Flying Solo Readathon

It was a dark and spooky night…..

Actually, it’s a dark and chilly night! 😂 It’s currently 47 degrees Fahrenheit here in Rochester,NY with a forecasted low of 37!!! 😱😱 I have officially turned on my heat, and that means it’s time to curl up and read!!! I’ve had a horrible reading slump since the beginning of the month and I am finally coming out of it. I thought what better way to celebrate than my very own weekend Readathon!!! 🥳 What is a Readathon, you ask? Well, a Readathon is a specific amount of time where crazy people like me read as much as they can and get minimal sleep. 😬

I still have a massive TBR pile to get through, and an ARC to read for my first ever Blog Tour that I’ll be participating in on October 25th!! More to come on that!! I’ve managed to finish 3 books from my Anticipated TBR list so far, but there are soooo many more to go!

It’s very likely I might stray from this list though 😂 I do know that I would love to finish my YA Horror Anthology and Slender Man. Both are for Facebook group reads or book clubs.

I have sushi on it’s way to me for dinner thanks to Grub Hub! It’s an easy to eat and read kind of food! Then I’m diving in to my reads! I did just finish the 2nd book in the Anna Duology by Kendare Blake and absolutely loved it! (Will review next week)

My plan for this Readathon is to do daily updates, so…. OH SUSHI IS HEREEE 😛😛😛

Ok, so as I was saying!! My plan is to make daily, or maybe twice daily updates, on my progress! Below is my list of books I hope to finish… and a couple stretch books.

Books To Finish

  • Slasher Girls & Monster Boys Anthology
  • Slender Man by Anonymous
  • Wicked Saints by Emily A Duncan
  • Paper Girls Vol 1
  • The Wicked + The Divine Vol 1: The Faust Act

Stretch Books

  • The Turn of The Key by Ruth Ware
  • Meant to be Yours by Susan Mallery

Ok, now it’s time to feast! Happy Reading 🤓

Review of Daughters Unto Devils

#bookreview #daughtersuntodevils #octobertbr #spookyreads #horror


First book read from my gigantic October Spooky TBR! What an excellent read to start my month of Spook and Terror, and I can’t wait to see what other reads await me. I’ll quit stalking and get down to it, I hope you enjoy this review. I’ve linked my picture to the Goodreads page for the book Incase you want to check it out! 😊

All October reviews will be rated out of 5 👻’s.


Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics

Description-

“When sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner’s family decides to move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, she hopes it is her chance for a fresh start. She can leave behind the memory of the past winter; of her sickly ma giving birth to a baby sister who cries endlessly; of the terrifying visions she saw as her sanity began to slip, the victim of cabin fever; and most of all, the memories of the boy she has been secretly meeting with as a distraction from her pain. The boy whose baby she now carries. 

When the Verners arrive at their new home, a large cabin abandoned by its previous owners, they discover the inside covered in blood. And as the days pass, it is obvious to Amanda that something isn’t right on the prairie. She’s heard stories of lands being tainted by evil, of men losing their minds and killing their families, and there is something strange about the doctor and his son who live in the woods on the edge of the prairie. But with the guilt and shame of her sins weighing on her, Amanda can’t be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or deep within her soul.

My Review-

Now this was some good old fashioned horror! The time period of the Pioneers is the perfect setting for the classic horror. The psychological aspect of being snowed in to a cabin on a mountain starts us off, and the horror and evilness within us that we either fight or give in to adds to the spook factor. This family moves to a prairie by word of mouth that it’ll be a good place for them to live, instead of trying to weather out an expected harsh winter. Once at the prairie the family arrives at a very large cabin in hopes it’ll be their new homestead, only to find a gruesome sight inside. Later to learn of local folklore of what happened. The horror unfolds from their as the children fight for their lives, and their souls. I heard about this book from the Hey! YA BookRiot podcast and it really did not disappoint. In fact, this book might have pulled me out of my little book slump!!! This was a perfect October read.

My rating– 👻👻👻👻

Would I recommend to others?– YES!!! Already gave my copy to one of my besties and she loves it!


Thanks for tuning in for my review of Daughters Unto Devils! If you’ve read it please leave me your thoughts in the comments!! Next review coming soon….

October ‘19 TBR

#OctoberTBR #SpookyReads #Horrorfest #NetGalley #TheShrikeTheShadows #ParliamentHouse #Halloween

Here it is, better late than never! I know we’re 8 days into October already but I just had to put up my October TBR list! For those that know me I am an absolute Horror junkie!!! I go see all the horror movies in theaters, I read lots of horror books, and I partake in live Ghost Hunts! (I may also be slightly obsessed with watching Ghost Adventures on Travel Channel) 👻😬

This October I put together an extremely ambitious, and ridiculously large, TBR of scary or creepy books I own. I seriously do not expect myself to get to all of these this month, but it’d be great if I could read at least half this list (about 10 books or so). I have already finished my first book, Daughter Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics. It was super creepy and I read it in one sitting, review to come…

Without further ado, here is my TBR!

Yes, that is correct, you see 26 books in that picture. What am I thinking, you might ask? Well, I’m being prepared for my mood which has been all over the place as far as what I feel like reading! These aren’t even including my Kindle book options! Send Help? Or maybe provide me with a pause button to get through this list!!

This will be me after I get through half of this TBR….

But seriously…. I have been so bad with starting a book and finishing it before starting 3 others. I am still finishing books, but some just aren’t grabbing me like I had hoped. Here are my Top 10 Anticipated October reads.

Most Anticipated October Reads

  1. Campfire by Shawn Sarles
  2. The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
  3. Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
  4. These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling
  5. Slasher Girls & Monster Boys Anthology
  6. Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal
  7. Mormama by Kit Reed
  8. The Slenderman Mysteries by Nick Redfern
  9. Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Bérubé
  10. The Invited by Jennifer McMahon (I’m more than halfway done with this one)

If I can finish those 10 before end of month then I am calling this a successful month!

I do have a spooky ARC to read, compliments of Net Galley and Parliament House Publishing, I am currently reading The Shrike & The Shadows by Chantal Gadoury and A.M. Wright. It seems to b a Hansel and Gretel retelling and I cannot wait to hop back in! Review to come on that soon.

Time to get some reading done before bed. Thanks for taking the time to check out my ridiculous hopes of reading 26 books for October! Stay tuned for reviews on some spooky books!!👻👻👻

Happy Reading my friends! 🤓🥰

Review for Wilder Girls

Ok, let’s try this again! I had this entire post written out with the exception of my review (that I was copying and pasting from Goodreads), and then the review didn’t show up and I lost my entire post. Ugh! The beauty of technology, or lesson learned to stop typing my posts from my phone! LOL  Now that I’m on my laptop, I have faith this will be successful.

This review has been a long time coming, as I read Wilder Girls by Rory Power back in August. Better late than never I suppose! This was a 4 star book for me, which I’ve had a lot of this year. However, I have not read anything like Wilder Girls and it definitely deserves the 4 star review I gave it.

 

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Published July 9, 2019 by Delacorte Press

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Description (from Goodreads) – 

“It’s been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty’s life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don’t dare wander outside the school’s fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there’s more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.”

 

My Review – 

The Raxter school for girls, set on an island off the New England coast. On lockdown due to a mysterious plague that set in so suddenly after Hetty arrives, and affects the girls and adults in unique ways. The sense of isolation at Raxter, with no communication to the outside world other than supply drops, really sets the mood. You truly feel the isolation and frustration of the girls, not knowing or understanding what is going on or if they’ll ever see their families again. Loved the strong friendships that change and develop over the length of the book, especially the unique situation between Hetty, Reese and Byatt, the three main characters.

For a debut novel, this was an extremely creative take on a plague outbreak survival story. There were some parts where I had thought I’d figured it all out and then I’d be blind sided. Kept me guessing the whole time, and also kept me thoroughly entertained and exquisitely grossed out! This is the perfect book for all those who like a little sci-fi and horror but nothing too scary!! Also, can I just say how amazing and eye catching the cover is?? Am I right?? I would definitely recommend Wilder Girls to anyone looking for a creepy story, especially for this month with it being Halloween season. I can’t wait to read more books by this author and will definitely keep Rory Power on my author radar.

 

 

I’m trying to post more reviews, as I’ve been slacking on that part and I do apologize to everyone that follows for that reason. I have an obnoxiously large TBR for October, which I’ll be posting about tomorrow, and I need to get my rear in gear and read some of these books. It’s not October without spooky reads, and I have quite a few anticipated ones to get to. I bid you farewell, and until we meet again.

 

Happy Reading!! 🙂

 

 

 

Review for Somone We Know by Shari Lapena

I just knocked this book out in 48 hours!!! Most of it (75%) of it was read Today! This is Shari Lapena’s newest book, written previously is An Unwanted Guest (another fav of mine). I could not put this book down and now want to run around like a crazy book person and scream that everyone needs to read it.

The description is….

Maybe you don’t know your neighbors as well as you thought you did . . . 

“This is a very difficult letter to write. I hope you will not hate us too much. . . My son broke into your home recently while you were out.” 

In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into houses—and into the owners’ computers as well—learning their secrets, and maybe sharing some of them, too.

Who is he, and what might he have uncovered? After two anonymous letters are received, whispers start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. And when a woman down the street is found murdered, the tension reaches the breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they’re telling? And how far will all these very nice people go to protect their own secrets? 

In this neighborhood, it’s not just the husbands and wives who play games. Here, everyone in the family has something to hide . . .

You never really know what people are capable of.

My Review……

A very strong ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me!!

This book grabbed me from the very first couple pages and took me on one of the wildest rides I’ve ever had. A twist around every bend that makes you change your line of thinking, but then question yourself and just keeps adding to the story. I love the small town vibe and close knit community and the chaos that ensues with a couple new neighbors. Another fabulous book from Shari Lapena and a must read for all lovers of Thrillers!!!

I hope you all enjoy my review of Somone We Know by Shari Lapena! If you’ve read it let me know how you liked it in the comments below!! 😊

Happy Reading!! 🤓

Friday the 13th, Full Moon and turning 30!

Hellooooo!! I’ve missed you my friends. I haven’t been feeling all to well since I came down with a bad head cold last weekend, but I’m on the mend!!! That means I’m back with some bookish adventures to share with you. But first, I just wanted to let you all know that I did not turn into a werewolf last night, or any other supernatural being, with it being my birthday on Friday the 13th with a Full Harvest Moon. I am slightly disappointed with that outcome, but what can ya do! 😂

Books I’ve read since my last post :

  1. Dragon’s Oath : House of Quercus Novella by Eve Laird ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
  2. Binti (Binti #1) by Nnedi Okorafor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
  3. Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children #2) by Seanan McGuire ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
  4. Blood Witch (Sweep #3) by Cate Tiernan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
  5. Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
  6. Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
  7. The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Keep an eye out for a few reviews from that list, some of them were undeniably review worthy!

My Current Reads!!!

I always have multiple books going at once, mostly because I’ve finally realized that I’m a huge mood reader. I never have any trouble with mixing up stories or characters, so I figure why not? Especially at the pace I devour books.

The first book I’m in process of reading is the infamous IT by Stephen King!

This is a long term TBR veteran of mine, and I’ve started but never finished twice. This time I loaned the audiobook from my Library on the Libby App and got about 64% of the way through it before my loan expired. Have no fear, or do if clowns aren’t your thing 🤡, but I do own a copy of IT in paperback and will be finishing the beast of a novel next weekend for a Readathon!!! So far I am really enjoying the story and the psychological suspense is to die for! 😜 *ta dum tiss*

Next is the 2nd book in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor, Days of Blood & Starlight. I am so happy to be back in the world of Chimera and see what happens with Karou and Akiva! 🥰

And Lastly, I was really needing a scary haunted house type book to ring in my 30th Birthday and fit with the rainy weather we are having, so I started a highly anticipated 2019 read for me… The Invited by Jennifer McMahon! The very first paragraph sucked me in and I’ve been grabbing minutes of reading when I can (I keep getting roped into decorating projects at the lake house 🙄😂).

So now that the bench for the front porch is put together and perfectly placed, I’m back in the chair with Baxter in my lap and ready to dive back in to this spooky story!!!

If you hear any howling at the moon this weekend you can ease your mind that it’s not me. But then again, maybe you should be concerned as to who the true culprit is of such eerie behavior. 😆

Happy Reading!! 🤓

Fish Tacos, Killer Clowns and The Queen of Hearts

#homecooking #literaryadventures #IT #Heartless #diningwithvillains #booknerd #dinnerandagoodbook #readingislife

What do the three things in my post title have in common? Well I’m glad you asked! 😂 Those three things, and a few more are what I have been up to this week! I have taken it upon myself to finish a few more books before the end of the month, as well as start cooking again. Not that I wasn’t cooking, but at wasn’t cooking enough.

I started by making homemade grouper fish tacos! It was quick, easy and deeee-licious! I have the rest of it for lunch tomorrow and I am already looking for ward to them. Now, this is where the Killer Clown comes in! For the last year and a half I have been trying to get through IT by Stephen King, but I kept getting distracted by much shorter books and abandoning IT. 🤡 “ahaha! Hi Georgie! Do you want a balloon?” In hopes of finally tackling this beast of terrifying proportions, I loaned the audiobook from my Library on the Libby app. I heard the one narrated by Steven Weber is fantastic, and it really is! I listened to a good chunk of it, equal to a little over 100 pages, the night I made fish tacos. Best way to read and eat a meal that is definitely not reading friendly. 😃

The next two nights, Yesterday night and Tonight, I’ve made meatloaf and sloppy joes while reading Heartless by Marissa Meyer. I am on a roll! Weeeee!!! 😆

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 rating

I definitely recommend this book to all who enjoy a good Alice in Wonderland retelling, or who have read Marissa’s Lunar Chronicles and want to read more by her.

Description (from Goodreads)-

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

In her first stand-alone teen novel, the New York Times-bestselling author dazzles us with a prequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

My Review :

I have been a fan of the characters from Alice in Wonderland since I was a little girl and first watched Disney’s adaptation of the story. I have also enjoyed the Tim Burton remakes, and of course the actual book. I have been a fan of Marissa Meyer’s writing since I first read Cinder a year or so ago. I think she really has a way with words. So, when a dear friend of mine encouraged me to finally read Heartless I picked it up, and my god was it worth it!

The characters are endearing, overly bubbly, obnoxiously proud, and mysterious… among many other things. Just like in the movies and the original book, I immediately wanted to be transported into the world of the Kingdom of Hearts to live it for myself. The threat of the Jabberwock and secret adventures with Jest, all I could think was, “why not me?”. I instantly felt a bond with Catherine Pinkerton, especially because of her love of baking and her simple desire to do what makes her most happy in life, even if that meant not being Queen and not inheriting her family’s fortune.

There is no lack of excitement, terror, or swooning throughout the entire book and by the time I read the very last line, I was ready to start it all over again! There is no failure on world building or character development in this book, and the characters that were familiar to me were very much how I’ve always imagined them! However, I am quite upset I still have not received an invitation for tea with Hatta and Haigha!

A truly wonderful story that is a fantastic prequel to the infamous Alice in Wonderland. Marissa Meyer truly has a gift with putting magical stories to paper.

And to top it all off, my sloppy joe with a delicious goat cheese side salad was the perfect dinner to consume while my mind raced with finals thoughts of the fabulous story of The Queen of Hearts. Man, I’ve been dining with some very interesting characters of my own! Maybe I’ll have my own tea party 😜

I’m off to have another literary adventure! I’ll catch you next time and Happy Reading. 🤓

A week of smut 😍

I am part of an Admin Team for two book groups through Facebook, and they are my pride and joy! This week in the one group, Monthly Readalong!, I am hosting a week long Good Bye Summer Smutathon, and we are having so much fun! I have never really been one for smut, but it’s a nice palate cleanser from all the heavy fantasy I’ve been reading lately.

The first book I read was cute and a typical smut. All the steam and racy scenes that you would expect.

Fever by Lucia Jordan

Description from Amazon-

“Here is the first book in the ‘Fever’ Series, a seriously hot and provocative romance by Lucia Jordan, written in her signature style of high passion and emotion. 

As Selena’s fantasies become reality, the price of pleasure is complete submission… 

Darius Gaspari has always been out of reach. Selena knows she doesn’t have a chance with a man as gorgeous and charismatic as her co-worker. Watching him from afar and fantasizing about what could never be is the most she could do to satisfy her longing. That is until a new neighbor moves next door and neglects to put curtains in his bathroom window. 

Selena doesn’t mean to peek but can’t stop herself – just the sight of the mystery man’s muscled physique in the shower has her aching with lust. Although she knows it’s wrong, she just can’t stop herself enjoying the show he puts on everyday. But little does Selena know this man may not be as mysterious as she first thought. And when he finally confronts her after getting caught, what is revealed about him will turn Selena’s world upside down. 

My next books is a Supernatural Smut, and a novella. The great thing about smut and novellas is they are fun reads and go super quick. A nice way to pad your yearly Goodreads reading challenge goal! 😉

Dragon’s Oath : A House of Quercia Novella by Eve Laird

Description from Amazon-

“If she can’t trust them, she’ll kill them.
Vita:

Jealous lies got me thrust out of Heaven, banished to live out my days on Earth. Being surrounded by demons and Incorrupti Knights were the least of my worries.

When three Other Natured crossed my path with stories about a sanctuary that needed our help, I knew I was here for a reason. Fallen or not, no Angel could turn their back on helping to protecting the innocent.

But the last thing I expected when I arrived was a badly injured Dragon awaiting my arrival and insistent on speaking with me. By name. Curiosity brought me to him, and the instant attraction that sizzled between us wouldn’t let me leave.

He is a dominant, mysterious, commanding stranger and I can’t help but want to share his secrets… and make some of our own.”

The Smutathon ends Friday (tomorrow! Yikes!!!) and while I haven’t read as much as I planned, I’ll still have 2 extra books read that I hadn’t originally planned on for the month of August! Woohoo!! Go me!

With the weekend being a long weekend, thanks to Labor Day on Monday, I have lots of reading plans. Check in with you soon! Happy Reading! 🤓

August Wrap Up

I seriously can’t believe it’s the last week in August already!! Where has the time gone? Well, I’m home laid up on the couch with the stomach bug (boooo!!!) so I figured I’d be proactive and write my August wrap up now! I know, I know…. I’ve been horrible at keeping y’all updated on my book adventures and delicious food. I’m so selfish!! 😂

For July I read 17 books! Yes, you read that correctly……SEVENTEEN 😱 Where did that come from? Who am I? I have impressed even myself! I usually average between 10-13 books a month, so that was a record! I didn’t rush through any of them and enjoyed every single one. I’ve found my secret to reading so much though! I need a good mix of audiobooks, graphic novels/manga, and print books. Reading is reading, no matter what the format!

Drum Roll Please!!! Prrrrrrruuummmmmm!

For August I have currently read 14 books and I have 2 in progress! I will definitely be matching my record of 17 books, but it’d be awesome if I could beat it! Regardless, I’ve read some amazing books this month!! My books that are in progress are Heartless by Marissa Meyer and Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa. But first, I’ll give a run down of top three favorite books of the month so far.

Top 3 favorite books of August

  • The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
  • Sadie by Courtney Summers
  • The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman

These were 3 of my 5 star books this month (yes I had more), but they are the 3 that have stayed in my head since I read them! A close 4th are the Sweep Series books by Cate Tiernan.

Review for The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang-

I absolutely loved this book!!! The class struggles displayed with Rin’s story, the warfare and the magic of Shamans were all amazing pieces of an extremely dense and fantastically woven story based on real life history of China’s past. There was Gore and things that might be triggers to some people, but it was all appropriate and had a purpose to this story. I feel the ending was beautifully written and transitions us to the next book perfectly. So glad I grabbed The Dragon Republic to start immediately because The Poppy War just devoured my soul and spit it back out. Seriously amazing book, especially for a debut novel.

Review for Sadie by Courtney Summers –

I chose the route of the full cast audiobook for Sadie, per the recommendation of some close friends. I was not disappointed!!! What a fantastic audiobook and a great story! I cannot even imagine what I would do if I were in Sadie’s shoes, but my heart felt for her and I desperately hoped for her to find peace. I wonder what happened to her in the end, but I guess we’ll always wonder. This is one of those books that I will find myself thinking about on occasion for the rest of my life.

Review for The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman –

I love absolutely everything about this book!!! I love the plot, the amazing characters, the setting (bc upstate/western NY and garbage plates are life, duh!) and I love The Gray. What a spooky evil!!! There were so many small events leading up to the ending, and yet still some questions left unanswered leaving for a perfect transition to the next book. Do I have to wait??? Wahhhh 😭 Isaac has such a great, quirky and sarcastic personality that goes hand in hand perfectly with Violet’s personality. I love the use of familiars, brings in a touch of witch practice. I also really enjoyed the conflict between generations, it was really relatable. I could keep going on about everything I loved about this book, but at that time I’d have listed everything in the book and I don’t like to give spoilers. 😄 So read this book!!! You seriously won’t be able to put it down!!!

Now that I’ve thoroughly caught you up on my reading escapades, here is a cute picture of Baxter at the lakehouse during one of our long weekend stays. Please feel free to oooo and ahhh over his eternal cuteness while I bid you adieu for now and Happy Ready!! 😃🤓

I’m stuffed! Time to read

It’s been a while since I’ve shared any food that I’ve whipped up in the kitchen! Tonight I had a fun time making Portobello Mushroom Pizzas!! 😋 I might even prefer these to regular pizza.

Mmmmm, melty cheese. I used a garlic red sauce, pickled jalapeños (I like spicy), Parmesan cheese, dried oregano, then topped with shredded mozzarella and Gouda. I even drizzled a little balsamic on top! It was amazing, and I might have had two of them. You just have to make sure to brush the portobello with olive oil before you pop them in the oven, then cook 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees.

The only thing I might do differently next time is cut back on the cheese, but overall this will definitely become a regular in my kitchen! Now we get down to the good stuff!

Last weekend I managed to finish 6 books! I finished an audio book, an ebook and 4 graphic novels!

  • The Haunted by Bentley Little (audiobook) 4 stars
  • The Last 8 by Laura Pohl (ebook) 3 stars
  • Relish : My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley 4 stars
  • The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and The Olympians #2) by Rick Riordan 5 stars
  • Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 4 stars
  • The Sigh by Marjane Satrapi 5 stars

It was an amazing reading weekend for me, and I really credit it to the fact that I felt a little under the weather over the weekend. Baxter was a good nurse and we just laid on the couch and read it watched tv. My favorite read was Sea of Monsters as I am absolutely loving the Percy Jackson series, it’s such a great series with Greek mythology and fun action!

This week I’ve read 3 more books! Two audiobooks and my last graphic novel that I got from the Library.

  • If She Knew by Blake Pierce 3 stars
  • Interview with the Vampire Claudia’s Story by Ashley Marie Witter (Adaptor/Illustrator) and Anne Rice 4 stars
  • That Boy by Jillian Dodd 4 stars

My current read is The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang and I’m just about 40 pages in and really enjoying it so far!

Description from goodreads- “When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.”

Well, I’m off to keep reading! I hope everyone has a great night! 😊