Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Blog Tour: Frenemies by Emma Hart


To see what I thought of the book you can read my review here



Blurb:

There are some things you just have to deal with.
Like your hot as hell college booty call moving in next door with his adorable daughter.

The only time we’ve ever gotten along is under the sheets. Old habits die hard because two minutes on my front porch is how long it takes us to bicker.

Not that a little fact like that bothers my healthy, eighty-year-old grandmother and roommate who’s determined to see me married before she bites the dust.
​Unfortunately for me, she’s got her eye set on Cameron Black.

She’s barking up the wrong tree. He’s not The One, no matter how much I swoon when I see him with his daughter. I have no intentions of rekindling anything with him—until a rubber spider in my mailbox starts off the mother of all neighborhood prank wars, just like the ones we had in college, and throws me right into his path.

One that leads right to his bedroom…



One-Click Now!
Amazon US → https://amzn.to/2m9d37w
Amazon UK → https://amzn.to/2m9dA9w
Apple Books → https://emmahart.pub/frenemiesapple
Nook → https://emmahart.pub/frenemiesnook
Kobo → https://emmahart.pub/frenemieskobo

Follow Emma


Emma Hart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels and has been translated into several different languages.

She is a mother, wife, lover of wine, Pink Goddess, and valiant rescuer of wild baby hedgehogs.
Emma prides herself on her realistic, snarky smut, with comebacks that would make a PMS-ing teenage girl proud.
Yes, really. She's that sarcastic.

Monday, January 27, 2020

Review: Frenemies by Emma Hart

Frenemies Frenemies by Emma Hart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.  This book releases everywhere tomorrow January 28, 2020.

This book was hilarious. Grandma Jen was one of the funniest characters I've ever read. Everything she says is inappropriate and raunchy, unless there is a certain three year old around, and she is up in everyone's business. I loved her character. This is a funny second chance romance between Imogen, aka Immy, and Mason. Immy lives with the aforementioned hilarious Grandma Jen, running the family art store, and making sure Grandma doesn't get into too much trouble around town and with her equally rowdy book club friends (think Golden Girls on steroids). Mason is Immy's friend with benefits from college, who really hurt her when he graduated and left without a word. The agreed they wouldn't get serious with each other and leave their feelings out of their relationship, but they both knew they had something more. Now, six years later Mason and his adorable daughter Maya are moving next door to Immy and Grandma Jen. Grandma is determined to have Immy married by her next birthday, and Immy is determined to make Mason's life miserable for hurting her all those years ago. Unfortunately for Immy, she's still attracted to Mason, and when he apologizes for hurting her, she has to deal with her feelings and decide if they can be friends or if she wants to be enemies forever. Well you can imagine that the sparks fly between them leaving Immy even more confused about her feelings for Mason and where she fits in his life as a single dad.

As I said this was really funny. I really loved that we had a single dad in the relationship, who is a doting father and has a healthy relationship with her mother. It was nice to see the healthy family dynamic between Mason and his ex as positive role models for little Maya. So often we see the cheating trope or the "I hate my ex" trope. I really appreciated that the angst was between Mason and Immy, and it wasn't really that angsty it was actually pretty funny. I also really liked that Grandma Jen, while a bit ridiculous about it, doesn't pull punches when she calls Immy out on not dealing with her feelings toward Mason.

If you are looking for a laugh out loud romance, check this one out.

View all my reviews

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Blog Tour: Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith with Review and Excerpt



Book Summary:

Slay meets Eliza and Her Monsters in Eric Smith’s Don't Read the Comments, an #ownvoices story in which two teen gamers find their virtual worlds—and blossoming romance—invaded by the real-world issues of trolling and doxing in the gaming community.

Divya Sharma is a queen. Or she is when she’s playing Reclaim the Sun, the year’s hottest online game. Divya—better known as popular streaming gamer D1V—regularly leads her #AngstArmada on quests through the game’s vast and gorgeous virtual universe. But for Divya, this is more than just a game. Out in the real world, she’s trading her rising-star status for sponsorships to help her struggling single mom pay the rent.

Gaming is basically Aaron Jericho’s entire life. Much to his mother’s frustration, Aaron has zero interest in becoming a doctor like her, and spends his free time writing games for a local developer. At least he can escape into Reclaim the Sun—and with a trillion worlds to explore, disappearing should be easy. But to his surprise, he somehow ends up on the same remote planet as celebrity gamer D1V.

At home, Divya and Aaron grapple with their problems alone, but in the game, they have each other to face infinite new worlds…and the growing legion of trolls populating them. Soon the virtual harassment seeps into reality when a group called the Vox Populi begin launching real-world doxxing campaigns, threatening Aaron’s dreams and Divya’s actual life. The online trolls think they can drive her out of the game, but everything and everyone Divya cares about is on the line…

And she isn’t going down without a fight.


Review

Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book! I really loved that I didn't have to be a gamer to get into the book or the game itself. This isn't overly heavy on the gaming lingo and game play. Even though the characters spend a lot of time playing the game, it isn't overly technical. I do think the author did a really great job building out the world of the game and describing the game and how it was played so you could really enjoy that aspect as the characters were playing without needing to be a video game expert. I also loved that this covered a lot of really important social aspects and did it really well. Both of the main characters are persons of color and have their own struggles. The main female character and her best friend deal with misogyny, racism, cyber threats, and physical threats. The main male character has to deal with those things from a completely different angle, which leads him to really think about who his true friends are. I thought the author handled the social commentary issues very well. The only thing I really think I would have liked to see is Divya giving a statement about what happened to her and Rebecka and that it shouldn't be allowed to continue and have the gaming community as a whole support her. I do love that he created the Angst Armada to stand behind Divya in her time of need and that they never left her.

This book follows two perspectives Divya, a female gamer/streamer who goes by the online personality of D1v and Aaron an aspiring game developer. Divya streams so she can help her mom make ends meet and pay the bills. While she has plenty of fans in the online community, a small group of trolls decides that Divya is unworthy of the popularity and sponsorships she's gained as a gamer and streamer. She and her best friend Rebeckah have to deal with a lot of ugliness as female gamers, but when the threats leave cyberspace things get much more intense and dangerous for both of the girls.

Aaron games for fun and wants to write scripts and develop games in the future. His parents want him to become a doctor and take over his mom's family practice. He is working with a local game developer to build a new game, but things get a little sketchy when paychecks and contracts never seem to materialize. To blow off steam he plays the same game D1V plays, and ends up meeting up with her in the game. They end up striking up conversations and building a friendship over the internet. Aaron is able to support Divya as the trolling incidents get worse, and eventually a little romance sparks between them.

I was provided an advanced copy of this book for and honest review from Harlequin/Inkard Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

EXCERPT: Chapter 1 Divya

Mom. We’ve been over this. Don’t read the comments,” I say, sighing as my mother stares at me with her fretful deep-set eyes. They’re dark green, just like mine, and stand out against her soft brown skin. Wrinkle lines trail out from the corners like thin tree branches grown over a lifetime of worrying.

I wish I could wash away all of her worries, but I only seem to be causing her more lately.

“I’m just not comfortable with it anymore,” my mom counters. “I appreciate what you’re doing with…you know, your earnings or however that sponsor stuff works, but I can’t stand seeing what they’re saying about you on the Internet.”

“So don’t read the comments!” I exclaim, reaching out and taking her hands in mine. Her palms are weathered, like the pages of the books she moves around at the library, and I can feel the creases in her skin as my fingers run over them. Bundles of multicolored bangles dangle from both of her wrists, clinking about lightly.

“How am I supposed to do that?” she asks, giving my hands a squeeze. “You’re my daughter. And they say such awful things. They don’t even know you. Breaks my heart.”

“What did I just say?” I ask, letting go of her hands, trying to give her my warmest it’s-going-to-be-okay smile. I know she only reads the blogs, the articles covering this and that, so she just sees the replies there, the sprawling comments—and not what people say on social media. Not what the trolls say about her. Because moms are the easiest target for those online monsters.

“Yes, yes, I’m aware of that sign in your room with your slogan regarding comments,” Mom scoffs, shaking her head and getting to her feet. She groans a little as she pushes herself off the tiny sofa, which sinks in too much. Not in the comfortable way a squishy couch might, but in a this-piece-of-furniture-needs-to-be-thrown-away-because-it’s-probably-doing-irreversible-damage-to-my-back-and-internal-organs kind of way. She stretches her back, one hand on her waist, and I make a mental note to check online for furniture sales at Target or Ikea once she heads to work.

“Oof, I must have slept on it wrong,” Mom mutters, turning to look at me. But I know better. She’s saying that for my benefit. The air mattress on her bed frame—in lieu of an actual mattress—isn’t doing her back any favors.

I’d better add a cheap mattress to my list of things to search for later. Anything is better than her sleeping on what our family used to go camping with.

Still, I force myself to nod and say, “Probably.” If Mom knew how easily I saw through this dance of ours, the way we pretend that things are okay while everything is falling apart around us, she’d only worry more.

Maybe she does know. Maybe that’s part of the dance.

I avert my gaze from hers and glance down at my watch. It’s the latest in smartwatch tech from Samsung, a beautiful little thing that connects to my phone and computer, controls the streaming box on our television… Hell, if we could afford smart lights in our apartment, it could handle those, too. It’s nearly 8:00 p.m., which means my Glitch subscribers will be tuning in for my scheduled gaming stream of Reclaim the Sun at any minute. A couple social media notifications start lighting up the edges of the little screen, but it isn’t the unread messages or the time that taunt me.

It’s the date.

The end of June is only a few days away, which means the rent is due. How can my mom stand here and talk about me getting rid of my Glitch channel when it’s bringing in just enough revenue to help cover the rent? To pay for groceries? When the products I’m sent to review or sponsored to wear—and then consequently sell—have been keeping us afloat with at least a little money to walk around with?

“I’m going to start looking for a second job,” Mom says, her tone defeated.

“Wait, what?” I look away from my watch and feel my heartbeat quicken. “But if you do that—”

“I can finish these summer classes another time. Maybe next year—”

“No. No way.” I shake my head and suck air in through my gritted teeth. She’s worked so hard for this. We’ve worked so hard for this. “You only have a few more classes!”

“I can’t let you keep doing this.” She gestures toward my room, where my computer is.

“And I can’t let you work yourself to death for… What? This tiny apartment, while that asshole doesn’t do a damn thing to—”

“Divya. Language,” she scolds, but her tone is undermined by a soft grin peeking in at the corner of her mouth. “He’s still your fath—”

“I’ll do my part,” I say resolutely, stopping her from saying that word. “I can deal with it. I want to. You will not give up going to school. If you do that, he wins. Besides, I’ve…got some gadgets I can sell this month.”

“I just… I don’t want you giving up on your dreams, so I can keep chasing mine. I’m the parent. What does all this say about me?” My mom exhales, and I catch her lip quivering just a little. Then she inhales sharply, burying whatever was about to surface, and I almost smile, as weird as that sounds. It’s just our way, you know?

Take the pain in. Bury it down deep.

“We’re a team.” I reach out and grasp her hands again, and she inhales quickly once more.

It’s in these quiet moments we have together, wrestling with these challenges, that the anger I feel—the rage over this small apartment that’s replaced our home, the overdrafts in our bank accounts, all the time I’ve given up—is replaced with something else.

With how proud I am of her, for starting over the way she has.

“I’m not sure what I did to deserve you.”

Deserve.

I feel my chest cave in a little at the word as I look again at the date on the beautiful display of this watch. I know I need to sell it. I know I do. The couch. That crappy mattress. My dwindling bank account. The upcoming bills.

The required sponsorship agreement to wear this watch in all my videos for a month, in exchange for keeping the watch, would be over in just a few days. I could easily get $500 for it on an auction site or maybe a little less at the used-electronics shop downtown. One means more money, but it also means having my address out there, which is something I avoid like the plague—though having friends like Rebekah mail the gadgets for me has proved a relatively safe way to do it. The other means less money, but the return is immediate, at least. Several of the employees there watch my stream, however, and conversations with them are often pretty awkward.

I’d hoped that maybe, just maybe, I’d get to keep this one thing. Isn’t that something I deserve? Between helping Mom with the rent while she finishes up school and pitching in for groceries and trying to put a little money aside for my own tuition in the fall at the community college… God, I’d at least earned this much, right?

The watch buzzes against my wrist, a pleasant feeling. As a text message flashes across the screen, I feel a pang of wonder and regret over how a display so small can still have a better resolution than the television in our living room.


THE GALAXY WAITS FOR NO ONE,

YOU READY D1V?

—COMMANDER (RE)BEKAH

I smile at the note from my producer-slash-best-friend, then look up as my mom makes her way toward the front door of our apartment, tossing a bag over her shoulder.

“I’ll be back around ten or so,” Mom says, sounding tired. “Just be careful, okay?”

“I always am,” I promise, walking over to give her a hug. It’s sweet, her constant reminders to be careful, to check in, especially since all I generally do while she’s gone is hang out in front of the computer. But I get it. Even the Internet can be a dangerous place. The threats on social media and the emails that I get—all sent by anonymous trolls with untraceable accounts—are proof of that.

Still, as soon as the door closes, I bolt across the living room and into my small bedroom, which is basically just a bed, a tiny dresser, and my workstation. I’ve kept it simple since the move and my parents split.

The only thing that’s far from simple is my gaming rig.

When my Glitch stream hit critical mass at one hundred thousand subscribers about a year and a half ago, a gaming company was kind enough to sponsor my rig. It’s extravagant to the point of being comical, with bright neon-blue lighting pouring out the back of the system and a clear case that shows off the needless LED illumination. Like having shiny lights makes it go any faster. I never got it when dudes at my school put flashy lights on their cars, and I don’t get it any more on a computer.

But it was free, so I’m certainly not going to complain.

I shake the mouse to awaken the sleeping monster, and my widescreen LED monitor flashes to life. It’s one of those screens that bend toward the edges, the curves of the monitor bordering on sexy. I adjust my webcam, which—along with my beaten-up Ikea table that’s not even a desk—is one of the few non-sponsored things in my space. It’s an aging thing, but the resolution is still HD and flawless, so unless a free one is somehow going to drop into my lap—and it probably won’t, because you can’t show off a webcam in a digital stream or a recorded sponsored video when you’re filming with said camera—it’ll do the trick.

I navigate over to Glitch and open my streaming application. Almost immediately, Rebekah’s face pops up in a little window on the edge of my screen. I grin at the sight of her new hairstyle, her usually blond and spiky hair now dyed a brilliant shade of blood orange, a hue as vibrant as her personality. The sides of her head are buzzed, too, and the overall effect is awesome.

Rebekah smiles and waves at me. “You ready to explore the cosmos once more?” she asks, her voice bright in my computer’s speakers. I can hear her keys clicking loudly as she types, her hands making quick work of something on the other side of the screen. I open my mouth to say something, but she jumps in before I can. “Yes, yes, I’ll be on mute once we get in, shut up.”

I laugh and glance at myself in the mirror I’ve got attached to the side of my monitor with a long metal arm—an old bike mirror that I repurposed to make sure my makeup and hair are on point in these videos. Even though the streams are all about the games, there’s nothing wrong with looking a little cute, even if it’s just for myself. I run a finger over one of my eyebrows, smoothing it out, and make a note to tweeze them just a little bit later. I’ve got my mother’s strong brows, black and rebellious. We’re frequently in battle with one another, me armed with my tweezers, my eyebrows wielding their growing-faster-than-weeds genes.

“How much time do we have?” I ask, tilting my head back and forth.

“About five minutes. And you look fine, stop it,” she grumbles. I push the mirror away, the metal arm making a squeaking noise, and I see Rebekah roll her eyes. “You could just use a compact like a normal person, you know.”

“It’s vintage,” I say, leaning in toward my computer mic. “I’m being hip.”

“You. Hip.” She chuckles. “Please save the jokes for the stream. It’s good content.”

I flash her a scowl and load up my social feeds on the desktop, my watch still illuminating with notifications. I decide to leave them unchecked on the actual device and scope them out on the computer instead, so when people are watching, they can see the watch in action. That should score me some extra goodwill with sponsors, and maybe it’ll look like I’m more popular than people think I am.

