Date Night with a Book: Clueless Cabot by André D. Michaels

Read for: Requested Reviews/ Netgalley

Synopsis: "Young gay professional Cabot MacCrae has been in love with his sexy best friend, Lloyd, since high school. They’re in perfect sync on almost everything. The only problem is that Lloyd is straight.

Cabot resigned himself long ago to pining hopelessly. Then Lloyd, a roofer, takes a bad fall and injures his collarbone. When he needs some TLC, there’s no question that Cabot will be the one to nurse his friend back to health. But Lloyd’s scantily clad presence in Cabot’s house brings out Cabot’s old longings.

But when Lloyd’s well-meaning mother and aunt fix Cabot up with a blind date, Lloyd reacts like a jealous boyfriend. Lloyd’s reaction makes Cabot wonder if those longings are as unrequited as he’s always assumed. What if Lloyd has been pining for him all these years? Has Cabot just been clueless all along?"

My Review:  I was originally drawn to this book by the cover (honestly, you throw food on a book cover and I will want to read it), but I really wanted to pick it up because of the clear friends to lovers trope. This was a very quick read and I would have preferred it to have been a little longer. We get to know Cabot and Lloyd pretty quickly but I would have liked to have seen more of their friendship before they are forced to face feelings and emotions. I really felt bad for Cabot, everyone kept harassing him for being clueless but no one really helps the guy out either. There is some tension but not quite as much as I had hoped for, but the relationship did develop quickly. I also really liked the close knit family feel to the story as well. I did enjoy the story, I just feel like it would have been so much better if it was fleshed out a bit more.

My Rating: This was a great read if you are looking for a short single sitting book with a happily ever after ending. I would have liked a little more to it personally but it was still an enjoyable read.  I give it a rating of Three Paws.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. The above is my honest review and opinion.

You can find out more about André D. Michaels on their Goodreads Page or Website.

Clueless Cabot was just released on September 16th and you can now obtain your own copy in digital format from Amazon.

Bedtime Story: I Will Fight Monsters for You by Santi Balmes and Illustrated by Lyona

Read for: Children's Challenge

Synopsis: "What if an entire world of MONSTERS lived underneath your floor? Martina is having trouble sleeping because she is afraid monsters might break through the floor and bring her into the monster world where she'll have to learn how to scare humans. Meanwhile, Anitram, a little girl monster, is also having trouble sleeping. There's a noisy little human jumping on the bed in the upside-down world under her floor! Martina and Anitram have more in common than they realize and when a mysterious hole opens up in the floor between their worlds, they are in for a big surprise! A beautiful and clever tale that makes a perfect bedtime story for anyone who is afraid of (or wants to become friends with) a monster!"

My Review: Munchkin is at times very worried about what is in his room at night, so I thought this would be a good one to pick up. It is a very sweet story. The monster world is definitely created to be cute and non-threatening to ease fears. It has very cute illustrations, I loved the color tones that were selected, perfect for bedtime. This book also had a really fun format with pages you have to turn side ways and upside down to read both sides of the story. It was a fun and unique book to read.

My Rating: This was a fun and cute book, while it doesn't exactly ease the fear that something else is in the room at night, it does make that mysterious monster a little less frightening.  We give it a rating of Four Paws.

Good Night! Sweet Dreams!

(Almost) End of the Year Book Tag

I did this tag back in 2017 and thought it would be fun to do again. Time to start gearing up for the end of 2019! Have you started thinking ahead to 2020 books yet? The original tag was from Ariel Brissett.  So this tag is all about crunch time, which it definitely is around here!

Questions:

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

I really want to finish the Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gwynne, but with 3 chunky books and only 2 1/2 months left, I don't know if I will make it!

  

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

I don't really have a specific book in mind but I am thinking the Harper Sister series will be a nice way to transition from the spookier, thriller books I am reading this month to the more Christmas books for the coming months. The first two books are Romantic Suspense I believe and then there is a holiday novella coming out in the next couple of weeks.

  

Is there a new release you're still waiting for?

