Monthly Wrap-Up: January 2023

This month I read 4 novels and 2 novellas (2 were re-reads), for a total of 6 books and 1930 pages. Pretty strong start. Don't know if I'll able to keep it up all year though 😅

• All of them were part of a series. No standalones this month.
• I started one series, but I also finished another! Yay!
• All of them were 5-star books!! That almost never happens!
• 1 was a new-to-me author, and the others I previously read.
• 5 were fiction, 1 nonfiction
• 4 were adult books, 2 were YA
• 4 were urban fantasy, 1 epic/high fantasy, and 1 was about science.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #301: I don't Know What My Mood Wants

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

Sunday Post #335: My Wallet is Crying

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!

Write On Review-a-thon #1: Holding Myself Accountable

This monthly review-a-thon is hosted by Reading the Paranormal and it is usually held on the last Friday-Sunday of each month. The event is meant to encourage you to write those reviews, and because I am awful at keeping up with mine, I decided to participate in this in hopes that it will help keep me on top of things.

Review: Killer's Kiss (Fear Street #42) by R.L. Stine

Title: Killer's Kiss

Series: Fear Street #42 (Can be read as a standalone)

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, mystery thriller, horror

Publication date: February 1997

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Purchased paperback

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Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Kiss life good-bye...

Delia and Karina have always been rivals. For the best grades, the most friends, the hottest guys. This year, they both want Vincent--the most popular boy at Shadyside High.

Karina is determined to win--no matter what it takes. And if she can't have Vincent, she'll make sure that no one can.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

I don’t know what the girls saw in Vincent, he was such a dick! I hated him! This asshole was seeing two girls at the same time, and he was hoping his luck would hold so he could keep going out with both of them!! Ugh!

Review: Capturing the Devil (Stalking Jack the Ripper #4) by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Capturing the Devil

Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #4

Previous books in this series: Stalking Jack the Ripper (#1) | Hunting Prince Dracula (#2) | Escaping from Houdini (#3)

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Genre: YA, mystery, historical

Publication date: September 2019

Published by: jimmy patterson

Source: Borrowed from library

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Book Outlet | Thrift Books

Synopsis: In the shocking finale to the bestselling series that began with Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose and Thomas are on the hunt for the depraved, elusive killer known as the White City Devil. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse has them fighting to stay one step ahead of the brilliant serial killer—or see their fateful romance cut short by unspeakable tragedy.

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World's Fair, they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders.

Determined to help, Audrey Rose and Thomas begin their investigations, only to find themselves facing a serial killer unlike any they've heard of before. Identifying him is one thing, but capturing him—and getting dangerously lost in the infamous Murder Hotel he constructed as a terrifying torture device—is another.

Will Audrey Rose and Thomas see their last mystery to the end—together and in love—or will their fortunes finally run out when their most depraved adversary makes one final, devastating kill?

My rating: ★★★☆☆

“Shall we see about solving another gruesome murder, my love?”

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #300: Unexpected Nonfiction

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

Sunday Post #334: So Much Excitement

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 #22: Series I THINK I'll Finish in 2023

2022 was not a good year in regards to me finishing series. My goal was to finish 9 and I ended up finishing 3 🤦‍♀️😂
These are the series I selected in hopes that I would finish them in 2022:

Review: Secret Admirer (Fear Street #36) by R.L. Stine

Title: Secret Admirer

Series: Fear Street #36 (Can be read as a standalone)

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, mystery thriller, horror

Publication date: March 1996

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Purchassed paperback

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Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Selena is on top of the world. Her acting career at Shadyside High is blossoming—everyone admires her. So when she starts receiving bouquets of dead flowers from a person called “The Sun,” she treats them as a joke.

But Selena soon realizes that this is no laughing matter. Her understudy is injured in a suspicious accident. Then a speeding car nearly kills her. Selena knows “The Sun” is responsible.

And that her number-one fan has become her number-one nightmare.

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

This book was just odd. So we have Selena who is an actress in school plays. But here’s the weird part: apparently she is so good that she’s freaking famous in Shadyside 😂 I’m sorry, but that made me laugh. I mean, why do people care about this high school girl who does plays good? It’s so dumb 🤣 And at some point Selena totally agreed. Lol. Anyway, this girl has a stalker.

Review: Escaping from Houdini (Stalking Jack the Ripper #3) by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Escaping from Houdini

Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #3

Previous books in this series: Stalking Jack the Ripper (#1) | Hunting Prince Dracula (#2)

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Genre: YA, mystery, historical

Publication date: September 2018

Published by: jimmy patterson

Source: Purchased paperback

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Book Outlet | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.

But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea.

It's up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale?

My rating: ★★★☆☆

Reading back the notes I left myself about this book in preparation for writing this review, I’m not quite sure why I decided to give it 3 stars because all my notes seem to be complaints 🙈 I am tempted to drop my rating given that, but I’m gonna trust past me that I actually enjoyed this book more than those notes are letting on 😆 So yeah, there’s a little insight into my feelings about this book. Get ready, because it might get ranty 🙃

My Life in Books: 2022

This tag was created by Annabookbel!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #299: Fantasy, But Maybe Back to Thrillers

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

Sunday Post #333: Why Am I Like 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!

Giveaway: It's National Blood Donor Month, So I'm Giving Away Some Vampire Books

It has been a minute since I last had a giveaway, and you know what? I need have a ton of books that need a new home, so this year I'm going to try and give a few books away every month. For January I decided on a couple of vampire books because it's National Blood Donor Month 😆

Review: Dangerous Girls (Fear Street Collector's Editions #4) R.L. Stine

Title: Dangerous Girls

Series: Fear Street | Fear Street Collector's Editions

Books in this omnibus: The Rich Girl | The Dare | The Prom Queen

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, mystery thriller, horror

Publication date: May 1998

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Purchased paperback

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Three books in one collection—all by bestselling author R.L. Stine.

In "The Rich Girl", Emma and Sydney found a bag stuffed with money. But they didn't know they would have to kill to keep it.

In "The Dare", Johanna's finally in the cool crowd—and she'll do anything to stay there.

And in "The Prom Queen", is a serial killer murdering the prom queen candidates? Or is it one of the girls?

My rating: ★★★☆☆
Idk about dangerous... dumb, though? Certainly! 😆

Most Read Authors and Series of 2022

Today I wanted to share my most read authors and series of 2022 because, I'm gonna be honest, once I find something I like I just read that over and over 😅 What can I say, I like what I like 😉

Review: Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper #2) by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Hunting Prince Dracula

Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #2

Previous book in this series: Stalking Jack the Ripper

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Genre: YA, mystery, historical

Publication date: September 2019

Published by: jimmy patterson

Source: Purchased paperback

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository | B&N | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best schools of forensic medicine... and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

In this New York Times bestselling sequel to Kerri Maniscalco's haunting #1 debut Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer... or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?

My rating: ★★★★☆

Before I even started this book, I had left myself the following note:

“Here we go. Hope I like this one better. Other one left much to be desired.” 😬

Favorite New-To-Me Authors of 2022

When looking through all the new authors I discovered in 2022, there were two that really stood out to me. It's kinda funny because it's two authors that write in genres that are polar opposites! And you will be shocked by one I included 👀

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #298: ALL the Fantasy!

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

Sunday Post #332: Back to Work. Sigh.

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!

2023 New Year’s Book Tag!

This tag was created by Bookables, and I actually did it once before in 2020!

Looking Back at Books I Wish I’d read in 2021 & Anticipated Books of 2022

Today I want to take a look at the books in my Top Books I Wish I’d Read in 2021 list AND the Top Anticipated Books of 2022 and see if I actually read any of those books throughout 2021. It's always really interesting to see because these are all books I am REALLY wanting to read, but sometimes I just never make it around to them. Let's if my mood cooperated this year.

2022 Reading Challenges *Update*

With 2022 behind us and new reading challenges underway, let's take a look at how I did with my 2022 reading challenges. Not great, I think. I can feel it 😅

2022 Reading Stats

It's that time of year again to look at some reading stats! I always look forward to doing this post every year because I just love numbers and graphs and charts! Is that weird? Probably 😆 I also have some new stats that I kept track of this year. Did I go overboard with all the stats? Yeahhh, probably. Lol. I regret nothing 😆

My Year in Books: 2022

I always look forward to this feature on Goodreads at the end of the year. I love seeing an overview of what my reading year was like.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #297: New Year, Same Me

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

Sunday Post #331: Happy New Year!

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!