Saturday, April 27, 2024
Friday, April 26, 2024
Review: Krimson Flare (Krimson Empire #4) by Julia Huni
Title: Krimson Flare
Series: Krimson Empire #4
Previous books in this series: The Trophany (#0.5) | Krimson Run (#1) | Krimson Spark (#2) | Krimson Surge (#3) | Sashelle's Quest (#3.5)
Author: Julia Huni
Genre: Adult, sci-fi, adventure
Publication date: December 2023 (originally published July 2020)
Published by: IPH Media
Source: Backed on Kickstarter
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Buy it: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis: The last piece falls into place. Will it open the door to freedom or failure?
When they crushed the Russosken, Quinn and Tony knew the Federation would come gunning for them. But they can’t hide—too many depend on them.
While Tony searches for a missing Krimson agent, Quinn must fight off pirates and rescue an old friend. Francine and her siblings struggle to salvage the remains of their new inheritance. When the Marconi family arrives looking for assistance, will they have the resources to respond?
As the Federation lines up their pawns for battle, Quinn and her team move their own pieces into place. With the help of a fresh-faced academy cadet, a famous newscaster, and, of course, Sashelle, can they bring liberty to the Federation? The final battle will test everyone to their limits and only the strong will survive.
The last book in the series.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Review: The Spy and I (My Spy #1) by Tiana Smith
Title: The Spy and I
Series: My Spy #1
Author: Tiana Smith
Genre: Adult, contemporary romance, adventure
Publication date: February 13th 2024
Published by: Berkley
Source: Borrowed from library
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Buy it: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis: Right place. Wrong person. After a case of mistaken identity, one woman must work with her sister’s sexy spy partner to save the world in this heart-pounding romantic comedy.
The first thing to know about Dove Barkley is that, even though she works as a cyber security analyst, she is one hundred percent not an undercover CIA operative. But when a group of bad guys mistake her for her super-spy sister (news to her!), Dove gets roped into a dangerous government mission that she’d very much rather be left out of, thank you.
Too bad Mendez, the man who claims to be her sister’s partner, says she's in too deep to back out now. He’s smart, capable, and has a body almost distracting enough to make Dove forget about the team of trained assassins after her.
Dove has information that can help prevent a national tragedy, but there’s mounting evidence that Mendez might not be who he claims. More importantly, she's running out of time to save her sister. Because the last thing Dove wants is for either of them to go out with a bang.
Computers? Sure, I could handle those. Murder, guns, and running for my life? Not so much.
I’ve been really getting into contemporary romances in recent years and I’m starting to recognize the things I like and don’t like in those types of books, but this book did things right! I liked it!
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Review: Sashelle's Quest (Krimson Empire #3.5) by Julia Huni
Title: Sashelle's Quest
Series: Krimson Empire #3.5
Previous books in this series: Krimson Run (#1) | Krimson Spark (#2) | Krimson Surge (#3)
Author: Julia Huni
Genre: Adult, sci-fi, adventure
Publication date: September 2023
Published by: IPH Media
Source: Kickstarter reward
Add it on Goodreads
Get it HERE
Synopsis: Can one small kitten turn the tables on an invading horde of marauders?
*Originally published in the Hellcats Anthology.*
I love Sassy so I was very much looking forward to reading this novella! Excuse me, Sashelle. She hates being called Sassy. Lol.
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Reviews: Sun Spot Remover (Tales of a Former Space Janitor #5) by Julia Huni
Title: Sun Spot Remover
Series: Tales of a Former Space Janitor #5
Previous books in this series: The Rings of Grissom (#1) | Planetary Spin Cycle (#2) | Waxing the Moon of Lewei (#3) | Christmas Cookie Crumbs (#3.5) | Changing the Speed of Light Bulbs (#4)
Author: Julia Huni
Genre: Adult, sci-fi, cozy mystery
Publication date: April 25th 2024
Published by: IPH Media
Source: eARC for review from author
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Buy it: Author store | Amazon
Synopsis: Same space janitor. Shiny new mess.
Three years have passed since Triana and Ty's failed honeymoon to Armstrong. Finally ready to try again, they've booked into an all-inclusive resort on Moghbeli Luna Major, where the water is warm, the drink-bots are preprogrammed, and all systems are green. Or so the holo-ads claim.
When they arrive, they find murderous seabirds, failing force shields, and a hotel owner in way over her head. And wait... is that a dinosaur?
The happy couple's long delayed vacation devolves into a mad scramble to save the resort, track down the bad guys, and save the creme brûlée. And maybe ride the water slide before they head home. If they make it that far.
Another book in one of my favorite series.
Monday, April 22, 2024
Sunday, April 21, 2024
Sunday Post #398: A Busy Week With An Accidental Purchase
Friday, April 19, 2024
Review: Krimson Surge (Krimson Empire #3) by Julia Huni
Title: Krimson Surge
Series: Krimson Empire #3
Previous books in this series: The Trophany (#0.5) | Krimson Run (#1) | Krimson Spark (#2)
Author: Julia Huni
Genre: Adult, sci-fi, adventure
Publication date: November 2023 (originally published May 2020)
Published by: IPH Media
Source: Backed on Kickstarter
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Buy it: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis: They won the battle, but victory comes with a price.
After the triumph at Lunesco, Tony spreads plans for the rebellion throughout the Federation, while Quinn helps distribute resources and weapons. But when a mysterious data card connects her to an old enemy, she must gather friends to protect her children then venture out on her own to find answers.
Avoiding Federation officers and bounty hunters is difficult, but staying one step ahead of the Russosken—the Federation’s hired thugs—requires assistance from dubious allies. Quinn helps devise a plan to loosen the death grip on the Federation’s outlying planets. But if she takes down the Russosken, what rise from the ashes?
Freedom comes at a price. The final bill might be more than Quinn is willing to pay.
One revolution down, a couple hundred more to go.
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Review- Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases by Lydia Kang & Nate Pedersen
Title: Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases
Author: Lydia Kang & Nate Pedersen
Genre: Adult, nonfiction, science
Publication date: November 2021
Published by: Workman Publishing Company
Source: Borrowed from library
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Buy it: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis: From the masters of storytelling-meets-science and co-authors of Quackery, Patient Zero tells the long and fascinating history of disease outbreaks—how they start, how they spread, the science that lets us understand them, and how we race to destroy them before they destroy us.
Written in the authors’ lively and accessible style, chapters include page-turning medical stories about a particular disease or virus—smallpox, Bubonic plague, polio, HIV—that combine “Patient Zero” narratives, or the human stories behind outbreaks, with historical examinations of missteps, milestones, scientific theories, and more.
Learn the tragic stories of Patient Zeros throughout history, such as Mabalo Lokela, who contracted Ebola while on vacation in 1976, and the Lewis Baby on London’s Broad Street, the first to catch cholera in an 1854 outbreak that led to a major medical breakthrough. Interspersed are origin stories of a different sort—how a rye fungus in 1951 turned a small village in France into a phantasmagoric scene reminiscent of Burning Man. Plus the uneasy history of human autopsy, how the HIV virus has been with us for at least a century, and more.
For many millennia, humans blamed sickness on anything but germs. When boils, lethal amounts of diarrhea, and vomiting blood brought whole cities to their knees, responsibility was cast on comets, eclipses, earthquakes, demons, gods, or witchcraft. Powers far larger than ourselves were forever the reasons behind outbreaks of disease.
As we've learned more about infectious diseases through the years, it's no surprise that our goal has always been to understand them, to control them, and to kill them—before they kill us.
As we've learned more about infectious diseases through the years, it's no surprise that our goal has always been to understand them, to control them, and to kill them—before they kill us.
Quackery by these authors was one of my favorite books of 2023 so I was very happy when I saw that they had written another nonfiction book! While I didn’t love Patient Zero as much as Quackery, I still very much enjoyed it!
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Review: Krimson Spark (Krimson Empire #2) by Julia Huni
Title: Krimson Spark
Series: Krimson Empire #2
Previous books in this series: The Trophany (#0.5) | Krimson Run (#1)
Author: Julia Huni
Genre: Adult, sci-fi, adventure
Publication date: November 2023 (originally published April 2020)
Published by: IPH Media
Source: Backed on Kickstarter
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Buy it: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis: She ran, but she couldn’t hide.
When Quinn escaped the Federation, she took her kids into hiding. But a message from Tony brings her back to the stars. She owes him—and his family. And they’ve called in the favor.
Quinn agrees to risk her life to help Tony, as long as the family keeps her kids safe. She must follow the breadcrumbs to find him and hope she doesn’t leave behind a trail for the Feds.
Because the Federation doesn’t forget when a death row inmate escapes. And they never forgive.
Another fun sci-fi read from Julia Huni.
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Review: With a Little Luck (Fortuna Beach #2) by Marissa Meyer
Title: With a Little Luck
Series: Fortuna Beach #2
Previous book in this series: Instant Karma
Author: Marissa Meyer
Illustrator: Chuck Gonzales
Genre: YA, contemporary romance
Publication date: February 13th 2024
Published by: Feiwel & Friends
Source: Purchased hardcover
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Buy it: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis: After being magically gifted with incredible luck, a boy discovers this gift just may be a curse when it comes to love, in this YA novel by #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer.
Jude is determined to fly under the radar. He just wants to draw his comics, host regular D&D night with his friends, work at his parents’ vinyl record store, and escape high school as unscathed as possible. That is, until the night he comes across a mysterious twenty-sided dice and finds himself inexplicably gifted with a bout of supernatural good luck.
Suddenly, everything Jude has ever wanted is within reach. His first art submission is accepted to his favorite fanzine. He helps his friend’s song become a finalist in a songwriting competition. And he’s the 100th caller to a local radio contest, winning him a pair of coveted concert tickets, which he uses to ask out the popular girl he’s been crushing on since elementary school. For a few blissful weeks, he feels invincible.
But when he loses the magic dice at a local music festival, his luck takes a turn for the worse. He struggles to reclaim his good fortune while fighting off long-buried feelings for his best friend―who is definitely not the girl he’s supposed to be in love with. Can Jude risk stepping into the spotlight long enough to win the true girl of his dreams? Or is he doomed to be unlucky in love forever?
"These lucky coincidences seem to be happening to you a lot lately," Pru mutters. She studies me a long moment, then gets an odd, faraway look in her eye. She turns away, sighing, "Enjoy it while it lasts.”
Pru knowwws! 😂 After all she went through and Instant Karma, Pru gets it. Lol. I loved Instant Karma, so I was really looking forward to reading this book, and it was as good as I was expecting!
Monday, April 15, 2024
Sunday, April 14, 2024
Sunday Post #397: Finding Rare Books
Friday, April 12, 2024
Review: Krimson Run (Krimson Empire #1) by Julia Huni
Title: Krimson Run
Series: Krimson Empire #1
Prequel novella: The Trophany
Author: Julia Huni
Genre: Adult, sci-fi, adventure
Publication date: October 2023 (originally published March 2020)
Published by: IPH Media
Source: Backed on Kickstarter
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Buy it: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis: The Federation made three mistakes:
Leaving Quinn to die
Framing Quinn for treason
Taking Quinn's kids
She could get over the first two.
With her friend Tony, a man of surprising connections and mysterious family, Quinn rescues herself and the other "inconvenient" spouses left to die on the abandoned asteroid outpost. When Quinn launches her campaign to retrieve her kids, the Federation will realize taking children from their mother is the biggest mistake of all. Because Quinn will do whatever it takes to get them back—even start a revolution.
It’s been three weeks since the event of The Trophany (the prequel novella) went down, and now Quinn has been convicted of aiding and abetting a Krimson Spy and is currently waiting in jail to be executed.
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Review: Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
Title: Raiders of the Lost Heart
Author: Jo Segura
Genre: Adult, contemporary romance
Publication date: December 2023
Published by: Berkley
Source: Borrwed from library (thank god!)
Add it on Goodreads (I don't actually recommend you do though 👀)
Buy it (but don't actually 🙃): Amazon | B&N | Book Outlet | Thrift Books
Synopsis: Rival archaeologists must team up on a secret Aztec expedition, or it could leave their careers—and hearts—in ruins.
Archaeologist Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía has a bone to pick. Literally.
It’s been Corrie’s life goal to lead an expedition deep into the Mexican jungle in search of the long-lost remains of her ancestor, Chimalli, an ancient warrior of the Aztec empire. But when she is invited to join an all-expenses-paid dig to do just that, Corrie is sure it’s too good to be true...and she’s right.
As the world-renowned expert on Chimalli, by rights Corrie should be leading the expedition, not sharing the glory with her disgustingly handsome nemesis. But Dr. Ford Matthews has been finding new ways to best her since they were in grad school. Ford certainly isn’t thrilled either—with his life in shambles, the last thing he needs is a reminder of their rocky past.
But as the dig begins, it becomes clear they’ll need to work together when they realize a thief is lurking around their campsite, forcing the pair to keep their discoveries—and lingering attraction—under wraps. With money-hungry artifact smugglers, the Mexican authorities, and the lies between them closing in, there’s only one way this all ends—explosively.
Whoever keeps comparing this book to the movie The Mummy, please stop slandering that beloved movie in that way because this was nothing like that! 😭
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Cherry Blossom Book Tag
Oooh 😍 this is making me want to play Animal Crossing... I haven't touched it in a while because all I've been playing lately is The Sims 4 😂 But I digress! Lol.
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Review: From Below by Darcy Coates
Title: From Below
Author: Darcy Coates
Genre: Adult, horror
Publication date: June 2022
Published by: Black Owl Books
Source: Borrowed from library
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Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Thrift Books
Synopsis: No light. No air. No escape.
Hundreds of feet beneath the ocean's surface, a graveyard waits...
Years ago, the SS Arcadia vanished without a trace during a routine voyage. Though a strange, garbled emergency message was broadcast, neither the ship nor any of its crew could be found. Sixty years later, its wreck has finally been discovered more than three hundred miles from its intended course... a silent graveyard deep beneath the ocean's surface, eagerly waiting for the first sign of life.
Cove and her dive team have been granted permission to explore the Arcadia's rusting hull. Their purpose is straightforward: examine the wreck, film everything, and, if possible, uncover how and why the supposedly unsinkable ship vanished.
But the Arcadia has not yet had its fill of death, and something dark and hungry watches from below. With limited oxygen and the ship slowly closing in around them, Cove and her team will have to fight their way free of the unspeakable horror now desperate to claim them.
A documentary crew are the first people permitted to explore the wreckage of the SS Arcadia after it was recently discovered. The ship disappeared more than 90 years ago without a trace and no one ever knew what actually happened. Well, Cove and her crew certainly find out the hard way what happened 🙃
Monday, April 8, 2024
Sunday, April 7, 2024
Sunday Post #396: Where did the week go?
Saturday, April 6, 2024
2024 Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag
Friday, April 5, 2024
Review: The Trophany (Krimson Empire #0.5) by Julia Huni
Title: The Trophany
Series: Krimson Empire #0.5
Author: Julia Huni
Genre: Adult, sci-fi
Publication date: July 2023
Published by: Julia Huni
Source: Kickstarter reward
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Buy it: Amazon
Synopsis: When gaggle of military spouses gets abandoned on a defunct asteroid base, can Quinn Templeton rescue herself and the others before the Krimson Empire attacks?
This story was first published in The Expanding Universe 5.
Quinn and a bunch of other military spouses are suddenly left stranded on an asteroid base just as they find out that the Krimson Empire is set to attack.
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Review: Avalon by Mindee Arnett
Title: Avalon
Series: Avalon #1
Prequel novella: Proxy
Author: Mindee Arnett
Genre: YA, sci-fi
Publication date: January 2014
Published by: Balzer & Bray
Source: Paperback ARC for review from publisher
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Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Thrift Books
Synopsis: Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light.
Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long.
I first read this book about ten years ago and I remember absolutely loving it! I re-read it recently because after all of these years, I still had not finished reading the duology and my recollection of this book was pretty nonexistent 😅
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Review: The Wizard's Mark by Janette Rallison
Title: The Wizard's Mark
Author: Janette Rallison
Genre: Adult, high fantasy
Publication date: March 15th 2024
Published by: Janette Rallison
Source: Ebook for review from author
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Buy it: Amazon
Synopsis: He was her first love. Now he’s her deadliest adversary.
By day, Marcella pretends to be a highborn lady, but at night, she’s a thief for the renegades, a group whose goal is to help servants escape their noble masters.
That isn’t her most dangerous secret. In a land where only men are wizards, she’s able to wield magic.
Marcella grew up as a serving girl in the castle where young wizards train. Falling in love with Ronan, the most promising apprentice, was a bad idea from the beginning. He’d made it clear he never planned on a future with her. It would’ve stood in the way of his ambitions.
Now the renegades want Marcella to go to the king’s court where an assassination might prevent a war, but then she’ll be back in Ronan’s path. This time as enemies.
He's dangerous. He knows her secrets. Despite the sparks that always fly between them, he could easily destroy the mission and her.
And yet she might still be in love with him anyway.
I have been really into high fantasy lately, so when I found out that Janette Rallison wrote one I knew I needed to read it immediately. And I ended up really enjoying it! But that’s unsurprising because I tend to love everything that Janette Rallison writes.
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Monthly Wrap-Up: March 2024
I hope you guys are having a good Spring so far! In March I read 6 books, one of them a re-read, for a total of 2400 pages (about 350 pages more than the previous month)!
- 4 were part of a series and 2 were standalones
- 5 were finished copies and 1 was an ARC
- 5 were physical books and 1 ebook
- 2 were 5-star reads and 4 were 4-star reads
- 5 were traditionally published and 1 was indie published
- 5 were by authors I've previously read and 1 by a new-to-me author
- 3 were adult books, 2 YA, and 1 middle grade
- 5 were fiction and 1 nonfiction
- 1 was high fantasy, 2 contemporary romance, 2 urban fantasy, and 1 medical science
Monday, April 1, 2024
Sunday, March 31, 2024
Sunday Post #395: Finally, a Break!
Saturday, March 30, 2024
End of Winter TBR *Update*
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Review: The Hunt (Project Paper Doll #2) by Stacey Kade
Title: The Hunt
Series: Project Paper Doll #2
Previous book in this series: The Rules
Author: Stacey Kade
Genre: YA, sci-fi, paranormal romance
Publication date: April 2014
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Source: Borrowed from library
Add it on Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Thrift Books
Synopsis: Ariane Tucker has finally escaped GTX, the research facility that created her. While on the run, Zane Bradshaw is the only person she can trust. He knows who-and what-she is and still wants to be part of her life.
But accepting Zane's help means putting him in danger.
Dr. Jacobs, head of GTX, is not the only one hunting for Ariane. Two rival corporations have their sights set on taking down their competition. Permanently. To protect Zane and herself, Ariane needs allies. She needs the other hybrids. The hybrids who are way more alien and a lot less human. Can Ariane win them over before they turn on her? Or will she be forced to choose sides, to decide who lives and who dies?
This book picks up right where The Rules left off, with Ariane and Zane on the run from the lab and the scientist who created Ari. She may be free of the lab for now, but they’re still looking for her. Her only chance is to recruit the other hybrids from the other competitors. Unfortunately, these hybrids are a lot less human than Ari is. They are... unsettling, to say the least.
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Review: Proxy (Avalon #0.5) by Mindee Arnett
Title: Proxy
Series: Avalon #0.5
Author: Mindee Arnett
Genre: YA, sci-fi
Publication date: December 2013
Published by: Balzer + Bray
Source: Gifted
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Buy it: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis: Proxy is an action-packed introduction to a world like nothing readers have seen before, and it sets a spark to the powder keg that will explode in Mindee Arnett's sci-fi thriller Avalon.
If you need something stolen from any star system in the Confederation, you need look no further than the Shades. Jeth Seagrave and his band of teenage mercenaries have been making a name for themselves for being able to steal anything—and for disappearing before anyone is the wiser. Their latest job, a jewel heist on Grakkus, should be no different. But when Jeth's boss replaces a key member of his crew just before takeoff, and Jeth discovers a betrayal within his own ranks, he begins to suspect that not everyone is going to be coming back from his job alive.
Man, it has been a minute since I last visited this world. But lately, I’ve been really into sci-fi and I figured I’d try and finish off this duology. BUT I read this like 8 years ago so I was definitely going to need a refresher.
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Review: Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes
Title: Ghost Station
Author: S.A. Barnes
Genre: Adult, sci-fi, horror
Publication date: April 9th 2024
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Source: eARC from publishers via Netgalley
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Synopsis: A crew must try to survive on an ancient, abandoned planet in the latest space horror novel from S.A. Barnes, acclaimed author of Dead Silence.
Space exploration can be lonely and isolating.
Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of ERS—a space-based condition most famous for a case that resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. When she's assigned to a small exploration crew, she's eager to make a difference. But as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, it becomes clear that crew is hiding something.
While Ophelia focuses on her new role, her crewmates are far more interested in investigating the eerie, ancient planet and unraveling the mystery behind the previous colonizer's hasty departure than opening up to her.
That is, until their pilot is discovered gruesomely murdered. Is this Ophelia’s worst nightmare starting—a wave of violence and mental deterioration from ERS? Or is it something more sinister?
Terrified that history will repeat itself, Ophelia and the crew must work together to figure out what’s happening. But trust is hard to come by… and the crew isn’t the only one keeping secrets.
I read and loved this author’s debut Dead Silence so I was really looking forward to reading another spooky sci-fi book from her! And overall, I liked it! Not as much as Dead Silence, but it was still good.
Monday, March 25, 2024
Sunday, March 24, 2024
Sunday Post #394: Light at the End of the Tunnel
Saturday, March 23, 2024
2024 Blogoversary Giveaway: The Lost Book of the White (The Eldest Curses #2) by Cassandra Clare
Friday, March 22, 2024
Review: The Rules (Project Paper Doll #1) by Stacey Kade
Title: The Rules
Series: Project Paper Doll #1
Author: Stacey Kade
Genre: YA, sci-fi, paranormal romance
Publication date: April 2013
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Source: Borrowed from library
Add it on Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon (digital) | Amazon (physical)| B&N | Thrift Books
Synopsis:
1. Never trust anyone.
2. Remember they are always searching.
3. Don't get involved.
4. Keep your head down.
5. Don't fall in love.
Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane's survival-and that of her adoptive father-depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans, to hide in plain sight from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) "project."
But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts Ariane in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief's son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening-and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules.
The trouble with rules, though, is that you’ll always be tempted to break one—for the right reasons, due to unavoidable circumstances, because it feels as if there’s no other choice. And once you break one, the rest seem like so much broken glass. The damage is already done.
I had this book on my tbr for 11 years! ELEVEN! That is insane, especially considering how much I enjoyed it! Before starting this book I had read a bunch of, you know, good books, but nothing amazing. And then this one came along and I fell in love with it!
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Review: The Nightmare Charade (The Arkwell Academy #3) by Mindee Arnett
Title: The Nightmare Charade
Series: The Arkwell Academy #3
Previous books in this series: The Nightmare Affair (#1) The Nightmare Dilemma (#2)
Author: Mindee Arnett
Genre: YA, urban fantasy
Publication date: August 2015
Published by: Tor Teen
Source: Purchased hardcover
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Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Thrift Books
Synopsis: It’s her junior year at Arkwell Academy, and Dusty Everhart just wants to be alone with her boyfriend, Eli Booker. But fate is literally keeping them apart. See, Dusty is a Nightmare, who can enter Eli’s dreams to find clues to the future, but an ancient curse predicts that any romance between them is doomed to end in tragedy. Dusty and Eli are willing to take that risk, but the authorities disagree—and have assigned a chaperone to make sure their relationship is strictly platonic.
As if that’s not bad enough, they’ve been recruited by the Department of Intelligence for Magickind Secrecy (D.I.M.S.) to use their dream-seer bond to help recover the most powerful object of black magic known to magickind. The Animus Mortem can raise the dead by stealing the souls of the living... which makes tracking it down a genuine matter of life and death.
To make matters worse, one of Dusty’s friends is accused of murder and is counting on her to clear his name.
Dusty has too many dreams, too many commitments, and too many people looking over her shoulder, but a Nightmare seldom plays by the rules. Curse or no curse, chaperone or not, she has to go deep into Eli’s dreams if she’s going to find the truth—and discover a way for them to truly be together at last!
I first started this series ELEVEN years ago, and I’m only completing it now...
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Review: Her Ex-crush Bodyguard by Janette Rallison
Title: Her Ex-crush Bodyguard by
Author: Janette Rallison
Genre: Adult, romantic suspense
Publication date: April 2023
Published by: Janette Rallison
Source: Purchased ebook
Add it on Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis: Someone is trying to kill her. It’s his job to make sure they don’t succeed.
As a news writer, Elliana Devereaux has made her share of enemies: Scam artists, drug dealers, self-proclaimed werewolves—the usual.
After an attempt on her life, Elliana's parents hire a bodyguard to protect her. And not just any bodyguard. Nope. They hire her teenage crush, Mateo Alvarado. Handsome, tall, muscular, and way too cocky, Mateo.
He broke her heart once, so she’s determined to have nothing to do with him.
Avoiding Mateo becomes impossible when he shows up at her office threatening to cuff her if she doesn’t come with him.
Yeah, her coworkers totally won’t talk about that.
How long can Elliana keep Mateo at arm’s length when everything about her protector secretly draws her in?
I love Janette Rallison’s books, but I think this one has the best opening line...
EIliana Devereaux was standing in her bathroom in an oversized T-shirt, fluffy slippers, and an avocado face mask when she realized someone was trying to kill her.
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Review: The Nightmare Dilemma (The Arkwell Academy #2) by Mindee Arnett
Title: The Nightmare Dilemma
Series: The Arkwell Academy #2
Previous book in this series: The Nightmare Affair
Author: by Mindee Arnett
Genre: YA, urban fantasy
Publication date: January 2014
Published by: Tor Teen
Source: Won paperback ARC in giveaway
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Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Thrift Books
Synopsis: Dusty Everhart might be able to predict the future through the dreams of her crush, Eli Booker, but that doesn’t make her life even remotely easy. When one of her mermaid friends is viciously assaulted and left for dead, and the school’s jokester, Lance Rathbone, is accused of the crime, Dusty’s as shocked as everybody else. Lance needs Dusty to prove his innocence by finding the real attacker, but that’s easier asked than done. Eli’s dreams are no help, more nightmares than prophecies.
To make matters worse, Dusty’s ex-boyfriend has just been acquitted of conspiracy and is now back at school, reminding Dusty of why she fell for him in the first place. The Magi Senate needs Dusty to get close to him, to discover his real motives. But this order infuriates Eli, who has started his own campaign for Dusty’s heart.
As Dusty takes on both cases, she begins to suspect they’re connected to something bigger. And there’s something very wrong with Eli’s dreams, signs that point to a darker plot than they could have ever imagined.
It had been a while since I read the first book in this series, I think almost 10 years, but despite that, I decided to not re-read it before going into this book. I love re-reading books but I have actually read The Nightmare Affair twice, so I thought I would be okay. And I was! I had a vague memory of what went on in the last book, but this book also did a pretty good job of touching on the important things that happened in The Nightmare Affair, so I was very happy about that.
Monday, March 18, 2024
Sunday, March 17, 2024
Sunday Post #393: All Sorts of Chaos
Friday, March 15, 2024
Review- Dionysos: The New God (Olympians #12) by George O'Connor
Title: Dionysos: The New God
Series: Olympians #12
Previous books in this series: Zeus: King of the Gods (#1) | Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess (#2) | Hera: The Goddess and her Glory (#3) | Hades: Lord of the Dead (#4) | Poseidon: Earth Shaker (#5) | Aphrodite: Goddess of Love (#6) | Ares: Bringer of War (#7) | Apollo: The Brilliant One (#8) | Artemis: Wild Goddess of the Hunt (#9) | Hermes: Tales of the Trickster (#10) | Hephaistos: God of Fire (#11)
Author: George O'Connor
Genre: Middle Grade, graphic novel, fantasy, Greek mythology
Publication date: January 2022
Published by: First Second
Source: Purchased paperback
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Synopsis: In the final volume of the New York Times–bestselling Olympians graphic novel series, author/artist George O’Connor focuses on Dionysos, the god of wine and madness.
The Olympians saga draws to a close with the tale of Dionysos, the last Olympian, and maybe, just maybe, the first of a new type of God. His story is told by the first Olympian herself, Hestia, Goddess of the hearth and home. From her seat in the center of Mt. Olympus, Hestia relates the rise of Dionysos, from his birth to a mortal mother, to his discovery of wine, his battles with madness and his conquering of death itself, culminating, finally, in his ascent to Olympus and Godhood.
You thought Athena’s birth was weird? Wait till you read about Dionysos’s. Let’s just say that Athena wasn’t the only one to be birthed from a weird Zeus body part...