book reviews

Book Review: Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood



Book Details

Title: Wildblood
Author: Lauren Blackwood
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genre: Fantasy
Age Group: Young Adult
Content/Trigger Warnings: Physical/sexual assault, death, sexual trauma, disturbing imagery, body horror, references to suicide, suicidal ideation, spiders
Book Links: Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads


Goodreads Synopsis

A thrilling new fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blackwood!

Eighteen-year-old Victoria is a Wildblood. Since she was kidnapped at the age of six and manipulated by the Exotic Lands Touring Company, she’s worked as a tour guide ever since with a team of fellow Wildbloods who take turns using their magic to protect travelers in a Jamaican jungle teeming with ghostly monsters.

When the boss denies Victoria an earned promotion to team leader in favor of Dean, her backstabbing ex, she’s determined to prove herself. Her magic may be the most powerful on the team, but she’s not the image the boss wants to send their new client, Thorn, a renowned goldminer determined to reach an untouched gold supply deep in the jungle.

Thorn is everything Victoria isn’t – confident, impossibly kind, and so handsome he leaves her speechless. And when he entrusts the mission to her, kindness turns to mutual respect, turns to affection, turns to love. But the jungle is treacherous, and between hypnotic river spirits, soul-devouring women that shed their skin like snakes, and her ex out for revenge, Victoria has to decide – is promotion at a corrupt company really what she wants?

A fierce, lush fantasy by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blackwood, Wildblood tells the story of a girl who must find the strength to defeat the demons of the jungle as well as her own to find where she truly belongs.

Continue reading “Book Review: Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood”
blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: Clytemnestra’s Bind by Susan C Wilson


Hello, reader!

Today is my stop on the blog tour for a new Greek mythology retelling that is perfect for fans of Circe: Clytemnestra’s Bind by Susan C. Wilson! This tour is hosted by The Write Reads and I’m glad I decided to put my blog tour hiatus to the side for just a moment to join up. This was an incredible (if intense… check them trigger warnings, folks) read!

But, before I get to my review, I have people to thank. First, thank you to Dave @ The Write Reads and all of the crew for giving me a spot on this tour! Second, thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC of the book so that I could participate in this tour. It is, as always, appreciated!

Now, let’s get the post.



  • Title: Clytemnestra’s Bind
  • Author: Susan C. Wilson
  • Publisher: Neem Tree Press
  • Publication date: April 9th, 2024
  • Length: 288 pages
  • Genre: Historical Fiction/Greek Mythology Retelling
  • Age group: Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Sexual assault (on page), spousal abuse, child abuse, violence, blood, murder, animal sacrifice, human sacrifice, unwitting cannibalism

Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads



The House of Atreus is spiralling into self-destruction – a woman must find a way to break the family curse.

Queen Clytemnestra’s world shatters when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, storms her palace, destroys her family and claims not only the throne but Clytemnestra herself. Tormented by her loss, she vows to do all she can to protect the children born from her unhappy marriage to Agamemnon. But when her husband casts his ruthless gaze towards the wealthy citadel of Troy, his ambitions threaten to once more destroy the family Clytemnestra loves.

From one of Greek mythology’s most reviled characters – a woman who challenged the absolute power of men – comes this fiery tale of power, family rivalry and a mother’s burning love.

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Clytemnestra’s Bind by Susan C Wilson”
monthly tbr · readathon

Magical Readathon: Orilium Spring Equinox 2024 TBR


Hello, reader!

It’s time once again to go back to Orilium in one of my favorite readathons of the year! Having just completed my other favorite readathon last month (shout out to Trope-ical Readathon!), I feel myself being solidly back on my reading grind and it feels gooood. So I’m going into the Orilium Spring Equinox feeling refreshed and with high hopes!

But what is the Magical Readathon? It is the brain child of the marvelous G @ Book Roast, who created the world of Aeldia, where Orilium dwells, and every aspect therein. It’s an incredibly creative readathon where you build a character, choose a guild, and guide your character through classes to achieve their calling. I am notoriously bad at giving all the details in a coherent way, so you should definitely watch G’s announcement video for the scoop:


My Character

✨✨✨ Name: Korrin Musgrave ✨✨✨
✨✨✨ Guild: The Order of the Crescent Moon ✨✨✨
✨✨✨ Current Guild Standing: Exalted (390 gp)✨✨✨
✨✨✨ Conduit: Quarterstaff ✨✨✨
✨✨✨ Legacy: Wolf familiar (Venandi) ✨✨✨
✨✨✨ Background: Wildling ✨✨✨
✨✨✨ Province: Irtheria ✨✨✨
✨✨✨ Heritage: Earthling (earth element) ✨✨✨

If you want to learn more about these various choices, you can check out the Brief History of Aeldia on the Google drive. It’s awesome what G has dreamed up!

Continue reading “Magical Readathon: Orilium Spring Equinox 2024 TBR”
5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Happy 4 Years Freebie!


#5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook where you chose five books from your to-be-read pile that fit that week’s theme. If you’d like more info, head over to the announcement post!


Hello, reader!

As I ease my way back into blogging, I’m trying to jump back into some of the bookish memes that I always enjoyed. One of the big ones was 5 On My TBR and it’s kind of fortuitous that I decided to do it today because it’s the 4 year anniversary! I can’t believe that this meme has been around for four years! It’s always been a ton of fun to do and I’m excited to jump back in. Since this is a freebie, I’ve decided to celebrate by sharing five 2024 new releases that I’m desperate to read this year. It’s got a 4 in it, so I figure it works, haha.

Now let me share them with you.


#1. Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by Amélie Wen Zhao

When I read the first book in this series, Song of Silver, Flame Llike Night, I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. The synopsis was intriguing but I mostly read it because it came in an Illumicrate box and it fit a prompt for a readathon, haha. So I was pleasantly surprised that the first book completely sucked me in! Now, of course, I am more than eager to read this sequel. So much so that I got the Illumicrate edition, as well! Gotta have a matching set, ya know?


#2. Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana

I’ve been hearing so much about Lore of the Wilds since sometime last year. I wasn’t reading much at the end of the year, so this remained on my periphery. Now that I’m actively reading again, this has firmly planted itself in my radar. I mean… Black faeries? And enchanted library? This sounds like something that I would absolutely adore! I’m hoping my library will have this soon so I can give it a read and let y’all know my feelings.

Continue reading “#5OnMyTBR – Happy 4 Years Freebie!”
book reviews

Book Review: Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen



Book Details

Title: Soul of the Deep
Author: Natasha Bowen
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Genre: Fantasy
Age Group: Young Adult
Content/Trigger Warnings: On-page deaths (many), violence, slavery, human trafficking, recounted child kidnapping, war atrocities, human sacrifice.
Book Links: Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads


Goodreads Synopsis

The highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller Skin of the Sea, in which the world must pay the price for one mermaid’s choice, and a dark force reverberates across realms. Perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and those eagerly anticipating the live-action film adaptation of The Little Mermaid.

One life.
One choice.
One sacrifice.

To save those closest to her, Simi traded away everything: her freedom, her family, and the boy she loves. Now she is sworn to serve a new god, watching over the Land of the Dead at the bottom of the ocean.

But when signs of demons begin to appear, it’s clear there are deeper consequences of Simi’s trade. These demons spell the world’s ruin . . . and because of Simi, they now have a way into the human realm.

With the fate of the world at stake, Simi must break her promise and team up with a scheming trickster of a god. And if they succeed, perhaps Simi can also unbreak her heart along the way, and find herself again.

Continue reading “Book Review: Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen”
book reviews

Book Review: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir


A graphic showing the cover of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir next to a box that says "4 stars. A sci-fi novel that blends the thrill of adventure with a healthy dose of heart."

Book Details

Title: Project Hail Mary
Author: Andy Weir
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Group: Adult
Content/Trigger Warnings: For a list of potential content and trigger warnings, check out this book’s page on BookTriggerWarnings.com
Book Links: Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads


Goodreads Synopsis

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?

Continue reading “Book Review: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir”
bookmark chat

Bookmark Chat: Guess Who’s Back…

Back Again…

Hellllllo reader!

I know, it has been a minute since you’ve seen a post from yours truly. What happened? Where did I go? How could I leave y’all with nary a peep?

Short answer? Stress is a bitch.

Long answer? I recently (as in last July) became not only the Microbiology supervisor at my job, but the team lead AND, since the end of December, the Molecular supervisor. My days at work have been long, difficult, and have consumed all the mental energy I have to give and, not gonna lie, that’s not much on a good day. This first affected my posting schedule here and then affected my reading. Before the beginning of the year, I hadn’t picked up and completed a book since September. So not only was I stressed at work, but I was feeling kinda miserable for not reading at all. Like I was failing at my favorite hobby.

Which, I know, is such a silly thing to think, but my brain is not always the kindest.

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been easing myself back, trying my best to be kind to myself in regards to my reading. I read a whole book in January! And three in February! Baby steps, ya know, but I’m finding the joy in reading again. I’ve also been reading books that I already own and finding I have damn good taste. I haven’t given anything I’ve read this year, so far, less than a four star rating. There’s something to be said for reading books you personally picked out for yourself instead of books you perceive you have to read. I think that was part of my issue; my reading had started to feel like a chore instead of what it really is. Something I love to do, my escape from the world, and part of what makes me… me.

They’ve also FINALLY hired more staff so I’m not doing three jobs at once and I could cry from happiness 😭

Kerri’s Back…

So what does that mean for the blog?

Well, my husband I are were talking about just yesterday and I said “Maybe I’ll start back with the blog next year.” The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized how much I missed my little bookish corner of the internet. I missed my site, I missed rambling about books, and I missed the community. That’s one thing I never stopped doing, visiting bookish blogs that I enjoy, though I have been terrible about promoting and boosting, I fully acknowledge that. I missed being a part of that and why wait til 2025 to get back into it when I’m finally feeling the fog lift?

That being said, I’m coming back! At the moment, I’m hoping to do at least a couple of posts a week. I’m trying not to push myself too hard as I jump back into blogging. I’m mostly avoiding commitments that have might bring back that feeling of reading as a chore, like blog tours, BBNYA (though I’m hoping to jump back in next year), and any new Netgalley reviews. I have enough of those to catch up with as it is, heh. I’ve signed up for exactly one (1) blog tour so far in 2024 and I think that was my biggest sign that I’m in a good space to come back.

I also gave the blog a little bit of a new look and that’s making me feel better already, haha.

Tell A Friend!

What kind of posts can you expect now that I’m dipping my toes back in? Beyond sporadic?

Welp, I’m going to be focusing on book reviews at the moment. I have a lot of Netgalley e-ARCs that I’ve read and never reviewed. Which is typically not the problem I have when it comes to Netgalley 😂 Those will be the majority of my posts going forward until I’m caught up.

I do love a good #TopTenTueday or #WWWednesday post, though, so those might start sneaking in every now and then. They’re fun and quick and easier to do when my brain feels a little fried!

I’d also like to keep these more chatty posts around, so expect more of these Bookmark Chats!

And, from, there… who knows! All I know is that I’m excited to be back ❤️

blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: Sign of the Slayer by Sharina Harris


Hello, reader!

Today, it’s my stop on the tour for Sign of the Slayer by Sharina Harris hosted by Hear Our Voices Tours! This YA horror novel is billed as a mix between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Fullmetal Alchemist and, in my opinion, it doesn’t disappoint!

Before I get to my review, though, I have people to thank. First, a big thank you to the brains behind Hear Our Voices who gave me a spot on this tour. Second, thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free ARC so that I could read and participate. It is, as always, very much appreciated!

Also, if you’d like to check out any of the other fabulous posts done by the incredible bloggers and bookstagrammers and BookTubers on this tour, you can check out the schedule here.

Now, let’s get to my post!



  • Title: Zora Books Her Happy Ever After
  • Author: Taj McCoy
  • Publication date: April 25th, 2023
  • Publisher: MIRA Books
  • Length: 336 pages
  • Genre: Romance
  • Age group: Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Violence, blood, death, self harm, abuse, and alcohol use

Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads



Full Metal Alchemist meets Vampire Diaries in this fun and clever dark academia series…

High school is supposed to be about studying, socializing, and marching-band practice. Not fighting vampires. Then one night flipped my world inside out―now, my life sucks. But it isn’t all bad. I’m at a slayer academy, learning things like the real origin of vamps and how to make serious weapons out of thin air.

Every last one of them will pay for what they did. I’m doing great.

Until I come face-to-face with the actual vampire prince…and I’m not sure of anything anymore. Vampires are supposed to be soul-sucking demons. But Khamari is…something else. He’s intelligent and reasonable―and he seems to know things about me that could change everything.

He’s also hiding something big, even from his own kind. And when a threat from an ancient evil is so extreme that a vampire will team up with a slayer to take it down, it isn’t just my need for revenge that’s at stake anymore.

It’s the whole damn world.

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Sign of the Slayer by Sharina Harris”
blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: Extra Normal by Kate Alice Marshall


Hello, reader!

I have TBR & Beyond Tours post to share with you today! I’m so excited to gush about a new middle grade horror that is sure to delight and scare in equal amounts: Extra Normal by Kate Alice Marshall! I adored this quick and inclusive read and I can’t wait to tell you more about it.

Before I jump into my review, I want to say thank you. Thank you to the people at TBR & Beyond Tours for choosing me to take part in this tour. Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to the book via Netgalley. And thank you to all my readers for supporting my little blog! Also, if you’d like to support the other incredible bloggers and bookstagrammers participating, make sure to check out the tour schedule by clicking here.

Alright, now let me tell you more about the book!



  • Title: Extra Normal
  • Author: Kate Alice Marshall
  • Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
  • Publication date: August 29th, 2023
  • Genre: Horror
  • Age group: Middle Grade
  • Content/Trigger Warnings: Fire, kidnapping, mind control

Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::
Goodreads



It’s hard to fight the supernatural when you’re naturally “un-super.” This chilling middle grade is perfect for fans of Stranger Things and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark…even if they don’t have any special powers.

Charlie Greer is nothing special—at least not compared to her adopted siblings. Her younger sister is a ghost. Her brother Mateo is a werewolf. Gideon is the product of seriously sketchy experiments that gave him telekinetic powers. Even her parents work for the Division of Extranormal Investigations tracking down all things supernatural, alien, and otherwise unusual.

Charlie’s mom says her superpower is maturity—which doesn’t really count. But what Charlie lacks in powers she makes up for by keeping the household running. Now, with her parents off on their first vacation in years, it’s up to her to take care of her siblings and make sure nothing disrupts the trip.

But then the new neighbors arrive. The Weavers are a nice, normal couple. Too nice and too normal. And for some reason, they don’t seem to want Charlie to see inside their house. She’s certain they’re hiding something. Charlie has to uncover what’s going on with the Weavers and stop their plans—without letting Mom and Dad find out anything is wrong.

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Extra Normal by Kate Alice Marshall”
blog tour · book reviews

Blog Tour: Norah’s Ark by Victoria Williamson


Hello, reader!

It’s been a minute, but today I have a blog tour stop to share with y’all! I’m happy to be able to participate in another tour hosted by The Write Reads. The fact that I get to tell you about a stellar middle grade contemporary novel is just the cherry on top! Norah’s Ark by Victoria Williamson was a quick read that had my feelings bouncing all over the place!

But, before I get to my review, I have people to thank. First, thank you to Dave @ The Write Reads and all of the crew for giving me a spot on this tour! Second, thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC of the book so that I could participate in this tour. It is, as always, appreciated!

Now, let’s get the post!



  • Title: Norah’s Ark
  • Author: Victoria Williamson
  • Publisher: Neem Tree Press
  • Publication date: August 29th, 2023
  • Length: 304 pages
  • Genre: Contemporary
  • Age group: Middle Grade

B&N::Amazon::Goodreads



Two very different lives. One shared hope for a brighter future. No time to waste. The flood is coming…

Eleven-year-old Norah Day lives in temporary accommodation, relies on foodbanks for dinner, and doesn’t have a mum. But she’s happy enough, as she has a dad, a pet mouse, a pet spider, and a whole zoo of rescued local wildlife to care for. Eleven-year-old Adam Sinclair lives with his parents in a nice house with a big garden, a private tutor, and everything he could ever want. But his life isn’t perfect – far from it. He’s recovering from leukemia and is questioning his dream of becoming a champion swimmer. When a nest of baby birds brings them together, Norah and Adam discover they’re not so different after all. Can Norah help Adam find his confidence again? Can Adam help Norah solve the mystery of her missing mother? And can their teamwork save their zoo of rescued animals from the rising flood? Offering powerful lessons in empathy, Norah’s Ark is a hopeful and uplifting middle-grade tale for our times about friendship and finding a sense of home in the face of adversity.

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Norah’s Ark by Victoria Williamson”