#book lover
are you ever at a certain point in a book where you need to forcefully slam the book closed and scream into your pillow for 4 ½ minutes before you can open it and read it again? nope? just me? mkay.
The Wonders Of Reading
I am STILL working on this inventory. I am only three shelves into it!!! This is taking me a lot longer then I thought it would… Perhaps if I stopped buying so many copies of books I already owned but had forgotten I had, it would make this process easier xDI decided to do a book inventory on my days off. >_
This past weekend was so much fun! I missed getting a box of books for $3 on Sunday because of work, but I was able to go on Friday for the buy one get one special. Lots of new books! Plus got to talk to some awesome people on the hunt for their favorites!
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I am so guilty of doing this, and skipping pages a head to see how a scene is going to end to see if I need to brace myself for the feels.
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Zafira from We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal! Can’t wait for We Free The Stars
Heartstopper (webcomic series)
by Alice Oseman @spacezeros
“Yes, I will listen to the rain. I will listen to the mountain bird. Oh, a heartstopper is the solitaire’s one note - high, sweet, lonely, magic.”
Read it for free here: @heartstoppercomic
My review: goo.gl/sh3HE8
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Got my Pfizer booster shot yesterday, so between the fever and the body aches this has pretty much been my weekend.
This book has given me all the feels. I have a pile of “to be read” books but can’t start on them because of this novel.
I’ve been in a reading frenzy this past month, here’s what I’ve actually finished.
Piranesi is the most recent book I’ve read, and I’ve got the biggest book hangover now. Review coming soon, cannot recommended it enough. Drop you current reads and recommendations, cozy book season has officially begun.
Happy Heartstopper day! I’m so excited to watch Heartstopper on Netflix tonight!
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[ID: a flatlay photo of all four volumes of Heartstopper sit in the centre of a white sheet].
BOOK REVIEW: Eva Evergreen Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe
Eva Evergreen is determined to earn the rank of Novice Witch before she turns thirteen years old. If she doesn’t, she’ll lose her magic forever. For most young witches and wizards, it’s a simple enough test:
ONE: Help your town, do good all around.
TWO: Live there for one moon, don’t leave too soon.
THREE: Fly home by broomstick, the easiest of tricks
[ID: the book Eva Evergreen Semi-Magical Witch sits on a grey, yellow and pink cardigan with a pair of glasses next to it].
Title:Eva Evergreen Semi-Magical Witch
Author:Julie Abe
Published by: Hachette
Publication Date: 12/10/21
Australian RRP: $15.99
Genres:fantasy, middle-grade,
Pages:416
Format:Paperback
Rating:5/5
Synopsis:
A charming new middle-grade fantasy adventure, about a young witch whose pinch of magic just might be more than enough, perfect for fans of Kiki’s Delivery Service and Aru Shah and the End of Time.
Sometimes all you need is a pinch of magic…
Eva Evergreen is determined to earn the rank of Novice Witch before she turns thirteen years old. If she doesn’t, she’ll lose her magic forever. For most young witches and wizards, it’s a simple enough test:
ONE: Help your town, do good all around.
TWO: Live there for one moon, don’t leave too soon.
THREE: Fly home by broomstick, the easiest of tricks.
The only problem? Eva only has a pinch of magic. She summons heads of cabbage instead of flowers and gets a sunburn instead of calling down rain. And to add insult to injury, whenever she overuses her magic, she falls asleep.
When she lands on the tranquil coastal town of Auteri, the residents expect a powerful witch, not a semi-magical girl. So Eva comes up with a plan: set up a magical repair shop to aid Auteri and prove she’s worthy. She may have more blood than magic, but her “semi-magical fixes” repair the lives of the townspeople in ways they never could have imagined. Only, Eva’s bit of magic may not be enough when the biggest magical storm in history threatens the town she’s grown to love. Eva must conjure up all of the magic, bravery, and cleverness she can muster or Auteri and her dreams of becoming a witch will wash away with the storm.
Review:
I LOVED THIS BOOK! Eva Evergreen Semi-Magical Witch is a middle-grade fantasy story full of adventure, friendship and magic. The beautiful writing and interesting characters had me completely enthralled in the story. I’m so excited to continue reading the series.
Eva Evergreen wants to be a novice witch, but first, she needs to go on her witch’s quest. Eva only has a pinch of magic; she is excited to learn more on her quest. After Eva uses magic she is exhausted and goes faint. I experience a lot of fatigue with my chronic illnesses, everyday tasks can be completely exhausting so I could relate to Eva needing to rest after using her magic. I loved how much Eva became a part of the town and community. Friendship was such a big part of the story, it was great to see Eva’s friendship develop with Charlotte and Davy.
Overall, if you are looking for a fun and magical story full of heart and amazing characters, I highly recommend Eva Evergreen Semi-Magical Witch!
BOOK REVIEW: Her Time to Shine by Fiona McCallum
Sometimes serendipity comes knocking, and life leads us to the most surprising places …
It’s never too late to find your true self.
[ID: a flatlay photo on a white sheet a black Kindle Oasis sits on a cream coloured book sleeve with woodland creatures on it. Brown leafy branches surround the Kindle and an open book sits in the top left corner].
Title:Her Time to Shine
Author:Fiona McCallum
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 30/03/22
Australian RRP: $32.99
Genres:fiction, contemporary,
Pages:432
Format:eARC
Rating:3/5
Synopsis:
Sometimes serendipity comes knocking, and life leads us to the most surprising places …
It’s never too late to find your true self.
While very pretty, the tiny town of Melrose isn’t where Erica thought she’d be at almost fifty. And working in a funeral home and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, while navigating her grief as a recent widow, is not how she thought her life would look either. But she’s committed to her lovely new boss, Walter, who gave her a chance when she so desperately needed it.
Erica’s friends and daughters back in Adelaide cheer her on as she discovers a genuine love for her new job, forms friendships and immerses herself in the local community. But why is she being plagued with fresh bouts of anxiety and flashes of partial memories of her brother Mark who died when she was eleven? Why is there so much about him she doesn’t know and can’t remember? And why does it feel like it’s more about her than him?
But she has to put it all aside when, despite being happy and settled, Erica is suddenly called upon to step up and face her deepest fear. If she can, what will she discover about herself and her past? And what will it mean for her future?
From Australia’s master storyteller, a tender story about finding strength and fulfilment after major upheaval, and discovering you can only outrun your true calling for so long …
Trigger Warnings: PTSD, stalker, grief, death,
Review:
Her Time to Shine by Fiona McCallum is a contemporary fiction story about life in your late 40s, starting over and solving the mysteries of the past. The story follows Erica, a late 40s widow and mother of two, as she embarks on a new life in the country. Her Time to Shine showed how hard it is to settle into a new place and start a new job. The side characters were great; I especially liked Walter and Erica’s working relationship. Also, Bruce is the most adorable dog, and I loved how much her character brought to the story. I felt like the writing captured the setting of a small country town in South Australia and the comings and goings of country life. I liked the discussions of mental health in this book. However, I felt the story was slow-paced and dialogue-heavy, which sometimes made the book hard to get through.
Overall, if you are looking for a story about moving to a small town and finding yourself, I recommend picking up a copy of Her Time to Shine.
Thank you to Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
