Genre: Coming of Age

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

June 6, 2019 3 Comments Regina

I cannot put it better than Bookpage’s on-point review of Blood Water Paint, but in the spirit of #MeToo, I will share my experience with this novel as well. Blood Water Paint is a vivid depiction based on facts of Baroque artist Artemesia Gentileschi. The story immerses the reader in Artemesia’s daily life and most intimate thoughts. Visceral descriptions of what it was like to be a woman, a daughter, and a female artist in the16th […]

ARC REVIEW + GIVEAWAY (US ONLY): Slayer (Slayer #1) by Kiersten White

ARC REVIEW + GIVEAWAY (US ONLY): Slayer (Slayer #1) by Kiersten White

December 28, 2018 2 Comments Regina

By now everyone knows that a re-imagining/series sequel of the CW hit television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Joss Whedon) is in the works. As if that weren’t exciting enough, Kiersten White’s new series set in the Buffy universe is hitting the shelves on January 8th! Buffy’s back (sort of), bitchezzzz! via GIPHY From what I’ve read on Goodreads, Slayer (Slayer #1) closely follows the Buffy comics and picks up shortly after the ending of […]

Picture Us In The Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Picture Us In The Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert

April 17, 2018 1 Comment Regina

First, I would like to thank Disney Hyperion for the chance to read this story pre-publication. My review is based off an uncorrected ARC. This is definitely one of those books that you HAVE to HAVE because of the brilliant cover. The author’s way with words is brilliant as well. I loved the lyrical prose and syntax that threaded this story together. The characters are vibrant and intense; they were complex and saturated with emotional […]

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

December 29, 2017 2 Comments Regina

Why did I read this book? Well, I was drawn to the contrast of the hot-pink hearts and grayscale image of Tolstoy’s face on the cover, in addition to the idea of young adult fiction intersecting with high-culture literary fiction. I checked out this book because I liked the packaging, so I want to give props to all of the people who had a hand in creating the finished version of this product. Sometimes being […]

BLOG TOUR+GIVEAWAY: Hear the Wolves by Victoria Scott

BLOG TOUR+GIVEAWAY: Hear the Wolves by Victoria Scott

March 23, 2017 1 Comment Regina

About the Book: Title: HEAR THE WOLVES Author: Victoria Scott Pub. Date: March 28, 2017 Publisher: Scholastic Press Pages: 240 Formats: Hardcover, eBook Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads   It’ s survival of the strongest in a contemporary, girl-versus-wild middle-grade début from Fire & Flood author Victoria Scott! Sloan is a hunter. So she shouldn’ t be afraid of anything. But ever since her mom left the family and she lost hearing in one ear in a blizzard, it’ s been hard […]

Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn

Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn

October 5, 2016 0 Comments Regina

This review is long overdue, but that is a common theme for me as of late. Over the past year, I have used any “spare” time (between school, work, commuting, spending time with my family) to attack my leisure/TBR list. So, when I have a moment to write a review/blog during the semester, that means I’m on top of my game. Yay for me! Check out this lovely book-look created by another fan: Book Look: […]

The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem by Sarit Yishai-Levi

The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem by Sarit Yishai-Levi

June 8, 2016 1 Comment Regina

“Set against the golden age of Hollywood, the dark days of WWII, and the swinging ’70s, The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem follows generations of unforgettable women as they forge their own paths through times of dramatic change.” – jacket excerpt The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem is an absorbing novel that traces the familial and amorous relationships and life-shaping decisions of four generations of Israeli women. “The shop employed several seamstresses who made the clothes according to patterns […]

Blog Tour: The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters Review + GIVEAWAY!

Blog Tour: The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters Review + GIVEAWAY!

March 11, 2016 0 Comments Regina

Cat Winters takes a brave look into the under belly of the post WWI cultural climate in America and teaches you about all of the things you never learned in history class. History buffs and Shakespeare fanatics will want to add a “Cat Winters Collection” space to their bookshelves. Title: THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY Author: Cat Winters Pub. Date: March 8, 2016 Publisher: Amulet Books Format: Hardcover, eBook Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads A thrilling reimagining of Shakespeare’ […]

#PastPostingDate: RE JANE by Patricia Park

#PastPostingDate: RE JANE by Patricia Park

January 29, 2016 0 Comments Regina

Yeaaaaah, I was supposed to post a review about this AMAZING book (more than) a few months ago but lets move on, shall we? *clears throat* The thing is, I enjoyed this re-telling of Jane Eyre so much that I was waiting for my intellect to catch up. RE JANE was incredibly clever, insightful, poignant, and funny. Sometimes it’s hard to come up with the words to review such a smart book. I bow down […]

A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison

A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison

January 12, 2016 0 Comments Regina

A Small Indiscretion was one of those books that I saw on another blog last year and thought to myself Ohhh! I really want to read this!. I occasionally passed by it at Barnes and Noble over the past year and would say to my husband while pointing at it with the excitement of remembering a long-forgotten good idea, “Oh! I have been wanting to read that one!”. Ultimately, the book failed to ever make it […]

Bohemian Gospel by Dana Chamblee Carpenter

Bohemian Gospel by Dana Chamblee Carpenter

January 7, 2016 1 Comment Regina

BOHEMIAN GOSPEL WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2015. “A fast-moving, seductive read. A fascinating mix of dark fantasy and rich historical detail.”  Author of The Bloodletter’s Daughter Like any good book, Bohemian Gospel is a book for all seasons. However, I suggest you hurry and go buy a copy to read now, during the Winter months, so you can cuddle up under a fuzzy blanket by a toasty fire. This book will make […]

Rebel Mechanics: All is Fair in Love and Revolution by Shanna Swendson

Rebel Mechanics: All is Fair in Love and Revolution by Shanna Swendson

November 12, 2015 1 Comment Regina

” What if British Magic kept the American Revolution from ever occurring?” The premise of this book is pretty amazing. My synapses salivate at the thought of how Shanna Swendson conjured this story question. There are two story worlds in this novel. One is out in the open, filled with proper aristocrats and those who wish they were. The other is clandestine, filled with working-class folk who walk on the radical side. I loved how […]

The Debt of Tamar by Nicole Dweck

The Debt of Tamar by Nicole Dweck

September 27, 2015 0 Comments Regina

“Through it all, the very same sun and moon and stars never wavered, never once failed to rise and fall and shine their light upon the world. And though mankind itself had run amok, the universe never once collapsed in on itself. Through seismic shifts, wars, famine, and mankind’s great experiment with its own free will, the universe never lost sight of even its most infinitesimal need for balance. “ Some lovely Ottoman textiles.  The […]

The Hollow Ground by Natalie S. Harnett

The Hollow Ground by Natalie S. Harnett

September 5, 2015 0 Comments Regina

“We walk on fire or air, so Daddy liked to say. Basement floors too hot to touch. Steaming green lawns in the dead of winter. Sinkholes, quick and sudden, plunging open at your feet.” The synopsis of this book is the kind that plants little hooks inside my historically minded brain and pulls on it. Especially the part of my brain that loves hauntingly atmospheric settings set among neglected snapshots of American history. The below […]

Dark Metropolis (Dark Metropolis #1) by Jaclyn Dolamore

Dark Metropolis (Dark Metropolis #1) by Jaclyn Dolamore

August 24, 2015 0 Comments Regina

“Cabaret meets Cassandra Clare-a haunting magical thriller set in a riveting 1930s-esque world.” When I was 16, there was this movie that came out called Dark City. The trailer looked so nouveau-weird and mysterious. It looked like the coolest kind of psychological thriller. I went to see the movie and felt more than a little confused but still thought the film was a cool concept. That’s what Dark Metropolis reminded me of. Both have the […]

Review: Fall Out Girl by L. Duarte

Review: Fall Out Girl by L. Duarte

August 15, 2015 0 Comments Christy

REVIEW: Wow! I finished reading Fall Out Girl late yesterday afternoon and I’m still reeling. I experienced so many feels while reading this story. I had read the synopsis on Goodreads one day a few weeks ago and added it to my tbr list. Last week I was contacted by the author and offered an ARC for an honest review. I accepted and thought I’d get to it in a couple weeks. I’m really swamped […]

Review: Promise Me This by Christina Lee

Review: Promise Me This by Christina Lee

August 12, 2015 0 Comments Christy

REVIEW: Finally! Nate & Jessie’s story. I’ve been looking forward to this one. Nate was a tough nut to crack and I couldn’t wait to find our what made him the man he was. He’s the hookup kind of guy. Never going back for seconds. He also hardly ever uses his tongue. His reasoning. “It’s too intimate.” I get that. Jesse is a hell of a spitfire. She’s a take know prisoners type of girl. […]

ARC REVIEW: Gonzo Girl by Cheryl Della Pietra

ARC REVIEW: Gonzo Girl by Cheryl Della Pietra

July 31, 2015 1 Comment Regina

I went into this book with some Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas baggage. I was beyond bored and unimpressed with the film when I was in high-school and had to hide my true feelings about it so I could be cool and fit in with my friends. Every time so-and-so made a reference to the film, I just nodded in agreement about how cool it was or whatever. Kind of like in college when […]

Wish You Were Italian (If Only… #2) by Kristin Rae + ARC Giveaway

Wish You Were Italian (If Only… #2) by Kristin Rae + ARC Giveaway

June 19, 2015 0 Comments Regina

It’s Summer time and when I’m sitting at my desk in the most air-conditioned city in the country,  I close my eyes and imagine that I’m lounging on the Spanish steps, my face raised towards the Sun, my skin turning as golden as freshly pressed olive oil while pistachio gelato drips off the waffle cone in my hand and down my toasty decolletage… *Snaps out of it* Okay. I’ll continue to my book review before […]

We’ll Always Have Paris: A Mother/Daughter Memoir by Jennifer Coburn

We’ll Always Have Paris: A Mother/Daughter Memoir by Jennifer Coburn

June 16, 2015 0 Comments Regina

If you’re like me, a Summer Vacation, or any kind of real vacation, is out of reach on a seasonal basis. Between paying for school, paying the bills, paying for my zoo, and just plain paying to live (the daily grind kind), I’m lucky if I have enough cash to go on a road trip from Houston to Austin. So, naturally, I spend all of the disposable income I just denied having on books that […]