Season Of Giving // Holiday Giveaway

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Hi Friends,
It is Bookmas, day 13! In honor of the holiday season, I want to give back to my readers. I have a post pinned on my Bookstagram (Instagram) that has details for a fun holiday Book Fairy giveaway! I will be gifting a book to one of my lovely followers. All the rules are on that Instagram post.

It isn’t mandatory that you follow the blog, but it would mean the world to me if you did, before you go! For me, this time of year is more about giving then getting. So, I hope that if you can, you will enter the giveaway.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Did Not Finish // My 2023 DNFs

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
I thought that for day 12 of Bookmas, it would be interesting to talk about the books that I had DNFed this year. I try not to DNF as much as possible, but as I read more, I learn about my book taste. I do not feel the need to push through a book I am not enjoying or that I can tell I am not going to like. This year, I DNFed ten books, which I think is the most I have in my years.


‘It Sounded Better In My Head’ by Nina Kenwood and ‘The Tenth Girl’ by Sara Farings were instant DNFs because I could tell that the plots were not for me. As for for, ‘The Headmasters List’ by Melissa de la Cruz, the storyline was too predictable. I am sad that ‘All I Want For Christmas’ by Maggie Knox is on this list, but I am not one for plots based around competition shows. And, ‘The Bandit Queens’ by Parini Shroff had a lot of triggering topics for me.


One of my biggest disappointments was ‘The Last Word’ by Taylor Adams. I got to 50% until I realized that I was not really enjoying the plot or writing. I soft DNFed ‘It’ by Stephen King mainly because the book was just way to slow moving and it is one of my favorite horror movies, so I think the story is just to ingrained in my brain. I barely made it through 30% of ‘The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic’ by Breanne Randall until I had to give up on it. The plot was way to slow moving, and I am not a second chance romance lover to begin with.

I was hesitant to DNF ‘Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other’ by Bethany Turner since it was an audiobook ARC I received via Netgalley, but the female main character was so unlikable that I did not see any chemistry between her and the love interest. My last DNF of the year was ‘Local Women Missing’ by Mary Kubica, which I have heard so many good things. However, child adduction and abuse in graphic detail are something I would prefer not to read.

These are all books I chose not to finish this year. I have stopped feeling guilty about DNFing because I’d rather read a 5 star than something I know will be a 2 star. In the comments, let me know the books that you did not finish. Do not forget to hit the follow button so that you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

One Day In December | Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

About The Book
Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story. What follows for Laurie, Sarah, and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming, and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3RBLkYS

My Rating

Unfortunately, this book has a lot of my pet peeves when it comes to romance novels. I wanted a cute, winter love at first sight romance, with a few obstacles. However, this wasn’t a traditional romance, and they weren’t actually together for much of the story. Also, only some of the novel is based at Christmas time, so keep that in mind.

In the book we follow Laura, who, one December day, is instantly drawn to a young man she sees out of the bus window. She spends a year searching for who she calls bus boy. Then, her best friend introduces her to her new boyfriend, Jack, whom, as you could’ve guessed, is bus boy.

Thus years of pining follow, as the two try their best to move on from their connection. But does this actually work? No, because throughout the book, there is seriously this emotional pool between them. As the reader, I would get so frustrated that they just wouldn’t admit their feelings and attempt to be together.

“If anyone ever asks if I’ve ever fallen in love at first sight, I shall say yes. For one glorious moment on the 21st of December 2006.”

The biggest con is that we watch them try, and fail, to fall in love with other people. Or in Jack’s case, randomly hook up with other women. For being a romance novel, I wanted them to actually be together, which isn’t the case. We never get to actually view them as a couple, which is frustrating to me.

However, the books most redeeming quality is the writing. I loved Josie Silver’s writing style. Although the plot wasn’t my favorite, and I didn’t really enjoy 75% of the book, the writing is what kept me reading, and I would probably pick up more of her books in the future.

Overall, the one thing that is desperately missing from this book is an epilogue. If you were going to give me an almost 400 pages romance novel without actually any romance. I’m gonna need an epilogue so that I get a tiny glimpse of the love interests actually being together. Nevertheless, I did like the message that home isn’t a place, but a person, which is a very romantic sentiment.

Sorry, if this review was a little bit spoilery. I didn’t know how to write it without adding my actual thoughts, which could be considered spoiling the book. But, if you are a fan of book reviews usually spoiler free ones give my blog a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Lovelight Farms // Books Meets Beauty

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Hi Friends,
I love doing posts that combined some of my other loves with books, which is exactly what we are doing for day 10 of Bookmas. Therefore, I hope you enjoy this holiday edition of “Books Meets Beauty.” I took inspiration from the book ‘Lovelight Farms’ by BK Borodin.

For the look, I did my normal foundation routine but went for a rose cheek and champagne highlight using the Relove by Revolution Colour Play Blush & Highlighter Cute Duo. My eye look was 100% inspired by the book’s cover. The palette I used was Too Faced ‘Christmas Coffee,’ which was unfortunately discontinued. I pulled in brown, green, and red, and I think that the color combination really embodied the book cover. Lastly, I used the Revlon lipstick ‘Cherries In The Snow,’ which happens to be a favorite of mine for the winter time.

In my opinion, this makeup look replicates the book’s cover perfectly. If you like posts that bring books and beauty together, you should give my blog a follow before you go.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

“Do I Have That Book” Challenge!

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
I thought that for day 9 of Bookmas it would be fun to do the ‘Do I Have That Book Challenge.’ This is a popular YouTube tag and I believe originally you were supposed to set a 60 second timer and try to find a book on your shelf that fit the question. However, I’m doing a book blogger take on the tag by eliminating the timer aspect.


Like most readers I’m not a fan of deckled edges, but my edition of ‘Speak’ by Laurie Halse Anderson does happen to have deckled edges. Funny, enough I instantly knew this book had them and I got this copy years ago. Probably when I first started becoming a reader.


I had a few books I could have choose for this and I went with an unlikely choice. This book has three silhouettes on the cover, but I’m still counting them as three people. Also, who doesn’t love the Sanderson sisters? And, just a quick note the sequel in this book isn’t anything like Disney+ ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ film.


Yep. ‘Geekerella’ is a Cinderella retelling. Honestly, this series of companion novels weren’t my favorite, but I enjoyed this book. It was a fun twist on the Cinderella story and the romance was really cute.


It took me a while to find a book with exactly ten letters in the title, but I ended up finding ‘Splintered’ by by A.G. Howard. This is the first book in an ‘Alice In Wonderland’ retelling series. This series is very old and use to be talked about a lot in the book community. I have yet to start it, but hop to pick it up relatively soon.


This was surprisingly easy to find, ‘Two Can Keep A Secret’ by Karen M. McManus starts and ends with the letter T. This is a YA thriller that I didn’t love, still it works for this prompt so I’m happy.


I only have one ‘The Time Keeper’ by Mitch Albom. I don’t know why I have this book, yet I can only assume it is because I read a lot of his books early on in my reading journey. Have I read this book. Nope. Do I know what it’s about. Nope.


‘Mary Poppins‘ by P.L. Travers! The authors actual name is Pamela Lyndon Travers. I have a few other books by authors using a pen name but this was the first one that came to mind.


‘Anna and the French Kiss‘ by Stephanie Perkins, which happens to be one of the first YA contemporary trilogy, of sorts, that I read. It is such a cute YA romance set in France. I still love this book even though I haven’t read it in years. Maybe, a reread is in order here.


Nope! I looked through practically every book on my shelf and couldn’t find a single book containing not only two but let alone one map. Probably, because fantasy isn’t a genre I typically buy. However, that is changing so I might have a book that meets this prompt in the future. But, as of today I do not.


I feel like every book these days is turning into a TV show or movie, so I have quite a few. Such as ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ trilogy by Jenny Han that was turned into an Amazon Prime original show. I still need to watch the whole series, yet the first episode was really good. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think the series might be better than the books. Yeah, I said it don’t come for me.


Yep! I have ‘Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You‘ by Misha Collins, who plays Castiel on Supernatural. This is a poetry book that he released and I also believe that I have his cookbook. A little known fact is that he is my soulmate we just haven’t met yet. Don’t worry my husband is cool with it.


This is another one that I’m surprised I don’t have in my collection. You’d think more books would have clocks on the cover. I do want ‘The Toymaker’s Apprentice‘ by Sherri L. Smith, which does have a clock on the cover. However, as of now I don’t own any books that fit this prompt.


I’m going to do a shameless self promo and say ‘Convenient Interruptions‘ by ME! If you don’t know I released a poetry collection that you can buy on amazon and read for free on Kindle Unlimited.


I’m the type of person that hates any type of sticker or stamp on a book cover, but I did have a copy of ‘The Graveyard Book‘ by Neil Gaiman that I bought from Half-Priced Books. It has an award stamp on the cover, because it won the John Newbery Medal. However, I unhauled the book so I don’t actually have a book for this question.


Technically, I do since I mentioned that I have a copy of my own book. However, if we are speaking about books not written by yours truly than no. I think my initials NE, or maiden name initials NT, are pretty uncommon.


I own a few books of short stories such as ‘Blackout‘ by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon. This is a collection of interlocking short stories about black teens.


Nope! I either have books that are under 400 pages or over 510 pages, which is pretty weird if you ask me. I’m not usually someone that will read a long book, so it makes sense that all my books are relatively short. Yet, I do have some that contain up to 550 pages and that’s a little intimidating to say the least.


One of my all time favorite books ‘Five Feet Apart‘ by Mikki Daughtry, Rachael Lippincott, and Tobias Iaconis was turned into a film. In my opinion, the movie is just as good as the book and I recommend them both if you like heartbreaking young adult romances.


I’ve bought a lot of graphic novels with in the last year. My most recent graphic novel purchase was ‘Squad‘ by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, which is a sapphic horror about a group of werewolves.


‘A Secret Princess‘ by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz is a YA retelling of ‘A Little Princess’ and ‘The Secret Garden’. And, obviously it’s written by two wonderful young adult authors.

There you have the ‘Do I Have That Book’ book tag challenge! It was very interesting going through my book shelf to find books that correlate with each prompt. In the comments, let me know how many prompts you can complete with the books on your selves. Don’t forget to hit the follow button for more bookish content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Christmas Songs // Book Tag

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
Today, for day 8 of Bookmas, I’m going to be doing the ‘Christmas Songs’ Book Tag created by That Artsy Reader Girl. I have never done this tag before, which made it even more fun to do.

Related Post: Better Than The Movies // Book Review

This was easy, because my favorite book couple is probably Liz and Wes from ‘Better Than The Movies’ by Lynn Painter. I love their dynamic and love story.

Related Post: Kiki’s Delivery Service // Book Review

The first book that comes to mind is ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ by Eiko Kadono, since she leaves home in the beginning of the book. It’s such a fast read that was really cute. And, I’m sure the anime film adaptation is just as good.


As a kid, I loved ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas’ by Dr. Seuss. It still holds a special place in my heart.


I have too many on my list, so I’d really love any book. I have an Amazon wishlist that has a ton of books that I would love to get on Christmas.


I’m a baby when it comes to books, and I’ll cry at a lot of them. Most recently ‘Serpent and the Wings of Night’ by Carissa Broadbent made me ugly cry.

Related Post: The Holiday Swap // Book Review

Anything that embodies a Hallmark movie! I’m all about a good plot, but a little bit of cheesy romance. The one that I always recommend is ‘The Holiday Swap’ by Maggie Knox, because I can definitely see it being a Hallmark movie one day.

Related Post: Caraval // Book Review

I’m going to talk about the ‘Caraval’ trilogy by Stephanie Garber, because to me all the book were very well done. However, my favorite is ‘Caraval’, which is the first book. In my opinion, it was a great start to the trilogy.

Related Post: Divergent // Book Review

Four, from ‘Divergent’ by Veronica Roth because I’m into the brooding, serious, and misunderstood type, with a heart of gold. I think it would make for an interesting snow day.

Related Post: One Of Us Is Back // Book Review

Sadly, ‘One Of Us Is Back’ by Karen M. McManus wasn’t my favorite book. I still enjoyed it, but as the ending to a great YA thriller trilogy it was a letdown.


I’m so excited for ‘Happily Never After’ by Lynn Painter! It’s an adult romance about two love cynics, and I cannot wait to read it. The release date is set for March of 2024.

I think that all the questions were very creative, and I can see myself doing this tag again next year. In the comments, let me know you answers to these questions. Don’t forget that you can always follow the blog, to ensure that you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Whiteout // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
Atlanta is blanketed with snow just before Christmas, but the warmth of young love just might melt the ice in this novel of Black joy, and cozy, sparkling romance—by the same unbeatable team of authors who wrote the New York Times bestseller Blackout! As the city grinds to a halt, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off the most epic apology of her life. But will they be able to make it happen, in spite of the storm?
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3t3Zh8H

My Rating

This is an anthology that features six romance stories centered around black teens. The main narrative follows Stevie and Sola, navigating a challenging phase in their relationship, providing a catalyst that intertwines and connects the other stories. Despite the varied plots, each tale presents unique yet collectively interesting perspectives on romance, making it a cohesive anthology.

Stevie bears similarities to Sheldon from ‘The Big Bang Theory.’ While the characters are enjoyable, the briefness of the stories limits the depth of character exploration, and there’s minimal character development. However, given that this is a short story collection, this is not unexpected.

The Atlanta setting, right before Christmas, creates a captivating atmosphere heightened by a snowstorm. The wintry backdrop enhances the holiday spirit, providing a cozy reading experience that captures the essence of a cold December night.

“But Christmas just adds an extra bit of magic to the love, you know? The special gifts, the parties, the lights, the mistletoe.”

The great thing is that I don’t find that I liked any story in the anthology more than any of the others. However, none of them really stood out to me – they all fell somewhere in the middle of my expectations. Separately, and collectively, I’d give them 3 stars, which I think is a solid rating.

Overall, the book is a quick and fun read, showcasing wholesome romances among black teens. Though not a traditional Christmas read, the winter setting makes it an ideal choice for a snowy night, adding a lighthearted touch to the seasonal reading list. And, this is high praise coming from someone that doesn’t normally enjoy anthologies.

In the comments, let me know if you plan on reading this book. Don’t forget that you can always like and share this post. If you enjoy book reviews please support my blog by giving it a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Read Or Not // Holiday Edition

- Bunny 4 Comments

Hi Friends,
Today is day 6 of Bookmas, and I’m going to be talking about holiday reads. Specifically, the ones I think are worth reading, and the ones that aren’t.

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/3taqfva
Related Post: Eight Nights Of Flirting // Book Review

Let’s start this off on a high note and talk about my favorite holiday read of 2022. This is the cutest YA Hanukkah romances that I have read. I completely recommend it, and love that it isn’t a Christmas book, since that’s what people typically read this time of year.

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/3tbDnjF
Related Post: In A Holidaze // Book Review

Honestly, this book wasn’t for me – from the romance, to the plot, I just couldn’t get into it. However, the writing was decent, but I will say that this is a book I would pass on. It really isn’t anything special.

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/483IbXd
Related Post: The Holiday Swap // Book Review

If you love Hallmark Christmas movies (which I know aren’t for everyone), then you will love this book. This seriously feels like you are watching one of there cheesy but heartwarming holiday movies, and I loved every second of it. I think that you should definitely give this book a read.

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/4ajmODo
Related Post: So, This Is Christmas // Book Review

I don’t want to go on a tangent about how much I dislike this book, so I’ll keep it short. This is a young adult contemporary that I was not a fan of whatsoever. Enough said.

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/418Epd0
Related Post: A Merry Little Meet Cute // Book Review

This book was a pleasant surprise because not only was it a cute holiday romance it is super steamy. I loved all the funny moments and it had great bipolar representations. I think it is good holiday read for someone that doesn’t mind a good amount of spicy.

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/3RuoQJb
Related Post: All I Want For Christmas // Book Review

If you are looking for a super cheesy and ridiculously Christmas read, then this is the book for you. As for me, it didn’t really work. In my opinion, I am going to have to say that it isn’t worth the read.

I hoped that this helped you plan your December TBR a littler better. Don’t forget to like and share the post. And, you can always support my blog by giving it a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Holiday Books | Books Meet Fashion

- Bunny 1 Comment

Hi Friends,
For Day 5 of Bookmas, I’m going to be doing a bookish Christmas fashion post. I have done similar posts to this, and I have such a fun time creating outfits to match book covers.

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/41aTRp6
Related Post: The Holiday Swap // Book Review

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/41906tp

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/49ZFrMt

In the comments, let me know your thoughts on these outfits and books. Please follow the blog if you are enjoying my Bookmas content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Family Game | Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
A confession to a grisly crime. A murder. And, suddenly, the game is in motion. Harriet Reed is newly engaged to Edward Holbeck, the heir to an extremely powerful American family. When Edward’s father hands her a tape of a book he’s been working on, she is desperate to listen. But as she presses play, it’s clear that this isn’t a novel. It’s a confession to murder.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/47AZWNM

My Rating

This was a very slow moving thriller that focused mainly on the main character. We get to learn a lot about her, and the story is told through her eyes. And although it wasn’t a quick paced story, I really enjoyed it and think that it’s a great winter time thriller.

In the book, we follow Harry, a novelist, who is newly engaged to Edward. Her fiancé comes from a very wealthy family. But Harry soon learns that the family not only has money, but secrets as well. Although she finds herself drawn in to her new family, she’s starting to wonder if they can truly be trusted.

Harry as a main character was great. I found her to be likable and for the most part smart. And I love that she was a thriller author, and used the knowledge she gained from writing her books to help her uncover some of the family’s secrets. However, Harry has a secret of her own, which shows the darker side to the character, but also very human side.

“Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive.”

No, I won’t say this book is full of twists and turns, but there were a few moments that shocked me. I enjoyed the slower pace of this book, and I loved that it was at Christmas time. I haven’t read many thrillers that take place during the holidays, so it was a nice change for me. And the mention of Krampus, although small, was pretty interesting.

I have heard others say that they wished that the book focused more on the family game part, which is understandable, considering it’s the title. However, that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the book. And the ending was fantastic! It started off as a four star, but was bumped up to five because those last few chapters.

Overall, the writing was excellent, the plot was amazing, and my reading experience was great. I will 100% be reading more from this author, and I would recommend this book to others who are looking for a thriller to read in the winter time. But please check trigger warnings before picking up this book.

In the comments, let me know if you will be reading this book. Don’t forget that you can stay up to date with the blog by giving it a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny