Tuesday, March 31, 2020

24 Hour Reading Challenge Update 5

I read my next book, Badger to the Bone, and I'm going to be reading Switched and The Vittra Attacks next! Done for the day, and I'm going to extend tomorrow, because I'm tired, and I want to get the full reading time! I'll decide once I wake up.

My Reading Journey:

Dark Divide by Carrie Vaughn
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 12:30 PM
Pages Read: 94

Badlands Witch by Carrie Vaughn
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 2:05 PM
Pages Read: 83

Reveal Me by Taherah Mafi
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 2:49 PM
Pages Read: 112

Imagine Me by Taherah Mafi
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 7:01 PM
Pages Read: 464

Badger to the Bone by Shelly Laurenston
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 11:43 PM
Pages Read: 416

Switched and The Vittra Attacks by Amanda Hocking
Started On: April 1st
Currently On: Page 0 of 318

Goals: 6-8
Read: 5
Pages Read: 1069

24 Hour Reading Challenge Update 4

I read my next book, Imagine Me, and I'm going to be reading Badger to the Bone next!

My Reading Journey:

Dark Divide by Carrie Vaughn
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 12:30 PM
Pages Read: 94

Badlands Witch by Carrie Vaughn
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 2:05 PM
Pages Read: 83

Reveal Me by Taherah Mafi
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 2:49 PM
Pages Read: 112

Imagine Me by Taherah Mafi
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 7:01 PM
Pages Read: 464

Badger to the Bone by Shelly Laurenston
Started On: March 31st
Currently On: Page 0 of 416

Goals: 6-8
Read: 4
Pages Read: 653



24 Hour Reading Challenge Update 3

I read my next book, Reveal Me, and I'm going to be reading Imagine Me next!

My Reading Journey:

Dark Divide by Carrie Vaughn
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 12:30 PM
Pages Read: 94

Badlands Witch by Carrie Vaughn
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 2:05 PM
Pages Read: 83

Reveal Me by Taherah Mafi
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 2:49 PM
Pages Read: 112

Imagine Me by Taherah Mafi
Started On: March 31st
Currently On: Page 0 of 464

Goals: 6-8
Read: 3
Pages Read: 289



24 Hour Reading Challenge Update 2

I read my next book, Badlands Witch, and I'm going to be reading Reveal Me next!

My Reading Journey:

Dark Divide by Carrie Vaughn
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 12:30 PM
Pages Read: 94

Badlands Witch by Carrie Vaughn
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 2:05 PM
Pages Read: 83

Reveal Me by Taherah Mafi
Started On: March 31st
Currently On: Page 0 of 112

Goals: 6-8
Read: 2
Pages Read: 177



24 Hour Reading Challenge Update 1

I read my first book, Dark Divide, and I'm going to be reading Badlands Witch next! I started at 11:40 AM, so that's when I'll finish tomorrow. I have 1 more novella after Badlands Witch-Reveal Me, and then a full length book with Imagine Me! Can't wait!

My Reading Journey:

Dark Divide by Carrie Vaughn
Started On: March 31st
Finished On: March 31st, 12:30 PM
Pages Read: 94

Badlands Witch by Carrie Vaughn
Started On: March 31st
Currently On: Page 0 of 83

Goals: 6-8
Read: 1
Pages Read: 94



Teaser Tuesday #468, March 31st

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 Dark Divide by Carrie Vaughn, page 35.

"I need more information, she said, with an intensity that might have been, if he could say it, obsessive. Time to hit the books."

Well, books are the best, aren't they, something worth to be obsessed about? What about you guys? Happy reading!

Monday, March 30, 2020

24 Hour Reading Challenge 2nd March Sign Up

Well, I have my next and final challenge for March! I just haven't had a non-working weekday since the first one, and I'm not going to do this on a weekend, since there's just too much other blogging things to do then. I'll start it tomorrow once I wake up, and try more of the 1 day of reading, because I don't want to spread this out, even if I have the week free. It's just a little bit time consuming and stressful to stretch it out!

My goal as ever is 6-8 books, and the books I want to read this week are of course, Reveal Me, Imagine Me, Ruthless Gods, The Silvered Serpent, Dark Divide, Badlands Witch, Switched, Torn, Ascend.

Others that I want to read are The Alcazar by Amy Ewing, The Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan, Badger to the Bone, Infinity Son, Life is Short and Then You Die, A Dress for the Wicked, Beyond a Darkened Shore, The Blood Coats, Blood Countess, Dread Nation, Deathless Divide, The New Improved Sorceress, Together We Caught Fire, and Yes No Maybe So, Good Girls Lie, Just Breathe, Loveboat, Taipei, Crier's War, The Beholder, The Beckoning Shadow, Far from the Tree, and Day Zero.

Can't wait to start reading! What about you guys? Happy reading!

My March 15% Off Book Outlet Order

Well, I made another Book Outlet order, this time during their March 15% Off sale. I just got it today, so I'm doing pretty good getting the post done today! And yeah that I've bought more books that I haven't read, then ones that I have. So I'll hopefully read them now!

Here are the books I have read:
Here are the books I haven't read:
Here's my Amazon Associate links for these books!

Read:
Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff
The Devious Dr Jekyll by Viola Carr
A Study of Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
Mortal Arts by Anne Lee Huber
A Grave Matter by Anna Lee Huber
An Artless Demise by Anne Lee Huber
Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
Vanquished by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Eliza and All Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
Surrender by Elena Johnson
Now You See Her by Lisa Leighton and Laura Stropki
Containment by Caryn Lix
Please Don't Tell by Laura Tims

Unread:
Again but Better by Christine Riccio
The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty
Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen
Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger 
In Some Other Life by Jessica Brody
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
Seafire by Natalie C. Parker
Nyxia Unleased by Scott Reintgen
Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
Clariel by Garth Nix
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Fireblood by Elly Blake
Frostblood by Elly Blake
The Collide by Kimberly McCreight
The Mind Virus by Donna Freitas
Unplugged by Donna Freitas
Ink, Iron and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare
Like Never and Always by Ann Aguirre
The Perfectionist by Sara Shepard
The Good Girls by Sara Shepard
The Burning World by Isaac Marion
The Last Hope by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie
No Parking at the End Times by Bryan Bliss
Winter Glass by Lexa Hillyer
Rebel Spirits by Lois Ruby
Don't Say a Word by Amber Lynn Natusch
Any Second by Kevin Emerson
The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones

What about you guys? Happy reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #460, March 30th

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 #459
Teaser Tuesday #467
WWW Wednesday #467
WOW #463
Will the Time Come #460
Third Sentence Thursday #450
Random Reads #436
First Lines Friday #463
Book Blogger Hop #129
The Reward Challenge Update #445
How Well I Stuck to It #297
Wrote that Review Update #294

Week 13 Reviews:
Wolf's Curse
The June Boys
How to Love Your Elf
The Earl Not Taken
Thorn
The Bone Knife
Rage and Ruin

OK, so I got 18 posts in 7 days, it was a pretty good week, I just slept a lot, so I didn't read quite as much during the week, but it's made up for with all the books I read during the weekend. Can't wait for next week! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Imagine Me, Ruthless Gods, The Silvered Serpents, and Spells for the Dead.

The explosive finale to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Shatter Me series.

Juliette Ferrars.

Ella Sommers.

Which is the truth and which is the lie?

Now that Ella knows who Juliette is and what she was created for, things have only become more complicated. As she struggles to understand the past that haunts her and looks to a future more uncertain than ever, the lines between right and wrong—between Ella and Juliette—blur. And with old enemies looming, her destiny may not be her own to control.

The day of reckoning for the Reestablishment is coming. But she may not get to choose what side she fights on. 
They are each other's fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope.

Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost ― one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumoured to grant its possessor the power of God.

Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all.

As hidden secrets come to the light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves. But what they find out may lead them down paths they never imagined.

A tale of love and betrayal as the crew risks their lives for one last job.
Nell Ingram faces a dark craft known as death magic in the newest pulse-pounding paranormal procedural in the New York Times bestselling Soulwood series.

Nell Ingram is a rookie PsyLed agent, using the powers she can channel from deep within the earth to solve paranormal crimes. Together with her team, she's taken on the darkest magic and the direst foes. But she'll need to tap into every ounce of power she has for her newest case.

Nell is called to the Tennessee mansion of a country music star and finds a disturbing scene--dead bodies rapidly decaying before everyone's eyes. The witch on her team, T. Laine, knows this can only be one thing: death magic, a rare type of craft used to steal life forces. PsyLed needs to find this lethal killer fast. But when a paranormal-hating FBI agent tries to derail the investigation, they find themselves under attack from all sides.

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Wrote that Review Update #294, March 29th

Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!
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 Wolf's Curse, The June Boys, How to Love Your Elf, The Earl Not Taken, Thorn and The Bone Knife, Rage and Ruin, so I have 6 of 6 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 #297, March 29th

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 14:
Imagine Me by Tahereh Mafi, Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan, The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi, Spells for the Dead by Faith Hunter

Tour Books: NA.

Review Books: NA.

NetGalley: 3. Check.

Old NetGalley: NA.

Edelweiss: NA.

Old Edelweiss: NA.

Rereads: NA.

New Books: 1. Check.

So this isn't too long of a week, but there's a lot of great books that I can't wait to read! I'm so excited!

Week 13:
Ever Cursed by Corey Ann Haydu, Goldilocks by Laura Lam, The Immortal Conquistador by Carrie Vaughn, The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso, Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow, Witness to Death by Heather Graham, Wolf's Curse by Kelley Armstrong

vs.

Wolf's Curse by Kelley Armstrong, The June Boys by Court Stevens, How to Love Your Elf by Kerrelyn Sparks, The Earl Not Taken by A.S. Fenchiel, Thorn by Intisar Khanani, The Bone Knife by Intisar Khanani, Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I read 2 of what I planned, and 4 that I didn't plan on and did read vs. the 6 that I did plan on and didn't read. Oh, well. Lots of good books read all around, and maybe I can make these ones up this coming week, since I only have 4, and right now, I'm only working 1 day next week. I should have a lot of time to read! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

The Reward Challenge Update #445, March 29th

The Reward Challenge is almost the complete opposite to a book buying ban as you'll end up buying lots of new books throughout the challenge but only after you've completed a certain amount of reading. It was hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly, so thanks to her for starting it!

OK, so I read Wolf's Curse which counts twice as a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book, The June Boys which counts 4 times as a NetGalley Book, SAC 2020 Book and a WoW Book, How to Love Your Elf which counts 4 times as a NetGalley Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book and a WoW Book, The Earl Not Taken which counts 4 times as a Historical Fiction 2020 Book, NetGalley Book and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book, Thorn which counts 3 times as a Edelweiss Book and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book, The Bone Knife which counts 3 times as a Edelweiss Book and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book, Rage and Ruin which counts 4 times as a Edelweiss Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book and a WoW Book.

So I have 24 counts which translates to $12 this week! I'll use it to buy books!

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Week 13 Review: Rage and Ruin

From Goodreads:
Dangerous secrets and forbidden desires lead to shocking consequences… Don't miss book two of the fantastical Harbinger trilogy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout.

"Jennifer L. Armentrout's intoxicating new fantasy is her best yet!" — New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter on Storm and Fury

A half human, half angel and her bonded gargoyle protector must work with demons to stop the apocalypse while avoiding falling in love. The Harbinger is coming…but who or what is it? All of humankind may fall if Trinity and Zayne can't win the race against time as dark forces gather.

As tensions rise, they must stay close together and patrol the DC streets at night, seeking signs of the Harbinger, an entity that is killing Wardens and demons with no seeming rhyme or reason. Forbidden to be with each other, Zayne and Trinity fight their feelings and turn to unusual sources for help—the demon Roth and his cohorts. But as deaths pile up and they uncover a sinister plot involving the local high school and endangering someone dear to Zayne, Trin realizes she is being led…herded…played for some unknown end. As anger builds and feelings spiral out of control, it becomes clear that rage may be the ruin of them all. 

My Review:
Yeah, this book was so fantastic! There's so many things going on in this book, from the search for the Harbinger, Trinity dealing with the fallout of what Misha did, and what she did in response. And her and Zayne. Man, the feels there!

So a lot happens in this book. Some things we wanted, but had no idea we were going to get. Others, we didn't know we needed. Some things tied things from the previous series so well, and I just loved those details. Also, I had to go back and read a snipped of Every Last Breath to remember the origin of the Wardens, as there was a mention of that in this book. Yeah, there were some pretty big reveals in this book that were just honestly very shocking to read and had me on the edge of my seat!

A big part of this book is Trinity's emotions. Mostly rage, but also guilt about what she's done, sadness, and the up and down will they/won't they that she has with Zayne. I am all aboard the train that is their relationship happening!

Yeah, wow, that ending, that just gave me all the feels! So much happened, we learned a lot, and plans are tentatively made. And then there's a brief moment, before it all ends. And I just need more, and the wait for the next (and final, I'm pretty sure) book, is going to be rough!

One thing that I noticed particularly in this book, is the strong comparison between The Dark Elements/this series, and Jennifer L. Armentrout's Covenant series/Titan series. Both have love triangles in the first series, and then the 2nd series stars the guy who wasn't chosen. And both subsequent female leads are daughters of pretty powerful beings. I didn't notice it in Storm and Fury, but I did with this book!

Loved reading this book, I'm so excited for book 3, I have thoughts about where it might go, and I can't wait to see where that is!

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: The Harbingers #2
Read: March 27th, 2020
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Expected Publication: June 9th 2020
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 13 Reviews: Thorn, The Bone Knife


From Goodreads:
A princess with two futures. A destiny all her own

Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she's betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future.

When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.

But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can't remain the goose girl forever.

With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds and ultimately must decide who she is, and what she stands for.

From Goodreads:

Rae knows how to look out for family. Born with a deformed foot, she feigns indifference to the pity and insults that come her way. Wary of all things beautiful, Rae instantly distrusts their latest visitor: an appallingly attractive faerie. Further, his presence imperils the secret her sister guards. But when the local townspeople show up demanding his blood, Rae must find a way to protect both her sister's secret and their guest. Even if that means risking herself. 

My Review:
Oh, wow, I just devoured the two of these! I started reading them right before I was going to bed to unwind, and boy was that a bad idea! I didn't put them down until I finished, which lead me to have about 3 hours of sleep before work. Good thing I had a short shift and could go right back to sleep afterwards, because I needed it! These were both just so freaking good!

I just loved this story of a princess who gets impersonated, is made to be the sheep girl, and just everything about Alyrra's story had me reading more, I just couldn't get enough! She's just such a strong character, and goes through some pretty hard times because of her situation! She's also smart and caring, and pretty clever, how she deals with the big bad.

This world was just rich with details, and while we didn't learn a lot of how the magic worked, we did get a look at the politics. And the day to day life concerns of the poor vs. the rich, and all the improvements that could be made there. It was just so thrilling to read!

The Bone Knife was an interesting short story, in the same world, connected by a character just briefly met at the end of Thorn. I can't wait to learn more about her, and about the knife, because given that it's a fae gift, there's an interesting story to it, I can just feel it, and I want to know it!

Loved reading these two, and I'm so glad that we're going to get more of this world with Rae!

Author: Intisar Khanani
Series: Dauntless Path #1, The Thief of Sunlight #0.5
Read: March 25th, 25th, 2020
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Books!
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: March 24th 2020, March 24th 2020

Thorn:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








The Bone Knife:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 13 Review: The Earl Not Taken

From Goodreads:
Left standing on the side while their contemporaries marry into society, four young ladies forge a bond to guard each other from a similar fate...

Finishing school failed to make a proper lady of Penelope Arrington. But as a Wallflower of West Lane, Poppy has a far more vital role—she and her three best friends have made a pact to protect each other from the clutches of dangerous, disreputable men. So when one of them is about to be married off to a duke sight unseen, Poppy makes it her mission to divine the prospective husband's true character. If only she didn't require the aid of London's most unsuitable rake.

Rhys Draper, Earl of Marsden, has known the headstrong Poppy since she was a young girl naïve to the ways of men. To her eternal chagrin—and to his vague amusement—they have been at odds over the memory of their embarrassing first encounter all these years. Now, with his services in need, Rhys sees a chance to finally clear the air between them. Instead, he is surprised by the heat of their feelings. If the two do not tread carefully, they may end up in a most agreeably compromising position...

My Review:
This book was a lot of fun to read! I enjoyed meeting Poppy and the other Wallflowers! They're a spirited bunch of characters who don't fit in with society's straitlaced rules, and were a lot of fun to read about!

This is the story of Rhys and Poppy falling in love-while they're investigating the potential spouse of another Wallflower, Faith. Said spouse and Faith are the leads of the next book, so I enjoyed getting to know all of them, and all this delicious conflict, since said spouse finds out about their investigation and isn't happy!

My one thing is, that Poppy's flaw, as she recognizes in this book, is that she runs away from what scares her, what she doesn't like. And once she comes to terms with that, the next time an instance comes up where she'd run, she doesn't, because she resolved not to do so. My thing is, that people don't change that quickly. I guess maybe because it was the first time afterwards, that she actually follows through, and maybe she'll have slip ups in the future? That would make sense.

Oh, another thing. These times are pretty restrictive, but Rhys is trying to comfort Poppy about the between the bed sheets activities, and the way he said that, it put down his other lovers, and that aggravated me. I know he's a product of his times, but, not cool, dude!

I enjoyed this book, it was a lot of fun to read!

Author: A.S. Fenichel
Series: The Wallflowers of West Lane #1
Read: March 24th, 2020
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded good, and it's a Historical Fiction 2020 Book and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book!
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Published: March 17th 2020
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 13 Review: How to Love Your Elf

From Goodreads:
Following the success of Kerrelyn Sparks's HOW TO TAME A BEAST IN SEVEN DAYS, SO I MARRIED A SORCER and EIGHT SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING A DRAGON, HOW TO LOVE YOUR ELF is a winning combination of high fantasy and romance, sure to please the New York Times bestselling author's legions of fans.

In another time on another world called Aerthlan, there are five kingdoms. Four of the kingdoms extend across a vast continent. The fifth kingdom consists of two islands in the Great Western Ocean. These are the Isles of Moon and Mist. There is only one inhabitant on the small Isle of Mist--the Seer.

Twice a year, one of the two moons of Aerthlan eclipses the other, or as the people call it, embrace. Any child born when the moons embrace will be gifted with a magical power. These children are called the Embraced, and traditionally, the kings on the mainland have sought to kill them. Some of the Embraced infants are sent secretly to the Isle of Moon, where they will be safe.

For many years, the Seer predicted continuous war and destruction across the four mainland kingdoms. But not any more. Now he claims a wave of change is sweeping across Aerthlan, change that will bring peace to a world that has known violence for too long. And it is happening because of five young women from the fifth kingdom--Luciana, Brigitta, Gwennore, Sorcha, and Maeve.

The women were hidden away as infants on the Isle of Moon, and there, they grew up as sisters. They knew not where they had been born, nor if they had any family. They only knew each one of them was Embraced. This is Sorcha's tale. 

My Review:
Oh, it was a lot of fun to be back in this world! I'm glad that we're going to get all 5 of the sister's stories, because they all deserve to get happy endings! And Sorcha is such a great character-she puts on a brave front, but is scared of loving anyone else, for fear of losing them. Not fun!

I really enjoyed Sorcha and Woodsman, whose name we don't get till further in, because yeah, it's kinda a spoiler. But there's a bit of a pattern in this series, about hidden identities and connections to the ruler. I enjoyed finding out what that was for this book!

There are several events that happen regarding the Five. Like, we find out a pretty shocking reveal, that is going to be interesting to deal with! And we find out the identity of another member. So there's only 2 that we don't know, I think it's mentioned.

We're left with a uncertain note with Brody, and since he and Maeve are the stars of the 5th and I think final book, well, certainly means that that trouble is going to be part of his story, and I can't wait for that! I know it's going to be a different, since all 4 mainland countries are ruled by her sisters, so Maeve probably won't end up a ruler, unless it's for shifters or something...

This was a fantastic read, I enjoyed it so much, and I can't wait to see how it all ends!

Author: Kerrelyn Sparks
Series: Embraced by Magic #1, The Embraced #4
Read: March 21st, 2020
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Love her writing and the original series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Kensington
Published: February 25th 2020
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Week 13 Review: The June Boys

From Goodreads:
From award-winning and highly acclaimed author Court Stevens comes a heart-wrenching story of small towns, rumors, and thirteen missing boys.

The Gemini Thief could be anyone. Your father, your mother, your best friend's crazy uncle. Some country music star's deranged sister. Anyone. Someone is stealing Tennessee's boys. Report suspicious behavior. The Gemini Thief is a serial kidnapper, who takes three boys and holds them captive from June 1st to June 30th of the following year. The June Boys endure thirteen months of being stolen, hidden, observed, and fed before they are released, unharmed, by their masked captor. The Thief is a pro, having eluded authorities for nearly a decade and taken at least twelve boys.

Now Thea Delacroix has reason to believe the Gemini Thief took a thirteenth victim: her cousin, Aulus McClaghen.

But the game changes when one of the kidnapped boys turns up dead. Together with her boyfriend Nick and her best friends, Thea is determined to find the Gemini Thief and the remaining boys before it's too late. Only she's beginning to wonder something sinister, something repulsive, something unbelievable, and yet, not impossible:

What if her father is the Gemini Thief? 

My Review:
Yeah, I enjoyed reading this book so much! The idea that your parent could be a serial thief of boys-who is holding your cousin captive, that's pretty scary. Then there's the back and forth between Thea and Aul's perspective, which confused me a bit until I realized that they were on different timelines. Yeah.

So the idea that her dad is the Gemini Thief was a bit one in this book. I kinda thought that it'd just be her and her friend group investigating him, but nope, law enforcement gets involved. But since Nick's sister is with the law, well, it gets complicated! Given that he hid he was building a castle from her, well, there is some trust issues there!

So Aul was writing notes to an Elizabeth, which puzzled me, since I had no idea who she was and how he knew her. At the end, there was a note that the Elizabeth was Elizabeth Smart, who was abducted as a child, and later came home. I did a little search, and it turns out that this was a real life case. And it makes sense that he was writing to her.

When we find out who the killer is, well, that's a pretty tense moment, given all the factors. It brought all the clues together quite nicely, and it made sense. I felt a bit bad, because it's just one hit after another, for everyone involved.

This book was an enjoyable read, I enjoyed the mystery and the characters, and all around great read!

Author: Court Stevens
Read: March 21st, 2020
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: I've enjoyed her writing, and it's a SAC 2020 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: March 3rd 2020
5/5 Hearts
4.5/5 Books
4.5/5 Stars

Week 13 Review: Wolf's Curse

From Goodreads:
For Kate and Logan Danvers, sixteen-year-old twins of the werewolf Alpha, nothing could ruin a summer faster than the words "supernatural teen leadership conference." They expected a boring week of earnest political discussions and team-building exercises. 

Instead, in Wolf's Bane, they got a crash-course in real-life leadership, when the camp imploded and the twins and their new friends fled into the West Virginia forest.

Now, in Wolf's Curse, the group has taken refuge in a magically warded cabin only to discover that they might have been safer taking their chances with the demon outside. Trapped in a dark witch's sanctuary, surrounded by hell hounds, the twins will need to hone their leader and team building skills fast. There are battles to be waged and mysteries to be solved. Friendships to be forged in conflict and lost in betrayal. Even romances spark to life amid the turmoil.

It might not be the way Kate and Logan expected to spend their week, but it will certainly be a summer camp to remember.

My Review:
Oh, yeah, this book was so fantastic! The ending of Wolf's Bane was just killer, I wanted to know what was going to happen to them so much! I dived right into this book, I couldn't put it down! It was an fun, great read, with smart, interesting characters! We learned so much about them!

The fact that they're in a dark witch's cabin in the woods, after almost being killed by their fellow campers, then being chased by hell hounds, well, it's an all around bad situation. Both Logan and Kate are smart, capable and resourceful, and well, they were at a camp for leadership, and they do admirably!

There's a lot of big reveals in this book! From secrets that the characters were keeping that were hinted about, to what we didn't have a clue about, so who the bad guys are. And it's a lot more complicated than it seems, there's a lot going on that didn't come into play until this book, it seems, but looking back, there was a hint or two!

One thing that was super fantastic, was that Kate and Logan meet Chloe and Derek! That's so fantastic, because of the dynamics of it all, with Derek being one of the last of the Cain but not like them. And the whole, they're Pack and he's not, he's wary of the Pack. Yeah.

This book was fantastic, I enjoyed it so much, and I'm so glad that it exists! I wouldn't mind more with these character, or more time in this world! 

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Otherworld: Kate and Logan #2, Otherworld Stories #13.9
Read: March 21st, 2020
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2020 Book!
Publisher: K.L.A. Fricke Inc
Published: March 19th 2020
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Friday, March 27, 2020

Book Blogger Hop #129, March 27th

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer from Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer's permission, I relaunched the meme on February 15, 2013. Check out the hop here

Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end on Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

The Question of the week is: Share a photo of one section of your bookshelf randomly selected or go ahead and share the entire bookshelf. (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

 This is the top half of my 1st set of shelves with my mass market paperbacks. I've organized them alphabetically by publisher, and then by author, and then by publication and or series. So this is the Ace books, and the start of Avon.
 This is the bottom half of the shelf, with the rest of Avon, and the start of Berkley.
So this picture has the full shelf, and the next 2, continuing the mass market with the rest of Berkley, Daw, Harlequin and Mira. There's a corner to the right of the picture, and I have a small 3 shelf that continues the rest of that collection. I finished these shelves about a month ago, and I'm already spilling out of them, as you can tell. On top, are books that just kinda don't fit elsewhere. And those ones to the bottom right corner, those are oversized YA hardcovers that I don't have a shelf for right now. They're the only ones that currently don't have a home, which I'm pretty proud of, since I only finished finding homes for the rest a few weeks ago.

Like, in my bedroom where this is, besides those 3 big ones, the small one I mentioned, I have 5 more small ones, my extra desk has a bit of a bookshelf built in, my headboard stores book, and I have a little shelf as well. And in my book room, I have 2 more big tall ones, 2 long ones, and 1 really small one. Yeah. I have a lot of books.

What about you guys? Happy reading!

First Lines Friday #463, March 27th

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. We encourage all of our fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

-Grab your current read(s)
-Share the first line(s)
-Include the title and author so that other FLF participants can add the book to their TBR Lists!

"Craig Frasier breathed it in before he could stop himself; the bloodcurdling scent of burning flesh. Human flesh. Flames still skittered over the body-an accelerant had been used. As he stood there in the small dark alley, he heard others rushing in: Mike Dalton, his partner, and patrol officers, He heard sirens; the fire department was coming. But there was no saving this victim."

Well, that's a grim and terrifying opening! Must read more! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Random Reads #436, March 26th

Random Reads is a monthly meme (that I'm going to do weekly) hosted by I'm Loving Books to read some books that have been on our TBR piles for a long time. Using Random.org, I got 1473 which turned out to be Flawless by Sara Shepard! It's been on my TBR pile since September 14th, 2011, and I added it because I love this series though I haven't read it! Happy reading!

Third Sentence Thursday #450, March 26th

Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!


Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which likes to watch fireworks especially while eating a cookie!
1) Take the book you are currently reading and open it to a random page. Share the third full sentence on that page. (If there isn't a third one – like at the end of a chapter or a blank page – you can share the third sentence of the book or just choose another random page.) Feel free to share more than one sentence, if you feel the need to do so.
2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)
3) Post a link to your sentence at Words I Write Crazy (This Blog)
4) Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentences!

"That doesn't make it okay." -Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout, page 98.

Nope. It doesn't, most likely.

What are your guy's 3rd lines? Link up below!

Will the Time Come #460, March 26th

Every Thursday I am going to list a book which I really want to read/keep meaning to get to. These are mostly books which have been on my shelf for awhile now but don't have to be, maybe you got it two weeks ago and really want to read it! Thanks to Jodie from Books for Company for this meme!
Want to Join?
-Pick a book you have been meaning to read
-Do a post telling us about the book    
-Link the post up in the linky  
-Visit the other blogs

This novel marks the first giant step in a momentous sci-fi journey orchestrated by Cinda Williams Chima, the author of the popular Warrior Heir series. Its two chief protagonists are ex-thief Han Alister, an impoverished commoner, and Raisa ana'Helena, the headstrong Princess Heir of the Fells. The Demon King brings them together, creating part of a volatile mix of action, magic, and danger. Empathetic characters; wizardly attacks.

Why the time hasn't come yet...
I don't know, I don't know if I have a copy! Plus I haven't read the first series yet, if they're in the same world. I'm not sure. But I want to read it! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Waiting on Wednesday #463, March 25th

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

The Girl in the White Van by April Henry
Expected Publication: May 12th, 2020
From Goodreads:
A teen is snatched outside her kung fu class and must figure out how to escape—and rescue another kidnapped victim—in this chilling YA mystery by New York Times-bestselling author April Henry .

When Savannah disappears soon after arguing with her mom’s boyfriend, everyone assumes she's run away. The truth is much worse. She’s been kidnapped by a man in a white van who locks her in an old trailer home, far from prying eyes. And worse yet, Savannah’s not alone: ten months earlier, Jenny met the same fate and nearly died trying to escape. Now as the two girls wonder if he will hold them captive forever or kill them, they must join forces to break out—even if it means they die trying.
House of Dragons by Jessica Cluess
Expected Publication: May 12th, 2020
From Goodreads:
Five royal houses will hear the call to compete in the Trial for the dragon throne. A liar, a soldier, a servant, a thief, and a murderer will answer it. Who will win? Think THREE DARK CROWNS meets THE BREAKFAST CLUB with DRAGONS.

When the Emperor dies, the five royal houses of Etrusia attend the Call, where one of their own will be selected to compete for the throne. It is always the oldest child, the one who has been preparing for years to compete in the Trial. But this year is different. This year, these five outcasts will answer the call....

THE LIAR: Emilia must hide her dark magic or be put to death.

THE SOLDIER: Lucian is a warrior who has sworn to never lift a sword again.

THE SERVANT: Vespir is a dragon trainer whose skills alone will keep her in the game.

THE THIEF: Ajax knows that nothing is free--he must take what he wants.

THE MURDERER: Hyperia was born to rule and will stop at nothing to take her throne.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
Expected Publication: May 12th, 2020
From Goodreads:
A captivating and utterly original fairy tale about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch, and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse...

There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.

As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.

Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming...human or demon. Princess or monster. 

3 great books are coming out! I haven't read 2 of these authors yet, but I want to, and I love April Henry, and yeah, can't wait for these books! What about you guys? Happy reading!

WWW Wednesday #467, March 25th

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 currently reading Rage and Ruin, and I just started, and I can't wait to read more!
I read Thorn, and I devoured it, even though as I kept reading it, it meant I'd get less and less sleep. I think I got 3 hours. Yeah, it was that good and addicting!
I'm going to be reading Goldilocks, and I can't wait, it sounds fantastic!

What about you guys? Happy reading!