Children’s Book Review: Stinky Science

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Edward Kay

Illustrator: Mike Shiell

Format: E-book

Pages: 44

Grade Level: 3-7

Age Range: 8-12 years old

Categories: Science

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

This book about the science of smells takes a funky subject and makes it fascinating — and hilarious! It starts with the basics, from the reason why things stink to how our sense of smell works (hint: it has to do with the six million scent receptors way up inside our noses). Then come some specifics such as how and why smells are closely linked to memories, descriptions of some of the stinkiest stinks on Earth and information about the chemicals that smells are made of. (Young readers finally learn why feet and some cheeses can smell the same!) Altogether, the book offers a complete tour of everything olfactory, while also being a compendium of the best-of in the gross-out category. Poop, rotting flesh, b.o.: what more could a nose-y kid ask for?

Edward Kay is an award-winning children’s television writer and science writer. Here he uses his knack for knowing what kids like to create an entertaining, laugh-out-loud book that’s thoroughly researched and full of up-to-date facts. It offers strong curriculum links in the life sciences, particularly the human body structure and systems, and molecules and organisms. Adding to the fun are the funny comic-style illustrations by Mike Shiell on every page. (Yes, of course, there’s farting!) Kids may not even notice they’re learning science! A glossary and index round out this terrific book.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to Kids Can Press and Edelweiss+ for giving me a free e-arc of this book to read.

My 6 year old son is a very curious boy who seems to be asking me questions non-stop about space, sea creatures that live in the deep, bacteria, you name it! Obviously, I am no expert in these subjects. I saw the title of this book and knew it would answer some of his questions. I also thought I could learn a few things. Another reason I requested this book is that my son needs to read and log 25 non-fiction books per school quarter. He reads a lot of fun fiction books but it’s harder for us to find fun non-fiction books.

When I was done reading it to him, he asked if the author wrote more books and that I should buy them if he did. The book was funny yet informative and the illustrations were hilarious. We learned about body odor, foot odor, cheese that smelled like foot odor, smells that come from animals. We even learned about poop smell – the grosser the funnier for my son. 🤷🏻‍♀️ He is younger than the recommended age level for this book but he understood most of it and if he didn’t it was easy for me to break it down for him. This was a fun, informative and enjoyable learning experience for both my son and I.

Get it here: Amazon

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Children’s Books – Mini Reviews:

Here are three books I got for my 6 year old son at the Hawaii Book and Music. We enjoyed all of them. 😄

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Boy From The Dragon Palace

Author: Margaret Read MacDonald

Illustrator: Sachiko Yoshikawa

Format: Paperback

Pages: 32

Categories: Japanese Folklore, Wishes

Book Blurb:

One day, a poor flower seller drops his leftover flowers into the sea as a gift for the Dragon King. What does he get in return? A little snot-nosed boy—with the power to grant wishes! Soon the flower seller is rich, but what will happen if he forgets the meaning of “thank you?”

MY REVIEW

I picked up the paperback, autographed copy of this book at a recent book festival. I love the cover and thought it would be perfect for my 6 year old son. We read it together and we laughed a lot. It’s a retelling of a Japanese folktale about a boy who would blow his nose and basically grant wishes. A snotty nosed genie! 😂 The illustrations are very beautiful and the lessons taught in the story are about greed and being ungrateful. My son and I loved this book!

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My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Bye, Bye, Big!

Author: Margaret Read MacDonald & Gerald Fierst

Illustrator: Kitty Harvill

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 36

Categories: Animals, Circle of Life

Book Blurb:

BIG BIG Frog snaps up little little mosquito. But BIG BIG snake snaps up little little frog. And so the chain continues…until BIG BIG man is zapped by little little mosquito. BIG print and easy to read text, fun to read aloud or to pour over on your own. Kitty Harvill’s bright papercuts leap off the page.

MY REVIEW

I got the autographed copy of this hard cover version at a book festival and what caught me eye was the colorful cover. Also, I wanted a book my son would have fun reading by himself. This is simply worded and repetitive enough that he wouldn’t find it too challenging to read. He also loves animals, so this was perfect for him. I read it to my 2 year old daughter and she actually told me to stop it. I think because the animals were getting eaten by the bigger one, similar to There Was An Old Woman Who Swallowed A Fly. She was scared for the animals, I think. But when I read it to my son again, she listened and actually laughed this time. The illustrations are nice and big!

Get it here: Amazon

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My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Look Inside Space

Author: Rob Lloyd Jones

Format: Hard Cover

Pages: 14

Categories: Space

Book Blurb:

This is a great fun flap book packed with interesting information about space, and the amazing things that float through it – stars, moons, comets, and the planets of our solar system. Each double-page spread has a stunning colour illustration, and several flaps to lift to find out more about what’s going on in the scene – such as what goes inside the International Space Station, how astronauts visited the Moon and what they did there, as well as the history of astronomy, from Galileo to the Hubble Space Telescope.

MY REVIEW

Another book festival find at the Usborne books tent – my son is into all things space, so I had to get this book for him. It was flaps in the book which makes it a but more interactive. We went through this book together and I learned some things as well! We loved the illustrations and facts about planets, black holes and more. It’s a great book for kids who are interested about space!

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: Breakout

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: A.M. Rose

Format: E-book

Pages: 400

Publication Date: June 3, 2019

Categories: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, A.I., Technology, Dystopia

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

Six days.

That’s the amount of time until Lezah’s execution.

She’ll die never knowing what got her locked up in this godforsaken prison in the first place. Her only chance of survival is to escape. Except the monitoring bracelet that digs into her wrist, the roaming AI, and the implant in her neck make freedom close to impossible.

Her best chance is to team up with the four other inmates who are determined to break out, even if one of them is beyond (gorgeous) annoying—oh, and in for murder. But he has a secret of his own. One that could break Lezah if she finds out, but could also set him free.

Figuring out how to work with him and the rest of this mismatched group of criminals is the only way Lezah will survive to see the outside world again.

But nothing in this prison is as it seems. And no one.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for this opportunity to read this free e-arc for an honest review.

First off, I was attracted to this cover. It looks menacing with that huge spider and the book blurb sounded mysterious so I was curious enough to request this book.

Lezah is in prison but she can’t remember why she’s in there. In this prison there are A.I. robots: WALTERs (WALKing compuTERs) that resemble humans and AIRS which are security guard robots. And everyone has a SOUL – it’s a device that is a phone, computer, appearance alternator, and money. Hmmm…how does all that work?! 😮 Seriously an appearance alternator would benefit me daily. 😂 Well I can’t say everyone has one, Lezah and the other kids in prison do not have a SOUL, it’s taken away from them. All prisoners have a bracelet attached to their wrist that zaps them and basically it’s a horrible place to be. With Lezah’s execution coming up, she needs to breakout.

The story is told in first person through Lezah. There is a lot of action and it is non-stop. This whole book is full of tension and it is fast-paced. It’s some parts creepy, but plenty parts exciting. It kept me guessing and left me with a few questions.

The world building is different and fascinating. It is set in a futuristic dystopian United States where climate change damaged coastlines and left them with fewer resources than before. A.I. is everywhere and the technology aspects were very detailed. So much detail that some of the explanations went over my head.

Lezah’s meets different companions on her way out of this prison and they add to the story in different ways. For one, it’s hard to know who to trust and everyone she encounters has a story tied to Lezah. There is a tiny bit of a romance, but nothing that takes over the story. Everything starts to piece together in the end but there are still loose ends to tie up by the time the story is over.

This was an interesting, fast-paced, young adult sci-fi novel with lots of twists and turns. I think sci-fi lovers would enjoy this better than I did but overall it was a fascinating story.

Book Review: What The Woods Keep

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Kataya De Becerra

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 365

Categories: Mystery, Psychology, Physics, Dark Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mythology

Book Blurb:

On her eighteenth birthday, Hayden inherits her childhood home—on the condition that she uncover its dark secrets.

Hayden tried to put the past behind her, and it worked. She’s getting ready for college, living in a Brooklyn apartment, and hanging out with her best friend and roommate Del. But now it’s all catching up with her: her mother’s mysterious disappearance a decade before, her father’s outlandish theories about a lost supernatural race, and Hayden’s own dark dreams of strange symbols and rituals in the Colorado woods where she grew up.

