Review: Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfar

 

I have had an arc of this book since 2017 and it has been on my shelf collecting dust until recently when I saw the trailer for the new Adam Sandler Netflix movie called Spaceman. I didn't put two and two together until the title of the book was mentioned and I was like, I have that. I have been wanting to read it for the past two months and since then I have been hyping myself up and also hoping that it wouldn't be too similar to Project Hail Mary. Project Hail Mary came out years after this book and I was constantly saying that I hope it wasn't a rip off of Spaceman. The reason for these thoughts is because there is a space creature that is a SPIDER!!!! My favorite character from Project Hail Mary is Rocky who is described as a spider like creature.

Anyways, this is about a guy named Jakub who lives in Czechoslavakia. He is the first Czech astronaut and will be the first human to go to the dust cloud that has formed between Earth and Venus. This dust cloud is known as the Chopra cloud and at night it gives the Earth sky a purple color. The first quarter of the book is Jakub in space by himself and he is dreading the interviews from the public. He is slacking on his exercise and the only thing he looks forward to is his phone calls with his wife Lenka.

One day, Jakub hears tapping and slowly his equipment starts going out. His handlers at central don't know what is going on but they keep the show going. Jakub then sees a hairy creature that is interested in him and can read his mind. Jakub being all alone in space for months forms an attachment to this creature that he names Hanus. Hanus is on the run from these little parasites known as Gromopeds that want to cause an extinction. Hanus is also wanting to go to the Chopra cloud because it is the beginning, kind of like the big bang. 

They get to the cloud and the cloud absolutely annihilates Jakubs shuttle and basically kills all systems. He gets into his suit and he has three hours of oxygen. He has one last conversation with the Prime Minister who spear headed the program and the prime minister tells him that he will be remembered and have statues dedicated to him.

Jakub also reminiscies about his father alot because while the Czech were under Russian rule, his dad was an informant. When Czechoslavakia became independent, his father became public enemy number 1 in the eyes of the public and was wanted for crimes against the people. Jakubs parents went on a ski holiday before everything started and his parents tragically died in a ski lift accident. Jakub then goes to live with his grandparents and then a former prisoner who was tortured by his father comes back to take what is his.

This book was just not what I was expecting. Jakub being in space was the first quarter of the book and then he was rescued and out of space. The rest was his childhood with his grandparents and then whining about how his wife left him and wanting to know why he was constantly putting himself first before her. 

I just did not gel because it was all philosophy talk and politics and I just hope that the movie is better. I gave this a 2 star. 

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Authors I Want More From

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl.

This weeks topic is one that I have given much thought and think about often. It's authors I would want a new book from. I am all the time checking twitter pages and goodreads pages with author websites. Here is my list.

1. Corey Leonardo

2. Vicky Alvear Shecter

3. Tara Clancy

4. Lori M Lee

5. Khaled Hosseini

6. Edwin Fontanez

7. London Shah

8. Nadine Brandes

9. Helene wecker

10. Xiran Jay Zhao (she is writing but her publisher is being a major asshat)

Review: That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted A Love Potion At A Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming

 

Still in my reading series era. The second book in the Mead Mishap series. The book with the funniest but longest ass title in existence. This installment follows Cinnamon's best friend Brie who is a cheesemaker. We start with Cinnamon and Brie in the local tavern  with the locals and the newly free demons. Brie is basically being harrassed by a guy named Jack who just won't leave her the hell alone. We find out why he wants her so badly. He owns the land next to hers and he is also a get rich quick scheme kind of dude who is a con man. 

He basically gets her a drink and right from the very beginning, red flags are being flown. You never take a drink from a dude. She is sick and tired of his shit and she yeets the drink at him. He moves out of the way very quickly and the drink lands on our other main character who is also Cinnamon's best demon friend Felix. Thats where the title comes in. But it is a lot more complicated than that because Felix is a werewolf and immediately upon seeing Brie, he imprints on her making her his fated mate.

The whole story is basically Brie denying the imprinting and trying to reverse the love potion that was meant for her and the disgusting Jack. We have another main plot line where girls are being taken and the locals are blaming the demons. The demons help search for the women and we get a group that is basically straight out of The Handmaid's Tale.

There were funny times in this but the main plot was serious and there were more steamy scenes, but they didn't seem as realistic as the ones in the first book. I still give the a 5 out of 5 stars but I am wondering if my rating will drop in the future because as I was starting to write this review, I had to go back to the beginning of the book and remember how it started. 

BLOG TOUR: The Thief of Time by Vivi Barnes

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE THIEF OF TIME by Vivi Barnes, Christina Farley, and Amy Christine Parker Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: THE THIEF OF TIME (The Library of Alexandria Series #1)

Author: Vivi Barnes, Christina Farley, and Amy Christine Parker

Pub. Date: May 7, 2024

Publisher: Infinity House Creative

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 312

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/THE-THIEF-OF-TIME

“The Thief of Time is a thrilling contemporary fantasy that will steal your breath away. Chock full of complex world building and magic that springs from the power of story, this book will definitely keep young readers turning pages.”—Polly Holyoke, Award-winning author

Unleash the Magic…

THE THIEF OF TIME is an exciting middle-grade contemporary fantasy adventure that takes readers on a thrilling journey through the realms of magic, friendship, and self-discovery.

On a visit to their local library, Ben, Bridgette, and Maya unwittingly unleash a dragon from an ancient book and find themselves fighting for their lives against a swarm of evil birds. They battle to escape with the help of the dragon and are whisked through a portal into the magical Great Library of Alexandria.

Once they pass the Trials and prove themselves worthy, they are invited to become students at Helicon Academy. There they train to become librarians for the Library of Alexandria, protecting books and the magical artifacts within.

Ben, Bridgette, and Maya fall in love with the story-themed dinners, fantastical animals, and fictional characters roaming the halls. But when they discover a dark and sinister mystery within the academy’s halls, the three must embark on a quest to protect the library and preserve the fabric of time itself. 

REVIEWS:

"Every so often, you read a book with a fictional place that is so full of magic and so full of wonder that you want to live there forever -- the library in The Thief of Time is such a place. You're in for a treat!" —Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of Spark

What a ride! The Thief of Time whisks readers from the immortal Library of Alexandria to adventures across the globe. Maya, Ben, and Bridgette kept me reading to the very end! —Sarah McGuire, author of Flight of Swans and Valiant

We all know books are magic, but in The Thief of Time, they are beyond our expectations! This adventure jumps right in with our protagonists facing an adventure, both physically and mentally, unlike any other I've read. Fans of Land of Stories and magical school books are going to devour this new twist on what it means to truly get into a book. —Kellee Moye, librarian

 

Book Trailer:

About Vivi Barnes, Christina Farley, and Amy Christine Parker:

Vivi Barnes, Christina Farley, and Amy Christine Parker are best friends who bonded over their love of telling stories and going on adventures. They live in sunny Central Florida with their families, where inspiration is just a beach day away.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram

@amychristinepar

@christinaLFarley

@vivibarnes

 

TikTok

@AmyChristineParker

@ChristinaFarleyAuthor

@ViviBarnes82

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $25 gift card to the book vendor of their choice, International.

Ends May 21st, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

5/6/2024	YA Books Central	Interview/IG Post
5/6/2024	@darkfantasyreviews	Excerpt
5/7/2024	Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post
5/7/2024	onemused	IG Post
5/8/2024	@thepagelady	IG Review
5/8/2024	GryffindorBookishnerd	IG Review
5/9/2024	jlreadstoperpetuity	IG Review/TikTok Post
5/9/2024	@evergirl200	IG Review
5/10/2024	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
5/10/2024	@katherinebichler	TikTok Post

Week Two:

5/13/2024	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post
5/13/2024	Wishful Endings	Excerpt/IG Post
5/14/2024	Two Points of Interest	Review
5/14/2024	Lifestyle of Me	Review
5/15/2024	blueeez_away	IG Review
5/15/2024	The Book Critic	Review/IG Post
5/16/2024	Triquetra Reviews	Review/IG Post
5/16/2024	The Momma Spot	Review
5/17/2024	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
5/17/2024	A Backwards Story	Review/IG Post

Review: The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

 

Have I become obsessed with this series???? YES! I read the first book last year intending to watch the first season straight away, but that didn't happen. My husband and I started it this year and I am hooked. I immediately requested this book from my library after finishing the last episode of season 1. It took me a week to pick it up because I was in the middle of other books I was currently obsessing over.

I was gripped from the very beginning with the prologue. We get to learn about Edmund Bridgerton, the Bridgerton daddy. We learn that he was a very hands on dad with his sons and daughters and it was unheard of. He would get yelled at by the children's nurse and chase them around the yard because it was not propert for a father to play with his children.

With this being Anthony's story, we learn how Edmund dies at 38 years old when Anthony was 18 and how it basically formed his outlook on life and how he was viewed  as a rake thanks to Lady Whistledown. How Edmund died made me gasp outloud because this little thing is a symbol for Bridgerton. 

Anthony decides to finally settle down and marry and gain an heir before he dies of a young age like his father and uncle. He is so adament that he is going to die young that he refuses to fall in love with his intended bride. He finds out who the diamond of the season is and tries to court her, but he runs into wall after wall named Kate who is Edwina's older sister. These two sisters are coming out at the same time and the Queen has chosen Edwina to be the diamond because she has more beauty than Kate.

Kate doesn't mind, she just wants the best for her sister. With Edwina being the diamond, Anthony tries to get to know her and Kate is not having any of it because she believes Lady Whistledown wholeheartedly about Anthony being a rake. Rake is a lman whore in victorian England. 

I enjoyed every minute of my reading and I wanted to tab so many things but it was a library book. I love the foreshadowing and the clues to who liked who. Especially with the 3rd season coming to Netflix next week, and it being about Colin and Penelope, I screamed when the first Pall Mall game was being played and Colin picked the YELLOW mallet. YELLOW= PENELOPE!!!!!! Like WHAT!!!!

I am going to try to get to the third book soon because that is Benedict's story and I honestly LOVE Benedict in the show. I am hoping that they go with a gay storyline for him because honestly... how could you not.

Review: That Time I Got Drunk And Saved A Demon by Kimberly Lemming

 

The hype got to me and I am so glad that it did. This was a fantastic time. I laughed and related to it. I didn't have to wait long for my library hold to come in and I jumped on the hold list right when they ordered books 2 and 3. I have those on my bedside waiting. I am reading through series this year and I feel like a whole new person.

This were indie published and then they got picked up by a traditional publisher and I am so glad they did. It is a cozy fantasy and it is spicy spicy. It is full of hilarious moments.

Our main girl Cinnamon is celebrating with her village. There is a festival being thrown for the chosen girl to go fight demons. It is a high honor bestowed by the goddess who keeps the village demon free. Cinnamon is getting wasted and hanging out with her friend Briewhen there is a massive earthquake. They chock it down to Priscilla who was the chosen one already kicking demon ass.

 Cinnamon and her family live on a spice farm where they grow CINNAMON! Cinnamon is on the way home through and she gets stopped by a wanna be bandit who tries to take her cloak and she chases him threw the forest. She starts slowing down because she is tipsy as hell when she starts to hear groaning. She sees a guy trapped under debris and she helps him escape. Turns out the dude is a demon. Cinnamon throws a cinnamon stick at him and she runs for home. He chases her and thats where things start.

The next morning, her brothers Cumin and Chili are giving her the ultimate mocking. Her mom is so freaking relatable because she can't get their names right and it's all middle child stop badgering the girl child and spare male child and shit like that. I mix up my kids names all the time, so that bit had me rolling.

While they are eating breakfast, they start talking about the demon and he just pops up in the kitchen window like here I am. He tasks Cinnamon to help him destroy the goddess chalice at the temple because there had been  700 years of lies and demons being tortured. Cinnamon is given an ultimatum, help the demon or he kills her family and friends. They do the task and then they have to go on a quest because Cinnamon opens her mouth and mentions three other temples with three other chalices.

Along the way they form a crew of friends who are down to help them destroy the witch who is posing as a goddess. We meet the werewolf who is the main love interest in the second book and the one I am looking forward to the most solely because of the title.

There were a lot of spicy sex scenes and a couple of the scenes were a little uncomfortable due to what was said and some of the actions that Fallon did with Cinnamon. But other than that, I ended up giving this a 5 out of 5 stars. 

Review: Runaway Max by Breena Yovanoff

 I am continuing my read/watch order of Stranger Things and this was the second book to be released before the third season. The synopsis of this book claims that this is a must read before season 3 so we can get background on Max and I am here to say that is a LIE!!!

This book is mainly a recap of all of season 2 from Max's POV. When we are not reading about her arrival in Hawkins, we are getting her life with her mom and stepdad and Billy. She compares everything to her time in LA and how her dad never had a decent job and he was a jack of all trades. He was a bookie and made fake ID's. He would take her to hole in the wall bars when she would visit him after the divorce. 

I wanted to learn so much about Max because this is supposedly an official Stranger Things novel but it didn't give any new information and the background that we did get was just boring. Also it hints at why they possible left California and moved to Hawkins, but if that was the case, then why the hell didn't Neil just put Billy in a military school like he threatened. Well, technically he threatened JROTC, but that isn't much. 

I hope that the next three books are better and don't be a complete waste of time and trees. I would be highly upset. So far out of the three books I have read, my rank is book 1,2 and then this one.

I do not reccomend reading this at all!