Review: The Last resort by Susi Holliday

 My only read for the Buzzword reading challenge this month. I was so excited to read something about a game and a good thriller. It was ok. It isn't very memorable and I just wish that the house that is on the cover was the vocal point instead of end point. 

The book follows seven people who have been chosen to go on this luxury vacation. These 7 people come from all walks of life. One is a neuroceutical salesman who cons hippies and moms out of money claiming vitamins are the only way to be healthy. One is a broker who deals with money like investing. Her background wasn't quite clear. Two were social media influencers. And our main character Amelia, most of the time, she was a volunteer who goes into third world countries and helps with anything and everything.

Anyways, they accept these trips without knowing anything and they have to sign NDA's. They can't tell anyone what the email said or what they are doing or where they are going. They all get on this plane and then the plane loses pressure and they all black out. They eventually wake up and they find themselves on this island. They are being hosted by this company called Timeo which none of these people have heard of and couldn't even google. They have no connection to the outside world. They get fitted with these ear trackers that pierces their skin and plugs into their brain waves. That is where the game begins because their worst kept secrets start being revealed to everyone. There are a couple of deaths and a few predictable scenes.

I wasn't a spooked as I hoped to be and it wasn't very thrillerery. This was such a good concept and unfortunately it feel flat. The characters were very one sided and not fleshed out. Some of the characters seemed to blend at times and it was hard to remember who was from where and who did what job. 

This Week Flew// Sunday Post #4

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

I honestly don't know how to feel about this past week. It was a good productive week, but it just flew by and I can't wrap my head around it. My daughters had their annual checkups on Tuesday and they got their required shots. We did some shopping later that day and bought some books. I almost never buy books at full price, but I did this week and it was a shock at the register. It was also a decent summer school week if I think about it. Didn't get as much done as we should have. 

We have also been dealing with more storms. There have been severe thunderstorms and getting pitch black outside with thunder that shakes the house. My garden is getting a good drink from all the rain and my first batch of strawberries are turning red. 

I took part in a spontaneous readathon this week. It is called the Weekathin and it is part of the Readathin which is a month long readathon. The Weekathin has challenges and a 24 hour reading challenge. I had a lot of fun and read a book that was not on my monthly TBR. The video for my TBR is down below. If you are not subscribed to my Youtube channel, I would appreciate the support.

Monday: Review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare *SPOILERS*

Tuesday: NONE

Wednesday: Review: Amulet: Prince of the Elves by Kazu Kibuishi *SPOILERS*

Thursday: Review: Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Friday: JUNE 2020 OWLCRATE & OWLCRATE JR UNBOXING

Saturday: Review: Dunbar by Edward St. Aubyn

1. The Last Resort Review
2. Halloween in July tag
3. Heart of the Impaler Review
4. Book Unhaul video
5. Readathin Vlog
6. Top Ten Tuesday

The books I bought at Target on Tuesday. Catwoman and The Hill We Climb is for my 12 year old daughter. 

This week was the end of the first season of Loki and I was a little let down by the show. I was confused through most of it and the scientific terms about the timeline and the variants. I didn't care about the Time Keepers of the TVA. I did enjoy learning that Loki is gender fluid and bisexual. Out of the three Marvel shows this year, this one has to be on the bottom.

My husband recently got a new iphone and he was given a one year free subscription to apple tv plus. I have been taking advantage and watching some shows and movies that I have been hearing amazing things about. I learned about Long Way Up from a Youtuber I watch and I love Ewan McGregor and Long Way Round was the first documentary where they travel the world on motorcycles starting from London and going to New York. They travel through Ukraine, Mongolia and Russia and I binged the series in 2-3 days. I am currently on episode 8 of Long Way Down where they travel from Scotland all the way to Cape Town, South Africa. I highly recommend and I have the book that is a companion to Long Way Round on hold at my library. 

MY BOOKTUBE VIDEO THIS WEEK

HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A FUN, SAFE, RELAXING, AND PRODUCTIVE WEEK!!

Review: Dunbar by Edward St. Aubyn

 

I did not plan on reading this book this month, but I spontaneously joined the readathin weekathin this week on the 11th, and this was my pick for the prompt for a giveaway win. I won this book back in 2017 on Goodreads. I have been wanting to get to it for a while and have been thinking about it a lot this year and I am glad that I picked it up. Going into this, I knew that it was a King Lear retelling. I have never read a Shakespeare play or and work by him. So I have no idea if this is stays true to the original in any way.

Our main character is Henry Dunbar and he is in a sanatorium thanks to his daughters who are planning to completely take over his company and turn it private so they can become even richer. While he is in this sanatorium he is just raging against everyone who stole his company from him. His only friend in the place is a guy who is a comedian and does impressions. He is also an alcoholic who ends up escaping with Henry to the nearest pub. We also meet Henry's three daughters. The older two who are trying to take over and the third daughter who just wants her father back in her life and doesn't care about the money or shares. 

I really loved reading the daughters stories and I was really bored when I was reading Henry's POV. There were a lot of big words that I had no clue what they meant or how they were pronounced. I ended up giving this a 3 star because I really liked the story. I like the suspense and the thrill of the murders and the torture and the deception and the conniving companies. 

JUNE 2020 OWLCRATE AND OWLCRATE JR UNBOXING

 JUNE 2020 OWLCRATE: All The World's A Stage

• Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles (signed, exclusive OwlCrate Edition)
• Cirque Du Freak Mini Donut Coffee (Bones Coffee Company)
• Ace of Shades-inspired Shower Steamer (Whipped Up Wonderful)
• The Greatest Showman-inspired Habit Tracker (designed by paperbackbones)
• Shakespeare-inspired Pencil Set (Team OwlCrate)
• The Night Circus-inspired Pencil Cup Tin (designed by Forensics and Flowers)
• Exclusive OwlCrate "Glorian Stamp" Enamel Pin (designed by Blissfully Bookish Co)
• Exclusive Where Dreams Descend Author Letter.

JUNE 2020 OWLCRATE JR: Magic in Bloom

The Girl and the Witch's Garden by Erin Bowman (signed, exclusive OwlCrate Jr Edition)
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (Puffin Classics)
Crystal-Growing Cherry Tree kit (Copernicus Toys)
Super Mario-inspired Fire Flower tea (Riddle's Tea Shoppe)
Herbology Club woodmark (Mandrake Of The Month Club)
Dandelion gel pen
Magic In Bloom collectible sticker (designed by Erin Gibbs)
Exclusive author letter
OwlCrate Jr Magazine Issue #22 (Cover art by Shafer Brown and interior designed by Michelle Gray)
July 'Lost In A Book' sneak peek postcard (Designed by VeepDoodles)

Review: Guts by Raina Telgemeier

 I have completed another series. This is the conclusion to the Smile graphic memoir series by author Rain Telgemeier. The first book was called Smile and and the second is called sisters. Thanks to my 12 year old for putting the first book on her 2021 TBR and forcing me to read it because she wanted to talk about it with me. Little booktuber/ book reviewer in training. 

This installment is centered around the character Raina's chronic illness of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). She also deals with anxiety and panic attacks. This story take place while she is in 4th grade and she is also dealing with a bully.

The story starts off with her and her mother dealing with food poisoning and that is where Raina becomes afraid of vomit and the word and actually the risk of throwing up which causes her a great amount of stress which then affects her digestive system that completely disrupts her school life.

She has to go to therapy where she learns how to cope and she eventually finds out that the bully that was bullying her was also going through stomach issues as well. 

I absolutely loved this middle grade memoir series. I feel that it teachers about a lot. The first was to be careful and that things will be alright even if they don't go the way as planned. The second one was about family and to love your siblings and that young ones do pay attention to everything their parents do. 

I highly recommend this to all ages. 

Review: Amulet: Prince of the Elves by Kazu Kibuishi *SPOILERS*

 Book 5 of this middle grade graphic novel series complete. I ended up giving this a 4 out of 5. It was as memorable as the previous book, but it did give backstory to the bad kid Max and how the stones came to be in control. It also introduces a new element that the stone can achieve. Time Travel. 

The book starts off with Emily and Navin splitting up and going with groups to figure out how to find Max and beat the elves. Emily is working with Trellis, the disinherited elf prince who also has a stone. Navin is going with a group who are working on robot warriors that have the same technology as the moving and walking houses.

The only parts that I remember are learning the back story about Max and how he freed Elven prisoners and that he was sent to prison for 50 years. 

Cogsley is still being mama to the baby wyvern Dago and I am obsessed with his overbite. 

I didn't really enjoy this after the first bit, as I don't remember much besides the time travel which is weird to introduce this far into the series and there are only going to be 4 volumes left. 

Review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare *SPOILERS*

 

I FINALLY READ IT!!!!!! I have had this on my TBR since I finished Clockwork Princess earlier this year. I freaking loved every second while reading this. I loved the back and forth between the different groups. I cried over Sebastian and his endgame. I ended up being sad over a character that I didn't really like at the beginning. 

If you have not read the title, this review will contain spoilers. So if you have not read The Mortal Instruments or this book yet, I highly suggest not reading ahead. 

This book introduces so new characters which is always weird to do in the conclusion of a series, but since this is part of a large world, you definitely need to read this series before picking up The Dark Artifices series. We meet Emma and Julian as the Los Angeles institute is being attacked by Sebastion and his group of Endarkened Shadowhunters who have been turned by the Infernal Cup. Emma and Julian and the other Blackthorn children escape to Idris. 

The other institutes around the world go silent and every shadowhunter relocates to Idris. While in Alicante, they are constantly on alert by the demon towers. They are having to attend meetings with Downworlder representatives who eventually get kidnapped by Sebastian with the help of the Seelie Queen. 

Jace is trying to figure out how to control the heavenly fire in his veins. Clary is trying to show people that the Morgenstern name is all that bad just because of Valentine and her brother. Alec is missing and pouting over his ended relationship with Magnus. Isabelle is trying to role play with Simon. They haven't determined the status of their relationship to the chagrin of the others. Jordan and Maia have the perfect relationship until it is revealed that Maia wants to end the relationship.

There is a lot of death and we get the return of a character that "died" in Clockwork Princess. The whole time I was reading his new name, I was thinking of his actual name. 

Before picking this book up, I put the Shadowhunter's Codex in my Amazon cart. I always told myself I wasn't going to buy it, but this book mentions the Codex so freaking much. I need to know what everything means. I also feel that it will give me a recap of the first few books in the Mortal Instruments as I started this series two years ago.