Hsinju’s Lit Log

ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

To the Moon and Back by Melissa Brayden | ARC Review

22nd March 2020
To the Moon and Back by Melissa Brayden
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, 2020
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 264 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
To the Moon and Back is the 7th Melissa Brayden novel I have read, and it quickly became one of my favourites. The relationship between stage manager Lauren Prescott and fallen movie star Carly Daniel was sweet, intense, and ultimately mature. I rooted for them throughout the story, and my heart ached for them as they worked out issues. There were plenty of plot twists, and while none were very unexpected, all worked perfectly for the story. The pacing was precise, and not once had anything felt rushed.
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Miscellaneous

Limiting Outings by Reading During COVID-19 Outbreaks

18th March 2020

[Update in 2020: It has come to my knowledge that Sanderson is homophobic, and I will no longer be promoting his works.]
Many cities and countries are facing lockdowns amid COVID-19 outbreaks. While Taiwan is not currently under any lockdown, most people still avoid unnecessary ventures into public spaces. It is everyone’s job to keep our country and citizens safe. We take pandemic preventions very seriously. So even if you have never read out of habit, books might still be awesome company during social distancing.

Over the past two years, I have read nearly 150 books. I figured now would be a good time to put together a list of fictions and nonfictions I loved.

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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

Murder at Pirate’s Cove by Josh Lanyon | ARC Review

14th March 2020
Murder at Pirate’s Cove: An M/M Cozy Mystery (Secrets and Scrabble #1) by Josh Lanyon
- Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing, Inc., 2020
- Genre: Mystery, LGBTQ+
- Format: Ebook (eARC)
- Page Count: 206 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐ (2/5)
I wish I could say I enjoyed the book, but it was just okay. The storyline was fairly decent, but unfortunately, most characters (save Tommy and Nora) were flat and not interesting enough to keep me invested. Personally, I did not like the writing style in the beginning. It felt a bit of a drag before I got used to it.
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ARCs, Book Reviews, Nonfiction

Heroes by Stephen Fry | ARC Review

11th March 2020
Heroes: The Greek Myths Reimagined (Stephen Fry’s Great Mythology #2) by Stephen Fry
- Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2020
- Genre: Mythology
- Format: Hardcover (eARC)
- Page Count: 352 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Though the lightheartedness of the narrative does not align with my personal sense of humour, I really appreciate Fry’s attempt in making the stories simple and funny.
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ARCs, Book Reviews, Nonfiction

Every Grain of Sand by David P. Wichman | ARC Review

4th March 2020
Every Grain of Sand: A Memoir by David P. Wichman with Heather Ebert
- Publisher: W. Brand Publishing, 2020
- Genre: Biography, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 278 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
TW: This book contains contents of child abuse, child molesting, alcohol and drug addictions.
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