Shh, I am Reading
  • Home
  • About Me
    • General Inquiries
  • Policies
    • Review Policy >
      • Genres I Read
      • Rating System
    • Privacy Policy
  • Request a Review
  • Challenges
    • Past Challenges >
      • PopSugar RC 2019
      • PopSugar RC 2020
      • PopSugar RC 2021
    • This or That 2022
    • Alphabet Soup 2022

She reads books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live. 
– Annie Dillard

Manna City by Geoffrey Pierce

3/30/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: February 1, 2018
Pages: 174
Format: Mobi
Add to GoodReads and StoryGraph
Buy: Amazon


Synopsis

​Nista is nine months pregnant, starving, and living in a cave. Her husband, Dane, thinks she's gone crazy. And the first time she heard the voice of her unborn child, she thought she'd gone crazy, too. But the child has told her too many things, shown her too many things that have come to pass. She knows…someone is coming to usher them away from their isolated purgatory. Someone is coming to lead them through the unforgiving desert - teeming with lawless killers and savage beasts - to the last bastion of civilization, a mythical land of plenty called Manna City.

Review

I received a free copy of this book from the author and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

This might have been one of the more different dystopian novels that I have read, for sure. There were the similar topics of cannibals, running out of resources, fighting to survive, starvation that is common in this genre, but a pregnant woman's full out determination to get to a place she's only seen in dreams and heard about in rumours definitely made it different. The common tropes made the risk of getting Nista there unscathed even more prominent, considering she was ready to give birth at any time. 

Sometimes the plot did seem like it was driving towards figuring out how to kill Nista's husband Dane. I kind of felt bad for the guy the entire time I was reading the book, especially as he was just trying to provide for his pregnant wife. The loss of their first child also made me sad for Dane as well. 

I actually almost yeeted the entire book in the beginning because it is one thing to kill to survive or in defence, but it is entirely another to lead innocent lambs and dogs to senseless slaughter. I survived and prevailed into the read but still! 

via GIPHY

Picture
3.50 Stars

About the Author

Picture
 Geoffrey Pierce was raised in Upstate New York. He spent several years roaming the deserts of Arizona and Utah, climbing through the mountains and valleys of California, and cavorting with the beasts in Yellowstone National Park.

He spent far too much time in college attaining a B.A. in English Literature and Philosophy, an M.A. in Teaching Arts, and another M.A. in English Literature.

He’s had an array of jobs, from painting and construction to working at a law firm and slinging medical equipment. After teaching for several years, he resigned to be a stay-at-home father. Now that his son is in school full-time, he works as a custodian, handyman, substitute teacher and daycare provider at his son’s school.

Geoffrey is a New Voices Playwright Award winning author who currently lives in South Florida. He enjoys camping with his family.

0 Comments

They Mostly Come Out At Night by Benedict Patrick

3/22/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Folklore, Horror
Publisher: One More Page
Publication Date: June 16, 2016
Pages: 216
Format: ePub
Add to GoodReads & StoryGraph
Buy: Amazon

Picture
He locked himself away from the dark, but in the Magpie King’s forest nowhere is safe…

Lonan is an outcast, accused of letting the monsters that stalk the night into the homes of his fellow villagers. Now, he will not rest until he wins back the heart of his childhood love and reclaims the life that was stolen from him. However, locked safely in his cellar at night, in his dreams Lonan finds himself looking through the eyes of a young prince…

Adahy has a destiny, and it terrifies him. How can he hope to live up to the legend of the Magpie King, to become the supernatural protector of the forest and defender of his people? But when the forest is invaded by an inhuman force, Adahy must rise to this challenge or let the Wolves destroy his people.

Watching these events unfold in his sleep, Lonan must do what he can to protect his village from this new threat. He is the only person who can keep his loved ones from being stolen away after dark, and to do so he will have to earn back their trust or watch the monsters kill everyone that he holds dear.
​
They Mostly Come Out At Night is a Dark Fantasy novel from Benedict Patrick’s Yarnsworld series, set in a captivating, dangerous world in which ordinary people struggle to find their place in a land ruled by stories.

Picture

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.

​Oh, I absolutely love a tale about creepy happenings in a forest village, for sure! 

I absolutely enjoyed the concept that the day is safe, the night is dangerous. During the day, everyone in the village has a purpose with a knack or a skill that helps the village. Lonan, the boy who screamed in the night and caused his father's death, his knack seems to be prophetic dreams. He goes on quite the adventure to earn his village's trust and protect them from what he see's in his dreams. 

I love that this story touches on so many folktales from different cultures. This has a little of everything for every reader all over the world because of that. Reimagining folktales is one of my absolute favourite genres. Also considering that this tale is also three separate stories in one, I definitely give the author props for making the story meld coherently together. 

This is such an enchanting story with fantastic world-building and excellent characters. Definitely worth the 5 Stars! 

Rating

Picture

Picture
Picture
Benedict Patrick is from a small town in Northern Ireland called Banbridge, but has been living and working in Scotland since he moved there at the age of eighteen. Tragically, that was quite a while ago.

He has been writing for most of his life, and has been reading for pretty much all of it (with help from mum and dad at the beginning). Benedict's life changed when a substitute primary school teacher read his class part of The Hobbit and later loaned him the book – he fell in love with the fantasy genre and never looked back.They Mostly Come Out At Night is his debut novel, and is the first novel in The Yarnsworld series. 
Connect with Benedict
​Website

0 Comments

Am I Ugly? by Siobhan Hill

3/8/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Genre: Humour, Contemporary, Short Story
Publisher: Barnes and Noble Press
Publication Date: February 14, 2020
Pages: 30
Format: ePub
Add to GoodReads
​Buy on B&N


Picture
A little angler fish asks a very big question.
​PG-13.


Picture

I received a copy of this book from the author. I am leaving a review voluntarily.

Oh the questions that angler fish ponder, I wonder! 
This was the cutest, sweetest adult picture book (which we so need more of!). I read it to my best friend and former boyfriend before our lunch date together. It was just the right story for our day! 

Even though this is meant for adults, I think teenagers could definitely benefit from the meaning of the story. 

​100% recommend this uplifting book!

What did I rate the book?

Picture

Picture
Siobhan Hill is a New York born comic artist and writer. She's received her education from the Savannah College of Art and Design, with a bachelors degree in Sequential Art and minors in Creative Writing as well as Game Design. She's lead stage, costume and prop design for NY theaters as well as written numerous plays for professional and novice actors alike, including her adaptation of the Hobbit which was called a "Magnificent Adventure" by Hudson Valley Parent and "Impressively Brought to Life" by the Sugar Loaf Times. She currently has two novels in the works and a third, Am I Ugly, will hit Barnes and Noble in February 2020.

Connect with Siobhan

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Redbubble
0 Comments
    Picture

    About

    Hello Book Dragons!
    I'm Leticia, I'm 37 from Ontario, Canada.

    My blog has moved to Shh, I am Reading on Wix . Please contact me there. 



    2022 Reading Challenge

    2022 Reading Challenge
    Leticia has read 3 books toward her goal of 50 books.
    hide
    3 of 50 (6%)
    view books


    Picture
    The Book Promotion Directory lists blogs and book promotion providers to help Indie Authors promote and market their books.
    Buy here

    I'm Listed on:
    Kindlepreneur


    Quote of the Month
    "The cosmos is within us. We are all made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself."
    - Carl Sagan

    Archives

    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017


    Professional Reader

    RSS Feed

    web counter free
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About Me
    • General Inquiries
  • Policies
    • Review Policy >
      • Genres I Read
      • Rating System
    • Privacy Policy
  • Request a Review
  • Challenges
    • Past Challenges >
      • PopSugar RC 2019
      • PopSugar RC 2020
      • PopSugar RC 2021
    • This or That 2022
    • Alphabet Soup 2022