Mini Review: Friday the Sixteenth by Peter Coombs

Title: Friday the Sixteenth

Author: Peter Coombs

Pages: 190

Expected publication date: August 28, 2021

Goodreads synopsis

He stumbled across a web of lies. His conscience wouldn't let him walk away.

Andrew Packford, newly established as an antiques dealer, is enjoying life very much. He has a career that suits his laid back nature, a passion for antiques and business is booming.

Then, as is often the case, fate comes calling. While restoring an item of furniture he finds an old newspaper article together with a photograph of four people. Two men two women. He has no idea just how much these four strangers will change his life.

One of them kills people.

One of them turns a blind eye.

The other two might just be Andrew’s salvation.

The discovery opens a Pandora’s box and while a lesser man might have walked away, that is not his way. If he didn’t stand up for what he thought was right who would? Friday the Sixteenth is a gripping read with a memorable character at its heart.

Quick thoughts

I liked this book, although it was a little bit different than I thought it was going to be. From the synopsis I thought it would be a bit more of a mystey/suspense/thriller, and that's not what it is. So, if by chance, that's the type of book you're looking for, this book might not be for you right now. This book has more of a fighting for justice arc. That being said, I'm not taking away any points because the story wasn't what I thought it would be, because those expectations are entirely on me. I especially don't want to take off any points because the story as it was, was good! The justice that was being fought for was intriguing to read about and I admire the strong will of all the characters as well as seeing their stories intertwine through the multiple POV format. Overall, very enjoyable.

Waiting on Wednesday (12): So, This is Christmas by Tracy Andreen

 Waiting on Wednesday's is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. *It appears that Breaking the Spine hasn't been active since 2016, but I still want to credit them as the creators.

For my 12th Waiting On Wednesday I want to spotlight So, This is Christmas by Tracy Andreen.

Expected publication date: October 6, 2021 

Publisher: Viking Books For Young Readers

Goodreads Synopsis

When Finley Brown returned to her hometown of Christmas, Oklahoma, from boarding school, she expected to find it just as she left it. Christmas hasn't changed much in her sixteen years. But instead she returns to find that her best friend is dating her ex-boyfriend, her parents have separated, and her archnemesis got a job working at her grandmother's inn. And she certainly didn't expect to find the boy she may or may not have tricked into believing that Christmas was an idyllic holiday paradise on her grandmother's doorstep. It's up to Finley to make sure he gets the Christmas he was promised. This is Finley's Christmas. It's about home and family and friends and finding her place, and along the way she also finds the best Christmas present of all: love.

Why I can't wait

This book just seems so adorable and lighthearted, and all of the reviews seem to confirm that as well. I've been reading a lot of not very adorable books lately, not to mention spotlighting them, my last four or so Waiting on Wednesday's have been books I found while browsing the horror section on Netgalley, so I think this book could serve as a little breather from more serious, heavy themed books.

Top Ten Tuesday (14): Books I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week's topic is top ten books I wish I could read again for the first time.

1. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

I wish I could read this book for the first time again because the first time I read it, I didn't like it. But I think the reason I didn't like it is because I read it for school. I read it in high school, but my teacher had us all sit in a circle and take turns reading out loud, and when I have to "read" or experience a book like that I get bored really fast, and that made it so hard to like this book. So, I wish I could read this book for the first time again so maybe I could read it properly and I may stand a chance at liking it.

2. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

If you've been following me for awhile, you know I'm in love with this book. I would love to be able to read Mafi's unique writing style again for the first time.

3. Alice In Zombieland by Gena Showalter

4. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

I think this is the last book that made me cry, and I read this all the way back in 2013. I want to feel that kind of emotion again.

5. Unwind by Neal Sushterman

6. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Goldman

7. Legend by Marie Lu

8. Variant by Robison Wells

9. Need by Carrie Jones

I think all my blog posts must mention this book at this point, so it should come as no surprise that I would love to be able to read this book for the first time again.

10. Revived by Cat Patrick

I'm ending my list with another emotional one. I remember crying reading this one, and just like with Elsewhere, I would love to feel that emotion again while reading.

Teaser Tuesday (20): Friday the Sixteenth by Peter Coombs

 Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can participate in Teaser Tuesdays. Just do the following:

• Grab your read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your 
teasers!

For my 20th Teaser Tuesday I'm bringing teasers from Friday the Sixteenth by Peter Coombs.

Goodreads synopsis

He stumbled across a web of lies. His conscience wouldn't let him walk away.

Andrew Packford, newly established as an antiques dealer, is enjoying life very much. He has a career that suits his laid back nature, a passion for antiques and business is booming.

Then, as is often the case, fate comes calling. While restoring an item of furniture he finds an old newspaper article together with a photograph of four people. Two men two women. He has no idea just how much these four strangers will change his life.

One of them kills people.

One of them turns a blind eye.

The other two might just be Andrew’s salvation.

The discovery opens a Pandora’s box and while a lesser man might have walked away, that is not his way. If he didn’t stand up for what he thought was right who would? Friday the Sixteenth is a gripping read with a memorable character at its heart.

My teasers

"The ambulance station received the call at twelve minutes past three. They had arrived at the quarry at twenty-one minutes past three and left five minutes later. That left them just six minutes to get to the hospital fifteen miles away.

The journey took thirteen minutes and forty-two seconds."

"One floor above, another life and death struggle was going on."

Page 32.

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Add Friday the Sixteenth to your Goodreads TBR, and look out for my review on August 26!

Stacking the Shelves (9)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's all about sharing books you've added to your shelves be it physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in a physical store, or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks.

I'm back with another Stacking the Shelves. This week, just like last week, I only added two books to my shelves, but just like always, I'm very excited to get to them.

First, I was given a copy of The Company by the author, Chris Sloan.

Amazon UK

And I was also granted an ARC copy of A Taste For Poison: Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers Who Use Them.

Goodreads

This is the first novel I've ever read that is classified as true crime, so I'm not sure what my review will be like but I'm very excited!

First Line Friday (13): The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl

First Line Friday is a bookish tag hosted over at Abstract Books that is used to showcase your favourite first lines of books.

There really is something to be said about a good first line, and I'm going to be using this tag from now on to showcase my current read's first lines.

This week for First Line Friday I'm bringing you the first line of The Grimrose Girls:

Goodreads synopsis

The Descendants meets Pretty little liars.

Four troubled friends, One murdered girl... and a dark fate that may leave them all doomed.

After the mysterious death of their best friend, Ella, Yuki, and Rory are the talk of their elite school, Grimrose Académie. The police ruled it a suicide, but the trio are determined to find out what really happened.

When Nani Eszes arrives as their newest roommate, it sets into motion a series of events they couldn't have imagined. As the girls retrace their friend's last steps, they uncover dark secrets about themselves and their destinies, discovering they're all cursed to repeat the brutal and gruesome endings to their stories until they can break the cycle.

This contemporary take on classic fairytales reimagines heroines as friends attending the same school. While investigating the murder of their best friend, they uncover connections to their ancient fairytale curses and attempt to forge their own fate before it's too late.

- 

"The first day of school started with a funeral.

This was not, of course, the usual for the Grimrose Académie for Elite Students, whose student body mostly lived to their eighties, and went on to command corporate conglomerates or win Academy Awards, Nobel Prizes, and other such trifles."

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If this first line has captured your attention, you can add The Grimrose Girls to your Goodreads TBR here and watch for its release, expected on November 2, 2021!

Chat With Me Thursday (16): Author Interview With Hailey Sawyer

I'm back with another Chat With Me Thursday! This week the author of Kenji and Yuki: A Japanese Tale, Hailey Sawyer.

1. Can you tell me a little about yourself?

My name is Hailey Sawyer and I've been a fan of Japanese culture since I was about nine or ten years old. Other than writing, one of my hobbies is learning how to code. Through online college classes and classes out in the community, I've learned how to code with programming languages such as C# (C Sharp), C++, Java, Python, HTML, XML, and so on and so forth. The reason why I love learning to code is because it encourages me to have a sharp eye and try more than one way to fix a bug. I also feel great when the code comes together and the bugs are eliminated. Another hobby of mine is reading. I like how it allows me to travel without leaving my house and I like how it lets me learn about perspectives I may not have been aware of otherwise.

2. When did you realize you wanted to write a book?

 I think it was a little while after the idea for Kenji and Yuki just popped into my head one day. Because I wasn't really sure if this was an idea I actually wanted to turn into a novel at first, I had to really give it some thought. Thankfully, I was eventually able to make a definite choice.

3. How have you found the self-publishing route? Was anything surprising to you? Was anything easier or harder than you thought it would be?

I think I found the self-publishing route through researching different kinds of publishing options. In February of 2018, I joined this site called Goodreads. What absolutely blew my mind and still blows my mind to this day is that, just on this site alone, there are tons of resources available for those who want to go the self-publishing route. For example, there's several groups like Support for Indie Authors dedicated to helping out... well... Indie Authors and at least a few groups dedicated to things like Beta Reading. There are also tons of marketers, editors, cover designers and so many others for free or for hire that can help you out.

What I found easier than expected was choosing the right place to publish my upcoming novel. So for Kenji and Yuki, I'm going to publish it with Draft2Digital, a platform that quickly won me over. Why? Well, even though I've never published a book before, Draft2Digital was still easy for me to figure out how to use. Not only that, but Draft2Digital seems to really care about authors. For example, they have no fees for things such as making updates or other changes to or formatting a book and the like, only take ten percent of the retail price per sale, allow an author to set a book's price to whatever they want, allow an author to sell their books on multiple platforms, and so on. One time, I had a question about their service and their support staff gave me a helpful and insightful answer rather quickly.

What I found harder than expected was creating a great blurb. Now you would think that all you have to do to make a great blurb is to describe what your book is about, right? Well, not exactly. See, based on the research I've done and the feedback that I've received from the people of Goodreads on the previous blurbs for Kenji and Yuki, you have to make sure that your blurb doesn't exceed one hundred and fifty words in length, hooks the reader in, doesn't include too many spoilers, fits the genre that your book falls under, and so on. With Kenji and Yuki, it's a largely character driven book, so on top of what I'd just mentioned, I also had to figure out how to write its blurb beyond introducing the characters. By the time I came up with a blurb that I felt was up to snuff, I had written at least twenty different blurbs.

4. What was your favourite scene to write in Kenji and Yuki: A Japanese Tale?

 I would have to say the ending. I don't want to spoil too much, but it's the kind of ending that wraps things up without a single bit of dialogue.

5. Do you have any weird writing habits that help get your creative juices flowing?

I'm not really sure if this is a weird writing habit or not, but I'll talk about it anyway. Sometimes, when I need to get into a specific mood or capture a specific mood, I'll listen to certain kinds of songs in order to do so. I also listen to sound effects to get a better idea of how to describe a certain sound.

6. How do you deal with writer's block?

A: There's this list called Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling. One of the rules on that list talks about writing down or making a list of stuff that wouldn't happen next and honestly, for me, I think it's one of the most effective ways to combat writer's block.

7. Are you writing anything new right now? If so, how's it going?

Yes I am. I'm working on the ninth episode of a fan fiction series called Pokemon: Johto Quest. The series follows a five year old girl named Emily Hawthorne who goes on a journey with her Mareep named Eddy to win all eight Johto league badges to get into the “Nidoran Region” where her father is said to be living. At this point in time, the episode is in the plot outline phase.

8. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

 I suggest looking at the rest of that 22 Rules of Storytelling list. For me, it's some of the best writing advice I've ever seen. In addition to the rule about listing or jotting down what wouldn't happen next, some of my personal favorite rules are "You admire a character more for trying than for their successes" and "Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle."

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And that concludes the interview! A big thank you goes out to Hailey for allowing me to feature her. Remember to look out for her novel Kenji and Yuki: A Japanese Tale, and don't forget to add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Waiting on Wednesday (11): All the Tommys in the World by Javier Grombinsky

Waiting on Wednesday's is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. *It appears that Breaking the Spine hasn't been active since 2016, but I still want to credit them as the creators.

For my 11th Waiting on Wednesday I want to spotlight All the Tommy's in the World by Javier Grombinsky. 

Expected publication date: August 17, 2021

Publisher: Pigfarm Press

Goodreads Synopsis

They know something we don't.

For horror Youtubers Lilith and Nate, zombie movies are escapist fantasies. So when a real zombie uprising in the streets of New Southport is quickly thwarted, they know those familiar-looking ghouls are hiding something. They should know. Born with a weak heart in the funeral town of Leatelranch, built around the largest cemetery in the world, Lilith’s parents raised her with zombie stories to keep her from learning the truth about what happens inside the cemetery walls. As for Nathan, the caretaker’s son... he has his reasons to be so cowardly. So when they get outsmarted by seemingly droning ghouls and are forced to split up, the uncanny coincidences are undeniable. And as things start to look more and more like Lilith’s apocalyptic visions, and as a darker threat lurks, it’ll be up to them to piece the puzzle before everyone they love faces a fate worse than becoming a zombie.

Can they be stopped? Are they just playing dead? Do they have a plan?

They know something we don’t. And whatever it is, they hate us for it.

Why I can't wait

I have been looking to read more zombies lately, and this one seems to be a great thriller! I know that technically this was published yesterday, but since it's only been published one day, I figured it was still okay to post, after all, I'm still waiting on it. I know I could buy it right now, but I'm trying to get through my TBR stack before I purchase anymore books.

Teaser Tuesday (19): Hematite by Victoria Maderna and Frederico Piatti

For this week's Teaser Tuesday I am bringing you slightly less conventional teasers from Hematite by Victoria Maderna and Frederico Piatti. Instead of sharing teaser sentences, I'm going to be sharing two teaser panels since this is a graphic novel and not a traditional one. I've also already reviewed Hematite, which is another thing that makes it unconventional for me. I usually only post teasers for books that I'm currently reading and have yet to review, so that you guys can get properly excited about the teasers, but the art in Hematite is so beautiful and and I enjoyed the story so much that I just have to share. 

Isn't it just beautiful? Doesn't it give you October vibes. I am in love. Read my review of Hematite here

Top Ten Tuesday (13): Top Ten Favourite Places to Read

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week's topic is top ten favourite places to read. Just like last week, I could only think of five favourite places to read. I'd say I can't finish these lists more often than I can, but I always try my best!

1. My bed

A classic. Always cozy. Always comfortable.

2. Couch

Another classic. It made the list for the same reason as my bed did.

3. Porch

I love reading on the porch when it's nice outside, its a great way to enjoy the sunshine while also getting some reading in.

4. Library

What better place to read than where you can be surrounded by books?

5. Beach

Again, lovely on nice days, and the sound of the water in the back is so calming.

So that's all for this week! It was a quick one. I'm going to be surfing other people's posts to find other nice places to read in hopes of widen my reading location horizons.

Red Magnolia by Lucy Holden

Title: Red Magnolia

Author: Lucy Holden

Series: The Nightgarden Saga (#1)

Publisher: Fehu Press

Expected Publication Date: September 15, 2021

Introduction

Looking for a fresh start, Harper and her brother Connor move into an old, run down mansion that seems to harbor history of curses, not to mention that something weird seems to be going on in the old cemented-up cellar. Nobody seems willing to let this history go, especially not Antoine, a mysterious man who seems hellbent on getting Harper and her brother out of that mansion, no matter what the cost.

Pace

This book, in epub. format, at least, is less than 200 pages, making this a very quick and fast-paced story.

Characters & Relationships

Generally, I liked all of the characters, but I have a few small gripes about Harper's friend, Avery, her interest in Harper's brother, Connor, and Harper's, in my opinion, weird acceptance of it. It seemed like the only reason Avery ever came around was to ogle at Connor, and she hardly actually seemed interested in being Harper's friend just for friendship's sake. Given that Harper just moved to town, it's fair to assume that she would take friendship with anybody, but it's hard to believe that she would just let Avery come around so often when she's obviously just interested in Connor, and I can see that becoming a conflict in later books (which I'm excited to see play out, if that happens.)

Vampire Element

The vampire history and origin story of the vampires in this book is pretty on par with other YA vampire books that I've read. I like that the vampires here have to drink human blood as opposed to going the "vegetarian" route with animal blood or other substitutes. I've grown used to reading about vampires that don't drink human blood because They're Good Vampires and Hate The Curse and Would Never Harm Anybody because that's Not Who They Are so I liked this more classic route.

Twilight Vibes (Slight Spoilers)

There are STRONG Twilight vibes in this novel. The party scene where Antione swoops in to save Harper from a bunch of scary men is stunningly similar to the the scene in Twilight where Edward does the same for Bella.

Even more similar was the way that Antoine made Harper say that he was a vampire instead of saying the words himself, just like Edward.

I'm definitely not saying that these similarities are a bad thing, I just think it's worth mentioning that they are there, so if you love Twilight, this book might be for you.

Conclusion

I liked this book. It was a very quick read and good for scratching a vampire story itch. I think depending on if you enjoyed Twilight might gauge how you feel about this book because as I mentioned, there are a lot of similarities. I shamelessly enjoyed Twilight, so this was a good book for me, and the similarities were welcome. I would like to continue with this saga and will be looking out for more from this author.

Stacking the Shelves (8)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's all about sharing books you've added to your shelves be it physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in a physical store, or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks.

I'm back with another Stacking The Shelves. in last week's Stacking the Shelves post I mentioned that I usually only post these when I add more than two books, but recently this blog has been helping me keep my mind off things that are making me anxious, so I wanted to share my shelves with you this week too, even though I only added two books to them.

This week I added:

Goodreads

Goodreads

I actually managed to finish all five books that I posted about in last week's Stacking the Shelves post, so I have already been able to jump in to Friday the Sixteenth. I'm about a 20% of the way through right now, and once I finish, the review will be up as soon as possible.

I haven't started reading The Grimrose Girls yet but I am so excited to. I'm definitely going to be cracking that one open as soon as possible. Both of these books are ARCs from Netgalley and I am so excited to share my thoughts on them. 

Happy reading everybody :)

First Line Friday (12): Friday the Sixteenth by Peter Coombs

First Line Friday is a bookish tag hosted over at Abstract Books that is used to showcase your favourite first lines of books.

There really is something to be said about a good first line, and I'm going to be using this tag from now on to showcase my current read's first lines.

This week my current read, and spotlight for First Line Friday is Friday the Sixteenth by Peter Coombs. I think this is a perfect time to post this book as my First Line Friday, because it's currently Friday the 13th. Posting about Friday the Sixteenth on Friday the Thirteenth just feels fitting to me.

Goodreads Synopsis

He stumbled across a web of lies. His conscience wouldn't let him walk away.

Andrew Packford, newly established as an antiques dealer, is enjoying life very much. He has a career that suits his laid back nature, a passion for antiques and business is booming.

Then, as is often the case, fate comes calling. While restoring an item of furniture he finds an old newspaper article together with a photograph of four people. Two men two women. He has no idea just how much these four strangers will change his life.

One of them kills people.

One of them turns a blind eye.

The other two might just be Andrew’s salvation.

The discovery opens a Pandora’s box and while a lesser man might have walked away, that is not his way. If he didn’t stand up for what he thought was right who would? Friday the Sixteenth is a gripping read with a memorable character at its heart.

-

"Friday the sixteenth. Two days before Sunday the eighteenth. He didn’t know it yet, but it would all start on Sunday and his life would never be the same again."

I love this as a first line. I think it's very effective at building suspense. Although at the time of writing this I'm only about 20% of the way through, this first line was successful at grabbing my attention.

I Kissed A Girl by Jennet Alexander

Title: I Kissed a Girl 

Author: Jennet Alexander

Format: Audiobook

Duration: 10 hours

Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Release date: July 3, 2021

Quick Review

This book was okay. I wasn't a huge fan of the insta-love between Lilah and Noa. I was hoping that throughout the book that their chemistry would grow, but in my opinion it stayed very surface level throughout the whole story, so although they are the protagonists, and the point of the story was for them to be together, it was a little hard to root for them because their attraction and affection towards one another felt shallow at best.

Despite not feeling a deep connection with Noa and Lilah, I still feel like the book was cute and lighthearted and perfect for a quick read (or listen, this was my first ever audiobook) when you're not looking for anything too deep or serious.

Waiting on Wednesday (10): Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula by Koren Shadmi

Waiting on Wednesday's is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. *It appears that Breaking the Spine hasn't been active since 2016, but I still want to credit them as the creators.

This is my 10th Waiting on Wednesday! I'm not sure why but I like keeping track of how many of certain posts I do. There's little milestones in my head, and hitting 10 is always one of them. So happy 10th Waiting on Wednesday.

This week I want to spotlight Legosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula by Koren Shadmi

Expected publication date: September 28, 2021

Publisher: Life Drawn

Goodreads Synopsis

A biography chronicling the tumultuous personal and professional life of horror icon Bela Lugosi.

Lugosi, the tragic life story of one of horror’s most iconic film stars, tells of a young Hungarian activist forced to flee his homeland after the failed Communist revolution in 1919. Reinventing himself in the U.S., first on stage and then in movies, he landed the unforgettable role of Count Dracula in what would become a series of classic feature films. From that point forward, Lugosi’s stardom would be assured...but with international fame came setbacks and addictions that gradually whittled his reputation from icon to has-been. Lugosi details the actor’s fall from grace and an enduring legacy that continues to this day.

Why I can't wait

I've been wanting to read more biographies lately, and I think reading one about Lugosi is a great place to start. I'm also interested to see the graphic illustrations featured in it, I think they'll add a great flare to the chronicling of Lugosi

Top Ten Tuesday (12): Secondary Characters That Deserve More Love

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week's topic is secondary characters that deserve more love. This is my second post today, and I will admit that I wasn't planning on posting a top ten tuesday today, but I have been having a bit of a busy and anxious week and writing posts helps me focus on things that aren't making me anxious. Because this post wasn't one that I planned on doing, I could only come up with five characters that I think deserve more love, but I think a half finished list is still a good effort and I wanted to share my thoughts with all of you anyway.

1. Kenji - Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi 

2. Newt - The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I'm not sure if this one counts because Newt does get a lot of love from The Maze Runner fans but I think there's always room for more.

3.  Issie - Need by Carrie Jones

Issie is  the perfect example of an upbeat quirky character done right, as in, in a way that doesn't annoy the hell out of me, and I will protect her forever.

4. Jag - Bleed More, Bodymore by Ian Kirkpatrick

I'm not sure if is a fair one to use because it's not published yet, so maybe everybody will think he deserves more love, but I'm including it anyway because I think I liked Jag more than I liked the protagonist so I don't think it's fair to leave out.

5. Marlene - Divergent by Veronica Roth

Teaser Tuesday (18): Bleed More, Bodymore by Ian Kirkpatrick

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can participate in Teaser Tuesdays. Just do the following:
• Grab your read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

This week my teasers are coming from Bleed More, Bodymore by Ian Kirkpatrick.

Goodreads

"This isn't normal, Jag. The bodies. The park. The crime scenes. Everyone's just so used to their neighbors being criminals around here. You find out girl scout three doors down beat someone to Hell? Huh. That's interesting, but not surprising. Fucking everyone in this city is thirsty for something that ends in blood."

"Trying to ask someone to understand who you are or what's bothering you or what hurts or why it hurts is a risk I never wanted to take."

Page 90.

At the time of writing this, I'm about halfway through the book. It's set to release on Halloween, so I'm counting it as the first of my mandatory spooky season reads. Once I finish, the review will be up in September :)

Mini Review: Hematite by Victoria Maderna and Frederico Piatti

Title: Hematite

Authors: Victoria Maderna and Frederico Piatti

Date published: June 23, 2021

Publisher: Europe Comics

Format: epub.

Pages: 82

Goodreads Synopsis

Hematite is a young vampire who is trying to find her way. As a member of the illustrious Blackwood family, she faces pressure to conform to high society standards, but such grandstanding isn’t for her. And neither is drinking blood—she’d rather have vegetable soup! So it is that she opts for the more diverse Wolven School, rather than joining the ranks of her fellow vampires at the Diaemus Academy. Being different can be hard, though, and doesn’t always help to make friends. Luckily for Hematite, she has her poetry, as well as Drunela—a draugr who won’t let their differences keep them apart—and Emile, a human boy fascinated by the occult who would just love to take a peek at the Blackwoods’ private library. Unfortunately, bridging societal divides isn’t always easy, and can lead to terrible consequences…

Quick Thoughts

This was my first time reading a graphic novel since I read Ghostopolis in 2013, so I felt a little out of my comfort zone when I picked it up, but I'm so glad that I did. I loved this so much. 

The art was absolutely beautiful, I loved the style. Plot wise, it was a great introduction to what will hopefully be many more volumes. I can't wait for future installments so I can watch character growth deepen and more of the plot unfold.

The only thing that I wish was different was the length, but that's because I was enjoying it so much that I wanted it to last longer. 

Overall, this was a lovely book that I will be gushing about to anybody who will listen while I await the next book.

Silent Pretty Things by O.J. Lovaz

Title: Silent Pretty Things

Author: O.J. Lovaz

Format: epub.

Expected publication date: August 17, 2021

Pages: 222

Goodreads

Introduction (Goodreads Synopsis)

A small town…a prominent family…a secret. Only two people know the truth, and their silence will have murderous consequences.

Anna Goddard has spent a lifetime being the Good Daughter. Polished and primped into sleek, blond perfection, Anna learned from an early age that being a Goddard meant presenting a flawless façade to the world. But all that changes when Anna stumbles upon a private correspondence that leaves her reeling. With the help of Michael Donovan, a shy but charming local historian, Anna embarks on a journey to find the one thing her family has always denied: The Truth.

Propelled by her mission to protect those she loves, the young woman experiences a tantalizing taste of freedom. But in the process of unearthing the past, Anna and her family will expose a new threat so dangerous it could ruin them all.

Plot

Plot-wise, this book did not hold my attention. The secrets and drama that were seemingly promised in the synopsis fell short to me. I don't want to include spoilers but the twists were predictable to me, so the suspense aspect of the novel didn't hold up for me.

Writing Style

The writing felt very formal, especially during dialogue. An example of this is during this exchange between Anna and Michael:

"But, Mr. Donovan, I haven't even told you my age."

"And I'm not going to ask, but you look young."

"That's kind of you, and so very gracious, but I'm not too young"

"That's kind of you, and so very gracious." Is just...not how real people talk. The book is full of passages like this and it made so many scenes feel very stiff.

Romance

The romance between Anna and Michael was a bigger part of the story than I thought it would be, and that wouldn't bother me if it wasn't insta-love. Right after their first meeting, they already seemed weirdly attached to each other. At only 7% through the book, Anna has this thought about Michael:

"He was clean-shaven with his hair brushed back, but a few strands were already beginning to defy orders, falling over his temples. She imagined him under a full moon with the wind blowing his hair and felt tempted to get her hands in there and mess it up."

This was right after their second meeting, and only 17 pages into the book. I really wanted to like them together, since their relationship turned out to take up a lot more of the story than I expected, but I just couldn't. Their relationship progressed too quickly and because they never built any foundation for romantic feelings, I didn't feel any connection to their romance.

Conclusion

Overall this book was not for me. I was so drawn to the book from the synopsis, but I don't feel like what was alluded to was actually delivered.

Stacking the Shelves (7)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's all about sharing books you've added to your shelves be it physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in a  physical store, or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks.

I'm back with my seventh Stacking The Shelves. I tend to only do this if I add more than two books to my shelves in a week, which doesn't happen that often since I mostly read ARCs and I don't like to let myself get too ahead of myself with them.

That being said, this week I added five books to my shelves.

All of these books are ARCs that I've received from Netgalley (thank you Netgalley!) and at the time of writing this I have read and typed reviews for the first four books, but I've only posted the review for True Loaf. The review for Hematite will be out on Monday, I Kissed A Girl will be out on Thursday, and Bleed More, Bodymore won't be posted until the end of September.

I have just cracked open Silent Pretty Things but that review should be out shortly after I finish reading.