I am dying for Kiersten White's The Guinevere Deception! 

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

Besides the Faithful and the Fallen books and Guinevere Deception (and of course all my Advent Reads books) I want to get to these three before the end of the year.

  

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favourite book of the year?

There are so many opportunities for a book to jump to the top of my list but I think the ones I have yet to read that have the best chance are . . .

  

Have you already started making reading plans for 2020?

I have started thinking about it a bit.  I have started putting together a list of some anticipated releases.  I also think I really want to focus on reading the books I own and using the library more.  I also want to control my book buying a little bit more. I don't think I am going to give myself specific challenges next year, it has been years since I just let myself pick up books as I want without any goal in mind and I kind of want to see what would happen if I go back to that way of reading.

So what are you reading as the year comes to an end?

Review of Dragons in the Clouds by David Blair

Read for: Requested Review/ Pump Up Your Book

Synopsis: "‘’Dragons in the Clouds’’ is a epic adventure that takes place during a time period when Dragons were alive and freely roamed the land. The people during this time were getting eaten by a vicious species of Dragon. The ruling King finally orders the total annilation of all living dragons. A powerful wizard, named Merlinus, who is a friend to the king, does not agree with the Kings order, for Merlinus knows all Dragons are not what they seem. So he does what he must to protect a family of Dragons that he had befriended. And to protect his Dragon friends, Melinus performs the spell of weightlessness and tells the Dragons to fly up and to hide in the cover of the Clouds. An unforeseen ability of the Dragons weightlessness spell is that a Dragons fire now looks like that of lightning and their roar is like that of thunder. Melinus tells the Dragons to live within the clouds and to only come down at night to eat. An apprentice to the wizard who has grandeur of his own has a plan for Dragons that he has hidden deep within a mountain cavern. Now enters a widowed mother, her young boy, who had also befriended a dragon, though a very young one. They suddenly find themselves caught between the Kings order and a battle that has begun between two species of Dragons. A battle that would determine control of the skies above the Kingdom of Albian. This Apprentice’s plan has consequences that may bring the Kingdom and perhaps the very world we live in today to an devastating end."

My Review: I was expecting a big epic fantasy but what I actually got was a novella length book, and I am not sorry. This is an interesting fantasy twist on the reason for thunder, lighting and various weather events. I really enjoyed the shorter length of this story, it is not often you find a fantasy with a shorter length that leaves you satisfied. The magic system is clear and developed and the characters are also developed. I do feel like there could be more to the story, there are hints at more with the characters of the fantasy world but I am still satisfied with what we are given. This is also a fairly easy fantasy to read, and could be enjoyed by audiences as young as 8-10 but it is still enjoyable for adults to read.

My Rating: I really enjoyed the bedtime story and folk tale feel to this story.  It contains classic fantasy elements that we all know and love but twists it a little as well.  I give it a rating of Three Paws and a Stump Wag.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Pump Up Your Book promotions. The above is my honest review and opinion.

You can find out more about David Blair and his books on his Goodreads Page.

Dragons in the Clouds will be released November 16th but you can pre-order your copy in digital or print format now from Barnes & Noble or ask for it at your local bookstore.

Review of Red Dove, Listen to the Wind by Sonia Antaki

Read for: Requested Review/ Netgalley

Synopsis: "Abandoned by her white father, thirteen-year-old Red Dove faces another lean winter with her Lakota family on the Great Plains. Willful and proud, she is presented with a stark choice: leave her people to live in the white world, or stay and watch them starve. Red Dove begins a journey to find her place in the world and discovers that her greatest power comes from within herself."

My Review: I grew up reading Kenneth Thomasma's books and this one gave me very similar vibes with the synopsis.  I am glad I did get the opportunity to read it.  While this is a middle grade book and a lot of the violence has been toned down, it still gives a good look at the harsh realities of the time. Red Dove and her family, had some difficult decisions to make, to survive by leaving their ways behind and trusting people who were not entirely trustworthy or stick with their heritage but risk starving and being persecuted.  I did appreciate the portrayal of  not only those who are following orders and strongly agree with them, but also those who think they are helping but were innocently blind to the damage that was being caused.  I enjoyed seeing how the characters developed throughout the story.

My Rating: This was a beautiful but difficult book to read, it shows us some of the truly ugly past of our nation.  With that said it is an important story to read and the way the multiple and polar opposite views are presented make for great conversation starters with young readers.  I give it a rating of Four Paws.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley, the above is my honest review and opinion.

You can find out more about Sonia Antaki and her books on her Goodreads or Website.

Red Dove, Listen to the Wind will be released on October 15th, but you can pre-order your copy in print or digital format from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or ask for it at your local bookstore or library.

Monday Reading List

It is Monday again, and time to update with what I read last week, what I am currently reading and what to look forward to next week.

Reviews Posted Last Week:

Links will take you to my review

A Hero Born by Jin Yong
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung (Graphic Novel)

 Books Finished Last Week:

Reviews will be posted at a later date

I Will Fight Monsters for You
The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter - DNF
The Monsters We Deserve
Queen of Blood
Postcards from the War
It's a Christmas Thing
A Thousand Roads Home
The Missing Bookshop

Currently Reading:

The Resurrectionist by E.B. Hudsbeth - Print- on page 31 of 208
The Sasquatch Escape by Suzanne Selfors - Audio - 10%

Pages Read/ Time Listened
500:49 Hours Listened (23:42 listened this week)
27,285 Pages Read (734 this week)

Books Added to Shelves Recently: TBR
WarDance
Warsong

Year One
Girl Who Drank the Moon
King of Scars
Dactyl Hill Squad
The Darkdeep
Lord of the Fading Lands

 Crown of Feathers

 Argos: The Story of Odysseus as told by his Loyal Dog

Shadow of Doubt
Gates of Stone
A Conspiracy of Truths
Viper
Vortex Visions
Through the White Wood
Descendant of the Crane
Dark Harmony
The Sea Queen
The Mountain of Kept Memory
Metamorphica
Misfits of Avalon Vol. 1
Misfits of Avalon Vol. 2
The Sea King
Ride Hard
Ride Rough
Ride Wild
Force of Attraction
Primal Force
Rival Forces
A Rogue by Any Other Name
A Scot in the Dark
The Day of the Duchess
The Pirate Bride
Man Made Boy
This Monstrous Thing
Dear Santa
An Endless Christmas
Christmas Magic
Falling Softly
Christmas Town
The Christmas Star
Gris Grimly's Frankenstein
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter
We Hunt the Flame
Romanov
Dreaming the Bear
Monsters
The Monsters We Deserve
Strange Star
Ghostly Tales from the Lost Summer of 1816
Storm and Fury
Honeybees and Frenemies
Master & Apprentice
The Chosen
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
Mortal Engines
Evvie Drake Starts Over
Merciful Crow
The Bridge Kingdom
Darkdawn
A Crash of Fate
Black Spire
Capturing the Devil
The Testaments
The Missing Bookshop
The Warrior Moon
A Thousand Roads Home
The Sasquatch Escape
The Lonely Lake Monster
Ink
The Blacksmith Queen
Klaus Vol. 2
Molly and the Cat Cafe
Plum Crazy Vol. 2
Plum Crazy Vol. 3
Plum Crazy Vol. 4
A Walk One Winter Night
Loving My Actual Christmas
A Family Under the Christmas Tree
The White Christmas Inn

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I know I said I wasn't going to be picking up anymore books but my order from bookoutlet came in this last week along with a swap package so I added another 11 books to my TBR! Yikes! I am officially on a book buying ban for the next week and a half until the Fall in Love with New England romance convention.  With that said, I am super happy with my reading progress this last week! I read several of my new books, re-read a book and read a couple of requested reviews!  I still have a lot of books I want to read this month and want to keep the momentum going.  I have been reading some darker, spookier books lately but it has been nice to break it up with some lighter Christmas stories too.  I do have a lot of reviews to catch up on now though, so that is what I am off to do now.