BONES OF A SAINT BY GRANT FARLEY | BOOK REVIEW
Bones Of A Saint by Grant Farley is a young adult historical fiction. The book tells us the is a coming-of-age story of the 15-year-old RJ Armante set against the backdrop of late 70's Northern California. RJ has lived his whole life in the hometown of Arcangel. The Blackjacks have ruled the town for years and force younger kids to do petty offenses for the gang. RJ lives with his mother, many siblings, and his differently-abled brother in a trailer park. The young boy has always been in troubling situations and finds himself at the center of a dangerous situation that forces him to work for the Blackjacks. He is…
- ADULT, ARCS, BOOK REVIEWS, CULTURAL, FICTION, HISTORICAL FICTION, LITERARY FICTION, NETGALLEY, WEST AFRICAN
KOLOLO HILL BY NEEMA SHAH | BOOK REVIEW
Kololo Hill by Neema Shah is the debut Asian Ugandan literature set in 1970's Uganda that will captivate you with its human story of love, loss, and desperation of families who were thrown out of their homes and country. This was such a familiar story, yet so different and important to be read in these times of division, hatred, and otherisms. It is very relevant to the times we live as conversations of race, inequality, oppression, power, and devastation are at the forefront of our lives. Overall, this is a story that sheds light on the expulsion of Asian Ugandans during Idi Amin's oppressive regime. This is a lesser-known history…
A BEAUTIFUL SPY BY RACHEL HORE | BOOK REVIEW
Rachel Hore's A Beautiful Spy tells us the story of an ordinary young woman from Edgbaston, who changes her destiny by working as a spy for the British Government. Young Minnie is expected to get married, start a family, and live happily in the role of a house-wife. But she has other plans. She doesn't want to live an ordinary life, with no excitement. So when a friend offers the chance to be something more and work for a cause, she jumps at the opportunity. Minnie is recruited by MI5 as a spy to monitor the activities of the communists in London. She works with all of her heart and…
- ADULT, ARCS, BOOK REVIEWS, CHICK-LIT, CONTEMPORARY, FANTASY, FICTION, LITERARY FICTION, MAGICAL REALISM, NETGALLEY, SCIENCE FICTION, WOMEN'S FICTION
SPACE HOPPER / FAYE , FARAWAY BY HELEN FISHER | BOOK REVIEW
Space Hopper by Helen Fisher is her debut book and let me just say, she knocked it out of the park with this one. I love when books can make us think, feel, and at the same get invested in the character's life, so much so that we are cheering them on from the sidelines. This book is no different in that regard. A wonderful and emotional read that will grip you from the very first line and will not leave you adrift. If you love stories of time travel and magical realism, this one is for you. The story is about Faye a 36-year-old woman who has been living…
HOW TO WRITE A BOOK REVIEW IN 5 SIMPLE STEPS – FICTION | 2021
I wanted to share with you my method of writing reviews. I follow the 5 step strategy to write down my thoughts. Over the years I have tried a few things when it comes to writing reviews and this is the one I gravitate to the most. So I thought I would share it with you guys and help any of the new bloggers or book reviewers who are starting this journey. Let's get into the 5 step process of writing killer reviews for fiction.
MARRIED AT FIRST SWIPE BY CLAIRE FROST | BOOK REVIEW
Married At First Swipe by Claire Frost is contemporary fiction. I saw the title and thought to myself, hmm.., that sounds very similar to the show Married At First Sight. While the concept is the same, and the plot is designed around the idea, I would recommend not going into the book expecting a romance or a love story between two people. This is more of a women's fiction kind of a story than a straight-up romance. The story follows Jess and Hannah through their tumultuous lives. Jess is the owner of the dating app Save The Date, which focuses on people wanting to settle down quickly. When the app…
- ADULT, ARCS, BOOK REVIEWS, CULTURAL, FICTION, HISTORICAL FICTION, LITERARY FICTION, NETGALLEY, Scotland
SHUGGIE BAIN BY DOUGLAS STUART | BOOK REVIEW
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart is the winner of the 2020 Booker Prize. To know that this book was rejected 32 times before it got published is baffling to me. Reading that was such a shock and the irony of it is just great. The book is a winner for the Booker Prize, and it's almost like the universe telling the publishers where to take their rejections. I haven't read the other books on the list, and I do have to say after reading this book, I am not surprised that this book got the recognition it did. Every time I see a book that is a popular book, on…
PARIS BY STARLIGHT BY ROBERT DINSDALE | BOOK REVIEW
Paris By Starlight is a fantasy/magical realism book by Robert Dinsdale. This is my first experience with this author, and I can confidently say it won't be my last book from him either. I didn't know what I will be getting out of this book and going in blind really helped me enjoy it. The story is so descriptive and full of imagery that will enchant you, make you fall in love with the world Robert has crafted for us. It's slow-pacing, and multiple POVs help us understand the characters in a way character-driven stories usually do. The story has a fine-balance of character & plot-driven moments and makes the…
- ADULT, ARCS, AUTHOR / PUBLISHER, BOOK PROMOTIONS, BOOK REVIEWS, BOOK TOUR, CRIME, FICTION, HISTORICAL FICTION, LITERARY FICTION, NOIR, THRILLER
BOOK REVIEW : BLACK THORN BOOK TOURS – RETURN TO HIROSHIMA BY BOB VAN LAERHOVEN
Return To Hiroshima is a dark crime thriller by Bob Van Laerhoven. I am not one to normally read dark fiction, but the synopsis sounded interesting and I wanted to try out a genre that's outside of my comfort zone. Boy oh boy !! This was one of the darkest books I have read and made me want to puke my guts out a lot of the time. That's a compliment, by the way, for the darkness factor. The synopsis sounded like a story with multiple storylines happening parallel to one another, with all of them woven together to form a complex story. The setting of the story is Hiroshima…
BOOK BLITZ : RABT BOOK TOURS PR – A MISTAKE INCOMPLETE BY LORENZO PETRUZZIELLO
An incompetent thief makes another attempt at burglary. A hopeless bartender struggles to manage her last patron. The pair reluctantly work together to figure out why a man they presumed dead may have returned, while a lonely tourist inadvertently gets in the way.
