Weekly Wrap-Up: 1/22 – 1/29

I’m a(n unintentional) day late, but I was busy preparing for a medical procedure today and it… kinda slipped my mind. Sorry. Anyway, let’s get to the weekly wrap-up.

This past week was… pretty underwhelming regarding my blog. But it was better than the weeks preceding it, so I’m counting it as a win. I’m planning (hoping) to do better this week.

But yeah. Let’s get on to the post.

Friday 1/26: Spell the Month in Books

Last Friday, I participated in Spell the Month in Books for January. For later than I probably should’ve, and definitely far later than I had intended to. But I finally did it.

Spell the Month in Books is a really fun monthly post created and hosted by Jana @ Reviews from the Stacks.

Spell the Month in Books: January 2024

Monday 1/29: Birthstone Book Covers

Yesterday, I finally, finally posted my contribution to Birthstone Book Covers for January 2024. Yet another post that I had intended to participate in earlier this month, but never got around to for various reasons.

Birthstone Book Covers is a really fun monthly post that’s created and hosted by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black. January’s birthstone is garnet, so red book covers were all front and center.

Birthstone Book Covers: January 2024

Books I’ve This Past Week

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, last week wasn’t up to par either. But I really feel like I’m starting to get back into the groove again. I even started, and am definitely planning on finishing, a book a day or so ago.

But just because I kind of, sort of, maybe stopped reading House of Earth and Blood after the first few pages, doesn’t mean I DNF-ed it. I stopped it so early not cuz I didn’t like it. That’s not the case at all – I was super stressed out last week because of the work stuff combined with thinking about the medical thing I had today. And an 800+ page book was just too much for me last week. And this week.

Yesterday, however, I started reading a new release and sequel that I was really excited about: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett. I really enjoyed Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries when I read it a couple of months ago, and absolutely couldn’t wait for the second book. And I’m really enjoying EWMOTO so far. I’m about a third of the way through and am planning on finishing it by tomorrow night.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a fantastic day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Spell the Month in Books: January 2024

Guess who’s been alternately sick and burnt out this month! (Me! I’m right here – it’s me!)

Spell the Month in Books is a monthly post created and hosted by Jana @ Reviews from the Stacks. I started participating in it a few months ago.

January is unfortunately one of my least favorite times of the year, if not my least favorite altogether. It just doesn’t have a lot going for it, in my opinion. It’s obscenely cold 🥶 , gloomy ☁️ , and it’s usually icy 🧊 instead of snowy ☃️. It’s the best time of year for cuddles 🥰 though – and hot chocolate ☕ – and I’ve been cooking 🍳 a lot, so that’s been fun.

Anyway, it’s time to spell January in book titles!

J

Jane Eyre

AUTHOR: Charlotte Brontë

RELEASE DATE: 1847

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Determined to make her heroine “as poor and plain as myself,” Charlotte Brontë made a daring choice for her 1847 novel. Jane Eyre possesses neither the great beauty nor entrancing charm that her fictional predecessors used to make their way in the world. Instead, Jane relies upon her powers of diligence and perception, conducting herself with dignity animated by passion.

The instant and lasting success of Jane Eyre proved Brontë’s instincts correct. Readers of her era and ever after have taken the impoverished orphan girl into their hearts, following her from the custody of cruel relatives to a dangerously oppressive boarding school and onward through a troubled career as a governess. Jane’s first assignment at Thorn field, where the proud and cynical master of the house harbors a scandalous secret, draws readers ever deeper into a compelling exploration of the mysteries of the human heart.

A banquet of food for thought, this many-faceted tale invites a splendid variety of interpretations. The heroine’s insistence upon emotional equality with her lover suggests a feminist viewpoint, while her solitary status invokes a consideration of the problems of growing up as a social outsider. Some regard Jane’s attempts to reconcile her need for love with her search for moral rectitude as the story’s primary message, and lovers of gothic romance find the tale’s social and religious aspects secondary to its gripping elements of mystery and horror. This classic of English literature truly features something for every reader.

A

Among the Beasts and Briars

AUTHOR: Ashley Poston

RELEASE DATE: 20 October 2020

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Ashley Poston, acclaimed author of Heart of Iron, returns with a dark, lush fairy tale-inspired fantasy for fans of Sara Raasch and Susan Dennard.

Cerys is safe in the Kingdom of Aloriya. Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden.

Cerys knows this all too well: When she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse–the magic–in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything.

As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions a small and irritating fox from the royal garden and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home.

But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive.

N

Neverwhere

AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman

RELEASE DATE: 1996

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Under the streets of London there’s a place most people could never even dream of. A city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, knights in armour and pale girls in black velvet. This is the city of the people who have fallen between the cracks.

Richard Mayhew, a young businessman, is going to find out more than enough about this other London. A single act of kindness catapults him out of his workday existence and into a world that is at once eerily familiar and utterly bizarre. And a strange destiny awaits him down here, beneath his native city: Neverwhere.

U

Unraveller

AUTHOR: Frances Hardinge

RELEASE DATE: 10 January 2023

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

In a world where anyone can create a life-destroying curse, only one person has the power to unravel them.

Kellen does not fully understand his talent, but helps those transformed maliciously – including Nettle. Recovered from entrapment in bird form, she is now his constant companion, and closest ally.

But Kellen has also been cursed, and unless he and Nettle can remove his curse, Kellen is in danger of unravelling everything – and everyone – around him…

My review of Unraveller

A

All Systems Red

AUTHOR: Martha Wells

RELEASE DATE: 2 May 2017

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

My review of the first six installments of the Murderbot Diaries

R

Red Queen

AUTHOR: Victoria Aveyard

RELEASE DATE: 10 February 2015

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Start at the beginning with RED QUEEN, the first book in the thrilling #1 New York Times bestselling series

Red Queen, by #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Aveyard, is a sweeping tale of power, intrigue, and betrayal, perfect for fans of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series.

Mare Barrow’s world is divided by blood–those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard–a growing Red rebellion–even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction.

One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

Y

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

AUTHOR: Brandon Sanderson

RELEASE DATE: 1 July 2023

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

#1 New York Times Bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings us a gripping story set in the Cosmere universe told by Hoid, where two people from incredibly different worlds must compromise and work together to save their worlds from ruin.

Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other’s communities from certain disaster?

My review of Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

What books have you been reading lately? Have you been reading any with an autumnal theme? What have you thought of them?

Thanks again for reading, and have a wonderful day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 12/4 – 12/22

So, um, the title of this post is a little misleading. Technically, this is almost a “three weeks-ly” wrap-up. But that sounds dumb, so I’m still gonna call this a Weekly Wrap-Up.

Anyway, I haven’t really been too active on the blog this month. December is always a busier month for me, and to be honest, as much as I adore it, the holiday season stresses me out. Just a tiny bit. So I kind of took it easy this month. Sorry.

Anyway, let’s talk about the stuff I have done on the blog, since my last weekly wrap-up.

Wednesday 12/6: WWW Wednesday

Two and a half weeks ago, on Wednesday, I finally participated in another WWW Wednesday. WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

WWW Wednesday: 12/6

Saturday 12/10: Spell the Month in Books

Two Saturdays ago, I participated in Spell the Month in Books for December 2023. Spell the Month in Books is a monthly post created and hosted by Jana @ Reviews from the Stacks.

Spell the Month in Books: December 2023

Thursday 12/21: Birthstone Book Covers / Reading & Recipes

Two days ago, this past Thursday, I ended up double posting. The first post that I did was Birthstone Book Covers. Birthstone Book Covers is a monthly post created and hosted by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black.

The second post that I did on Thursday was a new thing that I thought up a few weeks ago. It’s called Reading & Recipes, and for it I showcase the thing I baked or cooked most recently and discuss the book I was reading at the time a little.

Birthstone Book Covers: December 2023

Reading & Recipes #1

Friday 12/22: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries Review

Yesterday I finally, finally, finally posted my review for Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. I absolutely loved the book and I gave it ★★★★★.

My review of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Books I’ve Read in the Last Three Weeks

💖🎁 Wrapping It All Up 💖🎁

So yeah, I haven’t been all that active so far this December. I’m hoping to post more than I have been next week, but no promises. Also, I probably won’t be posting tomorrow or the next day, as they are Christmas Eve and Christmas, and I want to spend all my time with family and friends. Plus, I’ll probably be tired from holiday stuff. I’m already pretty boned now actually – I’ve been busy making a ton of cookies these last couple days! (Not to mention wrapping presents the day before that!)

And… that’s kind of it for this wrap-up. I don’t have as much to say this time, I know, but like I said: I’ve been busy the last few days. I’ll probably end up reading books I get for Christmas next (if I get books for Christmas), and then I’ll read something else.

But yeah, thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you have a fantastic day/night! Also, to everyone who celebrates, Merry Christmas!! 🎄❄️🔔🎁

See ya ~Mar

Spell the Month in Books: December 2023

Guess who crashed yet again last night? …Me. It was me. (I really should stop doing that.)

Spell the Month in Books is a monthly post created and hosted by Jana @ Reviews from the Stacks. I started participating in it a few months ago. It’s typically a Saturday post (as I might have mentioned above), but let’s all agree the Mar had a busy day yesterday and maybe, accidentally fell asleep before they could post.

It’s finally December, the heart of the holiday season and the end of the year. Baking intensifies 🍪 and Christmas decorations are everywhere 🔔 and trees are up🎄and snow is sometimes on the ground ❄️⛄- not to mention gifts 🎁🌟 and friendship.

But yeah, let’s get to spelling December with books.

D

Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding, The

AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken

RELEASE DATE: 5 September 2017

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The first in a “devious and delightful” new series by Alexandra Bracken, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Darkest Minds, soon to be a major motion picture.

“I would say it’s a pleasure to meet thee, Prosperity Oceanus Redding, but truly, I only anticipate the delights of destroying thy happiness?”

Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history – that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper’s great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made-and then broke-a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, eight-hundred-year-old Alastor isn’t exactly the forgiving type.

The fiend has reawakened with one purpose – to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him. With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts to trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his afterlife without a side of eternal servitude, thanks.

But with the help of his long-lost uncle, Barnabas, and his daughter, Nell, a witch-in-training, it seems like Prosper has at least a fighting chance of ridding himself of Alastor before the demon escapes and wreaks havoc on his family.

Little does Prosper know, the malefactor’s control over his body grows stronger with each passing night and there’s a lot Alastor isn’t telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host?

From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken comes a tale of betrayal and revenge, of old hurts passed down from generation to generation. Can you ever fully right a wrong, ever truly escape your history? Or will Prosper and Alastor be doomed to repeat it?

My review of The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding

E

Evermore

AUTHOR: Alyson Noël

RELEASE DATE: 3 February 2009

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Don’t miss Evermore, the first book in Alyson Noël’s #1 New York Times bestselling The Immortals series. Enter an enchanting new world where true love never dies…

After a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever Bloom can see people’s auras, hear their thoughts, and know someone’s entire life story by touching them. Going out of her way to avoid human contact and suppress her abilities, she has been branded a freak at her new high school―but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste.

Damen is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy. He’s the only one who can silence the noise and random energy in her head―wielding a magic so intense, it’s as though he can peer straight into her soul. As Ever is drawn deeper into his enticing world of secrets and mystery, she’s left with more questions than answers. And she has no idea just who he really is―or what he is. The only thing she knows to be true is that she’s falling deeply and helplessly in love with him.

C

Curse for True Love, A

AUTHOR: Stephanie Garber

RELEASE DATE: 24 October 2023

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Two villains, one girl, and a deadly battle for happily ever after…

Evangeline Fox ventured to the Magnificent North in search of her happy ending, and it seems as if she has it. She’s married to a handsome prince and lives in a legendary castle.

But Evangeline has no idea of the devastating price she’s paid for this fairytale. She doesn’t know what she has lost, and her husband is determined to make sure she never finds out.

But first he must kill Jacks, the Prince of Hearts. Blood will be shed, hearts will be stolen, and true love will be put to the test.

My review of A Curse for True Love

E

Erased

AUTHOR: Kei Sanbe

RELEASE DATE: 21 February 2017

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Twenty-nine-year-old Satoru Fujinuma is floundering through life. Amid his daily drudgery, he finds himself in the grip of an incredible, inexplicable, and uncontrollable phenomenon that rewinds time, a condition that seems to only make his drab life worse. But then, one day, everything changes. A terrible incident forever changes Satoru’s life as he knows it…and with it, comes a “Revival” that sends Satoru eighteen years into the past! In the body of his boyhood self, Satoru encounters sights he never imagined he would see again–the smile of his mother, alive and well, his old friends, and Kayo Hinazuki, the girl who was kidnapped and murdered when he was a boy the first time around. To return to the present and prevent the tragedy that brought him back to his childhood in the first place, Satoru begins plotting a way to change Hinazuki’s fate…But up against the clock and a faceless evil, does eleven-year-old Satoru even stand a chance?

M

Mooncakes

AUTHOR: Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu (Illustrator)

RELEASE DATE: 15 October 2019

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft. Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town. One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any townhome. Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

My review of Mooncakes

B

Book Thief, The

AUTHOR: Markus Zusak

RELEASE DATE: 18 December 2023

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME

The extraordinary, beloved novel about the ability of books to feed the soul even in the darkest of times.

When Death has a story to tell, you listen.

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

E

Everlost

AUTHOR: Neal Shusterman

RELEASE DATE: 1 October 2006

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Nick and Allie don’t survive the car accident…

…but their souls don’t exactly get where they’re supposed to get either. Instead, they’re caught halfway between life and death, in a sort of limbo known as Everlost: a shadow of the living world, filled with all the things and places that no onger exist. It’s a magical, yet dangerous place where bands of lost children run wild and anyone who stands in the same place too long sinks to the center of the Earth.

When they find Mary, the self-proclaimed queen of lost kids, Nick feels like he he’s found a home, but allie isn’t satisfied spending eternity between worlds. Against all warnings, Allie begins learning the “Criminal Art” of haunting, and ventures into dangerous territory, where a monster called the McGill threatens all the souls of Everlost.

In this imaginative novel, Neal Shusterman explores questions of life, death, and what just might lie in between.

R

Ruin and Rising

AUTHOR: Leigh Bardugo

RELEASE DATE: 17 June 2014

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Enter the Grishaverse with Book Three of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.

Soldier. Summoner. Saint. The nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

The Darkling rules from his shadow throne while a weakened Alina Starkov recovers from their battle under the dubious protection of the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Now her hopes lie with the magic of a long-vanished ancient creature and the chance that an outlaw prince still survives.

What books have you been reading lately? Have you been reading any with an autumnal theme? What have you thought of them?

Thanks again for reading, and have a wonderful day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 10/30 – 11/5

And we’ve finally hit November. Well, almost a week ago, technically – but the last weekly wrap-up was in October completely, so yeah.

I think I’ve been decently consistent with my posting over the past week, though I haven’t been reading as much as I might’ve liked. I dunno why really, last week was a little bit busy with Halloween, and then I had hardly any free time this weekend. So that’s probably why.

Anyway, let’s get into it.

Tuesday 10/31: The Graveyard Book Review / Halloween

Last Tuesday, I finally uploaded my review for The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. A perfect little ghost story for Halloween. I gave it ★★★✯☆.

Tuesday also happened to be Halloween. So here’s a belated Happy Halloween🎃👻🐈‍⬛🕸️💀🦇 to everybody who missed the post!

