Thursday, September 19, 2024

Review: The Mysterious Mr Quin by Agatha Christie


 Another Agatha Christie book that I do not know how to feel about. Thankfully these were short stories and not a series of novels. That being said, I think that they were to convinient and easy. By the last two stories, I actually wanted to know if Mr. Quin was meant to be a spectre, ghost, or hallucination.

Our main character Mr. Satterthwaite is always in a place where something goes wrong or something is about to happen. When the conflict arises, he is always thinking of his friend Mr. Quin and what would he do and then boom, he just shows up. The thing is, he never really helps with the cases or investigations. He just gives Mr. Satterthwaite the confidence to figure it out on his own and when the case is resolved, Mr. Quin just vanishes.

The last story is really puzzling because it takes place at the end of a dead end road with a rubbush heap at the end. Mr. Satterthwaite ends up saving a life from being unalived by themselves and Mr. Quin is walking down the road like a grim reaper... that is how I interpreted the scene. 

I don't know if these shorts have been adapted, if so, I would love to see how Mr. Quin is shown and written.

Monday, September 16, 2024

Blog Tour: Anti-Hero Blues by Christopher Lee Rippee

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the ANTI-HERO BLUES by Christopher Lee Rippee Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: ANTI-HERO BLUES

Author: Christopher Lee Rippee

Pub. Date: August 16, 2024

Publisher: Balance of Seven

Formats:  Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 400

Find it: Goodreadshttps://books2read.com/ANTI-HERO-BLUES 

How do you save a world that believes you're the villain?

In Union City, where superpowered vigilantes are celebrated as saviors, rebellious grad-student Brandon Carter sees them as anything but. Haunted by the death of his father at the hands of a masked "hero," Brandon's defiance might have landed him in a jail cell if not for his gift for physics.

At twenty-three, Brandon is on the precipice of success. Using his research, his team is just one test away from a world-changing scientific breakthrough-a test that nearly ends in catastrophe due to an "error" in the code.

With the project set for termination, Brandon throws caution to the wind, sneaking back into the lab to rerun the test in secret. But when a mysterious, powerful assassin attacks him and sabotages the experiment, a devastating explosion levels the lab.

Against all odds, Brandon survives, transformed in mind and body. With his life on the line and no idea who to trust, he sets out to uncover the truth behind the attack, gain control of his strange, new powers, and protect those he loves-even if it means saving a world that would label him a supervillain.


About Christopher Lee Rippee:


Christopher Lee Rippee won a young authors contest in third grade, which was the day he officially decided to become a writer. He prepared by reading comics, playing too much Dungeons & Dragons, and devouring every sci -fi and fantasy novel he could get his hands on.

Along the way, thanks to some great people and a lifelong love of punk rock, Chris found his way to social work and currently works at a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit. He's also a certified mental-health first-aid trainer, has worked as a neurodiversity consultant for several Pittsburgh-based tech startups, and has contributed to several tabletop RPG products. When not writing, Chris reads, plays games, and spends time with his lovely wife, Nicole, and their adorable rescue dog, Belle.

Website | Threads | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.

Ends October 5th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/2/2024

Lady Hawkeye

Excerpt/IG Post

9/3/2024

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt/IG Post

9/4/2024

Daily Waffle

Excerpt

9/5/2024

Fire and Ice Reads

Excerpt/IG Post

9/6/2024

The Momma Spot

Excerpt

Week Two:

9/9/2024

Edith's Little Free Library

IG Post/TikTok Post

9/10/2024

Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Excerpt/IG Post

9/11/2024

Comic Book Yeti

Excerpt

9/12/2024

GryffindorBookishnerd

Review/IG Post

9/13/2024

Rajiv's reviews

Review/IG Post

Week Three:

9/16/2024

Lifestyle of Me

Review

9/17/2024

@thepagelady

IG Review

9/18/2024

@evergirl200

IG Review

9/19/2024

Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's

Review/IG Post

9/20/2024

jlreadstoperpetuity

IG Review/TikTok Post

Week Four:

9/23/2024

Country Mamas With Kids

Review/IG Post

9/24/2024

@heyashleyyreads

IG Review/TikTok Post

9/25/2024

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post

9/26/2024

Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Review/IG Post

9/27/2024

Nerdophiles

Review

Week Five:

9/30/2024

@callistoscalling

IG Review


Friday, September 13, 2024

Blog Tour: Controlled Conversations by Karol Lagodzki

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the CONTROLLED CONVERSATIONS by Karol Lagodzki Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: CONTROLLED CONVERSATIONS

Author: Karol Lagodzki

Pub. Date: August 20, 2024

Publisher: Milford House Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 228

Find it: Goodreadshttps://books2read.com/CONTROLLED-CONVERSATIONS 

In 1982 Soviet-controlled Poland-a time and place of suspicion and mistrust-when geopolitical forces and violent men descend upon her little town of Zygmuntowo, Emilia must decide if she's willing to risk prison or worse for self-respect and for her unexpected love.

A telephone station switchboard operator ordered to monitor the calls she connects, Emilia overhears a mysterious coded conversation. It continues to distract her, but not as much as the growing realization that she's falling in unsanctioned love with her best friend Kalina. Meanwhile, outside the city of Frombork, Antek, a shipyard engineer and a Solidarity labor union treasurer, escapes from prison and works to recover the union's money, a task which in time leads him to Emilia's town. In the metropolitan city of Gdańsk, Roman, a secret police major, wants the money for himself and dreams of his own escape and the magical beaches of Rio de Janeiro.

As the only daughter of a local Communist Party apparatchik, Emilia has enjoyed a sheltered life, but with the advent of martial law, her mother's influence can no longer shield her. She faces choices she never expected to make when she discovers her best friend's and lover's involvement with the resistance. With new allies and enemies in town, the time to choose a side is now.

In his debut novel, Karol Lagodzki asks: What separates people who transcend their fear and take risks for the sake of change from the rest of us? The answer is up to the readers.


About Karol Lagodzki:

Karol Lagodzki, a native of Poland, is an exophonic, English-language author of fiction. His  stories have appeared in Invisible City, Storm Cellar, NUNUM, Streetlight Magazine, and  elsewhere, and he has won Panel Magazine’s Ruritania Prize for Short Fiction. Controlled  Conversations is his debut novel. 

He holds an MFA in creative writing, buys more books than he can read or afford—usually  novels and short story collections, though he’s been known to pick up an odd book of poetry or  accessible science—and gives back to the literary community by serving as a reader for several journals. Karol’s non-writing careers have ranged from fixing stucco while dangling from roofs  in Paris to sorting through human cadaver heads in Florida to developing and marketing medical  devices for critically ill people in the American Midwest, but his true ambition is to remain a  student for as long as he possibly can and make sure more stories make it out onto the page. 

Karol lives halfway down a Southern Indiana ravine with his wonderful, unconventional family,  a scurry of squirrels, a passel of possums, a gaze of raccoons, a descent of woodpeckers, and a  large dog.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | BlueSky | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.

Ends October 5th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/2/2024

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt/IG Post

9/3/2024

Writer of Wrongs

Excerpt

9/4/2024

Daily Waffle

Excerpt

9/5/2024

Fire and Ice Reads

Excerpt/IG Post

9/6/2024

Edith's Little Free Library

IG & TikTok Post

Week Two:

9/9/2024

Lady Hawkeye

Excerpt/IG Post

9/10/2024

Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Excerpt

9/11/2024

Rajiv's reviews

Review/IG Post

9/12/2024

GryffindorBookishnerd

IG Review

9/13/2024

Lifestyle of Me

Review 

Week Three:

9/16/2024

@heyashleyyreads

IG Review/TikTok Post

9/17/2024

The Momma Spot

Review

9/18/2024

@callistoscalling

IG Post

9/19/2024

Nerdophiles

Review

9/20/2024

jlreadstoperpetuity

IG Review/TikTok Post

Week Four:

9/23/2024

@evergirl200

IG Review

9/24/2024

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post

9/25/2024

Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's

Review/IG Post

9/26/2024

@amysbookshelf82

IG Review

9/27/2024

Country Mamas With Kids

Review/IG Post

Week Five:

9/30/2024

Two Points of Interest

Review


Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Blog Tour: The Chronicles of Viktor Valentine by Z Brewer

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE CHRONICLES OF VIKTOR VALENTINE by Z Brewer Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: THE CHRONICLES OF VIKTOR VALENTINE

Author: Z Brewer

Pub. Date: September 3, 2024

Publisher: Quill Tree Books

Formats:  Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 272

Find it: Goodreadshttps://books2read.com/THE-CHRONICLES-OF-VIKTOR-VALENTINE

A perfectly average boy uncovers a supernatural secret about his family that could put his whole town in grave danger—if it doesn’t make him die of embarrassment first—in this mysterious and funny middle grade debut from New York Times bestselling author Z Brewer.

Viktor Valentine can’t think of a better way to end his summer vacation than playing All the Vampires Everywhere, his favorite video game, with his best friend, Damon. Yet his parents, who make cringey jokes and call him dorky nicknames, seem set on ruining his plans. Viktor knows he can’t really compete with Damon’s “cool” friends—so their epic video game playing is the best Viktor can do to come close to being cool in Damon’s eyes.

But then Viktor slowly starts to realize that his parents may be hiding something from him. They’re acting very suspicious; they sneak out after midnight and return with bloody mouths. But he’s probably just played too many video games. After all, vampires aren’t real . . . right?

Seventh grade is tough enough without having to figure out if your family has fangs. And to make matters worse, the new girl that moved in across the street seems particularly interested in things that go bump in the night. Can Viktor protect his family, or will his sleuthing come back to bite him?


About Z Brewer:


Z Brewer
 is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, including the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, and more short stories than they can recall. Their pronouns are they/them. Z is also an outspoken mental health and antibullying advocate. Plus, they have awesome hair. Visit Z online at zbrewerbooks.com.

Website | Twitter (X) | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Discord Server | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 




Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of THE CHRONICLES OF VIKTOR VALENTINE, US only.

Ends September 17th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/2/2024

Two Chicks on Books

Guest Post/IG Post

9/2/2024

Daily Waffle

Guest Post

9/3/2024

onemused

IG Post-Guest Post

9/3/2024

Fire and Ice Reads

Guest Post/IG Post

9/4/2024

YA Books Central

Interview/IG Post

9/4/2024

Edith's Little Free Library

IG Post/TikTok Post

9/5/2024

Rajiv's reviews

Review/IG Post

9/5/2024

Bookborne Hunter

Review/IG Post

9/6/2024

avainbookland

IG Review

9/6/2024

@evergirl200

IG Review

Week Two:

9/9/2024

FUONLYKNEW

Review

9/9/2024

GryffindorBookishnerd

IG Review

9/10/2024

Lifestyle of Me

Review

9/10/2024

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Review/IG Post

9/11/2024

@thepagelady

IG Review

9/11/2024

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Review

9/12/2024

Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's

Review/IG Post

9/12/2024

@enthuse_reader

IG Review

9/13/2024

Country Mamas With Kids

Review/IG Post

9/13/2024

Nonbinary Knight Reads

Review/IG Post


Review: Is This A Cry For Help by Emily Austin

  DNF at 40%. I could not continue this whiplash. I was expecting some big drama surrounding the ex but finding out that she broke up with h...