MARCH TBR

Wow, I can’t believe it’s March already! Excited for everyone to see what I have picked for this month, it’s gonna be a good one!

Ashes Of Gold by J. Elle
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, YA

The Circus Infinite by Khan Wong
Genre: Adult, LGBT, Sci-Fi

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tann
Genre: Fantasy, Retellings, Romance

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Genre: Adult, Fiction, Mystery

Flames Of Chaos by Amelia Hutchins
Genre:Adult, Fantasy, Romance

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Gallant by V.E.Schwab
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, YA

The Goddess of Nothing At All by Cat Rector
Genre: Adult, Fiction, Fantasy

Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance

How High We Go In The Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

A Hunt of Shadows by Elise Kova
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, YA

Hunt The Stars by Jessie Mihalik
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

The Quarter Storm by Veronica G. Henry
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Mystery

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance

The Reunion by Meghan Quinn
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

River of Shadows by Karina Halle
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmerg
Genre: Adult, Fiction, Romance

Second Star To The Left by Megan Van Dyke
Genre: Fantasy, Retellings, Romance

Seven Devils by Laura Lam & Elizabeth May
Genre: Adult, LGBT, Romance

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

What Lies Beyond The Veil by Harper L. Woods
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

The Winding by Avi Datta
Genre: Adult, Fiction, Sci-Fi

The Woman In The Window by A.J. Finn
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Yes and I Love You by Roni Loren
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

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

The Last Watch

“One act doesn’t define someone, good or bad. I hate what you did. Not you.”

The Last Watch follows a band of criminal misfits who have been banished to the edge of space that have to their petty grievances aside to save the universe from certain destruction. Each character has their own agenda but if they want to save earth and find a way to redeem themselves, they must work together before it’s too late.

Wow! This book was truly enjoyable and I’m glad that I don’t have to wait for the second book. I’ve been reading a lot of Sci-Fi lately and I’m really glad that I have because I haven’t had a miss yet and will probably be my new favorite Sci-Fi series. The plot wasn’t something that I’d seen before with a band of misfits coming together to save the world but the way it was done here made it more unique and interesting and I believe the writing had a lot to do with that. It honestly felt like I was there and I could feel the tension between the characters in stressful situation. Another great aspect of the book were the characters as they each had their own flaws that made them very relatable and I felt invested not only with their personal journey but how they fit in with the rest of the group. Overall, this was a really good suspenseful Sci-Fi space opera filled with everything you would hope for a Sci-Fi series to have.

Quiet In Her Bones

“Ten years was a long time for evidence to age and fade. For flesh to disappear. For everyone to forget that Nina Parvati Rai had been a living, breathing woman who’d loved music and cooking and had a mind like a computer.
In another life she could have been a professor.
In this life she’d been a rich man’s wife.
Now she was just bones.”

Quiet In Her Bones tells the story of socialite Nina Rai who disappeared mysteriously one night and was never seen again. At the time, no one thought it was suspicious, just a trophy wife tired of her wealthy husband. But when her bones turn up in the forest greens that surrounds their wealthy neighborhood where secrets have been kept but now people are starting to ask questions and while the rich who live there may not want to know what happen, one person knows that something terrible happen. Her son, Aarav remembers the chilling scream that came from his mother that fateful night ten years ago and he’s determined to find out what happen to her no matter the cost.

Wow! What a fantastic murder thriller and I truly mean that. While this book had his downsides which I will get to in a bit, this was a truly exciting and gripping thriller that had me turning the page for more. The writing style was a bit different and while I did like it, there was also a downside to it as some of the writing was a bit over-sexualized and almost came off as though it was written by a man. While I understand that the author could’ve been intending it be portrayed a little over the top, it still felt a bit much. But, there were other parts of the book that helped me enjoy it as much as I did. I felt as though the characters were well developed and while there was a lot of them, I was invested in each of them so that’s always a good thing cause there’s nothing worse than under developed characters. Lastly, what made this novel so great was the twists throughout the book and usually with some thrillers, they can very predictable but not in this book and I think that makes this a true thriller. I recommend it if you like you suspenseful thrillers that keep you wanting more.

No Exit by Taylor Adams

“Don’t fear the pros. The pros know what they’re doing, and do it cleanly. Fear the amateurs.”

