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Save the People!: Halting Human Extinction

5/17/2022

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the SAVE THE PEOPLE! by Stacy McAnulty Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:

Title: SAVE THE PEOPLE!: Halting Human Extinction

Author: Stacy McAnulty & Nicole Miles (Illustrator)

Pub. Date: May 10, 2022

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 256

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

Stacy McAnulty, the bestselling author of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl and the Our Universe series delivers an action-packed look at past extinction and current threats to humanity's survival -- with the ultimately reassuring message that humans probably have a few more millennia in us.

Scientists estimate that 99% of all species that have ever existed are now extinct. Whoa. So, it's not unreasonable to predict humans are doomed to become fossil records as well. But what could lead to our demise? Supervolcanos? Asteroids? The sun going dark? Climate change? All the above?!

Humansâ€”with our big brains, opposable thumbs, and speedy Wi-Fiâ€”may be capable of avoiding most of these nightmares. (The T. rex would be super jealous of our satellites.) But we're also capable of triggering world-ending events. Learning from past catastrophes may be the best way to avoid future disasters.

Packed with science, jokes, and black and white illustrations, Save the People! examines the worst-case scenarios that could (but hopefully wonâ€™t) cause the greatest mass extinctionâ€”our own!

Reviews:

â€œStacy McAnulty has done the impossible: Writing a book about mass extinction that is a joy to read. Save the People is engaging, funny, affecting and delightful. Youâ€™ll never have more fun learning science.â€â€•Stuart Gibbs, bestselling author of the Spy School series

*â€œThis book is full of dire facts, but itâ€™s not doom and gloom. Its lively, conversational tone with plenty of jocular asides keeps it unintimidating and accessibleâ€¦Lively writing, pertinent science, and an urgent topic make this a must-read for all.â€â€•Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Cheeky banter wrapped around accessible science, a pages-long time line, charts, graphs, a bibliography, and extensive chapter notes contribute to this fresh take on saving our planet."â€•Booklist

"What could easily come off as an apocalyptic, science-based horror story, author Stacy McAnulty instead handles with humor . . . backed by thorough research which is documented in an extensive notes section.?"â€•School Library Connection

REVIEW !

Human induced climate change is happening all over the world, but what can we do? Save the People!: Halting Human Extinction aims to answer that question by approaching climate change from a very selfish point of view that all humans should care about- our own survival. Aimed at young adults, but definitely a good read for literally any human, Save the People! uses scientific facts written in a way anyone can understand mixed with humor, pictures and a good dose of reality to help you understand the big picture.

Save the People! begins with a brief history of the Earth and an overview of past extinction events along with their causes (spoiler alert: it's climate change!) then moves to potential and unlikely threats to humans before digging into what climate change is, how it happens and the possible solutions. I have to say that this is a climate change book that I enjoyed reading. The information is scientifically accurate and as up to date as possible, it is also easy to read. Even though some of the content is depressing and scary (there are trigger warnings), the very real doom and gloom situations were turned into realistic action based solutions focused on our own extinction to help motivate behavior change and action for a future on planet Earth.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About Stacy McAnulty:

STACY MCANULTY doesnâ€™t think the world will end suddenly, but she does worry about the ongoing damage to the environment caused by her species. Nonetheless, she believes Homo sapiens can overcome challenges and reverse course by taking action. Before becoming an author, Stacy was a mechanical engineer (and before thatâ€” like in fourth gradeâ€”she was an aspiring astronaut). Her love of math and science is reflected in most of her books. She writes chapter books, middle-grade novels, including The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, and picture books, including the Our Universe series, which explores space and the natural world. Save the People is her debut middle-grade nonfiction. Originally from New York, she now lives in North Carolina with her family.

About Nicole Miles:

Nicole was born in the United States, grew up in The Bahamas and currently lives in West Yorkshire (UK) with her pet snake and human boyfriend. She has worked with a variety of clients including Adobe, Buzzfeed, Candlewick Press, Google, the New York Times, Penguin Random House, Rebel Girls, Simon & Schuster, and Sisters Letter (AARP). Her comic, Barbara (ShortBox, 2017), was nominated for an Eisner award.

Her favourite form of procrasti-working is always some sort of creation whether it be bettering her hand-lettering, making animated gifs, chronicling silly life moments or informative sustainability tips in comic form, experimenting with film photography or sewing new garments for herself. But she also dedicates a lot of time to improving her second language (French), reading and, recently, going on forest walks.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of SAVE THE PEOPLE!, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

5/9/2022	Kait Plus Books	Excerpt/IG Post
5/10/2022	Nonbinary Knight Reads	Excerpt/IG Post
5/11/2022	Nerdophiles	Review/IG Post
5/12/2022	onemoreexclamation	Review/IG Post
5/13/2022	@coffeesipsandreads	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

5/16/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
5/17/2022	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review/IG Post
5/18/2022	100 Pages A Day	Review/IG Post
5/19/2022	@just_another_mother_with_books	Review/IG Post
5/20/2022	@jypsylynn	Review/IG Post

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The Sweetheart Locket

5/16/2022

2 Comments

About the Book:
THE SWEETHEART LOCKET
BY JEN GILROY
Publication Date: March 17, 2022
Orion Dash
Genre: Historical Fiction

What if the key to your present lies in the past?

London, 1939

On the eve of the Second World War, Canadian Maggie Wyndham defies her family and stays in England to do her bit for the war effort. Torn between two countries, two men and living a life of lies working for the Special Operations Executive (SOE), Maggie’s RAF sweetheart locket is part of who she is…and who she isn’t.

San Francisco, 2019

Over twenty years after Maggie’s death, her daughter Millie and granddaughter Willow take a DNA test that’s supposed to be a bit of fun but instead yields unexpected results. Willow has always treasured her grandmother’s sweetheart locket, both family heirloom and a symbol of her grandparents’ love story. But now she doesn’t know what to believe. She embarks on a search for the truth, one she doesn’t know will reveal far more about herself…

A gripping and heart-breaking dual timeline novel about love, loss and buried secrets, The Sweetheart Locket is perfect for fans of Lorna Cook, Rachel Hore and Suzanne Kelman.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Review:
"That's the thing, isn't it? Women sacrifice but the stories of their sacrifices usually aren't part of the formal historical record. Women's lives might veer off course for a while but then they get back on track and do what's expected of them and, well, it's still not much different, is it?"

After Willow takes a DNA test, she receives some unexpected results. She has always believed that she is mostly English, but the test results have strong French, Jewish and Italian ancestry as well. Willow asks her mom for details, but she is quick to change the subject. Willow takes a trip to England to look into her family history and the heirloom sweetheart locket that she thought represented her grandparents, Maggie and Will's, great love story. In London, Willow begins to learn about her grandmother, Maggie and the many secrets that she kept during World War II.

The Sweetheart Locket is a sweet historical romance with many unexpected twists and secrets revealed. I absolutely love dual time stories, so the two points of view between Maggie in World War II and Willow in the present day worked well for me. At points, it seemed like the points of view switched back and forth too quickly, but I was never confused about who I was reading about. I was drawn into the story immediately as Willow received her unexpected DNA results, I wanted to know what stories were hiding behind the unknown ancestry. I loved learning about Maggie's story. Her strength and fortitude for staying in England to do her bit and her meaningful friendships made her a wonderful character to follow. I was very interested in learning about her time in the Special Operations Executive as many of the stories of those women are lost to time. Willow's story in the present was equally engaging as she researched her family history with help from a new friend and uncovered more secrets than she was looking for. Willow's romance was engrossing to watch form as she figured out who she was and who she could be.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About the Author
Jen Gilroy writes sweet contemporary romance and dual timeline historical women’s fiction—warm, feel-good stories to bring readers’ hearts home.

A Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finalist and shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon award, Amazon named her third book, ‘Back Home at Firefly Lake,’ a ‘Best Book of the Month: Romance’ in December 2017.

A dual British-Canadian citizen, Jen lived in England for many years and earned a doctorate (with a focus on British cultural studies and social history) from University College London. Returning to where her Irish family roots run deep, she now lives with her husband, teenage daughter and floppy-eared rescue hound in small-town Eastern Ontario, Canada.

When not writing, she enjoys reading, ice cream, ballet and paddling her purple kayak.

Visit Jen online at www.jengilroy.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, BookBub, and Goodreads.

2 Comments

The Resistance Girl

5/11/2022

2 Comments

There's a dragon in me that might well breathe fire again.

The Nazi's have invaded Norway, taking special interest in their genetic stock for the Lebensborn program. After losing her fiancé to the Resistance, Rumi Orlstad doesn't want to take any more risks. However, when she completes the task of rescuing two Special Operations, Rumi is pulled back into the Resistance. One of the SOE operatives, Jens asks Rumi for help obtaining information, Rumi is quick to accept. Rumi soon learns of a friend, Anya, that was raped by a Nazi and has become pregnant. Anya is placed in a maternity home for unwed mothers and soon learns of the Nazi's plans for their children. Rumi and Jens work together to help rescue Anya and her child while the Nazi's are hot on their trail.

The Resistance Girl is a story of hope, persistence and overcoming obstacles during World War II in Norway. I don't really know a lot about Norway's participation in World War II and I was really interested to find out what the Nazi's had planned for the Norwegian people and how they fought back. I was very intrigued by the Norwegian Resistance as well as the Lebensborn program. Through the changing viewpoints of Rumi and Jens with some interjections by the maternity ward housekeeper, I could clearly see how the Nazi's plans and the paths of resistance that the SOE and the Norwegian people were planning. I was immediately taken with Rumi's character. I loved her attitude and willingness to help. Rumi and Jens were both clearly grieving and showed this in very different ways. Together, they were able to move through their grief and use that to help others in need. . The suspense builds as the Nazi's became closer to finding out Jens' whereabouts and how the Resistance kept one step ahead. I could feel the fear, excitement and determination of Rumi, Jens and their allies as they outmaneuvered the Nazi's. Rumi and Jens' romance progresses naturally, while I could tell from the beginning that this would be part of the story, I enjoyed that it took a slower pace and allowed for healing within both characters. While Rumi and Jens do help some women in the Lebensborn program, it almost seems like an afterthought. I would love to know if there was an operation to rescue women from the program.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

2 Comments

Bloomsbury Girls

5/3/2022

1 Comment

About the Book:

⦁ Title: Bloomsbury Girls: A Novel
⦁ Author: Natalie Jenner
⦁ Genre: Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction
⦁ Publisher: ‎St. Martin's Press (May 17, 2022)
⦁ Length: (368) pages
⦁ Format: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook
⦁ ISBN: 978-1250276698
⦁ Tour Dates: May 2-29, 2022

BOOK DESCRIPTION
Natalie Jenner, the internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society, returns with a compelling and heartwarming story of post-war London, a century-old bookstore, and three women determined to find their way in a fast-changing world in Bloomsbury Girls.

Bloomsbury Books is an old-fashioned new and rare bookstore that has persisted and resisted change for a hundred years, run by men and guided by the general manager's unbreakable fifty-one rules. But in 1950, the world is changing, especially the world of books and publishing, and at Bloomsbury Books, the girls in the shop have plans:

Vivien Lowry: Single since her aristocratic fiancé was killed in action during World War II, the brilliant and stylish Vivien has a long list of grievances--most of them well justified and the biggest of which is Alec McDonough, the Head of Fiction.

Grace Perkins: Married with two sons, she's been working to support the family following her husband's breakdown in the aftermath of the war. Torn between duty to her family and dreams of her own.

Evie Stone: In the first class of female students from Cambridge permitted to earn a degree, Evie was denied an academic position in favor of her less accomplished male rival. Now she's working at Bloomsbury Books while she plans to remake her own future.

As they interact with various literary figures of the time--Daphne Du Maurier, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair (widow of George Orwell), Samuel Beckett, Peggy Guggenheim, and others--these three women with their complex web of relationships, goals and dreams are all working to plot out a future that is richer and more rewarding than anything society will allow.

Review:
The female employees of the long standing and prominent Bloomsbury Books of London have long been underestimated. Kept in check by the proprietor's long list of rules and kept busy by the different male department heads, Grace, Vivien and new employee, Evie have worked not so silently in the background. Grace took the job at Bloomsbury books to escape her husband's failing mental health after the war. Vivien's fiancé was killed during the war, and she is looking to move on and also publish her own works. Evie is on her own rare book finding mission after graduating from Cambridge. When the women team up to bring in a female author for an event, they realize their strength together and when Evie finally tracks down the rare book she's been chasing, they discover they have leverage to create their own path.

Bloomsbury Girls is set in 1950 London, a time where women who realized their independence and worth during World War II are now being regulated to back to their original roles by the returning men. The writing brought me into the world of Bloomsbury Books, and I could imagine the shop and each department fully. The women of Bloomsbury Books caught my attention from the beginning with their spunk and tenacity. Evie's single-minded quest for finding a rare book by a young female author is extraordinary. I enjoyed watching Evie grow, branch out in the world, find connections with others and become a mastermind planner for using the book as a steppingstone to improve her life. I loved Vivian's small acts of defiance and her friendships that she found with Daphne Du Maurier, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair, and Peggy Guggenheim. It was wonderful to see these strong women prospering. Grace is fighting more of a personal battle at home, Bloomsbury Books gave her the strength to get out of an abusive situation. I loved that a book was able to bring Grace, Vivien and Evie together and aid them in finding a path to independence and creating equal footing in a man's world. Bloomsbury Girls is a heartfelt, exciting and character driven historical fiction read.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

PURCHASE LINKS
Print and Digital
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB
Audiobook
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS

About the Author:

Dear readers, I am immensely grateful for the outpouring of affection that so many of you have expressed for my debut novel The Jane Austen Society and its eight main characters. When I wrote its epilogue (in one go and without ever changing a word), I wanted to give each of Adam, Mimi, Dr. Gray, Adeline, Yardley, Frances, Evie and Andrew the happy Austenesque ending they each deserved. But I could not let go of servant girl Evie Stone, the youngest and only character inspired by real life (my mother, who had to leave school at age fourteen, and my daughter, who does eighteenth-century research for a university professor and his team). Bloomsbury Girls continues Evie’s adventures into a 1950s London bookshop where there is a battle of the sexes raging between the male managers and the female staff, who decide to pull together their smarts, connections, and limited resources to take over the shop and make it their own. There are dozens of new characters in Bloomsbury Girls from several different countries, and audiobook narration was going to require a female voice of the highest training and caliber. When I learned that British stage and screen actress Juliet Stevenson, CBE, had agreed to narrate, I knew that my story could not be in better hands, and I so hope you enjoy reading or listening to it. Warmest regards, Natalie

AUTHOR BIO
Natalie Jenner is the author of the instant international bestseller The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls. A Goodreads Choice Award runner-up for historical fiction and finalist for best debut novel, The Jane Austen Society was a USA Today and #1 national bestseller and has been sold for translation in twenty countries. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie has been a corporate lawyer, career coach and, most recently, an independent bookstore owner in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs. Visit her website to learn more.
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

1 Comment