Mid year book freak out tag 2020

It has been kind of quiet on the blog here lately.  Between work, enjoying the nice weather, family time, and all the ARCs I've been reading I haven't had much time for blogging other than scheduled posts.  I've read some really excellent books, and plan to get those reviews up soon.  

I've been seeing this post pop up on YouTube and I always liked it.  I thought I'd do an impromptu Tag Tuesday.  I love this particular tag because I can feature some of my favorite books I've read so far this year and let you know about some upcoming releases that I'm looking forward to.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2020. 
1. A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow.  
1. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this, and if you look back at my reviews in 2018, I read a ton of retellings with mermaids/sirens.  This looked really interesting and I love a good mermaid storyline, but this completely blew me away.  It is not a retelling, and it is so much more than a fantasy story about a girl who is a siren.  It discusses racism, sexism, and so much more.  
2. 
2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2020. 
1. Rage & Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  
1. This is the second book in The Harbinger Series, and this world is a spin off of my favorite series ever.  This is shaping up to be my second favorite.  I love the characters, the world, and the author.
2. 
3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to. 
1. Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz.  
1. I got a surprise ARC of this in the mail, but I haven't gotten to it yet.  It came out in January, but I tend to catch up on reading my physical books in the summer when I spend more time outside reading
2. 
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year. - I have a few:
1. Escaping Ordinary by Scott Reintgen
2. The Brightest Night by Jennifer L. Armentrout
3. Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
4. Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
5. Biggest disappointment.  
1. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix.  
1. This was so hyped up and on the surface looks like something I love.  It's got humor, Stephen King level weirdness and horror, and vampires.  I love all those things in a book, except for a book about vampires, this really fell flat for me.  There was too much of the Stepford Wives overtone and not enough vampire.  This one is going to be hit or miss for people and it was a miss for me.
2. 
6. Biggest surprise. I have two:
1. The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauerneuster.  
1. I wasn't sure I'd like this, but it was a Reese Witherspoon pick and those tend to be pretty good.  While this doesn't have magic, it almost has a magical realism feel for parts of the book.
2. 
2. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline.  
1. This book was so interesting.  Dystopian books are hit or miss with me but I loved the unique premise of this.  I also loved how much the author put herself and the culture of the indigenous people of North American into this book.  I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook. 
2. 
7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you) .
1. Sarah Gailey.  
1. I highly recommend their work, and I'm slowly making my way through their backlist.  They have a unique writing style that I really enjoy, and there is always a diverse cast of characters.  
8. Newest fictional crush. 
1. I am not a fan of this question. I don't really the do whole book boyfriend thing.  If you want men that don't suck read any of the Smartypants Romance books.  There is a good mix of characters for all types of readers.  
9. Newest favorite character.
1. Ava from Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden Mills
1. This book deals with some heavy subject matter but Ava deals with all the crap that is thrown at her with poise and a strength that most people don't have.  Knox would be a good answer for the previous question.
2. 
10. Book that made you cry. 
1. I don't think I've read one this year.  I've read some pretty emotional books that have covered some fairly heavy topics, but I went through my read list and none of them brought me to tears.
11. Book that made you happy. 
1. Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting it Done by Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser
1. This is a great non-fiction book about high school girls learning to code.  As a high schooler I would have loved to have had the opportunity that Andrea and Sophie had to learn about coding and technology.  I entered into engineering with some support but not at the same level they did.  This book made me happy to know that girls are getting the support they need to enter STEM fields and close the gender gap.
2. 
12. Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year. 
1. Honestly I don't think I've seen one this year.  I just listened to Bird Box on audio and I want to see the movie but I don't have Netflix.
13. Favourite review you've written this year.
1. Black Tangled Heart by Samantha Young
1. This book was an emotional rollercoaster.  I really loved it!
2. 
14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received) 
1. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
1. This is Jen's first foray into Fantasy and was a surprise release in March.  It is fairly long so I haven't picked it up yet, but I know I won't be able to put it down once I do.
2. 
2. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
1. As is the usual trend I have a ton! I have 3 prompts to finish up for the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge, 20 prompts left for the Popsugar Reading Challenge. I'm doing really well on my challenge reading, and I've got a list of ARCs to read and review. I'll list a few of the ARCs that are coming out in the near future:
1. Unearthed by Marc Mulero (July 26, 2020)
2. 
3. Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles (August 25, 2020)
4. 
   
   
   



Original post Chami and Ely at A Book So Fathomless. Original Vlogs IsThatChami and Earl Grey Books.

2020 O.W.L. Magical Read-a-Thon Wrap Up

I didn't think I would finish all 12 prompts, but I ended up finishing the last 2 books today!  As usual I ended up with way to many things on my plate book-wise, and work has been really cutting into my reading time.  So while I didn't end up reading everything I planned I was still able to finish all the prompts.  

I did finish all the books I needed for the Culinary Sorcery Career and the Locomotive Operator Certificate.  I had some other books left over so I decided those could fit for the Legal Defense of Fantastic Beasts because you never know when that will come in handy.  

Did you finish all your OWLs and get your career?  

What I read

These books don't fulfil a career or an extra course but they do fill an OWL.

• Ancient Runes - Heart Run: Heart on the cover or in the title
• The Heart of Shadows by Marco Cosimo d'Amico
• 
• This is a strange little graphic novel with a great message about fear.  The style isn't my favorite, but I can see how it is appealing to kids.
• Astronomy - Night Classes:  Read the majority of this book when it's dark outside
• Food Wars by Yuto Tsukuda
• 
• I picked this up for another reading challenge and I thought I'd really enjoy this because it's about food.  This just really isn't my taste and I didn't enjoy it.
• Divination - Third Eye: Assign Numbers to your TBR and use a random number generator to pick your read
• 
• I kind of cheated with this one and let the library do my picking for me.  You never know when your holds are going to come due so I went with Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire.  This takes us back to the world of Jack and Jill and the kids from Eleanor's school have to help save the day yet again.  
•  Transfiguration - Animagus Lecture:  Book/Series that includes shapeshifting
• Wild Wolf Mate by Dianna Love
• 
• This is book 5 of the League of Gallize series.  I had it for review, and since I had just finished books 1&2 for another prompt I gave it a go.  I really like this series.  If you like steamy shifter romances this is a good one to pick up.

Culinary Sorcerer

I ended up finishing all of the prompts at the last minute.  I didn't think I was going to make it, but I was able to swap out 

• Arithmancy - Magical Qualities of #2: Read something outside your favorite genre
• Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
• 
• I didn't love this, but I learned alot about the books and the political and culture.  The author narrates the book, but I would have preferred that a voice actor narrated it.  Despite her heated opinions on certain subjects, that didn't come through in her narration.
• Charms - Lumos Maxima: White Cover
• I planned on reading Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan.  I'm currently reading it now so I decided to read a short story by Mark Lawrence instead.  I read During the Dance, which is a beautiful short story, which is available for free on Amazon.
• 
• Herbology - Mimbulus Mimbletonia: A title that starts with M
• Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
• 
• I like Gailey's works, but I didn't love this one.  
• Potions - Shrinking Solution: A book under 150 pages
• The Black God's Drums by P. Djeli Clark
• 
• This was an excellent mix of historical fiction, sci-fi, mythology, and fantasy.  I loved it!

Locomotive Operator

• Defense Against the Dark Arts - Grindylows: A Book Set at the Sea/Coast
• I had planned on reading A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow, but I ended up reading The Deep by Rivers Solomon.  The Deep was a cool novella, that I feel like you really need to read multiple times before you really absorb the entire story.  I highly recommend the audiobook!
• 
• Muggle Studies - A Book from the perspective of a Muggle (Contemporary)
• The Treble with Men by Piper Sheldon
• 
• This was my favorite book of April!  It has a Phantom of the Opera vibe and I really loved the characters.  

Legal Defense of Fantastic Beasts  

• Hippogriffs: Creature with a beak on the cover
• The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
• 
• This is the sequel to The Poppy War, which I loved!  This is kind of slow, but it finally picks up towards the end and leaves you needing the next book.  This book is a journey for sure, but it is a journey worth taking.
• Witch Hunts: Book featuring witches/wizards
• League of Gallize Shifters: Box Set One by Dianna Love
• 
• This whole series deals with shapeshifters of different kinds.  The Gallize are a special sect of shifters with extra special powers working and always willing to save the day.  This is a fairly steamy romance series as well, but fear not it isn't overly fluffy.  The female leads are strong and intelligent and just as awesome as their partners.  While not prominent characters in the books, there is a witch/wizard element to the storyline.

February TBR

I had a very successful reading month in January.  I have a fairly ambitious TBR for February.  I have a bunch of ARCs for February and March that I hope to get through.  

I also hope to participate in Tome Topple this month, which runs from 2/7-2/20.  If you don't know what Tome Topple is, that is a reading challenge hosted by Thoughts on Tomes, where you read books over 500 pages.  I tend to listen to really long books these days, but the two books  I hope to get through are Priory of the Orange Tree and Black Leopard, Red Wolf

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

Most of these are ARCs

• An Act of Faith by C.A. Oliver
• I started reading this at the end of December.  I'm about 10% of the way in and it is really hard to follow.  It has a Lord of the Rings feel, but nothing has happened.  There are only 7 chapters I think and so far all they've done is face a hurricane and sail around the sea.  There is a made up Elven language so that's cool, but I'm bored so far.  I'm not a fan of really long chapters where nothing happens.  Hopefully it picks up or I'll be DNFing this in February.
• The Borgia Confessions by Alyssa Palombo
• This comes out on February 11th.  I've already started this but it is a very long historical fiction.  From what I can tell and the brief research I've done, it is fairly accurate regarding the Borgia family and the historic events that actually took place.  If you are interested in Vatican history and politics, give this one a look when it comes out later this month.  I'm also using this for the Read Harder prompt for a historical fiction not set in WWII.
• Ten Days Gone by Beverly Long
• This is a mystery that features two female police detectives.  I don't want to get too far into the plot because I don't want to spoil things.  This comes out February 18th.
• Unforgiven by Jay Crownover
• This is a romantic suspense due out February 25th.  I don't think I've read anything by Jay Crownover before, though she's been recommended several times.  Since this is a bit of a mystery, I don't know much about the plot so I don't spoil anything going into it.  This comes out February 25th.
• Havenfall by Sara Holland
• This is Sara Holland's latest fantasy offering.  I enjoyed her previous books, and this is supposed to have magic an an in that connects ancient magical worlds.  It appears that something bad happens and the main character has to figure out what's going on and save the world.  This comes out March 3rd.
• Wicked as You Wish by Rin Chupeco
• If you follow me on social media at all you've seen me tweeting and posting some of the marketing materials for this book.  It comes out March 3rd, and is Chupeco's latest YA Fantasy.  It appears to have a Filipina character, making it #ownvoices, who has no use for magic despite her magical heritage.
• Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
• This is one of my picks for Tome Topple.  I purchased this when it was on sale a while ago and the kindle version comes in at 848 pages.  This also for a Popsugar prompt for a book published in the month of my birthday.  This was published in February of 2019, and my birthday is during Tome Topple, so it kind of works out perfect.

Audiobooks

• Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
• As I mentioned above I'm hoping to listen to list for Tome Topple.  Goodreads has this coming in at 640 pages, and I was planning on picking this up for the Popsugar prompt for a book that won and award in 2019.  This was named best book by several outlets last year, and I'm always looking for a good fantasy.  
• The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin
• My sci-fi book club picked this for our February read.  I don't know much about it other than it is supposed to be heavy on the science and there are aliens.  It also won the Hugo award and those are usually pretty good.
• The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nichole Davis
• This is a debut YA Fantasy that is also supposed to have some historical and western elements.  The blurb says its Westworld meets The Handmaid's Tale, that's all I need to know.  
• Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
• I keep hearing about this, and received an ARC after publication.  I'm hoping it lives up to the hype.  It sounds like a harder hitting contemporary that covers some very real social issues.
• The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste
• I don't remember where I heard about this, but it sounds amazing.  I picked this up for a horror book published by an indie press for the Read Harder challenge.  The girls of Cleveland are changing into what looks like rusted metal.  It sounds terrifying and I can't wait!
• The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle
• Popsugar has a prompt this year to read a book you know nothing about.  This was a tough one, since I wasn't sure what that was.  I feel like I vaguely know a little bit about everything, but investing and the stock market is something I really am not educated on.  My son is participating in a stock market club at school, so I thought this made sense to look into.  It isn't terribly long either, so hopefully I learn something.

 

January Wrap-up

First wrap up of 2020.  I read and listened to a ton of books in January!  Hopefully I can keep up the momentum for the rest of the year.

I completed a bunch of prompts for the 2020 Popsugar and Book Riot Read Harder  challenges this month.  If you are interested in what I'm reading or what I read for the past challenges, my google docs are below.

• Popsugar Reading Challenge Spreadsheet
• Book Riot Read Harder Spreadsheet

In addition to the books below, I also read all 95 episodes of the webcomic, Lore Olympus on Webtoon.  The creator is Rachel Smythe and it's awesome.  If you are a Greek mythology lover, you need to check it out.  It is a retelling of the story of Persephone and Hades, and I love the direction she is taking with it.  Fair warning, it deals with alot of topics that might be triggering to some.  She usually puts a warning at the beginning of episodes that specifically deal with triggering topics.  New episodes come out on Sundays and I'm so glad I finally jumped in.  I love her art style and can't wait to see where the story is headed.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

I can't believe I got through so many books this month.  

• Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
• This is a slow paced sci-fi kind about an older woman who just wants to be left alone.  The company who colonized the planet she has lived on for 40 years decides that they are going to move the colony somewhere more prosperous.  Ofelia, decides she's staying put, and live out the rest of her days the way she wants.  The story plays out much like the movie Castaway with Ofelia as the sole inhabitant of the planet, until she is visited by the indigenous inhabitants of the planet.  An odd relationship builds between Ofelia and the strange beings known as The People that develops into so much more.  This isn't heavy on the science or technology, and the pace doesn't pick up until after The People show up.  
• Ashlords by Scott Reintgen
• Review
• I have an ARC of this and it comes out on the 21st.  I'm a huge fan of Reintgen's work and this is his latest young adult offering.  It is supposed to have some magical battle horses and was compared to Scorpio Races which I loved.  
• Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith
• Review
• I received an ARC of this a while ago, but I was holding this for January to count it toward the Popsugar reading prompt for a book involving social media.  This is supposed to be about two gamers who have to deal with the hassle of virtual trolls.  Look for more closer to the release date on the 28th.
• A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
• This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling and I loved it!  It is one of the more unique retellings I've read where it has a kind of groundhog's day aspect to it, and the fairy tale bleeds over into the real world.  I really enjoyed how Rhen, the prince, interacted with Harper the girl he is trying to woo.  I also loved Grey, Rhen's commander and trusted companion.  
• Fix the World (Skyward #3) by Joe Henderson
• This is the final installment in a sci-fi graphic novel series.  In this bindup, the main character is trying to turn gravity back on, fight giant bugs, and maybe find love.  I love the art in this and the series is pretty good.
• Fun Home: A Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
• This is a memoir in comic form.  It is Bechdel's life story, but it center's around her relationship with her father and his death.  It is a difficult read as it is kind of sad.  The art is great, and her emotion really shows through on the page.
• Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting it Done by Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser
• I adored this!  It tells the story of two young girls and their story as they learned to code.  Their coding project from summer camp turned into a viral game.  I love how they tackled a taboo subject and really grew as people.  I entered the technology field over 20 years ago and while not much has changed, but it is nice to know that girls are getting more support and being encouraged to enter technology.
• Frenemies by Emma Hart
• Review
• This is a funny second chance romance that features a single dad and the ridiculous grandma I've ever read.  You should read it just to experience Grandma Jen.  
• Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills
• Review
• I pretty much couldn't put this book down.  This is an enemies to lovers romance that deals with some heavy subject matter.  The book opens with the main character Ava dealing with the aftermath of being sexually assaulted.  She returns to the private school she attends as a scholarship student in an attempt to overcome the assault, but on her first day back she gets a love letter in her locker.  Football player and king of the school, Knox ends up befriending Ava, though they start out as enemies.  They are both broken but they end up finding solace in each other.  Madden-Mills does a wonderful job with the touchy subjects of mental health and sexual assault.  

Audiobooks

I feel really accomplished that I got through so many audiobooks in January, especially since some of them were fairly long.   Most of these were for reading prompts, but quite a few of them were already on my TBR.  That is the beauty of these reading challenges.  I don't feel a ton of pressure to read books I don't want to read.  

• The Cursed Sea by Lauren Destefano
• I was disappointed in this sequel.  I really loved the first book.  This really just followed Wil as she runs around trying to stop a bunch of things from happening.
• Dry by  Neal and Jarrod Shusterman
• I read this for a prompt about a natural disaster after seeing this recommended a everywhere.  I really enjoyed this.  It was pretty disturbing because it is a realistic thing that could actually happen.  It follows a group of kids after a major drought has hit and water is basically 
• Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
• I picked this up for the Read Harder challenge for a retelling by an author of color.  This was also the book of the month at my library for January.  It ranges from diverse, violent, and strange.  Machado's writing is beautiful, but I just didn't really enjoy this collection of stories. The retelling is the first offering called The Husband Stitch and is a version of The Girl with the Green Ribbon.  This by far was the one I liked the most.
• The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict
• I listened to this to fulfil the prompt for the Popsugar challenge for a book about a woman in STEM.  This book while fiction, is inspired by the the actual accounts of Mitza Maric, Einstein's first wife.  I'm not sure how accurate the history is, as this has inspired me to read up on Mitza and things don't add up.  This book made me mad, I couldn't stand the way she was treated, and while that was "the way things were" it still was awful.  I do wish this had focused more on the physics and less on the romance and relationship aspect of her life.  
• Akata Witch and Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor
• This is a great middle grade/YA fantasy series.  It is set in Nigeria and utilizes African mythology and culture as the basis for the fantastical elements in the story.  This follows Sunny, born in the US to Nigerian parents.  Her family moves back to Nigeria when she is 12, but because she is an albino she is taunted by almost everyone around her for being a witch.  Unbeknownst to Sunny, there is a world of magic and paranormal all around her that she uncovers when she has a vision.  Fortunately she is surrounded by great friends and teachers who help her hone her powers and learn about the secret magical world around her.
• 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
• This is a weird compilation of stories of various genres.  As with most short story compilations I really liked some of them and I really didn't like others.  If you are looking for a good mix of horror, paranormal, and fantasy stories give this a try.  Some of them are really good, some are super weird, and I think everyone will find something appealing.
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• This is a WWII story told from the perspective of 2 sisters.  Despite being a good story, I felt it was far too long.  The author spends a great deal of time setting things up.  The story takes place in France, the older sister ends up with a Nazi soldier boarding in her home while the other more outspoken sister ends up becoming part of the rebellion.  Each of the sisters ends up helping the rebellion in their own way, but they both have to do what they need to in order to survive.  
• The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
• I can't believe I never read this in school.  I listened to the audiobook for the Popsugar prompt for a bildungsroman, or a coming of age story.
• River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
• Hippo farming, who knew?  Did you know that this was a real concept?  I surely didn't.  This story while fiction is based on an actual concept that never came to fruition in the early 1900's in the US during a meat shortage.  This has a western feel and a very diverse cast of characters.  I'm really looking forward to the sequel.
• Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi
• Technically I finished this in February, but I listened to most of it in January.  This is the sequel to Children of Blood and Bone.  It is an epic YA Fantasy, that discusses so much more.  There is magic, politics, mythology and betrayal.  The plot of this one kind of meanders around and doesn't really move forward.  I really liked the first book other than the ridiculous romance between Zelie and Inan, but this one just falls short.  It doesn't expand the magic and mythology.  The plot is basically Zelie being angry and making rash, emotional decisions and being mad at Amari the whole book.  Their friendship is being torn apart because Amari wants to try to find a peaceful solution and Zelie wants only vengeance, and both of them making decisions that don't make any sense.  This is just an emotional mess of a story.

January TBR

I haven't posted a TBR since October.  I haven't really posted much in the last month to be honest.   I've read a ton, but I kind of took a break from my scheduled posts and reviewing.  I got a little overwhelmed with all of the releases and reviews I had to write in the fall so I kind of just didn't post if I didn't have an obligation to post. 

I'm starting of 2020 with plans to continue the 2020 Popsugar and Read Harder  Read Harder challenges.  I completed both last year and this year's lists are really going to push me to read new things.  I really like Popsugar because I can use most things I wanted to read anyway, and Book Riot really lives up to the name to make me read harder.  It has a lot of diversity prompts this year that make you stretch your boundaries as a reader.  I'm looking forward to it!

If you are interested in what I'm reading or what I read for the past challenges, my google docs are below.

• Popsugar Reading Challenge Spreadsheet
• Book Riot Read Harder Spreadsheet

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

These are the books I have already started or plan to read and review by the end of January.  I expect I'll read more than 4 books this month, but I don't want to over plan this year.

• Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
• I just started this for a sci-fi book club I recently joined with some people I work with.  It is set far in the future on another planet.  I haven't gotten very far into the book so not much has happened, but I like it so far.
• An Act of Faith by C.A. Oliver
• I've had the ARC of this for a while now.  This is apparently the first of 12 books in a fantasy series.  In reading the author's notes, it is based on a group of friends and their love of video games and lore and myths.  It gives me Lord of the Rings vibes.
• Ashlords by Scott Reintgen
• I have an ARC of this and it comes out on the 21st.  I'm a huge fan of Reintgen's work and this is his latest young adult offering.  It is supposed to have some magical battle horses and was compared to Scorpio Races which I loved.  
• Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith
• I received an ARC of this a while ago, but I was holding this for January to count it toward the Popsugar reading prompt for a book involving social media.  This is supposed to be about two gamers who have to deal with the hassle of virtual trolls.  Look for more closer to the release date on the 28th.

Audiobooks

I'm only going to list the audiobooks I have checked out at the moment.  I have several on hold at the moment and a ton on Hoopla that are always options.

• The Cursed Sea by Lauren Destefano
• I started this a few days ago and I'm about halfway done as of the writing of this post.  I really enjoyed the first book.  It has been quite a while since I read the first book, so I've forgotten most of the story, but this follow's Wil, a girl who can crystalize anything or anyone she touches as she tries to save her kingdom.  There is quite a bit of political intrigue but it still isn't clear as to why the kingdoms are at war.
• Dry by  Neal and Jarrod Shusterman
• I keep seeing this book recommended for various reasons, but it showed up on Read Harder's recommendations for a book about a natural disaster.  I don't really know much about this book other than people say it is a good read.
• Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
• I picked this up for the Read Harder challenge for a retelling by an author of color.  This is also the featured audiobook of the month at my library and the author will be coming to lecture at one of the local branches later this month.  I've heard mixed reviews about this book, so we'll give it a try.

Tag Tuesday Fall Time Cozy Time Book Tag 2019

I was procrastinating on the long list of stuff I need to get done, so naturally I was catching up on youtube videos and saw this on India's channel and it reminded me that I really loved this tag last year so I brought it back.  I've read alot of books since last year's post so let's see if I can come up with different answers.

Fall is my favorite time of year, but this fall has been really busy.  It is technically still fall until the end of this week, although there is snow on the ground and it has steadily been in the 30's here in Pennsylvania for the last week or so.


India - Life is a Page Turner https://youtu.be/CmaAXaxQ_Tk
Sam's Nonsense // creator → https://youtu.be/Q-4nDR8jXi0


1. Crunching Leaves: The world is full of color - choose a book that had reds/oranges/yellows on the cover  - The Furies by Katie Lowe

2. Cozy Sweater - It's finally cold enough to don warm cozy clothing: what book gives you the warm fuzzies? 
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik has the most amazing relationship between Captain Laurence and his dragon Temeraire.  I truly love their bond and this alternate history.


3. Fall Storm: The wind is howling & the rain is pounding - choose your favorite book OR genre that you like to read on a stormy day
I'm not really a big re-reader.  I always intend to read books again, but I never do.  Lately I've been favoring romantic comedies, which is strange for me since I'm not big on romance.  Life can be stressful, so a little comedy is a good way to keep things light on a gloomy day. 

4. Cool Crisp Air: What's the coolest character you'd want to trade places with?
Indira Story from Saving Fable by Scott Reintgen.  She becomes the hero in her own book.  I mean what book lover doesn't want to become the hero in their own story.  Her friend Maxi was pretty cool too.


5. Hot Apple Cider: What under hyped book do you want to see become the next biggest, hottest thing? Senior Year Bucket List by J.M. Miller

6. Coat, Scarves, and Mittens - The weather has turned cold & it's time to cover up - What's the most embarrassing book cover you own that you like to keep hidden in public?  This is another great reason to own a kindle.  No one can see what you are reading.  I'm really not a fan of covers with shirtless men on them, which cover's most romance novels.  Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, however while it had a romance, was a weird sci-fi dystopian novel.  I didn't really like it, and this cover is not my favorite.  I'm glad this was the audiobook cover, not a book I was reading in physical copy.


7. Pumpkin Spice: What's your favorite Fall time comforts food/foods?  I'm going with Applesauce.  Every fall we try to go apple picking or atleast get apples from a local farm and I make and can my own applesauce for the year.  I canned 44 pints of applesauce this year and we've already made quite a dent in them.  This year I used Stayman Winesap apples (my favorite), excellent for snacking, applesauce, apple crisp, and pies  I think this year was the best batch of applesauce yet.

Tag Tuesday: The End of The Year Book Tag

Well, it has been quite a while since I've done a tag Tuesday. I usually get my inspiration from youtube and tags seem to have lost their popularity. I saw Ariel Bisset do this tag recently and I really liked it.

I have a ton of books on my TBR, but my focus for the end of the year will be on the ARCs I've received and finishing up the two reading challenges I'm working my way through.

·         Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

o   No, I tend to be a completionist and finish books when I start them.  I did DNF a book this year but I don’t plan on returning to it.  I did start reading Smart but Scattered last year and I pick it up every once in a while but still haven't finished it.  

·         Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

o   I don’t usually read books by season.  I kind of just read what I feel like reading.  Thrillers are great for fall as well as books with witches.  I do have a few of those lined up.

§  The Furies by Katie Lowe

§  Verity by Colleen Hoover

·         Is there a new release you're still waiting for?

o   Beard Necessities by Penny Reid due out November 4th.

§  I’ve been waiting for this book for years. This is book #6 in The Winston Brothers series and is probably the most awaited story for fans of the series.  The story follows a couple that has been side characters in the other books, and I was lucky enough to read an ARC of their origin story and I’m dying for this one.  I have to know how this heartbreaking story ends.

·         What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

o   All of these check off a reading prompt for one of the challenges I’m doing.  Its looking like I overbooked myself for September and October with ARCs so I haven’t been reading many of the books on my TBR outside of those.

o   RedSister by Mark Lawrence

§  I’ve not only heard that this is an awesome book but it fulfills a reading challenge prompt that takes place at an abbey.  This is supposed to have assassin nuns and that is a trope I’m into.

o   Dragonsworn by Sherrilyn Kenyon

§  I love this series, but I keep putting off reading it because I was so let down by the last book.  I read an excerpt of the next book in the series and it is exactly what I expected from Kenyon’s writing but you need to read this one first.

o   Catharsis by Travis Bagwell

§  I don’t actually know what this one is about except it is a LitRPG book.  I don’t know much about LitRPG, but based on recommendations from fans of the genre this is a good one.  I grabbed it on sale from the kindle store earlier this year so we are going to give it a go.

·         Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

o   This is a tough one.  It would probably be easier to answer what I expect to disappoint me.  There are so many things I hope that will be favorites.  I have a bunch of new to me author’s coming up in the Penny Reid Smartypants Romance universe, but I expect to really enjoy those.  The books I have on my challenge TBR lists are all things I really want to read. 

o   If I had to pick one I’m going to go with The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi.  I’ve really enjoyed his other YA cli-fi/dystopian books and I’m hoping this one is just as good.

·         Have you already started making reading plans for 2020?

o   I have a few ARCs that come out in early 2020 so if I don’t get to those by the end of this year I will get to them first thing in January.  I’m also looking forward to a few new releases in 2020.

o   I have participated in the Popsugar Reading Challenge for the last few years and the list of challenges usually comes out in late November or early December.  I start penciling in titles for the prompts as soon as the list comes out.  I also plan to keep up with Book Riot’s Read Harder yearly challenge.  It is always fun to join the discussion boards on goodreads and facebook to see what other people recommend and see if I actually read what I planned to.

o   These are the books I’m looking forward to in 2020

§  The Prized Girl by Amy K. Green due out in January 2020

§  Ashlords by Scott Reintgen due out in January 2020

§  The Borgia Confessions by Alyssa Palombo due out in February 2020

§  The King of Crows by Libba Bray due out in February 2020

§  Hollopox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend due out in February 2020

§  Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner due out in August 2020

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.