Showing posts with label Ann Aguirre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ann Aguirre. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Waiting on Wednesday #795, August 5th

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

Blightflall by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson comes the first book in a new, high-flying trilogy featuring the legendary Skyward Flight as they undertake a deadly intergalactic mission to explore a mysterious alien world.

After decades of war against alien oppressors, the humans of the Defiant Defense Force are finally free. Yet for Arturo Mendez, leader of Skyward Flight, freedom isn’t what he thought it would be.

His first postwar assignment seems simple: The DDF has found evidence of other settlements of humans who were isolated during their long war against the aliens, and Arturo and his flight of pilots are to escort a team of diplomats as they attempt to make contact. It’s an easy mission—get in, guard the diplomats, and get out.

But no element of this mission turns out to be simple. Blightfall is inhospitable, surrounded by mysterious debris and covered in giant, invasive forests that have swallowed most of the planet. Upon arrival, Arturo’s team is attacked, and it quickly becomes clear that this human settlement isn’t what it appears to be.

Now trapped in an unfamiliar world and unsure who to trust, Arturo and his team must find allies and uncover long-buried secrets if they hope to escape and return home.

Frost and Venom by Christine Feehan
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
Deception and danger lay in wait in the beautiful, harrowing California backcountry in this gripping suspense novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan.

Surgical and trauma nurse Harlow Frye loves the small town of Knightly, where breathtaking views of the Sierra and a tight circle of female friends provides a refuge from her professional life. But lately, it's Harlow's personal life that's causing all the chaos.
First, a series of anonymous threatening letters are left in her mailbox. Then, Harlow is dealt a blow when her friend Lawyer dies after reacting to some sort of toxin. And to top it off, Harlow finds her secret obsession, CIA operative Hawkin Wilder, bleeding out on a mountain trail.

As Harlow turns her home into a makeshift hospital, her infuriating, attractive patient insists on distracting her. But even in the face of their increasing connection, there's no way Harlow can ignore the escalating storm, when someone else close to her is struck down by the mysterious toxin.

With little more than intuition to go on, Harlow turns to the five friends who have proved themselves to be a better family than her own flesh and blood. As the women attempt to unravel the killings, they will need to rely on their instincts and their connection to each other--or else they'll lose everything they've come to hold dear.

The Hocus Pocus Handbook by Ann Aguirre
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
For readers of The House in the Cerulean Sea comes a fantastical story of found family, love, and acceptance from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ann Aguirre.

Thea Winter has been stolen. She's the other side of the changeling story, and she's been raised by a hobgoblin named Mudge, who taught her wildcraft, how to know when the coin-sith would attack and how to get one to show its belly. Unfortunately, Mudge didn't teach Thea how to stay out of trouble. Which is why she's facing an unwanted marriage of convenience.

Or would be, but her spouse bolted. Now she has to hunt down Devan J. Fenelon, but she's been saddled with a taciturn, humorless hunter known as Winter's Hound. He answers only to his cousin, and she's not looking forward to this quest at all.

Kerboros has never known freedom. His life is an endless series of ceaseless commands from his reprehensible cousin, Lord Liskaal. Since his father's failed rebellion, Kerboros has been permitted to survive only as an example to others, an object lesson as to how far one may fall. Certainly, he has his own hidden dreams and secret schemes, but they're not what anyone would expect. What he wants most, he will most likely never attain.

But then, he receives his next assignment. Escort Thea Winter, protect her during the search. And it's a glorious torment to travel with her. 

She is sunshine. He is shadow.

Their love is forbidden, but when irresistible force sweeps up an immovable object, the resulting reaction might be magical…

Demon in the Sand by E.K. Johnston
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
Mad Max: Fury Road meets Alien in this exciting follow-up to the YA novel Titan of the Stars by #1 New York Times bestselling author E.K. Johnston.

After the horrific events on the Titan, where ancient aliens were released on the ship and massacred or possessed most of the travelers, Dominic finds himself on the surface of Mars amidst the wreckage of the ruined vessel.

He made it out alive, along with a small number of other survivors — including Ren, a smart and determined ship mechanic. Against all odds, Celeste also survived the crash . . . but that should be impossible, given she sacrificed herself to save the others . . .

Dominic and Ren attempt to start a new life on the Mars colony, but the horrors follow them there. What starts out as a mild sickness among the colonists turns into a full-on outbreak — and then, half-eaten bodies are found around the base.

Could Celeste have been taken over by the aliens, and is she behind these mysterious deaths? Despite their differences, Dominic and Ren must work together once again to combat an alien menance in this thrilling sequel to Titan of the Stars!

The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
Rachel Gillig, the queen of gothic romantasy, returns with higher stakes, darker mysteries and deeper longings in this gorgeous sequel to the No. 1 international bestselling sensation The Knight and the Moth.

Aisling Cathedral is in ruins. Rodrick Myndacious, Bartholomew and Maude Bauer are rumored to be dead - and the king has taken Sybil Delling as his bride. To show off their union and solidify his power over Traum, Benji proposes a series of tournaments throughout the hamlets. Captive and drugged, Sybil remains determined to vanquished him as she once did the Omens, even if she destroys the kingdom's faith - and herself - in the process.

But then a mysterious knave rises to the top of the lists, a man with no name and no memory who may just be Sybil's ticket to undoing Benji's power. For in a land where stories repeat themselves, where a king can prove as cruel as a god, the only way to truly destroy the Stonewater Kingdom's faith is to save it.

Scion by James Islington
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
John Wick meets Blade Runner in this fast-paced cyberpunk thriller by the #1 NYT bestselling author of The Will of the Many.

My job, when you think about it, isn’t so different from a lot of people’s.

The more old-fashioned crowd do still get hung up on the "killing people" part of it, I guess, but that’s a them problem: it’s been perfectly legal to take out lifers for ages. Besides, once ultrawealthy morons realised they had a way to live forever—limited resources be damned—there was only ever going to be one genuinely practical deterrent.

So, sure, I have to deal with a ton of boring planning. Inconvenient hours. Some pretty awkward face-to-face interactions. And like most of us, I’m really only clocking in to try and crawl out from beneath my debts. But someone’s got to do it.

Luckily, my genetic compatibilities make me really, really good at doing it.

Still. This next job . . . I don’t know. It’s something I haven’t had to deal with in years. Kind of the opposite of my regular duties. Strange, that it got thrown my way.

I’m sure it’ll all go totally fine though.

I Hope This Emily Finds You in Hell by Mackenzie Reed
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
When staying late at the office leads to witnessing an exorcism, Brie Benson's mundane life takes a hellish turn…literally.

After her parents' death, twenty-seven-year-old Brie has mastered the art of compartmentalization to survive her mind-numbing routine as a receptionist at a life insurance company. But when she accidentally catches her hot, uptight boss, Luke, performing an exorcism on Debra from accounting, her carefully ordered world implodes.

Swearing Brie to secrecy, Luke reveals he's from a line of demon hunters and that demonic activity is spiking. But when her emotional support coworker vanishes, Brie is determined to find her. With nothing left to lose, she convinces Luke to let her join his rescue mission.

The problem? Their destination is hell. And the entrance is in Times Square.

Now Brie and Luke must navigate a corporate underworld of monsters and bureaucratic nightmares while racing to save their colleague and repair a tearing veil between worlds. All before their growing feelings become irrelevant and hell claims them forever.

We Are for the Dark by Gretchen McNeil
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
What starts as a missing person investigation morphs into something much darker when an FBI-agent-turned-Catholic-priest and a junior constable arrive on a remote Newfoundland island

This murder-mystery-turned-nail-biting-horror is perfect for fans of religious horror like The Possession of Alba Díaz and the cult-classic movie The Wicker Man

An isolated town. A missing priest. An ancient, hungry darkness.

When Father Shane Ryan is summoned to a meeting with His Eminence Cardinal Jacobs, he’s confused. A recently ordained priest at a small Maryland parish, Father Ryan has no idea why His Eminence would want to meet him. When he arrives, the Cardinal opens by laying out Father Ryan’s past as an FBI analyst. It seems a priest has gone missing, and the case is…unusual. 

Weeks ago, Constable Miriam Rideout from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary fielded a frantic call from a priest on a remote Newfoundland island. He begged for help, but then the line went dead, and no one has since been reported missing. When permission to perform a wellness check is denied by her superiors, Miriam takes some vacation time and books a ticket on the ferry. 

Thrown together with friendly but cagey locals, Miriam and Father Ryan soon learn that something about the island isn’t right. There’s a fishing port without boats, a town with no stores and no cars, and strange, bulbous purple wildflowers are growing everywhere. The two don’t trust each other, but they begin to learn that an alliance, however uneasy, is a necessity. Because something evil lurks beneath the island—something ancient, eternal, hungry—and neither it nor the uncanny islanders have any intention of letting these newcomers leave.

A growing sense of dread intensifies until it explodes in this pulse-pounding supernatural horror.

Storm Caller by Nisha J. Tuli
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
THE HEART-POUNDING SEQUEL TO THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Poet Graves has only ever wanted to be free. But no matter where she turns, she’s held captive―by a power she doesn’t understand, a truth she no longer believes in, and a love she can’t deny.

As Poet is drawn further into Rook's world, his secrets force her to question who she can trust. But when friends turn into enemies, enemies prove to be allies, and the place that was once a safe harbor is revealed as the eye of the storm, Poet's only choice is to fight for what she believes in.

When New Manhattan's darkest secrets refuse to stay hidden, the cause Poet and Rook fight for will be called into question. The answers are out there…and they could destroy everything.

Don't miss out on the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION while supplies last. This breathtaking collectible is only available on a limited first print run in the U.S. and Canada only, a must-have for any book lover.

Don’t miss the thrilling continuation to a thrilling upper YA romantasy by Nisha J. Tuli, where Divergent meets The Cruel Prince in a glittering, storm-wrecked Manhattan where the elite rule through legacy―and one forbidden romance could tear it all apart.

Our Strange Duet by Erin A. Craig
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
Our Strange Duet is a reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, told through the eyes of Christine Daaé as she rises to fame while torn between love, ambition, and the haunting secrets of the opera house, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Erin A. Craig.

She was never just the voice he shaped . . .

A rising soprano with a gift she is only just learning to embrace, Christine Daaé has moved through the glittering world of the Opera Populaire longing to find her purpose. Instead, she finds herself caught between two men who refuse to let her slip quietly into the chorus.

One is Raoul, her childhood friend turned devoted admirer, offering her a future filled with warmth, safety, and a love that feels like sunlight. The other is a mysterious masked figure who lurks beneath the opera The Phantom. His brilliance, obsession, and dangerous devotion to nurturing Christine’s talents ignites a dark and complicated passion in her heart. As Christine’s star ascends, so does the tension between Raoul and the Phantom. She must decide who she is when the curtain falls – and what she’s willing to risk for the life she wants.

Set against the haunting, romantic world of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, Our Strange Duet allows Christine Daaé to take centre stage to tell her own story.

Before You Were Anne by Emiko Jean
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
After a woman is killed and her daughter vanishes, detective Chelsey Calhoun uncovers a legacy of violence and survival that spans from Japan to Seattle in the new novel by the author of The Return of Ellie Black.

A murdered woman. A missing daughter. A truth buried across two continents.

Married, pregnant, and thriving in her career, Detective Chelsey Calhoun's life finally feels whole, until an explosive new case shatters everything. A mother is dead. Her sixteen-year-old daughter, Naomi, has disappeared. And the search will awaken questions about Chelsey's own origins—questions she's spent a lifetime afraid to ask.

The victim called herself Anne Walker. But she was born Rika Takahashi, and her journey from a remote Japanese farm to suburban Seattle conceals decades of deception. Across Tokyo's shadowed underworld, an isolated Idaho town, and years of carefully constructed lies, Rika reinvented herself at every turn. But she was always running—from someone, or something.

Now, Chelsey must find Naomi before she becomes the next victim. But the deeper she delves into Rika's hidden life, the more she discovers: some secrets are worth killing for. And the most dangerous truths may be the ones closest to home.

Told in three interwoven voices, Before You Were Anne is a gripping suspense novel about the lies that bind families and the sins that echo across generations.
 
The Getaway by Kieran Scott
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
In a taut locked-room mystery from New York Times bestselling author Kieran Scott, a group of longtime friends confronts their darkest secrets—and deadliest impulses—on the brink of a hurricane.

For years, three couples have gathered at The Villa—billionaire Lincoln Foster’s Hamptons estate—for lavish weekends among friends. But this year, mysterious blue cards appear in each bedroom, exposing their host’s betrayals and the guests’ own dark deeds.

Everyone has something to hide. Marley and Marshall Foster. Suzy and Sean McTeague. Juliet and Josh Jacoby. Lincoln and his new wife, Hazel. Even uninvited guests hoping to be accepted among the elite.

With a hurricane bearing down, no one is getting out. When the revelations turn deadly, the trapped friends must confront what their lies have cost them—possibly their lives.

Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
Every wedding guest’s worst nightmare is on repeat in this wild and twisty new horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of So Thirsty and Play Nice.

It’s the picture-perfect wedding The venue is dreamy, the weather is beautiful, love is in the air—and Willa Sullivan is having a bad time. She’s excited to celebrate her best friends’ finally having the big wedding they’ve always wanted, but this is the first time she’s seen her ex-fiancé in months, and he brought a date. Everything feels off, like she stumbled into an alternate universe. But things start to look up when Willa meets Danny, the groom’s charming and single childhood best friend. When they sneak off together, their rendezvous is interrupted by a masked killer terrorizing the reception. Willa and Danny fight to save the ones they love and survive the night, but the killer is unrelenting. A final girl Willa is not.

Or is she? She wakes up and it’s the morning of the wedding. She just had the most intense nightmare of her life. Only as the day unfolds, there are some uncanny coincidences that make her question whether it was really a dream, déjà vu, or something more sinister. After a horrifying turn of events, Willa comes to understand that she’s stuck in a loop of carnage and terror that she must learn how to escape or else suffer a fate worse than death—being an eternal wedding guest.

The Siren's Kiss by Leslie Vedder
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
Pirates of the Caribbean meets The Little Mermaid in this swashbuckling Sapphic fantasy!

Three years ago, Dead Shot Rayleigh laid hands on the legendary ruby the Siren’s Kiss andsuffered the wrath of the sea god, Red-Handed Roger.

Now bound as captain of his cursed ship, The Revenant, eighteen-year-old Rayleigh hatches a plan to win her freedom. Everyone knows that Red-Handed Roger’s heart was stolen by the Sea Witch. If she can get it back, she can barter her release.

But Rayleigh isn’t the only one with a score to settle. Fiery mermaid Maren lost her brother to the Sea Witch, and she’s come to the surface to get him back and save the last remaining mermaids at all costs.

When Maren runs afoul of the infuriating cursed pirate Rayleigh, sparks fly, and all her plans go up in flames. Now the only chance they have is each other.

Swashbuckling, sea monsters, pirate kings, siren songs, and stolen hearts!

Red-Handed Roger and the Sea Witch were once friends, before they both fell for the same mermaid and almost destroyed the world. Will Rayleigh and Maren’s love set things right, or just finish what the old gods started?​​​

Some hearts are meant to be stolen...

Tell the Ghosts I'm Gone by Kalynn Bayron
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
From New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron comes a new horror novel about a group of teens with unique-and potentially deadly-gifts.

Moll, Redd, Agnes, and Ossie are powerful-and dangerous. But they don't want people to fear them. They've spent their lives trying to understand and control their supernatural gifts, trying to help people instead of hurt them.

That's why they offer paranormal investigative services to anyone who needs them. But when the case of a missing young woman brings them to an old (and potentially haunted) Victorian mansion, soon it's the four teens who are in the greatest danger. The secrets they uncover about the paranormal forces inhabiting the house may shed light on the darkness that exists at the edge of their powers and finally help them gain control-if they can make it out alive.

The Gods Will Sing Our Song by Autumn Krause
Expected Publication: September 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
In this sweeping WWII historical romance threaded with magic and myth, two star-crossed Japanese American teenagers find a love more powerful than the gods — inspired by the author's true family history of internment and resilience.

A divine favor can change everything.

1942. War rumbles across the world, gods stir in the wind, and two lives are set on a collision course that will change them forever.

Seventeen-year-old Ren Hamada has always been defined by his troubled past, while Violet Aratani has only ever worried about keeping her straight-A grades and helping her parents run their beloved print shop. The two have little in common beyond the old magic that thrums in their worn family relics—and the fact that they’re Japanese American in a country determined to cast them as the enemy.

Forced out of their homes and into ramshackle wooden barracks in the California desert by the US government, Ren and Violet collide. In a barbed wire world where everything they thought they knew is upside-down, the magnetic pull between them is the only thing that makes sense.

But there’s more than just desert dust swirling in the air. A god walks among them, his mortal form tethered to the camp, and only Violet and Ren hold the key to freeing him—an act that would earn them an immeasurable reward. Yet with tensions rising and their lives on the line, is even a divine favor powerful enough to save them?

Oh wow, there's so many fantastic books starting off September, so many authors that I love, series that I enjoy so much, and new books that I need to read now! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Thursday, December 25, 2025

Random Reads #736, December 25th

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 896 which turned out to be Silver Mirrors by A.A. Aguirre! It's been on my TBR pile since October 14th, 2014, and I added it because I love Ann Aguirre's writing, and this is co-written by her, I believe! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Waiting on Wednesday #734, June 4th

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

I Think I'm in Love With an Alien by Ann Aguirre
Expected Publication: June 17th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Galaxy Quest meets Roswell in this quirky sci-fi rom-com from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ann Aguirre.

He's stranded. He's desperate. He's not looking for love.

Alien Tamzir Jaarn, a.k.a. Seeker, is paying the price for risking an illicit holiday on an interdicted planet. His ride off-world never showed, and he's been stranded on Earth for nearly a year. His gear is breaking down, food is becoming a problem, and if his camouflage unit fritzes, he'll wind up in a government lab.

But he's met some cool humans online, and they've invited him to the biggest space-themed convention around. Why not make memories with them while he figures out how to get home?

Space Con or bust!

She's nerdy. She's flirty. She's ready for romance.

Jennette Hammond is an endearing weirdo, voted most likely to bang an alien in high school. Her house is full of gray man collectibles, adorable tentacle monsters, and yes, in college, she volunteered for a SETI-type program. Not that she's ever had any close encounters of the sexy, alien kind. Heck, she's never even been able to convince anyone to attend Space Con.

But that's about to change. Finally, she has online friends who have agreed to go, and it will be a romp to remember—and she'll finally put a face to the name of her longtime crush, Seeker.

When alien meets adorkable, they're destined for an out-of-this-world affair…

The Ruthworth Family Plot by Claudia Gray
Expected Publication: June 17th, 2025
From Goodreads:
The fourth book in the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mystery series, which finds the amateur sleuths caught up in the whirlwind of the London Season—and in a murderous scheme involving the family of Edmund and Fanny Bertram

Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney understand each other perfectly; it's a pity their families do not. A series of misunderstandings, misplaced pride, and—indeed—prejudice, has led their parents to deem the pair unsuited to wed. Now, with the Season approaching, Juliet's grandfather, General Tilney, has sent her to London with a new wardrobe and orders to prove herself worthy of someone better than the snobby Darcys. Meanwhile, Jonathan has been forced to accept an invitation to stay in town with old friends Edmund and Fanny Bertram at the house of Edmund's brother, Sir Thomas. Oblivious to and undesiring of female attention outside of Juliet's, Jonathan is at risk of being ensnared by Caroline Bingley's previously rebuffed plans to make herself—or her daughter—mistress of Pemberley.

But when Mr. Rushworth, the former husband of Edmund's sister Maria, is discovered dead in his home, Jonathan and Juliet find themselves with problems far weightier than the marriage market. In one of the greatest scandals of its day, Maria abandoned her new husband in favor of the notorious rake Henry Crawford, and when he wouldn't marry her, was forced to flee to the continent in disgrace. Now Maria is back, accompanied by a daughter she claims Mr. Rushworth fathered after their divorce—and who he wrote into his will just before his death. To spare Edmund and Fanny further social shame, Jonathan and Juliet must unmask a killer before the drama surrounding the Rushworth family fortune claims another victim.

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston 
Expected Publication: June 17th, 2025
From Goodreads:
A hitmaking songwriter and a bitter musician share a startling and inexplicable connection that they’ll do anything to shake, in the next sparkling, magical book from Ashley Poston.

Joni Lark is living the dream. She’s one of the most coveted songwriters in LA…and she can’t seem to write. There’s an emptiness inside her, and nothing seems to fill it.

When she returns to her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, she hopes that the sand, the surf, and the concerts at The Revelry, her family’s music venue, will spark her inspiration. But when she gets there, nothing is how she left it. Her best friend is avoiding her, her mother’s memories are fading fast, and The Revelry is closing.

How can she think about writing her next song when everything is changing without her?

Until she hears it. A melody in her head, lyric-less and half-formed, and an alluring and addictive voice to go with it—belonging, apparently, to a wry musician with hangups of his own.

Surely, he’s a figment of her overworked imagination.

But then the very real man attached to the voice shows up in Vienna Shores. He’s aggravating and gruff on the outside—nothing like the sweet, funny voice in Joni’s head—and he has a plan:

They’ll finish the song haunting them both, break their connection, and hope they don’t risk their hearts in the process.

Because that song stuck in their heads? Maybe it’s there for a reason.

The Mercy Makers by Tessa Gratton
Expected Publication: June 17th, 2025
From Goodreads:
A talented heretic must decide between the pursuit of forbidden magic, or the ecstasy of forbidden love, in the start of a sweeping, romantic epic fantasy trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Tessa Gratton.

Can an empire trip and fall on a mere strand of silk? 

Iriset is a prodigy and an outlaw. The daughter of a powerful criminal, she dons her alter ego Silk to create magical disguises for those in her father’s organization, but she longs to do more with her to enhance what it means to be human by giving people wings, night-sight, and other abilities; to unlock the possibilities of gender and parenthood; to cure disease and even to end mortality itself.
 
Everything changes when her father is captured and sentenced to death. To save him, Iriset must infiltrate the palace and the empire’s fanatical ruling family. There, she realizes she has a chance—and an obligation—to bring down the entire corrupt system. She'll have to entangle herself in the lives of the emperor and his sister, getting them to trust and even to love her. But love is a two-way street, and Iriset’s own heart holds the most mysterious and impenetrable magic of all.

The Tournament by Rebecca Barrow 
Expected Publication: June 17th, 2025
From Goodreads:
They Wish They Were Us meets Nothing Left to Tell in this young adult thriller about three girls with entangled pasts who compete for glory in their private school’s annual tournament, putting their survival skills and their relationships to the test.

Gardner isn’t like other boarding schools. They take in those who’ve been rejected everywhere else, they offer a survival skills class that has students killing and gutting animals, and then there’s the Tournament.

A competition available only to seven elite seniors, the Tournament is revered by the entire student body. They’d do almost anything—including completing a series of grueling physical challenges—to win the champion’s cup.

And this year, three seniors make the Tournament more cutthroat than ever.

Max, the ruthless scholarship student who can’t afford any distractions, not even her ex best friend Nora’s stupid confession of love at the end of last year that ruined everything between them.

Nora, who always put herself on the sidelines so Max could have everything she wanted, but might just be ready for center stage now that Max has brutally excised herself from Nora’s life.

And Teddy, the transfer who’s on her last chance and will chase any high that can pull her back from the gaping, dark void inside herself that’s always threatening to pull her in.

If one of them wants to win, then they can’t let anything—or anybody—get in their way.

Some really fantastic books with authors I need to read these books, and I need these books to be out now! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Monday, June 2, 2025

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #730, June 2nd

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 #729
Teaser Tuesday #737
WWW Wednesday #737
WOW #733
Will the Time Come #730
Third Sentence Thursday #720
Random Reads #706
First Lines Friday #733
Book Blogger Hop #399
Monthly Series June Round Up
Monthly ARC's Update 117
The Reward Challenge Update #715
Wheel of TBR #262
How Well I Stuck to It #567
Wrote that Review Update #564


Random:

OK, so I got 58 posts in 7 days, I fell behind on blogging, which I still haven't caught up yet, it was a pretty busy week. But I read some great books and I can't wait for this next month! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read whatever I want! 

Saturday, May 31, 2025

Week 22 Review: I Think I'm in Love With an Alien

From Goodreads:
Galaxy Quest meets Roswell in this quirky sci-fi rom-com from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ann Aguirre.

He's stranded. He's desperate. He's not looking for love.

Alien Tamzir Jaarn, a.k.a. Seeker, is paying the price for risking an illicit holiday on an interdicted planet. His ride off-world never showed, and he's been stranded on Earth for nearly a year. His gear is breaking down, food is becoming a problem, and if his camouflage unit fritzes, he'll wind up in a government lab.

But he's met some cool humans online, and they've invited him to the biggest space-themed convention around. Why not make memories with them while he figures out how to get home?

Space Con or bust!

She's nerdy. She's flirty. She's ready for romance.

Jennette Hammond is an endearing weirdo, voted most likely to bang an alien in high school. Her house is full of gray man collectibles, adorable tentacle monsters, and yes, in college, she volunteered for a SETI-type program. Not that she's ever had any close encounters of the sexy, alien kind. Heck, she's never even been able to convince anyone to attend Space Con.

But that's about to change. Finally, she has online friends who have agreed to go, and it will be a romp to remember—and she'll finally put a face to the name of her longtime crush, Seeker.

When alien meets adorkable, they're destined for an out-of-this-world affair…

My Review:


Author: Ann Aguirre 
Read: May 27th, 2025 
Source: NetGalley  
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really good, and it's a SAC 2025 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Expected Publication: June 17th 2025
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Update 27

Ok, so I read my next book for Clean Sweep ARC Challenge, and it was I Think I'm in Love with an Alien and I'll be reading Mystery in the Title next! 

My Reading Journey:

Atonement Sky by Nalini Singh
Started On: May 1st 
Finished On: May 1st, 6:19 PM
Pages Read: 432

Soul of Shadow by Emma Noyes
Started On: May 2nd
Finished On: May 2nd, 10:27 AM
Pages Read: 368

The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Anrum
Started On: May 2nd
Finished On: May 2nd, 4:03 PM
Pages Read: 384

Queen Demon by Martha Wells
Started On: May 3th
Finished On: May 3rd, 3:38 PM
Pages Read: 400

Silver and Lead by Seanan McGuire 
Started On: May 4th
Finished On: May 4th, 2:17 PM
Pages Read: 400

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang
Started On: May 6th
Finished On: May 6th, 9:04 AM
Pages Read: 176

Enigma by RuNyx
Started On: May 7th
Finished On: May 7th, 11:48 AM
Pages Read: 496

Chase the Dark by Annette Marie
Started On: May 9th
Finished On: May 9th, 10:28 AM
Pages Read: 320

Murder Land by Carlyn Greenwald
Started On: May 10th
Finished On: May 10th, 3:04 PM
Pages Read: 339

You've Awoken Her by Ann Dávila Cardinal
Started On: May 10th
Finished On: May 10th, 8:37 PM
Pages Read: 288

They Fear Not Men in the Woods by Gretchen McNeil
Started On: May 11th
Finished On: May 11th, 2:47 PM
Pages Read: 278

Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzales
Started On: May 12th
Finished On: May 12th, 11:01 AM
Pages Read: 352

Much Ado About Hating You by Sarah Echavarre Smith
Started On: May 13th
Finished On: May 13th, 9:13 AM
Pages Read: 307

A Fated Vow by Amanda Aggie 
Started On: May 14th
Finished On: May 14th, 10:24 AM
Pages Read: 384

The Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem 
Started On: May 17th
Finished On: May 17th, 3:47 AM
Pages Read: 692

Ruthless Devotion by Rebecca Kenney
Started On: May 18th
Finished On: May 18th, 11:46 PM
Pages Read: 384

House of Night by Celia Aaron
Started On: May 19th
Finished On: May 19th, 10:04 AM
Pages Read: 342

I Bet You'd Look Good in a Coffin by Katy Brent
Started On: May 20th
Finished On: May 20th, 9:48 PM
Pages Read: 368

Blind Date With a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs 
Started On: May 21st
Finished On: May 21st, 1:03 PM
Pages Read: 288

The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
Started On: May 22nd
Finished On: May 22nd, 11:43 AM 
Pages Read: 432

The Summer War by Naomi Novik
Started On: May 23rd
Finished On: May 23rd, 2:41 PM
Pages Read: 144

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong
Started On: May 24th
Finished On: May 24th, 8:32 PM
Pages Read: 320

The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso
Started On: May 25th
Finished On: May 25th, 2:53 PM
Pages Read: 400

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen
Started On: May 25th
Finished On: May 25th, 7:10 PM
Pages Read: 432

I Killed the King by Rebecca Mix and Andrea Hannah
Started On: May 26th
Finished On: May 26th, 7:28 PM 
Pages Read: 400

Marked by Moonlight by Sophie Jordan
Started On: May 26th
Finished On: May 26th, 10:49 PM
Pages Read: 320

I Think I'm in Love with an Alien by Ann Aguirre 
Started On: May 27th
Finished On: May 27th, 1:48 PM
Pages Read: 400

Mystery in the Title by Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson
Started On: May 27th
Currently On: Page 0 of 400

Books Read: 27
Goal: 25 Books
Pages Read: 9846

Teaser Tuesday #737, May 27th

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 I Think I'm in Love with an Alien by Ann Aguirre, page 2.

"I was so hoping I'd find...something. That proves we're not alone."

Yeah, that would be kinda of nice, though it would also be pretty scary! Must read more now! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Monday, May 26, 2025

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Update 26

Ok, so I read my next book for Clean Sweep ARC Challenge, and it was Marked in Moonlight and I'll be reading I Think I'm in Love with an Alien next! 

My Reading Journey:

Atonement Sky by Nalini Singh
Started On: May 1st 
Finished On: May 1st, 6:19 PM
Pages Read: 432

Soul of Shadow by Emma Noyes
Started On: May 2nd
Finished On: May 2nd, 10:27 AM
Pages Read: 368

The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Anrum
Started On: May 2nd
Finished On: May 2nd, 4:03 PM
Pages Read: 384

Queen Demon by Martha Wells
Started On: May 3th
Finished On: May 3rd, 3:38 PM
Pages Read: 400

Silver and Lead by Seanan McGuire 
Started On: May 4th
Finished On: May 4th, 2:17 PM
Pages Read: 400

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang
Started On: May 6th
Finished On: May 6th, 9:04 AM
Pages Read: 176

Enigma by RuNyx
Started On: May 7th
Finished On: May 7th, 11:48 AM
Pages Read: 496

Chase the Dark by Annette Marie
Started On: May 9th
Finished On: May 9th, 10:28 AM
Pages Read: 320

Murder Land by Carlyn Greenwald
Started On: May 10th
Finished On: May 10th, 3:04 PM
Pages Read: 339

You've Awoken Her by Ann Dávila Cardinal
Started On: May 10th
Finished On: May 10th, 8:37 PM
Pages Read: 288

They Fear Not Men in the Woods by Gretchen McNeil
Started On: May 11th
Finished On: May 11th, 2:47 PM
Pages Read: 278

Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzales
Started On: May 12th
Finished On: May 12th, 11:01 AM
Pages Read: 352

Much Ado About Hating You by Sarah Echavarre Smith
Started On: May 13th
Finished On: May 13th, 9:13 AM
Pages Read: 307

A Fated Vow by Amanda Aggie 
Started On: May 14th
Finished On: May 14th, 10:24 AM
Pages Read: 384

The Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem 
Started On: May 17th
Finished On: May 17th, 3:47 AM
Pages Read: 692

Ruthless Devotion by Rebecca Kenney
Started On: May 18th
Finished On: May 18th, 11:46 PM
Pages Read: 384

House of Night by Celia Aaron
Started On: May 19th
Finished On: May 19th, 10:04 AM
Pages Read: 342

I Bet You'd Look Good in a Coffin by Katy Brent
Started On: May 20th
Finished On: May 20th, 9:48 PM
Pages Read: 368

Blind Date With a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs 
Started On: May 21st
Finished On: May 21st, 1:03 PM
Pages Read: 288

The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
Started On: May 22nd
Finished On: May 22nd, 11:43 AM 
Pages Read: 432

The Summer War by Naomi Novik
Started On: May 23rd
Finished On: May 23rd, 2:41 PM
Pages Read: 144

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong
Started On: May 24th
Finished On: May 24th, 8:32 PM
Pages Read: 320

The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso
Started On: May 25th
Finished On: May 25th, 2:53 PM
Pages Read: 400

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen
Started On: May 25th
Finished On: May 25th, 7:10 PM
Pages Read: 432

I Killed the King by Rebecca Mix and Andrea Hannah
Started On: May 26th
Finished On: May 26th, 7:28 PM 
Pages Read: 400

Marked by Moonlight by Sophie Jordan
Started On: May 26th
Finished On: May 26th, 10:49 PM
Pages Read: 320

I Think I'm in Love with an Alien by Ann Aguirre 
Started On: May 27th
Currently On: Page 0 of 400

Books Read: 26
Goal: 25 Books
Pages Read: 9446

Monday, July 31, 2023

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #634, July 31st

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 #633
Teaser Tuesday #641
WWW Wednesday #641
WOW #637
Will the Time Come #634
Third Sentence Thursday #624
Random Reads #610
First Lines Friday #637
Book Blogger Hop #303
Monthly Series August Round Up
Monthly ARC's Update 45
The Reward Challenge Update #619
Wheel of TBR #166
How Well I Stuck to It #471
Wrote that Review Update #468

Week 30 Reviews:
Quicksilver

Magical Readathon: Orilium: 

Random:

OK, so I got 35 posts in 7 days, and I finished all of my July TBR, and most of my non-ARC's of my August TBR. Dobby had his surgery and is mostly healing well. He had the cancer lump removed, and also one on his back, which has swelled a few times, so that's been a bit concerning. But he's acting like normal, which is great. And he'll be able to get the stitches out next week. What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Bookshops & Bonedust, Enchanted to Meet You, and Shards of Glass!

When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn't always what we seek.

In Bookshops & Bonedust, a prequel to Legends & Lattes, New York Times bestselling author Travis Baldree takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books.

Viv's career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam's Ravens isn't going as planned.

Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she's packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she'll never be able to return to it.

What's a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine.

Still, adventure isn't all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.
A witchy rom-com from New York Times bestseller Meg Cabot about a plus size witch who must team up with a handsome stranger to help protect her village from an otherworldly force--but will she be able to protect her heart?

It's Magic When You Meet Your Match

In her teenage years, lovelorn Jessica Gold cast a spell that went disastrously wrong, and brought her all the wrong kind of attention--as well as a lifetime ban from the World Council of Witches.

So no one is more surprised than Jess when, fifteen years later, tall, handsome WCW member Derrick Winters shows up in her quaint little village of West Harbor and claims that Jess is the Chosen One.

She's the Chosen One

Not chosen by West Harbor's snobby elite to style them for the town's tricentennial ball--though Jess owns the chicest clothing boutique in town. And not chosen finally to be on the WCW, either--not that Jess would have said yes, anyway, since she's done with any organization that tries to dictate what makes a "true" witch.

No, Jess has been chosen to help save West Harbor itself . . .

As Summer Ends, Her Power Grows

But just when Jess is beginning to think that she and Derrick might have a certain magic of their own--and not of the supernatural variety--Jess learns he may not be who she thought he was.

And suddenly Jess finds herself having to make another kind of choice: trust Derrick and work with him to combat the sinister force battling to bring down West Harbor, or use her gift as she always has: to keep herself, and her heart, safe.

Can she work her magic in time?
The Academia, once an elite proving ground for the rulers of the world, has been frozen for centuries. Now its strange slumber has ended, and a new Chancellor, an orange-eyed dragon, has reopened its lecture halls and readied its dorms. In order to thrive once more, however, the Academia needs fresh blood—new students with a passion and talent for learning.

One such student, Robin, has the perfect recruit in his friend Raven, an orphan who lives in the dangerous Warrens. Robin grew up in the Warrens, and he wouldn't have made it if not for Raven. He knows she'll be safe at the Academia, where her unusual gifts can be appreciated.

But when students start turning up dead, the campus threatens to collapse completely. Raven and Robin will not let that happen to their new home…if they can survive long enough to figure out who—or what—is trying to kill them.

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Week 30 Review: Perdition, Havoc, Breakout



From Goodreads:
WELCOME TO HELL

The prison ship Perdition, a floating city where the Conglomerate's most dangerous criminals are confined for life, orbits endlessly around a barren asteroid.

Life inside is even more bleak. Hailed as the Dread Queen, inmate Dresdemona "Dred" Devos controls one of Perdition's six territories, bordered on both sides by would-be kings eager to challenge her claim. Keeping them at bay requires constant vigilance, as well as a steady influx of new recruits to replace the fallen. Survival is a constant battle, and death is the only escape.

Of the newest convicts, only one is worth Dred's attention. The mercenary Jael, with his deadly gaze and attitude, may be the most dangerous criminal onboard. His combat skill could give her the edge she needs, if he doesn't betray her first. Unfortunately, that's what he does best. Winning Jael's allegiance will be a challenge, but failure could be worse than death…

From Goodreads:
The Conglomerate's most dangerous convicts have made the prison ship Perdition their home. And they will defend it…

Perdition is under siege. Mercenaries have boarded the station with orders to take control of the facility—and execute the prisoners. Their commander is offering full pardons to the first five inmates willing to help the mercs complete their mission.

Dresdemona "Dred" Devos hasn't survived hard time just to surrender to the Conglomerate's armored thugs. Leading a ragtag army of inmates, Dred and her champion, Jael, wage a bloody guerilla war of chaos and carnage against impossible odds. But no matter how dire the outlook, the Dread Queen never backs down…  

From Goodreads:
All hell is breaking loose in the edge-of-your-seat follow-up to Havoc and Perdition from New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre…

The prison ship Perdition has become a post-battle charnel house with only a handful of Dred's soldiers still standing and now being hunted by Silence's trained tongueless assassins. Forging an uneasy alliance with mercenary commander Vost—who is their only chance at escape—the Dread Queen will do whatever it takes to end her life sentence on Perdition and keep the survivors alive long enough to cobble together a transport capable of getting them off station.

If Dred and her crew can win the deadly game of cat and mouse, the payoff is not only life but freedom—a prize sweeter than their wildest dreams. Yet the sadistic Silence would rather destroy Perdition than let a single soul slip from her grasp…

My first review of Perdition, Havoc, Breakout
My Review:
I loved reading these books again! I loved them the first time, but I hadn't read the first series in this world, that had Jael before this point, so I had to come back to this one and read it with that context. Of course I loved reading them again! 

Perdition was a fantastic setting up point of this prison ship, of how it worked, the different groups and the politics, setting up these characters and their dynamics with everyone. Then Havoc built upon those foundations while also breaking things down. Then Breakout deals with what's left, of them finally getting off that ship.

I loved how with every book, the stakes rose, so did the characters to the challenges. They had to be creative, and it difficult, learning to roll with the punches, and learn as much as they could to understand what was going on. It was just so wonderful! 

That ending had an even greater impact this time around, knowing what he held in his past. I mean, this trilogy had another part of it, so it was great to have all that tied off. It was just so satisfying to have that extra time with them, after they'd made it out! 

Loved these books so much, and I can't wait to read more by Ann Aguirre! 

Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: The Dred Chronicles #1, 2, 3
First Read: June 23rd, July 4th, 5th, 2020
Read: July 25th, 25th, 25th, 2023
Source: Own
Reason Why: Rereading, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Books! And Breakout is a End of Series 2023 Book!
Publisher: Ace
Published: August 27th 2013, August 26th 2014, August 25th 2015

Perdition:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Havoc:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








Breakout:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars