The Joyful Book Blogger

2024 Fun National Holidays Live each day to the fullest - there's always a reason to celebrate!

Book Review ✨ My Roommate is a Vampire by

📖 Title: My Roommate is a Vampire
✍🏼 Author: Jenna Levine
📕 Format & Source: paperback OUABC Halloween 2023 Sweet box
🗓️ Publication: 8.29.23 by
🔥Steam: chemistry with a slow build
💕Tropes: paranormal vampire romance, age gap (lol)
🗣️ Voices: Jewish female main character

Quick Take: I LOVED this book! It had me laughing and blushing and thoroughly entertained. This is an author to watch and it was the perfect read for the spooky season though it could absolutely be enjoyed any time of the year.

Random Notes:
✨One chapter in and I was hooked. It made me chuckle out loud and I enjoyed the writing style.
✨ It starts to get steamy on page 255 🔥🔥🔥
✨ This book gave me a new appreciation for soft men’s shirts and now I’m on the hunt for the perfectly soft henley for my husband - any recommendations will gladly be accepted!

⭐️ My Star Rating: 5 stars LOVED it!
🩵 Read: October 2023
🎁 OUABC Gifts: Keeping 2 of 4 gifts and really loved the overall selection. Scroll to the end for a gift spoiler!
💅🏽 Olive & June: the pink is QD primrose and sugarcoat

❓Do you have a go-to playlist or do you stream music?

Celebrating 10.23.23…
✨ iPod Day
✨ National TV Talk Show Host Day
✨ National Boston Cream Pie Day

Love celebrating fun holidays? Check out the link in my bio for a full monthly list!

Bookmark, book sleeve, and Boonard ghost plushie | ARIELLE10 for 10% off! { }

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New Release Feature ✨ Christmas at Corgi Cove by Annie England Noblin

{ } I received a copy 📚🥰 Thank you &    

Available Now, Pub: 10.17.23

I’m still in my witchy reading mode for another week and hoping to squeeze in one or two more but I’m so excited for all of the winter and holiday books that are starting to be released! Christmas and puppies? Need I say more?

❓Have you started reading winter/holiday books or are you still reading Halloween/witchy/spooky picks?

💅🏽 Olive & June: QD Primrose & Sugarcoat

Bookmark | ARIELLE10 for 10% off! { }

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Book Mail 📚💕 Publisher Appreciation

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Essentials for all of the amazing books I received in the mail recently! { }

New Release, Available Now:
🩵 10.3 | Surrounded by Energy Vampires by Thomas Erikson
🩵 9.26 | Someone Somewhere Maybe poems by Sophie Diener
🩵 9.26 | The Maker’s Guide to Magic by Andrea Hannah
🩵 9.19 | Fair Play by Katie Barnes
🩵 9.5 | Falling Down and Getting Up by Mark Nepo

❓What’s your favorite color? Do you have a different favorite color for what you wear vs a color that makes you happy in general?

I tend to veer towards black, olive green, and burgundy in my wardrobe but my favorite color that makes me happy is turquoise.

Celebrating 10.22.23…
✨ National Color Day
✨ National Nut Day

Love celebrating fun holidays? Check out the link in my bio for a full monthly list!

Bookmarks | ARIELLE10 for 10% off! { }

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New Release Feature ✨ The Joy Strategist by Grace Harry

{ } I received a copy 📚🥰 Thank you

Available Now, Pub: 10.17.23

We need joy now more than ever and this is a great nonfiction pick to check out. I haven’t read it yet but I’ve skimmed through and am looking forward to fully diving in.

❓What’s something in your life that brings you joy?

Celebrating 10.20.23…
✨ international chefs day
✨ national chicken and waffles day
✨ get smart about credit day

Love celebrating fun holidays? Check out the link in my bio for a full monthly list!

Bookmark | ARIELLE10 for 10% off! { }

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Book Mail 📚💕 Workman Pub

Thank you to the publisher for all of the amazing books I received in the mail last month! { }

I’ve always loved the nonfiction picks from Workman Pub but now that I’m a mom, I’ve had a renewed appreciation for Workman Pub kids too! They have some of the best educational and fun selection for kiddos and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to receive some of their options for free.

I grew up with Brain Quest and I loved seeing that they’re still popular. Can’t wait to use these when she’s a little bigger. Almost 6 months and it’s really true what they say about how quickly they grow!

❓If you’ve got a little kiddo - what are their favorite kinds of books? If no little ones - what were some of your favorites growing up?

🩵 10.19: Get to Know Your Customers Day

Love celebrating fun holidays? Check out the link in my bio for a full monthly list!

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New Release Feature ✨ Atlas of Wild America

{ } I received a copy 📚🥰 Thank you

Available Now, Pub: 10.3.23 by

If you’re looking for a holiday gift for an adventure-lover in your life, this should be on your list of potential gift ideas. It’s a little pricey but it’s absolutely gorgeous and is a wonderful treat (add to your gift list ideas in the 50-75 range)! It makes for interesting reading and browsing, which means it’s the perfect coffee table book. The first region I always look for is PNW and this didn’t disappoint. ✨ Scroll to see my cat Ares posing for a photo and to see how excited I was when this book arrived!

❓Where in the world would you love to explore? Or what’s your favorite place you’ve been?

✨ Celebrating National No Bra Day and Friday the 13th!

Love celebrating fun holidays? Check out the link in my bio for a full monthly list!

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I’ve been deliberating on how to best express my absolute heartbreak over the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. Each new post that comes through my feed and stories hurts my heart and continues to leave me in shock. I can’t find the words to explain how incredibly saddened I am at the horror that has occurred. As a new mom I can’t even fathom the horrors of experiencing an ounce of what some of the victims have had to endure.

I wholeheartedly condemn violence against all innocent people and am overcome with joy to see so much love and support flow through for the victims and for all Jewish people everywhere. I’m also saddened to see that this is not a widespread sentiment and am astounded that antisemitism is still so prevalent. If you are in the population that does not share this sentiment then I kindly ask you to quietly unfollow me.

Notes on the photos shared in this post:
🩵 Featuring books by two of my favorite authors. This is {of course} a bookstagram account and I think it’s so important to have my bookshelves and the books that I choose to read include a diverse group of authors. If you enjoy romance I highly recommend checking them out!
🩵 A new book I was recently gifted from on antisemitism.
🩵 A cancelled author signing due to a potentially unsafe event environment.
🩵 Posts on the recent events that I found thought provoking and impactful;

If you’re interested in supporting Jewish authors, here’s a list to check out:
🩵 Jean Meltzer
🩵 Rachel Lynn Solomon
🩵 Meredith Schorr
🩵 Amanda Elliot
🩵 Amy Pine
🩵 Hannah Orenstein
🩵 Brenda Janowitz
🩵 Elyssa Friedland

October New Release Book Mail 📚💕 Berkley Romance Publisher Appreciation

Thank you to for all of the amazing books I received in the mail last week! { }

October 3rd
🩵 The Takedown by Carlie Walker

October 10th
🩵 Better Hate Than Never by Chloe Liese
🩵 A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden

October 17th
🩵 Sweeten The Deal by Katie Shepard

October 24th
🩵 Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake
🩵 Guy’s Girl by Emma Noyes

❓Celebrating World Mental Health Day! What’s something you do to take care of your mental health and wellness?

Love celebrating fun holidays? Check out the link in my bio for a full monthly list!

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Book Review ✨ Our Vengeful Souls by

📖 Title: Our Vengeful Souls
✍🏼 Author: Kristi McManus
📕 Format & Source: Hardback special edition in YA box
🗓️ Publication: 6.6.23 by
🔥 Steam: closed door romance with sweet chemistry
💕Tropes: magical 🧜🏼‍♀️
💭CW/Themes: death of loved ones
📝 Notes: Ursula retelling

Quick Take: I really enjoyed this book. Great writing style; descriptive but not overly lengthy. Engaging, enchanting, and so much fun. Sad ending but it was a fun read.

Random Notes:
✨The special edition from OUABC was absolutely GORGEOUS! From the cover to the special page edges, just chef’s 💋 perfection.

⭐️ My Star Rating: 4.5
🩵 Read: September 2023
🎁 OUABC Gifts: I only liked one of the four gifts, one was okay, one was eh and one was a big thumbs down. Overall the gifts weren’t a win but the special edition of this book totally made up for my lack of love for the gifts.
💅🏽 Olive & June: Shaket | It’s Actually Dark Green
🩵 Scroll to see my favorite quotes

❓Celebrating National Kick Butt Day. People often try not to brag in an attempt to be humble - here’s permission to brag away! Tell us about something that you’re proud to kick butt at!

I’m really good at boggle! I’m not generally a competitive person but I kick butt at boggle and get very competitive when playing. 😆

Love celebrating fun holidays? Check out the link in my bio for a full monthly list!

Blanket | ARIELLE10 for 10% off! { }

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New Release Feature ✨ THE DUKE GETS DESPERATE by Diana Quincy        

{ } I received a copy 📚🥰 Thank you   &    

Noted as a spicy enemies to lovers pick!
 🔥🔥🔥The author is Arab-American and the FMC is also Arab-American which means this is an especially great pick for those participating in {*looks at everyone that enjoys reading*} and those that enjoy historical romance!

Available Now, Pub: 9.26.23 by

❓Celebrating National Hero Day - who do you look to as a hero or tell us about someone you admire and why.

Love celebrating fun holidays? Check out the link in my bio for a full monthly list!

| ARIELLE10 for 10% off! { }

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Book Review ✨ Witch of Wild Things

{ } I received a copy 📚🥰 Thank you Berkley Romance!

📖 Title: Witch of Wild Things
✍🏼 Author: Raquel Vazquez Gilliland
📕 Format & Source: Paperback gifted from
🗓️ Publication: 9.12.23 by Berkley Romance
🔥Steam: mild steam
💕Tropes: second chance witchy romance
🗣️ Voices: Mexican American / Cuban
💭CW/Themes: Domestic abuse, unrequited love, loss of a close family member, infidelity
📝Notes: First in a series

Quick Take: 5 stars for this fantastic magical witchy romance!! This is a must read for the spooky season!

Random Notes:
✨ I loved the characters and the overall writing style.
✨ I made notes while reading - this would’ve been a fun OUABC box selection!
✨ Reading this reminded me how ready I am for soup season! Would love the recipe for mushroom cheese soup that was mentioned in the book.

⭐️ My Star Rating: 5.0 - loved it!
🩵 Read: September 2023
📚 12 of 23 for
💅🏽 Olive & June: It’s Actually Dark Green
🩵 Scroll to see my favorite quotes

❓If you could have magical abilities would you prefer to have a connection to animals, nature, or the weather?

Bookmark | ARIELLE10 for 10% off! { }

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