October Wrap Up

This month was pretty ambitious.  I went into October expecting to get a bit behind.  I knew if I could get through the Smartypants books I might be OK.  I got through 19 books this month, which is pretty impressive.  I got through the 6 Smartypants books that came out in October, and I've got all the November ones on deck.  

I participated in Spook-a-thon, which was really fun to read some things that have been on my TBR for a while.  And finally, I knocked off a few prompts for my two reading challenges this month.  I've got 2 prompts left for Read Harder (I'm about halfway done with one of those already), and I've got 6 left for Popsugar.  With the help of audiobooks I think I'll make it.  I had to do some shuffling, but fortunately I've read a ton of books so far this year and some of the books I've read fit nicely in to the prompts.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris
• Review
• This was published October 1st.  This follows Cilka, one of the main character's from The Tattooist of Auschwitz, during her time in Vorkuta a Russian prison camp.  We learn of the horrors she suffered both at the hands of the Russians and the Germans from the time she was until her eventual release.  This is the story of a strong, compassionate woman who lived through some pretty horrific things.  She did what she needed to survive.  This is a work of fiction, but it is based on true events, real people, interviews, and accounts from various sources about Cilka and her time in Siberia.  Much like Tattooist, I liked it but it was missing something.
•  The Furies by Katie Lowe 
• Review
• This one came out October 8th and is a YA Thriller.  The cover and synopsis made me think of the movie The Craft.  While it has a dark tone and deals with 4 girls at a private school dabbling in the occult, it is not The Craft.  I unfortunately didn't really like this book.  The thriller element was OK, but the fantasy/magic element was lacking in my opinion.  I also didn't care for the writing style which seems to be a new type of prose on the market.  It is just not my style.  It also seemed to glorify the use of drugs and alcohol which I don't support.  This just seemed to use abusive and toxic situations more for their shock value instead of using what was a really good idea to tell a really good story.  
• Verity by Colleen Hoover
• This has been on my TBR since it came out earlier this year.  Spookathon was the perfect time to read this dark thriller.  This book is really messed up.  It is really creepy for a domestic thriller because you aren't really sure what is actually happening.  I found parts of it fairly predictable while other parts were very creative.  If you like domestic thrillers, I recommend it.
• Spell on Wheels by Kate Leth, Megan Levens, Marissa Louise, Jen Bartel, and Nate Piekos
• This was a really fun graphic novel. I hope there are more coming.  It follows three friends who happen to be witches.  When their apartment is robbed they head out on a road trip of paranormal proportions to get their stuff back.  Hijinx ensues.  I really liked it.
• Shadows by Kristen Proby
• Review
• This released on October 29th and is part of  a new trilogy set in New Orleans.  This follows three sisters who are all witches with different abilities.  This one focuses on the eldest sister who sees the dead as shadows.  When the shadows begin following her and haunting her dreams, she knows that she has to help somehow.  She teams up with a handsome FBI agent who happened to be on one of her ghost tours of the city and helps her discover that she's is the ultimate target of a serial killer.  This is a fairly dark paranormal romance with a pretty creepy thriller element.  I'm looking forward to the next installment.  
• Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
• I don't normally pick up children's books for the challenge.  This was recommended by Book Riot for this prompts so I grabbed it from the library, and I'm so glad I did.  It is a beautifully illustrated book about a Mexican immigrant who discovers the library and the wonders of books with her child despite the language barrier.  It isn't very long but it is gorgeous.  This fulfilled the prompt for a children’s or middle grade book (not YA) that has won a diversity award since 2009.
• Kiss Me Again by Emma Hart
• Review
• This was my least favorite of the 3 books in the series.  It was still funny, but Ava starts out so over the top aggressively miserable and combative against Ethan it took away from the humor.  She eventually chills out a bit and the story proceeds with an epic prank battle between Ethan and Ava until they realize their feelings for each other.

Smartypants Romance  Releases

I'm not going to summarize these as I've written full reviews on each of them.  I'm also going to write a dedicated summary post for the 2019 releases.

• Code of Conduct by April White
• Review
• Weight Expectations M.E. Carter 
• Review
• Sticking to the Script by Stella Weaver 
• Review
• Happy Trail by Daisy Prescott 
• Review
• Love in Due Time L.B. Dunbar 
• Review
• Stud Muffin Jiffy Kate
• Review

Audiobooks

• Song of Susannah and The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King
• I'm continuing my audio reread of the Dark Tower series.  This series is weird but I love it!  The Wind Through the Keyhole was a new read for me and it was an interesting story within a story.  While it didn't directly tie to Roland and the gang's journey, it is still a valuable and entertaining read.  I have the final book to go in my reread and I plan to get to it before the end of the year.
• The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
• This is not what I expected.  I kind of expected it to be about January going through the doors, but it is not that kind of adventure.  This was actually kind of disappointing for me.  It is a story within a story about portals and lost love, but lacked the action and adventure I wanted.
• The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Steadman
• This is so sad.  Tom is an honorable man who has to do things by the letter of the law.  He loves his wife, so when a boat washes up on the island where Tom is the lighthouse keeper he is persuaded to not report it right away.  See his wife has just suffered a stillbirth and there is a baby in the boat.  The baby's father has died.  Tom and Isabella raise the child as their own but the guilt of not reporting the incident eats at him.  When he crosses paths with his daughter's biological mother, he has to confess his sin even if it will tear his family apart.  This is a story of love, loss, guilt, and heartache.  It is very somber, but worth the read.
• The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Manhke
• This is an audiobook I got for free on Volumes, which is Penguin Random House Audio’s app. They periodically do free audiobooks. This is a compilation of stories either from a podcast or inspired by the Lore podcast and TV series. I'm not big on short stories or podcasts, so this is a perfect fit. I also love learning about the history of spooky stuff. It also has a red cover.  This was fantastic and I loved learning all of the creepy facts behind some of the monsters we see in pop culture, movies, and the history of haunted places.
• There Will Come A Darkness by Katy Rose Pool
• This book has alot going on in it.  It is a very slow paced fantasy.  It follows five different perspectives, which is not my favorite.  I think because it follows so many characters none of them really felt well developed.  The plotline is interesting as is the magic system, but I had a hard time keeping up with what was going on with all the switching back and forth between characters.  I feel this would have been more enjoyable for me had it only followed 2 characters and the plot would have felt more developed and connected.
• A Hero Born by Jin Yong
• Review
• This book was published in 1957, but was just released in the US in September.  This is a Chinese fantasy, historical fiction set in the time of Genghis Khan.  I received a print ARC of this but it is a slower paced fantasy, so I opted to listed to the audiobook so I could get my review out sooner rather than later.  The audio is excellent!  This follows the son of a revered patriot as he learns Kung Fu at the hands of 7 masters.  It is a really interesting story, but you may get lost in all of the names and martial arts references.  I still enjoyed it and am looking forward to the remaining books.
• Rebel by Marie Lu
• I read the original trilogy quite a while ago.  I'm not quite sure how I feel about authors revisiting series that are complete.  This would have been fine had it just been about Eden, but it really felt like it was Lu's attempt to give readers the June and Day happy ending that they didn't get at the end of Legend.  Overall the book was OK, but not amazing.
• Indigo by Beverly Jenkins
• I picked this up for the Read Harder challenge for a historical romance by an author of color.  I'm not a big traditional romance reader, so this category was a struggle for me.  The book I initially picked out was a bit over the top and too swoony for me.  This was a perfect fit.  This follows Hester, a freed slave woman who works on the underground railroad.  When she nurses fellow conductor, Galen back to health, a romance ensues.  I really enjoyed the historical aspect of this, and their romance was excellent.  The steamy intimate scenes felt a bit disjointed from Hester's pious nature and the prudish nature of the times.  They were well done.   This was one of Book Riot's suggestions for the prompt and I'm glad I went with it.  The audio narration is excellent and I highly recommend it.  
• Drive by Daniel H. Pink
• I picked this up for a prompt to read a business book on the read harder challenge.  I really enjoyed it.  Alot of the concepts make alot of sense and the author gives alot of concrete and real world examples.  I think every executive and manager at every company should read this, even if they don't implement any of these concepts.  I can also see some of these concepts working with parenting, especially with goal setting and incentives.  It was really interesting.

