10 of my Favorite Retellings

With the world still dealing with COVID-19, and now the events happening in the United States after the horrific death. of George Floyd, … it feels weird to be posting about normal every day things and promoting my book and blog. I’ve seen authors express this online several times over the last few years and I never understood it and would be all “We still need to celebrate the good things! Art and creativity gives us hope! Don’t feel bad!” Yet, now I’m understanding it more.

I want to try and take my own advice though - because it’s true. When things are at their worst, we need art and creativity to give us hope and help us. There isn’t much I can do to help, but I can keep creating and use those talents. Even if it just puts a smile on someone’s face.

Or in the case of this blog post - give someone a recommendation for a book to put a smile on their face.

That being said, if you’re looking for something new to read I highly recommend doing research and educating yourself on racism. This is something I know I need to work on as well and I am not an expert. This is not my lane so I can’t give you a list of books I personally have read. But, I’ve found this link to be incredibly helpful: An Essential Reading Guide for Fighting Racism. Many retailers are selling out of these books, but I’ve seen some stores say they are working on restocking them as there is such a high demand right now. If that’s all you need and want right now, please check out that link and read those books and feel free to walk away from this blog post.

If you’re looking for something to help you escape and relax after fighting and helping and need a respite from the world - now that is my lane. Particularly, retellings. My book, The Night’s Chosen and the books following it are all retelilngs of fairy tales and it is a sub-genre I have loved for most of my life.

Here are 10 of my favorites!

Red Hood Chronicles by Kendari Meeks (Red Riding Hood)

Kendari Meeks is an indie author and her debut series, Red Hood Chronicles is an urban fantasy inspired by Red Riding Hood. The “red hoods” are werewolf hunters and their history has roots in the Red Riding Hood tale. She even wrote a spin off series diving deeper into that history.

The first book is Reluctant Hood and our main character, Geri, has run away to Chicago to get away from her wolf hunting heritage. Then she finds out her lab professor is a vampire and a wolf comes seeking her help pulling her back into her former life.

I label it as new adult as the characters are college age, there are scientist vampires, with a hint of romance.

Snow by Tracy Lynn (Snow White)

This is one of the very first books which introduced me to retellings as a book sub-genre. When I was in high school I devoured the Once Upon a Time series by several different authors. There are over a dozen of them sitting on my shelf and I don’t even own them all!

Naturally, as Snow White is a personal favorite fairy tale, Snow was my favorite of these books. It has a historical fantasy feel and deals with an experimental evil stepmother whose projects go wrong. I will admit- this one dabbles more on the strange and odd side of things which might make you go “huh… that was… interesting.” But that’s part of what I love about it!

Warm Bodies by Issac Marion (Romeo and Juliet)

I’m not sure if you would categorize Warm Bodies as a strict “retelling” but when you read it, you can see the Romeo and Juliet inspiration woven into this zombie apocalypse book. (The main characters are R and Julie and are enemies who fall in love as they are a zombie and a human respectively.)

If you’ve seen the movie you have a good idea of what the book is about, and it is a well done adaptation. Think of the movie being the PG-13 version aimed for teens, and the book as the rated R version for adults. I usually don’t go for zombie stories, but this one is both grotesque while also having some of the most beautiful writing and messages about love and life and being human.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White)

The Lunar Chronicles is a popular young adult science fiction series - and rightly so! Each of the four books (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter) follow a different fairy tale. Only this series takes place in space with cyborgs and what’s highly relevant now - a worldwide pandemic.

All of the characters draw you in, the love stories are adorable and hopeful, and it has some awesome Firefly vibes.

Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier (Beauty and the Beast)

This is such a lovely retelling of Beauty and the Beast where a young scribe takes refuge (not imprisoned!) in a cursed castle and it is through her love the curse can be broken. It’s a classic tale but when you read this book it feels brand new.

I’ve seen in different places this book labeled as young adult and adult. I’m not sure what the “official” categorization is, but it’s safe to say readers of both will enjoy it!

Hunted by Megan Spooner (Beauty and the Beast, Ivan, The Firebird, and The Wolf)

Another Beauty and the Beast retelling (it’s one of the most popular stories people like to re-write I’ve learned) but this one is Russian inspired, and also has tastes of other Russian tales which gives it such a wonderful new flavor. It sticks to the original tale, but varies from it enough where you can see the author’s creativity. I really enjoyed the blend of both!

It’s a little bit of a quieter book, but so worth the read!

Chronicles of the Third Realm War by EJ Wenstrom (Greek Mythology)

EJ Wenstrom just completed the final book in her Third Realm War series earlier this year and they were SO GOOD! While these books are straight retellings, they are heavily inspired by tales and characters in Greek mythology mixed with some Judeo/Christian imagery as well.

One of the things I loved and made this series unique was the ancient feel of the setting. Most fantasy books I always imagine being somewhere between medieval times to victorian. This felt much older in a new world where things were a bit rough. Then with all the angels and demons and gods - and of course our golum Adem! Muah! So good!

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (Rumplestilzkin)

When talking about Naomi Novik I usually see people discuss Uprooted which is very good. But… I liked the book which followed it, Spinning Silver, even more!

It’s another Russian inspired book but a retelling of Rumplestitzkin which you don’t see often. I loved the focus on the three different women in the book and how their lives got woven together. And they aren’t all sweet and lovely women you usually think of with fairy tales which was different. (One is a harsh money-lender!)

How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tess Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, Joanna Shupe (Various Christmas Movies)

This pick is slightly unusual - but I love it! This is a Christmas historical romance compilation of four novellas. All of them are reimaginings of classic Christmas movies. It came out a few years ago and it quickly became a December tradition for me! They are all so fun and heart-warming. The perfect holiday read for fans of romance that show you don’t have to read fantasy for a good retelling!

A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas (Beauty and the Beast/Tamlin/East of Moon West of Sun)

This is another popular fantasy series and yet another Beauty and the Best retelling. I almost didn’t include it since it is so popular - but this is a list of MY favorites and I would be lying if it wasn’t here! I’m a massive Sarah J Maas fan, and I’ve re-read this series a few times over.

The first book at first seems to be classic Beauty and the Beast, but then you see as the book goes on the elements of Tamlin and East of Moon and West of Sun and just… wow! It becomes a whole different book! If you love retellings and haven’t read this series yet, get on it!

So, there you have it - ten of my favorite retellings! Are you a fan of retellings too? Let me know your favorites in the comments!

---

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee or becoming a Patreon.

Add The Night’s Chosen on Goodreads!

February Round-Up

We’re going to do something a little different this month for my wrap-up! As much as I love talking about all of the books I’ve read, I also want to share more of what else I’m enjoying lately. On top of it, I want to get away from doing book reviews.

I’ll be dedicating a whole blog post to this in a couple of weeks, but there’s a couple of reasons for it. 1) To be honest, I’m not great at reviewing books. There are some people who are amazing book reviewers and can do some wonderful critical commentary on them. I’m not one of those people. 2) As I’m working on pursuing my writing career, it’s usually recommended that you don’t have public book reviews anywhere. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, and I agree. Even if I’m being professional in my review if it happens to be a bit negative, why should I be publicly posting something that’s negative about a potential co-worker? It doesn’t make sense.

I’m of course not going to stop talking about books. There’s going to be a ton of blog posts in the future talking about books so don’t worry about that. I think I’m physically incapable of not talking about books. But, I’m going to be cutting out actual reviews.

So… here’s what I’ve been enjoying in Feburary!

Reading

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

I read the first book in this duology, Strange the Dreamer last year and it was one of my favorites! This book was a lovely follow-up. Her writing is so full of wonder and magic.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

What an ADORABLE debut! This was a book chosen for PitchWars a year or two ago, and her mentor was Brighton Walsh whose books I’ve read. From what I can tell, it was a fantastic pairing because I loved this book. With our delightful and autistic heroine and the charming hero in a gender-swapped Pretty Woman type of story - you won’t be disappointed.

The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner

If you want a quieter fantasy filled with wonder, sisters, and romance, this is for you! It has so many fairy tale influences and it’s steeped in Jewish culture. Then it has this interesting dual point of view chapter format where one sister’s POV is done in verse. I’m not usually one for poetry, but this was lovely.

A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole

The first book in this series, An Extraordinary Union, was another favorite of mine last year. This one was just as good! If you want historical romance, but it’s not all balls and carriage rides and everything, you’ll love this series set during the Civil War.

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

It took me months, but I finally finished this book! It took me far longer than it usually does, and I listened to the audio book which worked better for me than reading the physical book. The ending makes it worth it.

Currently Reading:

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

I’m re-reading this one because I’d re-read the first two in the trilogy not too long ago, and with the release of the follow-up duology being released, I needed to revisit Annith’s story. I’m listing to the audio book this time and really been enjoying it. This book features one of my OTPs and knowing what I know, I can’t stop giggling as I listen.

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyon

This is a debut epic fantasy novel and one of my most anticipated of the year. It’s taking me longer than I anticipated, but this world and story are so rich.

Listening

Wonder Women Podcast - Carrie Hope Fletcher and Celinde Shoenmaker

I’ve been a fan of Carrie’s YouTube channel for some time and when I saw her announce she was starting a podcast with one of her friends I thought I’d give it a shot! They mostly talk about general women’s issues and history. It’s really fun and it’s like sitting in on two friends having coffee. It’s a little scattered and their episodes could be a bit more organized, but that will come with time as they go. There’s only been a couple episodes so far!

Snark Squad Pod - Emma & Romantic Comedies

I’ve been loving the Snark Squad Pod ever since it was released last year, and this past month I particularly loved their episodes on Emma and Romantic Comedies. As a Jane Austen fan, it was fun to hear them talk about their histories with the story of Emma, thoughts on the books, and comparing all of the adaptations. Then to celebrate Valentines Day they talked about romantic comedies which was also ridiculously fun and I ended up binging all of my favorites once I finished the episodes.

How to Train Your Dragon Soundtrack

I recently went on a writing retreat with some friends and I was looking for some new music to listen to while I got work done. One of them suggested the How To Train Your Dragon soundtrack (to be honest - I’ve only seen the movie once so I never would have thought of it!) and it was wonderful! Especially for fantasy and some more battle/action-y type scenes. I’ve really been into instrumental music while I’ve been writing lately and this was exactly what I needed.

Smash Cast

I recently discovered that I can rewatch old episodes of the short-lived musical TV show a few weeks ago and… it created a monster. I basically have the music from the show playing non-stop now and it makes me far happier than it should.

Watching

The Bachelor

Yes, I fully admit that I watch this show and I get SO INTO IT. Especially this week! Ever since they showed that at one point Colton jumped the fence because he was tired of it all I was completely hooked this season and have been waiting for this moment. I’ll be honest - I was hoping it was a little earlier in the season because how great would it be if the Bachelor left the show but they kept on filming and we just got to see all of the women become BFFs and travel the world together? I’d watch the crap out of that show.

But, the drama this week has been legitimate. I think for once Chris Harrison has been honest about this being “the most dramatic episode ever.” I mean, it’s worse than when Rachel cried her tears off with Peter.

Smash

As I said earlier, it’s taken me forever but I finally realized how I can stream old episodes of Smash on the NBC app and it’s made my musical theatre loving heart incredibly happy. Also - when can this Marylin Monroe musical be a real life thing? I’d totally fly out to NYC to go see it.

Brooklyn 99

I’m late to the party on this one, but I finally have started watching Brooklyn 99. I’m only in season two and it’s ridiculously fun. I think Sergeant Terry Jeffords is my favorite. But all of them are pretty fantastic.

A Million Little Things

We’ve already had the season finale for this new show and why is it over???? I don’t understand! I don’t care about the other new shows coming in for the spring/remainder of the winter season. I wasn’t sure about this show at first because it seemed like ABC just wanted their own version of This Is Us. Which… it kind of is. But, I for sure got into the mystery and loved the different characters. Especially Maggie and Gary. They’re my OTP of the show.

This is Us

Of course I’m still totally into This is Us. But I’ll be completely honest - I’m getting really bad at Randall this season. His wife Beth is the actual best ever and they’re so perfect together but RANDALL IS MESSING EVERYTHING UP and if he continues on this path I’m not sure if I’ll still believe in true love.

Deadly Class

A friend of mine recommended this new SyFy show to me a few weeks ago so when I had a couple of days off I binged the episodes which were already out and have been trying to keep up with the new releases each week. I don’t read graphic novels, so I’m not familiar with the ones this show is based off of. However, I don’t feel like I’m missing anything by not reading them. I typically enjoy stories about assassins for some reason and stories about boarding schools - this is the perfect combination of both! It’s this odd cross between a “typical” high school/coming of age TV show (they have an episode that is a throwback to The Breakfast Club and one about a prank war) but you know… the stakes are a tad big higher. As in, they’re all murdering each other. So you know, good times.

Also, it stars our sweet girl who played Laura Jean in To All the Boys I Loved Before but now she’s this awesome fierce assassin and I couldn’t be more proud.

Miracle Workers

Being the over the top Harry Potter fan I am, as outrageous and odd as some of Daniel Radcliffe’s other acting projects have been, I still have to at least test out each one of them. I have to admit - this one is one of my favorites so far. He works in the “answered prayers” department of heaven and he along with a small team have to help two people on Earth find love in order to save the world. If you take off your theology hat - it’s hilarious and endearing. It’s a great cross between The Good Place and a workplace comedy.

Favorite Things

Flavored Water

I’m ridiculously unhealthy and I’m attempting to drink more water. Usually all I drink through the day is coffee, tea, and pop. Which… isn’t good. I have a nice little water intake tracker in my bullet journal and while I haven’t gotten my whole 8 cups of water a day in yet, I’m well on my way. It was particularly helpful when I found out that flavored sparkling water counts toward your daily intake. My favorite brand is Ice Mountain, and because I don’t particularly enjoy water on it’s own, I’ve been keeping fruit in my freezer and putting it into my water bottle each day. Pineapple, strawberry, and mango is a lovely combination.

Not Your Mother’s Dry Shampoo & Hair Straightening Spray

I swear by dry shampoo and this brand has been fantastic. It’s affordable, doesn’t leave a weird texture in my hair, and actually helps to liven it up. Then, the same line has a hair straightening spray and it is the ACTUAL BEST I’ve ever tried. You just spritz it on your hair before blow drying and it leaves my hair so silky and smooth. It’s the closest I’ve gotten to having it as smooth as it is after I go to the salon and I’m in love.

UGG Boots

Yes… I realize that I’m like 30 years behind the game. (Okay… more like 10ish years but you get the idea.) When I was in high school and college and everyone else in the world was wearing these boots I just never understood it and wore whatever I could afford. Well, this winter has been brutal here in Chicago. It. Is. Cold. On top of the ridiculous cold, we also had a couple of weeks where we were slammed with ice and snow and sleet and basically every combination of winter weather you could think of. My tall fake leather boots I was wearing every day just weren’t going to cut it.

I found a pair of discounted boots online and thought I’d give them a shot. Thankfully, I tried them on in the store and they were too small. So, I perused the shelves and there were a pair of UGGs in my size. I tried them on because I was curious. “Surely they’re not SO GREAT that they’re worth how much more expensive they are than the ones I’d already picked.”

Well… I was wrong. They were amazing. They’re so much warmer than my other boots and the tread has been great on the ice and snow. So, I splurged and now I live in them.

My Bullet Journal

I’ve tried bullet journaling on and off but was never able to to fully keep up with it. I’m terrible at drawing and i wanted my journal to look as cute as everyone else’s that I saw on Pinterest. So, I switched to a planner which already looked pretty and I could add stickers. But, I still wanted a journal to jot down notes, work on brainstorming, and organize other elements of my life. I kind of half-assed my journal and it wasn’t super organized.

When a friend of mine started a bullet journal she kept on sharing all of her cute layouts and designs and it made me wish I’d given it a fair try. I found some simple ways to make mine look cute and put more thought into the layouts I’d actually use. Now, I love it! I still use my planner and my journal might not look as elaborate and cute as some others, but it’s still pretty fantastic. I might do a separate blog post on how I’ve been using it at a later date.

How was everyone else’s February? Read, watch, or listen to anything you truly loved? Any recs for me? Do you bullet journal?

---

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee.

December Reading Round Up

It’s a bit late, but I’m talking about all of the books I read in December. I hope you still have some holiday spirit in you because there’s A LOT of holiday books in here!

Ben’s Bakery and the Hanukkah Miracle by Penelope Peters

• Genre: Contemporary Romance (M/M relationship)

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 4 stars

Quick Summary: Former hockey star and perfect Jewish son, Adam, takes his pee-wee hockey team to Boston for a tourney and meets Ben who owns a “Kosher-Style” bakery.

Well, this was completely adorable and a fast read! (Less than 300 pages, read it in one day.) It was a last minute download and I chose it as my “warm and fuzzy” book for the ‘Tis-the-Season-a-Thon. Which was completely perfect because between the adorable romance, the match-making middle school hockey players, and ALL OF THE BAKED GOODS (Seriously, you’ll get super hungry reading this book. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.) this was absolutely a great warm and fuzzy read.

It’s also an own voices book about Hanukkah which was awesome!

You’ll like this book if you also enjoy: m/m romance, contemporary romance, hockey, bakeries, own voices, Hanukkah, flings turned into relationship, father-son relationships, duty vs. heart trope

Content Warnings: flashbacks to an injury, references to a past car crash

---

Snow in Love by Kasie West, Aimee Friedman, Melissa de la Cruz, and Nic Stone

• Genre: YA Romance Anthology

• Format: Library Paperback

• Rating: 3.5 Stars

Quick Summary: Four YA romance novellas by popular authors which take place during the holiday season.

This was the pick for the ‘Tis-the-Season-a-Thon as the group read, and it came in from my library the day the read a thon started so it was perfect timing!

It’s a really quick read - less than 300 pages! I finished it in one day and it was fun. The first two stories by Kasie West and Aimee Friedman were my favorites though. All four were pretty predictable, but still cute. I’m glad I read it, but I don’t think this will be an anthology I’ll return to year after year like some others I’ve read. I’m all for predictable/cheesy holiday stories, but they didn’t have quite the creative edge I’ve seen in some other books.

You’ll Like this Book If you Also Enjoy: Hallmark movies, the book My True Love Gave to Me, short stories/novellas, road trips, terrible holiday jobs, childhood sweethearts, coming out stories, stuck in an airport

Content Warnings: References/discussion of racism

---

How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, and Joanna Shupe

• Genre: Adult Historical Romance Anthology

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 5 stars

Quick Summary: Four popular historical romance authors share holiday novellas. All featuring a duke and inspired by a classic Christmas story.

This was the book I read for the ‘Tis-the-Season-a-Thon challenge of “a book with red or green on the cover.”

The first novella by Tessa Dare was completely perfect - which I predicted. I’d only read one Tessa Dare book before this one but I loved it so much that I had complete confidence this would be no different. Inspired by Meet Me in St. Louis (one of my faves!) and full of her classic humor, wit, and feminism with a dash of swoon.

The second novella was by Sarah MacLean and oof it was definitely a change from Dare’s story! It was inspired by A Christmas Carol and OH GOODNESS THE FEELS AND THE ANGST. But I still loved it.

The third novella was by Sohpie Jordan and a take on Home Alone. So much fun! And definitely the steamiest out of the four stories.

The fourth one by Joanna Shupe I cannot for the life of me figure out what classic holiday story it’s inspired by! If anyone knows, please tell me. In spite of that, it was still cute. I didn’t like it as much as the other three, but not enough to bring it down in my rating.

Are these stories realistic? Probably not. Are they super historically accurate? Probably not. Do I care? Nope. Overall - this was wonderful and I’ll be adding it to my pile of holiday books to return to in Decembers to come.

You’ll like this book if you also enjoy: historical holiday romance, novellas, anthologies, anything by any of these authors, snowed in trope, hidden identity trope, dukes, classic holiday stories and retellings

Content Warnings: none that come to mind

---

Frozen by LA Casey

• Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 3 stars

Quick Summary: Neala and Darcy have been enemies from childhood and the tension reaches it’s peak when they’re vying for the same doll they want to give to their niece and nephew.

This was my pick for “holiday themed” challenge for the ‘Tis the season a thon. Which… all of my books were holiday themed so take that as you will.

The concept of this book was great. It was like the movie Jingle All the Way but set in Ireland and with romance. Besides, a good hate-to-love story is always fun. I also really liked how the book is called Frozen and the doll they are trying to get for the kids is from a fictional animated movie called Blaze about a princess who can make fire.

The execution was good, but not my favorite. I liked the shenanigans and tension, but didn’t really fall for and get invested in the characters the way I normally would.

You’ll like this book if you also enjoy: enemies to lovers, childhood friends, big families

Content warnings: reference to past sexual assault

---

Once Upon a Winters Eve (Spindle Cove 1.5) by Tessa Dare

• Genre: Adult Historical Romance

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 5 stars

Quick Summary: On the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas Ball, and the day before Violet is to return home to find a husband, a mysterious stranger crashes the party and goes right to Violet.

It’s Tessa Dare… of course I loved this book. I’ve now read one of her novels and two novellas and all three have been five stars.

I was hooked and drawn into Violet’s character right away, I loved figuring out the mystery of the mysterious man, and seeing our original couple from the first book in the Spindle Cove series was wonderful.

I’ll probably end up binge reading the remainder of the Spindle Cove series once we get into the new year.

You’ll like this book if you also enjoy: mystery, historical romance, whirlwind one night stories, scorned lovers, forbidden/secret lovers, feminist romance

Content warnings: our hero has some injuries and references to past torture

---

A Christmas Brothel by Ava Stone, Kate Pearce, Jane Charles, Virginia Heath, Deb Marlowe, KC Bateman, Elizabeth Essex, Amanda Mariel, and more

• Genre: Adult Historical Short Story Anthology

• Format: ebook

• Rating: Did not finish

Quick Summary: It’s Christmas Eve in Canterbury when a sudden snow storm hits and the only place in town that has room is the local brothel.

This book was… not what I expected. Honestly, this should have just taken place at an inn. Save for a few references to the madame and seeing one of her girls here and there, and on occasion we’d have a character blush at where they needed to spend the night, this set of short stories could have taken place anywhere. Changing those details wouldn’t have changed anything in the stories.

I mean, it takes place in a brothel, and yet it was the cleanest most wholesome thing I read all month. Which is fine - just not what I expected. There wasn’t even a fun Pretty Woman scenario or anything! Maybe if I had known this going into it, I would have enjoyed this book more. It’s like you go into your fridge and see something labeled as “milk” but when you drink it, it’s actually orange juice. There’s nothing wrong with orange juice. Orange juice is great! But when you’re expecting milk, it’s not a great experience.

And the stories were too short for my taste. They just didn’t go deep enough for me to really enjoy them.

It was fun to see some of the stories overlapping though and I love the concept. Maybe I’ll try it again later.

---

Empire of Sand (The Books of Ambha #1) by Tasha Suri

• Genre: Adult Fantasy

• Format: Library Paperback

• Rating: 5 Stars

Quick Summary: Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of a governor with magic in her blood and her powers become noticed by the Emperor’s most feared mystics.

OH GOODNESS THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. It was the only book I read this month which wasn’t holiday focused or a re-read because I’d gotten it from the library and needed to return it. I’m so glad I read it though!

Even the back of the book description doesn’t do it justice because there’s so much more to it than just magic blood. I loved the setting and the magic system and the way religion was used. This looks like it’s going to be action packed and violent, and parts of it are. But the best part was the characters. I COMPLETELY fell in love with them. They made me swoon and cry and I need more of them in my life. It was a bit more of a slower/quieter fantasy, but still compelling.

You’ll Like This Book if You Also Enjoy: Folklore/inspiration from India, slow burn romance, arranged marriage, “chosen one” fantasy trope, use of religion, family focus

Content Warnings: violence, death, parental abandonment, references to torture

---

Chasing Christmas Eve (Heartbreaker Bay #4) by Jill Shavis

• Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 4 Stars

Quick Summary: Colbie is a best-selling YA author on the brink of burn out and runs away to San Francisco where no one can reach her or knows her pen name when she runs into sexy-nerd business man Spencer.

This was so cute and swoony! I loved how our heroine was a YA author battling writers block, and Spencer was such a great hero who was this awesome nerdy guy. Although, I think she totally should have fired her agent cause… NOPE. He was the actual worst ever and I thought back to the different publishing podcasts I’ve listened to and I’m pretty sure all of them would have been like “FIND A NEW AGENT.”

This book is great if you want a Christmas but not Christmas read. It takes place in December and it talks about Christmas, but it’s definitely not about the holiday either. I could easily see it taking place at another time of year if needed, but having the holiday backdrop was a nice perk.

Reading it also made me curious about the other books in the series as well, especially since I read one of the novellas last Christmas, so I’ll be on the look out for book 1.

You’ll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy: flings turned to relationship, nerdy heroes, wealthy heroes, close friend groups, San Francisco, Holiday Books

Content Warnings: messed up families, homelessness, financial struggles, agents behaving VERY badly

---

Love Rekindled at Christmas by Eveylen Issacs, Elizabeth Kysian, Diana Lloyd, Eve Pendle, and E. Elizabeth Watson

• Genre: Adult Historical Romance Anthology

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 3 stars

Quick Summary: A series of regency romances about those who fell in love then were separated only to be reunited again at Christmas.

The first novella was… not great. So much so that I considered DNFing the entire book because while they were all different authors, I wondered if it was a sign of the quality of the other novellas. However, I stopped reading the first one and gave the second a try. It was SO MUCH better and super adorable.

The third was… cute. Not as cute as the others, but enjoyable. (A fun take on “truth or dare” though.)

The last one was… exactly like the previous two and I couldn’t take it anymore and stopped reading.

I get all of the novellas having similarities because they all have the same theme. But, you can do several different takes on that theme. As I read, each story felt roughly the same and didn’t have much variation. You could argue that most romance books follow similar plots, but this was too much. If I’d read each one individually and not one right after the other, I might have enjoyed them more.

You’ll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy: historical romance, novellas, former lovers reuniting, single parent love stories, characters with more “experience,” holiday romance

Content Warnings: snowed in, miscarriage, loss of a spouse, loss of parents

---

Joy to the Earl by Nicola Davidson

• Genre: Adult Historical Romance

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 3.5 Stars

Quick Summary: Right as Jack Reynolds finds out he’s an earl, he gets into a carriage accident leaving him with amnesia and in the care of the scandalous “wicked widow,” Rosalind.

There was a lot about this novella I was excited about - particularly how our hero had a disability from birth. Yet… it fell a little flat for me. It was a fun quick read for right before Christmas, but it would have benefited to be a bit longer as it all felt rushed. While most romances are more of the “whirlwind” variety, this one didn’t totally convince me it was TRUE LOVE FOREVER. I liked the couple, and they were fine together. But I didn’t completely believe it. I mean, they were in each others pants before they even had a full conversation. Which, for some people that’s fine, but for me it’s not my cup of tea. (Only a few can pull that “hook up to romance” plot line for me. The Holiday being one example.)

The disability representation was fine. Not amazing. It had a lot of the “woe is me no one loves me cause I’m SO DEFORMED.” Which, is a fine and valid story line, particularly depending on the society/time period you’re writing about. It’s just that… we ALWAYS hear that story and I’m ready for something else.

However, Rosalind’s daughter was the best.

You’ll like this book if you also enjoy: hook-up to relationship, disability rep, single moms, historical romance, amnesia, whirlwind romance, holidays

Content Warnings: amnesia, prejudice against the disabled as well as sexually active women, worst parenting ever, loss of loved ones

---

Re-Reads

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohen and David Levithan

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The Quiet Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

The Night Circus by Erin Morgentern

A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas

What did you all read in December?

---

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee.

November Reading Round Up

Thanks to NaNoWriMo and… life… I read basically nothing in November. I thought I would be able to squeeze in more but it just didn’t happen. One book I started in October then finished at the start of November. One book was one of my highly anticipated and turned out to be a temporary DNF. Then the last one was interesting but didn’t grab me enough to put down my writing and keep reading and ended up finishing at the start of December.

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (Montague Siblings #2) by Mackenzi Lee

• Genre: YA Historical/Fantasy (LGTBQIA+ rep)

• Format: Hardcover

• Rating: 4 stars

Quick Summary: Felicity tries to enroll in medical school but isn’t accepted, so she seeks out a childhood friend who is engaged to her idol to obtain her education.

First off, that summary doesn’t do the plot justice at all - but it was really hard to do when I wanted to keep it to once sentence. What can you do?

I adore the first book in this duology, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue a really ridiculous amount. Monty is my precious baby. Needless to say, I was excited for the second book.

In a sense, this could be a companion novel. You may be able to read this one without reading the first and still be able to follow the plot. I don’t recommend it though because you’ll miss out on SO MUCH extra context. Which, in a way was one of the downfalls of the book. I cared about Felicity and this story because I read the first book and I already went into it caring about Felicity. This book relied on trusting that the reader already cared a bit too much. Yes, it’s a sequel, but this is also it’s own story, and it let the first book do too much of the heavy lifting.

For me, the plot didn’t really pick up until about half way through. I enjoyed it the first half, but it wasn’t spectacular. Overall, that was my feeling the whole book. It was good, I loved what it was doing, I liked the themes of feminism and identity and exploring Felicity’s asexuality, etc. But it didn’t have that little extra… spark… Gentleman’s Guide had.

You’ll like this book if you also enjoy: Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, sea dragons, lady pirates, feminism, women in STEM, friendship themes, arranged marriages, historical, a hint of fantasy

Content warnings: addiction, violence, bloody wounds, medical procedures, racism, sexism

---

Lethal White (Cormoran Strike #4) by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling)

• Genre: Adult Thriller/Mystery

• Format: Hardcover

• Rating: Temporary Did Not Finish

Quick Summary: A disturbed man arrives at Strike’s office with the story of a child who was murdered he claims he witnessed, sending Cormoran and Robin on a twisting trail through Parliament.

UGH. I was so excited for this book. I loved the third Strike book, Career of Evil and it left the audience on such a cliffhanger and we had to wait TWO YEARS to find out what happened.

The resolution of said climax was handled in the prologue and it left me completely unsatisfied. But, I knew it wasn’t really resolved so I kept going. The rest of the book though?

Meh.

I honestly don’t even remember much of what happened of the little I did read. It didn’t grab me and pull me in. I’m definitely going to go back to this book, because when I talked to some friends they said they feel like all of these books are a bit slow but still end up being enjoyable. Also, I love these characters so much that I know I’ll want to read book five when it eventually comes out as well. I just have to come back to Lethal White when I have more time to focus on it.

You’ll like this book if you also enjoy: I honestly don’t know because I can’t remember what happened so far.

Content warnings: Reference to a child being murdered, PTSD, unhealthy relationships

---

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

• Genre: Adult Fantasy (Maybe YA… slightly unclear with this one.)

• Format: Library Hardcover

• Rating: 4 stars

Quick Summary: The daughter of a money-lender gets a reputation for turning pennies into gold and it grabs the attention of the king.

Technically I finished this in December (yesterday) but it was before this post went up so… there we go.

I liked Uprooted by the same author and with this being a retelling I was definitely intrigued. It followed the points of view of three different young women, (more were added through the book, but it mainly focused on them) which I really liked, particularly since my favorite element of Uprooted was the friendship. However, the reader never got a heads up of who’s POV we were in when, which makes it slightly confusing and takes me out of the book. After awhile I got used to it and I was able to get into the book more.

It’s a slower and quieter read, but still enjoyable. What I loved was how it truly captured the feeling of winter. If you want an atmospheric book for these cold months, this is definitely a good one! You read it and want to curl up next to the fire with some hot cocoa and a blanket.

Spinning Silver is a it slower to get into, but I’m so glad I stuck it through to the end. It really was wonderful and I loved how it all wrapped up.

You’ll Like This Book if You Also Enjoy: quieter fantasy, atmospheric books, incredibly slow burn romance, hate to love, winter, fairy tale retellings

Content Warnings: fire, death, burning, child abuse, alcohol abuse, kidnapping, demon possession, poverty

What did you read in November? Any other Cormoran Strike fans who are riding the struggle bus with this most recent installment?

---

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee.

September Reading Round Up

Happy October, everyone! This is one of my favorite months. The weather is cooler, the leaves are turning pretty colors, PUMPKIN EVERYTHING, and of course… Halloween! I consider October to be the kick-off for the holiday season and I am READY.

But first, it’s time for reviews of the books I read in September. Compared to how August was, I am definitely back to “normal” when it comes to my consumption of books because I read 9 of them and am currently reading one.

Let’s get to it!

Wild Hunger* (Heirs of Chicagoland #1) by Chloe Neill

• Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

• Format: Paperback

• Rating: 4 stars

Quick Summary:  (If you haven’t read the Chicagoland Vampires books and don’t want spoilers…. go ahead and skip this review cause… ALL THE SPOILERS. You’ve been warned.) Elisa returns to Chicago after her schooling in Paris with other vampire houses is complete only to have to deal with assassinated diplomats and the sexy but arrogant werewolf she grew up with.

This book was a delightful way to jump back into my old reading habits. It’s the spin-off of Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series (which I’m obsessed with) and follows the daughter of Merti and Ethan.

Technically it is a spin off so you don’t need to read the first series. However, I think it is highly beneficial that you do. 1) You’ll already understand the whole world and how it’s built. 2) Some of the background and set-up for this book would be lost. I’m sure you’d be able to follow the story fine, but without the background info to me it wouldn’t make as much sense. 3) You’ll get to see how Elisa is the perfect blend of Ethan and Merit. 4) ETHAN AND MERIT

It was really fun. Some of the plot itself I wasn’t super excited about, but I loved the characters, seeing a slightly “future” version of Chicago, and some of the twists of what/who Elise is. I’m excited to see where she goes with it next.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  The Chicagoland Vampires series, urban fantasy, family, childhood rivals to lovers, witches, werewolves, vampires, paranormal, action packed

Content Warnings: It can get pretty violent at times and there’s some references to addiction from the previous series, but beyond that I don’t think there’s a whole lot of content to be concerned about.

---

A Duke by Default* (Reluctant Royals #2) by Alyssa Cole

• Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

• Format: Library Mass Market Paperback

• Rating: 4 stars

Quick Summary:  Portia goes to Scotland for a sword-making apprenticeship and starts falling for her boss - a silver fox who also happens to be a duke.

I’ve jumped on the Alyssa Cole bandwagon and grabbing each of her books as they release! I read the first book of Reluctant Royals back in March and it was super cute! Dare I say that I liked this one even more? I wasn’t sure about Portia as our heroine at first. I wasn’t a huge fan of hers in the first book. But oh goodness I fell in love with her. Then our hero? Silver fox who makes swords and has a Scottish accent?

Yes, please!

However, I learned that there are a lot of mishaps when it came to the representation of royalty and living in the UK. (Also, if you’re writing about British dukes… maybe pick one that isn’t super famous or make one up. Or SOMETHING.) Beyond that, it was great. I mean, you had all of the perks of historical romance (castles, swords, knights) along with the perks of a contemporary romance. Can’t wait for book three!

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  Romances featuring royalty, romances with a significant age difference, finding yourself, swords, ADHD representation

Content Warnings:  spiked drinks, alcohol abuse, sex addiction, bad parenting, racism

---

Crazy Rich Asians* (Crazy Rich Asians #1) by Kevin Kwan

• Genre: Adult Contemporary

• Format: Library Paperback

• Rating: 3.5 Stars

Quick Summary:  Rachel goes on vacation with her boyfriend in Singapore to attend his best friends wedding to find out that he’s a member of one of Asia’s most wealthy families.

Okay, since the movie was coming out I knew I had to read this book. It just wasn’t my favorite.

I love the concept, I love the overall plot, I love that we get to have Asian rep in a fun contemporary romance, and as I read I could totally see all of this as a movie and it made me SUPER EXCITED to see the movie.

However.

I cannot stand his writing style. He’s always hopping heads. One second you’re reading from one character’s POV and then literally in the same or next paragraph we’re reading from another character’s POV. This is such a HUGE NOPE when it comes to writing. I just… I can’t. You can switch POVs. That’s fine. BUT NOT IN THE SAME PARAGRAPH.

I also felt like I didn’t really get to know the characters. Especially Rachel and Nick. (I loved Astrid.) They were cute and I was never not rooting for them. But I also wish I could have seen more reasons as to why I should root for them.

All in all though, I’m really glad this book exists and so many people like it because representation matters. There were a lot of things that I probably didn’t really fully understand or appreciate - but I was 100000% okay with that because I wasn’t supposed to have gotten it. I’m not the intended audience, and I’m glad for that. Because us white people have far too many books that are intended for us.

I also plan on seeing the movie because I can almost see it translating to screen better than to a book. I might read the other books in the trilogy, but we’ll see.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  rom coms, big families, soap-opera type plots, outrageously rich people, Asia (specifically Singapore)

Content Warnings:  Racial slurs, graphic dog fight, father threatening violence against child, cheating, classism, prejudice

---

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before* (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #1) by Jenny Han

• Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance

• Format: Library Hard Cover

• Rating: 3.5 Stars

Quick Summary:  When Laura Jean’s secret letters to all of her past crushes are mysteriously mailed, chaos, romance, and shenanigans ensue.

I am SO LATE to the party for this book series. Everyone on Booktube has been talking about it for years but I never read them. Then, the Netflix movie was released and I was like “fine, I’ll read the book.”

It was cute. Laura Jean is refreshingly naive which I really appreciated because I was the same way in high school. (Heck, I still am, let’s be real.) Peter was also super adorable, and I loved the dynamics with Laura Jean and her sisters.

This was another one where I just wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style. It was very… simple. Which made sense and it’s a young adult contemporary romance. But, I was expecting just a bit more to the prose itself. Which, I’m usually not one to say that. I’m not a fan of big complicated flowery writing. That being said, if even I’m saying the writing could have a bit more to it, I feel like that’s saying something.

But, I did watch the movie almost immediately after and it was super adorable. I also think I really would have loved these books in high school - which is a good thing since that’s the audience it’s intended for. I kind of wish they existed back then because I probably would have loved them that much.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  teen romance, fake relationship turned real relationship trope, sisters

Content Warnings: loss of a parent, divorce, fear of driving, there’s a theme of how rumors spread and how girls’ reputations can be easily damaged, slut shamming

---

The Fated Sky* (Lady Astronaut #2) by Mary Robinette Kowal

• Genre: Adult Historical Science Fiction

• Format: Library Paperback

• Rating: 4.5 stars

Quick Summary:  Several years after The Calculating Stars, the USA is now planning their first trip to Mars and Elma plans to be on that rocket!

It’s the sequel to The Calculating Stars! I was SO EXCITED for this book. It’s really rare when an author released the first and second books of a series within months of each other.

I love these books SO SO MUCH and I haven’t been able to shut up about them. Whenever people have asked for book recs (or even when they’ haven’t…) I’ve been telling them to read these books!

I didn’t love it quite as much as I did the first one. (Probably because she wasn’t with Nathaniel as much as she was in the first one - ha!) But, it’s still amazing.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  SPACE! MARS! HAPPY HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS! Historical fiction, Hidden Figures vibes, feminism, women in STEM roles

Content Warnings: anxiety, death by violent accident, death by disease, anger, racism, bullying, violent attacks, hostage, loss, sorrow 

---

The Lady Astronaut of Mars* (Lady Astronaut #4.5) by Mary Robinette Kowal

• Genre: Adult Sci-Fi Novelette

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 4.5 stars

Quick Summary:  We see a glimpse of life for Elma and Nathaniel on Mars.

Naturally, I had to read the novelette which inspired it all. Yes, this one was written before either The Calculating Stars or The Fated Sky. Kowal wrote this story, then decided to go backwards in time and write the other books.

Well… this story completely destroyed me. I can barely even write this review because I just want to sit in a corner and cry.

It’s so beautifully written though and the fact that it destroyed me so much is just a sign of how attached I am to the characters and the story.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  space, Mars, women in STEM, established relationships

Content Warnings: loss of a loved one, diminishing health

---

Empire of Storms* (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J Maas

• Genre: New Adult Fantasy

• Format: Hardcover

• Rating: 4 stars

Quick Summary:  Our heroine and her friends all journey on their separate paths to reclaim Tessaran.

Personal note: technically this book is considered YA but considering none of the main characters are teens and how graphic the violent and sex scenes are I label this as “new adult.” Not that teens cannot read this book - they totally can! Just be prepared for more adult content.

Onward with the Throne of Glass re-read! Reading Empire of Storms for the first time since it was first released was an interesting experience.

I don’t think it’s my favorite of the series. I love Elide and Lorcan the best in this book, and I’m still obsessed with Mannon, Dorian, and my girl Aelin.

Just… I don’t know. Something about this book just misses the mark for me. The second half I prefer to the first. There are some things I think which could have either been cut or shortened. Then the end is completely heartbreaking and will destroy you. Just… structurally some things could be improved.

But you know me and my undying love for ToG. Even with my critiques, I still love this book more than a lot of others so… there we go. Can you believe the final one releases THIS MONTH? I’m gonna die. I’m not ready.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  epic fantasy, romance, sexy times (but it’s only 2 scenes. They’re pretty graphic, but it’s not like it’s an “erotic” novel), epic battles, young queens rising into power, feminism,

Content Warnings: LOTS of violence, torture, references to sexual and physical abuse

---

Girl, Wash Your Face* by Rachel Hollis

• Genre: Adult Non-Fiction/Motivational

• Format: Library Hardcover

• Rating: 4 stars

Quick Summary:  Social Media star and former party-planner shares how to “Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant To Be.”

I’d heard people talking about this book and I haven’t read a non-fiction book in awhile so I thought I’d give it a shot.

I was pleasantly surprised! It wasn’t that I thought I wouldn’t like it, but I didn’t think it’d like it as much as I did. A lot of what Hollis discusses isn’t all that new about going after what you want, how we shouldn’t compare ourselves to other people, etc. However, I haven’t heard a lot of these topics discussed by an openly Christian writer.

For those who don’t read Christian books and such, what she has to say may or may not be super ground breaking for you. But those of you who do, this is pretty big. Focusing on empowering yourself, making your own choices, realizing that you are enough, and heck- even going deep into talking about sex outside of “wait for marriage and then once you have a ring on your finer your sex life will be amazing!”, is really unheard of for most Christian writing.

A lot of people claim that she doesn’t talk about “God’s plan for your life” and how “God is in control” enough - but I found it refreshing. (Sorry, sometimes “if you pray and have faith God will rain blessings upon your head” isn’t the answer.)

Granted, Hollis is more privileged than she realizes. That’s not to say that she hasn’t worked her ass off or that she doesn’t deserve what she has or hasn’t faced a lot of trials and challenges in her life or anything like that. But… it is also very easy for an upper middle class (even if she didn’t start that way), straight, able-bodied, white girl who graduated high school a year early, moved to LA at 17, and was able to quit college because she had a full time job opportunity, then met her future husband that same year to say “don’t feel like if you haven’t accomplished certain things by a certain age that you’re behind.” Not that this isn’t true, but I also think she’s a bit out of touch of other people’s realities.

Overall though, this was good. Not for everyone, but I can think of some friends who would enjoy it.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  Rachel Hollis’ blog https://thechicsite.com/, motivational books, feminist books, Christian books

Content Warnings: references to depression and suicide, unhealthy relationships, unhealthy weight loss, divorce, bad parenting

---

P.S. I Still Love You* (Laura Jean #2) by Jenny Han

• Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

• Format: Library Hardcover

• Rating: 3 Stars

Quick Summary:  When the recipient of one of her love letters emerges, Laura Jean wonders if she could be in love with two boys at the same time.

I didn’t think I was going to read the second book for Lara Jean- but the first one ended on a bit of cliff-hanger and I was like “now I HAVE to read it!”

Not as good as the first, there were definitely times I was like “ugh… how much more do I have to read?” But, it was still really cute. I like Laura Jean and her family, Peter is still great, and it was classic high school drama. Again, I really think high school me would have LOVED these books.

I’ll probably read the last one just because I’ve gotten this far so, why not?

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  love triangles, teen contemporary romance, close families

Content Warnings: loss of a parent, some references to racism and prejudice (and general ignorance) to Japanese, ongoing theme of how a girl’s reputation can be tarnished quickly thanks to social media, cyber bullying, slut shamming

---

Currently Reading

Vengeful* (Villains #2) by VE Schwab

• Genre: Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy

• Format: Hardcover

I can’t really give a good summary since I just started the book and there’s several character POVs so far. Once I finish it and I include a summary in my October round up.

So far, it’s wonderful! It starts out with a super intense scene and grabs you right away. I still love these characters as much as I did in the first book, and I’m super excited to see where this sequel takes me!

As for content warnings, so far it’s VERY violent and ruthless.

That’s what I read in September! What good books have you read recently?

---

*= affiliated link

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee.

Also- check out this promotion from Barnes and Noble - good through October 29!*

Buy 2, Get the 3rd Free - Tor Sci Fi & Fantasy Novels

August Reading Round-Up

Friends... August was a weird month. 

I only read three books. One was a re-read, two of them I'd actually started in July and finished at the start of August. Then only one which I started and completed in August.

However- it was for a good reason.

I decided to participate in the writing contest PitchWars and it's a slightly long story but it basically ended with me needing to hide out in my writing cave for about a week and a half finishing the last quarter of my fairy-tale mash-up and doing any edits or revisions it needed by August 29 at 9pm North American Central Time.. It was exhausting- but it's done!

I can finally say that this draft of White Rose is completed and I'm really proud of myself. I even had a few hours to spare on August 29 after I hit the "submit" button. 

I won't know anything about if I got chosen until October, which is slightly nerve-wracking because it means 6 weeks of my agonizing over Twitter and thinking about every detail I could have changed or done with my novel. However, it also means that September I am officially taking a writing break. 

You all know how passionate I am about writing and telling stories, but we all need a rest sometimes even from things we love. My brain needs to relax a bit. 

Basically, all I'm going to do in September is read, watch  Netflix, and drink Pumpkin Spice Lattes because... I'm basic like that.

It's going to be amazing.

Anyway - onto the three books I read!

QUEEN OF SHADOWS* (THRONE OF GLASS #4) BY SARAH J MAAS

• Genre:  Young Adult Fantasy
• Format:  Hardcover
• Rating: 5 Stars

Quick Summary:  Our heroine returns to the empire to rescue her friends, family, and people, as well as for vengeance for all she's lost. 

The first time I read Queen of Shadows I was unsure of my feelings toward it. It took such a different turn than when the series started and it felt like I wasn't even reading the same books anymore.

The second time I read it, I understood it.

The third time - I LOVED IT. Now that I'm seeing where the series is going, everything else Maas did to build up to QoS my views have completely changed in regards to this book. I'm so bummed I wasn't able to get to the next one in August as planned, but I'm super excited to re-read Empire of Storms in September!

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  SJM's other books, epic fantasy, romance, assassins, political intrigue, fae, shifters, adventure, a lot of plot twists

Trigger Warnings: graphic violence, references to past emotional/physical/sexual abuse

---

LOVE OVER LATTES (DESERT MONSOON #1)* BY DIANA A. HICKS

• Genre:  Contemporary Romance
• Format:  ebook
• Rating:  3.5 Stars

Quick Summary:  A young mom and college graduate falls for the guy she's been eyeing at the coffee shop - who also happens to offer to be her landlord when she's in need of a place to live. 

This book has been sitting on my Kindle app (along with many others) for several months, and I needed something to occupy my time while sitting at the hair salon waiting for my hair to dry. So, I pulled out my phone and started this one.

It was really cute! My one complaint with some of these romances is that they happen so fast where I can only willingly suspend my disbelief for so long. Like... there's no way you fell in love that hard that fast. But... whatever. Everything else was fun. I loved that they met at a coffee shop, her kid was cute, and the twists with his ex-wife were interesting and different. 

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  single mom trying to find love and get back on her feet again, coffee shops, ex-wife drama, Arizona, steamy, 

Trigger Warnings: abandonment by a past love, divorce, single parenting

---

Catwoman: Soulstealer (DC Icons #3)* by Sarah J Maas

• Genre:  Young Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Superhero
• Format:  Hardcover
• Rating: 3.5 Stars

Quick Summary:  Selina returns to Gotham and the cat plays while the bat is away.

This is the third book in the DC Icons series - but each one stands completely alone and has nothing to do with the others so you can pick and choose as you please!

It was interesting to read something by Sarah J Maas that wasn't ACOTAR or TOG, as well as a stand alone book. It's also interesting to read when I literally know nothing about Cat Woman save for a couple of Batman movies I saw years and years ago and have hardly any memory of. 

From what I read in other reviews, Maas stuck pretty well to Batman cannon, particularly with the inclusivity of the characters, which was really great. (I had no clue Batwing was a person, and that Poison Ivy/Harley Quinn were bi/lesbian. I'm sorry.) In spite of my ignorance of DC Comics, I was able to follow the story fine.

It took me a bit to really get into the story, and while the keeping certain plot points a secret so there's a big reveal in the end is pretty classic SJM, it bothered me more in this book than her others. I had a lot of moments where I was like "OMG JUST TELL ME CAUSE I'M CONFUSED." I also felt like Selina was basically just another version of Celeana from ToG. Which, I love Celeana and she's one of my favorites. That doesn't mean I need a repeat of her. 

In spite of that though, I still really enjoyed this book. Once I got into it, I didn't want to put it down and I liked the different twist on Catwoman. I particularly liked her inclusion of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn and the bad girl squad the three of them became. 

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy: the other DC Icons books, DC comics, superheros, villain origin stories, assassins, girl squads, action, sisters, SJM's other books

Trigger Warnings: drug/alcohol abuse, abusive and negligent parents, abusive relationships, terminal illness, violence, mental illness

---

What did you all read in August? Any other writers out there who particiated in PitchWars? Are you exhausted as I am?

---

*= affiliated link

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee.

20% Off Superhero Collectibles

15 Underrated Books You Should Read

I'm as big of a fan girl for popular books as anyone. It's great to talk to people about something you've all ready and fail about like Kermit over how awesome it is!

But, I also love talking about books that don't get as much hype - because so many times they deserve just as much hype if not more! I was really excited that Underrated Books was the topic for Monthly Recs this month, and I hope you pick up some of the books I mention. 

Depending on what circles you run in, the books I mention may or may not be talking about as much. I tend to read a lot of fantasy and young adult novels. So, there could be a good that's contemporary literary fiction that EVERYONE is talking about, but I've never heard of it. Therefore, take all of these recommendations with a grain of salt. 

* = affiliated link

His Fair Assassins Trilogy* by Robin LaFevers

• Genre: YA Fantasy/Historical
• Quick Summary: Three young women serve as death's handmaidens. 

When this trilogy first came out a few years ago, I'm sure it was hyped up. However, no one talks about it anymore and they totally should! It's about nun assassins who serve the god of death. 

NUN ASSASSINS MY FRIENDS.

That's not enough to make you want to read this trilogy? Fine.

It's also historical fantasy that relies much more on the historical side of things than fantasy. So, if you're not into magic and fae and witches and all of that, you'll still enjoy this book because the fantasy side is very light. There's romance in all three books. There's political intrigue based on real historical events.  It has interesting insights on religion and faith - but it's not an "inspirational/religious/Christian" book either. Each book focuses on a different young woman, but they still all tie in together. I've seen on Goodreads that the author might be making a fourth book or a spin-off series, so that's super exciting! 

So... you're going to go read them now, right? The first one is Grave Mercy. Go read them. Right now. After you finish this blog. Then go read them. 

---

If I Fix You* by Abigail Johnson

• Genre: YA Contemporary
• Quick Summary: Jill is the only one who knows the real reason her mother left and deals with the aftermath.

This book was so fantastic! If you like more gritty/realistic/serious young adult contemporary novels, you'll love Abigail Johnson! Mindy McGinnis interviewed her on her podcast, Writer Writer Pants on Fire, a month or so ago and I put her book on hold at the library right away! 

I loved the character Jill and how she was a mechanic, her relationships, and how sucked into her life I became!

---

The Calculating Stars* by Mary Robinette Kowal

• Genre: Science-Fiction/Historical
• Quick Summary:  A meteorite hits the USA east coast post-WWII and scientists look to colonize space.

Depending on what bookish circles you run in, this book might be hyped up. I'm not sure. In the circles I run in, they don't talk about this book AT ALL and each time I've tried to find it at a bookstore lately it is no where to be found - and it was just released this summer.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK.

Kowal's research about the space program is incredible. The romance between our main character and her husband are the ultimate relationship goals. The girl power in STEM is amazing. I mean... a freaking astronaut has a blurb on the cover to talk about how good it is. I loved this book and the second one comes out this month and I NEED IT.

---

Song of Blood and Stone* by L. Penelope

• Genre: Fantasy Romance
• Quick Summary: Jasminda teams with a soldier named Jack to save her country and her home.

This book was fantastic! It's another new release this year, but originally was released as a self-published book. A traditional publisher picked it up, the book went through revisions, and voila! Here is this amazing and beautiful fantasy romance! Why more people haven't been talking about it? I'm not sure. 

Love, adventure, magic, black lives matter, rescuing refugees, African culture... SO GOOD. And they don't have a release date for the second book and I NEED IT.

---

The Queen's Rising* by Rebecca Ross

• Genre: YA Fantasy
• Quick Summary:  Brienna has been training in the passion of Knowledge, but fails to gain a patron and much forge her own path.

I might have kind of been flailing about this book all year. It came out in May and I'm obsessed. First, look at that cover. Isn't it gorgeous? I need this book in my possession just because it's SO PRETTY.

The book itself is wonderful too though. It has a lot of your "typical" YA fantasy elements:  magic school, a princess regaining her throne, epic battles, found family, etc. But it still manages to be unique and interesting and completely compelling. 

---

The Paper Magician* Series by Charlie N Holmberg

• Genre: Historical Fantasy
• Quick Summary: Ceony is unhappy when she is assigned to apprentice under a paper magician instead of metal. However, she finds more than she ever dreamed with her new instructor.

The reason these books aren't hyped as much I think is because it is through Amazon's traditional publishing branch. Therefore, a lot of book stores won't carry these books. But, Holmberg has made an awesome career for herself and I believe Disney has picked up the rights for these books. (SO EXCITED!)

The premise for this series appears simple, but as you read Holmberg has a unique twist and is surprisingly dark. I adore Ceony and Emery, and I want more adventures with them!

---

Sunshine* by Robin McKinley

• Genre: Vampire/Post Apocolyptic
• Quick Summary: Baker "Sunshine" is kidnapped by vampires and deals with the aftermath.

My summary of this book does not do it justice at all. Most people know McKinley for her retellings of Beauty and the Beast. However, this book deserves just as much praise! It has a unique stream of consciousness narrative, it's dark, the world building is amazing, and I'm completely fascinated with the vampire Constantine. I wish there was a sequel!

---

The Girl at Midnight *Trilogy by Melissa Grey

• Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy
• Quick Summary: Echo searches for the firebird which could bring peace and end a war between two worlds. 

When you first pick up this book, you think it's going to be just like Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone. But as it goes you, you realize it's A COMPLETELY different story! It's an own voices contemporary fantasy, there's a M/M relatioship I'm obsessed with, the group of friends are total #squadgoals, and you'll be "shipping" characters left and right! It's everything you look for in a fun YA fantasy and I have no idea why more people aren't gushing about it!

---

The Red Hood Chronicles* by Kendari Meeks

• Genre: Urban Fantasy/Fairy Tale Retelling
• Quick Summary: Geri turns her back on her family line of Red Hoods and goes to college in Chicago where she meets vampire scientists and an on the run werewolf.

Urban fantasy fairy tale re-imagining? YES PLEASE! This is such a great spin on Red Riding Hood. She's a werewolf hunter who has turned her back on her family and recovering from a broken heart. There's vampire scientists, girls in STEM, conpiracys, and while there is some "Tension" it's not necessarily a romance which is refreshing from time to time. Especially in urban fantasy. 

---

Kindred* by Octavia E Butler

• Genre: Time Travel 
• Quick Summary: Dana and her husband time travel back to pre-civil war American on a southern plantation. 

Those who are really familiar with older science ficiton and fantasy are probably familiar with Octavia E Butler's work. However, in the groups I tend to talk to, NO ONE talks about this book and totally should!

Butler was the first black woman to publish a SFF book. So... that alone is amazing. It's this interesting look at slavery and racism in the eyes of a modern inter-racial couple and it still leaves me thinking to this day. It's beautiful and poignant and brutal and everyone needs to read it. 

---

A Madness So Discreet* by Mindy McGinnis

• Genre: YA Historical
• Quick Summary: Grace Mae is found pregnant and put into an asylum by her family, and then teams up with a doctor to solve crimes.

Mindy McGinnis has a steady readership, but apparently this is one of her least read books and I have no idea why! It completely blows my mind because this is my favorite of hers!

I read this book around the time of the 2016 election and it was exactly what I needed at the time. Grace is such an awesome and strong character, I loved the friendships she made at the asylum, and the tie-ins of murder mysteries kept things exciting. I love this book so much and I want everyone else to love it too. 

---

The Hollows* Series by Kim Harrison

• Genre: Urban Fantasy
• Quick Summary: Rachel Morgan is a witch bounty hunter who opens her own business inside an abandoned church along with a vampire and a pixie.

If you're a fan of urban fantasy, you're probably familiar with The Hollows. If you aren't, then these books will make you an urban fantasy fan! Rachel is fun, Jenks the pixie is the actual best, I love Ivy the vampire and her friendship with Rachel (I ship the two of them SO HARD btw), and there's so many outstanding characters. 

---

All We Have Left* by Wendy Mills

• Genre: YA Contemporary/Historical
• Quick Summary: In 2016, Jesse and her family are still dealing with the aftermath of 9-11. In 2001, Alia, a proud Muslim, is trapped in the twin towers. 

Oh this book. It is so emotional and heart-wrenching, but so good. It made me think about 9-11 in ways I hadn't before and brought out emotions about it I didn't realize I had. It's wonderful for those of us who remember that day well and makes you think about how we handle anger and our response to it. Then it's wonderful for those who are too young to remember and teach them about it. 

---

The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences* Series by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris

• Genre: Steampunk
• Quick Summary:  An unlikely duo are paired up to solve unusual crimes in Victorian London.

I still have two books to read in this series and there are a ton of short stories I haven't gotten to yet, but this steampunk series is so fun! Braun and Books are one of my favorite opposites attract pairing. I especially love Wellington Books, he's adorable! It is more on the sci-fi end of things, but it's not so "scicency" where if you don't like sci-fi you'll still enjoy it. 

---

Once Upon a Time *Series by Various Authors

• Genre: YA Fantasy/Fairy Tale Retellings
• Quick Summary: Authors retell classic fairy tales

I was OBSESSED with these books when I was in high school. They were what got me interested in retellings and they're short fun reads. I own most of them, and I still haven't gotten through them all! Each one stands completely alone, so you can pick and choose which books you read. They also have different authors so if you didn't enjoy one book, that doesn't mean you won't enjoy a different one. The series has a variety of different fairy tales to choose from, and they all have such unique takes on them! The book I have featured is the first one, but can you read them in any order.

What are some books you love that you feel don't get enough hype?

---

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee.

Love journals? Me too. Check this out through Barnes and Noble!* (Expires August 31, 2018.)

50% Off Select Moleskine Journals

July Reading Round-Up

*This post contains affiliate links. 

I had a huge batch of library books I'd requested come in all at once in July - so almost any plans I had for reading went out the window as I read all my library books! Which, ended up being great because there were so many great ones. However, I was slightly stingy on giving any a full 5 stars. 

Some notes on how I do wrap ups:  I rate books on a 1-5 star scale. (1= worst book ever why did I read this?; 2= did not enjoy; 3= this was good!; 4= I really liked it! 5= OMG LOVED THIS IT'S THE BEST EVER!) For the most part, you're going to see 3-5 star ratings from me and not a lot of negative simply because if I don't like a book, I'm not going to finish it.

That Could Be Enough* by Alyssa Cole

• Genre: Historical Romance Novella (#ownvoices)
• Format:  ebook
• Rating:  3.5 stars

Quick Summary:  A servant in Eliza Hamilton's household meets and falls for a flirtatious dressmaker. 

I discovered Alyssa Cole earlier this year and when I heard she had a F/F romance novella inspired by Hamilton, I knew I had to get it! This novella takes place after A.Ham's death and a servant in his household is helping Eliza gather stories about him. 

I loved the opposites attract and the throw back to Hamilton! (So many references to the musical!)

You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  Hamilton, F/F romance, historical fiction/romance, opposites attract

Trigger warnings:  I can't remember a lot of them, I feel like there's reference to child abuse/abandonment/poverty. There might be some mild violence. 

---

My Lady's Choosing* by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris

• Genre:  Historical Choose Your Own Adventure Romance
• Format:  Library Paperback
• Rating:  4.5 Stars

Quick Summary:  Become a penniless (yet very appealing) young woman in Regency England and choose form countless romantic love interests and adventures. 

I wish I had taken my time with this book! It's a choose your own adventure, and SO FUN! When I picked it up one night (not long before it was due back at the library) I thought it would be a fun quick read. I'd choose one path to go on, then go back and quickly skim the other couple options. 

Um... WRONG. 

This book will take you several sit downs to get through even half of the options it gives you! There's four "main" roads you can go down, but each of them has an uncountable amount of directions they can go! (Yes, F/F are options!) If I could go back, I'd have taken my time and chosen one path each day the whole time I had the book so I could experience as many as possible.

It's also completely hilarious and makes fun of all of the classic romance novel tropes which made it even better!

You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  choose your own adventure, historical romance, paranormal romance, gothic romance, F/F romance, Scottish romance, humorous books, making fun of romance books

Trigger warnings:  There are references to poverty, fire, sexual assault, and violence. 

---

Trail of Lightning* (The Sixth World #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

• Genre:  Urban Fantasy (#ownvoices)
• Format:  Library Hardcover
• Rating: 4.5 Stars

Quick Summary:  A monster hunter investigates recent disappearances caused by a supernatural monster and enlists the help of a young medicine man. 

This book was so fantastic. I'd heard a lot of people getting excited for this #ownvoices Native American urban fantasy and it did not disappoint! There were so many twists and turns, I loved our heroine, Maggie, as well as Kai, and it was a gritty look at an alternate universe/post apocalyptic America where Native Americans take the spotlight.

The only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars was because there were a lot of times I had a hard time following the plot and had to go "wait... what's going on?"

You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  While it's not exactly the same genre, I can see fans of The Nevernight Chronicles enjoying this book, as well as fans of other urban fantasy series like Kate Daniels.

Trigger warnings:  This book is very violent and intense, so not for the feint of heart! Violence, child abuse and death, murder, (I think) sexual assault. Basically, every trigger warning ever. 

---

The Calculating Stars* (Lady Astronauts #1) by Mary Robinette Kowal

• Genre:  Historical Science-Fiction
• Format:  Library Paperback
• Rating:  4.5 Stars

Quick Summary:  Elma wishes to be one of the first lady astronauts after a meteorite hits the USA and the danger of Earth being uninhabitable looms in the future. 

I went from one outstanding book to the next! I've only read three of Mary Robinette Kowal's books so far - and this most definitely my favorite yet! 

It's a sci-fi, but has more of the feel of a historical novel. Elma and her husband are the ultimate relationship goals and I am IN LOVE with them. You have and awesome and diverse group of female pilots, mathematicians, and scientists. There's discussion about mental illness, racism, and sexism. The research Kowal did for the time period, the math, piloting, and NASA is absolutely incredible!

The only reason it didn't get a full five stars from me is because there were moments I felt the story was dragging. 

You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  Hidden Figures, historical fiction, space, awesome/happy/healthy marriages, women in STEM

Trigger warnings:  racism, sexism, anxiety, references to sexual assault and suicidal thoughts, plane crashes, survival

---

Since You've Been Gone* by Morgan Matson

• Genre:  Young Adult Contemporary
• Format:  ebook
• Rating: 4.5 Stars

Quick Summary:  Emily's BFF mysteriously moves away, but leaves behind a summer bucket list for Emily to complete. 

After reading a few more intense books, it was time for something a bit more light hearted. I've had Since You've Been Gone sitting on my Kindle app for literally years, and decided it was high time I read it. (And yes, I did have the song by Kelly Clarkson in my head each time I picked it up.) This was the perfect fun summer read!

I loved Emily's journey of figuring out who she was without her best friend, facing her fears, making new friends, and making mistakes. I loved her parents who were playwrights and I wished there was more to that story line! This was also a great balance between friendship and romance, where one didn't seem to overpower the other. I'm so glad I picked it up and I can't wait to read Matson's other books!

You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  Other fun YA contemporaries like Stephanie Perkins and Rainbow Rowell, shy characters coming out of their shells, bucket lists, theatre people, summer, sweet romance

Trigger warnings:  abandonment, drinking, horses

---

Slaying It (Chicagoland Vampires 13.5)* by Chloe Neill

• Genre:  Urban Fantasy Novella
• Format:  ebook
• Rating:  3 stars

Quick Summary:  (If you don't want spoilers for the series - skip ahead to the next book review.) Merit is very pregnant and is almost kidnapped by another vampire.

I was so excited when I heard Neill was writing a final Ethan/Merti novella while Merit was pregnant! I was super bummed we didn't get to see her during that time in the final book and knew it would be great! But... this wasn't quite what I was expecting. It was more about Jonah than it was about Ethan/Merit. Which, I did appreciate seeing his story get wrapped up more. But, I still really wanted to see Ethan and Merit. It was still fun though, and I'm anxious for the first book in her spin-off series!

You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  Chicagoland Vampires, learning more about Jonah, novellas, vampires

Trigger warnings:  almost-kidnapping, reference to past emotional/physical abuse in a romantic relationship

---

If I Fix You* by Abigail Johnson

• Genre:  Young Adult Contemporary
• Format:  Library Paperback
• Rating:  4.5 Stars

Quick Summary:  Jill is the only one who knows the real reason her mother left and struggles to deal with the aftermath the months after. 

This book came as a pleasant surprise! Abigail Johnson was a guest on Mindy' McGinnis' podcast, Writer Writer Pants on Fire, a couple of weeks ago and I just loved her interview! (Also, she's a disabled writer and while her books aren't #ownvoices, I'm all for supporting other disabled writers like myself!) I requested her debut book from my library and it was available almost immediately.

It was a fast read, but also intense. There are some big and serious themes in this book, some of which I expected and others I didn't. I was completely swept up by it and loved the characters and seeing how Jill navigated her life after her mom left. I also loved her friends and her dad!

You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  Mindy McGinnis books - they have the same knack for gritty YA that grapple tough topics, girl mechanics, boy next door trope, bad boys trope

Trigger warnings:  divorce, spouse and child abuse (emotional and physical), neglect, really top notch awful parenting, sexual assault

---

Currently Reading:

Queen of Shadows* (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J Maas

• Genre:  Young Adult Fantasy
• Format:  Hardcover

Quick Summary:  Our heroine returns to the empire to rescue her friends, family, and people, as well as for vengeance for all she's lost. 

With all of my library books I wasn't able to get to QOS as soon as I liked! But I should have it done in the next couple days.

---

Brief Cases (The Dresden Files 15.1)* by Jim Butcher

• Genre:  Urban Fantasy Short Story Collection
• Format:  Library Hardcover

Even when I do finish this book, technically I never finished it because I decided to skip some of the short stories because either I'd already read it, or I just didn't have intrest in that particular character or story.

This was a fun compliation, and I particularly am enjoying the Big Foot stories. But, it just makes me want Peace Talks more. Butcher is pulling a George RR Martin on Dresden Files fans and I'm like "JUST WRITE THE BOOK ALREADY."

---

Love over Lattes (Desert Monsoon #1)* by Diana A. Hicks

• Genre:  Contemporary Romance
• Format:  ebook

Quick Summary:  A young mom and college graduate falls for the guy she's been eyeing at the coffee shop - who also happens to offer to be her landlord when she's in need of a place to live. 

This book has been sitting on my Kindle app (along with many others) for several months, and I needed something to occupy my time while sitting at the hair salon waiting for my hair to dry. So, I pulled out my phone and started this one. I've only read the first few chapters but it's cute so far!

What have you all been reading in July? What are some of your favorite genres to read in the summer? Do you have the same problem as me where you'll put holds on a ton of library books thinking they'll come in gradually but they all arrive at once?

---

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee.

If you like YA, check out this promotion from Barnes and Noble!*

20% Off Top Summer Reading Picks

The Mid-Year Freakout Tag

The Mid-Year Freakout Tag is an annual tradition in the "BookTube" world where people make videos to do a mid-year summary of what they've read so far. Basically, ending with everyone freaking out realizing that the year is half over and no one has read all of the books they intended to so far.

Oddly enough, I never did this tag when I made YouTube videos. But, when I saw it floating around lately and I needed a blog post for this week... I thought it would be fun to give it a go!

Original Creators:

Chami from ReadLikeWIldfire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03gz6...

Ely from Earl Grey Books: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_Wh0...

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

QUESTIONS:

1. Best book you’ve read so far this year?

UGH. You had to start with the hardest question? Really? I've read so many good ones! How do I pick?????

I'll instead, share my favorites from each month. Because I can't pick only one and YOU CAN'T MAKE ME.

January- Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kauffman (YA Science-Fiction)

February- An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole (Historical Romance)

March- Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (YA Fantasy)

April- A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare (Historical Romance)

May- The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross (YA Fantasy)

June- Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope (Fantasy/Romance)

July - the month isn't over so you'll have to wait and see!

2. Best sequel you've read so far this year?

That's another tough one! But, I do have to say I'm still thinking about and loving Tessa Ever After by Brighton Walsh which is the second book in her Reluctant Hearts series. It's my favorite out of all four and I'm IN LOVE with Jason!

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to?

Way to make me feel guilty cause... there's so many!

Right now, I'm really wanting to dig into Dread Nation by Justina Ireland. It was a Kindle Daily Deal recently so I have it sitting on my iPad waiting for me. I also have Chloe Neill's most recent novella, Slaying It on my iPad, as well as Charlie N Holmberg's newest book, Veins of Gold.

So many books - so little time.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?

Well... considering I'm reading one Throne of Glass book per month leading up to the release of the final book, Kingdom of Ash, at the end of October... it's safe to say that's my most highly anticipated book this year. 

But some others I'm excited for...

• Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill (Urban Fantasy) 
• What if it's Us? by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera (YA Contemporary)
• Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) (Mystery)
• Catwoman:  Soul Stealer by Sarah J Maas (YA Fantasy/SciFi),
• Jack of Hearts and Other Parts by Lev AC Rosen (YA Contemporary)
• Vengeful by VE Schwab (Sci-Fi) 
• A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole (Contemporary Romance) 
• The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee (YA Historical/Fantasy)

5. Biggest disappointment?

People are probably going to hate me for this one... but The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (YA Fantasy). I was super curious about this book, and SO MANY people were gushing and raving about it. But... I don't know! It didn't grab me. I read maybe the first 50 pages or so and I didn't care about the characters or plot. So, I didn't finish it. 

6. Biggest surprise?

I definitely have to say the The Queen's Rising was the biggest surprise! A friend of mine read it and messaged me saying I HAD to read it too. I'd seen it around and had a feeling I'd enjoy it. But I loved it SO MUCH MORE than I ever anticipated! I need the next one immediately. But sadly... I have to wait until March of 2019. 

Also, isn't that cover gorgeous?

7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)?

This is another tough one. I've read a lot of debut fantasy authors the last couple of months, and they are all KILLING IT. I've not just been enjoying their books, but LOVING them. The Poppy War by RF Kuang, Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse, Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope, Children of Blood and Stone by Tomi Adeymei, and of course The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross. I want to read all of the books these authors write!

But I also am reading my first Morgan Matson book (YA contemporary) and it is completely delightful and I understand why everyone loves her so much! I've discovered Tessa Dare who writes historical romance and can't wait to keep going with her books. Then Alyssa Cole who's written both historical and contemporary romance has also become a favorite!

8. Newest fictional crush?

Ooooooo well there's so many to pick from...

I really loved James from Fortune's Flower by Anetha Lawson. He was like a 19th century Indiana Jones! What's not to love?

I'm still crushing on Jason from Tessa Ever After by Brighton Walsh. How can I not with a guy who'll dress up for tea parties for his love interests daughter? Swoon.

Then, I just finished The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal and Elma's husband is THE BEST. I would totally marry a man like him. They are the ultimate #relationshipgoals. 

9. Newest favorite character?

I guess I need to accept the fact that ALL of these questions are hard... It's just that I've read 57 books so far this year. So... that's a lot of characters to pick from. That being said:

I really loved Grimm from Dreamer's Pool by Juliet Mariller. He's slightly terrifying while also being a big teddy bear and I want to give him a hug and tell him everything is going to be okay. 

Rin from The Poppy War by RF Kuang was strong and stubborn and I loved her.

Xandra from God Save the Queen by Kate Locke is a total bad ass and I love her dedication to her family.

The vampire Constantine from Sunshine by Robin McKinley I'm completely fascinated by and I wish there was a sequel.

I'm currently reading Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson and I am LOVING Emily and Frank. They're both adorable!

10. Book that made you cry?

Okay, this question was hard because once I thought about it, there weren't many books from this year which have been sad or made me super emotional so far. (Other than some re-reads, but I want to talk about new books I've read.)

The ending of Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse (Urban Fantasy) kind of gutted me!

While A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas (New Adult Fantasy) was not her best, there were moments that totally broke my heart!

Then, Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman (YA Sci-Fi) definitely had some tear jerker moments!

11. Book that made you happy?

So many!

New Heights by Quinn Anderson (Contemporary Romance) had me grinning from ear to ear from page one!

A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare (Historical Romance) was literally laugh out loud funny!

The Plastic Magician by Charlie N Holmberg (New Adult Fantasy) made me SUPER happy because her Paper Magician trilogy is one of my favorites and I loved going back to that world and seeing guest appearances from those characters!

12. Favorite book-to-film adaptation you saw this year?

LOVE, SIMON WHICH WAS BASED ON SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA BY BECKY ALBERTALLI! OBVIOUSLY.

Granted... it's the only adaptation I've seen this year. But it was still very well done and will always be number one in my eyes. 

13. Favorite video you have done so far in this year?

Considering I haven't made any videos and only written blogs this year.... I'm really proud of my Flash Fiction series. I haven't been keeping up with it as much as I'd like, but what I have done I think is really good. 

14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received)?

The Children of Blood and Bone cover is fantastic! 

Shadowsong is just lovely.

I LOVE the new cover for Vicious.

15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

Too many... You don't even want to know how many books I have sitting unread on my Kindle app! But here's my top priority books:

• Dumplin' by Julie Murphy (YA Contemporary)
• Ghost Rebellion by Pip Ballentine and Tee Morris (Steampunk)
• The Autumn Throne by Elizabeth Chadwick (Historical)
• An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (YA Fantasy)
• The Burning World by Issac Marion (Zombies)

Anyone else have reading goals they've made this year? Are you accomplishing them? What have been some of your favorite books so far? What are you excited to read in the last half of the year?

---

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee.

And if you're ready to buy books...* (Good through August 6, 2018)

20% Off Select New YA Releases

* = affiliated link

Please note:  while I have affiliated links, my posts are not sponsored! If I ever do a sponsored post, I'll let you know! All of the books I recommend are ones I've genuinely enjoyed and I only join affliate programs because I link to their sites anyway!