Showing posts with label Melissa Albert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Melissa Albert. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Waiting on Wednesday #782, May 6th

"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 Lake by Lauren Oliver
Expected Publication: June 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
A young girl who claims to remember a past life draws a psychologist into a decades-old mystery in a haunting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver.

Kate Willis, consultant for the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia, is tasked with interviewing six-year-old Henley Haskell about the girl’s alleged past-life recollections. The evaluation also marks a return for Kate to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and to troubling recollections of her own.

Here, twenty-four years ago, Kate’s friend Becca McGuire vanished from her bunk at a now-shuttered summer camp and was never seen again―presumably drowned in Lake Sauquamet. But the mystery of her disappearance is only deepening. Because Henley’s memories of her “other life” are ones that could only belong to Becca.

For Kate, Henley’s recurring, suffocating nightmares, and her disturbing illustrations of places she has never been, seem to spell out the unbelievable. Somewhere, somehow, the truth about what really happened to Becca is locked inside this little girl. As Henley’s uncanny memories surface, so do old secrets―each one drawing Kate inexorably back to that terrible long-ago summer by the lake.

Shattered Gods by Katee Robert
Expected Publication: June 2nd, 2026
From Goodreads:
She was Olympus's Queen. Its sacrifice. Its savior. Its destruction.

Long ago, Circe was Hermes' entire heart. The two women lived on the outskirts of Olympian society, content with a quiet life away from the spotlight. Then Circe caught the eye of Zeus…and was forced into a marriage that would take her freedom, her future, and in the end, her life. In the wake of the tragedy, gossip swirled about the woman Zeus married and (allegedly) murdered…but in time, everyone forgot about beautiful, tragic Circe.

Everyone but Hermes, who vowed on that day to bring Olympus to its knees.

Now, fifteen years later, a new Zeus rules the city, a new Hades protects his people, a new hope dawns…and Hermes has begun to think there may be things about Olympus worth saving. With Atalanta by her side―and slowly rebuilding her heart―Hermes may finally be ready to set aside her fury and seek the city's rebirth instead of its total annihilation. But there is a beautiful devil on Hermes' other shoulder: a devil who rose, blood-soaked, from where Zeus left her for dead years ago. A devil who has waited all this time to have her revenge.

And no matter their past, no matter the desperate love they once shared, no matter the complicated triad forming between the three women, Circe will not rest until all of Olympus lays shattered at her feet…and the gods help anyone who gets in her way.

A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Hermes and Atalanta and Circe.

Father Material by Alexis Hall
Expected Publication: June 2nd, 2026
From Goodreads:
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes...what was that, exactly?

Luc and Oliver have been through it all: fake dating to save Luc's career, I-guess-this-is-actually-for-real dating when all of that blew up spectacularly, (briefly) breaking up over irreconcilable differences, (definitively) getting back together over perfectly reconcilable everything else, (almost) getting married, (finally) moving in together, and ultimately celebrating years of perfect domestic bliss.

But as all their very grown-up-now friends begin reaching new life milestones, advancing careers and having babies, Luc and Oliver decide it's time to open their hearts and lives to something new: a tiny, squirming, adorable bundle of furry joy named Spud.

And maybe now that hearts-and-lives are already open, there's room for someone else. Something more. Something that may require them to find in themselves a little father material.

Lore Olympus: Volume 10 by Rachel Smythe
Expected Publication: June 2nd, 2026
From Goodreads:
Hades and Persephone get a modern, romantic reimagining in Lore Olympus, a gorgeously illustrated, Eisner Award-winning comic—now including a never-before-seen bonus short story!

“The Mortal Realm—it’s dying.”

After years of yearning, the big day has finally arrived: Hades and Persephone are getting married! It’s the ceremony of the century, and practically all the gods are invited to celebrate the happy couple. The wedding, full of love and joy, provides a much-needed respite for the pantheon . . . but the newlyweds have no time for a honeymoon.

The king and queen of the Underworld begin unprecedented dives into the dream world to find the god that Kronos took hostage—and, hopefully, to get answers on defeating the furious titan once and for all. During their explorations, they begin to suspect that Persephone’s powers over spring may have been altered. Their theory is proven correct with deadly consequences: When Persephone returns to the Mortal Realm, she ushers in not the regular change of seasons, but a never-ending winter.

And while the gods worry about the total annihilation of the Mortal Realm, Apollo uses the chaos as cover for an attempt to kill Zeus. He claims his dying father’s throne and decrees that the only way to save the Mortal Realm is if Persephone—and her power—belong to him. The others reject his outrageous demand, proposing instead that whoever can fix the failing seasons will be named interim ruler of Olympus. Hope now rests with the struggling goddess to find a way to stop the treacherous Apollo and save humankind—or else be separated from Hades forever.

This edition of Smythe’s original Eisner Award–winning webcomic Lore Olympus features a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe and brings the Greek pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 234–260 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.

The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Expected Publication: June 2nd, 2026
From Goodreads:
A mystery about five teen geniuses, their billionaire father, and the investigation into his murder.
Five prodigies, one dead father, a mansion full of suspects…

Octavius the Maestro.
Fola the Brain.
Bilal the Olympian.
Perdita the Artist.
Romeo the Failure.

These are the five heirs of the illustrious billionaire Leontes Button. Adopted and viciously trained with their father’s infamous “Button Method” to prove his hypothesis for creating prodigies—child geniuses—the Button siblings have had no choice but to be brilliant according to their father's impossibly high standards.

Until he is murdered at his annual Prodigy Ball.

Now, all who attended the ball are required to stay in the Button Manor while the police investigate. But the officers have their work cut out for them—each of the Button siblings has something to hide, but The Heirs aren't the only ones with secrets. After all, Leontes Button was especially good at making enemies. . .

The Dawn Thorne by Tara Sim
Expected Publication: June 2nd, 2026
From Goodreads:
In this thrilling new installment of the Dark Gods Saga, each of the heirs are left to put the pieces of their lives back together. But gods don't stay defeated for long, and soon an enemy arises to threaten the very existence of their realms.

In the aftermath of the chaos and tragedy of Godsnight, the heirs find themselves struggling to recover and determine their next moves. But when Phos, the god of light, stages an attack on their realms in a bid for cosmic control, the heirs decide to take the fight to Phos in Solara, the realm of light. 

But once in Solara, they discover a realm terrorized by the myth of the Sunslayer who has been targeting those in Phos's bloodline. In order to forge a delicate truce in an attempt to buy time, Nik, Rian, and Julian set off to capture the Sunslayer, while Angelica, Risha, and Dante remain in the city to search for a way to defeat Phos for good.

The Disaster Gay Detective Agency by Lev A.C. Rosen
Expected Publication: June 2nd, 2026
From Goodreads:
From award-winning, critically acclaimed crime writer Lev Rosen comes a punchy, hilarious mystery-thriller. Meet the disaster They're messy. They're queer. And they're about to solve a murder… Or die trying.

Brandon is a hopeless romantic. So when a handsome stranger named Jon checks in at the hotel he works at and invites Brandon to his room, Brandon ignores the advice of his crew—a group of loveable and messy queer twenty-somethings—and accepts. What follows is a tale as old as they hook up, Jon promises to text, Brandon falls in love, and Jon ghosts. Case closed—or is it? 

When Jon checks out early, leaving behind a bag of belongings and his cellphone, Brandon takes the phone and sets out to find him, thinking that this must at last be his Cinderella story. 

But he gets more than he bargained for when he witnesses a murder—and sees Jon fleeing the scene. 

Determined (and not in over their heads whatsoever), Brandon, Ollie, Nicole, and Ian decide to solve the mystery of the murder and uncover Jon's true identity…they just have to figure it out before a target falls on their own backs.

The Children by Melissa Albert 
Expected Publication: June 2nd, 2026
From Goodreads:
The haunting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Melissa Albert, in which the estranged adult children of a legendary author, written into their dead mother’s beloved fantasy series, must contend with the vine-like creep of legacy, memory, and magic
Guinevere Sharpe has two childhoods.

In one, she and her brother, Ennis, live in the wooded shadow of their family's isolated Vermont farmhouse; in the other, the pages of their mother’s world-famous Ninth City books, where their magical adventures have made them household names. 

In reality, Guinevere's childhood isn't the enchanted idyll her mother’s readers she and Ennis are growing up near-feral, unwashed and underfed, escaping each day to the wild woods they’ve made their playland. As Edith Sharpe’s books explode into epic popularity, the threats of a rural childhood give way to the escalating perils of fame—until the night it all goes up in flames, leaving Edith’s series unfinished and her children the sole survivors.

Now an adult coasting on her mother's name, Guinevere is mid-promotion for a ghostwritten memoir when her estranged brother, an artist who has until now spurned his family's legacy, announces an upcoming installation titled, simply, Mother. As rumors swirl around a death connected to his last show, unsettling recollections from Guinevere’s childhood begin to surface. Her public facade starts to crack, forcing her to confront the questions she's spent the last twenty years running What really happened the night of the fire? And what dark history lies behind their mother’s fantasy world?

The Children is wise to the mythic weight childhood memories gather over time, and the way our most beloved stories grow up with us. It's for anyone who's ever revisited an old favorite and found its pages cast in a darker light, the line separating magic from reality blurring as we discover the books that once comforted us carry shadows of their own.

One Knight Stand by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Expected Publication: June 4th, 2026
From Goodreads:
Saddle up your dragons, the ladies are going on tour! The sapphic love story continues in the sequel to joyful medieval romp LADY’S KNIGHT from NYT bestselling duo, Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner. Perfect for fans of Gwen and Art are Not in Love and My Lady Jane.Dearest reader… let me catch you up.

Gwen, our lady knight.

Isobelle, our knight’s lady.

They fight monsters, and they’re in love. Well, they fought one monster, once. And while they are in love, they haven’tdiscussed that fact with each other, and neither wants to be the first to bring it up. This is going to be fine.

This story

Seaside mysteries
Brooding redemption arcs
A cursed town
A sea monster
Medieval tourist attractions
An evil sorceress
A crumbling dark tower
Moonlit magical rituals (Ignore all the tentacles, everything is definitely fine…)

White Lights by Lauren Kate
Expected Publication: June 4th, 2026
From Goodreads:
When mysterious Rafe de la Cruz rolls into Desdemona’s life to recruit her to the elite film school Acheron, Dez has no reason to trust him—and no other option. A violent attack has just put her brother in the hospital…and Dez is the only suspect. Guilt-ridden and grieving, she finds herself running from the law to chase her longtime dream of making movies, at a school she’s never heard of. Soon, she’s dropped into Acheron’s cutthroat world of seductive intrigue, power on an otherworldly scale, and deadly competition.

Acheron may seem like the ticket to a future Dez has always wanted, but as she delves deeper into the secret work being done there, she finds herself trapped in an existential conflict on a cosmic scale—with more than her heart on the line.

June is starting off with some really fantastic reads, I want them all to be out, I love these authors and series! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Week 11 Review: The Bad Ones


From Goodreads:
Goddess, goddess, count to five
In the morning, who's alive?

In the course of a single winter's night, four people vanish without a trace across a small town.

Nora's estranged best friend, Becca, is one of the lost. As Nora tries to untangle the truth of Becca's disappearance, she discovers a darkness in her town's past, as well as a string of coded messages Becca left for her to unravel. These clues lead Nora to a piece of local folklore: a legendary goddess of forgotten origins who played a role in Nora and Becca's own childhood games...

An arresting, crossover horror fantasy threaded with dark magic, THE BAD ONES is a poison-pen love letter to semi-toxic best friendship, the occult power of childhood play and artistic creation, and the razor-thin line between make-believe and belief.

My Review:
I loved reading this book! I love The Hazel Wood series, and this book was just a bit strange as well, but not quite so much, with a urban legend of a goddess and the Goddess Game, and two best friends, and the frantic time after one of them disappears amongst other disappearances the same night, and the trail she left behind.

The way that we start the book off was really great, of these three different people, who we don't know why this is happening to them, or really what is, but something was. Something did. And then we follow Nora in the aftermath-and her friend Becca, is also missing. It was such a compelling story! 

While we were following alongside Nora in the present, we were also following along with Becca for key moments of the past, that lead to everything happening, which gave us more and more answers as the book went along.

This book really stirred up feelings of indignation. Because of the actions of one person, and who they killed, lead to all of this. I mean, they were the bad ones that, after that, were dying, but the root cause? But that just made the book more complicated and I loved it. 

This was a fantastic read and I can't wait to read more by Melissa Albert! 

Author: Melissa Albert 
Read: February 15th, 2024
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it's a SAC 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Published: February 20th 2024
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Waiting on Wednesday #663, January 24th

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

The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong
Expected Publication: February 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:
In The Boy Who Cried Bear, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong keeps readers on the edge of their seats while detective Casey Duncan tries to locate the threat before it’s too late. . .

Haven’s Rock is a well-hidden town surrounded by forest. And it’s supposed to be, being that it’s a refuge for those who need to disappear. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton already feel at home in their new town, which reminds them of where they first met in Rockton. And while they know how to navigate the woods and its various dangers, other residents don’t. Which is why people aren't allowed to wander off alone.

When Max, the town’s youngest resident—taught to track animals by Eric—fears a bear is stalking a hiking party, alarms are raised. Even stranger, the ten-year-old swears the bear had human eyes. Casey and Eric know the dangers a bear can present, so they’re taking it seriously. But odd occurrences are happening all around them, and when a dead body turns up, they’re not sure what they’re up against.

Visions of Flesh and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Expected Publication: February 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:
VISIONS OF FLESH AND BLOOD: a Blood and Ash/Flesh and Fire Compendium is a comprehensive companion guide for background, history, reader-favorite information, art, and reference materials. Combined with original short stories and scenes from some of the world’s most beloved characters, as well as never-before-seen visual enticements, it’s a treat for the senses.

Told from the point of view of Miss Willa herself, the compendium acts like research material but reads like a journal and cache of personal notes, allowing the reader to revisit the characters and history they so love yet view things in a different way.

VISIONS OF FLESH AND BLOOD by Jennifer L. Armentrout with Rayvn Salvador is a must-add addition to the series that any Blood and Ash/Flesh and Fire fan will enjoy.

Leopard's Hunt by Christine Feehan
Expected Publication: February 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:
In this pulse-pounding novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Leopard series, animal instinct unites two elite shifters whose heads are at war with their hearts.

Gorya Amurov might be known as his family's peacekeeper, but the leopard inside him wants nothing more than to claw to the surface and unleash hell. A harsh life has shaped him into a vicious fighter with a calm exterior, but Gorya knows it's only a matter of time until he loses all control. Deep down, he truly believes he'd be better off dead, and that no woman will ever accept him as a mate....

Maya Averina has spent years hunting the criminals who destroyed her life, and she always takes down her prey. She keeps to herself, stays under the radar, and never loses focus. But with her body burning up and her mind distracted by her first heat, an ambush takes her by surprise. Now she's trapped, an unmated female shifter about to be sold off to the highest bidder. Maya is ready to fight her way out—until the most dangerous, powerful man she's ever encountered arrives to set her free....

Only Hard Problems by Jennifer Estep
Expected Publication: February 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:
New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Estep continues her Galactic Bonds series with a new, action-packed novella that blends science-fiction technology and magical fantasy elements with a touch of historical romance. This rollicking space opera focuses on a fan-favorite secondary character who’s part hero, part villain, and all arrogance. Perfect for fans of Star Wars, Bridgerton, and Pride and Prejudice.

PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS EVERYWHERE . . .

My name is Zane Zimmer. To most folks, I live a seemingly charmed life as a Regal lord and the heir apparent to the powerful, wealthy House Zimmer, and the gossipcasts breathlessly follow my every swaggering move across the Archipelago Galaxy. I’m also a powerful psion capable of telekinesis, telepathy, and telempathy, and my deadly skills and prowess with my stormsword have made me the golden boy of the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite fighting force.

But even golden boys have bad days, and the truth is I have more hard problems than I can solve.

The Techwave is building weapons to use against the Arrows in hopes of toppling the Imperium and taking over the galaxy. But even more worrisome is the fact that my old rival Kyrion Caldaren has a powerful new ally in Vesper Quill. Together, the two of them just might destroy everything I’ve sworn to protect.

I’m supposed to be relaxing with the other Regals during the Summer Solstice celebration, but when an enemy threatens the festivities, I’m forced to leap into action. As an Arrow, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my family and the other Regals, even though my actions will cause only more problems—and just might end up being the death of me . . .

Note: Only Hard Problems is a 46,000-word novella from the point of view of Zane Zimmer. It takes place after Only Good Enemies, book 2 in the Galactic Bonds science-fiction fantasy series.

Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr
Expected Publication: February 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:
The Magicians meets One Last Stop in this brand-new fantasy romance Remedial Magic, about an unassuming librarian who 1) has fallen in love with a powerful witch; 2) has discovered that she is a witch; and 3) must attend magical community college to learn how to save her new world from complete destruction by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr!

Ellie loves working in her local library in the small town of Ligonier. She loves baking scones and investigating the mysterious and captivating in her spare time. And there is nothing more mysterious and captivating than the intriguingly beautiful, too properly dressed woman sipping tea in her library who has appeared as if out of nowhere. The pull between them is undeniable, and Ellie is not sure that she wants to resist.

Prospero, a powerful witch from the magical land of Crenshaw, is often accused of being… ruthless in her goals and ambitions. But she is driven to save her dying homeland, and a prophecy tells her that Ellie is the key. Unbeknownst to Ellie, her powers have not yet awakened. But all of that is about to change.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
Expected Publication: February 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:
From Hafsah Faizal, New York Times–bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame, comes the first book in a hotly-anticipated new fantasy duology about an orphan girl and her crew who get tangled in a heist with vampires, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows.

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling upon a band of misfits, Arthie formulates a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not every member of her crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

Sisters of Fortune by Anna Lee Huber
Expected Publication: February 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:
For fans of Shana Abe’s The Second Mrs. Astor and Patricia Falvey’s The Titanic Sisters, this sweeping historical novel set on the legendary ocean liner includes actual stories and anecdotes from the Titanic, as it tells of three well-to-do sisters, each at a crossroads in her life.

April, 1912: It’s the perfect finale to a Grand Tour of Europe—sailing home on the largest, most luxurious ocean liner ever built. For the Fortune sisters, the voyage offers a chance to reflect on the treasures of the past they’ve seen—magnificent castles and museums in Italy and France, the ruins of Greece and the Middle East—and contemplate the futures that await them.
 
For Alice, there’s foreboding mixed with her excitement. A fortune teller in Egypt gave her a dire warning about traveling at sea. And the freedom she has enjoyed on her travels contrasts with her fiancé’s plans for her return—a cossetted existence she’s no longer sure she wants.
 
Flora is also returning to a fiancé, a well-to-do banker of whom her parents heartily approve, as befits their most dutiful daughter. Yet the closer the wedding looms, the less sure Flora feels. Another man—charming, exasperating, completely unsuitable—occupies her thoughts, daring her to follow her own desires rather than settling for the wishes of others.
 
Youngest sister Mabel knows her parents arranged this Grand Tour to separate her from a jazz musician. But the secret truth is that Helen has little interest in marrying at all, preferring to explore ideas of suffrage and reform—even if it forces a rift with her family.
 
Each sister grapples with the choices before her as the grand vessel glides through the Atlantic waters. Until, on an infamous night, fate intervenes, forever altering their lives . . .

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
Expected Publication: February 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:
A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history.

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love.

The Messy Life of Jane Tanner by Brenda Novak
Expected Publication: February 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:
When your life is chaotic, what’s one more complication?

Jane Tanner’s friends are settling down, while she’s been settling for less. She longs for adventure and the big city, but caring for her ailing grandfather means she's shackled to her small town. She’s excited her vintage gift shop is  finally  up and running, but it’s not enough.

Longing to fulfill at least one dream—to become a mother before her biological clock ticks out—Jane drunkenly propositions the worst possible candidate for Dad . Kurt Elway is off-limits with a capital O . He’s a good friend, but he's too young, too busy running his family’s ranch. Plus, he and Jane’s sister, Kate, used to date.  That kind of off-limits.

Unbeknownst to Jane, Kurt’s pining for her. When he’s fully on board to father her baby, she sees him in a new light. Then lingering baggage between Kate and Kurt suddenly surfaces and Jane is reminded of just how messy life is. But…so is parenting. Maybe it’s time to embrace the mess?

The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert
Expected Publication: February 20th, 2024
From Goodreads:
NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Melissa Albert returns with THE BAD ONES, a supernatural horror novel about four mysterious disappearances in a town haunted by a sinister magical history

In the course of a single winter’s night, four people vanish without a trace across a suburban town.

Nora Powell’s estranged best friend, Becca, is one of the lost. As Nora tries to untangle the truth of Becca’s disappearance, she discovers a darkness in her town’s past, as well as a string of coded messages Becca left for her to unravel. These clues lead Nora to a piece of local lore: a legendary goddess of forgotten origins who played a role in Nora and Becca’s own childhood games. . . .

An arresting, crossover horror fantasy threaded with dark magic, THE BAD ONES is a poison-pen love letter to semi-toxic best friendship, the occult power of childhood play and artistic creation, and the razor-thin line between make believe and belief.

Yeah, this day has a bunch of fantastic books coming out, they look so great and the ones I've read have been so great, I can't wait for them to come out! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Sunday, September 5, 2021

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #535, September 6th

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 #534
Teaser Tuesday #542
WWW Wednesday #542
WOW #538
Will the Time Come #535
Third Sentence Thursday #525
Random Reads #511
First Lines Friday #538
Book Blogger Hop #204
The Reward Challenge Update #520
Wheel of TBR #67
How Well I Stuck to It #372
Wrote that Review Update #370

Week 35 Reviews:
Cold Falling White

ARC August: 

Among Us Readathon: 

Path or Pantheon:

Becca's BookoplAthon: 

Magical Readathon: Orilium: 

Random:

OK, so I got 41 posts in 7 days, which was a pretty great week, I read a good number of books, and I have today off, because it's a holiday, so I can get a bunch of reading and unpacking done! And yeah, there's some really fantastic books coming out this week (really all month) that I can't wait to read! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Forgotten in Death, The Inheritance Games, The Hawthorne Legacy, and High Stakes.

In the latest novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, homicide detective Eve Dallas sifts through the wreckage of the past to find a killer.

The body was left in a dumpster like so much trash, the victim a woman of no fixed address, known for offering paper flowers in return for spare change—and for keeping the cops informed of any infractions she witnessed on the street. But the notebook where she scribbled her intel on litterers and other such offenders is nowhere to be found.

Then Eve is summoned away to a nearby building site to view more remains—in this case decades old, adorned with gold jewelry and fine clothing—unearthed by recent construction work. She isn't happy when she realizes that the scene of the crime belongs to her husband, Roarke—not that it should surprise her, since the Irish billionaire owns a good chunk of New York. Now Eve must enter a complex world of real estate development, family history, shady deals, and shocking secrets to find justice for two women whose lives were thrown away…
The Inheritance Games ended with a bombshell, and now heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all of her questions - including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than to his own daughters or grandsons.

Thanks to a DNA test, Avery knows that she's not a Hawthorne by blood, but clues pile up hinting at a deeper connection to the family than she had ever imagined. As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture - by any means necessary.
All bets are off as #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen introduces gambler Logan Tanner, a man with a secret past that's about to come back to haunt him.

Logan Tanner lives the exhilarating life of a professional gambler, taking risks with nerves of steel. From casinos in Macau to Monte Carlo to Milan, he's racked up a fortune and become a living legend. But all the glitz and glamor hide a dark and violent past as an extractor—a world that comes rushing back to him when the beautiful and innocent Lara Balkon enters his life.

Soon Logan is drawn into the conflict between two Russian mafia bosses over Lara, whose life now hangs in the balance. Logan has been offered something more valuable to him than money—information he desperately needs—in exchange for getting Lara out of Russia and to safety. Once together, Tanner discovers that Lara is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Tanner's search for the truth leads them to the bright lights of Las Vegas. Where the person who was hunting Lara now lies in wait for them.

With the stakes climbing with each deadly confrontation, Logan and Lara are soon catapulted into a game against pure evil. The odds are stacked against them, but it's a game they know they must play…even if it may cost them their lives.

Saturday, September 4, 2021

Week 35 Review: Tales From the Hinterland

From Goodreads:
A gorgeously illustrated collection of twelve "lush and deliciously sinister fairy tales" (Kelly Link) by the New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood and The Night Country!

Before The Hazel Wood, there was Althea Proserpine's Tales from the Hinterland...

Journey into the Hinterland, a brutal and beautiful world where a young woman spends a night with Death, brides are wed to a mysterious house in the trees, and an enchantress is killed twice—and still lives.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans alike, Melissa Albert's Tales from the Hinterland features full-page illustrations by Jim Tierney, foil stamping, two-color interior printing, and printed endpapers.

My Review:
I loved reading this book! This is the book that Althea wrote, the one with Alice's story, as well as the others in the Hinterland. It was such a great collection of dark tales, and I enjoyed spending this time in the world! 

If this was a in real life anthology, the theme would be girls who are oppressed, mainly by guys, and the weird ways their lives go as they try for better lives, to mixed to negative results. But it's a collection of tales from this world, and that's just what this world is like. 

Some of these tales of, we were told, at least the gist of, like Alice's story, and Sophia. But others were completely new. I couldn't wait to see what different stories took up the Storyteller's head! Especially knowing her past! 

I do think that Alice's story was my favourite, just knowing who she was outside of her story. But seeing more of this world with these different characters was really great as well! It's grim and it's bloody, and it's so interesting to read about! 

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to read more by Melissa Albert! 

Author: Melissa Albert
Series: The Hazel Wood #2.5
Read: August 31st, 2021
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Really enjoyed the series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2021 Book! 
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Published: January 12th 2021
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

WWW Wednesday #542, September 1st

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! And thanks now to Taking on a World of Words for reviving it! 

I'm currently reading Silent Blade, and I'm loving reading it again!
I read Tales From the Hinterland, and it was an excellent collection of stories!
I'm going to be reading Silver Shark, and I can't wait to continue the series again! 

What about you guys? Happy reading!

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Path or Pantheon Update 48

So I read my next book for Path or Pantheon, and it was Tales From the Hinterland which was for the prompt Osiris Pantheon, and I'll be reading Middlegame next! 

My Reading Journey:

Witchshadow by Susan Dennard
Prompt Fulfilled: Hel Pantheon
Started On: July 1st
Finished On: July 1st, 4:12 PM
Pages Read: 464

Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas
Prompt Fulfilled: Hathor Pantheon and Bastet Pantheon
Started On: July 1st
Finished On: July 1st, 8:40 PM
Pages Read: 422

The Wicked & the Dead by Melissa Marr
Prompt Fulfilled: Athena Pantheon
Started On: July 2nd
Finished On: July 2nd, 3:10 PM 
Pages Read: 269

Under a Winter Moon Anthology 
Prompt Fulfilled: Ogun Panthenon
Started On: July 2nd
Finished On: July 2nd, 7:01 PM
Pages Read: 253

The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed
Prompt Fulfilled: Osun Patheon
Started On: July 3rd
Finished On: July 3rd, 8:10 PM
Pages Read: 416

The Kiss & the Killer by Melissa Marr
Prompt Fulfilled: Athena Path
Started On: July 4th
Finished On: July 4th, 3:05 PM
Pages Read: 268

Hex on the Beach Anthology
Prompt Fulfilled: Ogun Path
Started On: July 4th
Finished On: July 4th, 6: 33 PM
Pages Read: 268

Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh 
Prompt Fulfilled: Aphrodite Pantheon 
Started On: July 6th
Finished On: July 6th, 11:30 PM
Pages Read: 406

Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh 
Prompt Fulfilled: Aphrodite Path
Started On: July 6th
Finished On: July 6th, 2:30 PM
Pages Read: 125

Rock Hard by Nalini Singh 
Prompt Fulfilled: Izanami Pantheon
Started On: July 6th
Finished On: July 6th, 7:40 PM
Pages Read: 351

Rock Redemption by Nalini Singh 
Prompt Fulfilled: Kichijoten Pantheon
Started On: July 7th
Finished On: July 7th, 4:42 PM
Pages Read: 424

Rock Wedding by Nalini Singh 
Prompt Fulfilled: Kichijoten Path
Started On: July 7th
Finished On: July 7th, 8:24 PM
Pages Read: 385

Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell 
Prompt Fulfilled: Izanami Path
Started On: July 8th
Finished On: July 8th, 7:52 PM
Pages Read: 573

All These Monsters by Amy Tintera
Prompt Fulfilled: Hades Pantheon
Started On: July 9th
Finished On: July 9th, 9:54 PM
Pages Read: 464

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Prompt Fulfilled: Frigg Pantheon
Started On: July 10th
Finished On: July 10th, 11:22 PM
Pages Read: 468

Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab
Prompt Fulfilled: Ares Pantheon
Started On: July 11th
Finished On: July 11th, 9:46 PM
Pages Read: 518

On Mission by Aileen Erin
Prompt Fulfilled: Bastet Path
Started On: July 12th
Finished On: July 12th, 
Pages Read: 450 

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Prompt Fulfilled: Hathor Path
Started On: July 13th
Finished On: July 13th, 7:20 PM
Pages Read: 418

Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Prompt Fulfilled: Hestia Path
Started On: July 13th
Finished On: July 13th, 10:11 PM
Pages Read: 384

Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Prompt Fulfilled: Ares Path
Started On: July 14th
Finished On: July 14th, 7:25 PM
Pages Read: 320

All These Warriors by Amy Tintera
Prompt Fulfilled: Montu Path
Started On: July 14th
Finished On: July 14th, 10:24 PM
Pages Read: 336

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Prompt Fulfilled: Omoikane Pantheon
Started On: July 15th
Finished On: July 15th, 8:01 PM
Pages Read: 245

Cherish Hard by Nalini Singh
Prompt Fulfilled: Olorun Pantheon
Started On: July 15th
Finished On: July 15th, 10:46 PM
Pages Read: 375

Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh
Prompt Fulfilled: Kōjin Pantheon
Started On: July 16th
Finished On: July 16th, 5:02 PM
Pages Read: 409

Love Hard by Nalini Singh
Prompt Fulfilled: Hel Path
Started On: July 16th
Finished On: July 16th, 9:31 PM
Pages Read: 320

Iron Heart by Nina Varela 
Prompt Fulfilled: Montu Pantheon
Started On: July 17th
Finished On: July 18th, 4:23 PM
Pages Read: 400

Carrie by Stephen King
Prompt Fulfilled: Odin Pantheon
Started On: July 18th
Finished On: July 18th, 9:16 PM
Pages Read: 253

Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore
Prompt Fulfilled: Oba Pantheon
Started On: July 20th
Finished On: July 20th, 9:49 PM
Pages Read: 528

Tomes Apprentice by Honor Raconteur
Prompt Fulfilled: Thoth Pantheon
Started On: July 21st
Finished On: July 21st, 8:01 PM
Pages Read: 254

First of Tomes by Honor Raconteur
Prompt Fulfilled: Thoth Path
Started On: July 22nd
Finished On: July 22nd, 10:40 PM
Pages Read: 289

Sisters of the Snake by Sasha Nanua and Sarena Nanua 
Prompt Fulfilled: Freya Path
Started On: July 23rd
Finished On: July 23rd, 9:12 PM
Pages Read: 512

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
Prompt Fulfilled: Frigg Path
Started On: July 24th
Finished On: July 24th, 9:45 PM
Pages Read: 672

Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson
Prompt Fulfilled: Odin Path
Started On: July 25th
Finished On: July 25th, 9:46 PM
Pages Read: 336

The Adversary by Thea Harrison
Prompt Fulfilled: Kōjin Path
Started On: July 26th
Finished On: July 26th, 1:34 PM
Pages Read: 176

A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown
Prompt Fulfilled: Osun Path
Started On: July 26th
Finished On: July 26th, 9:02
Pages Read: 480

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Prompt Fulfilled: Omoikane Path
Started On: July 27th
Finished On: July 27th, 10:38 PM
Pages Read: 549

The Alcazar by Amy Ewing 
Prompt Fulfilled: Oba Path
Started On: July 28th
Finished On: July 28th, 11:12 PM
Pages Read: 480

Wings of Shadow by Nicki Pau Preto 
Prompt Fulfilled: Hachiman Pantheon
Started On: July 29th
Finished On: July 29th, 10:38 PM
Pages Read: 640

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti
Prompt Fulfilled: Hachiman Path
Started On: July 31st
Finished On: July 31st, 11:03 AM
Pages Read: 400

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
Prompt Fulfilled: Tyr Pantheon
Started On: July 31st
Finished On: July 31st, 4:36 PM
Pages Read: 352

Flash Fire by TJ Klune
Prompt Fulfilled: Tyr Path
Started On: July 31st
Finished On: July 31st, 9:39 PM
Pages Read: 368

The Starless Crown by James Rollins
Prompt Fulfilled: Hades Path
Started On: August 1st
Finished On: August 1st, 10:54 PM
Pages Read: 704

Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Prompt Fulfilled: Olorun Path
Started On: August 3rd
Finished On: August 3rd, 9:52 PM
Pages Read: 304

The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska
Prompt Fulfilled: Orunmila Pantheon
Started On: August 4th
Finished On: August 4th, 10:00 PM
Pages Read: 384

Reaper of Souls by Rena Barron
Prompt Fulfilled: Freya Pantheon
Started On: August 21st
Finished On: August 21st, 6:57 PM
Pages Read: 448

Phoenix Flame by Sara Holland
Prompt Fulfilled: Hestia Pantheon
Started On: August 21st
Finished On: August 21st, 11:45 PM
Pages Read: 320

Strange Lies by Maggie Thrash
Prompt Fulfilled: Orisis Path
Started On: August 30th
Finished On: August 30th, 8:02 PM
Pages Read: 352

Tales From the Hinterland by Melissa Albert
Prompt Fulfilled: Osiris Pantheon
Started On: August 31st
Finished On: August 31st, 8:17 PM
Pages Read: 240

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire
Prompt Fulfilled: Orunmila Path
Started On: May 30th, 2019
Currently On: Page 490 of 490

Read: 48
Pages Read: 19022
Prompts Left: None Left!

Among Us Readathon Update 27 and Wrap Up

So I read my final book for Among Us Readathon, and it was Tales From the Hinterland which was for the prompt Kill Extra 11 - Kill Lime! Well, I didn't read as much as I did the first round, but moving really slowed me down, and I only just got back into the swing of things. And I had had such plans for today that got foiled by a combination of factors. Oh, well. I'm glad for all that I read, and I can't wait for the next round!  

My Reading Journey:

The Starless Crown by James Rollins
Prompt Fulfilled: Fake a Task
Started On: August 1st
Finished On: August 1st, 10:54 PM
Pages Read: 704

Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Orange
Started On: August 3rd
Finished On: August 3rd, 9:52 PM
Pages Read: 304

The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska
Prompt Fulfilled: Vent
Started On: August 4th
Finished On: August 4th, 10:00 PM
Pages Read: 384

Archangel's Light by Nalini Singh
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Red
Started On: August 5th
Finished On: August 5th, 11:14 PM
Pages Read: 368

Unpregnant by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Pink
Started On: August 9th
Finished On: August 9th, 11:52 AM
Pages Read: 335

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Prompt Fulfilled: Blame Someone Else
Started On: August 11th
Finished On: August 11th, 11:24 AM
Pages Read: 433

The Duke Goes Down by Sophie Jordan 
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Lime
Started On: August 14th
Finished On: August 14th, 11:01 PM
Pages Read: 352

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Green
Started On: August 16th
Finished On: August 16th, 10:01 PM
Pages Read: 496

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Yellow
Started On: August 17th
Finished On: August 17th, 8:49 PM
Pages Read: 416

Reclaimed by Madeleine Roux
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill White
Started On: August 18th
Finished On: August 18th, 9:48 PM
Pages Read: 368

Kill Joy by Holly Jackson
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Brown
Started On: August 19th
Finished On: August 18th, 2:52 PM
Pages Read: 128

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Cyan
Started On: August 19th
Finished On: August 19th, 10:15 PM
Pages Read: 565

Master of Tomes by Honor Raconteur
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Black
Started On: August 20th
Finished On: August 20th, 8:26 PM
Pages Read: 223

Reaper of Souls by Rena Barron
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Blue
Started On: August 21st
Finished On: August 21st, 6:57 PM
Pages Read: 448

Phoenix Flame by Sara Holland
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Brown
Started On: August 21st
Finished On: August 21st, 11:45 PM
Pages Read: 320

Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Purple
Started On: August 22nd
Finished On: August 22nd, 8:10 PM
Pages Read: 368

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Extra 1 - Kill Orange
Started On: August 24th
Finished On: August 24th, 9:50 PM
Pages Read: 512

The Book of Living Secrets by Madeleine Roux
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Extra 2 - Kill Green
Started On: August 25th
Finished On: August 25th, 6:39 PM
Pages Read: 400

True Dead by Faith Hunter
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Extra 3 - Kill Yellow
Started On: August 25th
Finished On: August 25th, 11:02 PM
Pages Read: 384

Breaking Badger by Shelly Laurenston
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Extra 4 - Kill Pink
Started On: August 26th
Finished On: August 26th, 6:26 PM
Pages Read: 368

Follow Me Back by A.V. Geiger
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Extra 5 - Kill Lime
Started On: August 26th
Finished On: August 26th, 10:33 PM
Pages Read: 368

The Bullet by Iris Johansen
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Extra 6 - Kill Navy
Started On: August 27th
Finished On: August 27th, 11:56 PM
Pages Read: 400

Cold Falling White by G. S. Prendergast
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Extra 7 - Kill Black
Started On: August 28th
Finished On: August 28th, 9:19 PM
Pages Read: 576

The Storm by Virginia Bergin
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Extra 8 - Kill Cyan
Started On: August 28th
Finished On: August 28th, 3:12 PM
Pages Read: 336

Message Not Found by Dante Medema
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Extra 9 - Kill Brown
Started On: August 28th
Finished On: August 28th, 8:42 PM
Pages Read: 300

Strange Lies by Maggie Thrash
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Extra 10 - Kill Pink
Started On: August 30th
Finished On: August 30th, 8:02 PM
Pages Read: 352

Tales From the Hinterland by Melissa Albert
Prompt Fulfilled: Kill Extra 11 - Kill Lime
Started On: August 31st
Finished On: August 31st, 8:17 PM
Pages Read: 240

Prompts Left: None!
Read: 27
Pages Read: 10335

ARC August Update 23 and Wrap Up

So I read my final book for ARC August, and it was Tales From the Hinterland! Didn't hit my goal, didn't read 31 books this month, but I did read some really fantastic books, and I can't wait for my next ARC reading month in November! 

My Reading Journey:

The Starless Crown by James Rollins
Started On: August 1st
Finished On: August 1st, 10:54 PM
Pages Read: 704

Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Started On: August 3rd
Finished On: August 3rd, 9:52 PM
Pages Read: 304

The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska
Started On: August 4th
Finished On: August 4th, 10:00 PM
Pages Read: 384

Archangel's Light by Nalini Singh
Started On: August 5th
Finished On: August 5th, 11:14 PM
Pages Read: 368

Unpregnant by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan
Started On: August 9th
Finished On: August 9th, 11:52 AM
Pages Read: 335

The Duke Goes Down by Sophie Jordan 
Started On: August 14th
Finished On: August 14th, 11:01 PM
Pages Read: 352

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury
Started On: August 16th
Finished On: August 16th, 10:01 PM
Pages Read: 496

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
Started On: August 17th
Finished On: August 17th, 8:49 PM
Pages Read: 416

Reclaimed by Madeleine Roux
Started On: August 18th
Finished On: August 18th, 9:48 PM
Pages Read: 368

Reaper of Souls by Rena Barron
Started On: August 21st
Finished On: August 21st, 6:57 PM
Pages Read: 448

Phoenix Flame by Sara Holland
Started On: August 21st
Finished On: August 21st, 11:45 PM
Pages Read: 320

Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith
Started On: August 22nd
Finished On: August 22nd, 8:10 PM
Pages Read: 368

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
Started On: August 24th
Finished On: August 24th, 9:50 PM
Pages Read: 512

The Book of Living Secrets by Madeleine Roux
Started On: August 25th
Finished On: August 25th, 6:39 PM
Pages Read: 400

True Dead by Faith Hunter
Started On: August 25th
Finished On: August 25th, 11:02 PM
Pages Read: 384

Breaking Badger by Shelly Laurenston
Started On: August 26th
Finished On: August 26th, 6:26 PM
Pages Read: 368

Follow Me Back by A.V. Geiger
Started On: August 26th
Finished On: August 26th, 10:33 PM
Pages Read: 368

The Bullet by Iris Johansen
Started On: August 27th
Finished On: August 27th, 11:56 PM
Pages Read: 400

Cold Falling White by G. S. Prendergast
Started On: August 28th
Finished On: August 28th, 9:19 PM
Pages Read: 576

The Storm by Virginia Bergin
Started On: August 28th
Finished On: August 28th, 3:12 PM
Pages Read: 336

Message Not Found by Dante Medema
Started On: August 28th
Finished On: August 28th, 8:42 PM
Pages Read: 300

Strange Lies by Maggie Thrash
Started On: August 30th
Finished On: August 30th, 8:02 PM
Pages Read: 352

Tales From the Hinterland by Melissa Albert
Started On: August 31st
Finished On: August 31st, 8:17 PM
Pages Read: 240

Goals: 31
Read: 23
Pages Read: 9147