My Weekly Pull [107-109] & Can't Wait Wednesday [77-79]

My Weekly Pull is something I do every Wednesday to show which comics I had pulled for me that week! If you're into comics, or you're looking to start, please join me! If you decide to do your own post, there's a link-up at the bottom. I would love to stop by and check it out!

(This list is going to be for the last three weeks, since we we've been traveling and had to find a new LCS! They should be in alphabetical order (with the exception of Ant-Man), but not the order in which they were released.)

Amazing Spider-Man Daily Bugle #1 by Mat Johnson, Mack Chater, Mark Bagley

Daredevil #17 by Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Fornes

Dungeons & Dragons Infernal Tides #2 by Jim Zub, Max Dunbar

Gwen Stacy #1 by Christos N. Gage, Todd Nauck, Jie Yuan

Hawkeye Freefall #2 by Matthew Rosenberg, Otto Schmidt, Kim Jacinto

Hawkeye #3 by Matthew Rosenberg, Otto Schmidt

Immortal Hulk Great Power One Shot by Tom Taylor, Jorge Molina

Jessica Jones Blind Spot #2 by Kelly Thompson, Mattia De lulis, Martin Simmonds

Jessica Jones Blind Spot #3 by Kelly Thompson, Mattia De lulis, Martin Simmonds

The Marked by David Hine, Brian Haberlin, Geirrod Van Dyke

Marvels X #2 by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, Well-Bee

Miles Morales Spider-Man #15 by Saladin Ahmed, Javier Garron

Nebula #1 by Vita Ayala, Claire Roe, Skottie Young

Rising Sun #2 by Ron Marz, David Rodriguez, Martin Coccolo

Spider-Verse #4 by Taran Killam, Juan Gedeon

Spider-Verse #5 by Christos N. Gage, Juan Ferreyra

Star Wars: Rise of Kylo Ren #3 by Charles Soule, Will Sliney, Clayton Crain

Stranger Things: Into the Fire #2 by Jody Houser, Le Beau L. Underwood, Claire Roe

Tarot #2 by Alan David, Paul Renaud

Ant-Man #1 by Zeb Wells, Dylan Burnett, Eduard Petrovich

Jacob's comics for the last three weeks! 

Amazing Spider-Man  #39 by Nick Spencer, Iban Coello, Patrick Gleason

The Clock #2 by Matt Hawkins, Colleen Doran

Conan Serpent War #1 by Jim Zub, Vanessa Del Rey, Stephen Segovia, Carlos Pacheco

Deadpool The End One Shot by Joe Kelly, Mike Hawthorne, Rahzzah

Doctor Doom #5 by Christopher Cantwell, Salvador Larroca, Tomm Coker

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 by Ryan Parrott, Simone Di Meo, Goni Montes

Ravencroft #1 by Frank Tieri, Angel Unzueta, Kim Jacinto

Savage Avengers #0 by Gerry Duggan, Chris Claremont, Greg Smallwood, John Romita

Savage Avengers #10 by Gerry Duggan, Patrick Zircher

Scream Curse of Carnage #3 by Clay McLeod Chapman, Chris Mooneyham, Nick Brandshaw

Spider-Man & Venom: Double Trouble #4 by Mariko Tamaki, Gurihiru

Symbiote Spider-Man Alien Reality #3 by Peter David, Greg Land

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #102 by Tom Waltz, Sophie Campbell, Kevin Eastman

Transformers 100-Page Giant Power of the Predacons by John Paul Bove, Corin Howell

Transformers Valentine's Day Special by Patrick Ehlers, Sara Pitre-Durocher, Jack Lawrence 

Transformers #16 by Brian Ruckley, Anna Malkova, Bethany McGuire-Smith, Hal Laren

Usagi Yojimbo #8 by Stan Sakai

Venom #23 by Donny Cates, Mark Bagley

Yondu #5 by Lonnie Nadler, Zac Thompson, John McCrea

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, that highlights upcoming releases that we're anticipating and excited to read. It's a spinoff of the feature Waiting on Wednesday that was hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

The Summer of Impossibilities by Rachael Allen

Expected publication: May 12th 2020

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Skyler, Ellie, Scarlett and Amelia Grace are forced to spend the summer at the lake house where their moms became best friends.

One can’t wait. One would rather gnaw off her own arm than hang out with a bunch of strangers just so their moms can drink too much wine and sing Journey two o’clock in the morning. Two are sisters. Three are currently feuding with their mothers.

One almost sets her crush on fire with a flaming marshmallow. Two steal the boat for a midnight joyride that goes horribly, awkwardly wrong. All of them are hiding something.

One falls in love with a boy she thought she despised. Two fall in love with each other. None of them are the same at the end of the summer.

⳼

It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood

Expected publication: April 7th 2020

Synopsis (via Goodreads): From debut author Nina Kenwood comes a tender, funny, and compulsively readable novel about first love and its confusions, and all of the awkwardness of teen romance.

When her parents announce their impending divorce, Natalie can’t understand why no one is fighting, or at least mildly upset. Then Zach and Lucy, her two best friends, hook up, leaving her feeling slightly miffed and decidedly awkward. She’d always imagined she would end up with Zach one day―in the version of her life that played out like a TV show, with just the right amount of banter, pining, and meaningful looks. Now everything has changed, and nothing is quite making sense. Until an unexpected romance comes along and shakes things up even further.

It Sounded Better in My Head is a compulsively readable love letter to teenage romance in all of its awkward glory, perfect for fans To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Emergency Contact.

⳼

Don't Ask Me Where I'm From by Jennifer De Leon

Expected publication: May 5th 2020

Synopsis (via Goodreads): First-generation American LatinX Liliana Cruz does what it takes to fit in at her new nearly all-white school. But when family secrets spill out and racism at school ramps up, she must decide what she believes in and take a stand.

Liliana Cruz is a hitting a wall—or rather, walls.

There’s the wall her mom has put up ever since Liliana’s dad left—again.

There’s the wall that delineates Liliana’s diverse inner-city Boston neighborhood from Westburg, the wealthy—and white—suburban high school she’s just been accepted into.

And there’s the wall Liliana creates within herself, because to survive at Westburg, she can’t just lighten up, she has to whiten up.

So what if she changes her name? So what if she changes the way she talks? So what if she’s seeing her neighborhood in a different way? But then light is shed on some hard truths: It isn’t that her father doesn’t want to come home—he can’t…and her whole family is in jeopardy. And when racial tensions at school reach a fever pitch, the walls that divide feel insurmountable.

But a wall isn’t always a barrier. It can be a foundation for something better. And Liliana must choose: Use this foundation as a platform to speak her truth, or risk crumbling under its weight.

*Share your My Weekly Pull post! Please leave the direct link to your My Weekly Pull post and not just your blog's URL. Thank you for participating and happy reading!

No More Naps! by Chris Grabenstein & Leo Espinosa [BlogTour: Review + Giveaway]

Hello, and welcome to the next (and final) stop on the No More Naps! blog tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! Thank you for stopping by, and don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom!

Title: NO MORE NAPS
Author: Chris Grabenstein & Leo Espinosa (Illustrator)
Pub. Date: February 4, 2020
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 40

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

The #1 New York Times bestselling middle grade powerhouse of Lemoncello fame brings his wit and humor to a pint-sized audience in his picture book debut that turs the universal dilemna of getting kids to sleep on its head.

It’s time for a nap but, just like stubborn toddlers everywhere, Annalise Devin McFleece won’t have anything to do with bedtime. Dad tries to encourage sleepiness by pushing her around the park in her stroller. Along the way, they pass a man sitting on a bench, dog walkers walking dogs, a boy on a skateboard, kids playing ball, a girl practicing her juggling, and others. Each of them thinks that taking a nap is a great idea and if Annalise Devin McFleece doesn’t want hers, they’ll happy take it. And one by one, everyone falls asleep…except Annalise Devin McFleece. But when she’s finally ready for her nap, all the naps are taken! Is there anyone who has an extra nap to spare?

With every turn of the page, the busy city scene becomes more and more quiet…except for Annalise Devin McFleece.

Will she ever take a nap?

“Preschoolers will find the defiant protagonist's protests a little bit thrilling and 100% funny…. Screamingly fun." —Kirkus Reviews

“The idea that naps are opportunities to be eagerly seized is an amusing reframing." --Publishers Weekly

“Known for the Mr. Lemoncello series, Grabenstein offers a mildly amusing tale of a strong-willed child who changes her mind, and Espinosa contributes a series of lively illustrations featuring expressively drawn characters.” — Booklist

𑁋𑁋𑁋 

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I've lost count of how many times I've read this book! I read it to the girls when it arrived (I like to get their reactions to books meant for them), and they've asked me to read it over and over again. I think it's because they can relate to the main character, since they never want to take naps themselves. They're clearly exhausted, but will fight me tooth and nail to stay awake. I rarely cave to their demands (although it does happen occasionally), since they're little terrors by 5 PM when they haven't had one.

No More Naps! shows two parents that are totally and understandably exhausted. When a baby doesn't sleep, no one can rest (try this with twins, I dare you). It's a miserable existence for everyone involved. I really loved that the author chose to tell this story from the child's perspective (or at least shows her point of view), and explained how she was feeling through sounds and actions instead of verbal communication. Annalise only knows one word -- no -- and it's one she uses often and without reservation. My girls could relate to her emotional state, and even tried to explain to me how she was feeling and why. It was a great conversation starter (for three-year-olds anyways). 

I also really liked that it wasn't just two parents trying to find ways to get their child to take a nap. It showed a community and how they were affected by a child's unwillingness to sleep. Her cries could be heard for miles (crazy, right?), and the people in her vicinity were tired of her hollering and frequent fussing. In a way, the author used reverse psychology to make Annalise want to take a nap. She was uninterested in even trying to sleep until she no longer thought she could. When the world was asleep, there was nothing interesting to see, so she wanted to do what everyone else was doing. Brilliant! 

Although, now it will be harder to trick my girls into taking their naps. ;)

The little twist at the end was cute and really rounded out the story. I think the author creatively captured the essence of a small child, and demonstrated how their emotions could rule their actions. Annalise was tired but didn't want to sleep. She didn't want to miss anything, but in the end still felt like she was being left out. It was a lovely story that I've enjoyed reading on repeat the last week or so. The girls actually sleep with the book in their beds (they take turns with it), and I have to remember to put it away before I go to bed. I'm not going to fault my kids for wanting to read (even when it's late at night), but I will move the books so no one is uncomfortable while they sleep, and to make sure no one damages the pages as they roll around during the night (books are our friends, so we treat them with care). 

I'm starting to ramble... Basically, if you have small children, even those that are slightly older than the main character, I would highly recommend this book. It puts a fun spin on naps, and lets children know that they're not the only ones out there trying to avoid sleeping for a few hours during the day (it's a universal theme amongst youngsters, this aversion to sleeping during the day). I think knowing that other kids struggle with naps, helped mine to understand that it's a necessary evil right now. We'll see how long that lasts! 

The illustrations are phenomenal and really did this story justice. It was a simple concept that ended up being really effective. It vaguely reminded me of Madeline, and how that television show was drawn (showing my age, right?). It felt familiar and comfortable, but was totally unique to this book. I have no complaints about this one! No More Naps! was incredible.

When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald

Synopsis (via Goodreads): A heart-swelling debut for fans of The Silver Linings Playbook and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Sometimes life isn’t as simple as heroes and villains.

For Zelda, a twenty-one-year-old Viking enthusiast who lives with her older brother, Gert, life is best lived with some basic rules:

1. A smile means “thank you for doing something small that I liked.”
2. Fist bumps and dabs = respect.
3. Strange people are not appreciated in her home.
4. Tomatoes must go in the middle of the sandwich and not get the bread wet.
5. Sometimes the most important things don’t fit on lists.

But when Zelda finds out that Gert has resorted to some questionable—and dangerous—methods to make enough money to keep them afloat, Zelda decides to launch her own quest. Her mission: to be legendary. It isn’t long before Zelda finds herself in a battle that tests the reach of her heroism, her love for her brother, and the depth of her Viking strength.
When We Were Vikings is an uplifting debut about an unlikely heroine whose journey will leave you wanting to embark on a quest of your own, because after all...

We are all legends of our own making.

𑁋𑁋𑁋

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I enjoyed When We Were Vikings and the message the author was trying to convey, but I don't think it was a good fit for me personally. I tend to avoid books about abuse or rape, because they're ugly truths about the world we live in. When I read, I want it to be fantastical or romantic -- something lighthearted and fun. I want to watch people fall in love, fight bad guys, or learn something new about themselves. I appreciate that there are books like this out in the world, and sometimes they're what I pick up to read (I believe we should read books that make us uncomfortable every once in awhile), but they're not my first choice. I know there are dark corners in most people's lives, but when it's in your face as you're reading, it's really depressing. It makes you focus on the fact that this happens, and it happens a lot. It's hard for me to pull myself out of that headspace, so I try to avoid going there at all. 

Zelda is a Viking in her own right, and I really loved her as a main character. Her brother, Gert, doesn't always make the best decisions, but he has Zelda's best interests at heart. He's there for her, present in her life when he doesn't have to be, and he provides for her knowing that she would struggle to do it on her own. We soon learn that Zelda is actually more than capable of taking care of herself, but she does struggle with some of the nuances of the world. 

I disliked that there was no resolution with a certain someone, because I felt like there should have been some severe consequences for their actions. It's left unresolved, which annoys me, but I can see why the author chose to leave that thread loose. It was realistic and lent the story more authenticity. I still wish someone had kicked their ass and made them regret every choice they'd ever made. 

Annie/AK47 was one of my favorite people. She loves Zelda and cared about Gert, but she also knows when to leave an unhealthy relationship. She takes care of herself, and loves from a distance when a person isn't good for her. I thought her sister-like behavior with Zelda was bittersweet, since they loved each other, but both wished for something that would likely never happen. In some ways, AK47 was a better influence than Gert, and understood that Zelda was an adult and should be treated like one despite the opinions of others. 

When We Were Vikings will repeatedly break your heart, and make you wish for impossible things. Zelda gets caught up in something she doesn't fully understand, and it has dire consequences for herself and the people she loves the most. Her quest to find herself, her passion for Vikings, and her desire to protect those closest to her -- they are just a few of the things that make Zelda a character worth rooting for. (★★★⋆☆)

The Sunday Post [40]

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly at the Caffeinated Reviewer! It's an opportunity to share news, post a recap for the previous week, showcase books, and highlight what's planned for the week ahead.

News: 

I'm baaaack! It feels like I've been gone forever, even though it's been like two weeks. A lot has happened since we left Texas, and not all of it was good. First of all, being in a car with three small children for nearly 24 hours (over the span of five days), was no picnic. They were troopers, but we were all pretty frazzled by the end. They needed to be quiet in the car, quiet in the hotel, and never really had a chance to deenergize themselves. We stopped to stretch our legs, walk the dogs, and play on playgrounds for 15-30 minutes, but most of the time we were buckled in and trying to reach our next stop. We listened to audiobooks, but even I was exhausted by the monotony of our days. 

When we finally arrived in Virginia, we made sure our hotel was by the beach. The kids loved going down to the water, even though it was way too cold to swim. They were happy to just walk around and look for seashells. They did track an obscene amount of sand into the hotel room (seriously, where does that stuff come from?!), and I borrowed a broom so the staff didn't totally hate us when we left. That night we watched Jumanji and Hook on the hotel's television, and I'm happy to report the kids loved both!

Now for some of the bad: We moved into an unfinished house. That's correct! Unfuckingfinished. The landlord said they were just as surprised as we were, and that's saying something, since we were pretty damn surprised. The kitchen and dining rooms had no floor, and someone was in the house working for the first three days that we were here. Having to accommodate for that was exhausting, since we just wanted to be. You know? We wanted to exist in a place that was ours, and something that wasn't a hotel room, car, or restaurant. They were very understanding of our frustrations, but still. It's almost done now, but at least the flooring was finished before the Movers brought all of our stuff. The dishwasher is busted, some curtain rods need to be hung, and a door needs to be installed.

I know it sounds like a nightmare, and for awhile I was pretty upset, but we really like the house and the neighborhood. There are woods to explore, a creek on the property, and a ton of kids in the area. My son wants to be friends with everyone we meet. Luckily, he started school on Friday and loved it! Now he can make new friends that he'll see regularly. His teacher is fantastic, and I'm happy he's happy. We're feeling more settled now, and only have one or two more boxes to unload. Everything essential is good to go! 

This house weirdly doesn't have a pantry, so I made my own! I'll post pictures on Instagram later this week. There are a few finishing touches I want to apply before presenting it to the world. ;)

Jacob and I have both been so busy, it was hard to find time to be together as a family. One night last week, we decided to just stop everything we were doing and go have dinner. On our way to the restaurant we were in a car accident, and our car was pretty banged up. It wasn't drivable and had to be towed, the airbags deployed on impact (hurts more than you'd think and smells terrible), but thankfully no one was injured. The kids were in the car, but their main complaint was the smell (and that they were still hungry).

There was a storm our third or fourth day that destroyed the neighbor's fence and fell onto ours. They've been really nice about it and know we have dogs, so they're trying to fix it as soon as possible. Random thought: there are geese everywhere here.

None of my scheduled posts worked like they were supposed to, so I know I missed a blog tour or two (very, very sorry!), and promise to spend the week trying to get back on track. I don't want to simply post everything now, since it would overload my blog with new content, and I'm worried things will get overlooked (which sort of defeats the purpose of promoting a book). I really thought I would have more time to read while traveling, but the kids never wanted to sleep once we finally go to a hotel, and by the time they did, I was too tired to keep my eyes open. 

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you guys have been up to and reading while I've been away! <3 

Previous week on the blog:

NA

What I'm currently reading:

What I Carry by Jennifer Longo

Anger Is a Gift by Mark Oshiro 🎧

The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) by Brandon Sanderson 🎧

• I'm really enjoying What I Carry, and cannot wait to see where the story goes! I have my fingers crossed for a HEA, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I've been burned too many times for that. ;)
• Anger Is a Gift has been wonderful to listen to on audio. It's one of the books we started on our trip, and that I haven't had a chance to finish since getting to our new house. 
• The Way of Kings is a forty-five hour audiobook?? That's insane! I knew the book was long, but geez. There's no way I'll finish listening to it this week, so I'll likely go back on hold and wait another month or two. At this point, it's probably easier if I just buy the book. 

What I plan on reading next:

I honestly don't know at this point. There are a few upcoming books I need to read, other that have been neglected, and those I simply just want to curl up with. Your guess is as good as mine!

What I'm watching:

I decided to start the Shadowhunters television series while I was unpacking boxes in the living room, and the show was... not great. The dialogue was weird, and the show really diverted from the facts and took liberties with content. Both Sam and Mary said the second season was better, and I trust their judgement. I think I'll keep watching it and just enjoy the show for what it is: entertainment. It's something fun to alleviate some of the boredom that inevitably comes with unpacking. Where does this go? I've misplaced my shoe. Does anyone see a cat??

Challenge updates:

• Read the Alphabet Challenge 3 
• Audiobook Challenge 5 / 50+
• Beat the Backlist Challenge 12 / 110
• Discussion Challenge 1 / 1-10
• Goodreads Challenge 38 / 365