October Reading Round Up

October was a sightly different reading month for me than usual. Other years I’m all ready for Halloween and fill up my reading list with books about monsters, the paranormal, urban fantasy books I’ve been meaning to get to, etc.

That was not the case this year for a couple of reasons.

1) Five of my auto-buy/favorite authors had new releases this month. FIVE. I didn’t even get to read all of them. (Bummer, I know.) If the staff at Barnes & Noble didn’t know me before, they sure do now because I was there at least once a week to pick up a pre-order.

2) I want to become more familiar with recent releases for adult fantasy since…. you know… that’s what I write. So, I went to the library and picked up a few. I only got to one of them, and it took me longer than usual to read. I had to renew the others.

3) KINGDOM OF ASH IS LIFE.

So. Let’s get to it, shall we?

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Vengeful* (Villains #2) by VE Schwab

• Genre: Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy

• Format: Hardcover

• Rating: 5 stars

Quick Summary:  A few years after the conclusion of Vicious a new EO wants to take power in Merit.

If it wasn’t for Kingdom of Ash, this book would take the top spot for my favorite of October. Unless something drastic happens, it will definitely make the list of my favorites for 2018. I read Vicious a couple of years ago and it is my favorite VE Schwab book. When I heard she was working on a sequel, I was ridiculously excited!

I loved the new characters/villains introduced in this one, the additional depth we got for the characters we already knew, and it was beautifully crafted. I was able to see the author speak at a local store and it was so awesome to hear her talk about the process of writing this book!

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  The first book Vicious, super villains, anti-heroes, pissed off women who want to take down the patriarchy, found family

Content Warnings: torture, violence, death (a lot of death), references to sexual assault

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The Queens of Innis Lear* by Tessa Gratton

• Genre: Adult Fantasy Retelling

• Format: Library Hardcover

• Rating: 3.5 stars

Quick Summary: A fantasy retelling of King Lear where 3 sisters fight for the crown.

King Lear is one of the Shakespeare plays I’m not familiar with other than it was a tragedy. Which means don’t get attached to anyone since they’ll probably die a terrible terrible death. I debated if I should read a plot synopsis before diving into it. I decided to just read a quick run-down of the premise.

I truly loved the concept for this book. Three women of mixed race who all could take their father’s crown after he dies. The oldest is asexual, a total bad ass, and prepared to take the throne to be king. (Yes, king. Not queen. She won’t take that s***.) The second oldest is happily married and has this super fascinating arrangement to rule at her sister’s side, has great forest/tree magic, but is also dealing with infertility. Then the youngest is close to her father, is super sweet, and is this star priestess person.

The beginning, I loved. I was interested, it pulled me in, I loved the characters. The ending was also great. It wrapped up everything well, it was intriguing, I wanted to keep going and see it all through. But the middle… meh. It was a struggle to keep going. I had a hunch that the end was going to be better, so I continued on. But that middle section definitely brought down my rating. There was so much potential though!

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  Shakespeare, tragedy and death, stand alone fantasy novels, more pissed off women who want to take down the patriarchy, sisters, star cross lovers

Content Warnings: violence, infertility/miscarriages, a lot of death and blood

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What If It’s Us* by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

• Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance - M/M relationship

• Format: Hardcover

• Rating: 4 Stars

Quick Summary:  Arthur and Ben randomly meet at a post office in New York then go on a hunt to find each other once again.

I love Becky Albertalli a ridiculous amount. (I’ve read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda at least six times.) As for Adam Silvera, I’ve read some of his books and I really appreciate him and his stories and I’m glad they exist, but they aren’t my favorite. When they teamed up to write a book together, I was cautiously excited.

There was no need for the cautious, apparently.

After how intense some of Queens of Innis Lear was, it was great to have this fun romantic book. A bit predictable, kinda corny, but I like those things. I mean, you don’t read a romantic comedy type of book because you want the end to surprise you, let’s be honest.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  romantic comedy, meet cutes, summer romance, M/M relationships, a lot of Hamilton fangirling, NYC

Content Warnings: not a whole lot to be honest with you. There’s some friend fight, a bit of a divorce worry, cheating, homophobia

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Kingdom of Ash* (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J Maas

• Genre: New Adult Fantasy

• Format: Hardcover

• Rating: 5 Stars

Quick Summary:  ITS THE FINAL THRONE OF GLASS BOOK WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?

