Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Update 40 and Wrap Up

Ok, so I read my final book for Clean Sweep ARC Challenge, and it was The Dead Romantics and yeah, I had a really great time, read a good deal of ARC's, and I can't wait for the next round! 

My Reading Journey:

The Life She Had by K.L. Armstrong

Started On: May 1st
Finished On: May 1st, 8:55 PM
Pages Read: 320

A Curse of Queens by Amanda Bouchet 

Started On: May 3rd

Finished On: May 3rd, 9:20 PM
Pages Read: 496

Heroic Hearts Anthology 

Started On: May 4th

Finished On: May 4th, 10:21 PM
Pages Read: 368

Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate

Started On: May 5th

Finished On: May 5th, 9:34 PM
Pages Read: 400

Claws for Suspicion by Deborah Blake

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 4:02 PM
Pages Read: 288

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 8:40 PM
Pages Read: 368

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

Started On: May 7th

Finished On: May 7th, 9:45 PM
Pages Read: 400

Wolf in the Shadows by Maria Vale

Started On: May 8th

Finished On: May 8th, 9:10 PM

Pages Read: 360

The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill

Started On: May 9th

Finished On: May 9th, 8:36 PM

Pages Read: 400

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Started On: May 11th

Finished On: May 11th, 8:12 PM

Pages Read: 384

Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas

Started On: May 12th

Finished On: May 12th, 9:34 PM

Pages Read: 368

'Till the World Ends Anthology

Started On: May 14th

Finished On: May 14th, 10:30 PM

Pages Read: 448

The Hunt by Megan Shepard 

Started On: May 15th

Finished On: May 15th, 7:30 PM

Pages Read: 384

The Gauntlet by Megan Shepard 

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 9:32 PM

Pages Read: 400

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 11:34 PM

Pages Read: 416

Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia 

Started On: May 17th

Finished On: May 17th, 11:06 AM

Pages Read: 304

Anatomy by Dana Schwartz

Started On: May 18th

Finished On: May 18th, 10:32 PM

Pages Read: 320

Loveboat Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen

Started On: May 19th

Finished On: May 19th, 3:30 PM

Pages Read: 400

Trouble With the Cursed by Kim Harrison 

Started On: May 19th

Finished On: May 19th, 9:54 PM

Pages Read: 464

Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg 

Started On: May 20th

Finished On: May 20th, 9:15 PM

Pages Read: 276

Star Father by Charlie N. Holmberg

Started On: May 20th

Finished On: May 20th, 11:42 PM

Pages Read: 329

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 1:48 PM

Pages Read: 520

Gideon Green in Black and White by Katie Henry

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 6:30 PM

Pages Read: 384

What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 11:45 PM

Pages Read: 512

The Third Mrs. Durst by Ann Aguirre

Started On: May 22nd

Finished On: May 22nd, 11:52 AM

Pages Read: 312

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez

Started On: May 22nd

Finished On: May 22nd, 5:23 PM

Pages Read: 368

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

Started On: May 23rd

Finished On: May 23rd, 1:03 PM

Pages Read: 304

A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth

Started On: May 23rd

Finished On: May 23rd, 8:44 PM

Pages Read: 640

Red on the River by Christine Feehan

Started On: May 24th

Finished On: May 24th, 1:14 PM

Pages Read: 448 

Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire

Started On: May 24th

Finished On: May 24th, 9:09 PM

Pages Read: 320

Scream All Night by Derek Milman 

Started On: May 25th

Finished On: May 25th, 2:37 PM

Pages Read: 400

Spear by Nicola Griffith 

Started On: May 25th

Finished On: May 25th, 8:29 PM

Pages Read: 192

The Kindred by Alechia Dow

Started On: May 26th

Finished On: May 26th, 6:50 PM

Pages Read: 400

Flip the Script by Lyla Lee 

Started On: May 27th

Finished On: May 27th, 8:03 PM

Pages Read: 336

Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat

Started On: May 27th

Finished On: May 27th, 10:15 PM

Pages Read: 464

The Quiet You Carry by Nikki Barthelmess

Started On: May 28th

Finished On: May 28th, 4:05 PM

Pages Read: 342

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Started On: May 28th

Finished On: May 28th, 5:52 PM

Pages Read: 320

Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson

Started On: May 29th

Finished On: May 29th, 9:45 PM

Pages Read: 352

Cold, Cold Bones by Kathy Reichs 

Started On: May 30th

Finished On: May 30th, 10:30 PM

Pages Read: 352

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston 

Started On: May 31st

Finished On: May 31st, 8:40 PM

Pages Read: 368

Books Read: 40

Goal: 25 Books

Pages Read: 15327

Teaser Tuesday #581, May 31st

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

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

Today's teaser comes from The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston, page 12.

"She still believed in love-somehow, impossibly. And I could see right through the lie."

Aw, this is a little bit sad! Must read more though! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Update 39

Ok, so I read my next book for Clean Sweep ARC Challenge, and it was Cold, Cold Bones and I'll be reading The Dead Romantics next! 

My Reading Journey:

The Life She Had by K.L. Armstrong

Started On: May 1st
Finished On: May 1st, 8:55 PM
Pages Read: 320

A Curse of Queens by Amanda Bouchet 

Started On: May 3rd

Finished On: May 3rd, 9:20 PM
Pages Read: 496

Heroic Hearts Anthology 

Started On: May 4th

Finished On: May 4th, 10:21 PM
Pages Read: 368

Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate

Started On: May 5th

Finished On: May 5th, 9:34 PM
Pages Read: 400

Claws for Suspicion by Deborah Blake

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 4:02 PM
Pages Read: 288

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 8:40 PM
Pages Read: 368

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

Started On: May 7th

Finished On: May 7th, 9:45 PM
Pages Read: 400

Wolf in the Shadows by Maria Vale

Started On: May 8th

Finished On: May 8th, 9:10 PM

Pages Read: 360

The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill

Started On: May 9th

Finished On: May 9th, 8:36 PM

Pages Read: 400

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Started On: May 11th

Finished On: May 11th, 8:12 PM

Pages Read: 384

Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas

Started On: May 12th

Finished On: May 12th, 9:34 PM

Pages Read: 368

'Till the World Ends Anthology

Started On: May 14th

Finished On: May 14th, 10:30 PM

Pages Read: 448

The Hunt by Megan Shepard 

Started On: May 15th

Finished On: May 15th, 7:30 PM

Pages Read: 384

The Gauntlet by Megan Shepard 

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 9:32 PM

Pages Read: 400

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 11:34 PM

Pages Read: 416

Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia 

Started On: May 17th

Finished On: May 17th, 11:06 AM

Pages Read: 304

Anatomy by Dana Schwartz

Started On: May 18th

Finished On: May 18th, 10:32 PM

Pages Read: 320

Loveboat Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen

Started On: May 19th

Finished On: May 19th, 3:30 PM

Pages Read: 400

Trouble With the Cursed by Kim Harrison 

Started On: May 19th

Finished On: May 19th, 9:54 PM

Pages Read: 464

Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg 

Started On: May 20th

Finished On: May 20th, 9:15 PM

Pages Read: 276

Star Father by Charlie N. Holmberg

Started On: May 20th

Finished On: May 20th, 11:42 PM

Pages Read: 329

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 1:48 PM

Pages Read: 520

Gideon Green in Black and White by Katie Henry

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 6:30 PM

Pages Read: 384

What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 11:45 PM

Pages Read: 512

The Third Mrs. Durst by Ann Aguirre

Started On: May 22nd

Finished On: May 22nd, 11:52 AM

Pages Read: 312

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez

Started On: May 22nd

Finished On: May 22nd, 5:23 PM

Pages Read: 368

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

Started On: May 23rd

Finished On: May 23rd, 1:03 PM

Pages Read: 304

A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth

Started On: May 23rd

Finished On: May 23rd, 8:44 PM

Pages Read: 640

Red on the River by Christine Feehan

Started On: May 24th

Finished On: May 24th, 1:14 PM

Pages Read: 448 

Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire

Started On: May 24th

Finished On: May 24th, 9:09 PM

Pages Read: 320

Scream All Night by Derek Milman 

Started On: May 25th

Finished On: May 25th, 2:37 PM

Pages Read: 400

Spear by Nicola Griffith 

Started On: May 25th

Finished On: May 25th, 8:29 PM

Pages Read: 192

The Kindred by Alechia Dow

Started On: May 26th

Finished On: May 26th, 6:50 PM

Pages Read: 400

Flip the Script by Lyla Lee 

Started On: May 27th

Finished On: May 27th, 8:03 PM

Pages Read: 336

Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat

Started On: May 27th

Finished On: May 27th, 10:15 PM

Pages Read: 464

The Quiet You Carry by Nikki Barthelmess

Started On: May 28th

Finished On: May 28th, 4:05 PM

Pages Read: 342

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Started On: May 28th

Finished On: May 28th, 5:52 PM

Pages Read: 320

Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson

Started On: May 29th

Finished On: May 29th, 9:45 PM

Pages Read: 352

Cold, Cold Bones by Kathy Reichs 

Started On: May 30th

Finished On: May 30th, 10:30 PM

Pages Read: 352

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston 

Started On: May 31st

Currently On: Page 0 of 368

Books Read: 39

Goal: 25 Books

Pages Read: 14959

Book Battle June 2022 TBR

Well it's time to choose my June TBR for Book Battle. So here are the books that I've picked this month: 

5pts-Book with an invitation-Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston  

5pts-Happy book-Go Fetch! by Shelly Laurenston

5pts-Marital term in the title-The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

5pts-Married main character-Be the Serpent by Seanan McGuire

5pts-Duology book-Malice by Heather Walter

5pts-Book about a promise-Dig Two Graves by Gretchen McNeil 

5pts-CRITERIA CHOICE 1-LGBT+ book-Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa

5pts-CRITERIA CHOICE 2-Book that's at least 200 pages-Rise of the Catalyst by Honor Raconteur

10pts-CLUB READ 1-Book of Night by Holly Black

10pts-CLUB READ 2-The Selection by Kiera Cass

10pts-Book with a wedding-Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot 

10pts-"Happily ever after" in it-Here Kitty, Kitty by Shelly Laurenston

10pts-"Knot" in the title-Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow 

15pts-Book with another team in it-The Engagement-Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner 

20pts-Book with your team in it*-When Sorrows Come by Seanan McGuire

How did I do last month?

5pts-Book that's part of a series-Claws for Suspicion by Deborah Blake-Read!

5pts-Exciting book-The Life She Had by K.L. Armstrong-Read!

5pts-Non-human main character-Wolf in the Shadows by Maria Vale-Read!

5pts-Book about finding something-A Curse of Queens by Amanda Bouchet-Read!

5pts-CRITERIA CHOICE 1-Sci-fi book-The Hunt by Megan Shepherd-Read!

5pts-CRITERIA CHOICE 2-Stars on the Cover-Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg-Read!

10pts-CLUB READ 1-Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell-Read!

10pts-CLUB READ 2-Saga #55 by Brian K Vaughan, Illustrated by Fiona Staples-Read!

10pts-Book with a spaceship in it-Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate-Read!

15pts-Set anywhere but Earth-The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill-Read!

20pts-Book with a planet in the title-Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas-Read!

I had these books finished before the end of the battle, so I could freely read for the last few days, so it was nice not to stress about it! Read some really great books, and I can't wait for the next round!  

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #573, May 30th

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

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #572
Teaser Tuesday #580
WWW Wednesday #580
WOW #576
Will the Time Come #573
Third Sentence Thursday #563
Random Reads #549
First Lines Friday #576
Book Blogger Hop #242

22 Books to Read in 2022 Update 5

Monthly ARC's Update 11
The Reward Challenge Update #558
Wheel of TBR #105
How Well I Stuck to It #410
Wrote that Review Update #408

Week 21 Reviews:
Far from the Tree

Gideon Green in Black and White

What Once Was Mine

The Third Mrs. Durst 

Two Weeks' Notice

Together We Burn

If You Could See the Sun

A Cruel and Fated Light

Red on the River

Angel of the Overpass

Scream All Night

Spear

The Kindred

Flip the Script

Dark Rise

Magical Readathon: Orilium: 

Update 64

Update 65 and Wrap Up

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge: 

Update 27

Update 28

Update 29

Update 30

Update 31

Update 32

Update 33

Update 34

Update 35

Update 36

Update 37

Update 38

Random:

Clear Your S**t 2.5 Readathon Sign Up 

Whatever-You-Want-A-Thon June 2021 Sign Up

We Have the Cover of Wax and Wayne #4!!!!

OK, so I got 47 posts in 7 days, and yeah, I read a lot of books it seemed like, but it just might be that I didn't read any books in the same series, so it created a lot of review posts. But yeah, I had a good week, my birthday was pretty decent besides a headache. Otherwise, it was a pretty good week, and I can't wait for next week! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read whatever I want! 

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Update 38

Ok, so I read my next book for Clean Sweep ARC Challenge, and it was Survive the Dome and I'll be reading Cold, Cold Bones next! 

My Reading Journey:

The Life She Had by K.L. Armstrong

Started On: May 1st
Finished On: May 1st, 8:55 PM
Pages Read: 320

A Curse of Queens by Amanda Bouchet 

Started On: May 3rd

Finished On: May 3rd, 9:20 PM
Pages Read: 496

Heroic Hearts Anthology 

Started On: May 4th

Finished On: May 4th, 10:21 PM
Pages Read: 368

Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate

Started On: May 5th

Finished On: May 5th, 9:34 PM
Pages Read: 400

Claws for Suspicion by Deborah Blake

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 4:02 PM
Pages Read: 288

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 8:40 PM
Pages Read: 368

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

Started On: May 7th

Finished On: May 7th, 9:45 PM
Pages Read: 400

Wolf in the Shadows by Maria Vale

Started On: May 8th

Finished On: May 8th, 9:10 PM

Pages Read: 360

The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill

Started On: May 9th

Finished On: May 9th, 8:36 PM

Pages Read: 400

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Started On: May 11th

Finished On: May 11th, 8:12 PM

Pages Read: 384

Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas

Started On: May 12th

Finished On: May 12th, 9:34 PM

Pages Read: 368

'Till the World Ends Anthology

Started On: May 14th

Finished On: May 14th, 10:30 PM

Pages Read: 448

The Hunt by Megan Shepard 

Started On: May 15th

Finished On: May 15th, 7:30 PM

Pages Read: 384

The Gauntlet by Megan Shepard 

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 9:32 PM

Pages Read: 400

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 11:34 PM

Pages Read: 416

Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia 

Started On: May 17th

Finished On: May 17th, 11:06 AM

Pages Read: 304

Anatomy by Dana Schwartz

Started On: May 18th

Finished On: May 18th, 10:32 PM

Pages Read: 320

Loveboat Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen

Started On: May 19th

Finished On: May 19th, 3:30 PM

Pages Read: 400

Trouble With the Cursed by Kim Harrison 

Started On: May 19th

Finished On: May 19th, 9:54 PM

Pages Read: 464

Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg 

Started On: May 20th

Finished On: May 20th, 9:15 PM

Pages Read: 276

Star Father by Charlie N. Holmberg

Started On: May 20th

Finished On: May 20th, 11:42 PM

Pages Read: 329

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 1:48 PM

Pages Read: 520

Gideon Green in Black and White by Katie Henry

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 6:30 PM

Pages Read: 384

What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 11:45 PM

Pages Read: 512

The Third Mrs. Durst by Ann Aguirre

Started On: May 22nd

Finished On: May 22nd, 11:52 AM

Pages Read: 312

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez

Started On: May 22nd

Finished On: May 22nd, 5:23 PM

Pages Read: 368

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

Started On: May 23rd

Finished On: May 23rd, 1:03 PM

Pages Read: 304

A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth

Started On: May 23rd

Finished On: May 23rd, 8:44 PM

Pages Read: 640

Red on the River by Christine Feehan

Started On: May 24th

Finished On: May 24th, 1:14 PM

Pages Read: 448 

Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire

Started On: May 24th

Finished On: May 24th, 9:09 PM

Pages Read: 320

Scream All Night by Derek Milman 

Started On: May 25th

Finished On: May 25th, 2:37 PM

Pages Read: 400

Spear by Nicola Griffith 

Started On: May 25th

Finished On: May 25th, 8:29 PM

Pages Read: 192

The Kindred by Alechia Dow

Started On: May 26th

Finished On: May 26th, 6:50 PM

Pages Read: 400

Flip the Script by Lyla Lee 

Started On: May 27th

Finished On: May 27th, 8:03 PM

Pages Read: 336

Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat

Started On: May 27th

Finished On: May 27th, 10:15 PM

Pages Read: 464

The Quiet You Carry by Nikki Barthelmess

Started On: May 28th

Finished On: May 28th, 4:05 PM

Pages Read: 342

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Started On: May 28th

Finished On: May 28th, 5:52 PM

Pages Read: 320

Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson

Started On: May 29th

Finished On: May 29th, 9:45 PM

Pages Read: 352

Cold, Cold Bones by Kathy Reichs 

Started On: May 30th

Currently On: Page 0 of 352

Books Read: 38

Goal: 25 Books

Pages Read: 14607

Wrote that Review Update #408, May 29th

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

My reviews to reward is writing all of the reviews of the week, and I motivated myself to write my review for Far from the Tree, Gideon Green in Black and White, What Once Was Mine, The Third Mrs. Durst, 

Two Weeks' Notice, Together We Burn, If You Could See the Sun, A Cruel and Fated Light, Red on the River, Angel of the Overpass, Scream All Night, Spear, The Kindred, Flip the Script, Dark Rise, so I have 15 of 15 reviews written!

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

What about you guys? Happy reading!

How Well I Stuck to It #410, May 29th

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

Week 22:

Nothing Planned!

Just a free week to read whatever I want again, and I can't wait!

Week 21:

Nothing Planned!

vs.

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway, Gideon Green in Black and White by Katie Henry, What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell, The Third Mrs. Durst by Ann Aguirre, Two Weeks' Notice by Rachel Vincent, Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez, If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang, A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth, Red on the River by Christine Feehan, Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire, Scream All Night by Derek Milman, Spear by Nicola Griffith, The Kindred by Alechia Dow,  Flip the Script by Lyla Lee, Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat

A free week to read what I wanted, and I read some really great books, and the most that I've read in a while, at least in review posts, and yeah, I had a great great, and I can't wait for next week! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Wheel of TBR #105, May 29th

I saw Codie's Book Corner doing the Wheel of TBR, and I thought that sounded like a great way to pick what to read from your TBR. So thanks to her! I'll only do 3 spins, because I'm doing this every week, and so it won't make up my total TBR of the week, but it'll be a start!

Rules:

1. For each week of the month, I'll do 3 spins each week to read each week though I do have the rest of the month to read them. Once a prompt is used, I'll randomly choose one from the list, keeping track of how often a colour comes up. If colour comes up 3 or more times in month, I'll do another spin once it comes up 3 times.

2. If I don't read a book that week or at least start it before the end of the month, then for my next week of spins, I have to add a punishment for each book unread. I'll roll for each unread book, and have to apply each and every punishment chosen to the week.

3. Each month I'll get a prompt from my Binge Read Wheel (either specifically picking the prompt, or spinning the wheel) and I have to read at least 9 books, though I can read more!

Of the books from the last week, I read Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez, The Quiet You Carry by Nikki Barthelmess, Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski.

Binge Read Wheel:

For this month, I chose ARC. I read The Third Mrs. Durst by Ann Aguirre, If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang, A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth, Red on the River by Christine Feehan, Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire, Scream All Night by Derek Milman, Spear by Nicola Griffith The Kindred by Alechia Dow, Flip the Script by Lyla Lee, Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat, so I've read 26/9+.

For this coming month, the wheel picked meme. 

Prompts Used This Week:

Word Inspiration, Goodreads Update Feed, Review Post.

Word Inspiration-Magenta-Joy/Break-Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner-I can see mistakes breaking various things, like trust and relationships, but it's a romance book, so there's going to be joy!

Goodreads Update Feed-Chartreuse-Something Wilder by Christina Lauren-One of my Goodreads friends rated this book 5 stars, so it was in my update feed.

Review Post-Blue-Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa-I have a review post made for this book, so that works! 

Colour Totals:

Red: 0
Orange: 0
Yellow: 0
Chartreuse: 1
Green: 0
Spring Green: 0
Cyan: 0
Azure: 0
Blue: 1
Violet: 0
Magenta: 1
Rose: 0 

Prompts for Next Week:

Genre Most Read-Red
Less Than 500 Ratings-Orange
Hardcover-Yellow
Even Chapters-Chartreuse

Jax Pick-Green
A-Z Random-Spring Green
Booktuber Read-Cyan
WIWTR-Azure
RR Book-Blue
A-Z Start Author-Violet
Series Continued and Unfinished/Current 2021-Magenta

Narrator-Rose

So those are some of the books I'm going to try to read this week. What about you guys? Happy reading!

The Reward Challenge Update #558, May 29th

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

OK, so I read Far from the Tree SAC which counts 3 times as a Edelweiss Book and a 2022 Book, 
Gideon Green in Black and White which counts 4 times as a Edelweiss Book, SAC 2022 Book and a WoW Book, What Once Was Mine which counts 5 times as a NetGalley Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2022 Book, 2022 Retelling Reading Challenge Book and a WoW Book, The Third Mrs. Durst which counts 3 times as a NetGalley Book and a SAC 2022 Book, Two Weeks' Notice which counts twice as a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2022 Book, Together We Burn which counts 4 times as a NetGalley Book, SAC 2022 Book and a WoW Book, If You Could See the Sun which counts 4 times as a Edelweiss Book, SAC 2022 Book and a WoW Book, A Cruel and Fated Light which counts 5 times as a NetGalley Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2022 Book, Sophomore Challenge Book and a WoW Book, Red on the River which counts 4 times as a NetGalley Book, SAC 2022 Book and a WoW Book, Angel of the Overpass which counts 3 times as a NetGalley Book and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2022 Book, Scream All Night which counts 4 times as a DAC Book, Edelweiss Book, and SAC 2022 Book, Spear which counts 4 times as a 2022 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, NetGalley Book and a SAC 2022 Book, The Kindred which counts 5 times as a Edelweiss Book, SAC 2022 Book, Sophomore Challenge Book and a WoW Book, Flip the Script which counts 4 times as a Edelweiss Book, SAC 2022 Book and a Sophomore Challenge Book, Dark Rise which counts 4 times as a Edelweiss Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2022 Book and a WoW Book.

So I have 58 counts which translates to $29 this week! I'll use it to buy books!

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Update 37

Ok, so I read my next book for Clean Sweep ARC Challenge, and it was Don't Even Think About It and I'll be reading Survive the Dome next! 

My Reading Journey:

The Life She Had by K.L. Armstrong

Started On: May 1st
Finished On: May 1st, 8:55 PM
Pages Read: 320

A Curse of Queens by Amanda Bouchet 

Started On: May 3rd

Finished On: May 3rd, 9:20 PM
Pages Read: 496

Heroic Hearts Anthology 

Started On: May 4th

Finished On: May 4th, 10:21 PM
Pages Read: 368

Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate

Started On: May 5th

Finished On: May 5th, 9:34 PM
Pages Read: 400

Claws for Suspicion by Deborah Blake

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 4:02 PM
Pages Read: 288

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 8:40 PM
Pages Read: 368

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

Started On: May 7th

Finished On: May 7th, 9:45 PM
Pages Read: 400

Wolf in the Shadows by Maria Vale

Started On: May 8th

Finished On: May 8th, 9:10 PM

Pages Read: 360

The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill

Started On: May 9th

Finished On: May 9th, 8:36 PM

Pages Read: 400

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Started On: May 11th

Finished On: May 11th, 8:12 PM

Pages Read: 384

Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas

Started On: May 12th

Finished On: May 12th, 9:34 PM

Pages Read: 368

'Till the World Ends Anthology

Started On: May 14th

Finished On: May 14th, 10:30 PM

Pages Read: 448

The Hunt by Megan Shepard 

Started On: May 15th

Finished On: May 15th, 7:30 PM

Pages Read: 384

The Gauntlet by Megan Shepard 

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 9:32 PM

Pages Read: 400

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 11:34 PM

Pages Read: 416

Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia 

Started On: May 17th

Finished On: May 17th, 11:06 AM

Pages Read: 304

Anatomy by Dana Schwartz

Started On: May 18th

Finished On: May 18th, 10:32 PM

Pages Read: 320

Loveboat Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen

Started On: May 19th

Finished On: May 19th, 3:30 PM

Pages Read: 400

Trouble With the Cursed by Kim Harrison 

Started On: May 19th

Finished On: May 19th, 9:54 PM

Pages Read: 464

Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg 

Started On: May 20th

Finished On: May 20th, 9:15 PM

Pages Read: 276

Star Father by Charlie N. Holmberg

Started On: May 20th

Finished On: May 20th, 11:42 PM

Pages Read: 329

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 1:48 PM

Pages Read: 520

Gideon Green in Black and White by Katie Henry

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 6:30 PM

Pages Read: 384

What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 11:45 PM

Pages Read: 512

The Third Mrs. Durst by Ann Aguirre

Started On: May 22nd

Finished On: May 22nd, 11:52 AM

Pages Read: 312

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez

Started On: May 22nd

Finished On: May 22nd, 5:23 PM

Pages Read: 368

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

Started On: May 23rd

Finished On: May 23rd, 1:03 PM

Pages Read: 304

A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth

Started On: May 23rd

Finished On: May 23rd, 8:44 PM

Pages Read: 640

Red on the River by Christine Feehan

Started On: May 24th

Finished On: May 24th, 1:14 PM

Pages Read: 448 

Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire

Started On: May 24th

Finished On: May 24th, 9:09 PM

Pages Read: 320

Scream All Night by Derek Milman 

Started On: May 25th

Finished On: May 25th, 2:37 PM

Pages Read: 400

Spear by Nicola Griffith 

Started On: May 25th

Finished On: May 25th, 8:29 PM

Pages Read: 192

The Kindred by Alechia Dow

Started On: May 26th

Finished On: May 26th, 6:50 PM

Pages Read: 400

Flip the Script by Lyla Lee 

Started On: May 27th

Finished On: May 27th, 8:03 PM

Pages Read: 336

Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat

Started On: May 27th

Finished On: May 27th, 10:15 PM

Pages Read: 464

The Quiet You Carry by Nikki Barthelmess

Started On: May 28th

Finished On: May 28th, 4:05 PM

Pages Read: 342

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Started On: May 28th

Finished On: May 28th, 5:52 PM

Pages Read: 320

Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson

Started On: May 29th

Currently On: Page 0 of 352

Books Read: 37

Goal: 25 Books

Pages Read: 14255

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Update 36

Ok, so I read my next book for Clean Sweep ARC Challenge, and it was The Quiet You Carry and I'll be reading Don't Even Think About It next! 

My Reading Journey:

The Life She Had by K.L. Armstrong

Started On: May 1st
Finished On: May 1st, 8:55 PM
Pages Read: 320

A Curse of Queens by Amanda Bouchet 

Started On: May 3rd

Finished On: May 3rd, 9:20 PM
Pages Read: 496

Heroic Hearts Anthology 

Started On: May 4th

Finished On: May 4th, 10:21 PM
Pages Read: 368

Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate

Started On: May 5th

Finished On: May 5th, 9:34 PM
Pages Read: 400

Claws for Suspicion by Deborah Blake

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 4:02 PM
Pages Read: 288

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 8:40 PM
Pages Read: 368

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

Started On: May 7th

Finished On: May 7th, 9:45 PM
Pages Read: 400

Wolf in the Shadows by Maria Vale

Started On: May 8th

Finished On: May 8th, 9:10 PM

Pages Read: 360

The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill

Started On: May 9th

Finished On: May 9th, 8:36 PM

Pages Read: 400

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Started On: May 11th

Finished On: May 11th, 8:12 PM

Pages Read: 384

Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas

Started On: May 12th

Finished On: May 12th, 9:34 PM

Pages Read: 368

'Till the World Ends Anthology

Started On: May 14th

Finished On: May 14th, 10:30 PM

Pages Read: 448

The Hunt by Megan Shepard 

Started On: May 15th

Finished On: May 15th, 7:30 PM

Pages Read: 384

The Gauntlet by Megan Shepard 

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 9:32 PM

Pages Read: 400

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 11:34 PM

Pages Read: 416

Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia 

Started On: May 17th

Finished On: May 17th, 11:06 AM

Pages Read: 304

Anatomy by Dana Schwartz

Started On: May 18th

Finished On: May 18th, 10:32 PM

Pages Read: 320

Loveboat Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen

Started On: May 19th

Finished On: May 19th, 3:30 PM

Pages Read: 400

Trouble With the Cursed by Kim Harrison 

Started On: May 19th

Finished On: May 19th, 9:54 PM

Pages Read: 464

Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg 

Started On: May 20th

Finished On: May 20th, 9:15 PM

Pages Read: 276

Star Father by Charlie N. Holmberg

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 20th, 11:42 PM

Pages Read: 329

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 1:48 PM

Pages Read: 520

Gideon Green in Black and White by Katie Henry

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 6:30 PM

Pages Read: 384

What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 11:45 PM

Pages Read: 512

The Third Mrs. Durst by Ann Aguirre

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 22nd, 11:52 AM

Pages Read: 312

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez

Started On: May 22nd

Finished On: May 22nd, 5:23 PM

Pages Read: 368

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

Started On: May 23rd

Finished On: May 23rd, 1:03 PM

Pages Read: 304

A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth

Started On: May 23rd

Finished On: May 23rd, 8:44 PM

Pages Read: 640

Red on the River by Christine Feehan

Started On: May 24th

Finished On: May 24th, 1:14 PM

Pages Read: 448 

Angel of the Overpass by Seanan McGuire

Started On: May 24th

Finished On: May 24th, 9:09 PM

Pages Read: 320

Scream All Night by Derek Milman 

Started On: May 25th

Finished On: May 25th, 2:37 PM

Pages Read: 400

Spear by Nicola Griffith 

Started On: May 25th

Finished On: May 25th, 8:29 PM

Pages Read: 192

The Kindred by Alechia Dow

Started On: May 26th

Finished On: May 26th, 6:50 PM

Pages Read: 400

Flip the Script by Lyla Lee 

Started On: May 27th

Finished On: May 27th, 8:03 PM

Pages Read: 336

Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat

Started On: May 27th

Finished On: May 27th, 10:15 PM

Pages Read: 464

The Quiet You Carry by Nikki Barthelmess

Started On: May 28th

Finished On: May 28th, 4:05 PM

Pages Read: 342

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Started On: May 28th

Currently On: Page 0 of 320

Books Read: 36

Goal: 25 Books

Pages Read: 13935

Week 21 Review: Dark Rise

From Goodreads:

In this stunning new fantasy novel from international best-selling author C. S. Pacat, heroes and villains of a long-forgotten war are reborn and begin to draw new battle lines. This epic fantasy with high-stakes romance will sit perfectly on shelves next to beloved fantasy novels like the Infernal Devices series, the Shadow and Bone trilogy, and the Red Queen series.

Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother. Then an old servant tells him of his destiny to fight beside the Stewards, who have sworn to protect humanity if the Dark King ever returns. Will is thrust into a world of magic, where he starts training for a vital role in the oncoming battle against the Dark.

As London is threatened and old enmities are awakened, Will must stand with the last heroes of the Light to prevent the fate that destroyed their world from returning to destroy his own.

My Review:
Oh, wow! I loved reading this book, it was so fantastic, and I couldn't put it down! This world was incredible, and I loved reading about these characters-but boy, could I not get attached, because the probability of them surviving decreased with every page! Man, was it wild!

This world was so interesting to read about, with the old world of magic, and the Dark King, that ended with the Lady killing him, and now there's only the Stewards to guard from the return of the Dark King. I needed to learn more! 

We mostly follow Will, who's descended from the Lady, and then Violet, who is a lion, whose family works for Simon. And then there were a few of Katherine, who was Simon's fiancé. I enjoyed seeing everything from all their different perspectives, of what they all knew, and wow, when the story came together-some of the secrets that these characters were hiding, yeah, it was so epic! 

Along the way, there were some really brutal reveals-like why Violet's dad had her raised with her brother, like where the Stewards got their powers. And on top of that, there's the threat of the shadows. Brutal, man, just brutal! I kept wondering, is there going to be any romance? And with so, whom? And then that part happened, and oh, was it a game changer! I think Justice hit hardest! 

I'm pretty glad of when I read this book, but oh, do I wish that I had read it when we had a release date for book 2. The wait is going to be evil, and the not knowing is going to drive me up the wall. I need to know what's going to happen next, darn it! 

This was an amazing read, and now I'm dying for book 2!

Author: C.S. Pacat
Series: Dark Rise #1
Read: May 27th, 2022
Source: Edelweiss/Library
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2022 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/Harper Audio
Published: September 28th 2021

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 21 Review: Flip the Script

From Goodreads:

The first rule of watching K-dramas: Never fall in love with the second lead.

As an avid watcher of K-dramas, Hana knows all the tropes to avoid when she finally lands a starring role in a buzzy new drama. And she can totally handle her fake co-star boyfriend who might be falling in love with her. After all, she promised the producers a contract romance, and that's all they're going to get from her.

But when showrunners bring on a new girl to challenge Hana's role as main love interest—and worse, it's someone Hana knows all too well—can  Hana fight for her position on the show while falling for her on-screen rival in real life?

-K-drama lovers will fall for all the fan-favorite tropes that make for a hit show.

-Romance is everywhere in this swoony, joy-filled novel, with fake dating, a secret relationship, and a classic love triangle!

-Visit South Korea as Hana takes readers through popular spots and hidden gems.

My Review:
Man, this was an awesome book! There was so much drama and I just couldn't put it down! These chapters were so short and I needed to know what was going to happen next, and I had such a great time reading Hana's story! 

I haven't read her first book, I'll Be the One, but I think it was mentioned in this one, with a singer who was brought from America to Korea, so I'm going to have to check it out! It sounded really great, and I enjoyed this one, so I'm looking forward to checking it out! 

On the one hand, boo that there's competition to basically stay on the show, with the introduction of a new love interest. On the other hand, that new love interest is played by her maybe former friend, and they're maybe former because Hana got the job instead of her. So it's a complicated situation! 

Hana was such a great character to read about, I loved watching her deal with being an actress on this tv show-of being bi, and not having a happy ending for any queer characters in K-dramas. This book did as the title says it does, and I really enjoyed it! 

This was a really great read, and I need to read more by Lyla Lee! 

Author: Lyla Lee
Read: May 27th, 2022
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2022 Book and a Sophomore Challenge Book!
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Expected Publication: May 31st 2022

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 21 Review: The Kindred

From Goodreads:

To save a galactic kingdom from revolution, Kindred mind-pairings were created to ensure each and every person would be seen and heard, no matter how rich or poor…

Joy Abara knows her place. A commoner from the lowly planet Hali, she lives a simple life—apart from the notoriety that being Kindred to the nobility's most infamous playboy brings.

Duke Felix Hamdi has a plan. He will exasperate his noble family to the point that they agree to let him choose his own future and finally meet his Kindred face-to-face.

Then the royal family is assassinated, putting Felix next in line for the throne…and accused of the murders. Someone will stop at nothing until he's dead, which means they'll target Joy, too. Meeting in person for the first time as they steal a spacecraft and flee amid chaos might not be ideal…and neither is crash-landing on the strange backward planet called Earth. But hiding might just be the perfect way to discover the true strength of the Kindred bond and expose a scandal—and a love—that may decide the future of a galaxy.

My Review:
Oh, this was an amazing read! I loved and hated this world, the Kindred was such an interesting idea. And oh, how it played out for Joy and Felix! I loved reading their story, and being along for the ride with their adventure!

My one big question going into this book was whether it was set in the same world as The Sound of Stars. The way that book ended was evil, and I was hoping that it would be. And oh, was I pleased with the answer! At first I was confused as to the timing, but we did get answers there, as well! 

It was really great to get to know Joy and Felix. They're Kindred, their minds were linked by a chip that were inserted into their brains. But they're from wildly different backgrounds, he's a duke, and she's from the the poorest planet in the Monchuri empire. So there's all sorts of complications, and that unlike most Kindred pairings, they're not to become romantic. But come on, you think that's going to stop them? 

Joy's journey was one of confidence. She's been regulated to this role, where she really doesn't have a chance to follow her dreams, and where she's not prized. So she can't see her own worth, and I loved watching that develop. Felix's journey was partly about power, and partly about love. He's been raised in luxury, and he's a bit of an asshole, but there's also a few secrets there in more ways then one. But he loves Joy, and I had such a great time with their story! 

It was really fantastic to see more of this world. I loved seeing more, from the tech to the people, which was really great. The Ilori play a part, but not much compared to the first book. And I'm excited about what it added, because they're going to be allies in the fight against the Ilori, and I can't wait! 

And while I was looking up information about her upcoming releases, I found a facebook post that talks about a 3rd book in the Starry Eyed Universe, that'll have characters from The Sound of Stars and this book, and I'm so excited for it! 

This was another great read by Alechia Dow, and I can't wait for more! 

Author: Alechia Dow 

Read: May 26th, 2022
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Loved her first book and it sounded really good and it's a SAC 2022 Book, Sophomore Challenge Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Inkyard Press 
Published: January 4th 2022

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 21 Review: Spear

From Goodreads:

The girl knows she has a destiny before she even knows her name. She grows up in the wild, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake come to her on the spring breeze, and when she hears a traveler speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she knows that her future lies at his court.

And so, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and, with a broken hunting spear and mended armour, rides on a bony gelding to Caer Leon. On her adventures she will meet great knights and steal the hearts of beautiful women. She will fight warriors and sorcerers. And she will find her love, and the lake, and her fate.

My Review:
Man, this was a really fantastic read! I love King Arthur retellings but a feminist one sounded really great! I had a great time reading the story of a girl who goes on this adventure, and it was just a really great read!

In the author notes, it talks about how this book is set in the Early Middle Ages, and in Wales, and draws from a variety of the retellings of King Arthur, and how Percival, or the older, old Welsh name, Peretur, which goes with the setting. And while it's information that I know little about, it was an interesting setting, with the historical details! 

This is a gender-bent story, Peretur is a girl, and is attracted to other girls. But she's able to pass as a guy, which given she wants to be a warrior, a Companion for Artos's court, is a good thing. She was determined and fair and I loved reading her story! 

But there's secrets-and truths-in her past, that make things complicated for her at the court. Artos is being driven mad by the sword-and wants an heir, and the cup that she grew up with, could help. I loved the mix of legends and myths and magic! 

I had a really great time listening to this story, and I'm glad that I did so! 

Author: Nicola Griffith
Read: May 25th, 2022
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a 2022 Retelling Reading Challenge Book and a SAC 2022 Book! 
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Published: April 19th 2022

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 21 Review: Scream All Night

From Goodreads:
A darkly hilarious contemporary realistic young adult novel about growing up and finding your place in the world, perfect for fans of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and Running With Scissors.

Dario Heyward knows one thing: He's never going back to Moldavia Studios, the iconic castle that served as the set, studio, and home to the cast and crew of dozens of cult classic B-horror movies. It's been three years since Dario's even seen the place, after getting legally emancipated from his father, the infamous director of Moldavia's creature features.

But then Dario's brother invites him home to a mysterious ceremony involving his father and a tribute to his first film—The Curse of the Mummy's Tongue. Dario swears his homecoming will be a one-time visit. A way for him to get closure on his past—and reunite with Hayley, his first love and costar of Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun, a production fraught with real-life tragedy—and say good-bye for good. But the unthinkable happens—Dario gets sucked back into the twisted world of Moldavia and the horrors, both real and imagined, he's left there.

With only months to rescue the sinking studio and everyone who has built their lives there, Dario must confront the demons of his past—and the uncertainties of his future. But can he escape the place that's haunted him his whole life?

My Review:
This was a really great read! I did try and reading it a few years ago, and just couldn't get into it, but I got it from the library, sat down and I couldn't put it down! I loved Dario's story, and watching him deal with the trauma that was growing up at Moldovia, which while it definitely had its flaws, it also gave a place for the misfits. And boy were there some wacky situations! I mean, that funeral! 

I felt for Dario. He got emancipated, because he was injured, and it took 5 days for someone in the household to think to come look for him. His mom was mentally ill, and though that he wasn't her child, but an alien's, and that aliens would want him back. And his dad put him in the movie-and wrung as much emotion out of him that he could, which involved getting Dario to hate him, and physical abuse. 

Watching him reconnect with these people of his past, dealing with his traumas, was so great to read! He was in a better place than if he hadn't have come back. His relationship with his brother-and with Hayley, I loved the developments there! 

I really enjoyed their solution, with the movie that they made. And how when he had the chance to repeat what his dad did-he didn't. And they still got a great movie. I loved the lessons that he learned, and his possibilities of the future!

This was a really great read, and I'm really glad that I read it! 

Author:  Derek Milman
Read: May 25th, 2022
Source: Edelweiss/Library
Reason Why: Sounded good, and it's a DAC Book and SAC 2022 Book!
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Published: July 24th 2018

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars

Week 21 Review: Angel of the Overpass

From Goodreads:

Lady of shadows, keeper of changes, plant the seeds of faith within me, that I might grow and flourish, that I might find my way through danger and uncertainty to the safety of your garden. Let my roots grow strong and my skin grow thick, that I might stand fast against all who would destroy me. Grant to me your favor, grant to me your grace, and when my time is done, grant to me the wisdom to lay my burdens down and rest beside you, one more flower in a sea of blooms, where nothing shall ever trouble me again.

Rose Marshall died when she was sixteen years old and on her way to her high school prom. She hasn't been resting easy since then—Bobby Cross, the man who killed her, got away clean after running her off the road, and she's not the kind of girl who can let something like that slide. She's been looking for a way to stop him since before they put her body in the ground.

But things have changed in the twilight world where the spirits of the restless dead continue their "lives." The crossroads have been destroyed, and Bobby's protections are gone. For the first time, it might be possible for Rose to defeat him.

Not alone, though. She'll need every friend she's managed to make and every favor she's managed to add to her account if she wants to stand a chance…and this may be her last chance to be avenged, since what is Bobby Cross without the crossroads?

Everything Rose knows is about to change. 

My Review:
Man, this was an amazing read! I was thinking that this book would deal with what Antimony did in That Ain't Witchcraft, with the Crossroads as we knew it being destroyed. And it did, and I loved the tables being turned on Bobby! 

It's like Bobby can't learn. And he vacillates between wanting Rose to be fuel for his car, and wanting Rose it seems, and he never learns that she hates him either way. I was really excited to see how things would change, now that he was no longer protected. 

Of course, things aren't easy, because the crossroads being gone has also affected the Ghost Roads and the Twilight. I had a really great time going on this adventure with Rose! And oh, was their final showdown fantastic! 

One minor but important part of this story, was her relationship with Gary. I mean, he carried a torch for her, to become her car, but he did it without asking, after they'd experienced very different things in the 50+ years they'd been apart. They didn't know who the other was. So while that wasn't totally resolved, it's started on it's way, and that was really great! 

I would kinda love a 4th book. With all the changes in Rose's life, I would love to see how everything turns out! I loved everything that happened, and I really hope that we get more, because I have such a great time reading her stories!

This was a really great read, and I would love to have more! 

Author: Seanan McGuire
Series: Ghost Roads #3
Read: May 24th, 2022
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2022 Book! 
Publisher: DAW
Published: May 11th 2021

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 21 Review: Red on the River

From Goodreads:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan goes all in with this sexy romantic thriller set among the dangers—both man-made and natural—of Nevada’s breathtaking landscape.

Vienna Mortenson isn't your typical gambler. She prefers to stay under the radar, using her poker winnings to support her family and her community, including the local search and rescue team, which she heads up. Out in the backcountry there's no time for hesitation when lives are on the line. Vienna prides herself on being tough and decisive. She's not the sort to make a fool of herself over a guy, especially one who left her high and dry without a backward glance.

Zale Vizzini's job constantly puts him in harm's way. Working undercover and disappearing for months at a time isn't exactly a recipe for a stable relationship. Despite the challenges and the risks, Zale wants something real with Vienna. He just needed time to figure out how to be in her life without putting her in danger. Now, he's determined to win her back, and he's ready to lay all his cards on the table.

As their friends' wedding approaches, Zale takes advantage of the festivities to make a play for Vienna’s heart. But there are more deadly forces waiting to strike in the rugged terrain of Nevada and the western Sierras. Soon both of their lives are threatened, and the odds are stacked against them....

My Review:
I had a great time reading this book! I always enjoy Christine Feehan's writing, and this is a companion novel to Murder on Sunrise Lake, with some of the same cast of that novel, and it was really great to see them again. And I loved the new adventure, and the new romance!

Like Murder on Sunrise Lake, this book is set in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and again, it was such an atmospheric read! I live near the Rocky Mountains, depending on where I am, I can look out and see them. Mountains are just awesome pieces of geography and are such interesting settings for books! 

The romance was front and center, and I really enjoyed reading about these two. We saw a bit of their beginning in the previous book, where things didn't go very well. But that's just because of his job, and like the synopsis says, he's now had time to think it over, and is ready to put the effort into a relationship. I really enjoyed the two of them! 

And of course, there is also the murder mystery. That her life is under threat, that increases the stakes. Plus when you add on all the wedding activities, the bonding times with the girls was also a really great element of this book! 

This was another great read, and if we get another book set at the Sierra Nevada and Sunrise Lake, I'll be reading it! 

Author: Christine Feehan
Read: May 24th 2022
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a SAC 2022 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Berkley Books 
Expected Publication: June 28th 2022

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 21 Review: A Cruel and Fated Light

From Goodreads:

Half-fae Arlo becomes entangled in the courtly intrigue at the Seelie Summer palace as danger for ironborns mounts in this gripping sequel to A Dark and Hollow Star that's The Cruel Prince meets City of Bones.

After thwarting the man behind the gruesome ironborn murders—and breaking several fae laws to do so—all Arlo wants is a quiet summer. As the deity of luck's Hollow Star, capable of bringing about endless possibilities, this shouldn't be too much to ask, right?

But someone is still trying to summon the mythical Seven Deadly Sins. All signs point to immortal meddling, and if this is the gods' attempt at returning to the Mortal Realm, it's Arlo they're going to use to do it.

When Queen Riadne offers to host Arlo at the Seelie Summer palace, she jumps at the chance. She'll get to see more of Vehan and Aurelian and perhaps even work out her complicated feelings for the gorgeous ex-Fury, Nausicaä. But no one trusts the infamous Queen of Light, even as Arlo wonders if she's just been greatly misunderstood.

With the Summer Solstice quickly approaching, everyone expects Riadne to finally challenge the High King for his crown. And as Arlo struggles to get control of her powers and take charge of her destiny, she'll soon be faced with a choice that won't only change the fate of the Mortal Realm forever but could condemn it to a cruelty the likes of which the Courts have never known.

My Review:
Man, this book! I loved being in this world again, and hanging out with the gang again! I had such a great time, though it wasn't really great for them! I had to know what was going to happen next, because oh, there were plots brewing! 

Things have calmed down after the events of the first book, and these characters have split up again. I was just itching to get the band back together, though, because they're such great characters, and I enjoy their dynamics with one another! 

There are quite a few secrets still being held. Like how Riadne is blackmailing Aurelian, so he doesn't tell Vehan the truth. As well as a few mysteries, like who is trying to summon the Seven Deadly Sins, because that sounds like a swell idea (can you read my sarcasm?)

That ending though? That was just killer! I just couldn't put it down, and I couldn't believe what was happening! I need to know what's going to happen next, what's going to be the impact of what happened! I mean, that was major! 

This was another really great book, and now I'm dying for book 3! 

Author: Ashley Shuttleworth 
Series: The Hollow Star Saga #2
Read: May 23rd, 2022
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her wrist book and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2022 Book, Sophomore Challenge Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published: May 24th 2022

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars