ARC, books, Review, Young Adult

Blog Review: Big Bad Me by Aislinn O’Loughlin

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger Books2 Comments on Blog Review: Big Bad Me by Aislinn O’Loughlin
Blog Review: Big Bad Me by Aislinn O’Loughlin

I love getting emails asking if I’m interested in reviewing a book. It allows me to find books that I might not have stumbled across. Big Bad Me is one of those. I was a big fan of the paranormal fantasy craze in the 2000s and I was so glad to find a new book harking back to this craze.

In Big Bad Me, we follow sisters Evie and Katie Wilder, whose mum has recently disappeared. After a strange man tries to attack Evie, she realises she’s actually a werewolf. The two sisters run away looking for their mum and wind up in a guesthouse in the town their mum was last seen. He’s dorky hot, but there’s something strange about him, and when animal attacks are reported in town, he and the sisters look into what’s going on.

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idols, video games

Let’s Talk About Idols – Mobile Game Edition

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Let’s Talk About Idols – Mobile Game Edition
Let’s Talk About Idols – Mobile Game Edition

If it’s not been undeniable that I’ve been very interested in idol games. I’m obsessed with one in particular, but I’ve obviously been trying out a few different games. Most of the ones I’ve tried aren’t officially available outside of Japan, but I’ve wanted to do this post for a while.

I thought it would be a good idea for me to try out a few of the idol games available in the west and to talk about them.

So, I downloaded three games on top of Ensemble Stars Music and thought I’d let you all know what I thought about them. Especially as games for users new to rhythm games.

These sorts of games are so much fun. None of them is the traditional kind of idol-raising game, as they all have musical components. But if you’re at all curious about anime idols and want to have some fun playing with them? This post could be for you.

I’m going to list these games from worst to best. I’ll add that this is just my personal opinion, so if you disagree, that’s fine. But I had a lot of fun preparing for this post, so you can definitely take some recommendations.

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anticipated releases, books, Will I Like This Book?, Young Adult

Will I Like This Book? – She Is A Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Will I Like This Book? – She Is A Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
Will I Like This Book? – She Is A Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran

It’s time for another Will I Like This Book post! I’ve not gotten through all the YALC samplers yet! But since this one comes out early next year, I think now seems like a good time to get a post up, so we all have plenty of time to preorder what sounds like an amazing book! This one is being published by Bloomsbury, so keep an eye out.

She is A Haunting follows teenager Jade Nguyen who desperately needs money for college. She’s always lied, so summer with her estranged father in Vietnam should be something she can survive. She agrees to help him with the dilapidated French colonial house that he’s been renovating. One morning she wakes up feeling like something clawed down her throat from the inside, and a ghost bride visits her and tells her not to eat. When Jade’s dad and sister don’t believe her, she recruits Florence, who has been helping her with the house, to stage hauntings and scare them out of there. But the house has other plans. It’s hungry, and it won’t be abandoned again.

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bookstagram, booktube, tips, Writing

Content Creation – The Pros and Cons of Different Social Media

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger Books7 Comments on Content Creation – The Pros and Cons of Different Social Media
Content Creation – The Pros and Cons of Different Social Media

Content creation is something that most of you reading this blog will enjoy doing. But it’s also something that can take up a lot of time. With so many different social media platforms out there, it can be hard to decide which will work best for you. There’s no point in wasting all your time and energy doing them all. Especially not if you’re not enjoying doing so.

With that in mind, I decided to write up a little post on the pros and cons of each of the main social media platforms you can use for creating bookish content. You can use these to decide which you might want to try out and which won’t work for you!

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Update

I’m Going To Learn Japanese

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger Books5 Comments on I’m Going To Learn Japanese
I’m Going To Learn Japanese

I know this sounds like a somewhat random post, and I doubt many of you will be interested. But this post is a declaration for me to hold myself accountable.

You can see from my blog and my social media that I’m very interested in Japanese stories. Whether it’s in books, manga or games, I want to be able to read them. Translations are great, but not everything gets translated. And on top of that, it would be fun to be able to understand the source material.

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Adult, ARC, blog tour, books, Review

Blog Tour – The Regency Faerie Tales series by Olivia Atwater

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Blog Tour – The Regency Faerie Tales series by Olivia Atwater
Blog Tour – The Regency Faerie Tales series by Olivia Atwater

I love fairy tale retellings so much. When done well, they’re often some of my favourite books. Historical Romance, on the other hand, isn’t a genre I often turn to, but I have been enjoying it a little more. Which meant the Regency Faerie Tales books were books that I was curious about. After reading all three, I can easily say these were some of my new favourite books. I was super lucky to receive all three of the books in this trilogy thanks to the team Orbit and Tracy from Compulsive Readers. I’m so happy I’m on this tour!

The Regency Faerie Tales books follow three young women whose lives wind up interconnected due to their ties to various different fae in Regency England. The first two books are 100% fairy tale retellings. The third book… I couldn’t pin down as one specific tale, but there were hints of others like The Goose Girl within its pages.

I decided the best thing to do with this post would be to post mini-reviews of all three books. If you’re looking for a review of a particular book, you can scroll down to just that one. But as a whole, I adored this series. I’ll definitely be reading more of Atwater’s books, and let me tell you, it’s worth reading the short stories set in this world too!

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ARC, books, middlegrade, Review

Book Review – The Lost Girl King by Catherine Doyle

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Book Review – The Lost Girl King by Catherine Doyle
Book Review – The Lost Girl King by Catherine Doyle

I really love the fae-inspired books we’re getting recently. Especially within the 8-12 demographic. Like a Charm was amazing, and I adored the use of Scottish fae and folklore. But we all know my true love is the Irish tales. And that’s where The Lost Girl King comes in. I was granted an early chance to read this book through NetGalley, so thanks to the publisher.

The Lost Girl King follows siblings Amy and Liam Bell, who, after being left with their Grandma in Connemara for the summer, wind up stumbling into the realm of Tir na nOg. At first, it seems like a paradise, but they quickly realise they’ve been tricked as they’re separated by a troop of Dullahan. They take him to Tarlock, the ruling sorcerer who needs two human children to keep his control over the fae realm. Amy sets out to save her brother and makes new friends along the way, as Liam tries to survive and discovers some courage all his own.

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Adult, ARC, books, Review

Book Review – Mika In Real Life by Emiko Jean

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Book Review – Mika In Real Life by Emiko Jean
Book Review – Mika In Real Life by Emiko Jean

I think I’ve at least attempted all of Emiko Jean’s books at this point. Her fantasy didn’t work for me, but her YA contemporary duology is a recent favourite. So when I saw that she was releasing an adult contemporary, I knew I had to give it a go. I’ll be honest, with this book being focused on adoption, I wasn’t sure what I’d expect but what I got was a very well-thought-out, very emotional and enjoyable book.

Just a quick warning before I go into the review but this one will contain some spoilers.

Mika in Real Life follows Mika, a 35-year-old Japanese-American woman who gave up her daughter for adoption when she was only 19. Now her daughter has contacted her. Mika feels like she’s a failure, so she does what she thinks is best. She lies to her so Penny won’t be embarrassed to be related to her.

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Adult, books, event

I Attended The Very Secret Society of Witches Launch Party!

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on I Attended The Very Secret Society of Witches Launch Party!
I Attended The Very Secret Society of Witches Launch Party!

I love getting the chance to attend bookish events. I don’t go to them that often. I might be fairly close to London, but I’d still have to stay the night in the city, and most of the time, I can’t excuse that. So when one happens a little closer to home, I’m happy.

The launch party for The Very Secret Society of Witches was held in the Waterstones in Norwich. It’s a place local to the author and a store that hosts many events. I’ve blogged about one such event before. But that Tuesday night was dedicated to Sangu Mandanna herself.

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ARC, books, Review, Young Adult

Book Review – Mindwalker by Kate Dylan

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Book Review – Mindwalker by Kate Dylan
Book Review – Mindwalker by Kate Dylan

I’ve been anticipating Mindwalker since I heard about it at the end of last year. I think I actually requested an ARC of this book back then too. That’s how excited I’ve been. So when I got the email about this book, you can guess how loud I screamed. I’m glad I’ve been able to read this book early as it was so enjoyable. A big thanks to Kate Keehan and the team at Hodder and Stoughton for sending me a copy.

Sil is only 18 years old but the computer in her brain burning out means she could soon be dead. For the last 10 years, she’s been saving soldiers for the Syntex corporation, and she’s proud of her record. Until one day, she fails, and she’s accused of being a traitor. She has to flee her home and her friends, but she’s determined to prove her innocence. To do so, she infiltrates the Analog Army in the hope of destroying the group from within. But as she investigates, she discovers a truth which means that the Syntex corporation might not be the good thing she thought it was.

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