Books

To Be Read // August 2022 (ft. Summer Mix-Tape Readathon)

- Bunny 8 Comments

Hi Friends,
It is TBR time once again! Unfortunately, my reading hasn’t been the best this month so I am hoping that August might reignite my passion for reading. I will be doing the Summer Mix-Tape readathon that is taking place from 1st – 14th August. If you want to find out more about the readathon and all the co-hosts, you can watch Lianne (literarydiversions) announcement video.

Before I get into my TBR for the readathon, I want to mention my ‘The Reading Rabbits’ book club pick for August. I have a book club that you can join through the Novellic app. This month we will be reading ‘Hidden Pictures’ by Jason Rekulak, which is slightly out of my comfort zone, since it is an adult thriller. However, I have heard some pretty good things about this book, and it sounds intriguing.

“From Jason Rekulak, Edgar-nominated author of The Impossible Fortress, comes a wildly inventive spin on the classic horror story in Hidden Pictures, a supernatural thriller about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets.”

Now on to the readathon prompts!
Here Comes the Sun – read a book with nature on the cover

I decided to go with ‘Lost in the Never Woods’ by Aiden Thomas, because it does have some trees on the cover. That counts as nature, right? This is a middle grade ‘Peter Pan’ retelling, which hasn’t been talked about a lot, so I am curious to see if it is any good.

“When children go missing in the small coastal town of Astoria, people look to Wendy for answers. It’s been five years since Wendy and her two brothers went missing the woods, but when the town’s children start to disappear, the questions surrounding her brothers’ mysterious circumstances are brought back into light.”

Blame It On The Weatherman – read an unseasonal read
I instantly knew that I was going to go for a spooky read when I saw this prompt, and I recently borrowed ‘The Witchery’ by S. Isabelle on Libby. I know nothing about this book, except that it is a YA witchy story, which is all I need to know about it.

“A bewitching debut by S. Isabelle, perfect for fans of Maggie Stiefvater, Zoraida Córdova, and Leigh Bardugo! THE HAUNTING SEASON IS HERE AND THE WOLVES ARE AWAKE.”

Cake By The Ocean – read a book involving food/read a spicy book

I have been wanting to read Elizabeth Acevedo’s book ‘With the Fire on High’ for the longest time. Food is a big focus in the book making it the perfect choice for this prompt. Let’s hope I actually end up reading it this month.

“From the New York Times bestselling author of the National Book Award-winning title The Poet X comes a dazzling novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright.”

We’re Going To Ibiza – read a book set in another country

Recently, I learned about ‘Hot British Boyfriend’ by Kristy Boyce, and it sounds like a fun YA contemporary. Since August is the last official month of summer, not that the weather will reflect that, I want to read a few more lighthearted YA contemporary reads.

“Ellie embarks on a whirlwind romance, one that takes her on adventures to some of England’s most beautiful places, she still needs to figure out if this is actually the answer to all her problems…and whether the perfect boyfriend is actually the perfect boy for her.”

Mixtape – pick a book based on your favourite summer bop/free choice

First off, my husband seriously hates the phase bop and tells me all the time that I am never going to make bop happen. Anyways, a song that always comes to mind when I think of the summer is ‘Island in the Sun’ by Weezer. Mainly because it was featured in ‘Aquamarine’, one of my favorite summer movies. I decided that a book set on the beach or an island at summer would work perfectly for this prompt. So, I am going with ‘The Girl From The Sea’ by Molly Ostertag, since it is set on a small island.

“In what will prove to be the most important summer of her life so far, Anna learns about love, herself, and the magic that an ordinary summer can bring.”

Those are all the books that I have set to read in August. For the rest of the month I will just be mood reading, which is always fun. In the comments leave me some book recommendations. And, hit that follow button so that you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,

Bunny

Summertime Madness // Book Tag

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
I am back with another book tag! This time I am doing the ‘Summertime Madness Book TAG’ which was created by JakeEatsLife (formerly JakeEatsBooks) on YouTube.

Show a book with a summery cover! i.e. Sun, Beach etc.
I haven’t read this book, but I am hoping to read it before summer ends. The plot gives me hope that it will be a fun summer contemporary with a magical twist. I have high hopes for this book, since I really enjoyed the authors YA thriller’Horrid‘.

Pick one fictional place that would be the perfect destination for your Summer. Vacation!
I wasn’t the biggest fan of this trilogy, but the world was very cool. Yet, I am not sure it counts as a fictional world, since it is simple a dystopian version of the world we live in today. Still the sci-fi elements add to society seems awesome.

You’re about to go on a flight to your Summer Vacation. But you want to read a book that lasts for the whole flight so what novel do you choose?
YA thrillers are always fun and fast reads. This is one that has been on my TBR for quite some time, and it has great reviews. It is 330 pages, which makes me think it is a good flight pick.

You have a case of Summertime Sadness–what happy book do you pick up to shine a smile on your face?
I have probably mentioned this book a ton, but I predict it will be a 5 star read. The premise sound so heartwarming, and YA contemporaries usually make me smile.

 

You’re sitting at the beach all alone…which fictional character would be your beach babe?
Does beach babe mean guy or girl? Well, I am going to say guy but just platonic guy friend. For me, I will go with Cooper from Kasie West’s
‘Love, Life and The List”. He was a good friend to Abby, and seemed like a fun person to hang out with. However, he’s a teenager, so us hanging out might be a bit weird.

To match your ice cream you want an icy cool sidekick! Which fictional sidekick do you pick?
Ravi Singh from the ‘A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder’ books is an amazing sidekick. He is supportive and funny. And, he’s down to help solve mysteries, which I can get behind.

 

Share the Summertime Happiness! Who do you TAG?
I am going to tag some of my favorite book bloggers! I would love to see Ceri from ‘Read And Review It‘ do this tag, and Mackenzie over at ‘Lit Lemon Books‘.

If you want to leave your answers to the questions in the comments please do so. I love seeing the books that readers associate with each season in this case summer. Remember not to leave before hitting that follow button, because you won’t want to miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

It’s Kind Of A Funny Story // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

Synopsis
“Ned Vizzini, who himself spent time in a psychiatric hospital, has created a remarkably moving tale about the sometimes unexpected road to happiness.”

This book gives a realistic look at mental illness. The main character, Craig, is relatable and still trying to figure out his mental state. Although he is a teenager, I think even adults can relate to his thoughts and feelings. Dealing with mental illness can be complex and the author does a great job of showcasing that. Like Craig, sometimes we feel fine due to medication, but once we stop taking that medication, we crash.

The book’s main plot centers on Craig being committed to the hospital’s adult psych ward. There, we are introduced to all sorts of characters, who are struggling with different mental health issues. It truly shows that everyone is facing their own battle. And mental Illnesses doesn’t look the same for everyone. On the outside, Craig seemed like an average teenager. But inside, he was crumbling. Some people are tied together with a smile.

There were many funny moments, which is nice to have in a book that deals with such a heavy topic. It was good to see Craig bonding with other patients. He learned a lot about their lives and struggles. But, there was also the notion that what happens in inpatient, should stay in inpatient.

There are many messages through the book. One being that you can’t truly understand mental health issues, even if you deal with them yourself. No two mental illnesses look the same. There will be people who think they have you figured out, but they don’t, and this was the case for Craig.

“I didn’t want to wake up. I was having a much better time asleep. And that’s really sad. It was almost like a reverse nightmare, like when you wake up from a nightmare you’re so relieved. I woke up into a nightmare.”

You never need to explain yourself to others, and that was something Craig struggled with in the story. His friends were toxic, and don’t even get me started on Nina, his crush. Craig had a lot of personal development in the book, and learned that it is better to be friendless than to be friends with all the wrong people.

One of my favorite things about this book was that it mentions “finding your anchor”. It is so important for us to find something that fills us with joy. That one things that tethers us to life. It shouldn’t be a person, but something that we enjoy. And the book made a point to talk about how we all should look for some type of anchor.

As you can tell, the book hits on some heavy topics. Obviously, mental health is the main focus in the book but there is talk about self harm, somewhat slut shaming, and the underlying mention of sexual abuse. If these are subjects you are sensitive to, please be aware before you pick this book up.

Overall, this is one of my favorite books. I connect with it, and love the view that all we can do is try to manage our lives. And to live the best life for ourselves. Please like and share this post, and follow my blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

My Bookish Reels // Bookstagram

- Bunny 4 Comments

Hi Friends,
Lately, I have been having so much fun posting bookish reels on Instagram. On the social media platform, I am part of the community called ‘Bookstagram’. It is a place for book lovers to share bookish photos, reels (90 second video clips), and stories. I love posting photos displaying books, and even stories (I do some polls as well). However, my favorite thing to post has become reels. I have posted a few recently that I wanted to share with you all.

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A post shared by Bunny (@books.with.bunny)

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A post shared by Bunny (@books.with.bunny)

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A post shared by Bunny (@books.with.bunny)

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A post shared by Bunny (@books.with.bunny)

I am pretty proud of the reels and photos that I create, and I even share a few personal photos every once in a while. If you aren’t following my Bookstagram feel free to do so. As perusal, my username is Books.With.Bunny. Don’t forget to follow my blog for everything bookish and more.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

2022 Anticipated Book Releases // July – December

- Bunny 9 Comments

Hi Friends,
Back in December of 2021, I posted my most anticipated releases from January to June of 2022. Now, I will be sharing my most anticipated book releases from July to December of 2022. As usual, I am not going to mention all the books that I am excited for (since that will make this post very long). With that in mind, I am only mentioning the books that I am the most excited for.


Frightmares by Eva V. Gibson (July 5th)
“In a Florida tourist trap, a summer acting job turns into a real-life horror show when a cast member turns up dead—then disappears. This nail-biting story is perfect for fans of Fear Street!”

A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy (A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy #1) by Jeff Bishop (July 12th)
“You’ve Reached Sam meets John Hughes in a funny and heartfelt debut about a boy’s delirious summertime quest with his ex-girlfriend.”

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw (Aug. 2nd)
In my Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag that I cannot wait for this book to be released. I don’t think there has ever been a ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ retelling, so this is going to be great. I have such high hopes for this book, which makes me a bit nervous.

12 To 22: POV You Wake Up in the Future! by Jen Calonita (Aug. 16th)
“A smart and funny modern day 13 Going on 30 from New York Times bestselling author Jen Calonita! A tween girl finds out it is like to be 22 when she jumps in time with the help of a mysterious TikTok filter.”

Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus (Aug. 30th)
“Four years ago someone got away with murder. The most terrifying part is that they never left.”

Wishtress by Nadine Brandes (Sept. 13th)
“Everyone seems to need a wish—the king, Myrthe’s cousin, the boy she thinks she loves. And they’re ready to bully, beg, and betray her for it. No one knows that to grant even one wish, Myrthe would pay with her life. And if she tells them about the curse . . . they’ll just kill her anyway.”

Mere Mortals by Erin Jade Lange (Sept. 27th)
“This hilarious, fresh take on a classic vampire tale follows a pair of hundred-year-old teenage vampires who are turned mortal and must face the greatest nightmare of all—high school.”

Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne (Oct. 4th)
“Seaview High’s homecoming queen is dead . . . and she’s not the first. From the critically acclaimed author of The Ivies comes a nonstop thriller about a decades-old mystery, a copycat killing, and the teen who won’t stop until she discovers the truth.”

The Art of Insanity by Christine Webb (Oct. 11th)
“Written from experience, this contemporary YA is a heartfelt and candid exploration into the shame surrounding mental illness and offers an uplifting narrative where the protagonist doesn’t die at the end.”

Friends Like These by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez (Nov. 1st)
“Twisted secrets that will have readers guessing with every flip of the page. Perfect for fans of GONE GIRL, WE WERE LIARS and Karen M. McManus. An end-of-summer party. A prank gone wrong. A body on the beach. Who’s to blame?”

Whiteout by Various Authors (Nov. 8th)
“Atlanta is blanketed with snow just before Christmas, but the warmth of young love just might melt the ice in this novel of interwoven narratives, Black joy, and cozy, sparkling romance—by the same unbeatable team of authors who wrote the New York Times bestseller Blackout!”

Come Out, Come Out, Whatever You Are by Kathryn Foxfield (Dec. 6th)
“On the reality show It’s Behind You!, five contestants competing for prize money must survive the night in the dark and dangerous Umber Gorge caves, rumored to be haunted by the Puckered Maiden, a ghost who eats the hearts of her victims. But is it the malevolent spirit they should fear, or each other?”

So, This Is Love (So, This Is Christmas #2) by Tracy Andreen (Dec. 20th)
“In the sequel to Tracy Andreen’s debut romantic comedy So, This Is Christmas, we follow Finley and Arthur back to Barrington Academy for a swoony semester.”

I always get overwhelmed talking about new book releases, since my TBR is already over 500 books! Reader problems, am I right? What are some new releases are you looking forward to? Don’t forget to follow my blog to get notified whenever I post. I am sure to be doing book reviews on at least some of these books.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

To Be Read // Memeathon 2022

- Bunny 1 Comment

Hi Friends,
This is my July TBR, but more so my Memeathon TBR. If you missed my announcement post, then you wouldn’t know that I have created my own readathon! The readathon is a month long, and all the prompts are meme related.

Read All The Books!: Read The Next Book In A Series

Shut Up & Take My Money: Read The Last Book You Purchased

Wednesday Frog: Read A Book Containing And Over Used Trope (I Picked Enemies-To-Lovers)

Socially Awkward Penguin: Read An Overrated Book

Socially Awesome Penguin: Read An Underrated Book

Distracted Boyfriend: Finish A Book You DNFed

Success Kid: Read A 5 Star Prediction

Guess I’ll Die: Read A Murder Mystery or Thriller

Those are the books I’m planning to read during for this readathon, but I might not get to them all. However, I want to mention that this is a super chill readathon, which I hope takes some of the pressure off. Please comment below your TBR, and share this post with others. Also, stay up to date on when I post by hitting that follow button!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

All Of Us Villains // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

Synopsis
“The blockbuster co-writing debut of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman, All of Us Villains begins a dark tale of ambition and magick. You fell in love with the victors of The Hunger Games. Now, prepare to meet the villains of the Blood Veil.”

When I read the synopsis, I assumed that I would be getting a ‘Hunger Games’ type of story. And, while there are similarities to ‘The Hunger Games’, the books differ dramatically when it comes to the main storyline. This book is all about magic and there was a lot of focus on world building. The authors went in-depth to explain the magic system, but I was still confused by the magic aspect.

In this book, we follow 4 characters: Briony, Alastair, Isobel, and Gavin. The characters are the chosen ones amongst their families to participate in this magical fight to the death. Honestly, I think the battle must be done because of some sort of curse. However, I don’t think the whole history behind this competition was explained well enough.

The main four are from different classes in society, and each have their reasons to win the battle. Obviously, they don’t want to die, but they also want to make their families proud. But I found their families to be rather cold and heartless. Alastair’s family is very well known in the magic world, and he has a lot of pressure to live up to his families reputation. He was my favorite character of all, and I found myself sympathizing with him.

Isobel was forced into the battle. You could tell that her family only cared if she won, despite knowing that she might end up dying. She was the typical ‘pretty girl’, which I didn’t care for. I could tell that she and Alastair were going to be romantically linked, but I found their relationship boring, and it didn’t add anything to the story. It would have been more interesting if they developed a brother/sister type of bond instead.

“What is happily ever after to the child is a nightmare to the monster.”

Briony’s character was strong and smart. I could compare her to Katniss in some ways. She was, to me, the most likeable of the characters. She did make some bad decisions, but was honored to be a part of the competition. You get to see her grow throughout the book, and a lot of her opinions changed. I think that she got a bad rap from the other characters, because of her past actions.

As for Gavin, I wanted to like him, but he was very whiny. He blamed Alastair for all his problems. He was cold and ruthless, which is what he accused other of being. I didn’t find his chapters to be all that interesting. Each of the characters made decisions that had dire consequences, and there was a lot of manipulation going on.

There weren’t many side characters, since the authors wanted to focus on those core four. I think there is a lot of things happening in the story, and because of that, they chose not to have any more characters that were developed in depth. Especially since the plot was heavily character driven.

One of the things the book lacked was action. We spent a good 60% of the book waiting for the competition to start. It left me bored and struggling to get through it. When the main plot is the magical battle, I want it not to take most of the book for it to start. I do, however, understand that we needed to get each character’s backstory in order to establish some sort of connection with them.

The ending mainly left me confused. I am completely unsure of what actually unfolded. Even going back and rereading the last chapter didn’t clear things up for me. Maybe this book went over my head, or there were just too many elements at play. For me, young adult fantasy is always a hit or miss type of genre.

Overall, this book isn’t something that I would read again. And, maybe should have DNF’ed it at the halfway mark. This is a duology, but I am unsure if I will be picking up the second book.

