Sunday Post #264: Getting Professional With My Nails

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

Monthly Wrap-Up: February 2021

It was quite an uneventful month, which is totally fine with me. Lol. Our trip to Mexico for this month was cancelled (good), oh but I am now fully vaccinated against covid! I got my second vaccine early in the month and the side effects were pretty minimal compared to the first one (you can read about my mild symptoms here, if you're interested). I am very, very happy about that. My parents just got their second vaccine yesterday and they seem to be doing okay, side effects-wise. It just makes me feel better to know that they have their vaccines all done. Of course, we are still taking all the precautions regardless, because you just never know.

Review: MARY: Unleashed (Bloody Mary #2) by Hillary Monahan

Title: MARY: Unleashed

Series: Bloody Mary #2

Previous book in this series: MARY: The Summoning

Author: Hillary Monahan

Genre: YA, horror

Publication date: September 2015

Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis:

Mary in the mirror.
Mary in the glass.
Mary in the water.

Mary lurks in the emptiness, in the darkness... in the reflection. That is, until Jess unleashes her into the world. Now Mary Worth is out and her haunting is deadlier than ever.

No one is safe.

Shauna, Kitty, and Jess must band together to unearth the truth about Mary's death to put her soul to rest for good. Their search leads them back to where it all began-to Solomon's Folly, a place as dangerous as the ghost who died there a century and a half ago. Quick sand, hidden traps and a phantom fog are the least of their worries. To stop Mary, they need to follow a dark string of clues and piece together a gruesome mystery that spans generations.

But time is running out.

As chilling facts come to light, Mary inches ever closer to her prey. Can Jess, Shauna, and Kitty break Mary's curse before it's too late? Or will history repeat itself until there is no one left to call her name...?

My rating: ★★★★☆

“If you don't want to get attacked by a ghost, don’t summon one.”

I really liked the first book in this duology—I remember it being pretty scary. And this one was not bad either! Although throughout most of this book, I couldn't really remember what happened in the last one. I mean, I had a vague understanding, but I just didn’t want to re-read book one beforehand. There was a super quick recap, which I appreciated, but I honestly don’t think my mind was jogged sufficiently 😂 We really need a “previously on” in books 😂

Review: Last Strand (Elemental Assassin #19) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Last Strand

Series: Elemental Assassin #19

Previous books in this series: Spider's Bite (#1) | Web of Lies (#2) | Venom (#3) | Tangled Threads (#4) | Spider's Revenge (#5) | By A Thread (#6) | Widow's Web (#7) | Deadly Sting (#8) | Heart of Venom (#9) | The Spider (#10) | Poison Promise (#11) | Black Widow (#12) | Spider's Trap (#13) | Bitter Bite (#14) | Unraveled (#15) | Snared (#16) | Venom in the Veins (#17)
| Sharpest Sting (#18)

Short stories in this series: Poison (#0.1) | Web of Deceit (#0.2) | Spider's Bargain (#0.5) | Web of Death (#1.5) | Wasted (#2.7) | Tangled Dreams (#3.5) | Tangled Schemes (#3.7) | Spider’s Nemesis (#4.5) | Thread of Death (#5.5) | Carniepunk: Parlor Tricks (#8.1) | Kiss of Venom (#8.5) | Unwanted (#14.5) | Nice Guys Bite (#15.5) | Winter's Web (#17.5)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Adult, urban fantasy

Publication date: March 16, 2021

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: eARC from author

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Synopsis: Every bloody thread has been leading to this...

I’ve battled a lot of bad guys in my time, both as Gin Blanco and as the notorious assassin the Spider. But I’ve never faced off against anyone quite as powerful and deadly as the dastardly leader of the Circle secret society.

Just when I finally have a lead on how I can defeat the evil group once and for all, new information comes to light that throws me for a loop. Suddenly, everyone and everything I love is in imminent peril of being destroyed, and I’m racing against the clock to figure out a way to save my friends.

The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the danger has never been greater. Somehow, I need to weave one last strand in my web of death—and kill my enemies before they kill me...

My rating: ★★★★★

This is it. The final showdown between Gin and her dear old Uncle Mason, the leader of the Circle, and the cause of most of the crime in Ashland. And just the cause of all the terrible things that have happened in Gin's personal life.  I cannot tell you how excited I was to read this book! And it was incredible! Well worth the wait! It had actually been about a year or so since I last read an Elemental Assassin book, so I was really starting to miss the characters. And starting off the book with some banter between the characters... so good. It was like coming home 😌 That’s one of the things I love about this series: the characters.

Review: Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Title: Scarlet

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #2

Previous book in this series: Cinder

Previous novellas in this series: Glitches (#0.5) | The Little Android (#0.6) | The Queen's Army (#1.5)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: February 2013

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Even in the future, beware of the big, bad wolf...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestsrlling Lunar Chronicles. She is trying to break out of prison-even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information about her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

My rating: ★★★★★

Not much time has passed since Cinder. In fact, we pick up pretty much where we left off, except we drop in on a new character: Scarlet. We’re going from Cinderella and moving right into Little Red Riding Hood, so Scarlet’s story is also going to be a familiar one. Basically, her grandmother has gone missing so she goes off to look for her, with the help of a guy she met, Wolf.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #212: Capture the Crown

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date and Unleashing Reads.

Sunday Post #263: I Hate This

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

My Life in Books: 2020

I don't remember where I initially saw this, but I do know that it ws created by Annabookbel! I know I'm a little late to the party, but this looked like so much fun to do, I just had to do it anyway! 😅
Using only books you have read in 2020, answer these prompts. Try not to repeat a book title.
(Links in the titles will take you to my reviews where they exist)

Review: Dead End (Fear Street #29) by R.L. Stine

Title: Dead End

Series: Fear Street #29

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: March 1995

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Natalie Erickson and her friends share a terrible secret. They were all in the car that foggy night — the night someone died at the dead end.

Now someone knows too much, and there's danger ahead. Natalie just wants out of this nightmare. But that's the problem with dead ends — there's no way out!

My rating: ★★★☆☆

A bunch of teens are driving home from a party when all of a sudden BAM! They run into another car! But do they stop and help or call for help? No, because this is a Fear Street book and these characters are dumb. Lol. And do they go to the police afterward when they find out that they killed this person? Also no, because it could ruin their lives or whatever *insert eyeroll here* Lol.

Review: Marching Out the Zombies (Bleach #65) by Tite Kubo

Title: Marching Out the Zombies

Series: Bleach #65

Author: Tite Kubo

Genre: YA, manga, fantasy

Publication date: November 2015

Published by: VIZ Media

Source: Library book

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Synopsis: The war between the Soul Reapers and the Quincies continues as an injured Kenpachi faces off against more Stern Ritters. Can Ichigo arrive in time to save the day again?!

My rating: ★★★★☆

In this volume we get more fights against the Quincies, of course. We get back to Ichigo who finally face off against Ururyu 😬 I still don’t know what Uruyu’s deal is, but it’s very upsetting that he’s on that side of the war 😩

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #211: My One Fantasy Book For The Year

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date and Unleashing Reads.

Sunday Post #262: Second Vaccine Done!

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

The Valentine's Day Book Tag

I saw this cute tag over at Angel's Guilty Pleasures and I thought I'd be fun to do... even though I'm not really one to celebrate Valentine's Day 😂

Review: Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

Title: Lock Every Door

Author: Riley Sager

Genre: Adult, mystery thriller

Publication date: July 2019

Published by: Dutton

Source: Library book

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Synopsis: No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen's new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.

As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly, disturbingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming façade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story—until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid's disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's dark past and into the secrets kept within its walls. Her discovery that Ingrid is not the first apartment sitter to go missing at the Bartholomew pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building's hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.

My rating: ★★★★★

“The place is haunted. By its past. So many bad things have happened there. So much dark history. It fills the place.”

I loved Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied, so I was very excited to read this one. And I ended up really enjoying this one as well!

Review: Color Bleach+ by Tite Kubo

Title: Color Bleach+

Series: Bleach

Author: Tite Kubo

Genre: YA, manga, fantasy

Publication date: August 2010

Published by: VIZ Media

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: The Soul Reaper's Handbook

This indispensable guide takes you behind the scenes of the shadowy world of the Soul Reapers! Read all about the illustrious Thirteen Court Guard Companies, study for the grueling entrance examination, get fighting tips from a master, take the personality quiz and much, much more! This book includes 66 pages of full-color manga spun off from the original Bleach.

My rating: ★★★★★

I watched the Bleach anime nearly 2 years ago and I was immediately hooked! When I finished the anime we still didn’t know that they were going to adapt the last arc of the manga, so I just went ahead and read it. But I needed more, and that’s where this book comes in! It’s this sort of supplemental read with a lot of information on the characters and other fun little things. Suffice to say, I loved it!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #210: This Fiction Is Too Real

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date and Unleashing Reads.

Sunday Post #261: A Witchlight For Reading

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

Finish the Series #12: I Already Miss Her

The first month of 2021 is done and over with and I finished one series! Well... kinda 😅

24in48 Readathon

Three hours until this readathon starts and I decided just NOW that I want to participate 😅 But to be fair, I only just saw Steph's (from Cover2CoverBlog) post on this. Lol. I've never done this particular readathon before, so I'm very excited! Basically, the goal is to read 24 hours in 48 hours, and they can be split up however you wish. And this year they're doing a group readathon, which is pretty cool. You can learn out more about the 24in48 Readathon here! This is gonna run from 12:01 AM ET on Saturday, February 6th through 11:59PM ET on Sunday, February 7th. (So 9pm tonight through 9 pm Sunday for me, basically.)

Review: Sal and Gabi Break the Universe (Sal and Gabi #1) by Carlos Hernandez

Title: Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

Series: Sal and Gabi #1

Author: Carlos Hernandez

Genre: Middle Grade, fantasy, sci-fi

Publication date: March 2019

Published by: Rick Riordan Presents

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: How did a raw chicken get inside Yasmany's locker?

When Sal Vidon meets Gabi Real for the first time, it isn't under the best of circumstances. Sal is in the principal's office for the third time in three days, and it's still the first week of school. Gabi, student council president and editor of the school paper, is there to support her friend Yasmany, who just picked a fight with Sal. She is determined to prove that somehow, Sal planted a raw chicken in Yasmany's locker, even though nobody saw him do it and the bloody poultry has since mysteriously disappeared.

Sal prides himself on being an excellent magician, but for this sleight of hand, he relied on a talent no one would guess . . . except maybe Gabi, whose sharp eyes never miss a trick. When Gabi learns that he's capable of conjuring things much bigger than a chicken--including his dead mother--and she takes it all in stride, Sal knows that she is someone he can work with. There's only one slight problem: their manipulation of time and space could put the entire universe at risk.

A sassy entropy sweeper, a documentary about wedgies, a principal who wears a Venetian bauta mask, and heaping platefuls of Cuban food are just some of the delights that await in this mind-blowing novel gift-wrapped in love and laughter.

My rating: ★★★★★

“Do your worst, multiverse,” I told my reflection. “I’m ready for you.”

I love Rick Riordan’s books so I was super excited about the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. This was actually my first read in the imprint and I loved it! I was extra excited because I myself am Hispanic and I don’t read very many books by Hispanic authors/with Hispanic protagonists, so this was awesome! And it was a lot of fun! From the first page I knew I would love this—it was so funny! The characters find themselves in wacky situations, and just the fact that the multiverse is a thing is SO cool!

Review: Death in Vision (Bleach #64) by Tite Kubo

Title: Death in Vision

Series: Bleach #64

Author: Tite Kubo

Genre: YA, manga, fantasy

Publication date: July 2015

Published by: VIZ Media

Source: Library book

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Synopsis: The war between the Soul Reapers and the Quincies continues as Ichigo makes his way towards the Soul Society. Can the remaining Soul Reaper captains hang on enough for Ichigo to arrive before it's too late?!

My rating: ★★★★★

In this volume we encounter another Quincy, another creeper (not as horrifying as the last guy though), but one with an interesting power. Isane and Yachiru team up for this fight. From what I remember of the anime, I don’t think we’ve ever seen Yachiru really fight, so it was really cool seeing her in action. We also got to see her sword and what it can do, plus her shikai! Which was super cute, just like her. Lol. I love her! She is another of my favorite characters!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #209: Okay, Let's Move On (For Now)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date and Unleashing Reads.