August TBR

I'm starting to get caught up on my ARC list, unfortunately several of them are releasing on the same day.  I was doing really well until June hit then I got a bit slumpy and behind schedule.  All of my TBR is ARCs because I committed to having reviews posted by release day.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• The Point by John Dixon
• Netgalley recommended this to me because I reviewed something else, Nyxia I think.  This looks really interesting.  Future military cadets with superhuman powers, sounds amazing right?  I'm also a sucker for a female hero.  This comes out on August 7th.
• As Dust Dances by Samantha Young
• This is a follow on to Play On, but this standalone follows a different couple associated with the arts and music community.  The synopsis promises a tragic ending to a successful music career, a sexy record exec, and Sam always writes amazing romances and dialogue between her characters.  This comes out August 7th, I have and ARC and will be reading this next.
• These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch
• I loved Raasch's Snow Like Ashes series and can't wait to read this.  It also comes out August 7th.  This promises pirates, magic, and rebellion.  Sounds awesome!
• Ruin of Stars by Linsey Miller
• I've had the ARC of this forever.  This is the sequel to Mask of Shadows, and follows a gender neutral assassin.  Sal is now one of the Queen's elite assassins, but she also wants to find out what happened to her family.  Book 1 was action packed and I'm looking forward to seeing where Sal's adventure takes us.  This is out on August 28th.

There are a couple of more books I want to get to in August but lets get through these ones first.  Jennifer L Armentrout's 1001 Dark Nights The Prince comes out in August as does Tijan's Crew.  I'm hoping to get to those and maybe some challenge books.  

Audiobooks

I'm still waiting on a bunch of these at the library, so we'll see what we get to this month.  Most of these are holdovers from July,

• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Everyone keeps talking about how good this book is so I grabbed it on audio.  I had no intentions of reading this, but some of my favorite reviewers loved this so I thought I'd take a chance.  
• The Diviners by Libba Bray
• I keep hearing great things about this one as well.  I already started this and so far it is really interesting.  It started out a little slow, but I'm invested now.  I'm liking the paranormal spin to things and 
• Repeats from last month, still on the waiting list
• War Storm by Victoria Aveyard
• The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
• Circe by Madeline Miller
• Warcross by Marie Lu

July Wrap Up

I did pretty good with my reading this month.  I didn't do so well with my reviews, but I got the ones done I needed to.  I'll add and update links to reviews if and when I get additional ones posted.  I read some really great ARCs, I checked off a few reading challenge prompts, and listened to several good audio books.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
• I was going to use this for a book about mental health for my reading challenge but I ended up using it for my book about a real person prompt.  This was a pretty interesting read.  Sylvia Plath wrote much of this about her own mental health and her recovery.  I understand she didn't want this published in the US as she didn't want to offend the people in the novel that were part of this time in her life.  I can see why so many people recommend this and why it is an important mental health read.
• The Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
• Review
• This was a fairly original retelling.  It isn't at all what I expected, but in a good way.  I loved the writing.  Its a bit slow paced, but stick with it, the ending is worth it.  I loved the mythology and history that is woven into this beloved tale.  This is out July 31st.
• Nyxia Unleased by Scott Reintgen
• Review
• This was awesome!  The story continues on the planet of Eden, with the teenagers who fought in a Hunger Games like tournament of sorts to make it to the planet.  The winners get to mine nyxia for the corporation they are working for and build ties with the planet's inhabitants.  This story is full of politics, action, adventure, friendship and so much more.  
• Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart
• Review
• This  is another ARC releasing at the end of July.  This follows 2 sisters on a brutal planet suffering from female oppression.  One sister is being groomed to be the heir's subjugate while the other one is rebellious.  The Heir picks the handmaiden not lady in waiting, and the story kind of takes off from their.  Both sisters end up in the opposite place of where they intended and they both have to fight for what they believe is right.  I couldn't put this down.
• Sadie by Courtney Summers
• Review
• I received a paperback ARC of this from Wednesday Books.  It is so captivating.  It is told in mixed media format in the form of traditional novel style and in podcast format.  I picked it up and couldn't put it down.  There are going to be actual podcasts to go with it and I highly recommend it.  This is another one I was drawn in and couldn't put it down.  I really loved this.  This comes out September 4th and you should definitely pick it up.
• Beard in Mind and Dr. Strange Beard by Penny Reid
• DSB Review
• BIM Review
• It is no secret that I love Penny's books and the Winston Brother's series is no exception.  Beard in Mind follows Beau, one of the twins, while Dr. Strange Beard follows the youngest Winston Roscoe.  I've had Beard in Mind on my TBR forever so it was fitting I read it prior to Dr. Strange Beard.  I used BIM as my mental health prompt book for my reading challenge as the female main character suffers from OCD and it is discussed at length in the book.  Highly recommend Beau and Shelly's story.  I received an ARC of Dr. Strange Beard for review and I love Roscoe and Simone.  This is out as of today and so many unexpected things happened in this installment.  We learn some things about some of the side characters, and as always the Winston family is there to provide comic relief and lots of love and support. 

Audiobooks

• A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir
• Review
• I think this is the best book in the series by far.  I loved where this one ended and how the story progressed.  I can't wait for the next book.  This picks up where the last book left off and we follow 3 perspectives, Laia, Helene, and Elias.  We also get a cameo of the Nightbringer.  I loved how the story moved along.  Helene is one of my favorite characters.
• The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
• This was a little slow for me.  It was a good detective story, but I found the pacing slow and found myself losing interest frequently.  I just wasn't interested in the story or the characters.  I figured out who did it early on, and the build up to the reveal just wasn't exciting enough to keep my attention.  This completes a reading challenge for a book written by a woman using a male pseudonym.
• Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
• This took me forever to get through.  It was pretty long.  I think I need to go back to reading Clare's books vs listening to them.  I read them much faster than I listen to them.  The narrator was great, but there is so much going on in this with the different plot lines it was hard for me to follow on audio and the timing I had for listening to this wasn't good.  I just didn't have the time to give this good attention.  It is a good followup to Lady Midnight and the plot is progressing nicely.  
• 39 Clues by Rick Riordan
• I was going on a long drive with my kids in the car so I needed something elementary/middle grade appropriate to listen to on our trip.  It isn't very long, but I enjoyed it.  It has good humor, and is perfect for young readers.  While I don't think I'll carry on with the series, my 8 year old has picked it up and I'll hopefully get updates from him.

Release Blitz: DR. STRANGE BEARD by Penny Reid

Dr. Strange Beard, an all-new standalone in the bestselling, romantic comedy Winston Brothers Series by Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Penny Reid, is LIVE!

Hunches, horse races, and heartbreak

Ten years after Simone Payton broke his heart, all Roscoe Winston wants is a doughnut. He’d also like to forget her entirely, but that’s never going to happen. Roscoe Winston remembers everything—every look, every word, every single unrequited second—and the last thing he needs is another memory of Simone.

Unfortunately, after one chance encounter, Simone keeps popping up everywhere he happens to be . . .

Ten years after Roscoe Winston dropped out of her life, all Simone Payton wants is to exploit him. She’d also like some answers from her former best friend about why he ghosted her, but if she never gets those answers, that’s a-okay. Simone let go of the past a long time ago. Seriously, she has. She totally, totally has. She is definitely not still thinking about Roscoe. Nope. She’s more than happy to forget he exists.

But first, she needs just one teeny-tiny favor . . .

Dr. Strange Beard is a full-length romantic comedy novel, can be read as a stand-alone, and is the fifth book in the USA TODAY bestselling Winston Brothers series.

Download your copy today! 

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2KqqV41

iBooks: https://apple.co/2twGVeA

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/DrStrangeBeard

Nook: https://bit.ly/2LwwIKa

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2yU5zdo

Google Play: https://tinyurl.com/y76ze2x4

Paperback: https://amzn.to/2LXgohE

Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2KvoGwA

Download your copy today! 

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2KqqV41

iBooks: https://apple.co/2twGVeA

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/DrStrangeBeard

Nook: https://bit.ly/2tJQl5F

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2yU5zdo

Google Play: https://tinyurl.com/y76ze2x4

Print: https://amzn.to/2LXgohE

Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2KvoGwA

Meet Penny Reid: 

Penny Reid is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.

Connect with Penny:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennyReidWriter/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lakzsD

Twitter: @ReidRomance

Newsletter: http://pennyreid.ninja/newsletter/

www.pennyreid.ninja

Review: Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  I had no idea what this was about, but it looked interesting and I took a chance on it.  I'm so glad I did.   This comes out on July 31st.

I really enjoyed this, I found myself unable to put this down. I read it in just under 24 hours. I really enjoyed the writing, so much so we'll forgive the cliffhanger ending :) I really loved this and highly recommend it!

Grace and Fury follows two sister, one is trained to be a Grace, poised and submissive and selected to be a consort of the Heir of the realm. The other is her handmaiden, she is stubborn, outspoken, and everything a woman of this time is not supposed to be. Women in this kingdom suffer from severe oppression. They cannon learn to read or write, they hold only the most basic jobs deemed appropriate for women, and their only real goal in life is to marry a man, be subservient to him, and have children. Serina, has trained to be selected as a Grace her entire life. She has had etiquette and dance lessons, play the harp, wears beatiful dresses, and is the picture of poise and perfection. Nomi, is none of those things, she hates that women have no rights and cannot make t heir own choices. Upon their arrival at the palace, Nomi runs into the Heir and cannot says something outlandish. She is chosen as a Grace in place of her sister which causes them both pain and turmoil.

Just as both of the sisters begin to adjust to their new roles in the palace, Serina is caught with a book and sent to Mount Ruin, a horrible prison island where women are sent for breaking the rules. Serina has known nothing but softness, but on Mount Ruin she must put her Grace training to use in order to survive the brutality that awaits her on the island. Meanwhile back at the palace, Nomi must learn to hold her tongue and play the part of a Grace or else she too will find herself punished. Both of the sisters vow to rescue one another and find unsuspecting allies along the way.

I loved the twists and turns this book throws at you. The author takes her time setting things up and developing the characters. Both of the sisters do alot of soul searching and they both have to find their inner strength to fight mentally and physically. I do like that there is no magical or paranormal element to this story. None of the characters have special powers to help them fight, they will fight because it is the right thing to do. There are some great quotes in here about women being smart and powerful and men being scared of smart and powerful women. I think this is a great book for young girls to read. Women need to stand by other women and be supportive of each other instead of tearing each other down when we have success. The society in this book is built around a history of oppression because a strong woman was in charge and when she was defeated, the men made sure nothing like that would ever happen again. While this book leaves off with a major cliffhanger, I'm ready for the next one to see where the rebellion takes us and how the sisters overthrow the awful government and horrible oppression that is all they've ever known.

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Top 5 Wednesday: Books You've Removed From Your TBR

Discuss the books that you wanted to read at one point, but don't anymore

I have a ton of ebooks I got for free when I first got my Kindle that probably fit this prompt.  If I bought a book I probably still plan on reading it at some point.  I also have a bunch of books that I always planned on reading but will never get to.  These are some books TBR because I thought I'd read them, they sounded good, I liked the 1st book in the series, or I liked the author.   I scoured my goodreads TBR to see what was on there that I'm never going to read, and this is what I came up with.  These are in no particular order and I reserve the right to change my mind and read them at some point.

1. The Fates Divide by Veronica Roth - I really didn't care for Carve the Mark.  The pace was too slow and I found it really hard to pay attention to the plot.  I have no interest in continuing with the series.

1. The Midnight Jewel and The Emerald Sea from the Glittering Court Series by Richelle Mead - I read The Glittering Court and it was just OK.  I'm not compelled to read the other books in the series.  It wasn't fantasy story like I expected and at this point I don't see myself going back.  Maybe if I see them on audio and I need something to listen to.  I did like the side characters so I'm not opposed to going back to this series.

1. The Boyfriend Bet by Chris Cannon - I read the first book in the Boyfriend Chronicles series and it was fine, I just don't see myself ever coming back to this series.  YA Contemporary especially romances just aren't my preference.  I tend to get irritated by the teenage drama then I remember they are teenagers and ask myself why I'm reading YA contemporary romance when I don't really like it.  It really is one of those "its not you, its me" situations.

1. The Descent Series and all the tie in books by S.M Reine - This is an Indie Author who I found on Pixel of Ink or Kindle with a free book promotion.  The series isn't bad, but there are a ton of books and I just never see myself going back to them.  

1. Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris - This is book 12 in the Sookie Stackhouse series.  I'm pretty sure I read up through book 11, if not I stopped at 10 and make this one Dead Reckoning instead of Deadlocked.  I really loved this series, it was funny, entertaining, and easy to read.  I read these at a time when I needed something quick to read and I didn't want to think really hard about the book content.  The only problem was each book was pretty much the same.  That started out OK, but got to be boring after a while.  I started the books after True Blood came out on HBO, and while the books and the show are nothing alike, I eventually lost interest.  The show got really weird and the repetitive nature of the books just made me lose interest.  I can see myself picking this up at the library just to finish off the series.  I think there is only 1 more book after this one and some short stories.

What books are you removing from your TBR or do you see yourself just never getting to?

Tag Tuesday: Guilty Reader Tag

I found this over on Milliebot Reads Blog when I was looking for tag ideas.  I follow Millie and you should too.  

Links to the original posts

Chami's original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYlDg... Ali's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLsaz...

Have you ever re-gifted a book?

No I don't think so.  I'm not a big regifter in general.  I've given lots of books as gifts, and I've donates books and given them away.

Have you ever said you’ve read a book when you haven’t?

I never finished Dracula or the Lord of the Flies.  I read most of them, but I'm honest about never finishing them.  For Lord of the Flies I had to read it for school so I probably told my teacher and my mom I finished it.  I just got my copy of Dracula back, and I plan on reading it at some point.

Have you ever borrowed a book and not returned it?

No, I turned them in late all the time, but I always paid my late fees.  My son on the other hand likes to lose his books at school and we've had to replace a couple.

Have you ever read a series out of order?

I know I read Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter Series out of order.  I started with Dream Hunter, then read a couple of the later ones.  Eventually I went back to the begining and have read them in order since.

Have you ever spoiled a book for someone?

Probably, but I didn't mean to.

Have you ever doggy eared a book?

I'm sure I have at some point in my life, but I've always been a big fan of bookmarks.  I know I had a big collection of them as a kid and I know I will use whatever slip of paper I can find these days if I can't find my bookmark.  I'm a big e-book reader as well so this mostly isn't a problem for me.

Have you ever told someone you don’t own a book when you do?

Only if I forgot I owned it.  I have a bunch of books in storage that I am slowly reclaiming.  My memory isn't always accurate on the books I do and don't own.  If I did it wasn't intentional.

Have you ever told someone you haven’t read a book when you have?

I'm typically pretty honest about the books I read.  I'm not embarrassed by the books I've read and I'll tell you my honest opinion on them if you want to know.  That's why I'm here isn't it?

Have you ever skipped a chapter or a section of a book?

I know I did with Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare on audio.  I put audio books on when I go to sleep then I go back to my bookmark the next day and relisten to the parts I missed.  I didn't do that with this one.  I wish I had because I know I missed a ton of stuff.  I just wasn't motivated to do so with this.  I want to go back and read this in physical form because I just had a hard time paying attention to the audio.

Have you ever bad mouthed a book you actually liked?

Not that I recall.  I try to point out the good and bad in all books, but if I liked a book I'll defend it.

Review: A Reaper at the Gates

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir
Narrated by: Steve West (Narrator), Fiona Hardingham (Narrator), Katherine McEwan (Narrator), Maxwell Caulfield (Narrator)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my favorite book of the series so far! I really loved how much the story progressed and where it left off. Even though we follow the 3 main perspectives with a cameo by the Nightbringer, they are so well done that you never lose your place in any of the storylines. I typically get confused in multi-perspective narration, but the narration in the audio was excellent. The narrators did such a great job.

This follows Laia as she is trying desperately to save the Scholars and the Tribes from the Marshalls. She is also trying to stop the Nightbringer from his plan to release the Jinn from their prison. Laia is my least favorite character; she is stubborn to the point where she grates on my nerves. She makes dumb decisions because of her stubborn nature, but she always seems to come out on top and unscathed. She is always trying to do good, but doesn’t really think about consequences. I never really cared for her and have found her to be weak and she doesn’t ever learn from her mistakes. She has some redeeming moments but I just want to yell at her most of the time.

Elias is struggling to learn his new role as the Soul Catcher, but he doesn't want to give up his life as a human. He made a deal, but he doesn’t seem thrilled to live out his days without those he loves. I’m not a fan of his relationship with Laia, I always held out hope he and Helene would get together, but I’m over that now. He does finally give in and start doing his job as Soul Catcher, and we learn more about the Jinn and the Nightbringer. I do like where his character ended up, but I was expecting more action from him. He was such an awesome warrior.

