We are living in chaotic times right now. There is a lot of uncertainty in the world, and life as we knew it even a week or two ago has changed dramatically. My hubby and I are practicing social distancing, trying to do our part to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus and not overwhelm our healthcare system. We are working from home and staying home unless in the event of an emergency. The idea of quarantine initially sounded terrible to me, but truthfully, things could be so much worse. Being at home for a couple of weeks while we work, stream videos, spend time together, and deep clean our house is not exactly a hardship. We can even have groceries and essentials delivered in a matter of hours. We can talk and video chat with loved ones to check on each other and keep our spirits up. And of course, there are books. I just might make a much needed dent in my TBR pile this year after all!
Seriously, though, today is day five of quarantine, and I might be starting to go a little stir crazy if it weren’t for my books. I plan to keep reading and posting reviews because I think we all need a distraction and something to look forward to, like new releases!
If ever there were a time for comfort reading, this is it! I was beyond thrilled to read the newest book from one of my favorite authors, The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin. The book releases June 2nd and is sure to be another hit like her previous nine novels have been. I’ve been reading Giffin’s books since her debut over ten years ago, Something Borrowed. She has become an automatic buy for me, or an automatic request via NetGalley. I was beyond thrilled to receive an early copy of her newest book, and the timing couldn’t have been better.
I don’t know about you, but nothing makes me want to read a book more than someone telling me I can’t or shouldn’t read it. Maybe this is why I love banned books so much. I just have to know what all the fuss is about! Today’s review is of the newly released Don’t Check Out This Book! by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise from Algonquin Young Readers. The book is an illustrated novel for young readers in grades 3 through 7. As the title suggests, it’s all about fighting censorship and corruption.
Over the last year or so I’ve really developed an appreciation of graphic novels. To be completely honest, I didn’t really “get” graphic novels when I initially discovered them a few years ago. They looked more like comic books than novels and they were packed with illustrations and very little text compared to other middle grade and YA novels. But I’ve come to discover the value of graphic novels on multiple levels.
So far 2020 has brought incredible reading my way. If you missed my review of Cynthia L. Copeland’s debut graphic novel for young readers, Cub, you can go back and 
Well it’s officially October and time for all things spooky and magical! I started my month off with a new book from Algonquin Young Readers, The Dark Lord Clementine by Sarah Jean Horwitz. As the cover art and title suggest, this is a fantasy book for young readers filled with magic and adventure with a storybook feel to it. It is a great pick if your kiddos want something to suit the season or for any kids who enjoy adventure stories. Additionally, this book features a strong female lead with strong female supporting characters. Definitely a plus in my book, as I feel that adventure stories still tend to lean toward male protagonists. But not in this book. This book is all about Lady Clementine, daughter to the Dark Lord Elithor and heir to Castle Brack, where hundreds of years of Dark Lords have ruled before her. But…what if Clementine doesn’t want to be a Dark Lord? What if she doesn’t want to be a Dark anything?
This month I am thrilled to be a part of the Revell Reads blog tour for Erin Bartels’s newest release, The Words Between Us. I was drawn to this book right away by – you guessed it – the cover art! I have often admitted to not necessarily judging books by their covers but being drawn to books by their covers. I mean, that’s what cover art is supposed to do, right? The cover of this new novel is books – stacks of books upon stacks of books. We see the pages but never the covers or spines. I liked that. It made the cover intriguing. Between the cover art and the title, it was clear that books and writing play a big role in this story, and that is always a plus for me. There is also a grey feather loosely placed among the books, which I found out is attributed to a certain feathered character who ended up becoming a favorite of mine.