Tag: books

Becoming the Dark Prince (Stalking Jack the Ripper #3.5) by Kerri Maniscalco – Everything I Hoped and More (Review)

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Note: Since this is a pretty short novella, I won’t be following my typical reviewing format. If you want to know my thoughts specifically on the characters/setting/writing/plot of this series, I have full reviews of Stalking Jack the Ripper and Escaping From Houdini)

Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 4.5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 5/5
Review in a Nutshell: Becoming the Dark Prince reminded me of every single reason why I love Thomas Cresswell (and there are many). 

“I will follow you beyond death and drag you back if I must.”

[ Related: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco (Review) ]

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// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Murder, Gore //

“The price of love doesn’t come cheaply, but the cost is worth it.”

Release Date: 7/15/2019
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Page Count: 64

Premise: 
Becoming The Dark Prince is a Stalking Jack the Ripper series novella, told from Thomas Cresswells POV. It picks up at the end of Escaping From Houdini and continues a little bit beyond where that book left off. And while technically I don’t know if you absolutely need to read it before reading Capturing the Devil, I can say with confidence that you really, really should. 

Read more for all of my thoughts!

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these broken stars review amie kaufman meagan spooner caitsbooks 5 stars

These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner – A 5 (Unbroken) Star Read!

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I’m sorry for that title. The pun was just there and I had no choice.

Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4/5
Review in a Nutshell: These Broken Stars was the first Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner book I ever read, and it made me fall in love with this author duo. It’s funny, adorable, heartbreaking, and slightly ominous- basically everything you could ask for in a book.

“But who names a starship the Icarus? What kind of man possess that much hubris, that he dares it to fall?” 

[Related: Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (Review)]

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// Content Warning: Violence, Death, PTSD //

“You don’t mention death when it’s hovering near someone you love. You don’t want to attract the reaper’s attention.”

Release Date: 12/10/2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Page Count: 384
Premise:

These Broken Stars is what you would get if you put Titanic in space (except, with a lot more Man vs. Wild in there too). Lilac La LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen are from two different worlds. Lilac has lived in luxury her whole life, as the daughter of the richest man in the galaxy. Meanwhile, Tarver is a soldier who came from nothing. But their two worlds collide on the Icarus, a luxury space-liner. However, the Icarus itself then collides with a planet in the middle of nowhere. Lilac and Tarver are lucky to survive the crash, but can they stay alive on this mysterious planet?

Read more for all of my thoughts on this book!

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My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies #1) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows – Hilarious, Witty, and Fun (Review)

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Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 4.5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 5/5
Review in a Nutshell: My Lady Jane is the perfect fun, lighthearted comedy, filled with plenty of references and jokes that will actually make you laugh out loud.

“Through books she could see the world.” 

[Related: My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows (Review)]

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“Dedication
For everyone who knows there was enough room for Leonardo DiCaprio on that door.
And for England. We’re really sorry for what we’re about to do to your history.”

Release Date: 6/7/2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 491
Premise:

My Lady Jane is a fun, happy retelling of the story of Lady Jane Grey. You might wonder how that’s possible, considering Jane Grey was queen for only nine days before she was beheaded, so how can her story be happy? That, you’ll have to find out for yourself. 

Read more for all of my thoughts!

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June Favorites & July 2019 TBR – Summer Reading!

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So… June wasn’t great for me. I thought I was defeating my reading slump, but oh boy was I wrong. June definitely beat me. I did not win this month. That said, I have hope for July. Not much hope, but still.

But enough about slumps and how I failed. Let’s keep it positive and talk about what I loved in June, and my July TBR!

Read on to find out what I’ve read and loved, and what I hope to read next!

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Caitsbooks Review The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson 4 stars

The Storm Crow (The Storm Crow #1) by Kalyn Josephson – Actually Good Mental Health Representation in Fantasy?! (ARC Review)

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*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Overall: 4/5 Stars
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 4/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4.5/5
Review in a Nutshell: The Storm Crow is a great start to what will definitely be a magical and amazing fantasy series. 

“It’s difficult to walk against the wind. It takes strength.”

[Related: Interview with Kalyn Josephson, Author of The Storm Crow]

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// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Depression, Self Harm, Animal Death, War Themes, Mental Illness, PTSD //

“Gone was the world I knew, and I’d let it be taken.”

Release Date: 7/9/2019
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Page Count: 352
Premise:

The Storm Crow follows Princess Anthia, whose kingdom was attacked by the Illucian empire. The attack was brutal, killing her mother, the queen of Rhodaire, and killing all of the magical Crows her kingdom relies on. With her sister, Caliza, now on the throne, focusing on Rhodaire’s future, Thia can only think of the past and what was lost. When the threat of war becomes too much, Caliza has no choice but to marry Thia off to the Illucian prince, Ericen. But before Thia can be whisked away, she finds the one thing that can offer hope to her kingdom. A Crow egg.

Read more for all of my thoughts!!!

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Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim 5 Star Review Caitsbooks

Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars #1) by Elizabeth Lim – A Fantastic Fairytale (Review)

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*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 5/5
Review in a Nutshell: Spin The Dawn is a fun, fast paced fantasy. It was pitched to me as Mulan, Project Runway, and a hint of Aladdin, and honestly, that is the best way to describe it. 

“Artisans such as you are soldiers in times of war.”

[Related: Interview with Elizabeth Lim, Author of Spin the Dawn]

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// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Assault, Alcoholism, Animal Death, War Themes, Murder //

Release Date: 7/9/2019
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 387
Premise:

Spin the Dawn follows Maia, the only daughter of a skilled tailor. When her father is summoned to compete in a competition to become to Imperial Tailor, she disguises herself as a boy and takes his place. However, winning the title of Imperial Tailor is harder than she could imagine, as she must balance her secret, sabotaging competitors, and the impossible task granted to her. 

“‘I, too, once journeyed beyond the stars’ 
‘What did you find?’ 
His voice turned lethally soft. ‘That it’s just the beginning.'”

Read more for my thoughts on Spin the Dawn!

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Interview with Kalyn Josephson, Author of The Storm Crow

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I am so super excited today to be sharing a conversation I had with Kalyn Josephson, the author of The Storm Crow, which will be hitting shelves this Tuesday, July 9th!!

The Storm Crow is an such an amazing book, but don’t let me tell you about it. Read on to see Kalyn talk about her new book, as well as writing mental illness in YA, magical creatures, and perhaps a hint of what to expect in the sequel!

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top 7 july 2019 releases caitsbooks.com

Top 7 July 2019 Book Releases

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I can’t believe it’s already July. It’s not allowed to be July. I was supposed to get so much stuff done, and I did none of it. And now the year is halfway over…

Okay time to bottle up that little mini-crisis. There is one good thing about it being July, and that’s all of the amazing releases!! Read more to see my top 7 books being published this month!

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Book Release Round Up – 16 LGBTQ+ 2019 Releases

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I’m at Pride in NYC today so I thought I should celebrate by, once again, talking about some LGBTQ+ books.

I’m always looking for more LGBTQ+ reads, and 2019 is really stepping up to the plate, so I thought I should compile a list of some great books that I loved or hope to love.

Normally, I would write out a full synopsis for each book, but since I want to talk about quite a few of them (and my synopses always end up a little wordy) I’m just going to try and describe a book to the best of my ability in under 5 words. Let’s see how this goes. Every book will have a Goodreads link in case you want to see the full description of the book!

Alright, lets get started!

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