tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60458756824634299352024-03-12T16:44:54.512-07:00BooksonTuesday<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/6a1920e7abc4fce98497a5064e04766e4dd6a1e5" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"><img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/bb739659e30363d15a807c792c2609fb72579fe5" width="80" height="80" alt="10 Book Reviews" title="10 Book Reviews">booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-79725029058110838172021-08-19T20:46:00.003-07:002021-08-19T20:46:54.221-07:00Reading<p> So I really biffed my reading blog, I've read tons of books this year so I'm just going to tell you about the ones that stand out, and what I've been doing to read more.</p><p>I was lucky enough to go to my local library main branch to get a new card, and I've downloaded the app Libby so that I can take out ebooks and audiobooks from the library. It's a very good app, they are often missing books or only have the ebook version but there's still tons of books that I want to read and enjoy. Higly recommend downloading the app and supporting your wallet as well as your local library. It's really helped me with my spending.</p><p>So far my favorite books of 2021 are </p><p>The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by Victoria Schwab</p><p>The Project by Courtney Summers</p><p>Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody</p><p>Trail of Lightening and Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse</p><p>The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna</p><p>Lovesickness by Junji Ito</p><p>Survive the Night and Lock Every Door by Riley Sager</p><p>Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend</p><p>Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Bouilley</p><p>Docile by K. M. Szpara</p><p>The Space Between Worlds by Macaiah Johnson</p><p>Don't Call it a Cult by Sarah Berman</p><p>Dark Horses by Susan Mihalic</p><p>Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter</p><p>Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala</p><p>Hot Under His Collar by Andie J. Christopher</p><p>Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim</p><p>It's been a lot but I've had a great reading year so far and I'm looking forward to reading even more π</p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-10264503964739667752021-08-19T20:19:00.000-07:002021-08-19T20:19:18.976-07:00Recent Reads<p> Since I'm atrociously bad at consistency, probably due to poor mental health here are a few books I've read recently and either loved, enjoyed or felt quite blah about.</p><p>First my 5 star reads</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43317482-in-the-dream-house?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=6kE9ftPcWb&rank=1" target="_blank">In The Dream House</a> by Carmen Maria Machado</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40024121-the-gilded-ones?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ukUQnejuEn&rank=1" target="_blank">The Gilded Ones </a>by Namina Forna</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35560263-nevermoor" target="_blank">Nevermoor: the Trials of Morrigan Crow</a> by Jessica Townsend</p><p>and</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50762972-firekeeper-s-daughter" target="_blank">Firekeeper's Daughter</a> by Angeline Boulley</p><p><br /></p><p>My four star reads were </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33458.The_Lust_Lizard_of_Melancholy_Cove" target="_blank">The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove</a> by Christopher Moore</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41459037-the-lesson" target="_blank">The Lesson</a> by Cadwell Turnbull</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43347903-the-liar-s-daughter?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=IvlZzf42jG&rank=1" target="_blank">The Liar's Daughter</a> by Megan Cooley Peterson</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55628983-survive-the-night?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=IIktiJIXfy&rank=1" target="_blank">Survive the Night</a> by Riley Sager</p><p><br /></p><p>and finally books I could live without</p><p>all those damn Bridgerton books that I binged because of poor mental health.... but also ... I was obssessed, I'm happy I left that phase behind me. It only took like 14 something books that were pretty much all the same for me to get over it, but I came out on the other side, I've read some great books these last two months.</p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-9026944279245332692021-02-09T20:55:00.005-08:002021-02-09T20:55:45.678-08:00Dad's first reads 2021<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRs8KWEVV7Rwj09PhjWGjy8n0OAg4s5qPpr4BOqviY1cBGAIOCoN4Bt8pDiC9ZzqEcBghDHsBSShNH-tkWDgrQtULcvtD9PnKbmjXCGz7E7KBndFHLtlcQQ0ctHJxYLkanML6tlXoJyX8/s400/highwayoftears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="274" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRs8KWEVV7Rwj09PhjWGjy8n0OAg4s5qPpr4BOqviY1cBGAIOCoN4Bt8pDiC9ZzqEcBghDHsBSShNH-tkWDgrQtULcvtD9PnKbmjXCGz7E7KBndFHLtlcQQ0ctHJxYLkanML6tlXoJyX8/s320/highwayoftears.jpg" /></a></div><p>My Dad has already read almost 10 books but I only have notes so far to 5 of them. I'm excited for the next batch because I gave him a few translated mysteries from other countries and that's always fun...for me. Anyways, on to the list!</p> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40605285-the-sweetness-at-the-bottom-of-the-pie?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=WvPKyoT7EO&rank=1" target="_blank">The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie</a> by Alan Bradley 3.5/5 this book is told in the perspective of an 11 year Fluvia. Dad thought that the kid nerration explained it all meticulously, that it was very smart and realistic. He thought the mystery was good, suspenseful toward end, and he really enjoyed that you learned the story more as she learned and figured it out.<p></p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42958877-killing-with-confetti?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=KqfZGyaAqR&rank=1" target="_blank">Killing with Confetti</a> by Peter Lovesy 4.5/5 He said "and I quote, "through a big fucking wrench into me... that ending." He really thought it was good, that it had started out slightly confusing but unfolded well and he loved it.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43193837-good-girls-lie?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Reqij6Vvka&rank=1" target="_blank">Good Girls Lie</a> by J. T Ellison 4/5 Basically Dad's usual descriptions for books. <i>was different, kept in suspense, mystery off the start then near middle you figure out what's going on, past and present povs, better written, </i>etc... He still makes me want to read it. π</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26233572-i-see-you?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=m2WuuBU8tb&rank=1" target="_blank">I See You</a> by Clare MacKintosh 4/5 Once again his usual but he told me I should just read this one, so that must mean it was pretty nifty. <i>enjoyed it, liked how it came together and surprised at ending, keep guessing over culprit, accessory and victims until very end</i></p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43328763-highway-of-tears?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=cppLNvmabi&rank=1" target="_blank">Highway of Tears</a> by Jessica McDiarmid 4/5 Dad also really like this true crime book he found it very informative, although a little dry in places hence to 4 not 5 star. My dad was also quite pissed by the end of book and I'm pretty sure that's the point. Racism against indigenous peoples in North America is extremely rampant, and it's hard to catch onto sometimes especially if you're white, which is why books like this is so important. Let's learn and do better, my father was furious and learnt a lot. Definitely recommend.<br /></p><p><br /></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-66259095818631525242021-02-04T18:34:00.004-08:002021-02-04T18:35:00.873-08:00The Pisces Book Review<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43069291-the-pisces" target="_blank"> The Pisces</a> by Melissa Broder</p><p>Um, 2 stars? I think, maybe? </p><p>Pretty much my reactions when reading this book, </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoC47AguAJB87VLhRqScAAHL-nPBhsd1p0IWjMMsAzHcs4_5l1D_CFi0WZ66XBQ6Bldw44uno725S8_1fkpPfjW_nkYi5zGGsz7hq7adl2tpYt-OgSW2aaEAUUWDnCnmnuUe3NsfCORM/s400/thepisces.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoC47AguAJB87VLhRqScAAHL-nPBhsd1p0IWjMMsAzHcs4_5l1D_CFi0WZ66XBQ6Bldw44uno725S8_1fkpPfjW_nkYi5zGGsz7hq7adl2tpYt-OgSW2aaEAUUWDnCnmnuUe3NsfCORM/s320/thepisces.jpg" /></a></div>"Um weird"<p></p><p>"Fucking rude"</p><p>"Ok, hold the phone"</p><p>"wth"</p><p>"wtf"</p><p>"OMFG"</p><p>This book is a ride from start to finish, it's about Lucy a 38 year old woman having a crisis over her breakup with long term boyfriend and thesis, because she's pretty much breaking up with both the boyfriend and the thesis. She is unapologetic for being the biggest asshole and most self centered person on the planet while also I pity her because she's obviously struggling with severe mental health issues and extreme depression. As someone who struggles with poor mental health I don't think that gives people a right to be an asshole and disrespect others. Lucy is slightly redeemable and i have hope for her future self after the book ends, but honestly just ugh. </p><p>So this book was marketed to me as 'merman erotica' and it did have fishy sex, but it is not erotica because I was disgusted by every sex scene in this book. It's either disappointing, gross or both. Theo was also an unhealthy mother fucker, who toyed with Lucy that I felt like she was getting brainwashed by him. Jeez, giver the girl a healthy relationship. </p><p>Honestly, at one point in the book our mc Lucy just pretty spirals down into non-existence and makes terrible decisions with REAL consequences, which she seemed to learn from but it was a little late. I don't want to spoil this book if you decide to read it, if you need spoilers hit me up on my instagram @booksontuesday</p><p>I did give this the 2 stars because I do think it showed how mental health affects us, and how we can become so obsessed with ourselves that we become out of control. And honestly I think maybe that's part of the point of the book but also by 3/4's of my way through it I only finished it because I craved closure from the story. And I NEEDED, not wanted, to write this review to let my very complicated feelings out which also means that maybe this is a good book? Because I can't stop thinking about it... </p><p>Or maybe it's so bad that it's going to haunt me for the rest of my life.</p><p>I need a stiff drink. <br /></p><p>May the odds be ever in your favour.</p><p>Also putting the trigger warnings slightly down because they often spoil parts of the story, read at your own will.</p><p>#thepisces #thepiscesbookreview #melissabroder </p><p>Otherwise the trigger warnings are <i>animal abuse/death, graphic sex, depression, suicide and talk of suicide</i></p><p><br /></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-25905995992061353742021-02-04T18:16:00.003-08:002021-02-04T18:16:25.027-08:00My Most Anticipated books 2021<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVbevo0Wbfi78Zxj2JSOIUg-5sDw-0t0OZCCzuc_Tjz25kqrnmv8nAxWuiaIXmBLD4RigoqNhw-lNoQ-Ov7sC2bH8CYY50Ma8DKMsc5MXUuodrf34pMuGNXC0NDg_FUUfV6UjfpN7TwY/s2048/intheravenousdark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVbevo0Wbfi78Zxj2JSOIUg-5sDw-0t0OZCCzuc_Tjz25kqrnmv8nAxWuiaIXmBLD4RigoqNhw-lNoQ-Ov7sC2bH8CYY50Ma8DKMsc5MXUuodrf34pMuGNXC0NDg_FUUfV6UjfpN7TwY/s320/intheravenousdark.jpg" /></a></div><li>In the Ravenous Dark by Strickland</li><li>The Project by Summers</li><li>Gilded Serpent by Jensen</li><li>Blade of Secrets by Levenseller</li><li>Daughter of Sparta by Andrews</li><li>Six Crimson Cranes by Lim</li><li>Lost in the Deep Dark Woods by Thomas</li><li>Bridge of Souls by Schwab</li><li>Crown of Gilded Bones by Armentrout</li><li>Ariadne by Saint</li></ul><div>This is a very short list but I want all these so much!!!! <br /></div><p></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-82984211392578575892021-02-04T18:13:00.003-08:002021-02-04T18:13:38.686-08:00Top 2020 reads<p> My List</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Mooncakes</li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqNYvZ4Kjsf4knOj28xPfUD9XbDj7E-TaJghpMZoeID_4sIFCzql3x9MTk_XwNEpBKJAXd0IrWZCc6Cz-qsfdp72bjtcBS6n9D2aarjS9zL9Tglh54ZtUSoGd5bE-B2a8jr0yql2kenE/s2048/mooncakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqNYvZ4Kjsf4knOj28xPfUD9XbDj7E-TaJghpMZoeID_4sIFCzql3x9MTk_XwNEpBKJAXd0IrWZCc6Cz-qsfdp72bjtcBS6n9D2aarjS9zL9Tglh54ZtUSoGd5bE-B2a8jr0yql2kenE/s320/mooncakes.jpg" /></a></div>The Shadows Between Us</li><li>The Black Witch and Iron Flower</li><li>From Blood and Ash</li><li>Dark Shores and Dark Skies</li><li>This is How You Lose the Time War</li><li>The Song of Achilles</li><li>My Dark Vanessa</li><li>Fable</li><li>Mexican Gothic</li><li>Queen of Nothing</li><li>Watch Over Me</li><li>Spoiler Alert</li></ul><p></p><p>My Dad's List</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Hunting Whitey</li><li>The Last Time I Lied</li><li>The Guest List</li><li>Murder in the Crooked House</li><li>Hunted</li><li>In the Cold Dark Ground<br /></li></ul><div>Man it was a great reading year! Tell me your favorite book that you read in 2020?</div><p></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-13374816688674667322021-02-04T18:05:00.004-08:002021-02-04T18:05:32.005-08:00Dad Reads Winter Edition 2<p>Once again I have no strenght or will power to make my notes coherent, nobody reads my blog anyways π© so here are my dads thoughts on books he read at the end of November and throughout December.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajcWHx5OxqfVt7jd66CIKZ5bGc5xnqXATvJ-UMpm6atubhXD1th3x6WBcvU-pzQhLE_HIMEGdu0qTh3gcCZxyJWu2zKGnfzJgbEKZD5fwAVSzM-8puGlGZcQ116CPcktbS_uncm2DRX4/s1529/watchingfromthedark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1529" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajcWHx5OxqfVt7jd66CIKZ5bGc5xnqXATvJ-UMpm6atubhXD1th3x6WBcvU-pzQhLE_HIMEGdu0qTh3gcCZxyJWu2zKGnfzJgbEKZD5fwAVSzM-8puGlGZcQ116CPcktbS_uncm2DRX4/s320/watchingfromthedark.jpg" /></a></div> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52703166-wrong-alibi?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=sP79hHyc7i&rank=1" target="_blank">Wrong Alibi</a> by Christina Dodd 3.5/5 well written, in some suspense, slightly dragged out, good mystery tag line "what goes around comes around"<p></p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18445.Lisa_Unger" target="_blank">Confessions on the 7:45</a> by Lisa Unger 3.5/5 pretty good, kept wondering, you just have to read it to know</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52962320-the-residence?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=RKKOv545aP&rank=1" target="_blank">The Residence</a> by Andrew Pyper 3/5 a little fucked up "it was," ending didn't make much sense, one extreme to another different level, maybe would read his other books </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56636242-watching-from-the-dark?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=cCkuyhMx0o&rank=1" target="_blank">Watching from the Dark</a> by Gytha Lodge 3.5/5 drawn out, was ok, past and present perspectives and had him stumped</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54303965-the-last-thing-to-burn?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=fFfAAjyIQT&rank=1" target="_blank">The Last Thing to Burn </a> by Will Dean 4.5/5 well written, thriller suspense mystery and a bit of a mind fuck, really stood out from other novels</p><p>Once again some of these are arcs and aren't released yet. Keep your eyes open for them, there's definitely a few I really want to read.<br /></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-30061915805210425142021-02-04T17:54:00.003-08:002021-02-04T17:54:53.904-08:00December 2020 reads<p> Holy crap, why can't I read this many books in one month all the time? Because sleep, slumps and honestly probably just those two reasons.....</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43263680-ninth-house?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ufb1bxfvVb&rank=1" target="_blank">Ninth House</a> by Leigh Bardugo 4/5 So I finally read and finished Ninnth House, honestly maybe it's more of a 3 stars but it was really boring. I love supernatural mystery so I thought for sure I would love this. I didn't love it, and my favorite character was Darlington and if you've read it well you know. The twist was out of left field there was no real buildup and I wouldn't have guessed and now I'm left with a very unsatisfying story but I'll probably still read the next one.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51876064-strangelands-vol-1" target="_blank">Strangelands</a> vol 1 5/5 This is a great graphic novel and I would love to keep reading more of this series. It's got great potential, plus it's indigenous ownvoices with one of the creaters at least, Little Badger who recently released Elatsoe which I'm looking forward to reading as well.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56153273-snow-day" target="_blank">Snow Day</a> by Julie Lipson 4/5 This audiobook is short, sweet and cute. It' was really well done, I was impressed.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52735921-kingdom-of-the-wicked?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=bwuZeWucuz&rank=1" target="_blank">Kingdom of the Wicked</a> by Kerri Maniscalco 4/5 <i>sigh </i>I wanted this to be 5 stars so badly and I loved the romantic relationship aka banter, because it's not really a relationship....yet....? Anyways, it's really interesting and I'm really intrigued to read the next one but the pacing was really off. Like really, really off, it takes place over weeks, or months I guess? I don't even know, but our main character was lacking a bit, I'd rather have read from the other twins life, ours is a bit boring and plain and slow to take action. I think I would have understood her bad decisions more if she hadn't literally had long periods of time to think about things. </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11330361-a-stolen-life?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=lMtd2RSywE&rank=1" target="_blank">A Stolen Life</a> by Jaycee Dugard I really hesitate to rate this book because it's literally a memoir written by a woman who was kidnapped and kept in captivity for over 20 years. It was heartbreaking and beautiful and I can't believe Jaycee Dugard had any hope and survived this trauma. I hope for the best for her, her story is important and inspiring, if Jaycee Dugard can survive under her circumstances I can handle the shit show of 2020.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37642030-the-hunting-party?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=fm9oia801i&rank=1" target="_blank">The Hunting Party </a>by Lucy Foley 5/5 I know that some aspects of this story were predictable but I loved it. It was atmospheric, and I was fascinated by the how of these characters connecting.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37642030-the-hunting-party?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=fm9oia801i&rank=1" target="_blank">Instant Karma</a> by Marissa Meyer 5/5 This was so cute, I'm still crying. It follows a stereotypical ya rom-com plot but with sea rescue and learning and character growth and um, ya. I just loved it, I didn't think I would especially because I didn't like the main charcter but I read it in one night. Highly recommend.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54870178-hunting-whitey?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=sQ9Lph1RiO&rank=1" target="_blank">Hunting Whitey</a> by Casey Sherman 4/5 This true crime book follows mob boss Whitey Bulger after he goes on the run as an old man. It also covers the last bit of his life while he was in prison. I enjoyed this book, it was well written and was kind of fascinating to get a glimspe into this man's life. He was racist, and homophopic and well a murderer but also there was a lot of grey area to his life. He was extremely loyal, loved animals and became a type of father figure to many people. Anyways it's prettty messed up, highly recommend. Also just a side note, the poor police.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51933429-the-guest-list?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=KlQJfVXskE&rank=1" target="_blank">The Guest List</a> by Lucy Foley 4/5 This was basically the Hutning Party but more predictable and I still loved it.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50892433-one-by-one?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=jRRGLOQs4s&rank=2" target="_blank">One by One</a> by Ruth Ware 3/5 Um, this was very easy to see through and honestly kind of annoying. IT was fun though, I liked it enough for 3 stars I guess.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52754102-the-girl-from-widow-hills" target="_blank">The Girl From Widow Hills</a> by Megan Miranda 3/5 I liked this one too but also it didn't have any ooumph for me. </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/861326.The_Viscount_Who_Loved_Me?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=i9Lkhw8V6k&rank=1" target="_blank">The Viscount Who Loved me</a> by Julia Quinn I fell into the Bridgerton hole as soon as I saw the show. I skipped the first book becuase it pretty much follows the first season and I didn't need to relieve Daphne. Anthony did not disapoint and this is probably my favorite.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9408584-an-offer-from-a-gentleman" target="_blank">An Offer from a Gentleman</a> by Julia Quinn cute</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/110384.Romancing_Mister_Bridgerton" target="_blank">Romancing Mr. Bridgerton</a> by Julia Quinn my other favorite in the series.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40916679-a-good-girl-s-guide-to-murder?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=VomV7opgR0&rank=1" target="_blank">A Good Girl's Guide to Murder </a>by Holly Jackson 4/5 I wasn't expecting this to be as good as it was but it was really fricking good. Highly recommend.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40651200-5-living-no-matsunaga-san-5" target="_blank">Living-Room Matsunaga-kun</a> vol 5 4/5 Just a cute rom-com with questionable age gap roamnce but I don't care because I'm 29 and trash.</p><p><br /></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-7896073967588546502021-02-04T16:52:00.001-08:002021-02-04T16:52:06.892-08:00Dad Reads Winter Edition 1<p>Alright in my usual or less usual fashion, my dad is a man of few words and so here are my notes, because I've been working on being behind on blog posts for a few months now. π So here y'all go! </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRi81uddWLLk1yo49epTWvAx1UhGDoxujCa26VrE3sYBKLoJGGG3956dhiLCG9KzLvVGQ7msHQxer4i2Dj02WZLHoAq4Seszn6DWt5x9swUWMEWVLgY-5Oj0VU3ZEuTRlphGkY8WzeqEk/s475/lakecrescent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRi81uddWLLk1yo49epTWvAx1UhGDoxujCa26VrE3sYBKLoJGGG3956dhiLCG9KzLvVGQ7msHQxer4i2Dj02WZLHoAq4Seszn6DWt5x9swUWMEWVLgY-5Oj0VU3ZEuTRlphGkY8WzeqEk/s320/lakecrescent.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53254368-lake-crescent?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=WjXzr4qZOC&rank=2" target="_blank">Lake Crescent</a> by J. J. Dupuis 3.5/5 screwed him up, kept intrigue up and well written but slightly drawn out<p></p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54304237-the-rope?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=95WUlHwqKW&rank=6" target="_blank">The Rope</a> by <span itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration-line: none;"><a class="authorName" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/251712.Alex_Tresniowski" itemprop="url" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration-line: none;">Alex Tresniowski</a> </span>dnf'd boring and couldn't get into it</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54460429-the-day-she-died?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=jTHt92Q3df&rank=4" target="_blank">The Day She Died</a> by S.M Freedman 4/5 it fucked him up, you'd have to read to understand, wild ride</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48613296-unspeakable-acts?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=xaHECNyA0M&rank=1" target="_blank">Unspeakable Acts</a> curated by Sarah Weinman 3/5 some of it very good, some not so much</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54304010-the-woman-outside-my-door?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=jOTmWYsAEb&rank=1" target="_blank">The Woman Outside my Door</a> by Rachel Ryan 4/5 well written, kept him guessing, good story</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54303987-the-drowning-kind?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=uyDJ2tnOUc&rank=1" target="_blank">The Drowning Kind</a> by Jennifer MCMahon 4/5 kept in suspense, kept guessing, but supernatural aspect to it</p><p>Although he mostly enjoyed all these books, nothing super stood out to him during this reading selection.</p><p><i>Also to be noted, my dad reads tons of arcs because none of my coworkers seem to read much in terms of mystery. So some of these aren't released yet.<br /><br /></i></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-25891550974374717142021-02-04T16:38:00.002-08:002021-02-04T16:39:22.199-08:00Murder at Brightwell by Ashley Weaver Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2L4PAJHCJnODP4lOgmGfLrMTFRkGAN834ZGlsEfH4ME3CUDx7Z6NKR0FBXsAmv51ZscFoVwPszNCn1-T6RPlHBsVEE4XXqM1sj6tJ7QVpH_NfNDynVJtUAs31aINENf1nGoHCf62V-_U/s475/murderatbrightwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2L4PAJHCJnODP4lOgmGfLrMTFRkGAN834ZGlsEfH4ME3CUDx7Z6NKR0FBXsAmv51ZscFoVwPszNCn1-T6RPlHBsVEE4XXqM1sj6tJ7QVpH_NfNDynVJtUAs31aINENf1nGoHCf62V-_U/s320/murderatbrightwell.jpg" /></a></div><br /> 4/5 stars<p></p><p><i>I recieved an eARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</i></p><p>Although I did recieve an arc, I also thought it would be a good audiobook, and guess what it was! I read this using both my digital copy and the audio and it was perfect. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19561924-murder-at-the-brightwell" target="_blank">Murder at the Brightwell</a> follows Amory Ames, the wife of a wealthy man. She is struggling in her marriage and is completely unsure about what to do about it so she ends up following an old flame to the seaside to help him convince his sister that she's marrying a rake. Instead of convincing the sister not to marry a rake, she ends up sleuthing to find out who commited murder. I'm not going to say much more just because I really don't want to spoil anything.</p><p>I loved this book, it was a lot of fun, I loved our main character and honestly there's not much I can say about it. Just I really liked it, it was a bit slow moving pacing but it started picking it up and I loved it. If you like cozy, historical mysteries, this is a perfect book for you!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-68495004581852478312021-01-15T16:47:00.003-08:002021-01-15T20:25:06.242-08:002020 goals and NetGalley catch up<p> I've been approved for many Netgalley books, I was sad and poor and reading lots so I decided to go trigger happy and apply for every book that peaked my interest even a sliver and then because I'm a mood reader...I read none of them.... <i>sigh</i> I did it to myself, so here I am catching up and my 2020 monthly goals is to read at least 2 books that I've got ARCs from each month. <i>ARCs given in exchange for honest review</i></p><p>So far in January I've read, </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53414951-life-lessons-with-uramichi-oniisan-1">Life Lessons with Uramichi-Oniisan</a> by Gaku Kuze This was a very fun manga, the story follows a group of audlts who are actors/characters in a young children's tv show. Uramichi is very cynical and you can just tell how beaten down he is. I laughed and cringed reading this, it was everything I feel as a failed adult even though I know there's no time limit to completing my goals and progressing/growing as a human π Anyways I highly reccomend this series, I think it's fun and relatable.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLx_wcSz_rx9o2Zg2AESFtPMIgoymX97mEr_HlNJSNXDxeF_mtIcWoLO6Fc91BZF-HtbP2mAHnlNpjtwVXw3U2yy1e070sAvaeLuofWwZC9aBvEwNbTtDRLIf_QFMi7OfNv96AGUkpC_0/s400/lifelessons.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="278" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLx_wcSz_rx9o2Zg2AESFtPMIgoymX97mEr_HlNJSNXDxeF_mtIcWoLO6Fc91BZF-HtbP2mAHnlNpjtwVXw3U2yy1e070sAvaeLuofWwZC9aBvEwNbTtDRLIf_QFMi7OfNv96AGUkpC_0/s320/lifelessons.jpg" /></a></div>and of course the best book so far this year, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50623864-the-invisible-life-of-addie-larue" target="_blank">The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue</a> by V. E Schwab I'm absolutely bewildered by this incredible story, it was beautiful. I can't believe a human wrote this, it was perfect and I just want to pick it up and read it again, immediately. The characters, the descriptions, the story were perfect. It's a slow burn that keeps burning even after you turn the last page. <p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-50458255682236477982021-01-15T15:11:00.003-08:002021-01-15T15:11:35.273-08:00November reads 2020<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSBs04YJ-jbsos8D8DKiMQQm4HaoZ995sTa5S8Fo4cN55zD1UHD_HwfCGDdWHOsverWcn_mMm7pg6_y6uryv-CjRS8Durb96OzyrcqwcTvht8dKHcEHbOMreIgqe3cuaHXLrfy9QQDhM/s2048/watchoverme.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSBs04YJ-jbsos8D8DKiMQQm4HaoZ995sTa5S8Fo4cN55zD1UHD_HwfCGDdWHOsverWcn_mMm7pg6_y6uryv-CjRS8Durb96OzyrcqwcTvht8dKHcEHbOMreIgqe3cuaHXLrfy9QQDhM/s320/watchoverme.jpg" /></a></div><br />This was such a good reading month for me, I enjoyed everything I read and I'm very satisfied. I feel like I had such a full month!<p></p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26032912-the-queen-of-nothing?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=28nCv0h7w8&rank=1" target="_blank"> The Queen of Nothing</a> by Holly Black 5/5 I'm not crying, you're crying! I can't believe but I loved this book, it was honestly a perfect ending in my opinion.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51344270-i-hope-you-re-listening?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=q01X99DpB5&rank=4" target="_blank">I Hope You're Listening</a> by Tom Ryan I enjoyed this one and the format half podcast, half first pov is one of my favorites but this story did fall a little flat forme. Mostly because the secondary characters were all under developed and completely unnecessary for the plot. </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40670509-little-monsters?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=SsjeRF9g0P&rank=1" target="_blank">Little Monsters</a> by Kara Thomas I was so surprised at how much I enjoyed this one, apparently it's loosely based off the real life slender man true crime but I would never have guessed. Overall it was a lot of fun to read and I'm shocked at how everything played out even though I did guess some of it. Highly recommend. </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50729853-watch-over-me?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=5Nypy8dOcR&rank=1" target="_blank">Watch Over Me</a> by Nina LaCour is probably one of my favorite books from this year. It was dark, and filled with the processing of grief, and trauma. I really loved this book and don't want to say too much, but it's worth reading and honestly going in blind really made it it an incredible experience. Nina LACour is now an autobuy author for me.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50496918-spoiler-alert?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=yjSkXgt9jz&rank=1" target="_blank">Spoiler Alert</a> by Olivia Dade is my favorite romance novel this year. The fat representation really resonated with many of my insecurities about life. It was very relatable and I also appreciated the dyslexic representation as well. I loved how they solved problems as adults and they used their communication skills to progress. I just loved this book and can't recomend it enough. The only part that was a little much for me was that a 40 year old actor was writing quality fanfiction π </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51169341-the-night-swim?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=HItS5phOwN&rank=1" target="_blank">The Night Swim</a> by Megan Goldin is a mystery that transcends generations. The question being repeated throughout history. <i>Was she asking for it? </i>Victim blaming and rape culture is the big topic surrounding this story and I felt like the author did a good job at pointing out the injustice and work that needs to be done to improve rape trails, and prosecution (or lack thereof...). Also I listened to this as an audio book and the quality of the story really shone through, the format of half story and half podcast is always one of my favorites especially for mysteries. </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2712967-the-darkest-pleasure?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=wGc340ZQ0P&rank=1" target="_blank">The Darkest Pleasure</a> by Gena Showalter Ummmm, yes I'm still reading these. I can't even... but also I'm addicted to reading about that tension right before characters have sex in romance novels... You know? They spend half the book with pent up emotions and feelings while they're still trying to complete their goals and this series is doing really good at that.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5509920-the-darkest-whisper?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ECAI6ElMXz&rank=1" target="_blank">The Darkest Whisper</a> by Gena Showalter Once again these books do feature quite toxic relationships and I still don't quite get the possessive <i>mate</i> hype in romance but meh, I'm honestly having fun with these. But they really aren't very good so ya. </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45885644-the-sun-down-motel?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=TK4NIe5gKd&rank=2" target="_blank">The Sun Down Motel</a> by Simone St. James I actually loved this book, I loved that there was some paranormal aspects but that it didn't center on the actual mystery, it was bonus. I loved that, so even if the story was slightly predidctable this really made the story for me. I loved how the author blended past and present, true crime and paranormal. I honestly can't wait to read more of this author.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43568394-the-guinevere-deception?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=KitsjePk56&rank=1" target="_blank">The Guinevere Deception</a> by Kiersten White Maybe it was the fact that I read this as an audio book but I was really disapointed. Like 2.5 or 3 stars out of 5 disapointing. First things first, it was worth reading but maybe try the physical copy? Because I listened to the audio it was painfully obvious that the narration, that Guinevere was obssesed with Arthur. Which is just gross, I think the author should make the love interest with either Lancelot or Mordred. Arthur is just boring... and this book except for the very last end of it was honestly just soooo boring. I don't even know how the author put all the scenes into a coherent story, a lot of it felt really random. I could say more but those are the gist of my feelings.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58SfR4rKd143vUACjXH2hii4-uRv1niEPUeh_nRFQ5lH5pwrpNPPVNjQIznH3zBKES28WTYY0f0HfPdxigjJO_yMHDMW1aTDul44MezWnVHqDCPhkpFOX0tHNWIeqBqpjwGrKgK30vTM/s2048/spoileralert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58SfR4rKd143vUACjXH2hii4-uRv1niEPUeh_nRFQ5lH5pwrpNPPVNjQIznH3zBKES28WTYY0f0HfPdxigjJO_yMHDMW1aTDul44MezWnVHqDCPhkpFOX0tHNWIeqBqpjwGrKgK30vTM/s320/spoileralert.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-34092247149391023022021-01-07T16:40:00.005-08:002021-01-07T16:40:39.578-08:00Dad Reads Fall Edition<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pbUAACfiozElY5lANzH4hm0Kh7-jnGT9mzUSdmIebZPRx3nteG14rtb7PtkDSqjbOgv0rL-AJJ0sC6crI0NAzWsqmcba9rp5ZjmnnMvW_kd_MUlnHoYK4i3L6RRPD0EPgrt5x92m_X8/s469/strangerinside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pbUAACfiozElY5lANzH4hm0Kh7-jnGT9mzUSdmIebZPRx3nteG14rtb7PtkDSqjbOgv0rL-AJJ0sC6crI0NAzWsqmcba9rp5ZjmnnMvW_kd_MUlnHoYK4i3L6RRPD0EPgrt5x92m_X8/s320/strangerinside.jpg" /></a></div><br />As we all know by now my dad is a man of few words and lots of grunts but here we be still collecting books he's read recently. I'm extremely behind on posts obviously since it's January so here are my jot notes instead of full real sentences.<p></p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50748983-the-stranger-inside" target="_blank">The Stranger Inside</a> by Lisa Unger 4/5 kept him wondering, good ending, well written, liked characters</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49099948-blood-world?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=gJrHEv4NmT&rank=6" target="_blank">Blood World</a> by Chris Mooney 4/5 was intrigued what next, very well written, nothing bad, some slow sections but interesting</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52696926-hunting-whitey?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=UvI3C3Tye1&rank=1" target="_blank">Hunting Whitey</a>: The Inside Story of the Capture & Killing of America's Most Wanted Crime Boss by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge 5/5 loved it, lots of interesting info, gave you info like story, super well written, really enjoyed, really gave you insight into his life</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50892432-little-cruelties?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=cyaXHYe9Oy&rank=1" target="_blank">Little Cruelties</a> by Liz Nugent3/5 was interesting with the 3 different povs, how their lives unfolded, just wanted to know all three perspectives, was boring in a lot of places and could've been better but wanted to know what happened</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45894472-no-bad-deed?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=l5JWJe8XSm&rank=1" target="_blank">No Bad Deed</a> by Heather Chavez 3/5 interesting, written ok, characters ok, and little dragged out</p><p>Bonus Book </p><p>My mom read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52763491-lola-benko-treasure-hunter?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=mApwxljh7t&rank=1" target="_blank">Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter</a> by Beth McMullen she loved it. It's an upcoming middle grade that I grabbed because archaeology and history and Indiana Jones is life. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8T7V7nkABwMW0NR0kRDwj9mlhPA6ZRNXWNaoxChrmlY2ovpETtJKG5KLnQCoI3ElZUO582sKtwcEznVzVPeuUg44plC51-K_6bBXb6cDEvSv9sQqakntAGU9reb_fL4kfeWuhU2FAj0/s2048/lolabenko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8T7V7nkABwMW0NR0kRDwj9mlhPA6ZRNXWNaoxChrmlY2ovpETtJKG5KLnQCoI3ElZUO582sKtwcEznVzVPeuUg44plC51-K_6bBXb6cDEvSv9sQqakntAGU9reb_fL4kfeWuhU2FAj0/s320/lolabenko.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-75650261741057421882021-01-07T14:58:00.002-08:002021-01-07T14:58:47.219-08:00Mexican Gothic<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsMFT29aOHAe8iZxbEnFK7PkeuUv5GUR-W8K-ESou7VP_wcNsRqy8JL2U00PHmDanHGwAxbEId4yCxScwQW8TNogMbk1EPeyM_24NqHH3bg1WKsc2Ra5qNMMLKo_tF3CZMbFAmkLgBBw/s475/mexicangothic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsMFT29aOHAe8iZxbEnFK7PkeuUv5GUR-W8K-ESou7VP_wcNsRqy8JL2U00PHmDanHGwAxbEId4yCxScwQW8TNogMbk1EPeyM_24NqHH3bg1WKsc2Ra5qNMMLKo_tF3CZMbFAmkLgBBw/s320/mexicangothic.jpg" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53152636-mexican-gothic?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=QrAXCnMTj0&rank=1" target="_blank">Mexican Gothic</a> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is now officially an autobuy author for me. I loved reading this lush, acidic trip through an old mansion in Mexico. I learned some history but for me it descriptions and our main character that really made me fall in love. The writing started the story off slow with our main character traveling to visit her cousin to check their safety after some troubling letters.<p></p><p>I really don't want to spoil any of it and I think it's a book that better if you go into it fairly blind. The only really important thing to know is that it's gothic horror thriller, and it's best to expect some triggers if you're a senstitive reader.</p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-19160161266120776752021-01-07T14:46:00.000-08:002021-01-07T14:46:04.561-08:00My October reads 2020<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">I actually read a ton of books in October for me, especially since I've gotten into audio books but also I've just gotten into the reading groove. So here they are and I'll mention a few things about specific books but the ones where I just give a rating will have dedicated posts about eventually....</span></div><p></p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53152636-mexican-gothic" target="_blank">Mexican Gothic</a> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 4 stars</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1264554.Torso?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=jqgjNR0FFE&rank=3" target="_blank">Torso</a> Brian Michael Bendis is a true crime graphic novel that really encapsulated the times when this case was happening. It was honestly more historical than true crime. it was really good but I'm more interested in the actual crime versus that specific time period. It's a little too modern for me.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39278224-anthony-bourdain-s-hungry-ghosts?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=BAbKlsSsHB&rank=2" target="_blank">Anthony Bourdain's Hungry Ghosts</a> This was really well done I thought. I was expecting it to be more genius but it ended up just being a fun spooky food graphic novel. I don't know if I'll reread it for the stories or just for it's aesthetics which are beautiful.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29939266-to-catch-a-killer?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=9gHASx4CUE&rank=1" target="_blank">To Catch A Killer</a> by Sheryl Scarborough I listened to this on audioe and overall the narrator did a great job, the overall story was a bit predictable but fun. I rated this as less stars and almost didn't finish it because the main character swooned over her love interest too much. It was so ridiculous I rolled my eyes constantly. Just ugh, gross and I live for romance.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50433121-something-happened-to-ali-greenleaf?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=55NCvDslxF&rank=2" target="_blank">Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf</a> by Hayley Kirscher I feel like this topic is important to explore within ya especially. So much rape culture is fostered young starting with kids, middle ages and teens. It's important to instill healthy ideas about consent and sexism for all genders starting from a young age. Overall I really enjoyed this book, I read it very fast because the writing hooked me in.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6609784-naoki-urasawa-s-monster-volume-1?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=l1Q6bJB8q4&rank=4" target="_blank">Monster Vol 1</a> by Naoki Urasawa This series has a bunch of my friends fawning over it and so I really wanted to see what the hype is, and although I liked it and will be continuing on with the rest of the series, I did find this first volume a little hard to get into and slightly confusing. I perservered and was rewarded with by the story getting better and better. </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36959639-small-spaces?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=LcjQsWZ4IK&rank=1" target="_blank">Small Spaces</a> by Katherine Arden This short middle grade horror was actually horrifying for me. I read it in one night because I couldn't go bed thinking about the story. I really loved this book and look forward to reading the next one and then the 3rd when it's released. </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50891470-dryad-vol-1?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=lxOkkehKSw&rank=1" target="_blank">Dryad vol 1</a> by Kurtis Wiebe I recieved an earc from netgalley in exchange for review. This graphic novel was very well done, I was hooked on the characters and the story. It was very different and not at all what I thought it was going to be. Definitely worth reading, although I'm not sure if I'll continue the series because it ended up not being what I wanted from the story. I struggle to enjoy stories that have both classic fantasy and sci-fi elements. Idk I'm weird.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41187447-a-golden-fury?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=DDaC1ohAxR&rank=1" target="_blank">A Golden Fury</a> by Samantha Cohoe I recieved an earc from netgalley in exchange for review and this was very much a 3/5 star for me. It was good, but also meh. </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18509623-the-girl-from-the-well?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=PrDJKlDQf2&rank=1" target="_blank">The Girl from the Well </a>by Rin Chupeco I was hoping this book would be scary but the scary elemnts fell really flat for me. I did enjoy the story overall though, but reading it felt awkward. I know the author is Filipino and probably has a very good understanding of Japanese culture but maybe she wrote this book so that a younger teen could enjoy it as well. It just wasn't scary at all even though I feel like the stories about thelegends this book was based on feel scary. It's hard to explain, but it was good.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37534862-dare-you-to-lie?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=CSX2icfUxY&rank=1" target="_blank">Dare You to Lie</a> by Amber Lynn Natusch This was by far my favorite read of October! It was pretty much Veronica Mars in a ya book format and I had so much fun reading it. The pacing and voice were addicting and I read it in one night. And I'm excited because people tell me that the second book is even better!</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/476543.The_Darkest_Night?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ijpMPvL6a5&rank=1" target="_blank">The Darkest Night</a> by Gena Showalter Um, don't read this series unless you enjoy toxic masculinity and romance involving the trope <i>mates, instalove, and smut</i>. Although I would not recommend to most (if not all) of my friends the actual plot develops is interesting ways and I'll probably make my way through all 15 books because I'm trash for trash. It's 2020 and I can't handle anything remotely serious anymore.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38136879-the-lovely-and-the-lost?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=2UexSZZQcs&rank=1" target="_blank">The Lovely and the Lost</a> by Jennifer Lynn Barnes This made a really interesting audio book and I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. TW for natural animal death which brought me to tears. Now that I'm writing this, I think this book is way better than I originally thought and if more books appear with these characters I'm going to read them.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13409664-nearly-gone?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=gTdGcvEB0Q&rank=1" target="_blank">Nearly Gone</a> by Elle Cosimano I realy enjoyed this overall but I think I wanted it to be better than it was. This concept has been used before by authors and was doing good with it but it fell downhill with the forced romance and awkward characters. I may read the next one eventually.... but also I don't know if I care enough.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2498983.The_Darkest_Kiss?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ma4ezMIYP3&rank=1" target="_blank">The Darkest Kiss</a> by Gena Showalter <i>see Darkest Night write up above and know that I'm fallen....</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>#octoberreads #thelovelyandthelost #thedarkestnight #smallspaces #dryad #somethinghappenedtoaligreenleaf </p><p><br /></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-12848299937431505152020-12-14T19:44:00.003-08:002020-12-14T19:44:42.801-08:00Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LwxMQDvabSQ5EOD9ij-0mBvi8pTrHpl6kYrFZcyLUmUQ8S8yUU0zJOAxYyK5ejZT9jmavN1PAF4Gz8BUdGY50lnF9KaGZM-w-yAM3nzU3uRzgD6pFg_b6TNmzsvEk97efbg8DHaoF-k/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LwxMQDvabSQ5EOD9ij-0mBvi8pTrHpl6kYrFZcyLUmUQ8S8yUU0zJOAxYyK5ejZT9jmavN1PAF4Gz8BUdGY50lnF9KaGZM-w-yAM3nzU3uRzgD6pFg_b6TNmzsvEk97efbg8DHaoF-k/" width="160" /></a></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52735921-kingdom-of-the-wicked?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=9y7IFoB5Rz&rank=1" target="_blank">Kingdom of the Wicked</a> was a hell of a romp, I really enjoyed it. It was fast paced, fun and full of witty banter. I loved the setting for this novel, it was beautiful and I had no issues getting lost within it's descriptions of Sicily. I absolutely loved the characters, Eimilia was flawed and driven by the need for vengeance, while Wrath was ever the dangerous and sly. They had my favorite relationship too, I'm a sucker for certain tropes. I felt like the story was well thought out but it did fall flat for me a few times, the pacing was tiny bit off and it felt like there needed to be less time that passed, especially when weeks would pass with no story, I just wish it had happened quickly because it felt a little awkward when I was reading it. Overall I think this was a very fun read that I really enjoyed, solid 4/5 stars.<p></p><p>I would reccomend it to people who liked the Shadows Between Us, Shadow and Bone, Serpent and Dove, and the Cruel Prince.</p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-63099272041734284452020-11-12T21:09:00.001-08:002020-11-12T21:09:50.168-08:00I Hope You're Listening by Tom Ryan<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizd8GSUxnCCas5BG8ONtHct54xFkyH9qjvN_SDO6spNtWu7youzhLWSLW4V7lYvMI4UdTV3jDPTilCqnDofReKYshF56o15yh6PAlq-v4EAsQE0JDYTkx6kNg_if346cQve0OrLDaPQW0/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="318" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizd8GSUxnCCas5BG8ONtHct54xFkyH9qjvN_SDO6spNtWu7youzhLWSLW4V7lYvMI4UdTV3jDPTilCqnDofReKYshF56o15yh6PAlq-v4EAsQE0JDYTkx6kNg_if346cQve0OrLDaPQW0/" width="161" /></a></div><br />I just finished <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45041866-i-hope-you-re-listening" target="_blank">I Hope You're Listening</a> by Tom Ryan, I received an arc for this from Netgalley in exchange for this review! <p></p><p>I gave this book 4 stars out of 5, although for the most part while I was reading it I thought of it as a 2 or 3 stars. I love books that use podcasts as an extra added depth to the story the author is trying to tell and this book did a pretty good job, not the best I've read but it added to the substance to the novel. I liked Dee our main character who uses a pseudonym for her podcast, she just wants to help bring awareness and hope fully new clues to missing persons cases. Especially after we find out that her reason behind this is because her best friend was kidnapped when they were children. Dee is also a lesbian and I felt like it was done very naturally especially as an lgbtqa+ person myself. I also loved the twists and turns of the mysteries in this book, and yes there are multiple mysteries. A couple of things that felt awkward to me were Burke's character and the instalove with Sarah. Burke was a great side character but I felt like the author didn't really know how to make Burke fit into the story more effortlessly, he was kind of bench when his character had the potential to really add more to the story. Sarah was awesome and I loved how Dee and her developed except they went to instalove pretty quickly which just turned out to make awkward reading because Sarah ended up pretty important character but she didn't have much personality except to get Dee talking in the book. Besides these few complaints the story was well written and the twists thought out nicely. </p><p>If you enjoyed The Night Swim, Sadie and I Killed Zoe Spanos I think you'll enjoy this one.</p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-42789303365923211722020-09-29T16:40:00.002-07:002020-09-29T16:40:41.423-07:00I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8bkhPNnDSJ28kUZa8o61KGZBvUem1PDGNQuMhkqpsBWHcbjdsjIFkJhn8zR3WNBwh8NdFdGOj0J_KAertJ37r4UH_7nAXZ91h5c6y1EYLxZzYUd5w_-628XxNFsRlsVBXiP88Gilz9k/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8bkhPNnDSJ28kUZa8o61KGZBvUem1PDGNQuMhkqpsBWHcbjdsjIFkJhn8zR3WNBwh8NdFdGOj0J_KAertJ37r4UH_7nAXZ91h5c6y1EYLxZzYUd5w_-628XxNFsRlsVBXiP88Gilz9k/" width="159" /></a></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35271190-i-ll-be-gone-in-the-dark" target="_blank">I'll be Gone in the Dark</a> is a true crime book <i>mostly</i> written by Michelle McNamara, she unfortunately passed away before the book could be completed and the Golden State Killer was discovered. <p></p><p>I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars, I listened to it on audio and I generally struggle to focus on audio but there was this one really brilliant quote that I had to go find asap after I heard. <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">βHe loses his power when we know his face.β That one sentence just sends shivers down my spine, and I thought to myself <i>yes, that is why I love listening to and hearing about true crimes.</i> I want to know what happened and why, I want unsolved crimes to be solved and by sharing these stories not only do the criminals lose power but unsolved crimes can get solved by just that one extra share, etc... </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">DNA solved these rapes, and murder but it really is all the hard work that goes into solving it that takes the cake. This book was very boring at first for me, but the longer I listened to the narration, Michelle's word, the more I wanted to know not only about the case but about her and how she fit into the puzzle. This really was a great book, and I highly recommend it. Even my dad gave it 4/5 stars and he really enjoyed it too. </span></span></span></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-52306124498678524452020-09-29T16:13:00.000-07:002020-09-29T16:13:20.312-07:00My Dad Reads... summer list<p><br /></p><p>Ok, so my dad's reading streak has been really good, he finishes books faster than me recently!! Since my last update he's finished 6 books and DNF'd (did not finish) 1 book! As previously mentioned, he is a man of few words, I promise for my next post I'm going to come up with a few more questions for him to give me more details on his views!</p><p> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35235624-the-french-girl?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=mv42LJlHQ1&rank=1" target="_blank">The French Girl</a> by Lexie Elliott 3.5/5 stars, my dad said it was interesting how they went through the mystery of finding proof...and then he spoiled it for me! I don't know if I want to read it now, but I don't feel like I can objectively write more about this one.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49556959-without-blood?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=MsWMS1lEzV&rank=2" target="_blank">Without Blood</a> by Martin Michaud 4/5 stars. he just said it was well written and enjoyed how the author pieced together the mystery.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31371711-final-cut?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=n5j496eDPr&rank=3" target="_blank">Final Cut</a> by S. J. Watson 4/5 stars, my dad enjoyed how this book went back into the past and back in years and how the author was able to write it well enough to put it together. My dad, a lot of the time, lowers his ratings when authors do a bad job of multiple pov's or multiple timelines so I'm always happy to hear when author's do it right.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51933429-the-guest-list?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=yeC3La1l2w&rank=1" target="_blank">The Guest List</a> by Lucy Foley 4.5/5 stars. My dad officially loves this author and they write. He loves how he would never have guessed where the story was going, which is a bonus for me too. I'm going to read this author soon, because my dad has loved their books.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53123719-still-here?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=wupS5HA5Bk&rank=3" target="_blank">Still Here </a>by Amy Stuart 4/5 stars. He liked it and the author did pretty good at the back and forth thing, but it wasn't super special to him.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41118520-hunted?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=RJJnsA1gy6&rank=16" target="_blank">Hunted</a> by Darcy Coates 4.5/5 stars. Dad says it was well written, kept him in suspense and that he just really wanted to keep reading it. And that was all I could get out of him for this book.</p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41883932-furious-hours?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=KZVLEauzDO&rank=1" target="_blank">Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and Last Trial of Harper Lee</a> by Casey Cep My dad DNF'd this book, he read about 130 pages (which is really good for giving it a fair chance, I don't even do that many pages usually). He said it was a very dry book, my dad likes true crime and even some history books but he said that the author kept giving too many boring details. It was just too boring and he wasn't interested in the story anymore even. My dad said he wanted to hear about the case/murder, etc... not how an insurance company got started, or how one boring person knew the other boring person in town, etc... I don't think I've ever gotten that many words out of him before when it comes to reviews. He really didn't like this one.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVqQrpSOCspQ_JUVVd_CxH8tckU4qqha117ofZEaaEltRF0KR43ihbN9sn4ZI7w8BaLYDj8RRybxjFHtzA0g2LVgt6b2XMuvQO6eQP1mzFukjKXE9nNgN8cCRQsuA9weVA_xLirvsZXk/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVqQrpSOCspQ_JUVVd_CxH8tckU4qqha117ofZEaaEltRF0KR43ihbN9sn4ZI7w8BaLYDj8RRybxjFHtzA0g2LVgt6b2XMuvQO6eQP1mzFukjKXE9nNgN8cCRQsuA9weVA_xLirvsZXk/" width="159" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-42678231001821947232020-08-09T19:34:00.000-07:002020-08-09T19:34:21.184-07:00Home Before Dark by Riley Sager<div class="separator"><p style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Home Before Dark" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571683410l/50833559._SX318_SY475_.jpg" /></p></div><p> <i>*E-ARC received in exchange for </i><i>an honest review* </i> </p><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50833559-home-before-dark?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=bXDY9zlXNs&rank=1" target="_blank">Home Before Dark</a> was a little dull in the beginning, it took me a hot minute to really get into but by 45% through I was hooked. This is my 3rd book by Riley Sager that I've read, and so far this is the only one where I kind of saw the ending coming... the very end because I definitely didn't catch on to that one thing. Although I was able to put some of the story together myself I still loved it. We have Maggie Holt who has a past she can't quite remember and basically after her father dies she does her best to uncover what she believes are the lies that made her family rich. She returns to the<i> house of horrors</i>, the haunted house that her family fled from in the middle of the night and slowly she pieces together what's true and what's a lie. The story switches perspectives from Maggie to different chapters from her fathers books, and it was executed just so perfectly. Riley Sager has aced that in each of his novels I've read. I absolutely adore how this author builds slow suspense in normal everyday events, fixing up a house, camping, etc...</p><p>I loved the Final Girls and I really liked The Last Time I Lied, so I'm ready to jump into Lock Every Door. </p>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-61084932999563656652020-08-04T20:38:00.000-07:002020-08-04T20:38:16.219-07:00Fable by Adrienne Young<div class="separator"><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fable (Fable, #1)" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1590354131l/44012880.jpg" width="260" /></div></div><div><i>E-ARC provided in exchange for honest review*</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>Holy moly guys, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44012880-fable" target="_blank">Fable</a> is easily one of my favorite books of all time and it is 100% making my top 10 reads this year. <div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Synopsis</i></span></div><div><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home seventeen-year-old Fable has ever known. Itβs been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">But her fatherβs rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him and Fable soon finds that West isn't who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they're going to stay alive.</span></i></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><font color="#181818" face="Merriweather, Georgia, serif"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Ok, so I absolutely fell in love with this main character, she was both sassy and fierce but also kind and goal oriented. I liked that she wasn't heartless but she also wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. I also loved the story, side characters and the complexities that each is going through or went through. Everything about this book was perfect, I just loved it so much. The world building was done very well, you could tell it's a big world but the author only explained as much as necessary to the plot. I don't really have much to say, except if you love swashbuckling and the high seas/coast than you'll love this story. </span></font></span></div><div><br /></div>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-36115600949212208512020-08-03T08:00:00.166-07:002020-08-03T11:47:25.187-07:00TBR & Beyond's Shielded Book Tour & Review<div class="separator"><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></div><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvOGyDj9kKpAPDreU8JZwS6Z0gWqQErpsN0V9x6UXUmTfYjDGOw2tmq4nQfGV0HjIV_aeLiWh85YacBh8g17KDa0JY6kUP2jxpqOxVcwWXTmeJeDWdFv1OZDaHg5VOfhobfb6NbPh4xc/s2438/fzsHzfDQ.png" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="2438" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvOGyDj9kKpAPDreU8JZwS6Z0gWqQErpsN0V9x6UXUmTfYjDGOw2tmq4nQfGV0HjIV_aeLiWh85YacBh8g17KDa0JY6kUP2jxpqOxVcwWXTmeJeDWdFv1OZDaHg5VOfhobfb6NbPh4xc/w640-h264/fzsHzfDQ.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>For the full book tour schedule here's the link!</div><div><a href="https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2020/07/19/tour-schedule-shielded-by-kaylynn-flanders/">https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2020/07/19/tour-schedule-shielded-by-kaylynn-flanders/</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>My Review is spoiler free</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>I gave this book a solid 3.5 almost 4 stars out of 5. The only reason it's not a 4, is because the first half of the book dragged a bit for me. It may have been my mood while I was reading or that although I was invested, it was a bit too drawn out. Whereas I felt the ending was a bit rushed... That's my only real negative.<font color="#ff0000"> </font>This story follows our heroine Jenna and the mysterious aggressors who are in the process of hatching their plot. I felt like these different styled chapters really invoked their inner Remnant Chronicles by leaving a bit of the unknown as to who the mages are. I really enjoy it when authors leave a lot of hints but you're really just not sure who you can trust. This book was a lot of fun with a swoon-worthy romance, <i>be still my beating heart</i>, and I really enjoyed the experience... (I may or for sure... have a special edition of this book coming in the mail). I don't really want to give too much away or say too much but I've edited a fun playlist for you guys to listen to as you read this book and I've left the synopsis and author info, etc.. down below as well! </div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/20fDP5SI5ElS90hA9xTUPk?si=PGGIpy8sRN2Mn79_5yXumQ" target="_blank">Playlist</a></b></div><div>Experience my full playlist by clicking^</div><div>Otherwise here are my main songs for this book</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Family by The Chainsmokers/Kygo</div><div>2. Magic by Coldplay</div><div>3.Warrior (ft. Lights) by Steve James/Lights</div><div>4. Shadowplay by the Killers</div><div>5. bury a friend by Billie Eilish</div><div>6. Castle by Halsey</div><div>7. Bad Blood by Bastille</div><div>8. Demon by Imagine Dragons</div><div>9. Secrets by OneRebuplic</div><div>10. Worth Fighting For by Taylor Henderson</div><div>11. Love and War by the RockAteers</div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNp6MkO20n-dDvfBVDMAKNyok9oBz4Pq3DNXcI0J4OHje8DKEavaxbNfPtNNBXnHjz80Eb4ulDt8MaLKsnu6dxQdoGx1J7ycit3G3bsNR7UpH5jJIH2StJtgZWFzGPOhXZpbHAhQ_gMQs/s2048/shielded.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNp6MkO20n-dDvfBVDMAKNyok9oBz4Pq3DNXcI0J4OHje8DKEavaxbNfPtNNBXnHjz80Eb4ulDt8MaLKsnu6dxQdoGx1J7ycit3G3bsNR7UpH5jJIH2StJtgZWFzGPOhXZpbHAhQ_gMQs/w214-h320/shielded.jpeg" width="214" /></a><img height="320" src="https://uc264407107ab3ecc8390313f5a2.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/AA6zykUnz9cn91vB7A9kRSdC59zLroJKPCIBEmPyIkG-RN-Y830sJsuBLMTlOhrKLpUBbpwwXrDk59q__m2ZO90_2G2bJj2yxMaKM6EiZEFykXfP4vSNH4mWXFRNIG42XnYmQbSUTY6wY08Fe76ytqjBwgA5jIIfqW7YCiww7jaYZaXf9fnxTmOqryTUs4_OHLWzgHvsb88RKofxuUYek8jdMeiGgcr1gRe7w6yeeCVRmKh_OZE8coTtatajSb6ouXuxqCy4i1cr5X0lbMcUVz2r1ZRODXk6IK4JHyWlaHemMSYCJmYoCiWfdz2gIMsuzKAfiXCOrCTLIkjmd9Fh4KJVGiqaVgPjt1H3vrFU_3bvFQ/p.jpeg?fv_content=true&size_mode=5" style="text-align: left;" width="234" /></div><div>Shielded</div><div>by <a href="https://www.kaylynnflanders.com/" target="_blank">KayLynn Flanders</a></div><div>by Delacorte Press</div><div>Publishing date: July 21st, 2020</div><div>Genre: Young Adult Fantasy</div><div><br /></div><div>Synopsis:</div><div>For fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Furyborn comes a thrilling new fantasy about a kingdom ravaged by war, and the princess who might be the key to saving not only those closest to her, but the kingdom itself, if she reveals the very secret that could destroy her.</div><div><br /></div><div>The kingdom of HΓ‘lendi is in trouble. It's losing the war at its borders, and rumors of a new, deadlier threat on the horizon have surfaced. Princess Jennesara knows her skills on the battlefield would make her an asset and wants to help, but her father has other plans.</div><div><br /></div><div>As the second-born heir to the throne, Jenna lacks the firstborn's--her brother's--magical abilities, so the king promises her hand in marriage to the prince of neighboring Turia in exchange for resources HΓ‘lendi needs. Jenna must leave behind everything she has ever known if she is to give her people a chance at peace.</div><div><br /></div><div>Only, on the journey to reach her betrothed and new home, the royal caravan is ambushed, and Jenna realizes the rumors were wrong--the new threat is worse than anyone imagined. Now Jenna must decide if revealing a dangerous secret is worth the cost before it's too late--for her and for her entire kingdom.</div><div><br /></div><div>Buy the book </div><div>βββββββββββ</div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">BOOK LINK:</span></div><div><span lang="" style="line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><font face="times">Goodreads:
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42281684-shielded">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42281684-shielded<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration-line: none;"><br />
</span></a>Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593118537">https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593118537<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration-line: none;"><br />
</span></a>Book Depository: <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Shielded-Kaylynn-Flanders/9780593118535?ref=grid-view&qid=1594819850295&sr=1-1">https://www.bookdepository.com/Shielded-Kaylynn-Flanders/9780593118535?ref=grid-view&qid=1594819850295&sr=1-1<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration-line: none;"><br />
</span></a>Barnes & Noble: <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shielded-kaylynn-flanders/1134256504">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shielded-kaylynn-flanders/1134256504<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration-line: none;"><br />
</span></a>Indigo: <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/shielded/9780593118535-item.html?ikwid=shielded&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=2b60e6c6759a72c42103c4aa83ad8d61">https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/shielded/9780593118535-item.html?ikwid=shielded&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=2b60e6c6759a72c42103c4aa83ad8d61</a></font></span></div><div><font face="times">McNally Robinson: <a href="https://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/9780593118535/kaylynn-flanders/shielded?blnBKM=1">https://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/9780593118535/kaylynn-flanders/shielded?blnBKM=1</a></font></div><div><span lang="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/shielded/9780593118535-item.html?ikwid=shielded&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=2b60e6c6759a72c42103c4aa83ad8d61">
<br /></a></span></span></div><div><span lang="" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/shielded/9780593118535-item.html?ikwid=shielded&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=2b60e6c6759a72c42103c4aa83ad8d61"><br /></a></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-70712884405348710202020-08-02T19:38:00.004-07:002020-08-02T19:38:47.138-07:00July Final List of What I Read<div class="separator"><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation, Vol. 1" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593660765l/49766957.jpg" width="267" /></div></div>In July, I had some really great reads but I also went through a mini book slump, where I read the first few days a lot and than I went two weeks only reading every now and then. And to be perfectly honest, I started a bunch of books and on the last day of the month I finished 3 that I was more than halfway through because reading goals...<div><br /></div><div>So here's what I read and my star rating</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13537029-the-song-of-achilles" target="_blank">The Song of Achilles</a> by Madeline Miller 4 stars</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52777764-the-perfect-world-of-miwako-sumida">The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida</a> by Clarissa Goenawan 4 stars</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44890081-my-dark-vanessa" target="_blank">My Dark Vanessa</a> by Kate Elizabeth Russell 4 stars</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49766957-a-gentle-noble-s-vacation-recommendation-vol-1" target="_blank">A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation</a> Vol. 1 by Momochi 4 stars</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51300053-so-this-is-love" target="_blank">So This is Love</a> by Elizabeth Lim 3.5 stars</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48613409-shielded" target="_blank">Shielded </a>by Kaylynn Flanders 3.5 stars</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52038346-sisters-of-sword-and-song" target="_blank">Sisters of Song and Sword</a> by Rebecca Ross 4 stars</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44012880-fable" target="_blank">Fable</a> by Adrienne Young 5<i> billion million</i> stars</div><div><br /></div><div>As you can see it was a pretty decent reading month, I really enjoyed all the books I read. A couple were pretty heavy and weighed on me afterwards, but I'll hopefully get into those in another post soon. </div><div>I was lucky enough to read Fable early and will definitely give it it's own blog post because omgosh I loved it so much with all my heart and soul and I just pray that every book box I get does it so I can own it... </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-50392942378747411972020-07-20T17:44:00.001-07:002020-07-20T17:46:11.367-07:00My Dad Reads<div class="separator"><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Murder in the Crooked House" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1545589809l/43321712._SY475_.jpg" /></div></div><div>My dad has had another good reading month, most of this is from June but probably crosses over into July. I usually give him books in batches and so this was just one batch. Also I always use some liberty when I describe how my dad feels about each book, the rating and ideas are his but he really is a man of few words and thinks grunts/noises describe his feelings accurately enough. </div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43262893-the-wives?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=NtG8MpX1t4&rank=2" target="_blank">The Wives</a> by Tarryn Fischer 2-2.5/5 Dad said he didn't really care for this one, he felt it was all over the place, and boring. I've definitely heard some mixed reviews on this one so I'm not surprised he didn't like it. <div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3083348-layover?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=X9quPElyRt&rank=1" target="_blank">Layover</a> by David Bell 3.5/5 He enjoyed this one and would recommend it but he's also read better. He thought it was actually written good and felt that it kept him in suspense. He said and I quote "not too bad."</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10161348-a-new-kind-of-monster?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=58KicObJEg&rank=1" target="_blank">A New Kind of Monster</a> by Timothy Appleby 4/5 My father liked this one, he thought it was well written. He was kept wondering about the psychology of the guy and felt like the author did a good job of going into background information.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37642030-the-hunting-party?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=091RzdxR2Y&rank=1" target="_blank">The Hunting Party</a> by Lucy Foley 4/5 Dad liked how well the author wrote even when switching up the perspective every chapter, even if a book has multiple pov's or time changes if it's not done well he isn't into it. He liked that this book kept him wondering on not just who the murderer was but also who the victim was. He said that the ending in this book was the best. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43321712-murder-in-the-crooked-house?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=DXjFCGJhAp&rank=1" target="_blank">Murder in the Crooked House</a> 4.5-5/5 My dad was actually thinking about not finishing this one, he was 50 pages in and pretty fed up but kept reading, he doesn't really like giving up on books I've noticed. He's got way more patience than I do, but it got really good he said. He loved the concept of the house and just kept repeating how he "would never have thought of how it was done, ever." He also really just loved how unique the whole book was and even liked it with the translation.</div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40136020-trace?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=AYv8ifX7jd&rank=2" target="_blank"><br /></a></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40136020-trace?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=AYv8ifX7jd&rank=2" target="_blank">Trace: who killed Maria James?</a> by Rachael Brown 3-3.5/5 So I think my dad really enjoyed this book, he mention a few times about conspiracies that were probably involved and I guess it was just wild ride. He was really mad though because it's a true crime novel and it's still unsolved. He thinks it's solvable based on DNA things, etc... and he felt like this book was written prematurely because of it's ability to be solved. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42872122-the-killer-across-the-table?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=JIVkAovxsR&rank=1" target="_blank">The Killer Across the Table</a> by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker 4.5/5 Dad really liked this one but he didn't have much to say except he liked how it gave a lot of different killers/information, and described how they murdered... I don't know how to say that without making my dad sound like killer, I swear he's not though...π</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36626748-the-last-time-i-lied?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=uMTAV9AYxZ&rank=1" target="_blank">The Last Time I Lied</a> by Riley Sager 5/5 I didn't think my dad was going to love this book as much as he did but he absolutely loved it. He loved it because the whole book he had no idea what was going to happen or who did things, etc... He is obsessed with the twist this book provided and now I'm going to have to get this author's other books for him because I think he'll like them. </div><div><br /></div><div>#thewives #tracewhokilledmariajames #thelasttimeilied #murderinthecrookedhouse #thekilleracrossthetable #thehuntingparty #layover #anewkindofmonster #mydadreads</div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045875682463429935.post-33894309647941093712020-07-20T16:38:00.000-07:002020-07-20T16:38:14.091-07:00My Pride Reading List...and not pride... (June Read List)<div class="separator"><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Red, White & Royal Blue" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1566742512l/41150487._SY475_.jpg" /></div></div>In June I read in order <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24920901-the-deal" target="_blank">The Deal </a>(Off-Campus 1)</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41093488-this-is-how-you-lose-the-time-war" target="_blank">This is How you Lose the Time War </a></li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25381533-the-mistake" target="_blank">The Mistake</a> (Off-Campus 2) </li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27252717-the-score" target="_blank">The Score</a> (Off-Campus 3) </li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41048473-the-chase" target="_blank">The Chase</a> (Briar-U 1)</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41032121-the-risk" target="_blank">The Risk</a> (Briar-U 2) </li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43877254-the-play" target="_blank">The Play</a> (Briar-U 3) </li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52976345-the-dare" target="_blank">The Dare</a> (Briar-U 4)</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41150487-red-white-royal-blue?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=pxV3Yc6tiV&rank=1" target="_blank">Red, White and Royal Blue</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36484081-these-witches-don-t-burn" target="_blank">These Witches Don't Burn</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16099205-no-6" target="_blank">No. 6</a> volume 1</li></ul><div>So I had been hoping to read all LGBT+ books in June but obviously I binged all of Elle Kennedy's hockey romances (except for the one with pregnancy because I just can't get over pregnancy romance...personal dislike in my romance). Apparently during covid, Elle wrote the Dare and I just needed to reread all the others so I could fully appreciate and remember who all the characters were. My favorites were definitely The Score, and The Risk <3 sooooooo sexy...... but honestly I don't know why I love these so much, they're just fun and sexy and I love the characters, some of the stories are lacking though...</div><div><br /></div><div>I myself identify as queer, I'm in a queer relationship and so LGBTQA+ books really hold a special place for me. They were also the best books I had read in June, sorry Elle but not sorry... My favorite was 100% This is How You Lose the Time War, and I'm not even going to say anything because it's getting it's own post later, with my favorite quotes. Otherwise I really liked Red, White and Royal Blue and These Witches Don't Burn. Both were really awesome, one was adult contemporary and the other was teen urban fantasy. I plan on reading more of both authors again in the future! </div>booksontuesdayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04162002708739604364noreply@blogger.com0