Tag: Featured Book

Featured Book: Begin Again by Emma Lord

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Blurb:

Most Anticipated by Goodreads, Popsugar, BookRiot, E! News, The Nerd Daily, and More!

An Indie Next Pick

Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Emma Lord’s Begin Again is an unforgettable YA novel of love and starting again.

As usual, Andie Rose has a plan: Transfer from community college to the hyper competitive Blue Ridge State, major in psychology, and maintain her lifelong goal of becoming an iconic self-help figure despite the nerves that have recently thrown her for a loop. All it will take is ruthless organization, hard work, and her trademark unrelenting enthusiasm to pull it all together.

But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.

But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.

“A gratifying romance.” – Publishers Weekly

Release Date: January 24th, 2023

My Thoughts:

I got this book via Netgalley. I really enjoyed this book very much. I’ll have a more detailed review up soon so I won’t give a few on review. I’m spotlighting it because I really felt seen with this book. Andie struggles with her self-esteem and has some major anxiety issues. I more than understand all of that. I wish I could buy copies for all of my friends!

Weekly Featured Book: Mine This Winter

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Title: Mine This Winter

Author: Multiple Authors

Release Date: December 1st, 2022

Page Count: 1,282

Reason Why:

I’ve been reading an ARC copy of this anthology. I am so in love with all of the stories. I mean there are some I enjoy more than others, but they are all just so adorable! I actually have plans to gift a copy to a handful or two of people once the book is officially released. I’m not going to lie. I really love fall and winter type stories. Especially ones that center around Halloween. Not that these center around Halloween, but they are still so adorable! I fully recommend this book! I can’t wait until it’s released!

Featured Book: The Bezos Blueprint by Carmine Gallo

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The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman

Release Date: November 15th

The communication and leadership secrets of Jeff Bezos and how to master them, from the bestselling author of Talk Like Ted.

Jeff Bezos is a dreamer who turned a bold idea into the world’s most influential company, a brand that likely touches your life every day. As a student of leadership and communication, he learned to elevate the way Amazonians write, collaborate, innovate, pitch, and present. He created a scalable model that grew from a small team in a Seattle garage to one of the world’s largest employers.

The Bezos Blueprint by Carmine Gallo reveals the communication strategies that Jeff Bezos pioneered to fuel Amazon’s astonishing growth. As one of the most innovative and visionary entrepreneurs of our time, Bezos reimagined the way leaders write, speak, and motivate teams and customers.

The communication tools Bezos created are so effective that former Amazonians who worked directly with Bezos adopted them as blueprints to start their own companies. Now, these tools are available to you.

My Thoughts:

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am not done reading this book yet. I was also given a copy on Netgalley. I’m only going off what I’ve read so far and how it’s impacted me personally.

I really have enjoyed this book. I have learned a lot. I will definitely be reading this book at least once more to make notations and take notes of other books to read that are referenced in the book. I am so impressed with how captivating this book really has been. Sometimes nonfiction tends to not hold my attention and I have to reread it. I have never had that with this book. I will definitely be picking up physical copies when it releases!

Book Spotlight: White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

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White Smoke

The Haunting of Hill House meets Get Out in this chilling YA psychological thriller and modern take on the classic haunted house story from New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson!

Marigold is running from ghosts. The phantoms of her old life keep haunting her, but a move with her newly blended family from their small California beach town to the embattled Midwestern city of Cedarville might be the fresh start she needs. Her mom has accepted a new job with the Sterling Foundation that comes with a free house, one that Mari now has to share with her bratty ten-year-old stepsister, Piper.

The renovated picture-perfect home on Maple Street, sitting between dilapidated houses, surrounded by wary neighbors has its . . . secrets. That’s only half the problem: household items vanish, doors open on their own, lights turn off, shadows walk past rooms, voices can be heard in the walls, and there’s a foul smell seeping through the vents only Mari seems to notice. Worse: Piper keeps talking about a friend who wants Mari gone.

But “running from ghosts” is just a metaphor, right?

As the house closes in, Mari learns that the danger isn’t limited to Maple Street. Cedarville has its secrets, too. And secrets always find their way through the cracks.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book very much. Not only does it have the spook factors, but it also covers very real and very troubling realities that we face today. Things that some people want swept under the rug. This is a real page-turner. I didn’t expect the ending until it was right there in my face. I can’t wait to see this book turned into a movie one day! I also really loved the mental health representation in this book, and the real terrors behind drug addictions.

Featured Book: Chase Greatness by Rajeev Kapur

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Chase Greatness: Enlightened Leadership for the Next Generation of Disruption

In the past, business leadership was strictly an autocratic proposition. But times have changed, and companies are just discovering they must change with them. In Chase Greatness: Enlightened Leadership for the Next Generation of Disruption, CEO Rajeev Kapur reveals how most business leadership is out of step with evolving times and values―which has negatively impacted both the effectiveness of our workforces as well as the bottom line.

The good news is it’s never too late to “Chase Greatness” in your leadership role. Kapur provides a powerful toolbox of practical advice that will enable you to not only be profitable but also reflect values that will enhance lives and make the world a better place.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book so much. I read it entirely in one sitting. I think anybody that’s considering running a business or taking up management of any kind should read it. It’s so educational. It covers all topics. From the mundane behind the scenes leadership things to the hard topics that nobody really likes to talk about. The author even adds a bit of his own personal experience in the book. I really do feel like I learned a lot. I even now consider a leadership role of some kind whereas before, I had no interest.

Featured Book: What We Never Say by Paulette Stout

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What We Never Say

SOMETIMES SECRETS ARE TOO BIG TO IGNORE.

After a lifetime of lacking confidence at work and in life, Rebecca has finally found her voice. Her blog for women is gaining traction, even getting noticed by the world’s top fashion magazine. When they request an article, Rebecca is beyond thrilled. So why is her boyfriend Kyle so concerned?

Kyle has a blank spot in his past he won’t share—not even with Rebecca. But his secret is blown when a powerful woman from Kyle’s fashion past, becomes desperate to get his attention. It’s attention he never wanted and has been trying to forget for eleven years.

As Kyle takes steps to heal, Rebecca’s article becomes a global sensation. Events force Kyle’s past and present to converge, putting Rebecca’s future at serious risk.

Kyle and Rebecca must now act to reclaim their lives before it’s too late.

With this bold novel, Paulette Stout delivers a deeply personal story that proves the power we hold to reclaim our own lives. What We Never Say is yet another bingeable read from a rising Women’s Fiction author.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I thought there would be parts that I enjoyed more than others. I also thought I’d find parts annoying. I was NOT expecting to be emotionally invested. I wasn’t expecting to want to see these characters thrive as much as I did. I wasn’t expecting the realism of the book. What I loved best was the subject that really doesn’t get acknowledged enough. That men can be assaulted too. That they can go through the same mental trauma that women victims do. I was pulled through an emotional roller coaster with this one.

Featured Series: Blood Grace by Vela Roth

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The Blood Grace Series

One human. One immortal. Will their alliance save the kingdom, or will their forbidden love be a death sentence?

When Cassia seeks out a Hesperine, he could end her mortal life in a heartbeat. But she has no fear of his magic or his fangs. She knows the real monster is the human king, her father. If he finds out she’s bargaining with his enemy, he’ll send her to the executioner.

As a Hesperine diplomat, Lio must negotiate with mortals who hate him. Cassia is different, but politics aren’t why she captivates the gentle immortal. He wants more than her blood, and if he can’t resist the temptation, he’ll provoke the war he’s trying to prevent.

Blood and Ash fans will love this slow-burn, steamy romance with classic fantasy worldbuilding. Follow fated mates Cassia and Lio through their epic love story for a guaranteed series HEA.

My Thoughts:

I knew I’d adore this series. What I didn’t expect was to be consumed by it. I wasn’t expecting to think about characters at random throughout my day. Even when I wasn’t reading the book. The world-building of this series is amazing. It’s hard not to fall for the main characters. If I ever make a book club, this will be added to our list of books to read!

Weekly Featured Book: Orphan X

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This is a reread for me. The latest book in the series just recently came out. I realized that I didn’t know where I left off in the series, so I decided to just reread them all. It’s not a big deal to me because I absolutely love the series. I actually started on chapter 6 yesterday intending to only listen to a few chapters and wound up listening all the way to chapter 41.

Tell me about the books you’re really enjoying this week!

Weekly Featured Book: The Paramormals of Avynwood

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I’m so obsessed with this series! I don’t know if I ever have featured it in this segment. If I have, I apologize. They were just recently released as box sets! I think it’s amazing! I own most of them in audiobooks. I think I’m only lacking a few. I own all of them but a few in ebook as well. I still plan to buy the boxed sets. I also plan to save for signed paperbacks as well. They are just so amazing! I’m so happy I came across them!

Tell me about the books you’re really enjoying this week!

Weekly Featured Book: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

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I suppose some would say that picking more than one book for the Featured Book of the Week is borderline cheating. I have two points to make to this. For one, I’m the one that makes this segment for my blog. I don’t think I ever made any rules for it. For two, they are all in the same series. So it counts. Many years ago, I read the first three books in the series. I never finished it. Needless to say, I was excited when my mom decided she wanted to do this as our next buddy read. I’m finally going to get to read the rest of the series!

All are welcome to join us reading these!!! The more the merrier! Just let me know so I can add you to our group!

Tell me about the books you’re really enjoying this week!