Yes. My most anticipated book of 2018. If not for the last several years. It’s actually here and I finished it. My heart… I don’t even have words.

This book was 992 pages.

I cried for 992 pages.

I’m writing this not even 24 hours after completing the last page and I’m almost ready to start crying again. I’ve been wallowing over how the Throne of Glass series is over ever since I put it back on my shelf.

Literally my only complaint is SO MANY BATTLE SCENES. Which, I can’t even complain about because the whole thing takes place during war so… there you go. It’s just that battle scenes aren’t my particular favorite and I have a hard time focusing on them. Beyond that - I LOVED EVERYTHING. This book also had the most “classic epic fantasy” feel out of all of them.

I’m not going to go on much more (I could if I wanted to- trust me!) because if I share anything about this book, it’ll spoil the entire series for those who haven’t read it yet. If you’re a fellow Throne of Glass fan, please feel free to reach out to me and we can talk and fangirl together. As well as cry.

I will say this though: while I’m so sad that this series is over, I’m completely satisfied with how it ended. It was beautiful, and wonderful. My heart is heavy, but it is also full.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  Sarah J Maas’ other books, epic fantasy, war stories, bad ass queens, witches, fae, shape shifters, romance, multiple points of view

Content Warnings: on page torture/breaking of bones (this was particularly difficult for me to read), a lot of violence and death, references to past abuse, PTSD, psychological torture/manipulation, loss of loved ones

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The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky (Montague Siblings 1.5) by Mackenzi Lee

• Genre: Young Adult Historical- M/M Relationship - Short Story/Novelette

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 4 Stars

Quick Summary:  We check in on the Montague siblings and friends between The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue and The Ladies Guide to Petticoats and Piracy.

This was a freebie for those who pre-ordered The Ladies Guide to Petticoats and Piracy so sadly… I don’t have a link for you all to purchase it yourself. Hopefully it will be available for purchase at some point!

Reading TGTGL was the perfect cure for my “book hangover” after reading Kingdom of Ash. It was fun, light, and I was able to check in on some of these fabulous characters.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, M/M relationships, navigating a new relationship, historical fiction

Content Warnings: references to homophobia, epilepsy, and past abuse

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Currently Reading:

Kings of the Wyld* (The Band #1) by Nicholas Eames

• Genre: Fantasy

• Format: Library Paperback

Quick Summary:  A former band of mercenaries reunite to save the daughter of one of their members.

I feel really bad for this book because it has to follow Kingdom of Ash. Nothing will be able to live up to that. I planned on reading a lighter book, or one of the other new releases that came out in October. However, I already had to renew this book and one other one from the library and I really need to get to it.

I’m not super hopeful about it though, because I was looking on Goodreads and apparently the author claims that the “only” way to get women in the book was to make them antagonists. This produced a lot of eye rolling from me even though he also claims that all of his characters have a lot of bad qualities. After most of the books I just finished are about pissed off women who want to take down the patriarchy… that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But, I did see that the second book’s main character is a woman so maybe it’s better than I’m anticipating.

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How I Save Money On Books

In October alone, I have at least one book on pre-order each week. (So many awesome new releases this month!) They’re all going to be hardcovers. This means their retail price will most likely be anywhere between $15-$30.

I don’t need to go much further for you to get the idea that if you are as avid of a reader as I am, it doesn’t take long for the numbers to rack up.

Let’s be real - books can be expensive!

Also, I’m not the best example when it comes to saving money with books. I spend far more than I should and I’m at the bookstore so often that the guy at the counter asks “Weren’t you just here the other day?”

I have a lot of spending habits I need to work on - especially in this area.

However, that doesn’t mean I haven’t learned some tricks for saving my money. I rarely spend full price on the books I purchase. In fact, just the other day a book had a retail price of $30 and I bought it for $16.

Here’s some of my tips.

(Please note, I buy books A LOT. Like… A LOT A LOT. Far more than most people do. Therefore, some of these tricks may or may not work for you. For example, if you don’t buy books very often, the price of a membership may not be the best option for you. Just want to have full disclosure!)

Go to the Library

This is the most important one! In fact, I wouldn’t have hurt feelings if after reading about going to the library you stop reading this blog post. The library is your biggest and best resource!

Guys - it’s like Netflix for books. Thousands of volumes right there at the tips of your fingers waiting to be borrowed. (Also - does anyone else find it sad that I need to compare libraries to Netflix to sell it? But you’d be surprised how many times I see people talking about “I wish there was a Netflix for books” and I’m all “THE LIBRARY.”) They’re free, my friends. FREE.

A habit I’m trying to get myself into is to read a book from the library before I purchase it. Particularly when it’s a new author or series. If I fall in love with the book and/or see myself reading it again in the future, only then will I decide to purchase it for my personal collection. This will save you a ton of grief when it comes to getting a book and then hating it. Who wants to spend $25 or more on something only to have a terrible experience? (Although, it doesn’t hurt to know your local bookstores return policy. Yes! You CAN return books!)

Or, I wait until the whole series is out. That’s what I did with Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill. I started reading the books via the library and read the entire series that way. When I knew it was an all time favorite, I slowly started to collect the books.

Don’t see the title you want? Talk to the librarian about inner-library loans or if the book is somewhere in your network. A majority of the books I’ve checked out from my library did not come from my local library itself. They are from other libraries in our network. Granted, I’m privileged enough where I live in the Chicagoland area and have a ton of libraries in our network I can use as a resource. If you live in a rural area, this could be more challenging. But, it never hurts to talk to your librarian to see what options are out there.

Still can’t find what you want? Request your library to get a copy. Libraries want to give you the books you want! If they see people are wanting a certain book on their shelves, they’re going to get copies.

Many libraries now also have access to ebook loan systems such as Overdrive. I’m OBSESSED with overdrive and how I can find so many books, and audio books there and have them downloaded right to my Kindle. It’s amazing.

Basically - go to your library and make friends with the people who work there. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

Read ebooks

This is one of those weird moments where you might have to spend money to save money.

I know not everyone likes ebooks, or may not have an electronic device at their disposal. So yes, some of my privilege is talking. However, if this is an option for you, hear me out.

Some of your basic Kindles/Nooks/ereaders, etc. aren’t all that expensive, depending on what kind of money you have coming in. Just from a quick look on Amazon, you can find some simple refurbished ones for under $50.

Don’t want to get an ereader or tablet? No problem. Do you have a cell phone? The Kindle, Nook, iBook, and Google Play Books apps are FREE. You can even download them to your computer most of the time if you don’t have a smart phone.

But here’s the thing - a majority of ebooks are cheaper than physical books. Personally, I don’t purchase ebooks unless they are under $5. Even if you don’t set a limit like that for yourself though, they’re still cheaper. When a new release in hardcover comes out it’s usually between $15-30 right? The ebook many times is under $15. That’s before it goes on sale.

That’s a lot of money to save my friends.

Still don’t want to buy them? Then we go back to the whole library thing. Check to see if your library offers ebook services. That’s how I started to use my Kindle app. I downloaded library books and decided I liked to use my tablet for reading.

Join Membership Programs

This is another one where you might have to spend a bit of money to save money. But, in the long run, it’s worth it.

A big popular one of course is Amazon Prime and/or Kindle Unlimited. I tried Kindle Unlimited, but a lot of their selection wasn’t in my taste. I know a lot of people who use it all of the time though! Then, I also tried Amazon Prime. If I purchased more on Amazon beyond books, the price tag would probably have been worth the discounts and free shipping. Yet, it’s pretty rare when I buy something that isn’t a book from there.

I am, however, a Barnes and Noble member, which is only about $40 a year. THE WHOLE YEAR. I get free shipping with all of my purchases, get a discount with all of my purchases, and on top of it I regularly get coupons emailed and mailed to me. This past holiday season, I think I got an email with a coupon at least 2x a month if not more often.

Also, Barnes and Noble online prices are lower than their in store prices, AND you now can purchase books online at the online price AND pick them up for free within the hour in store. (This is how I nabbed that $30 book for $16.) Basically, my savings far outweigh the price I pay for the membership.

I know other book stores have similar programs. (Books-A-Million does… I’d have to research more for other stores.) Barnes and Noble just happens to be the store which is most convenient for me, and that’s where I go 99% of the time. Visit your local stores and/or visit their websites and see what you can find out.

If you buy books as frequently as I do, and you aren’t part of your favorite store’s membership program, what are you waiting for?

Sign Up for Newsletters

This one has it’s pros and cons.

The pros? You find out about sales, get coupons, and see deals right away. I get my Kindle daily deal emails all of the time and when I see a book I’ve had my eye on go on sale, you bet that I click that “one-click-buy” button! Or, because I follow an author’s newsletter, I was informed about a one day only event where romance authors were giving away their ebooks for FREE.

FREE.

Yeah… I got like 12 book that day and didn’t spend a penny.

The cons? Your email inbox can fill up quickly, and it’s super easy to fall down the “This book is only $.99! I’d be a FOOL to not buy it!” Then you look at your ereader and have countless titles sitting there that you haven’t read yet. This is my biggest downfall when it comes to book purchases.

The key is to know what books you want and wait for them to go on sale, and only purchase those. It’s way easier said than done, trust me. But, it’s so exciting when there’s a book I’ve really been wanting and then one day I open my email and it’s magically only $1.99.

So… this bit of advice is a “do this at your own risk” sort of deal.

Go to Discount Book Stores

I love my local discount book store. Maybe two times a year or so when I feel the need to purge my collection, I pack up the books I no longer want and take them over to my discount book store to sell them. Granted, I don’t always make a ton of money doing this. There’s still some perks though.

One, I love that even if I didn’t enjoy a book or won’t read it again, it’s going to go to someone who will enjoy it and may not otherwise had been able to buy their own copy.

Two, you can use that money to buy more books!

Yup. A majority of the time when I go sell my books I end up perusing the shelves and buying more books with the cash they give me for the old ones. This is another instance where I only buy books that I know I’ve been wanting. If you know for sure you’re going to buy a book and you can find a way to get it at a discount, do it!

Besides, I kind of like used books. It’s fun to know that other people have read and enjoyed this particular copy of a book that I’m currently reading. I once got a really pretty copy of Jane Eyre and it was obvious that someone read it for school because they had a bunch of notes in the margins. It was honestly really fun to read their thoughts and observations!

Buy Paperbacks

You’d think this was obvious but so many people only want hardcovers.

I know… I know. The hardcovers are super pretty and look awesome on your shelf. If that’s truly what you prefer, go for it. Just remember the price tag.

However, I genuinely love paperbacks. Yes, I do end up caving and buying the pretty hardcover books for some of my favorites because 1) I don’t want to wait and 2) I do enjoy how they look. But, for actual reading, I love paperbacks. They’re so much easier to hold! I mean come on. Would you rather carry a massive hardcover epic fantasy that’s over 500 pages around everywhere? Do you know how heavy that s*** is? You can break your arm with that! Or would you rather carry it’s cute little mass market copy that you can throw in your bag easily?

And… they’re cheaper. SO MUCH cheaper.

If you’re willing to wait until it comes out in paperback, you’ll save a ton of money. In fact, a lot of fantasy (particularly urban) and romance come out in paperbacks right away and I’m always super excited when they do.

So there you have it. Some of my tricks for saving money on books.

Remember - I don’t have this down to a science. I have a terrible book buying problem and let’s be honest, the best way to save money on books is just to have self control and not buy a million books a year. Haha.

However, if you’re willing to do some research and maybe invest in an ereader or a membership program, and utilize your library as much as possible, you’ll save so much money on your reading hobby!

What tips and tricks have you used for buying books?

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Also- another way to save is to check out this promotion from Barnes and Noble - good through October 29!

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

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.

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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

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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

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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

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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 

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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

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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. 

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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. 

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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?

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July Reading Round-Up

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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."

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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?

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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?

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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

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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!  

Books Worth a Re-Read

I am a huge fan of re-reading books. Granted - I read faster than most and average about 6-10 books a month. So... I can afford to slip in a re-read here and there. I love being able to revisit favorite characters and stories. Many times I end up noticing things I didn't before and appreciate the work and detail the author puts into the book. 

Here's some of my favorites to read over and over again!

The Night Circus* by Erin Morgenstern

This is one of my all time favorite books. After Harry Potter, it's The Night Circus. Which means, this book and I are in a very committed long-term relationship. Ever since I first read it, I've re-read it at least once a year. There are so many nuances and details that you end up missing the first time around, and I've had friends who when they read it the first time they liked it. But then when they read it a second time they loved it even more because they were able to see more threads and how the magic and the competition worked. So, I always encourage people that if they are able, give it a re-read. 

Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda* by Becky Albertalli

Again - another all time favorite book. I could read it a million times and never grow tired. The reason I'm adding to the list though is not just because of my personal preference. I loved it the first time around, following Simon's journey to figuring out who Blue was. Then, maybe a few hours after I finished, I started to read it a second time. It was SO FUN to go back and see all of the clues as to who Blue was! 

Any Favorite Series

I'm not giving a specific book series for this because everyone has their own favorite! Lately, I've been re-reading the Throne of Glass* series by Sarah J Maas leading up to the release of the final book in October. It's been so awesome to go back to the start and I am picking up on SO MANY little details and clues I missed before. Hints at characters to come, plot lines, world building elements, etc. This has happened for me with many book series and I think if you find one you really love, it's 100% worth going back and reading them again because you can see everything from a big picture point of view and see all of the threads and elements which were being built up from page one book one that you may have missed the first time around. 

Pick a Different Format

Again, this isn't a specific book. But, I've found that sometimes I like to re-read a book, but choose a new format. If I read the physical book the first time, maybe the second time I'll listen via audio. Or vise versa. When I first tried the Kate Daniels* series by Illona Andrews I listened to the first book via audio. I was not a big fan. It was okay... but not great. But, friends kept on saying how awesome the series was! So, I tried it again, but this time as a physical book. It was so much better! 

Or, other times I loved the book the first time around, but want to experience it in a new way. A classic example would be Harry Potter*. I've read all seven via the physical book, but the audio is fantastic and fun to listen to as well! I also have read the book Illuminae* by Jay Kristoff and Amy Kaufman via the hardcover physical book, but the audio has a full cast and some other elements which the physical book does not have. (And vise versa.) So, I know at some point I'm going to read it again, but this time via audio.

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

This book is a new discovery for me and it is SO MUCH FUN! If you like romance - you need this book in your life! 

It's a pick your own adventure romance novel. Yeah. Just like when you were a kid - only with smut. So... not just like when you were a kid... please don't let your kids read this book.

First, it's hilarious. It takes all of the romance tropes we're overly familiar with but pokes fun at them. (So, even if you aren't a fan of smut, you still might like it because it makes fun of all of that!) I was laughing out loud as I read!

When I sat down to read this book I chose one path and followed it, with the intention of going back later to pick another path and see where it went when I was done. I figured each story line had maybe 2 or 3 different endings. WRONG. Each story line had AT LEAST 3 different directions they could go - and went in VASTLY different ways. (And yes, there are options for a female/female relationship too!) I thought I could breeze through it in one evening. Nope. 

This is a book where you want to read it over and over again - because it will take you a long time to find each scenario and path. I can see this as a book I keep and when I need a palette cleanser or something fun to read really quick, and picking it up and choosing a new direction each time. Trust me, it'll last you awhile!

Holiday or Seasonal Books

Like many people, I have my favorite movies I watch every holiday season. But, I also have started a small collection of books I'll read each year too! Particularly if they are on the shorter side of things. Some of my favorites are A Christmas Carol* by Charles Dickens, My True Love Gave to Me* edited by Stephanie Perkins,  and Dash and Lily's Book of Dares* by Rachel Cohen and David Levithan. 

But it doesn't have to be just December or winter holidays! Maybe there's a book that always puts you in the mood for summer, or you have favorite spooky reads for when Halloween comes around. 

What are some of your favorite books that you could read over and over again?

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Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee.

And if you're ready to buy books...* (Good through July 18)

10% Off Your Order with Code AFFJULY

* = 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!  

June Reading Round-Up

June's reads were full of fantasy! Which, fantasy is usually a staple in my reading lists as it is. But this month I read almost exclusively fantasy. (With a couple of contemporary romance novellas in honor of Pride this month.) Particularly of the epic variety! 

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.

*This post contains affiliated links. 

Song of Blood and Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles #1) by L. Penelope

• Genre: Fantasy Romance (Own Voices)
• Format:  Library Hardcover
• Rating:  4.5 Stars

Quick Summary:  When ruthless soldiers take shelter in Jasminda's home, she falls for one of the spies, Jack. Together they escape captors and save their homeland, Elsira. 

This book was somewhat on my radar and one day as I was picking up a hold from the library, I saw it on the new releases shelf and figured "why not?" Coincidentally, my friend Caitlin (BookChats on YouTube) recently picked it up from her library as well so we did a buddy read. Oh goodness! Both of us are OBSESSED.

Song of Blood and Stone definitely is a romance and has some of the same beats as others in the genre, but if you aren't a fan of romance don't fear - there is a great balance of the romance and the fantasy elements so you'll really enjoy it still! There's magic, adventure, a quest, royalty, secrets, plot twists - all of those things you want in an epic fantasy! The romance was wonderful, and I loved Jack and Jasminda. (There was one moment where Jack was slightly too possessive for my taste, but it was resolved well. I just hope it doesn't become a recurring thing in future books.) But, then you also have a lot of themes about black lives matter, refugees, family, and duty that really ring true. Particularly in the world today.

What makes things really interesting is that L. Penelope originally was a self-published author. She has some paranormal romance books (which I'm picking up ASAP) and then this one was picked up by a publisher, they edited it, then re-released it. So, if you see reviews from a few years ago - that was when this was self published. A lot has changed since then!

Now, I'm eagerly waiting the second book - but Goodreads doesn't have a release date yet! When is it coming out?????

You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  Romance, fantasy, African culture inspired fantasy, Black Lives Matter, secret relationships, royalty, independent female characters, inner-racial relationships

Trigger warnings:  On page sexual assault, violence (against adults and children), loss of parents, war, racism

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The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making (Fairyland #1) by Catherynne M. Valente (Re-Read)

• Genre:  Middle Grade Fantasy
• Format:  ebook
• Rating:  3.5 Stars

Quick Summary:  September is taken away by the Green Wind to Fairyland where danger and adventure awaits.

I read The Girl Who Circumnavigated... a couple of years ago because a friend of mine, (My Name is Marines on YouTube) LOVED it and gave me a recommendation. I know a ton of other people love this series as well. I liked it the first time around, but didn't love it. Then, another friend of mine a few weeks ago invited me to join our local library's book club and this was their pick for June. I said I'd give it a go. I liked it a lot more this time around! Maybe the first time I was in a weird mood? Who knows. But, I definitely see more of why so many people have been raving about this series.

It's so whimsical, September is strong and courageous while still being real, all of the characters are fun and unique (there's a wyvern who is actually a library), and I loved all of the author's plays on words and the thoughts about children, being courageous, losing your heart (and whether or not children have one!), and growing up. 

You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  The Chronicles of Narnia, The Wizard of Oz, and other books about children running away to magical lands, whimsy, fantasy, middle grade, adventure, 

Trigger warnings:

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The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang

• Genre:  Epic Fantasy (Own Voices)
• Format:  Library Hard Cover
• Rating:  5 Stars

Quick Summary:  Against all odds, Rin gains acceptance to the most elite military school in the country, is chosen by one of the gods, and must save her people. 

Oh this book was so fantastic! Everyone has been raving about this book and with good reason! 

Poppy War could have gone the Harry Potter route where Rin goes to school and each book covers one year of her time there. But, it didn't. The first half or so is when Rin is preparing to go the school and when she's there. Her school years somewhat are crammed together, but it doesn't feel rushed at all. Then the second half is focused on her time in the military during the war. 

Rin is such a headstrong and driven character - almost to a fault, and I love seeing the pros and cons to this aspect of her personality. The use of magic was unique and something you as the reader need to grapple with on how "moral" it is (Drugs... basically. Which I enjoyed that inner struggle, at least for myself. It made me think about the book more than I would have otherwise.) The other characters were complex and interesting. The world was intense. 

It took me longer to read this book than I anticipated, and it's not necessarily a fast read. But once I had the opportunity to sit and dig deep, I couldn't put it down!

You'll like this book if you also enjoy: Mulan... but A LOT darker, low fantasy, Chinese history, Chinese folklore, academy settings, military and war stories, feminism

Trigger warnings:  drug use and abuse, violence, sexual assault, rape, torture, child abuse,... basically ALL the trigger warnings. 

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Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J Maas (Re-Read)

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

Quick Summary:  Celeana travels to a new land to confront the truth of her heritage. 

Continuing on with my Throne of Glass re-read before the final book in October!

Heir of Fire is one of my favorites of the series. We get introduced to awesome new characters. (Hey there, Rowan and Mannon.) We learn more about Celeana's past, and I love the journey Dorian starts on. As I was re-reading HoF, I realized that Sarah J Maas excels at writing books about emotional recovery. 

In the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, the best book is the second one where Feyre is struggling with PTSD, depression, and getting out of an abusive relationship. The heart of the book is her recovery and coming out stronger in the end. I would say HoF is similar in this way. Celeana is at one of her all time lowest points emotionally at the start of the book after all which has happened in the previous books. The heart of her journey in HoF is learning to face her inner demons and come out stronger at the end. Which is why it's one of my favorites.

Also- Mannon, witches, and wyvrns. The first time I read this book I was like "who are these witches and why do I care" but now I'm all "MANNON IS MY QUEEN."

You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  epic fantasy, witches, dragons (wyvrns to be specific), the other Throne of Glass books, stories about someone learning to use magic

Trigger warnings:  PTSD, demon posession, violence, abuse

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Fearless by Shira Glassman

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

Quick Summary:  A band mom falls for the high school's orchestra director. 

I realized about half way through the month I hadn't read anything in honor of Pride and I felt like a terribly ally. So, I found some novellas to read.

This one was cute! It gave me high school band flashbacks, but I loved that it was about the adult chaperones and not the students. It just felt a bit rushed at times. 

You'll like this book if you also enjoy: contemporary romance, F/F relationships, sweet/clean romance, novellas, snowed in plots, single moms

Trigger warnings: none I can think of? Being stranded in a hotel during a blizzard?

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Knit One, Girl Two by Shira Glassman

• Genre: Contemporary Romance Short Story
• Format:  ebook
• Rating: 4 Stars

Quick Summary:  Knitter Clara teams up with local artist, Danielle, for a yarn project. Romance ensues!

I liked this one even more! It's the same author as Fearless and too cute! It didn't feel as rushed, but still would have loved even more!

You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  knitting, F/F relationships, own voices, cats, artists, sweet/clean romance, contemporary romance, novellas

Trigger warnings:  Again... none I can think of. Identity theft?

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New Heights by Quinn Anderson

• Genre: Contemporary Romance Novella
• Format:  ebook
• Rating: 5 Stars

Quick Summary: Opposites attract when two men meet at an airport and their flight is delayed.

And the novellas just kept getting better! This couple was so cute, I thought I was going to die. It was this great setting of being trapped in an airport due to delayed flights, opposites attract, prank war, and romance. I was rooting for them and shipping them before they even met! It was also longer than the other novellas, so it didn't feel quite as rushed. It was the perfect length.

You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  airports, opposites attract, M/M relationships, prank wars, hate to love

Trigger warnings:  Again... none really unless you have PTSD from delayed flights.

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Currently Reading:

Dreamer's Pool (Blackthorn and Grimm #1) by Juliet Mariller

• Genre: Epic Fantasy
• Format:  mass market paperback
• Rating: 4.5-5 stars as of right now, unless something drastically changes in the next 100 or so pages.

Quick Summary: Blackthorn gets a chance at a new life as a healer and teams with one of her prison-mates. 

I was sucked into this book from the first chapter! The main character, Blackthorn, is so fierce! I don't always connect with characters whose main motivation is revenge, but she comes from it more from a justice perspective which I really liked. Then Grimm is one of those big terrifying criminal type of characters, but at the same time you just want to give him a hug and tell him everything is going to be okay. Oran was my least favorite point of view character. Which was odd because he was one of those "I'm a prince but I'm also a hopeless romantic and a genuinely good guy who wants to do good for my people" types. But, was a tad over the top for me where he kind of felt like an idiot. Yet, I was never not rooting for him. So, there's that. 

A lot of this book focuses on women's rights and rape culture which was hard to read at times, but I think was very well done. 

Unless something goes terribly wrong in the last 100 pages or so, I'll for sure be wanting to pick up the next book!

You'll like this book if you also enjoy:  Irish Folklore, Fae, Healers, fantasy that feels more historical, multiple POVs

Trigger warnings:  (As of the first 300 pages, most of these are off page but definitely talked about, sometimes in detail) rape, violence, torture, loss of spouse and child, prison

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