September Wrap Up

I had a pretty ambitious TBR for the month, and I did pretty well.  I didn't get to everything on my list, but some of those were ARCs for October, so we can let those slide.  I also read ahead for my October TBR because I was afraid I wasn't going to finish some of the longer books.   Overall I think I had a great reading month.  I read some really great stuff this month.  October is shaping up to be about the same, way too many books to read (as if that is a problem) and not enough time to read them (an actual problem). 

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup
• Review
• This came out September 3rd.  This is a Scandinavian thriller about a man who leaves little chestnut dolls at the scene of his very violent crime scenes.  It is good but in my opinion far too long and has way too much going on.  I often lost interest in what was happening because there were too many different things happening to too many characters and it took too long to resolve everything.  I find this is my typical reaction to Nordic Noir.  I like them but they are too slow.  I do better with the audiobook version.  I do think this will make an excellent movie.
• Beard with Me by Penny Reid
• Review
• This is one of  my most anticipated books of the year, this and the next one Beard Necessities.  This came out September 16th and was heartbreaking.  This is book 5.5 of the Winston Brothers series and it tells Billy and Claire aka Scarlet's story when they were teenagers.  The next book tells their story when they are adults and I can't wait.  Beard with Me is tragic and reveals so many things from the series that I've been wanting answers to.  If you haven't read the series, they are some of my favorites and this couple has been waiting for their book for a very long time!
• The Grace Year by Kim Liggett 
• Review
• This came out September 17th.  This is a YA dystopian set in a very misogynistic society.  When girls turn 16, their Grace Year, they are banished to survive that year on their own to rid themselves of their magic and sin.  Women are treated as property and if they fall out of line they are punished.  Their grace year is the only time they are allowed to act freely because they are consumed by magic, or are they?  I really liked this.  It was fast paced and had some really disturbing parallels to real life.
• War of Hearts by S. Young
• Review
• I'm so glad that Samantha has returned to her paranormal romance roots.  I loved this.  I has the qualities of her romance books that I love as well as the paranormal fantasy elements that made me first love her books when I found them years ago.  This is an awesome merging of all of the things I love about her writing.  This is a standalone novel due out October 1st, but I hope there are more books coming.  It follows Thea a paranormal of unknown origin and Conall a Scottish Werewolf.  Conall has a unique tracking gift and he is essentially hired to track Thea down by her adoptive father.  All is not what it seems and Thea and Conall find themselves on the run from several different factions that either want Thea dead or want to use her for her power.  It's a romance too, so I don't have to tell you the rest.  
• Saving Fable by Scott Reintgen 
• Review
• This came out September 17th.  This is a new middle grade fantasy series by Reintgen.  I loved his sci-fi trilogy Nyxia and this is so much fun.  This follows a fairy tale character who is waiting for her story.  It was amazing and I loved it!
• Kiss Me Tonight by Emma Hart
• Review
• This is a hilarious romcom.  It begins with a naughty text sent to the wrong number.  Reagan is outspoken already, and decides to engage the texter to tell him he's got the wrong number and witty banter ensues.  They end up having friendly text conversations when tragedy strikes and Reagan's apartment burns down.  She's rescued by a fireman, who comes to check on her in the hospital.  Her hero is none other than her text friend Noah, who happens to be the man of her fantasies.  He's hot, tattooed, and he has a ridiculous chihuahua.  Coincidence?  I think not.  This is a quick and funny read.  I read it in a couple of hours.  I really love this series and can't wait for the next book due out in October.  This was published on September 24th.
• Baking Me Crazy by Karla Sorensen
• Review
• This is a friends to lovers romantic comedy.  It is really adorable and not full of angst.  It follows Joss, a girl in a wheelchair which is something we don't often see in romance. Her best friend Levi is in love with her, but they met shortly after a wicked virus left her paralyzed from the knee down.  She wasn't ready for his affection, but she needed a friend.  She and Levi begin navigating what it means if their relationship changes to something more.  I really enjoyed being back in Green Valley and the Donner Bakery.  This comes out October 8th.
• The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Review
• This picks up where The Darkest Star left off.  Evie is trying to come to grips with her identity and how Luc fits into her life.  Strange things happen pitting humans against Luxen putting our cast in a precarious situation.   As usual there is more to the story than meets the eye and Luc and Evie are at the center of it.  I really enjoyed this sequel and I'm really liking this spinoff series.  This also comes out October 8th.

Audiobooks

I didn't get to everything on my September TBR for audio, but most of these are longer books so I'm not upset about my progress.  I also finished up a few reading challenge prompts, so we are making steady progress on that front.

• The Library Book by Susan Orlean
• This really wasn't what I was expecting.  It was very well written, and well narrated by the author herself.  I was expecting more of a true crime novel about the fire at the library.  I was disappointed because I didn't not get what I was expecting not because of anything else.  This is more of a love letter to the LA Central library and the library system, with information about the fire thrown in here and there.  The timeline jumps around alot and there is a ton of valuable history in this book, it just doesn't solely focus on the fire or the investigation.  It is a very interesting book for sure.
• The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
• I read this for the popsugar reading challenge to read a book with sugar in the title.  This was short and cute.  It wasn't my favorite.  It has some elements that I don't love.  The main character has little self-esteem and she is treated very poorly by her mother and the rest of the town. She is naive and sheltered and rarely leaves the house other than to take her ailing mother to the ladies of privilege social gatherings.  I did like the interaction with Chloe and Josey.  Them meeting and becoming friends were my favorite scenes.
• The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
• Review
• I really enjoyed this.  It is actually the first book in The Physick series.  I read the 2nd book back in July and really enjoyed it.  This sets up some of the back story but they are both standalones.  I really enjoy anything involving the Salem Witch trials and this delivers.  It is a nice blend of historical fiction, magical realism, a little fantasy, and has a nice romance.  
• The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
• This was amazing.  I've had this on my TBR forever.  I highly recommend the audiobook.  I really enjoyed getting to know Eve and Charlie.  Both of their stories and how they intersect is a compelling tale.  Eve is a spy during WWI sent to France to bring back information to the Alice Network, a group of female spies placed strategically throughout France to gather information on the Germans.  Charlie is an American, headed to Europe to take care of her little problem, aka an unwanted pregnancy.  She decides to take a detour from her very proper, French mother to look for her long lost French cousin Rose who disappeared during WWII.  Charlie was given Eve's name as someone who might be able to help her find Rose.  The tale is one of heartbreak, revenge, loss, and trauma.  I really loved this!
• Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab
• This sequel follows our Cassidy, daughter of ghost hunters except she can actually see and talk to the dead.  This installment takes place in France as her parents shoot footage for their TV show about the haunted history of Paris.  Cassidy attracts the company of a long dead French poltergeist and she has to figure out how to get him to pass on before he really hurts someone.  Accompanied by her BFF ghost Jacob and fellow ghost whisper Lara, Cassidy must dodge her parents and save the city from mischief and mayhem.  This is a great read for fall.  It is a little creepy, not too scary, and perfect for young readers who want to dabble in horror.
• Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King
• I started a reread of this series via audio a while ago, but I took a break after Wizard and Glass because I was going to read The Wind Through the Keyhole.  Well that paperback has been collecting dust on my shelf for a while now and I've decided to pick back up on my reread.  This follows our favorite ka-tet on yet another weird adventure as they try to get closer to the dark tower.  It also made me realize that I'm a terrible Stephen King fan because I've never read Salem's Lot.  I have had a copy for approximately 1000000 years, no seriously I've probably had my copy for close to 25 years and I hope to get to it before the end of this one.

September TBR

While I read a ton of stuff in August, I didn't read everything on my TBR so alot of these are repeats.  

I have a ton of ARCs to catch up on for September and October so that's what most of this list is going to be.  Some of these are pretty large books so we'll see if I can get through all of them on time.  I think this is a pretty ambitious TBR for the month and some prioritizing will have to happen.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup
• This comes out September 3rd.  It is a pretty large book and I haven't made a ton of progress.  Its good so far.  It is a Scandanavian thriller about a man who leaves little chestnut dolls at the scene of his crimes.  
• Beard with Me by Penny Reid
• This is one of  my most anticipated books of the year, this and the next one Beard Necessities.  This comes out September 16th and I can't wait to read it.  This is book 5.5 of the Winston Brothers series and it tells Claire aka Scarlet's story.  The next book Billy's story and I can't wait.  If you haven't read the series, they are some of my favorites and this couple has been waiting for their book for a very long time!
• The Grace Year by Kim Liggett 
• This is due out September 17th.  This is labeled as YA, dystopian, and sci-fi.  When girls turn 16, their Grace Year, they are banished to survive that year on their own.  Apparently they have some magical power for that year and the results can be horrifying.  It has gotten high praise and I'm looking forward to it.
• Saving Fable by Scott Reintgen 
•  This is due out September 17th.  This is a new middle grade fantasy series by Reintgen.  I loved his sci-fi trilogy Nyxia and this looks really fun.  This follows a fairy tale character who wants to become a hero and her journey to achieve hero status in the land of Fable.  
• A Hero Born by Jin Yong
• This book was published in 1957, but it is being being translated and published in the US on September 17 for the first time.  This is a Chinese fantasy, historical fiction novel about Genghis Khan.  It sounds really awesome.
• Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris 
• This due out October 3rd and is the follow up to The Tattooist of Auschwitz.  I recently finished that and I'm looking forward to reading Cilka's story as she was a major part of that story.
• The Furies by Katie Lowe due 
• This one comes out October 3rd and is a YA Thriller.  The cover reminds me of the movie The Craft.  The synopsis kind of gives me those vibes too.  I loved that movie, and this sounds really interesting, it promises occult, mentions witch trials, and has a dark tone.  Looks like a perfect read for fall.
• War of Hearts by S. Young
• I'm so excited for this one.  Samantha Young hasn't put out a Paranormal Fantasy in quite a while.  She's mainly stuck to contemporary romance for the last several years.  This is a standalone werewolf novel due out October 1st.  I'll probably read this before some of the other stuff on this list.
• The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• This is another of my most anticipated reads of the year.  I've had the arc forever but I kept pushing it off until closer to the release date.  Well October 8th is quickly approaching so it's time to read Luc and Evie's sequel.  I really love this spin-off to the Luxen series and I pretty much will read anything Jen writes.

Audiobooks

I'm focusing my audiobook attention on my reading challenge prompts.  If I get through these I have quite a few more on my wishlist to get through.  

• The Library Book by Susan Orlean
• Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
• Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
• The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
• The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
• The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

August Wrap up

I had a lot going on in August as far as reading.  I got about halfway through the month and felt really slumpy, but I had so many books to get through by the first week of September that I knew I had to push through.  I think the slump was partly due to the fact that I started out with a couple of books that I just didn't like.  They weren't terrible but they weren't things that really gripped me and I was just reading them for challenge prompts.  I also think I took on way too much by doing NEWTs and the Netgalley reviewathon.  While they were all books I wanted to read or intended to read anyway, it was just too much pressure.  I realized about halfway through the month, I had books to review in early September and need to switch gears.  I got a little overwhelmed and it is no one's fault but my own.  In the end I got everything read and reviewed, and the stuff on my TBR I didn't get to will get read in September.  No big deal.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
• This was just OK for me, I feel it was definitely geared more towards the 9-12 boy demographic.  It has thievery, magic, action, and fart jokes.  I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times, the characters are quite hilarious.  I think my younger self would have really enjoyed this series.  This has been on my TBR for a while, but I won't be continuing on.  I was also using this as my book that was being turned into a movie in 2019, but I read that the  movie is being pushed to 2020 so this just counts for NEWTs.
• The Hanged Man and the Fortune Teller by Lucy Banks
• Review
• This is a paranormal historical fiction.  I really enjoy Bank's writing style.  This wasn't as humorous as her previous books, it was actually kind of sad and somber.  The historical fiction and time jumps were an interesting way to tell the story.  
• Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
• Review
• This started out a bit slowly for me, but it picks up at about 40%.  It follows Lou, a thief and witch in hiding.  Witches are persecuted by the church and due to a case of very bad luck she finds herself  married to one of the church's most pious warriors.  As Lou and Reid figure out their very unconventional relationship, she finds herself actually coming to like her husband despite the fact that he'll burn her at the stake if he finds out her true identity.  I really enjoyed this one, but it ends with a cliffhanger.
• Extinction of All Children by L.J. Epps
• Review
• This is a dystopian story set in the year 2098.  It follows main character Emma who is the last child to turn 18, as she was also the last child allowed to be born in the impoverished Territory L.  This has Hunger Games vibes, but Emma is no Katniss Everdeen.  This is an OK start to the series, but it lacks character development and is fairly tropey and predictable.  I will continue on with the series, but I have other books that will likely take priority.
• The Whisper Man by Alex North
• Review
• This is one of my favorite thrillers of the year.  It follows a father and son as they are recovering from the loss of their wife/mother.  As they try to find a fresh start, a copycat murderer begins to plague the town they live in and the son appears to be his next target.  This was creepy without being too gory and I really enjoyed the twists and turns.  
• Crew Princess by Tijan
• Review
• This is the 2nd book in the Crew series, but it still follows Bren and her friends who are a gang that isn't a gang.  Their world is filled with violence and loyalty unlike anything else you've ever experienced.  They are pitted against two other crews as graduation approaches.  Not only does Bren have to face her future and deal with the emotions that brings but she also has to try not to break the rules of her probation and end up in jail.
• Kiss Me Not by Emma Hart
• Review
• This is a romantic comedy and it is hilarious.  It follows the local librarian and kissing booth champion as she deals with her crush and nemesis as her competition.  As you can imagine being forced to listen to him kiss other women gets on her nerves and forces her to face her feeling for him
• Star Mage Vol 2 by J.C De La Torre and Facundo Percio
• I read the first volume of this for the OWLs a few months back, this is volumes 1-6 so I picked up with volume 2 to fill a NEWTs prompt.  The art is really great, but the plot is kind of silly.  It isn't overly violent or gory and the dialogue is a bit juvenile but I think it is geared more toward the younger crowd.   This isn't bad, I do feel like my boys would really enjoy it.

Audiobooks

I got through quite a few audiobooks I've been meaning to get to this month.  Most of these were pretty good and almost all of them filled in some sort of challenge prompt.  I got through 10 audiobooks this month and I think that is a great success.

• Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
• This is the follow up to Vicious and follows Eli and Victor as well as some new characters with extraordinary abilities.  Each of the characters plays a very specific role, and none of them are good.  This is a great anti-hero story as none of the characters are particularly likeable, and they are all bad guys.  I really enjoy Schwab's writing and her ability to craft a story.  
• My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
• Review
• This book was crazy.  It follows a seemingly normal couple with murderous tendencies.  As they carry out their psycho fantasy, they create a ruse to cover up their naughty deeds.  I wanted to love this, but I found this predictable and not very suspenseful.  While entertaining, I found most of their crazy behavior unrealisting and this just wasn't as gripping as I wanted it to be.
• The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
• I bought the ebook of this a while back when it was on sale around the holidays.  The ebook has pictures of the girls and some of the other key players in the story.  I really enjoyed the audiobook though as nonfiction can sometimes take me a long time to get through.  I so glad I finally got to this.  The story of the girls is a powerful one, it is devastating to hear how they were treated by the greedy executives.
• Bladerunner/Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
• This was really weird.  That is pretty much all I have to say.  I was able to use this for a popsugar reading prompt and it has been on my TBR for a long time.  It is one of those books that makes you think way to hard.  This just isn't my preferred style of book.  I can see why people like it, it is just not for me.
• Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo
• I won a copy of this audiobook ages ago from the publisher and have been meaning to get to it.  It is about a ragtag group of strangers who come together as a rebel Robin Hood like faction to save the education system of Nigeria.  It is really well written and narrated.  If you like realistic fiction I recommend it.
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
• I've been looking forward to this book for some time.  It however is not the best WWII historical fiction book I've ever read.  It is reads as though it were a movie and lacks the depth I expect from my books.  It isn't bad by any means it just felt like it was a bit fantastical given the serious nature of the subject matter.  
• Midnight Secrets by Rita Stradling
• The author was giving away audible credits for this so I grabbed one.  Who doesn't want a free audiobook!   This was a quick YA paranormal romance.  It has an unusual take on the vampire mythology as our main character is a vampire, but other than drinking blood she doesn't really adhere to any of the other vampire myths we are used to.  Parts of this are problematic, but overall I enjoyed it.
• The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
• I picked this up when Penguin Random House had this free for their Volumes Book Club.  I'd heard good things and again who can pass up a free audiobook.  I really liked this until about halfway through.  The self-depreciation, self-doubt, and second guessing of the relationship from both characters who are successful, confident professionals got old and very repetitive.  This was a really cute story, but Alexa was this awesome badass character who got really annoying with her self confidence problems.  
• The Lost Man by Jane Harper
• I read this for the Read Harder challenge to read something about journalism or by a journalist.  Jane Harper was a journalist for many years in the UK before she became an author.  I had no idea what this book was about before I started it, but I was really pulled into the Australian outback and its harsh conditions in this family drama/psychological thriller.  This is very well written and I enjoyed it.
• His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
• I actually just finished this today, but I listed to most of it in August so we are counting it.  This started out slow, but I'm glad I stuck it out.  This is awesome.  It is a bit historical fiction, a bit alternate history, and a bit fantasy.  The friendship between the main character Will Laurence and his dragon Temeraire is precious and I love them.  If you like dragons I highly recommend this.  Simon Vance narrates this and does an amazing job.  I can't stop listening and now want to binge the entire series.  This fill the prompt for Read Harder for an alternate history this is a reimagining of the Napoleonic War between France and England with dragons.