And Helene, always loyal to the Empire, is doing her best as Blood Shrike, while keeping her grudges against the Emperor and the Commandant close to her heart. I’m solidly on Team Helene. She is by far my favorite character in the series. I really like where Tahir is taking her character. I hope that she finds happiness and love in the end. I do feel like the her whole interaction with the Commandant has dragged on long enough. Helene is smart and strong, but she is never ahead of Keris. She has been bred for battle strategy and should be able to see a trap coming, yet she always walks right into them. I feel like Helene was written to have weaknesses that she didn’t need. She is so amazing; she didn’t need to be softened at all.

I loved the addition of the Nightbringer to the audio. His bits of the story add a little more to the plot and it is just enough to keep you interested in the 4th book. Parts of the plot drag a bit, and feel like they could be condensed or are confusing. He and Keris have been plotting for sometime now, and you know he’s up to something, but that’s been going on since the first book. Now he’s betrayed Laia and Helene to get to his end game and you know that our three main characters have more to do before it is over.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this book to keep you on your feet and I’m looking forward to listenting to the final installment. I’ve only listened to the series on audio and I can’t imagine finishing it any other way.


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Review: Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen

Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  This released on June 17th, 2018.  I know this review is up late, but life has been a bit hectic lately.  Anyway...here is my review and I highly recommend this series.

I loved this sequel to Nyxia. This follows our main character Emmett a he lands on an alien planet after a Hunger Games style competition in space. Emmett and the other members that won their spots to land on Eden must work together to mine Nyxia, a rare but spectacular substance that really has no bounds in its application. Babel, the corporation that funded the mission and has contracts with the locals, is up to something and Emmett and his comrades know it. The Genisis crew doen’t know who to trust, they just know that Babel has betrayed them, and the Adamites aka the Imago are keeping something as well. The Imago, will only work with children as they are sacred to their culture, so Babel has sent teenagers to the planet to mine nyxia and forge relationships. The story shifts from a play to win game to that of an Avatar style game of political intrigue where the big corporation wants something from the planet, but the locals want something too. The Genesis crew is stuck in the middle not knowing who to trust.

Once on the planet the crew of teenagers keep up their end of the bargain, they mine the nyxia, make nice with the locals, and stay friendly with Babel. They also trying to figure out what is going on with Babel and the Imago. They know that there are holes on both sides of the story, they just don’t know which side is the worse ally. On top of the secrets being kept, within the ranks of the Imago, there is a rebel faction that wants to use the teenagers to get to Earth to start over. This causes the Imago to speed up the timeline for Emmett and his friends. They quickly come to learn about the Imago, their culture, and eventually their real plans. They also learn more about the promises Babel made on their behalf. In the meantime the Genesis crew has made some plans of their own in an attempt to get more information about what Babel is doing and what they have planned. We are left on kind of a cliffhanger, but there was a ton of action and quite few twists that I didn’t see coming. I’m anxious to read the next book in the trilogy to see what happens next and how everything play out.

I really like all of the characters and their development so far. We know the Genesis crew from book 1 already, but many of them continue to develop here in book 2. Relationships both romantic and platonic develop, and there are some characters that completely change their tune. The Imago are well described and each of them have a personality. The world building is great too. The creatures on the alien planet were described well as well as the surroundings and activities of the Imago culture.


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Review: To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another Little Mermaid retelling, but it is not like the original or the Ariel and Eric version from the movie most of us are familiar with. It is dark and violent, and the main characters are not heroes. There are mermaids, but they aren't beautiful and kind, they are vile and violent. The main character Lira is a siren, daughter of the Sea Queen, and she is known as The Prince's Bane. Each year on their birthday a siren takes the heart of a human, Lira takes the hearts of a prince. Her next victim is the prince of Midas, the ruling golden kingdom. Elian is a prince, but he's also the Captain of a pirate ship. He and his crew travel the seas killing sirens, and the one that they are always on the lookout for is The Prince's Bane. She is the prize that they just can't seem to capture. Elian wants nothing to do with life at court, but he has his duties as heir to the throne. The sea calls to him just as it calls to Lira.

