped retelling of Beauty and the Beast that will forever change how you think about beauty, power, and what it really means to follow your heart.

What makes a girl "beastly?" Is it having too much ambition? Being too proud? Taking up too much space? Or is it just wanting something, anything , too badly?

That's the problem Arabella faces when she makes her debut in society. Her parents want her to be sweet and compliant so she can marry well, but try as she might, Arabella can't extinguish the fire burning inside her -- the source of her deepest wishes, her wildest dreams.

When an attempt to suppress her emotions tragically backfires, a mysterious figure punishes Arabella with a curse, dooming her and everyone she cares about, trapping them in the castle.

As the years pass, Arabella abandons hope. The curse is her fault -- after all, there's nothing more "beastly" than a girl who expresses her anger -- and the only way to break it is to find a boy who loves her for her true a cruel task for a girl who's been told she's impossible to love.

When a handsome thief named Beau makes his way into the castle, the captive servants are thrilled, convinced he is the one to break the curse. But Beau -- spooked by the castle's strange and forbidding ladies-in-waiting, and by the malevolent presence that stalks its corridors at night -- only wants to escape. He learned long ago that love is only an illusion.

If Beau and Arabella have any hope of breaking the curse, they must learn to trust their wounded hearts, and realize that the cruelest prisons of all are the ones we build for ourselves.

Review: 

I adore Beauty and the Beast and all retellings of the original tale. When I saw this adaptation pop up in my feeds I was very excited to pick it up and was graced with the ability to read it early. 

In this twisted retelling, Arabella is the beast and Beau is our weary traveler trapped in the castle without an understanding of the magic taking place there. Arabella and her court and staff have been trapped in a curse for a hundred years and their time is about to expire. 

The story is told from Beau's POV with a little bit of whimsical storyteller inserted in a few locations throughout the read. Beau is a thief, a poor kid just trying to make a life for himself but also have enough money to support his younger brother. His gang come across the castle on a dreary night while being chased for a job they pulled. Once across, they encounter a lovely spread of food and after indulging are chased off by a monster, most of the group makes it back across the rickety bridge but Beau is trapped and the bridge has collapsed. While trying to plot his escape, Beau learns more about the castle staff and their curse.

Arabella is plagued with despair and longing and she knows her time is almost up, but it has been so long and no suitor has helped her solve the curses riddles. The company of characters in this book make it all the more whimsical, they are lovely and keep the story moving, because both Beau and Arabella are sadly really one-track minded. 

The overall story building was well done, and I really enjoyed the twisting of this tale. I wasn't sure how it was going to be done, with the MCs swapped but Donnelly does a really good job making the story her own and really diving into this new curse.

I think if you are looking for something true to tale just a M/F swap  - this is not for you. If you are relaly interesting a a good adaptation, retelling, I think you will enjoy this one. I really enjoyed the ending and the overall message - I won't spoil it though. 

Monthly Re-Cap & TBR Pile (May 24)

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Here is the progress from April 

April was so packed with birthday fun, a work trip, and the start of spring chores outside - so it was not a great reading month, but it was ok.

~~Books I Read in April 2024~~  

 

 TBR for MAY

• Wild About You by Kaitlyn Hill - review
• The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
• Scarred by Emily McIntire
• Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
• Where the Dark Stands Still by AB Poranek
• continuing Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

How was your April reading?  

Feel free to share it in the comments below! I would love to know what you are reading! 

Building the Book Pile #448

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Hi there... after putting this post together and up, I am writing reviews LOADS of reviews... well at least a handful. I have 3 or 4 for this week - all new releases 😁

I will try to hold myself accountable in the list of 'coming up' below because I still owe you Butcher & Blackbird.

Coming up on the Blog

This Week:

Monthly Re-Cap and TBR Pile (May 24)

Early Reader Review: Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly (YA)

Early Reader Review: The Fellowship of the Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr (Adult)

Early Reader Review: Sunday Money by Maggie Hill (MG)

Next Week:

Early Reader Review: Fortune Tellers by Lisa Greenwald (YA)

Recent Reads: Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver (Adult, 🌶)

Recent Reads: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree (Adult)

Books Received Recently...  

 

 

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson (YA) - BOTM pick April

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier (YA) - BOTM pick bday

Have you missed anything lately?

it has been a minute... so probably not much 😓😖

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Donate on Ko-fi

What have you been reading?  Leave a comment for me.

Happy Reading!

Building the Book Pile #447

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

April is my birthday month ... celebrations have begun!

Yesterday, I was given a dollar amount and time to book shop to my hearts content. I ended up grabbing 15 new books and the Kingfisher Lego set from B&N. 

Then we got home and I took a nap and then we had Lego time while watching MotoGP. 

Next week I am away at a conference... so I am not sure how much reading will get accomomplished. 

Coming up on the Blog

Recent Reads: Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

TBD

Books Received Recently...  

 

Bday Gift Run

1. Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce (YA)
2. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas 
3. Heir of Fire by Srah J. Maas
4. Twisted by Emily McIntire
5. Scarred by Emily McIntire
6. Wretched by Emily McIntire
7. Crossed by Emily McIntire
8. Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid
9. Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen
10. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
11. The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman
12. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
13. That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
14. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA)
15. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

Have you missed anything lately?

Recent Reads: Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer (Adult) - 4 stars

Early Reader Review: Saving Delicia by Laura Gehl (Youth) -4 stars

Recent Reads: Bride by Ali Hazelwood (Adult) - 5 stars

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Donate on Ko-fi

What have you been reading?  Leave a comment for me.

Happy Reading!