Thursday, August 26, 2021

Review: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

I finished this book a week ago on the 15th and it has taken me this long to write my review. I am honestly dreading spending any more time with this book because I just didn't like it. When I finished reading it, I gave it a three star, I have since bumped it down to a 2 star. I just didn't find the first chapter The Customs House necessary to the book what so ever. Hester Prynne's name is mentioned in passing. I could care less about who was who and what HIS job title was in the customs house.

From early on when we meet Hester Prynne, she is on her way to stand in the town square to wear her shame in the form of a scarlet letter that she had to sow herself onto her clothing over her heart. The author was obsessed with the gold threading that the character used and there are many mentions of it throughout this dragged out story.

It is also very predictable of who her baby daddy is and why she doesn't mention his name because she doesn't want to shame him and ruin his reputation. The bastard ends up confessing and dying straight away, so with the religious aspect that was shoved down our throats, he got to enter the pearly gates.

One of the reasons that classics takes a whole lot out of me and gives me a mini reading slump is that these old old classics, the authors were paid per word. They couldn't get to the damn point fast enough.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

BLOG TOUR: THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY: Uncovering Tutankhamun's Tomb by Candace Fleming

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY: Uncovering Tutankhamun's Tomb by Candace Fleming Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book:

Title: THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY: Uncovering Tutankhamun's Tomb

Author: Candace Fleming

Pub. Date: September 7, 2021

Publisher: Scholastic Focus

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 304

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Award-winning and critically acclaimed author Candace Fleming presents the edge-of-your-seat true story of the search for Tutankhamun's tomb, the Western public's belief that the dig was cursed, and the battle for ownership of the treasures within.

During the reign of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun ruled and died tragically young. In order to send him on his way into the afterlife, his tomb was filled with every treasure he would need after death. And then, it was lost to time, buried in the sands of the Valley of the Kings.

His tomb was also said to be cursed.

Centuries later, as Egypt-mania gripped Europe, two Brits -- a rich earl with a habit for gambling and a disreputable, determined archeologist -- worked for years to rediscover and open Tutankhamun's tomb. But once it was uncovered, would ancient powers take their revenge for disturbing and even looting the pharaoh's resting place? What else could explain the mysterious illnesses, accidents, and deaths that began once it was found?

REVIEW: I read this with my youngest daughter who is learning about Ancient Egypt right now in her history class and she loved seeing the pictures. She already knows a lot about the Egyptians and King Tut, and this book brought it to life even more.

About Candace:

Candace Fleming awarded herself the Newbery Medal in fifth grade after scraping the gold sticker off the class copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond and pasting it onto her first novel—a ten-page, ten-chapter mystery called Who Done It? She’s been collecting awards (her own, not Elizabeth George Speare’s) ever since.

Today, Candace is the versatile and acclaimed author of more than forty books for children and young adults, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize honored The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of the Russian Empire; Boston Globe/Horn Book Award-winning biography, The Lincolns; the bestselling picture book, Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!; the Sibert-Award-winning Giant Squid; and the beloved Boxes for Katje. She contributed the chapter on Katharine of Aragon to Fatal Throne. Photo credit: Michael Lionstar.

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/24/2021	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt
8/25/2021	The Momma Spot	Review
8/25/2021	Lifestyle of Me	Review
8/26/2021	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt
8/27/2021	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt
8/27/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
8/28/2021	YABooksCentral	Interview

Week Two:

8/29/2021	Log Cabin Library	Excerpt
8/29/2021	BookHounds ya	Review
8/30/2021	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
8/31/2021	Little Red Reads	Review
8/31/2021	Jaime's World	Excerpt
9/1/2021	Locks, Hooks and Books	Review
9/2/2021	@lexijava	Excerpt
9/3/2021	Two Points of Interest	Review
9/4/2021	hauntedbybooks	Review
9/4/2021	Enjoyingbooksagain	Review

Week Three:

9/5/2021	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review
9/6/2021	Books and Zebras @jypsylynn	Review

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Books I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl. This weeks prompt is books that I wish I could read again for the very first time. Some are going to be my favorite books ever and some are going to be a couple that I was required to read in high school and didn't really pay attention too.

1. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. (My favorite series of all time.)

