Beach Read by Emily Henry

 

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They’re polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they’re living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer’s block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no-one will fall in love. Really.

Pages: 400

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

Will Parry's father entrusts him with a mission: deliver the powerful and dangerous knife in his possession to Lord Asriel. A war is brewing, and it is essential he deliver it soon. But how can he do so without Lyra?  Lyra is missing, and Will knows he must find her before the two great powers of the worlds unleash open warfare.

465 pages. Book #3 in the His Dark Materials trilogy.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

 

When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world.

Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. Unfortunately, she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.

But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…

Pages: 419

Slewfoot by Brom

 

A spirited young Englishwoman, Abitha, arrives at a Puritan colony betrothed to a stranger – only to become quickly widowed when her husband dies under mysterious circumstances. All alone in this pious and patriarchal society, Abitha fights for what little freedom she can grasp onto, while trying to stay true to herself and her past.

Enter Slewfoot, a powerful spirit of antiquity newly woken ... and trying to find his own role in the world. Healer or destroyer? Protector or predator? But as the shadows walk and villagers start dying, a new rumor is whispered: Witch.

Both Abitha and Slewfoot must swiftly decide who they are, and what they must do to survive in a world intent on hanging any who meddle in the dark arts.

Pages: 320

The Outsider by Stephen King

 

An unspeakable crime. A confounding investigation. At a time when the King brand has never been stronger, he has delivered one of his most unsettling and compulsively readable stories.

An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.

As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King’s propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face?

Pages: 561

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

Lyra finds herself in another world, this one known as Cittagazze, where Spectres haunt the streets, hunting for adults or those nearing adulthood, and the distant beat of angel wings can be heard in the air. There she meets Will Parry, fleeing from his world after taking another's life, and they become allies. As they move from one realm to another, nearing their destiny, they discover a weapon with extraordinary and fearsome power. 

370 pages. Book #2 in the His Dark Materials trilogy. 

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Lyra is seeking hurried passage to the freezing North, land of witch clans and armored bears, where her friend Roger has been taken hostage by Gobblers. Her brilliant, formidable uncle is also far North, attempting to build a bridge to a parallel world. There is a link between all the children who have suddenly disappeared and this bridge, and only Lyra can put a stop to all of it. 

399 pages. Book #1 in the His Dark Materials trilogy. 

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since.

Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together—lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.

Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?
 

Pages: 364

Julie's Reads: The Graphic Novel Edition

 

Shows all panels of the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the events around William the Conqueror's taking of England in 1066 while providing a nice comic book style narrative. 

May be the nerdiest thing I have ever bought, and I'm so happy I did. 

Pages: 52

That’s right, your favorite princess, demon, and elf-hybrid-thing from Matt Groening’s popular animated series DISENCHANTMENT is now available in comic form! 

Pages: 224

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie

Fade to Black is the newest hit ghost hunting reality TV show. Led by husband and wife team Matt and Claire Kirklin, it delivers weekly hauntings investigated by a dedicated team of ghost hunting experts. Episode Thirteen takes them to every ghost hunter's holy grail: the Paranormal Research Foundation. This brooding, derelict mansion holds secrets and clues about bizarre experiments that took place there in the 1970s. It's also famously haunted, and the team hopes their scientific techniques and high tech gear will prove it. But as the house begins to reveal itself to them, proof of an afterlife might not be everything Matt dreamed of. A story told in broken pieces, in tapes, journals, and correspondence, this is the story of Episode Thirteen -- and how everything went terribly, horribly wrong.

Pages: 437
 

Exactly my kind of haunted house horror book :) 

I read more books!

 With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

I'll give it a "meh"

pages: 342

Percy Jackson, modern-day son of Poseidon, is just trying to get through high school. After saving the world multiple times by battling monsters, Titans, and giants, Percy is now settling in at Alternative High School in New York, where he hopes to finally have a normal senior year.

Unfortunately, the gods aren’t quite done with him yet. Poseidon breaks the bad news that if Percy expects to get into New Rome University, he will have to fulfill three quests in order to earn the necessary three letters of recommendation from Mount Olympus.

It was glorious and pure fun!

Pages: 268

Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare

 

After having preordered this sucker and it sitting on my shelf for about a year I finally got around to reading it! It didn't disappoint. 

Cordelia Carstairs has lost everything that matters to her. In only a few short weeks, she has seen her father murdered, her plans to become parabatai with her best friend, Lucie, destroyed, and her marriage to James Herondale crumble before her eyes. Even worse, she is now bound to an ancient demon, Lilith, stripping her of her power as a Shadowhunter.

After fleeing to Paris with Matthew Fairchild, Cordelia hopes to forget her sorrows in the city’s glittering nightlife. But reality intrudes when shocking news comes from home: Tatiana Blackthorn has escaped the Adamant Citadel, and London is under new threat by the Prince of Hell, Belial.

Belial’s plan is about to crash into the Shadowhunters of London like a deadly wave, one that will separate Cordelia, Lucie, and the Merry Thieves from help of any kind. Left alone in a shadowy London, they must face Belial’s deadly army. If Cordelia and her friends are going to save their city—and their families—they will have to muster their courage, swallow their pride, and trust one another again. For if they fail, they may lose everything—even their souls.

pages: 778

All Kinds of Things

 

Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie’s work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can’t refuse. She’s excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn’t expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain private secretary, his charming accent, and unyielding formality.

Malcolm Hudson has worked for the Queen for years and has never given a personal, private tour—until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling.

Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy affair come New Year’s Day. . .or are they?

Pages: 304

Plenty of historians can tell you which president had the most effective economic strategies, and which president helped shape our current political parties, but can any of them tell you what to do if you encounter Chester A. Arthur in a bare-knuckled boxing fight? This book will teach you how to be better, stronger, faster, and more deadly than the most powerful (and craziest) men in history.

Pages: 255

A collection of tales to invade and paralyse the mind as the safe light of day is infiltrated by the shadows of the night. As you read, the clutching fingers of terror brush lightly across the nape of the neck, reach round from behind to clutch and lock themselves, white-knuckled, around the throat.

This is the horror of ordinary people and everyday objects that become strangely altered; a world where nothing is ever quite what it seems, where the familiar and the friendly lure and deceive. A world where madness and blind panic become the only reality.

Pages: 409

I don't think it needs an introduction, plus that description is way too long. 

Pages: 835

Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman, edited by Alan Taylor

Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman, edited by Alan Taylor

The diaries of actor Alan Rickman, spanning 1993-2015. 

469 pages.

Crave series by Tracy Wolff

I can't believe I forgot to post these!!!

Crush (Crave #2)

704 pages

LIKE!!!!
The tropes are unmatched. Chef's kiss.
Alexa, play "You're Losing Me" by Taylor Swift

Covet (Crave #3)
680 pages
Cupid shuffle. 

Court (Crave #4)
720 pages

Charm (Crave #5)

592 pages

SMOKEY.

Cherish (Crave #6)

592 pages
lkjalsdkgjasdlkgjlaksdgjkla

The Black Witch (The Black Witch Chronicles #1) by Laurie Forest

Summary: "A new Black Witch will rise…her powers vast beyond imagining.

Elloren Gardner is the granddaughter of the last prophesied Black Witch, Carnissa Gardner, who drove back the enemy forces and saved the Gardnerian people during the Realm War. But while she is the absolute spitting image of her famous grandmother, Elloren is utterly devoid of power in a society that prizes magical ability above all else. As evil looms on the horizon and the pressure to live up to her heritage builds, everything Elloren thought she knew will be challenged and torn away. Her best hope of survival may be among the most unlikely band of rebels…if only she can find the courage to trust those she’s been taught to fear."

WELL, that was surprisingly good!

601 pages

Kindle Unlimited

The Dating Drama by Sara Martin

Summary: "Chloe Gibson's dating the man of her dreams-a talented and gorgeous K-drama star. But there's just one catch: they have to keep their relationship secret. This isn't the ideal romance Chloe used to fantasise about.

Fortunately, there's a glimmer of hope on the horizon. The couple have an agreement that after one year of dating in secret, they'll front up to the South Korean media and go public with their relationship.

But the year won't be smooth sailing.

When a mysterious package shows up, Chloe's life is thrust into chaos. Soon she's being plagued by creepy anonymous messages and the unsettling feeling she's being followed.

The question is no longer whether the relationship will survive, it's will Chloe survive?"

Was it terrible? Kinda. Did I enjoy it? Kinda. 

264 pages

Kindle Unlimited

A Curse for True Love (Once Upon a Broken Heart #3) by Stephanie Garber

Summary: "Two villains, one girl, and a deadly battle for happily ever after."

JACKS!

I wanted a bit more. The end of the second book was so wonderfully painful and bittersweet, and thus, my expectations were insanely high for this one.

385 pages

The Wrong Mr. Right by Stephanie Archer

Summary: "Shy, quiet Hannah is surrounded by handsome, sensitive, swoon-worthy men...who are fictional. As her thirtieth birthday looms, she takes stock of her life: her small-town bookstore isn't making ends meet and she's never been in love. Something needs to change."

Bookworms + surfers = chef's kiss

376 pages

Kindle Unlimited

The Practice Kiss by Sara Martin

Summary: "When Chloe Gibson accepts an English teaching job in Korea, the last thing she expects is to end up broke and alone, wandering the streets of Seoul with nowhere to go. But just as she’s ready to give up and go home, a twist of fate lands her a role in a new K-drama."

Are these books well-written? Not really. 

But are they easy to read and comforting when I'm overwhelmed? Yes.

282 pages

Kindle Unlimited

Beard Science (Winston Brothers #3) by Penny Reid

Summary: "Make a deal with the devil and you might get what you want, but will it be what you need?

Jennifer Sylvester wants one thing, and that one thing is NOT to be Tennessee’s reigning Banana Cake Queen. Ever the perpetual good girl and obedient daughter, Jennifer is buckling under the weight of her social media celebrity, her mother’s ambitions, and her father’s puritanical mandates. Jennifer is officially desperate.

And desperate times call for Cletus Winston. Cletus Winston is a puzzle wrapped in a mystery covered in conundrum sauce, and now he’s in a pickle. Despite being convinced of his own omniscience, extortion by the exalted Banana Cake Queen of Green Valley has taken him completely by surprise. So... what’s a maniacal mastermind to do?"

CLETUS. How did I ever live without Cletus in my life? 

384 pages

Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay Dolin

Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay Dolin

During the Age of Exploration, the "Golden Age" of American piracy arrived, spanning from the 1600s to 1700s. At first, colonists supported pirates in a show of solidarity against the Crown. Later, they would vehemently oppose them. Vignettes reveal the true stories behind infamous pirates such as Blackbeard, Stede Bonnet, Captain Kidd, Henry Morgan, and Edward Low, as well as the involvement of well-known historical characters like John Winthrop, Cotton Mather, and Ben Franklin in his printing and publishing days. The tales of these seafaring marauders, stripped of their usual misconceptions and stereotypes, reflect the precarious nature of life in colonial America.  

380 pages.