Not as traumatized as I thought I would be when I started writing this review. Though it has been a few days since I finished reading and now I am just getting to it. I was supposed to read this last summer and I am kind of glad I didn't because with the summer I had, it would have taken me months to finish this brick.
Going into this I had heard from everyone and their mama that I would be crying and not want to pick up another book because reading would be ruined. Well, I call bullshit. I ended up giving this a 3 out of 5 stars and before you go calling me heartless and not caring about Jude.... I do, but I will call you an enabler and hope that if you have someone like him in your life that you will go against there wishes and actually get that person professional help.
Jude was just made to have every bad thing in the world happen to him. He is always cutting himself and refusing help. He loves his friends but he refuses to tell them anything. I did tear up when he was forced into prostitution but what got me crying was when his partner and best friend Willem died in a car accident. I have a fear of driving and I am always scared when my husband drives on really busy roads. How Jude lives after Willems death, I would probably be the exact same.
I was angry at every character that knew of his cutting throughout the book especially Willem and his doctor Andy. Andy was a medical professional who did not stay true to ethics and get his patient actual true help after Jude's first suicide attempt. I place the blame of Jude's death on Harold, Julia, JB, Andy, Willem, Malcolm and Richard. All of them had the years to get Jude professional help and they enabled him and were cowards because they were scared of losing a friendship... yet they lost a friend instead.
I got to the end with Jude's second suicide attept that this time was successful and I really thought, did I just read a book that the author just word vomited every bad thing and then end it likes this.
I
am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the CITY SPIES: CITY OF THE DEAD by James
Ponti Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar
Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to
enter the giveaway!
In this fourth installment in the New
York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the
young group of spies go codebreaking in Cairo in another international
adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Mrs.
Smith’s Spy School for Girls.
Codename Kathmandu, better known as Kat, loves logic and order, has a favorite
eight-digit number, and can spot a pattern from a mile away. So when a series
of cyberattacks hits key locations in London while the spies are testing
security for the British Museum, it’s clear that Kat’s skill for finding reason
in what seems like randomness makes her the perfect candidate to lead the job.
And while the team follows the deciphered messages to Egypt and the ancient
City of the Dead to discover who is behind the attacks and why, Kat soon
realizes that there’s another layer to the mystery.
With more players, more clues, and involving higher levels of British
Intelligence than ever before, this mission is one of the most complex that the
group has faced to date. And it’s also going to bring about a change to the
City Spies…
JAMES
PONTI (he/him/his)
is the New York Times bestselling author of three middle grade book
series: City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the
world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award–winning Framed! series,
about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead
City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath
Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award
lists and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle
Grade. James is also an Emmy– nominated television writer and producer who has
worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History,
and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando,
Florida. Find out more at JamesPonti.com.
In conversation with Sayantani DasGupta (author
of THE FIRE QUEEN series), Chris Grabenstein (author
of DOG SQUAD and THE SMARTEST KID IN THE UNIVERSE),
and Karina Yan Glaser (author of THE
VANDERBEEKERS series)
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot
on the A RESERVOIR MAN by L.J. Ambrosio Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out
my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
Born with a birth defect leaving a
scar on his lip, Michael’s endless trials of survival include sexual assault,
The Vietnam War, an arrest in Spain, Hollywood scandal, the AIDS outbreak, 9/11
and beyond.
If only Michael could find the one thing he values most, his freedom. Michael’s
coming-of-age is tarnished by many but the courage to live his truth may just
keep Michael one step ahead...or will he succumb to the embraces of a Reservoir
Man?
A Reservoir Man, critics have hailed this explosive and timely work as
“a must-read coming-of-age story of 2022.”
Twists and turns further pull the reader in to Michael’s action-packed tale,
with powerful themes, from betrayal and family to secrets and identity.
“Be sure not to blink because you just might miss a pivotal moment in Michael’s
rousing, larger-than-life story.” -- R.C. Gibson, Indiestoday(dot)com.
“This book is a dream, a gamble, a utopia, even.” -- Kalyan Panja, Bookmarkks.
Review: coming soon
About L.J. Ambrosio:
Louis J.
Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los
Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running
two major regional theaters for eight seasons. Ambrosio taught at 7
Universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film
producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.
I HAVE FALLEN DOWN THE THRONE OF GLASS RABBIT HOLE!!!! And I am not mad about it. I will not be taking as long to pick up the third book, because I need to know what the hell happens. The identity has been revealed. Betrayals and blackmail and lots of killing have taken place. Magic is not necessarily gone away, just been shuttered more like. There is the stirrings of some sexy times. I don't understand why people don't like Chaol.
Is it a spoiler to say that Calaena is king's champion and she is now his assassin and she has to kill people that he tells her to and that if she fails her missions or doesn't come back from one, then her friends Nehemia and Chaol and their families will be murdered. That is what is hanging over her head the entire time during this and she is also trying to figure out how the king annihilated countries and militaries so quickly without the magic he hates.
Chaol and Calaena grow closer and relationships form and break. Nehemia and Calaena's frienship has the worst kind of fight where you say something and then you can't apologize for it later and you will spend the rest of your life regretting what was said.
I did cry and have heavy breathing when Fleetfoot was injured and taken by a monster. I did not want to read about an animal death. I have two dogs and three cats and my oldest cat is up in age and it will be a freaking miracle if she makes it to 2024.
The ending had me shook and I just wanted Chaol to run after her and hide away with her. What he found out, I am hoping that he doesn't think to much on it and become more fearful of Calaena or hold her background against her and turn against her.
This weeks topic is to share our anticipated reads for the first half of the year. I am only going to be doing this month and next month because since the Pandemic, book release dates are all the time changing and I can't keep up and it kind of makes me not want to read the book that much anymore.
I am always looking at the current month's releases lists on Goodreads and the upcoming month and making my own list that way.
January:
1. Chain of Thorns: Cassandra Clare
2. The World and All That it Holds: Aleksander Hemon
On Thursday, my husband picked up my library holds for me and to say that I am excited to read these are an understatement. I want to put every responsibility of mine on the back burner and just sit and read read read. I have not had this feeling in a while. My librarian tried to spoil one of the books for my husband and it was one that I was going to read and have him watch the 1st season with me. My hubby is not a reader and even he was a little upset because he knows what to expect now. Here is my library haul. I have already finished Poirot Investigates and Lore Olympus volume 3.
I have some other books on my TBR that I own and on Netgalley that I will be getting to this month as well.
My husband started working on our outdoor kitchen again. He took the last month and a half off because work, weather and the holidays. It is coming along nicely and I seriously CAN NOT wait for the summer.
Hope that everyone is having a good week and reading week.
