R.I.P. Winky Paarsmarkt

Today my dog, Winky, passed away. She had been ill, but we didn't know how bad it was until today when additional tests were run. It was very unexpected and I wasn't there because my family didn't even consider it happening. But she was in a lot of pain, and so it was decided that she would be put to rest. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. This is a difficult time, and I'm not sure what blogging will happen because I do have meme posts scheduled. I am reading because it does help with the pain. She would've turned 11 in March, and she's the first major pet that I've lost. We still have Dobby, but we kinda always thought that he would go first because of the cancer he's had. We don't know how he's going to react, he's never really been away from her since they were born, but we're giving him a lot of love right now. Here's the main picture of her I use, for my profiles, the one I love the best.

I love you, Winky, and I know you're not in pain anymore. You were such a good girl and a good doggy. I hope you're enjoying investigating every corner and happening in doggy heaven. I'll miss you so much.

Winky Paarsmarkt
March 10th, 2008 - January 1st, 2019

Waiting on Wednesday #402, January 23rd

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!


Expected Publication:
From Goodreads:
d

WWW Wednesday #406, January 23rd

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing now A Daily Rhythm for starting this meme!

I'm reading The Demon's Covenant, and I'm really enjoying it again! Mae's so awesome!

I read Dead Ringer, and it was a great mystery and physiological thriller!

I'm going to be reading The Demon's Surrender, and I can't wait, this series is so fantastic!

What about you guys? Happy reading!

Teaser Tuesday #406, January 22nd

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's teaser comes from The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan, page 111.

"The house the Ryves brothers were living in this time was even worse outside than their last one."

Ok, well, that doesn't sound too good! And given that the last one had a broken sink, well, that's not outside, but it doesn't seem like it's a house that's been well taken care of! What about you guys? Happy reading!

We Have the Cover of Guild Hunter #12!!!!

Yes, we have the title of the next Guild Hunter book after Archangel's Prophecy with it's evil ending! And it's so fantastic!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #398, January 21st

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #397
Teaser Tuesday #405
WWW Wednesday #405
WOW #401
Will the Time Come #398
Third Sentence Thursday #388
Random Reads #374
First Lines Friday #401
The Reward Challenge Update #383
Book Blogger Hop #67
How Well I Stuck to It #235
Wrote that Review Update #232

Week 3 Reviews:
Kill the Queen
Protect the Prince
Kindling the Moon
Summoning the Night
Leashing the Tempest
Binding the Shadows
Banishing the Dark
12 Dancing Princes
Red Really Isn't My Color
Black Howl
Black Lament
Black City
Black Heart
Black Spring
A Gargoyle's Guide to Chicago

The Care and Feeding of Gargoyles
Black Wing Shorts

Random:
We Have the Cover of Shadow #4!!!!
We Have the Cover of #MurderTrending #2!!!!

OK, so I got 17 posts in 7 days, which is a pretty decent week, I read a lot, and I finished up this year's meme posts finally. Now to catch up on other stuff! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Circle of Shadows, The Demon's Lexicon, The Demon's Covenant, The Demon's Surrender, The Girl at Midnight, The Shadow Hour, The Savage Dawn, Undying, and The Vanishing Stair.

Wrote that Review Update #232, January 20th

If you want to participate, set a certain amount of reviews to write, and once you make that goal, you can get a reward!

My reviews to reward is writing all of the reviews of the week, and I motivated myself to write my review for Kill the Queen and Protect the Prince, Kindling the Moon, Summoning the Night, Leashing the Tempest, Binding the Shadows, Banishing the Dark, 12 Dancing Princes, Red Really Isn't My Color, Black Howl, Black Lament, Black City, Black Heart, Black Spring, A Gargoyle's Guide to Chicago, The Care and Feeding of Gargoyles, Black Wing Shorts, so I have 3 of 3 reviews written!

And as always, I want to review this week's reviews!

What about you guys? Happy reading!

How Well I Stuck to It #235, January 20th

So I decided that I should have accountability on sticking to what should be in a week, so I'm doing How Well I Stuck to It every Sunday, because my schedule should be fixed in by now!

Week 4:
Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye, The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Beth Durst, The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Beth Durst, The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Beth Durst, The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey, The Shadow Hour by Melissa Grey, The Savage Dawn by Melissa Grey, Undying by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

Tour Books: NA.

Review Books: NA.

NetGalley: NA.

Edelweiss: 1. Check.

Meme Books: NA.

Rereads: 6. Check.

New Books: 2. Check.

Ok, this week is a little busy, but they're all great books that I'm really excited to read! Can't wait to!

Week 3:
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire, A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire, An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire, Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire, One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire, Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire, Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire, Full of Briars by Seanan McGuire, The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire, Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen, The Dragon Sickness by Ava Richardson, Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep, Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep

vs.

Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep, Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep, Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett, Summoning the Night by Jenn Bennett, Leashing the Tempest by Jenn Bennett, Binding the Shadows by Jenn Bennett, Banishing the Dark by Jenn Bennett, 12 Dancing Princes by Christina Henry, Red Really Isn't My Color by Christina Henry, Black Howl by Christina Henry, Black Lament by Christina Henry, Black City by Christina Henry, Black Heart by Christina Henry, Black Spring by Christina Henry, A Gargoyle's Guide to Chicago by Christina Henry, The Care and Feeding of Gargoyles by Christina Henry, Black Wing Shorts by Christina Henry

Yeah, I mostly didn't read what I planned, but I think it pretty much balances out, reading what I hadn't planned, and not reading what I had planned. I'll try again for these next week, as well as the ones that are officially for this week! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Week 3 Reviews: 12 Dancing Princes, Red Really Isn't My Color, Black Howl, Black Lament, Black City, Black Heart, Black Spring, A Gargoyle's Guide to Chicago, The Care and Feeding of Gargoyles, Black Wing Shorts

From Goodreads:
Short Story released in 2011 at the author's website www.christinahenry.net

This story takes place a few minutes after the events of BLACK NIGHT.

From Goodreads:
The Maddy and Beezle story, RED ISN'T REALLY MY COLOR, takes place between the events of BLACK NIGHT and BLACK HOWL. Maddy gets an assignment from her least favorite relative (guess who?) and has to track down a pair of mythical red shoes said to force the wearer to dance until they die. Will Maddy succeed? And given that the assignment is from Lucifer and involves a magical object that tortures people, does she even want to? 

From Goodreads:
Something is wrong with the souls of Chicago's dead. Ghosts are walking the streets, and Agent of Death Madeline Black's exasperating boss wants her to figure out why. And while work is bad enough, Maddy has a plethora of personal problems too. Now that Gabriel has been assigned as her thrall, their relationship has hit an impasse. At least her sleazy ex-fiance Nathaniel is out of the picture--or so she thinks...

From Goodreads:
As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black deals with loss every day. But when tragedy touches her own life, Maddy will have to find the strength within to carry on. Devastated and grieving, Maddy unexpectedly finds hope with the discovery that she is pregnant.

But Maddy's joy is short-lived when Lucifer informs her that he wants the baby, hoping to draw on the combined power of two of his bloodlines. Maddy is determined that her grandfather will never have her child, but she’s not sure what she can do to stop him... 

From Goodreads:
Former Agent of death Madeline Black may have been stripped of her wings—but she hasn't lost her purpose…

When Maddy finally killed her father, Azazel, she thought his depraved experiment died with him. But now Chicago has been infested with vampires immune to the effects of the sun, and the bloodbath is worse than she could have ever imagined. While the Agency refuses to interfere with other supernatural courts, Maddy is determined to do everything within her power to save her city—wings or no wings. 

But when the leader of the vampires requests that she turn herself in or risk more deaths, Maddy becomes a target for the very people she's trying to save. Left with no other choice, she turns to Lucifer, the one creature who has the power to help her. But her grandfather’s aid has always come at a price…

From Goodreads:
As a former Agent of Death, Madeline Black is no stranger to witnessing violent ends. But being the one to cause them is an entirely different story…

Despite her having saved Chicago from a vampire invasion, the Agency wants to get Maddy off their payroll—permanently. With the deadly Retrievers hot on her trail, she has no choice but to trust Nathaniel to port her to safety. But even the exotic and dangerous world that she winds up in is not as peaceful as she would have hoped. Caught in a turf war between a group of fae and a disturbingly familiar foe, Maddy soon discovers that the twisted plots of her grandfather, Lucifer, and his brothers extend even into this unknown realm.

Now, with enemies gathering on all sides, Maddy's fate is looking darker than ever. And to protect her unborn son from her adversaries, she may have to tap into a power she hoped never to access…

From Goodreads:
A former Agent of death, Madeline Black now has everything to live for, most importantly, her unborn child. But Chicago has become ground zero in a struggle between ancient creatures, and only Maddy can stop the carnage…

The mayor of Chicago has announced a plan to round up the city's supernatural beings and put them in camps. With her due date looming, Maddy's best move would be to lay low for a while. But not everyone is willing to respect her privacy. Hounded by tentacled monsters, a rogue shapeshifter, and a tenacious blogger, Maddy turns to her most powerful ally, her uncle Daharan, only to find him missing.

Just when it seems like things can't get any worse, Maddy gets an invitation in the mail—to Lucifer's wedding. Turns out everyone has been invited, friends and enemies alike. And with that kind of guest list, it's highly unlikely there will be a happily ever after. 

From Goodreads:
Free short (very short) from author's website. Written by "Beezle."

From Goodreads:
Very short story from author's website. Written by "Beezle."

From Goodreads:
Short stories from the world of BLACK WINGS written by the Author Christina Henry, released in 2011 on her website: www.christinahenry.net.

My first review of Black Howl, Black Lament, Black City, Black Heart, Black Spring
My Review:
I loved reading this series again! I did notice flaws this time around, which I think is something of a pattern for me, the first time I read a book, if I'm in it too deep, I don't notice flaws, and reading a book a second time, I can't get that deep again.

Since I've already had one review talking about how much I enjoyed it, and I enjoyed it again this time, I do think this review is basically going to be complains. Like, so many of the characters, including Maddy, used limited contractions. Sure, most of them are very old and contractions are newer. This is more of a personal preference of mine then a flaw, but it was still annoying!

There are a few things that I wish would've been answered. Like, who created that portal that lead to Amarantha's kingdom. I don't think that was answered. We also didn't find out about the fate of Lucifer's youngest child. I kinda doubt that after Lucifer was taken, that the Grigori would've let the baby live, given their vanities.

I wish that we could've had the worlds meshing a bit more clearly explained. What I mean is Lucifer and his brothers, and how he's a fallen, and there were other angels. Bah, I'm confused how it all fits together! I wish it could've been outright stated that the reason why all the brothers were interested in Maddy was because of the important fate Adam has. Sure, it could've been another reason since it wasn't actually stated (and I had to think about it) but that's the most obvious. And I wish we could've had a confirm or deny about Lucifer wanting Maddy dead for killing his sons once he had her child. She thinks about it around Adam's birth, but it's not something she confronts him about or that he mentions.

Yes, there's a lot of complains in this review, but yeah, I thoroughly enjoyed this series so much!

Author: Christina Henry
Series: Black Wings #2.4, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, ?, ?, ?
First Read: July 3rd, 3rd, 2016, August 16th, 17th, 17th, 17th, 18th, 2016, July 3rd, 3rd, 2016
Read: January 14th, 14th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 18th, 18th, 18th, 18th, 18th, 2019
Source: Online, Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Rereading! And they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Books and Black Spring is a End of Series 2019 Book!
Publisher: Christina Henry, Ace Books
Published: 2011, 2011, January 1st 2012, October 1st 2012, February 26th 2013, October 29th 2013, October 28th 2014, 2011, 2011, 2011

12 Dancing Princes:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Red Really Isn't My Color:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Black Howl:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Black Lament:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Black City:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Black Heart:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Black Spring:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

A Gargoyle's Guide to Chicago:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

The Care and Feeding of Gargoyles:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Black Wing Shorts:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 3 Reviews: Kindling the Moon, Summoning the Night, Leashing the Storm, Binding the Shadows, Banishing the Dark

From Goodreads:
Meet Arcadia Bell: bartender, renegade magician, fugitive from the law. . . .

Being the spawn of two infamous occultists (and alleged murderers) isn't easy, but freewheeling magician Arcadia "Cady" Bell knows how to make the best of a crummy situation. After hiding out for seven years, she's carved an incognito niche for herself slinging drinks at the demon-friendly Tambuku Tiki Lounge.

But she receives an ultimatum when unexpected surveillance footage of her notorious parents surfaces: either prove their innocence or surrender herself. Unfortunately, the only witness to the crimes was an elusive Æthyric demon, and Cady has no idea how to find it. She teams up with Lon Butler, an enigmatic demonologist with a special talent for sexual spells and an arcane library of priceless stolen grimoires. Their research soon escalates into a storm of conflict involving missing police evidence, the decadent Hellfire Club, a ruthless bounty hunter, and a powerful occult society that operates way outside the law. If Cady can't clear her family name soon, she'll be forced to sacrifice her own life . . . and no amount of running will save her this time.

From Goodreads:
MAGICAL TRICKS. DEMONIC TREATS.

After narrowly escaping her fate as a sacrificial scapegoat, Arcadia Bell is back to normal. Or at least as ordinary as life can be for a renegade magician and owner of a tiki bar that caters to Earthbound demons. She's gearing up for the busiest day of the year—Halloween—when a vengeful kidnapper paralyzes the community. The influential head of the local Hellfire Club taps Cady to track down the fiendish bogeyman, and now that she’s dating red-hot Lon Butler, the Club's wayward son, she can hardly say no. 

Cady and Lon untangle a gruesome thirty-year trail of clues that points to danger for the club members; children. But locating the person behind the terror will require some metaphysical help from Cady's loyal bar patrons as well as her potent new Moonchild powers—and she'd better figure it out before the final victim disappears and her own darkest secret becomes her biggest enemy. 

From Goodreads:
Dating a demon, defeating evil, running a tiki bar: Arcadia Bell is a great occult mage in many respects. But then there's the challenge of her boyfriend's precocious teenage son…

Arcadia "Cady" Bell may have saved the Hellfire Club's children from a local bogeyman, but she and her Earthbound demon boyfriend, Lon Butler, now face a more disturbing problem: his teenage son’s new demonic abilities. Jupe Butler can persuade you to do anything—or so he thinks. To test the limits of his newfound power, Cady invites the co-owner of Tambuku Tiki Lounge to be the teen's guinea pig during an afternoon boat cruise. But when an angry storm whips the Pacific into a frenzy and Jupe puts them all in serious danger, will Cady's magick trump a teenager's excess confidence?

From Goodreads:
In the third book in this beloved and "riveting" (Romantic Times) urban fantasy series, demon-friendly tiki bar owner Arcadia Bell discovers more about her own evolving, and possibly destructive, magical abilities when her bar is the target of a demonic crime wave.

Demons sure know how to kill a girl's buzz. 

Renegade mage and bartender Arcadia Bell has had a rough year, but now the door to her already unstable world is becoming completely unhinged. When a citywide crime wave erupts, Cady's demon-friendly tiki bar is robbed by Earthbounds wielding surreal demonic abilities that just flat-out shouldn't exist. With the help of her devilishly delicious boyfriend, Lon Butler, Cady sets out to find the people who wronged her—but her targets aren't the only ones experiencing unnatural metamorphoses. Can Cady track down the monsters responsible before the monster inside her destroys everything—and everyone—she loves? If she survives this adventure, one thing is certain: it's last call for life as she knows it. 

From Goodreads:
The fourth and final installment of a "riveting" (RT Book reviews) urban fantasy series about a renegade mage and the demons who love her.

Complicated does not begin to describe Arcadia Bell's life right now: unnatural magical power, another brush with death, and a murderous mother who's not only overbearing but determined to take permanent possession of Cady's body. 

Forced to delve deep into the mystery surrounding her own birth, Cady must uncover which evil spell her parents cast during her conception…and how to reverse it. Fast. 

As she and her lover Lon embark on a dangerous journey through her magical past, Lon's teenage son Jupe sneaks off for his own investigation. Each family secret they uncover is darker than the last, and Cady, who has worn many identities—Moonchild, mage, fugitive—is about to add one more to the list.

My first review of Kindling the Moon, Summoning the Night, Leashing the Storm, Binding the Shadows, Banishing the Dark
My Review:
I really enjoyed reading these books back to back. I think it lost a little bit of the impact it could have, reading them spaced apart, because I didn't remember all the details. So I didn't have that this time, which was really great!

This world is just so creative! I love the idea of the Earthbounds, it's not something that I've really read in other books (that I can remember, and my memory is pretty bad) and that's a part of what makes this series stand out. There's also the Heka, and how that all works.

I really enjoyed reading about Cady, Lon and Jupe. They become really close, really quickly, and I think it's has a lot to do with Jupe, he's their motormouth, and his lack of boundaries really helps Cady feel comfortable with him. I loved their dynamics!

There were some pretty tough moments in this series. I found her parents betrayal easier to read than the ending of Binding the Shadows. Binding the Shadows, I had a tough time reading it, because I was dreading getting to the end. And then it was over so quickly. My mind is so weird!

Loved this series, it's so great, and I enjoyed reading it so much!

Author: Jenn Bennett
Series: Arcadia Bell #1, 2, 2.5, 3, 4
First Read: July 11th, 2016, July 29th, 2016, July 31st, 31st, 31st, 2016
Read: January 14th, 15th, 15th, 15th, 15th, 2019
Source: Bought
Reason Why: Sounded really great! And it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Books! And Banishing the Dark is a End of Series 2019 Book!
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: June 28th 2011, April 24th 2012, December 17th 2012, May 28th 2013, May 27th 2014

Kindling the Moon:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Summoning the Night:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Leashing the Storm:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Binding the Shadows:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Banishing the Dark:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars