Stacking the Shelves (92)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and is all about sharing the book you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!
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Review: The Rules and Regulations For Mediating the Myths & Magic by F.T. Lukens

The Rules and Regulations For Mediating the Myths & Magic (The Rules, #1)
by F.T. Lukens
Published by Interlude Press
YA, LGBT, fantasy, mythology

Desperate to pay for college, Bridger Whitt is willing to overlook the peculiarities of his new job—entering via the roof, the weird stacks of old books and even older scrolls, the seemingly incorporeal voices he hears from time to time—but it’s pretty hard to ignore being pulled under Lake Michigan by… mermaids? Worse yet, this happens in front of his new crush, Leo, the dreamy football star who just moved to town.

Fantastic.

When he discovers his eccentric employer Pavel Chudinov is an intermediary between the human world and its myths, Bridger is plunged into a world of pixies, werewolves, and Sasquatch. The realm of myths and magic is growing increasingly unstable, and it is up to Bridger to ascertain the cause of the chaos, eliminate the problem, and help his boss keep the real world from finding the world of myths.

I found The Rules and Regulations For Mediating the Myths & Magic by complete accident while browsing the web and oh my, how didn’t I know it existed before? It is absolutely hilarious, but also deals with serious topics such as accepting oneself and finding their place in the world. I loved the combination of rollicking adventure and serious topics, and yes, occasional teenage angst. Bridger is at the age where he has to decide where to go to university and what he wants to do, and he’s struggling with it and I could easily identify with that situation – I have experienced it myself.

There’s a good mix of adventure and mystery in the story. Bridger starts a new job as an assistant to eccentric Pavel Chudinov and finds out that he’s an intermediary between the human world and its myths. Bridger gets thrown into the world of myths as there’s some mysterious thing happening that Pavel tries to solve. There’s also some romantic elements since Bridger has a crush on his neighbour Leo.

I love mythology and it was interesting to see how Lukens had woven different myths into the story. The plot and the twists were good, but what I loved the most was the characters. Bridger is funny and relatable, Leo’s adorable cinnamon roll, Pavel is eccentric and a good mentor for Bridger and there’s some hilarious pixies. It’s such a great and adorable adventure with wholesome characters that you just have to love.

I’m eagerly anticipating the sequel, which is supposed to come out this year. I need more Bridger, Leo and pixies in my life!

4 of 5 stars

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Review: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas

The Thousand Dollar Tan Line (Veronica Mars, #1)
by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
Published by Vintage
Mystery, contemporary, crime

Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She's traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.

Now it's spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is not a simple missing person's case. The house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica's past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined.

I love Veronica Mars: I have watched the TV show multiple times and the movie, well, I think closer to ten times now. However, I have never read the books and after re-watching the show in May, I decided to finally tackle them, especially since season four is coming out this summer! I’m so happy that I finally read The Thousand Dollar Tan Line, and I enjoyed the book so much.

The book had all the elements that I enjoyed in the show: intriguing mystery with surprising twists, Veronica being snarky and witty, and great cast of secondary characters. And of course, Logan, who’s my favourite! Logan was still on his tour, but he’s present in Veronica’s thoughts, there’s plenty of mentions of him and skype calls and such. I did hope more of Logan, but then again, I could never get enough of him. Veronica was naturally the shining light and it was so nice to see how her life was after she returned to Neptune. The mystery was a solid one, it started out a little bit boring but got interesting fast and I didn’t see some of the bigger twists coming.

For the fans of Veronica Mars, this is a must read, but I’d say others could read it too. Now I’m off to read the next Veronica Mars book.

4 of 5 stars

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Book Blitz + Giveaway: The Scarecrow & George C by Mia Kerick

The Scarecrow & George C
by Mia Kerick
Publication date: June 3rd 2019
Contemporary, LGBTQ+, New Adult, Romance

High school senior Van Liss is barely human. He thinks of himself as a scarecrow—ragged and unnerving, stuck, and destined to spend his life cold and alone. If he ever had feelings, they were stomped out long ago by his selfish mother and her lecherous boyfriend. All he’s been left with is bitter contempt, to which he clings. 

With a rough exterior long used to keep the world at bay, Van spooks George Curaco, the handsome new frycook at the diner where he works. But George C senses there is more to the untouchable Van and refuses to stop staring, fascinated by his eccentricity. When Van learns that George C is even more cold, alone, and frightened than himself, Van welcomes him to his empty home. And ends up finding his heart. 

Their road to trust is rocky and, at times, even dangerous. And looming evil threatens to keep them apart forever. 

Fair warning: You may want to strap in. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. 

— 

*All proceeds of this book go to charity: True Colors United.
“True Colors United implements innovative solutions to youth homelessness that focus on the unique experiences of LGBTQ young people.”

Goodreads / Amazon / iBooks

EXCERPT:

At least I don’t have to worry about my bosses wanting to get busy with me. They’re too passionately busy with each other. How fucking sweet. “Sounds like a blast. Have fun.”
      This is about the extent of small talk I’m capable of. I hurry to my locker, where I pull out my messenger bag, lift the flap, and after untying my apron, I pour in the cash that’s weighing me down. Not that I’m complaining. Then, I pull on my flannel coat and oversized top hat, change into my boots, sling my messenger bag over my shoulder, and head back through the restaurant to the front door.
      I hate that I have to come and go through the restaurant. That I have to be the real me—not food server me—in a place where I have a well-defined role. Not a role I’m exactly comfortable with, but one I can deal with. And I can “fake nice” when I’m working, but beyond that, it’s too much of an effort. And when I finally step onto the street and pull in a long-awaited breath of cool air that doesn’t stink of greasy food, he’s beside me.
     “Hey, Donovan.”
     “Van,” I say and sigh.
     “I’m George…George Curaco.”
     “Whatever.” I pull the flannel shirt around me tightly and turn away from him. But I have a job to do before I storm off. “You need to leave me the fuck alone, George C…or find a new job.”
     I wonder if he steps back or gasps or covers his mouth with his probably greasy hand in response to my rudeness, but there’s no sound of movement.
     “You can’t stop me from looking at you. Or asking you if I can carry your bag…to wherever it is you’re going tonight.”
     I grit my teeth—it’s a trick I learned when I was a kid. To prevent me from screaming.
     “Can I carry your bag?”
     My jaw still clamped, I shake my head.
     “May I carry your bag?”
     “Leave me the fuck alone.” Since I’ve voiced everything necessary on the subject of him and me, I brave a final glance. I need evidence that the puppy is down on the sidewalk, writhing in pain, having been kicked by the lying little bitch. But he doesn’t appear even slightly pathetic. The kid is studying me—his eyes seem serious, even sad, as usual, but he’s wearing a smirk. It hits me that George C isn’t sad at all. “It’s just your eyes…they look sad, but they’re not.”
     “Just like your words. They make you seem mean…but you’re not.”
     Oh, yes, I am!
     George C pulls my bag from my shoulder by the long strap. “So where are we going?”
     I snatch it back with a hiss. It’s louder than I intended. “I have no clue where you are going, but I am going home. Alone.” George C has succeeded in getting under my weathered, burlap scarecrow skin. This surprises me, as it hasn’t happened in years. I don’t curse at him again or spit on his shoes, which I’ve been known to do. I just storm down Depot Street in the direction of our duplex. To the second-floor suite I claim as mine. The Batcave. My safe space.
     “I enjoyed our chat, Van. Really, I did.” His voice is soft and raspy, yet it carries all the way to me, and I’m at least ten steps away already.
     It must be the direction of the wind.

Author Bio
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—one in law school, another a professional dancer, a third studying at Mia’s alma mater, Boston College, and her lone son, heading off to college. (Yes, the nest is finally empty.) She has published more than twenty books of LGBTQ romance when not editing National Honor Society essays, offering opinions on college and law school applications, helping to create dance bios, and reviewing scholarship essays. Her husband of twenty-five years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about this, as it’s a sensitive subject.
Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled people in complex relationships. She has a great affinity for the tortured hero in literature, and as a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with tales of tortured heroes and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to her wonderful publishers for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.
Her books have been featured in Kirkus Reviews magazine, and have won Rainbow Awards for Best Transgender Contemporary Romance and Best YA Lesbian Fiction, a Reader Views’ Book by Book Publicity Literary Award, the Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama, an Indie Fab Award, and a Royal Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity, a Story Monsters Purple Dragonfly Award for Young Adult e-book Fiction, among other awards.
Mia Kerick is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology. Contact Mia at miakerick@gmail.com or visit at www.miakerickya.com to see what is going on in Mia’s world. 

Website / Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books from My Favourite Genre (Fantasy!)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week participating bloggers can create lists of topic given by the host, and share them with others!
Fantasy is perhaps my favourite genre, I love nothing more than to escape in imaginary world. I read more books from other genres than fantasy, but I still love them the best. Here's some fantasy books I've loved;

DNF Review: Matchmaking Beyond the Veil by Mara Townsend

Matchmaking Beyond the Veil (Telltale Ghosts, #1)
by Mara Townsend
Self-published
LGBT, paranormal, romance

Endure the company of his rival…or suffer ghostly retaliation.

Emery Belmont is a snarky, uptight realist who likes his life ordinary. Like any skeptic, he’s content using mundane explanations to write off signs of paranormal activity. That’s no longer an option when the spirit haunting his house wrecks his new kitchen, forcing Emery closer to facing the supernatural truth. Desperate for a new handyman, he unknowingly hires his hot ex-rival from high school to fix it. Paxton Santos, Emery’s former lacrosse team captain, followed in his father’s footsteps to take over the family business. Annoyingly, Emery requires his talented hands more than he needs to keep Paxton out of his life. However, getting Paxton to leave after the repairs may prove difficult with the meddlesome ghost taking a shine to him, which Paxton seems to take in his grating, good-natured stride, remaining irritatingly unruffled by numerous weird occurrences.

Emery is bombarded by mysterious paranormal hijinks, keeping Paxton at arm’s length, and deciphering things that aren't quiet what they seem. There’s nothing Emery hates more than an unfinished puzzle. In his determination to solve this one, Emery reluctantly opens himself up to new possibilities all while trying to remain firmly rooted in life the way he prefers it—orderly, logically explainable, and, above all else, ghost-free.

Join Emery and Paxton as they face off with a spirit that has no limits to how far it will go to push them together, enduring locked doors, faulty plumbing, and sharing a bed. Together they are determined to navigate their way out of this mess using any means necessary to send the ghost packing. Will they make it out of the traps awaiting them before their pesky tormenter gets any other ideas to make things worse and further blur the line between them?

DNF at 35%

I was super excited for Matchmaking Beyond the Veil because the blurb sounded captivating and thrilling. However, the book feels very different from the blurb. Third way in and there's no ghost, minimal amount of anything paranormal and definitely no chemistry between Emery and Paxton.

Emery is unlikable character and he's meant to be unreliable narrator, which I usually like. However, Emery doesn't have any redeemable qualities. He's privileged snob, judgmental, mean and immature, and he belittles everyone. He mentions constantly how he made his own money and didn't use his trust fund, but he's still a snob as he claims to be above menial labour. He obsessively stalks Paxton while he works, going as far as keeping a log of things Paxton does. Then there's the judgment, where he deems a person untrustworthy because they styled their hair "like it was still the unsavory parts of the nineties." And Emery's rivalry with Paxton in high school? Apparently Paxton became the captain of lacrosse team (he aimed to play professionally) when Emery wanted to be the captain (he played just for fun). That's it: that's the reason why Emery resents and hates Paxton. That just goes to show how immature Emery is. I hate the guy, and I certainly believe that he doesn't deserve Paxton, who's kind and hard-working.

For me, the biggest problem is the writing style. It's very slow and incredibly descriptive - everything from weather to clothes to house is described to detail, and it happens in every chapter. Emery also spends most of the time musing and there's not a lot of dialogue or action to balance the descriptions. It became tedious fast and I ended up skimming for pages and not missing anything. Nothing simply caught my attention in the writing style.

I really tried to continue reading this, but I can't make myself to pick up the book again. Third way in and not much have happened, certainly no ghost in sight, tedious descriptions for everything and one of the most unlikable main characters, I'm giving up. This is not a book for me.

No star rating since I did not finish

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(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Wrapping the Month: May

What's greater way to start new month than taking a look at previous one?

For once, I'm happy that I got plenty of blogging done, mostly during the last half of the month after I finished the semester. I got plenty of different posts up and a decent number of reviews - and I even got ahead! There's posts scheduled for June already and I aim to keep up with the good pace and hopefully catch up with reviews that need to be done.

I got three eARCs besides these beauties.

May's reviews:
She Lies In Wait (2 stars)
Brotherhood of Shades (DNF)
Star Collector Vol. 2 (4 stars)
Apology for a Murder (5 stars)
The 1,000 Year Old Boy (4 stars)
The Storm Keeper's Island (5 stars)
Top Shelf (DNF)

I'm happy with six books read, even if I aimed for more. I DNF'd three books and I'm currently in the middle of few longer books, which I'll hopefully finish in June. Anyway, here's the books I finished in May.

  

 

DNF'd

Holidays are here, so I should have all the time for reading and blogging - well, when I'm not at work.

Hugs,

Henna

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Building Up to Love by J.V. Speyer

Building Up to Love
by J.V. Speyer
Publication date: May 17th 2019
Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance, Suspense

Jared is at the top of his game, professionally. His love life leaves a little to be desired. All he wants is someone who can love him for him, and who doesn’t demand he “pick a side.” The sudden reappearance of his college boyfriend, Logan, doesn’t make anything better. 

Logan knows he broke Jared’s heart all those years ago. He plans to keep a respectful distance, especially once he starts defending a mob case. The last thing he wants is to bring more trouble into Jared’s life. As they keep getting thrown together, he finds it harder to stay away. 

The Mob isn’t known for being considerate of their targets’ love lives. It’s not going to be easy to build a new relationship with Jared as Logan’s client’s enemies come knocking at his door…

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

     “You’re a genius.” Gage clapped his hands. His posture loosened, shoulders down and relaxed. “So what’s with you hitting the bottle on a weeknight? I thought you left your partying days behind you in grad school.”
     Jared rolled his eyes. “I was such a party animal, too. Because construction sites are great places to be hung over.” He’d worked full time throughout his college years, and Gage knew it too. Sure, he had a full scholarship, but it hadn’t covered books or living expenses, and Jared had felt obligated to help support their mom and younger siblings at home.
     He scoffed and took another gulp of his drink. “So your favorite client came by the building to pick out his finishes yesterday.”
     Gage paled. “Aw, Geez. Wait— you’re working on that project?”
     “Yeah. Well, the other interior guy’s in jail, so I picked it up.”
     Gage grimaced. “I guess I couldn’t have kept you apart forever. But it shouldn’t have been a problem. You can be around each other long enough to let him pick out finishes.”
     Jared squirmed in his seat. He didn’t want to confess his weakness to anyone, but he had to say something to someone. Gage was the best choice. And he should know. “He came back while I was laying out bathroom tiles.”
     Gage closed his eyes. “Tell me that’s not a euphemism.”
     Jared blushed. “It wasn’t a euphemism at first. But, um. We were arguing, and then—”
     “Oh God, I watched this porno in middle school.”
     “It’s not a porn— wait, what?”
      “Angry office sex. It’s a classic porn trope. Come on, Jared, have you been living under a rock? The couple — who may not be a couple yet, but you know how it is — they argue, and then the next thing you know they’re getting busy right then and there over a desk or something—” Gage’s eyes bulged open and he grabbed for Jared’s drink. “Oh my God. My baby brother. Cannot unsee.”
     Jared took his drink back. “Dude. No. It wasn’t quite like that. I mean there’s no furniture in there.”
     Gage whimpered and covered his eyes.
     “It’s just— I’m not sure where my brain went. I was just not thinking clearly, and that was all she wrote. I shouldn’t have done it. I should’ve punched him in the face and called the cops for trespassing.”
     Gage calmed himself down. “But you didn’t,” he said with a sigh. “I think you need to ask yourself why.”
     “I don’t know why. Impulsivity. Stupid bi people doing stupid bi people things—”
     “Hey.” Gage’s voice cut through the din of the bar like a whip. “None of that. You never believed any of it before, don’t you start now.” He put his hand on Jared’s drink. “Maybe you’ve had enough of that.”
     “Maybe if I drink enough of it, I’ll stop hearing him say it.” Jared took his drink back and drained it, but he could still hear Logan.


Author Bio
J. V. Speyer has lived in upstate New York and rural Catalonia before settling in the greater Boston area. She has worked in archaeology, security, accountancy, finance, and non-profit management. She currently lives just south of Boston in a house old enough to remember when her town was a tavern community with a farming problem. (No, really. John Adams complained about it. A lot.)

When not writing, J. V. enjoys watching baseball and seeking out all of New England’s creepiest spots. Her Spawn has turned her into a hockey enthusiast. She can be bribed with gin, tequila, and cats. 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter / Bookbub / QueeRomance Ink

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DNF Review: Top Shelf by Allison Temple

Top Shelf (Seacroft, #1)
by Allison Temple
Published by Allison Temple Books
LGBT, contemporary, romance

Martin is a ghost. Well, not really, but he might as well be. Job gone, home gone, self-respect gone, and no one even seems to notice. The only person who really sees him is Seb, the artist who lives above the used bookstore.

Seb haunts the edges of Seacroft in search of beauty. He knows how to excavate the hidden value in abandoned things--whether it's in the pages of forgotten books or in Martin's stuttering attempts to rebuild his life--and transform them into works of art.

Two lost souls, Seb and Martin discover the strength they need to face eccentric townies and their dysfunctional families together. But as friendship sparks toward something more, neither man wants to risk what they've only just found. It takes two to fall in love, but it will take the whole community to bring their beauty to life.

DNF at 31%

Top Shelf sounded very exciting - I love books set in bookstores and quaint town can be really atmospheric setting. However, it became clear very soon that this isn't a book for me.

While Martin is sympathetic character who needs a hug, Seb is something entirely different. He's rude and acts like an asshole around Martin - and what's worst, he's aware of his behaviour but does nothing to change it. Just few chapters in and all he does is take out his bad mood on Martin, who doesn't deserve it. Quite simply, I can't stand Seb. Martin deserves so much better after the life he's had and since they barely have any chemistry, I cannot root for them as a pair.

Martin is only character I liked, as others seemed more or less unlikable - not as bad as Seb, but not very likable either. Temple's writing is good and if I'd liked the characters, it would have been much better story, but I don't feel like reading about a hero, who's like Seb, certainly not in a romance novel.

No star rating since I did not finish

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(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Review: The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle

The Storm Keeper's Island (Storm Keeper, #1)
by Catherine Doyle
Published by Bloomsbury
Middle grade, fantasy

When Fionn Boyle sets foot on Arranmore Island, it begins to stir beneath his feet ...

Once in a generation, Arranmore Island chooses a new Storm Keeper to wield its power and keep its magic safe from enemies. The time has come for Fionn's grandfather, a secretive and eccentric old man, to step down. Soon, a new Keeper will rise.

But, deep underground, someone has been waiting for Fionn. As the battle to become the island's next champion rages, a more sinister magic is waking up, intent on rekindling an ancient war.

The Storm Keeper's Island is a wonderful tale of Fionn, who sets foot of Arranmore Island first time in his life even though it has been his family's home for centuries. Arranmore is full of secrets which Fionn starts to uncover while spending time with his eccentric grandfather and arguing with his sister, Tara, who's going through a teenage crush. There's adventure, unique magic, mysteries and ancient battle brewing - all the right ingredients for a great story.

Doyle's writing is superb and truly beautiful. It makes the story come to alive and it is just perfect for the setting. Arranmore is a small, rural island on the west coast of Ireland and Doyle manages to capture the atmosphere perfectly, particularly the force of nature and the wild sea.

The Storm Keeper's Island is a poignant and unforgettable story. Fionn's a relatable and funny main character and it is easy to root for him as he uncovers the secrets and mysteries Arranmore has. I'm eagerly awaiting for the sequel!

5 of 5 stars

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