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Cunk on Everything: The Encyclopedia Philomena

By Philomena Cunk

Narrated by Philomena Cunk

New Release!

(4 / 5)

A month or two ago I was introduced to Philomena Cunk on the Netflix series, Cunk on Earth. The satirical documentary had me laughing, so when I saw the book, Cunk on Everything, I knew I had to read it. As luck would have it, I was able to receive an advance audiobook copy through NetGalley. Now instead of just reading Philomena Cunk’s words, I could hear them in her own voice, the way it was meant to be heard. I don’t feel like reading the book would be quite the same experience.

The book is organized like an encyclopedia, going through various topics in alphabetical order. Philomena Cunk is hysterical, with her absurd observations and mixing up people or countries with similar names to make bizarre statements. There were many moments that had me laughing out loud, like when she said Pluto wasn’t a planet anymore because they discovered it was actually Mickey Mouse’s dog, and that The Beatles didn’t have 6 legs like a beetle, but 8 legs like a spider and made girls scream, like a spider. It’s such an unexpected perception of the world, and I loved it.

I will note that the book is obviously very British, which isn’t surprising given that Philomena Cunk is British. But, I feel like there were a bunch of British references that I just didn’t get because I’m not British myself. At times I found my mind wandering a bit because she was discussing a topic I didn’t know anything about. Also, this book is originally from 2018, so it felt a little dated when she would make references to the queen, who has since passed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Grand Central Publishing for the free audiobook. All opinions in my review are exclusively my own.

Ghosted

By Sarah Ready

Narrated by Sarah Naughton and Rob Brinkman

Coming soon on September 26, 2023

(4.5 / 5)

TW: suicide

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of Sarah Ready’s upcoming book, Ghosted. The narrators did a great job reading the book. A special thanks to NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for the free advance copy of this book. The opinions expressed in my review are solely my own.

I went into Ghosted knowing it was a paranormal romance, but it ended up being so much more than I was expecting. It made me feel such a range of emotions, from laughter to tears. At times it did feel a little long, but then the story took a big turn in a direction I wasn’t necessarily expecting.

The author has a very descriptive style of writing, thoroughly painting the scenes throughout the book. Characters were complex and interesting, with side characters that had big personalities and their own character developments. All of this really brought the story to life.

I will note that Jillian, the main character, is a huge Star Trek fan, so many references to the show are made. I’m familiar enough with the various series to be able to appreciate the references, but readers not familiar with Star Trek might find themselves a little lost at times.

I don’t want to give away any of the plot here, so I’ll just say that I ended up enjoying this book so much more than I expected. It was hard to tear myself away from the story, and I finished the whole thing in just over a day. I would love to read more books by Sarah Ready!

I received a free review copy of this book, but all opinions are completely my own.

September 19, 2023 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fiction Romance 0

Missing

By Ruby Speechley

Coming soon on September 27, 2023

(4 / 5)

TW: abuse, nonconsensual sex

Missing was one of those thrillers that left me feeling a bit creeped out, hitting me on a level that not many books reach… like maybe I should make extra sure my doors are locked before I go to bed. I really don’t like to give spoilers of the books I read in my reviews, but this was one that I definitely felt like it needed the trigger warnings I included at the beginning. That said, the Prologue hints on these topics, so I don’t feel like it’s a true spoiler.

This book was a quick read. The chapters were fairly short and had a bit of a “potato chip effect” where “just one more chapter” turned into reading many chapters at a time. I pretty much read the last third of the book in a single sitting.

This story follows Elle, a single mother in England with a 3-year-old son, Tyler. Elle feels a bit “weak” in the beginning, as she obviously lacks self-confidence, only has a couple people she can consider friends, and is still in love with Darren, who broke up with her 4 years ago. It’s pretty early on that a missing poster that shows a picture of her son starts circulating, and this is just the beginning of a chain of disturbing events that happen in the story. I found myself questioning the intentions of almost every character at one point or another, though I managed to piece together a lot of what was going on (and who was responsible) a while before it was all actually revealed. I was glad to see a decent amount of character development along the way, and I grew to like Elle more and more as the story progressed. The book ended in a way that left me feeling satisfied with the outcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the free advance copy of Missing. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

September 17, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Thriller 0

Match Me If You Can

By Sandy Barker

Coming soon on September 28, 2023!

(4 / 5)

I’ll be honest, when I first started this book, I wasn’t sure if I would like it. It alternates points of view between the two main characters, Poppy and Tristan. In the beginning, I felt like Tristan had no real personality at all. Which, I suppose is meant to represent the “grumpy” trope, while Poppy was the “sunshine”. I’m glad I kept reading and gave this book a chance, because I did end up liking it. As the story progresses, the main characters definitely gain depth, and Tristan actually becomes likable. There’s definitely some unexpected situations that keep the story interesting.

One thing I enjoyed about the book was the variety of settings. The majority of the book takes place in London, which is admittedly one of my favorite cities. The characters also go to Greece and Edinburgh, which were beautifully described and fun to visit through the eyes of the characters.

Overall, this was a fun, lighthearted read. As I got closer to the end, the book kept me so engrossed that I may have stayed up later than I should have to finish it that night.

I will note that the book included a trigger warning in the beginning regarding infertility and IVF. It was a pretty minor part of the story, but still good to know in advance if it’s a bothersome topic for someone.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free advance copy of Match Me If You Can! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

September 11, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Bittersweet in the Hollow

By Kate Pearsall

Coming soon on October 10, 2023

(4 / 5)

It’s hard to summarize a book like Bittersweet in the Hollow. This young adult novel was so much more than just that genre… add in paranormal abilities, murder, mystery, legends of a Moth-Winged Man, a dash of romance, and the powerful bonds of family. This story takes place in present time, following 17 year old Linden, whose family has passed down paranormal abilities through generations of women. Linden’s ability is that she can taste the emotions of other people, so there’s an ongoing theme of flavors and food throughout the book, especially since Linden’s family also owns a restaurant.

The book takes place in the small town of Caball Hollow where everyone seems to know each other. There’s an isolated feeling since the town is surrounded by a national forest, and families have lived there for generations.

There’s a lot of mystery woven into this story. Linden disappeared for a night a year ago, but is unable to remember what happened during that time. Now a friend has gone missing exactly a year later. Could these disappearances be related to the little boy that vanished 18 years ago? What about the Moth-Winged Man that Caball Hollow is known for? All this put together definitely makes for a complex story that keeps you wondering how it will all come together. There’s some interesting twists along the way, and though some of them I suspected, there were definitely some surprises along the way too.

Overall this was an interesting story with a unique feel to it. While at times it felt a little slow-paced, it really picks up in the last third of the book, to the point that I just couldn’t put it down until I finished it at 2am. It was definitely worth reading!

A special thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the free advance copy of Bittersweet in the Hollow. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

September 5, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

The Name Drop

By Susan Lee

Coming soon on September 12, 2023!

(5 / 5)

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to read the first few chapters of The Name Drop, and I felt like this was a book I could love. Luckily, I won a free early copy of the book from the publisher through BookishFirst. All opinions expressed in my review are my own.

The Name Drop was a book that I really enjoyed and found hard to put down. In fact, I started it one night before going to bed and finished it the next day.

I enjoyed the main characters, Elijah and Jessica, who both happen to have the same Korean name. While the circumstances of them getting “switched” at the airport seemed improbable, I went into the book knowing this and it sets up a very interesting situation for the characters. I like that the characters felt real. Even though they came from very different backgrounds, they each had an awareness about themselves and their faults. And they were able to help each other through the very different lives they were leading over the summer.

I also found it interesting how the book addressed the fact that wealth (or lack of it) and gender can greatly affect one’s ability to succeed, especially in Korean culture. It was nice to see both the main characters and side characters face this issue and grow from it.

Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read. After reading this book, I would love to read more from Susan Lee.

August 23, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Hardcover Romance Young Adult 0

All the Dead Shall Weep

By Charlaine Harris

Coming soon on September 5, 2023

(3.5 / 5)

All the Dead Shall Weep is the 5th book in the Gunnie Rose series, and since it continues the stories of Lizbeth and Felicia, the previous books should be read first. That said, it’s been several months since I read the previous books, and I didn’t have much trouble following what was going on since the author gave little hints and reminders of things that had happened previously.

In general, I’ve really enjoyed reading this series, but this book was probably my least favorite. It doesn’t mean it was a bad book, it just didn’t seem to have the adventure and excitement that the previous books had. There was very much an “air of sadness” throughout the book- right from the start we learn that Lizbeth recently miscarried a baby and Eli has been distant, then Eli (and his brother Peter) are gone for most of the book. With the love interests gone, there isn’t much of any romance in this book. There was a little bit of adventure, but most of the story took place in Lizbeth’s hometown of Segundo Mexia. Honestly, a lot of the book felt like we were waiting around to see if Eli would come back and wondering what was going on with a mysterious militia. There’s more excitement in the end, but honestly this whole book feels like it’s leading up to bigger things that haven’t happened yet. And I just don’t feel like there was a lot of character development over the course of the story, though there is growth in the relationship between the sisters. I enjoyed the book well enough since I like the characters and world that was built from the previous books. But I’m hoping there will be a book #6 that feels more like the previous books and dives into some of the things that weren’t wrapped up in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the free advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

August 15, 2023 by danimae1981 eBook Fantasy Fiction 0

Love to Hate You

by Camilla Isley

Coming soon on August 10, 2023

(5 / 5)

This is the 4th book that I’ve read in Camilla Isley’s First Comes Love series that is being re-released, and I’m finding that I really enjoy this author. Love to Hate You was previously published as Sweet Love and Country Roads. Though a few characters from previous books appear in this one, it could easily be read as a standalone.

Unlike the previous books I read in the series, Love to Hate You is written from only one perspective, that of movie producer Samantha Baker. I’ll be honest, at first I wasn’t sure how much I would like Sam, since her character begins the book with an abrasive personality and a focus on fashion that just isn’t something I relate to. As I kept reading, though, I found that more likable parts of her personality become more apparent, and I ending up liking her character a lot. She’s a strong female character that gets things done, but underneath it all she has insecurities just like everyone. I also enjoyed the main male character, Travis. I’m not into cowboys, but it didn’t take long to see that his character was far more complex than he first appeared.

At first the locations and people in the story felt a little bit stereotyped, but I think it was mostly to set up the “city girl stuck in the country” scenario. Also, it makes sense since we are seeing everything from Sam’s perspective, and that’s how she felt. I was glad to see that over the course of the story, Sam was able to see the country as more than cows and pastures, just like Travis turned out to be more than just a simple cowboy.

Despite my reservations at the beginning, I ended up really enjoying this book. I got sucked into the story and devoured most of the book over the course of a day. I was satisfied with how things ended, and of course it was fun to get a few glimpses of some favorite characters from previous books. I’m definitely hoping to read more by Camilla Isley in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the free advance copy of Love to Hate You. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

July 26, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Thieves’ Gambit

By Kayvion Lewis

Coming Soon on September 26, 2023

(5 / 5)

After providing a First Impression review through BookishFirst, I was chosen to receive a free advance copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own and this review is voluntary.

This was a really fun book to read, with tons of action and twists along the way that I did not expect at all. The book had me hooked right from the beginning, where Ross, the main character, is in the middle of a heist with her mom. I never expected to like a character who is a thief, but I actually enjoyed Ross and several other characters in this book.

The book is told from the point of view of Ross Quest, who is really going out on her own for the first time, since her family has kept her pretty isolated beyond the heist jobs that they do. When Ross’s mom is kidnapped, Ross joins a competition called the Thieves’ Gambit, where teens compete for the chance to make a wish. Some of the competitors were likable right away, while others were more of a “love to hate”. It was interesting to see Ross’s relationships develop with the various characters.

Through the course of the competition, the contestants participated in multiple heists, so the action and thrills were endless in this book. The book was fast-paced and kept me engaged throughout. There’s some light romance along the way, but it’s really not the focus of the story. There were a few twists that I didn’t see coming at all, so it was fun to get some surprises along the way. It definitely didn’t end how I was expecting.

Overall, this was a well-written book, and I’m glad I had a chance to read it. I would love to see more from this author!

July 20, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Paperback Thriller Young Adult 0

Give Me a Sign

By Anna Sortino

Released today!

(5 / 5)

I was initially drawn to this book because the main character, Lilah, struggles with being deaf but still having some hearing, which makes her feel like she doesn’t fully belong in either world. It felt similar to my own teen, who is legally blind but still has sight, which is often misunderstood.

This book primarily takes place at a summer camp for deaf and blind children, where Lilah is a Junior Counselor. It was great to see so much representation of both blind and deaf people who were independent and in an environment where they could thrive. It also gave a lot of perspective about misconceptions of these people and the struggles they face in a world that is not accommodating, especially in scenes that take place outside the camp environment.

In the beginning of the book, Lilah wonders if she is “deaf enough” – she wears hearing aids and can lip read, but there’s still a lot she misses out on in conversations. She returns to the summer camp she attended when she was younger, and is able to become immersed in deaf culture, though it’s a struggle when she doesn’t know much ASL, which is how some of the other counselors communicate. With the patience of another counselor, Isaac, who is willing to help her learn, she is able to become more confident and comfortable with who she is.

There’s a romance element throughout this book, which I enjoyed a lot and I think adds to the charm of the story. I really liked the characters and the growth they achieve over the course of the story, even many of the more minor characters.

This book was written well and flowed beautifully. I was drawn in immediately and had a hard time putting it down. I basically read the whole book over the course of a day, I was that immersed in the story.

Overall, I thought this was a great read with a lot of great lessons that anyone, disability or not, can really benefit from what it has to offer. I will never know what it’s like to be like these characters, but I think it gives me a better appreciation for their experiences and ways we can make the world more inclusive.

I received a free advance copy of this book through NetGalley, but my review is voluntary and my own personal opinions.

July 11, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0