BLOGTOUR: Quests Aside by Brian Schirmer

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the QUESTS ASIDE Vol. 1 by Brian Schirmer & Elena Gogou Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Books:

Title: QUESTS ASIDE Vol. 1

Authors: Brian Schirmer & Elena Gogou (Illustrator)

Pub. Date: March 21, 2023

Publisher: Vault Comics

Formats:  Paperback, eBook

Pages: 160

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/QUESTS-ASIDE-Vol-1

WELCOME to QUESTS ASIDE
Known to all, both far and wide!

A skeleton, an apprentice mage, and an exiled princess walk into a bar… for another shift at Quests Aside, the local watering hole run by once legendary, now retired, adventurer Barrow.

When the King privately explains that he plans to shut the place down, Barrow must find a way to hold onto his business, the friendships, and the family he's built around it.

It’s always sunny in the realms!

Collects the entire, best-selling 5-issue series!

For fans of Giant Days, Rolled & Told, Rat Queens, Nimona, and Adventure Zone

Reviews:

“…it’s like Cheers set in the world of Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 Lord of the Rings adaptation.” -- Publishers Weekly

"Quests Aside … has a made-for-TV vibe." -- AIPT

“A fine mix of humor and drama.” – Major Spoilers

“Magic, situational comedy, and camaraderie blend into a whimsical fantasy…” -- Publishers Weekly

"Beautiful looking, voiced with riotous confidence, Quests Aside boasts one of the best core concepts I've seen in recent high fantasy. I'm furious that I didn't think of it." -- Si Spurrier (The RUSH, Hellblazer, The Dreaming, X-Men)

 

Review: coming soon

 

About Brian Schirmer:

BRIAN SCHIRMER is a California-based screenwriter and critically acclaimed comic book creator, known for the Vault Comics series QUESTS ASIDE, the Image Comics series FAIRLADY and BLACK JACK KETCHUM, and the self-published ULTRASYLVANIA series of graphic novels.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

 

About Elena Gogou:

Elena Gogou is actually three gnomes in a trench-coat. When they aren’t on an epic quest, they draw comics for work and for fun. They are known for the Vault Comics series QUESTS ASIDE, the Greek graphic novel SPAZORAHOULA and the self-published erotic comics anthology SMUTCOMIC.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of QUESTS ASIDE Vol. 1, US Only.

Ends April 7th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

3/1/2023	A Dream Within A Dream	Interview
3/2/2023	Mythical Books	Interview/IG Post
3/3/2023	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
3/4/2023	Sadie's Spotlight	Interview/IG Post

Week Two:

3/5/2023	Two Chicks on Books	Interview/IG Post
3/6/2023	Kait Plus Books	Interview/IG Post
3/7/2023	Jazzy Book Reviews	Excerpt/IG Post
3/8/2023	Lifestyle of Me	Review
3/9/2023	Brandi Danielle Davis	IG Review/TikTok Post
3/10/2023	@pages.for.sanity	IG Review/TikTok Post
3/11/2023	@by_hckilgour	IG Review

Week Three:

3/12/2023	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
3/13/2023	Cara North	Review/IG Post
3/14/2023	GryffindorBookishNerd	IG Review
3/15/2023	@froggyreadteach	IG Review
3/16/2023	The Real World According To Sam	Review/IG Post
3/17/2023	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
3/18/2023	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post

Week Four:

3/19/2023	Vamplit	IG Review
3/20/2023	See Sadie Read	Review/IG Post
3/21/2023	Nerdophiles	Review
3/22/2023	the book near me	Review/IG Post
3/23/2023	Read Dog Reviews	IG Spotlight
3/24/2023	@enjoyingbooksagain	IG Review
3/25/2023	@just_another_mother_with_books	IG Review

Week Five:

3/26/2023	@thebookishfoxwitch	Review/IG Post
3/27/2023	Emily Ashlyn	IG Review/FB Post
3/28/2023	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post
3/29/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic
3/30/2023	Jeff_of_allmedia	IG Review
3/31/2023	Two Points of Interest	Review

BLOGTOUR: There Goes the Neighborhood by Jade Adia

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD by Jade Adia Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Author: Jade Adia

Pub. Date: March 7, 2023

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 432

Find it: Goodreads, https://mybook.to/jade-adia 

A raised fist against the destructive forces of gentrification and a love letter to communities of color everywhere, Jade Adia's unforgettable debut tells the darkly hilarious story of three best friends willing to do whatever it takes to stay together.

The gang is fake, but the fear is real.

Rhea’s neighborhood is fading away―the mom-and-pop shops of her childhood forced out to make space for an artisanal kombucha brewery here, a hot yoga studio there. And everywhere, the feeling that this place is no longer meant for her. Because while their little corner of South L.A. isn’t perfect, to Rhea and her two best friends, it’s something even more important―it’s home. And it’s worth protecting.

But as more white people flock to their latest edgy, urban paradise for its cheap rent and sparkling new Whole Foods, more of Rhea’s friends and family are pushed out. Until Rhea decides it’s time to push back. Armed with their cellphones and a bag of firecrackers, the friends manipulate social media to create the illusion of gang violence in their neighborhood. All Rhea wanted to do was protect her community. Her friends. Herself. No one was supposed to get hurt. No one was supposed to die.

But is anyone ever really safe when you’re fighting power with fear?

Reviews:

"Equally strong in its magnetic messiness and potent candor, the novel plunges into discussions of youth activism, capitalism-fueled displacement, and racism’s myriad forms with fierce vision and conviction. A robust cast of characters diverse across various dimensions gives voice to contemporary perspectives on community-oriented social justice and performative wokeness . . . this one’s a much-needed read. Plain terrific."――Kirkus Reviews

"In this riveting portrait of community care, debut author Adia paints the pain, danger, and consequences of gentrification with visceral clarity, highlighting changes such as displacement and fractured families via Rhea’s biting and witty voice and her unwavering loyalty to her hometown."――Publishers Weekly

 

Review: coming soon

 

About Jade Adia:

Born and raised in South LA, Jade Adia writes stories about gentrification, Black teen joy, and the sh*tshow that is capitalism.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Ethnicity, Race & Migration, and a certificate in Human Rights. She recently survived law school, graduating with a specialization in Critical Race Studies. There Goes the Neighborhood is her debut novel.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD, US Only.

Ends April 7th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

3/1/2023	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
3/2/2023	YA Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
3/3/2023	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt/IG Post
3/4/2023	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post

Week Two:

3/5/2023	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt
3/6/2023	@ugcbyabby	IG Review/TikTok Post
3/7/2023	Kim"s Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post
3/8/2023	Lifestyle of Me	Review
3/9/2023	Lisa Loves Literature	Review/IG Post
3/10/2023	gsreadingspree	IG Review
3/11/2023	Emily Ashlyn	IG Review/Facebook Post

Week Three:

3/12/2023	Brandi Danielle Davis	IG Review/TikTok Post
3/13/2023	onemused	IG Spotlight
3/14/2023	Eli to the nth	Review/IG Post
3/15/2023	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post
3/16/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic
3/17/2023	Author Z. Knight's Guild	Review
3/18/2023	travelersguidetobooks	IG Review

Week Four:

3/19/2023	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
3/20/2023	@froggyreadteach	IG Review
3/21/2023	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post
3/22/2023	@carlysunshinebooks	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic
3/23/2023	The Litt Librarian	Review/IG Post
3/24/2023	I'm Into Books	Excerpt
3/25/2023	popthebutterfly	Review/IG Post

Week Five:

3/26/2023	Cara North	Review/IG Post
3/27/2023	Two Points of Interest	Review
3/28/2023	@evergirl200	IG Review
3/29/2023	@drew_ambitious_reading	IG Review/TikTok Post
3/30/2023	More Books Please blog	Review/IG Post
3/31/2023	Books with Brandie Shanae	YouTube Review/IG Post

Review: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

 

Another hyped book that missed the mark for me. It had so many similarities and parallels to another book that I read this year and definitely didn't like. I will always say that this book is a watered down version of A Little Life by Hanya Yanaghihara. I read this on ebook and felt that it was way longer than it should have been and it took me a week to read because it was slow and repetitive. 

It's about these two friends named Sam and Sadie. They have been friends since childhood when they met at the hospital. Sadie's sister is battling cancer and Sam is constantly having surgery on his foot. They play games and Sadie decides to record her time at the hospital as community service for her bat mitzvah. Right away from a young age, Sadie is already a shady person. 

There is a cringey student professor relationship and abortion. Multiple fights between our main characters. The talk of appropriation on their first game because it is about a Japanese character and fighting about who gets credit and sexism in the gaming and programming world. 

I wanted to love this book because it is about gaming and it is set in the 90's. But the dynamic between the characters and the constant bickering about the same shit was annoying as hell. The only part of this book that held my attention was the ending which is kind of ironic because one of the characters Marx, who becomes a major role in the book, when asked by Sam what his favorite part of The Illiad is, he says it is the end which earns him the nickname Tamer of Horses. 

I ended up giving this book a 3 stars because it did make me feel emotions at the death scenes but I was pulled out of the story with every argument and cattiness of Sadie who started arguments for no reason. 

Review: The Gentlemen's Guide to Vice and Virtue by MacKenzie Lee

 

A book that I owned and wanted to read when the hype was real but then it turned out that the author is problematic and it took away my enjoyment. I give this a 2 out of 5 stars because I genuinely hated every character. I had just finished reading the first book of Bridgerton and I didn't care about the time period in that book. This book reminded me wy I dislike the Victorian time period. 

Monty is so self absorbed and whiny. Felicity should have definitely been the old sister instead of younger. I did like what her character was offered at the end. I ended up liking the quest once the pirates were introduced and how they had to sneak into the prison. The ending with the heart was the best part.

I disliked that Mackenzie Lee who is known for writing her signature in POC author books over there name and then she has a black character in her book who goes through racist comments and hate. I feel that this book was a way for her to show her true colors before she got caught. 

I will not be continuing this series and I don't want to support Mackenzie Lee as an author but I really want to read the Marvel books she has written because I am Marvel trash.