Review: Switched (Fear Street #31) by R.L. Stine

Title: Switched

Series: Fear Street #31

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: May 1995

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Purchased paperback

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books

Synopsis: She traded places with a killer...

There’s a little cabin in the Fear Street woods where a girl can really lose her mind. In fact, she can change it into someone else’s. That’s what happened to Nicole and Lucy. Now Lucy is in Nicole’s body, and Nicole is in Lucy’s. What a trip!

But for Nicole, what a trap! Because Lucy is using Nicole’s body to get away with murder!

My rating: ★★★★☆

Right off the bat, this girl Nicole is a piece of work. She cried because she broke a nail and I could not help but roll my eyes. I do admit that over the years I have become that girl that gets upset when I break a nail, but NOT to the point of crying. Look, a broken nail means I have to file down ALL of my nails so they match, which means less space for nail art. And I love my nail art. Lol.

Review: What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything [And Who You're Not Officially Dating Anyway] (The Bane Chronicles #8) by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything [And Who You're Not Officially Dating Anyway]

Series: The Bane Chronicles #8

Author: Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: November 2013

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

Add it on Goodreads

Buy the short story on: Audible

Buy the collection on: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Magnus Bane may or may not be dating Alec Lightwood, but he definitely needs to find him the perfect birthday present.

Set in the time between City of Ashes and City of Glass, warlock Magnus Bane is determined to find the best birthday present possible for Alec Lightwood, the Shadowhunter he may or may not be dating. And he’s also got to deal with the demon he’s conjured up for a very irritating client...

My rating: ★★★★★

This short story takes place sometime during The Mortal Instruments and Magnus is looking for a birthday gift to give Alec, but he just doesn’t know what. He asks his friend Ragnor for advice, but...

Review: The Fall of the Hotel Dumort (The Bane Chronicles #7) by Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson

Title: The Fall of the Hotel Dumort

Series: The Bane Chronicles #7

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: October 2013

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

Add it on Goodreads

Buy the short story on: Audible

Buy the collection on: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Magnus Bane watches the once-glamorous Hotel Dumort become something else altogether in 1970s New York City.

Fifty years after the Jazz Age rise of the Hotel Dumort, immortal warlock Magnus Bane knows the Manhattan landmark is on the decline. The once-beautiful Hotel Dumort has fallen into a decayed thing, a ruin, as dead as a place can be. But the vampires don't mind...

My rating: ★★★★☆

This short story takes place in the 70s and things are crazy! Vampires being reckless and just awful. There’s a vampire killer out there and the werewolves are worried that they might be found out by mundanes and that they (the werewolves) would get in trouble too by extension. So in order to avoid this, the werewolves were covering for those assholes! It was a mess! And Camille was awful in this. While I can see (from the Edmund Herondale short story) why Magnus would like her, in this one? No. She sucks. Lol.

Review: His Final Girl (B Mine #1) by Brooklyn Ann

Title: His Final Girl

Series: B Mine #1

Author: Brooklyn Ann

Genre: New Adult, horror, romance

Publication date: April 2019

Published by: Boroughs Publishing Group

Source: Purchased ebook

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis: DON’T GO IN THE WOODS

Computer nerd, Wes Carpenter, dreads having to spend ten days at summer camp with the rest of his in-coming high school senior class. But when he meets strong-willed and confident farm girl, Linnea Langenkamp, everything about being away at camp improves immediately. When a malicious prank awakens an ancient evil, turning their summer romance into a bloodbath, Wes and Linnea pray they make it home alive while fighting for the survival of their classmates. With Wes’s ingenuity and Linnea’s knowledge of the forest, together they may be able to stop the killer, save the camp, and maybe even find their happily ever after on the way.

My rating: ★★★★☆

A seed of pride sprouted in Wes that they'd gotten the hang of the canoe. Maybe he could survive this summer camp stuff—if he didn't get massacred by a masked killer.

You've heard of Final Girls, well now get ready for a Final Couple! I really liked this concept—it’s what first drew me to this series. It’s very much inspired by horror b-movies, which yes, please! I love my slashers and I love that there were so many references to horror movies in this book! However, while this is a horror series, it has a romantic twist, which I found intriguing.

Review: Saving Raphael Santiago (The Bane Chronicles #6) by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: Saving Raphael Santiago

Series: The Bane Chronicles #6

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: September 2013

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

Add it on Goodreads

Buy the short story on Audible

Buy the collection on: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books

Synopsis: A Manhattan teen—Raphael Santiago—is missing, and Magnus Bane must track him down before it’s too late.

In 1950s New York City, a distraught mother hires Magnus Bane to find her missing son, Raphael. But even if he can be found, is Raphael beyond saving?

My rating: ★★★★★

So this short story takes place in the 50s, when Magnus was apparently a PI. Lol. Raphael’s mother comes to Magnus for help in getting her son back from los vampiros. So Magnus agrees to help and goes to the Hotel Dumort to find Raphael, the hotel which Camille has laid claim to.

Review: The Rise of the Hotel Dumort (The Bane Chronicles #5) by Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson

Title: The Rise of the Hotel Dumort

Series: The Bane Chronicles #5

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: August 2013

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

Add it on Goodreads

Buy the short story on Audible

Buy the collection on: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books

Synopsis: In 1920s Manhattan, Magnus Bane hobnobs with the elite at a glamorous Jazz Age hotspot.

The immortal Magnus Bane is making the most of his time in the Roaring Twenties: He's settled into New York society and is thriving among the fashionable jazz set. And there is nowhere better to see and be seen than the glamorous Hotel Dumort, a glittering new addition to the Manhattan landscape. But a different type of glamour may be at play...

My rating: ★★★★☆

This short story takes place in the Roaring 20s and it’s basically an origin story of the Hotel Dumort. Aldous Nix was the High Warlock of Manhattan and he was into some really shady stuff. He lived in the hotel and basically what he wants to do was open a portal to return to where he “belongs” aka home aka the Void aka the demon dimension 😳 Yeahhh, have fun with that. So this guy has a bunch of mundane followers who are idiots and things go about as well as you expect. It was really cool to see Magnus in action though! I always love that!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #235: Here we go

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

Sunday Post #272: Busy, Busy

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!

Learning Japanese

This month will mark my second year since I started learning Japanese, and I wanted to touch on that a little bit today and talk about how it's going and what I've been using to learn this language. TL;DR: I am having a lot of fun! It is a very difficult language to learn, but I am enjoying the challenge! Spanish being my native language, I feel like I could've gone with something similar like Italian and I would've picked it up much easier. But where's the challenge in that! Why not learn a new language AND a whole new writing system while I'm at it! 😂

Review: COVID-128 (The Lunar Chronicles #4.6) by Marissa Meyer

Title: COVID-128

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #4.6

Previous books in this series: Cinder (#1) | Scarlet (#2) | Cress (#3) | Fairest (#3.5) | Winter (#4) | Stars Above (#4.5)

Previous novellas in this series: Glitches (#0.5) | The Little Android (#0.6) | The Queen's Army (#1.5) | Fairest (#3.5)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Publication date: May 2020

Published by: Fierce Reads

Source: Read online

Add it on Goodreads

Read it online HERE

Synopsis: "Surprise! I wrote a new Lunar Chronicles short story, inspired by the prompt from @fiercereads asking what our characters would be doing during a time of social distancing. It was really fun for me to hang out with these characters again for a little while, and I hope you'll enjoy it!"

My rating: ★★★★☆

I was so glad to be back in this world! I missed these characters 😩 I admit I was a little hesitant to read this only for the fact that it has to do with covid. One of the things that's annoying about watching shows right now, is that some have incorporated the pandemic into them. Listen here shows, there is a thing called escapism and I watch you to get away from all this. We have enough of this IRL, I don’t need it in my fiction too 😩 That being said, this short story was great! Lol. It basically shows what the characters would be doing during quarantine, and I really enjoyed seeing this little snippet into their lives.

Review: Gone Rogue (Wires and Nerve #2) by Marissa Meyer

Title: Gone Rogue

Series: Wires and Nerve #2

Previous book in this series: Wires and Nerve

Prequel series: The Lunar Chronicles

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fairy tale retelling

Illustrator: Stephen Gilpin

Publication date: January 2018

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Purchased paperback

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Iko – an audacious android and best friend to the Lunar Queen Cinder – has been tasked with hunting down Alpha Lysander Steele, the leader of a rogue band of bioengineered wolf-soldiers who threaten to undo the tenuous peace agreement between Earth and Luna. Unless Cinder can reverse the mutations that were forced on them years before, Steele and his soldiers plan to satisfy their monstrous appetites with a massacre of the innocent people of Earth.

