JANUARY WRap Up

Hey everyone! This month has gone by so fast and I got in a lot of good books and I’m excited to share them with you all!

The Age of Overwhelm by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky
Genre: Non-Fiction, Psychology, & Self-Help
Review: Here

Rating: 4.5

The Crossing Gate by Asiel R. Lavie
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult
Review: Here

Rating: 4.5

The Exiled Fleet by J.S. Dewes
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Review: Here

Rating: .4.5

Every Last Secret by A.R. Torre
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Review: Here

Rating: 4.5

How To Stop Time by Matt Haig
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical-Fiction
Review: Here

Rating: 4.5

King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 3.5/5

The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Review: Here

Rating: 4.5

Lore Olympus by Rachel Symthe
Genre: Adult, Graphic Novels, Mythology
Review: Here

Rating 5.5

Love, Lists, & Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 4.5

Quiet In Her Bones by Nalini Singh
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Review: Here

Rating: 4.5

Read Between The Lines by Rachel Lacey
Genre: Adult, LGBT, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 4.5

Risk by Fleur Ferris
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Review: Here

Rating: 4.5

The Good Lie by A.R. Torre
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Review: Here

Rating: 5.5

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 4.5

Take Me To Your Nerdy Leader by Hailey Gonzales
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, YA
Review: Here

Rating: 5.5

What Happened To You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Dr. Bruce Perry & Oprah Winfrey
Genre: Mental Health, Non-Fiction, Self-Help
Review: Here

Rating: 5/5

When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, YA
Review: Here

Rating: 4.5

Romance WRAP Up

A little change up as I feel like is more easy to do, I’m going to combine all my genre reads into one post so I don’t feel like it’s a chore to make separate posts for them.

Rosie Taft and Jane Breslin couldn’t be more different as books are Rosie’s life as she owns a bookstore that was originally her mother’s. With living in Manhattan, the young girl seems to have it all except for one thing: a love life. While Rosie is wishing her love life to take shape, Jane Breslin operates as a real estate owner by day and a streamer by night where she uses the alias of Brie and spends her time flirting with a mysterious person who happens to be Rosie. When Rosie finds out that Jane’s family business has terminated the lease to her beloved bookstore, romance is on the back burner but there is no denying the sparks between them, will the two find a way to meet in the middle or is it another heartbreak for the young women?”

What a super cute book with a fun and engaging plot! I loved the relationship between Rosie and Jane as it developed throughout the book. It had everything you could want and I found myself relating to both characters as they had their own quirks and flaws that made them feel so real. The plot was cute and although I’ve read books with this similar plot, the author does of a good job of changing up a few things so it’s not so familiar. Overall, a super cute and fun book and I can’t wait fro the second installment of this series.

For the last year, Jo Stewart has been working on a bucket list while working as a yacht stewardess and she’s been excelling with her list while enjoying her time before her birthday. Jo is feeling good and on track with her bucket list when tragedy strikes and Jo”s world comes crashing down as she’s forced to confront painful memories from her past and process through difficult emotions. While trying to stay on track with her list, she finds herself developing feelings for a young man, Alex Hayes and this further complicates her relationships and she must make a choice to stop playing it safe and embrace her past or she will lose what matters the most.

I really enjoyed this book as it touched upon serious issues like grief, mental health, emotions, and family issues in a way that wasn’t over the top but still very real. I loved Jo, I thought she was a very relatable character and I felt for her throughout the book as she struggled to come to terms with her past in order to embrace the present and choose what matters most to her rather than playing it safe. That struck a cord with me as I went through similar changes so I was rooting for her the entire time. The romance was very cute and I did enjoy the plot! I would totally recommend this book to others! A fun, interesting, and heartwarming read about embracing the past so you can live the life you’ve always wanted for yourself.

If there was one person Catalina Martin couldn’t stand, it was Aaron Blackford and the feeling is mutual. But, desperate times call for desperate measures as she needs to bring someone to her sister’s wedding or else she’ll never live it down. It’s just a simple trip with the most obnoxious, aggravating, and nosiest man she’s ever met. Or is it?

Ahhhhh, this book was so much fun!! I loved it from beginning to end. The enemies to lovers trope is my favorite and it was so well done and felt very real! I love their relationship and how it developed through the book. The plot, characters, and how the story developed were fleshed out together so that it made a very fun read.

To everyone who knows them, best friends Meil and Sam as are strange as they are inseparable.The pair has magical abilities that are on opposites sides of the spectrum as roses grow out of Miel’s wrist and Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs out in tree’s and while not much is know about him or his mother before they moved here, even they know to stay away from the Bonner girls, who are witches. But, when Miel and Sam discover that the witches want Miel’s roses that grow out her skin as they believe the scent can make anyone fall in love, the two must do what they can to not only protect Meil and every secret she’s sworn to protect but their loved ones.

Oh Anna-Marie McLemore, you really have a way with words. This was such a heartwarming and beautiful read as I was hooked from beginning to end. I’ve been a huge fan of her writing and she never fails to disappoint with how she develops her characters and I always feel like I know them. The struggles of the characters are what drive this particular story as it follows, Latina Miel and Samir, an Italian-Pakistani trans boy and McLemore does an excellent job with tackling these serious issues in a way that feels real. A truly beautiful tale of friendship, belonging, and finding your inner voice.

MOst anticipated books FOR FEBRUARY

Didn’t plan on doing this originally but I thought it would be fun to share my most anticipated books for each month of the year! I was going to do it all in one but that would go on forever!

Lockdown on London Lane by Beth Reekles
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: 2/1/2022

Hunt The Stars by Jessie Mihalik
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Release Date: 2/1/22

Theses Deadly Games by Diane Urban
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers
Release Date: 2/1/2022

Not The Witch You Wed by April Asher
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Release Date: 2/8/2022

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: 2/8/2022

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Release Date: 2/15/2022

Second Star To The Left by Megan Van Dyke
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Retelling
Release Date: 2/15/2022

League Of Liars by Astrid Scholte
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery
Release Date: 2/22/2022

Deliah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: 2/22/2022

Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist
Genre: Adult, LGBT, Horror
Release Date: 2/22/2022

Fake by Erica Katz
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Release Date: 2/22/2022

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Release Date: 2/22/2022

Sisters of The Forsaken Stars by Lina Rather
Genre: Adult, LGBT, Sci-Fi
Release Date: 2/22/2022

January TBR

Wow!! Can’t believe it’s January and I’m excited for this new year to begin so let’s get started with my picks for this month!

Adaline and the Sphere by Beady Vries
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

Cold The Night, Fast The Wolves by Meg Long
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Sci-Fi

How To Stop Time by Matt Haig
Genre: Fiction, Historical-Fiction, Sci-Fi

King Of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, YA

The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Love, Lists, & Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
Genre: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Mythology

Nightrender by Jodi Meadows
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, YA

Quiet In Her Bones by Nalini Singh
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Read Between The Lines by Rachel Lacey
Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, Romance

Serendipity by Various Authors
Genre: Contemporary, Romance,

Take Me To Your Nerdy Leader by Hailey Gonzales
Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, Romance,

OCtober WRap up

Wow! I can’t believe October is almost over!! I had a lot of fun this month and was able to get in more reading than I anticipated. Can’t wait for y’all to see what I read this for month!

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and The Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen
Genre: Non-Fiction, LGBT, Sexuality
Review: Here

Rating: 5/5

Dead Voices by Katherine Arden
Genre: Middle Grade, Fiction, Horror
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Dagger Hill by Devon Taylor
Genre: Horror, Mystery, YA
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, YA
Review: Here

Rating: 3.5/5

Haunted Castles by Ray Russel
Genre: Horror, Fiction, Mystery
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Halloween Fiend by C.V. Hunt
Genre: Horror, Fiction, Novellas
Review: Here

Rating: 3.5/5

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Genre: Horror, Fiction, Mystery
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Hollow Heathens: Tales of Weeping Willow by Nicole Fiorina
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Goosebumps: One Day In Horrorland by R.L. Stine
Gerne: Horror, Fiction, Middle Grade
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Nightbooks by J.A. White
Genre: Middle School, Horror, Fiction
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell
Genre: LGBT, Romance, YA
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsey Currie
Genre: Middle Grade, Fiction, Mystery
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson
Genre: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Scritch Scratch by Lindsey Currie
Genre: Horror, Paranormal, Middle Grade
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
Genre: Middle Grade, Fiction, Horror
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

Steelstriker by Marie Lu
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, YA
Review: Here

Rating: 4/5

The Witch of Halloween House by Jeff Degordick
Genre: Fiction, Horror, Mystery
Review: Here

Rating: 3.5

ACE

The label of asexual should be value neutral. It should indicate little more than sexual orientation. Instead, asexual implies a slew of other, negative associations: passionless, uptight, boring, robotic, cold, prude, frigid, lacking, broken. These, especially broken, are the words aces use again and again to describe how we are perceived and made to feel.”

This book was not only en-lighting but made me feel seen, heard, and validated in ways that I can’t even begin to explain. I had herd about this book from other people who had found touching and informative. I went into this book not expecting much but just wanting to learn more about asexuality and I ended up leaving with not only being more informed but being more empowered. From the time that I entered high school to a few years ago, I felt confused with my sexuality as I wasn’t sure if I liked both sexes or just one, or if I wasn’t interested in sex at all. I can always remember my friends talking about relationships and sex and it made me a bit uncomfortable because I just didn’t feel very interested in it. Because of that, I always felt misunderstood and bullied and it wasn’t until a few years ago when I started finding out more about asexuality that I finally felt like I found what I was looking for as a teenager.

This book really made me feel understood and I can only hope the same for others who are dealing with similar feelings like I had and not being sure if they are asexual. I think asexuality is very misunderstood and even though more information is being introduced, there is still a very long way to go. But, I felt the way it was written in the book was well done and not over the top in anyway. In addition to how it was written, I did enjoy the feminism aspect of it because as someone who is white, I’ve never considered or even thought about the unique struggles if you’re a POC or trans. I think that’s very important to include when talking about issues like sexuality as you can lack privilege in one area and make up for it another. It’s important to know and understand the issues that others face as it helps bring more awareness to certain issues. Overall, this was a very informative, empowering, validating, and excellent book so I highly recommend checking it out.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

Deja, I don’t want October to be over. Because October means you.”


This was a pretty fun and easy read. I’ve read a few of Rowell’s books and enjoyed them so I decided to check read this for my TBR. The story follows, Deja and Joshia who are seasonable best friends as every autumn throughout high school, they work together at the same pumpkin patch. But this time, it will be different as this is their last year working together before they graduate high school and go their separate ways. The two had different ideas for how their last shift should end but both believe that it should end with an adventure.

The characters especially Deja were fun, interesting, and relatable and I loved the relationship between Deja and Joshia as it felt real. The plot was cute and the ending was super cute and I liked how things developed throughout the story. I found the romance pretty cute and believable and I’m glad that it wasn’t rushed. Super cute and fun story so if you’re looking for a short and easy read, this is for you!

The Bronzed Beasts

“If you think what we are doing is impossible, then let us rewrite what possibility means. Together.”

Still reeling over Severin’s betrayal, the crew is fractured and while they armed with only a handful of hints, they must find their way through the snarled and haunted waterways of Venice, Italy to locate Severin. Meanwhile, Severin is on his own journey and one that could see him facing dangerous consequences as he faces the deranged whims of the patriarch of the fallen house and discover the location of a temple between a plague island where the divine lyre can be played and all his desires will come to pass. With only ten days until Lalia expires, the crew will face plague pits and dangerous masquerades, unearthly songs, and the shining steps of a temple whose powers might offer divinity itself but at a price that they’re not willing to pay.

Well this was a bit of letdown as I was anticipating that this would be a four or five star review. I was delighted to see the characters especially Zofia and Hypnos as they’ve been my favorites from the first book. I felt like they were fleshed out even more with growth as well as the other characters. Chokshi’s writing has really improved over the course of the trilogy and it really shows in this last book. I admire how she’s able to bring you into the world of the characters and make you feel like you’re apart of it. Now that I’ve talked about what I loved, it’s time to get what didn’t work for me. First off, the pacing was a little off at times and also didn’t match up to the plot in some parts so I felt confused during some parts. I felt like I was missing something and had to go back and reread certain sections. Which is why the ending didn’t really make a lot of sense to me because it felt rushed and forced as there were quite a few things that weren’t explained. So I feel like this book could’ve been a little better if things were explained better and not so forced as it felt. But, I’m sure others will enjoy it and that’s all that matters.

The Silvered Serpents

“Then again, the names we are born with can end up meaning so little. The names we give ourselves, well, perhaps that’s the truth of us.”

Severin and his crew might have successfully thwarted the fallen house, one victory that has come at a terrible cost. A cost that haunts them all leaving Severin desperate to make amends, he pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumored to grant it’s possessor the power of God. Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into the icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew whether a myth is really a myth at all. As hidden secrets come to light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves but what they may find out will lead them down paths they never expected.

Besides the writing, what really stands out in particular with this book is the diversity and Chokshi really does a good job with fleshing them out and giving them growth from the first book. I struggled to like Lalia in the first one as I wasn’t sold on her narrative but she grew on me as I got to know her more in this book. The characters are all emotionally engaging and have their own struggles and flaws which helps with understanding their motives. Out of all the characters, my favorite is the relatable queen, Zofia who is such an interesting and emotionally intelligent character. This book is where you see a lot of group dynamics develop just as much as the characters and that is always a treat to see. The only thing I hated was the cliffhanger at the end, I remember when I read it for the first time, I threw the book across the room. But, since I reread this closer to the release of the new book, I wasn’t as angry.

I will have a review of the third and final book very soon, stay tuned!