• About

By Hook Or By Book

~ Book Reviews, News, and Other Stuff

By Hook Or By Book

Monthly Archives: December 2020

2020: About To Be Gone, But Never Forgotten

31 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

2020, Auld Lang Syne, Birmingham Choir, NPR

The Year In Music

31 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

Andrew Rannells, “2020: The Musical”, Jimmy Fallon, Song Parodies, Tessa Netting

38ED8776-4891-40CF-BD84-8705615CD258

I think we can all agree that 2020 was a dumpster fire. Actually, stronger words come to mind, but I’ll stick to being polite. The following two videos set to music humorously summarize what’s gone on in the last twelve months just in case you’ve forgotten.

MarySmith’sPlace ~ As 2020 ends, some points to ponder

30 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 18 Comments

Thanks to Mary and her friend Lynn for these points about 2020!

Mary Smith's Place

My friend Lynn emailed the following to me. I don’t know where the points originated so can’t credit who wrote the original but thought they were well worth stealing and passing on. We need a wee smile at the end of this particularly crappy year, don’t we?

10 Points to Ponder as 2020 draws to a close …

1. The dumbest thing I ever bought was a 2020 planner.

2. 2019: Stay away from negative people. 2020: Stay away from positive people.

3. The world has turned upside down. Old folks are sneaking out of the house & their kids are yelling at them to stay indoors!

4. This morning I saw a neighbour talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came to my house & told my dog…. We had a good laugh.

5. Every few days try your jeans on just…

View original post 105 more words

On the Lighter Side

30 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 29 Comments

Tags

”Do You Love Me”, Boston Dynamics, On the Lighter Side

Whimsical Wednesday

30 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

Alex Shaulis, Animated Short, “Breaking Ground”, CGMeetup, Ellie Morlino, Ringling College of Art & Design, Tara Norton, Whimsical Wednesday

And Now, A Word From Sarah Cooper

29 Tuesday Dec 2020

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 12 Comments

To lighten things up from my dismal previous post, here is the ever delightful Sarah Cooper, courtesy of Mock Paper Scissors.

Mock Paper Scissors

Sarah Cooper is giving us a belated Christmas present. Click on the tweet to see the entire thread, and boy howdy, this is some funny stuff.

Well the end of 2020 is nigh & altho I dunno what 2021 holds, I do know we *will not* be talking about this person anymore 🤞. So I’m sharing an "enormous dump" of alt takes & rehearsals in this thread. Love & peace & health to you all. Let’s make 2021 > 2020! the bar is low!

— Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) December 28, 2020

View original post

Pandemic News

29 Tuesday Dec 2020

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 36 Comments

Tags

Pandemic News

2644916C-1004-4A10-A6C8-D9E840E252A7

Many of you might remember that during the worst of the pandemic I published Family Friday posts each week, letting you know how things were going in my neck of the woods and asking how all of you were doing. My last entry was in August, when things were improving. Well, sadly the COVID-19 situation is worse than it’s ever been in many parts of the globe, including the US and my own state of Alabama.

E4E967B1-E099-4D3A-B2CC-478F11D99D13 

During the month of December there have been 95K new cases. The state hospitalization rate has increased by more than 200 each week this month. There have also been 1,074 more deaths in the last few weeks. The county where I live has some of the highest numbers, which give the lack of mask wearing and social distancing isn’t very surprising. Like everyone else, we’re waiting to see how things are the middle of January when cases are expected to surge even more as a result of the holidays. It’s incredible that even though the pandemic in the US is worse now than it was back in March and April, so many people just don’t seem to care. I know part of this might be due to the first vaccines being out, but this selfish indifference was going on long before then. 

Add a subheading

So, for the foreseeable future, my better half and I will continue to self isolate and hope things start improving at some point in 2021. Let me know how everything’s going where you live.

D652C149-BF20-41F3-B4F8-66179577A558

Jacek Yerka

29 Tuesday Dec 2020

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 41 Comments

Tags

Artwork, Jacek Yerka

1BBE29CF-4223-4976-83AE-DB3892137D99

I had never heard of Polish artist, Jacek Yerca, until my friend Pete at https://beetleypete.com, sent me some images of his paintings. After seeing them, I had to share! The pictures below are book-themed, but if you want to check out his other gorgeous artwork, visit https://www.yerkaland.com

4D40ED7C-CCB8-4039-95B6-4BF7DC590C56

E83F5295-8CFB-4901-A80F-0C1D5C055372

EBC065AC-E6E4-46D7-A072-AB7A21BFB8C0

70F05CDD-27DE-4B12-A075-ECBDE8FA3EFF

E582BDF3-5333-4BAD-8909-5242AED2FA3F

09683954-CE29-4523-B5ED-3F63FD540258

19BA9F0C-3243-4582-B643-1F9AAA5BACC4

Thank You

28 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 36 Comments

Tags

Healthcare Workers, Thank You

F9B7B773-8130-42D5-BC00-1898CEAE395B

Never was so much owed by so many to so few. 

~ Winston Churchill ~

My friend Fraggle at https://fragglerocking.org just posted a picture of her husband who is a healthcare worker in the UK. She took this in response to the prompt your year in one photo. I’ll be honest and say I cried. Fraggle managed to capture the look of sadness, exhaustion, and determination that I imagine is common on the faces of all healthcare workers. There have been countless pictures taken in hospitals of medical personnel as they work tirelessly to save lives, but this simple black and white photo struck me on a visceral level like no other. While I’ve thanked frontline workers in previous posts for the sacrifices they’ve made during this year from Hell, it bears repeating. So, thank you to Phil and all the other heroes out there who kept doing what they do best…helping the rest of us.

Of Wicked Blood (The Quatrefoil Chronicles #1), By Olivia Wildenstein and Katie Hayoz ~ 4.5 Stars

28 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff in Uncategorized

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

Adventure, France, Mystery, New Adult Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Urban Fantasy, YA Fiction

0DA107B1-1347-441C-866F-8A938976F1F9

Thanks to NetGalley and Twig Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 2nd, 2021

424 Pages

Synopsis: 

Slate

I didn’t mean to steal the Bloodstone from the De Morel’s crypt. Scratch that, I did mean to steal it. Until I realized it was a curse-magnet that only comes off if I, along with a jolly trio, successfully defeat four curses. If any of us fail, I’m dead. I’ve never been a glass half-empty sort of person, but my glass, but my glass looks in dire need of a refill about now. The only highlight of this wicked treasure hunt: feisty, entitled Cadence de Morel.

Cadence

I was raised on tales of magic, in a small town reputed to be the birthplace of French witchcraft. Did I believe all the stories I heard? Absolutely not. I mean, if magic existed, Maman wouldn’t have died, and Papa wouldn’t be stuck in a wheelchair, right?

Wrong.

The night Slate Ardoin waltzes into my life, wearing a ring he stole from my mother’s grave, I call him a monster. But then I meet real ones, and Slate, well…he becomes something else to me. Something frustrating to live with, but impossible to live without. Something I will fight for, no matter the cost.

Of Wicked Blood is a fantastic start to Quatrefoil Chronicles, and it’s going on my list of favorite books of 2020. I absolutely LOVED the characters, even though there’s an annoying love triangle. Thankfully though, that resolved itself in the final half of the book. While Slate and Cadence seem complete opposites, they actually wind up bringing out each other’s better qualities. The secondary characters are equally enjoyable, and my favorite is Cadence’s father, Rainier, simply because he’s such an enigma. The atmospheric setting of Brume, a small university town in France where the sun doesn’t visit often, struck me as eerie yet cozy at the same time. This will sound odd, but if it weren’t a fictitious town, I’d want to live there. The magic realism is quite inventive and gives an entirely new twist to the ubiquitous magic quest trope. And finally, try as I might, I couldn’t tell the difference between the two authors’ writing. The chapters were completely seamless, which cemented my enjoyment of the book. While the ending isn’t a cliffhanger, it leaves many questions unanswered and has me frantic to get my hands on the sequel, which is definitive proof on what a fascinating story this is. Needless to say, I HIGHLY recommend Of Wicked Blood, especially to anyone looking for an exciting urban fantasy filled with marvelous world building, intriguing mystery, and complicated yet relatable characters.

← Older posts

  • By Hook Or By Book: Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff

Archives

December 2020
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Nov   Jan »

Blog Stats

  • 290,651 hits
Follow By Hook Or By Book on WordPress.com

Blogs I Follow

  • Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News
  • View from the Back
  • Fictionspawn
  • Books & Bonsai
  • BOOKSNMUSES
  • Blaisdell Literary Enterprises
  • Word by Word
  • slicethelife
  • Books With Raven
  • johnrieber
  • Book Coffee Happy
  • Susanlovesbooks
  • River Writes
  • heavenlybookish
  • Ana Bookshelves blog
  • For The Literature
  • On The Subject of Horror
  • Pfeiffer Pfilms and Meg Movies
  • Writergurlny
  • Sarah Collins Bookworm
  • The Inglorius Padre Steve's World
  • Chocoviv’s Lifestyle Blog
  • Mary Smith's Place
  • the novel gnome
  • Broken Tune's Blog
  • Mark Bierman
  • In Saner Thought
  • PA Reads
  • Little Mermaid's Writes
  • The Book's Whiskers
  • Between|the|Blurb
  • biblio_mom
  • Short Prose
  • Mental Health @ Home
  • The 4 Freedoms for ALL via Language & Adult Education, Writing, and PublicDomainInfrastructure
  • Carries Book Reviews
  • Beware Of The Reader
  • beetleypete
  • Blogger Tha Travis
  • Myths of the Mirror
  • Blue Reader Gal Corner
  • SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ
  • Cyranny's Cove
  • Saved By Words
  • Hundreds & Thousands of Books
  • Following Good Books
  • vinnieh
  • Mock Paper Scissors
  • The Bookshelf Corner
  • Doshelles

Member of The Internet Defense League

Follow By Hook Or By Book on WordPress.com

Blogs I Follow

  • Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News
  • View from the Back
  • Fictionspawn
  • Books & Bonsai
  • BOOKSNMUSES
  • Blaisdell Literary Enterprises
  • Word by Word
  • slicethelife
  • Books With Raven
  • johnrieber
  • Book Coffee Happy
  • Susanlovesbooks
  • River Writes
  • heavenlybookish
  • Ana Bookshelves blog
  • For The Literature
  • On The Subject of Horror
  • Pfeiffer Pfilms and Meg Movies
  • Writergurlny
  • Sarah Collins Bookworm
December 2020
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Nov   Jan »

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

Second Look Behind the Headlines - News you can use...

View from the Back

Ramblings of a retiree in France

Fictionspawn

Illustrations and Short Stories

Books & Bonsai

Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie

BOOKSNMUSES

Wrapped around genres and muses🥰

Blaisdell Literary Enterprises

Word by Word

Women in Writing sharing Encouragement One Word at a Time

slicethelife

hold a mirror up to life.....are there layers you can see?

Books With Raven

Book reviews from a bookworm

johnrieber

Burgers, Books, Music, Movies, Offbeat Adventures & Pop Culture!

Book Coffee Happy

Let's discuss books!

Susanlovesbooks

River Writes

Here you get writing tips, facts, and updates by the Author in process, River Angel Bee

heavenlybookish

bibliophile

Ana Bookshelves blog

Hi! My name is Ana. I’m a pharmacist & part time blogger! Book addict!

For The Literature

Reviewing the art of literature.

On The Subject of Horror

All things horror movie related!

Pfeiffer Pfilms and Meg Movies

Writergurlny

A Ginger's Point Of View

Sarah Collins Bookworm

Journalist, traveller, collector of hats, bookworm

The Inglorius Padre Steve's World

Musings of a Progressive Realist in Wonderland

Chocoviv’s Lifestyle Blog

Mommy blogger, who loves to share what she loves!

Mary Smith's Place

the novel gnome

Reading and Reviewing for You!

Broken Tune's Blog

Mark Bierman

Adventures in Writing

In Saner Thought

"It is the duty of every man, as far as his ability extends, to detect and expose delusion and error"..Thomas Paine

PA Reads

Reading and reviewing books all day long.

Little Mermaid's Writes

Movie Reviews, Travel stories, Lifestyle

The Book's Whiskers

Books ✦ Cats ✦ Gin ✦ Life is good!

Between|the|Blurb

opening a window of excitement, enthralment and over all wonder.

biblio_mom

Read & Escape

Short Prose

Poetry and Short Prose by Gabriela Marie Milton 2019 Author of the Year at Spillwords Press and Author of Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings

Mental Health @ Home

Building mental wellness on a foundation of strength

The 4 Freedoms for ALL via Language & Adult Education, Writing, and PublicDomainInfrastructure

Languages & Books (Stayed on Freedom's Call & WiP: #WhoByFireIWill) for Community Cooperation and #PublicDomainInfrastructure: Public Transit, Public Libraries, Financial & Legal Education, and Public Health Care

Carries Book Reviews

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Beware Of The Reader

Never underestimate the quiet girl reading in her nook! She's lived a thousand lives.

beetleypete

The musings of a Londoner, now living in Norfolk

Blogger Tha Travis

Myths of the Mirror

Life is make believe, fantasy given form

Blue Reader Gal Corner

Book Blogger and more

SoundEagle 🦅ೋღஜஇ

Where The Eagles Fly . . . . Art Science Poetry Music & Ideas

Cyranny's Cove

Refuge of an assumed danophile...

Saved By Words

When a woman tells the truth she is creating the possibility for more truth around her. Adrienne Rich

Hundreds & Thousands of Books

Book reviews by teens, for teens!

Following Good Books

YA Book Blog from a Christian Perspective. 1 Thessalonians 5:15.

vinnieh

Movie reviews and anything else that comes to mind

Mock Paper Scissors

The Internet's Band of Incorrigible Spitballers® Since 2006

The Bookshelf Corner

Writer. Blogger. Book Reviewer.

Doshelles

Bringing Words to Life

Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

Second Look Behind the Headlines - News you can use...

View from the Back

Ramblings of a retiree in France

Fictionspawn

Illustrations and Short Stories

Books & Bonsai

Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie

BOOKSNMUSES

Wrapped around genres and muses🥰

Blaisdell Literary Enterprises

Word by Word

Women in Writing sharing Encouragement One Word at a Time

slicethelife

hold a mirror up to life.....are there layers you can see?

Books With Raven

Book reviews from a bookworm

johnrieber

Burgers, Books, Music, Movies, Offbeat Adventures & Pop Culture!

Book Coffee Happy

Let's discuss books!

Susanlovesbooks

River Writes

Here you get writing tips, facts, and updates by the Author in process, River Angel Bee

heavenlybookish

bibliophile

Ana Bookshelves blog

Hi! My name is Ana. I’m a pharmacist & part time blogger! Book addict!

For The Literature

Reviewing the art of literature.

On The Subject of Horror

All things horror movie related!

Pfeiffer Pfilms and Meg Movies

Writergurlny

A Ginger's Point Of View

Sarah Collins Bookworm

Journalist, traveller, collector of hats, bookworm

Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy