8 Jul 2019

Quarterly Wrap Up (3): 2019 Reading Goals [April-June]

08 July 1 Comments

Welcome to the second quarterly update for 2019!

I wasn't originally going to do these types of posts, especially since I am doing Stacking the Shelves posts. However, I want to update on my reading goals, favourite reads, etc. etc. There are categories below and you can see them there.

 I did a Quarterly Wrap-Up for Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays so let me know which format of these you prefer since I'm trying out a couple different ways of doing that.

Read the original 2019 Reading Goals post!

See how I did in the first quarter of the year by clicking here!


Reading Goal Progress

  • 2019 Overall Goal: 77/150 Books
  • Page Count: 21,363/108,000
  • NetGalley eARCs: 3/55 Books
  • Adult Novels: 31/75 Books
  • Diverse Novels: 26/75 Books
  • Poetry Collections: 17/50 Books
  • "Outside" My Comfort Zone: 15/30 Books

My Progress Thoughts:

Well I have definitely been dropping the ball, folks. I am very behind on my 1:1 in terms of Diverse Novels. Part of the reason is that I am also trying to read off of my shelves, and not as many of the books I used to purchase were diverse in nature. However, that isn't an excuse and I am mad at myself for not following through more on this. I plan on my next 10 books to be diverse in nature.

I'm also disappointed that I am (epically) failing at the NetGalley reads. I have actually gained more books on NetGalley than I've read so far this year. I am trying my best but I have been able to mostly read audiobooks and physical books which means my screen time for reading has been lacking.

 Part of the reason, though, is that I have been having some personal gains and losses that have kept me from reading and blogging. I don't think I read a single book in May which makes it difficult to keep on top of challenges. In fact, I am barely ahead in my Goodreads challenge when at one point I was 16 books ahead! I definitely need to spend more time focusing on reading and less time on some other things but it is difficult sometimes.

Top 5 Reads

I really enjoyed this one! It kept me guessing until the very end and that is an excellent problem to have in a mystery novel.
It was a really great story that was about female empowerment, understanding how to take care of yourself, and knowing what it means to be broken.
I will say though this is a super slow burn romance and every time I wanted them to get it on, they did not get it on. So be prepared for that!
But it was a nice peek into the author's way of writing and get a taste of what else you can expect to read. I look forward to reading more from the authors!
A lot of really relatable poems and feelings in this one and I really connected to all of them. 

Top 5 Instagram Posts

Upcoming Reviews and Features

How have your reading goals been so far this year?
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6 Jul 2019

Stacking the Shelves (17): July 6, 2019

06 July 2 Comments
Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks!
How was everyone's week? I always dislike the short weeks because they make me wish I had more time off in general and everyone tries to get the same amount of work done in a shorter amount of time.

I have been reading and working hard to get my blog under control for the next few weeks so I am excited to share all the posts with you! Is there anything you want to see? I will do my best to make it for you!

How has everyone's 2019 been going so far?
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5 Jul 2019

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: BIG RED by Damien Larkin

05 July 3 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays

introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

BIG RED

Author: Damien Larkin
Series: N/A
Source: ARC via Publisher
Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press LLC
Publication Date: May 19, 2019


Summary:
We have always been here...

Suffering the side effects of Compression travel, soldier Darren Loughlin wakes up screaming from a gunshot wound that isn’t there. 

 Despite a fractured memory, he is forced to recount his year-long tour of duty on Mars to uncover the mysterious fate of Earth’s off-world colonies and the whereabouts of his shattered battalion.

 With time running out, Darren recalls his tour of duty with the Mars Occupation Force in New Berlin colony, their brutal MARSCORP masters, and the vicious war against the hostile alien natives.

 But as he exposes the truth, Darren suspects he is at the centre of a plot spanning forty years. He has one last mission to carry out. And his alien enemy may be more human than he is… 
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion. Part of my review was used as a blurb for the cover.

 I really enjoyed this one! It took a lot of tropes and ideas that I generally don't like in Military Science Fiction and turned them into something I really enjoyed. Who would have thought aliens, Nazis, and time travel would have blended together so well?

 I think what makes BIG RED different from other Military Science Fiction for me was that you can tell you are really experiencing the events through the eyes of a soldier. You can tell that Larkin (and by extension, his protagonist Darren) has the knowledge and lived experience to be able to write a realistic but understandable and tangible military. You see a lot of the same types of tropes in this that you see in regular Military SF (and I can see some other novels influence in this one - Ender's Game comes to mind easily). But that doesn't detract from the reading experience for it.

 I loved reading about the characters and in the mind of Darren. I thought his motivations were very clear but being in his perspective kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I liked the slow reveal that went along with Darren's mind remembering what happened on Mars and the fallout from there. I thought it was a really smart move on Larkin's part.

 The plot itself was pretty interesting. I liked the mesh of time travel and war. I don't know how I feel about the Nazi part of it though because I felt at some points there could have been a mistake of sympathetic tendencies to the Nazis. I don't think that is what was intended, but it did come across that way during the scene in question. I think it was supposed to be more of a "we have fallen into the same hole as them" - I just don't think it was as refined as it could have been.

 The technology piece was really incredible and I want another story set with this tech and world. I thought it was a smart use of technology and futuristic ideology mixed with time travel and the past. I was extremely fascinated with how the two mixed together and the types of advancements that were a part of this book.

 I look forward to reading more by Damien Larkin and hope that you pick up BIG RED! A true Military Science Fiction novel that keeps you guessing while not turning you off with the "military" aspects. It is a great book to ease you into the Military SF genre, if you haven't read a lot of it. Check this one out today!
Damien Larkin is a full-time stay-at-home father of two loud (but happy) young children. When not tinkering with apps as a side project, you can find him reading everything and anything to do with psychology, history and science fiction. He enjoys turning terrifying nightmares into novels and currently resides in Dublin, Ireland.

Connect with the Author:

What are some of your favourite Adult SFF books?
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3 Jul 2019

#Review: HER OWN HERO by Jenn Sadai

03 July 0 Comments

HER OWN HERO

Author: Jenn Sadai
Series: N/A
Source: Purchased from the Author
Publisher: Jan-Carol Publishing
Publication Date: March 16, 2017
Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:


Summary:
Samantha Tilson is a struggling showgirl who's always relied on her womanly charm and sex appeal to survive. Swept off her feet by a Spanish stud, she thinks she's finally met the man who will save her. It's not until she's under gunfire and running from the law that she realizes, only she can save herself.
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD
Disclaimer: I was paid to boost the time frame of my reading and reviewing this one. This in no way impacts my opinion.

 HER OWN HERO really blew me away. Based on the length of this one, I wasn’t expecting as much depth to the characters or the plot, but this one had both of those aspects and more. It was a really great story that was about female empowerment, understanding how to take care of yourself, and knowing what it means to be broken.

 There is something about the way Sadai writes her main characters that brings you into the fold of the story, makes you empathetic for their plight, but also makes you question what they are doing. I liked being inside the mind of Sam while still being like “Oh Sam baby whatcha doing” because it was an interesting way to read. I also really liked all the inclusion of the Windsor and surrounding area because I kept being like “I KNOW THAT PLACE!!!” which was always fun for me. That’s one of the perks of reading locally, folks!

 I thought Sam was a really interesting character and I liked getting to know her throughout the story. Sam was a true protagonist that walked that antagonist line - but only because she was her own worst enemy. She kept doing things and making mistakes that were understandable in the time but made me want to scream at her. Which is always a really great thing to have in a story. I loved when she made it to Burlington and the way the women really supported one another.
Overall, I thought this was a really good novella and explained a lot of the characters, situations, and everything it really needed to in order to tell a good story. I would have liked a little bit more in the fleeing section but I think for a novella, it was doing what it needed to do. 

Have you read this one? What was your favourite part?
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1 Jul 2019

Subscription Box #Review: June #IndigoBookBox

01 July 0 Comments

I am reviewing the June Indigo Book Box for you today! While Indigo DOES send me their Staff Picks of the Month for review and promotion, they DO NOT send me these Teen Book Boxes for the same purpose. I purchase these myself.

 They are a little difficult to find on the Indigo website because Indigo is (much) more than just a subscription box website as they are the only Canadian big box store for books, home goods, etc.

 Past boxes (that are still available):
Today, I am reviewing the May box that featured THE REST OF THE STORY by Sarah Dessen and give you a full wrap-up of worth, value, etc. at the bottom for both.

June 2019: THE REST OF THE STORY by Sarah Dessen


Price: $29.99 (with free shipping)
Shipping Time: 3 days
Included inside...
  • Your own copy of The Rest of the Story signed by the author
  • A letter from Sarah Dessen
  • A pouch of Fully Booked tea* – we teamed up with Tealish, our favourite Canadian tea company, for a dreamy herbal tea blend that’s ideal for helping you relax after so much reading
  • A handy travel pouch displaying an inspiring quote – to keep your essentials together no matter where you’re headed
Here's where I get real with you.

They cost basically the same amount as what the book does - maybe $5 more on average. Plus you get free shipping. This is about $40 less than what I pay for other book boxes. Are there perks in those? Of course. OwlCrate gives you exclusive covers, FairyLoot focuses on Fantasy, Once Upon A Book Club gives you things to open as you read the book, etc. But a lot of these boxes are filled with things I would never pick up for myself and would never use. I am glad they want to showcase artists and people's small businesses but I don't need 1000 art prints of the same characters over and over again.

The Indigo Book Box gives you official merchandise, a signed copy of the book, and not too many trinkets or items that you don't need. They include practical items that everyone could have a use for. And now that they are selling book sleeves, I look forward to those being thrown in every now and then!

On top of that, they tell you what's in the box before you actually purchase it. No guessing about what book it could be or what other items you may get, they lay it out for you on the website. There are usually a couple more items included that aren't listed, but these are fun little surprises (usually from the publisher) and not irrelevant items or ones from a fandom I'm not part of.

Beyond this, they try to be fairly inclusive. It isn't just the Big Names or Books that get featured, but diverse authors and a mix of publishers. The next book is WILDER GIRLS by Rory Power so I know what books I don't need to necessarily "preorder" because I have them in this box. That cuts down on duplicates and all that jazz.

I definitely recommend this box if you are in Canada and want a cheaper option but still want to participate in the subscription box scene.

What subscription boxes do you get?
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