Monthly Wrap-Up: February 2023

This month I only read 3 books (1101 pages)... and they were all re-reads 😆 I don't want to say I was in a reading slump, because I don't think it was that, but my mood just wouldn't make up it's mind on what it wanted to read, so I just went back and re-read some more books in the Elemental Assassin series. Lol.

• All of them were 5-star books... again this month. Very surprising. But also not because I love this series. Lol.
• All were by an author I've previously read.
• All were adult urban fantasy.
  
• And all stats were boring because I didn't read a lot of diverse books this month 😆 But what can I say, I like what I like 😝

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #305: Momentary Pause

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

Sunday Post #339: I'm On Vacation!

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!

Review: Deadly Games (Fear Street Collector's Edition #7) by R.L. Stine

Title: Deadly Games

Series: Fear Street | Fear Street Collector's Editions

Books in this omnibus: The Fire Game | Night Games | Truth or Dare

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, mystery thriller, horror

Publication date: August 1998

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Three books that show that even a simple game between friends can turn deadly!

"The Fire Game:" Setting fires on a dare is exciting--until Jill and her friends are the ones who get burned.

"Night Games:" Diane loves sneaking out in the middle of the night and playing pranks. Then one of the pranks leads to murder.

"Truth or Dare:" Someone isn't playing fair--and they would rather kill than tell the truth.

My rating: ★★★★☆
It’s all fun and games until someone dies 💀

Review: The Lost Book of the White (The Eldest Curses #2) by Cassandra Clare & Wesley Chu

Title: The Lost Book of the White

Series: The Eldest Curses #2

Other series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles: The Infernal Devices | The Mortal Instruments | The Dark Artifices

Previous book in this series: The Red Scrolls of Magic

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Wesley Chu

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: September 2020

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: Life is good for Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood. They’re living together in a fabulous loft, their warlock son, Max, has started learning to walk, and the streets of New York are peaceful and quiet—as peaceful and quiet as they ever are, anyway.

Until the night that two old acquaintances break into Magnus’s apartment and steal the powerful Book of the White. Now Magnus and Alec will have to drop everything to get it back. They need to follow the thieves to Shanghai, they need to call some backup to accompany them, and they need a babysitter.

Also, someone has stabbed Magnus with a strange magical weapon and the wound is glowing, so they have that to worry about too.

Fortunately, their backup consists of Clary, Jace, Isabelle, and newly minted Shadowhunter Simon. In Shanghai, they learn that a much darker threat awaits them. Magnus’s magic is growing unstable, and if they can’t stop the demons flooding into the city, they might have to follow them all the way back to the source—to the very realm of the dead. Can they stop the threat to the world? Will they make it back home before their kid completely wears out Alec’s mom?

My rating: ★★★★★

I know I’ve said this before, but it makes me really happy that Magnus and Alec have their own series. I just had the best time reading this! This book takes place after The Mortal Instruments and Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy (Simon has only been a Shadowhunter for about 4 months at this point) but before the events of The Dark. Artifices, just FYI. The prologue takes place during City of Glass, just before Clary goes to look for Ragnor and finds out that he’s dead. This scene was a lot of fun but really set the scene for the entire book and for Ragnor’s reasoning behind him faking his death.

Review: Conquer the Kingdom (Gargoyle Queen #3) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Conquer the Kingdom

Series: Gargoyle Queen #3

Previous books in this series: Capture the Crown (#1) | Tear Down the Throne (#2)

Previous series: Crown of Shards

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Adult, high fantasy

Publication date: March 7th 2023

Published by: Harper Voyager

Source: ARC from author/Netgalley for review

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Synopsis: Magic reigns, plots abound, and a new love might not conquer all, in this must-read finale to the epic Gargoyle Queen trilogy by international bestselling author Jennifer Estep.

Time is running out for crown princess Gemma Ripley. Despite being a cunning spy and a powerful mind magier, Gemma hasn't been able to track down the most dangerous enemy her kingdom of Andvari has ever seen. Adding to her worries is the Sword and Shield tournament. With gladiators flocking to the capital city of Glanzen, Gemma can't tell who is friend—or foe.

Determined to protect Andvari at any cost, Gemma hatches a bold plan, but things aren't what they seem. Soon, everything she holds dear is being threatened, including her burgeoning relationship with Prince Leonidas Morricone.

With the kingdom she holds dear slipping through her fingers, Gemma will have to conquer her fear and unlock the true secret of her magic—or watch her friends and family die and her beloved Andvari fall...

My rating: ★★★★★

We all knew the same unsettling truth—that we needed to figure out what Milo was plotting before he struck again and finally found some way to conquer my kingdom.

I don't read a lot of high/epic fantasy, but I always give Jennifer Estep's books a shot, no matter the genre, because I know I'll like them. I really enjoyed the Crown of Shards series when I first read it all those years ago, so I was very excited to find out that there would be another series set in the same world. And honestly, I think I liked the Gargoyle Queen series more, which is saying something! So reading this was bittersweet because even though I was excited to see how this series would end, I didn't want it to.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #304: Unofficial Vacation TBR

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

Sunday Post #338: Getting Ready for Vacation

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: R.L. Stine and Maureen McGowan Books!

I 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 February, in honor of Valentine's Day AND Tale a Fairy Tale Day, I'm giving away some mystery thrillers with romance AND some choose-your-own-adventure fairy tale retelling books!

Review: Night Games (Fear Street #40) R.L. Stine

Title: Night Games

Series: Fear Street #40 (Can be read as a standalone)

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, mystery thriller, horror

Publication date: November 1996

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Living on the edge...

Diane loves sneaking out in the middle of the night. Her friends do, too. They have the town all to themselves. Every night they come up with a new prank to play.

But then Diane’s boyfriend, Lenny, wants revenge on a teacher, and the pranks turn to murder. Now Diane and her friends are in too deep.

Much too deep... with no way out.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

We didn't know it. But the Night Games had already begun for us.
And so had the terror.

Review: Chain of Gold (The Last Hours #1) by Cassandra Clare

Title: Chain of Gold

Series: The Last Hours #1

Prequel short stories: The Penultimate Hours

Other series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles: The Infernal Devices | The Mortal Instruments | The Dark Artifices

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA, urban fantasy, historical

Publication date: March 2020

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: An inheritance of shadows. A love in chains. An unconquerable foe.

Cordelia Carstairs is a Shadowhunter, a warrior trained since childhood to battle demons. When her father is accused of a terrible crime, she and her brother travel to London in hopes of preventing the family’s ruin. Cordelia’s mother wants to marry her off, but Cordelia is determined to be a hero rather than a bride. Soon Cordelia encounters childhood friends James and Lucie Herondale and is drawn into their world of glittering ballrooms, secret assignations, and supernatural salons, where vampires and warlocks mingle with mermaids and magicians. All the while, she must hide her secret love for James, who is sworn to marry someone else.

But Cordelia’s new life is blown apart when a shocking series of demon attacks devastate London. These monsters are nothing like those Shadowhunters have fought before—these demons walk in daylight, strike down the unwary with incurable poison, and seem impossible to kill. London is immediately quarantined. Trapped in the city, Cordelia's friends discover that a dark legacy has gifted them with incredible powers—and forced a brutal choice that will reveal the true cruel price of being a hero.

My rating: ★★★★★

I loved this book! But then again, going into it I knew I was going to love it, as I do all Shadowhunter books. But at this point we all know what a huge fan of the Shadowhunter Chronicles I am.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #303: Finally!

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

Sunday Post #337: Finally!

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 Anti-Valentines Book Tag

If you've been here any amount of time, you know that Valentines Day is not a thing that is for me 😅 Hence why I think this tag is perfect for me! 😆 I found it over at Quibbles and Scribbles, and it was created by Write Your Destiny.

Review: The Girlfriend by R.L. Stine

Title: The Girlfriend

Series: Point Horror

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, mystery thriller, horror

Publication date: December 1991

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: She's bad. So bad...

Scotty has the perfect life. And the perfect girlfriend. But one weekend while she's away, Scotty goes just a little... astray.

Suddenly he has a new girlfriend. One who won't go away. His one wild night has become a nightmare.

Because his new girlfriend has decided that she loves Scotty... to death.

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

This book started off surprisingly slow. Thirty pages in and nothing was happening. Just Scotty and Lora being perfect or whatever.

Review: The Penultimate Hours (The Last Hours #0.5) by Cassandra Clare

Title: The Penultimate Hours

Series: The Last Hours #0.5

Other series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles: The Infernal Devices | The Mortal Instruments | The Dark Artifices

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA, urban fantasy, historical

Publication date: January 2021

Published by: Cassandra Clare

Source: Author's newsletter

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Synopsis: Welcome to The Penultimate Hours! A collection of short stories covering the various characters in The Last Hours, originally released monthly in the leadup to Chain of Gold. The Penultimate Hours also contains two special extras: a letter from Lucie to Cordelia and a letter from Ragnor to Magnus. All collected here for your reading delight!

My rating: ★★★★★

We start off this fun novella with a letter to Magnus from Ragnor! I love that grumpy warlock. Lol. He’s telling Magnus about how Wills' children are running wild around London and how the city is overly blessed with Lightwoods.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #302: Comfort Reading

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

Sunday Post #336: Just a Little Retail Therapy

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 Bookish Prediction Tag

I saw this fun tag over at Truffle's Literary Wonders, and it was originally created by Book Princess Reviews.

Review: The Dead Girlfriend by R.L. Stine

Title: The Dead Girlfriend

Series: Point Horror

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, mystery thriller, horror

Publication date: August 1993

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Annie just met Jonathan. She doesn't know about his last girlfriend.

Doesn't know how beautiful she was. Doesn't know how popular.

Doesn't know how she died.

But Annie is about to find out. Because Jonathan's old girlfriend might be dead.

But she isn't gone...

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

I don’t know why all the male characters in these types of books are always horrible, but they are. And Jonathan was a piece of work. Annie is one of those girls where the guy terrifies her, but she’s attracted to him at the same time, and it drives me nuts! If you’re scared of him, stay the hell away! Good grief! This guy’s mood swings were just... he ANGRY after someone slashed Annie’s tires. It was crazy! Dude, chill!

Review: The Red Scrolls of Magic (The Eldest Curses #1) by Cassandra Clare & Wesley Chu

Title: The Red Scrolls of Magic

Series: The Eldest Curses #1

Other series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles: The Infernal Devices | The Mortal Instruments | The Dark Artifices

Authors: Cassandra Clare & Wesley Chu

Genre: YA, urban fantasy

Publication date: April 2019

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: All Magnus Bane wanted was a vacation.

A lavish trip across Europe with Alec Lightwood, the Shadowhunter who, against all odds, is finally his boyfriend. It doesn’t seem like too much for the centuries-old High Warlock to ask for. But no sooner have they settled in Paris than an old friend arrives with news about a demon-worshipping cult called the Crimson Hand that is bent on causing chaos around the world. A cult that was apparently founded by Magnus himself. Years ago. As a joke.

Now Magnus and Alec must race across Europe to track down the Crimson Hand and its elusive new leader before the cult can cause any more damage. As if it wasn’t bad enough that their romantic getaway has been sidetracked, demons are now dogging their every step, and it is becoming harder to tell friend from foe. As their quest for answers becomes increasingly dire, Magnus and Alec have to trust each other more than ever—even if it means revealing the secrets they’ve both been keeping.

The first book in the Eldest Curses series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Cassandra Clare and award-winning science fiction author Wesley Chu, The Red Scrolls of Magic is a fast-paced adventure bursting with magic, humor, and (if demons stop getting in the way) romance that offers a fresh look at the world of the Shadowhunters.

My rating: ★★★★★

A warrior chosen by angels and a well-dressed demon's child, in love and intent on adventure through Europe. What could go wrong?

I was gonna say that this is a book I didn’t know I needed in my life, but that is a complete lie because I have loved Malec since City of Bones 😆 And this book was everything I could’ve ever wanted, and more! Right from page one I knew I was going to love this!