There are so many side characters that I would have liked to see more development of. We get pieces of their stories but I would have liked more. The main characters are well developed, but all of the side characters are so present and such a part of the story I just wanted a little more development for them. Lira and Elian are dark, violent, and reckless as are their crew. They are both sarcastic and snarky and complement each other nicely. They want to kill each other for most of the book, so much so you aren’t really sure their romance is going to happen. Their romance is a hate to love and it kind of just sneaks up on you. The Sea Queen was an amazing villain. She was dark and ominous and every time she entered a scene she was pure evil. I loved her as a villain.

The ending felt a little rushed. It takes quite a while for our characters to get where they are going and everything culminates in an epic battle. So much happens and it was hard to keep up with. I had to go back and reread sections to figure out who was doing what, who was fighting whom and who was winning. It was a great battle, just a lot to take in.

I highly recommend this retelling if you want a new take on an old classic.  I've read several Little Mermaid retellings this summer and I think this one is my favorite.  It is so unique and I really enjoyed it.


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Top 5 Wednesday: Future Classics

What books do you think with stand the test of time? 

This was last weeks prompt, but I'm going to do them out of order this month.

This got me thinking, what makes a book a classic. I looked up the definition of what makes a classic book, and overwhelmingly all of them say the same thing. A classic book is something that no matter how many times you read it it always makes you think or discover something new. A classic never finishes saying what it has to say. You can never get enough of it, and it will stand the test of time. A classic is a book that will endure regardless of when it was written or when it is read.

So what 5 books to I think will be future classics? These are in no particular order, but they all left a lasting impression on me and I think they fit the definition of a classic. I can see myself reading them over again and finding something new each time I read them. I also can see myself recommending them to others.  As I was writing this post I realized I didn't read any of these I listened to all of them on audio, and they were all great.  I've purchased all but one of them in physical copy or on e-book since finishing them.

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak - I think about this book all the time.  It had such an impact on me.  I loved the historical fiction aspect of it and it evoked such emotion in me.  I think this is a book everyone should read.

1. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Bachman - This is another book that deals with a lot of current day issues and again evoked an emotional response.  It is another one I reflect on all the time.  Ove reminded me of people in my life, and I just loved him and his grumpy old man attitude. 

1. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng - This was such a powerful book.  It spoke to so many issues and I really loved it.  These issues have been facing society forever and will continue to do so for a long time yet to come.  I thought a lot about what the characters were going through or had gone through in their lives and feel like I could re-read this and discover something new about them each time I read it.

1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - This is a no brainer.  I think it covers a pretty significant issue in the present time and it has a strong message.  It is a great book for discussion and really makes you think about how far we've come and how far we really need to go with tolerance of those who are different from us no matter what the difference is.

1. The Life of Pi by Yann Martel - Now this one is one that I really didn't love, but it follows the rules of a classic.  It has a lot to say, and I think if I read it again I'd discover something new.  I know the ending really made me rethink the whole book and want to re-read it with a new perspective.

I have two honorable mentions.  They are non-fiction but I think everyone should read them Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.  They are both fantastic and important pieces of American history.

What are your top 5 future classics?  There are so many great books out there and I'd love add to my reading list.

Go check out the Top 5 Wednesday group on Goodreads and see what other people recommended and to check out other topics.  

The Halloween in July Book Tag

I saw this on Pages and Pens today and it is perfect for me. I love Halloween and I've read my fair share of creepy books. I started my journey into horror with R.L. Stine and similar books in 3rd or 4th grade with the Fear Street Series. I love mysteries and thrillers. Most of the time I think things are greusome or disturbing and it takes alot to scare me. I love a good pshycological thriller in book or movie format. The original creator is Krystal over at The.Book.Gypsy on Instagram. Check out Julie's video here and Krystal's post here

1. What book gave you the creeps?

Marina by Carlos Ruis Zafon

This book was creepy and haunting. It has a gothic horror vibe while still staying in the YA realm. I loved it. I really loved the writing style and the audiobook was that much more disturbing, especially since I didn't know it was a horror book. The marionettes or puppets or whatever those things were, still creep me out. Go read it to see what I mean.

2. What book gives you the best Halloween vibes?

Halloween Children by Brian James Freedman and Norman Prentiss

This is super creepy and set on Halloween. If you are into the horror genre this is right up your alley. This is not for the faint of heart, it gets pretty gruesome towards the end.

3. What’s your favorite vampire book?

Children of the Night by Dan Simmons

I read this years ago, I'm talking mid to late 90's, but it still sticks with me as one of my favorite vampire books. It features a child who is a medical anomaly and may hold the key to cancer and AIDS. It is set in Romania and features ties to the original Vlad Tepes. I really enjoyed it. I actually prefer older vampire books from the 90s and prior.

4. What book scared you so much you had to sleep with the light on?

I don't really have a specific book for this one, but if I had to pick something I would have to be something from Stephen King. I started reading King at an early age, probably in middle school. If it wasn't King who gave me nightmares it was R.L. Stine's Fear Street series which I loved in elementary school. I remember begging my mom to buy me his books from the Scholastic book order every month at school and devouring his books anytime I got my hands on them.

5. What’s your favorite book about witches/goblins/ghosts/demons?

The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

I love this trilogy. This involves a witch and a vampire couple, lots of magic and history. It is well written and I love it. I can't wait to see the screen adaptation.

6. What book do you wish was scarier than it was?

I struggled with this one as well since it takes a good psycological plot to really get me, but after scouring a couple of scary book lists I found one.  I'm going with Cell by Stephen King.  I didn't particularly care for Cell.  I thought it was kind of dumb, but I found it on a list of Books that gave me Nightmares.

7. What’s your favorite book that takes place in October?

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding: A Fiendish Arrangement by Alexandra Braken

This is a middle grade book, but it is set around Halloween, involves a fiend, and was really fun. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I didn't think it was particularly scary, but it was a great middle grade read for the fall season.

Review: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.  This comes out on July 31st.  If you are into retellings as much as I have been this summer and you want something a little different in the mermaid realm go check this out.

I really enjoyed this retelling of The Little Mermaid. This is more of an origin story than a retelling, though the end of the story ends where the story most of us know picks up. Where this retelling differs from most of the other ones I've read recently is that is the story about how the Sea Witch came to be, not about the mermaid. This isn’t at all what I was expecting. It isn’t a fast paced, dark mermaid story. It is heavy on the romance, and more focused on the friendships and betrayals that happened on land that eventually lead to the formation of the Sea Witch.

I also really appreciated that this is set in Denmark with Danish history and mythology woven into the story. This does a really good job mixing the original Hans Christian Andersen tale with the historical witch hunts and fear that occurred all over the world. I loved the originality that this brought to the story. I love mythology and I loved what this tale brings to the table.

The story follows childhood best friends Evie, the royal fisherman’s daughter, and Nik, the crown prince of Ørseund. They had a third friend Anna who drowned several years prior, and with her passing Evie and Nik have only become better friends. Evie is disliked by the townsfolk because she is a commoner, but she gets to spend all of her time with the prince. She is also a witch, but it is her most closely kept secret as witches are killed on sight in her kingdom. Her mother was a witch and used her dying breath to save Evie’s life, her aunt Tante Hansa is also a witch and only teaches Evie a little magic here and there. Hansa works as a healer so her magic is hidden well. Just before the annual festival, a strange girl appears out of nowhere, but she looks just like Anna and her name just happens to be Annamette. She is our mermaid and she must fall in love after a few days or forfeit her life. She teaches Evie a few things about magic. The two girls become instant friends as if Anna had returned from the grave. Its clear from the start that Annamette is hiding something, but you arne’t sure if it is her magic, her true identity, her intentions, or all of the above. Evie so desperately wants her friend back, she feels so much guilt from the day Anna drowned. Nik also feels guilty, but much to Annamette’s dismay he simply will not kiss the girl in time to make her human. There are several romantic plot points in the book, but the romance was not my favorite part of the plot. It was OK, but the mythology and magic is what drew me in.

I wanted more from the magic system. Henning kind of glosses over the magic system and Evie never really learns about it. She has books she borrows from her aunt, and the little bits she picks up from Annemette. I just wanted it to be a bit more developed; it was just kind of there. I think Hansa was trying to protect Evie by not teaching her, that part just isn’t explained well.

This is a bit slow paced for my tastes, but there is a huge twist about 70% of the way in that I didn’t see coming. From that point on I had to know what happened. I did like that this isn’t at all what I expected, but in a good way. I thought it was going one way, but it took some turns I didn’t expect and ended up somewhere I never expected. I really liked the ending and loved the writing.


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Review: Till Death by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Till Death by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Narrated by Sarah Naughton (Narrator)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This mystery thriller follows main character Sasha, who has returned to her hometown after being gone for 10 years. She left to deal with the trauma of being the lone survivor of a serial killer in her small West Virgina town 10 years ago. In the time she has been gone she sought therapy, finished college, and put her life back together as best she could given what she went through at the hands of "The Groom". Now she's back to help her mother take care of the family inn and Sasha's past continues to haunt her. Not only does being back home bring back painful memories, but strange things start to happen to Sasha. When other women start to show up dead following the same pattern there is speculation that a copycat is recreating The Groom's previous kills and Sasha seems to be some sort of target.

In the midst of her homecoming Sasha is reunited with some old friends and an old flame. Cole was her boyfriend when she was taken by The Groom, now he is a swoon-worthy FBI agent in the local area. Cole and Sasha were college sweethearts and never really got over each other despite the fact that they haven't seen each other for 10 years. Cole also harbors alot of guilt over the night Sasha was taken and the fact that he couldn't protect her. Now given a second chance at a relationship and an opportunity to protect her Cole isn't letting Sasha out of his sight. He is sweet, respectful, patient, kind, and caring. He lets her take the lead, but he lets her know that he's the protector.

I really loved the creepy inserts throughout the book from the serial killer's perspective. There were only a few, but they were just enough. You never quite know who the killer is until the end or where he is, but you know he's close by. Like in the same building close. I had my suspicions as to who he was early on, but I wasn't quite sure until the reveal, which was awesome. I really enjoyed the reveal. I like it when I think I know but I'm not sure. Parts of the book were purposefully vague to keep you on your toes. I like it when authors keep things back, but eventually tell the whole story.

I love Armentrout's thrillers, and this adult mystery thriller is another great read.

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Review: Beard Science by Penny Reid

Beard Science by Penny Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finally we get Cletus's story!

Cletus is always scheming something and meddling in people's lives, especially when it comes to his siblings. Cletus is a bit strange and set in his ways, and people mistake him for being simple. He is brilliant and always two steps ahead of everyone. He is pretty much a criminal mastermind, but he's never been caught doing anything illegal and he is severly protective and loyal to his family. He never sees the Banana Cake Queen coming and the last thing he expects is for her to meddle in his business and try to out maneuver him.

Jennifer Sylvester is the Banana Cake Queen. She is famous for her banana cakes and other baked goods. Her mother dictates her every move, and her father doesn't miss a chance to belittle her. She has built protective measures for herself, but she's alone. All she wants is to get married, have a mess of kids, and maybe bake the way she wants not the way her mother wants her to. This is where Cletus comes in. Jennifer caught Cletus on tape doing something illegal, so she uses that to blackmail him into helping her find a husband and get out from under her parents.

Cletus and Jennifer form an unlikely alliance. What neither of them expects is to find pleasure in each other's company. Jennifer learns to stand on her own feet and speak for herself. Cletus learns that he has to put his trust in others, especially when it comes to love.

As with all of Penny's books and the rest of the series, I loved it. This is a fun contemporary read with plenty of humor.

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COVER REVEAL: CREW by Tijan

Summary:

To survive where I live, you have two options.

You can be a Normal—a cheerleader, jock, member of the debate team, or on the yearbook committee. You pretend everything is normal.

Or you can be crew.
You insult us? We hurt you.
You hurt us? We really hurt you.
And if you f*ck with us, we will end you.

My name is Bren.
I’m the only female in the Wolf Crew—the best, fiercest, and most dangerous crew there is—and we have a rule: There's no falling in love.

Well… too late.

**Full-length novel. First book in a YA Series. This book is dark, violent, and not for the faint of heart.** 

Links

Available for a limited time across all platforms. Then, it will enter KINDLE UNLIMITED. For those of you unfamiliar with KU, please see the informational post below.

GR: https://bit.ly/2L4YYyW

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1406039723

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/crew-6

Nook: https://bit.ly/2u96DpA

Paperback: preorder will be up soon! 

Tijan's Reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TijansFanPage/

Date August 27

This is 100% a new series from TIJAN. All new characters in the Tijanverse and is intended for mature audiences only.

What is Kindle Unlimited?

Kindle Unlimited is a subscription that allows you to access a large selection of titles from the Kindle Store. ... You can keep up to ten titles to read on any Amazon device or Kindle reading app and there are no due dates.