August TBR

So I pretty much failed to read anything on my July TBR, so most of these are repeats.  I actually doubt I'll get to any of these this month as well because I'm participating in the Netgalley Reviewathon to clear out my review shelf and I'm participating in the NEWTs readathon.

My focus is the NEWTs readathon and to clean up my Edelweiss and Netgalley shelves.  I also have some ARCs I'm expecting in August that aren't on this list so I think I have my work cut out for me.  I'm not going to give descriptions of these like I normally do because there are so many this month.  Look for my wrap up to see what I thought and what they were about.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

NEWTs TBR

• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
• The Hanged Man and the Fortune Teller by Lucy Banks
• Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
• Verity by Colleen Hoover
• Star Mage Vol 2 by J.C De La Torre and Facundo Percio
• The Furies by Katie Low

Netgalley Reviewathon TBR

• A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart
• The Broken Destiny by Carlyle Labushagne
• Last Night by Karen Ellis
• Extinction of All Children by L.J. Epps
• Journey To Territory M by L.J. Epps
• Journey To Territory U by L.J. Epps
• An Act of Faith by C.A. Oliver
• The Grace Year by Kim Liggett 

Audiobooks

As is typical I have a laundry list of audiobooks on hold at the library.  I also have a growing collection of books that I've gotten for free from various sources.  Here is what I know I can get to this month from Hoopla and my collection.  Most of these are for challenge prompts, so I'll list those if they apply.  Hopefully I can get through all of these in a month, if not they will roll over to August.

NEWTs TBR

• Vengeful by V.E. Schwab

Books I've already got checked out

• My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
• Queen of Ruin by Tracy Banghart
• The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

Books I hope to read in general if I have time

• The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
• Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo
• Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
• Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

July 2019 Wrap-up

Well July was an interesting month, I received quite a few unexpected but very welcome ARCs that turned out to be awesome!  I also decided to participate in The Reading Rush at the last minute.  So in the end I only read 3 of the books that were on my July TBR, but I read a ton of books this month and reviewed a lot of them so I call that a win.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• Girls Like Us by Cristina Alger
• Review
• This one came out out July 2nd.  This is another thriller/mystery that reads like a crime TV show.  This was different than what I expected.  It follows an FBI agent as she unravels a murder while on leave after she has been injured and for her father's funeral.  She begins to suspect her father of the serial murders or if not he was involved in some way.  This was a bit slow paced for my taste as it is more procedural than suspenseful.  I found parts of it to be really predictable, but other parts I didn't seen coming.  Overall I enjoyed it.
• The Elemental Trial by J.A. Armitage and Claire Luana
• Review
• This came out on July 15th.  This is the 2nd book in the Faerie Race series.  Like the first book it was really fun.  It was a little heavy on the romance and insta love, but the actual race part was fun.  The series is really creative and I am looking forward to the next installment.  
• The Doomsday Trial by J.A. Armitage and Claire Luana
• Review
• This came out August 1st.  This is the final book in the Faerie Race series and by far my favorite.  It wrapped up the race nicely leaving me satisfied and content.  I loved the action and the magic.  This one wasn't as heavy on the magic and focused more on the sinister plot and the game the characters had to play.  This series overall was really fun and creative.
• Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson
• Review
• This is a really good domestic thriller following two women trying to outsmart each other in the most epic game of Never Have I Ever.  One woman is trying to blackmail the other in exchange for not releasing her deepest darkest secret and potentially ruining her perfect life she's made for herself.  The perfect life woman has to play the game or potentially lose not only her rainy day stash of money she's been saving and maybe lose everything she's built for herself.  It's really good
• Senior Year Bucket List by J.M. Miller
• Review
• This was released on July 29th.  This is a new adult second chance romance and I loved it!  It follows Celia in the wake of her best friend Merilyn's death as she reunites with Mer's brother Caleb.  Caleb and Celia have an uncomfortable reunion, but they are willing to push past it to fulfil Mer's last wish, to complete her and Celia's incomplete Senior Year Bucket List items.  I couldn't put this down and Celia stepped out of her comfort zone to complete the tasks and sparks flew Caleb.  
• The King by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Review
• This is the 2nd installment of the spinoff to the Wicked Series.  It follows Brighton, a member of a secret order of evil fae hunters and Caden, the king of the Summer Fae aka the good fae.  This is part of the 1001 Dark Nights franchise and each novella is considered a standalone, and a way to introduce you to the world the story is set in.  This is a continuation of the story that began in The Prince, and I understand there will be one more installment.  Brighton and Caden not only have to fight off the evil fae, prevent the evil fae Queen from crossing over into this realm, but they are also fighting their blossoming romance.
• Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto
• I started this a while back on audio but could not get through it.  The audio was really bland, but the story was good so I hoped to pick it up later.  I gave it until 30% and in an unusual turn of events I DNFed it.  While the story is interesting and the writing is fine, it just find it slow and it didn't grab my attention.  This book is far to long and I have too many other things I want to read to force myself to read it.  Maybe I'll come back to it someday.
• The Magic of Race Bailey by Eric Hobbs
• Review
• I read this for The Reading Rush for a book with a title of 5 or more words.  I've had this forever and just never got around to it but I'm glad I finally did.  This was fun and action packed.  There is some magic, both magician type magic and actual magic, supernatural stuff, and it's pretty action packed.
• Skyward vol 2 by Joe Henderson
• This is a graphic novel series about a world that has lost its gravity.  Willa and her friend are trying to restore gravity, but as they are on their journey they find out how Low-G has affected things outside the city.  Willa's mission to fix the world and turn gravity back on will not be easy and plenty of people want to stop her.  This is fun and the art is really beautiful.  I think the rest of the issues are out, but I'm waiting until the 3rd volume is out this fall to continue.
• Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
• Review
• This is a fun middle grade spooky story.  This would be perfect for the fall time right around Halloween.  While is is geared towards kids this is also perfect for those of any age who want to dip their toes into horror but don't want anything overly scary.  This follows Ollie and her friends as they find themselves in a nightmare fighting the likes of  The Smiling Man.  They have to figure out how to get out of his maze and save the rest of their class who have turned into a creepy scarecrow army.  I'm looking forward to reading the sequel Dead Voices which is out soon.
• Black Dawn by Mallory McCartney
• Review
• I've had this on my Netgalley shelf forever.  It is one of the first books I picked up for review.  Unfortunately, this book just didn't work out.  It is poorly constructed despite having great potential.  
• The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
• I read this for The Reading Rush prompt for a debut, but I'm not 100% sure it was Carroll's first book.  I had other books that filled that prompt.  This also filled the Popsugar challenge for a book that inspired a common phrase or idiom.  We all know "Mad as a hatter", and this book is just that.  It is completely nonsensical as Alice traverses Wonderland and the world through the Looking Glass in her dreams.  Again Disney did a great job keeping to the story, but this was kind of ridiculous and a bit too whimsical for my tastes.  I'm glad I finally read it though.

Audiobooks

I got through a ton of audio's this month, they just weren't the ones I was hoping to get to.  I think 9 audiobooks is an awesome number so I'm not complaining.  

• Shadowglass by Rin Chupeco
• This was the perfect ending to the series.  Tea's story finally comes to an end and all is revealed.  As her story is slowly revealed, we come to learn what really happened during her exile and what she is really trying to achieve.  Between the past and the present all of the loose threads that were left open in the previous books came to a close, and I really liked the ending.
• Rise by Ellen Goodlett
• This was the conclusion to the Rule duology and follows three sisters Zofi, Ren, and Akeyla as they navigate the path to the throne as their father the king lays dying and must declare the next heir.  Each of them has a secret and is being blackmailed by someone calling themselves the true heir.  The sisters have to decide to trust each other with their terrible deeds or suspect them of betrayal.  This is full of magic, political intrigue, and lots of twists and turns.  I really enjoyed the family and friendship dynamics between the sisters and I honestly wasn't sure who the culprit was until the final reveal.  This is a really fun YA story with some really creative elements..
• Sweet Evil, Sweet Peril, Sweet Reckoning, and Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins
• This series has been recommended so many times by fans of other authors I love.  It also frequently pops up as a recommendation on my library's overdrive site based on my reading habits.  I'm finally getting around to it as it is going to fill the popsugar prompt for a book with a title that contains "salty", "sweet", "bitter", or "spicy".  This series is definitely a "guilty pleasure" read.  It follows the children of fallen angels and has all of the YA tropes that you would expect, bad boy attracts the good girl, the insta-love, the love triangle, all of that stuff but I find myself engrossed in the story and invested in the characters.  This is different enough from other YA angel/demon tales that it keeps my interest and I want to know what happens next.
• The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
• I've been loving this series. I love the mythology, the characters, and the writing style.  This was a great ending to the trilogy, everything came full circle.  I will admit, the Russian naming conventions still confused me as everyone has more than one name and several of the character names are very similar.  That didn't take away from the awesome story.  I see myself revisiting Vasya on her adventures in the future.  
• The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
• I'm using this for two challenges, The Reading Rush and a book I saw being read on TV.  I saw one of the characters reading this to her kids on season 3 of True Detective, and it fits the non-human main character prompt for reading rush.  I found a really good version on Hoopla narrated by Gildart Jackson, but there are many versions to choose from plus I followed along the ebook version to keep the characters straight.  I didn't realize this is a collection of stories, not just the tale I know from the Disney movie about Mowgli and Baloo.  This was actually pretty enjoyable.
• A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• I never read this as a girl, but I loved the movie.  This and the Secret Garden by the same author were favorite movies of mine.  While the stories have a similar feel, they are different enough for a young girl to enjoy.  As an adult I enjoyed it and it was nostalgic to finally listen to it.  This fulfilled The Reading Rush prompt to read a book and watch the movie.  I also used this as my Popsugar prompt for a book that makes me nostalgic because it makes me remember watching it as a little girl and playing make believe at my grandmother's house in her living room.  I loved this story and the Secret Garden as a girl and I still love them today.
• Queen of Ruin by Tracy Banghart
• This is the sequel to Grace and Fury.  It follows a pair of sisters as they fight back against the oppressive society that gives women no rights and treats them as property.  The sisters have had enough of being submissive and treated as little more than slaves.  This was a decent sequel, but it moved a bit slowly.  I really liked the first book and looking back I couldn't put it down.  It took until about 60% until things started to happen and the build up wasn't as suspenseful as the first book.  It still love the message of this series about girls not needing to be pretty and silent and rely on their male counterparts.

July 2019 TBR

Well it is finally summer, but you couldn't prove that by me.  It has been unseasonably cold and rainy here in Pennsylvania.  Hopefully July will shape up to be warmer than June.  As for books, I only have 1 ARC that I didn't get to for July so I'm hoping to get caught up on my reading challenge prompts and maybe get caught up on some other books I've been meaning to read and review.  We will see how that goes.  I'm hoping I didn't set myself up for failure by picking such a large TBR, but I'm determined knock these ones out and hopefully a few more.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• Girls Like Us by Cristina Alger
• This one is due out July 2nd.  This is another thriller/mystery.  This one follows a father/daughter FBI team but things get interesting when the father becomes a suspect in a murder.  That's not a spoiler it's in the description of the book.  I'm looking forward to this one too.
• Burying the Honeysuckle Girls by Emily Carpenter
• A friend recommended this and I saw it used at the library for $1 so I grabbed it.  This is another dark family mystery and I've been reading a lot of those lately so I'm looking forward to this one.  This covers the popsugar reading prompt for a book with a plant in the title or on the cover as it has both.
• Verity by Colleen Hoover
• I've heard great things about this book.  I'm excited to get to it.  I've been on a huge thriller kick lately and that's pretty much all I know about this book.  That's all I'm going in with so I don't spoil anything.  This covers the reading prompt for the read harder challenge for a self-published book.
• The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
• No explanation needed here, we all know the story of Alice and her adventure in Wonderland after falling down the rabbit hole.  This will fulfil the popsugar prompt for a book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom as "Mad as a hatter" and "Down the rabbit hole" are both inspired by this book.  I believe I purchased the UK edition and it contains both stories and some really lovely pencil type illustrations.  I've been reading a ton of retellings over the last few years, but I also really enjoy reading the original tales.
• Dragonsworn by Sherrilyn Kenyon
• This is the 26th book in a long running series I've been reading for well over 10 years.  I've been putting this one off for a long time because the last book was so disappointing.  I bought it hoping that this one will get things back on track and I really want to read the next book.  Having read and excerpt of book 27 I am hopeful that things are back to normal.  This will also fulfil the popsugar challenge prompt for a book with and extinct or an imaginary creature as this is a shifter series with characters that can turn into dragons and side characters that turn into other animals.

Audiobooks

As is typical I have a laundry list of audiobooks on hold at the library.  I also have a growing collection of books that I've gotten for free from various sources.  Here is what I know I can get to this month from Hoopla and my collection.  Most of these are for challenge prompts, so I'll list those if they apply.  Hopefully I can get through all of these in a month, if not they will roll over to August.

• Shadowglass by Rin Chupeco
• I'm reading this now and I don't think I'll finish it before the end of June.  It is the conclusion of The Bone Witch trilogy and while I'm still not clear on Tea's motivations just yet, things are slowly being unraveled.
• Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
• This series has been recommended so many times by fans of other authors I love.  It also frequently pops up as a recommendation on my library's overdrive site based on my reading habits.  I'm finally getting around to it as it is going to fill the popsugar prompt for a book with a title that contains "salty", "sweet", "bitter", or "spicy".  
• The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
• I've been loving this series. I love the mythology, the characters, and the writing style.  I'm really looking forward to the conclusion of this series.  
• The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
• This will cover the popsugar challenge to read a book featuring a wedding.  This is not normally a book I would pick, but I've heard good things from the contemporary reviewers I follow.  It was free on Volumes in June, so it was a perfect fit.
• Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo
• This has been on my TBR before but I'm making a commitment to get to this one this month.  This will fulfil the popsugar prompt for book written by a author from Asia, Africa, or South America.
• Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
• I have a hardback copy of this but I've heard that the author's narration of this is excellent.  I have this penciled in for the read harder prompt for a book of mythology or folklore.
• Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
• I bought the paperback of this a while back because I have a pretty decent Crichton collection.  I went through a phase where I read as many of his books as I could get my hands on.  It helped that my dad had a small collection of his books at home for me to to start with.  I don't know much about this one other than it deals with pirates in Jamaica in the 1600s.  I'm going to use this for the popsugar prompt for a book published posthumously.

June 2019 Wrap Up

I got through a ton of books this month.  Since so many of these were ARCs, I got a bit bogged down toward the end of the month and got a bit behind.  Fortunately I was able to get audiobooks for some of these and was able to get caught up on some of them.  A few of these were challenge prompt books.  I'm feeling behind on my challenges, but it is only the end of June and I've gotten through 87  books so far.  That isn't too bad.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland
• I finally met my end of the bargain I made with my son.  While I won't be continuing on with the series, I now understand why my son loves this.  If you have a young reader who loves fantasy, I highly suggest this one.  It is 100% tailored for young readers who love dragons.  There are also some really good lessons.
• The Black Tides of Heaven by J.Y. Yang
• I picked this up through Tor's free ebook of the month.  I picked this for one of my reading challenge prompts for a novel by a trans or nonbinary author.  It also features LGBTQIA+ characters.  This is a really interesting fantasy featuring imaginative creatures, elemental magic, and political struggles between the two ruling bodies.  I'm glad I discovered this series, I'm looking forward to continuing on with the remaining books.  I really like the writing style and the characters.
• Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
• Review
• I've really enjoyed Sager's previous books, so when the opportunity to review this new release due out July 2nd.  This is the lightest of his 3 books so far.  Still good, the ending was good, but it wasn't as suspenseful and twisty.  If you like lighter thrillers check this one out.  This is a book that I see being turned into a movie soon!
• The Sorcery Trial by J.A. Armitage and Claire Luana
• Review
• This was a really fun book.  It comes out July 1st.  It is a mashup of The Hunger Games and The Amazing Race, if they had magic and fae.  It is fast paced and I really enjoyed the characters.  I've looking forward to the rest of the series.
• Teardrop Shot by Tijan
• Review
• This is out June 24th and is a sports romance featuring basketball.  If you don't know much of my time is spent on the sidelines of a basketball court.  This is a new adult romance from Tijan and it was so fun.  This was funny, heartbreaking, and just overall a great story.  One of my new favorite Tijan books!  I couldn't put it down.
• The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs by Katherine Howe
• Review
• This comes out June 25th.  This is a paranormal historical fiction from what I can tell.  The synopsis reminds me a bit of The Discovery of Witches and it has some ties to the Salem Witch trials which I find fascinating.  I'm looking forward to reading about this magical family.  

Audiobooks

I was able to get through quite a few audiobooks this month despite a few of them being very long and heavy.  

• Nexus by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings
• Review
• This was OK.  The narration wasn't the best on Zenith or Nexus, they were a bit monotone and it bugs me when there are multiple narrators and they don't all pronounce character and place names the same or even try to mimic the same accents for the characters they are all portraying.  This blended YA, Sci-Fi and Fantasy, some of it worked and some of it didn't.  Well atleast for me..  It was entertaining, but I wish I had read the print version of it versus listening to it.
• A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
• This is for a reading challenge prompt for a book that takes place in a single day.  That was all I knew about it when I started it.  This deals with the heavy topics of gun violence and abortion, which is fitting given recent current events.  I'm not sure I would have picked it up had I known what it was about because I tend to shy away from realistic fiction.  This was pretty heavy, and at times uncomfortable.  It was so well written, and makes so many good points.  I won't say I enjoyed it because I don't think it was an entertaining book nor do I think it was meant to be, but I think it made a really important statement about such a very important issue.  Definitely a good conversation starter.
• Binti, Home, and The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor
• This series has been on my TBR forever, it is a sci-fi set in the future and parts of it are set in space.  inti is a mathematical prodigy, but when she leaves her humble tribe to attend the prestigious university to study, her space transport is attacked by alien lifeforms called the Meduse.  As the sole survivor Binti uses her gift as a harmonizer to befriend the Meduse and broker a treaty with them so they stop the destruction.  She continues to hone her mathematical craft and her skills as a peacemaker.  This is filled with creativity and a strong female lead who is brilliant in math and science.  I really enjoyed this whole series.  
• Kingsbane by Claire Legrand
• Review
• I was so excited to get approved for an ARC of this.  This is a fairly large book and because it was already published when I was approved for the ARC I opted for the audio book.  The audio is very long but it is narrated by a wonderful narrator and she did an amazing job with this book.  I still have alot of open questions and felt the book could have been shorter.
• A Map of the Dark by Karen Ellis
• Review
• I received an ARC of this one too, but since this was published in 2018 I opted for the audio on this one too.  This feels like an episode of Criminal Minds, which I enjoy.  It follows an FBI agent and a local police officer as they try to locate a missing girl.  I won't say more but its good.
• Shadowglass by Rin Chupeco
• I started this in June, but I don't think I'm going to finish it.  So far it is pretty good.  I'm excited to see how this plays out.  So far Tea is on a rampage destroying things and no one is sure why.  Like the previous books it alternates between Tea telling her story about what happened in the past and the Bard telling the story in the present as Tea has emerged from exile and exacts her vengeance.

May Wrap-UP

I had a pretty good reading month for May.  I finished 7 books, most of which were ARCs or books received by authors for review.  I was approved for several ARCs at the last minute in May, so those that I didn't get to this month I'm going to be reading in June.  Lots of good summer reading to be had.  

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• The Boyfriend Bargain by Ilsa Madden-Mills
• Review
• This is a standalone hockey romance due out May 5th.  It sounded good, so jumped on the chance to read and review it.  Madden-Mills is a new author to me, but I don't think I'll be disappointed.
• In Her Words by J.S. Ellis
• Review
• This is told in diary entries and follows a middle aged woman who has gotten bored with her life.  She drinks and smokes to dull the pain and stresses of her life.  One evening she goes out for a ladies night with her best friend but she has too much to drink and can't remember what happened.  She does a bit of sleuthing to try to find out what happened, but instead she gets much more than she bargained for.  This was interesting.  I didn't really like any of the characters, but still found the story compelling.
• The Friar's Lantern by Greg Hickey
• Review
• I received a copy of this from the author.  Mr. Hickey reached out to me directly and asked if I would like to review his choose your own adventure book.  These books are always fun so I took a chance.  This is heavy on the science and legal terminology as it involves a court case and a scientific study.  Overall, I enjoyed it and while I would have liked shorter chapters, I understand that probably is an incredible undertaking by the author.  This leaves you with some philosophical questions to consider when reading and making your choices.
• Storm and Fury by Jennifer Armentrout
• Review
• This is awesome as I expected it would be.  This tells the story of Zayne, our favorite Warden from The Dark Elements series, and Trinity a girl who has grown up with Wardens but is something else entirely.  Trinity finds herself at the center of some some very suspicious demon activity and pairs up with Zayne and his clan when her best friend and Warden Protector Misha gets kidnapped by a demon.  As expected the sparks fly, the sarcasm and snark are high, and there is lots of emotional baggage as these two try to figure stuff out.  I loved it!
• Shadow Me by Tahereh Mafi
• This was a short novella in the Shatter Me series.  It follows everyone's favorite character Kenji, as the children of the supreme commanders arrive and Juliette readies herself for the big convention at the end of Restore Me.  His humor is ever present, and we get to see a side of him that we don't normally see.  It is only about 60 pages and is a very quick read, I wish it had been longer and given more insight into what was going on during that time.  It was a nice treat between books though.
• The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
• Review
• This was a surprise favorite for me.  It follows one of the Pack Horse Librarians in Kentucky in the 1930s, which was hard enough work.  To add to her burden, she suffered from a very real blood condition that made her skin blue.  This was a fantastic book!  It would be great for book clubs and discussions in general.  I highly recommend it.
• Courting Darkness by Robin LeFevers
• I didn't finish this one, I got about 65% of the way through it before my library loan ran out.  I was really enjoying it though.  I just got the hardback in so I'm hoping to finish it today or tomorrow. It follows Sybella, who I loved in the previous books and Genevieve another daughter of Mortain who was only 12 when she was sent from the convent.  This feel like the original trilogy so that makes me happy.  Sybella is back to her self-doubting ways which doesn't make me happy, but Beast is there to prop her up and help her navigate all of the schemes and political unrest.  If you liked the original books you will like this one as I do.  

Audiobooks

I listened to a lot of great audiobooks this month.  I think I'll be using a few of these for challenge prompts.

• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
• Cassandra Campbell is an amazing narrator and gave this so much life, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much had I read it vs listening to it.  I highly recommend the audio.  I really enjoyed this.  I loved the descriptions of the marsh, and I really felt Kya's loneliness and desperation throughout the story.  I will say that the book felt like two separate books until about chapter 20 when we really get to know Chase and then things start to come together and make sense.  I don't usually like books like this but this was very well done and deserves all the accolades its been receiving.
• Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan
• Review
• My loan on the ebook ran out just as the audiobook became available.  It was meant to be.  I had only gotten about a chapter in so I was happy to switch over.  Both of the narrators did an excellent job with the characters.  I enjoyed this but you can see in my review I wanted more explanation of the magic system and plot.  I'm really looking forward to exploring more in future books.
• Nyxia Uprising by Scott Reintgen
• Review
• This is the final installment of the Nyxia Triad.  The Genesis crew is still trying to win the prize and escape with their lives from the planet they've flown so far in space to get to.  The ending to this series was just about perfect.  I really enjoyed listening to this.  The narrators were excellent and the author did a wonderful job wrapping up the series.
• Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard
• Review
• I finally got this in on audio and it was amazing.  I read almost 70% of it on ebook but I love Cassandra Campbell's narration of this series so much that I started over.  It was so worth it.  
• Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Linsay Cummings
• Review
• I read the ARC of this several months before it was published.  I was approved for an ARC of Nexus the day before it was released so I thought I'd go back and give this a listen to get reaquainted with the story and characters before diving into Nexus.  The final version is significantly longer than the early version I read.  I read several reviews that the final version was different than the ARCs we received, and I can say that most of the book is the same up to the ending.  I do feel like the plot was a bit all over the place and could have been a bit more focused.  
• On Hart's Boardwalk by Samantha Young
• I've been meaning to get to this since it came out ages ago.  It follows my favorite couple from the On Dublin Street cast, Nate and Liv.  They've been married for a while and have kids and escape to Hart's Boardwalk, a magical seaside town where love blossoms and in this case Nate and Liv remember why they fell for each other in the first place.  This is a sweet novella that bridges both series really well.  This is super steamy, and a little naughty.  The audio is between 4 and 5 hours long and it was really well done.