B.A.'s Updates en-US Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:24:41 -0700 60 B.A.'s Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Comment290076224 Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:24:41 -0700 <![CDATA[B.A. commented on "Adding an award to a friend's book" in Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Librarians Group]]> /topic/show/23119209-adding-an-award-to-a-friend-s-book B.A. made a comment in the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Librarians Group group:

This book: /book/show/2...

Won the Reader Views Grand Prize for Literary Fiction

Here is the proof of the award:

This is the group the award would link to: /award/show/... ]]> AuthorFollowing108847519 Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:15:12 -0700 <![CDATA[<AuthorFollowing id=108847519 user_id=112483053 author_id=56063585>]]> ReadStatus8623664259 Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:15:11 -0800 <![CDATA[B.A. finished reading 'All of Our Demise']]> /review/show/5109976372 All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody B.A. finished reading All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody
]]> AuthorFollowing105262179 Tue, 12 Nov 2024 11:56:22 -0800 <![CDATA[<AuthorFollowing id=105262179 user_id=112483053 author_id=16224015>]]> Review5109976372 Sun, 06 Oct 2024 06:50:45 -0700 <![CDATA[B.A. added 'All of Our Demise']]> /review/show/5109976372 All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody B.A. gave 2 stars to All of Our Demise (All of Us Villains, #2) by Amanda Foody
bookshelves: duology, young-adult, ya
I was super excited to give this a read. I was writing my Pulse Duology when the first part of this duology came out and so it was part of my research reading as I wanted a modern duology for some reference points during my planning. The first book was really well written and captured my attention because one of the authors used to work in Finance which is a similar backstory to me, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth in on the conclusion, but for me, it felt rushed, underdeveloped, and flat. It was almost like this book had a deadline to meet and instead of holding it back to make it good, a third draft went to press because some soulless corporation demanded it.

2 stars

Video review: ]]> Review6905590727 Sun, 06 Oct 2024 06:48:51 -0700 <![CDATA[B.A. added 'Project Hail Mary']]> /review/show/6905590727 Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir B.A. gave 5 stars to Project Hail Mary (Hardcover) by Andy Weir
bookshelves: science-fiction
The Martian by Andy Weir is one of my favorites. I never read his other stories and saw mixed reviews as they came out. However, from the moment this dropped I saw nothing but good things. My dad read it first and said it was indeed really good.

No spoilers but get in on this one before it hits the stratosphere of popularity in about 2 years from now? Why would that happen? Because it is getting a big budget Hollywood adaptation starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who do nothing but make hits!

Get ready for “Rocky� to be the talk of the town for a few months :)

Video review:


]]> Review6315625874 Sun, 06 Oct 2024 06:45:52 -0700 <![CDATA[B.A. added 'Where the Grass Grows Blue']]> /review/show/6315625874 Where the Grass Grows Blue by Hope Gibbs B.A. gave 5 stars to Where the Grass Grows Blue (Paperback) by Hope Gibbs
bookshelves: award-winning, romance, coming-of-age
Where the Grass Grows Blue is the debut novel from Hope Gibbs. Romance is not a genre I have read much of, but I am always excited to read outside my comfort zone as leaving behind the tropes and formulas I have become accustomed to can result in some of the most enthralling reads.

The story focuses on Penny who is going through a messy incident where her husband has cheated on her and then taken the kids for a summer vacation. Penny must leave her current home of Atlanta and travel back to the Kentucky town she grew up in to deal with her grandmother’s estate. People and memories from her past start to crop up and some of the incidents reveal some deeply rooted trauma. Along the way, a romance plot unfolds when she runs into her high school sweetheart. Part of the story is told through flashbacks which take us back to her youth and cleverly show us why she is the way she is and why she left. These flashbacks are vital to filling in the blanks and offer a narrative change of pace and tone against the present-day plot.

One of the stars of this novel is the setting and Hope does a mesmerizing job painting us a brilliant picture of small-town Kentucky. As someone who has never been, I do feel like I have visited now and can only assume Hope wrote many of these scenes from the heart and with personal experience.

Video review here: ]]> Review6408856183 Sun, 06 Oct 2024 06:45:10 -0700 <![CDATA[B.A. added 'Race To Novus']]> /review/show/6408856183 Race To Novus by R.A. Clarke B.A. gave 5 stars to Race To Novus (Kindle Edition) by R.A. Clarke
bookshelves: canadian-author, gritty, science-fiction, western, horse
Race to Novus is a Sci-Fi Western by Portage la Prairie-based author R.A. Clarke.

The hook of this story is strong, and the prologue is told as an advertisement (like one of those posters from a Western) that gets you all the information you need to hit the ground running with the race itself starting just a few chapters in. This story doesn’t beat around the bush for 10 chapters. We get the facts and then get going!

To draw from my movie knowledge, this gave me Hidalgo on an alien planet vibes. If you don’t know Hidalgo, at the peak of his Lord of the Rings fame, Viggo Mortensen made a gritty endurance horse racing drama that more people should have watched. R.A. Clarke has captured many of the same endurance horse racing hallmarks Hidalgo uses while giving us a Sci-Fi world to make it feel unique.

Herc the cyborg horse was a standout. You will smile every time Herc influences a scene, and his story is a huge piece to the heart of this novel.

With hints of the Western genre, a heavy dose of endurance horse racing, a corporation with questionable motives, and a deep Sci-Fi world, Race to Novus is a fantastic tale sure to entertain fans of all those things.

5 stars

BookTube: ]]> Review6905563673 Sun, 06 Oct 2024 06:44:47 -0700 <![CDATA[B.A. added 'Sunny Gale']]> /review/show/6905563673 Sunny Gale by Jamie Lisa Forbes B.A. gave 5 stars to Sunny Gale (Paperback) by Jamie Lisa Forbes
bookshelves: horse, family-saga, gritty, coming-of-age, western
What is ‘Sunny Gale�?

In the year 1895, Hannah’s father passed away and her mother remarries and moves the family to some cheap farmland in Nebraska. The land is truly undeveloped, and the income proves to be elusive. The family struggles and Hannah bonds with a wild horse as an escape from the tension of the home. This bond ends in tragedy when Hannah’s stepfather is enraged Hannah has been using their feed on a wild horse. He kills the horse in front of her is a very impactful moment early in our story. From there, Hannah vows to make it off the farm and she does so with her love of horses driving her. She meets a boy from a wealthier family and this relationship helps her further nurture her love of horses. From there, Hannah takes to the rodeo and becomes a champion rider under the name Sunny Gale. Part coming of age, and part historical fiction, the true driver here is the toughness, grit, and perseverance of our main character who cuts her own path in a time when women were being suppressed at every opportunity.

Jamie Lisa Forbes is a great writer. The action scenes are brisk, the homely scenes are sweet. She is always nailing her pace and descriptions so you are always in the moment. The character work is amazing, and the plot and setting are very well thought-out and researched. Jamie Lisa Forbes is not afraid to tackle tough moments, but she handles these sensitive topics without invoking any negative feelings from the reader, which is a huge feat. Très bien!

Now, I am a sucker for a great horse story. Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Hidalgo, Spirit, and one of my most recent reads, Race to Novus. When I picked this up, I was hoping for a horse-centric read, and although there is plenty of horse-driven narrative, I did feel this story was lacking a horse the reader could really bond with and fall for. That is a very personal take and something that would have put this over the top, but I wanted a deeper connection and endearment with an equine friend.

4.5/5

Big thanks to Breakeven Books and the author for reaching out to me to be a part of the tour!

Video review here: ]]> Rating721328700 Wed, 24 Apr 2024 07:37:49 -0700 <![CDATA[B.A. Bellec liked a authorblogpost]]> /
B.A. Bellec liked Hope Gibbs's blog post: In Loving Memory of Harley: A Tribute to My Writing Partner
"I knew this day was coming—longer than I wanted to admit. If you’ve ever given your whole heart to a special animal, fortunate enough to be their companion, their human, you know this moment is inevitable. But when it arrives, you’re never ready t..." Read more of this blog post » ]]>