Week 38 Review: Out There

From Goodreads:

Into the queer new yonder!

To conclude the trio of anthologies that started with critically acclaimed All Out and Out Now, Out There features seventeen original short stories set in the future from fantastic queer YA authors.

Explore new and familiar worlds where the human consciousness can be uploaded into a body on Mars…an alien helps a girl decide if she should tell her best friend how she feels…two teens get stuck in a time loop at a space station…people are forced to travel to the past or the future to escape the dying planet…only a nonbinary person can translate the binary code of a machine that predicts the future…everyone in the world vanishes except for two teen girls who are in love.

This essential and beautifully written collection immerses and surprises with each turn of the page.

My Review:
This was such a great collection of stories! I've really enjoyed I haven't read Out Now quite yet, but I really enjoyed All Out, and this series of queer anthologies is such a great idea, and I can't wait to finish it out! 

Loved reading these stories, and I Really need to read Out Now, now! 

Authors: Saundra Mitchell, K. Ancrum, Kalynn Bayron, Z Brewer, Mason Deaver, Alechia Dow, Z.R. Ellor, Leah Johnson, Naomi Kanakia, Claire Kann, Alex London, Jim McCarthy, Abdi Nazemian, Emma K. Ohland, Adam Sass, Nita Tyndall, Ugochi M. Agoawike, Mato J. Steger
Read: September 17th, 2023
Source: Edelweiss 
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2022 Book!
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Published: June 7th 2022

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday #630, June 7th

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

Surge by Melissa West

Expected Publication: July 8th, 2023
From Goodreads:

They’re running out of time…

Sixteen-year-old alien Val Stone was born for one mission—to kill teenage Randolf “Rolf” Cartier before he fulfills an age-old prophecy, becomes the future American president, and murderers thousands of her kind. Val is ready to sacrifice herself for the good of her people. She knows every aspect of Rolf’s life and is prepared to strike.

But what she doesn’t know is that Rolf’s been watching her, too. Waiting for her. Ready to defeat her and save himself. Only when the day arrives, doubt overcomes purpose, and they discover the prophecy was all a hoax.

Oh, and they can’t seem to stop thinking about each other.

Now they’re running against the clock, desperate to reveal who created the fake prophecy before tensions erupt and there's nothing left but the memory of a species called human.

The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre

Expected Publication: July 11th, 2023
From Goodreads:

Iris Collins is the messy one in her family. The "chaos bunny." Her sisters are all wildly successful, while she can't balance her budget for a single month. It's no wonder she's in debt to her roommates. When she unexpectedly inherits a house from her great aunt, her plan to turn it into a B&B fails—as most of her plans do. She winds up renting rooms like a Victorian spinster, collecting other lost souls...and not all of them are "human."

Eli Reese grew up as the nerdy outcast in school, but he got rich designing apps. Now he's successful by any standards. But he's never had the same luck in finding a real community or people who understand him. Over the years, he's never forgotten his first crush, so when he spots her at a café, he takes it as a sign. Except then he gets sucked into the Iris-verse and somehow ends up renting one of her B&B rooms. As the days pass, Eli grows enchanted by the misfit boarders staying in the house...and even more so by Iris. Could Eli have finally found a person and a place to call "home"?

A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

Expected Publication: July 11th, 2023
From Goodreads:

From the author of The Sound of Stars and The Kindred comes a YA space opera about a reincarnated god and a grumpy pilot on a mission to save a beloved space DJ and stop an intergalactic war.

 

Zaira Citlali is supposed to die. After all, she’s the god Indigo reborn. Indigo, whose song created the universe and unified people across galaxies to banish Ozvios, the god of destruction. Although Zaira has never been able to harness Indigo’s powers, the Ilori Emperor wants to sacrifice her in Ozvios’s honor. Unless she escapes and finds Wesley, the boy prophesized to help her defeat Ozvios and the Ilori, once and for all.

 

Wesley Daniels didn’t ask for this. He just wants to work as a smuggler so he can save enough money to explore the stars. Once he completes his biggest job yet—bringing wanted celebrity Rubin Rima to a strange planet called Earth—he’ll be set for life. But when his path crosses with Zaira, he soon finds himself in the middle of an intergalactic war with more responsibility than he bargained for.

 

Together, Zaira, Wesley, and Rubin must find their way to Earth and unlock Zaira’s powers if they’re going to have any hope of saving the universe from total destruction.

Cult Classic by Stephen Blackmoore

Expected Publication: July 11th, 2023
From Goodreads:

The ninth book of this dark urban fantasy series follows necromancer Eric Carter through a world of vengeful gods and goddesses, mysterious murders, and restless ghosts.

Eric Carter has a lot on his plate.

He's hunting the Oracle of Las Vegas, a literal talking head that manipulates the future to make its prophecies come true. But it has a new trick. It can change the past, too.

Now Jazz Age Los Angeles is invading the present. Long gone buildings suddenly restored, decommissioned Red Car trains appearing on paved over tracks, miles of the city changing back to orange groves.

Throw in a hundred-year-old doomsday cult, time magic, and a terrifyingly powerful spell to raise the dead and it makes for a busy week. Carter knows the Oracle is behind it all but he can't figure out how. Or why.

But he better figure it out soon or he, the city, and everyone he knows might be wiped from existence.

SOme really great books! I've read all but Surge, and they were fantastic, and I can't wait for them to be out for everybody else! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #598, November 21st

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

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #597
Teaser Tuesday #605
WWW Wednesday #605
WOW #601
Will the Time Come #598
Third Sentence Thursday #588
Random Reads #574
First Lines Friday #601
Book Blogger Hop #267

21 Books to Read in 2021 Update 28
The Reward Challenge Update #583
Wheel of TBR #130
How Well I Stuck to It #435
Wrote that Review Update #432

Week 46 Reviews:
The Shadow Wand

My Imaginary Mary

A Thousand Heartbeats

A Light in the Flame

The Lost Metal

A Song of Salvation

Next to be Published November: 

Update 11

Update 12

Update 13

Update 14

Clear Your S**t Readathon: 

Update 15

Update 16

Update 17

Update 18

Update 19

Update 20

Random:

Alechia Dow Author Page

OK, so I got 31 posts in 7 days, and I didn't read as many books, but I read a lot of big books, so it evens out! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read The Lake House and The Poisoner's Ring.

Yellowjackets meets One of Us Is Lying in this masterful survival thriller from award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst.

Claire’s grown up triple-checking locks. Counting her steps. Second-guessing every decision. It’s just how she’s wired-her worst-case scenarios never actually come true.

Until she arrives at an off-the-grid summer camp to find a blackened, burned husk instead of a lodge-and no survivors, except her and two other late arrivals: Reyva and Mariana.

When the three girls find a dead body in the woods, they realize none of this is an accident. Someone, something, is hunting them. Something that hides in the shadows. Something that refuses to let them leave.

Irresistible and action-packed until the very final page, The Lake House will have readers glued to their seats as tension builds and danger mounts-and a final, shocking twist is revealed.

Edinburgh, 1869: Modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is adjusting to her new life in Victorian Scotland. Her employers know she’s not housemaid Catriona Mitchell―even though Mallory is in Catriona’s body―and Mallory is now officially an undertaker’s assistant. Dr. Duncan Gray moonlights as a medical examiner, and their latest case hits close to home. Men are dropping dead from a powerful poison, and all signs point to the grieving widows… the latest of which is Gray’s oldest sister.

Poison is said to be a woman’s weapon, though Mallory has to wonder if it’s as simple as that. But she must tread carefully. Every move the household makes is being watched, and who knows where the investigation will lead.

Alechia Dow Author Page

The Story: I saw The Sound of Stars on NetGalley, the cover was so pretty, and I read it, and loved it, and loved all of her books that I've read since! 

Website

Stand Alone's: The Sound of Stars and her site, my review, The Kindred and her site, my review, A Song of Salvation and her site, my review.

Anthologies: Out There and my review.

Week 46 Review: A Song of Salvation

From Goodreads:

From the author of The Sound of Stars and The Kindred comes a YA space opera about a reincarnated god and a grumpy pilot on a mission to save a beloved space DJ and stop an intergalactic war.

 

Zaira Citlali is supposed to die. After all, she's the god Indigo reborn. Indigo, whose song created the universe and unified people across galaxies to banish Ozvios, the god of destruction. Although Zaira has never been able to harness Indigo's powers, the Ilori Emperor wants to sacrifice her in Ozvios's honor. Unless she escapes and finds Wesley, the boy prophesized to help her defeat Ozvios and the Ilori, once and for all.

 

Wesley Daniels didn't ask for this. He just wants to work as a smuggler so he can save enough money to explore the stars. Once he completes his biggest job yet—bringing wanted celebrity Rubin Rima to a strange planet called Earth—he'll be set for life. But when his path crosses with Zaira, he soon finds himself in the middle of an intergalactic war with more responsibility than he bargained for.

 

Together, Zaira, Wesley, and Rubin must find their way to Earth and unlock Zaira's powers if they're going to have any hope of saving the universe from total destruction.

My Review:
I had a really great time reading this book! While this technically isn't a series (though it should be, it's set in the same world with the common foe of the Ilori) each book focuses on a different couple, and the various evil things the Ilori are doing. And I loved this book, which had two different couples, yeah!

The few overlapping characters and a common threat have made these a series of interconnected standalones. Well, this book brings that overlap to the max, because a certain someone is a love interest in this book, and we get to see some more familiar faces that we've been wanting to see! 

Both Zaira and Wiseley are in pretty poor places in their lives. She's the only one of her people alive, and the Ilori Emperor wants to sacrifice her to his god, who is the opposition of the god that she's supposed to be. So that was not a great pace to be in.

And Wesley, the connections that he has, and how his life has been affected, I just loved how it tied things together! Because oh, how the Ilari plot progressed in this book! This might be the final one, at least with the Ilori as the bad guys, but I'd love to spend more time in this world! 

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

Author: Alechia Dow
Read: November 18th, 2022
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her books, and it's a SAC 2022 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Expected Publication: July 11th 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Clear Your S**t Readathon Update 18

So I've read my next book for the Clear Your S**t Readathon, and it was A Song of Salvation which is for the prompt A book set on another planet, and I'll be reading This Cursed Crown next! 

My Reading Journey:

Backpacking Through Bedlam by Seanan McGuire

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with red or pink on the cover

Started On: November 1st

Finished On: November 1st, 8:43 PM

Pages Read: 352

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with the "secret world" trope

Started On: November 2nd

Finished On: November 2nd, 8:19 PM

Pages Read: 432

Twelve Graves of Christmas by Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe

Prompt Fulfilled: A book you could read in one night (a short book)

Started On: November 4th

Finished On: November 4th, 4:55 PM

Pages Read: 144

From Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos 

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with a supposed twist

Started On: November 4th

Finished On: November 4th, 9:34 PM

Pages Read: 416

Strike the Zither by Joan He

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with an epic battle

Started On: November 5th

Finished On: November 5th, 10:30 PM

Pages Read: 368

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Prompt Fulfilled: A feel good book

Started On: November 6th

Finished On: November 6th, 8:06 PM

Pages Read: 318

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with a quest for lost person/item

Started On: November 7th

Finished On: November 7th, 10:23 PM

Pages Read: 305

Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

Prompt Fulfilled: A fast-paced or short book

Started On: November 8th

Finished On: November 8th, 6:05 PM

Pages Read: 192

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with a journey

Started On: November 8th

Finished On: November 8th, 9:43 PM

Pages Read: 368

When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with a dark cover

Started On: November 9th

Finished On: November 9th, 8:01 PM

Pages Read: 480

Light Mage by Laurie Forest

Prompt Fulfilled: Top Secret Mini Boss Battle Strength

Started On: November 11th

Finished On: November 11th, 5:02 PM

Pages Read: 304

The Iron Flower by Laurie Forest

Prompt Fulfilled: Continue a series

Started On: November 11th

Finished On: November 11th, 11:24 PM

Pages Read: 668

The Shadow Wand by Laurie Forest

Prompt Fulfilled: Free book space

Started On: November 12th

Finished On: November 12th, 5:25 PM

Pages Read: 664

My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows

Prompt Fulfilled: Free book space

Started On: November 13th

Finished On: November 13th, 7:36 PM

Pages Read: 496

A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with romance plot or subplot

Started On: November 14th

Finished On: November 14th, 7:54 PM

Pages Read: 576

A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with found family

Started On: November 15th

Finished On: November 15th, 10:38 PM

Pages Read: 608

The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with a group cast

Started On: November 16th

Finished On: November 16th, 10:27 PM

Pages Read: 529

A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

Prompt Fulfilled: A book set on another planet

Started On: November 17th

Finished On: November 18th, 5:59 PM

Pages Read: 320

This Cursed Crown by Alexandra Overy

Prompt Fulfilled: Read a book from another one of the strengths/weakness prompts

Started On: November 19th

Currently On: Page 0 of 512

Prompts Left: A book that's sexy under the covers (aka, that's pretty under dust cover), Side Quest Book, Your longest or physically largest book, A sequel that you have low hopes for but still own, A book with a trope you hate, A green book cover or a book with plants as a theme, Top Secret Mini Boss Battle, A book that keeps getting forgotten on your TBRs, A book featuring tech or robots, A book that was expensive/looks expensive, Free book space, Final Boss Battle, Don't worry about this one xoxo

Books Read: 18

Pages Read: 7540

Next to be Published November Update 12

So I've read my next book for the Next to be Published November, and it was A Song of Salvation, and I'll be reading This Cursed Crown next! 

My Reading Journey:

Backpacking Through Bedlam by Seanan McGuire

Started On: November 1st

Finished On: November 1st, 8:43 PM

Pages Read: 352

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

Started On: November 2nd

Finished On: November 2nd, 8:19 PM

Pages Read: 432

From Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos 

Started On: November 4th

Finished On: November 4th, 9:34 PM

Pages Read: 416

Strike the Zither by Joan He

Started On: November 5th

Finished On: November 5th, 10:30 PM

Pages Read: 368

Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

Started On: November 8th

Finished On: November 8th, 6:05 PM

Pages Read: 192

When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles

Started On: November 9th

Finished On: November 9th, 8:01 PM

Pages Read: 480

The Cat King of Havana by Tom Crosshill

Started On: November 10th

Finished On: November 10th, 11:45 PM

Pages Read: 368

The Iron Flower by Laurie Forest

Started On: November 11th

Finished On: November 11th, 11:24 PM

Pages Read: 668

The Shadow Wand by Laurie Forest

Started On: November 12th

Finished On: November 12th, 5:25 PM

Pages Read: 664

My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows

Started On: November 13th

Finished On: November 13th, 7:36 PM

Pages Read: 496

A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass

Started On: November 14th

Finished On: November 14th, 7:54 PM

Pages Read: 576

A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

Started On: November 18th

Finished On: November 18th, 5:59 PM

Pages Read: 320

This Cursed Crown by Alexandra Overy

Started On: November 19th

Currently On: Page 0 of 512

Books Read: 12

Goal: 30 Books

Pages Read: 5332

First Lines Friday #601, November 18th

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

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

"Everyone has a different story of how our universe began. I’ve heard several myths from elders I’ve met on my many journeys over the years. What can I say? I’m a curious being. The most persistent theory is that bacteria collided with particles floating aimlessly in space. That collision created interstellar creatures that could see and shape the future. These creatures, called the Jadu, were in a constant and painful state of forming and reforming. They were hungry, alone, afraid. Until, by chance, the Jadu found something magical: stardust. Fragments of life, death, and everything in between." -A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

Well, at least there's a bit of hope! Must read more now! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Third Sentence Thursday #588, November 17th

Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which likes to watch fireworks especially while eating a cookie!

1) Take the book you are currently reading and open it to a random page. Share the third full sentence on that page. (If there isn't a third one – like at the end of a chapter or a blank page – you can share the third sentence of the book or just choose another random page.) Feel free to share more than one sentence, if you feel the need to do so.

2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)

3) Post a link to your sentence at Words I Write Crazy (This Blog)

4) Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentences!

"My fingers tap the edge of my pocket where the stunner's stuffed inside." -A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow, page 25.

Well, at least you have the weapon! Must read more now! What are your guy's 3rd lines? Link up below!

Clear Your S**t Readathon Update 17

So I've read my next book for the Clear Your S**t Readathon, and it was The Lost Metal which is for the prompt A book with a group cast, and I'll be reading A Song of Salvation next! 

My Reading Journey:

Backpacking Through Bedlam by Seanan McGuire

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with red or pink on the cover

Started On: November 1st

Finished On: November 1st, 8:43 PM

Pages Read: 352

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with the "secret world" trope

Started On: November 2nd

Finished On: November 2nd, 8:19 PM

Pages Read: 432

Twelve Graves of Christmas by Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe

Prompt Fulfilled: A book you could read in one night (a short book)

Started On: November 4th

Finished On: November 4th, 4:55 PM

Pages Read: 144

From Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos 

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with a supposed twist

Started On: November 4th

Finished On: November 4th, 9:34 PM

Pages Read: 416

Strike the Zither by Joan He

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with an epic battle

Started On: November 5th

Finished On: November 5th, 10:30 PM

Pages Read: 368

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Prompt Fulfilled: A feel good book

Started On: November 6th

Finished On: November 6th, 8:06 PM

Pages Read: 318

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with a quest for lost person/item

Started On: November 7th

Finished On: November 7th, 10:23 PM

Pages Read: 305

Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

Prompt Fulfilled: A fast-paced or short book

Started On: November 8th

Finished On: November 8th, 6:05 PM

Pages Read: 192

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with a journey

Started On: November 8th

Finished On: November 8th, 9:43 PM

Pages Read: 368

When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with a dark cover

Started On: November 9th

Finished On: November 9th, 8:01 PM

Pages Read: 480

Light Mage by Laurie Forest

Prompt Fulfilled: Top Secret Mini Boss Battle Strength

Started On: November 11th

Finished On: November 11th, 5:02 PM

Pages Read: 304

The Iron Flower by Laurie Forest

Prompt Fulfilled: Continue a series

Started On: November 11th

Finished On: November 11th, 11:24 PM

Pages Read: 668

The Shadow Wand by Laurie Forest

Prompt Fulfilled: Free book space

Started On: November 12th

Finished On: November 12th, 5:25 PM

Pages Read: 664

My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows

Prompt Fulfilled: Free book space

Started On: November 13th

Finished On: November 13th, 7:36 PM

Pages Read: 496

A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with romance plot or subplot

Started On: November 14th

Finished On: November 14th, 7:54 PM

Pages Read: 576

A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with found family

Started On: November 15th

Finished On: November 15th, 10:38 PM

Pages Read: 608

The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson

Prompt Fulfilled: A book with a group cast

Started On: November 16th

Finished On: November 16th, 10:27 PM

Pages Read: 529

A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

Prompt Fulfilled: A book set on another planet

Started On: November 17th

Currently On: Page 0 of 320

Prompts Left: A book that's sexy under the covers (aka, that's pretty under dust cover), Side Quest Book, Your longest or physically largest book, A sequel that you have low hopes for but still own, A book with a trope you hate, A green book cover or a book with plants as a theme, Top Secret Mini Boss Battle, A book that keeps getting forgotten on your TBRs, A book featuring tech or robots, A book that was expensive/looks expensive, Free book space, Final Boss Battle, Read a book from another one of the strengths/weakness prompts, Don't worry about this one xoxo

Books Read: 17

Pages Read: 7220

WWW Wednesday #605, November 16th

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 The Lost Metal, and boy, is it fantastic! 

I read A Light in the Flame, and I had such a great time reading it! 

I'm going to be reading A Song of Salvation, and I can't wait to be back in this world! 

What about you guys? Happy reading!

Next to be Published November Update 11

So I've read my next book for the Next to be Published November, and it was A Thousand Heartbeats, and I'll be reading A Song of Salvation next! 

My Reading Journey:

Backpacking Through Bedlam by Seanan McGuire

Started On: November 1st

Finished On: November 1st, 8:43 PM

Pages Read: 352

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

Started On: November 2nd

Finished On: November 2nd, 8:19 PM

Pages Read: 432

From Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos 

Started On: November 4th

Finished On: November 4th, 9:34 PM

Pages Read: 416

Strike the Zither by Joan He

Started On: November 5th

Finished On: November 5th, 10:30 PM

Pages Read: 368

Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

Started On: November 8th

Finished On: November 8th, 6:05 PM

Pages Read: 192

When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles

Started On: November 9th

Finished On: November 9th, 8:01 PM

Pages Read: 480

The Cat King of Havana by Tom Crosshill

Started On: November 10th

Finished On: November 10th, 11:45 PM

Pages Read: 368

The Iron Flower by Laurie Forest

Started On: November 11th

Finished On: November 11th, 11:24 PM

Pages Read: 668

The Shadow Wand by Laurie Forest

Started On: November 12th

Finished On: November 12th, 5:25 PM

Pages Read: 664

My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows

Started On: November 13th

Finished On: November 13th, 7:36 PM

Pages Read: 496

A Thousand Heartbeats by Kiera Cass

Started On: November 14th

Finished On: November 14th, 7:54 PM

Pages Read: 576

A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow

Started On: November 

Currently On: Page 0 of 320

Books Read: 11

Goal: 30 Books

Pages Read: 5012

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! 

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

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Update 33

Ok, so I read my next book for Clean Sweep ARC Challenge, and it was The Kindred and I'll be reading Flip the Script 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

Currently On: Page 0 of 336

Books Read: 33

Goal: 25 Books

Pages Read: 12793

Third Sentence Thursday #563, May 26th

Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which likes to watch fireworks especially while eating a cookie!

1) Take the book you are currently reading and open it to a random page. Share the third full sentence on that page. (If there isn't a third one – like at the end of a chapter or a blank page – you can share the third sentence of the book or just choose another random page.) Feel free to share more than one sentence, if you feel the need to do so.

2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)

3) Post a link to your sentence at Words I Write Crazy (This Blog)

4) Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentences!

"She and Mum barely go minutes without talking to each other." -The Kindred by Alechia Dow, page 17.

Well, that's sweet! Must read more now! What are your guy's 3rd lines? Link up below!

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Update 32

Ok, so I read my next book for Clean Sweep ARC Challenge, and it was Spear and I'll be reading The Kindred 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

Currently On: Page 0 of 400

Books Read: 32

Goal: 25 Books

Pages Read: 12393

WWW Wednesday #580, May 25th

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

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

Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing now A Daily Rhythm for starting this meme! And thanks now to Taking on a World of Words for reviving it! 

I'm currently reading Scream All Night, and I'm enjoying it!

I read Angel of the Overpass, and it was an excellent installment in the series! 

I'm going to be reading The Kindred, and I can't wait, it sounds really good! 

What about you guys? Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #553, December 15th

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

The Starless Crown by James Rollins

Expected Publication: January 4th, 2022
From Goodreads:

An alliance embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the secrets of the distant past and save their world in this captivating, deeply visionary adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling thriller-master James Rollins.

A gifted student foretells an apocalypse. Her reward is a sentence of death.

Fleeing into the unknown she is drawn into a team of outcasts:

A broken soldier, who once again takes up the weapons he’s forbidden to wield and carves a trail back home.

A drunken prince, who steps out from his beloved brother's shadow and claims a purpose of his own.

An imprisoned thief, who escapes the crushing dark and discovers a gleaming artifact - one that will ignite a power struggle across the globe.

On the run, hunted by enemies old and new, they must learn to trust each other in order to survive in a world evolved in strange, beautiful, and deadly ways, and uncover ancient secrets that hold the key to their salvation.

But with each passing moment, doom draws closer.

WHO WILL CLAIM THE STARLESS CROWN?

Nightrender by Jodi Meadows

Expected Publication: January 4th, 2022
From Goodreads:

Kingdoms will fall, gods will die, and hearts will be broken in this sprawling new fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jodi Meadows.

In the middle of nothingness is the continent of Salvation.

Reality bends easily here. Villages disappear. Forests burn forever. Pockets of inconsistent time are everywhere, their boundaries strung with yellow ribbon. And the three kingdoms of Salvation have been at war for a thousand years.

But the greatest threat is the Malice, an incursion from the demon plane slowly tearing its way through the world's weakest seams. Seams that--once split--will lead to the total unraveling of night and day, light and dark, life and death.

Not that the human world takes much interest. Of more concern is the upcoming marriage of Rune Highcrown, Prince of Caberwill, and Johanne Fortuin, Princess of Embria--the serpent bride, a girl of famous cunning--which offers a possible end to the ancient conflict. But Rune has noticed the growing darkness, and he is determined to summon mankind's only defense: Nightrender, the hammer of the gods, an immortal warrior more weapon than girl.

There is only one problem. The last time she was summoned, she slaughtered every royal in Salvation, and no one knows why. Will she save humanity from the Malice... or plunge it deeper into the fires of eternal war?

Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire

Expected Publication: January 4th, 2022
From Goodreads:

Welcome to the Whitethorn Institute. The first step is always admitting you need help, and you've already taken that step by requesting a transfer into our company.

There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again.

It isn't as friendly as Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children.

And it isn't as safe.

When Eleanor West decided to open her school, her sanctuary, her Home for Wayward Children, she knew from the beginning that there would be children she couldn't save; when Cora decides she needs a different direction, a different fate, a different prophecy, Miss West reluctantly agrees to transfer her to the other school, where things are run very differently by Whitethorn, the Headmaster.

She will soon discover that not all doors are welcoming... 

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins

Expected Publication: January 4th, 2022
From Goodreads:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.

When Lux McAllister and her boyfriend, Nico, are hired to sail two women to a remote island in the South Pacific, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. Stuck in a dead-end job in Hawaii, and longing to travel the world after a family tragedy, Lux is eager to climb on board The Susannah and set out on an adventure. She’s also quick to bond with their passengers, college best friends Brittany and Amma. The two women say they want to travel off the beaten path. But like Lux, they may have other reasons to be seeking an escape.

Shimmering on the horizon after days at sea, Meroe Island is every bit the paradise the foursome expects, despite a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumors of murder. But what they don’t expect is to discover another boat already anchored off Meroe’s sandy beaches. The owners of the Azure Sky, Jake and Eliza, are a true golden couple: gorgeous, laidback, and if their sleek catamaran and well-stocked bar are any indication, rich. Now a party of six, the new friends settle in to experience life on an exotic island, and the serenity of being completely off the grid. Lux hasn’t felt like she truly belonged anywhere in years, yet here on Meroe, with these fellow free spirits, she finally has a sense of peace.

But with the arrival of a skeevy stranger sailing alone in pursuit of a darker kind of good time, the balance of the group is disrupted. Soon, cracks begin to emerge: it seems that Brittany and Amma haven’t been completely honest with Lux about their pasts––and perhaps not even with each other. And though Jake and Eliza seem like the perfect pair, the rocky history of their relationship begins to resurface, and their reasons for sailing to Meroe might not be as innocent as they first appeared.

When it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in on them. And when one person goes missing, and another turns up dead, Lux begins to wonder if any of them are going to make it off the island alive. 

The Kindred by Alechia Dow

Expected Publication: January 4th, 2022
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.

There's some excellent books kicking off the month, and of the ones that I've read, they were excellent, and I can't wait to for them to come out! What about you guys? Happy reading!