My review of The Graveyard Book

Wednesday 11/1: October 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

On Wednesday, I posted my reading wrap-up for October 2023. To anyone who doesn’t know, it’s when I go over my StoryGraph stats. For the first time ever, I’m pretty sure I actually posted it on the first of the month!

Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2023

Friday 11/3: Lightlark Review

Last Friday, I posted my review for Lightlark by Alex Aster. A somewhat controversial YA fantasy novel that was released last year, that I finally decided to read, just in time for the sequel. I gave it ★★✬☆☆.

My review of Lightlark

Sunday 11/5: Spell November in Books

Yesterday, I posted my contribution to Spell the Month in Books. (I know, it was a day late. Shut up.) Spell the Month in Books is a monthly post created and hosted by Jana @ Reviews from the Stacks.

Spell the Month in Books: November 2023

Books I Read Last Week

🎁💖 Wrapping It All Up 🎁💖

So, even though last week wasn’t nearly as productive as I had wanted it to be, I’m still happy with what I got done, for once. This coming week, however, I’m definitely aiming to do way better.

Concerning books on my TBR, I’m gonna start reading Nightbane by Alex Aster as soon as it goes live on Kindle eReaders. Then I’m probably gonna read Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett – one of the books I got from my book haul this past weekend. I’m also planning on starting the second arc of One Piece sometime this week.

I don’t really know what else I’m gonna do this week. The only thing that I’m sure about is getting some of the ingredients for stuff I’m planning to make for Thanksgiving. I like to shop early for this holiday – we’re also gonna get almost all of our groceries for the next two weeks this weekend – because the grocery stores (and Walmart) are freaking insane the week of Thanksgiving. And I don’t want to get caught up in that.

So yeah, I hope to both read and post better this coming week. 🤞🍀 Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you have an excellent day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Spell the Month in Books: November 2023

Guess who crashed again last night?

So yeah, it’s November! Yay! The month where fall intensifies 🍂 and the holiday season begins 🎶 and everyone is cooking 🥘 up a storm whether it’s for Thanksgiving 🦃 or baking something 🥧.

Without further ado, let’s spell November with book titles!

N

Nightbane

AUTHOR: Alex Aster

RELEASE DATE: 7 November 2023

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The seductive and action-packed follow-up to Alex Aster’s instant #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and internationally bestselling novel, Lightlark.

Isla Crown has secured the love of two powerful rulers and broken the curses that plagued the six realms for centuries, but few know the true origins of her powers. Now, in the wake of a crushing betrayal, Isla finds herself hungry for distraction, preferring to frequent Lightlark’s seductive haunts instead of embracing her duties as the newly crowned leader of two separate realms. Worse, her fellow rulers haven’t ceded victory quietly, and there are others in Isla’s midst who don’t believe her ascent to power was earned. As certain death races toward Lightlark and secrets from the past begin to unravel, Isla must weigh her responsibility to her people against the whims of the most dangerous traitor of all: her heart.

Alex Aster’s intricate world expands after the riveting culmination of the Centennial games, delving more deeply into Isla’s memories of her past, as her future hurtles toward two possible fates.

O

Once Upon a Broken Heart

AUTHOR: Stephanie Garber

RELEASE DATE: 28 September 2021

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Once Upon a Broken Heart marks the launch of a new series about love, curses, and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever after from Stephanie Garber, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval.

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings…until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic, but wicked, Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game — and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy…

My review of Once Upon a Broken Heart

V

The Village Healer's Book of Cures by Jennifer Sherman Roberts

Village Healer’s Book of Cures, The

AUTHOR: Jennifer Sherman Roberts

RELEASE DATE: 1 November 2023

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

In seventeenth-century England, a female healer enflames the fury of a witchfinder in this propulsive novel about murder, revenge, and the dangerous power of knowledge.

Mary Fawcett refines the healing recipes she’s inherited from generations of women before her―an uncanny and moral calling to empathize with the sick. When witchfinder Matthew Hopkins arrives in her small village, stoking the fires of hate, he sees not healing but the devil at work. Mary’s benevolent skills have now cast her and her young brother under suspicion of witchery.

Soon, the husband of one of Mary’s patients is found murdered, his body carved with strange symbols. For Hopkins, it’s further evidence of dark arts. When the whispering village turns against her, Mary dares to trust a stranger: an enigmatic alchemist, scarred body and soul, who knows the dead man’s secrets.

As Hopkins’s fervor escalates, Mary must outsmart the devil himself to save her life and the lives of those she loves. Unfolding the true potential of her gifts could make Mary a more empowered adversary than a witchfinder ever feared.

E

Exit Strategy

AUTHOR: Martha Wells

RELEASE DATE: 2 October 2018

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Murderbot wasn’t programmed to care. So, its decision to help the only human who ever showed it respect must be a system glitch, right?

Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit.

But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue?

And what will become of it when it’s caught?

My review of The Murderbot Diaries

M

Masters of Death

AUTHOR: Olivie Blake

RELEASE DATE: 8 August 2023

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

From Olivie Blake, the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six comes Masters of Death, a story about vampires, ghosts, and death itself!

Viola Marek is a struggling real estate agent, and a vampire. But her biggest problem currently is that the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the house has been murdered, and until he can solve the mystery of how he died, he refuses to move on.

Fox D’Mora is a medium, and though is also most-definitely a shameless fraud, he isn’t entirely without his uses—seeing as he’s actually the godson of Death.

When Viola seeks out Fox to help her with her ghost-infested mansion, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few high-functioning creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isn’t nearly as distinct as they thought.

My review of Masters of Death

B

Blood & Honey

AUTHOR: Shelby Mahurin

RELEASE DATE: 1 September 2020

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The hotly anticipated sequel to the New York Times and IndieBound bestseller Serpent & Dove—packed with even steamier romance and darker magic—is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas.

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.

To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.

My review of Blood & Honey

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Ella Enchanted

AUTHOR: Gail Carson Levine

RELEASE DATE: 30 April 1997

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

This beloved Newbery Honor-winning story about a feisty heroine is sure to enchant readers new and old.

At her birth, Ella of Frell receives a foolish fairy’s gift—the “gift” of obedience. Ella must obey any order, whether it’s to hop on one foot for a day and a half, or to chop off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not accept her fate…

Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse forever.

A tween favorite for 25 years—now shared with today’s young readers by moms, teachers, and other adults who remember the pleasure of discovering this fun fairy-tale retelling themselves!

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The Ruthless Lady's Guide the Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner

Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry, The

AUTHOR: C.M. Waggoner

RELEASE DATE: 12 January 2021

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Sparks fly in this enchanting fantasy novel from the author of Unnatural Magic when a down-and-out fire witch and a young gentlewoman join forces against a deadly conspiracy.

Dellaria Wells, petty con artist, occasional thief, and partly educated fire witch, is behind on her rent in the city of Leiscourt–again. Then she sees the “wanted” sign, seeking Female Persons, of Martial or Magical ability, to guard a Lady of some Importance, prior to the celebration of her Marriage. Delly fast-talks her way into the job and joins a team of highly peculiar women tasked with protecting their wealthy charge from unknown assassins.

Delly quickly sets her sights on one of her companions, the confident and well-bred Winn Cynallum. The job looks like nothing but romance and easy money until things take a deadly (and undead) turn. With the help of a bird-loving necromancer, a shapeshifting schoolgirl, and an ill-tempered reanimated mouse named Buttons, Delly and Winn are determined to get the best of an adversary who wields a twisted magic and has friends in the highest of places.

What books have you been reading lately? Have you been reading any with an autumnal theme? What have you thought of them?

Thanks again for reading, and have an amazing day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Spell the Month in Books: October 2023

I actually managed to do this post on the correct day this month. Hooray!

Anyway, let’s spell October with book titles! This month, seeing as it’s spooky season, I decided to pick books that are creepy or unsettling to some degree. Or have vampires 🦇 or werewolves 🐺 or witches 🧹 (and probably also happen to be a supernatural romance). And I’ve actually read all of these! (I like scary stories. 😱 And ghost stories. 👻 And supernatural stories. 🎃)

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The Old Willis Place by Mary Downing Hahn

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Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

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Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer — (I swear *Eighth Grade Bites* is the title – for whatever reason the publisher puts the titles of this series on the backs of the books.)

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What books did you choose to spell September with? Did we choose any of the same ones? Have you read any of the books I chose?

As always, thank you to anyone who read and enjoyed my post. I hope anyone and everyone has a really good day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Spell the Month in Books: September 2023

Sooo… This was supposed to be out yesterday, but my dumbass crashed before I could put my finishing touches on it. Hee hee. Whoops. But I’m posting it now – just several hours later than the end of Saturday.

It’s probably obvious from my featured image, but the post is Spell the Month in Books. Spell the Month in Books is a monthly post created and hosted by Jana @ Reviews from the Stacks. I started participating in it last month. It’s typically a Saturday post (as I might have mentioned above), but let’s all agree the Mar had a busy day yesterday and maybe, accidentally fell asleep before they could post.

Anyway, let’s spell September with book titles!

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This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

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Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

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Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington

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What books did you choose to spell September with? Did we choose any of the same ones? Have you read any of the books I chose?

As always, thank you to anyone who read and enjoyed my post. Regardless, I hope anyone and everyone has a really good day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Weekly Wrap-Up: 7/31 – 8/6

It’s Monday again, which means that it’s once again the beginning of another week. So it’s time to wrap up the last one!

I didn’t do everything that I’d wanted to, but I’m somehow okay with that. I think it’s because I did a lot of varied posts, and even started participating in a new one. I also finally finished another book, and a review for it will be making its way onto this blog very soon.

Enough of my talking. Let’s just dive right in!

Tuesday 8/1: July 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

Last Tuesday, I posted my monthly reading wrap-up for July 2023. The earliest I posted it in a month yet! (You don’t get any earlier than August 1st after all.) Yay!

I didn’t read or review – or even post – as much as I’d hoped to, but that’s in the past now and there’s nothing I can do about it. All I can hope is that I have a better August!

July 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

Wednesday 8/2: Can’t Wait Wednesday

On Wednesday, I participated in Can’t-Wait Wednesday for the first time in forever. Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings.

Can’t Wait Wednesday: “Masters of Death”

Friday 8/4: First Line Friday

Last Friday, I once again participated in First Line Fridays. First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers (formerly) hosted by Wandering Words.

First Line Friday 8/4

Saturday 8/5: August 2023 Spell the Month in Books

On Saturday, not only did I do a rare Saturday post, but I participated in Spell the Month in Books for the first time. Spell the Month in Books is a monthly post created and hosted by Jana @ Reviews from the Stacks.

Spell the Month in Books – August 2023

Books That I Read Last Week

Goals for 8/7 – 8/13

So yeah, I didn’t get any reviews out last week like I’d wanted. But, like I mentioned earlier, I still finished another book, and I did a bunch of different posts this past week. So I’m gonna count that as a win this time!

This week, I’m going to definitely post a book review (in the very near future), and hopefully I’ll get around to reading another book and posting another review. I’m also going to do the usual posts I participate in (of course), and maybe another Popular Books post. We’ll see.

And of course, as always, thank you to everyone so much for taking the time to read my little bookish blog. It means the world. And I hope you have a wonderful day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Spell the Month in Books: August 2023

Hello hello. *gasp* It’s an elusive Saturday post! I know, I know, calm down everyone. I’m okay! I just wanted to test the waters on a new monthly post I’ve found that I wanna participate in.

It’s probably obvious from my featured image, but the post is Spell the Month in Books. Spell the Month in Books is a monthly post created and hosted by Jana @ Reviews from the Stacks. I actually discovered it a bit ago, but was nervous about participating in it for whatever reason. But new I’m not, so here. We. Go! I’m gonna spell August in books!