Tag: Kelly Powell

2019 End of Year Survey

2019 was a solid reading year for myself, if not as great as I was hoping it would be. However, I did get to read some amazing books and find new favorite authors so I can’t complain too much. I can’t wait to look back on everything that I’ve read over the past year!

If you wish to participate in the survey, please link back to the original creator – Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner.

2019 Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 64
Number of Re-Reads: 2
Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy

Best in Book

Best Book You Read In 2019?

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Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

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Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

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Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

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Best series you started in 2019? Best sequel of 2019? Best series finale of 2019?

Favorite new author you discovered in 2019?

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Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

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Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

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Book You Read In 2019 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

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Favorite cover of a book you read in 2019?

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Most memorable character of 2019?

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Jude is a total badass and no one can say otherwise.

Most beautifully written book read in 2019?

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Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2019?

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Book you can’t believe you waited until 2019 to finally read?

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Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2019?

“By you, I am forever undone.” – The Queen of Nothing

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2019?

Book That Shocked You The Most

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OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

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Jude and Cardan… I think it’s pretty easy to see how I feel about this book.

Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

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Morrigan and Hawthorne crack me up with their friendship. She’s cynical and he is Mr. Get-Into-All-of-the-Trouble.

Favorite Book You Read in 2019 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

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Best Book You Read In 2019 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.

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Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2019?

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I will always go for the moody and brooding guys, especially ones with a bit of darkness in them like Nathaniel.

Best 2019 debut you read?

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Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

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Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

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Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2019?

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Hidden Gem Of The Year?

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Book That Crushed Your Soul?

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Most Unique Book You Read In 2019?

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Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

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Your Blogging/Bookish Life

New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2019?

I have done a terrible job keeping up with the bookish community this past year. Maybe that’s why I was affected by so many reading slumps – I wasn’t keeping myself hyped up.

Favorite post you wrote in 2019?

If You Liked That…Read This: Historical Fiction Edition

Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2019?

Ummm, I did not take one. Oops!

Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events,  etc.)?

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it to BookCon this past year but I was able to participate in the blog tour for Songs from the Deep!

Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2019?

Probably when I finally reach over 1000 followers on my blog. I don’t really promote it a whole lot so it’s been nice to see it grow so much this year.

Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

My reading life took a bit of a hit this year from going into so many random reading slumps, which has really affected my will to actually post regularly. It’s something I’m really hoping to not have an issue with this coming year.

Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

The 5 Most Disappointing Books of 2019

Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Top 5 Audiobook Recommendations

Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

I don’t think I really have one this year.

Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

Hahahahahaha… Nope, didn’t finish either of one. Epic 2019 fail.

Looking Ahead

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2019 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2020?

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Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2020 (non-debut)?

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2020 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

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Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2020?

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One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2020?

Keep away from the dreaded reading slumps and try to consistently blog post.

How did you reading year go in 2019? What was a book that surprised you the most? Did you read a hidden gem of a novel? Did any books disappoint you? Please leave a link to your reading survey in the comments below!

November/December Wrap-Up: Reviews, Reading Challenges, etc.

My reading life in 2019 didn’t end on as great of a note as I was hoping for. I have struggled the past few months with being able to sit down and concentrate on reading for long periods of time. I can’t determine if this is a side effect of work having been extremely stressful or what, but I really hope it doesn’t continue into this year. I want 2020 to be a great year for reading. With that being said, I did still get to read some really good books over the past couple of months which is always nice!

Books Read

  • The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw – physical book, 4/5 stars, BOOK REVIEW
  • The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3) by Holly Black – physical book, 5/5 stars
  • Supernova (Renegades, #3) by Marissa Meyer – physical book, 4/5 stars,
  • Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #2) by Jessica Townsend – physical book, 5/5 stars
  • Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell – physical ARC, 4/5 stars, BOOK REVIEW
  • Somerset by Leila Meacham – physical book, 5/5 stars
  • Devils & Thieves by Jennifer Rush – physical book, 3/5 stars

Total Books Read: 7

Overall in 2019: 64

Reading Challenge Updates

POPSUGAR

  • A book with a plant in the title or on the cover – Somerset
  • A book that makes you nostalgic – Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow

Goodreads Challenge

Total:64/75

Previous Total: 57/75

Blog Posts

Book Reviews

WWW Wednesday

Discussions/Misc.

Did you get a lot of reading done in November and December? Were you able to read all of the books on your TBR? Did you read any new favorites? What book did you like the least? What do you plan on reading in January?

Blog Tour Book Review: Songs from the Deep

Debut novels always excite me, as I could possibly have found a new favorite author. And I’m so happy to say that that was the case with this book. Kelly Powell’s Songs from the Deep was such a beautifully atmospheric story that immediately captured my attention and transported me to Twillengyle.

Big thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy for review and asking me to be a part of this blog tour!

A girl searches for a killer on an island where deadly sirens lurk just beneath the waves in this gripping, atmospheric debut novel.

The sea holds many secrets.

Moira Alexander has always been fascinated by the deadly sirens who lurk along the shores of her island town. Even though their haunting songs can lure anyone to a swift and watery grave, she gets as close to them as she can, playing her violin on the edge of the enchanted sea. When a young boy is found dead on the beach, the islanders assume that he’s one of the sirens’ victims. Moira isn’t so sure.

Certain that someone has framed the boy’s death as a siren attack, Moira convinces her childhood friend, the lighthouse keeper Jude Osric, to help her find the real killer, rekindling their friendship in the process. With townspeople itching to hunt the sirens down, and their own secrets threatening to unravel their fragile new alliance, Moira and Jude must race against time to stop the killer before it’s too late—for humans and sirens alike.

First off, I just want to gush over Powell’s beautiful writing style. It has a very classic feel that I think worked perfectly with the setting. While the writing was very lyrical, I never felt like it pulled me out of the story, nor did I struggle to understand what was going on. It’s very telling of Powell’s talent that she was able to write so beautifully, while still providing an extremely readable story. I feel like this is something that a lot of writers struggle with, as it is very difficult to write a story that is both lyrical and readable. Magical realism is a genre that is really guilty of this. Luckily, that was not an issue with Songs from the Deep.

Our main character, Moira, is a complicated person. She’s cold and would rather protect herself and the secrets that she carries, rather than form close relationships. These secrets have kept her from her childhood best friend, Jude. Where Moira is cold and withdrawn from the world, Jude is kind and helps out wherever he is needed. He is beloved by everyone on the island and they all look to him for guidance due to his work as the lighthouse keeper. I really enjoyed the relationship between Moira and Jude. You could tell that they had been really close when they were younger and had drifted apart. I like watching them slowly rebuild that relationship and see how it changes from a childhood friendship to an adult one.

To our seafarers,

I really enjoyed that a murder mystery was part of the plot. The plot is on the slower side as it is very character driven, so it was nice to have that blend of the mystery with the development of Jude and Moira’s relationship. It kept my attention and had me constantly guessing what was going to happen next. I will say that the one issue I had was that the big reveal wasn’t as twisty as I was hoping it would be. I love being completely surprised by endings but unfortunately, I had this one figured out beforehand. Luckily, I was still able to enjoy the buildup and the overall progression of the story. The mystery was really only the backdrop to the character development and setting.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The blend of the beautiful writing and vivid setting, was such a perfect setup for this fantastical murder mystery. If you’re looking for an action-packed story, then this book isn’t really what you’re looking for. But if you enjoy a slow-burn relationship and to be completely transported into a book, I think this is the one for you. I also really recommend reading it curled up by a fire this winter, as the atmosphere really lends itself to being a perfect fall/winter read.

Final Verdict: 4/5 Stars

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Kelly Powell has a bachelor’s degree in history and book and media studies from the University of Toronto. She currently lives in Ontario. Songs from the Deep is her debut novel.

 

Are you interested in reading Songs from the Deep? Do you like action packed stories or slow burns? Do you find settings to be an important part of a story?

WWW Wednesday – November 13th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown – audiobook
  • Romanov by Nadine Brandes – audiobook, buddy read
  • The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw – physical book

I’ve finally crossed over the halfway point in Romanov. Unfortunately, the plot is still very slow and I find myself not really feeling engage enough to want to listen to it. I’ll finish it eventually but I’m not sure it will still be by the end of this week.

I’m about halfway through The Wicked Deep and I’m really enjoying it so far. There were a few interesting reveals that have piqued my interest especially, so I’m excited to see how that will affect the story moving forward. I’m hoping the pace will pick up soon because of it.

What did you recently finish reading?

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  • Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell – physical ARC

I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. It was engaging and the writing style was fantastic. I’m really excited to be a part of the blog tour for it and you will be seeing my review posted this Friday. Can’t wait to share my love for this story with you all!

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Last Magician (The Last Magician, #1) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • Valiant (Modern Faerie Tales, #2) by Holly Black – physical book
  • Somerset by Leila Meacham – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – November 6th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown – audiobook
  • Romanov by Nadine Brandes – audiobook, buddy read
  • Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell – physical ARC

I’ve made a bit more progress in Romanov this week, but I am STILL waiting for anything to happen. To say this book is slow with no clear plot at this point is probably an understatement.

I am about halfway through Songs from the Deep, which I am currently reviewing as part of the blog tour through Scholastic Publishing. Y’all, I am loving this story so far. It’s very atmospheric with plenty of secrets running about that keeps you guessing. I can’t wait to see how it ends!

What did you recently finish reading?

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  • Devils & Thieves (Devils & Thieves, #1) by Jennifer Rush – physical book

This book was interesting and I really enjoyed the premise magical biker gangs. I wouldn’t say this was the most groundbreaking read in any way, but I was still entertained by the story. I haven’t heard anything about the sequel which is a shame because I feel like where the story was heading could be a really good change of pace.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • The Last Magician (The Last Magician, #1) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • Valiant (Modern Faerie Tales, #2) by Holly Black – physical book
  • The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – October 30th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Iron Gold (Red Rising, #4) by Pierce Brown – audiobook
  • Romanov by Nadine Brandes – audiobook, buddy read
  • Devils & Thieves (Devils & Thieves, #1) by Jennifer Rush – physical book

As you can tell from my lack of posting the past few weeks, I have been super busy with work which has affected my reading life. So which means that I have made zero progress with my two audiobooks recently. I plan to hopefully get back into them fully today.

I am over halfway through Devils & Thieves and I’m really enjoying it so far. I have had a strange obsession with biker gangs ever since watching Sons of Anarchy (I know, I know!), and so combining that with magic and a will-they-won’t-they romance just ticks all of my boxes. I don’t see this book being mentioned much in the book community though, but I hope more people will start to pick it up.

What did you recently finish reading?

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  • Sanctuary by V.V. James – physical book

I’ll hopefully be posting a full review of this book soon.. but oh my gosh, what a wild ride it was to read! I loved how my opinions changed about everyone multiple times throughout the story and I never really knew what was going on. Seriously, this book needs to be adapted into a film or miniseries. I can see Reese Witherspoon doing something amazing with this. Just know, this is an adult novel and is very dark. But I really recommend anyone looking for a realistic take on what witches and magic would look like in modern times, give this book a try.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell – physical ARC
  • Valiant (Modern Faerie Tales, #2) by Holly Black – physical book
  • The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!