Book Review: With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: With Love, From Cold World
Author: Alicia Thompson
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: August 1. 2023
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction/romance
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher, via NetGalley
Rating:

She has a to-do list a mile long and falling for her coworker isn’t on it–yet somehow he’s become her top priority in this romantic comedy from the national bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers.

Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper for Cold World, a tourist destination that’s always a winter wonderland despite being located in humid Orlando, Florida. Sure, it’s ranked way below any of the trademarked amusement parks and maybe foot traffic could be better. But it’s a fun place to work, even if “fun” isn’t exactly Lauren’s middle name.

Her coworker Asa Williamson, on the other hand, is all about finding ways to enliven his days at Cold World–whether that means organizing the Secret Santa or teasing Lauren. When the owner asks Lauren and Asa to propose something (anything, really) to raise more revenue, their rivalry heats up as they compete to come up with the best idea. But the situation is more dire than they thought, and it might take these polar opposites working together to save the day. If Asa thought Lauren didn’t know how to enjoy herself, he’s surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn’t serious about anything, she’s surprised by how seriously he seems to take her.

As Lauren and Asa work to save their beloved wintery spot, they realize the real attraction might be the heat generating between them.

In With Love, From Cold World, workplace tension between a pair of opposites hides a chemistry that pulls an unlikely couple together. Lauren is the buttoned-up bookkeeper who likes to keep her head down, focus on her spreadsheets, and — just for fun — do her to-do list items in random order. Asa is the free-spirited, blue-haired, tattooed jack-of-all trades who seemingly does a little of everything at Cold World, has no interest in moving up to a management position, and is ardently devoted to hosting Secret Santa exchanges every year.

Asa also seems to take an odd pleasure in teasingly calling Lauren a robot and trying to wind her up, which she SO doesn’t appreciate. And Lauren fears that she’s made a lifelong enemy due to a gaffe at her very first company holiday part, during which she suggested that Secret Santa was ultimately a waste of money (gasp!).

When Lauren and Asa are tasked by Cold World’s owner to come up with ideas for how to reenergize Cold World and increase revenues, they initially focus on competition rather than collaboration, but as circumstances force them together over and over, their enemy status shows signs of thawing and turning into something more.

There’s really a lot to enjoy about With Love, From Cold World. For starters, Cold World itself! The idea of a Florida attraction where visitors get to ice skate and play in the snow (in summer!) really does sound delightful.

Lauren and Asa themselves are both deeper than they initially appear to be. At first glance, they seem to fit very specific romance tropes — she’s the nerdy, uptight woman hiding her inner fire (and who’s much more beautiful than she realizes); he’s the daring, unconstrained artistic sort who believes in taking chances. They unlock something in each other and reveal their true selves…

And yes, that’s true here, but there’s more going on as well. Lauren was raised in the foster care system from a young age, and while she lucked out in having a kinder foster parent than many others she knew, she still grew up without the support or love of a family. She finds security in her orderly life, and is deeply afraid of opening herself up to rejection if she dares to start truly connecting with others.

Asa was kicked out of his family home after a parishioner sent his pastor father a photo of Asa kissing a boy. At age eighteen, Asa was on his own, cut off from family and support, but found a place to belong at Cold World. No wonder he’s still there ten years later — this is a place where he’s found acceptance, feels valued, and has created a found family for himself.

Lauren and Asa are a slow burn, and they constantly get in their own way when it comes to recognizing their connection and pursuing a relationship. Lauren in particular has a hard time communicating, and her difficulty with trust and defensiveness, creating barriers rather than risking being hurt, threatens to sink their relationship before it really has a chance to develop.

I enjoyed seeing each of them work through the obstacles keeping them apart and start to think about how to take the next steps in their own lives, as well as together. The Cold World setting is quite fun (if a little corny), and the dynamic of the larger friend group is really entertaining as well.

With Love, From Cold World is the second novel by Alicia Thompson, following last year’s Love in the Time of Serial Killers. After enjoying both of these books, I’m eager to see what she writes next!

28Jul2023

Book Review: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Cabin at the End of the World
Author: Paul Tremblay
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication date: June 26, 2018
Length: 336 pages
Genre: Horror
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin in northern New Hampshire. Far removed from the bustle of city life, they are cut off from the urgent hum of cell phones and the internet. Their closest neighbors are more than two miles away in either direction.

On a summer day, as Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen, but he is friendly, with a warm smile that wins her over almost instantly. Leonard and Wen continue to talk and play, until three more strangers, two women and a man, all dressed like Leonard in jeans and button-down shirts, come down the road carrying strange, menacing objects.

In a panic, Wen tells Leonard that she must go back inside the cabin. But before she goes, her new friend tells her, “None of what’s going to happen is your fault. You haven’t done anything wrong, but the three of you will have to make some tough decisions. I wish with all my broken heart you didn’t have to.” As Wen sprints away to warn her parents, Leonard calls out, “Your dads won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world.”

The Cabin at the End of the World is a terrifying tale of the impending apocalypse… or of a group delusion… or of evil masquerading as people with a mission. What’s actually happening here is open to interpretation, but no matter the truth, it’s scary, violent, and claustrophobic.

We open with a lovely little family — 8-year-old Wen and her dads Eric and Andrew — enjoying a peaceful country vacation. The pretty cabin they’ve rented is remote but comfortable, a landline and a large flatscreen television the only devices to connect with the outside world. All is well, until a huge stranger appears from out of the woods and talks to Wen while she’s outside.

Leonard seems kind and Wen — even though she knows she’s not supposed to talk to strangers — is oddly drawn to his open manner — until three more people begin walking up the driveway, all dressed similarly to Leonard and carrying scary-looking implements. She doesn’t know it, but by the time she runs to the house and urges her dads to lock the doors, it’s already too late. The strangers start by knocking, but it’s clear that they’re coming in, no matter what.

Even once the cabin’s haven has been invaded, Leonard’s kindness, overlaid with deep sadness, persists. He won’t hurt the family. None of them will. But Eric, Andrew, and Wen must make a choice. The apocalypse is coming, and only they can stop it… by choosing one of their own to sacrifice. Eric, Andrew, and Wen must willingly choose which of them will die, and then carry out their decision by killing their sacrifice. Otherwise, billions of people will die and the world will be left a wasteland.

Does this make sense? Of course not. Eric and Andrew fight as much as they can. But the crazy people stay, and have the family at their mercy, and they are fanatically determined to see their mission through.

Why these four people are involved, who they are, and how they ended up at this cabin in New Hampshire is revealed over time. The events they foretell seem to be backed up by the momentary glimpses of news events when they occasionally turn on the TV. But are these real, or pre-recorded programming? Is any of this really happening? Even if it were, how could this one family in any way have anything to do with the outcome?

Horror stories set in isolated cabins have a certain vibe all their own — the helplessness, the idea of a beautiful escape from the world turning into a hellish trap, the lack of resources and impossibility of rescue. Here, the elements add up to a riveting story that features bursts of terrible violence, with a psychological tension that never lets up.

The story does not provide succinct answers, and even at its end, there’s a huge amount of ambiguity about what actually happened. And while that frustrated me in some ways (because apparently I need clear answers), it also makes the book especially haunting. I haven’t been able to shake if off since reading the final pages, and keep turning it over and over in my mind.

This is my first book by this author, but I’ll certainly be seeking out more… once I recover from this one!

The Cabin at the End of the World was adapted into a movie, A Knock at the Cabin, which was released earlier in 2023. I’ve seen very mixed reviews, but plan to watch it in the next week or so. Based on the trailer, it looks terrifying.

26Jul2023

Book Review: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Legends & Lattes
Author: Travis Baldree
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication date: February 22, 2022
Length: 294 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

A NOVEL OF HIGH FANTASY AND LOW STAKES

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success—not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

After hearing raves about Legends & Lattes ever since its release, I finally gave it a try… and absolutely loved it. What a treat!

Viv is an orc who’s ready to put down her sword, leave behind her life of violence, and try something completely new — opening a coffee shop in the city of Thune, where no one has ever even heard of coffee. With the earnings from her sword-for-hire work saved up over her lifetime, she buys a run-down property, enlists the help of a talented builder, and hires a barista (after explaining what a barista is).

She sat back on the flagstones and rolled the bean between her thumb and forefinger. “I told you I came across it in Azimuth, and I remember following the smell to the shop. They called it a café. People just sat around drinking it from these little ceramic cups, and I had to try it, and … it was like drinking the feeling of being peaceful. Being peaceful in your mind. Well, not if you have too much, then it’s something else.”

The people of Thune don’t know how badly they need coffee in their lives… but with the help of clever marketing (free samples!) and the addition of freshly-baked cinnamon rolls, soon the line is out the door and the cafe’s business is booming.

I absolutely adored this book, from the wonderful main characters to the clever nods to coffee culture (such as the introduction of lattes, iced coffee, and to-go cups, as well as open mic events and the annoyance of a customer who comes to study all day but never buys anything).

Of course, there are conflicts too, as when a former colleague of Viv’s suspects that she’s hidden an object of great magical power from the rest of their crew, and is willing to take dire steps to take it from her.

I’m keeping this review short, because there’s so much pleasure to be had in discovering the joys of Legends & Lattes without expecting anything ahead of time. This is a gentle, lovely fantasy tale (with coffee!!), and while there are moments of danger and despair, the overarching themes of friendship and support are what make this book shine.

Don’t miss it!

25Jul2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Most Recent Books I Did Not Finish

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Ten Most Recent Books I Did Not Finish.

I struggled for a bit to come up with a list, since lately, I don’t even really consider a book a DNF if I put it down after only a few pages. Finally, though, I came up with 10, from the last couple of years of reading:

1) Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling: DNF at approx 20%. The book was bleak and just did not grab me at all.

2) Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty: Such a disappointment! I’ve really enjoyed other books by this author. This book felt like it was trying too hard to be cute, with forced humor and inconsistent plotting. I quit after about 25%.

3) The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre: It definitely was not clear from the synopsis that this book belonged to a series, or that there was some sort of witchcraft/paranormal element. I thought I’d give it a try anyway, but I just didn’t get along with the writing and DNFd after one chapter.

4) On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi: This book may have turned out to be fine, but there are footnotes on practically every page, and you can’t really skip them and still follow the story — which made this a nightmare to read as an eARC. DNFd after trying to stick it out, somewhere about 2 or 3 chapters along.

5) The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo: I’m not even sure that this counts as a DNF, since I dropped it almost as soon as I started it. I hadn’t known ahead of time that this would be a Gatsby retelling, and as soon as I realized that, I lost all interest.

6) For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten: I read several chapters, which was enough for me to know that I didn’t care for the story or the world-building.

7) Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman: I’ve read a couple of really good horror novels by this author, but I found the first chapter off-putting and couldn’t bring myself to continue. (Terrible ARC formatting didn’t help either.)

8) Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert: Unpopular opinion time! I know people love these books, but within the first two pages of this one, I remembered everything I didn’t like about the first book in the series and realized this just wasn’t going to be for me.

9) In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce: I guess super-bleak books don’t tend to be what I feel like reading these days. I tried, but felt so unhappy every time I picked up this book to read another chapter that I had to stop.

10) The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult: I enjoy so many of Jodi Picoult’s books… and this one made no sense to me at all. DNFd after about three chapters.

What books have you DNFd recently?

If you did a TTT post this week, please share your link!

24Jul2023

The Monday Check-In ~ 7/24/2023

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

A mostly quiet (but busy) week — work, errands, family projects… and whoooosh! All of a sudden, it’s Monday again.

Blogging:

Carol at Reading Ladies Book Club was kind enough to include me in her One Great Summer Read round-up. Check out her post, here.

I shared a post about the timing of ARC reviews, and I would love to hear any opinions on the topic! The post is here.

What did I read during the last week?

Sleep No More (October Daye, #17) by Seanan McGuire: I loved this book! This series… just tear out my heart and stomp on it, why don’t ya? Since Sleep No More doesn’t release until September, I’m holding my review for now.

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray: This novel about a unique historical woman should have been fascinating — but instead felt flat and left me mostly bored and disengaged. My review is here.

The Summer Skies by Jenny Colgan: A sweet, funny, lovely read. My review is here.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree: Loved it! Review to follow.

Pop culture & TV:

I finished Manifest! All in all, I was hooked throughout my binge of the show’s four seasons. Not every question got answered, not everything made sense, and there are certain aspects of the series finale that I take issue with… but overall, it was a great viewing experience!

Now I’m catching up on new episodes of shows I’ve watched in their earlier seasons, including What We Do in the Shadows and The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay: I thought I’d just read a page or two to get a sense of whether I was in the mood for this book… and clearly I was, since I’m at about page 100 right now!

Now playing via audiobook:

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers: I loved this book when I read it last year, and decided to do an audio re-read before moving on to book #2.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments:

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of BEES, reading and discussing two chapters per week. Coming up this week: Chapters 146 and 147 (of 155).
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons: My book group’s classic read — we’re reading and discussing two chapters per week, ending late summer. Progress: 45%

So many books, so little time…

23Jul2023

Audiobook Review: The Summer Skies by Jenny Colgan

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Summer Skies
Author: Jenny Colgan
Narrator: Eilidh Beaton
Publisher: Avon
Publication date: July 11, 2023
Print length: 352 pages
Audio length: 11 hours, 11 minutes
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Purchased (audiobook); E-book ARC from the publisher/NetGalley
Rating:

New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan takes us to the gloriously windswept islands of northern Scotland, where we meet young Morag MacIntyre, who runs the puddle-jumper flights that serve the islands’ tiny but proudly feisty population.

Morag MacIntyre is a Scottish lass from the remote islands that make up the northernmost reaches of the UK. She’s also a third-generation pilot, the heir apparent to an island plane service she runs with her grandfather. The islands–over 500 dots of windswept land that reach almost to Norway–rely on their one hardworking prop plane to deliver mail, packages, tourists, medicine, and the occasional sheep. As the keeper of this vital lifeline, Morag is used to landing on pale golden beaches and tiny grass airstrips, whether during great storms or on bright endless summer nights. Up in the blue sky, Morag feels at one with the elements.

Down on the ground is a different matter, though. Her grandfather is considering retiring and Morag wonders if she truly wants to spend the rest of her life in the islands. Her boyfriend Hayden, from flight school, wants Morag to move to Dubai with him, where they’ll fly A380s and say goodbye to Scotland’s dark winters.

Morag is on the verge of making a huge life change when an unusually bumpy landing during a storm finds her marooned on Inchborn island. Inchborn is gloriously off-grid, home only to an ancient ruined abbey, a bird-watching station, and a population of one: Gregor, a visiting ornithologist from Glasgow who might have just the right perspective to help Morag pilot her course.

Jenny Colgan’s books never fail to delight, and with Eilidh Beaton as narrator, the audiobook of The Summer Skies is a total treat.

In this new release, pilot Morag MacIntyre is the youngest in a chain of several generations of pilots in the MacIntyre family. While her grandfather maintains the single-plane airline that flies in short hops between the island of the Scottish archipelago, Morag flies in and out of Heathrow as co-pilot on airbuses, working toward the day she’ll move into the captain’s seat.

After a near miss in the air, Morag’s confidence is shaken, and while she’s working toward returning to the skies, she tells no one how bad her fears have become. Meanwhile, after the incident, she meets a lovely guy named Hayden, an airline HR consultant, who seems like all she’d want in a long-term partner. They talk of moving to Dubai for the next steps in their careers… if only she can get back in the air.

When she receives a call that her grandfather is ill and unable to fly, and she’s needed back home to fill in for him on the island runs, she returns with caution. She still has time before her final simulator to get cleared to qualify for the Dubai job, and if her grandfather needs her, she goes. Still, Morag insists on sitting in the co-pilot chair, even though she’s been qualified as captain on the family’s 16-seater plane since her late teens.

When a medical crisis forces Morag to do an emergency landing on the isolated island of Inchborn during a wild storm, she’s left there for days, with only the island’s caretaker for company. Gregor is a taciturn loner, an ornithologist who really just wants to enjoy his solitude. But forced into one another’s company while they’re cut off from the outside world, the two eventually connect, and the time away from her high-octane life gives Morag the space she needs to think about what truly makes her happy.

The Summer Skies is a quiet book, with at least half of it focused on Morag’s few short days on Inchborn. And yet, it manages to pack in quite a bit of emotion, personal growth, and even humor. Jenny Colgan creates funny, memorable characters and dialogue that can bite, and Morag is such fun to be around. I enjoyed the dynamics between Morag and Gregor (not to mention Morag’s deepening connections to Barbara the chicken and Frances the goat). While there are many thoughtful moments in which Morag contemplates her life and the reasons she flies, there are also some sharp, dramatic action scenes (remind me not to get into a small plane when there’s a storm brewing… or really, ever).

As I mentioned, the narrator is wonderful. I’ve listened to her narration of several other Jenny Colgan audiobooks, and always love her delivery. She makes the characters come alive, and hearing the Scottish accents is lovely.

The Summer Skies is sweet and funny, a terrific choice for upbeat escapist listening and reading. The gentle storyline, flawed but relatable characters, and sweet romance were exactly what I wanted in a summer read this month.

22Jul2023

Book Review: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Personal Librarian
Authors: Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: June 29, 2021
Length: 347 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Purchased

The remarkable, little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene, J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian—who became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true, from New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and acclaimed author Victoria Christopher Murray.

In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection.

But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American.

The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths to which she must go—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.

The Personal Librarian is a fictionalized depiction of the life of historical figure Belle da Costa Greene, a powerful figure in the New York art and rare book world of the early 20th century. A novel about Belle should have been powerful, but instead, it left me cold (and very tempted to DNF).

The set-up is intriguing: Belle’s family is Black, and her father is a renowned, outspoken figure in the fight for racial equality, justice, and civil rights. Yet (according to the novel), her mother realizes that her light-skinned children will have a better shot at successful lives, free from the rampant racism, violence, and segregation of their time, if they pass as white.

From her teens onward, Belle presents herself socially and professionally as white, and uses an invented Portuguese ancestor (and the invented name “da Costa”) as a way to explain her darker complexion. She makes connections while working at the Princeton library that lead her to J. P. Morgan, whose driving ambition is to create an unrivaled personal library full of rare and valuable treasures. When he hires Belle as his personal librarian, her ascent to influence, social acceptance, and power in the world of collectors and dealers gets its start.

Belle’s story should have been fascinating, but I have a feeling I would have been better off reading a biography rather than reading this novel. Too much is invented or assumed. Belle’s internal musings on race and identity provide the background for her decisions and actions throughout the book, but given that the real-life Belle destroyed all her papers and letters before her death, we can’t actually know what she was thinking or feeling.

There’s a romance (of sorts) with a married man that lasts for years of Belle’s life, and this is documented in real life through her letters to him (which he kept, while she destroyed any letters that she’d received) — but the fictionalized version of this story makes assumptions and adds incidents that apparently are not established by more than speculation.

Beyond the question of fact versus fiction, I simply did not enjoy the writing. I felt at arm’s length from Belle throughout, and frankly, I was often bored. The writing is surface-level, jumps ahead by months at a time, and didn’t let me feel connected to Belle as a person. Her emotions are understandable only because we’re told what she’s feeling, not because they’re tangible in any way.

Reading this book made me ponder a bit too about what I appreciate in historical fiction — and what I don’t. In general, I think I appreciate historical fiction more when it focuses on ordinary/unknown people in historical settings, even up to and including brushes with or relationships with real people, rather than taking a historical figure and inventing thoughts and feelings for them that may be nothing more than speculation. I’m sure this factors into why I didn’t especially care for The Personal Librarian.

As I’ve mentioned, Belle herself seems like a fascinating historical figure. You can read more about her via the Morgan Library & Museum’s website, here. I’ve given The Personal Librarian three stars — I’m glad that this book introduced me to Belle’s life, even if it didn’t particularly work for me as a reading experience.

21Jul2023

Early, late, or right on time: When do you post your book reviews?

Posted in Blogging, Bookish Thoughts by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

I finished a book I absolutely loved this week… and I think I’ll probably hold off for another four to six weeks or so before I share a review.

Why?

Because it’s a new release scheduled for publication in early September. And while, I’d normally want to share my rave review immediately (because who doesn’t love shouting about how amazing a book is?), it also got me thinking about the timing of reviews and what might be the best approach.

The general rule of thumb for sharing reviews based on ARCs seems to be to hold reviews until close to the release date. Based on NetGalley confirmation emails, most publishers seem to request not posting far in advance, and some state that reviews should be posted no more than two weeks (or at most, a month) before the publication date.

And yet, when I go on Goodreads, I see reviews posted months in advance of publication (which Goodreads allows, although retail sites like Amazon do not).

There’s something to be said for pre-release buzz, and authors I’ve followed have explained more than once that all preorders add to their release weeks stats. The higher the sales that week, the more likely it is that they’ll continue to be promoted, or even that a sequel might be greenlit. Given that, it would seem like early reviews (especially super positive ones) can only help a book. On the other hand, if someone is hyping a book three months before anyone can even get it, will that actually make an impact on sales? Sure, other bloggers/reviewiers may go request the book on NetGalley as a result — but while that boosts exposure, it doesn’t necessarily translate into people making purchases.

From the blogger/reviewer perspective, I get wanting to share thoughts while they’re fresh, and I suppose some readers/reviewers like the idea of being first, even if that means reviewing a book that the general reader audience won’t be able to access for many months.

For me, my target review window is right on time, occasionally a little early (a week or maybe two in advance), and (accepting that life is not perfect) late when it can’t be helped.

In general, I try to time my reviews right around the week a book is released, or possibly a week ahead of time. It mostly comes down to simple logistics for me — no matter how hard I try to keep my ARC commitments within reasonable limits, I still always find myself with a pretty hefty schedule to keep up with, and it usually just isn’t possible for me to get out ahead of the publication dates — even if I wanted to.

Another reason I prefer “just on time” reviews is wanting to be able to talk about a book. Read too far in advance and share a review, and no one will be available to discuss it with. Sure, it’s nice to get reactions along the lines of “sounds great!” or “hey, I’ll check it out”, but it’s even better to find other readers’ reviews, share ideas, and bounce reactions back and forth.

Beyond that, I suppose I just see it as courteous to follow publisher guidelines whenever possible. Receiving access to ARCs is a privilege, after all, so I think it’s reasonable to be expected to stick to the publishers’ preferences when posting reviews.

As for late reviews… well, I try, but life gets in the way! With ARCs, I always aim to post by the week that a book comes out, but sometimes it just doesn’t work. A late review is better than no review! I’m much more forgiving of myself than I was when I first starting blogging and reviewing. Bottom line, I read for myself and my own enjoyment first and foremost. ARCs can be wonderful to have, but they’re not the only books I read, and if I need to delay reading or reviewing a book because I’m busy with other things or other books I want to read… that’s okay too.

I found myself in the unusual situation this summer of not having a ton of ARCs in June, so I got through a few of my July books early, and even read one of my August books. For the August book, I was so happy to have read it that I lost sight of the release date and went ahead and posted a review right away. Only after it was posted did I stop and realize how early it was, but at that point, there were already comments posted, so I decided to leave it as is.

Which brings me back to the book I just finished — the 17th book in the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire… which just happens to be my very favorite fantasy series. I would absolutely love to share some thoughts, but it’s just too soon — the book will be released in early September. I know if I hadn’t read it already and stumbled across someone’s review of it, I’d be pretty peeved at this point.

Friends, the book is SO good! And what’s more, there’s another installment coming in October — a first in this series, to have two new books released just one month apart. Will I read #18 right away? You betcha.

But as for the reviews, I think I’m going to hold off. I mean, I’ll go ahead and draft the reviews while my thoughts and feelings are fresh… but I’ll wait to post until the release date is much, much closer.

How do you approach early reviews? Do you time reviews to release dates, or post reviews whenever you finish a book, regardless of dates? Do you have some other approach entirely?

I’d love to know what other people do when it comes to the timing of ARC reviews — especially when you love a book and you’re dying to talk about it.

Please share your thoughts!

19Jul2023

New release spotlight: Be Sure by Seanan McGuire

Posted in Books & Authors by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Happy book birthday to Be Sure by Seanan McGuire! Be Sure is a brand new paperback 3-in-1 edition of the first three books in the outstanding Wayward Children series, released just this week.

Be Sure by Seanan McGuire
Release date: July 18, 2023
Length: 528 pages
Publisher: Tor.com

Synopsis:

Where it all began―the first three books in Seanan McGuire’s multi-Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Wayward Children series.

Join the students of Eleanor West, and jump through doors into worlds both dangerous and extraordinary.

Book 1: Every Heart a Doorway
Book 2: Down Among the Sticks and Bones
Book 3: Beneath the Sugar Sky

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Meet Nancy, cast out of her world by the Lord of the Dead; Jack and Jill, each adopted by a monster of the Moors; Sumi and her impossible daughter, Rini.

Three worlds, three adventures, three sets of lives destined to intersect.

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations / No Visitors / No Quests

But quests are what these children do best…

The Wayward Children series consists of 8 novellas so far, with a 9th coming in January (Mislaid in Parts Unknown).

If you visit my blog from time to time, you’ll know Seanan McGuire is an absolute must-read author for me. (Her October Daye series is my #1 fantasy series — long may it reign!) The Wayward Children books are sparkling, immersive, and tightly written. At novella length, they pack a punch, and each new volume adds new dimensions and layers to the universe of these stories.

Books 1 and 2 in this series are particular favorites of mine, but I’ve loved them all. If you’ve never explored the world of Wayward Children, this new paperback would be a great way to get started!

18Jul2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With One-Word Titles

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books With One-Word Titles — a topic I’ve done multiple times over the years (see here, here, and here). So, the challenge for me today is finding ten MORE books with one-word titles without repeating myself!

Here’s what I’ve come up with — all books that I’ve read within the last year or so: