Author: tamaramorning

What I Read in August (2026)

Books Read in August: 12
Books Read for the Year:  108/225

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Alchemised, by SenLinYu (audio): This was a looong audio book. I still haven’t made up my mind about the book itself.
Maybe It’s Fate, by Heidi McLaughlin (TBR): This was a decent read. A little sad.
The Twelve, by Justin Cronin (TBR): i need to stop reading this author. his style just doesn’t work for me.
The Faith to Flourish, by Christine Cane (faith): Interesting read
Uncomplicate It, by Hosanna Wong (faith): This was a fantastic read! I’ve heard this author speak, and I love how her books are just as conversational.

For Review:

Fishbone Cinderella, by Elizabeth Lim. This was beautifully written, but…pretty sad.

The Mortal Enemy Murder Club, by Gloria Chao. This was a fun, enjoyable read.

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore, by Emily Krempholtz. This was a cute cozy fantasy read! (I only realized recently that was even a thing.) I enjoyed it and would happily read more in this world.

A Trade of Blood, by Robert Jackson Bennett. This is the oddest setting I’ve ever read in my life, but the two main characters are fascinating.

The Women in White, by Sarah Pekkanen. This was not a period in history I’m particularly interested in, but I was engrossed in this story from the very beginning.

The Lion & the Deathless Dark, by Carissa Broadbent. Despite not having read any of the other books in this series, this was surprisingly easy to get into. An interesting story—and I’m interested to read more.

Just Because:
Seeing Beautiful Again, by Lysa TerKeurst. This was a great devotional!

Left Unfinished:

Pride Comes Before a Fall, by Virginia Heath. This MC just did not catch my interest at all. I usually like this author’s books, but this wasn’t working for me.
Spellcast, by Sophie Jordan. I thought the first book in this series was decent, but I’ve DNFed the other two, so I’m going to stop trying. I found this boring and didn’t really care about the MC.
The Tomorrow Tree, by Carolyn Brown. Yeah…I just couldn’t care about these people.
A Single Captive Spark, by Emberly Ash. This felt like it jumped around way too much.
Too Perfect to Die, by Juliana Goodman. The MC felt very flat, and all of the characters were one-dimensional.
I’ll Stop the World, by Lauren Thomas, Mindy Kaling: These characters got on my NERVES.
The Iron Hex, by Victoria S. Walsh. This felt very juvenile and surface-level, more like an outline than anything with depth.
Queen of Shadow, by P.C. Cast. I used to love this author’s work, but now…this felt like a juvenile telenovela.

Book Review: The Women in White, by Sarah Pekkanen    

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: The Women in White
Author: Sarah Pekkanen             
Genre: Mystery  
Rating: 4 out of 5

Extrasensory perception.

The Gift.

A Sixth Sense.

Or something else….

In 1964, four remarkable young women at a prestigious university became the subjects of parapsychology experiments by a visionary scientist. On the cusp of a historic breakthrough, the women mysteriously vanished and the program was erased from history. Decades later, Riley Bell, newly divorced and desperate for a fresh start, accepts a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty. Riley steps into a home that is frozen in another era – no microwave, television, or cell phones, and Betty has never heard of the internet. Why has Betty lived in such profound isolation for so many years, and why does she need Riley now? As the story unfolds across two timelines – Betty’s 1960s era of 5 o’clock martinis and high-stakes experiments, and Riley’s quest to uncover the truth about the missing women – old secrets rise to the surface. And the only way to survive is to confront the mystery that has lingered for sixty years.

On one hand, this was a great read. Not my usual historical fiction era, but I enjoyed it—except for the expectations and controlling of the men in the novel. That was absolutely infuriating. The writing was excellent, and I loved all the characters. The experiments in the story were horrifying to me, but believable. I loved how Riley came to figure out what was going on and apply the lessons from Betty’s past to her own life.

Sarah Pekkanen is a bestselling author. The Women in White is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #386

This week was a decent writing week. I wrote two book reviews, A Trade of Blood, by Robert Jackson Bennett, and The Women in White, by Sarah Pekkanen. The jury is still out for whether I’m getting any fiction writing done. My head space isn’t quite right for writing.

Happy writing!

Book Review: A Trade of Blood, by Robert Jackson Bennett

Image belongs to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey.

Title: A Trade of Blood
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett  
Genre: Fantasy, mystery
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

In the canton of Sapirdad, two of the Empire’s most powerful families are moments away from going to war with each other, their hundreds of retainers gathered with swords drawn. If blood is spilt, the whole of the empire may be plunged into starvation and chaos.

To de-escalate matters, someone must do the impossible: prove that one family’s eldest son is innocent of a gruesome and unforgivable murder, despite the incontrovertible evidence against him.

It is with this undertaking that the great detective Ana Dolabra is tasked, her assistant Din at her side—and the two find themselves racing with great speed and little dignity to the scene.

As ever, the impossible proves little obstacle for the deadly combination of Ana’s intellect and Din’s keen eye, and mere hours after riding into the dusty town, Ana glimpses the greater pattern behind the crime. A deeper, subtler web of death is being woven in plain sight, by a mastermind with an ancient magical technology at his disposal.

But even Ana’s uncanny insight is of little use when each new suspect she uncovers ends up dead–with each new killing calculated to bring tensions between the two rival clans past the boiling point. And as Din pursues their adversary through the canton’s wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses, he finds his loyalties divided in unexpected ways.

The books in this series have the absolute weirdest setting I have ever read. Ever. And I’ve read a lot. But I find the two main characters—Ana and Din—to be fascinating. Each in their own right—not to mention their partnership. I felt like I had no idea what was going on the vast majority of the time, but I was eager to see what oddity revealed itself next. An excellent read—as long as you don’t mind the weird.

Robert Jackson Bennett is an award-winning author. A Trade of Blood is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #385

My life continues to be chaotic, so I only wrote one book review this week, Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore, by Emily Krempholtz. I’m tired and completely out of energy, so it’s unlikely any fiction writing will happen this weekend, either.

Happy writing!

Book Review: Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore, by Emily Krempholtz

Image belongs to

Title: Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore
Author: Emily Krempholtz             
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 4 out of 5 

She traded curses for carnations. But old magic dies hard…

Guy Shadowfade is dead, and Violet Thistlethwaite is out of a job. After a lifetime as the dark sorcerer’s right-hand witch, she’s ready to turn over a new leaf. And this time, she wants to sprout peonies instead of poison.

The quiet town of Dragon’s Rest seems like the perfect place to start over. Violet opens a flower shop, swears off dark magic, and does her best to be…good. Even if her reputation – and her mildly homicidal, sentient houseplant – make that tricky.

Her vibrant bouquets soon charm the locals, but nothing she does seems to impress the grumpy (and infuriatingly gorgeous) Nathaniel Marsh, the alchemist she’s forced to share a greenhouse with.

But when a strange blight begins to rot the roots of Dragon’s Rest, Violet and Nathaniel must work together – through their fears, pasts, and growing feelings – to save the town.

And as old secrets start to surface, Violet can’t help but does a former villain like her truly deserve a happily-ever-after?

This was a nice cozy fantasy read. Was it high stakes? No. Did I ever feel like the characters were truly in danger? No. And you know what…that was actually kind of nice. There’s enough high-stakes imagery in the real world. I don’t always need it in my fiction. I enjoyed all the fantasy creatures, the myths, the magic…and the flowers. Violet was a great character, and I loved watching her grow and thrive. Definitely a sweet, fun read.

Emily Krempholtz is a bestselling author. Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group | Ace in exchange for an honest review.)

   

Sundays are for Writing #384

Still not much reading time, so I only wrote one book review, The Mortal Enemy Murder Club, by Gloria Chao. Some fiction work was done. And naps were a priority when I had the opportunity. I’m really over the 100+ degree Texas heat. I’m ready for fall…

Happy writing!

Book Review: The Mortal Enemy Murder Club, by Gloria Chao

Image belongs to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row.

Title: The Mortal Enemy Murder Club
Author: Gloria Chao             
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

Kathryn Hu is not getting into the business of solving murders. Yes, she and her friends Olivia and Elle figured out who killed their cheating ex-boyfriend. But now Kat can get back to her usual, murder-free existence.

Then she gets an unexpected plea for help. Mandy Thorne has ruined countless lives through her revenge podcast. She also did her best to frame the girls. Now, she claims, someone is trying to kill her. And the girls are the only ones who can save her.

But can the trio and Mandy put aside their mutual contempt long enough to prevent a murder and solve this case? Can they become…the Mortal Enemy Murder Club?

I don’t think I enjoyed this one quite as much as the first one, but I did like it. Kat is so funny to me—and I don’t know how she puts up with her mother. Her open-mouth-insert-foot antics also made me cringe with sympathy. I never figured out the killer, I honestly couldn’t keep all the suspects straight, but that was more of a me problem than a problem with the book. I kept getting interrupted and distracted.

Gloria Chao is a bestselling author. The Mortal Enemy Murder Club is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #383

I wrote zero book reviews this week, mainly because I DNFed several books. I also have very little reading time, so I gotta get my schedule sorted out somehow to fix that. It’s Texas. It’s over 100 degrees outside. I’m hot, tired, and super busy. Reading just isn’t happening much. Neither is writing. :/

Happy writing!

Book Review: Fishbone Cinderella, by Elizabeth Lim

Image belongs to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey.

Title: Fishbone Cinderella
Author: Elizabeth Lim           
Genre: Fantasy, historical fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 

Guangdong, 1940. When Ha Yut Ying narrowly escapes Japanese soldiers by turning invisible, she knows her new-found magic must be kept a secret. But her mother, whose dreams foretell the future, suspects her daughter has changed, and warns her of a curse upon their family. For her protection, she gives her a gold bracelet whose links are shaped like fishbones.​

After the war, Ha Yut Ying is sent to live with her father and his second wife, who have become wealthy factory owners in Hong Kong. Her stepmother, jealous of her beauty, forces her to work in the family’s shoe factory.

But when Yut Ying collides with a boy on a bicycle on her way to work, she loses her bracelet. The boy is Tommy Yeung, scion of a local soymilk tycoon. And their encounter will change both of their destinies forever…

I did enjoy this read, although I found it a bit depressing. Sometimes a lot depressing. Helen’s stepmother is absolutely horrible. I liked reading about the culture of Hong Kong, and I liked the past timeline, but the present-day one was kind of…sad.

Elizabeth Lim is a bestselling author. Fishbone Cinderella is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.)