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Showing posts from August, 2024

2ND QUARTER BOOK CHECK IN

Welcome to our second quarterly book check-in!📊📚👋. We're now two quarters into 2024 and it is time to look back on our reading journey so far and see how our reading goals are progressing. As we approach the final stretch of 2024 all the books I've read will stay with me forever and as always thank you to all the amazing authors for putting your books out there😍🥺. Now, let's take a look at the books that have filled my reading life from May to August: 》COUNTERFEIT BY KIRSTIN CHEN 》JUST ANOTHER MISSING PERSON BY GILLIAN MCALLISTER 》THE BABY IS MINE BY OYINKAN BRAITHWAITE 》THE NIGERWIFE BY VANESSA WALTERS 》THE DONOR BY CLARE MACKINTOSH 》THE LITTLE DREAMS OF LARA CLIFFE BY MILLY JOHNSON 》SEE YOU YESTERDAY BY RACHEL LYNN SOLOMON 》BOOKWORM BY ROBIN YEATMAN 》THE JOYS OF MOTHERHOOD BY BUCHI EMECHETA 》THE YEAR I LIVED TWICE BY ALEX WOOLF *ARC 》THE SHELF BY HELLY ACTON 》DELE WEDS DESTINY BY TOMI OBARO 》XOXO BY AXIE OH 》ASAP BY AXIE OH

SHELF CONTROL:MANAGING YOUR TBR

Welcome to another chapter of my weekly segment! 📚❤️ If you are a new reader,a very warm welcome ❤. In this chapter, I am going to discuss how to navigate your TBR shelf based on my personal experience of cause! If your TBR shelf is as small as mine or if your TBR shelf is overwhelming, no worries because this chapter is just for YOU! Currently, as I'm writing this chapter, I have 18 (eighteen) books on my TBR shelf and 4 (four) book images on my phone's gallery. Books are being released every day, and because I easily feel overwhelmed and burned out, I try to keep my TBR shelf minimal using a few strategies. Here are the top 3 ways: 1. Categorize and prioritize: Recently, I started using a notebook to categorize my TBR by genre and prioritize books based on my excitement level. This helps me focus on the books I really want to read. 2. Regularly reviewing and adjusting : Often, most of the books on my shelf, I sometimes lose interest, and it is not because t

READ IN COLOR ❤🧡💚

Welcome to 'Read In Color', In this segment of Readers Recs we're spotlighting books with bold, eye-catching covers in shades of red, orange, and green- the colors of passion, creativity, and growth🌈. Join us as we dive into these colorful reads and discover new favorites! ❤  READ IN COLOR >>> RED EDITION ❤ BOOKS SHOWN IN THE RED SERIES  ❤ • WOMEN OF GOOD FORTUNE BY SOPHIE WAN BLURB : Friends who steal together, stay together A reluctant bride and her two best friends plot to steal all the gift money from her glitzy high-society wedding in this dazzling, heartfelt, funny novel for fans of Crazy Rich Asian GOODREADS RATING : 3.6/5 GENRE : Humor|| Crime Fiction • THE DONOR BY CLARE MACKINTOSH BLURB : She gave you everything. But what does she want in return? When Lizzie's daughter Meg is given a life-saving heart transplant, Lizzie feels hugely grateful to the nameless donor. Then she receives a letter from the donor's mother,

BOOK REVIEW RUNDOWN: THE SITUATIONSHIP

📖BOOK TITLE: THE SITUATIONSHIP  📖AUTHOR: TAYLOR- DIOR RUMBLE  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #105thBookOf2024 So the rare moments in which I read the blurb before starting a book, I was deceived 😫😆. P.S. This is not your typical romance. This book got me so amped up from the beginning; I enjoyed the writing, and I wanted to know what happened. You would think me being excited from the beginning would prepare me for the rather abrupt and confusing ending—like, where were the rom-com elements I was promised? Another thing that really pissed me off was the characters living in their parents' house. I can understand if one or two of the characters still lived at home, but in this case almost all characters still lived with their parents. For crying out loud, this is not a YA novel. I loved Tia and her friendships and obviously how her career is blooming but I can't stop thinking about what will happen next with Tia and Nate and I'm definitely sure they will be i

BOOK REVIEW RUNDOWN: HOW TO BE A BETTER ADULT

📖 BOOK TITLE: HOW TO BE A BETTER ADULT  📖AUTHOR: JACQUE AYE  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #104thBookOf2024 Let me be honest, half of the time I spent reading this book I was confused and wondering what the hell happened. Then came the magical book, and I was even more confused. I literally screamed at Hope to stop taking things so literally, like who really "digs their way out of debt." I kept on shouting, but then it looked as if I was the one not getting what was happening. I really wanted to enjoy this novel, but it was not for me. 📖RATINGS: 2 STARS⭐⭐

BOOK REVIEW RUNDOWN: ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

📖BOOK TITLE: ON THE BRIGHT SIDE  📖AUTHOR: ANNA SORTINO 📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #103rdBookOf2024 After a long time of this book being on my TBR, I decided to read it, and I'm glad I did. I am not really familiar with ASL (American Sign Language), deafness, and MS (Multiple Sclerosis), but being new to these terms and an entirely new language, I still got through this book. I loved how the author portrayed the characters. They are fictional yet they seem real. They might have a disability, but they are not flawed. I felt really bad for Jackson, but I'm glad that he has his family supporting him and Ellie. One thing I really did not like was Ellie's relationship with her parents, despite the fact that her parents are not the most inclusive. In a world filled with so much uncertainty, the least we can do is to be kind. Be a Jackson! 📖RATINGS: 4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📖QUOTES: ○  Just don’t put your life on hold waiting for something that may never come. ○  Don’t li

POST TIMELINE

So this is an impromptu post to keep me on my toes and to keep readers of this blog updated on what to expect on different days of the week ( Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays😍) MONDAYS - AUTHOR OF THE WEEK  Each Monday, we shine the spotlight on a remarkable author, delving into their life, works, and the magic that makes their writing unforgettable. Join us as we celebrate the literary legends who inspire and influence us and discover your next favorite author!  Check last week author of the week   Here   WEDNESDAYS- BOOK REVIEW RUNDOWN  Get ready for a midweek dose of bookish delights! Our Wednesday Book Review Rundown shares honest reviews and ratings, helping you find your next great read. Discover new titles, authors, and genres, and find your next favorite book with our ratings and recommendations. Check out the last book review I shared  Here FRIDAYS- READERS RECS  Kickstart your weekend with a curated list of book recommendations

LOOKING FOR YOUR NEXT FAVE YA BOOK?

It's officially the weekend, and there is no better way to start the weekend than filling your shelves or E-reader😍📚❤.   This is  Readers Recs: From Fantasy to Mystery to Romance . Here are 10 YA (young adult) books by black authors to fill your never-ending TBR 🤭🤭. 1. CONFESSIONS OF AN ALLEGED GOOD GIRL BY JOYA GOFFNEY  BLURB:  Monique lives a perfect life - a preacher's daughter and the girlfriend of the town's golden boy. But it's not that simple. She's torn between her parents who want the pure virginal daughter, and her boyfriend, Dom, who wants to explore the more intimate side of their relationship. Tired of waiting, her boyfriend breaks up with her, spurring Monique to discover she has a medical condition that makes her far from perfect and she concocts a plan to fix her body and win him back. With the help of her frenemy, Sasha, the overly zealous church girl Monique's mum pushes her to hang out with, and Reggie, the

BOOK REVIEW RUNDOWN: THE PEOPLE ON PLATFORM 5

📖 BOOK TITLE: THE PEOPLE ON PLATFORM 5 📖AUTHOR: CLARE POOLEY 📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #102ndBookOf2024 You might find this book slow or difficult to get into, but please stick with it 🥺because it gets better with each page and chapter. It is very easy to make assumptions about other people's lives, and I hope after reading this book that you will give people a chance. Get to know them, and that might be the start of a beautiful and wonderful friendship. Iona, I'm very sorry that I assumed you had a very wonderful life. You and Bea are the whole damn cake! Toby, shame on you, control freak. Ed- Iona should have let Lulu loose on you 😐. This is the perfect found family trope, and I learned a lot of lessons from this book. 📖RATINGS: 4 STARS  📖QUOTES: ◇ People who bully usually have more problems themselves than you are ever aware of. ◇ What is the point of being alive if you go through life unnoticed. ◇ The whole point of life is to stand out, not to fit

BOOK REVIEW RUNDOWN: GLORY BE ( A GLORY BROUSSARD MYSTERY)

📖 BOOK TITLE: GLORY BE (BOOK 1) 📖AUTHOR: DANIELLE ARCENEAUX  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #101stBookOf2024 I'm going to take a moment to appreciate the cover designer of this book. The cover is just breathtaking. They say don't judge a book by its cover, but I don't abide by that rule😂😂😂. Glory Broussard is such a character, and I enjoyed every bit of her shenanigans, but as an amateur sleuth, finding the murderer of Sister Amity took Glory and her daughter on a ride they will never forget. Even though, most of the time, the story was not entirely focused on the murder that happened,. The secrets—oh my God, I found them very interesting and exciting. The dog bite scene did not help my cyanophobia one bit 😂. I really want to know what will happen to Delphine and Lieutenant Landry.In my opinion what happened between them shouldn't have happened at all. Overall, I enjoyed every bit of this book, and I can't wait for book 2😍🎉. 📖RATINGS: 3 STARS ⭐⭐

BOOK REVIEW RUNDOWN: A FOUND FAMILY AT THE CORNISH COUNTRY HOSPITAL

📖BOOK TITLE: A FOUND FAMILY AT THE CORNISH COUNTRY HOSPITAL (BOOK 3) 📖AUTHOR: JO BARTLETT  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #HundredthBookOf2024 🎉🎉🎉 I am glad to be back in Port Kara and to be with these amazing characters once again. I'm so sad that Esther and Joe were not really talked about much, but it's not their story. A Found Family at the Cornish Country Hospital is the third book in the Cornish Country Hospital series, and it is all about Isla's and Aidan's story. Isla wants to create a legacy for her father, and she knows the perfect way to do that is by being part of creating a family for someone, but that thought is almost cut off when she receives the news that she has a chronic condition. Will Isla's plan to create a legacy for her father be put on hold? Aidan and Jase have always wanted a family, but they are battling with infertility problems, and we can see how distressing it is for them. This book emphasizes the point that family is n

BOOK REVIEW RUNDOWN: YES NO MAYBE SO

📖BOOK TITLE: YES NO MAYBE SO  📖AUTHOR: BECKY ALBERTALLI & AISHA SAEED 📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #NinetyNinethBookOf2024 #1BookToHundred 🎉 Let me be honest, the politics talk threw me a little, and I know what you are thinking, but I'm not much of a politics girlie- That being said, let's talk about the love story between Jamie and Maya: a love story that started all because they went canvassing together, and it was so cute that Jamie fell first 🥰🤭. Jamie has always seen himself as an awkward, shy, and unbrave teen. It's funny what love will do to you, and we see how Jamie opened up and became better at things he didn't quite know how to do well: first canvassing, public speaking, speaking up for himself more, and telling Maya how he feels 🤭. Jamie and Maya are very different. He is Jewish, and she is Muslim. I want to know how they will navigate these differences and grow. Oh my God, I wish there's a sequel. (Sincerely, I've just been w

BOOK REVIEW RUNDOWN: LOVE, OFF THE RECORD

📖BOOK TITLE: LOVE,OFF THE RECORD  📖AUTHOR: SAMANTHA MARKUM  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #NinetyEighthBookOf2024 #2BooksToHundred 🎉🎉 My heart goes out to every YA romance author ♡. Now I can honestly say that enemies to lovers is not my best trope in a romance novel; the banter, the insults, and, let's not forget, the incessant bickering, but... OMG, Wyn and Three,😍😍 do we have a couple name for them yet 🤭🥰? Wyn is trying to enjoy the traditional college experience while battling with her body image. Wyn loves her body, but sometimes it's just too much. Three ( I would have loved to read this story from his perspective.) He had a lot going on, and I felt it was not talked about enough in this story. As much as I wanted to connect to this love story, I didn't quite connect to it, but I loved the whole backstory. Three and Wyn did so much work as grunts, and I love that for them, and let's not forget the beautiful friendship that was formed. I wish we

BOOK REVIEW RUNDOWN: THE HUSBANDS

📖BOOK TITLE:   THE HUSBANDS  📖AUTHOR: HOLLY GRAMAZIO 📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #NinetySeventhBookOf2024 #3BooksToHundred🎉 So I saw this book on Facebook, and I was instantly drawn in by the caption, and I wanted to read this book immediately—no offense to other books on my TBR 😂😂. Lauren and her magical attic—I knew I was in for a trip with this one with an unlimited number of husbands. It was all going well, and I was expecting more, obviously, but it just got boring and very repetitive to me. For a book as long as this, I thought that there would be a moment in which we found out what the general point of the attic was and how Bohai connected to the story at all! Sure, there were some laugh-out-loud moments, but apart from the humor, What was the point? Why Lauren and Bohai? 📖RATINGS: 2 STARS ⭐⭐

RACHEL DODES

Welcome to a new week, bookish fam! 🥺😍 With each new week comes a new opportunity to celebrate literary gems💎. This week, we're shining the spotlight on the talented Rachel Dodes. If you're not familiar with her work, keep reading to discover why she's a must-know author! 📚 Rachel Dodes  is a freelance culture writer. She’s a regular contributor to Vanity Fair, and her work has also appeared in Town & Country, ELLE, Esquire, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, among other publications. Her first novel, The Memo—co-written with her friend Lauren Mechling —was published by Harper Perennial in June 2024. It was Named a “Best of Summer” book by Vogue, Esquire, Town & Country, Elle and Vanity Fair–as well as “lowbrow and brilliant” by New York Magazine–it’s currently being developed for television. Rachel and Lauren’s collaboration continues: they recently started a Substack called Funny Girls. Dodes previously was a staff writer at The Wal

KNOW YOUR GENRES!

Welcome to the vast and wondrous world of books! With so many genres to explore, it can be overwhelming to navigate the shelves (or your e-reader🤭). But fear not, dear book lovers! Understanding genres can help you discover new favorite authors, find books that resonate with you, and even connect with fellow readers who share your passions. In I am Rayo and this is KYG - For this chapter, we'll be talking about 20 popular genres, exploring their meanings and characteristics and there's a plus at the end 🤭😫. After this chapter, you can confidently say, "I know my genres! ♤Contemporary Romance : This genre focuses on the romantic relationship between characters in a modern setting, often with realistic and relatable storylines. ♤New Adult (NA): This genre explores the challenges and struggles of transitioning from adolescence to adulthood, often featuring college-aged protagonists. New Adult fiction bridges the gap between Young Adult and Adult genres. I

SIZE DOESN'T MATTER!!

This Friday, we're shaking things up and celebrating love in all its forms! Let's get real - love isn't one-size-fits-all! Get ready to fall head over heels for these 12 swoon-worthy romance novels featuring plus-size heroines prove that size truly doesn't matter. 1. Love, Off The Record By Samantha Markum  BLURB: Wyn is going to beat Three even if it kills her—or, preferably, him. Being freshmen staffers on the university newspaper puts them at the bottom of the pecking order—until a rare reporter spot opens up. Wyn and Three are both determined to get the position, starting a game of sabotage that pushes them to do their worst, from stealing each other’s ideas to playing twisted mind games. No road is too low when it comes to winning. As Wyn’s search for the perfect story leads her to an anonymous, campus-wide dating app, she hits it off with a mystery man she thinks might be the cute RA from her dorm. But Wyn is all too familiar with being rejected b