Because that’s my life. Plenty of social notifications, but zero texts or missed calls.

The feeds are surprisingly calm this evening, a bundle of people posting about how excited they are for my upcoming stream, playing Reclaim the Sun on their own, curious to see what I’m finding… Not bad. There are a few dumpster-fire comments directed at the way I look and some racist remarks by people with no avatars, cowards who won’t show their faces, but nothing out of the usual.

Ah. Lovely. Someone wants me to wear less clothing in this stream. Blocked. A link to someone promoting my upcoming appearance at New York GamesCon, nice. Retweeted. A post suggesting I wear a skimpier top, and someone agreeing. Charming. Blocked and blocked.

Why is it that the people who always leave the grossest, rudest, and occasionally sexist, racist, or religiously intolerant comments never seem to have an avatar connected to their social profiles? Hiding behind a blank profile picture? How brave. How courageous.

And never mind all the messages that I assume are supposed to be flirtatious, but are actually anything but. Real original, saying “hey” and that’s it, then spewing a bunch of foul-mouthed nonsense when they don’t get a response. Hey, anonymous bro, I’m not here to be sexualized by strangers on the Internet. It’s creepy and disgusting. Can’t I just have fun without being objectified?

“Div!” Rebekah shouts, and I jump in my seat a little.

“Yeah, hey, I’m here,” I mumble, looking around for my Bluetooth earpiece, trying to force myself into a better mood.

This is why you don’t read the comments, Divya.

Excerpted from Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith, Copyright © 2020 by Eric Smith. Published by Inkyard Press.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Read-Comments-Eric-Smith/dp/1335016023
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-read-the-comments-eric-smith/1131303425#/
Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Dont-Read-Comments/Eric-Smith/9781335016027?id=7715580291810
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/don-t-read-the-comments
Indie Bound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335016027
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Eric_Smith_Don_t_Read_the_Comments?id=Go6PDwAAQBAJ

Author Bio:

Eric Smith is an author, prolific book blogger, and literary agent from New Jersey, currently living in Philadelphia. Smith cohosts Book Riot’s newest podcast, HEY YA, with non-fiction YA author Kelly Jensen. He can regularly be found writing for Book Riot’s blog, as well as Barnes & Noble’s Teen Reads blog, Paste Magazine, and Publishing Crawl. Smith also has a growing Twitter platform of over 40,000 followers (@ericsmithrocks).


Social Links: 

Author website: https://www.ericsmithrocks.com/
Twitter: @ericsmithrocks 
Instagram: @ericsmithrocks
Facebook: @ericsmithwrites



Monday, January 20, 2020

Review: Ashlords by Scott Reintgen

Ashlords Ashlords by Scott Reintgen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this! If you like darker YA fantasy this is the book for you! Scott Reintgen is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I've loved all of his books to date.

This comes out January 21, 2020.

This follows three points of view, which is not usually my favorite, but Reintgen does a very good job making sure you are able to keep track of what is happening with each character and each of their storylines so you don't get confused. There are plenty of different plotlines happening in this book, but again he does a very good job of making sure things don't get muddled.

While the race is the center of the story, there is so much more to this book. There is political intrigue, mythology, magic, and plenty of corruption. The most unique part of the book is the phoenixes themselves. Each morning the rider must mix together a unique mix of their horses ashes and alchemical powders to give their horse various attributes ranging from strength and endurance to armor and the ability to defy gravity. The riders must also be trained in combat because after the sun goes down their phoenix burns to ashes only to reborn at sunrise the next day. To win the race each competitor must protect their ashes from the other race contestants because they will try to poison any ashes they come across as well as fight any competitor to near death. Only the strongest and most cunning will make it to the finish line. Alliances will be broken by trusted companions, and they will be formed with bitter enemies.

The story follows Imelda aka The Alchemist, skilled in alchemy she is from a poor region and tribe and admitted to the race on scholarship. She is not expected to win, but she is a favored by the working class. She is a bit of a social media sensation and gives the poor hope that they may one day do something more. Knowing that she can't fight her way to the finish line against her competitors, Imelda comes up with a plan of her own to compete in the races.

The we have Pippa, daughter of two former race champions. She has trained her entire life to win the race when it was her turn to compete. She is favored to win, and there is no reason not to. Pippa knows that she can win the race, but she has plans of her own. Nothing works out as planned and she must use all of her training to get out of the race in one piece.

Our last competitor is Adrian aka The Longhand, he is a competitor from an outcast tribe if you will. His people broke off from the Ashlords after a very ugly war many years ago and Adrian winning the race will be the catalyst his people need to take back what they lost all those years ago. He has also been training his entire life for this race, but what he doesn't know is that he is also a pawn in a much larger machine.

I can't wait for the next book. While this didn't end on a cliffhanger and closed off nicely, there are still plenty of unanswered questions and lots of things left to unfold in the next book. I'm anxiously awaiting the next installment! I'll be recommending this book to my fantasy loving friends!

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

View all my reviews

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Cover Reveal: Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Dear Ava - CR banner


Dear Ava, an all-new full-length, enemies-to-lovers, high school standalone romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is coming February 2nd, and we have the smoking hot cover!


IMMDearAvaBookCover55x85_MEDIUM

The rich and popular Sharks rule at prestigious, ivy-covered Camden Prep. Once upon a time, I wanted to be part of their world—until one of them destroyed me.

The last thing I expected was an anonymous love letter from one of them.
Please. I hate every one of those rich jerks for what they did to me. The question is, which Shark is my secret admirer: Knox, the scarred quarterback and their leader, Dane, his twin brother, or Chance, the ex who dumped me...

Dear Ava,
Your eyes are the color of the Caribbean Sea.
That’s stupid.
What I really mean is, you look at me and I feel something REAL.
It’s been ten months since you were here, but I can’t forget you.
I’ve missed seeing you walk down the hall.
I’ve missed you cheering at my football games.
I’ve missed the smell of your hair.
The truth is, I wanted you back then—but you had him.
And then everything fell apart that night.
Don’t hate me because I’m a Shark.
I just want to make you mine.
Still.

An excerpt of Dear Ava appeared in the anthology Team Player 2 in 2019. (No longer available.) This full-length version is 100,000 words.

Add DEAR AVA to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2Z2jwQx

To be notified FIRST when Dear Ava is live text ROMANCE to 21000
*Standard text messaging rates apply*
Vote as most anticipated read on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2tBYQDn
Designer: Letitia Hasser, RBA Designs
Photographer: Corey Thomas
Model: Christian Hogue

Ilsa head shot-2

About Ilsa Madden-Mills

Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.

Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.

A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She's addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.

Connect with Ilsa
Join her Unicorn Girls Group on FB, the best way to keep up: http://bit.ly/37B6Nay
Sign up for phone alert for book releases (max of 4) Text ROMANCE to 21000
Stay up to day with Ilsa by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2ZWaTYh







Monday, January 6, 2020

Review: The God Game by Danny Tobey

The God Game The God Game by Danny Tobey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this via St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this. I think fans of Ready Player One and Warcross will enjoy this. It isn't really LitRPG, as it doesn't really have the players enter the game, and it doesn't get really heavy on the game play and player stats. If you are a true LitRPG lover, this doesn't have the stats and inventory type of data you may be wanting from a book about a VR type game. It isn't overly technical either. The group of hackers doesn't really get deep into the code and the equipment they use, while creative, isn't overly technical or difficult to use or understand. I think that will appeal to people who like sci-fi that isn't so heavy on the science you can't understand what is going on. This is going to be very accessible to a lot of people even if you aren't a gamer (I'm certainly not).

The God Game doesn't pull any punches with its name. The game invites players to a game that has real life consequences, play by its rules and you are rewarded beyond your wildest dreams. The more "good" you do in the games eyes the better the rewards. If you decide to go against the rules of the game you are punished, the more you are "bad" the worse the punishment is with death being a very real consequence of your actions while playing the game.

Charlie and his group of friends, who go by the name of The Vindicators, are invited to play the game. Initially it is exciting and they are all happy to run the errands the game sends them on and even more excited when they are rewarded with things they all want or need. When the game ups the ante on the errands and starts sending them on missions that cause them to question their own morals and ethics, they start to question if the game is as harmless as they thought. When Charlie decides that the risks aren't worth the reward, he tries to find a way to stop playing the game and learns that there may not be a way to stop playing.

As I stated I enjoyed this book. The plot is dark, a bit violent, and very creative. I mean a video game that thinks it is God and that has real world consequences is really cool. It brings up a lot of interesting social commentary and ethical questions. I did find that parts of it were a slow and repetitive. I felt a bit disconnected from all of the characters. They were all kind of anti-heros, and developed as such. They were presented as outcasts that formed their own friend group, but none of them stood out as the one you wanted to "win" or beat the game in the end.

View all my reviews

Friday, January 3, 2020

January TBR


I haven't posted a TBR since October.  I haven't really posted much in the last month to be honest.   I've read a ton, but I kind of took a break from my scheduled posts and reviewing.  I got a little overwhelmed with all of the releases and reviews I had to write in the fall so I kind of just didn't post if I didn't have an obligation to post. 

I'm starting of 2020 with plans to continue the 2020 Popsugar and Read Harder  Read Harder challenges.  I completed both last year and this year's lists are really going to push me to read new things.  I really like Popsugar because I can use most things I wanted to read anyway, and Book Riot really lives up to the name to make me read harder.  It has a lot of diversity prompts this year that make you stretch your boundaries as a reader.  I'm looking forward to it!

If you are interested in what I'm reading or what I read for the past challenges, my google docs are below.


Books/Ebooks/ARCs

These are the books I have already started or plan to read and review by the end of January.  I expect I'll read more than 4 books this month, but I don't want to over plan this year.

  • Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
    • I just started this for a sci-fi book club I recently joined with some people I work with.  It is set far in the future on another planet.  I haven't gotten very far into the book so not much has happened, but I like it so far.
  • An Act of Faith by C.A. Oliver
    • I've had the ARC of this for a while now.  This is apparently the first of 12 books in a fantasy series.  In reading the author's notes, it is based on a group of friends and their love of video games and lore and myths.  It gives me Lord of the Rings vibes.
  • Ashlords by Scott Reintgen
    • I have an ARC of this and it comes out on the 21st.  I'm a huge fan of Reintgen's work and this is his latest young adult offering.  It is supposed to have some magical battle horses and was compared to Scorpio Races which I loved.  
  • Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith
    • I received an ARC of this a while ago, but I was holding this for January to count it toward the Popsugar reading prompt for a book involving social media.  This is supposed to be about two gamers who have to deal with the hassle of virtual trolls.  Look for more closer to the release date on the 28th.

Audiobooks

I'm only going to list the audiobooks I have checked out at the moment.  I have several on hold at the moment and a ton on Hoopla that are always options.
  • The Cursed Sea by Lauren Destefano
    • I started this a few days ago and I'm about halfway done as of the writing of this post.  I really enjoyed the first book.  It has been quite a while since I read the first book, so I've forgotten most of the story, but this follow's Wil, a girl who can crystalize anything or anyone she touches as she tries to save her kingdom.  There is quite a bit of political intrigue but it still isn't clear as to why the kingdoms are at war.
  • Dry by  Neal and Jarrod Shusterman
    • I keep seeing this book recommended for various reasons, but it showed up on Read Harder's recommendations for a book about a natural disaster.  I don't really know much about this book other than people say it is a good read.
  • Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
    • I picked this up for the Read Harder challenge for a retelling by an author of color.  This is also the featured audiobook of the month at my library and the author will be coming to lecture at one of the local branches later this month.  I've heard mixed reviews about this book, so we'll give it a try.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Blog Tour: The Little Bookshop on the Siene by Rebecca Raisin with Review and Excerpt


Book Summary:

It’s The Holiday on the Champs-ÉlysĂ©es in a great big love letter to Paris, charming old bookstores and happily-ever-afters!

When bookshop owner Sarah Smith is offered the opportunity for a job exchange with her Parisian friend Sophie, saying yes is a no-brainer—after all, what kind of romantic would turn down six months in Paris? Sarah is sure she’s in for the experience of a lifetime—days spent surrounded by literature in a gorgeous bookshop, and the chance to watch the snow fall on the Eiffel Tower. Plus, now she can meet up with her journalist boyfriend, Ridge, when his job takes him around the globe.

But her expectations cool faster than her cafĂ© au lait soon after she lands in the City of Light—she’s a fish out of water in Paris. The customers are rude, her new coworkers suspicious and her relationship with Ridge has been reduced to a long-distance game of phone tag, leaving Sarah to wonder if he’ll ever put her first over his busy career. As Christmas approaches, Sarah is determined to get the shop—and her life—back in order…and make her dreams of a Parisian happily-ever-after come true.


Review:


My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Sarah Smith as she takes on a somewhat uncharacteristic adventure to Paris for a bookshop exchange. Sarah is a bit of a plain Jane, she owns a failing bookshop and when her fellow bookshop owner friend from France, Sophie, offers to swap shops with her to shake things up she jumps on the chance to travel and live one of her dreams. Sarah spends most of her time living in a book, like most of us do, but she really doesn't experience life outside of her shop and her beloved books. She likes things predictable and routine. Sophie is carefree and unpredictable, so when she suggests the bookshop exchange Sarah jumps on the chance for her own adventure that could be right out of the pages of one of her books.

Sarah arrives in France with a romantic story of how things will play out in her head. Her reporter boyfriend will take time off to be with her, she will spend time exploring all Paris has to offer, and Sophie's employees will fall in line with all of her American ideas. When the Paris bookshop starts having issues, Sarah doesn't really know what to do. She doesn't know how to be a boss or manage employees, and the employees constantly disrespect her for trying to make the shop better because she is new. This part got a bit repetitive for me since the same problems went unresolved over an over and it took Sarah quite a while to find her backbone and stop letting everyone in her life walk all over her. I'm not a big fan of weak female characters. It just took her too long in my opinion to put her foot down even though she knew what she needed to do and say. There were also a few extra side plots that didn't really add or take away from the main plot, they were just there.

This book mainly takes place in the bookshop, but I really enjoyed the parts that actually took place outside the bookshop in Paris. I've never been to Paris and enjoyed getting to spend those moments with Sarah in the cafes or wherever she was exploring with the other characters from the shop or on her own. Overall, this is a cute story, but I wasn't blown away. If you are looking for a nice story set in Paris over the holidays, give this one a go.

Excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE

October 



With a heavy heart I placed the sign in the display window.


All books 50% off.


If things didn’t pick up soon, it would read Closing down sale. The thought alone was enough to make me shiver. The autumnal sky was awash with purples and smudges of orange, as I stepped outside to survey the display window from the sidewalk.


Star-shaped leaves crunched underfoot. I forced a smile. A sale wouldn’t hurt, and maybe it’d take the bookshop figures from the red into the black—which I so desperately needed. My rent had been hiked up. The owner of the building, a sharp-featured, silver-tongued, forty-something man, had put the pressure on me lately—to pay more, to declutter the shop, claiming the haphazard stacks of books were a fire risk. The additional rent stretched the budget to breaking level. Something had to change.


The phone shrilled, and a grin split my face. It could only be Ridge at this time of the morning. Even after being together almost a year his name still provoked a giggle. It suited him though, the veritable man mountain he was. I’d since met his mom, a sweet, well-spoken lady, who claimed in dulcet tones, that she chose his name well before his famous namesake in The Bold and the Beautiful. In fact, she was adamant about it, and said the TV character Ridge was no match for her son. I had to agree. Sure, they both had chiseled movie star cheekbones, and an intense gaze that made many a woman swoon, but my guy was more than just the sum of his parts—I loved him for his mind, as much as his clichĂ©d six-pack, and broody hotness. And even better, he loved me for me.


He was the hero in my own real-life love story, and due back from Canada the next day. It’d been weeks since I’d seen him, and I ached for him in a way that made me blush.


I dashed inside, and answered the phone, breathlessly. “The Bookshop on the Corner.”


“That’s the voice I know and love,” he said in his rich, husky tone. My heart fluttered, picturing him at the end of the line, his jet-black hair and flirty blue eyes. He simply had to flick me a look loaded with suggestion, and I’d be jelly-legged and lovestruck.


“What are you wearing?” he said.


“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I held back a laugh, eager to drag it out. So far our relationship had been more long-distance than anticipated, as he flew around the world reporting on location. The stints apart left an ache in my heart, a numbness to my days. Luckily I had my books, and a sweeping romance or two helped keep the loneliness at bay.


“Tell me or I’ll be forced to Skype you and see for myself.”


Glancing down at my outfit, I grimaced: black tights, a black pencil skirt, and a pilled blue knit sweater, all as old as the hills of Ashford. Not exactly the type of answer Ridge was waiting for, or the way I wanted him to picture me, after so many weeks apart. “Those stockings you like, and…”


His voice returned with a growl. “Those stockings? With the little suspenders?”


I sat back into the chair behind the counter, fussing with my bangs. “The very same.”


He groaned. “You’re killing me. Take a photo…”


“There’s no need. If you’re good, I’ll wear the red ones tomorrow night.” I grinned wickedly. Our reunions were always passionate affairs; he was a hands-on type of guy. Lucky for him, because it took a certain type of man to drag me from the pages of my books. When he was home we didn’t surface until one of us had to go to work. Loving Ridge had been a revelation, especially in the bedroom, where he took things achingly slow, drawing out every second. I flushed with desire for him.


There was a muffled voice and the low buzz of phones ringing. Ridge mumbled to someone before saying, “About tomorrow…” He petered out, regret in each syllable.


I closed my eyes. “You’re not coming, are you?” I tried not to sigh, but it spilled out regardless. The lure of a bigger, better story was too much for him to resist, and lately the gaps between our visits grew wider. I understood his work was important, but I wanted him all to myself. A permanent fixture in the small town I lived in.


He tutted. “I’m sorry, baby. There’s a story breaking in


Indonesia, and I have to go. It’ll only be for a week or two, and then I’ll take some time off.”


Outside, leaves fluttered slowly from the oak tree, swaying softly, until they fell to the ground. I wasn’t the nagging girlfriend sort—times like this though, I was tempted to be. Ridge had said the very same thing the last three times he’d canceled a visit. But invariably someone would call and ask Ridge to head to the next location; any time off would be cut short.


“I understand,” I said, trying to keep my voice bright. Sometimes I felt like I played a never-ending waiting game. Would it always be like this? “Just so you know, I have a very hot date this afternoon.”


He gasped. “You better be talking about a fictional date.” His tone was playful, but underneath there was a touch of jealousy to it. Maybe it was just as hard on him, being apart.


“One very hot book boyfriend…though not as delectable as my real boyfriend—but a stand-in, until he returns.”


“Well, he better not keep you up half the night, or he’ll have me to answer to,” he faux threatened, and then said more seriously, “Things will slow down, Sarah. I want to be with you so much my soul hurts. But right now, while I’m freelance, I have to take whatever comes my way.”


“I know. I just feel a bit lost sometimes. Like someone’s hit pause, and I’m frozen on the spot.” I bit my lip, trying to work out how to explain it. “It’s not just missing you—I do understand about your job—it’s…everything. The bookshop sales dwindling, the rent jacked up, everyone going on about their business, while I’m still the same old Sarah.”


I’d been at this very crossroad when I’d met Ridge, and he’d swept me off my feet, like the ultimate romance hero. For a while that had been enough. After all, wasn’t love always the answer? Romance aside, life was a little stagnant, and I knew it was because of my fear of change. It wasn’t so


much that I had to step from behind the covers of my books, rather plunge, perhaps. Take life by the scruff of the neck and shake it. But how?


“You’ve had a rough few weeks. That’s all. I’ll be back soon, and I’m sure there’s something I can do to make you forget everything…”


My belly flip-flopped at the thought. He would make me forget everything that was outside that bedroom door, but then he’d leave and it would all tumble back.


What exactly was I searching for? My friends were getting married and having babies. Buying houses and redecorating. Starting businesses. My life had stalled. I was an introvert, happiest hiding in the shadows of my shop, reading romances to laze the day away, between serving the odd customer or two—yet, it wasn’t enough. In small-town Connecticut, there wasn’t a lot to do. And life here—calm, peaceful—was fine, but that’s just it, fine wasn’t enough anymore. I had this fear that life was passing me by because I was too timid to take the reins.


It was too hazy a notion of what I was trying to say, even to me. Instead of lumping Ridge with it, I changed tack. “I hope you know, you’re not leaving the house when you get home. Phones will be switched to silent, computers forgotten, and the only time we’re leaving the comfort of bed is when I need sustenance.” A good romp around the bedroom would suffice until I could pinpoint what it was that I wanted.


“How about I sort out the sustenance?” he said, his voice heavy with desire. “And then we’ll never have to leave.”


“Promises, promises,” I said, my breath hitching. I hoped this flash of longing would never wane, the sweet torture of anticipation.


“I have to go, baby. I’ll call you tonight if it’s not too late once I’m in.”


“Definitely call tonight! Otherwise, I can’t guarantee the book boyfriend won’t steal your girlfriend. He’s pretty hot, I’ll have you know.”


“Why am I jealous of a fictional character?” He laughed, a low, sexy sound. “OK, tonight. Love you.”


“Love you too.”


He hung up, leaving me dazed, and a touch lonely knowing that I wouldn’t see him the next day as planned.


I tried to shake the image of Ridge from my mind. If anyone walked in, they’d see the warm blush of my cheeks, and know exactly what I was thinking. Damn the man for being so attractive, and so effortlessly sexy.


Shortly, the sleepy town of Ashford would wake under the gauzy light of October skies. Signs would be flipped to open, stoops swept, locals would amble down the road. Some would step into the bookshop and out of the cold, and spend their morning with hands wrapped around a mug of steaming hot tea, and reading in any one of the cozy nooks around the labyrinth-like shop.


I loved having a place for customers to languish. Comfort was key, and if you had a good book and a hot drink, what else could you possibly need to make your day any brighter? Throw rugs and cushions were littered around seating areas. Coats would be swiftly hung on hooks, a chair found, knitted blankets pulled across knees, and their next hour or two spent, in the most relaxing of ways.


I wandered around the shop, feather duster in hand, tickling the covers, waking them from slumber. I’m sure as soon as my back was turned, the books wiggled and winked at one another, as if they were eager for the day to begin, for fingers of hazy sunlight to filter through and land on them like spotlights, as if saying, here’s the book for you.


Imagine if I had to close up for good, like so many other shops had in recent times? It pained me to think people were missing out on the real-life bookshop experience. Wasn’t it much better when you could step into a dimly lit space, and eke your way around searching for the right novel? You could run a fingertip along the spines, smell that glorious old book scent, flick them open, and unbend a dog-eared page. Read someone else’s notes in the margin, or a highlighted passage, and see why that sentence or metaphor had dazzled the previous owner.


Secondhand books had so much life in them. They’d lived, sometimes in many homes, or maybe just one. They’d been on airplanes, traveled to sunny beaches, or crowded into a backpack and taken high up a mountain where the air thinned.


Some had been held aloft tepid rose-scented baths, and thickened and warped with moisture. Others had childlike scrawls on the acknowledgment page, little fingers looking for a blank space to leave their mark. Then there were the pristine novels, ones that had been read carefully, bookmarks used, almost like their owner barely pried the pages open so loath were they to damage their treasure.


I loved them all.


Excerpted from The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin. Copyright © 2015 by Rebecca Raisin. Published by HQN Books.


THE LITTLE BOOKSHOP ON THE SEINE
Author: Rebecca Raisin 
ISBN: 9781335012500
Publication Date: 1/7/2020
Publisher: HQN Books

Buy Links: 







Author Bio: Rebecca Raisin is the author of several novels, including the beloved Little Paris series and the Gingerbread Café trilogy, and her short stories have been published in various anthologies and fiction magazines. You can follow Rebecca on Facebook, and at www.rebeccaraisin.com


Social Links:
Twitter: @JaxandWillsMum


Wednesday, January 1, 2020

2019 Reading Stats and 2020 Reading Goals

Happy New Year!



I can't believe it is 2020, and time for the end of year reading statistics and goals posts.  This post is going to be a lot like last year's post with the stats and graphs.  If you aren't into that kind of data analytics I get it.  I love that stuff so here we go.



Img bookstack 360


My Goodreads goal was to read 100 books.  I far exceeded that by reading 198 books.  My goal was to read 100 print books, which I also exceeded by reading 109 of those and the rest were audiobooks, so I'm really happy with my reading this year. You can see everything I read on my Goodreads year in books.  I think I'm going to keep my goal at 100 again this year because I want to read about the same number of print books and anything more than that is a bonus.

On to the statistics.


The Format of Books I Read


2019

I thought this was an interesting statistic last year and one of my goals for this year was to read more of the books I purchased.  I pretty much failed that goal.  The breakdown of types of media I consumed really didn't change much.  I'm still consuming most of my books via ebook and audio, and most of those are still coming from the library.

  • Ebooks - 93 read
    • 63 ARCs
    • 11 Owned
    • 19 Borrowed from the library
  • Hardback Books - 6 Read
    • 1 ARC
    • 5 Borrowed from the library 
  • Paperback books - 10 read
    • 6 ARCs
    • 4 Owned
  • Audiobooks - 89 read
    • 1 ARCs
    • 5 Owned
    • 83 Borrowed from the library

Where all of my books came from this year



I still used the library a ton this year, but less than last year.  I attribute that mainly due to the fact that I received a lot more ARCs this year for review.  I can't express how grateful I am to all of the authors, publishers, and PR firms I am for sending me ARCs and letting me read and review these books.  



One of my goals for 2019 was to get my review stats up.  I wanted to be somewhere around 75%, and I maintained that for a good portion of the year.  I reviewed 109 of the 198 books I read this year and I owe 2 more reviews before next week.  Overall, this statistic didn't change much overall from last year as I really started slacking toward the end of the year as I focused on reading for the two challenges I was working on finishing up.  I kind of got burned out from reviewing and stopping posting.

Goals for 2020

  • Read more of my own books.  I had this same goal last year, and I expect it will continue to be a goal because I don't see myself not buying books.  I want to see my number move up from 10% in 2020.
  • Review 75% of the books I read.  This isn't an unrealistic goal, I just need to stay on top of reviewing.
  • Be more aware of ARC release dates when requesting books for review.  I did really well with my goal of being selective with ARCs this year, but I got a little overwhelmed when a bunch of books all released at the same time this fall.  It put me in a slump that I still haven't really recovered from.
  • Continue to be active on social media (instagram and facebook).  I got a lot better with posting in 2019, but I could be better.  
  • Continue participating in the Popsugar and Read Harder reading challenges.  I have been doing Popsugar's reading challenge since 2017 and this is my 2nd year for Book Riot's Read Harder challenge.  They push me to read outside of my comfort zone and read books I normally wouldn't read.