Posted on by tacklingtbr

December 5 – December 11

New Releases and Publications

Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.

These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to share these new releases!

In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!

If This Gets Out

Author: Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

Publication date: December 7, 2021

Genre: LGBTQIA+, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

Eighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartbreakers in front of the cameras and best friends backstage. But privately, cracks are starting to form: their once-easy rapport is straining under the pressures of fame, and Ruben confides in Zach that he’s feeling smothered by management’s pressure to stay in the closet.

On a whirlwind tour through Europe, with both an unrelenting schedule and minimal supervision, Ruben and Zach come to rely on each other more and more, and their already close friendship evolves into a romance. But when they decide they’re ready to tell their fans and live freely, Zach and Ruben start to truly realize that they will never have the support of their management. How can they hold tight to each other when the whole world seems to want to come between them?

“If This Gets Out is an absolute showstopper! Equal parts edgy and adorable, this bright, joyful book has everything I look for in a queer YA romance.” —Phil Stamper, bestselling author of The Gravity of Us

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

The Ballerinas

Author: Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Publication date: December 7, 2021

Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the gifted advanced electronic copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

Dare Me meets Black Swan and Luckiest Girl Alive in a captivating, voice-driven debut novel about a trio of ballerinas who meet as students at the Paris Opera Ballet School.

Fourteen years ago, Delphine abandoned her prestigious soloist spot at the Paris Opera Ballet for a new life in St. Petersburg––taking with her a secret that could upend the lives of her best friends, fellow dancers Lindsay and Margaux. Now 36 years old, Delphine has returned to her former home and to the legendary Palais Garnier Opera House, to choreograph the ballet that will kickstart the next phase of her career––and, she hopes, finally make things right with her former friends. But Delphine quickly discovers that things have changed while she’s been away…and some secrets can’t stay buried forever.

Moving between the trio’s adolescent years and the present day, The Ballerinas explores the complexities of female friendship, the dark drive towards physical perfection in the name of artistic expression, the double-edged sword of ambition and passion, and the sublimated rage that so many women hold inside––all culminating in a twist you won’t see coming, with magnetic characters you won’t soon forget.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

I am Arcana

Author: Kristy Nicolle

Publication Date: December 7. 2021

Genre: Poetry

Thanks so much to the author for the gifted advanced copy of this collection.

Description from Goodreads:

THE CARDS KNOW ALL…

From the Author of Award-Winning fantasy romance “simply dripping with poetic justice” comes a debut poetry collection inspired by the enthralling world of tarot.

Divided into the 22 Major Arcana cards of the traditional tarot deck, Kristy Nicolle presents a brand new poetry collection with fresh insight into the multiple interpretations of each legendary icon.

From The High Priestess to The Fool, jump into a lyrical, poetic world of painful truth and natural beauty. A searing indictment of the world we know today, discover how the very mysticism which runs deep through our collective history is relevant now more than ever.

Simple, evocative, and thought-provoking, the world of tarot has never seemed so tangible.

Perfect for poetry fans of Nikita Gill, Julie Anne Addicott, Atticus, and  Kate Baer.

20% Review:

Since this is such a short poetry collection, I was able to read it in one sitting and didn’t write a 20% review. But check out my full thoughts at the link below!

Check out my full review here!
Posted on by tacklingtbr

November 7 – November 13

New Releases and Publications

Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.

These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to share these new releases!

In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!

Murder Most Actual

Author: Alexis Hall

Publication Day: November 9, 2021

Genre: Mystery, LGBT, Contemporary Romance, Cozy Mystery

Thanks so much to the author, Valentine PR, and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

From the author of Boyfriend Material and Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake comes a cozy mystery that revisits the Golden Age of detective fiction, starring a heroine who’s more podcaster than private eye and topped with a lethal dose of parody — perfect for fans of Clue, Knives Out, and Only Murders in the Building!

When up-and-coming true crime podcaster Liza and her corporate financier wife Hanna head to a luxurious hotel in the Scottish Highlands, they’re hoping for a chance to rekindle their marriage – not to find themselves trapped in the middle of an Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery with no way home. But who better to take on the case than someone whose entire profession relies on an obsession with all things mysterious and macabre? Though some of her fellow guests may consider her an interfering new media hack, Liza knows a thing or two about crime and – despite Hanna’s preference for waiting out the chaos behind a locked door – might be the only one capable of discovering the killer. As the bodies rack up and the stakes rise, can they save their marriage — and their lives?

20% Review:

20% in to the book, and we’ve had our first murder! So far we’ve met the cast of characters, which has been a lot of fun. I was trying to tie some fun Clue references out of it in the beginning (Mrs. White, a Colonel wearing yellow, a professor wearing purple, another young man wearing green, an eccentric older woman with lots of money? I mean, come on! I can’t be making this up!), but hey maybe that’s just me.

Check out my full blog tour and review here!

Heard it in a Love Song

Author: Tracey Garvis Graves

Publication Date: November 9, 2021

Genre: Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Adult

Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

Layla Hilding is thirty-five and recently divorced. Struggling to break free from the past—her glory days as the lead singer in a band and a ten-year marriage to a man who never put her first—Layla’s newly found independence feels a lot like loneliness.

Then there’s Josh, the single dad whose daughter attends the elementary school where Layla teaches music. Recently separated, he’s still processing the end of his twenty-year marriage to his high school sweetheart. He chats with Layla every morning at school and finds himself thinking about her more and more.

Equally cautious and confused about dating in a world that favors apps over meeting organically, Layla and Josh decide to be friends with the potential for something more. Sounds sensible and way too simple—but when two people are on the rebound, is it heartbreak or happiness that’s a love song away?

From the bestselling author of The Girl He Used to Know comes a love song of a story about starting over and second chances.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

Five Tuesdays in Winter

Author: Lily King

Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski, various narrators, Mark Bramhall, Christa Lewis, Cassandra Campbell & Bronson Pinchot

Audio Publication Day: November 9, 2021

Genre: Short Stories, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Adult

Thanks so much to Blackstone Publishing and Libro.fm for the gifted advanced audio copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

By the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers, Lily King’s first-ever collection of exceptional and innovative short stories

Told in the intimate voices of unique and endearing characters of all ages, these tales explore desire and heartache, loss and discovery, moments of jolting violence and the inexorable tug toward love at all costs. A bookseller’s unspoken love for his employee rises to the surface, a neglected teenage boy finds much-needed nurturing from an unlikely pair of college students hired to housesit, a girl’s loss of innocence at the hands of her employer’s son becomes a catalyst for strength and confidence, and a proud nonagenarian rages helplessly in his granddaughter’s hospital room. Romantic, hopeful, brutally raw, and unsparingly honest, some even slipping into the surreal, these stories are, above all, about King’s enduring subject of love.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished reading this book!)

Posted on by tacklingtbr · 1 Comment

Murder Most Actual by Alexis Hall

Review and Blog Tour courtesy of Valentine PR

Thanks so much to the author, Valentine PR, and Netgalley for the complimentary advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and participation in this blog tour. { partner } All opinions are entirely my own. All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Genre: Mystery, LGBT, Contemporary, Romance, Cozy Mystery

Book Description from Goodreads:

From the author of Boyfriend Material and Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake comes a cozy mystery that revisits the Golden Age of detective fiction, starring a heroine who’s more podcaster than private eye and topped with a lethal dose of parody — perfect for fans of Clue, Knives Out, and Only Murders in the Building!

When up-and-coming true crime podcaster Liza and her corporate financier wife Hanna head to a luxurious hotel in the Scottish Highlands, they’re hoping for a chance to rekindle their marriage – not to find themselves trapped in the middle of an Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery with no way home. But who better to take on the case than someone whose entire profession relies on an obsession with all things mysterious and macabre? Though some of her fellow guests may consider her an interfering new media hack, Liza knows a thing or two about crime and – despite Hanna’s preference for waiting out the chaos behind a locked door – might be the only one capable of discovering the killer. As the bodies rack up and the stakes rise, can they save their marriage — and their lives?

Review (5 Stars) :

Thanks so much to the author, Kobo Books, Netgalley, and Valentine PR for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and participation in the blog tour. All opinions are entirely my own. All of my reviews nd blog tours can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and my blog tacklingtbr.home.blog.

TW: death/murder, description of violence, description of crime scenes

This book was seriously so much fun! I didn’t want to put it down while I was reading, and I was very mad any time I actually had to. Darn work and life getting in the way of my reading!

If you like Clue then you’ll enjoy this book. The big mansion where people keep mysteriously passing away, the kooky and colorful cast of characters, the sense of humor of a serious story that isn’t taking itself too seriously (although we can mostly thank Ruby for that mindset), it really had it all for me. And wrap it all up with an adorable queer couple bow? Yes please.

I will say that I guessed some bits of the ending before we got to it, but there were still some fun surprises for me along the way, so I wasn’t too mad about the few things I saw coming. And I think using Liza’s podcast as the reasoning for the detective work brought a fun, modern twist. Plus, sassy podcaster solving a crime with her adorable wife playing Watson? It was just so much fun.

I would absolutely recommend this book to my friends and family – in fact, my mom has already tried to steal my kindle so that she can read it next! I think that the perfect setting for reading this book would be inside in bed or on the couch under a couple of blankets with snow falling outside. And in honor of Murder Most Actual, the podcast within the book, a glass of wine is a necessity!

Connect with the Author:

Alexis Hall is an English author of urban fantasy, science fiction, and m/m romance. His novels include Murder Most Actual, Boyfriend Material, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, For Real, Glitterland, Iron & Velvet, Looking for Group, and Pansies.

His work has been nominated for to the 26th Lambda Literary Awards, 28th Lambda Literary Awards, and 29th Lambda Literary Awards in the category of Gay Romance.

Website: https://quicunquevult.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/alexishall

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicunquevult

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicunquevult/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicunquevult

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alexis-hall

More by Alexis Hall:

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

Boyfriend Material (check out my review here!)

Husband Material (Publication date: August 2, 2022)

the Arden St Ives series

the Spires series

Something Fabulous (Publication date: January 25, 2022)

A Lady for a Duke (Publication date: May 24, 2022)

the Kate Kane Paranormal Investigator series

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter

Download your copy from Kobo here!

Check out more of my recent blog tours here:

The Book of Hope by Dr. Jane Goodall

Anarchy in High Heels by Denise Larson

A Fate of Wrath and Flame by K A Tucker

Posted on by tacklingtbr

October 3 – October 9

New Releases and Publications

Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.

These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to start sharing these new releases!

In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!

Heartbreak for Hire

Author: Sonia Hartl

Publication Day: October 4, 2021

Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

Thanks so much to the author, Gallery Books, and Netgalley for the complimentary advanced electronic copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

Brinkley Saunders has a secret.

To everyone in the academic world she left behind, she lost it all when she dropped out of grad school. Once a rising star following in her mother’s footsteps, she’s now an administrative assistant at an insurance agency—or so they think.

In reality, Brinkley works at Heartbreak for Hire, a secret service that specializes in revenge for jilted lovers, frenemies, and long-suffering coworkers with a little cash to spare and a man who needs to be taken down a notch. It might not be as prestigious as academia, but it helps Brinkley save for her dream of opening an art gallery and lets her exorcise a few demons, all while helping to empower women.

But when her boss announces she’s hiring male heartbreakers for the first time, Brinkley’s no longer so sure she’s doing the right thing—especially when her new coworker turns out to be a target she was paid to take down. Though Mark spends his days struggling up the academic ladder, he seems to be the opposite of a backstabbing adjunct: a nerd at heart in criminally sexy sweater vests who’s attentive both in and out of the bedroom. But as Brinkley finds it increasingly more difficult to focus on anything but Mark, she soon realizes that like herself, people aren’t always who they appear to be. 

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Check out my review here:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things

Author: Amanda Lovelace

Publication Day: October 5. 2021

Genre: Poetry, Nonfiction, Adult

Thanks so much to the author, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and Netgalley for the complimentary advanced electronic copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

in her new standalone poetry collection, flower crowns & fearsome things, bestselling & award-winning poetess amanda lovelace explores the complexity of femininity through alternating wildflower & wildfire poems.

within these pages, you will find that each of us has the ability to be both soft & fierce at the same time. there is no need to choose one or the other.

20% Review:

Since this is such a short collection of poetry, it is very easy to read in one sitting, so I don’t have a 20% review for this one – but feel free to check out my full review at the link below!

Check out my review here!

Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes from a Trap Feminist

Author: Sesali Bowen

Narrated by: Sesali Bowen

Audio Publication Day: October 5, 2021

Genre: Nonfiction, Autobiography, Memoir, Feminism, Gender

Thanks so much to HarperAudio and Libro.fm for the complimentary advanced audio copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

From funny and fearless entertainment journalist Sesali Bowen, Bad Fat Black Girl combines rule-breaking feminist theory, witty and insightful personal memoir, and cutting cultural analysis for an unforgettable, genre-defining debut.

Growing up on the south side of Chicago, Sesali Bowen learned early on how to hustle, stay on her toes, and champion other Black women and femmes as she navigated Blackness, queerness, fatness, friendship, poverty, sex work, and self-love. 

Her love of trap music led her to the top of hip-hop journalism, profiling game-changing artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, and Janelle Monae. But despite all the beauty, complexity, and general badassery she saw, Bowen found none of that nuance represented in mainstream feminism. Thus, she coined Trap Feminism, a contemporary framework that interrogates where feminism and hip-hop intersect.

Notes from a Trap Feminist offers a new, inclusive feminism for the modern world. Weaving together searing personal essay and cultural commentary, Bowen interrogates sexism, fatphobia, and capitalism all within the context of race and hip-hop. In the process, she continues a Black feminist legacy of unmatched sheer determination and creative resilience.

Bad bitches: this one’s for you.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Check out my review here:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

A Carnival of Snackery

Author: David Sedaris

Narrated by: David Sedaris & Tracey Ullman

Audio Publication day: October 5, 2021

Genre: Autobiography, Memoir, Nonfiction, Humor

Thanks so much to Hachette Audio and Libro.fm for the complimentary advanced audio copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

There’s no right way to keep a diary, but if there’s an entertaining way, David Sedaris seems to have mas­tered it.
 
If it’s navel-gazing you’re after, you’ve come to the wrong place; ditto treacly self-examination. Rather, his observations turn outward: a fight between two men on a bus, a fight between two men on the street, pedestrians being whacked over the head or gathering to watch as a man considers leap­ing to his death. There’s a dirty joke shared at a book signing, then a dirtier one told at a dinner party—lots of jokes here. Plenty of laughs.
 
These diaries remind you that you once really hated George W. Bush, and that not too long ago, Donald Trump was just a harm­less laughingstock, at least on French TV. Time marches on, and Sedaris, at his desk or on planes, in hotel dining rooms and odd Japanese inns, records it. The entries here reflect an ever-changing background—new administrations, new restrictions on speech and conduct. What you can say at the start of the book, you can’t by the end. At its best, A Carnival of Snackery is a sort of sampler: the bitter and the sweet. Some entries are just what you wanted. Others you might want to spit discreetly into a napkin.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Check out my review here:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

My Monticello

Author: Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

Narrated by: Aja Naomi King, January LaVoy, Landon Woodson, LeVar Burton, Ngozi Anyanwu & Tomiwa Edun

Audio Publication Day: October 5, 2021

Genre: Short Stories, Fiction, Historical Fiction

Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio and Libro.fm for the complimentary advanced audio copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

A young woman descended from Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings driven from her neighborhood by a white militia. A university professor studying racism by conducting a secret social experiment on his own son. A single mother desperate to buy her first home even as the world hurtles toward catastrophe. Each fighting to survive in America.

Tough-minded, vulnerable, and brave, Jocelyn Nicole Johnson’s precisely imagined debut explores burdened inheritances and extraordinary pursuits of belonging. Set in the near future, the eponymous novella, “My Monticello,” tells of a diverse group of Charlottesville neighbors fleeing violent white supremacists. Led by Da’Naisha, a young Black descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, they seek refuge in Jefferson’s historic plantation home in a desperate attempt to outlive the long-foretold racial and environmental unravelling within the nation.

In “Control Negro,” hailed by Roxane Gay as “one hell of story,” a university professor devotes himself to the study of racism and the development of ACMs (average American Caucasian males) by clinically observing his own son from birth in order to “painstakingly mark the route of this Black child too, one whom I could prove was so strikingly decent and true that America could not find fault in him unless we as a nation had projected it there.” Johnson’s characters all seek out home as a place and an internal state, whether in the form of a Nigerian widower who immigrates to a meager existence in the city of Alexandria, finding himself adrift; a young mixed-race woman who adopts a new tongue and name to escape the landscapes of rural Virginia and her family; or a single mother who seeks salvation through “Buying a House Ahead of the Apocalypse.”

United by these characters’ relentless struggles against reality and fate, My Monticello is a formidable book that bears witness to this country’s legacies and announces the arrival of a wildly original new voice in American fiction.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Check out my review here:

(This will be added at a later time, once I have finished this book!)

Posted on by tacklingtbr · 2 Comments

Flower Crowns and Fearsome Things by Amanda Lovelace

Andrews McMeel – Review: 4 Stars

Thanks so much to the author, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and Netgalley for the complimentary advanced copy of this e-book. All opinions are entirely my own. { #giftedbook } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Publication Day: October 5, 2021

TW (from the book): “This book contains sensitive material relating to: intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, cheating, child abuse, trauma, death, violence, misogyny, body image, eating disorders, alcohol, fire, & possibly more. Remember to practice self-care before, during & after reading.”

I, like so many others, fell in love with Amanda Lovelace reading her Woman Are Some Kind of Magic trilogy a few years ago. I’ve read all but two of her collections since then, and to this day I’ve yet to be disappointed in any of them. They are quick (although not light) reading, and I always love setting aside an afternoon to make myself a cup of tea, read one of her collections, and reflect on it.

I understand that her writing style might not be for everyone, as most of the poems are no more than a sentence or two, but I’ve always found it to be a really nice breather in between reading longer, more verbose novels.

This particular collection was taking a look at femininity and feminism through the story of Persephone, and using wildflowers and wild fires to show the soft, delicate sides versus the hard, fierce sides. This might just be the teen-girl-obsessed-with-mythology in me, but I loved that aspect of this collection.

I will say that there are two small things keeping this from a 5 star collection for me. Part of me missed the small bit of narrative flow that so many other of Amanda’s collections seem to weave through the various poems. There was a little bit of it with the story of Persephone, but I wish that it had leaned just a tiny bit more into that, since it always feels like it just ties the collections together with a perfect bow. And one of the best parts of her collections is always the illustrations, as silly as that sounds. They are always soft and dreamlike and lovely, and they enhance the poetry so much. The illustrations in this collection were really lovely, but I wish that there was just a little bit more variety in them, rather than having the same two alternating. I’m sure Amanda had a reason for choosing that style this time around, but I’m just not sure what it is.

Overall I would absolutely recommend this collection to any of my friends, so long as it was healthy reading for them. The trigger warnings at the beginning of these collections are really no joke, and if those triggers will not be healthy for you to read, then these books aren’t for you. But if you can do it safely, then curl up with a blanket and a pot of tea, and make this a part of your quiet, self-care day. (Note: Sounds of heavy rainfall definitely encouraged, but not required. I guess not everyone can live in the PNW.)

More Collections by Amanda Lovelace:

the Women Are Some Kind of Magic trilogy

The Princess Saves Herself in This One

The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One

The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One

the Things that H(a)unt duology

To Make Monsters out of Girls

To Drink Coffee with a Ghost

the You Are Your Own Fairy Tale trilogy

Break Your Glass Slippers (check out my review here!)

Shine Your Icy Crown (check out my review here!)

Posted on by tacklingtbr

September 26 – October 2

New Releases and Publications

Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.

These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to be sharing these new releases!

In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!

No One Goes Alone

Author: Erik Larson

Audio Publication day: September 28, 2021

Genre: Horror, audiobook, fiction, mystery

Thanks so much to Random House Audio and Libro.fm for the complimentary advanced audio copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

From New York Times bestselling author Erik Larson comes his first venture into fiction, an otherworldly tale of intrigue and the impossible that marshals his trademark approach to nonfiction to create something new: a ghost story thoroughly grounded in history.

Pioneering psychologist William James leads an expedition to a remote isle in search of answers after a family inexplicably vanishes. Was the cause rooted in the physical world . . . or were there forces more paranormal and sinister at work? Available only on audio, because as Larson says, ghost stories are best told aloud.

A group of researchers sets sail for the Isle of Dorn in the North Atlantic in 1905 to explore the cause of several mysterious disappearances, most notably a family of four who vanished without a trace after a week-long holiday on the island. Led by Professor James, a prominent member of the Society for Psychical Research, they begin to explore the island’s sole cottage and surrounding landscape in search of a logical explanation.

The idyllic setting belies an undercurrent of danger and treachery, with raging storms and unnerving discoveries adding to the sense of menace. As increasingly unexplainable events unfold, the now-stranded investigators are unsure whether they can trust their own eyes, their instincts, one another—or even themselves.

Erik Larson has written a terrifying tale of suspense, underpinned with actual people and events. Created specifically to entertain audio listeners, this eerie blend of the ghostly and the real will keep listeners captivated till the blood-chilling end.

Featuring Erik Larson reading his Notes for a Narrator.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have started reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

Cloud Cuckoo Land

Author: Athony Doerr

Audio Publication Day: September 28, 2021

Genre: Fiction, historical fiction, sci-fi, fantasy

Thanks so much to Simon Audio and Libro.fm for the complimentary advanced audio copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

Thirteen-year-old Anna, an orphan, lives inside the formidable walls of Constantinople in a house of women who make their living embroidering the robes of priests. Restless, insatiably curious, Anna learns to read, and in this ancient city, famous for its libraries, she finds a book, the story of Aethon, who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky. This she reads to her ailing sister as the walls of the only place she has known are bombarded in the great siege of Constantinople. Outside the walls is Omeir, a village boy, miles from home, conscripted with his beloved oxen into the invading army. His path and Anna’s will cross.

Five hundred years later, in a library in Idaho, octogenarian Zeno, who learned Greek as a prisoner of war, rehearses five children in a play adaptation of Aethon’s story, preserved against all odds through centuries. Tucked among the library shelves is a bomb, planted by a troubled, idealistic teenager, Seymour. This is another siege. And in a not-so-distant future, on the interstellar ship Argos, Konstance is alone in a vault, copying on scraps of sacking the story of Aethon, told to her by her father. She has never set foot on our planet.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have started reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

Posted on by tacklingtbr

September 19 – September 25

New releases and Publications

Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.

These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to start sharing these new releases!

In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!

When Sparks Fly

Author: Helena Hunting

Publication Day: September 21, 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the complimentary advanced electronic copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

Running the Spark House, a hotel/event space that has been in her family for years, has been Avery Spark’s lifelong dream. After years of working hard and making personal sacrifices, Avery and her two younger sisters have turned the Spark House into the premier destination in Colorado Springs. Avery is living her best life—she works with her sisters and loves every minute of it, she has a great group of friends, and she lives in a fantastic condo with her best friend Declan. She might not have any love in her life, but she’s happy.

But everything comes to a screeching halt when Avery is in a car accident, leaving her immobile for weeks. After nearly losing Avery, Declan insists that he will be the one to take care of her while she recovers. However, as Declan becomes Avery’s caretaker, lines begin to blur.

Avery and Declan have been best friends since college and always had an attraction to one another, but when she ended up dating his best friend, Sam, they successfully stamped down any feelings they may have ever had for one another. Now, as Declan and Avery spend more time together, they each begin to wonder what would’ve happened if she’d dated him instead of Sam. What starts as a friend helping out another friend turns into foreplay and, before they realize it, they recognize how deeply they care for one another. But when things get serious their past threatens to destroy everything they have built.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished reading this book!)

Posted on by tacklingtbr

September 12 – September 18

New Releases and Publications

Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.

These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to start sharing these new releases!

In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!

Black Nerd Problems

Author: William Evans and Omar Holmon

Audio Publication Day: September 14, 2021

Genre: Nonfiction, Essays, Humor

Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for the complimentary advanced audio copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

*A Book Riot Most Anticipated Nonfiction Book of 2021*

The creators of the popular website Black Nerd Problems bring their witty and unflinching insight to this engaging collection of pop culture essays on everything from Mario Kart and The Wire to issues of representation and police brutality across media.

When William Evans and Omar Holmon founded Black Nerd Problems, they had no idea whether anyone beyond their small circle of friends would be interested in their little corner of the internet. But soon after launching, they were surprised to find out that there was a wide community of people who hungered for fresh perspectives on all things nerdy, from the perspective of #OwnedVoices.

In the years since, Evans and Holmon have built a large, dedicated fanbase eager for their brand of cultural critique, whether in the form of a laugh-out-loud, raucous Game of Thrones episode recap or an eloquent essay on dealing with grief through stand-up comedy. Now, they are ready to take the next step with this vibrant and hilarious essay collection, which covers everything from X-Men to Breonna Taylor with insight and intelligence.

A much needed and fresh pop culture critique from the perspective of people of color, Black Nerd Problems is the ultimate celebration for anyone who loves a blend of social commentary and all things nerdy.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I’ve finished reading this book!)

Assembly

Author: Natasha Brown

Audio Publication Day: September 14, 2021

Genre: Literary Fiction, Contemporary

Thanks so much to Hachette Audio and Libro.fm for the complimentary advanced audio copy of this book.

Description from Goodreads:

Come of age in the credit crunch. Be civil in a hostile environment. Go to college, get an education, start a career. Do all the right things. Buy an apartment. Buy art. Buy a sort of happiness. But above all, keep your head down. Keep quiet. And keep going.

The narrator of Assembly is a black British woman. She is preparing to attend a lavish garden party at her boyfriend’s family estate, set deep in the English countryside. At the same time, she is considering the carefully assembled pieces of herself. As the minutes tick down and the future beckons, she can’t escape the question: is it time to take it all apart?

Assembly is a story about the stories we live within – those of race and class, safety and freedom, winners and losers.And it is about one woman daring to take control of her own story, even at the cost of her life. With a steely, unfaltering gaze, Natasha Brown dismantles the mythology of whiteness, lining up the debris in a neat row and walking away.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished reading this book!)

Apples Never Fall

Author: Liane Moriarty

Audio Publication Day: September 14, 2021

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Description from Goodreads:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Liane Moriarty comes a novel that looks at marriage, siblings, and how the people we love the most can hurt us the deepest

The Delaney family love one another dearly—it’s just that sometimes they want to murder each other . . .

If your mother was missing, would you tell the police? Even if the most obvious suspect was your father?

This is the dilemma facing the four grown Delaney siblings.

The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after fifty years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?

The four Delaney children—Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke—were tennis stars in their own right, yet as their father will tell you, none of them had what it took to go all the way. But that’s okay, now that they’re all successful grown-ups and there is the wonderful possibility of grandchildren on the horizon.

One night a stranger named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy’s door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend. The Delaneys are more than happy to give her the small kindness she sorely needs. If only that was all she wanted.

Later, when Joy goes missing, and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the police question the one person who remains: Stan. But for someone who claims to be innocent, he, like many spouses, seems to have a lot to hide. Two of the Delaney children think their father is innocent, two are not so sure—but as the two sides square off against each other in perhaps their biggest match ever, all of the Delaneys will start to reexamine their shared family history in a very new light.

20% Review:

This book really jumped right in to the drama! We are getting a bit of a duel timeline, with the main timeline being after Joy goes missing, and some chapters jumping back in time to various points in the year prior. I’m really enjoying the main timeline, which has most of the action at this point – some of the chapters in the past are a bit slow, but I’m hoping that those will pick up some speed when it gets closer to her disappearance. I can’t wait to see what the answer to the mystery ends up being! Also – highly recommend the audiobook, if only for the awesome accent.

Check out my full review here!
Posted on by tacklingtbr

February 7 – February 13

New Releases and Publications

Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.

These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to start sharing these new releases!

In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!

The Spinster and the Rake

Author: Eva Devon

Publication Day: February 9, 2021

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Regency

Thanks so much to the author, Entangled Publishing, and NetGalley for the complimentary advanced electronic copy of this current read.

Description from Goodreads:

The marriage game is afoot in this clever blend of My Fair Lady meets Pride and Prejudice with a twist!

Edward Stanhope, the icy Duke of Thornfield, likes his life in a certain order. Give him a strong drink, a good book, and his dog for company, and he’s content. But when he goes to his library and finds a woman sitting in his chair, petting his dog, what starts as a request for her to leave quickly turns to a fiery battle of wits, leading to a steamy kiss that could ruin them both if they were caught.

So of course, damn it all, that’s when Edward’s aunt walks in, and thereafter announces Miss Georgiana Bly is the future Duchess of Thornfield.

Georgiana was content to be a spinster, spending her days reading and working to keep her family out of debt. But now her days are spent locked away with a growly duke, learning how to be the perfect duchess, and her nights spent fighting the undeniable attraction to a man who was never meant for her.

As their wedding day approaches, the attraction between them burns hot and fierce, but is it enough to melt the duke’s chilly facade?

20% Review:

The scandal starts on page one, so I got sucked in to this one really quickly! I’m really enjoying the story and the main characters so far, and I’m hoping to finish it in the next day or two!

Check out my full review here!

Never Enough

Author: Mike Hayes

Publication Day: February 9, 2021

Genre: Nonfiction, Autobiography/memoir

Thanks so much to the author and Celadon Books for the complimentary advanced copy of this book! This one is definitely on my list for the next few weeks.

Description from Goodreads:

In Never Enough, Mike Hayes—former Commander of SEAL Team TWO—helps readers apply high-stakes lessons about excellence, agility, and meaning across their personal and professional lives.

Mike Hayes has lived a lifetime of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. He has been held at gunpoint and threatened with execution. He’s jumped out of a building rigged to explode, helped amputate a teammate’s leg, and made countless split-second life-and-death decisions. He’s written countless emails to his family, telling them how much he loves them, just in case those were the last words of his they’d ever read. Outside of the SEALs, he’s run meetings in the White House Situation Room, negotiated international arms treaties, and developed high-impact corporate strategies.

Over his many years of leadership, he has always strived to be better, to contribute more, and to put others first. That’s what makes him an effective leader, and it’s the quality that he’s identified in all of the great leaders he’s encountered. That continual striving to lift those around him has filled Mike’s life with meaning and purpose, has made him secure in the knowledge that he brings his best to everything he does, and has made him someone others can rely on.

In Never Enough, Mike Hayes recounts dramatic stories and offers battle- and boardroom-tested advice that will motivate readers to do work of value, live lives of purpose, and stretch themselves to reach their highest potential.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Check out my full review here:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

Possession

Author: Katie Lowe

Publication day: February 9, 2021

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the complimentary advanced electronic copy of this book!

Description from Goodreads:

The past haunts her. The present hunts her.

Conviction @ConvictionPod · 1m
The investigating officer: “I’ve seen a lot of homicides in the years since, but…that’s the one that keeps me up at night.”

The husband’s best man: “They had everybody fooled. Or at least, she did. But I always knew something was off.”

Hannah, the wife: “I told you. I don’t remember anything. I don’t know.”

That’s all to come, this season, on Conviction. Get ready for our most twisted season yet.

~~~

Ten years ago, Hannah’s husband was brutally murdered in their home, and she (conveniently) doesn’t remember a thing about that night. But the police charged someone else—a stranger—and put him away for life. And Hannah packed up her six-year-old daughter and left London behind.

But now her hard-won countryside peace is threatened. Conviction, a viral true crime podcast known for getting cases reopened and old verdicts overturned, has turned its attention to Hannah’s husband’s murder for its new season. They say police framed the man who was found guilty, and that Hannah has more suspicious secrets than just her memory loss: a history of volatility; citations at the clinic where she worked as a psychiatrist; dependencies on alcohol and pills; and a familicidal grandmother, locked away in a Gothic insane asylum until her death. As Hannah loses the trust of everyone she loves, the only person she feels she can confide in is a former colleague, Darcy, who’s come back into her life—but who may have motives of her own. But Hannah can’t tell even Darcy her deepest secret: that she’s still tormented by the memory of her husband and the crater he carved through her life.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Check out my full review here:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

The Paris Library

Author: Janet Skeslien Charles

Publication day: February 9, 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Thanks so much to Libro.fm and Simon & Schuster Audio for the complimentary advanced audio copy of this book!

Description from Goodreads:

Based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and the power of literature to bring us together, perfect for fans of The Lilac Girls and The Paris Wife.

Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.

Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.

A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we are—family, friends, and favorite authors—The Paris Library shows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Check out my full review here:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

Posted on by tacklingtbr · 1 Comment

In Love and Pajamas: A Collection About Being Yourself Together by Catana Chetwynd

Andrews McMeel – Review: 5 Stars

Thanks so much to the author, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and NetGalley for the complimentary advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

You guys, I love these comic collections so much. There isn’t too much to say other than I really love them. Catana Comics brought me so much joy during a hard time in my life, and ever since then I buy each new collection that comes out. I share them with my husband as I read them as well, since so many of our messages on Facebook and Instagram include sending these comics back and forth to each other. They make me laugh as I read them, and whenever I am having a bit of a hard day I know that I can take one of these collections off of my bookshelf and reread them to brighten my morning.

I would absolutely recommend these comic collections to anyone. They are quick, light, wholesome, and heartwarming reads. I think that these are perfect to read on a grey and drizzly day, or maybe just to keep by your bed to read one when you wake up in the morning, to start your day off on a bright note.

Other collections from Catana Comics:

Little Moments of Love

Snug: A Collection of Comics about Dating Your Best Friend (check out my review here!)