2. The Martian by Andy Weir

3. Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes

4. The Illuminated Forest by Edwin Fontanez

5. 1984 by George Orwell ( I read half of this in my English 4 class, hated it and never finished because I had a baby)

6. Lord of the Flies by William Golding ( I had to read this in 10th grade and this was a school year where I "hated" reading)

7. The Clancy's of Queens by Tara Clancy

8. 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston ( I read this in two days and absolutely LOVED it with every fiber of my being. I still have not read the companion)

9. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams ( I had to read this in 11th grade and I loved it and we also watched the movie and Marlon Brando was amazing. The paper that I had to write after was probably the only A I got in that class besides my junior project)

10. Girls Like Us by Randi Pink

Monday, August 23, 2021

JULY 2020 OWLCRATE AND OWLCRATE JR UNBOXING

OWLCRATE JR: Lost In A Book

The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay (signed, exclusive OwlCrate Jr Edition)
Exclusive Matilda inspired ceramic mug (Designed by Risa Rodil)
The Chamber of Secrets inspired book tin (Designed by Anne Lambelet)
Lost In A Book enamel pin (Designed by Dust & Pages)
Beauty and the Beast quote tassel bookmark (Designed by Kelly Leigh Miller)
Activity book with coloring pages and mazes (Illustrated by Shafer Brown, Susie Ghahremani, Alex Clauss, and Melanie Demmer )
Fairytale-colored pencil crayons
Lost In A Book collectible sticker (Designed by Samantha Curcio)
Exclusive author letter
OwlCrate Jr Magazine Issue #23 (Cover art by Shafer Brown and interior designed by Michelle Gray)
August 'Enchanted Objects' sneak peek postcard (Designed by VeepDoodles)

OWLCRATE: Date With Destiny

Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson (signed, exclusive OwlCrate Edition)
"Potions Master" Ceramic Mug (Designed by Cara Kozik)
Arrow Paper Clips (Team OwlCrate)
"Simon's Sour Cherry Scones" Tea (Riddle's Tea Shoppe)
Light & Dark Side Wooden Bookmark (In The Reads)
Fox Way Apron (designed by paperbackbones)
Exclusive OwlCrate "Choose Your Fate" Enamel Pin (designed by Jubly-Umph).
Exclusive Goddess in the Machine Author Letter.

Sunday, August 22, 2021

8th Year of Homeschooling Underway// SUNDAY POST#7

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly from the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Hello everyone. I hope you all had a great week last week. It was our first week back to school. I have been homeschooling my daughters for 8 years this year and it was a shock. It was also very exhausting and my blog and youtube and reading took a definite back seat. I only finished one book and started two more. To be honest, the fact that I started those at the beginning of the week and I am not done with them is kind of overwhelming. I need to plan out my days better. Hopefully since we have a routine down for school and the kids enjoy the way we are completing lessons and subjects, I will get it down to a timely manner and not take all day. I did get to go shopping this week, so that is a plus.

Monday: Review: Wink, Poppy, Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke

Tuesday: No Post

Wednesday: No Post

Thursday: BOOKISH MEMORY CHECK #1

Friday: No Post

Saturday: No Post

The Scarlet Letter Review

The Quest for Anastasia Review

Top Ten Tuesday

Owlcrate 2020 unboxing

MY BOOKTUBE VIDEOS THIS WEEK

Have a good week everyone.

Thursday, August 19, 2021

BOOKISH MEMORY CHECK #1

Back in June, I saw this tag over on Kyla's Library and I have been keeping my email in my inbox because I knew that I wanted to do this tag. The whole purpose of the tag is to see how much you remember a book. The original creator of this tag is Where Stories Lie.

The Rules:
1) Go to your Goodreads ‘read’ shelf
2) Sort by random
3) Test your memory on the top 5 books

1. The Defector by Daniel Silva

What I remember: I read this book back in 2015 and I read it out of order. I found this and book 7 at a store called Fred's and I read this one first. I fell in love with the characters and the whole plot. It is about an Israeli spy name Gabriel Allon and he has to find and protect this Russian defector and he almost dies in this Russian forest.

After synopsis: I was correct with the Russian defector and the forest of Russia. He has to find this defector because this man saved Gabriel Allon's life in the previous book, that I have not read.

2. Rise of the Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz

What I remember: This is the third book in the Descendants series and it mainly focuses on Ursula's daughter and the restaurant that her mother owns. She is also very angry at Mal for getting her happily ever after and being with King Ben. Also King Tritan's trident gets stolen by one of his mermaid daughters.

After synopsis: Yea, I was right and I can't mention what exactly happens because it will spoil the book. I did forget about Uma racing with Captain Hook's son to try to find the trident.

3. Micah by Laurell K. Hamilton

What I Remeber: I don't remember much of anything in this installment of the Anita Blake series. It is mainly about Micah who is the pack leader of the werewolves. And I think this involves his back story. I started disliking the series with this book and I really didn't pay attention.

After Synopsis: So, Anita and Micah are on one of her work trips because she raises the dead for a living and she has to have one of her lovers with her to feed her all the time sex need to feed her other lovers through her energy. Then she starts freaking that it is just her and Micah alone after he announces it.

4. Girls in pants by Ann Brashares

What I Remember: I used to watch the first and second movies all the time in my childhood and a year or two ago, finally got around to read the third, fourth and fifth books. I was not impressed because going into the last three books, I was reading things that I knew from the movie. I was not happy. This is the summer before college and they each go there separate ways reluctantly and then grow into their own person without the crutch of childhood friends. The pants kind of start to lose their magic.

After Synopsis: The synopsis doesn't give much away beside that they go to college, so score for me for remembering the third book, which is just the second movie.

5. Gilded Cage by Vic James

What I Remeber: I really enjoyed this book and it's kind of a dystopian or utopia where the people of England have to do ten years of enslavement to become full fledged citizens of the country. We follow a family of 4 where the parents decide to go ahead and start their and the kids enslavement while the son is still in high school and the daughter is young. They sell their house and all their possessions and they end up getting split up which was not part of the plan.

After Synopsis: I forgot about the magic system. To be honest, I didn't think it played a really big part in the first book. I also forgot about the third child in the family. I am going to have to re-read this book soon because I want to read the third book.

Monday, August 16, 2021

Review: Wink, Poppy, Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke

My read for the Buzzword Reading Challenge this month. The buzzword was time of day and with both of my picks, I chose the word Midnight. I have not read my second pick and don't think I am going to be able to get to it this month because all of my library holds decided to come in on the same day.

When I first started watching Booktube, this book was so hyped and I heard the author's name everywhere. I have read an anthology that has been edited by this author and she also has a story in that book as well. The anthology is Slasher Girls and Monster Boys and I read that years ago and I really enjoyed it. I think the one that creeped me out the most was written by her.

I ended up finding this book at Dollar Tree and I picked it up. That was a couple years ago and I am a little upset that I didn't pick it up sooner. I ended up giving this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I loved the writing style. It gripped me and it was very whimsical and beautiful. The format of the book also hooked me and I usually don't like this type of format but it worked with this writing.

We follow three teenagers; two girls and a boy. Midnight has just moved into a new house with his father and his new house is located across from the Bell Farm. Wink Bell comes over to say hi in her own weird and childish way. She is into fairy tales and her family is known around town as witches. Midnight immediately becomes enamored with Wink and much to his demise, his ex or fling Poppy shows up out of the blue and takes control.

Poppy is an only child to two doctors and she is spoiled out the wazoo. She wants to be the center of attention and for everyone to follow her lead and do what she says when she says it. She has this gang called the yellows and when she finds out the Midnight is interested in Wink "Feral" Bell, she decides to get even in an abandoned farm house in the Woods.

This book is a magical realism contemporary that is mainly character driven and no real plot. I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to picking up more books by April Genevieve Tucholke.

Friday, August 13, 2021

BLOG TOUR: HUNT THE STORM by Cassie Swindon

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the HUNT THE STORM by Cassie Swindon Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book:

Title: HUNT THE STORM (Golden Chains Book 2)

Author: Cassie Swindon

Pub. Date: August 1, 2021

Publisher: Cassie Swindon

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 347

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle

Raelyn Bell's journey started in "Break the Stone," the first novel in the Golden Chains series. After following the puzzle pieces and escaping dangerous threats, she discovered that her Ma has been alive all these years.

But learning that information came at a cost. In "Hunt the Storm," Raelyn travels across the world to a desert with the goal to bring her Ma home. While dealing with the grief of what she had already lost, Raelyn pushes people away, including her boyfriend, Kody, who only wants to help and support her. An evil overlord in this foreign land stands in her way of saving Ma. Will Raelyn ever find the parent connection she has always searched for? Will her and Kody last through the obstacles they face in the desert?

Praise for BREAK THE STONE:
"I read Break the Stone as a preliminary beta reader. Even with an unpolished copy, I could not put it down. It's a fantastic debut for new author Cassie Swindon, full of suspense and romance." Anna Cackler

"This is a great book that will make you laugh, cry, and keep you in suspense! I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this exciting trilogy!" Marcia Campbell

"This story will make you want to keep reading to til the end to find out what will happen. It's a great book and you will not be disappointed. It does end in a cliffhanger but it's well worth the read and you will want to read the next book just find out what will happen next." Dianna Malone

"A fantastic read from a new author! The mystery and seduction that sucks you in and takes you for an emotional rollercoaster ride. There are many twists and turns that keep you guessing how it will end and leave you wanting more. You will fall in love with Raelyn and join her on the journey to find out what happened to her mother. This is the first book in a trilogy and I cannot wait for book 2." Catherine Kroeger

"Every sentence Cassie writes serves a purpose, each paragraph is carefully detailed, and each scene leaves the reader grateful for the next chapter. With a strong supporting cast of characters, a deepening mystery, and relationships that both challenge and deepen our cultural understanding, Break the Stone is a fascinating and seductive story that will leave you wanting more!" Natalie Proudfoot

Grab BREAK THE STONE now! Free for Kindle Unlimited members!

Pre-order book 3 STOP THE CLOCK now!

REVIEW: coming soon

About Cassie Swindon:

Cassie a fiction Indie author with three novels launching in May 2021, August 2021, November 2021. She lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband, two kids and somehow...4 cats. So, she’s surrounded by fur, legos, Disney music, costumes, and goldfish crackers. If she’s not writing or reading, she’s hiking, kickboxing or crafting.