bookish – Kristen Brand

Scaredy Cat Bingo and Upcoming Halloween Serial Announcement

There’s an angel and a devil on my shoulders. The angel is telling me to wait until October 1st to start Halloween season like a rational person. The devil wants all the pumpkins, spookiness, and candy NOW.

So I’m starting a little early. Just a smidge. No big deal, right?

First off, I’m participating in Scaredy Cat Bingo, which is hosted by Cats Luv Coffee Book Reviews. It’s a reading challenge full of Halloween-themed categories, and the only catch is that you have to finish all the books in September and October for them to count. Continue reading Scaredy Cat Bingo and Upcoming Halloween Serial Announcement

5 Ways You’d Probably Die in an Urban Fantasy Novel (And how to Survive Them)

“If you could live in any fictional world, what would it be?”

Does that question give anyone else anxiety? Like sure, it would be nice to visit Middle Earth, but I don’t want to get murdered by bands of roving orcs. The Star Wars universe? Noooo, thank you. Did you see that new Death Star? It can blow up multiple planets at once. And don’t even get me started on the dangers of living in a superhero universe.

At first glance, an urban fantasy world might seem like a much better option to call home than an epic fantasy one. You can have modern conveniences like the internet and indoor plumbing while also enjoying the wonders of magic. But personally, I feel like the modern world is dangerous enough without throwing in supernatural threats. I love reading urban fantasy, but if I lived in the world of one of those novels… I would die. I would die so hard.

You probably would too. Let’s talk about how! Continue reading 5 Ways You’d Probably Die in an Urban Fantasy Novel (And how to Survive Them)

Book Spotlight: The Persistence of Memory by Karen Janowsky

It’s no secret around here that I love superhero romance novels, so I was happy when author Karen Janowsky reached out to me about her series, The Persistence of Memory. I haven’t read it yet, but I’m definitely intrigued by the description. It gives me a Captain America vibe, which I am 100% here for.

This post contains affiliate links.

Book Description

When superheroes fall in love, anything can happen. Continue reading Book Spotlight: The Persistence of Memory by Karen Janowsky

Bookish Travel Guide: Hero Status

We’re going into Week Three of social distancing, and I hope everybody who’s reading this is staying safe. I want to send my thanks to the nurses, doctors, grocery store workers, delivery drivers, and everybody else going out there to help others. I also want to send my thoughts to everyone who’s been affected by the virus.

If you, like me, have been hunkered down in your house for the past weeks, you’re probably getting tired of staring at the same old place everyday. That’s why I’m starting Bookish Travel Guide.

The goal is to take you on a fictional vacation to a destination from a book. I’ll be using my own novels, but I encourage book bloggers to post about their favorite bookish escapes and other authors to spotlight the settings of their works–whether published or still in progress. Feel free to use the graphic at the top of this page, and if you use the hashtag #BookishTravelGuide, I’ll do my best retweet and share! Continue reading Bookish Travel Guide: Hero Status

The Netflix Book Tag

I came across The Netflix Book Tag on Blair Leftly’s Feed the Crime, which is a great book review blog for those of you who like mysteries, thrillers, and crime fiction. The tag was created by A Darker Shade of Whitney, and it just seems like a good chance to talk about books, so I’m jumping on the bandwagon.

Recently Watched: The Last Book You Finished

I’ve been reading a lot of urban fantasy books about the fae recently, including Borderline, Exile, Court of Shadows, and Hot Lead, Cold Iron.

Continue reading The Netflix Book Tag

Autumn Tag – Are you Ready for Sweater Weather?

It still feels like summer here in Florida, but I adore autumn. So when I came across the Autumn Tag over at Perfectly Tolerable, I knew I had to jump on that bandwagon, even if I’m a bit late.

Rules: Answer the questions, link back to the creator, and tag other people.

1. Hot Chocolate – what is your comfort book?

When I’ve had a bad day and find myself in need of a comfort read, I usually turn to fanfiction instead of books. I don’t know what it is about some fics that’s so soothing and comforting–exactly like a cup of hot chocolate. I love crossovers especially, and nothing’s better than an epically long story that’s actually completed. And boy, oh boy, have I read a lot of Harry Potter fanfiction in my time. Continue reading Autumn Tag – Are you Ready for Sweater Weather?

8 Steampunk Heroines with Fabulous Fashion on their Book Covers

Fashion is part of the appeal of steampunk for me. I love seeing cosplayers at conventions and am fascinated by the styles of the Victorian Era. Not gonna lie–the main reason I set The Ghost Machine in the 1880s is because I like the style of the dresses in that era with the bustle in the back.

There are lots of different types of steampunk fashion, but this article isn’t a costuming guide. I want to spotlight some steampunk book covers that have their heroines looking particularly fierce and fabulous. So let’s take a look at the leading ladies of steampunk and what they wear on their adventures. Continue reading 8 Steampunk Heroines with Fabulous Fashion on their Book Covers

7 Favorite Book Aesthetics

I’ve become a little obsessed with book aesthetics.

You may have noticed this already if you follow me on Twitter, where I’m all over #ThursdayAesthetic every week. If you’ve never checked out that hashtag, you really should. It’s full of gorgeous imagery, and I’m blown away by the talent of the author community. Every week, one of the hosts announces a theme, and writers create an aesthetic based on it for their books.

I’m not that good at it, but I don’t let that stop me. 😉 Practice makes perfect, and I like to think I get better every week. Either way, I have a lot of fun, and I want to share some of my favorites that I’ve made so far. Continue reading 7 Favorite Book Aesthetics