THE KINGDOM - by Jess Rothenberg

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Published: July 2019 - Macmillan's Children's Books.
Genres: Young adult / sci fi / romance / fantasy.   
Pages: 344.
Triggers/Content Advisory: Violence / sexual assault / suicide.  
Format: Paperback ARC.
Source: Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan SA for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read & reviewed this copy. All thoughts are my own.

Welcome to the Kingdom, a dazzling fantasy theme park where 'happily ever after' is not just a promise, but a rule . . . 

It's a fairytale which ends in murder as the one of the 'Fantasists' goes renegade... Ana, a half-human, half-android princess, is tasked with entertaining visitors and making wishes come true, but now she's on trial, after finding herself experiencing emotions and romantic feelings against all her programming.

THE MOMENT OF LIFT - by Melinda Gates

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Published: April 2019 - Flatiron.
Genres: Memoir / non fiction.   
Pages: 273.
Triggers/Content Advisory: Adult themes. 
Format: Paperback.
Source: Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan SA for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read & reviewed this copy. All thoughts are my own.

For the last twenty years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission. Her goal, as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. Throughout this journey, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift a society up, invest in women.

In this candid and inspiring book, Gates traces her awakening to the link between women's empowerment and the health of societies. She shows some of the tremendous opportunities that exist right now to “turbo-charge" change. And she provides simple and effective ways each one of us can make a difference.

Convinced that all women should be free to decide whether and when to have children, Gates took her first step onto the global stage to make a stand for family planning. That step launched her into further efforts: to ensure women everywhere have access to every kind of job; to encourage men around the globe to share equally in the burdens of household work; to advocate for paid family leave for everyone; to eliminate gender bias in all its forms.

Product Review: Desk Stand™'s Wavy Sit-Stand Table

Today I'm excited to be sharing with you a product that's made my life a lot easier. A huge thank you to Desk Stand™ for the opportunity! Read on for my review and some photos...

2 Mini Reviews: INTO THE HOURGLASS by Emily R. King and SLUMBER by Becky Bird

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Published: August 2019 - Skyscape. 
Genres: Young adult / epic fantasy / romance. 
Pages: 286. 
Triggers/Content Advisory: One scene of distressing gory description / violence / mild sexual innuendo. 
Format: eARC.
Source: Netgalley. I voluntarily read & reviewed this copy. All thoughts are my own.

Everley Donovan’s mission: retrieve the hallowed sword of Avelyn stolen by the wicked Prince Killian, who slayed her family and left her for dead. Should she fail, the seven worlds will come to an end, as could time itself. And no one treasures time more than Everley, whose lifesaving clock heart cannot beat forever. She has set sail with a rogue crew for the otherworlds, where the key to dethroning the prince lies deep within the Land Under the Wave.

But passage through these unknown seas—where horrors lurk and pirates rove—proves a treacherous gamble. The Land Under the Wave was not made for humans, particularly one with a fragile clock heart. Here, Everley’s tragic past resurfaces unsolved questions. Here, too, the prince has hidden secrets more precious than pearls, secrets that could fracture the future forevermore. Everley must take back her sword and break free from this watery world before her time runs out…or so will everyone else’s.

KING OF SCARS (Nikolai duology #1) - by Leigh Bardugo

Goodreads | Book Depository
Published: January 2019 - Pan Macmillan.
Genres: Young adult / epic fantasy / romance. 
Pages: 527.
Triggers/Content Advisory: Gory descriptions / violence. 
Format: Hardcover.
Source: Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan SA for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read & reviewed this copy. All thoughts are my own.

Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war—and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army. Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built.

With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried—and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.

Monthly Wrap-Up: The One With Very Little Reading

I can't believe it's July already! How are you feeling? Are you ready to leap into the second half of the year? I'm overwhelmed by it. It's terrifying, yet thrilling.