As soon as Hayden arrives at her hometown, her friend Del in tow, it begins: Neighbors whisper secrets about Hayden’s mother; the boy next door is now all grown-up in a very distracting way; and Hayden feels the trees calling to her. And among them, deep in the woods, Hayden will discover something incredible—something that threatens reality itself.

MY REVIEW

This is one of those books where I borrowed it because of it’s lovely cover. The book blurb sounded interesting but I didn’t quite know what to expect.

What The Woods Keep, follows Hayden, who just turned eighteen and inherits her mother’s home in Promise, Colorado. Hayden has a quite a past: a childhood in Promise with memories of these dark woods, her mother disappearing, her dad who is a physicist but obsessed with Nibelungs. And yes I had to google Nibelungs to see if they were a real thing and they definitely are a thing, a thing of legend and lore.

This story is different and I was drawn into Hayden’s psychosis. She has dreams that haunt her, she’s a warrior on a horse. Hayden’s past also revolves on an incident of unexplained violence at her school – her counseling sessions are presented to us in the book like evidence.

When she goes to Promise with her best friend Del, more strange things start to happen. The people in town have eyes like her, one color different than the other. The woods around them are creepy and a white raven is constantly watching her. Plus there is a facility called Blue Haven Research Institute in Promise with security guards. What is going on? I kept reading to find out, so this book definitely kept me engaged.

This book is hard to categorize. It’s a mashup of sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery. I really loved how most chapters started off with some scientific tidbit on physics or psychology. And some parts were creepy too whenever it was about the woods. What is in these woods? What did Hayden’s mom do there? How did she die or disappear? Are the Nibelungs real? The story moved along quickly for me. I loved all the extra things in this book like Hayden’s case files, newspaper clippings and her mother’s hand written notes.

The only thing that didn’t grab me was the romance between Hayden and her old childhood friend Shannon. It happens a bit quick after they reunite but I guess I can surmise the feelings were always there because they grew up so close together.

Overall, this was a pleasantly surprising fun book to read! It is a really good debut from this author. I look forward to seeing what she writes in the future.

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: Storm and Fury (The Harbinger, #1)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Format: E-book

Pages: 507

Publication Date: June 11, 2019

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Romance, Young Adult

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens—gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.

When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed…

MY REVIEW

Thank you Harlequin TEEN and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this free e-arc for an honest review.

I’ve read a few books by Jennifer L. Armentrout and really enjoy them but I did not read the The Dark Elements series. Maybe I should have because Storm and Fury is a spin-off from that series.

With that said, I struggled a little with this one.

Trinity Marrow is special. She is half human, half something else, and that “something” is very powerful. Trinity lives in a regional seat of the Wardens somewhere bordering West Virginia and Maryland. Wardens are human looking but when they need to fight and protect, they shift into their true forms: gargoyles. I thought that was really cool and different. They protect the world against demons and all things evil.

I really liked getting to know Trinity because she’s quirky, tough, spunky and skilled in combat. She can also see spirits and ghosts. Peanut, is a ghost that lingers around her and he is pretty funny. Trinity is also very impulsive and wants to help kick demon butt, but the Wardens need to keep her safe. Thing is she’s always getting into trouble or trouble seems to find her.

Zayne is a Warden with a past, apparently all of which can be read in The Dark Elements series! 🤦🏻‍♀️ He’s a gorgeous, strong Warden and he and Trinity have sparks right away. It’s all good until it kept getting a bit repetitive. At first I enjoyed their dialogue, but I felt like it could have moved along quicker.

Once Trinity and Zayne leave West Virginia is when the action and romance really picks up. This happens all in the second half of the book which is my favorite part. The sparks really ignite between them but also it’s all very complicated because of Zayne’s past. And then the ending was a surprising twist that left me sad. Also it reveals some things about Zayne and Trinity that didn’t leave me feeling satisfied about the outcome (trying not to mention any spoilers here).

For me, the second half was the best part of the book and a lot of the first half could’ve been trimmed. Also, I thought the 80’s pop cultural references were funny but because that’s my childhood and I got it. It’s why I adored Peanut. ☺️ I think fans of the Dark Elements series will love this one but it was just an okay read for me.

Get it here: Amazon

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Book Review: The Bluestocking (Wicked Wallflowers, #4)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Christi Caldwell

Format: E-book

Pages: 348

Categories: Historical Romance

Book Blurb:

Gertrude, the eldest Killoran sister, has spent a lifetime being underestimated—especially by her own family. She may seem as vulnerable as a kitten, but given the chance, she can be as fierce as a tiger. Her adopted brother, Stephen, has just been snatched back by his true father, and she’ll be damned if she relinquishes the boy to the man reviled throughout London as the Mad Marquess.

Still haunted by a deadly tragedy that left him publicly despised, Lord Edwin holds only hatred for the Killorans—the people he believes kidnapped his son. And not one of them will ever see the boy again. But when Gertrude forces her way into the household and stubbornly insists that she remain as Stephen’s governess, Edwin believes he may have found someone madder than himself.

With every moment he shares with the tenderhearted Gertrude, Edwin’s anger softens into admiration…and more. Is it possible that the woman he loathed may be the only person who can heal his broken soul?

MY REVIEW

The Bluestocking, is the fourth book in the Wicked Wallflowers series and I’ll be honest, I didn’t even read book three yet because I wanted THIS book. I wanted to read Gertrude’s story ever since I was introduced to her in the first book. In summary, the series follows the Killoran family, who were raised by a vicious man in St. Giles. They learned a life of pickpocketing, thieving and violence. Gertrude Killoran is blind in one eye and comes off as the weakest link in the Killoran clan. But I knew her story would be good.

And it is so good. The Killorans have a younger brother, Stephen, but earlier in the series it’s revealed he isn’t really their brother. He was kidnapped and his father is really the Marquess of Maddock. Stephen was kidnapped, and Lord Maddock’s pregnant wife at the time dies in a fire as well. All of this happened because of Gertrude’s father.

This story continues Stephen’s story as he is returned to Lord Maddock, but Gertrude accompanies Stephen and refuses to leave his side.

This story is so emotional it pulled at my heartstrings and broke it. I could imagine the pain Lord Maddock had to live through. I could also empathize with Stephen who loves the Killorans, the only family he’s known and who needed time to adjust to his new situation. Also the Killorans were heartbroken at losing Stephen, but felt horrible at the truth of how he came to be their brother. There is so many conflicting emotions.

Gertrude Killoran is an amazing character. Her past isn’t innocent, no child of Diggory’s ever had the luxury of innocence. She is usually the overlooked Killoran but this was her chance to shine. But she is patient, smart, strong, fearless, compassionate and has the biggest heart.

This story even made me cry. 😢 I shed a few tears for Lord Maddock and Stephen. Lord Maddock comes off so emotionally withdrawn because of fear. He loves his son so much and is so afraid of losing him again. He doesn’t know how to be a dad to a hardened eleven year old. And Stephen lashes out, as a pre-teen would, who’s ripped from the life he knows.

And yet despite the despair I felt in the characters, there is hope. Gertrude is the hope. She is the person who helps the father and son forgive and try to move past the bitterness of the past.

This story is about love, forgiveness, and family. After all the emotional turmoil the characters go through in this book, the ending was such a satisfying happily ever after. Thank goodness for that because it was well deserved. Love this book!

Get this book here: Amazon

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Book Review: The Living God (The Living God, #1)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Author: Kaytalin Platt

Format: E-book

Pages: 300

Publication Date: May 21, 2019

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Magic

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Book Blurb:

The Living God is foretold to bring about the destruction of the world in order to rebuild it into a paradise. Some worship and welcome His coming, other’s fear Him and would do anything to stop it. The Living God follows the internal struggle of two mages, Saran and Keleir, as they confront their fears and attempt to find meaning in the hand that life has dealt them. Saran seeks to overthrow her crazed father and salvage what is left of her country before it falls into complete ruin. Keleir is cursed with a Rauke’s soul, an ancient creature who is only able to survive by merging with an unborn child upon entering our world. Saran and Keleir are touched by fate, gifted with the ability to sense each other, and destined for a future that neither care to know. When Saran’s magic is stolen, she must confront a life without the ability to manipulate time, struggle to see the rebellion finished, and keep Keleir from becoming The Living God.

MY REVIEW

Thank you to Inkshares and Edelweiss+ for this free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Let’s start with the good: I love the cover, it’s a beautiful color palette. And I’ve been reading a lot of epic young adult fantasy books lately, so why not one more?

This was not for me. The beginning starts off with Saran D’Mor, who is a princess, and she is in the middle of a battle. She is helping rebels fight against her father the king. I thought a fast start was promising but instead it left me confused, like I missed book one, though this is the first book. Keleir is introduced right away, and he was interesting. He is a mage with an Oruke inside him, which is like a demon and it makes him very dangerous. Right away Saran and Keleir are established as lovers. But for punishment her father binds her magic which is a problem because she is the one that keeps Keleir’s Oruke at bay. Yikes.

This world Saran lives in is very complex and interesting. There are Gods and mages. Saran is a Time Mage but there are other types of mages as well, like fire mages and lightning mages. I liked how they could open a gate and teleport from one place to another. And then there are other worlds also or parallel worlds. Three to be exact which are called The First, The Second and The Third. I thought that was fascinating.

But the biggest problem I had with the book is I didn’t care about the story. I didn’t connect to the characters. I kept picking up the book and putting it off. I struggled through this one. Unfortunately, this one was not for me but I’m sure there are many fantasy lovers who would enjoy this fascinating world.

Book Review: Rule (Rule, #1)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Ellen Goodlett

Format: Hard cover

Pages: 376

Categories: Magic (**involving self-harm), Political Intrigue, Romance, Cliffhanger Ending

Book Blurb:

Three girls with three deadly secrets. Only one can wear the crown.

The king is dying, his heir has just been murdered, and rebellion brews in the east. But the kingdom of Kolonya and the outer Reaches has one last option before it descends into leaderless chaos.

Or rather, three unexpected options.

Zofi has spent her entire life trekking through the outer Reaches with her band of Travelers. She would do anything to protect the band, her family. But no one can ever find out how far she’s already gone.

Akeylah was raised in the Eastern Reach, surrounded by whispers of rebellion and abused by her father. Desperate to escape, she makes a decision that threatens the whole kingdom.

Ren grew up in Kolonya, serving as a lady’s maid and scheming her way out of the servants’ chambers. But one such plot could get her hung for treason if anyone ever discovers what she’s done.

When the king summons the girls, they arrive expecting arrest or even execution. Instead they learn the truth: they are his illegitimate daughters, and one must become his new heir. But someone in Kolonya knows their secrets, and that someone will stop at nothing to keep the sisters from their destiny… to rule.

Magic, mystery, and blackmail abound in this sensational and striking fantasy debut.

MY REVIEW

Three sisters vying for a throne? Sounds familiar. When I saw this book at the library, the cover caught my eye because it’s beautiful but I was wary. I’ve read so many books with crowns on the cover the past few months 😂 – honestly, I’m getting crown fatigue. But usually with fantasy books there is a map as well – where is the map for this book? 😔 I’ve been spoiled with maps in the fantasy books I’ve been reading. I love maps. But anyway, I borrowed this book and I’m glad I did.

The story is written from three different perspectives: Zofi, Ren, and Akeylah who are all bastard daughters of King Andros, king of Kolonya. Zofi is a traveler, she comes from a nomadic culture. Ren was raised at court as a lady’s maid and Akeylah comes from the Eastern reaches. All different sisters, one sister will rule.

Except every one of them has a fascinating secret they are hiding and there is someone out there who knows them all. They have to find out who is blackmailing them before it ruins each of their chances for the throne.

I enjoyed the mystery in this story a lot. I thought I had it figured it out but I was wrong. 😲 Also, there is enough action in this book to keep it moving as well, which I appreciated. I thought the author balanced the time between each characters’ perspective really well. The writing flows nicely and there is queer romance, straight romance, there are heartaches and distrust. Each girl has an interesting back story. The sisters were different enough that their voices stood out and so far my favorite is Zofi. I don’t know yet that I’d pick her to rule a kingdom, per se, but character wise, she’s my favorite. She’s a bit wild, tough and physical. Ren is the expert at court intrigue and Akeylah is the bookworm, always researching.

The magic system in this book is performed with self-harm so definite trigger warning there. That’s the only way their magic works which is through blood being shed. They call it the Blood Arts. But there is a counterpart to the magic, called the Vulgar Arts which is forbidden. It’s interesting for the most part what they can do with blood magic but every time they do it, I’m like OUCH. I would not be able to live in Kolonya or I wouldn’t be able to be a soldier in Kolonya since that’s who uses the blood arts most often.

The ending is a cliffhanger – like a serious cliffhanger where I was like, WHAT?! 😱 Now that I’m done with the book, I’m glad I only picked it up now because I only have to wait a few weeks for the sequel to be published. Yay for me! Overall I enjoyed this book. It’s a fun read if you like court intrigue, blackmail and a mystery. I’m looking forward to the sequel to see who will be chosen to rule.

What I’m Reading Next

What’s on my Kindle App library right now?

I still remember reading Tahereh Mafi’s first book, Shatter Me when it came out back in 2011! How far we’ve come with Juliette and Warner’s story. I love me some Warner. I’ll admit, I picked up the hard cover copy a few months ago from the library and I don’t know if it was because I let the characters go when I ended the series with Ignite Me – but I couldn’t get into it. But with Defy Me about to release soon, I’m going to try this again! So here’s to second chances and being in the mood to read this one.

I only started reading this Grisha Trilogy this year because I heard it’s coming to Netflix! I know, I know 🤦🏻‍♀️ I’m not sure why it took me so long – I tried reading the first book years ago and couldn’t get into it -I must’ve been in a dystopian mood back then – but I gave it another try this time around. It’s a fascinating world with some steampunk and Russian influences thrown in created by Leigh Bardugo. It has magic, a love story (stories?🤷🏻‍♀️), and we shall see how it ends.

All I saw about this book was “the Outsiders meet Mad Max” and I was intrigued! It’s a young adult dystopian novel with these girl gangs running the streets of Mega City. Nalah’s dream is to move off the streets and live in Mega Towers. I’m looking forward to reading this and see if Nalah gets to accomplish her goal.

I saw “Pride and Prejudice Remix” and had to add this to my TBR list. I love me a modern twist on Pride and Prejudice. Instead of Elizabeth Bennett we have Zuri Benitez who of course meets Darius Darcy – I can already see the sparks flying! Can’t wait to dive into this one.

Okay I chose to borrow this because I’m dying to read her newest book The Priory of the Orange Tree, but since I’m like 8th in line to borrow the book, I have some time to read her first book. I’m new to Samantha Shannon but have read amazing things so I’m excited to get to know her work.

So that’s what I have so far on my Kindle app but I feel like I need to have some romance novels lined up after I get through these! Any recommendations? Please leave me a comment below ⬇️ I’m craving a good historical, contemporary, new adult or even young adult romance book.

Overdrive and Kindle App

I love to read physical books and ebooks, it doesn’t matter as long as I can get my hands on a story! I still love the weight and smell of a physical book but when I’m reading at night (which is 90% of the time), I use my Kindle app on my iPad. I also have a Nook app and and an iBooks app. I have books on all of them but because my Hawaii State Library card is linked up to Overdrive and their online selection, I read those ebooks through my Kindle app. It’s so convenient! I haven’t quite gotten into Audiobooks though – someone reading to me always puts me to sleep. It’s too relaxing.

I also subscribe to Kindle Unlimited mostly because I’m impatient. I’ve cancelled a few times and keep coming back! 🤷🏻‍♀️ I put books on hold at the library, but sometimes it just takes awhile for me to get my hands on them. I’d love to buy more books but I have a budget (kids needs are priority!). At first I was wary about the books on Kindle Unlimited. I just wasn’t familiar with the authors and wondered why some novels were so short and some genres I stumbled into like Romance with a dash or lump of Reverse Harem in it. Ha! Much to my surprise! It’s been a learning experience and quite an adventure. I’m enjoying finding new authors! And it gives me a reprieve when I’m waiting on those much anticipated best seller novels that can take a year to be published. What’s a book addict to do? 😔

Anyway here’s a screenshot of my Kindle App listings as of today. I just finished The Hidden Witch and so I am going to either tackle The Queen’s Rising (I admit I tried a few months back and had to put it aside), or Archenemies (I feel like I need to read Book 1 again though) – so I guess my first review will be The Hidden Witch! Stay tuned…😊