I’m not going to put all the books on my TBR because I’m going to leave some space for mood reading and new releases but here are a few of the book on my TBR this month.
1)Eva Evergreen, Semi Magical Witch
I’ve been meaning to finish this for months but somehow it always seems to get pushed to the bottom of the list. But for AAPI Pride Month I want to be sure I prioritize my reads by writers from those backgrounds.
Another book I’ve half-finished since last year, maybe the year before but that I want to finish for AAPI month. This one has been on my TBR for a long time so I’d like to get this one finished if nothing else
I recently won a copy of this from Ya’llWest so I’d like to read it. Plus it’s on my TBR for NetGalley so I’d love to improve my percentage as well. Also AAPI author Joan He.
Someone recently recommended this to me and I realized I haven’t read any dragon books in a while so I wanted to pick this one up. Written by AAPI author Andrea Tang
This is a book from the Autism readathon that I really wanted to finish because it not only showed different depictions of Autism it showed a preteen who spoke non-verbally who was given her own agency. That is very rare to see in books. Written by autistic author Sarah Kapit.
So which me luck on finishing this part as well as the rest of my TBR. You’ll get a review from me tomorrow but I’m not sure what time. Honestly, I’d love to get back to posting during the morning but my fatigue has made it so that evening work better now at the moment, anyway, you’ll see regular posting just not sure what time
Welcome everyone to my Patron. I’m still working everything out including the art but I’m excited to get started here. My name is Solara and I blog over at Plaid Reader Reviews. I’m also a tarot reader for around two years now. I will have my individual reading rates up soon but by joining Patron you’ll get readings at a discounted rate. If I’ll be putting up more information about myself and about the Patron soon just wanted to say a quick hello.
I’ve got three tiers I’m open to having more as patrons would like and at lower prices as if that’s easier for some of my followers. At the moment, my tiers are:
Bookish Helpers
Followers at this tier will get early access to my posts, a suggestion in an actual book jar I will have set up every month. Followers will also get access to polls to help me decide what to read. Finally, they will get a free two-card reading every week and a Patron newsletter.
Bookish Knight
Followers at this tier will more one on one time with me. They will get access to polls about what I post about next, weekly tarot readings twice a month, and weekly oracle readings twice a month. Along with a Patron-only Q and A. As well as access to all the benefits from the lower tier.
Bookish Royalty
These wonderful royal folx get access to all the benefits of the lower tiers as well as: a full tarot reading every week and a full oracle reading every week. They also get recognition on posts on my blog. Finally a private Youtube/Livestream of my book reviews, so much goofiness will be on show. Also the only time you’ll see me on camera ever. EVER.
The wonderful people at Algonquin Publicity allowed me to participate in their Book Tour for the Paperback edition of The Dark Lord Clementine. So this review will be a little different I’ll give a small summary, then share my thoughts.
The Dark Lord Clementine Summary
Twelve-year-old Clementine Morcerous never expected to fill her father’s shoes, even though she has been trained since birth to be a Dark Lord. But after her father falls ill from the mysterious Whittle Witch’s spell, Clementine finds herself in charge of her father’s evil empire.
Running Castle Brack and terrorizing the village looks surprisingly like running a farm. She realizes has her hands full after she has a little adventure outside the castle. When, Sebastian, the village boy who keeps following her won’t let up. She does what any evil villain would do, she makes him a Brack Knight. After all, it turns out her knight can help build a chicken fence and Clementine needs all the help she can get.
Clementine has her hands full: feeding the nightmares (evil horses), tending the fire-breathing chickens, picking the poison apples at the precise time they ripen, making sure the snake pit is cleaned out and the castle is defended. Oh and making sure the family grimoire Clementine accidentally turned into a chicken doesn’t run off. It is all a lot to handle.
Clementine realizes she’s going to need more than just the two people to help around the castle,luckily that’s just when more of the village boys show up wanting to be knights . The mysterious hunter Darka soon joins life at the castle and trains the boys in weapons to be knights.
Clementine is enjoying this life with Darka and her knights but she knows she’s walking a thin line; she still needs to find a cure for her father while keeping him unaware of the life she’s bulit
But when the price to pay for a cure goes against her beliefs, will she stand up for what her heart believes or for what she’s always been taught.
The Dark Lord Clementine Review
This book is hilarious and important at the same time. Clementine is a perfect example of how your past or your family doesn’t have to define who you are. The book has examples of facing your fears, finding what love is, and mending broken hearts. I definitely read it again this book is a total 5/5.
