Book Review: All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown

All That’s Left in the World (All That’s Left in the World #1)
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pub Date:
8 March 2022
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie’s house, he’s injured, starved, and has nothing left to lose. A deadly pathogen has killed off most of the world’s population, including everyone both boys have ever loved. And if this new world has taught them anything, it’s to be scared of what other desperate people will do . . . so why does it seem so easy for them to trust each other?

After danger breaches their shelter, they flee south in search of civilization. But something isn’t adding up about Andrew’s story, and it could cost them everything. And Jamie has a secret, too. He’s starting to feel something more than friendship for Andrew, adding another layer of fear and confusion to an already tumultuous journey.

The road ahead of them is long, and to survive, they’ll have to shed their secrets, face the consequences of their actions, and find the courage to fight for the future they desire, together. Only one thing feels certain: all that’s left in their world is the undeniable pull they have toward each other.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Pandemic, pandemic related deaths, gun violence, violence, cult, homophobia, traumatic deaths of loved ones (recounted), murder

TL;DR: All That’s Left in the World is an emotional queer post-apocalyptic story about two boys trying to survive in the world following a world-ending pandemic. It won’t be for everyone as it’s hard to read about a pandemic after having lived through one IRL. However, despite the loss, deaths, and horrors that await our protagonists, there is so much hope and love within these pages. I grew to love Andrew and Jamie and I can’t wait to see where their story goes next! 

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Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [237]

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time reading in bed or wish you had time to read today!

I’ll be spending my Sunday night in bed with True Love and Other Impossible Odds. This is a queer (upper) YA contemporary romance set in college and I love the premise! So far, so good but my mind has been feeling off lately and so my attention has been wandering more easily. I’m 20% in and it’s well-paced!

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Blog Tour Spotlight: The Wonderful Wishes of B. by Katherin Nolte

Hi friends, as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours I’m shining a spotlight on a new middle-grade contemporary: The Wonderful Wishes of B. by Katherin Nolte.

Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!

The Wonderful Wishes of B.
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Publication Date: 30 May 2023
Genre: Middle-Grade Contemporary

📖 SYNOPSIS

All that stands between ten-year-old Beatrice and an amazing life are five wishes…and she’s got a plan to make them all come true! A magical and heartfelt adventure about grief, hope, and the power of human connection.

Beatrice Corwell has a crooked haircut, eight well-trained cats, and a she’s turning herself into a Tin Man. Once her heart is made of metal, she’ll no longer miss her beloved dead grandma, her absent dad, or her recently moved-away best friend.

While Beatrice awaits her transformation, she keeps vigil with a special doll and a handful of wishes she’s determined to make come true. With her encyclopedic knowledge, there must be a way to grant her heart’s deepest desires.

When an unusual boy named Caleb moves to town and mentions his granny’s interest in magic, Beatrice decides to enlist their help. She quickly learns, however, that spells don’t always go as planned, and witches can’t be trusted.

With the arrival of an unexpected visitor and a series of otherworldly messages, Beatrice’s plans begin to falter. Will her heart turn into metal? Will any of her wishes come true?

The Wonderful Wishes of B. is the story of a smart, quirky girl learning what she wants and what she needs—and how, sometimes, the wishes we hold dearest are granted in the most unexpected ways.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death of a loved family member (recounted), absent father, grief

📚 BUY A COPY

Katherin Nolte received an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow. Her fiction has appeared in dozens of publications and won multiple awards, but it was a late-night ER visit with her four children that inspired her to write Back to the Bright Before. An Ohio native, she currently lives with her family in Iowa.

Author’s Socials
Website | Goodreads

Is The Wonderful Wishes of B on your TBR or does it sound like a book you’d want to read?

Blog signature that reads: Let's Chat! xoxo, Dini

#FirstLinesFriday: 7 June 2024

Happy Friday book lovers! We’re back with another First Lines Friday, a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Here are the rules:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

First lines:

“You’re supposed to just take personality quizzes,” my roommate Ava says from across the room. “Not take them apart from the inside out.”

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Book Review: Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone
Publisher: Penguin
Pub Date:
18 August 2022
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY IS A KILLER. EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY IS A SUSPECT. BUT WHICH OF THEM IS A MURDERER?

I knew our family reunion wouldn’t end well. But I didn’t expect murder.

Maybe I should have known better. After all, everyone in my family is a killer. My parents, my siblings, my in-laws . . . even me. The deaths weren’t all deliberate, of course. Accidents happen.

So when a body is found in the snow, it’s clear it’s the work of a Cunningham. But which one? And why?

I’ll give you one it wasn’t me.

But a piece of advice? Never trust a Cunningham . . .

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Murders, toxic relationships, infidelity, child kidnapping (recounted)

TL;DR: I think this book received a lot of hype towards the end of 2023 and when I started it, I was a bit worried it wouldn’t live up to it because it was told in first person to the audience. I’m so glad I was proven wrong by the end. This was such a unique and cleverly written book with an incredibly messed up family that served many incredulous laugh-out-loud moments alongside the murder mystery. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a different and interestingly murderous ride!

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May 2024 Community Posts!

Happy Thursday, friends! We’re one day closer to the weekend and I cannot wait to hole myself up in bed with my current read or game… But I digress. 🥲 I thought I had bookmarked a lot more in May because I recall reading many interesting posts but apparently not. Apologies, my brain has been up in the clouds lately! ☁️ On that note, here are some great posts from our wonderful book blogging community. Happy reading! 📖

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#TopTenTuesday: Books That Made Me FEEL Things!

We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s topic is Books I Had VERY Strong Emotions About (Any emotion! Did a book make you super happy or sad? Angry? Terrified? Surprised?)

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Monthly Wrap-Up: May 2024

Where did May go? I don’t know 😂 Honestly, I’m thinking back on this month and I can’t really recall much of what happened. It was obviously birthday month (also, shoutout to fellow bday baby, Leslie!) but as usual, it was a low-key affair. I treated myself to some goodies including four new Switch games, plus the 10th Anniversary Edition of Song of Achilles and the 5th Anniversary Edition of Circe.

One set that I was highly looking forward to arriving this month was the Bergman Brothers set from Illumicrate. I received it and the art is stunning, as I expected, but I was disappointed to see that the sprayed edges were not in book order. From their website and other people posting their sets, the edges should align with the order of the books, which makes sense, so I’m pretty bummed my set is like this. I know it’s not a life-altering issue and I normally wouldn’t raise anything but considering the set’s price (+ international shipping fees) I did send an email asking about it. I’m not really expecting them to do anything but I don’t know, I guess I was just really disappointed… 🥺

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Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [236]

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time reading in bed or wish you had time to read today!

I think I’ll be spending the rest of my Sunday night in bed finishing Voyage of the Damned. The last few chapters were absolutely wild and I was literally screaming at the book in shock. 😂 Listen, we all know how bad I am at guessing “whodunit” and seeing things that are coming but this was a ride! The reveals? I’M SHOOKETH. But also, this has been a lot funnier but also darker than I expected (in good ways)!

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