The #FridayReads Review (2/22/19)

Welcome to The #FridayReads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week, and what I'm planning to read next! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own #FridayReads Review and leave the link in the Comments below, or just Comment with what you've been reading!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (PBK)

I read and really liked the text book a while ago so naturally mangaphile me has to read the manga version as well! A few chapters in and so far I'm enjoying it.

>> JUST FINISHED <<

Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger (PBK)

4.5 Stars. 2nd Read. It's been a few years since my initial read so I was delighted by a few surprises I'd forgotten about. As a whole the Finishing School series is, and will more than likely remain, my favorite of all time - all 4 books are solidly good and together make a stellar story. Full review to come.

>> [POSSIBLY] READING NEXT <<

(subject to change with my ever-shifting reading whims)

Assassination Classroom vol. 16 by Yusei Matsui (PBK)

Realized I never finished this series so I'll be re-reading this volume and then binging the rest to finally see how it all ends...

So what are you reading this week?

Release Spotlight: HONOR BOUND (Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre)

Today I'm thrilled to spotlight the second book in The Honors series by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre: HONOR BOUND! First book, Honor Among Thieves, was my favorite read of both 2017 and 2018 (what can happen when you read an early copy, twice ;), and with its strong main character, sweet sentient spaceship, and their intimate but non-sexual relationship all set in space, it came the closest to being that book written just for me (you can check out my full gushing review here). Needless to say, I'm seriously excited to finally read the sequel!! If you haven't checked out the series yet, do so below!

Title: Honor Bound

Series: The Honors #2
Author: Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: 2/19/19

Savvy criminal turned skilled Leviathan pilot Zara Cole finds new friends and clashes with bitter enemies in the second book of this action-packed series from New York Times bestselling authors Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre that’s perfect for fans of The 100 and The Fifth Wave.

Zara Cole was a thief back on Earth, but she’s been recently upgraded to intergalactic fugitive. On the run after a bloody battle in a covert war that she never expected to be fighting, Zara, her co-pilot Beatriz, and their Leviathan ship Nadim barely escaped the carnage with their lives.

Now Zara and her crew of Honors need a safe haven, far from the creatures who want to annihilate them. But they’ll have to settle for the Sliver: a wild, dangerous warren of alien criminals. The secrets of the Sliver may have the power to turn the tide of the war they left behind—but in the wrong direction.

Soon Zara will have to make a choice: run from the ultimate evil—or stand and fight.

Add to Goodreads

PURCHASE:
Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | Book Depository

Check out the first book!

Book 1: Honor Among Thieves

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound | My Review

Paragraph Review: Beastly Bones (William Ritter)

Title: Beastly Bones
Series: Jackaby, Book 2
Author: William Ritter
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Release Date: September 22, 2015
Genre: New Adult Historical Supernatural Mystery
Told: First Person (Abigail), Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (monster violence, some gore and gruesome scenes, disturbing occurrences, death)
Format Read: Paperback (purchased)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

I've found very little about private detective R. F. Jackaby to be standard in the time I've known him. Working as his assistant tends to call for a somewhat flexible relationship with reality . . .

In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, R. F. Jackaby, are called upon to investigate the supernatural. First, members of a particularly vicious species of shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens. A day later, their owner is found murdered, with a single mysterious puncture wound to her neck. Then, in nearby Gad's Valley, dinosaur bones from a recent dig go missing, and an unidentifiable beast attacks animals and people, leaving their mangled bodies behind. Policeman Charlie Cane, exiled from New Fiddleham to the valley, calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt for a thief, a monster, and a murderer. 

*          *          *

Series: This is the second book in the Jackaby series. You can read my review of the first book, Jackaby, here.

Sherlock Holmes meets Black Butler in another intriguing Jackaby mystery of supernatural persuasions. Despite the gruesome events of the story, the simple but clever writing style made it a fun and effortless read, and with its engaging characters and engrossing story I breezed through it in three days. Under Jackaby's eccentric influence, the first book's rather plain Abigail grows in confidence and personality, and I delighted in her progress both professionally and romantically. I especially liked seeing sweet Charlie again, and hope he will continue to play a large part in the rest of the books. The plot was a little more complicated than the first, and I'm happy to say I only guessed bits of the mystery and did not predict the culprit (a rarity for me). While the story began strong it did get a little slow in the middle as we roamed the countryside looking for clues, but the action picked up at the end for a satisfying conclusion.

Conclusion: While not quite as good as the first book due to a little drag in the middle, the easy voice and short chapters made for a breeze of a read, the characters were delightful, and I really enjoyed the monster elements. I will definitely be picking up the third book, Ghostly Echoes, soon.

Scribble Rating: 

4 of 5 Scribbles

The #FridayReads Review (2/15/19)

Welcome to The #FridayReads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week, and what I'm planning to read next! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own #FridayReads Review and leave the link in the Comments below, or just Comment with what you've been reading!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger (PBK)

After several DNFs I decided to just give in to my desire to complete the Finishing School series a week ahead of The Great 2019 Parasolverse Read-Along schedule (bad Skye). As with the first 3 books I'm thoroughly enjoying my re-read, and as I've only previously read this one once I'm rather fuzzy on most of the details so more surprises for me to enjoy all over again! 

>> JUST FINISHED <<

Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger (PBK)

5 Stars. I enjoyed this read as much as my first two! Sophronia is such a confident intellgencer in this one, and I really enjoyed the team's train hi-jinks. You can read my (2nd read) review here.

>> [POSSIBLY] READING NEXT <<

(subject to change with my ever-shifting reading whims)

Paper & Fire by Rachel Caine (PBK)

Got my hands on a paperback so it's time to continue this interesting series. (You can check out my review of Book 1 here.)

So what are you reading this week?

Review: Love, Lies & Hocus Pocus: Beginnings (Lydia Sherrer)

Title: Love, Lies & Hocus Pocus: Beginnings
Series: The Lily Singer Adventures, Book 1
Author: Lydia Sherrer
Publisher: Chenoweth Press
Release Date: April 30, 2016
Genre: Adult Magical Realism
Told: Third Person, Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (violence, brief strong language)
Format Read: Paperback (purchased)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

Saving the world is such a bother when it makes you late for tea.

By day, book-loving wizard Lily Singer manages library archives. By night? She sleeps, of course. In between, she studies magic and tries to keep her witch friend Sebastian out of trouble. Much to her displeasure, he finds it anyway and drags her along with him.

From unmaking ancient curses to rescuing a town lost in time, Lily and Sebastian fight to avert magical mayhem. Meanwhile, Lily s mysterious past begins to unfold a past hidden from her by those she trusts most. Will she be able to discover the truth despite them?

*          *          *

Love, Lies & Hocus Pocus: Beginnings is not the short novel it appears but instead two novellas and one short story about two characters: Lily Singer and Sebastian Blackwell. A wizard and extremely bookish librarian, Lily is just my type of character, although she could be a little stiff at times. In contrast, Sebastian, a laid-back witch who tends to get himself into trouble, was refreshing if a bit of a slob, and reminded me of characters like Harry Dresden and John Taylor. Together they made a great problem-solving pair: Sebastian to find the trouble, and Lily to help get him out of it.

As to the stories themselves:

"Hell Hath No Fury" began well with a fun first chapter, but stumbled on the next by being a little too wordy with unnecessary description. Although the duo's interactions were okay, their dialogue was stinted, somewhat ruining the chemistry. It was an intriguing story though that kept my reading, and the magic (both wizard and witch) is understated but interesting.

"Chasing Rabbits" was a Sebastian-only prologue (called an "interlude") to the proceeding novella. With its darker vibe and distinct lack of Lily I wasn't that engaged - despite his Dresden/Taylor feel, Sebastian and Lily are only really good as a pair.

"Möbius Strip" was the best. The writing was better, the banter easier, and the time loop plot engaging. The addition of a new wizard especially intrigued, and I'm now curious enough to dig deeper into the magical world by continuing the series with Love, Lies & Hocus Pocus: Revelations.

Scribble Rating: 

3.5 of 5 Scribbles

The #FridayReads Review (2/8/19)

Welcome to The #FridayReads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week, and what I'm planning to read next! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own #FridayReads Review and leave the link in the Comments below, or just Comment with what you've been reading!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger (PBK)

Joined The Great 2019 Parasolverse Read-Along to finish my re-read of the Finishing School series! I'm enjoying this as much as my first two reads (Sophronia is such a confident intellgencer in this one) and almost done. Already looking forward to Manners & Mutiny!

>> JUST FINISHED <<

Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist (ARC)

4.5 Stars. A quick and thought-provoking story about sight and how those of us with it so easily take it for granted. Review to come.

>> [POSSIBLY] READING NEXT <<

(subject to change with my ever-shifting reading whims)

Waiting for Spring 3 by Anashin (PBK)

Randomly grabbed the first two volumes of this series from the library earlier this week and enjoyed them enough to reserve volumes 3-9 to binge the rest of what's currently released.

So what are you reading this week?

Review: Snow in Love (Kasie West, Nic Stone, Aimee Friedman, Melissa de la Cruz)

Title: Snow in Love
Series: standalone
Author: Melissa de la Cruz, Nic Stone, Aimee Friedman, Kasie West
Publisher: Point (Scholastic)
Release Date: October 30, 2018
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Holiday Romance
Content Rating: Teen (kissing)
Format Read: Paperback (library)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

What's better than one deliciously cozy, swoon-worthy holiday story? Four of them, from some of today's bestselling authors.

From KASIE WEST, a snowy road trip takes an unexpected detour when secrets and crushes are revealed.

From AIMEE FRIEDMAN, a Hanukkah miracle may just happen when a Jewish girl working as a department store elf finds love.

From MELISSA DE LA CRUZ, Christmas Eve gets a plot twist when a high school couple exchange surprising presents.

From NIC STONE, a scavenger hunt amid the holiday crowds at an airport turns totally romantic.

So grab a mug of hot cocoa, snuggle up, and get ready to fall in love...

*          *          *

I'm generally not one for short story collections. There are very few authors or themes that would cause me to pick one up, and to my knowledge I've never read one in its entirety. But then Snow in Love came along. With only 4 stories, one by a favorite author (Kasie West), and promises of fluffy holiday teen romances, I decided to give the entire collection a try. Admittedly after Kasie's story I struggled a bit to get into the rest (they weren't familiar authors), but in the end I did read the entire collection and was glad I did.

"Snow and Mistletoe" by Kasie West - 5 Scribbles. Kasie is one of my few "will read anything" authors, so I naturally picked up Snow in Love for her story. Although I sadly haven't been as enamored of her last few novels, Snow and Mistletoe reminded me why I continue to read her work as I thoroughly enjoyed the snowy roadtrip romance. It is now my second favorite story of hers. <3

"Working in a Winter Wonderland" by Aimee Friedman - 3 Scribbles. It took a while to get into the writing style but I'm glad I persevered because the story was a cute and fun workplace romance, even if said romance escalated way too quickly at the end (but so is the short story beast).

"The Magi's Gifts" by Melissa de la Cruz - 2.5 Scribbles. A retelling of O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi, aged down and modernized for the teen market. The writing style was a little juvenile for me, but it was a sweet story about giving from the heart.

"Grounded" by Nic Stone - 3 Scribbles. I'm a sucker for texting in books so I rather enjoyed this story of self discovery and airport scavenger hunts. It almost makes me wish I'll get snowed into a major airport one day so I can discover all its wonders too (almost).

Conclusion: An enjoyable teen short story collection of super-fluffy romances set around Christmas. Definitely recommend for a cozy winter holiday read - or any time of year, really. I hope this is a portent of more smaller teen short story collections with engaging themes in the near future.

Scribble Rating: 

3.5 of 5 Scribbles

The #FridayReads Review (2/1/19)

Welcome to The #FridayReads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week, and what I'm planning to read next! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own #FridayReads Review and leave the link in the Comments below, or just Comment with what you've been reading!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist (ARC)

This month has been all about reading whatever catches my eye, and when I went to grab my next read this morning this was what caught my attention. Only one chapter in but so far so interesting enough to continue.

>> JUST FINISHED <<

Beastly Bones by William Ritter (PBK)

4 Stars. While not quite as good as the first book due to a little drag in the middle, the easy voice, engaging characters and intriguing mystery made for a breeze of a read, and I really enjoyed the monster elements. Will definitely be picking up the third book, Ghostly Echoes, soon! Review to come.

>> [POSSIBLY] READING NEXT <<

(subject to change with my ever-shifting reading whims)

Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger (PBK)

I'll be joining The Great 2019 Parasolverse Read-Along for a re-read of the third (and then fourth) book in the Finishing School series. This is my favorite series of Lady Gail's, so I've been looking forward to it. W&W begins on the 4th.

So what are you reading this week?