The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor

Welcome to Chapel Croft. Five hundred years ago, eight protestant martyrs were burned at the stake here. Thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. And two months ago, the vicar of the local parish killed himself.

Reverend Jack Brooks, a single parent with a fourteen-year-old daughter and a heavy conscience, arrives in the village hoping to make a fresh start and find some peace. Instead, Jack finds a town mired in secrecy and a strange welcome package: an old exorcism kit and a note quoting scripture. "But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known."

The more Jack and her daughter Flo get acquainted with the town and its strange denizens, the deeper they are drawn into their rifts, mysteries, and suspicions. And when Flo is troubled by strange sightings in the old chapel, it becomes apparent that there are ghosts here that refuse to be laid to rest.

But uncovering the truth can be deadly in a village where everyone has something to protect, everyone has links with the village's bloody past, and no one trusts an outsider.
 

Pages: 333

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

 

Pages: 416

"Nineteen-year-old Signa Farrow, orphaned as a baby, has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her last remaining relatives are the Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at the glittering and gloomy estate of Thorn Grove. Thorn Grove’s patriarch, Elijah, mourns his late wife, Lillian, through wild parties and drink, while eldest son Percy grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation and daughter Blythe suffers from the same mysterious illness that killed her mother. And when Lillian’s spirit confronts Signa and claims she was poisoned, Signa realizes that Blythe could be next to die.

Signa’s best chance of uncovering the culprit and solving Lillian’s murder is an alliance with Death himself—the very man she hates most. And Death, that fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side, shows her that their connection may be more powerful than she ever dared imagine."

I was initially drawn to this one for the cover. The first edition hardback is gorgeous and I need to find one;

I really enjoyed Signa discovering society life is not what she thought it was while at the same time trying to solve a mystery. I could not have predicted the ending and the Gothic vibes were amazing. Who doesn't want a murder mystery in a haunted mansion, being assisted by Death himself! I am now obsessed and want the next book to come out.

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

 Pages: 870

"Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of a tragic death, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the disease that is destroying the race of warlocks. Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined."

This series is one of the best YA series I have ever read. The author has made me fall for so many of the characters, the representation is on point as is how she handles mental health. This is certainly the darkest of the three books but the ending was absolutely phenomenal. I truly hope we get to see the Blackthorn family more in future books. Though I think I may have to take a break from this universe to recover from the emotional damage.

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

 

Pages: 699

"Emma Carstairs has learned that the love she shares with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, isn’t just forbidden—it could destroy them both. She knows she should run from Julian. But how can she when the Blackthorns are threatened by enemies on all sides? Their only hope is the Black Volume of the Dead, a spell book of terrible power. Everyone wants it. Only the Blackthorns can find it. Spurred on by a dark bargain with the Seelie Queen, Emma; her best friend, Cristina; and Mark and Julian Blackthorn journey into the Courts of Faerie, where glittering revels hide bloody danger and no promise can be trusted. Meanwhile, rising tension between Shadowhunters and Downworlders has produced the Cohort, an extremist group of Shadowhunters dedicated to registering Downworlders and “unsuitable” Nephilim. They’ll do anything in their power to expose Julian’s secrets and take the Los Angeles Institute for their own."

I don't have words. The ending has ripped by heart out and run all over it. I want to throttle so many side characters. The Blackthorns don't deserve this. I am scared for Ty and how he will react in the next book but I am going to read it anyway cause I have so many questions and no answers!

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Pages: 688

"Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses. Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?"

I absolutely loved this book. The angst was a little drawn out for me, but the characters and plot made up for it. I was not expecting the neurodivergent representation and fell in love with Ty. I hope we get more of him in the next two books. I really liked the weaving in of the poem into the story and could not stop reading the last 200 pages. Everything was happening at once and so many reveals were made. I cannot wait to start the next book!

What We Harvest by Ann Fraistat

fdskl;kf;sld the idea. just the whole concept. the rainbows.
Derek and Wren are adorable...ok well I think they're adorable
the zombie people.
We stan horses and cute doggos. 
336 Pages

TS Song: Mary's Song (and then there's like...all the Stranger Things/paranormal vibes but we're gonna ignore that for this song pick)

Down These Strange Streets edited by George R. R. Martin

Down These Strange Streets edited by George R. R. Martin

Pages: 479

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Urban fantasy where mystery waits at the end of every alley and things that go bump in the night have something to fear...

1 The Bastard Stepchild - George R.R. Martin
2 Death by Dahlia - Charlaine Harris
3 The Bleeding Shadow - Joe R. Lansdale
4 Hungry Heart - Simon R. Green
5 Styx and Stones - Steven Saylor
6 Pain and Suffering - S.M. Stirling
7 It's Still the Same Old Story - Carrie Vaughn
8 The Lady is a Screamer - Conn Iggulden
9 Hellbender - Laurie R. King
10 Shadow Thieves - Glen Cook
11 No Mystery, No Miracle - Melinda M. Snodgrass
12 The Difference Between a Puzzle and a Mystery - M.L.N. Hanover
13 The Curious Affair of the Deodand - Lisa Tuttle
14 Lord John and the Plague of Zombies - Diana Gabaldon
15 Beware the Snake - John Maddox Roberts
16 In Red, with Pearls - Patricia Briggs
17 The Adakian Eagle - Bradley Denton

Home Improvement: Undead Edition edited by Toni L.P. Kelner and Charlaine Harris

Home Improvement: Undead Edition edited by Toni L.P. Kelner and Charlaine Harris

Home Improvement: Undead Edition edited by Toni L.P. Kelner and Charlaine Harris

Pages: 340

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Using the theme of home renovation, Kelner and Harris invited other authors to share paranormal short stories, and this collection is the fun result! 

This is the fourth anthology that Kelner and Harris have teamed up on following from Wolfsbane and Mistletoe, Many Bloody Returns and Death’s Excellent Vacation.

Includes:
"If I Had a Hammer" (Sookie Stackhouse #12.5) by Charlaine Harris
"Wizard Home Security" by Victor Gischler
"Gray" (Mercy Thompson #0.5) by Patricia Briggs
"Squatters' Rights" by Rochelle Krich
"Blood on the Wall" by Heather Graham
"The Mansion of Imperatives" by James Grady
The Strength Inside by Melissa Marr
"Woolsey's Kitchen Nightmare" by E.E. Knight
"Through This House" (October Daye series 4.5) by Seanan McGuire
"The Path" by S.J. Rozan
"Rick the Brave" (Downside Ghosts series 3.5) by Stacia Kane
"Full-Scale Demolition" (Spellcrackers.com series 0.5) by Suzanne McLeod
"It's All in the Rendering" by Simon R. Green
"In Brightest Day" by Toni L.P. Kelner

Games Creatures Play (Sookie Stackhouse #13.5 - The Blue Hereafter)

Games Creatures Play (Sookie Stackhouse #13.5 - The Blue Hereafter) edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner

Pages: 356

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner co-edit another fun collection of paranormal short stories, this time using the theme of sports and games. Harris gives Sookie Stackhouse fans another short story featuring Sookie and introducing her readers to Manfred, the main  character of the Midnight, Texas series. 

The Blue Hereafter by Charlaine Harris

Hide and Seek by William Kent Krueger

False Knight on the Road by Mercedes Lackey

Ice by Laura Lippman

Jammed by Seanan McGuire

Dreamer by Brandon Sanderson

Case of the Haunted Safeway by Scott Sigler

Stepping into the Dead Zone by Jan Burke

Dead on the Bones by Joe R. Lansdale

The Devil went down to Boston by Caitlin Kittredge

On the Playing Fields of Blood by Brendan Dubois

The God's Games by Dana Cameron 

Prise de Fer by Ellen Kushner

Hide and Shriek by Adam-Troy Castro

Bell, Book and Candlepin by Toni L.P. Kelner

Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse #12)

Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse #12) by Charlaine Harris

Pages: 327

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Dating a vampire has always been complicated, but now that Eric's King, Felipe de Castro, is in town, life has gotten even more complicated for Sookie. There are things going on that she'd rather not know about, but other things she needs explained, just to understand what is going on. Ignorance is bliss, may be true for some people, but for a human, caught up in the politics of the vampire world, it can be deadly. 

  Nocturne Falls- Books 1 -4 by Kristen Painter 

 

The Vampire's Mail Order Bride- 370 pages 

This is a cute, fun little town full of interesting characters. On the run from her mob boss in New York she ends up hiding out in Nocturne Falls and marrying a vampire. Funny and entertaining.

The Werewolf Meets His Match- 356 pages

Biker werewolf chicks. 'Nuff said LOL 

The Gargoyle Gets His Girl- 356 pages

In this story a gargoyle meets and falls for a fae who has run away from the Fairy kingdom and is living in Nocturne Falls. She mistakenly enslaves him and he falls for her charms. 

The Professor Woos the Witch- 370 pages

I liked this story of a witch with broken powers and a shifter who doesn't realize what he is. When his daughter runs away and meets up with a witch chaos ensues.  It includes an obese cat on a diet! Funny and quirky. 

Horrid by Katrina Leno

Don't mind me, not liking the mom. because that right there is not a healthy parental relationship. 
Will is cool. 
I'm still trying to figure out if eating paper is like...a fun fantasy thing in the story, or part of an eating disorder as it is in the real world....because like...Can we please address this.... Xylophagia....please.
The triangulation in this is making me uncomfy...
Yeah no I hate Ruth
Ummmm....Wut.
336 Pages

Straight Outta Deadwood

Straight Outta Deadwood edited by David Boop

Pages: 288 

Stars: 3 out of 5 stars

Short story collection from paranormal writers with all of the stories set in the Wild West. They were also required to document any facts given about real people in their stories, such as when and where Doc Holliday died. The authors clearly had fun with this task, some included characters from their regular series while others wrote a stand-alone paranormal western. Those are two words I never imagined putting together in a book review, but this was fun to read. 

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

And my predictions were right.
I had trouble focusing in the middle of the book, but I had a favorite character. He was cool.

That open ended epilogue. 
304 Pages

A Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland

Aaaaaaaand there goes my ship....
meh
560 Pages

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

My Catholic butt seeing all these deadly sins personified.
I mean I didn't like her, so I'm not really upset.
So my brain is just thinking about the differences between jealousy
and envy...because envy is rooted in resentment (Fr. Mike)
"I even wrote it down in my diary"
See this is where I wish I knew Latin...
My Fullmetal Alchemist butt thinking of all the deadly sins personified...except we missing a few...
448 Pages

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer Armentrout

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaambi
...He drives an Impala

Armentrout really do love sassy children and boys who love their cars.
Any time Roth says "Stony" my brain thinks of Mushu from Mulan.
Thumper
....I have so many feelings
400 Pages

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

I love that the chapter titles are like chapter titles of books that would have been published during the Civil War.
Aaaand I'm going to strangle all of these racists. 
Historical fiction + fighting zombies. Sign me up.
......I am concerned for a very specific character.
480 Pages

Shadows by Jennifer Armentrout

We're identical...like seriously...my brain is constantly thinking "they're twins so they look the same" and "I've never heard of two pretty friends"
Alexa play "I Can Hear the Bells"

Adam truly is Willy Wonka.... I love him

192 Pages

Opposition by Jennifer Armentrout

BETHANY I LOVE YOU
Archer. I also love you.

Jennifer Armentrout predicted 2020.
Ow....We all gonna need all the therapy. 
They are so thirsty. I love it. 
Why can't we have nice things?
.....Bro are we gonna have a callback to the story Daemon told Kat?
That's it?!? Yeah... I really went to her Wattpad and read the other extras she wrote...I'm fine. 
326 Pages