Recent Reads: Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen

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

Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen 

Publisher:  SparkPress
Publication Date:  July 11, 2023

 

Format: Paperback ARC


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Rory Calhoun is a teen popstar with perfect teeth and messy hair who’s inspiring first crushes all over the globe. Millie Jackson is just one of the millions of fans who love him—but that doesn't mean her heart doesn't break for him every single day in this laugh-out-loud coming-of-age story.

How many of Rory’s fans collect “data” about him in a special notebook hidden in their underwear drawer? Or have faked a fascination with whale migration for a chance to visit his hometown? Millie may not be Rory’s only fan at Susan B. Anthony Middle School, but she's convinced she's the biggest—and the best.

Rory’s new song “Worldwide Crush” is climbing the charts, and his lyrics are he’s looking for love—and he’s looking in the audience. Meaning Millie’s secret fantasies of running in the surf and eating waffles with him may not be crazy after all . . . she could be that girl! But first she has to get to his concert—his completely sold-out concert in a city nowhere near her home for which she does not have tickets or a ride. She just has to figure out how.

Review: 

Worldwide Crush is a middle grade contemporary romance about a young girl who has a crush on a teen popstar. Millie is not like other fans, or so she thinks, she keeps a journal writing to her crush, Rory Calhoun. The book follows her as she learns more about him and herself and they try to get tickets to see him because that is how they will fall in love. 

This was a cute middle grade book about first loves and teen popstar crushes and early teenage angst.  This book is full of pre-teen/teen drama and attitude. Millie is angsty and broody over her admiration for Rory and even keeps a journal with letters to him. I found her character to be realistic almost in excess, so much drama. She is a lot of emotions at once and really gives you the experience of being a teen again. I liked that she really embodied that time. That being said, I still did feel a disconnect as an adult reader. I think middle grade readers will love this though.

I appreciated Millie's dreams of Rory falling in love with her and her commitment to the idea of meeting him. Even in-so-far as pretending to love whales to get to his hometown -it was clever and I thought that was fun. 

Overall this was a cute book, slightly unrealistic at times, and other times too realistic for my liking, but I think that younger readers will really get in the feels with this one and enjoy it.

Waiting on Wednesday: A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair

 

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair
Publisher: Bloom Books
Publication Date:  September 26, 2023

Synopsis:  

The World Will Burn

Persephone, Goddess of Spring, never guessed a chance encounter with Hades, God of the Underworld, would change her life forever—but he did.

A fight for humanity and battles between gods, it's a world Persephone never thought she would see. To end the chaos, she must draw upon her darkness and embrace who she's become—Goddess, Wife, Queen of the Underworld.

Once, Persephone made bargains to save those she loves, now she will go to war for them.

Why I Am Waiting:

I have really enjoyed this romance series and I am a sucker for retellings... especially Hades and Persephone retellings. I am super excited for this installment.

Early Reader Review: Lights by Brenna Thummler

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

Lights by Brenna Thummler 

Series: Sheets #3
Publisher:  Oni Press
Publication Date:  September 6, 2023

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Following Brenna Thummler’s bestselling and critically acclaimed graphic novels Sheets and Delicates, Marjorie, Eliza, and Wendell the ghost are back to uncover the secrets of Wendell’s human life in the third and final heartwarming installment of the Sheets trilogy.

Marjorie Glatt’s life was forever changed the day she discovered a group of ghosts hiding in her family’s laundromat. One of those ghosts was Wendell: a lonely phantom turned Marjorie’s best friend. When he and Marjorie are joined by ghost-enthusiast Eliza Duncan, the three friends band together in friendship, bravery, and all things paranormal.

Wendell died far too young and now must wander the Land of Humans with nothing more than a sheet for a body. He knows how he died—a tragic drowning accident—but lately he’s grown curious about his past life. He wants to know more about why he died, not just how he died. It’s not easy, though, since Wendell’s memory of his human life has grown increasingly blurry. With Marjorie and Eliza’s help, they set out on a journey to find out more. When they hear a rumor about Wendell’s death, they wonder if it might not have been an accident after all. Meanwhile, Marjorie and Eliza’s friendship is tested when Marjorie starts to befriend the very people who used to bully Eliza.

In the third and final installment of the Sheets trilogy, Wendell will finally uncover the truth of his human life. Marjorie and Eliza will learn that some people really can change. Most of all, they start to see that everything can cast shadows, but if you look hard enough, you can find the light.

Review: 

I can't believe this is the final installment to the Sheets series. I have loved following Marjorie and Wendell, and later Eliza too. 

Throughout the series their friendships are strong and they are so real with each other which is so nice. These books deal with a lot of heavy issues like loss, grief, depression, and more, and this one is no different. This tends to be a darker series, so please be aware that this installment talks about death.

In this installment, we get some closure for Wendell and learn more about his life before he was a ghost. We knew he had drowned but not the circumstances around his death, so Marjorie and Eliza are trying to help him remember more. Their friendship is threatened along the way though. There were times when I wasn't a fan of how Marjorie and Eliza acted toward one another, they both seemed a little shady, but I also think that in the end they did ok coming back together. 

The overall story is heart-warming and easy to follow, even with the time jumps throughout. The illustrations are well done again with pastel colors and it is a pretty book. 

Building the Book Pile #432

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

I hope you are all well... and still reading. I am so behind on reviews and the blog, but I have been reading. I hope you will forgive me for not posting. I am hoping to have a flurry of posts soon. 

Things are already busy with work and home life, but softball season wrapped last week. Wooo Division B Champions! I hope to have a little more time soon. But Autumn is in the air and I am SO excited! 

Do you have a favorite season? if so which one? 

As you might know, Autumn is my favorite and I am so excited for crisp, cool air and apples and pumpkins. 

Coming up on the Blog

Early Reader Review: Lights by Brenna Thummler (YA/GN)

Waiting on Wednesday

Recent Reads: Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen (MG/YA)

Recent Reads: Megabat Megastar (Megabat #5) by Anna Humphrey (MG)

Books Received Recently...   

   

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik - bought

The Hidden World of Gnomes by Lauren Soloy - From Librarything Early Reviwers program 

Megabat Megastar by Anna Humphrey- From Librarything Early Reviwers program 

and

I downloaded some more Dramione fanfiction

Have you missed anything lately?

Waiting on Wednesday: In Charm's Way

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Ko-fi

What are you reading this summer? Leave a comment for me.

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: In Charm's Way by Lana Harper

 

In Charm's Way by Lana Harper

Series: The Witches of Thistle Grove #4

Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date:  August 22, 2023

Synopsis:  

A witch struggling to regain what she has lost casts a forbidden spell—only to discover much more than she expected, in this enchanting new rom-com by New York Times bestselling author Lana Harper.

Six months after having been hit by a power surge that nearly obliterated her memory, Delilah Harlow is still picking up the pieces. Her once diamond-sharp mind has become shaky and unreliable, and bristly, self-sufficient Delilah is forced to rely on friends, family, and her raven familiar for help. In an effort to reclaim her wits and former independence, she casts a dangerous blood spell meant to harness power with healing capacities.

While the spell does restore clarity, it also unexpectedly turns Delilah into an irresistible beacon for the kind of malevolent supernatural creatures that have never before ventured into Thistle Grove. One night—just as things are about to go terribly sideways with a rogue succubus—a mysterious stranger appears in the nick of time to save Delilah's soul.

Gorgeous, sultry, and as dangerous as the knives she carries, Catriona Quinn is a hunter of monsters—and half-human, half-fae herself, she is the kind of sly and morally gray creature Delilah would normally find horrifying. Though Delilah balks at the idea of a partnership, she has no choice but to roll the dice on their collaboration. As the two delve deeper into the power that underlies Thistle Grove, they uncover not only the town's hidden history but also a risky attraction that could upend Delilah's entire life.

Why I Am Waiting:

This little town and all its magic is such a mood and I love it. I have really enjoyed all the books in this series. They all follow different couples but in the same small magical witchy town and I am here for it.

Building the Book Pile #431

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Hi there, I hope you have had a lovely week.  The weather here in the Northeast US has finally gotten to normal, less rain, more sun, not boiling. We have done more house work projects and I have weeded the garden - the grass growth with all the rain is such a pain! And still reading... trying to do lots of reading.

Coming up on the Blog

Waiting on Wednesday

Spicy Series Review: The Shattered Isles by Jade Presley (Adult, Spicy) - I'm not sure I am going to review these, they are essentially shorter reads with 20% plot and 80% spicy, why-choose / reverse harem books. 

Books Received Recently...   

  

No images

I downloaded some more Dramione fanfiction

Self-Perservation by SenLinYu

A Bloody Idiot by eveningstruggle

Have you missed anything lately?

Monthly Re-Cap and TBR Pile: July/ August

Recent Reads: The Lost Galumpus by Joseph Helgerson (MG)-3 stars

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Ko-fi

What are you reading this summer? Leave a comment for me.

Happy Reading!

Recent Reads: The Lost Galumpus by Joseph Helgerson

Source: From Librarything Early Reviewers Program. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

The Lost Galumpus by Joseph Helgerson

Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date:  January 10, 2023

 

Format: Hardback
 

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

A time-traveling woolly mammoth finds refuge and rescue at the unlikely hands of a possum and his community of woodland friends in this humorous middle grade for fans of The Secret Lake and The Wild Robot . Features charming black-and-white interior illustrations by Udayana Lugo. When a furry, four-legged beast from the distant past appears in their park, the local animals are concerned about unwanted attention from humans. Gilly the Possum, assistant to raccoon Mayor Crawdaddy, is tasked with figuring out where the lost galumpus came from . . . and how to get him home again. While Gilly and the Mayor don’t agree on much, they can agree on one thing: with a huge blizzard rolling in, the galumpus needs their help, no matter where he came from. This laugh-out-loud illustrated adventure has the whole woodland community in Theodore Wirth Park considering the best way to welcome a newcomer—and what generosity in the face of unthinkable circumstances can mean.

Review: 

This was such a strange middle grade book. It was sci-fi, fantasy with animal characters. 

The woodland animals have jsut found a Galumpus in the creek area of the park and he seems lost, telling them that his home is gone. They find out that he is actually a Wooly Mammoth from the past that has suddenly appeared in the park. Gilly the Possum is trying to help him while Mayer Crawdaddy is mostly scared of all things and says they should leave him be. Gilly tried to get human help by way of a little girl that she has befriended, but then a robot from the future also shows up in the form of the Forest Fire Prevention bear... but green. She is part of the time travel too, the mammoth and the robot were both part of a time-rift and have arrived in the park. 

It was all so strange and off-the-wall that it was hard to follow. I thin kthat younger readers might like the concept but also have a lot of questions about why and how, but also what is doing on. It also reads a little like it is a series, although it is not, where the you just jump in and there is little explanation about the characters and their world. The craziness of it all kinda of takes away from that confusion because there is a lot of other wierd stuff that happens. That said, I found it hard to stay focused during my reading. It was fun, but hard to follow. I wanted more explanation, and less jumping around... there was a lot of movement through the town and park withouth much description. 

Monthly Re-Cap (July 23) & TBR Pile (Aug. 2023)

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Here is the progress from July. 

I did a good job. Weyward wasn't a review book, so that works out. I also finished a handful of other things in its place. 

~~Books I Read in July 2023~~  

 

~~Links to Some Reviews~~

The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent - 4 stars 

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna -5 stars

Neon Gods by Katee Roberts (Adult, Spicy) - 5 stars

 Milk & Mocha: Our Little Happiness by Melani Sie (GN) -5 stars

The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Adult) -5 stars

Love & Resistance by Kara H.L. Chen (YA) - 4 stars

 TBR for August

1. Finish -The Golden Spoon by Jessica Maxwell
2. A Velvet Green Secret by Vicki Grant
3. Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen
4. Follow the Shadows by Rosemary Drisdelle
5. Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake
6. In Charm's Way by Lana Harper

How was your July reading?  Are you thinking of Fall books yet?

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