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
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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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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
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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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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
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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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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...
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Review: Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone #3) by Leigh Bardugo
Title: Ruin and Rising
Series: Shadow and Bone #3 | Grishaverse #3
Previous book in this series: Shadow and Bone (#1) | Siege and Storm (#2)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: YA, high fantasy
Publication date: June 2014
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Source: Borrowed from library
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Synopsis: Soldier. Summoner. Saint. The nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.
The Darkling rules from his shadow throne while a weakened Alina Starkov recovers from their battle under the dubious protection of the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Now her hopes lie with the magic of a long-vanished ancient creature and the chance that an outlaw prince still survives.
As her allies and enemies race toward war, only Alina stands between her country and a rising tide of darkness that could destroy the world. To win this fight, she must seize a legend’s power—but claiming the firebird may be her ruin.
It’s been two months since Alina last faced off against the Darkling and she is in rough shape.
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Review- Hephaistos: God of Fire (Olympians #11) by George O'Connor
Title: Hephaistos: God of Fire
Series: Olympians #11
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)
Author: George O'Connor
Genre: Middle Grade, graphic novel, fantasy, Greek mythology
Publication date: January 2019
Published by: First Second
Source: Purchased paperback
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Synopsis: Thrown from Mount Olympus as a newborn and caught by Thetis and Eurynome, who raised him on the island of Lemnos, Hephaistos had an aptitude for creating beautiful objects from a very young age. Despite his rejection from Olympus, he swallowed his anger and spent his days perfecting his craft. His exquisitely forged gifts and weapons earned him back his seat in the heavens, but he was not treated as an equal. His brothers and sisters looked down at him for his lame leg, and even his own wife, Aphrodite, was disloyal, Witness Hephaistos' wrath as he creates a plan that’ll win him the respect he deserves.
If you are familiar at all with Greek mythology then you know how sad Hephaistos’s life was, especially when he was born. Like most other myths, there are a couple of different versions of his birth. Sometimes he is the son of Hera alone, and sometimes his parents are Hera and Zeus. But it doesn’t matter the version, in every one he is thrown off Mount Olympus by Hera because he was deformed. It’s horrible! Such was the case in this retelling. Here, he is the son of Zeus and Hera, but Hera, of course, did what Hera does, and hurled the poor child off the mountain.
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Review: Odin (Asgardians #1) by George O'Connor
Title: Odin
Series: Asgardians #1
Author: George O'Connor
Genre: Middle Grade, graphic novel, fantasy, Norse mythology
Publication date: March 26th 2024
Published by: First Second
Source: eARC from publishers via Netgalley
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Synopsis: Following his smash-hit the Olympians series, New York Times bestseller George O'Connor embarks on a new saga about the Norse gods. This first volume tells the story of the warrior god Odin!
Welcome to the Nine Worlds, home of Gods, Valkyries, Dwarves, Jotnar, and more! Travel the burning rainbow bridge to Asgard where Odin, king of the Aesir, surveys his realm. His thirst for knowledge drives him ever onward, but nothing is learned without sacrifice...
In Asgardians, George O’Connor’s highly kinetic illustrations bring these gritty and astonishing tales of war, betrayal, and the quest for enlightenment at any cost to vivid and startling life and provide the perfect companion to his Olympians series.
I really enjoyed this author’s Olympians graphic novel series, so I was very excited when I found out he was going to be starting a Norse mythology series!
Monday, March 11, 2024
Sunday, March 10, 2024
Sunday Post #392: Crystal Creations and The Boys! (Not the TV Show... I Haven't Seen That Yet Lol)
Saturday, March 9, 2024
Finish the Series #30: Two Solid Series Finished
Friday, March 8, 2024
Review- Hermes: Tales of the Trickster (Olympians #10) by George O'Connor
Title: Hermes: Tales of the Trickster
Series: Olympians #10
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)
Author: George O'Connor
Genre: Middle Grade, graphic novel, fantasy, Greek mythology
Publication date: January 2018
Published by: First Second
Source: Purchased paperback
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Synopsis: In volume ten of Olympians, George O’Connor delves into the myth of Hermes, the trickster god. From his infancy, when he bewitches animals and bends them to his will (stealing a herd of Apollo’s prize cattle in the bargain), to his adolescence and adulthood when he becomes father to the equally mischievous Pan, Hermes’s story is wildly entertaining as he brings a little bit of chaos to everything he touches or creates. This volume is sure to be a fan favorite with its wit, charm, and storytelling.
I have loved Hermes’s quips throughout the series, so I was very excited to finally get to this volume! And it was just as fun as I was anticipating!
Thursday, March 7, 2024
Review: Siege and Storm (Shadow and Bone #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Title: Siege and Storm
Series: Shadow and Bone #2 | Grishaverse #2
Previous book in this series: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: YA, high fantasy
Publication date: June 2013
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Source: Borrowed from library
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Synopsis: Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Alina Starkov’s power has grown, but not without a price. She is the Sun Summoner—hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Shadow Fold. But she and Mal can’t outrun their enemies for long.
The Darkling is more determined than ever to claim Alina’s magic and use it to take the Ravkan throne. With nowhere else to turn, Alina enlists the help of an infamous privateer and sets out to lead the Grisha army.
But as the truth of Alina's destiny unfolds, she slips deeper into the Darkling’s deadly game of forbidden magic, and further away from her humanity. To save her country, Alina will have to choose between her power and the love she thought would always be her shelter. No victory can come without sacrifice—and only she can face the oncoming storm.
I really enjoyed this first part of the book. The ending of the last book was STRESSFUL with Alina and Mal managing to get away from the Darkling. This book picks up where that book left off, with them in hiding and being super cute together.
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Review- Artemis: Wild Goddess of the Hunt (Olympians #9) by George O'Connor
Title: Artemis: Wild Goddess of the Hunt
Series: Olympians #9
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)
Author: George O'Connor
Genre: Middle Grade, graphic novel, fantasy, Greek mythology
Publication date: January 2017
Published by: First Second
Source: Purchased paperback
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Synopsis: Shunned even before she was born and destined to live a life of solitude, Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, finds power through her skilled hunting ability and mighty bow. She slays those who wish to do harm to the innocent and takes care of the young and helpless. She protects women and young girls, helps in childbirth, soothes, and is unrivaled in her hunting abilities.
In the latest volume of Olympians, New York Times–bestselling author George O'Connor continues to turn his extensive knowledge of the original Greek myths into rip-roaring graphic novel storytelling.
This volume focuses on Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon, hunt, wild animals, protector of girls, and so many other things. This goddess has had a very interesting life, even her birth was interesting. She is the twin sister of Apollo and she actually helped her mother deliver Apollo minutes after she was born! It’s insane! But hey, her mother was in a tough predicament because of Hera, of course.
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Title: Shadow and Bone
Series: Shadow and Bone #1 | Grishaverse #1
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: YA, high fantasy
Publication date: June 2012
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Source: Borrowed from library
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Synopsis: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha... and the secrets of her heart.
I’ve mentioned this many times, but I’ve never really been into high fantasy... until recently. I would read a book or two a year, but I think I have officially entered my high fantasy era and I’m honestly having a great time! I read the Six of Crows duology in January because I was wanting an action-packed high fantasy and I had heard that Six of Crows had a heist, so I obviously had to read it 😆 Well, I ended up LOVING it so much that I decided to come back and read the original series too! Going into Six of Crows, I had zero intentions of reading anything else in the Grishaverse—I just wanted the heist, to be honest. But I loved the world so much that I just needed more! And I’m glad I decided to continue on with the Grishaverse because I ended up enjoying this book too. I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t love it nearly as much as I did Six of Crows, but it was still good!
Monday, March 4, 2024
Sunday, March 3, 2024
Sunday Post #391: How Lucky
Friday, March 1, 2024
Review- Apollo: The Brilliant One (Olympians #8) by George O'Connor
Title: Apollo: The Brilliant One
Series: Olympians #8
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)
Author: George O'Connor
Genre: Middle Grade, graphic novel, fantasy, Greek mythology
Publication date: January 2016
Published by: First Second
Source: Purchased hardcover
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Synopsis: From high atop Olympus, the nine Muses, or Mousai, recount the story of the powerful and quick-tempered Apollo, the Brilliant One. Born of a she-wolf and Zeus, King of Gods, Apollo is destined fro the greatest of victories and most devastating of failures as his temper, privilege, and pride take him into battle with a serpent, in pursuit of a beautiful but unattainable nymph, and into deadly competition with his beloved. Watch closely as Apollo navigates the tumultuous world in which he lives. Will he rise above the rest and fulfill his destiny as the son of Zeus, or will he falter, consumed by his flaws, and destroy all that he touches?
Despite his faults, or perhaps because of them, the most divine god is also the most human.
Apollo is one of my favorite Greek gods, so I was very excited about this volume! And I really liked it!