And to show he’s serious, Steele is taking hostages.

Cinder and Kai, Scarlet and Wolf, Cress and Thorne, and Winter and Jacin all feature in this epic new battle. But it is Iko who must face her deepest fears when she uncovers the truth about her own unusual programming.

My rating: ★★★★☆

So the crew are still dealing with the rogue wolf soldiers and their leader Steele. Throughout this whole book, I was very frustrated with Wolf and all the dumb decisions he made.

Review: Archenemies (Renegades #2) by Marissa Meyer

Title: Archenemies

Series: Renegades #2

Previous book in this series: Renegades

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA, sci-fi, fantasy, superheroes

Publication date: November 2018

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Purchased hardcover

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis: Time is running out. Together, they can save the world. But are they each other's worst nightmare?

Nova's double life is about to get a lot more complicated:

As Insomnia, she is a full-fledged member of the Renegades, a syndicate of powerful and beloved superheroes. She works with Adrian's patrol unit to protect the weak and maintain order in Gatlon City.

As Nightmare, she is an Anarchist—a group of villains who are determined to destroy the Renegades. Nova wants vengeance against the so-called heroes who once failed her when she needed them the most.

But as Nova, her feelings for Adrian are deepening, despite the fact that he is the son of her sworn enemies and, unbeknownst to Nova, he has some dangerous secrets of his own.

In this second installment of the Renegades trilogy, Nova, Adrian, and the rest of their crew—Ruby, Oscar, and Danna—are faced with escalating crime in Gatlon City, while covert weapons and conflicting missions have Nova and Adrian questioning not only their beliefs about justice but also the feelings they have for each other.

The line between good and evil has been blurred, but what's clear to them both is that too much power could mean the end of their City—and the world—as they know it.

My rating: ★★★★★

I loved this book! So far, it is a great series and I’m just mad at myself for not reading it sooner. Lol.

Review: The Midnight Heir (The Bane Chronicles #4) by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: The Midnight Heir

Series: The Bane Chronicles #4

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: July 2013

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

Add it on Goodreads

Buy the short story on: Audible

Buy the collection on: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books

Synopsis: In Edwardian London, Magnus Bane discovers old friends and new enemies—including the son of his former comrade Will Herondale. One of ten adventures in The Bane Chronicles.

Magnus thought he would never return to London, but he is lured by a handsome offer from Tatiana Blackthorn, whose plans—involving her beautiful young ward—are far more sinister than Magnus even suspects. In London at the turn of the century, Magnus finds old friends, and meets a very surprising young man . . . the sixteen-year-old James Herondale.

My rating: ★★★★★

This short story takes place before Chain of Gold and is about James Herondale, Will and Tessa’s son!

Review: Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale (The Bane Chronicles #3) by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale

Series/Collection: The Bane Chronicles #3

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: June 2013

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

Add it on Goodreads

Buy the short story on: Audible

Buy the collection on: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books

Synopsis: When immortal warlock Magnus Bane attends preliminary peace talks between the Shadowhunters and the Downworlders in Victorian London, he is charmed by two very different people: the vampire Camille Belcourt and the young Shadowhunter, Edmund Herondale. Will winning hearts mean choosing sides?

My rating: ★★★★★

This short story takes place in the 1850s and it is about Will Herondale’s dad and how he met Will’s mother and why he stripped his marks. It was so sad, but also very interesting.

10 Year Challenge Book Tag

I saw this tag over at We Live and Breathe Books and it was created by Rincey Reads. I thought this tag would be perfect to do because I just passed my 10 year blogging anniversary back in March! I still can't believe it!

Review: Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Title: Renegades

Series: Renegades #1

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: Adult, sci-fi, fantasy, superheroes

Publication date: November 2017

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Purchased hardcover

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis: Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies — humans with extraordinary abilities — who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone... except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice — and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

My rating: ★★★★★

Nova scoffed. Did they really think that extra limbs made you a hero? Or being able to shoot fireworks from your hands? Or even having a layer of chromium beneath your skin?
Heroism wasn't about what you could do, it was about what you did.

This book was great! I really loved the world and the characters with all their cool superpowers! One thing that was interesting about this book was that we followed someone, who in this world, would be considered a villain. But the thing is, I totally get Nova’s motivations for doing what she’s doing.

Review: Goodnight Kiss (Goodnight Kiss #1-2) by R.L. Stine

Title: Goodnight Kiss

Series: Goodnight Kiss | Fear Street Collector's Editions

Books in this collection: Goodnight Kiss | Goodnight Kiss 2

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: July 1997

Published by: Simon Pulse

Source: Purchased paperback

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Goodnight Kiss 1

Matt and his girlfriend, April, are plunged into a horrifying world of endless night when they encounter the vampires of Sandy Hollow. April is lured away from Matt when a vampire controls her—hypnotizes her with his strange, intoxicating kisses. Now Matt must save April, before she gets her final goodnight kiss.

Goodnight Kiss 2

Bill has been to Sandy Hollow before. This summer, he's returning to the little resort town—but not for fun in the sun. He is searching for creatures of the night—the vampires who prey on the tourists there. Billy's girlfriend was one of those tourists—until the vampires killed her. Now Billy has vowed to destroy them all—even if he must join them trying.

Plus a new vampire story by R.L. Stine: The Vampire Club.

Pete Kelly has left Fear Street and come to a new school—Forest Grove High—so he's eager to make friends. Then he meets Nan Garner, a gorgeous girl who invites him to join a club. Sounds good, Pete thinks. Until he discovers the club's terrible secret. And their plan to make him a permanent member.

My rating: ★★★★☆

This omnibus has the Goodnight Kiss duology PLUS a short story at the end that I don’t think has been published anywhere else before. It was fun!

Review: The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

Title: The Final Girl Support Group

Author: Grady Hendrix

Genre: Adult, horror

Publication date: July 13th 2021

Published by: Berkley Books

Source: eARC from publishers

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis: In horror movies, the final girl is the one who's left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer, and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?

Lynnette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre twenty-two years ago, and it has defined every day of her life since. And she's not alone. For more than a decade she's been meeting with five other actual final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynnette's worst fears are realized--someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.

My rating: ★★★★☆

As a huge horror movie fan, the title of this book immediately caught my attention. The concept of a final girl support group and getting to follow these final girls after the horrific ordeals they went through and just seeing how they deal with it all was very intriguing to me. I loved the concept of this book! And overall, I really enjoyed it!

Review: The Runaway Queen (The Bane Chronicles #2) by Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson

Title: The Runaway Queen

Series/Collection: The Bane Chronicles (#2)

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Maureen Johnson

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: May 2013

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

Add it on Goodreads

Buy the short story on: Audible

Buy the collection on: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books

Synopsis: While in France, immortal warlock Magnus Bane finds himself attempting to rescue the royal family from the horrors of the French Revolution—after being roped into this mess by a most attractive count. Naturally, the daring escape calls for invisible air balloons...

My rating: ★★★★☆

This short story takes place in the 1700s, and, as the title suggests, Magnus basically helps a queen run away. There was a whole thing with an air balloon that is later mentioned in The Red Scroll of Magic, and it was just hilarious! Oh, and there’s also a bit of romance in this one.

Review: What Really Happened in Peru (The Bane Chronicles #1) by Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: What Really Happened in Peru

Series/Collection: The Bane Chronicles (#1)

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: April 2013

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

Add it on Goodreads

Buy the short story on: Audible

Buy the collection on: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books

Synopsis: There are good reasons Peru is off-limits to Magnus Bane. Follow Magnus’s Peruvian escapades as he drags his fellow warlocks Ragnor Fell and Catarina Loss into trouble, learns several instruments (which he plays shockingly), dances (which he does shockingly), and disgraces his host nation by doing something unspeakable to the Nazca Lines.

My rating: ★★★★★

This short story spans over several hundred years. If you recall, either in CoLS or CoHF it was mentioned that Magnus was banned from Peru and I was VERY intrigued. Well, in this story, we find out what happened and why he may or may not have been banned from Peru... Well, sort of 😉

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #234: I Love Gin Blanco

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

Sunday Post #271: Surviving So Far

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!