February Wrap-Up: Reviews, Reading Challenges, etc.

Another great reading month for me! I can’t believe I’ve started off this year doing so well with my reading. Usually I have at least hit one or two reading slumps by this time but that hasn’t been the case so far! I think it may be due to the fact that I’ve gone back to posting regularly on my bookstagram account, as well as joining a couple of Instagram groups that have helped keep me motivated. Makes me so happy to be having such a successful reading year so far!


Books Read

  • Valiant (Modern Faerie Tales, #2) by Holly Black – physical book, 4/5 Stars
  • Dark Age (Red Rising, #5) by Pierce Brown – physical book, 5/5 Stars
  • Kingsbane (Empirium Trilogy, #2) by Claire Legrand – physical book, 4/5 Stars
  • The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising, #1) by Kiersten White – audiobook, 2/5 Stars
  • The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – physical book, 3/5 Stars
  • The Vine Witch (Vine Witch, #1) by Luanne G. Smith – audiobook, 4/5 Stars
  • Suggested Reading by David Connis – audiobook, 3/5 Stars
  • Reign of the Fallen (Reign of the Fallen, #1) by Sarah Glenn Marsh – physical book, 4/5 Stars

Total Books Read: 8

Overall in 2020: 16

Reading Challenge Updates

POPSUGAR

  • A bildungsroman – The Thorn Birds
  • A book by an author with flora or fauna in their name – Valiant
  • A book you meant to read in 2019 – Kingsbane (Empirium Trilogy, #2)

Goodreads Challenge

Total: 16

Previous Total: 8

Blog Posts

Book Reviews

None this month… Oops!

WWW Wednesday

Discussions/Misc.


Did you get a lot of reading done in February? Were you able to read all of the books on your TBR? Did you read any new favorites? What book did you like the least? What do you plan on reading in March?

WWW Wednesday – February 19th, 2020

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

  • The Vine Witch (Vine Witch, #1) by Luanne G. Smith – audiobook
  • The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – physical book
  • Reign of the Fallen (Reign of the Fallen, #1) by Sarah Glenn Marsh – physical book

I haven’t read much of The Thorn Birds this past week but I plan to dive back into it today. I think it’ll be good to help break up the fantasy aspects of The Vine Witch and Reign of the Fallen. I just started listening to The Vine Witch and haven’t gotten too far into the story yet but it’s been very interesting so far. I like the idea that witches are the reason for that France has such great wine. I only started on Reign of the Fallen last night so it is still very early going with that read as well. However, I love that you’re immediately thrown into the action. The first couple of chapters have really piqued my interest and I can’t wait to get further into the story and this world of necromancy

What did you recently finish reading?

  • Kingsbane (Empirium, #2) by Claire Legrand – physical book
  • The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising, #1) by Kiersten White – audiobook

I should have a full review of Kingsbane up by the end of the week so I won’t go into too much detail on that one. But I will say that I enjoyed it and that ending left me reeling. There were a few issues with the book overall that I had but I’ll dive more into those in my review.

As for The Guinevere Deception… Man, I have to say this was my first disappointing read (or listen to if you want to nitpick). It started off slow, then got a little interesting, and then finally got so boring that I just stopped caring. I’ll admit that I zoned out during the last two hours of listening and can’t remember how it ended. Suffice it to say that it was not the book for me, even though I reallyyyyyyy wanted it to be.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente – physical book
  • Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners, #3) by Libba Bray – physical book
  • What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon – audiobook

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – February 12th, 2020

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Kingsbane (Empirium, #2) by Claire Legrand – physical book
  • The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – physical book
  • The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising, #1) by Kiersten White – audiobook

I’m only about 50 pages into Kingsbane so I don’t really have much of an opinion so far but I expect things to start happening very soon. I’m also over halfway through The Guinevere Deception. It’s an interesting story so far but I feel like something is missing. It needs a bit more action and more interaction between Guinevere and Arthur. And I’m still slowly making my way through The Thorn Birds. The story is picking up a bit more and I feel like Meggie has finally found a purpose with her life… how long that lasts though is the real question.

What did you recently finish reading?

  • Dark Age (Red Rising, #5) by Pierce Brown – physical book
  • Suggested Reading by David Connis – audiobook

Of course I absolutely loved Dark Age. This series keeps getting more and more complicated with all of the characters trying to survive. That ending has me super freaking exited to see what Pierce has planned for the next book.

Suggested Reading was a bit of a letdown for me. I didn’t particularly care for the main character, nor did I feel very satisfied with the overall plot. I had such high hopes for this one but it just didn’t live up to them.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente – physical book
  • Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners, #3) by Libba Bray – physical book
  • The Vine Witch (Vine Witch, #1) by Luanne G. Smith – audiobook

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

WWW Wednesday – February 5th, 2020

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – physical book
  • Dark Age (Red Rising, #5) by Pierce Brown – physical book
  • Suggested Reading by David Connis – audiobook

I did make some more progress in The Thorn Birds over the weekend. But man, that book was upsetting me so much that I decided to start on Dark Age to help break it up some. Except ever since then, I can’t put Dark Age down. This book has got hook line and sinker. Which I should have known would happen since this series is probably my all-time favorite, right up next to Harry Potter… Yes, you read that right. Seriously people, if you haven’t read it, DO IT.

I also started listening to Suggested Reading, which you can definitely tell is written by someone who loves books. It’s a really interesting story so far, though I do find the dialogue to be a little much. I think Connis is writing like he thinks high school students talk and not how they actually do. Though to be fair, that’s super normal in YA books and reminds me of another writer *cough* John Green *cough*.

What did you recently finish reading?

  • Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly – physical book, buddy read
  • Furyborn (Emipirium Trilogy, #1) by Claire Legrand – audiobook, reread

I really enjoyed both of these books. I had previously read the physical book of Furyborn and really enjoyed it. It was a much different experience listening to the audio version and not sure I really liked it that way. The narrator kind of annoyed me. However, I’m super excited I decided to revisit the story so I can finally pick up the sequel this month.

I loved Lilac Girls. It was a very different kind of WWII novel and I loved that it visited it from a different perspective than the usual.  It was definitely a heavy read in some places and every chapter ends in a cliffhanger so you’re on the edge of your seat the entire time. Definitely worth the read if you enjoy historical fiction novels!

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Kingsbane (Emipirium Trilogy, #2) by Claire Legrand – physical book
  • The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White – audiobook
  • Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

My February TBR

February is going to be a month where I try and focus on a bunch of sequels/series that I need to catch up on. So I plan to try and get through a few of those this month, while sticking to standalones for the most part when it comes to my audiobooks. I really want to mix up the genres too so I don’t get too bogged down on any one for too long. Let’s see if that keeps me from falling into any sort of reading slump!


February TBR

  • Suggested Reading by David Connis – audiobook
  • Kingsbane (Empirium Trilogy, #2) by Claire Legrand – physical book
  • Valiant (Modern Faerie Tales, #2) by Holly Black – physical book
  • The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White – audiobook
  • Winter of the World (The Century Trilogy, #2) by Ken Follett – physical book
  • The Vine Witch (Vine Witch, #1) by Luanne G. Smith – audiobook
  • Dark Age (Red Rising, #5) by Pierce Brown – physical book
  • Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners, #3) by Libba Bray – physical book
  • Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente – physical book
  • What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon – audiobook
  • The Devil’s Thief (The Last Magician, #2) by Lisa Maxwell – physical book
  • Reign of the Fallen (Reign of the Fallen, #1) by Sarah Glenn Marsh – physical book, buddy

What do you plan on reading in February? Do you have a lot of sequels or series that you haven’t caught up on yet? Have you read any of the books on my TBR? If so, what did you think of it?

Anticipated Releases Tag

I saw this really fun tag done by Lauren @ Fangirl Fury and just knew that I had to participate.. Because hey, who doesn’t love talking about new books?! Only a crazy person, that’s who. #GimmeAllDemBooks

Original tag created by Ellyn @ Allonsythornraxx.


Most Anticipated Release(s) of the Year

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Supernova (Renegades, #3) by Marissa Meyer

I’ve been enjoying this series so much. I think Meyer has done a great job of showing how life is more shades of grey, rather than black and white. I appreciate that her writing has matured as well, compared to The Lunar Chronicles. I cannot wait to see what the end of Nova’s story will bring, especially after that shocking ending of the previous book. I NEED TO KNOW.

A Book You’re Not Anticipating

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Sea Witch Rising (Sea Witch, #2) by Sarah Henning

I never read the first book in this series and don’t plan to. Am I the only person who doesn’t really care about all of this villain origin stories trend going on? I kind of feel like I might be.

Most Underhyped Anticipated Release

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Suggested Reading by David Connis

I can never say no to a book about books and this one just sounds so amazing. I am a firm believer in no censorship when it comes to books, especially in high school. I can’t wait to see how Connis tackles this controversial topic!

A Book You’ve Been Waiting on Forever

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The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

Ever since finishing Salt to the Sea, I have been dying for another Sepetys novel. And I feel like it has been forever since this book was first announced and I cannot wait any longer for it. I love that Sepetys always chooses to cover historical events that aren’t usually covered in school or in novels.

A Book You’re Anticipating That’s Outside of Your Comfort Zone

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The Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif

I’m typically not a big reader of thrillers, but something about the synopsis of this novel sounds too good to pass up. I expect a lot of nonstop action mixed with some twists and turns. Also, I’ve always had small desire to work in intelligence. Those guys are badass.

Your Top Three Can’t Wait Books of the Year

  • Five Dark Fates (Three Dark Crowns, #4) by Kendare Blake
  • The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising, #1) by Kiersten White
  • The Beautiful (The Beautiful, #1) by Renee Ahdieh

All three of these books have been on my radar ever since they were first announced, especially Five Dark Fates. This fall is definitely killing it in the new releases department.

Top Five Most Anticipated Backlist Books on Your TBR

  • The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
  • The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
  • When the Sky Fell on Splendor by Emily Henry
  • Defy the Fates (Constellation, #3) by Claudia Gray
  • The Last Magician (The Last Magician, #1) by Lisa Maxwell

What are some of your most anticipated releases? Do you usually keep up to date with new releases? What are some backlisted books on your TBR for the rest of the year? Are you excited about any of the books on my list?

My Recent TBR Adds That You Might Not Have Heard Of, Part 4

And we are back at it again, with another installment of one of my favorite posts to share with y’all. Let’s all take a moment to thank the Goodreads gods for being able to introduce us to so many amazing books that we might never have heard of otherwise. My bookshelves may not appreciate you, Goodreads, but I do… Always.

Previous Posts:


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Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia

Release Date: October 8th, 2019

A dying billionaire sends one woman and a cast of dreamers and rivals on a citywide treasure hunt in this irresistible novel by the author of Bellweather Rhapsody.

Tuesday Mooney is a loner. She keeps to herself, begrudgingly socializes, and spends much of her time watching old Twin Peaks and X-Files DVDs. But when Vincent Pryce, Boston’s most eccentric billionaire, dies—leaving behind an epic treasure hunt through the city, with clues inspired by his hero, Edgar Allan Poe—Tuesday’s adventure finally begins.

Puzzle-loving Tuesday searches for clue after clue, joined by a ragtag crew: a wisecracking friend, an adoring teen neighbor, and a handsome, cagey young heir. The hunt tests their mettle, and with other teams from around the city also vying for the promised prize—a share of Pryce’s immense wealth—they must move quickly. Pryce’s clues can’t be cracked with sharp wit alone; the searchers must summon the courage to face painful ghosts from their pasts (some more vivid than others) and discover their most guarded desires and dreams.

A deliciously funny ode to imagination, overflowing with love letters to art, from The Westing Game to Madonna to the Knights of the Round Table, Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts is the perfect read for thrill seekers, wanderers, word lovers, and anyone looking for an escape to the extraordinary.

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Into the Crooked Place (Into the Crooked Place, #1) by Alexandra Christo

Release Date: October 8th, 2019

The streets of Creije are for the deadly and the dreamers, and four crooks in particular know just how much magic they need up their sleeve to survive.

Tavia, a busker ready to pack up her dark-magic wares and turn her back on Creije for good. She’ll do anything to put her crimes behind her.

Wesley, the closest thing Creije has to a gangster. After growing up on streets hungry enough to swallow the weak whole, he won’t stop until he has brought the entire realm to kneel before him.

Karam, a warrior who spends her days watching over the city’s worst criminals and her nights in the fighting rings, making a deadly name for herself.

And Saxony, a resistance fighter hiding from the very people who destroyed her family, and willing to do whatever it takes to get her revenge.

Everything in their lives is going to plan, until Tavia makes a crucial mistake: she delivers a vial of dark magic—a weapon she didn’t know she had—to someone she cares about, sparking the greatest conflict in decades. Now these four magical outsiders must come together to save their home and the world, before it’s too late. But with enemies at all sides, they can trust nobody. Least of all each other.

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The Twelve by Cindy Lin

Release Date: July 2nd, 2019

The Zodiac Legacy meets Spirit Animals in this epic, own-voices middle grade fantasy duology.

Usagi can hear a squirrel’s heartbeat from a mile away and soar over treetops in one giant leap. She was born in the year of the wood rabbit, and it’s given her extraordinary zodiac gifts. But ever since the mysterious, vicious Dragonlord hunted down her parents and all those with zodiac powers, Usagi has been very careful to keep hers—and those of her rambunctious little sister, Uma—a secret.

But when Uma grows too bold with her powers, she is captured by the Dragonguard. Usagi barely escapes, and does so only with the help of the mysterious Heirs of the Twelve, a mystical group of skilled warriors who once protected the land.

As new mysteries unfold, Usagi must decide who she stands with and who she trusts, as she takes on deadly foes on her path to the elusive, dangerous Dragonlord himself.

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Blackberry & Wild Rose by Sonia Velton

Release Date: Available

When Esther Thorel, the wife of a Huguenot silk-weaver, rescues Sara Kemp from a brothel she thinks she is doing God’s will. Sara is not convinced being a maid is better than being a whore, but the chance to escape her grasping ‘madam’ is too good to refuse.

Inside the Thorels’ tall house in Spitalfields, where the strange cadence of the looms fills the attic, the two women forge an uneasy relationship. The physical intimacies of washing and dressing belie the reality: Sara despises her mistress’s blindness to the hypocrisy of her household, while Esther is too wrapped up in her own secrets to see Sara as anything more than another charitable cause.

It is silk that has Esther so distracted. For years she has painted her own designs, dreaming that one day her husband will weave them into reality. When he laughs at her ambition, she strikes up a relationship with one of the journeyman weavers in her attic who teaches her to weave and unwittingly sets in motion events that will change the fate of the whole Thorel household.

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The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Release Date: September 12th, 2019

In the early 1900s, a young woman searches for her place in the world and the mystery behind a magical door in this captivating literary debut.

In the summer of 1901, at the age of seven, January Scaller found a Door. You know the kind of door–they lead to Faerie, to Valhalla, to Atlantis, to all the places never found on a map.

Years later, January has forgotten her brief glimpse of Elsewhere. Her life is quiet and lonely but safe on her guardian’s estate, until one day she stumbles across a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds in its pages, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure, and danger. A book that might lead her back to the half-remembered door of her childhood.

But, as January gets answers to questions she never imagined, shadows creep closer. There are truths about the world that should never be revealed.

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There Will Come a Darkness (There Will Come a Darkness, #1) by Katy Rose Pool

Release Date: September 3rd, 2019

For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations―until the day, one hundred years ago, when the Prophets disappeared.

All they left behind was one final, secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world’s salvation . . . or the cause of its destruction. As chaos takes hold, five souls are set on a collision course:

A prince exiled from his kingdom.
A ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand.
A once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart.
A reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone.
And a dying girl on the verge of giving up.

One of them―or all of them―could break the world. Will they be savior or destroyer? Perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Children of Blood and Bone, and An Ember in the Ashes.

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The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising, #1) by Kiersten White

Release Date: November 5th, 2019

There was nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl.

Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom’s borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution–send in Guinevere to be Arthur’s wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king’s idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere’s real name–and her true identity–is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.

To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old–including Arthur’s own family–demand things continue as they have been, and the new–those drawn by the dream of Camelot–fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthur’s knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free.

Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?

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Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham

Release Date: Available

When seventeen-year-old Rowan Chase finds a skeleton on her family’s property, she has no idea that investigating the brutal century-old murder will lead to a summer of painful discoveries about the past, the present, and herself.

One hundred years earlier, a single violent encounter propels seventeen-year-old Will Tillman into a racial firestorm. In a country rife with violence against blacks and a hometown segregated by Jim Crow, Will must make hard choices on a painful journey towards self discovery and face his inner demons in order to do what’s right the night Tulsa burns.

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The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali

Release Date: June 18th, 2019

Roya is a dreamy, idealistic teenager living in 1953 Tehran who, amidst the political upheaval of the time, finds a literary oasis in kindly Mr. Fakhri’s neighborhood book and stationery shop. She always feels safe in his dusty store, overflowing with fountain pens, shiny ink bottles, and thick pads of soft writing paper.

When Mr. Fakhri, with a keen instinct for a budding romance, introduces Roya to his other favorite customer—handsome Bahman, who has a burning passion for justice and a love for Rumi’s poetry—she loses her heart at once. And, as their romance blossoms, the modest little stationery shop remains their favorite place in all of Tehran.

A few short months later, on the eve of their marriage, Roya agrees to meet Bahman at the town square, but suddenly, violence erupts—a result of the coup d’etat that forever changes their country’s future. In the chaos, Bahman never shows. For weeks, Roya tries desperately to contact him, but her efforts are fruitless. With a sorrowful heart, she resigns herself to never seeing him again.

Until, more than sixty years later, an accident of fate leads her back to Bahman and offers her a chance to ask him the questions that have haunted her for more than half a century: Why did he leave? Where did he go? How was he able to forget her?

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Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald

Release Date: June 11th, 2019

On a clear December morning in 1937, at the famous gold clock in Grand Central Terminal, Joe Reynolds, a hardworking railroad man from Queens, meets a vibrant young woman who seems mysteriously out of place. Nora Lansing is a Manhattan socialite whose flapper clothing, pearl earrings, and talk of the Roaring Twenties don’t seem to match the bleak mood of Depression-era New York. Captivated by Nora from her first electric touch, Joe despairs when he tries to walk her home and she disappears. Finding her again—and again—will become the focus of his love and his life.

Nora, an aspiring artist and fiercely independent, is shocked to find she’s somehow been trapped, her presence in the terminal governed by rules she cannot fathom. It isn’t until she meets Joe that she begins to understand the effect that time is having on her, and the possible connections to the workings of Grand Central and the solar phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge, when the sun rises or sets between the city’s skyscrapers, aligned perfectly with the streets below.

As thousands of visitors pass under the famous celestial blue ceiling each day, Joe and Nora create a life unlike any they could have imagined. With infinite love in a finite space, they take full advantage of the “Terminal City” within a city, dining at the Oyster Bar, visiting the Whispering Gallery, and making a home at the Biltmore Hotel. But when the construction of another landmark threatens their future, Nora and Joe are forced to test the limits of freedom and love.

Delving into Grand Central Terminal’s rich past, Lisa Grunwald crafts a masterful historical novel about a love affair that defies age, class, place, and even time.


Have you added any interesting books to your TBR lately? If so, what were they? Have you read any of the ones on my list?

 

 

April Wrap-Up: Reviews, Reading Challenges, etc.

Another month is gone… Y’all, summer is basically here and I’m not really sure I’m ready for it. I hate the heat unless I’m on a beach. But am I at the beach? No, I’m sitting at work and it blows.

But hey, at least there’s only 5 more months until the Halloween season! Am I right or am I right?!


Books Read

  • The Mirk and Midnight Hour by Jane Nickerson – physical book, 4/5 stars, REVIEW
  • Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry – audiobook, 5/5 stars
  • Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, #1) by Neal Shusterman – physical book, buddy read, 5/5 stars
  • Navigating the Stars (Sentinels of the Galaxy, #1) by Maria V. Snyder – audiobook, 4/5 stars
  • The English Wife by Lauren Willig – physical book, 4/5 stars
  • The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James – audiobook, 2/5 stars
  • The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston – audiobook, 4/5 stars
  • Tithe (A Modern Faerie Tale, #1) by Holly Black – 4/5 stars
  • And I Darken (The Conqueror’s Saga, #1) by Kiersten White – physical book, buddy read, 4/5 stars

Total Books Read: 9

Overall in 2019: 34

Reading Challenge Updates

POPSUGAR

  • A book inspired by myth/legend/folklore – The Mirk and Midnight Hour
  • A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature – Tithe
  • A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title – Navigating the Stars
  • A book with no chapters/unusual chapter headings/unconventionally numbered chapters –  The Loneliest Girl in the Universe

Goodreads Challenge

Total: 34/75

Previous Total: 25/75

Blog Posts

Book Reviews

WWW Wednesday

Discussions/Misc.


Did you get a lot of reading done in April? Were you able to read all of the books on your TBR? Did you read any new favorites? What book did you like the least? What do you plan on reading in May?

WWW Wednesday – April 3rd, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

  • Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix (Rise of the Empress, #2) by Julie C. Dao – audibook
  • The English Wife by Lauren Willig – physical book
  • Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1) by Fonda Lee – physical book

I finally decided to just go ahead and finish the Rise of the Empress duology, when I was making a few exchanges on my Audible account. I wasn’t a big fan of the first novel but with this sequel following Jade, I thought I’d give it a chance. It’s interesting so far but I find Jade to be kind of a dud. She’s too timid and lacks much of a personality, but maybe that’ll change as I get further into the story.

I’m not too far into The English Wife yet, but I’m already pulled into the intrigue of the story. I love how the murder mystery is being explored. I’m a sucker for historical fiction and the Gilded Age setting is wonderful. I can’t wait to see how the story plays out.

I haven’t gotten but a few pages into Jade City so I haven’t formed any sort of opinion on it yet. I’m just excited to finally be reading it!

What did you recently finish reading?

  • And I Darken (The Conqueror’s Saga, #1) by Kiersten White – physical book, RTC
  • Honor Bound (The Honors, #2) by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre – physical book, RTC
  • Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – audiobook, REVIEW
  • The Beautiful Strangers by Camille Di Maio – audiobook

I got through quite a few books this past week and that’s never a bad thing. I really enjoyed all of these for the most part. I was a little disappointed with The Beautiful Strangers and it only ended up being an average forgettable read for me. The rest were all great, especially Honor Bound and Daisy Jones & The Six.

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Rabbit & Robot by Andrew Smith – physical ARC
  • Navigating the Stars (Sentinels of the Galaxy, #1) by Maria V. Snyder – audiobook
  • Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales, #1) by Holly Black – physical book

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

 

My April TBR

I didn’t get to all of the books I wanted to read in March, so there will be a bit of an overflow into this month’s TBR. But I think that’s alright, because I really want to get to these books soon rather than continue to push them aside until later. So yes, my TBR this month is once again a bit ambitious but I’m alright with it. Let’s kick some reading ass in April!


My TBR

  • Rabbit & Robot by Andrew Smith – physical ARC
  • Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1) by Fonda Lee – physical book
  • Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix (Rise of the Empress, #2) by Julie C. Dao – audiobook, currently listening
  • The Mirk and Midnight Hour by Jane Nickerson – physical book
  • The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough – physical book
  • Navigating the Stars (Sentinels of the Galaxy, #1) by Maria V. Snyder – audiobook
  • And I Darken (The Conqueror’s Saga, #1) by Kiersten White – physical book, currently buddy reading
  • Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales, #1) by Holly Black – physical book
  • Lifel1k3 (Lifelike, #1) by Jay Kristoff
  • The English Wife by Lauren Willig – physical book, currently reading
  • Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, #1) by Neal Shusterman – physical book, buddy read
  • The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston – audiobook

This may look like a really extensive TBR, but with 3 of these being audiobooks which I can speed through pretty quickly, I’m not too worried about it. I think I have a really good mix of genres as well this month which will help me from getting too bored as well. I think I was actually starting to get burned out on fantasy last month, so this mix should help fix that problem somewhat.


What do you plan to read during April? Do you have a set TBR or are you a mood reader? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think about them?