I can’t wait to read more books from Sarah Jean Horwitz.
Author
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Sarah Jean Horwitz is also the author of THE WINGSNATCHERS, the first book in the Carmer and Grit series. THE WINGSNATCHERS was a Kids Indie Next List pick and a Junior Library Guild Selection. The second book in the series, THE CROOKED CASTLE, was released in April 2018. Sarah’s most recent novel is the standalone middle grade fantasy THE DARK LORD CLEMENTINE, which was an Amazon.com September 2019 Best Book of the Month and received favorable reviews from the New York Times Book Review, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and more
Sarah’s other passions and interests include: ruining that movie or TV show you love with feminist critique, practicing hard (and yet still being awful) at handstands, curly and long hair care, improvisational movement, tattoos, and sheepishly guessing answers out loud while watching Jeopardy. She currently works as an administrative assistant and lives with her spouse near Cambridge, MA.
Living in the remote town of Tierra del Sol is dangerous, especially in the criatura months, when powerful spirits roam the desert and threaten humankind. But Cecelia Rios has always believed there was more to the criaturas, much to her family’s disapproval. After all, only brujas—humans who capture and control criaturas—consort with the spirits, and brujeria is a terrible crime.
When her older sister, Juana, is kidnapped by El Sombrerón, a powerful dark criatura, Cece is determined to bring Juana back. To get into Devil’s Alley, though, she’ll have to become a bruja herself—while hiding her quest from her parents, her town, and the other brujas. Thankfully, the legendary criatura Coyote has a soft spot for humans and agrees to help her on her journey.
With him at her side, Cece sets out to reunite her family—and maybe even change what it means to be a bruja along the way.
Many years ago, in the kingdom of Fenwood Reach, there was a powerful Windwitch who wove the seasons, keeping the land bountiful and the people happy. But then a dark magic drove her from the realm, and the world fell into chaos.
Brida is content in her small village of Oak Hollow. There, she’s plenty occupied trying to convince her fickle magic to actually do what it’s meant to in her work as a hedgewitch’s apprentice—until she accidentally catches the attention of the wicked queen.
On the run from the queen’s huntsman and her all-seeing Crow spies, Brida discovers the truth about her family, her magic, and who she is destined to be—and that she may hold the power to defeating the wicked queen and setting the kingdom right again.
Just please, remember what I told you. Run. Don’t stop running for anything.”
Tina never worries about being ‘ordinary’–she doesn’t have to, since she’s known practically forever that she’s not just Tina Mains, average teenager and beloved daughter. She’s also the keeper of an interplanetary rescue beacon, and one day soon, it’s going to activate, and then her dreams of saving all the worlds and adventuring among the stars will finally be possible. Tina’s legacy, after all, is intergalactic–she is the hidden clone of a famed alien hero, left on Earth disguised as a human to give the universe another chance to defeat a terrible evil.
But when the beacon activates, it turns out that Tina’s destiny isn’t quite what she expected. Things are far more dangerous than she ever assumed–and everyone in the galaxy is expecting her to actually be the brilliant tactician and legendary savior Captain Thaoh Argentian, but Tina….is just Tina. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have her own kind of magic and she can’t help the Royal Fleet who is badly losing the war, badly–the starship that found her is on the run and they barely manage to escape Earth with the planet still intact, They barely manage to escape Earth with the planet still intact.
But Tina needs to trust herself she’s surrounded by a crew she can trust and her best friend Rachel and she’s determined to save the worlds, even if that means she has to save herself first.
Forgive me if this post is a bit late, I got my first COVID shot yesterday then slept off any of the tiredness for the rest of the evening and this following morning but other than that I’ve had no symptoms and oh I can now go UPSTAIRS to my room more on that in my weekend update but to say I had a few things distracting me from the readathon yesterday. But don’t worry today I’ve got some commentary on what I read yesterday for you all.
Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules–like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space–her swimming pool–where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life–by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.
Commentary
Oh, Ellie is getting an attitude and I LOVE it especially against her mother. I love her friendship with Catalina too, the way Ellie gets to see another family’s attitude towards food opens her eyes to what could be possible. I can’t wait to see what her life looks like when she truly faces her mother and finds who she truly is and able to be like in real life.
Tamsin is the most powerful witch of her generation. But after committing the worst magical sin, she’s exiled by the ruling Coven and cursed with the inability to love. The only way she can get those feelings back—even for just a little while—is to steal love from others.
Wren is a source—a rare kind of person who is made of magic, despite being unable to use it herself. Sources are required to train with the Coven as soon as they discover their abilities, but Wren—the only caretaker to her ailing father—has spent her life hiding her secret.
When a magical plague ravages the queendom, Wren’s father falls victim. To save him, Wren proposes a bargain: if Tamsin will help her catch the dark witch responsible for creating the plague, then Wren will give Tamsin her love for her father.
Of course, love bargains are a tricky thing, and these two have a long, perilous journey ahead of them—that is if they don’t kill each other first..
Commentary
Oh no no, I see where this is going and it’s not going to end with Tamsin and Wren in a cottage in the woods happy together, is it? I loved the twist with Vera and I also loved the other big twist. So much emotion coming at Tamsin I mean for a woman who can’t feel you got a hell of a lot of emotional conflicts ahead of her. I also loved Wren’s conversations with Leya, and what she admits to her herself, I think it’s going to become super important as the novel progresses. Oh, man can’t wait to see where this goes and hope it doesn’t break my dang heart.
Melody McIntyre, stage manager extraordinaire, has a plan for everything.
What she doesn’t have? Success with love. Every time she falls for someone during a school performance, both the romance and the show end in catastrophe. So, Mel swears off any entanglements until their upcoming production of Les Mis is over.
Of course, Mel didn’t count on Odile Rose, rising star in the acting world, auditioning for the spring performance. And she definitely didn’t expect Odile to be sweet and funny, and care as much about the play’s success as Mel.
Which means that Melody McIntyre’s only plan now is trying desperately not to fall in love.
Commentary
Oh lord, I can already tell Melody has drama issues and I’m just in the beginning of the book. I’m interested to see what taking a break from love does for our heroine, and what happens when the new love interest shows up.
So we’ve established I don’t care for romance I mean ocassionally I’ll read it, but you’ll see why it isn’t covered in the catagories below. I just couldn’t find a book that fit, maybe one does and I don’t know it yet, or maybe you all will know one and help me out so below is what I’m planning to read for the Autistic Pride Month TBR.
The Place Inside the Storm-Indie or Self Published and SciFi
It’s 2038. Tara Rivers is fourteen years old, socially awkward, and a bit rebellious. Her family has recently moved to Los Angeles from the Pacific Northwest ‘rogue’ clusters. Tara feels alone and confused. She doesn’t have any friends here, except her cat, Xel, a sophisticated robot with artificial intelligence. She knows she should try to make friends but the social rules other kids seem to understand without thinking don’t come to her as easily. Without warning, the corporation where Tara’s parents work makes an offer they can’t refuse. They tell Tara’s parents she is autistic. They want to put an implant in Tara’s brain to ‘cure’ her autism so she can fit in with the corporate culture. If her parents refuse, their jobs will be in jeopardy. Tara overhears her parents speaking with the doctors and decides to run away with Xel. She plans to head back to the Pacific Northwest and her grandmother, but first she must escape Los Angeles and the corporation–with all their high-tech locating devices–dodge street gangs and wild dogs, and traverse an unknown wilderness full of unimaginable dangers. Will she ever find a place where she is accepted for who and what she is, or is she doomed to be an outcast from society forever?
The Many Mysteries of the Finkle Family Contemporary and OwnVoices
When twelve-year-old Lara Finkel starts her very own detective agency, FIASCCO (Finkel Investigation Agency Solving Consequential Crimes Only), she does not want her sister, Caroline, involved. She and Caroline don’t have to do everything together. But Caroline won’t give up, and when she brings Lara the firm’s first mystery, Lara relents, and the questions start piling up.
But Lara and Caroline’s truce doesn’t last for long. Caroline normally uses her tablet to talk, but now she’s busily texting a new friend. Lara can’t figure out what the two of them are up to, but it can’t be good. And Caroline doesn’t like Lara’s snooping—she’s supposed to be solving other people’s crimes, not spying on Caroline! As FIASCCO and the Finkel family mysteries spin out of control, can Caroline and Lara find a way to be friends again?
Lupe Wong is going to be the first female pitcher in the Major Leagues.
She’s also championed causes her whole young life. Some worthy…like expanding the options for race on school tests beyond just a few bubbles. And some not so much…like complaining to the BBC about the length between Doctor Who seasons.
Lupe needs an A in all her classes in order to meet her favorite pitcher, Fu Li Hernandez, who’s Chinacan/Mexinese just like her. So when the horror that is square dancing rears its head in gym? Obviously, she’s not gonna let that slide.
Unbroken by Marieke Nijkamp (I kinda switched out a short story for an anthology) Short Story and Queer Rep (Editor is Queer?)
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This anthology explores disability in fictional tales told from the viewpoint of disabled characters, written by disabled creators. With stories in various genres about first loves, friendship, war, travel, and more, Unbroken will offer today’s teen readers a glimpse into the lives of disabled people in the past, present, and future.
The contributing authors are award-winners, bestsellers, and newcomers including Kody Keplinger, Kristine Wyllys, Francisco X. Stork, William Alexander, Corinne Duyvis, Marieke Nijkamp, Dhonielle Clayton, Heidi Heilig, Katherine Locke, Karuna Riazi, Kayla Whaley, Keah Brown, and Fox Benwell. Each author identifies as disabled along a physical, mental, or neurodiverse axis—and their characters reflect this diversity
Charlie likes to stand out. She’s a vlogger and actress promoting her first movie at SupaCon, and this is her chance to show fans she’s over her public breakup with co-star Reese Ryan. When internet-famous cool-girl actress Alyssa Huntington arrives as a surprise guest, it seems Charlie’s long-time crush on her isn’t as one-sided as she thought.
Taylor likes to blend in. Her brain is wired differently, making her fear change. And there’s one thing in her life she knows will never change her friendship with her best guy friend Jamie—no matter how much she may secretly want it to. But when she hears about a fan contest for her favorite fandom, she starts to rethink her rules on playing it safe.
The Falconer By An Autistic Author but with no autistic rep/fantasy
Edinburgh, 1844. Beautiful Aileana Kameron only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. In fact, she’s spent the year since her mother died developing her ability to sense the presence of Sithichean, a faery race bent on slaughtering humans. She has a secret mission: to destroy the faery who murdered her mother. But when she learns she’s a Falconer, the last in a line of female warriors and the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity, her quest for revenge gets a whole lot more complicated. The first volume of a trilogy from an exciting new voice in young adult fantasy, this electrifying thriller blends romance and action with steampunk technology and Scottish lore in a deliciously addictive read.
I know I had mentioned trying the disability readathon but honestly with all my physical therapy and the two other readathons I’m working on needed something a bit more relaxed. Plus I see autism as one of my primary identities so I think it’s important that I focus on it rather than general disability. I’ll put up my TBR ASAP and I can’t wait to see what you guys think.
So I’m pretty sure there is no way I can finish four books in a long weekend. But I’m going to try anyway. I’m trying to meet the four Easter Readathon prompts so here is my attempt.
Easter Prompt Number 1: Spring-y Books:Starfish
Ellie wore a whale bathing suit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party. Since then she’s been bullied about her weight, to get by she’s come up with the Fat Girl Rules which include “no making waves”, “avoid eating in public” and don’t move so fast that your body jiggles. Ellie has found her safe space, her swimming pool, a place where she feels weightless in a fat obessed world.
In the pool she can strech out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants, she can also get away from her pushy mom who thinks crititizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet.
Thankfully Ellie’s Dad, therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina understand her and love her for who she is. With this support, Ellie might be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and be a Starfish in real life, by being her own fabulous self.
I picked this book for the readathon because swimming reminds me of spring and summer and I love seeing a fat-positive middle-grade book.
Lisa Fipps is an award-winning former journalist, current director of marketing for a public library, and an author of middle-grade books. Starfish is her debut novel.
Easter Prompt 2: A book about new beginning: Sweet and Bitter Magic
Tamsin is the most powerful witch of her generatation. But after she commits the worst magical sin, she’s exiled by the ruling Coven and cursed with the inability to love. She can feel love though, but only if she takes it from others.
Wren is a source, she’s a rare person who is made of magic. But she can’t access it herself. Sources are required to train in secret with the Coven as soon as they discover their abilities but Wren is her ailing father’s only caretaker, so she’s spent her life hiding her secret so she can care for her father.
The two cross paths when a magical plague begins to ravage the queendom. Wren’s father falls victim, so to save him Wren proposes a bargin. if Tamsin will catch the dark witch responsible for creating, the Wren will give Tamsin her love for her father.
But love bargins are tricky and the two have a long journey ahead, that is if they don’t kill each other first.
Author
Adrienne Tooley grew up in Southern California, majored in musical theater in Pittsburgh, and now lives in Brooklyn with her wife, six guitars, and a banjo. In addition to writing novels, she is a singer/songwriter who has currently released three indie-folk EPs. Her debut novel, SWEET & BITTER MAGIC, is out now. Her second novel, SOFI AND THE BONE SONG, will release in 2022.
Easter Prompt 3: A Book Less than 250 Pages: Lumberjanes Volume 16
It took me awhile to find something this short for the readathon, what I was planning to use was 6 pages too long. So I went with the next volume of my favorite comic.
We find the ‘Janes again in this as Mal tries to prove her bravery…but ends up stranded in the Land of Lost Things!
DINOSAURS, DANGER & DIMENSION-HOPPING AND …OH MY!
Mal wants to try being braver, but when she recruits Ripley to help her face her fears, the project goes a little out of hand. As most things with Ripley do, and Mal ends up in a place she should really be afraid of, The Land of Lost Things. Stranded on her own in a pocket universe where dinosaur still roam the earth and time is a little wonky will Mal be able to find her way back to camp? On the other side of the portal Molly, April, Jo, and Ripley are worried about finding and saving Mal, but in their attempt they may get lost as well.
Authors
Writers Shannon Watters and Kat Leyh (Super Cakes) and artist AnneMarie Rogers present the newest collection of stories from the New York Times bestseller and multiple Eisner Award and GLAAD Award-winning series where you’re never lost as long as you hold onto the ones you love most!
Collects Lumberjanes #61-64
Easter Prompt 4; Pastel Cover: The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre
I’d been wanting to include this in my readathon list. I love the colors and I just thought this sounded liked a fun concept.
Melody McIntyre, is a stage manager with a plan for everything.
What she doesn’t have is luck in love, everytime she falls for someone during a school drama performance the relationship and the show both go south. So Mel has sworn of any relationships until their production of Les Mis is over.
Of course the best laid plans, Mel didn’t count on Odile Rose, a rising star in the acting world autitoning for the spring performance. Or for Odile to be sweet and funny or care as much about the play success as Mel does.
Which means that Melody McIntyre’s only plan now is trying desperately not to fall in love
Author
Robin Talley (she/her) is a queer author who grew up in southwest Virginia and now lives in Washington, D.C., with her wife and their rambunctious kiddos. She did digital communications work for LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, educational equity, and other progressive causes for fifteen years before she turned to writing full-time, and is now the New York Times-bestselling author of seven novels for teen readers, including The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre, Music From Another World, Pulp, and As I Descended.
So because apparently I can’t get enough of readathons I’m working on another one for the first part of April, during when Easter would be. The readathon is lead by Kate at Reading Through Infinity, so go check out her blog for all the details she makes it clear it’s more of a spring-y readathon if you don’t happen to celebrate.
Details
This year’s readathon will run from 12.01am on Friday 2nd April to 11.59pm on Monday 5th April in your time zone. I’ve never done a short readathon before so I don’t know what to expect but it’s always something I’ve wanted to try so I’m excited to work on it. I plan to put up my TBR for it soon so keep an eye out for that.
Prompts
While the creator makes it very clear you don’t have to stick to the prompts I’m going to try and at least hit a few of them.
There is also a cool giveaway involved so go check out this cool readathon and join in!
![The Dragon Egg Princess by [Ellen Oh]](https://i1.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41NBK6YltoL._SY346_.jpg?resize=390%2C589&ssl=1)
![The Ones We're Meant to Find by [Joan He]](https://i2.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51jvO6IgFdL.jpg?resize=407%2C629&ssl=1)
![Rebelwing by [Andrea Tang]](https://i1.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5168DkdcJML.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by [Sarah Kapit]](https://i2.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51apwv6QBcL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by [Kaela Rivera]](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41bSpPXEETL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![The Last Windwitch by [Jennifer Adam]](https://i1.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/518vGgQfVkL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![Victories Greater Than Death (Unstoppable Book 1) by [Charlie Jane Anders]](https://i2.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51qsybmfJwL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![Starfish by [Lisa Fipps]](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51BMt4aGhML.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![Sweet & Bitter Magic by [Adrienne Tooley]](https://i1.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41kHpQA2BVL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by [Robin Talley]](https://i2.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5165S9pX8eL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![The Place Inside the Storm by [Bradley W. Wright]](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41PmqEND41L.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![Lupe Wong Won't Dance by [Donna Barba Higuera]](https://i1.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51g-gwb8AXL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens by [Marieke Nijkamp]](https://i2.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51+7cPoPsnL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![Queens of Geek by [Jen Wilde]](https://i2.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61LtOSMVnoL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
![The Falconer: Book One of the Falconer Trilogy by [Elizabeth May]](https://i2.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ZnaqCMZzL.jpg?w=840&ssl=1)
