All I Want for Halloween. By Marie Harte.

All I Want for Halloween. By Marie Harte. 2017. Sourcebooks Casablanca. ASIN: B01NC0B6RZ (Kindle).

Following a hot hookup between The Devil and Xena at a Halloween masquerade party, Satan tracks down the Warrior Princess the next day to a Seattle bakery; his mission, to get to know her better, preferably with benefits. He is Gear Blackstone, a talented creator of custom motorcycles who has been forced off his reality show, “Motorcycle Madnezz,” after an altercation with his former best friend. She is Sadie Liberato, a take no prisoners type of gal who is the co-owner of said bakery. Both are recently down and out on love, but neither want to ignore the mutual attraction burning between them. The one rule, no strings attached.

As a big fan of Marie Harte’s Just the Thing and Test Drive, I was looking forward to more of her contemporary romance titles. Unfortunately, while this was far from a horrible read, it was a disappointing one. There was some of the fun banter and sexiness that Harte does so well, but it wasn't as engaging when all of the characters were surprisingly one-dimensional and the leading man and lady seemed to bring out less enjoyable qualities in each other, like misanthropy and a rather alarming level of immaturity for a pair of thirty-somethings. When Harte can deliver strong characters healing from PTSD or realizing that their life doesn’t has to play out like their dysfunctional parent, then Gear and Sadie dole out a pretty weak story.

Right now, this is a single title, but there is sequel bait that doesn’t interest me. Oh well, back to the Donnigans, or maybe I’ll try The Veteran Movers next.

354 pages
MOBIUS 

King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

Emotional roller-coaster... But I shouldn't be surprised. I was anxious....and then I was happy... Y'all I saw joy face to face...and then it left me. I was ecstatic. I foolishly thought.... I forgot that happy endings are at the end of the story and that no one promises happy middles....
I keep seeing references.
Meredith Grey, Grey's Anatomy. Pick Me Choose Me.
The moment in Phantom of the Opera in "Twisted Every Way" where Christine runs away yelling "I can't"
Any of the battle songs from Hamilton....Particularly "Right Hand Man"... Cal is a catch and he knows it...He so sassy; he so smug...I think I have a thing for men who are confident and in leadership roles...


528 Pages

The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine

Did she mean to reference that....Maybe....

Ok but Sebastian. Fierce women... Everyone being awkward. Body positivity. Women who love food and love eating food... FINALLY. I love Sebastian so freaking much. Awkward flirting
Women who are cunning and selfless. I have lots of feelings.

I repeat. HOW IS THERE NO FANART FOR THIS FANDOM.
448 Pages

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Volume 3 by Naoko Takeuchi

Soooooooo.... I forgot THAT happened in the anime...
Whelp.

Chibi Usa.... Baby bunhead
Manga tears...Almost as powerful and almost as bad as anime tears.....

Mamoru and his puppets... Yes.

So many doubles, y'all.

240 Pages

Rabbit Girls by Anna Ellory

After the Berlin wall falls in 1989, Miriam, who has been living in East Berlin, goes back  to West Berlin to care for her dying father. She is fleeing an abusive husband, and is escaping both him and an abusive regime.

In caring for her father, she finds an Auschwitz tattoo on his wrist. She never knew he was in a concentration camp, so starts looking for answers to questions she never knew she had. Her mother is dead, but in her belongings she finds a uniform from a prison camp. Sewn into the linings she finds letters from a mysterious woman named Frieda.

She desperately needs answers, but her father is semi-comatose, and unable to tell her what she needs to know. Will she be able to unravel the secrets of her parent's past?



390 pages

The Lord and Mary Ann by Catherine Cookson

Mary Ann loves her Da, more than anything in the world. Da has a drinking problem, but Mary Ann is convinced that if she can find him just the right job, he would be set for life. So she finds him a job on a farm, believing that if he was away from the temptations of town, he would change into the perfect Da she knew deep down he was.

However, she can't count on others to do what she thinks they should, so her plans go awry in this second book of the delightful Tyneside series featuring Mary Ann, an extraordinary child.


192 pages

Within Ash and Stardust by Chani Lynn Feener

The third and final installment of The Xenith Trilogy left me frustrated and disappointed.

For a series that started out with such a fantastic premise, the ending felt rushed, underdeveloped, and ultimately fell flat. While reading this installment, I couldn't wait for it to be over. 

Love triangles are usually fine with me, but this was overdone to the extreme. Every touch, glance, and thought felt contrived and forced, rather than a natural development of the plot or interactions between the characters. 

Darn it!

336 pages

goodreads

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Volume 2 by Naoko Takeuchi

Tuxedo Mask drama..... my beautiful love... I love tragic backstories. Sacrificial love. The cliches that I live and die for. The hill that I die on.

Brainwashing. Hypnotism. What's happening? Like I know.
(Jaws theme song plays in the background)


Seriously though, who thought it was a good idea to put Mamoru in a cow print vest.....WT..


244 Pages

Setting Free the Kites by Alex George

Summary: "For Robert Carter, life in his coastal Maine hometown is comfortably predictable. But in 1976, on his first day of eighth grade, he meets Nathan Tilly, who changes everything. Nathan is confident, fearless, impetuous--and fascinated by kites and flying. Robert and Nathan's budding friendship is forged in the crucible of two family tragedies, and as the boys struggle to come to terms with loss, they take summer jobs at the local rundown amusement park. It's there that Nathan's boundless capacity for optimism threatens to overwhelm them both, and where they learn some harsh truths about family, desire, and revenge."

Setting Free the Kites is trying to be something that it just...isn't. Alex George is talented with unique descriptions and poignant words. However, his writing lacks focus and direction. The plot was completely missing, and developments in the story were far-fetched and unnecessary. Various parts of the story made me feel icky, confused, and apathetic.

326 pages

MOBIUS | goodreads

The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine

Snow White. Did they seriously drop the classic Snow White lines?! Really?!
Dragons....I freaking love dragons... And transformations...this is sick. I love Kol. I love him so much. The cutie.
Magic powers.
Sibling relationships..WHYYYY Sassy brothers.
I can predict loopholes in promises, y'all. I'm cackling.
Quotes about being a hero and being brave.

.....I'm not crying about the thing... I'm not in denial...Because I refuse to believe that THAT happened....like no...you don't just int--

HOW IS THERE NO FANART FOR THIS FANDOM. WT.

394 Pages

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg

Summary: "For the past six months, Arthur Moses's days have looked the same: He tends to his rose garden and to Gordon, his cat, then rides the bus to the cemetery to visit his beloved late wife for lunch. The last thing Arthur would imagine is for one unlikely encounter to utterly transform his life. Eighteen-year-old Maddy Harris is an introspective girl who visits the cemetery to escape the other kids at school. One afternoon she joins Arthur--a gesture that begins a surprising friendship between two lonely souls."

What a weird, interesting, and bittersweet story. I have never read a book quite like this, but I'm glad I did. 

222 pages

MOBIUS | goodreads

Lessons from a One-Night Stand (The Baileys #1). By Piper Rayne, Narrators: Tanya Eby, Tim Paige.

Lessons from a One-Night Stand (The Baileys #1). By Piper Rayne, Narrators: Tanya Eby, Tim Paige. 2019. Piper Rayne, Inc. ISBN: 9781987925494 (Unabridged audiobook, 7 hours, 43 mins)

Austin Bailey is a high school biology teacher and baseball coach in the small Alaskan town of Lake Starlight. He is also the oldest of the nine Bailey siblings and since his parents died nine years ago Austin’s been raising the seven youngest. And while this has been no small accomplishment, perhaps his most extraordinary feat is having remained under the radar of the town’s gossip blog...until last Saturday night.

Now, only a few months away from the youngest graduating, Austin is setting his sight on a new life, away from Lake Starlight. And with his freedom in sight, Saturday night may have included a few too many drinks, a beautiful stranger and a steamed-up jeep. And when Monday rolls around and that stranger becomes Principal Holly Radcliffe, Austin’s new boss for the rest of the school year, a fun story unfolds.

Piper Rayne is a writing duo and they are new to me, but I gotta say that is was a combination of the cover, jacket information and audio sample of the first chapter narrated by Paige that reeled me in and I very much enjoyed getting to know the Baileys and Lake Starlight. Austin is the kind of character that is hard not to like; he’s genuine and dedicated, with a desire for change that is relatable.

Eby’s a prolific narrator, so I knew from previous contemporary romances I’ve listened to that her delivery style is not what I care for. Her pitch and intonations may change, but I never find emotional resonance in her performances. There is often the impression the she’s barreling through with an excitement for the content she’s reading; which works against listeners expecting the voice to portray nuanced characters, not the voice that has them picturing a teacher or librarian reading to them at story time. That said, Eby’s Holly is the best performance I’ve heard from her. Here’s hoping that I feel the same for the rest of the series, because I’m definitely moving on to the next book and I think I’ll go the audiobook route again.

340 pages.

Captain Marvel: Volume 3: Alia Volat Propiis by Kelly Sue DeConnick

How dare they make me sad and make Carol deal with feelings.

As a side note: sassy expressive cat. Yes.

96 Pages

Rebel by Marie Lu

...So I have lots of feelings, as usual. And last chapter--I am thriving.

Human rights! Yes. Quality of life and equal rights for the homeless and under-privileged. I have such a heart for the homeless and seeing them as human...Because everyone is human and deserves to be treated with human dignity.Call out society! Preach. I am living. I will rail against the machine, so help me.
Commentary on technology. Chef kiss.

"UN-Limit-ed. Together we're unLIMITed".... does my brain default to musicals... Yes it does.
It also defaults to Disney (Lion King and Oliver and Co....and there's more, but that's just me), Star Wars (...because you can't forget the first one no matter how much you bleach your brain), and How to Train Your Dragon....Because I picture fight scenes in animated form....

I love Eden. The cute little nerd brain with a heart of gold.
Protective siblings. I love getting back into Daniel's head...but I had so much anxiety for some of this because I had no fear and then I had one fear. Sibling bonding time with "Stranger Like Me" in the background.

Daniel you cute little romantic. Marry me. You are a ball of anxiety you little kitten. I must protect.

June. Heart eyes... My sunshine. I love her. Encouraging clear communication and working on relationships. She is a goddess; we all know.

384 Pages

The Wicked King by Holly Black

I live for mildly vindictive scheming, and doing things out of spite.
Playing life like a chess board and moving people around like puppets
Girls who can fight with swords and who can be crafty when they need to be...
And you can see someone digging themselves into a very dangerous hole, but hey it's cool to watch them try to get out of it.
Enemies to  friends  whatever the heck that is...
I love heroes who act like villains and who have the heart of a villain... Problematic faves..
...Plot twists, y'all...

Did they really make a shout-out to that anime (which will not be named)...too soon, bro..

336 Pages

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Volume 1 by Naoko Takeuchi

I've been watching the anime...and this honestly has less filler, and it is amazing. It jumps right in with the action and drama. It has the predictability and repetitiveness that comes with defeating villains...but I love it. I love ditzy characters and I love Usagi. Because I've watched some of the anime, I know some things, and it's so exciting to watch it play out on paper..
I love Tuxedo Mask. He's great. I'm fine.

248 Pages

How to Break a Dragon's Heart by Cressida Cowell Read by David Tennant

Toothless. Heart Eyes. Enough said. The stupid stubborn wonderful baby who eats everything and never learns his lessons.

I loved learning more about the lore and Hiccup's family history and seeing the parallels. Destiny.

Storytelling. A+

Y'all things are getting darker...

272 Pages

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

This is another one that has been sitting on my shelf forever, so I decided to strap on my English major belt again and give it a go. I lost interest in it one section through but I kept persisting and a couple of months later I finally finished it!!!! This book has cemented the fact that I hate stream of consciousness writing. I see the value in it, but the story (especially the first 2 narrators) kept jumping back and forth in time and I didn't know which way was up. Being done with it now, I can see why it's a classic of American literature, but this is not something that I will be rereading again.

371 pages

Happily Ever After: Companion to the Selection Novels by Kiera Cass

What can I say, I love getting into Maxon's head....the cutie. My baby. He really does love women that could kill him.

Aspen. My devoted little angel. I grow to love you more every day. He so smart. (Yes, I know that's grammatically incorrect).

Marlee and Carter. Devotion and love goals... Also sacrificial like Jesus. Ok I'm gonna cry some more. I love sneaky Maxon being super sweet.

I wasn't crying during "The Maid"....I didn't write down some of the passages....I'm not overly emotional...

I'm not crying about "After the One" No smirking here..Nope nope nope

416 Pages

The Family Plot by Cherie Priest

Chattanooga Tennessee is full of lots of things, including the century and half old estate owned by the Winthrow family. Augusta Winthrow, the only remaining Winthrow wants it demolished, but first she approaches Music City Salvage to see if they would be interesting in gutting the house for all it's valuables. Chuck Dutton wagers the future of the salvage company on the floors and woodwork inside of the Winthrow Estate, and out, and sends a small crew to get everything that they can. Led by his daughter, Dahlia -- a recently divorced lover of all houses old and spooky -- they operate on a shoestring budget trying to get the house emptied in four days.

Quickly the crew realizes that there are certain things that Ms. Winthrow has left out of her story of the estate, like the small cemetery plot that they happen upon on the very first day and the spirits that inhabit the estate, long after the last living Winthrow had stepped foot on the property.

What better time of the year to rediscover the joy(is that the right word) of reading a well put together haunted house story. Cherie Priest manages to bring a feeling of a classic Southern Gothic horror story and blends it with a modern ghost story. It does succumb to the modern horror tropes from time to time, but overall The Family Plot is a well written ghost story with characters you care about, and a ghost that is downright evil.

365 pages

Primary Suspect (Callahan Confidential #5). By Laura Scott

Primary Suspect (Callahan Confidential #5). By Laura Scott. 2018. Love Inspired Suspense. ISBN-13: 9781355081209 (paperback).

When Mitch Callahan, a firefighter turned arson investigator, turns up at the site of a recent fire at the request of his boss, he is broadsided by the dead body he finds, followed quickly by the 2x4 to the side of his face. Realizing he is being set up, Mitch flees the scene, but needs medical attention for the gash in his neck. Showing up at the ER he unwittingly involves the young widowed nurse Dana Petrie and the two quickly find themselves running for their lives from armed pursuit. Can Dana trust Mitch, the man who tried, but failed to save the life of her rookie firefighting husband three years ago? Or will the evidence building up against him prove that she has teamed-up with the bad guy?

Primary Suspect by Laura Scott is a quick read with a satisfying combination of action, suspense and second chances as Dana experiences a rekindling in her heart for her faith, purpose and chance at love. Both Scott’s Callihan Confidential series and Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense stories are new to me and while this is book five, the story is easy enough to follow without having started at the beginning of the series. But I am curious about the rest of the Callahan clan.

224 pages

MOBIUS

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

Last book of the Dark Artifices trilogy, but not the last of the Shadowhunter novels thank goodness. I'm stupidly obsessed. I love that we get to see a new cast of characters for each series but my old favorites play significant roles. This series has forbidden love, death and heartbreak, werewolves, faeries, vampires, warlocks, angels, demons, and an immortal cat named Church (y'all read Pet Semetary?)

Pages: 912

The Crown by Kiera Cass

Y'all can judge me for being shipper trash all you want...I know what I am.
I love how selfless Eady can be. She loves her family so much. Heart eyes. She doesn't let stupid jerks push her around or make her feel inferior and she does it all without killing them...because I would have killed them... She is a sweetheart and no one can tell me otherwise.
I love Maxon and America.
I love Erik I love Erik I love Erik I love Erik....And no one should be shocked because reasons...I have a type...
I love people struggling to come to terms with their feelings and people who have no self-confidence and are afraid of being hated...Insert "Haha I do that" vine.
I need the boy that plans to marry me to take notes from this series...Because the men here can drop seriously smooth and romantic lines and I love them...
I love Maxon I love Erik....and I need a dog...

304 Pages

Slave to Sensation (Psy/Changeling #1). By Nalini Singh, Narrator: Angela Dawe.

Slave to Sensation (Psy/Changeling #1). By Nalini Singh, Narrator: Angela Dawe. 2014. Tantor Media, Inc. ISBN: 978145622019 (Unabridged audiobook, 9 hours 38 mins).

This series is set in the future where the human race has developed into three distinct groups: Human, Psy, and Changeling. Psy have enhanced psychic abilities at the cost of erasing their emotions through the conditioning protocol Silence. The Psy Council totes Silence as being the vehicle that curtailed violence in Psy society. They dominate the political, business and economic sectors and if something untoward happens, well then, it must be the Humans or shape-shifting Changelings to blame.

When several Changeling women are brutally murdered, black panther Changeling and Alpha of the Dark River Leopard Pack, Lucas Hunter, believes the killer is Psy. With the hope of gaining access to the Psy Council’s most protected secrets he forges a business relationship with a Cardinal Psy, Sascha Duncan. Slowly, Lucas’s sensual heat melts Sascha’s icy exterior and together they begin to scratch away the placid surface of Silence and the Net Mind and find the depths more sinister than they ever imagined.

Slave to Sensation has depth and complexity in the world and characters. Singh is a strong writer and Dawe is an adept narrator.

352 pages

MOBIUS 

Visions of Heat (Psy/Changeling Series #2). By Nalini Singh, Narrator: Angela Dawe.

Visions of Heat (Psy/Changeling Series #2). By Nalini Singh, Narrator: Angela Dawe. 2014. Tantor Media, Inc. ISBN: 9781452622002 (Unabridged audiobook, 9 hours 43 mins).

Picking up where Slave to Sensation leaves off, Faith Nightstar is an F-Psy, a foreseer, and she is dreaming of murders. Troubled by her dreams, she sets out to find the only Psy she believes can help her, Sascha Duncan, who is now branded a Psy-traitor and living with the Dark River Changelings. It isn’t easy-going for Faith as F-Psys are rare and valued so highly by Psy elite that they are raised in controlled, isolated environments, in conjunction with their Silence programming. As a result, she doesn’t fare well with others who are not Psy, especially Vaughn D’Angelo. Vaughn is Dark River’s Sentinel, the Alpha’s Second-In-Command, and while his jaguar nature keeps him quiet and solitary, his deadly presence alone is overwhelming to Faith.

Silence remains an overarching plot and more is revealed about machinations within the Psy Council, as well as the other side of the Net Mind, the Dark Net. There is a Minority Report vibe from the top down concerning Psy society. The Snow Dancer Wolf Pack also makes a reappearance. Overall, solid writing and narration. That it is the heroine who has to learn to feel emotions instead of the hero puts a spin on the typical romance story; so if you liked that direction in Kresley Cole’s No Rest for the Wicked, then give Visions of Heat a read for a different take on it.

356 pages

The Heir by Kiera Cass

I. AM. CACKLING.
Gif of Ariel yelling "I'm not a child" and then hysteric laughter...
I don't know how the parents didn't burst out laughing at every instance....
I love Eady. She uses her brain and she is so fierce. She won't allow men to treat her like an object...
Dad Maxon. My fave. My babies.
Erik.. My other baby.
Moms being Moms...I'm fine.
I'm not crying, it's dust from the stacks.
Also mic drops in the last few chapters, coming in letters (apparently it's a family trait)...nbd...There are quotes I want to make into prints...
367 Pages

Haunting in the Hallway by Kathi Daley

Summary: The residents of Holiday Bay, Maine are preparing for Halloween and inn owner and author Abby Sullivan is no exception.  But amidst the preparation, Abby and Police Chief Colt Wilder manage to discover not one, but TWO bodies the same cemetery plot. Who could they be and why did someone want them dead? Have no fear! Abby and Colt are on the case.

Series: Book 5 in the Inn at Holiday Bay series

My Review: I wanted a cozy mystery that was Halloween-themed and this one met the requirements. I’m a bit disappointed the series is becoming more simplistic in nature. Still, I plan to gobble up the next one, as I’m sure I will want to read a Thanksgiving-themed, cozy mystery soon!

Pages: 219 pages     My Rating: 4 out of 5

Hubbert and Lil Series by Gallagher Gray

Summary: T.S. Hubbert retires in his 50s from a stuffy banking firm only to be called back briefly into service when one of the managers is killed. In steps his 84 year old aunt, Lil, who has personality and energy to burn. Together they are tasked to solve their first crime. Then, as is the tradition with cozies, the bodies just keep turning up in book after book.

My Review: I really, really wanted to like this series because I like senior sleuths. The premise was good. The setup of the characters was fine. The series is touted as being hilarious. But I found the plots to be slow-moving and the dialogue dragging.

Series Titles:

Book 1: Partners in Crime, 330 pages

Book 2: A Cast of Killers, 343 pages

Book 3: Death of a Dream Maker, 368 pages

Book 4: A Motive for Murder, 344 pages

My Rating: 3 out of 5

The One by Kiera Cass

They are so cute and so stupid.... Communication is key in relationships, y'all. It would save everyone so much pain and time...
I loved seeing how the friendships developed...
And seriously the romantic in me is like YAAAAS Maxon YAS. Photographs...I'm artsy, okay... It's fine. I'm fine. I love romantic gestures. I'm not crying...

338 Pages

The Elite by Kiera Cass

I kind of wonder if they're trying to change my ship preference just so that I'll be really happy when my first ship gets together...

Communication, y'all... Communication.... *Gif of Genie from Aladdin pulling out the "TELL HER THE TRUTH" sign, but HER is changed to HIM"

Also a gif of Sebastian from the Little Mermaid "teenagers"

I kind of want to strangle America...but I'm sure I was super angsty when I was a teenager too....I feel like a pros and cons list...or any kind of writing down and organizing her own thoughts...would have been helpful...

337 Pages

The Selection by Kierra Cass

Love triangles...Ok I guess...But I have an obvious ship soooo honestly I just want there to be a straight line. Drop the guy, bro.

So yeah, Maxon is the BOMB.COM and no one can tell me or convince me otherwise.

And I love America and how fierce and loving she is...YAAS Queen! Defend the lower classes and do it with sass. And apparently guys are attracted to that...And yet here I am...spending all of my free time reading....Marriage to books is legal, right?

352 Pages

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Mood: smirking... well at least I was for most of the book...

Rescues are one of those tropes that never get old for me. I'm fanfiction trash...but this is cannon sooo...

Also flying is my jam...

Person A: Experiences new thing  :O
Person B: Wanted Person A to experience new thing with them and was a reason why they were able to experience it. >:D

Triple Agent Spies... Frat Snap.

I love people showing affection by trying to let the other person sleep at their expense....But still, self-care is important you cute little subtle martyr.

Sibling relationships..Heart eyes

Boy who everyone is afraid of and dislikes has little child ducklings following him around... I love him and he must be protected at all cost...

Y'all.. I was not prepared... I thought my body and mind were ready... and then suddenly they were not ready..... I did not sign up for this. I came here to have a good empowering time, and honestly I'm feeling so attacked rn... I can't. I quit. I'm done. I need the third book and it's checked out to someone else...Send an ER team....

464 pages

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

People are stupid and they never recognize that they're stupid.. I've been thinking it forever. But maybe that's the point he's making. We miss our own flaws. He makes the faults of the characters so obvious so that maybe you'll see yourself in the pride, the greed, the selfishness, the moral relativity...

I love the idea of the Gray Land...Because isn't that so much like our world. It offers us things that are good, but mediocre; things that will never truly satisfy or bring peace.

It was almost heart breaking to watch people walk away...but free will, man...

160 Pages

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When two people of the opposite sex don't know their identities, I'm always afraid this is going to turn out like Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.....

It's taken me a while to read this book. But it got really cool in the last quarter of the book...Because people using their brains to solve puzzles are good..and plot twists are fun..

375 Pages

Snow White with the Red Hair: Volume 19 by Sorata Akizuki

I love Zen I love Zen I love Zen I love Zen

Oh and I love mutual pining....
192 pages

Kissed by a Dark Prince (Eternal Mates #1). By Felicity Heaton.

Kissed by a Dark Prince (Eternal Mates #1). By Felicity Heaton. 2013. Felicity Heaton. ASIN: B00GSQJNJO (Kindle).

Injured and left disoriented in the human realm by his enemy, Loren unknowingly initiates a bond between himself and the beautiful woman he bites in an attempt to heal himself. The existence of such a bond reveals Olivia as Loren’s eternal mate, but with his kingdom under threat, the dark elf prince decides that he has found her at a most inopportune time.

As a research scientist at the demon-hunting organization Archangel, Olivia would rather study the dark elf than risk her heart. Not willing to pull Olivia into the crossfire of his ancient feud in the fae realm, Loren agrees to work with her in order to find a way to break the bond. Too bad fate has other plans for them.

Heaton’s first installment in the Eternal Mates series has the promising beginnings of intricate world building and mythology. The secondary characters are also woven into the story well, with set ups for their own stories that do not feel tacked on. I look forward to the rest of the series.

283 pages

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

Continuing my first read through of the Game of Thrones book now that the show has ended. This one went by way too fast! I was sad to see that some of my favorite characters weren't in this one, but I believe they will show up in the next. It was fun to see the start of the fall of Cersei Lannister (her decisions aren't always the best), Brienne and Jamie loving each other from across the continent, and Arya going to Bravvos and meeting up with Sam! (though neither of them really knows who the other is). Don't even get me started on all the Dorne stuff. Why would they leave it out of the show??? So unfair. Overall, a fun time all around. Now on to the next!

Pages: 1061

The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

So the beginning was slow, and I didn't like her for the first few chapters...But you can't just introduce a cute boy and expect me to be chill about it...Like obviously he's not just a rando... Because where's the drama in that.

I was hysterically laughing at the plot twist...because, of course.

🎵 Loa-thing. Un-adult-er-ate-d Loath-ing. 🎵

Cute boys are great. Fight scenes and protecting each other... *Chef Kiss*

416 pages

Bo the Bat. By Alma Hammond, Illustrator: Zuzana Svobodova.

Bo the Bat. By Alma Hammond, Illustrator: Zuzana Svobodova. 2019. Sweet Beet Books. AISN: B07XD62GGQ (Kindle).

Bo the bat wears a top hat, but trick-or-treating is a bit hard when pirates and unicorns flee from him. This extremely cute fella would like to allay children’s fears by teaching them fun facts about bats.

This is an illustrated story set to rhyme and the reading level is 1 to 2.

14 pages

Moon Knight Vol. 1: Lunatic (Moon Knight Vol. 8 #1-5). By Jeff Lemire, Artist: Greg Smallwood, Colorist: Jordie Bellaire.

Moon Knight Vol. 1: Lunatic (Moon Knight Vol. 8 #1-5). By Jeff Lemire, Artist: Greg Smallwood, Colorist: Jordie Bellaire. 2016. Marvel. ISBN: 9780785199533 (paperback).

Marc Spector has been bringing vengeance down upon the scum of NYC for years…or has he? When Spector finds himself locked up in an insane asylum, with none of his enhanced abilities, he begins to doubt he was ever Moon Knight to begin with. And for that matter, was he ever Jake Lockley, Steven Grant or Mr. Knight? The average superhero juggles two identities. Spector’s special, he juggles five…maybe. Woe to those who see vengeance coming…for he wants you to…hence the white suit.

Lemire begins this run with a lot of set up for what is to come. The trade off is that Lunatic is light on action. However, fans know that when Spector is at his most unhinged is when Moon Knight is at his most spectacular. Lemire’s scenarios will be best appreciated by those knowing the groundwork of Spector’s origins, his cohorts and enemies, and the ambiguity of whether he is mentally ill or possessed by the moon god Khonshu. 

Moon Knight Vol. 8 consists of 19 issues collected into 3 volumes. The artwork is solid, but sparse, which is fitting for the setting of the story. Variant covers are included and a parental advisory issued. 

#1-5 = 120 pages

MOBIUS

How To Ride a Dragon's Storm by Cressida Cowell-Read by David Tennant

Drunk dragons are my jam.... I love them...
Sassy slightly spiteful toddler dragons that act like the youngest child and won't help unless you promise them things--they are my spirit animals...
I wasn't crying during the last few chapters like at the end of Apollo 13... I don't have feelings...
Hiccup being philosophical during the last two chapters (including the epilogue) *Chef Kiss* Lines about being a hero the hard way...I'm not crying.. It's October and I totally have fall allergies...It's the flu shot that I haven't gotten yet...


288 Pages

Fruits Basket Another Book 2 by Natsuki Takaya

No spoilers for the OG Fruits Basket (well the manga has spoilers, but this review will not). My babies have babies and I have more feelings than all of them combined... well that's unrealistic, but I have a lot of feelings. It doesn't help that Fruits Basket has a reboot and I have feelings about the animation and the angst... *Nervous laughter that melts into crying*

192 pages

And I Darken by Kiersten White

And I Darken by Kiersten White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay. Wow. Let's talk about this unusual YA fantasy/historical retelling (based on Vlad the Impaler and the Ottoman Empire) and how obsessed I became with this toxic triangle of love and loyalty that wrecks so much havoc.

I was really into the fact that Lada (yes, the Vlad of this story is female!) is brutal, ugly, confident, and fierce. She finds strength in that, while her brother, Radu is soft, gorgeous, charming, and clever, and he finds strength in that. This novel does a great job of comparing and contrasting different kinds of ways characters can be strong and can care about each other, and it does it all through showing, instead of telling. Which is glorious.

I'm especially pleased about the theme of feminism that runs throughout, the really beautiful and fascinating depictions of Islam, as well as the internal conflicts of the LGBT characters. I didn't really expect any of that when I picked up this story, which makes it even better.

Book one was an action-packed, highly emotional journey. I don't even know what I hope happens in book two at this point, other than that it cures some of incessant ache inside my heart, though I suspect that won't occur as sacrifice seems to be a main theme for all three of the most important characters.

I listened to this on audiobook, and Fiona Hardingham does an excellent job of bringing this story to life. She has a very gentle accent that really appeals to me.

Pages: 475

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had just a bit of trouble this time with keeping things straight with the constantly shifting perspectives. I do think that was partly my fault, as I listened on audio and was very distracted and in a bad head space at the time.

Since I adore Rainbow Rowell, and these characters, it is definitely possible this actually deserves all 5 stars, but I'm going with my gut until I have a chance to reread it under better conditions.

Lots of angst and drama alongside the magic in this one.

Pages: 368

Rebel (Legend, #4)

Rebel by Marie Lu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I definitely enjoyed Eden's story but am also still obsessed with Day, so I obviously appreciated all the scenes with both Day and June, as it seems like I have craved those for 6 years. This one is set in Antarctica, which is a different society, with a unique government, which made for some interesting layers and issues.

Pages: 384

The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg

Summary: A gentle story of three lonely people who bond together to become a family.

My Review: Engaging characters, thought-provoking situations, wisdom, humor, and an ending that can fill…and break…your heart.

Pages: 240           My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser

Summary: This book attempts to remove some of the mystique surrounding Laura Ingalls Wilder. Major events and relationships in her life are painstakingly set into their historical context. Myths are debunked. Family relationships are explored.

My Review: I found parts of this book thoroughly engaging and learned or relearned a lot of US history. Other parts of the book were repetitious and slow-moving. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to hearing the author speak at the Fox Service Center in Arnold on October 17, thanks to a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (#IMLSGrant).

Pages: 625          My Rating: 4 out of 5

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

I love Jude because she's different than most female protagonists. That's not to say that other female protagonists are bad, but rather that Jude screams a mixture of Slyterin and Ravenclaw with dashes of Gryffindor thrown in (which basically tells you nothing). I loved listening to her thought process, and trying to keep up with her strategies. She is fierce and has such a drive. And let's just say that I (like basically any other fangirl I know) have a thing for angsty boys with issues and an infatuation (an overstatement here) with the color black... I may or may not have hit myself because someone was being stupid and not noticing feelings...teenagers I guess.

As a side note, plot twists are my jam....


416 Pages