Hi All!
I just thought I’d switch things up by starting up my own site and share a bit more with you guys than I do on my bookstagram and Tumblr!
For those of you who don’t me, my name is Seher and I’m a reader based in Pakistan! I read just about everything I can get my hands on! That being said I adore fantasy and poetry! I used to post exclusively on Instagram, but now I’ve decided to try and maintain my own blog!
If you prefer Instagram, that’s all good! I’ve linked that below! And if you prefer getting your reviews and giveaways on Tumblr and Twitter, those will be here too!
I’m also using this as a more creative space, so you’ll also get plenty of tarot card posts, restaurant reviews (from Islamabad), and pictures of the sky after it rains! I’ll also be posting my writing update, which is something I’m trying to get back into!
This is The Girl Who Reads in chaos mode!
I maintain two tumblr accounts! Which does sound like a bit much, but both serve for different moods!
My book tumblr lets me post more content than I can on my bookstagram, so you’ll find more posts here (in the future) and more excerpts, etc!
https://bookstagramofmine.tumblr.com/
My poetry tumblr is a mood. Things that I love are posted there!
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/alliwanttodoiscollectpoetry
You can also find me on twitter (where I generally just cry and complain about life)
I have a lot of badges from all the sites I usually review on and now you have to see them because this is the first time I’ve had a place to put them! 🙂
And last but not least, my google reviews!
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Book Review: My Body Is My Business by Melissa Todd
I’ve never read anything by Melissa Todd before this, but the premise was fairly interesting. A woman drops out of Oxford to work in the sex industry and is now telling us her story almost 25 years later as she works as a dominatrix and porn star!
I think this was definitely a take in some ways, and I’m sure readers will have a strong reaction to what Todd says. Our main never says she’s a feminist, doesn’t even like most feminists, and describes herself as “a whore to the bone.” For her feminists just cause trouble where she’s trying to make some money.
You don’t have to agree with Clara, our main, but you have to admire the way she just gets on with things. Moreover, she’s really funny. This book made me actually laugh out loud.
I can’t give it 5 stars though; I didn’t like the relationship between Clara and the photographer; in a book about her peeing on people as a dom, the relationship between her and the photographer was the creepy one. I also thought Richard wasn’t much of an audience to tell a story to, but as compared to Clara, everyone else is a little bland!
Feel free to hit the link to my post on Instagram! I set my reel to a song that I think you guys will love!
Thank you Kaleidoscopic Book Tours for a chance to read and review this book!
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Diomedes Speaks of Fame ~ Burt Porter
For some reason I’ve decided to end the year by regularly reading something on Jstor; why I picked this as a hobby is a good question because I have no idea. But here we are.
But I’ve always been a big fan of the Trojan War, and at some point Diomedes was someone I really wanted to know more about. Which meant that when I opened Jstor and had no idea what to look for, I looked for him.
I also don’t entirely know why I picked this poem today. It’s possibly because I’m re-reading The Iliad, mostly because I love the Stephen Mitchell introduction.
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Giveaway: Hit by Mallory Hart
Hit By Mallory Hart Review:
I’ve been talking about reading a mafia romance for a while now, and I never actually got around to doing so because my TBR is crazy (like all of us here)! But then @jaimerockstarbooktours sent around an email for a book tour for Hit by @malloryhartromance, with seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally read one!
I was not disappointed! I’m not going to say I can comment a lot on the category, but it was lit! I loved the characters, the man pain was just enough, and I loved how Pina grew throughout it! I’m also now interested in reading the second part; I love that their code actually came in handy for the two of them and Darragh knows whats up.
I do have a bit of a spoiler for the next book; one of the hashtags sent for the book tour was reverse harem, and now I’m wondering what that means for the next part!
🔥
G⃣I⃣V⃣E⃣A⃣W⃣Y⃣
2 winners will receive a signed finished copy of HIT, US Only!
L⃣i⃣n⃣k⃣ i⃣n⃣ b⃣i⃣o⃣
The book is also free if you, like me, are on kindle unlimited!
ᎶᎧ HIT THᏋ LIᏁK
Blurb
All her life, Giuseppina Delarosa knew two things: what her father and brother did after dark was a secret, and her life was never her own. As the sole daughter of Don Delarosa’s clan, it was well known a marriage would secure the future of the family. But when she learns she’s to be wed to an infamous ally, Giuseppina has other plans.
Darragh O’Callaghan is good at exactly two things: not caring about anyone, and killing his enemies. The only Irish mafia in the city needs good enforcers to keep their borders, and Darragh does his job well. So he can’t understand why he screws it all up when a hit is placed on the Delarosa gang’s prime jewel: Giuseppina Delarosa.One rainy night.
One decision not to kill.
One moment that changes everything. -
Giveaway & Book Review | Behind The Veil by E. J. Dawson
Giveaway & Book Review: Behind The Veil by E. J. Dawson
Review
You guys all know that this is not the type of book I normally read, but I’m so glad I did! This is fantastic and fast-paced, and nicely written, and I actually want a prequel and a sequel!
Letitia Hawking reads the veil between life and death. She brings closure to grief-stricken war widows and mourning families. She can’t be surprised by the death or she gets pulled into it herself, so she has to be careful about things. Of course, she’s in LA, so why would people try to respect that?
When a little girl is being haunted by something that doesn’t let her sleep at night, Leticia tries to avoid the case, recognizing what it could mean for her! She ends up getting involved, not because she’s low-key falling for the girl’s uncle, but after she realizes she can’t leave the girl like that.
Book Tour
Thank you RockStar Book Tours for a chance to read and review this! This is honestly one of my top book tour reads for the year!
Giveaway
1 winner will win a finished copy of BEHIND THE VEIL & Swag!
This is open internationally!Where can you read this?
The book is currently available on Amazon for $3.99 as an ebook! For those of us on Kindle Unlimited, the book is free!
Get a Kindle Unlimited subscription right here!
Buy the book here!
Blurb
Can she keep the secrets of her past to rescue a girl tormented by a ghost?
In 1920s Los Angeles, Letitia Hawking reads the veil between life and death. A scrying bowl allows her to experience the final moments of the deceased. She brings closure to grief-stricken war widows and mourning families.
For Letitia, it is a penance. She knows no such peace.For Alasdair Driscoll, it may be the only way to save his niece, Finola, from her growing night terrors. But when Letitia sees a shadowy figure attached to the household, it rouses old fears of her unspeakable past in England.
When a man comes to her about his missing daughter, the third girl to go missing in as many months, Letitia can’t help him when she can’t see who’s taken them.
As a darkness haunts Letitia’s vision, she may not be given a choice in helping the determined Mr Driscoll, or stop herself falling in love with him. But to do so risks a part of herself she locked away, and to release it may cost Letitia her sanity and her heart.
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Book Review: Naiya’s Wish by Astrid V. J.
Book Review: Naiya’s Wish by Astrid V. J.
Thank you The Book Scenes Tours and Astrid V. J. for giving me the chance to read and review Naiya’s Wish. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.
There are some things I really like about Naiya’s Wish! The naiad, Naiya, makes a wish that alters the destiny of everyone around her and reminds us that magic never quite works the ways you expect it to. You don’t expect her to want a child like this, you don’t expect her to actually want to keep one safe, and you certainly don’t expect how she keeps it safe.
I feel like the author herself has a lot of potential, but some things could have been done better. I loved that Naiya genuinely thinks she’s saving the child when in reality it will have disastrous consequences for all those around her.
I really loved it when Amina’s father was like just because one person has been kind to you, doesn’t mean you love each other or need to marry them. Between that and Phillip’s actions at the party, I got a sense that by the end of this book we’d also see that they’re all trying to protect a man who doesn’t really deserve their help. That’s not really where the story went, and I didn’t get a sense of any real growth from Phillip, which was a bit disappointing.I also do feel like the author needs to work on cleaning up the language of the book a bit more, it’s also fashioned, but the slips into something that isn’t; and I feel like you should stick to one or the other.
“They were not fit for the gift of life bestowed upon them and I was not going to let them mess up again.”
Hilda and Amina were interesting characters though, and I’d love to see something about the years in between when Phillip was growing up.
Naiya’s Wish by Astrid V. J. -
The How by Ysra Daley-Ward | Poetry for the Self
The How by Ysra Daley-Ward
Most of us have heard of Ysra Daley-Ward even if we haven’t had the chance to read her! You may also follow her on Instagram!
When I saw that The How was available as an ARC (advanced readers copy) on NetGalley, I had to request it, and somehow, I was approved.
I promised that I would read and review all my NetGalley books for this month, and here is my take on The How.
The Awful Three Percent ~ Ysra Daley-Ward
That awful three percent in you thinks sadness is romantic. Is aroused by unsavory things. Wants the very worst thing to happen. Wants everyone to want you But doesn't know how to be loved. Needs want. Wants, needs. Makes up stories and sticks with them. Can't be happy for your friends. That horrible three percent in you thinks you'll be left behind. Fears new things, old things, intimacy, loneliness, children, childlessness, conflict, boredom, isolation, silence, news. That terrible three percent of you is the reason it might fall through. What does your three percent look like?
Blurb
A treasure trove of inspiration and an invitation for personal renewal from the acclaimed author of bone and The Terrible
We still dream though, don’t we? We are gifted with a way into ourselves, night after night after night.
Yrsa Daley-Ward’s words have resonated with hundreds of thousands of readers around the world: through her books of poetry and memoir bone and The Terrible, through her powerful writing for Beyoncé on Black Is King and through her always-illuminating Instagram posts.
In The How, Yrsa gently takes readers by the hand, encouraging them to join her as she explores how we can remove our filters, and see and feel more of who we really are behind the preconceived notions of propriety and manners we’ve accumulated with age. With a mix of short, lyrical musings, immersive poetry and intriguing meditations, The How can be used to start conversations, to prompt writing, to delve deeper – whether you’re on your own or with friends, on your feet or writing from the solace of home.
My Take on The How
I love that Ysra Daley-Ward blended self-help and poetry. As someone who finds self-help books hard to take, the poetry helped me deal with my feelings as they came up.
I also loved that she acknowledged how much self is just there to prime us to become better consumers; that we can be fixed if we buy just the right thing!
self-love is not bath salts, a trip away, chocolate, or a wellness product-it does not have a two-hundred-dollar price tag. Self-care is not veganism or shopping or homeware. It is not cosmetics or ex- ercise. Everything helps, but it is the intention and inspired action, not the product. Simply put, self-love and self-care are deep commitments to the things that nourish you and the ter- mination of what does not.
The How ~ Ysra Daley-WardTo add to the book Daley-Ward included writing and meditative exercises in The How so that a person could actually practice what she was preaching.
Exercise from The How
I’m including an exercise from The How by Ysra Daley-Ward. I really appreciated her writing exercises because those are incredibly therapeutic and I think some of you could benefit from those!
The last thing I’d like to include before we go is this poem that has become my favorite by Ysra Daley-Ward
You Are Not the Only One
Let that sit with you awhile. Everyone has a secret that tries
to tank them. Everyone has a truth that haunts the throat at
night. And we all wonder, is it normal?
Would they love me if they knew?
What would the moon and the stars say?
Nothing. They’ll never talk. -
Giveaway & Cover Reveal | Deal With The Demon Lord | Kacey Lee
This is an Instagram-only giveaway! In order to take part, you’ll need to hit the link below to open up my post!
Once you’ve got my post open, follow me, Kacey Lee, and Hidden Hollow Book Tours
Extra Entry: Share in your stories for 24hrs tagging Kacey Lee & Hidden Hollows Book Tours.
Rules: US/Intl giveaway
Giveaway ends at midnight EST on November 11th, 2021
Must be 18+ yrs old or have parental permission to enter.
Must be willing to give your email address to Hidden Hollow Book Tours and @authorkaceylee
Don’t follow to unfollow. You will be banned from all future Hidden Hollow book tours
Must be a public Instagram account to verify entry
No Giveaway accounts allowed
Giveaway is not affiliated with IG. All prizes will be sent by the author, not Hidden Hollow Book Tours.Giveaway and Cover Reveal ~ Deal With The Demon Lord by Kacey Lee
Today I’m so excited to bring to you the cover reveal for Deal With The Demon Lord, a steamy, supernatural romance for the Demon Pact Series by Kacey Lee! Thank you. Hidden Hollows Book Tours, for letting me be a part of this!
Blurb
A supernatural’s touch is like a stun gun for me. I avoid it at all costs.
Doing what I do best, spying and getting information, a supernatural dies at my feet. Lo and behold, I’m the one blamed by none other than the Demon Lord himself.
He gave me two choices: die or help solve the murder. I’m not an idiot, so I made a pact with him to clear my name. Wait… maybe I am an idiot because I just made a deal with the son of Lucifer.
There’s one caveat, when I shook his hand it felt good, really freaking good, and now I can’t stop
about him. Working with the Demon Lord is the last place I should be because if he finds out what I truly am, I’m as good as dead.
Perfect for fans of Jaymin Eve, Kelly St. Clare, Leia Stone, Linsey Hall, and other PNR Indie Author Goddesses. If you enjoy sexy, dominant men and a headstrong heroine, with humor, steam, and action, this is for you! Recommended for 18+ due to explicit scenes and language.You can pre-order the book on Amazon, but it will be free for all those with a Kindle Unlimited Membership!
You guys got the cover before amazon did! -
Cover Reveal | A Blessed Darkness by Elexis Bell
I’m so excited to help bring to you the cover reveal for the upcoming adult dark fantasy novel A Blessed Darkness by Elexis Bell! Thank you The Book Scenes for letting me be a part of this!
A Blessed Darkness ~ Alexis Bell
A dark connection.
A deadly responsibility.
Sparks fly when Elairie, a mixed-blood elf living on the edge of society and serving as a nightguard, meets her latest prisoner. Strange auras surround them, and a magical gravity draws her to him, despite what her associates might say about his race. But the connection they share comes with a dark side.
When Beluroan learns that he and his guard are Blessed Ones, hand-crafted by the Gods to stop a madman from recreating the Blood Magic of old, his veins run cold. Threatened with a return to the magical slavery such magic commands, fear grips him, and memories of his childhood Master fill his mind.
But together, their potential power frightens even the Gods. Can they overcome the prejudices marring their land and master their new magic in time to stop the man trying to enslave their country? Or will they succumb to their own power?
Release Date: 22nd February, 2022
#TBRStack
You can add A Blessed Darkness to your TBR and follow Elexis on the links below!
If you sign up for Elexis Bells newsletter on the link above, you’ll receive an exclusive short story!
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Book Review | A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano | Love Book Tours
Thank you Love Book Tours, Revell Books, and Joanna Davidson Politano for a chance to read and review A Midnight Dance.
This was Jack Dorian. I had kissed Jack Dorian, and betrayed Mama, Philippe, and the God in whom Jack had no interest. ~ A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano
Review
Our main character Ella is based on Marie Taglioni, whose style of ballet was responsible for the shift from the male to the female lead. I genuinely did love that Ella stuck to her morals and principles in a time when as a ballerina she was supposed to need to become a mistress to be able to rise as a dancer and then live after her time was up.
The story is romantic and soft, with the air of a mystery nearby. It’s just that mystery and the weird conclusion to Ella’s life was what annoyed me to death. And while I understand Ella really needed to hold on to her beliefs to stay strong, why she couldn’t trust Jack, I didn’t like her a person. Maybe I missed it, but I don’t think she should have done what she did to Lily in the name of keeping her respectable.
“I’ve been offered something beautiful, and I want to take hold of it while I can. I won’t stand on some antiquated principles and watch love pass me by. I want to seize it. Can you understand? Can you, even a little?”
A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson PolitanoI do applaud the author for putting together an interesting set of characters. While this one wasn’t for me, I will definitely be checking out more of their books in the future!
Blurb
All theatre romances are tragedies. Ella Blythe knows this. Still, she cannot help but hope her own story may turn out different than most—and certainly different than the tragic story of the Ghost of Craven Street Theater.
Yet as she struggles to maintain her tenuous place in the ever-shrinking ballet company, win the attentions of principal dancer Philippe, and avoid company flirt Jack, Ella cannot deny the uncanny feeling that her life is mirroring that of the dead ballerina.
Is she dancing ever closer to the edge of her own tragic end? Or will the secrets that are about to come to light offer release from the past?
What to read next?
As you all know I’m trying really hard to get through my book tour and NetGalley reads this month!
You can check out the other books I’m reading right here, or follow me on Instagram where I also post regularly!
About the author
Joanna Davidson Politano Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears, A Rumored Fortune, Finding Lady Enderly, and The Love Note. She loves tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives and is eager to hear anyone’s story. She lives with her husband and their two kids in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan. You can find her at www.jdpstories.com.
