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Blog Tour: Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Blog Tour: Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan
Blog Tour: Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan

We love a good queer contemporary book on this blog, and Straight Expectations was no exception. With it being UKYA and a fun-sounding book with a very slight supernatural twist, I just knew I had to check this one out. I was on the tour for this one with The Write Reads Tours, so thanks for allowing me to participate in this.

In this book, we follow Max, a gay teenage boy who’s usually so focused on boys and his nail polish that he doesn’t always think to check his privilege. After having a massive fight with his friends one night, he wishes he could have the ‘easy’ life that straight kids enjoy. When he wakes up in the morning, it’s the day before, and he discovers that he really has become straight and that his best friend, Dean is nowhere to be found. As his new life starts taking turns that he never expected, he has to find a way to return to his real life before he messes up the new one too badly.

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ARC, books, Review, Young Adult

Book Review: Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

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Book Review: Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

Having been so impressed by The Firekeeper’s Daughter last year, I knew I had to pick up whatever Angeline Boulley put out next. When it was revealed that her next book would be set on Sugar Island again, but in a more recent time following one of Daunis’ nieces, I knew I was in for a treat. This book is described as a Native American Lara Croft, but where our heroine is trying to rescue these bodies and artefacts from the museums themselves.

Doesn’t that grab your attention immediately?

I was fortunate to be sent an early copy of this book from Rock the Boat in return for a review. But honestly? Even if I’d had to wait until after release and buy myself a copy, I would’ve wanted to review this book no matter what.

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Book Review: Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards

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Book Review: Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards

Hello! Today, I’m back with another review, this time for a YA thriller novel. I stumbled across this one on NetGalley last year, and it sounded pretty interesting. The premise sounded like it could keep me on the edge of my seat, but unfortunately, I found it kind of meh.

In this book, we follow Jo, a high school senior who has just completed her final shift in her local movie theater before it closes forever. But as she and her friends prepare to go home for the night, Jo sees something that scares her just before the power goes out. After stumbling across the body of one of her coworkers, the rest have to try and get out of the locked building through the abandoned mall before the killer strikes again.

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ARC, books, Review, Young Adult

Book Review: Lose You To Find Me by Erik J. Brown

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Book Review: Lose You To Find Me by Erik J. Brown

You’ll notice that I’m reviewing a lot of contemporary and romance at the moment, and I’m perfectly fine with that as we start going into the warmer months. I’m reviewing Erik J. Brown’s second book this time, which might be totally different genre-wise from his debut, but he’s done an excellent job. I was lucky enough to be sent a proof of this through Team BKMRK’s Instagram. They asked if anyone would be interested, and I said yes. I’m so glad that I did.

Tommy is in his senior year of high school and aiming to get into the culinary school his Dad had attended. He’s focused on his application until his childhood crush pops up in his kitchen and his life again. As Tommy tries to juggle his returning feelings with his dreams for his future, his life begins to take turns that he didn’t expect.

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ARC, books, Review, Young Adult

Book Review: Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

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Book Review: Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

I’ve always found Becky Albertalli’s books very hit or miss. Still, she is an author that I immediately gravitate towards when she has a new book out. She writes fun contemporaries that often have a slight emotional edge, and recently I’ve been eating them up. I entered a giveaway on Twitter, hoping to win one of the personalised ARCs, and I won! It’s super rare to find my name on anything, so it’s a pretty fun thing to have. I had a great time with this book, so let’s get into it.

In Imogen, Obviously, we follow high school senior Imogen. She’s a straight ally with queer friends, but when she visits one of her best friends at college for the weekend, she discovers that they all think she’s bisexual and starts questioning things. But Imogen is always surrounded by queerness, so she’d know if she was bi, right?

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idols

Top Ten Tuesday – Favourite Ensemble Stars Songs (Non-Bookish Freebie)

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger Books4 Comments on Top Ten Tuesday – Favourite Ensemble Stars Songs (Non-Bookish Freebie)
Top Ten Tuesday – Favourite Ensemble Stars Songs (Non-Bookish Freebie)

Ahhh Top Ten Tuesday is always a favourite, and this week we have a non-bookish freebie. Since my blog is likely going to become a lot of reviewers one after the other for the next couple of weeks, I decided to take advantage of this. I’ve talked a lot about Ensemble Stars, I’ve even recommended a few songs.

So I decided to post a top ten list of all my favourites. And no, this wasn’t easy!

The Top Ten Tuesday tag was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now held over on The Artsy Reader Girl. It’s a weekly tag where everyone is given a bookish prompt for bloggers to curate a top ten list. You can then share your blog post on The Artsy Reader Girl’s post for that week. Just make sure you check out and comment on other people’s blog posts too!

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booktube

Back To Booktube Or Not?

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Back To Booktube Or Not?
Back To Booktube Or Not?

So, I’ve spoken about booktube a few times on here. I watch a lot of it, as well as mangatube and it’s something I would really like to get into. There is a big issue in that I hate editing; so few views make it feel like all that time wasn’t worth it. But it’s something I’ve been thinking about trying again.

I’ve been thinking about making a return for a few weeks now. Not with regular videos. Even if I do have the time right now, I probably won’t for long, and I do still want to keep this blog going. So I really don’t have time to make it a too regular thing. But making videos when I have ideas? Maybe doing collective hauls?

I think that could work, at least for a bit.

So I’m going to give it a go.

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ARC, books, Review, Young Adult

Book Review: Gwen & Art Are Not In Love by Lex Croucher

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Book Review: Gwen & Art Are Not In Love by Lex Croucher

When I originally picked up the sample of this book to review, I wasn’t sure what type of book it was. I had such a good time with the sample and was so excited, but genre-wise? Yeah, I was unsure. So for those of you who, like me, we were wondering, this book is a historical rom-com with some references to Arthurian legend. It’s super queer, easy to read and hilarious. So this is definitely one you need to be picking up. Thanks to Nina Douglas of Nina Douglas PR and Bloomsbury for a copy of this one.

Gwen is the Princess of England, Arthur is a future lord, and they’ve been betrothed since they were young. The only problem is that they hate each other. But when Arthur returns to Camelot and Gwen catches him kissing a boy, he suspects she might be queer too. He digs up her diary entries on how she feels about a certain lady knight. The pair decide to pretend to be in love for their mutual protection. The only problem is that they might be unable to keep up the ruse for long, as soon Art falls for Gwen’s brother as she spends more time with Lady Bridget.

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ARC, books, Review, Young Adult

Book Review: Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Book Review: Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans
Book Review: Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans

If I see a book with a nonbinary protagonist, I will most likely pick it up. Unless it really doesn’t look like my type of thing. Which Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything really was. From the summary alone, I was intrigued. This book sounded weird, wacky and funny, but it was a thriller with a nerd for a main character on top of all that. I was hyped to check this book out, and unsurprisingly, I had a great time with it.

Bianca is a bird-watching teenager with a long list of fears, including initiating conversation. Down to that, they spend most of their time watching birds and, eventually, people. But when they see someone murdered one night by someone wearing a plague mask, they know they must do something about it. With the help of their best friend, Anderson and later their crush, Elaine, Bianca starts to uncover a conspiracy weirder than they could’ve imagined. All while trying to figure out their identity and tackle their long list of fears.

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tbr, Update

Shrinking My TBR

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger Books2 Comments on Shrinking My TBR
Shrinking My TBR

So…

I’m supposed to be shrinking my TBR. In multiple posts last year, I said I wanted to get my TBR down to under 100 books by the beginning of 2023. And I was successful! I managed to get my physical TBR down to 89 books starting January 1st. I expanded that in my Bookish Goals post and decided I wanted to get my TBR down to 60 books by the beginning of 2024.

Currently, that isn’t looking like it’s going to happen.

I know it’s still early in the year. We’re not even halfway through, so if I get my butt in gear, I might be able to manage it. But if I have any hope of that, I will have to hold myself accountable.

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