August 2020 Reading WrapUp

 Goodbye August!


Hello readers!

It's been a good minute! 
That latest Blogger update has thrown my blogging schedule way off course.
What used to take me a few minutes to type up with links and pictures now takes literal hours. 
I've been so disheartened and haven't had the extra time to catch up here while also pouring so much of my time and energy into beginning our home education program, which has been going well.
I'm currently trying to work around using this as my main review space in case these issues do not change.

I'd love to know if you've had issues with Blogger lately and if you were able to fix it or not!


I'm sticking to text at the moment, in hopes that this post won't take hours to publish, but I may return to add pictures and links later when I have extra time.


Books I Read in August
The Double Helix (Explorer Academy #3) by Trudi Trueit (5/5 stars)
New Kid by Jerry Craft (5/5 stars)
The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh (4/5 stars)
My Life in the Fish Tank by Barbara Dee (4.5/5 stars)
The Whisper Man by Alex North (4.5/5 stars)
American Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (5/5 stars)

Nonficiton
Nature Play at Home: Creating Outdoor Spaces that Connect Children With the Natural World by Nancy Striniste 
Peggy Dean's Guide to Nature Drawing and Watercolor by Peggy Dean
100 Hikes of a Lifetime by Kate Siber
This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell

Chapter Books I Read to My Daughter:
A True Home (Heartwood Hotel #1) by Kallie George
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park

Junie B. Jones and the Litle Monkey Business by Barbara Park

Junie B. Jones and her Big Fat Mouth by Barbara Park


Started but haven't finished:

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake



Reviews shared in July:
Archicards: Build A Castle by Paul Farrell
Scat by Carl Hiaasen
The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh

Other Posts:
ARC August TBR
TTT: Read the Rainbow
TTT: Books I Loved But Never Reviewed


Challenge Progress

ABC Challenge
July: 15/26
Aug: +0

Tackle My TBR / Beat the Backlist
July: +2
Aug: +1

The Wolf Wants In
New Kid

New Release Challenge
July: +3
Aug: +4

My Life in the Fish Tank
The Whisper Man
This Book Is Anti-Racist
American Gothic

PopSugar Challenge
July: 9/50
Aug: 12/50   +3

A book that won an award in 2019 - New Kid by Jerry Craft won the Newbery Award and Coretta Scott King Award

A book written by a Woman of Color - American Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia & This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell

A book you meant to read in 2019 - The Wolf Wants In

Read Harder Challenge
July: 8/25
Aug: 12/25   +4

Read a YA nonfiction book - This Book is Anti-Racist
Read a mystery where the victim is not a woman - The Whisper Man
Read a historical fiction novel not set in WWII - American Gothic
Read a MG book that isn't set in the US or UK - The Double Helix


1001 Books to Read Before You Grow Up
??? lost track / will update ???




If you got this far, thanks for reading! 
Have a great September and happy reading! 

The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh (Adult Mystery Thriller Book Review)

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Goodreads Giveaways. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

The Wolf Wants In

by Laura McHugh

Published by Spiegel & Grau 

(Penguin Random House)

on August 6, 2019

Genre: Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Length: 272 pages

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:

In a small town ravaged by the opioid crisis, a woman confronts a dark secret about her brother's shocking death--a gripping novel of suspense for fans of  Sharp Objects and S-Town. 

Like Laura McHugh's previous award-winning thrillers, The Weight of Blood and Arrowood, The Wolf Wants In is an atmospheric, beautifully told novel that barrels toward a twisting, chilling end and keeps up turning the page to find out how these small-town secrets will unravel--and who will survive.


My Thoughts:

Sadie's brother, Shane, dies of what is waved off as a heart attack but his wife of one year, Crystle--a hard woman from the least-liked family in town--is quick to dispose of his every possession within a month of his death. Sadie is suspicious so she delves into the details of her brother's adult life while repairing a fractured friendship with an old friend whose missing daughter's bones were recently found in the woods nearby, not far from her father's, who was the main suspect in her kidnapping. When Crystle let's slip that Shane might have had something to do with it, Sadie is determined to figure out the truth. Meanwhile, the second MC, Henley, a teenage cousin of Crystle's, ends up entangled in the plot as she tries to escape her dead-end small town.

I don't read a lot of mystery thrillers, and especially not contemporary ones like this, but I'm always branching out and trying new things and I've been gravitating towards books like this a lot more recently. I was quickly caught up in Sadie's search for the truth about her brother and the unfolding story of the Petits and all the connections that come to light. Crystle's callousness towards her deceased husband and the typical drug-ridden small-town family secrets really had me hooked. 

I did think it was more mystery than thriller until the end and that it leaned heavily on the second pov for that suspense, but I still enjoyed it. 

Follow

The Shadows by Alex North (Adult Horror Book Review)

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Goodreads Giveaways. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Shadows
 by Alex North

Published by Celadon Books

on July 7, 2020

Genre: Adult, Horror, Thriller, Mystery

Length: 336 pages

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
The haunting new thriller from Alex North, author of the New York Times bestseller The Whisper Man. 

My Thoughts:
The Shadows is a fantastic psychological thriller with dark elements and a twist ending! 

Paul Adams returns to his hometown for the first time in twenty-five years, after learning that his mother has fallen, gotten hurt, and might not have long to live. Returning to the little town of Gritten he is strongly reminded of his childhood and the reason he left all those years ago and never looked back. 

Switching between Paul's teen years and twenty-five years later when he returns home, we learn the story of Charlie Crabtree and the horrific event that changed Paul's life forever. 

This was a fantastic read and has since fueled my need for thrillers. I loved the really dark horror elements in this book such as the lucid dreaming, disturbed teenagers, and the possibly demonic Mister Red Hands. I really enjoyed how the author wove both past and present together and I will admit that I did not see the twist ending coming, despite that I didn't like how obvious it was that certain things were left out of the plot just to surprise us in the end. That said, I think the author has great potential and I will definitely read more in the future!

Speaking of, I attempted reading The Whisper Man once before but I wasn't in a thriller mood at the time and didn't stick with it. The Shadows drew me in quickly but when it mentioned The Whisper Man I thought I'd messed up by not reading that first. So far, the only link that I know of is that they are set in the same 'world', just towns apart, and the detective, Amanda Beck, is in both. 

I definitely recommend if you like your thrillers with hints of horror! 

Follow

Top Ten Tuesday - Books I Loved But Never Reviewed

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and taken over by That Artsy Girl in 2018. 


Books I Loved But Never Reviewed

I read a ton of classics and lots of popular YA  before I started this blog so there's a lot of great books that I don't even have reviewed on Goodreads. Part of me wants to wait until I can reread them all to add a review. Sometimes I end up waiting too long to review a really good book or have a hard time collecting my thoughts about books I loved so this list could go on forever but I'll keep it at 10! 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Uprooted by Naomi Novik
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Pet Sematary by Stephen King

What books haven't you reviewed?

Follow

Scat by Carl Hiaasen (Middle Grade Realistic Fiction Review)

Scat

by Carl Hiaasen
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers
on January 7, 2009
Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction
Length: 386 pages
Ages: 10 - 14 years


Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Literary Awards:
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Children's Book (2009)

Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee (2011)
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2011)
Iowa Teen Award Nominee (2011)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Nominee (2011)

Synopsis:
Bestselling author and columnist Carl Hiaasen returns with another hysterical mystery for kids set in Florida's Everglades. 


My Thoughts:
Nick Waters' fearsome biology teacher, Mrs. Starch, turns up missing during a field trip just a day or two after she is threatened by a troublemaker classmate. The classmate in question, who calls himself 'Smoke', has been accused of arson as well, but Nick oddly believes Smoke when he tells Nick that he had nothing to do with any of it. Nick and his friends have their hands full worrying about their teacher and classmate as well as getting to the bottom of the mystery, and in the meantime there's a crooked oil company trying to make an extra buck drilling oil on protected lands and a Florida panther is on the prowl! 

I began reading Hiaasen's middle-grade novels--starting with Chomp-- last year when I realized I hadn't read many books predominantly set in Florida. It started with just wanting to pin Florida on my 'Read Around the World' map but soon turned into a plan to read as many of his books as possible. I especially love the settings of these books because I grew up in Florida and a lot of the descriptions are quite nostalgic of my childhood spent swimming and boating in springs, rivers, and the ocean.

Carl Hiaasen's books have a lot of humor in them but also always have a big focus on conservation and saving the environment, which absolutely makes sense to this Floridian that has seen countless fights for the preservation of our wild and natural spaces.

 This wasn't my favorite of the four I've read so far, but it still brought about a ton of memories of hiking in the woods and hearing a panther's cry! 

Follow

A True Home (Heartwood Hotel #1) by Kallie George & Stephanie Graigin (Children's Chapter Book Review)

A True Home
(Heartwood Hotel #1)
Written by Kallie George

Illustrated by Stephanie Graigin

Published by Little, Brown Books

on July 3, 2017

Genre: Children's, Chapter Books, Animals

Length: 176 pages

Ages: 7 - 10 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Literary Awards:
Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize Nominee (2018)
Shining Willow Award Nominee (2018)

Synopsis:
When Mona the Mouse stumbles across the wondrous world of the Heartwood Hotel in the middle of a storm, she desperately hopes they'll let her stay. As it turns out, Mona is precisely the maid they need at the grandest hotel in Fernwood Forest, where animals come from far and wide for safety, luxury, and comfort. But the Heartwood Hotel is not all acorn souffle and soft moss-lined beds. Danger lurks, and as it approaches, Mona finds that this hotel is more than a warm place to spend the night. It might also be a home. 

This delightfully enticing start of a new chapter book series tells a tale of friendship, courage, and community, with exquisite black and white illustrations throughout. 

Our Thoughts:

This is a super cute chapter book about a young mouse with no home or family that finds a true home!

Mona the Mouse gets swept away by a storm and finds herself at a grand oak called Heartwood Hotel. There's a party going on when she arrives and the owner generously allows her to stay the night in exchange for tidying up after the party guests. Everyone is kind and welcoming except for Tilly the Squirrel, but Mona is extra helpful and finds her place after all! 

I read this to my daughter and we both enjoyed it very much. The anthropomorphic animal characters were mostly kind and generous with real problems and worries and it was easy to root for and worry for Mona and the others. Of course, there were a few bleak moments, such as a big bear and even wolves, but Mona uses her big heart and keen mind to help out anywhere and everywhere she can!

This is the first in a trilogy so we're hoping to get our hands on them soon! 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Follow

Top Ten Tuesday - Read the Rainbow!

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and taken over by That Artsy Girl in 2018.



Books With Colors in the Title

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
(Sisters Red was one of my first fairytale retellings ever and I still need to read Priory which I bought for my Kindle.)

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire
(The Yellow Wallpaper is a memorable short story and I can't wait for the next Wayward Children story!)

Planet Earth Is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos

Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

What color titles did you find?

Follow

Archicards: Build A Castle by Paul Farrell (Children's Review)

We received this product from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Achicards:
Build A Castle

by Paul Farrell

Published by Pavilion Children's

on April 7, 2020

Genre: Children's

Ages: 3 - 5 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
Turrets, ramparts, windows, walls, and more--create your own medieval masterpiece with the first in a new series of graphic-designed building cards.   

Our Thoughts:

'Archicards' Build A Castle cards are designed for toddlers to use their imagination!  This fun set of building cards are perfect for little ones who prefer to keep their hands busy while they listen! You can pair them with stories that include castles for extra 'fun points'!

These fantastic building cards come in a variety of colorful designs that slot together so you can build both vertically and horizontally. Some are decorated with plain bricks for walls while others have flags, banners, windows, portcullises, or other details found in castles to decorate yours however you want.  There are plenty of cards (64 in all!) to build an extensive castle or perhaps even a really tall tower, which is what my Rapunzel-loving little princess wanted to do first!

Follow

The Sunday Post - 2020 Week 31 - Hello August

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

and is a chance to share news, both new and old!

Hey there, bloggers!
It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted so here's an extended look at what I've read and reviewed since then!

Currently Reading:



Recently Finished:



Recent Reviews:

We had a 'Water Week' recently and read these picture books. Water Can Be... by Laura Purdie Salas is a beautiful look at water in all its forms. River by Elisha Cooper is a fantastic illustrated account of a woman who canoes down the River Hudson to NYC Harbor. The Blue Giant by Katie Cottle is an eco-tale about the ocean asking for help with pollution. 



The Mulberry Tree by Allison Rushby is a middle-grade horror-mystery that is a great not-too-spooky read for the upcoming autumn season!

Other Posts:
July 2020 Wrap Up
ArcAugust 2020 TBR & Goals

Off the Blog:

I'm hoping to continue my self-appointed 30 minutes a day or more of reading time this month and knock out some arcs for #ARCAugust while I'm at it. I haven't had the best reading streak this year so I definitely have a stack of books to catch up on!

We are starting our 'first day of homeschool' tomorrow so we can dig into the curriculum I purchased and find our new groove. I'm hoping we can keep it laid back and low-stress and I'm excited to have an outdoor classroom to get us out of the house when the weather is tolerable. It's still in the works but will be a nice little hangout space. 

It's been raining nearly every day so my garden looks great, but maybe a little too overgrown. The crepe myrtles are in full bloom and I discovered a mature and flowering one hiding under the wisteria so now I'm up to 6 in all! We're getting ready for the Fall/Winter vegetable season now as well so be prepared for more garden talk in the future! 

As for blogging, I'm still working on reviews and other media as well but Blogger updated their site and it's as slow as a snail for me now unless it's the wee morning hours when I should be asleep. I'll be making the rounds today though! 

Also, I finally started a proper Pinterest for LazyDayLit and would love and appreciate a follow! 

Have a great week, readers!
Stay safe!

Follow

(ARC) August 2020 TBR & Goals

Hello August!

I'm fully expecting this month to be grueling. We are starting our homeschool year in a couple of days. I'm participating in #ARCAugust. It's hurricane season. It's hot. The spiders are massive. C19 is still a thing. 
I'm sure it's going to be just as fun as the rest of the year.

So, books! 
My TBR is going to be a little ambitious this month.
I'm going to include the books I'm hoping to get to for #ARCAugust and a few others that I might be more prone to grabbing instead. Or library loans that I don't want to return without reading. Et cetera. 

Newer Releases:

Many thanks to Algonquin YR &  Aladdin.


Backlist Books:

Library Loans (Out or on hold)

Here's hoping to knocking some more backlist books off of my TBR! 

Are you participating in ARCAugust? 
Happy reading and have a great month!