My year in reading, some statistics and goals for 2019

This post is going to be a bit long and analytical, but hey some people like that stuff.  I know I do.  In my day job I'm a data analyst, what does that mean?  I play with numbers and build data visuals to tell people stuff, sometimes they like it and sometimes they don't.  Hopefully you find it interesting.  It's pretty nerdy I know, but I'm a nerd at heart so...here are the numbers and what I learned from my year in reading.

I set out to read 75 books this year.  Goodreads will tell you that I read 151 books, pretty impressive huh?  That is 51 more than last year.  I attribute most of that to audiobooks, I listened to a lot more audiobooks this year than I did in 2017.

On to the statistics.

I read 78 print books this year so I met my goal there, I also listened to 73 audiobooks.  This confirms that I've been able to almost double my reading by adding audiobooks to my routine.  Here's where really get into the numbers.

Audiobooks - All but 2 of the audiobooks I listened to this year came from the library via Overdrive or Hoopla.  The 2 I "own" were free downloads from Penguin Random House's Volumes App.  They usually do a monthly free book.  Check out the link to their facebook for announcements.

The Format of Books I Read

I'm going to breakdown the format of the books and where I got them because I thought it was an interesting statistic.  It is pretty telling that I do most of my reading from the library.  I have a physical bookshelf and a Kindle full of books, and these numbers tell me that I need to read the stuff I've spent my money on.  I support the library, as you can tell, and you should too.  Libraries are important people.  One of my goals for 2019 is to read more of the books I have already purchased (both ebook and physical book) while continuing to support my library.

• Ebooks - 66 read
• 31 ARCs
• 15 Owned
• 21 Borrowed from the library
• Hardback Books - 3 Read
• 1 Owned 
• 2 Borrowed from the library 
• Paperback books - 8 read
• 3 ARCs
• 3 Owned
• 2 Borrowed from the library

Where all of my books came from this year

As you can see from the above stats, I get a lot of books from my library.  Even some of the books I bought came from local library sales this year.  A large portion of the books I read in 2018 were ARCs.  I received 34 ARCs from various sources in 2018, which made up a significant amount of the books I read this year.  I can't express how grateful I am that publishers and authors allow me to read and review their work early.  I read some really wonderful books this year because of these opportunities.

I reviewed 83 of the 145 books I read this year.  I'd like improve that number in 2019.  I'm really bad about reviewing audiobooks.  I also didn't review a lot of the books I read that weren't ARCs.  I reviewed a lot of books, just not as many as I could have.

Goals for 2019

• Read more of my own books.  I have a ton of books that I keep buying and not reading.  Clearly I need to show some love to the books I bought.
• Review books after I finish them.  If I don't do it right away I won't ever get to it.
• Keep supporting the library.  I use the library for most of my audiobooks and I don't see that stopping.  I'll probably never stop requesting e-books either.
• Be more selective with ARC requests.  I love reviewing books, but I always have way too many due for review at the same time.  Then I feel bad because they are overdue and I get into a slump.  I do always post them though, even if they are a little late.
• Be more active on social media (instagram and facebook).  

January TBR

January starts another year which means new reading challenge prompts and new reading goals.  I have a couple of ARCs to read and review in January and February.  I'm participating in the Popsugar Reading Challenge again, and I think I'm going to try out the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge.  Some of the prompts overlap so it shouldn't be too hard.  Bookish also has a 2019 reading challenge that looks pretty interesting if you are looking to expand your reading horizons.

• 2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge
• Bookish’s 2019 Reading Challenge: 52 Ways to #KillYourTBR
Book Riot’s 2019 Read Harder Challenge

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• White Stag by Kara Barberi
• This is the first book in a new YA Fantasy series.  This has some Norse mythology and deals with goblins.  I love a good mythology centered fantasy and goblins isn't something you see very often.  I started this in December.  I really like it.  So far it is brutal, violent, and well written.
• Freefall by Jessica Barry
• This is a mystery/thriller out on January 8th.  There's a plane crash, and a mother/daughter that are separated and determined to find one another.
• Firestarter by Tara Sim
• This is is a January release and the 3rd book in the Timekeeper series.  I've really enjoyed the series and I'm looking forward to finding out how our Clock Spirit and Clock Mechanic fair in this installment.  This comes out on January 15th.
• Moonlight Scandals by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• I love this series about three intimidating brothers and their super creepy house in New Orleans.  You aren't sure if it is haunted or not but weird stuff happens there all the time.  This book follows Devlin the eldest brother and a sexy ghost hunter names Rosie.  This is a romance so I'm sure it will be steamy and awesome like the other 2 books.  I'm really happy I got an ARC.  This comes out on January 29th.
• The Last Life of Prince Alastor by Alexandra Bracken
• I really loved the first book in the Prosper Redding series.  It is a fun middle grade book about a vengeful spirit that has taken up residence in the body of a young boy.  His family is cursed and he's the lucky one that has to pay for past crimes.  To save his sister, Prosper has to make another deal and hope that betrayal isn't in his future.  This comes out in early February.

Audiobooks

I'm not sure what I'm going to listen to this month.  I have a bunch of stuff on hold.  I have a couple of audiobooks on my phone that I can listen to and a ton of stuff on Hoopla that I want to get to.  We'll see where the month takes me.

December Wrap Up

December was a pretty good reading month, especially with audiobooks.  I completed the Popsugar reading challenge.  I always get a little slumpy as the end of the challenge approaches.  Last year I was reading a book I really didn't like and it took me forever to finish.  This year I was reading something I actually liked, but it still dragged on a bit because there was a bit of pressure to finish up.  I also have a few ARCs and reviews looming for January, so it starts to feel like work not fun.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• I'm so glad I finally read this.  I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see what happens in Crooked Kingdom.  There are so many twists and turns.  This finished up my challenge for a book with an animal in the title.  
• Vicious by V.E. Schwab
• I've been meaning to read this forever.  It started off slow for me for a couple of reasons.  It was one of my last reading prompts (anti-hero/villain) and I think I overhyped it so I had really high expectations.  Once I settled in I really began to enjoy it.  Looking forward to the next book.
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by by John Tiffany (Adaptation), Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling 
• This was my final challenge book (turned into a screenplay/play).  Since it is a play script I went with it.  I actually really enjoyed it.  Not much to say about Harry Potter, but I liked that this takes place later on, and is focused on his son.  We see Harry in a different light and as a parent with realistic parent struggles that have nothing to do with magic. As a mom I totally relate.

Audiobooks

• The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison
• I really loved this.  I think I will finish the series in book format.  I feel like I kept missing things in audio, which is a problem I have with fantasy sometimes.  The narration was great, but I would have liked to go back a page and reread things I was confused about.  This is an awesome book and deserves all the hype it gets.  It is so unique and the author keeps things interesting.
• The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
• This completed challenge prompt book for a book involving a bookstore or a library.  It involves both.  My mom gave me her paperback a while back, but I opted for the audio.  This is a really cute book, but the main character, Nina I found to be infuriating at times.  She was a bit too clueless and weak for my taste.  I just wanted to shake her and yell at her for most of the book.  She eventually got it together, so it all kind of worked out.  
• Don't Put Me in Coach by Mark Titus
• As I anticipated this book was a challenge for me to complete.  The writing was actually pretty good, but the author's sense of humor just isn't to my taste.  I listened to about half of the audiobook then switched to the e-book to finish up which I found a little easier to handle.  It was fairly short.  I enjoyed hearing about the basketball, but the immaturity and vulgarity was a bit too much for my liking.  This did knock out a challenge prompt for me or else I would have DNFed based on my personal taste.
• Time's Convert by Deborah Harkness
• I really loved the Discovery of Witches Series, and when I heard there was a new book out I requested it from the library right away.  I really loved seeing Diana and Matthew and their children, as well as the rest of the family and get to know Marcus and Phoebe more.  This was kind of all over the place as it jumps timelines and switches character POVs.  There isn't really a plot, it is more character driven story telling.  I liked learning about the characters, but there wasn't really a plot to keep the story focused as with the original trilogy..
• The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
• This is a strange little story about a girl who finds out that she isn't who she thought she was.  The bad luck that has followed her and her mother around is actually part of a strange fairy tale world that she is connected to.  Its an OK read, not good not bad.  The fairy tales are pretty dark.  I expected to like it more than I did.
• Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
• I really loved this.  The audio is told in case files, but it is done with a full cast.  It is very well done.  This team of scientists and military/government personnel are tasked with unearthing and discovering the origins and functions of this artifact.  I really liked the premise of the story.  The book is fast paced, not terribly long.
• Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel
• I really love this series.  It is a lot of fun.  I love the full cast and the fast pace.  I was able to start this directly after Sleeping Giants.  I'm a sucker for aliens, robots, and science fiction.  I'm on the waiting list for the 3rd book and can't wait to finish the series.

Top 5 Wednesday: Books I Didn't Get to in 2018

This week's topic:

Books You Didn't Get to in 2018

Discuss the books you didn't quite get around to this year but are at the top of your list for 2019! 

If you celebrated Christmas yesterday, I hope you had a good one!  Did you get any books or bookish goodies?  I got 2 new bookshelves.  I'm very thankful for them, as my lone shelf was overflowing.  Other than that we had a nice family day, I can't really ask for much more than that.

With the year coming to an end this week's topic is kind of perfect.  I spent most of the month wrapping up the remaining reading prompts I had for the Popsugar Reading Challenge.  I have about 20 pages left in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child which I plan to finish as soon as I get this post up, then I'm done with the 2018 list.  I really love working on the challenge because it gets me to read things I normally wouldn't and I still get to read a majority of books I wanted to read anyway.  I have a huge list of books I meant to get to this year, narrowing it down to 5 was really tough.  These are all books I bought in the last year but never read for one reason or another.  I've realized that I tend to put off reading books I own because I prioritize the books I get from the library and the ARCs I receive first.

• The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
• 
• I bought this after Christmas last year when it was on sale in the kindle store.  Kate Quinn has been known to join us in our Popsugar Challenge facebook group from time to time for Q&A sessions.  This spans WWI and WWII and involves female spies.  For a lover of wartime historical fiction it sounds like something I would really enjoy.
• Radium Girls by Kate Moore
• 
• This has gotten so many good reviews.  I'm not a big nonfiction reader, but this really intrigues me.  I bought it on sale as well.  I've read several amazing non-fiction books over the last 2 years and I bought this hoping to read another.  This is one I need to make a priority.  It tells the story of the women who worked with radium, which was a wonderful substance at the time, but they didn't know that it was poisoning them.  
• Attitude by Jay Wright
• 
• Both of my boys play basketball and we are a huge NCAA basketball family.  Go Cuse!  It is pretty much the only thing on TV on our house from October until the championship game in late March/early April.  I really respect Jay Wright as a coach and I look forward to seeing his team play every year.  I bought this for my sons to read, but no reason I can't read it too. I had it slated as a book challenge prompt for a book involving a sport this year but as time was running out, I read a much shorter book and I really regret my choice.  I didn't really enjoy it, other than the fact that I finished it in a day.  Good news is I own this and I can read it in 2019 when I have more time to devote to it.
• Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
• 
• This is another one I bought on sale and never picked up again.  I really enjoy this type of historical fiction.  This has come highly recommended by many fans of the genre.  It is high on my list of things to get to in 2019.
• Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
• 
• I love mythology of any type.  I find it fascinating.  I bought a hardback of this at a book sale a while back and never picked it up again.  I heard the audio is great and might get to it that way.  I know Hoopla has it.  My husband and I watch Vikings and I really love the mythology that they weave into the show and hope to learn more about it.  I actually find the behind the scenes history episodes more interesting than the show itself.

Top 5 Wednesday: Most Anticipated 2019 Releases

This week's topic:

Most Anticipated 2019 Releases 

Pretty self-explanatory. 

There are a bunch of good books coming out this year.  I've got my eye on a couple of series that have new books coming out this year.  These are just a few I'm really looking forward to in 2019.  What are you anticipated releases for the new year?

• The Dragon Republic by RF Kuang
• I loved the Poppy War and can't wait to see what happens next.  This was a brutal, epic fantasy and I really loved it.  The sequel has big shoes to fill, but I expect it will.
• This is expected to come out in May.
• 
• Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard
• I really love the Witchlands series.  I'm looking forward to getting to know Aeduan more, and follow Safi and Iseult on their adventures.
• This is expected out in February.   I highly recommend the audiobooks if you are an audio person.
• 
• Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Jen is one of my favorite authors, and her Dark Elements series is possibly my favorite of her YA series.  This is a spin off to the original series and will focus on Zayne, one of the main characters from the original series.  
• This is expected out in June.
• 
• Shadowglass by Rin Chupeco
• This is a great fantasy series.  I'm really looking forward to finding out how Tea manages to use her powers as a Bone Witch to get revenge on those who have wronged her.
• This is expected out in March.
• 
• Kingsbane by Claire Legrand
• This is the sequel to Furyborn.  This is such an interesting series.  The first book left us with just enough information to be satisfied, but wanting more.  I'm looking forward to learning more about Rielle, Corien, Simon, and Eliana and how this story ends.
• This is expected out in May.
• 

Top 5 Wednesday: Books to Give as Gifts

This week's Topic:

December 12: Books to Give _____ as Gifts

Create a recommendations guide for a person. Be creative with this. It can be simple such as "books for parents", more elaborate like "books for Ravenclaws", or expert level like "books for -insert your favorite fictional character here-". You can even take out the category completely and have all 5 be suggestions for different types of people!

I'm going with books to give young readers as gifts.  I'm leaving Harry Potter out because, that's obvious.  I have a voracious 10 year old reader, and I'm always trying to find series that will keep him entertained and engaged.  

• Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan
• I also recommend the Heroes of Olympus series.  I really enjoyed all 10 books.  If you have a reader who likes mythology this is a great gift option.
• The Inheritance Cycle Series by Christopher Paolini
• I enjoyed this fantasy series, and my 10 year old read it this past year and loved it as well.  It was nice to share a series we both liked.  This has magic, dragons, adventure, and action.  
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• This is for the more advanced young reader or any reader for that matter.  If you enjoy historical fiction with a focus on WWII, I highly recommend it.
• The Land of Stories Series by Chris Colfer
• My son loved this series, and with fairy tale retellings on the rise this is a great gift for a young reader. 
• The Wings of Fire Series by Tui T. Suitland
• This is my son's favorite series.  Whenever I ask him what books he wants it is the next book in this series.  There are 12 books in this fantasy series about dragons and more to come, so that will keep you reader busy for a little while.  

Top 5 Wednesday: Book Wish List

December is upon us and that means many holidays as well.  My family celebrates Christmas, and while we haven't quite put up the tree our outdoor decorations are up.  My husband embodies Clark Griswold each year and puts up more lights than any one house really needs, and synchronizes them to music.  Clark would be proud and its fun and the kids in the neighborhood enjoy it.

This week's topic is:

Book Wish List If you celebrate a gift-giving holiday this time of year, or even if you don't, talk about the books or bookish items you have on your wishlist!

• I actually asked my husband for a new bookshelf (or 2) for Christmas because mine is overflowing and I've got books all over the place in our guest bedroom.  It is getting a bit out of hand
• An Amazon gift card is always a good idea since I read on my Kindle alot, and I like to use gift cards to buy e-books.  I have a long wish list of books I want to buy, some I've read and want to buy and some I want to read.
• As for physical books, I'd like a copy of Time's Convert by Deborah Harkness.  I have the other books in the series and this would finish up the collection.
• 
• I'd like a hardback copy of Intensity by Sherrilyn Kenyon, with this particular cover.  I read an ARC of this so I haven't been in a hurry to buy it because the cover didn't match, but I have all of the other books in the series so I'd like to finish out my set.  This was self published with a different cover, now I think the original publisher is going to publish it with the regular covers so they will match.  If the cover matches I'd happily add it to my collection.  I'd like to reread the series at some point and I'd like to share it with my boys because I think they'd like it and it was geared toward YA boys.
• 
• The last book I think I'd like is Death Doesn't Bargain by Sherrilyn Kenyon.  This the second book in the Deadman's Cross series and I have most of her other books.  
• 

December TBR

Most of these are for my reading challenge prompts, so I'll be reading those by the end of the year.  Most of these were on my TBR for November and I just didn't get to them.  I also have a couple of ARCs for books that come out in January, but I'm not sure if I'll get to them in December.  Most of these are fairly long, so we'll see how it goes.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• Vicious by Victoria Schwab
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by by John Tiffany (Adaptation), Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling 
• I'm reading this for a challenge for a book turned into a screenplay or play.  Perfect fit I think.
• White Stag by Kara Barberi
• This is the first book in a new YA Fantasy series.  This is supposed to be brutal, and have monsters.  Sounds like a fun read.
• Firestarter by Tara Sim
• This is is a January release and the 3rd book in the Timekeeper series.  I've really enjoyed the series and I'm looking forward to finding out how our Clock Spirit and Clock Mechanic fair in this installment.
• Freefall by Jessica Barry
• This is a mystery/thriller out in January.  There's a plane crash, and a mother/daughter that are separated and determined to find one another.

Audiobooks

• The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison
• Everyone keeps talking about this series.  So I thought I'd give it a try.  It sounds like something I'd like.  I've already started this and while it started out slowly I'm really enjoying it.
• The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
• This is a challenge prompt book for a book involving a bookstore or a library.  It involves both.  I've started this one as well and its cute, though the main character is infuriating at times because she so ridiculously afraid of everything.
• A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
• This is a repeat from last month.  I own it so I'll get to it when there is a break in my library holds.
• Don't Put Me in Coach by Mark Titus
• This is a challenge book to for a book involving a sport.  I listened to the intro, and I can tell that this is going to be a difficult listen for me because the writer is a self titled clown.  He doesn't take anything seriously, so we'll see how it goes.  I want to give it a chance.

November Wrap Up

I had a pretty good reading month.  I read 9 books and 4 audiobooks.  I am finally caught up on all of my ARCs that I needed to review.  And I knocked out 5 reading challenge prompts.  

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
• Review
• This came out October 2nd.  I got super backlogged in October.  This was fairly long, and it took me a while to read.  This wasn't scary at all, and it was a bit slow paced.  Overall I liked it.  It had decent diverse representation and good character dialogue.
• Lies by TM Logan
• Review
• This came out on September 11th.  The plot was pretty good, and there was a great plot twist at the end.  Overall, I thought the main character kept doing really idiotic things to get himself in trouble, which played into the twist eventually.  It was certainly not the scariest or best reads of the year as promised.  It was an OK mystery/thriller and a quick read.
• Evermore by Sara Holland
• Review
• This is the sequel to Everless.  I really like the premise of how time is currency in this story.  This moved a bit slow for me.  There was a long time where not alot happened as the main character tries to remember her past lives.  It is a good conclusion to the duology, but what I was expecting.
• Cranberry Bluff by Deborah Garner
• It fits the prompt for a fruit or vegetable in the title.  It was a quick, cozy mystery type book.  I got it for free and it was pretty cute.
• Blue Water by J.A. Armitage
• Review
• This is a reverse fairy tale/retelling of The Little Mermaid.  It is a fun YA story line with some interesting mythology that I'm enjoying.  Overall I'm liking the series and am looking forward to the third book.  
• Pittsburgh Irish by Gerard F. O'neil
• I read this for the reading challenge.  I really enjoyed learning about the city I grew up in and walk around in everyday.  I learned so much from this and about the surrounding areas of Pittsburgh.  It was really nice reading about places that I know and learning about their namesakes and more about the events that took place there and the people who formed the city I call home.
• Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
• I used this for my time travel prompt book.  I'm so glad I read this.  It was a quick enjoyable read.  I really enjoyed the historical and secret society aspects to the story.  I also like that the main character is not having he male chauvinism and she is speaking up for herself more and more as the story progresses.
• The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Loved this Lux spin-off series.  I always thought Luc was a great character and I'm happy we get to finally know him.  We meet some new characters, and see the return of some old favorites.  I would have liked to see Katy and Dee, but we got Daemon and Archer so...
• A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
• This fulfilled another reading challenge prompt for a book I meant to read last year, though it could have filled several others.  It was a short, but powerful book.  I really loved it and the illustrations were as beautiful as the words.  So glad I finally read it!

Audiobooks

 I did pretty well in the audio department this month.

• Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
• I really enjoyed this.  It was a little heavy on the romance, but it was still great!  I loved the mythological and paranormal element to the story.  I can't wait to read more of Taylor's writing.  This didn't really go where I expected, but I liked where it ended up.
• A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
• I loved this installment of the series.  We finally get to know what happened to Sofos who kind of just disappeared from the story a while back.  It also kind of brings all of the political plotting of the 3 kingdoms together once and for all.  There is still plotting but it seems that finally all of the kings and queens will be united.  This series keeps getting better.
• The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
• Review
• I got an ARC of this from Edelweiss after it was published, so in an attempt to get to clear my review list up I grabbed the audio book.  This was a great mystery with alternating times.  I really enjoy the way Sager tells stories.  If you liked Final Girls check this out.
• Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner
• This surprised me by following a completely new character in the series.  It took me a bit longer than normal to get into the story, but it was just as good as the rest of the books.  The writing is amazing, and now I have to wait patiently for book 6 which doesn't come out until March.

Top 5 Wednesday: Books You Want to Read Before 2019

Our Goodreads goals are quickly closing in. What are you prioritizing for the end of the year?

I'm mainly focusing on reading books for the remaining challenge prompts for my reading challenge for the rest of the year.  I have 8 prompts left as of the time I am writing this post, and books picked out for all of them.

• Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier - This is for a book involving time travel.  I've heard things about this series, some good some bad.  We'll see how it goes.  
• 
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - This will cover a book with an animal in the title.  I've been wanting to read this for some time now and I've heard nothing but good things.
• 
• Vicious by V.E. Schwab - This is for the anti-hero prompt.  I know this involves some mad science and perhaps some mutants.  I like her writing and I can't wait to read this.
• 
• The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout - OK this isn't for a prompt, but I just got it from the library today so I'm going to read it ASAP.  I loved the Lux series and this follows one of the side characters from that world.  I can't wait to read it, so all other books will just have to wait until I'm done.
• 
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by by John Tiffany (Adaptation), Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling - This is for the challenge prompt for a book that has been turned into a play.  I think it fits perfectly.
• 

Review: Evermore by Sara Holland

Evermore by Sara Holland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an arc from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  This comes out December 31, 2018.  I enjoyed it and feel like it is a good wrap up to the duology.

This follows Jules directly after the first book (Everless) leaves off. She is on the run from the Sorceress after discovering that she is the Alchemist reborn and their ages old conflict after the Alchemist steals the Sorceress' heart. We do eventually find out the entire back story on the Alchemist and the Sorceress over the course of the book. Jules must put together the pieces of her past lives in order to save herself and everyone she loves before the Sorceress destroys them all. Jules and Liam return to places that the Alchemist once lived in an attempt to restore Jules' memories, and as she relives her memories she uncovers the truth of what she did to Caro and what she must do to save those she loves as well as her kingdom.

This was a bit slow for me, while the plot wrapped up nicely, I felt like it just moved a little slow for my tastes. Anytime you have a story that is told between the current time and an alternate time, in this case flashbacks to help Jules remember her past lives, it tends to slow down the plot, make things repetitive, and impact the flow of the storyline. I found that to be the case here. While those flashbacks were crucial to the development of the story, it just isn't my favorite type of storytelling. I think that's a personal preference thing, not a knock on the author's writing abilities.

I also didn't care for the romance, they went from enemies to in love very quickly. It just didn't develop naturally in my opinion. I always expected Jules and Liam to end up together from the very beginning, it just went from I hate you to I love you very quickly and without much development to turn the tides.

I would have liked more character development and more explanation on the "magic" system. I didn't really get a good grasp on why Jules' country is the only place blood-iron works and if there was other magic elsewhere in their country and outside their realm. I guess it wasn't really relevant to the story, but it would have been nice to get a better understanding.

Overall, I did enjoy the story. It wraps up the series well. I think I had different expectations based on the first book and how that focused more on the blood-irons and how people use their blood for currency and time. This focused more on past lives of the main characters not on the magic. I really loved the premise of the blood-irons and I think I wanted more on that and the mythology and magic.

View all my reviews

Tag Tuesday: Out of My Comfort Zone Book Tag

As per usual, I was watching BookTube and this tag caught my attention. I really love Julie's vlog over at Pages and Pens. She has similar reading tastes to me, and I get alot of good recommendations from her, go check out her video here. I was also happy to hear that this tag was created and inspired by vloggers that I actively watch and enjoy, go check them out too.

Emma’s Video (creator): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kod0Z... Hardback Hoarder (inspiration): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URKD3...

I really love the concept of this tag. I've been participating in the Popsugar reading challenge for the past 2 years because I found myself in a reading rut, always reading the same thing over and over. I found myself getting bored reading the same basic story time and again. When I found the challenge in 2017, I was able to still read books I wanted to read, but branch out and read things I never would have read before. It forces me to read out of my comfort zone and I really love it. There is a goodreads group and a Facebook group and the members are lovely and always have great discussions and give the best suggestions. I also love that the only rule to the challenge is that you read books, there aren't any rules and no one to police your challenge list. It is purely for fun. The 2019 list just came out and I'm really excited about it.

CREATE A RULE: Choose one genre/category of books that you frequently talk about in tags and don't use ANY books from that genre for answers. For my rule I'm staying away from YA Fantasy which is mostly what I tend to read.

• A book that is an exception when it comes to genres or elements in books that you don't typically like.
• I usually don't like non-fiction especially biographies, but Born a Crime was excellent. I think because Trevor Noah wrote with his sense of humor which I enjoy made it enjoyable.

• A book you enjoyed from a genre you previously held some stigma about.
• We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, as I said I don't read alot of non-fiction especially, feminist non-fiction.  I didn't find this overwhelming or overbearing.  I kind of expected a feminist book to tell me I wasn't being a good feminist because of this and that, it wasn't like that at all.  This was a great little book and kind of broke down reality vs perception of feminism and how you can be a common sense feminist or an extreme feminist or somewhere in the middle.  I really enjoyed it and learned a few things too.  

• A book you didn't know was actually out of your comfort zone until you started reading it. 
• The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi was a tough read for me. I've really liked other books he's written and this involve a bunch of stuff I'm interested in, this just dragged on for me. I'm just not into bio-punk I guess.

• Pick a friend or BookTuber that motivates you to pick up books you might not normally be interested in. What is one book out of your norm that they convinced you to give a try? 
• There are so many. Hardback Hoarder, Chelsea Dolling Reads, Peruse Project, Emma Books, Books and Lala, Pages and Pens, and Katie Loves to Read, there are more but lately they are my go to. They all read some genres that I like and some that I don't, so I'm always finding something interesting from them.  
• I picked up Walk on Earth a Stranger which is a historical fiction with a twist, recommended by Regan at PeruseProject and loved it.  I loved the whole series.

• A book that is out of your comfort zone that you would like to read. 
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, clearly this is one of the greatest books ever but I've never read it. I don't love classics, but I do feel a bit of an obligation as a reader to read the great works of literature.  I'm putting this on my TBR for 2019.

• A book or genre so out of what you normally read that you'll probably never give it a(nother) chance.
• Erotica, I'll read contemporary romances once in a while but it isn't my go to. I read one by an author I really like, and while the plot was good, I just didn't care for the construction.  I much prefer her contemporary works.  

Review: The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this. I really like Sager's writing style. I had my theories about what was going to happen, but I like that the story is told in alternating times so you are left never knowing what exactly is going on until the end. I really enjoyed how the mystery unfolded and I really had to work to figure out what was going to happen, and when I thought it was over there was more.

I didn't particularly find this overly thrilling or scary, but it was a well put together mystery. I thought the characters were well put together and all of the side characters played their roles nicely. This definitely has the feeling of being told through the eyes of an unreliable narrator, as you aren't really sure if main character Emma is telling the truth about anything or if she even really knows what is happening today or what happened 15 years ago at Camp Nightingale. You know that everyone has their secrets at the camp and just as the girls liked to play, you just aren't sure which ones are the 2 truths and which ones are the lie.

The premise of the story is fairly simple, Emma goes to camp one summer and finds herself bunking with 3 girls she's never met before. She is drawn to the leader of the group Vivian, the older sister she never knew she wanted. As the summer unfolds, Vivian and Emma form a bond, but something causes a rift between them. When her roommates disappear one night, the camp is upended and Emma's life is tormented by the lies she told and the guilt she feels. Emma grows up and 15 years later she finds herself back at the camp as a painting instructor when the owner of the camp tries to find closure for Emma and everyone who was there 15 years ago. Emma is determined to find out what happened to her friends that night. When strange things start happening at camp, Emma finds herself reliving the night Vivian and the girls disappeared. She also finds herself main suspect of her current charges disappearance at camp in the present day. She can't let more girls get hurt on her watch, and she is tired of all of the lies.

Overall, this was a great read. If you liked Final Girls and the way it was told, I highly recommend this. I really like the way Sager constructs stories to keep the reader on their toes and kind of in the dark before the big reveal at the end.



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Top 5 Wednesday: Largest Books on TBR

In honor of #TomeToppleReadathon coming back this month, discuss those big books on your shelf!  I'm a week behind, but I've got a ton of big books on my shelf that I keep meaning to get to but never seem to have the time to read.  I hope to spend some time on these in 2019.  I have paperpack or hardback copies of all of these, so I know I want to read all of them.  Like most people, I just look at how big they are and they intimidate me so I read something shorter.  I tend to mainly read on my kindle or listen to audiobooks, but funny enough many of my 2018 books ended up being close to or over 500 pages, but you can't tell when they are electronic.   These are my top 5 big books that I want to read soon.

• The Black Prism by Brent Weeks - 626 pages
• I picked this up at a used book sale for a couple of dollars and I've only heard good things.  I love a good fantasy novel.
• 
• Stygian by Sherrilyn Kenyon - 655 pages 
• This is part of the Dark Hunter series and I've been a big fan of Kenyon's books and the series for a long time.  Her last few books have been humongous and I'm actually really excited to get to this character's story.  Even though this book is huge, her books usually read quickly.  
• 
• The Fireman by Joe Hill - 747 pages
• As a fan of Stephen King, I had to give his son a chance.  I picked this up on sale at Barnes & Noble and its huge so I keep putting it off.
• 
• Inferno by Dan Brown - 611 pages
• This is one I meant to read this year for my reading challenge but never got to.  I've read Brown's other books in the series and enjoy his work.  
• 
• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - 530 pages
• I'm really excited to get to this, I just can't seem to find time to pick it up.  I've heard nothing but good things.
• 

Tag Tuesday: Plan With Me Book Tag

So as usual I get most of my Tag Tuesday ideas from Ali at Hardback Hoarder (What's My Page Again // creator → https://youtu.be/4BKKJKbkSZk). I love her vlog and she picks the best tags. I'm not a super big planner, but I do have a date book and I try to keep my phone's calendar updated with my life events. As for reading, I do try to plan out what I'm going to read atleast for my challenge prompts but I'm not super strict about it.


1.) Pay day! -A book you would buy right now. Cost doesn’t matter!
I'd repurchase all of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Darkhunter books in hardback so my set matched. The first half I have in paperback and the rest are hardback and it bugs me that they don't match.
2.) Pay a bill A book you would get rid of right now
The Man Who was Thursday by GK Chesterton I really didn't enjoy this book. It is sitting in my pile of books to donate to the library. Fortunately I got it at the library book sale and only paid $1 for it, maybe less so it wasn't a great loss on my part. I read it for a reading challenge and it served its purpose.
3.) Doctor appointment -a book that makes you feel better when you are down
Anything by Penny Reid. Her Knitting in the City Series or Winston Brother's Series always puts me in a good mood or pulls me out of a slump.
4.) Meeting -a book or series you felt obligated to read because of the hype
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, it seems everyone has read and loved these books.
5.) Lunch date a book or series that you feel in love with because a friend recommended it to you.
I don't have alot of reader friends, so I'm going to go with a booktuber recommendation. I picked up Rae Carson's Walk on Earth a Stranger because of Regan over at PeruseProject. I loved the series and Regan's historical fiction recommendations.
6.) Work/school week a book that was hard to get through - Ruin of Stars - I really liked the first book, unfortunately this one just didn't meet my expectations for the conclusion of the series.
7.) Gym day a book that gets your heart pumping because it was such an exciting page turner.
Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This was a book I started one evening and stayed up until the early morning to finish. I couldn't put it down.

8.) Date night a book with your favorite romantic couple.
Fight or Flight by Samantha Young, this is a more recent release but Ava and Caleb quickly rose to the top of my favorite couples list. Samantha writes some of my favorite contemporaries and I always love her couples, my original favorite couple was from another one of her books
9.) Vacation a book or series you would want to binge on if you had all the time in the world.
The Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson, I've heard so many good things and I feel like I'm going to like it. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

10.) To Do List - A book that you keep meaning to get to but don’t have the time for
The Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series. I bought them at Bradley's Book Outlet last year because they were there and I keep hearing great things. After finishing Strange the Dreamer I really want to get to them, but they keep sitting on my shelf.

Review: Blue Water by J.A. Armitage

Blue Water by J.A. Armitage
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an advanced copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.  This came out September 12, 2018.  I'm glad I finally got caught up and read it.  I'm also able to use this for a challenge prompt for a book title with my favorite color in it.  Only 9 more books to go to finish the challenge, no onto the review...

This story picks up shortly after the first book. The sea witch is dead and Ari and Erica are attempting to figure out how their relationship is going to work. Erica is still heir to her kingdom and preparing to be Queen one day, however she is bonded to Ari and exploring her feelings for him. The unofficial couple continues to spend as much time together as they can until Erica's father falls sick of an unexplained illness. When the mermaids of Havfrue and Erica's mother all fall sick unexpectedly, Erica expects that while the sea witch is dead her magic still lingers. Erica embarks on a quest to save both kingdoms and the people she is supposed to serve and protect as Queen.

As with the first book I really liked the mythology and magical aspect of the story line. It adds a nice twist to the reverse fairytale/retelling aspect of the story. This reads as YA, so the characters feel a bit impulsive and immature at times, but you have to remember that they are in fact just that. Their actions are fitting, and they do grow and develop from their experiences which is what I look for. The plot moves along at a decent pace as well. This is a fun story and I am enjoying where it is headed. I'm looking forward to Erica and Ari's next adventure in book 3.

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Tag Tuesday: End of the Year Book Tag 2018

I was watching booktube this weekend and watched Peruse Project's End of Year Book tag.  I thought it was perfect for Tag Tuesday. The original creator was Ariel Bissett (https://youtu.be/hHf0O4e2Z6A)


Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish? I'm currently reading Pittsburgh Irish for my reading challenge, it is non-fiction so naturally a little slower paced.  I started Smart but Scattered earlier this year and never finished it.  I'll finish the first one for sure, and would like to finish the 2nd one eventually.

