Antonia Hodgson's The Raven Scholar

It’s like reading a (raven) scholar’s diary and also a masterpiece mystery in book form. We find ourselves in a deadly competition to be made king, drawn into political intrigue and backstabbing, while also trying to figure out a dark mystery that spans decades. It’s a clever and complicated plot that twists in and out of itself as the dragon would love to see. It also has a lovely sense of wry humor I enjoyed balancing everything out.

If you like long books with lovely descriptions, nuance, hits all your scents, slowly walking you through the days activities, finding scarps of hints and clues, this book is for you. If you want something more straightforward, surface level, romantasy, this book will be in your DNF. Not because of the books fault, it, like When the Moon Hatched, is written in a style that’s for the readers who want to deep dive into the story and world. The world itself is historical in feeling but is a world build of its own place and time, so not.

Who tells the story pivots wildly within changing paragraphs so you have to pay attention to who is telling their part of the story, although as the story progresses and fragments are observing, it’s the same yet different… i appreciated greatly that the author changed the font around when the Guardians speak, but still, you have been warned of a shifting POV.

All in all, this big, beautiful, heavy book was worth lugging around and reading the last few weeks!

Summer Reading Locations!

 Hello dear readers! 

This summer is just flying by and I am trying to keep up with balancing work and finding joy for my family. I want them to feel like they have a summer. It's hard as working parents to figure that out. In between that have been some joyful pockets of reading time! I always think, summer, I must read outside. My porch is a lovely oasis for reading and not baking while doing so. As a goal for this summer, I wanted to try and read around bodies of water- get out into the world! So far, the list is not specific but: river, lake, pool, ocean, bath. It's been too hot for a bath. However, I have been blessed and managed to get some reading at a local lake (while paddle boarding, my book only got a little wet from the dog going on and off the SUP), a pool (who knew quick dips in the pool and then back to reading zone could be so refreshing), and the ocean. The ocean is where my soul resets itself, and I try to visit any beach at least twice a year. So, if anyone wants inspiration, quick day dreaming, whatever- here are my memories of reading by water this summer, so far... Happy reading and happy summer friends! 

Beachy Reading

Aaah, pool reading.

Lake Book on the move!

When I finally look up...

Poolside Joy

        

Katherine Center's The Love Haters

 I really enjoyed this book! I knew in my heart it would be a Rom-Com and brighten my day. What I wasn’t expecting is that this book was a surprising enemy to lovers’ trope with your body and loving your body. If you have to fall in love with little parts and bits of yourself (pinky, ankle, earlobe, etc.) to end up loving yourself as a whole- it is worth the journey. I loved the positive messaging, gentle reminders and nurturing Katherine Center shared with me.

Falling in love is never easy or a straight route, but in the end it’s everything. I adored The Love Haters! I loved the culture of appreciation Katie, and her best friend instigated, and the body positivity Katie had to practice. It sounds like something simple, but it can be so hard yet doable! The story and the characters are quirky and sweet. I found myself laughing and humming happily while reading from start to finish. I wanted to hang out with the characters, go shopping at Vitamin C, rally and cheer them on although, I would def pass on being in a thunderstorm with Hutch’s dog. Also- everything I’ve wondered about the downside of a houseboat- totally confirmed. Hard pass on those romantic notions Sleepless in Seattle instilled in us watching that romantic movie. The Love Haters was a wonderful love story on multiple levels, and I truly enjoyed the escape (sorry Ms. Center I know in the author’s note you said it wasn’t an escape but this time it was for me) it allowed me. I will definitely re-read this book in the future, especially when I need a boost and motivation that love is more than just romantic love and you must start by loving yourself…. And surrounding yourself with a kaleidoscope of colors. I hope you love it too!

ACOTAR: My Weighted Blanket of Comfort

 

May... It's been a rough month where my stress is up, my anxiety is overflowing, and I just needed comfort. I wanted to listen to some audiobooks that would hug me during the day, take me out into a beautiful world of fiction and were like a weighted blanket comforting me or old friend visiting me. I reread the first 3 books of Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses. They were everything I needed, wanted, and helped on the hard days.  BONUS- It's A Court of Thorns and Roses' 10 year anniversary! I am not going to try and review the books but I will share that they are all 5 star reviews for me. I just love them- the world it's set in, the mind map we are given as we walk/fly/winnow places, the characters and their interactions, the adventures and mysteries, the battles and training, the love, laughter, and loathing, the descriptions Maas provides that suck a reader in with smell, taste, touch, sight, sounds... I am going to try some other audiobooks, see how that goes, but if I need more warm reading hugs, I have two more books waiting for me in the ACOTAR series and I am excited to reread Nesta's story for the first time! 

What are your comforting rereads? 

                                                      

Chloe Walsh's Binding 13 & Keeping 13

The boys of Tommen will bounce all over your heart. This is your only
warning. The Boys of Tommen is a series, but the first two books are a duet. This is not a duet for you if you are looking for sweet romance with lightness. This gets dark with everyday monsters beating at you.

A few friends recommended Binding 13 to me. I put it off thinking it was just another New Adult novel, and I didn’t want the angst I assumed the novel would be riddled with, but I am so happy I finally read both books (I thought it was just the one book, but no, of course not! I couldn’t put them down. Have you ever watched Beverly Hills 90210 or One Tree Hill? The kids in those shows were so much older than their age with what they did, went through, experienced, and you rarely felt like you were in a Young Adult series. This series is like that. The players are minors in high school, but it so doesn’t feel like that. We are in Ireland and Shannon, who is our FMC is attending a new private school called Tommen. She needs a new start away from the bullying she has experienced at multiple public schools, and it’s not just verbal bullying, but physical bullying as well. Shannon needs a safe place to bloom and grow. Is Tommen the place to be her safe haven? If Johnny has anything to do with it, she will find it at Tommen. Johnny is instantly in love with his Shannon like the lake. What he doesn’t know is that Shannon is also bullied and tortured at home by her abusive father. My heart breaks for her. I wondered what I would do if I was her friend and knew about what she and her family go through daily. Binding 13 ends in a horrific cliffhanger and Keeping 13 immediately picks up and whisks you away with Shannon and Johnny and ugh…. Wow.

Just.... wow. What a journey! It's an insane rollercoaster of emotions and I just wasn't ever quite sure where the author was going to take us or do with the characters or if there would even be a happy ending! I just didn't know! There is so much love, heart break, joy and renewal, hope, trust, angst and rebuilding of selves in these books. Johnny's parents are simply the best. The friends help break up the dark and heavy of Shannon and her brothers world. I found myself laughing often with them. Chloe Walsh, what an epic journey. I will be thinking about this duet for a long time.

Grady Hendrix's The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

 

This book…. Wow. It was so alive. This is my first Grady Hendrix novel, and I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, but I am happy to have read the book, although, it was definitely a like/dislike affair. I will gush that Grady Hendrix is a true wordsmith. I found myself almost sick to my stomach with how real he painted simple actions, like describing an elderly person chewing crumbly food and then drinking water and the crumbs that would be submerged and, ugh, my stomach still gets queasy, or scenes he throws us into. So real! I also found myself reacting emotionally to the book, usually in anger or annoyance, and had to take mini breaks and then come back to dive in for more.  I had to remind myself that this is classified as horror genre and outside of my usual reading genres.  

The story was structured around a book club of women who love reading true crime novels. This plays into our main gal, Patricia, deducing what is happening in her town as her true crime riddled mind turns to classic vampire lore, what to pay attention to, and how to catch a killer? A vampire?! Gotta love book clubs. I also felt there was an undercurrent of the Salem Witch Trials theme in the book with how the husbands treated and reacted to the wives and the trickle out affect of that with other characters and plot. It is an interesting novel and a wild ride deducing what is happening to these people and this town. It’s also gruesome. Can Patricia prove there is a vampire in their suburban community? In the end, I think I like my sexy romance vampires over the more horror genre of this one. 

Jaysea Lynn's For Whom the Belle Tolls

 For Whom the Belle Tolls is a delightful, enchanting, sassy book as we follow Lily into the Afterlife upon her death. She always worked customer service type jobs in her mortal life, so when she sees that even in her afterlife people are awful to the front desk staff, she decides to help. Lily creates the Hellp desk in the hell portal and creates a fulfilling and beautiful afterlife for herself, reclaiming her sarcastic self and releasing built up anger she had bottled up not being able to tell people in her mortal life- the coveted honest answers to go with their attitude to the help. If you dish it just remember you can rejuvenate after Lily is done with you. Lily finds joy and purpose with her new demon friends and a life unexpected blossoms as she forgives her past life and lives her afterlife to its fullest potential.

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire mapped out universe of Afterlife the author created as well as the souls and denizens of it. The author throws in demons and deities we have heard of throughout myth and history as well as your everyday characters. The support characters truly make this book the snarky, therapeutic, love story that it is, and we needed it to be. It also refilled my customer service cup (yup- I get to deal with people on a daily basis as well and have to bite my tongue often with the answers I can give vs would LOVE to give) reading about Lily putting souls in their place when they tried to play their usual shrewd games or threw fits for having to go to whatever level of hell they earned. Not on Lily’s watch people! She transforms the front area of Hell.  Bel & Lily’s love story was beautiful and the family and life they built was satisfying. I think my Paradise would be almost the exact same as Lily’s with a sentient hobbit house built for cozy reading, watching movies with my kitty, and not having to clean any dishes. For Whom the Belle Tolls is truly a sexy, funny, romance novel with some darkness sprinkled throughout, but only to create a deeper story we can sink our teeth, our blades & hearts into.

Thank you, S, for the wonderful recommendation. I found myself bringing it up in conversation often as I was reading it, especially to my co-workers. Most aren’t ready for a demon romance, but at least I expanded their options.

Elsie Silver's Wild Love

 I love Wild Love! It kept me wanting and obsessing over finding time to read it. It pulled me in and I had to know what Rosie might say to Ford next or what funny thing would occur. Mixed in with that are tender and sweet moments between parents and their children, lovers, and siblings. My reading bucket was filled to the brim with Wild Love.  I adore Rosie, Ford, Cora, Ford’s parents, West, Willa, Marylin…. Everyone! The characters are just so wonderfully lovely, flawed, and honest. I found myself so drawn into the banter and conversations I was hanging on every interaction as they filled me with joy, love and laughter. I love when the author gave us what wild love is, I love the actions behind the words, I love the smart-ass exchanges so much. This book is absolutely going on my favorites shelf to reread in the future when I need a pick me up. Now I am off to dive into more novels by Elsie Silver to see if she too will be on my Rom-Com favorites shelf with authors like Jill Shalvis and Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

Meghan Quinn's How My Neighbor Stole Christmas

This book is a laugh out loud, delightful spin on How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It’s a hilarious, competitive, creative, festive and sometimes deliciously spicy, romantic comedy. Can I just say, “Oh My Candy Cane!” I don’t think I’ll see a fruity candy cane this holiday season and not think of this book ever again. The things they do with it… phew! Good thing it snowed today to help cool me off. Although, unlike Storee, I love snow.

I found the author interviews with Cole sprinkled throughout the novel and their squabbling absolutely delightful. The obvious mentioning of “wouldn’t this be a great Lovemark movie?” or “this is a ___ trope.” Made me laugh because we are all thinking it and I loved the author was like, “DUH! Yes, to all!” I love Storee and Cole, the Christmas Kringle competition, the town, the support characters were amazing, I just loved it all and wasn’t expecting to. Also, my parents have a doll room with Madame Alexander dolls. My grandma collected them for me. I am 100% Team Storee that it’s nearly impossible to sleep with all their eyes facing you and following you around the room.  

How My Neighbor Stole Christmas went deeper than I expected, bringing depth to the story and characters you craved. With emotions flowing all around and Christmas lights twinkling around town, it was a true Christmas gift for us, the readers. Bonus- the cover is perfect and so enticing. I cannot wait to reread this treasure during future Christmas seasons. 

Pierce Brown's Red Rising

 

Oh, Red Rising… my dear readers who joyfully encouraged me to read this book- thank you. It is just as amazing as you said it would be! I don’t want to give away spoilers so I will be careful with my gushing.  Pierce Brown gives us a drawn-out writing style that just smacks the reader in the face with “you will not have resolution with this first book… you get to keep going, just like Darrow.” There is so much world building, but the author has a writing style that keeps it simple, smart, not wordy, he gets the point across without taking pages of description, I just loved it. It’s like Brown was just as excited to write the experiences and story as we are to contain the words in our reading hearts. I was shocked when I wasn’t even halfway through the book and HOW MUCH HAD ALREADY HAPPENED! It was crazy!

The yearlong game the kids are thrown into felt as muddled to me as it did to them, I just got to be clean and warm while experiencing it. No one really knew what the heck was happening just that they didn’t want to be enslaved, and the time would eventually run out to return to the real world. For a while, I wondered why the author seemed to speed thru Darrow’s transformation from Red to Gold to play the game for sooo long but it was to highlight the nuisances of change to Darrow’s core that have to happen to make Eo’s wish and dream come true. The writing tempo fits the speed of action and storytelling. I love getting to know the other characters (Sevro and Mustang especially) and how they might help or hinder Darrow in what his new future will be. *insert a long wolf howl* I so want Darrow to be right- the game, the world is changing, it’s not just his feelings of being top wolf in school. I cannot wait for these kids to get showers with bars of soap and tubes of toothpaste. I cannot imagine the cloud of smell the surrounds them.

This book is just an epic rollercoaster, and I can’t help but join the fans of Red Rising. I also am just mystified at what Pierce Brown has in store for us knowing it’s a 7-book series! Again, the number of things that happened in book 1 was incredible. If I had to do a general feeler for who might like this book, beyond sci-fi lovers (It all takes place on Mars and surrounding planets! This was new for me as well). I feel like lovers of The Hunger Games, Game of Thrones, Fourth Wing, maybe Brandon Sanderson, maybe Joe Abercrombie, would love this series to fill their reading droughts with.

Two Favorite October Reads: The Games Gods Play & Phantasma!

 I can't decide which one of these two books I love more. I just devoured them. I loved the stories, the settings, the plots and the characters.

The Games Gods Play was tantalizing while Phantasma was straight up spice. Both novels were brutal, winner takes all, The Hunger Games style games with Greek gods and demon princes as the game makers. Both authors, Abigail Owen and Kaylee Smith, are well versed (and oh so talented) in the lore, history, mood, descriptive language, and world building of the books they have created. They really put you inside the story and then took you on an adventure you could picture so clearly with smells, sounds, feelings, that it reads you into the stories.  I love authors who cover all the senses and take the time to romance you and remind you why you love to read, and especially their books. 

Wonderfully fun fantasy romance! It's sassy, thrilling, and had me staying up well past bedtime finishing it. 

A necromancer trying to save her sister in a gothic New Orleans mansion with the help of a sexy phantom... It's delightfully gruesome and a passionate paranormal romance. 

Kaylee Smith is a new author for me. I am going to do some looking at her other books. Abigail Owen is a known author to me and already has books sitting on my library shelves. I just love her shifter dragons and phoenixes in the Inferno Rising series. Fires Edge series I just started this last year and can't wait to read more about rogue dragon shifters. 

Sarah Beth Durst's The Spellshop

I love The Spellshop!!! It is a delightful fantasy novel. It took me by surprise how much joy and love reading this book gave me. It inspires interest, intrigue, and is somehow the best cozy comfort reading of discovering joy, hard work, and friendship. Unlike most fantasy novels that take you deep into the heart of turmoil, war, overthrowing the monarchies and governments, The Spellshop has the reader leaving the drama as we flee with Kiela (a talented librarian trying to rescue spell books from war and fire) and her trusty friend, Cass (her sentient, talking, and mobile spider plant). They need to start a new life away from the capital and protect the spell books they rescued. What follows is a journey Kiela didn’t know she needed or wanted, but she is such a lovely person, the townsfolk are unconditionally supportive and magic blooms on the remote island of her childhood. She starts out trying to hide away and just fake it until she makes it, but then she is reminded that the good in people shines bright and it’s okay to not be solely independent. We need people, and sometimes, you just need help. It’s okay! Keila blooms on the island as she discovers magic, catalogs her books, sells jam, and visits town where new friendships are blooming.

I was delighted with the almost adult Disney vibe of a strong female lead with her adorable sidekicks helping her along the way- Cass, the spider plant and Meep, the cactus. They are just adorable little creatures racing around and I loved picturing them in my mind. I absolutely recommend this enchanting novel. For those seeking romance, it also has romance, but of the Hallmark variety and just the right amount sprinkled in to make your heart sigh.

Deborah Harkness' The Black Bird Oracle

I love this 5th installment to the All Souls series! Secrets, mystery and magic surround us as we learn more of not just of the de Clairmonts and Bishops, but now the Proctors too! The black bird oracle as well as the Proctors and their ghosts, gives us uncanny insight into Diana’s and Matthew’s relationship and next steps between darkness, light and shadow. The three branches of family, past and present, will be caught in the goddess and Philippe’s plans. Readers are thrown into the history and lore of the Salem witch trials and the ripples felt today.

I love and adore Harkness’s blending of history and fiction so much. There were even a few moments I felt like I was watching Hermoine, with her extended family, and reading an alternate Harry Potter book if Voldemort had won. This was a long awaited installment for our libraries and I couldn’t be happier with it.

L.J. Andrews' The Ever King & The Ever Queen

 The Ever King and The Ever Queen are a duology of the epic romance of the Serpent, Erik, and his Songbird, Livia, with fun support characters giving more depth and emotional connection to the stories. I appreciated that the support characters are not forgotten by the time you are done reading the 1^st novel rather, they get more time with us. They were so fun to get to know! These books have non-stop action, adventure, revenge, curses, kidnappings, magic, stabbiness, romance and spice (the second book especially ups the spiciness game, Yowza!).             

I loved these 2 books (they are a duology, but the series continues with new lead couples) because I wasn’t ready to read a non-fantasy book but was getting burnt out of what turns into very similar basic fantasy storylines, so, getting to follow beautiful monsters that are pirates traveling above and below the sea was fantastic! The reader is introduced to different fae with magical abilities I haven’t seen for ages or at all. I will say, while I loved that the sea fae sang their magic, I was glad the author didn’t write out the lyrics… much like with Tolkien, I would probably just skim read those parts. By the second book, the author’s writing had really tightened up and it was a joy to travel through her words she was painting a whole world with.

I recommend The Ever Seas novels for my dear fantasy and romantasy readers. They are full of swashbuckling fun, riddled with hijinks, give us an exciting, forced proximity turn romance with magical connections and strong independent characters, legit pirate’s sword fighting, unique magic, and the mysteries woven through the text abound. Plus, it ends with a happily ever after. What more can you ask for these days?!  

K.A. Linde's The Wren in the Holly Library

The Wren in the Holly Library is a fun fantasy adventure novel with forced proximity, enemies to lovers-ish, thievery, magic, betrayal, love, friendship, laughter and old feuds sparked anew. Monsters abound, trying to take over the cities, as we learn quickly that magic is real, but that it has remained hidden. What we read truly has grains of truth in the stories if you pay close attention. We are placed into an uncomplicated world of magic and monsters built in the real world (NYC), not exactly present day but dystopian. Kierse is a thief for hire who finds herself bound with and to Graves, a Warlock, to steal a powerful treasure that’s so hard to obtain, and alluring, she can’t say no. However, can Graves and Kierse find enough trust between them to pull off the heist? The author plays the question for a question game throughout the entire book, doling out info and secrets in small morsels, but it’s crafted well and not annoying as it moves you tantalizingly forward. It’s almost a game of flirtation I appreciated. I loved the mythology the author brought to life from Celtic and Druidic stories and mythology. There are twists and turns, more characters woven throughout the story and intersecting the main characters, story arcs and deceit than I imagined. I found myself thinking, but wait, there are more pages to go! What’s going to happen next?! I am very happy with this book and can’t wait to see what Kierse and Graves have in store for us next.

After reading the book and admiring the sprayed edges version I was able to obtain to read, I loved the sprayed book edges even more. We learn in the book that Graves' unique signature in his wards is hidden holly leaves wrapped within his magic codes. It’s like opening this book is breaking one of his wards or maybe he coded it to just allowing us in as the dear reader thirsting for more knowledge as he does?

For fans of Debrah Harkness’ A Discovery of Witches, this has excellent fan fiction vibes. I was a big fan of it when I picked up the thread a little ways into the novel. I remember being like, “OH! OH! That’s like Diana and Matthew!!!” Enjoy, as we wait impatiently for Harkness’ long awaited next installment, out in July 2024!

Sarah A. Parker's When the Moon Hatched

‘“It’s a moon.” He frowns. “Then why a moon?” I cast my gaze forward again, tap-tap-tapping my foot to the soothing tune in my head. “Because they fall.” Even when you don’t want them to.'

I’m in love with this book!!!!! It was like a giant, juicy prequel to all the good, bad, sad, loving and violence that will be coming in the next book. I can’t wait! Given the amount of delicious pages (700ish!!!) we get to leap through I am shocked to say, I have so many more questions. Some were answered during our gentle and magnificent glide through the history and present information we need to know for the ensuing battles to come, but many more remain hidden in the realms and I can’t wait to discover them. 

The characters are kick ass and you want them to be redeemable and real, to cheer on their life or their death, the world is built up beautifully- the taste, smell, heat and frozen places of it, the people and places, it’s all written so wonderfully and vividly. I feel like the author has a room with maps and her created dictionaries of all the people, creatures, lineages, languages that we get at the beginning of the novel, although probably even more comprehensive, and she puts on her cloak, flips up her hood and soaks up the world around her as I have often imagined Tolkien doing during his ramblings. There is even elven language mixed into the dialogue that melts into the story as a Tolkien novel does. 

And the dragons…. As always they are to be cherished and loved. The connection between rider and dragon is different than other fantasy novels I have read. Some reviewers feel the connection is more similar to an Uber, but I think the bewitching is deeper than that. I am in love with the idea that when the dragons lose their person or it's time for their end, they try to fly into the sky and turn into a new moon for people to treasure and look up at. It's such a beautiful picture in my mind with the skies glowing from unique dragon moons. 

Now I’m off to stalk the authors pages and see when book 2 might make its debut.

K.F. Breene's A Ruin of Roses

A Ruin of Roses is a delicious and very sexy retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast. I was worried stepping into the story that it would be boring or mundane as the base plot was already well known. I am a big fan of Disney movies- real & animated. Belle is the Disney princess I would want to be or try and be friends with. BUT! Back to the main topic- A Ruin of Roses - I really enjoyed this book and version of the story! It’s an enemies to lovers, forbidden love, emotional scars and redemption, injury, different worlds, riddled with magic and curses kinda book/series! The characters are, underneath the crass language and layers of curses, as lovely as Disney gave us. The beast is watching out for his people as much as he can to keep them safe as their defender against demons, he’s strong, selfless, a man of his word, intelligent and scarred. Finley, our Belle, is an outsider/nerd, intelligent, creative, loves books, a healer, beautiful, she’s strong, defends the people she loves and kick ass. Hadriel, one of the castle’s sidekicks, is a wonderful, grudgingly helpful, and funny character. As the series progresses, I think we will meet more of the castle characters to love and laugh with as the fight against the demon lord continues.

    This book is not for the faint of heart or someone who wants to clutch their pearls upon hearing very creative sexual kinks and actions. It is spicy, juicy, all levels of action I haven’t read very often (let alone even tried) and will leave you feeling faint, satisfied, or looking for your battery powered friend hidden in the nightstand drawer. Beyond that, as another heads up, the language is very crass. It’s consistent though, so you can get used to it rather than continually be pulled out of the story as sometimes happens.

    I didn’t realize this was a longer series so it ends with a rather huge cliffhanger that makes you want to yell at the characters “go! Get “them” go save them! Don’t just stay there!” Like a favorite show’s season finale is really the best way to explain it. Now I’m off to add to my book checkout A Throne of Ruin and see what happens next with Nyfain and Finley.

    

Legacy is a thrilling, motivational, romantic story. This is a reread for me and I chose Legacy to try and help motivate me to start moving as the winter is melting away into spring. I would like my extra weight and sad muscles to melt away and tone up. Help me Adrian and Lina! I really enjoy the layering in this story between the characters. It’s not just a current day forced proximity or meet cute. Raylan and Adrian meet as young kids, we get snippets of them growing up, entwining here and there, reconnecting later, but still with important windows into their individual lives and how they are where they are when the story truly begins and love blooms. Raylan has an entire life before really settling into the current day while Adrian has a giant career and life long stalker. The layering of relationships, especially with the grandparents, the many kinds of love shown throughout the novel, the family and friendships, the killers, the way to cute and funny dogs and the positive messaging to find joy in life just sucks me into this story. I wish I lived in town near everyone. I wanna be a friend and neighbor, come over for food, wine, workouts, and girl time!

 
    Nora Roberts might be a bit formulaic, but I love her formula. It rarely gets old 9it's a comfort really) and I have almost everything she writes as Nora Roberts. Her mysteries are believable, and you can almost see yourself as the heroine in the story. There are just enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting to know how everything will unfold and play out. She reminds you to be happy you aren’t the one being chased and stalked by evil! Roberts is always good for a dive into the darkness surrounding the killers but then she bobs out into the sun again so you can bask in the love blooming in the pages. Another thing I love about Nora Roberts is she tries to pick different professions to write the story around and in Legacy we get that spark of fun with the heroes, Adrian and Raylan. Adrian is a fitness guru and Raylan is a comic book illustrator and creator. So fun! I just want to go grab my sketch pad and draw, maybe paint, then later do some yoga to stretch out.

Sarah J. Maas' House of Flame and Shadow

Bryce Quinlan: Better than Expected.  (Once you read this amazing book, you will laugh.) 

House of Flame and Shadow is freaking pulse pounding, thrilling, had me constantly on the edge of my seat, gifts us with a full (!!!!) cast ensemble, mates and romance are around most corners, keeps you thinking and wondering what the heck is going to happen next and how are they going to end the book and this series?! How are we, oops they, going to live through this!? “Through love, all is possible.” And Maas definitely loves us. I also really enjoyed all the crossovers to her other series…. Maas is so talented. No spoilers here but if you love Sarah J Maas and you have loved or enjoyed the Crescent City series- just read this beautiful monster of a novel. It is 100% worth it. Light it up! 

Now I need some bookish friends who have read and finished this book to go gush and spill the tea about ALL THE THINGS!!!!! THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I need to talk about! Like, I got CHILLS when Hunt screams.... and what about Tharion Ketos?! And what seems to be a set up for ---- nope, stopping myself now.... 

Books and Sharing- the Unpleasant Side

 

Today is another cold, ice slicked day, but at least the sun is shining. The ice is glittering as you try not to fall while penguin walking from your car to school and work. This had me thinking of bookstagram, and book reviews in general. I don't know why, it just did. I recently saw a bookstagram account I follow share their DNF (Did Not Finish) for 2023 and I remember thinking, “Wow! That is so bold to put that out there! How brave to share the unpleasant side of books.” As readers, we don’t love or even like some books and at times even detest or can’t finish a book for a multitude of reasons. Do you want to know if I didn’t like, didn’t finish a book, or had some other unpleasant feelings towards a book? It’s such an individual thing and the author and their team have put so much work into getting published and out into the world. Should I cushion my review and feelings of a book I didn’t enjoy with some positivity or just let it fly where I stand, when I share with you? I feel like I tend to do a sandwiching with bad or negative things, okay, confession, I literally do this with everything in my life… something positive, something negative or corrective, something positive. In taking up a position as a book blogger though- is that ok or is that enough? Is it a turnoff to read someone’s dislike or just if it happens periodically, as we know happens with inevitable book slumps?

For people who visit my blog and Insta often (thank you friends!), can you tell my tone and choice of words as to what my enthusiasm or position of a book might be, even if it’s not explicitly said? I do have shelves on Goodreads (happy to friend you there) that I will shelve books so I remember in the future how a book landed. Examples of the more unpleasant shelves are “can get annoying frustrating,” “never going to finish,” “once was enough,” “plan never to read,” and “started stopped might try again.”

What is the etiquette bloggers are wanting to set as their standard? What do you want to hear or know? I can share with you, that if I posted on a book and you wanted to know more or you read it and wanted to rant or rave, I would be so happy to dive in and gush or purge beyond my short opinion I posted! Talk books with me! LOL!