Promo Post: All Men Love Leah by Ksenija Nikolova

 

This is my stop during the book blitz for All Men Love Leah by Ksenija Nikolova. All Men Love Leah is an exciting psychological thriller with an unpredictable twist!

All Men Love Leah would make for a great Christmas gift! Order your copy here.

This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 26 till 30 November. See the tour schedule here.

All Men Love Leah
By Ksenija Nikolova
Genre: Psychological Thriller/ Contemporary Romance
Age category: Adult

Blurb:
All Enzo wants is a reason to believe it's all worthwhile. Stuck in a world that doesn't fulfil him, he meanders through his days feeling empty, lost, and left out of the real world that is moving by without him. He is cynical but gifted, and when he meets the beautiful and enigmatic Leah she turns his universe upside down.

Leah and Enzo are exact opposites, but she is drawn to his darkness just as he is drawn to her light. She is a woman who lives by her own expression and challenges his dismal character down to its most frightening corners, awakening in him something he didn't know he had the capacity to experience.

But everything is not what it seems. There is a secret that threatens the happiness that Leah represents in Enzo's life. She is the one who embraces his flaws and uncovers his bravery by teaching him to love, and for the first time in his life he feels like a real man, but in the end, will Enzo survive Leah's heartbreaking truth?

Links:
- Goodreads
- Bookbub
- Amazon
- B&N

About the Author:
Ksenija Nikolova is a Macedonian fiction author and she has been writing since she was little. Her books abound with emotions, where characters’ internal lives and battles are deeply described. She uses her voice in her books, to raise mental health awareness and to diminish discrimination and narrow thinking.

She is the author of six books, and “All men love Leah” is her first book translated and published in English language. She says she wrote this book in her darkest moments, but also it was this book that brought such light to her life.

Author links:
- Instagram
- Amazon
- Goodreads

Promo Post: A Rebel In Auschwitz by Jack Fairweather

 

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the A REBEL IN AUSCHWITZ by Jack Fairweather Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About the Book:

Title: A REBEL IN AUSCHWITZ: The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Fought the Nazis from Inside the Camp

Author: Jack Fairweather

Pub. Date: October 19, 2021

Publisher:  Scholastic Focus

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 352

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Audible, B&N, iBooks (audiobook), Kobo (audiobook), TBD, Bookshop.org

With exclusive access to previously hidden diaries, family and camp survivor accounts, and recently declassified files, critically acclaimed and award-winning journalist Jack Fairweather brilliantly portrays the remarkable man who volunteered to face the unknown in the name of truth and country. This extraordinary and eye-opening account of the Holocaust invites us all to bear witness.

Occupied Warsaw, Summer 1940:

Witold Pilecki, a Polish underground operative, accepted a mission to uncover the fate of thousands interned at a new concentration camp, report on Nazi crimes, raise a secret army, and stage an uprising. The name of the camp -- Auschwitz.

Over the next two and half years, and under the cruellest of conditions, Pilecki's underground sabotaged facilities, assassinated Nazi officers, and gathered evidence of terrifying abuse and mass murder. But as he pieced together the horrifying Nazi plans to exterminate Europe's Jews, Pilecki realized he would have to risk his men, his life, and his family to warn the West before all was lost. To do so meant attempting the impossible -- but first he would have to escape from Auschwitz itself...

Praise for The Volunteer (adult edition):

"This is a story that has long deserved a robust, faithful telling, and [Fairweather] has delivered it." -- Wall Street Journal

"An extraordinary story." -- The Times

* "A forceful narrative with unstoppable reading momentum, Fairweather has created an insightful biography of a covert war hero and an extraordinary contribution to the history of the Holocaust." -- Booklist, starred review

"Witold Pilecki is one of the great -- perhaps the greatest -- unsung heroes of the second world war... Jack Fairweather's meticulous and insightful book is likely to be the definitive version of this extraordinary life." -- Economist

 

About Jack Fairweather:

Jack Fairweather is a former war reporter in Iraq and Afghanistan and the author of A War of Choice and The Good War. The adult edition that tells this story is titled The Volunteer: The True Story of the Resistance Hero Who Infiltrated Auschwitz, which was named winner of the Costa Award and a #1 Sunday Times bestseller. Jack has served as the Daily Telegraph’s Baghdad bureau chief, and as a video journalist for the Washington Post in Afghanistan. His war coverage has won a British Press Award and an Overseas Press Club award citation.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of A REBEL IN AUSCHWITZ, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/11/2021	Fire and Ice	Review
10/11/2021	BookHounds ya	Excerpt
10/12/2021	Lexijava_Bookish/Lexijava	Review
10/12/2021	@minnesota_mailer	IG Post
10/13/2021	@curlygrannylovestoread	Review
10/13/2021	Pick a good book	Excerpt
10/14/2021	Jazzy Book Reviews	Review
10/14/2021	Nerdophiles	Review
10/15/2021	Books Are Magic Too	Review
10/15/2021	Lifestyle of Me	Review

Week Two:

10/18/2021	Locks, Hooks and Books	Review
10/18/2021	Nikki's Book reviews	Review
10/19/2021	Books and Kats	Excerpt
10/19/2021	Simply Daniel Radcliffe	Review
10/20/2021	@coffeebooksandmascara	Review
10/20/2021	Readingmurakami	Review
10/21/2021	The Momma Spot	Excerpt
10/21/2021	Coffee and Wander Book Reviews	Review
10/22/2021	Popthebutterfly Reads	Review
10/22/2021	@jypsylynn	Review

Promo Post: Remnants of Blood by H.F. Cunningham

 

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the REMNANTS OF BLOOD by H. F. Cunningham Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: REMNANTS OF BLOOD

Author: H. F. Cunningham

Pub. Date: September 14, 2021

Publisher: H. F. Cunningham

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 482

Find it:  Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

The Fair Folk are the stuff of myth. Stories of monsters and old magicks. But all myths carry a grain of truth. That truth is that remnants of this ancient power live on in the blood of their descendants.

When Tannin’s grandfather dies, he leaves her with a mountain of trouble. Between cryptic journals that warn of unknown foes lying in wait and a crippling debt owed to a cruel and formidable local Laird, Tannin is thrown into a cut-throat world where she is perilously out of her depth.

But her problems have only just begun. Secrets lurk in Tannin’s bloodstream – secrets not even she is aware of. And they want out.

A scheming princess with the offer of an alliance. A secret society with murderous intentions. A dark past that refuses to stay buried. Tannin’s life will never be the same.

Reviews:

"If you are a fan of fantasy, court intrigues, queer characters and a good old enemy to lovers trope, I can only urge you to put this on your TBR pile and read this book ASAP!” —Goodreads review

"Remnants of Blood is a must-read for any fan of the fantasy genre, and those interested in creative spins on folklore and legends. Cunningham’s writing style is sure to enrapture any reader and leave them wanting more. "— Goodreads review

" I would recommend this book to any lover of the fantasy genre, queer characters, action-packed fight scenes, and an overall amazing story! If you don’t already, then I would recommend adding Remnants of Blood to your TBR list immediately! "— Goodreads review

 

Book Trailer:

 

About H. F. Cunningham:

Hello! I'm HF Cunningham; a queer YA/NA fantasy author who likes puns!

My debut novel Remnants of Blood is launching 14th September 2021 and is perfect for lovers of fantasy, intruiging characters, enemies to lovers, monsters, scottish accents and witty banter!

Follow me on instagram hfcunningham.author or twitter hfcunningham or check out my website www.hfcunningham.com

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will win a signed finished copy of REMNANTS OF BLOOD & swag, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/20/2021	Living in a Bookworld	Excerpt
9/20/2021	Writer of Wrongs	Guest Post
9/21/2021	Two Chicks on Books	Guest Post
9/21/2021	@karendeeandabc	IG Post
9/22/2021	Never Hollowed By The Stare	Excerpt
9/22/2021	YA Books Central	Guest Post
9/23/2021	The Book Review Crew	Review
9/23/2021	@bookstagramofmine	Review
9/24/2021	GivernyReads	Review
9/24/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review

Week Two:

9/27/2021	@coffeebooksandmascara	Review
9/27/2021	Pagesofyellow	Review
9/28/2021	Lexijava_Bookish	Review
9/28/2021	BookHounds YA	Review
9/29/2021	The Momma Spot	Excerpt
9/29/2021	Dorky Girl and Skeletor	Excerpt
9/30/2021	Books and Kats	Excerpt
9/30/2021	Lily Luchesi's Blog	Review
10/1/2021	@bookisheclectic	Review
10/1/2021	Devouring Books	Excerpt

Book Review: BZRK by Michael Grant

 BZRK - Michael Grant

Warning – may contain spoilers

Author: Michael Grant

Publisher: Electric Monkey

First published: 2012

Edition: Paperback

Pages: 407

Blurb:     A global war is raging

                You can't see it

                It's happening inside you

                And it changes everything

                Sadie McLure wants to find her family's killers. Noah Cotton needs to know what drove his                     brother insane. Their search for answers will throw them into the astonishing world of the                     nano - where biots and anobots battle for supremacy, and the twitchers who control it all                         fight to stay sane.

                It's a fight for free choice. Every day could be their last. They've never felt more alive.

History of my copy: I received the whole BZRK series as a birthday gift for my 17th birthday. I've only now gotten around to reading it, oops! This is not the kind of book I would instantly pick up for myself, but I loved Michael Grant's Gone series, hence why I was bought this series.

Plot: BZRK follows a mismatched bunch of young adults as they fight both in the macro and the nano against the Armstrong twins, who are looking to control the planet to 'make it a better place'. Whilst the general concept of young adults vs 'villains who want to control the world for the greater good' is far from unique, Grant put an interesting spin on it with the introduction of nanobots for mind control.

Setting: The setting, at least on a macro scale, wasn't a strong point of this book, but it didn't need to be. However, the description on the nano scale of the human body was incredibly eerie, and well written. It really portrayed the horror of seeing the human body, including brain, up close, especially for Sadie and Noah as they discovered this for the first time.

Characters: Another aspect of this book that I loved was the characters. They were all unique and rather just being 'damaged' for the plot's sake, I felt like it was well rounded and addressed, which makes a nice change.

To read or not to read: Read. Although BZRK is not my typical book and, even after reading, still wouldn't be something I would pick up myself, I really enjoyed it and do think it is worth the read.

Promo Post: Death Island Duology

 

Book Review: The Sisters of the Winter Wood Sampler by Rena Rossner

The Sisters of the Winter Wood Sampler by Rena Rossner

*Warning – may contain spoilers*

Author: Rena Rossner

Publisher: Orbit

First published: 2018

Edition: Illumicrate Sampler

Pages: 28 

Blurb: Every family has a secret … and every secret tells a story.

 In a remote village surrounded by forests on the border of Moldova and Ukraine, sisters Liba and Laya have been raised on the honeyed scent of their Mami’s babka and the low rumble of their Tati’s prayers. But when a troupe of mysterious men arrives, Laya falls under their spell – despite their mother’s warning to be wary of strangers. As dark forces close in on their village, Liba and Laya discover a family secret about a magical heritage they never knew existed. The sisters realise the old fairy tales are true … and could save them all.

History of my copy: I received this sample within an Illumicrate box.

 

This is only a review of the sampler, not of the whole book, which I have not read.

Plot: This sample includes the first 7 chapters of Rena Rossner’s debut novel, The Sisters of the Winter Wood. We meet the main characters, Liba and Laya, in their forest home with their parents, in what seems like an ordinary world. However, it climaxes with Liba discovering that Mami can turn into a swan, and Tati into a bear, along with the assumption that her and Laya can too.

Setting: Although the writing is a bit cliché in places, it is descriptive. However it feels quite forced, with embellishments added simply for the sake of it.

Characters: Nothing much stands out about the characters from this sample, apart from the familiar trope that one child is exactly like the father, and the other a mirror of the mother which are, unsurprisingly, polar opposites of each other. Liba feels very young and childish, and perhaps she is, but I can’t see how they become the main characters of the book, unless there is a time jump that occurs in the full story.

 

To read or not to read: Not read. I had high hopes for this book from the blurb. It might not have been set in a location I would typically go for, but I do like books which are based around fairytales. However, this one fell flat. The writing style didn’t feel very refined, and the contrast between Liba’s chapters being text and Laya’s being poem confused me further. This is likely expanded on in the full story, but the sampler did not leave me itching to buy the book.

 

Book Review: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Wintersong – S. Jae-Jones

*Warning – may contain spoilers*

Author: S. Jae-Jones

Publisher: Titan Books

First published: 2017

Edition: First edition paperback

Pages: 508

Blurb:    All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. They’ve enraptured her spirit and inspired her musical compositions. Now eighteen, Liesl can’t help but feel that her musical dreams and childhood fantasies are slipping away.

But when her sister is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl must journey to the Underground to save her. Drawn to the strange, captivating world she finds – and the mysterious man who rules it – she soon faces an impossible decision. With time and the old laws working against her, Liesl must discover who she truly is before her fate is sealed.

History of my copy: Wintersong was the featured book of the 6^th Illumicrate box, from February 2017. See my unboxing post here. It came with a letter from S. Jae-Jones, a bookmark and a signed bookplate.

Wintersong isn’t the sort of book I would pick up for myself to read, despite my love of music and its obvious connections to that. However, I absolutely adored it, and that is one of my favourite things about book boxes – being introduced to books that I wouldn’t normally read.

Plot: Wintersong follows Liesl, the eldest of 3 siblings, who is overlooked by everyone. Her sister is kidnapped by the Goblin King to become his bride in a retelling of Labyrinth. Liesl’s job is to save her, without getting lost in the Underworld herself. However, that is easier said than done. After all, the Goblin King is still looking for his Queen…

Setting: As you can gather, a large part of the book is set in the Underground home of the Goblin King. I’ve never read a book where the setting, which should be so desolate, was so simply enchanting. Despite the savagery that comes with the goblins, the whole book is so beautifully described that you can’t help but fall a little bit in love with it all.

Characters: I related to Liesl so much she is my favourite. She had so many issues that are delved deep into throughout the story. She’s a composer but is told to ‘grow up’ and ‘focus on other things’ whilst being lost against her beautiful sister and brilliant musical brother. Whilst I tend to get a little fed up of the ‘selfless heroine who is constantly in the shadows but is actually super lovely and talented’, I couldn’t help but adore Liesl.

                I also loved the character of the Goblin King. Sorry not sorry but I’m an absolute sucker for a bad guy that is just lost underneath it all. I like villains that aren’t true villains, enemies that you can learn to love, and the Goblin King is one of them. This book is just as much about them finding each other as it is about them finding themselves.

To read or not to read: Read. Read. Read. I absolutely adored this book!

Complete Anatomy Colouring Book Part 2

The next part of the colouring book featured the spinal cord and spinal nerves.

Again, you can see that I've used the crayola pencils to create a bright, colourful schematic to help me identify which parts are which. 

| Part 1 |