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?  No, not really.  I kind of just read whatever I feel like all the time.

Is there a new release you're still waiting for?  I'm really looking forward to reading Evermore by Sara Holland which comes out in December.  I have an ARC of it so I get to read it early.  I'm planning on reading it in November.

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year? All of these are books to fill in challenge prompts, so I plan to get to all of them before the end of the year.

1. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
3. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany (Adaptation), Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year? Vicious by V.E. Schwab, I'm really looking forward to this one and I have really high hopes.

Have you already started making reading plans for 2019?  Aside from the books I planned on reading this year and didn't get to, not really.  I'm anxiously awaiting the 2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge list to come out so I can tentatively pencil in books for the coming year.  I really enjoy the challenge and the list should be out soon.  

Review: Lies by T.M. Logan

Lies by T.M. Logan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This was released September 11, 2018.  I know this review is up super late, but here it is. 

This was a fast paced read with a decent plot. I give the author kudos for the plot twist, as I didn't see it coming. I didn't find it to be much of a psychological thriller or very intense from the thriller perspective, it was more of a dramatic mystery. I kept shaking my head the entire book as the main character Joe continually makes bad decisions, recognizes he's making poor choices or is told not to do something and does it anyway. This makes him look kind of idiotic throughout the book, giving this "thriller" a comical edge. Then again, I'm not sure what a real person would do in this situation so it may be completely realistic, it just felt like he was being ridiculous at times. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, it isn't what I look for in a thriller. I was engaged while reading it, and I did like it.

Onto the plot, our main character Joe is kind of a boring guy. He's an English teacher, he is a doting father to son William, an a loving husband, he follows the rules, gives everyone the benefit of the doubt, and really has no aspirations to achieve more in life than what he has now. His wife Melissa is a go-getter, she is beautiful, outgoing, a high achiever, and while she loves her family she has an active social life outside of the home as well. Joe and his son spot Mel's car on their way home one evening and decide to surprise her, this leads to an unraveling of events and lies that Joe could never imagine he would ever find himself in the middle of. He learns that Mel has been lying to him for quite some time and their relationship is not as happy as he thought it was. Joe finds himself accused of crimes he didn't commit, and he is determined to prove his innocence in the matter. As Joe impulsively runs about trying to prove he had nothing to do with the crime his is being accuse of, he finds that he doesn't know what is true and what is a lie, all he knows is he didn't it and someone is trying to ruin him. I won't go into the plot any further or else it will spoil it for you.

If you like mysteries and thrillers that aren't too intense, give this a chance.


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Review: Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.  This came out in early October.  I know this is up a little late, but alteast I got to it.  A month late isn't too bad.

The plot follows three different perspectives, four if you count the perspective of "the Rock", Zoey, Marion, and Val. Zoey is the police chief's daughter, she has recently lost her best friend in a mysterious disappearance and she is determined to find out what happened to her. Marion is the new girl on the island, her father has recently died and her sister mysteriously disappears shortly after they arrive. Val is the beautiful and affluent girl that Marion's family came to work for, but Val's family has a dark secret tied to all of the disappearances on the island. The girls are ultimately connected and not just because the island of Sawkill Rock is small and everyone knows everyone. As girls keep disappearing, Zoey and Marion discover that they have developed supernatural powers, but they aren't sure why. Val and her family have been connected to the disappearance and legend of The Collector for generations. Val wants no part of it, but she can't seem to see a way out of the part she's been destined to play. As she fights the Collector's wishes, she too develops a power. Zoey, Marion, and Val eventually figure out that they have to use their "gifts" to fight the monster.

Meanwhile, Zoey's dad the chief of police also happens to be a member of a misogynistic cult. The cult is tasked with banishing the monsters around the world like Sawkill's Collector. Their methods are brutal, and involve the girls dying to make the monster go away temporarily. The girls aren't having it. Each of them is strong willed, smart, and doesn't want to die. They are all fighters and want to go down swinging. The Hand of Light was irritating, and you really just wanted them to go away anytime they came around.

As for The Collector, I really wanted him to be more scary. He was creepy sure, but he wasn't scary. He was kind of just a jerk, who happened to be a monster.

This tackles some real world subjects and decent representation. I thought this was done very well. There is an African American character who is also asexual. Asexuality is discussed, not just glossed over. There is a real discussion on how that does and may impact a romantic relationship in the future in a very realistic way. There is a lesbian relationship between two of the main characters. When the characters say and do hurtful things to each other it is addressed, and they don't kiss and make up two seconds later. They stay mad, all is not forgiven, just like in the real world. Emotions are justified, discussed, validated, maybe they move on, but they atleast accept that things are not OK and that life is ugly sometimes.

Overall, I thought this was an entertaining YA read. It is more mystery than horror or thriller. I wanted more scare factor, but I liked it anyway. I really enjoyed the writing style and the plot. Overall, it felt a little long and I felt like I wanted to know more about the mythology and magical elements in the book. I wanted more about the Rock and more from the perspective of the Rock. I think the parts from the Rock's perspective were actually my favorite. Those chapters were extremely poetic and I really loved them.

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