On her way home, Darby Thorne gets stuck in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of her mother’s home in Colorado. With the roads impassible, Darby has no choice but to wait it out at a rest stop where inside are four strangers, vending machines, and a coffee maker. Desperate to get home, she heads back to her car where she makes a horrifying discovery, a young girl is locked in an animal cage in the van next to her car. There are more questions than answers as she finds no cell phone reception to call for help, one of her fellow travelers is a kidnapper, and not only find a way to save herself but the little girl before it’s too late.

This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time! From beginning to end, I was hooked and turning the page in anticipation. I’ve been getting into thrillers more and more in the last year or so and it can be hard sometimes to find a great thriller as some can be cliche and predictable. But, this is not one of those books and I was glad that I decided to read it. From the writing, characters, plot development etc., I really enjoyed how they all fleshed together for a really good thriller with smartly creative plot twists that weren’t predictable and they also made sense. This will have you on the edge of your seat begging for more so if you’re in the mood for a good thriller, I would highly recommend this!

Halloween ROund Up Part 1

Here is another week of spooky and fun halloween reads! Hope you enjoy!

A collection of spooky, gothic, and terrifying short stories that will make you sleep with the lights on. This is a new series of short stories curated by filmmaker and horror fanatic Guillermo del Toro.

I’m a sucker for short stories as I have been getting into them more and more and I was glad to find this series as I loved it. I hadn’t heard of some of these stories before so I went in not knowing what to expect. I enjoyed all of the short stories but I think my favorite out of them would be Comet Wine which was shorter than the other stories in the book but really stood out to me. If you’re a fan of horror stories and you want to read more gothic horror, then this is right up your alley. It was delightful and spooky all at the same time.

A truly frightening and supernatural thriller that helped define the genre. It tells the story of four seekers who notoriously arrive at the unfriendly pile that is called Hill House. The occult and mysterious scholar, Dr. Montague who is looking to find evidence of a serious haunting; his lighthearted assistant Theodora; Eleanor, a friendless and fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke Sanderson, the future heir to Hill House. At first, the four companions are enjoying their stay but then strange things begin to happen that cannot be explained and they soon discover that Hill House seeks to take one of them to make it’s own.

Truly one of my favorite books and I love the new spin on it done by Del Toro. The first time I read this book, it seriously scared me but I’m a lot older now and it was a fun and spooky tale this time. I love everything about this book especially the plot, characters, and how it developed until the end. It was a delightful reread so if you should check this out if you’re a horror fan looking for a scare!

There’s an old house on a hill in the woods that all the kids call Halloween House. They say a witch lives there, a witch has come back to haunt the children and others. The kids had accused her of being a witch and when word got to the townspeople, they came together and burned the house down and before she died she put a curse on them. A curse that no one believed until three years later, strange things begin to happen and children are vanishing one by one. That’s when the townspeople realize the terrifying truth: the curse was real and witch might not be dead after all.

I really wanted to like this story but it fell flat for many reasons. It was a very predictable plot but I had hoped from the reviews that it would be a unique spin but it didn’t turn out that way. I felt like the ending was rushed and there were a few parts that made no sense to what was happening. Lastly, I wished the characters were more developed than they were, they felt one-dimensional so it was hard to invest in them. It was a bummer but maybe other people will like this story so that’s fine!

Locke and Key tells the story of Keyguard, a mysterious mansion located in New England. It is an unlikely home with fantastic doors that will transform to all those who enter them. It is home to all the hate-filled and relentless creatures that will not rest until it opens the most terrible door of them all.

Not my usual read but for a halloween readathon I’m doing and it was quite good.I don’t normally read graphic novels as they’re hit and miss with at times but this was pretty entertaining and very spooky. I like how the story was told because it wasn’t done in a way that was unpredictable and definitely gave a eerie vibe. There were a few times that I didn’t something to happen and it scared me so give this a shot if you think you’d like it!

Journey into the night realm where vampires, werewolves, shifters and other nightly creatures looking for human prowl in the streets while also attending school. Ailis & Naya are pretty average young students who are the first to notice strange things happening when a shadow starts looming and a fellow classmate disappears. But things get even more personal when Naya’s little brother, Desh disappears. That’s when both girls decide it’s time to take matters into their own hands and confront the secrets of the forbidden mansion located in the silent woods.

What a cute little novel! I really enjoyed this, it was fun, spooky, and well written. I found the plot incredibly enjoyable in addition to the characters, writing, and how the story developed. Ailis and Naya were unique, fun, and quirky characters and I enjoyed the dynamics between the two. It felt like a very real friendship and I thought they were both great on their own. The plot and writing was also very good so I highly recommend this book!

Book of The Week: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Series

Book: A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series by Holly Jackson

Rating: 4/5

Before I get into talking about the series, I just wanted to preface this and say I finished these books quicker than I expected. This series is fantastic. From the plot, characters, writing, dynamics between the characters, pacing, and atmosphere, it was done really well. I had heard from a few people that the series was fun, easy to read, entertaining, and a true mystery but I didn’t expect it to be so good.

The series main protaganist, Pippa Fitz a high school student who isn’t so sure that Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Sighn even though everyone says he did it. Pippa is determined to solve the case herself and use it as a class project for her senior year but the more she tries to uncover, the more danger waits in the darkness. Pippa begins to find that there are more questions than answers and someone is desperate to keep those secrets kept hidden. The more Pippa digs, the more dangerous it becomes and those close to Pippa are worried that she could be next.

The first book did a great job at setting things up for the next two books but the way the pacing was done really helped. It was right in the middle, not too slow and not too fast. The second and third book were just as good as the first one and I’m sad that it’s over but I couldn’t put the books down. It was a such a nail biter to the end as I felt like the twists, jumps, and turns were done so well that you didn’t even seen them coming. I loved Pippa as I found her a very fleshed out well written character who had a good head on her shoulders and wanted to make those around feel safe. She can be a bit brash and acts before she thinks but throughout the series, there is growth to her character that I found believable. I found her interactions with other characters well done and the dynamics were great. The other characters were great, they were all unique and had their own struggles and conflicts especially with Pippa.

The second and third book were filled with just as much excitement, terror, suspense, action, heart-warming moments as the first book which made me happy. As sad as I am that the series is over, I wouldn’t want a fourth book as everything is tied up nicely in the third book and I feel doing a fourth book would slightly ruin the series. It’s good to know when to stop and not drag things out and annoying readers in the process as that can happen. A truly great mystery/thriller series that will keep you wanting more so check it out!!

Favorite Quotes:

“The people you love weren’t algebra: to be calculated, subtracted, or held at arm’s length across a decimal point.”

“But sometimes remembering isn’t for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile. Those lies were allowed.”

“I think we all get to decide what good and bad and right and wrong mean to us, not what we’re told to accept.”

“A quietness settled over the room, a quietness that wasn’t the absence of sound, it was its own living thing, stifling in the spaces between them.”

“But sometimes remembering isn’t for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile. Those lies were allowed.” 

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Rating: 3/5

“After all, everyone’s entitled to be the hero of their own story. So I must be permitted to be the hero of mine. Even though I’m not. I’m the villain.”

Mariana Andros is a troubled but brilliant therapist trying to heal herself from the death of her husband while living living in London. She becomes fixated on The Maidens, an all female secret society and the man they adore Edward Fosca. The professor is adored by the students and staff alike but Mariana is convinced that he’s no good and her suspicions are heightened when a member of The Maidens, is murdered. Not only was she a member of the group but also a friend of her niece, Zoe. Mariana is determined to find out the truth but soon she finds herself in more trouble than she bargained for.

I will admit that I did not enjoy this book as much as I wanted to and it’s a shame. I was first introduced to Michaelides when a friend recommended The Silent Paitent and I loved it so I started following him. When I first heard about this book, I was excited and intrigued cause it sounded like it was right up my alley. First, the plot was super interesting and intriguing and I liked how it was setting up but then it took a dive that I didn’t see coming in later chapters that didn’t make a lot of sense. I lost interest but was able to finish the book but did enjoy the plot twist but wish the other stuff was executed better. But that’s sometimes how it goes!

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Rating: 4/5

Not only do I love a good mystery, I love the surprises that come along the way and this book was definitely packed with them. I didn’t intend to read this book until I heard others talking about how good it was so I decided to check it out. I couldn’t put it down once I started! I was totally spooked by the island and wouldn’t want to be on a island like this anytime soon.

At first, I didn’t know if I was gonna finish it because of how many different characters came into play and not many of them were like-able. But, once I got deeper into the book, the more invested I became more invested. I believe a lot of that has to do with Foley’s writing as I actually felt like I knew the people even if they weren’t very like-able. Hannah and Olivia were my favorites because they were the most like-able out of everyone.

By the end of the book, I was so invested that I didn’t want it to end. This was one of the most satisfying mystery books that I’ve read and I understand why the Goodreads Award as it deserved that. So if you’re looking for a good mystery then I would definitely check this book out.