Books

The Predator by Runyx [Book Review] 2

 in Adult / Books / Fiction / Kindle Unlimited / Romance by

Summary

“What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object in the field of death?

In the dark underbelly of the mob, Tristan Caine has been an anomaly. As the only non-blooded member in the high circle of the Tenebrae Outfit, he is an enigma to all – his skills unparalleled, his morality questionable, and his motives unknown. He is lethal and he knows it.

As does Morana Vitalio, the genius extraordinaire daughter of the rival family. What Caine does with weapons, Morana does with computers. When a twenty-year-old mystery resurfaces, Morana infiltrates Caine’s house, intent on killing him, unaware of a tie that binds them together. Hate, heat, and history clash together with unexpected sparks.

But something bigger, something worse is happening in their world. And despite their animosity, only they can fight it down.”

–Amazon.com

Review

So I have hopped on board the December Kindle Unlimited smut train and it has left the station and is rolling through at massive speeds! I went into this universe of books with decently low expectations to be honest and while some of those expectations have been met, some books have actually surprised me. This book is one of them.

Now, I will say right off the bat, if you are expecting some high quality, lofty writing from these books you will be mistaken. That is not what these books are. Most people read these books for the spice and a bit of story, but more heavily on the spice. I mean, that is what we are here for in #booktok. But, this book really did well in so many ways.

A Developing Story & Characters?? Who would have thunk!

The story progressed. I mean, like there was an actual story going on around all the bow-chick-wow-wow. As everyone knows, I’m a sucker for some kind of story progression and character development. I can’t stand when they don’t go anywhere. This one actually had a story and some decent character development – and by decent I mean they did progress but we don’t have any high level coming to a spiritual awakening kind of moments. But it was enough that I did feel that this was a good piece of adult literature and not like some of the other fanfiction quality books I’ve read.

Morona was a badass and we love a strong female in these stories. But realistically strong – not over the top and trying to be something that was not attainable. I don’t personally love when they are just a bit too overdone (read a few like that recently). Tristan, well we love him (yes yes I know, bad man but we love him anyway).

Dark romance so do be ready.

This is not those cutesy romance books. This is dark romance. So go into it with that awareness. I didn’t see any trigger warnings at the front of the book as this book was not as dark as some other ones, but it’s a mafia book so you can kind of guess the kind of themes that will be in here.

A series of yum.

This is a series, so you have a few books to see through. I thought the first one was the best and the second was just as enjoyable. I have not gotten through the rest of the series yet as I am seeing what else is out there, but if you want a series that progresses with the different characters and feeds into a larger story, then this is a good one for you!

 

With these kind of books there’s honestly not much to review because you can’t really review the writing and the story progression per se because they aren’t those kind of books. However, I can tell you if I would recommend it or not.

Yes, I would recommend this as a nice quick read.

I would give this a 4/5 on the spice level as well.

Goodreads Fake Review Bombing Drama | What’s The Tea?

 in Books / Interesting by

If you in any of the book communities either on X/Twitter or Instagram, you have probably been hearing some of the drama. Allegedly, an author negatively review bombing books and positively reviewing her own with fake accounts. First time author Cait Corrain has been accused of doing this and because of the allegations has had her book deal removed.

Here is part one of the drama as shared by author Xiran Jay Zhao. Visit their Instagram to see all 4 parts to understand the situation. That will give you a nice run down!

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Xiran Jay Zhao (@xiranjayzhao)

If you want receipts, then you can go here!

Now me being curious me decided to go to Twitter to see what the author has been tweeting. And well…she has released a very lame and horrible apology. I’d recommend giving it a read and having a good little laugh. It’s very….”oh poor me” kind of writing.


So you have a young author:

  • making fake accounts to leave false reviews
  • targeting BIPOC authors
  • targeting books of a similar genre/theme to hers
  • throwing a “friend” under a bus
  • connected to the point above, trying to falsify an explanation with photocopying and fake convos
  • a really embarrassingly bad apology

The other good thing out of this was seeing the level of organization a fanfiction community, specifically the Reylo community, had to band together to say “um no, these are lies.”

So some of you who ended up here may be asking “well so what? they’re just reviews, this kind of stuff happens on Amazon all the time.” And I would say you are right to that point but there are a few reasons why this is so bad.

First and foremost, the author ultimately has lied once being caught. That’s a pretty bad thing to do and not something you want an author to be doing. Kind of raises a lot of questions about their ethics and morals as a writer.

Next, small authors who either self publish, don’t have a massive marketing budget, or just enter the market at a competitive time really rely on those reviews to have sales. They work hard to send our ARCs, work hard to have bloggers read the books and write a well crafted review and rely on reviews on sites like Goodreads to have people pick up their book. It’s difficult to get genuine reviews. But then having one person use fake accounts to just drop a 1 star is wrong. I am not saying don’t give a book 1 stars if you don’t like it, but have a genuine reason. You don’t just start a book you haven’t read because you don’t like the person or, worse yet, know nothing about them but just want their book to look bad.

Then, the author used these fake accounts to support her own book. So gave herself fake positive reviews. Based on my understanding, she had a good book already with positive reviews and a good deal for publishing. So there really was no need for this. It was the icing on the cake.

Finally, there does appear to be some racism involved here as well. Reportedly quite a lot of the authors were BIPOC or the books had those kind of characters in them and negative and nasty reviews were left. In the apology, the author seems to blame medications for what she did. Although as a lot of the comments point out, since when do medications make you racist?

Ultimately, these actions have had consequences. She has been dropped by her publisher and her book is no longer slated to be released in 2024.

I do hope this young woman gets the help that she needs if she is truly struggling with something. But using that as an excuse – when many others battle their own things and exist just find – sounds like a cop out to me. She made a mistake and has not truly owned up to it and if she wants to be an author she will have to work hard to repair the damage.

The internet never forgets and when it spreads this far, this can be career ending before it begins.

So advice to young/new authors out there. Don’t use fake accounts. It can be so tempting to have friends help you by giving reviews. And sure, have your friends read your book and review, but having them just boost you isn’t good. It can also be tempting to make fake accounts to help yourself. But when it comes to this, this is not the way. And of course it goes without saying (although clearly it needs to be said) don’t be racist.

It’s amazing what can be traced back to you when you least expect it. Be safe out there y’all!

Update 12/12 @ 4:30pm: It appears that the author has now turned off commenting on her apology post and may be blocking various individuals as well that are calling her out. While I don’t condone bullying for payback, if you can’t take what you dish out…maybe should have thought a little about this before?

Also you can read a bit more at themarsue.com as well!

Update 12/15 @ 7 am: A few other small pieces of information have come out which you have probably seen going around. As you probably heard, the author crafted a fake conversation with themselves to try and play off the entire situation. You can see this convo below.

Image

Additionally, as Xiran also added on twitter:

 

 

9 Bookish Elf On The Shelf Ideas

 in Books / Holiday by

‘Tis the season for elf on the shelf. Now while we are a few weeks in, you may be looking for ideas to survive your entire month of bringing magic to the young ones. If you’re not entirely sure what elf on the shelf is, check out this really good article that also has some great ideas for you.

And if for some reason you don’t have your elf on the shelf yet, head on over to Amazon to get one quickly delivered. Just say that he was busy or if the kids were giving you problems this year, that he was debating whether to visit or not.

As a reminder, no one can touch the elf otherwise the magic is ruined! So make sure that where you choose to put him it’s out of high traffic areas from yourself, the kids and any pets!

All books the elf engaged in can be used them to read together with your child and the elf to continue to encourage the love of reading.

So with all the ideas out there, here are a few bookish ideas to give your elf some reading spirit!

1. Bookshelf Mess

Have your little elf in the middle of pulling a book out on the shelf and have a few of the other books all over the place. You can be sure to have your child help tidy up a bit and in the morning of the following day, the bookshelf will be all fixed.

2. Dress-up as a book character

If you are blessed with sewing and creative abilities, grab your kids favorite book and make a little costume (as much as you can manage but enough to get the point across) for your elf and have them put it on while propped up reading the book.

3. Write a note asking to read!

For some, you may find it challenging to get your child to practice reading so place the elf in a safe spot with a hand written note from the elf, asking your child to read their favorite book to it! We can’t not do what the elf asks, now can we?

4. Place him with food books or books with food.

If you enjoy food and have child themed books that have food in them, a great idea is to make one of the foods from the book (or go buy something close) and have the elf with the book, and the piece of food. Maybe it can be partially eating too!

5. Felt to make items.

There are many books where there are things being made, or items that look cool. You can use pieces of felt to have the elf try and re-create something in the book. In the morning your child can find the elf with the finished project or, if you aren’t as talented at crafts, just give it a good go and you can use the “he ran out of time” excuse!

6. A magical stack of book gifts.

Now this could be great for kids who have birthdays in December, or if you feel giving a few gifts early could work. Having your elf with a wrapped stack of gifts and have it as a gift that came from the elf could be exciting. Of course keep in mind other parents may not be giving gifts with their elf so don’t go too overboard.

7. Favorite book friends!

If your child has a book that is very important to them, or their absolute favorite, have the elf be found sitting reading the book or with it. It could have left a note stating how much they loved it. Get creative here but it’s a great way to have them bond a little bit through christmas magic.

8. Have him reading to stuffed animals or toys.

Have the elf sitting in front of all the toys, or some of your kids favorites, reading to them one of their favorite books. Of course be careful where you place the elf to avoid hands touching so  maybe the elf higher up and the toys on the ground.

9. Have them practice words to give the elf magic.

This idea came from SheSaved as I was out and about reading up on elf on the shelf, and I love this one! There’s a good chance your kid is learning new words so have them written on cards and set a rule maybe a few days to practice these words because they need to to recharge the elf’s magic! A great way to encourage the practicing but feed into the magic of the holidays!

For some other ideas, check out posts here as well that are more book specific!

9 Affordable Holiday Gifts for Book Lovers

 in Books / Holiday by

With the holidays rapidly approaching, you may be wondering what to be getting people for the holidays. We all have a book lover in our lives, or  maybe we want to help point someone in a direction to get us something. However, I know wallets may be tight this holiday for some, so what can you get that is affordable (but not cheap) and is worth the money? Check out these few suggestions below that I am sure a book reader will love to receive this holiday season.

Amazon Fire 8 HD

This is a fantastic gift for a reader, if they don’t already have it. Usually priced at about $99, but worth watching for a sale for, it’s the perfect reading tablet to allow a reader who travels a lot or just has too many books to carry, to have access to all their reads all the time! I know it was a life changer for me so highly recommend. Even for non ebook readers, there’s many benefits to having one to access library apps like Libby to borrow books virtually or listen to audio books.

Fuzzy Blanket

 

You may laugh at this one, but most readers always love fuzzy blankets. It helps you curl up with a good book and keep warm as you travel the world. This one comes in a few colors, but if that one doesn’t catch your fancy, you can check out other fuzzy blankets here!

Amazon Fire Cover

Now this is just one option, there are tons of ones out there! And it will also depend if they have the Fire 7, Fire 8 HD, or any other kind of ebook reader! Generally ebook reader cases can be great. They can be designed like so, but since many readers collect stickers too, a blank canvas in a nice color (their favorite color is always good) would work too!

Reading Light

Reading lights are always good, as I’m sure you know a reader who is up all hours of the night with their nose in a book. You can get traditional lights like this, or other kinds as well! It’s an affordable option and you can never have too many in case one dies!

Book Stickers

Stickers are always great. You can get some basic ones like this, or choose from tons of other options as well. This is a great start, or find them their favorite book stickers if you know them like that!

Gift Kindle Unlimited

Now this is a gift that every reader would like! Being gifted access to Kindle Unlimited gives you access to so many books that you can read. You don’t need an e-reader to do so as you can read from your smartphone or laptop! This is a fantastic gift to surprise someone with that will be sure to be a gift they will enjoy!

Bookish Coasters 

Whether you’re a tea drinker, coffee lover or just want some water, coasters can never go wrong! This bookish style one is perfect for any reader in your life!

Reading Journal

While I have never personally been a fan of these, they are massive in the book community as a way to track your reads. There are some really fun ones out there to consider gifting to a reader or to gift yourself!

Gift an Audible Membership!

If you have an audio book lover in your life, you can gift them an audible subscription for this holiday! Make sure when you purchase it to check “This is a gift” to give it to someone!

Happy Reading & Happy Holidays!

 

 

 

EBook Reader or Not? [Amazon Fire Tablet] 2

 in Books by

If you’ve been someone who peeks in at this blog over the years, you know I am not an ebook fan at all. I like having a tangible book – the feel, the smell, being able to see your physical progression.

However, as I am getting older I am all for convenience and ease. And now we are post COVID, I am beginning to travel a bit more and go between where I live and my parents quite a lot. All that traveling as a reader can take a toll! Heavier backpack, taking up more space, having to make that dreaded decision of which book to actually bring.

So, this Black Friday, I went down the rabbit hole for an ereader. This started as another conversation with my parents for them, but decided to keep the research going.

When I think an e-reader or tablet, I immediately think of either a Kindle or an iPad. That’s a decent investment for something that I’m not going to use all the time.

But then, Amazon did it again with a very well priced tablet.

I stumbled upon their Amazon Fire 7 and their Amazon Fire HD 8.

What got me was the price during Black Friday – $39.99 and $59.99 respectively (w/ lockscreen ads). I mean what?? That is beyond a steal.

I’m not going to bore you with the technical nature of these tablets (you can find some great videos and articles about that out there already) but for the price of course it is not blistering fast. But I mean, under $80 on sale?? To read books? Doesn’t get much better.

I was a fan that I can both use Kindle Unlimited (which I am new to) and the Libby App, which a lot of libraries provide to let you loan ebooks! Based on my knowledge, the tablet gives a bit more of a range through the Libby app than you can do on a Kindle e-reader.

And immediately, I was sold! With 32GB, it has plenty of room to download to read offline wile I travel, I can stream some of my favorite shows on there in bed without a bulky computer, and not break the bank.

Am I going to use this to read everything? Absolutely not. But when I am traveling, want a cheaper book, or need a book ASAP and cannot get to the library, this will be my go to!

The Fire 7 has a 7″ display and is a bit closer to some of the Kindle e-readers but to me felt a little bit too small. I felt I’d always be turning pages. It also is a bit older. Perfect for what my parents needed.

I got the Fire HD 8 which has an 8″ display and after spending a few hours reading yesterday is hitting the spot nicely!

Over the coming months I will certainly be putting it through its paces, however, so far I am pleasantly surprised and cannot wait for a lighter travel back.

If you’ve been holding out, this is a sign to get one! You cannot go wrong for the price during their Black Friday sales. At full price I may have gotten a dedicated tablet from a laptop company like Lenovo, but with the sale there was no question!