Category: awesomeness

What I Read in August (2024)

Books Read in August: 23
Books Read for the Year:  147/215
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Gods and Ends, by Devon Monk (audio, TBR): I really enjoyed this on audio! Loving this series so far.
Where the Forest Meets the Stars, by Glendy Vanderah (TBR): I really enjoyed this book! It felt very magical.
Elsewhere, by Dean Koontz (TBR): The ending felt a little rushed, but I always enjoy Koontz’s work.
Awaken Me Darkly, by Gena Showalter (TBR): THe ending of this was rushed, and a little too good to be true. While I enjoyed the first 75% of this read, the ending made me decide I don’t want to read more of the series.
The Grandest Game, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (TBR): Love this new spinoff!
Artifacts, Dragons, and Other Lethal Magic, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR): Another fun read in this series.

For Review:

My Favourite Mistake, by Marian Keyes. I didn’t really like the MC—she was too whiny for me—but I enjoyed the writing, the setting, and the secondary characters so much that I kept reading.

Second Tide’s the Charm, by Chandra Blumberg. This was a fun read! I enjoyed the chemistry between the characters, and the setting was a new one for me, keeping me hooked.

The Fiance Dilemma, by Elena Armas. This had me snorting with laughter! So many shenanigans! I didn’t understand why the MC was so against marriage, though.

Serenity by the Sea, by Jennifer Vido. I loved the setting here, but the transition from enemies to friends to more was so abrupt it felt choppy.

Ne’er Duke Well, by Alexandra Vasti. I enjoyed this a lot! Bright characters and a lot of spiciness.

It’s All Relative, by Rachel Magee. The MC was a bit annoying and selfish, but I enjoyed this read.

The Thirteenth Husband, by Greer Macallister. This was an interesting read, although it felt a bit plot-less.

Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch, by Codie Crowley. Entertaining in a campy way, although the MC was a bit of a…well, the title says it all.

Medici Heist, by Caitlin Schneiderhan. I enjoyed this historical fiction quite a bit. I love a good heist story, and this fit the bill perfectly.

Strange Folk, by Alli Dyer. This was solidly “meh” for me. It was pretty dark, and I really didn’t care for it much.

The Story Collector, by Evie Woods. I’ve really enjoyed this author’s work, and I loved this one, too. Both timelines were intriguing, although I wished for a slightly different ending in the historical one.

Cast in Atonement, by Michelle Sagara. As with the rest of the books in this series: I loved this.

The Winged Tiara, by J’nell Ciesielski. I really enjoyed this historical fiction/jewel heist caper. Lots of fun!

Fire and Bones, by Kathy Reichs. I’ve enjoyed most of the reads in this series, and I liked this one, too, although Tempe was a bit much in a couple of places.

Kisses, Codes, and Conspiracies, by Abigail Hing Wen. This was a cute read. Felt a bit like a tween movie on the scale of believability, though. I liked the male POV. That was a nice change from a lot of YA reads.

The Housekeeper’s Secret, by Iona Grey (forthcoming). I really loved this read! I was invested in the characters from the start, and couldn’t wait to see what happened.

How to Fall for a Scoundrel, by Kate Bateman (forthcoming). This was a fun and charming romance!

Left Unfinished:

The Bookshop Sisterhood, by Michelle Lindo-Rice. These characters got old really quick.

A Great Marriage, by Frances Mayes. This was just too leisurely-paced for me.

Magical Meet Cute, by Jean Meltzer. This is the third book by this author I’ve DNFed, so I probably just need to stop trying, but I couldn’t get behind the idea of the MC being “Jewitch.”

Our Narrow Hiding Places, by Kristopher Jansma. The beginning felt very slow and I couldn’t get into it.

Till Death Do Us Part, by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn. I made it about 25% of the way before realizing 1) I was bored, and 2) I didn’t like any of the characters.

A Pair of Wings, by Carole Hopkins. I just didn’t care for the writing style in this.

Book Review:  Cast in Atonement, by Michelle Sagara

Image belongs to Harlequin/MIRA.

 Title:  Cast in Atonement
Author:   Michelle Sagara  
Genre: Fantasy     
Rating:   

In the City of Elantra, only one holds the key to peace—or eternal darkness.

At the end of three long wars, Bellusdeo is the last of her kind, the sole surviving female Dragon in the City of Elantra. When she appears one evening on the doorstep of her former roommate, Corporal Kaylin Neya, her demeanor is dreadful—more so than what’s expected of the Dragons’ notoriously tempestuous temperament. Kaylin’s new roommate, Mrs. Erickson, is quick to see the reason for Bellusdeo’s despair—the eight ghosts of the Dragon’s dead sisters, chained to her and unseen. Pleading for release, revenge and, above all, peace.

Now Kaylin and Mrs. Erickson must embark on a perilous journey, from the hallowed halls of the Academia to the depths of forbidden magic, to confront the very essence of mortality itself. Can Kaylin help release the untapped power within Mrs. Erickson to save Bellusdeo’s sisters…or will unlocking the past plunge the realm into an unfathomable darkness forever?

I do love the Chronicles of Elantra series! The layers and depths in this series are engrossing to me, and this novel was no exception. I loved seeing Bellusdeo’s story unfold and twine more with Kaylin’s—and I love how Kaylin’s mind works. I enjoy all these characters and love seeing their further adventures.

Michelle Sagara lives in Toronto. Cast in Atonement is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  The Story Collector, by Evie Woods 

Image belongs to Harper 360.

Title:  The Story Collector
Author: Evie Woods        
Genre: Historical Fiction       
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

One hundred years ago, Anna, a young farm girl, volunteers to help an intriguing American visitor translate fairy stories from Irish to English. But all is not as it seems and Anna soon finds herself at the heart of a mystery that threatens her very way of life.

In New York in the present day, Sarah Harper boards a plane bound for the West Coast of Ireland. But once there, she finds she has unearthed dark secrets – secrets that tread the line between the everyday and the otherworldly, the seen and the unseen.

I really enjoyed this story! Both timelines were engrossing and a bit magical and just made me feel good. Sarah’s story was wonderful, and I loved seeing how she came to accept herself and her place in the world. Anna was just lovely, but so naïve it kind of hurt to watch. Her story didn’t end like I hoped, but I enjoyed it just the same.

Evie Woods is a bestselling author. The Story Collector is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harper 360 in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #288

This was a good writing week! I got in five fiction sessions, three book reviews, That Prince is Mine, by Jayci Lee, My Favourite Mistake, by Marian Keyes and Castle of the Cursed, by Romina Garber, and also my July reading post and the best books I read in July.

Happy writing!

The Best Books I Read in July (2024)

In July, I read 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 124 books read. Most of those were solid reads, but some were exceptional.

Winter Lost, by Patricia Briggs. Because all of the Mercy Thompson series is fantastic, and this was no exception. A bit chilly for me, though.

The Iron Vow, by Julie Kagawa. A fitting ending for the Iron Fey series. I’m a bit late to the party, but I re-read the entire series and fell in love with the world and characters all over again.

The Lost Story, by Meg Shaffer. I really enjoyed this immensely. This had Chronicles of Narnia vibes and was just a magical story in itself.

What I Read in July (2024)

Books Read in July: 17
Books Read for the Year:  124/215
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Winter Lost, by Patricia Briggs (TBR): I love this series and these characters!
Alpha, by Rachel Vincent (TBR): I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading this series!
The Iron Vow, by Julie Kagawa (TBR): I loved the ending of this series!
Devils and Details, by Devon Monk (TBR): I’m really enjoying this new-to-me series.
A Deceptive Composition, by Anna Lee Huber (TBR): I enjoy this series so much.
I See You, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR): Loving this spin-off of the Adept books.

For Review:

Beyond Summerland, by Jenny Lecoat. I found this to be a pretty depressing read.

Not You Again, by Ingrid Pierce. This was a fun read, although the lack of communication was frustrating.

Writing on Empty, by Natalie Goldberg. This was…beyond disappointing. It was just a bunch of whining and sitting around feeling sorry for herself, and exactly zero actually helpful advice. Don’t bother.

The Darkness Within Us, by Tricia Levenseller. I enjoyed this read, although I liked the background stuff a bit more than the main plot.

The Backtrack, by Erin La Rosa. This was an interesting read. I thought the scenes in the past were very vivid, and the details made me laugh and shake my head.

Dashed, by Amanda Quain. This was such a fun read!

The Lost Story, by Meg Shaffer. I very much enjoyed this story! It had a bit of a Chronicles of Narnia feel, and I found it an engrossing read, filled withe everyday magic.

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish, by Paula Brackston. I’ve enjoyed Brackston’s other books, so I was excited to read the start of a new series. And it did no disappoint! The historical details are so well-done, and I loved Hecate.

That Prince is Mine, by Jayci Lee. This was a cute read!

Castle of the Cursed, by Romina Garber. This was a very atmospheric, fairly dark read with bits of scifi and family drama mixed together with fantasy and romance.

Just Because: Praying the Names of God, by Ann Spangler. I enjoyed this weekly devotional.

Single Today, by Ryan Wekenman. This was a great audio read.

Left Unfinished:

On the Surface, by Rachel Mcguire. I read 10%, but the characters just all seemed like terrible people, and I wasn’t in the mood for that.

Ladykiller, by Katherine Wood. The first 15% of this felt like a trainwreck in slow motion, involving people I didn’t like, so, no.

The Bright Sword, by Lev Grossman. I only got about 5% into this because it just didn’t hold my attention.

Three Keys, by Laura Pritchett. The MC bored me and I wasn’t interested in her at all.

The Summer Club, by Hannah McKinnon. I read 15% of this and just found it boring, with very surface-level characters.

Book Review:  The Lost Story, by Meg Shaffer

Image belongs to Random House/Ballantine.

Title:  The Lost Story          
Author: Meg Shaffer          
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 5 out of 5  

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived.

Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy.

Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories.

Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.

I really enjoyed this read! I love The Chronicles of Narnia, and this story carried the same sense of magic and adventure waiting just around the corner. The characters were so much fun—in both worlds—and the hidden world was full of wonder and joy and magic. This was an excellent weekend escape to read!

Meg Shaffer is a bestselling author. The Lost Story is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House/Ballantine in exchange for an honest review.)

The Best Books I Read in June (2024)

In June, I read 20 books, bringing my total for the year to 108 books. I also DNFed 15 books—yikes! (I think it’s because I was behind on reading, so I was less tolerant and far less likely to keep reading to see if the story picked up). Of those 20 books, three were really excellent.

The Iron Sword, by Julie Kagawa. I’ve been re-reading this entire series since last year, one book a month, and thoroughly enjoyed rediscovering the world and the characters. I’m reading the final book in the series in July, and I’ve never read it, so I’m excited.

The Mountain Between Us, by Charles Martin. This was the last remaining Martin book I hadn’t read—sob—and it was so, so good! He is a master at his craft, and, as always, manages to work the gospel in there between the lines of the fiction. Now I need to watch the movie.

The Rom-Commers, by Katherine Center. I have yet to read a Katherine Center book I didn’t love, and this was no exception. Emma really made me laugh, but so did Charlie. This was a wonderful, fun read.

Book Review: Heir, Apparently, by Kara McDowell   

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books.

Title: Heir, Apparently  
Author:  Kara McDowell      
Genre: YA      
Rating:  5 out of 5

Freshman year is stressful enough without accidentally being married to the King of England. Of course, Wren Wheeler can’t tell her Northwestern classmates about that; after surviving a narrowly-averted apocalypse over the summer, everyone’s had enough excitement for one lifetime. Wren knows she needs to move on from Theo, but she can’t forget the look in his eyes when he left her on that island in Greece—and also, he took her dog.

When an ill-fated attempt to rescue Comet the Apocalypse Dog turns into a chemistry-fueled reunion with Theo that’s caught by the paparazzi, Wren finds herself under the royal spotlight. Suddenly, she’s a problem for “the firm” to solve, and in order to be protected from the rabid press, she’ll have to fly back to London with Theo. Along for the ride are Naomi and Brooke, as well as Theo’s siblings, including Henry, the brother he’s spent his life being compared to. But because the universe can’t let these two maybe-newlyweds have one conversation in peace, their plane goes down over the Atlantic, crashing on a tropical island in the middle of nowhere.

Stranded with no sign of rescue, the group will have to band together against poisonous animals, catastrophic injuries, a brotherly rivalry, and an ill-timed volcano if they’re going to make it out alive. And, scariest of all, Wren and Theo will have to face their feelings for one another and decide what they want their futures to look like—and if that future will be heartbreak, or happily ever after.

This book was so much fun! Full disclosure:  I tried—and failed—to read seven books in a row and ended up DNFing Every. Single. One. That’s definitely a record for me. So, I decided to console myself by reading this. This was the perfect pick-me-up read!  It was funny, it was cute, it was romantic…it was perfect!

I loved Wren’s POV of view and voice so much, she captures the confusions and chaos of her life so well. Theo is, of course, super attractive and appealing, despite a few annoying tendencies, and their chemistry is so much fun to read. I loved all the secondary characters, too, even Victoria.

Kara McDowell lives in Mesa, Arizona. Heir, Apparently is her newest novel.

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

Book Review: The Rom-Commers, by Katherine Center   

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:  The Rom-Commers   
Author: Katherine Center  
Genre: Romance        
Rating:  5 out of 5

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates―The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!―it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone―much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script―it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter―even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules―and comes true?

Like all of Katherine Center’s reads, this was stellar! I don’t even know how many times I laughed out lead reading this. Emma’s voice is fantastic and her and Charlie together are so much fun. I loved the style of this novel and found it drew me in from the very beginning and made me part of the story. This would be an excellent beach or weekend read.

Katherine Center is a bestselling author. The Rom-Commers is her newest novel.

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