Bookish Thoughts: The Secret Sharer

First I want to thank Net Galley and Subterranean Press for the copy of Robert Silverberg’s “The Secret Sharer” in return for an honest review.

Two things to note right off the bat:
1. This is a SF retelling of a Joseph Conrad story by the same name
2. This is an illustrated edition.

I received an ebook of the title, and the artwork is beautiful even on my android phone. So much so that I’m debating getting a physical copy.

I’ve never read Silverberg that I can remember. I’ve read all around him, having grown up reading speculative Fiction since the 1980s when I first stumbled upon stories that make my heart sing. That opened my eyes to the magic that words can transport you into another world.

I can see why Silverberg is considered a Classic. His writing is beautiful, but has a different flow to it than current pieces. Gorgeous, just different. The artwork added to the story, and as I said above is stunning.

Link provided below for info on this edition.

Hope you guys have a brilliant week, with lots of good books in it!

https://subterraneanpress.com/newsthe-secret-sharer-by-robert-silverberg-shipping/

Bookish Thoughts: [redacted]

This sucks.

I’m sorry

But this book review is not going up. I can’t in good conscience promote a book published by a company that allows a person in their marketing team who spews vile and hateful things.

Both Netgalley (when I reached out for guidance) and St Martin’s press (in the MONTHS that they have known about the situation) have been silent on the issue.

So I will be silent about this book.

If all my friends are not welcome at the table, if they aren’t safe at the table, why would I want to be there?

Things I Never Thought I’d Say

I got a KU subscription and… I like it. There’s a wide variety and no wait time like with Libby. The app glitches on me all the time, but I’m figuring that out (it puts me back, page wise, in the book so I have to find my place again. It’s workable.)

Yes, I still buy books. Ahhh, don’t tell anyone tho. But it feels good to be able to dip in and see if I like an author or not, a book or not, and return it with no hassle or financial hit. And I am finding that I’m a voracious reader lol.

Second thing… I am severely disappointed in both Net Galley and St Martin’s press. I had emailed Net Galley, asking what their position was on the whole St Martin’s press boycott going on (boycotting reviews on their titles until they address the actions of a marketing employee who has not only said atrocious things, has also picked through ARC copies as to who was approved and who wasn’t). Other people explain it more eloquently over on the Klock App. I read an ARC that comes out in January and is a St Martin’s book… And as of right now I won’t be posting anything on it. And that sucks for the author. For all authors publishing within that company. I know I’m small potatoes. That’s ok. I’ll still abide. It would have been nice to get a response from Netgalley, tho. Any response.

Since starting this, I saw an ad for that company on the Klock app and saw one of the authors was Nora Roberts. It makes me sad, so I found a reader email for her and sent an email. But as I said, I am small and she is huge. But I always thought of her as one who would stand up against that type of hatred. All the comments under that ad on the Klock app had to do with the boycott & the marketing employee.

And Booktok is weird. And I love it. First, no it is not all smut. There are accounts that are dedicated to fantasy, mystery, general fiction, sweet romance, spicy romance, all of it. It’s just that what you interact with you see more of. So if you can’t help yourself and keep commenting on genres you hate… It’s going to keep showing them to you. If you scroll on by, they’ll eventually drop off. You can find like minded people there… Even when you read a wide variety. The search bar is your friend lol.

Booktok also holds authors accountable. One just spiraled so far out of control they lost their publishing deal AFTER cover art had been released. They even had a special edition box edition signed. Gone. All because they tried to harm other authors release ng at the same time as them. I can’t imagine NOT supporting other authors. The ones I’ve met have always been so helpful and kind to a baby author like me.

So is there anything else I never thought I’d say? Well yes

Merry almost Christmas from the Midwest.

Bookish Thoughts- Book Review

Bookish Thoughts—Review of Mom-Com

I want to start by thanking Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Mom-Com By Adriana Mather will be published on 11/13/23 by Blackstone Publishing.

I have to start by saying that I loved this book. I loved it so much I went back and read the ending two or three times, and bawled my eyes out each time. It was a book that hit me at exactly the moment I needed it. I didn’t see the comedy so much in the book, but that could be because of the emotional headspace I was in when reading it.

I connected with Maddi in a way I didn’t expect—Grieving for her father, beset by real & imagined expectations from those around her, a single mother trying to keep it together in the face of grief and needing to rebuild her life. Yes. This hit close to home, and the author nailed the emotions. The push and pull between Maddi and Wilder was well done and kept me reading, wanting more. And the ending, the redemption and healing of Maddi’s relationship with her mother had me crying each time I read it.

The only reason why this isn’t a five-star read for me was the extended flashbacks. Going back to their teen years, and when Maddi’s life first imploded: Wilder breaking up with her but sending mixed signals, dating someone else and becoming pregnant, etc. I didn’t really enjoy the teen angst of it all and quite frankly started skipping those sections entirely. And I still got the emotional punch of the ending.

This is definitely a Christmas Romance I can back whole heartedly. On a five-star scale, I would give it 4.

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Almost Perfect

Book Review: Almost Perfect

Note: I have never before reviewed a book that I DNF’ed, however NetGalley said it was appropriate (and recommended!!) so here we are.

Almost Perfect by E. F. Todd
Publish Date: 10/31/23
Publisher: Sugar Beaver Books

First off, I want to thank Sugar Beaver Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book. I was excited to give it a try, the cover looks fun—it’s a Christmas Romance. My favorite!!

The writing was good, with some stellar examples of great writing shining through. So why did I DNF?

I DNF’d Almost Perfect at almost the 20% mark. 18.6% I believe, if you want precision. The reasons why we’re two fold: character and pacing.

V is a Doctor. A practicing doctor. The disconnect may have been the choice to have the heroine go by an initial instead of something like Vee, even. For me, naming a character by an initial would be more appropriate when the character is edgy and wise. Or if the narrator is slyly trying to make things “anonymous”. To further the disconnect V felt incredibly young and sheltered. Her and her friends struck me as more college age than professionals—and it had nothing to do with the Doc in love with a bar tender aspect.

The pacing was also off. When it came to the first love scene (I think) is when I finally closed the book. It felt like it was taking two chapters for him to kiss his way up her leg. It did not in fact take that long, but when a romance reader is bored by the love scene and is a few pages into it…. It needs to be tightened.

But worst of all, there was no Christmas in that 20 percent. I know it comes, I just couldn’t hang in there to get to it.

We can be honest and say the pacing issue might have been because I could not connect with the main character, V. It probably was.

There are some great lines in this story though, and I look forward to the next story this author has up their sleeve.

Thank you again to Sugar Beaver Books and Netgalley for providing me a copy for review.

#Netgalley I have questions…

Such as….

Do I get dinged for DNF’ing a book?

Should I still review said book? On why it was DNFed?

When do I start posting about the books? Because  the second one I grabbed…. O.M.G. I haven’t laughed this hard or enjoyed myself so much in a while. I’m loving this book. But it doesn’t publish until JANUARY 2024!!! (I know I can write the review and just schedule it)

Which leads to…..

Hello my lovelies, I just reinstated my Netgalley account. Yay!! Of course, the first book I chose was… Hmmm…. As writers we can learn a lot from it. Do I still give it my honest review? Do I just shrug it off? Move on? I don’t like giving negative reviews, or at least naming the book I’m talking about. And I especially don’t like reviewing a book I DNFed (Did Not Finish).

Life is so nuts right now– full of grief and stress and fear and excitement. But I’m really enjoying this second book I chose. Whew! I was starting to think my romance with reading was fizzling out.

I do have to say, tho, I really like Netgalley’s App. Makes it so simple and easy to read & get the books! Yay!