Top Ten Tuesday: My Ten Most Recent Reads

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are my ten most recent reviews at Long and Short Reviews as of when I wrote this post.

If you’re interested in joining the Long and Short Reviews team, go to our Become a Reviewer page for more information.

We have a wonderful group of reviewers and are always happy to welcome new folks aboard!

 

1. Spirit in Time by Julie Howard

Genre: Romantic Mystery

Why I Liked It: It had genuine character development that I mentioned wanting to see more of in my review of the first book in this series. Isn’t it wonderful when authors do this?

 

2. Fern and Otto by Stephanie Graegin

Genre: Children’s

Why I Liked It: There were so many clever references to classic fairy tales and legends.

 

3. To the Moon and Back For You by Emilia Bechrakis Serhant

Genre: Children’s

Why I Liked It: The main character was a loving, attentive parent. I also liked how open-ended the storyline was as far as how she eventually was able to become a mother.

 

4. Short Poems, Long Tales by Rashid Osmani

Genre: Poetry

Why I Liked It: All of poems were short, sweet, and to the point. I appreciate that sort of poetry.

 

 

5. Mae the Mayfly by Denise Brennan-Nelson

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Why I Liked It: Mae was such a brave little Mayfly.

 

6. The Ferret by Tom Minder

Genre: Mystery

Why I Liked It: The descriptions of how the Witness Protection Program works were fascinating.

 

7. Hunted: A Short Story by Brandon Tolin

Genre: Science Fiction

Why I Liked It: Cryptozoology is one of those topics that isn’t covered nearly enough in this genre, so I was happy to see it here.

 

8. Where Are You,  Agnes? by Tessa McWatt

Genre: Children’s

Why I Liked It: I didn’t know much about the early life of Agnes Martin, a famous Canadian painter, and was excited to learn more.

 

9. Sparky Brain – Epileptic Tips and Stories by Ada Almond

Genre: Non-Fiction

Why I Liked It: Someone I care about has epilepsy. It was interesting to read about this author’s experience with it and learn about some things that have helped her reduce her seizures.

 

10. Masquerade Season by ‘Pemi Aguda

Genre: Science Fiction

Why I Liked It: The main character was incredibly sweet and likeable. He made me want to learn more about the world building.

 

Movie Review: Howard Original

Movie Review: Howard Original

Director: Natalie Rodriguez

Writer: Kevin Michaels and Natalie Rodriguez

Stars: Kevin Michaels, Natasha Galano, Katt Balsan, Jasmine Richards, Ivon Millian, Alessandra Mañon, and Iliyana Apostolova.

Due to recent tragic events in his life – particularly with MULTIPLE failed relationships – a screenwriter named HOWARD begins to question his life and the meaning of it. He escapes to a cabin, in hopes to find closure from both his writer’s block and hysterical, yet painful past. Only, HOWARD finds himself in a state of reality and an altered universe when he finds an abandoned cat named BLUE while reflecting on his personal and work relationships.

Rated: 3 Stars

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He’s not a good guy, but he is an interesting one.

Howard was an argumentative, crass, and deeply prejudiced character whose profound lack of self-awareness made me shake my head. He was the last person I’d ever want to spend time with in real life, and yet I found myself fascinated by his repeated refusals to learn from his mistakes or listen to the feedback he was given about his abhorrent behavior from many of the women who crossed his path.

Other films on this topic would generally shown a small crack in the main character’s persona early on as evidence that he knew what he was doing was wrong and that he was at least theoretically capable of changing. The fact that this one gave the audience no hints about him learning the error of his ways or even admitting he had major issues relating to other human beings only made me more curious to see how such a belligerent and stubborn character would react to all of the plot twists that were being thrown his way.

I was often confused by the flashbacks in the storyline. While some of them were necessary in order to understand the deeper meanings of the plot, they happened so regularly that I struggled to keep the timeline in order in my head. Once or twice I paused this film in order to write down how I thought everything fit together and then checked it later to see if I was correct. It would have been helpful if more of the most important scenes had been shown in the order they actually occurred. There were times when I was totally wrong about how they should have fit together, and that only puzzled me more.

Blending the satirical and dreamlike elements of the plot together was a good choice. This was especially true during the portions of it near the end that would have been easy to take literally if they’d been shot in a more straightforward manner. I appreciated having these reminders to dig more deeply into what was happening and think critically about what I was watching. They did a good job of tying up some loose ends for me.

Howard Original kept me on my toes. I’d recommend it to anyone who is in the mood for something genre bending and thought provoking.

Top Ten Tuesday: Colorful Book Covers

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

All of these books have nice splashes of color on their covers, don’t you think? I haven’t read any of them yet, so do let me know if you’ve read and enjoyed any of them when you comment.

1. A Million Worlds with You (Firebird, #3) by Claudia Gray

2. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

Dead Astronauts (Borne #2) by Jeff VanderMeer

3. Dead Astronauts (Borne #2) by Jeff VanderMeer

4. A Tyranny of Petticoats (A Tyranny of Petticoats, #1) by Jessica Spotswood

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6. The Girl in the Tower (The Winternight Trilogy, #2) by Katherine Arden

7. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

The Undercover Captain by Henry Vogel

8. The Undercover Captain by Henry Vogel

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare

9. City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare

10. The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Top Ten Tuesday: Places In Books I’d Love to Live

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

All of the places I picked for this week’s prompt were fictional and magical. If only I could really go visit them! Wouldn’t it be neat to drink butter beer or have a conversation with a talking animal?

1. Hogsmeade from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

2. The Shire from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series.

3. The quiet village of Carvahall from Christopher Paolini’s The Inheritance Cycle series

4. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children from Ransom Riggs’ Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children, #1) series

5. Oxford College from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series.
This way, you can easily give him your trust since trust has a big role in causing pre buy cialis viagra mature ejaculation. cheap viagra from india Premature ejaculation or PE is a serious threat that results in erection loss. Numbness in arms and breathing difficulties are some rare effects of this pill. cheap viagra amerikabulteni.com It improves endurance, vitality cost low viagra and vigor.
6. Anywhere that Aziraphale and Crowley are spending time together from Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

7. Oz from L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1)

8. The spacious home of the big friendly giant From Roald Dahl’s The BFG

9. The home planet of the little prince in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince
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10. Cair Paravel from C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Spring 2021 TBR

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I’m so excited for these spring 2021 releases! Which ones were also on your lists?

 

1. Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi

Release Date: Already released.

It Sounds Good Because…I’ve never read a young adult book about uterine cancer before.

 

2. Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira

Release Date: Already released

It Sounds Good Because…our world needs more dancing and romance at the moment.

 

3. Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan

Release Date: April 6

It Sounds Good Because… it deals with some pretty pertinent issues like immigration, bullying, and xenophobia.

 

4. Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura

Release Date: April 22

It Sounds Good Because… portals to other worlds never fail to ignite my imagination.

 

5. Before I Saw You by Emily Houghton

Release Date: May 4

It Sounds Good Because… I adore the idea of falling in love with someone before you know what they look like.
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6. China by Edward Rutherfurd

Release Date: May 13

It Sounds Good Because… I deeply enjoy historical sagas.

 

7. Ophie’s Ghosts  by Justina Ireland

Release Date: May 18

It Sounds Good Because… ghost stories are always intriguing to me, especially when they’re set in the past

 

8.  Aetherbound by E.K. Johnston

Release Date: May 25

It Sounds Good Because… long-haul space travel requires so many things to go right in order for the characters to safely make it to their destinations.

 

9. Nia and the New Free Library by Ian Lendler

Release Date: June 1

It Sounds Good Because… little free libraries make my heart sing.

 

 

10. Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury

Release Date: June 15

It Sounds Good Because…I’m fascinated by the concept of genetic matchmaking programs. Wouldn’t it be nice to immediately know which people would make a great husband, wife, or life partner for you? I think that would make the dating process so much easier for everyone.

Top Ten Tuesday: Valentine’s Day Picture Books for Young Children

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

One of the latest trends I’ve noticed where I live is that Valentine’s Day is beginning to be used to celebrate non-romantic types of love as well as the romantic types.

For example, some people here now buy chocolates or flowers for their closest platonic friends. Others have started giving small Valentine’s Day gifts to their young children or grandchildren.

In honor of this cultural shift, here are ten picture books  about Valentine’s Day and love in general from as many different cultures as I could find for the little ones in your life.

 

1. Hugs and Hearts by Toni Trent Parker

2. Homemade Love by Bell Hooks

3. On Mother’s Lap by Ann Herbert Scott

4. Freckles and Willie, a Valentine’s Day Story  by Margery Cuyler
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5. Full, Full, Full of Love by Trish Cooke

6. Countdown to Valentine’s Day by Jodi Huelin

7. “More More More,” Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams

8. Mama Says: A Book of Love for Mothers and Sons  by Rob D. Walker

9. Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse

10. My Huggy Valentine by Sheila Sweeny Higginson

 

Happy Valentine’s Day if you celebrate it! Long and Short Reviews deeply appreciates all of our readers.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Written Before LASR Was Born

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Long and Short Reviews has been around since 2007. Here are ten books that were published before we existed!

1. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2. Lisey’s Story by Stephen King

3. Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars, #1)  by Sara Shepard

4. The Birth House by Ami McKay

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6. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

7. The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #13) by Lemony Snicket

8. Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic by Esther Perel

9. Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

10. The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals  by Michael Pollan

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Picture Books for the First Half of 2021

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

I believe that no one is ever too old or too young to enjoy a good picture book. Here are the picture books I’m most looking forward to reading in 2021.

 

The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall’s Life, Leadership, and Legacy by Kekla Magoon

Publication Date: Today

 

Off to See the Sea  by Nikki Grimes

Publication Date: January 12

 

Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail (Hardcover) by Lesléa Newman

Publication Date: January 28

 

Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Pena

Publication Date: February 2

 

 

A Little Courage  by Taltal Levi

Publication Date: February 4
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Hello, Earth!: Poems to Our Planet by Joyce Sidman

Publication Date: February 9

 

Fair and Square: An Acorn Book (Unicorn and Yeti #5) by Heather Ayris Burnell

Publication Date: March 2

 

The Little Butterfly That Could by Ross Burach

Publication Date: March 2

 

Game, Set, Sisters!: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams  by Jay Leslie

Publication Date: March 30

 

 

As Strong as the River by Sarah Noble

Publication Date: May 4

Movie Review: Candy Jar

Movie Review: Candy Jar

Director: Ben Shelton

Writer: Chad Klitzman

Stars: Christina Hendricks, Uzo Aduba, Jacob Latimore, Sami Gayle, and Helen Hunt.

Rated: 4 Stars

Review by: Astilbe

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Anything is possible if you work hard enough at it, right?

Lona and Bennett would have been loathed to admit it, but they truly were two peas in a pod. They were both intelligent, hardworking, and stubborn teens who knew their many hours of studying and carefully-selected extracurriculars like debate club were going to get them admission to their dream colleges. There was nothing that was going to stand in their ways, not even each other. The acting was so well done that I kept forgetting this was a fictional story. That was how convincing both of these actors were at playing competitive and nerdy high schoolers.

I must admit that their strong personalities overwhelmed me a little at first. They were both so determined to be right about everything that neither of them was very good at listening to others. I admired their strong work ethics, but they both seemed like people who would be exhausting to spend a lot of time around in real life. They never took a break!

Luckily, those character flaws in these two characters provided plenty of fodder for both the dramatic and comedic moments in this film. Their personalities were so similar to each other that they were often on the same wavelength. This lead to moments of friction when they disagreed, but it also brought them of opportunities to find the funny side of their high-pressure lifestyles.

There’s something amusing about watching two characters realize just how much they have in common and what a good couple they might make. This was obvious to the audience from the very first scene, and it made me wonder if or when these characters would figure it out as well.

Candy Jar was a lighthearted romp that I’d recommend to viewers of all ages who love teen romances, dramas, or, better yet, both of these genres!

Winter Blogfest: Amber Daulton

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a free ebook copy of Forever Winter (1-flame historical romance), A Hero’s Heart (5-flame romantic suspense), and Mistletoe in the City (3-flame New Adult contemporary) to one winner. These are my backlist holiday-themed books.

Writing Holiday Romance

Holiday-themed romances are some of my favorite books to read and write. My latest contemporary, Harmony’s Embrace, follows Harmony Holdich as she returns home to Willow Springs, Vermont to visit her uncle for Christmas before starting her life over across the country. There she reconnects with her high school sweetheart, Birley Haynes, and her plans go up in smoke.

Quiet literally.

Someone is targeting Birley and his family business, and Harmony gets caught in the crossfire.

Even though most holiday romances tend to be more sweet and clean—and there’s nothing wrong with that—my books lean more toward danger and sexual tension hot enough to melt snow. I always put my heroine and hero through the ringer, both in and out of the bedroom, and Harmony and Birley are no exception. After all, the bad guys aren’t going to wait at home, twiddling their thumbs, just because it’s the season to be merry. Heck no! Where’s the fun in that?
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But I am following some of the normal holiday conventions with Harmony’s Embrace—family, kids, and matchmaking. Birley is an exhausted single dad with a ton of responsibilities, and his mother and brother are determined to set him up with the woman who got away.

No matter what happens during the course of the story, one thing should always remain the same—the romance. Harmony and Birley may find their happily ever after outside the typical holiday structure, but as long as the reader is smiling, then it’s a good book.

Divorced dad Birley Haynes is too busy raising his children and running his family’s music academy to start a relationship. Then Harmony Holdich, his high school sweetheart, returns home to Willow Springs, Vermont for Christmas and falls into his bed. She brings light and fun back into his life, but he can’t brush aside the threatening incidents around his workplace.
Harmony hadn’t expected a complication like Birley, especially so soon after the death of her unfaithful husband. With her life a mess, she plans to move across the country and start over. All she can offer him is a fling, but her heart yearns for more.
When the threats rise, how will Birley keep his children safe and convince Harmony to give love another chance?

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through The Wild Rose Press, Books to Go Now, and Daulton Publishing, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.
She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.

WebsiteFacebook | Twitter

Buy the book at Books2Read.