Let’s disregard the fact that it’s already May and that we’re almost at the halfway mark of 2024, okay? The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag is one that I’ve done for the past two years and I always look forward to it, so I’m not going to let my lack of organization stop me from doing this now—sorry, not sorry. 😂
I’ve just remembered that Caro @BookCheshireCat tagged me to do this back in April but I only recalled it today as I was looking for a nice and easy tag to kick my week off.
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 my Sunday night in bed with The Midnight Bride. I read the first book in this romantasy series yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by it, especially since the author’s other works I’ve read have leaned toward erotica. I’m hoping this continues to expand on the world-building and I can’t wait to meet this couple!
Hello, friends. ✨ Today I’m excited to be part of the blog tour for The Magic Paintbrush by Kat Zhang! Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it.
Thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!
The Magic Paintbrush Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers Publication Date: 21 May 2024 Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy Rep: Chinese, Asian American
Panda Rating: (3.5 pandas)
📖SYNOPSIS
In this highly illustrated series launch, Amy, a Chinese American girl picks up an ancient paintbrush and unwittingly unleashes the power to make her art real—and sometimes dangerous. Perfect for fantasy readers who love Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor and Dragon Pearl series.
“Gorgeous and gripping, The Magic Paintbrush swoops readers off on rip-roaring fantasy adventure that unfurls like a magnificent scroll…Brimming with imagination and heart…” Soman Chainani, author of THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL series
Amy has always loved art, but lately her drawings have been less than impressive. There’s no passion, nopersonality, no…magic. Until Amy visits her Lao Lao, her grandmother, and finds an ancient paintbrush that brings anything Amy creates to life!
Now her creation Luna has taken over her bedroom and is running through the streets of Flushing, Queens. What an international adventure filled with an ancient Chinese legend, a greedy adversary and ghastly beasts!
Award-winning author Kat Zhang teams up with Eric Darnell, the writer and director of the Madagascar series and the Chief Creative Officer of Baobab Studios, to create a captivating highly-illustrated middle grade series debut about finding your own path, the power of imagination, and the strength of family.
TL;DR:The Magic Paintbrush is an action-packed, adventure-filled, Chinese mythology-inspired middle-grade fantasy with wonderful illustrations to accompany a fun and creative story! Amy was a relatable main character who was easy to root for and I loved her relationship with her Lao Lao and Luna—who is unquestionably my favourite character in this book. The story doesn’t dive too deep into character development and neither does it go too hard with its themes, but I think that is also what would make this a great pick for young readers who simply want an enjoyable and entertaining fantasy story. Overall, while this wasn’t my favourite as an adult reader of MG, it was still a terrific read that I would recommend to the young readers in my life.
Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:
This week’s topic is Authors I’d Love a New Book From (These could be authors that have passed away, who have retired from writing, who have inexplicably gone quiet, or who might jut not be able to keep up with how quickly you read their books!)
Bestselling thriller writer Tess Harrow is almost at the end of her rope when she arrives with her teenage daughter at her grandfather’s rustic cabin in the woods. She hopes this will be a time for them to heal and bond after Tess’s recent divorce, but they’ve barely made it through the door when an explosion shakes the cabin. Suddenly it’s raining fish guts and…is that a human arm?
Tess was hardly convincing Gertie that a summer without Wi-Fi and running water would be an adventure. Now she’s thrust into a murder investigation, neighbors are saying they’ve spotted Bigfoot in the woods near her cabin, and the local sheriff is the spitting image of her character Detective Gabriel Gonzales―something he’s less than thrilled about. With so much more than her daughter’s summer plans at stake, it’s up to Tess to solve this case before anyone else gets hurt.
TL;DR:I’m so glad that I finally read Buried in a Good Book! I had no idea what to expect going in but I didn’t think the writing would be so amusing, even with the murderous plot. I loved the humour and the cosy yet spooky atmosphere of this quaint and quirky small town surrounded by thick woods and nature near the Canadian border. Tess was a fantastic main character and I loved the role many of the side characters play, especially Sheriff Boyd, Gertie, and Nicki! It’s a wildly adventurous and murder-filled read and I can’t wait to continue this series.
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’m spending my Sunday in bed with The Magic Paintbrush by Kat Zhang. This is for a tour later mid-week and I’m behind on it because I can only read the ARC on my phone or laptop as there’s no Kindle copy. I love the concept and am enjoying the illustrations, even if they’re not final.
Hello, friends. ✨ Today I’m excited to be part of the blog tour for Summer Vamp by Violet Chan Karim! Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it.
Thanks to Random House Graphic for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!
Summer Vamp Publisher: Random House Graphic Publication Date: 14 May 2024 Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy
Panda Rating: (4 pandas)
📖SYNOPSIS
What happens when a very human kid ends up at the wrong summer camp—FOR VAMPIRES?! This quirky and heart warming graphic novel about making friends and getting in trouble is perfect for fans of Witches of Brooklyn.
After a lackluster school year, Maya anticipates an even more disappointing summer. The only thing she’s looking forward to is cooking and mixing ingredients in the kitchen, which these days brings her more joy than mingling with her peers… that is until her dad’s girlfriend registers her for culinary summer camp! Maya’s summer is saved!… or not.
What was meant to be a summer filled with baking pastries and cooking pasta is suddenly looking a lot… paler?! Why do all of the kids have pointy fangs? And hate garlic? Turns out that Maya isn’t at culinary camp—she’s at a camp for VAMPIRES! Maya has a lot to learn if she’s going to survive this summer… and if she’s lucky, she might even make some friends along the way.
What happens when you realize you haven’t gone to culinary camp and ended up at not just any regular old summer camp, but a camp for vampires?! Well, it turns out you can have a whole lot of fun in the last place you’d expect to! 😂
Hello, friends. ✨ Today I’m excited to be part of the blog tour for Wrath of the Talon by Sophie Kim! Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it.
Thanks to Entangled: Teen for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!
Wrath of the Talons (Talon #2) Publisher: Entangled: Teen Publication Date: 2 April 2024 Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Rep: Asian, Korean
Panda Rating: (4.5 pandas)
📖SYNOPSIS
Everyone thinks the Reaper of Sunpo—eighteen-year-old assassin Shin Lina—is dead. The only ones who know the truth are her cherished little sister and Haneul Rui, the icily gorgeous Dokkaebi Emperor, who she was sent to kill…and kissed instead.
Now, with the potent Imugi venom surging in her veins, Lina’s returned to right all wrongs. Already her body is changing, growing stronger, stealthier, and more agile, with serpentine scales she can call at will. She is living vengeance, seeking retribution for the massacre of the Talons. She’ll become the sword who cuts down the rival Blackbloods gang, along with their ruthless crime-lord leader. And when she is through, she will take the kingdom as her own.
But there is a mysterious side to Lina’s growing power, a dark voice inside her that whispers and guides her as she slips through the shadows of Sunpo’s streets. One that warns her not to trust the Dokkaebi, especially Rui.
Because if her destiny isn’t to love him…it must be to destroy him.
TL;DR:Holy wow, this was a sequel! That ending had me floored because no way was that the choice! Author!! The way you built up hope is illegal!!! I can’t remember the last time I was so thrilled by the second book in a trilogy but this, to me, did not suffer from that dreaded second/middle book syndrome. Perhaps it’s because I went in with lowered expectations having thought the first book was okay; however, I think the writing, plot, and character development were sharper and I’m happy to see that author growth. With such high stakes and a whole lot of tension and angst, this sequel got me invested in this series and after that ending, I can’t wait for the finale!
Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:
dinipandareads 