In the comments, leave me your YA fantasy book recommendations. The audiobook for this book is available on Everand, and you can get a free trial of the service by using my link (click here). Don’t forget to follow my blog for more of my book reviews!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

2022 Mid-Year Book Freakout // Book Tag

- Bunny 3 Comments

Hi Friends,
It is once again time for the “Mid-Year Book Freakout” Tag! If you don’t know what this tag is all about, you can check out my ‘Book Freakout‘ tag post from last year. This year I also did the new “The Quarter Year Crisis” book tag that you should read as well. This tag should give you a little insight to how my reading year is going thus far.


100% ‘The Night Shift’ by Alex Finlay. So far this year I haven’t had a lot of 5 stars reads, so this book has continued to hold the spot as the best book that I read in 2022.


I have only finished one book series this year, which is the ‘A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder’ trilogy. I won’t get into my thoughts on the final book in the series, but the second book, ‘Good Girl, Bad Blood’, was really good. It was a solid second book, and was an enjoyable read.


Probably ‘Hide’ by Kiersten White! However, I have heard only negative things about the book since its release. Still, I am hoping to pick it up , but I am in no rush to read it.


I have so many anticipated releases coming out! But I am really excited for ‘Long Live the Pumpkin Queen‘ by Shea Ernshaw to be released. The book follows Sally from ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, which sounds amazing. Also, ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ is special to me since me and my husband dressed up in Jack and Sally for our 2020 wedding on Halloween. Our wedding rings are even inspired by the movie!


I hate to say it, but that would be ‘As Good As Dead’ by Holly Jackson. That, and the third and final book in the ‘A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder’ trilogy. Let’s just move on.


I am going to go with ‘Radio Silence’ by Alice Oseman. I didn’t know what to expect from this book, but I ended up enjoying it a lot! It had an interesting plot, and an honest portrayal of mental health struggles.


Emily Henry! I haven’t finished ‘Book Lovers’ yet, but right from the start I was in love. This storyline is great, the dialogue is great, and the writing style is, well, great!


Honestly, I can’t think of anyone that I have swooned over lately. Sure there are characters that I find adorable, but no new fictional crushes as of yet.


Ivy from ‘You’ll Be The Death Of Me’ by Karen M. McManus. She reminds me a little of myself, since she is type A and an overachiever. Also, she is petty which is something I use to be as a kid. Let me tell you there’s this one grudge I still hold until this day, just kidding. Kind of.


This year, I have read two books that made me sob. The first being ‘The Night Shift’, and the second was ‘Good Girl, Bad Blood’. If you have read either of these books, then you might know why they gutted me.


Bunnicula! My husband desperately wanted me to read this collection, because he calls me Bunny (and sometimes Bunnicula). Reading this silly and cute book made me so happy!


‘Omens Bite‘ by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, which is the second book in the ‘Sisters Of Salem’ series. Do I own the first book? No. Was this a cover buy? Yes.


I don’t have any required reading to get done by the years end, but still, I would love to read ‘Darling Girl’ by Liz Michalski before 2022 is over. I don’t know why this book intrigues me so much, but the idea of a dark/adult retelling of ‘Peter Pan’ sounds so interesting.

This tag is always so much fun, so if you have done it, please let me know in the comments. Or, just feel free to tell me how your reading as been going. Have you met your reading goal? Don’t forget to follow my blog for all things bookish and more!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Over 30 // Book Tag

- Bunny 3 Comments

Hi Friends,
It’s my birthday, and I’ll cry if I want to? Wait, that doesn’t sound right. Feelin’ like I’m 22? I wish! Actually, I am “Thirty, Flirty and Thriving!” In honor of my 30th birthday, I thought that I would do the ‘Over 30 Book Tag’. Enjoy!


In the comments, I would love your birthday wishes. Also, I did a whole post on my birthday book wishlist, or you can check out my Amazon wishlist to see what books I would like to add to my bookshelves. As a birthday gift to me, please follow my blog!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

30th Birthday Bookish Wishlist // Toss-Up Tuesday

- Bunny 9 Comments

Hi Friends,
June is my birth month, so I thought it would be fun to share my birthday wishlist. Although, getting gifts aren’t important to me at all there are some books that I would like to buy or receive for my birthday. Do I need more books? No. Does that stop me from wanting more? Absolutely no.

Honestly, those are all the books at the top of my wishlist as of now. However, I am probably missing quiet a few. If you would like to see my full Amazon book wishlist feel free to do so by clicking here. In the comments, tell me what is the number on thing on your wishlist bookish or otherwise. Please send me love by following my little book blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny