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Jasmine at HowUsefulItIs

@howusefulitis

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BookReviewer|📚 |🎧 A Curse of Beast & Magic | #bookworm #bookstagrammer ❤️All Genres | 163/100

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Thank you @sourcebookskids for the gifted copy 💝

💎Meet July: A children's book to teach about the Fourth of July, friendship, and summer fun! written and illustrated by #aprilmartin which was published on 5/6/24

{Book Review}

Read this book with my kid at bedtime. This story followed July, who loves to sip on lemonade and swim in the pool everyday because it's so hot outside. He likes to hang out with his friends June and August. They love to play by the pool together eating homemade watermelon popsicles. July loves to eat watermelon. One thing July doesn't love is the afternoon summer storms that arrives with lightning. His mom reminds him to seek shelter because lightning is dangerous. July has fireworks on his head that sometimes goes off. July is when everyone celebrate America's birthday. He loves to attend the parades and all that comes with the celebration. Sometimes his family travel to another state to celebrate. This year they stay home and celebrate in town with friends. As soon as the celebration starts, July heard what sounded like thunder and lightning. He worried that the celebration will be ruined. He started to run for cover but discovered that it was the fireworks on his head that went off. July realized what happened and turned his celebrate America's birthday with even more excitement and happiness among friends.

My kid loved this series and listened to the rest of the books on YouTube!

#meetjuly #sourcebookskids #sbkinfluencer #bookreview by @howusefulitis

Thank you @avonbooks #epictastemakers for the gifted copy 💖

💎Snowed Inn, book 2 to a series called Honeycrisp Orchard written by @valeriegbowman which was published on 9/29/26

Ready for Christmas reads! Excited to read this contemporary romance book!

🌿Synopsis: This cozy Christmas romance follows an overworked publicist who is snowed in at the Honeycrisp Orchard Inn with her nemesis, a sexy brewery owner, for the holidays. The festive spirit, hot chocolate, and six feet of sparkling snowdrifts conspire to turn these enemies into lovers.

Maria never expected to spend Christmas in a small, snow-covered town—but a visit to her best friend Ellie’s Honeycrisp Orchard Inn turns into an unplanned holiday stay when a snowstorm leaves her stranded. The inn feels like stepping into a holiday fairy tale, with twinkling lights, crackling fires, and garlands everywhere, yet Maria can’t help missing her big, loud Italian family. Adding to her frustrations? Jesse, the ruggedly handsome, annoyingly charming brewery owner, who seems to delight in pushing her buttons.

Jesse has enough on his plate managing his bar and helping the inn stay merry for the holidays, but he can’t seem to resist Maria’s city-girl sass. As snow continues to fall and their paths keep crossing, Maria finds herself drawn into the inn’s festive magic and Jesse himself, as he shows her the charm of slowing down and being present in the moment.

With stolen glances under mistletoe and sparks flying by the fireplace, the line between a holiday fling and something deeper blurs.

But when the snow clears, will Maria follow her heart? Perfect for anyone craving snow-kissed romance, holiday warmth, and happily-ever-after magic.

#snowedinn #christmasreads #book #avonbooks by @howusefulitis

Thank you @simonkids for the gifted copy ❤️

💎House of Horrors: Ready to Read Level 3 written by @joemcgeeauthor and illustrated by @teoskaffa which was published on 8/25/26 by #simonspotlight

{Book Review}

Read this book with my kid at bedtime. This story followed Jessica. She's a green thumb, which means she loved all types of plants and loved to grow them. Her dad just built her a greenhouse for her birthday. Just in time because her room is overflowed with plants: spider plants, tiger lily, sunflowers, Venus fly trap, etc. The greenhouse happened to be located next to the Witching Tree. It might be the reason why the plants grew humongous quickly or maybe the mystery square inside the greenhouse. Her plants started attacking her but that mystery spot also killed it so many plants avoided that spot. Jessica is wanting to figure out what that mystery spot is but the story ends and readers don't know what it is either!

Good story and illustrations just that cliffhanger ending is not so cool haha

#simonkidscrew #bookreview #readytoread #childrensbook by @howusefulitis

Thank you @wednesdaybooks for the gifted copy 💕

💎The Dreamless, book 2 to a series called Sleepless Duology written by #jenwilliams which was published on 5/7/26

The covers to this duology are so pretty! Excited to read this young adult fantasy romance!

🌿Synopsis: Jen Williams stuns in a heartrending sequel to The Sleepless that is as romantic as it is deadly.

Will Lucian pursue chaos and power?
Will Artair choose isolation, or will he choose to walk out into the wider world?
And Elver, perhaps, has the hardest choice of all.

After being sacrificed yet again at the hands of Mother Maura, Elver has returned from the dead even more jih than human. A strange new power simmers beneath her skin alongside a warning from the Queen of Serpents: though she’s been granted another chance at life, someday soon, Elver will be called from the land of mortals.

Now that Artair knows the spirit with whom he shares a body, Lucian, is an ordinary human, the two have formed an uneasy truce. While they attempt to wield their shred of Maura’s stolen power—the only thing keeping her from ascending to full godhood—they’re also confronted with feelings for Elver that are impossible to deny.

But Maura is out for revenge. As dangerous new alliances brew among the Twelve, Elver, Artair, and Lucian must set out to find the only being in existence capable of killing a god. And Elver will need to decide once and for all with which of the Sleepless her poisoned heart lies.

#thedreamless #wednesdaybooks #yabooks #fantasybooks by @howusefulitis

Thank you @bookmarked for the gifted copy 💖

💎Mr. and Mrs. Dixon Hide a Body written by #jenniferholdich which was published on 7/1/26

This book cover is great! Super excited to read this cozy mystery!

🌿Synopsis: From the author of Julie Tudor is Not a Psychopath ("wickedly funny and darkly compelling") comes a twisted new thriller following one couple who will do anything to get away with murder, even frame each other.

Daisy Dixon lives in a stately home, but the grandeur on the outside hides a leaking roof, dusty rooms and a failed marriage. But that isn't the only thing she has to worry about now. On the night before she plans to leave her abusive husband, James, Daisy accidentally runs a man over, with James in the passenger seat beside her. But at her husband's behest, instead of calling an ambulance, they take the man home.

When he dies, panic ensues, and the Dixon's do what any sane couple bury him in the family mausoleum, on the grounds of their rickety, tumbledown estate.

And that's where he lies, until a storm washes him out into the nearby village.

Her dreams of freedom postponed indefinitely, with James' help, Daisy covers up the crime and together, they seem to be doing a good job of it, until she learns that James has helped the police with their inquiries, and blamed it all on her.

Two can play games, and Daisy is very good at winning. What was once a cover-up is now a race to prison, and Daisy will do anything to make sure James gets their first.

#mrandmrsdixonhideabody #sourcebookslandmark #cozymysterybooks #thrillerbooks by @howusefulitis

Thank you @simonkids @atriabooks @candlewickpress @randomhousekids @prhaudio @simon.audio @macmillan.audio @marysueruccibooks @getunderlined @simonteen @mackidsbooks @sourcebookskids @harperkids for the gifted copies ❤️

October 2026 Reading & Listening Wrap-Up: 26 books and audiobooks!

Why, this is my best reading, listening, and reviewing month ever! Loved these stories!

#readingwrapup #monthlyreads #audiobooks #booksbooksbooks #book @meganlmiranda @penchant4words @ncparker @laurenblakelybooks @alexwillan @tehlormejia @mistywilsonwrites @marieluthewriter @bynicholasday @justincolonbooks @lennywendraws @coreyrtabor @devinellekurtz @katchoppy @heidiroo_art @jimmyfallon @hellonathanc @sailor_smoon @lbardugo @lizclimo @imnotjustascribble @stephlaubooks @alicehemmingauthor @nicolaslater by @howusefulitis

Thank you @simonkids for the gifted copies ♥️

👻🎃Happy Halloween 🎃👻

💎Trick-or-Treat Gnomes written by Kelly Green and illustrated by Lisa Alderson which was published on 7/14/26

💎Halloween, Baby! written and illustrated by @karenkatzbooks which was published on 7/14/26

💎On Halloween Night written by @joel.stern.origami and illustrated by @choochoojoey which was published on 7/14/26

💎House of Horrors: Ready-to-Read Level 3 written by @joemcgeeauthor and illustrated by @teoskaffa which was published on 8/25/26

And a few more books which will be shared in the upcoming days!

These books are great! My daughter's friends read the gnome book when they came trick or treating with us tonight.

#boardbooks #kidsbooks #simonkidscrew #halloweenbooks #booksforkids by @howusefulitis

Thank you @ireadvintage for the gifted copy 💖

💎The Night Circus written by @erinmorgenstern

I loved this book! I bought 10 of these socks recently to give as Christmas gifts for my coworkers 😊 So loving these socks!! So pretty!

I'm excited for a reread!

#thenightcircus #ireadvintagepartner #ireadvintage #fantasybooks @outofprint #book by @howusefulitis

Thank you @harperkids #epictastemakers for the gifted copy ♥️

💎Medusa's Pet Rock written and illustrated by @stephlaubooks which was published on 9/22/26

{Book Review}

Read this story with my kid at bedtime. A fun story. Medusa with the snakes in her hair and the eyes that can zap anyone or anything she looks at into stone. The classroom goes through pets quickly because Medusa accidentally zap the pets into stones. The other kids didn't want to play with her because they didn't want the same fate as the pets. One day, the teacher brought in a new special pet, a pet rock! Medusa had an easy time taking care of it until it accidentally fall into the pond while they were out boating. Medusa dive into the water to rescue it. When out of the water, she wiped her eyes and tears for her mistake that she couldn't even take care of the pet rock, while her eyes weren't protected by the eyeglasses, it accidentally zapped the pet rock and!! Unexpectedly, the pet rock had a transformation!

Interesting read and illustrations!

#medusaspetrock #harperkids #bookreview #childrensbook by @howusefulitis

Thank you @penguinteen for the gifted copy ❤️

💎Her Rising Flame, book 2 to a series called Her Hidden Fire written by @cliodhna.osullivan which will be published on 11/3/26 by @vikingbooks

This young adult fantasy romance sounds great! Excited to read another story with dragons!

🌿Synopsis: This searing romantasy and heart-stopping follow-up to Her Hidden Fire finds Éadha a desperate fugitive, hopelessly torn between fear and defiance, human and dragon . . . and Ionáin and Gry. Each impossible choice will take her further down a path from which she may never return.

Éadha is on the run, having narrowly escaped the cruel grip of the Master Channellers. Relentlessly hunted, she is pushed to the very edge of her world—a place of ancient magic and long-held secrets where she must create a new life for herself in ways she never imagined.

Ionáin is forced to come to terms with the fact that he has no power, nor did he ever. Imprisoned deep in the Fodder holds, he faces the stark reality of what it means to be an enemy of the Masters as he tries to make sense of his future . . . with or without Éadha.

Gry finds himself walking a dangerous line between protecting his Family’s secret legacy and being true to his feelings for Éadha. With his newly revealed powers, he must train with the Masters he despises and find some way to destroy the very system that makes him elite—before that system can destroy Éadha.

Told from three perspectives, Her Rising Flame is a whirlwind sequel of world-shattering secrets, wrenching heartache, and the terrible consequences of power.

#herrisingflame #penguinteenpartner #yalit #yabooks #romantasybooks by @howusefulitis

Thank you @fiercereads for the opportunity to take part in the cover reveal!

✨COVER REVEAL✨

EPIC ROMANTASY ALERT!

SHE DIES AT DAWN by @roxanederouen

● A compelling enemies-to-lovers romance
● Fantasy that's light on magic
● Genre mash-ups—romantasy + murder mystery/political thriller!
● An Ancient Greece-inspired fantasy world

🌿Synopsis: A romantasy set in an Ancient Greece-inspired world full of assassinations, whispers of rebellion, and a reluctant alliance between a Deathless thief and a hunted prince.

She has eleven lives. He might cost her every one.

Whipsmart has spent a lot of time dying. She is the last of the Deathless, a people with eleven lives who were massacred by the emperor years ago. Her family gone, she has grown up surviving as a thief. When Whip wakes up on her sixth life with a legendary blade in her hand and the emperor dead beside her, she’s sentenced to hang—even though she’s fairly sure she didn’t kill him.

The emperor’s sixth son, the vain, spoiled, and supremely unserious Leto, is fighting his own battles. With three of his brothers recently assassinated, and someone trying to frame him for the murders, he fears he might be the next victim. Though Leto suspects Whip couldn’t have killed his father, she is the perfect scapegoat and he calls for her death.

But when Whip reawakens after her hanging, she and Leto form an uneasy alliance to find the murderer and stop a coup. So long as neither betrays the other first. While the death toll mounts and Whip’s remaining lives dwindle, sparks unexpectedly fly between the two former enemies. As their feelings become undeniable, they must uncover who killed the emperor before they wind up dead.

#shediesatdawn #coverreveal #fiercereads #romantasy #yalit by @howusefulitis

Thank you @simonkids for the gifted copy 💖

💎Kind of a Pig Deal, book 17 to a series called Good Dog written by #camhiggins and illustrated by Mike Garton which was published on 10/6/26 by #littlesimon

{Book Review}

Read this book for my kid at bedtime. A great read! Reminds me of Charlotte's Web because the event took place on the farm with farm animals being talented at something and then got famous and people came to see.

This story was told in the view of the dog named Bo. He lived on the farm with his human family of mom, dad, brother, and sister. He liked to play with the pig named Zonks who was a good artist. Zonks draws many pictures of farm animals using his mud. There are other farm animals in the story. The story mainly focused on Zonks because one day Farmer Will came to help fix the fence at the farm and noticed Zonks' drawings. He told the local reporter and soon people from all over came to see Zonks, took pictures with him, and to see his artwork. He got famous and soon too busy and tired to play with Bo. Bo was upset and had a fight with Zonks. They eventually made up and became friends again. People's interests soon died down when they found something else that caught their attention.

We enjoyed the illustrations also.

#chapterbooks #bookreview #simonkidscrew by @howusefulitis