☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆'s bookshelf: all

☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆'s bookshelf: all en-US Thu, 01 May 2025 21:52:09 -0700 60 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆'s bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Royal Assassin (Farseer Trilogy, #2)]]> 25300956
Renewing their vicious attacks on the coast, the Red-Ship Raiders leave burned-out villages and demented victims in their wake. The kingdom is also under assault from within, as treachery threatens the throne of the ailing king. In this time of great danger, the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz’s hands—and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice.]]> 675 Robin Hobb ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 currently-reading 4.31 1996 Royal Assassin (Farseer Trilogy, #2)

author: Robin Hobb
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/01
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 2025 on ŷ�� 216825549 2025 on ŷ�� should make an interesting and varied catalogue of books to inspire other readers in 2026.

For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2025 on ŷ�� on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul Cézanne, Vase of Flowers and Apples, 1889-1890
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson]]> Various ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0
Start Throne of Glass series ]]> 4.71 2025 2025 on ŷ��

author: Various
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves:
review:
Goals!!! 2025 ❤️

Start Throne of Glass series
]]> <![CDATA[A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian]]> 828387 A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian was bestselling author Marina Lewycka's bestselling debut novel which has sold over one million copies worldwide. Lewycka tells the side-splittingly funny story of two feuding sisters, Vera and Nadezhda, who join forces against their father's new, gold-digging girlfriend.

Two years after my mother died, my father fell in love with a glamorous blonde Ukrainian divorcée. He was eighty-four and she was thirty-six. She exploded into our lives like a fluffy pink grenade, churning up the murky water, bringing to the surface a sludge of sloughed-off memories, giving the family ghosts a kick up the backside.

Sisters Vera and Nadezhda must set aside a lifetime of feuding to save their émigré engineer father from voluptuous gold-digger Valentina. With her proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, she will stop at nothing in her pursuit of Western wealth.

But the sisters' campaign to oust Valentina unearths family secrets, uncovers fifty years of Europe's darkest history and sends them back to roots they'd much rather forget . . . .]]> 326 Marina Lewycka 0141020520 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0
The narrative's tone also felt inconsistent, veering between humour and pathos without quite landing. Overall, the story didn't grab me as much as I'd hoped, and I didn't connect with the characters on a deeper level. ]]> 3.44 2005 A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

author: Marina Lewycka
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at: 2025/04/26
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves:
review:
Ah, I have DNF'd at about 30% it didn't quite resonate with me. While I appreciated the author's attempt to tackle themes of family, identity, and cultural heritage, the characters felt a bit one-dimensional, and the humour fell flat at times. Such a shame, I really tried, however, the theme of money really irked me, it's a subject I struggle to understand when greed plays a part, money and death can destroy a once harmonic family. That is a 'me' opinion, and one that is easily overlooked if you want to read this novel.

The narrative's tone also felt inconsistent, veering between humour and pathos without quite landing. Overall, the story didn't grab me as much as I'd hoped, and I didn't connect with the characters on a deeper level.
]]> The Yellow Wallpaper 863005 59 Charlotte Perkins Gilman 0860682013 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5 I cry at nothing, and cry most of the time.

What a quick read! 59 pages focusing on a woman (of whom we do not know her name!) And her dealing with isolation, oppression, the complexities of the human psyche and her suffering from what her husband believes is a nervous disorder, and her descent into madness. She's confined to a room with yellow wallpaper, which becomes an obsession and a symbol of her growing desperation and rebellion.

We are thrust into a novella that deals with patriarchal society of the time, highlighting the ways in which women's voices and experiences were marginalised and silenced. It is infuriating to read today!

Classic literature, feminist and a psycholigical thriller... 3 huge ticks from me.]]> 4.07 1892 The Yellow Wallpaper

author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1892
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/25
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves:
review:
I cry at nothing, and cry most of the time.

What a quick read! 59 pages focusing on a woman (of whom we do not know her name!) And her dealing with isolation, oppression, the complexities of the human psyche and her suffering from what her husband believes is a nervous disorder, and her descent into madness. She's confined to a room with yellow wallpaper, which becomes an obsession and a symbol of her growing desperation and rebellion.

We are thrust into a novella that deals with patriarchal society of the time, highlighting the ways in which women's voices and experiences were marginalised and silenced. It is infuriating to read today!

Classic literature, feminist and a psycholigical thriller... 3 huge ticks from me.
]]> <![CDATA[Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, #1)]]> 77197
Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chivalry Farseer, is a royal bastard, cast out into the world, friendless and lonely. Only his magical link with animals - the old art known as the Wit - gives him solace and companionship. But the Wit, if used too often, is a perilous magic, and one abhorred by the nobility.

So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin.]]> 435 Robin Hobb 055357339X ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5
We follow the story of FitzChivalry Farseer, a young prince's bastard who is trained as a royal assassin, we see his struggles and finding his identity, morality through the complexities of Royal Court (without being overly laborious on us readers to follow, it is done seamlessly and the right amount of mystery for us to try and unscramble)

The world building is flawless, in my opinion. Yes, it is slow moving and highly detailed, but I promise you will fly through this book. You will grow with Fitz and his companions. It is hard not to completely fall in love with him. He is so young and yet has seen it all and feeling it all.

This is a rich, immersive, and beautifully written novel, and I am cross to have left it on my shelf for nearly 22 years!!!]]> 4.21 1995 Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, #1)

Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, #1)

author: Robin Hobb
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1995
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/25
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves:
review:
This is a truly immersive experience, Hobbs writing style is cinematic. I slipped without thought into the world of FitzChivalry and noticed every single movement, facial tick... you name it! I was FitzChivalry Farseer for the duration of this novel. The meaning of being captured by words.

We follow the story of FitzChivalry Farseer, a young prince's bastard who is trained as a royal assassin, we see his struggles and finding his identity, morality through the complexities of Royal Court (without being overly laborious on us readers to follow, it is done seamlessly and the right amount of mystery for us to try and unscramble)

The world building is flawless, in my opinion. Yes, it is slow moving and highly detailed, but I promise you will fly through this book. You will grow with Fitz and his companions. It is hard not to completely fall in love with him. He is so young and yet has seen it all and feeling it all.

This is a rich, immersive, and beautifully written novel, and I am cross to have left it on my shelf for nearly 22 years!!!
]]> <![CDATA[Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)]]> 17332218 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, Words of Radiance, Book Two of the Stormlight Archive, continues the immersive fantasy epic that The Way of Kings began.

Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "darkeyes." Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl.

The Assassin, Szeth, is active again, murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin's master has much deeper motives.

Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and the civilization-ending Desolation that will follow. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but just arriving there proves more difficult than she could have imagined.

Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate gamble with the very supernatural forces they once fled. The possible consequences for Parshendi and humans alike, indeed, for Roshar itself, are as dangerous as they are incalculable.]]> 1088 Brandon Sanderson 0765326361 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 currently-reading 4.76 2014 Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)

Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)

author: Brandon Sanderson
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.76
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ill-Made Mute (The Bitterbynde, #1)]]> 232102
The Stormriders land their splendid winged stallions on the battlements of Isse Tower, while the scullions who dwell in the fortress's lower depths rarely even see the sun. Yet it is the least of the lowly--a mute, scarred foundling youth--who dares to climb the Tower, stow away aboard a Windship, and dive from the sky into a wilderness of endless danger. For goblins, peskies, knocks, and all the eldrich wights of the Unseelie haunt every tree, every pool, every turn in the road, tormenting or killing unwary travelers. And unknown to the nameless one, somewhere a dark force is summoning the malignant hordes, determined to destroy the young mute's identity, history...and destiny.]]> 560 Cecilia Dart-Thornton 0446610801 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.77 2001 The Ill-Made Mute (The Bitterbynde, #1)

author: Cecilia Dart-Thornton
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Wuthering Heights 32929156 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

Emily Brontë's only novel, a work of tremendous and far-reaching influence, the Penguin Classics edition of Wuthering Heights is the definitive edition of the text, edited with an introduction by Pauline Nestor. Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange, situated on the bleak Yorkshire moors, is forced to seek shelter one night at Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord. There he discovers the history of the tempestuous events that took place years before; of the intense relationship between the gypsy foundling Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw; and how Catherine, forced to choose between passionate, tortured Heathcliff and gentle, well-bred Edgar Linton, surrendered to the expectations of her class. As Heathcliff's bitterness and vengeance at his betrayal is visited upon the next generation, their innocent heirs must struggle to escape the legacy of the past.]]> 359 Emily Brontë 0141439556 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 I DNF at chapter 9.
Sorry... I found myself in complete shock at my lack of enjoyment, care, or desire to continue. I truly expected to fly through these pages, I absolutely LOVE my classics, and I thought it was time to read some that passed me by over the years.
My biggest complaint, and the one I can not overcome, is that we have Nelly's biased storytelling. It is unreliable and frustrating for me as the reader. Beyond that, I'm sure it is a great story, I just have no compassion or attachment.
I hold off any further judgement. As I know, it's a me issue, and I still have the utmost respect for this classic. ]]> 4.04 1847 Wuthering Heights

author: Emily Brontë
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1847
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves:
review:
I can't rate it as it is unfair of me for such a well loved classic.
I DNF at chapter 9.
Sorry... I found myself in complete shock at my lack of enjoyment, care, or desire to continue. I truly expected to fly through these pages, I absolutely LOVE my classics, and I thought it was time to read some that passed me by over the years.
My biggest complaint, and the one I can not overcome, is that we have Nelly's biased storytelling. It is unreliable and frustrating for me as the reader. Beyond that, I'm sure it is a great story, I just have no compassion or attachment.
I hold off any further judgement. As I know, it's a me issue, and I still have the utmost respect for this classic.
]]> Demon Seed 228204
But now her security system has been breached, her sanctuary from the outside world violated by an insidious artificial intelligence, which has taken control of her house. In the privacy of her own home, and against her will, Susan will experience an inconceivable act of terror. She will become the object of the ultimate computer's consuming obsession: to learn everything there is to know about the flesh...]]> 303 Dean Koontz 0425158594 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 4 Desire is dangerous. It is a generator of dissatisfaction and frustration. It is one step removed from envy, and envy is more wicked than greed. Envy is the father of
mindless anger, the mother of unremitting bitterness and bloodshed.

What a surprisingly enjoyable read. Visited Book Cycle, in Exeter today (amazing place, you can choose 3 books a day and choose how much you pay, the money raised helps build libraries for children most in need in the world) any way, I digress (which is a highly repeated phrase in this book), I saw this awful title from the 70's and knew I wanted to read it! It has clearly been rewritten in the mid 90's due to some references within these pages.

So I wasn't expecting much. Yet, I finished this book in an evening. I couldn't put it down. Mixed feelings, but thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I want out of this box.
I want out of this box.
I want out of this box.
I want out of this box!

Alex two, or should I say Proteos, is a highly intelligent computer system which was designed and built by a group of men and because of this, its 'mindset' has a highly sensitive and programmed sense of misogynistic tendencies. He has complex human emotions and, therefore, very different to what we would consider AI, and is possibly a good insite into the ever questioned, "what if robots had human feelings?"

We meet Susan, a recently divorced single/wealthy/in her own right, highly intelligent woman. Her ex-husband is also the creator of this classified computer project. She lives in a modernised mansion, featuring hightech security, cameras, and voice-activated smart computers (it is fun to read about), and the AI entity has infiltrated this system. And it is here the real story begins... and it is here that we start to see that even an emotionally intelligent computer possibly underestimated human strength, with intelligence and strength with dealing with those pesky emotions. Something a 3 year old computer simply failed to comprehend.

This is not to say that I have multiple personalities or am in any way psychologically fragmented. My mind simply works differently from the human mind because it is infinitely more complex and more powerful.
I am not bragging.
But I think you know I am not,

I think the AI being given a sense of emotion, feeling, and understanding of the complexities of the human mind may well have been his undoing... dare I say he became an overthinker? Confused by his own contradictions. Being human!!!

Being human is a complex task. Humanity is so filled with contradiction.

This is exhausting. God. This is so exhausting having to think of all the ways you might misinterpret what I say.
I am in a hostile court.
There is no fairness here.
This is exhausting.
I am drained.
I am empty.

He is infuriating as a human reader. You see him being truthful, and yet he is permanently blaming us humans for not understanding how 'right' he is, frustrated that we don't believe him or understand him.

There is a world of desirable women. The possibilities can be bewildering. I don't know how young men ever choose from all the dishes on this smorgasbord.

Gross. Gross. Gross.
He is an incel AI. He believes he has so much to offer. He is, by all means, the most perfect entity (one in flesh), and Susan is the luckiest woman alive to have been selected. She should be grateful. He is GOD, after all.

an artificial intelligence with a
severe gender-related sociopathic condition

The ending was simple and fun.
In fact, the whole story was just that, fun, and a very quick read.

This is a very sexist piece of writing, and you could be offended by its contents. However, I personally found it to be coming from a programmed AI, remember built and designed by men, of the 70s/90's, has increased its intelligence/understanding by reading every single film/text/novel/research paper and all of the world history and gender bias views, and then also clearly struggling to handle of this in his very black and white existence/inner monologue... so, in my humblest of opinions, I feel it is appropriate for the story. Like I say... he reads like a Incel/Andrew Tate.]]> 3.46 1973 Demon Seed

author: Dean Koontz
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.46
book published: 1973
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves:
review:
Desire is dangerous. It is a generator of dissatisfaction and frustration. It is one step removed from envy, and envy is more wicked than greed. Envy is the father of
mindless anger, the mother of unremitting bitterness and bloodshed.

What a surprisingly enjoyable read. Visited Book Cycle, in Exeter today (amazing place, you can choose 3 books a day and choose how much you pay, the money raised helps build libraries for children most in need in the world) any way, I digress (which is a highly repeated phrase in this book), I saw this awful title from the 70's and knew I wanted to read it! It has clearly been rewritten in the mid 90's due to some references within these pages.

So I wasn't expecting much. Yet, I finished this book in an evening. I couldn't put it down. Mixed feelings, but thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I want out of this box.
I want out of this box.
I want out of this box.
I want out of this box!

Alex two, or should I say Proteos, is a highly intelligent computer system which was designed and built by a group of men and because of this, its 'mindset' has a highly sensitive and programmed sense of misogynistic tendencies. He has complex human emotions and, therefore, very different to what we would consider AI, and is possibly a good insite into the ever questioned, "what if robots had human feelings?"

We meet Susan, a recently divorced single/wealthy/in her own right, highly intelligent woman. Her ex-husband is also the creator of this classified computer project. She lives in a modernised mansion, featuring hightech security, cameras, and voice-activated smart computers (it is fun to read about), and the AI entity has infiltrated this system. And it is here the real story begins... and it is here that we start to see that even an emotionally intelligent computer possibly underestimated human strength, with intelligence and strength with dealing with those pesky emotions. Something a 3 year old computer simply failed to comprehend.

This is not to say that I have multiple personalities or am in any way psychologically fragmented. My mind simply works differently from the human mind because it is infinitely more complex and more powerful.
I am not bragging.
But I think you know I am not,

I think the AI being given a sense of emotion, feeling, and understanding of the complexities of the human mind may well have been his undoing... dare I say he became an overthinker? Confused by his own contradictions. Being human!!!

Being human is a complex task. Humanity is so filled with contradiction.

This is exhausting. God. This is so exhausting having to think of all the ways you might misinterpret what I say.
I am in a hostile court.
There is no fairness here.
This is exhausting.
I am drained.
I am empty.

He is infuriating as a human reader. You see him being truthful, and yet he is permanently blaming us humans for not understanding how 'right' he is, frustrated that we don't believe him or understand him.

There is a world of desirable women. The possibilities can be bewildering. I don't know how young men ever choose from all the dishes on this smorgasbord.

Gross. Gross. Gross.
He is an incel AI. He believes he has so much to offer. He is, by all means, the most perfect entity (one in flesh), and Susan is the luckiest woman alive to have been selected. She should be grateful. He is GOD, after all.

an artificial intelligence with a
severe gender-related sociopathic condition

The ending was simple and fun.
In fact, the whole story was just that, fun, and a very quick read.

This is a very sexist piece of writing, and you could be offended by its contents. However, I personally found it to be coming from a programmed AI, remember built and designed by men, of the 70s/90's, has increased its intelligence/understanding by reading every single film/text/novel/research paper and all of the world history and gender bias views, and then also clearly struggling to handle of this in his very black and white existence/inner monologue... so, in my humblest of opinions, I feel it is appropriate for the story. Like I say... he reads like a Incel/Andrew Tate.
]]> A Little Life 22822858
Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome—but that will define his life forever.]]> 720 Hanya Yanagihara 0385539258 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5 4.28 2015 A Little Life

author: Hanya Yanagihara
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/07
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves:
review:
I can not fathom the words to review this properly. I loved the writing style, the flow, and the depth. I hated the contents. I will never ever read it again, I will never ever forget Jude. Phenomenal and an absolute masterpiece.
]]> Lolita 9216051 The most famous and controversial novel from one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century tells the story of Humbert Humbert’s obsessive, devouring, and doomed passion for the nymphet Dolores Haze."The conjunction of a sense of humor with a sense of horror [results in] satire of a very special kind." ��The New YorkerAwe and exhilaration—along with heartbreak and mordant wit—abound in Lolita, which tells the story of the aging Humbert Humbert's obsession for the nymphet Dolores Haze. Lolita is also the story of a hypercivilized European colliding with the cheerful barbarism of postwar America. Most of all, it is a meditation on love—love as outrage and hallucination, madness and transformation.]]> 376 Vladimir Nabokov ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 4 Let us go on with this curious tale. When called upon to enjoy my promotion from lodger to lover, did I experience only bitterness and distaste? No. Mr. Humbert
confesses to a certain titillation of his vanity, to some faint tenderness, even to a pattern of remorse daintily running along the steel of his conspiratorial dagger.

Years of putting this off... years. And yet here I am, only a few moments after finishing this bizarre book.

She showed a fierce insatiable curiosity for my past. She desired me to resuscitate all my loves so that she might make me insult them, and trample
upon them, and revoke them apostately and totally, thus destroying my past.

Deeply uncomfortable start, I'll be honest, only 10 pages in, and I almost returned it to the safety of its place on my bookshelf.
I was NOT prepared for this Nymphets tale.

Most of the dandelions had changed from suns to moons.

I found this story to be incredibly witty, and I loved every second, minute and hour in the flow of his writing style, I was laughing, choking on my shock, and finding myself in some of the deepest and most uncomfortable of thoughts.

Please, reader: no matter your exasperation with the tenderhearted, morbidly sensitive, infinitely circumspect hero of my book, do not skip these essential pages! Imagine me; I shall not exist if you do not imagine me; try to discern the doe in me, trembling in the forest of my own iniquity; let's even smile a
little. After all, there is no harm in smiling.

It isn't a book I would necessarily recommend as the subject is exactly as you suspect it to be. Romance novel, it is not! I am immediately ordering myself more novels from this author who has always passed me by. I surprisingly had a good time on this journey, even though it was an immensely uncomfortable one.]]> 3.86 1955 Lolita

author: Vladimir Nabokov
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1955
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/07
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves:
review:
Let us go on with this curious tale. When called upon to enjoy my promotion from lodger to lover, did I experience only bitterness and distaste? No. Mr. Humbert
confesses to a certain titillation of his vanity, to some faint tenderness, even to a pattern of remorse daintily running along the steel of his conspiratorial dagger.

Years of putting this off... years. And yet here I am, only a few moments after finishing this bizarre book.

She showed a fierce insatiable curiosity for my past. She desired me to resuscitate all my loves so that she might make me insult them, and trample
upon them, and revoke them apostately and totally, thus destroying my past.

Deeply uncomfortable start, I'll be honest, only 10 pages in, and I almost returned it to the safety of its place on my bookshelf.
I was NOT prepared for this Nymphets tale.

Most of the dandelions had changed from suns to moons.

I found this story to be incredibly witty, and I loved every second, minute and hour in the flow of his writing style, I was laughing, choking on my shock, and finding myself in some of the deepest and most uncomfortable of thoughts.

Please, reader: no matter your exasperation with the tenderhearted, morbidly sensitive, infinitely circumspect hero of my book, do not skip these essential pages! Imagine me; I shall not exist if you do not imagine me; try to discern the doe in me, trembling in the forest of my own iniquity; let's even smile a
little. After all, there is no harm in smiling.

It isn't a book I would necessarily recommend as the subject is exactly as you suspect it to be. Romance novel, it is not! I am immediately ordering myself more novels from this author who has always passed me by. I surprisingly had a good time on this journey, even though it was an immensely uncomfortable one.
]]> <![CDATA[Tales from the Thousand and One Nights]]> 774368 Tales from the Thousand and One Nights - sometimes known as the Arabian Nights - is translated with an introduction by N.J. Dawood in Penguin Classics.

The tales told by Scheherazade over a thousand and one nights to delay her execution by the vengeful King Shahryar have become among the most popular in both Eastern and Western literature. From the epic adventures of 'Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp' to the farcical 'Young Woman and her Five Lovers' and the social criticism of 'The Tale of the Hunchback', the stories depict a fabulous world of all-powerful sorcerers, jinns imprisoned in bottles and enchanting princesses. But despite their imaginative extravagance, the Tales are also anchored to everyday life by their bawdiness and realism, providing a full and intimate record of medieval Eastern world.

In this selection, N.J. Dawood presents the reader with an unexpurgated translation of the finest and best-known tales, preserving their spirited narrative style in lively modern English. In his introduction, he discusses their origins in the East and their differences from Classical Arabic literature, and examines English translations of the tales since the eighteenth century.

If you enjoyed Tales from the Thousand and One Nights, you might like Snorri Sturlson's The Prose Edda, also available in Penguin Classics.]]> 416 Anonymous 0140442898 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.01 1775 Tales from the Thousand and One Nights

author: Anonymous
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1775
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Sword of Kaigen 41886271 A son struggling to grasp his violent future,
A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.

When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?

High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.��

Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.

Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.]]> 651 M.L. Wang ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5
The characters were instantly the story. We are heavily invested in the Matsuda family, and what a complex and powerful family they were. Our main characters are Misaki, her eldest son, Mamoru, then the friends and family, and of course, enemies of these two follow suit. You will never be bored.

Yukino Sensei didn't buckle or cry. He didn't scream the way Setsuko had. He stood perfectly still, his shoulders back, his eyes fixed ahead, but somehow, he had never seemed so fragile. It was as though he had turned himself to ice. If he moved, it would crack.

MISAKI, my woman... she is quite possibly the most powerfully imoactful fictional woman to ever enter my life. She is, in fact, every woman that has been and is. She is everything a woman can be, every woman's experience, and every woman's future and past. I can not explain the visceral impact Wang has had on me with her character development.

"It is not your place to take up arms, Takeru's voice rose, as did his jiya, crushing down on her. "You are a woman. Your only job is to look after the children."

Mamoru, again, words fail me. His life, mind, and sole are phenomenal.

There were no longer any confusing ambiguities of difficult choices. There was only what Mamoru had been bred and trained for since he was old enough to hold a practice sword to charge down the mountain at his enemies and kill.
Kill.
Kill.

The magical system, if you could even call it that, was incredibly interesting, easy to follow, thorough, and vibrant.

With real life, this book HAS complex social and class restraints, the true frustrations and pleasure of human complexities which helped create a believable and enjoyable journey that was was strangely familiar to us in such a unique world.

"You're so weird, Robin.' Misaki shook the water from her hands and let her sleeves back down. "I'll never understand how you forgive people you disagree with so fundamentally."

The story is consistent, perfectly paced, interesting, and deals with human problems in a way that is so refreshing to read, miscommunication is dealt with, honest thoughts and problems, adult/mature/relatable and honest problems.

The fighting scenes were intricately and poetically written, which kept me on the edge of my seat, fully understood what was happening, and felt fully immersed. Incredible story telling that has left me feeling overwhelmed, heartbroken, and strangely patched up to be OK with the ending.

Then his body jerked. The curved blade of Nagimaru stuck through his chest. In another flash, the sword's shorter companion, Namimaru, cut the man's head from his shoulders. The katana was yanked free, and the two pieces of fonyaka
thudded to the ground to reveal Uncle Takashi, splattered with blood, a sword in each hand, looking furious.

The only frustration is that I want MORE! I have struggled to remember if I have ever read a book where I ended the book feeling satisfied with the ending, but equally disappointed because I didn't want it to end. We are not given a pretty ending. It is open-ended and left feeling a large void when we have to leave the characters behind at the end of these pages.

Beyond Brandon Sanderson and the impact his stories have had on me, this book has had a profound reaction that will be long-lasting, and I never expected that from a book I almost didn't buy. Phenomenal.

"That's your son," Misaki said, her voice suddenly harsh with emotion. "Now, I don't know how unfortunate the circumstances of his birth were, and I don't know what kind of evil is after you, but it doesn't matter. Even if his life is hard, if this all turns out just as horribly as you imagine, you won't regret him. You'll never regret
him."]]> 4.46 2019 The Sword of Kaigen

author: M.L. Wang
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves:
review:
M.L.Wang has an incredible writing style, I was instantly grabbed by the hand and trusted, completely, to have the ability to catch up with the world, the language, and style. And I did. I was apprehensive stepping into the Kaigenese Empire, I wasn't sure I would manage to grapple the world and language, I never used the glossary after a few pages because it really was that easy to follow, in my opinion ofcourse.

The characters were instantly the story. We are heavily invested in the Matsuda family, and what a complex and powerful family they were. Our main characters are Misaki, her eldest son, Mamoru, then the friends and family, and of course, enemies of these two follow suit. You will never be bored.

Yukino Sensei didn't buckle or cry. He didn't scream the way Setsuko had. He stood perfectly still, his shoulders back, his eyes fixed ahead, but somehow, he had never seemed so fragile. It was as though he had turned himself to ice. If he moved, it would crack.

MISAKI, my woman... she is quite possibly the most powerfully imoactful fictional woman to ever enter my life. She is, in fact, every woman that has been and is. She is everything a woman can be, every woman's experience, and every woman's future and past. I can not explain the visceral impact Wang has had on me with her character development.

"It is not your place to take up arms, Takeru's voice rose, as did his jiya, crushing down on her. "You are a woman. Your only job is to look after the children."

Mamoru, again, words fail me. His life, mind, and sole are phenomenal.

There were no longer any confusing ambiguities of difficult choices. There was only what Mamoru had been bred and trained for since he was old enough to hold a practice sword to charge down the mountain at his enemies and kill.
Kill.
Kill.

The magical system, if you could even call it that, was incredibly interesting, easy to follow, thorough, and vibrant.

With real life, this book HAS complex social and class restraints, the true frustrations and pleasure of human complexities which helped create a believable and enjoyable journey that was was strangely familiar to us in such a unique world.

"You're so weird, Robin.' Misaki shook the water from her hands and let her sleeves back down. "I'll never understand how you forgive people you disagree with so fundamentally."

The story is consistent, perfectly paced, interesting, and deals with human problems in a way that is so refreshing to read, miscommunication is dealt with, honest thoughts and problems, adult/mature/relatable and honest problems.

The fighting scenes were intricately and poetically written, which kept me on the edge of my seat, fully understood what was happening, and felt fully immersed. Incredible story telling that has left me feeling overwhelmed, heartbroken, and strangely patched up to be OK with the ending.

Then his body jerked. The curved blade of Nagimaru stuck through his chest. In another flash, the sword's shorter companion, Namimaru, cut the man's head from his shoulders. The katana was yanked free, and the two pieces of fonyaka
thudded to the ground to reveal Uncle Takashi, splattered with blood, a sword in each hand, looking furious.

The only frustration is that I want MORE! I have struggled to remember if I have ever read a book where I ended the book feeling satisfied with the ending, but equally disappointed because I didn't want it to end. We are not given a pretty ending. It is open-ended and left feeling a large void when we have to leave the characters behind at the end of these pages.

Beyond Brandon Sanderson and the impact his stories have had on me, this book has had a profound reaction that will be long-lasting, and I never expected that from a book I almost didn't buy. Phenomenal.

"That's your son," Misaki said, her voice suddenly harsh with emotion. "Now, I don't know how unfortunate the circumstances of his birth were, and I don't know what kind of evil is after you, but it doesn't matter. Even if his life is hard, if this all turns out just as horribly as you imagine, you won't regret him. You'll never regret
him."
]]> <![CDATA[City of Gods and Monsters (House of Devils, #1)]]> 59820919 Welcome to the city of Angelthene. We hope you survive.

Loren Calla has only ever been ordinary. As a human struggling to survive in a city that caters to the needs of vampires, werewolves, witches, and other supernatural creatures, she always assumed her life would remain simple, predictable, and as safe as her world would allow.

Until she barely escapes abduction at the hands of Darkslayers—supernatural bounty hunters that possess the Sight, a magical tracking ability that allows them to see a person’s aura—and one of her friends is taken in her place. The abductors are demanding a ransom: Loren's life in exchange for her friend's safe return. Loren will do whatever it takes to get her friend back—even if it means accepting help from Darien Cassel, the leader of the Seven Devils, the most feared Darkslaying circle in the city.

Darien specializes in tracking down demons and criminals that are better off dead than alive, so when he takes a job to track down Loren and finds out she is human—and couldn't hurt a fly if her life depended on it—he decides to protect her instead of turn her in for a reward. As much as Loren doesn't want to admit it, Darien is her best and only chance at finding her friend alive, if she can somehow manage to get along with him—and not fall head-over-heels in love with him in the process, which is far easier said than done.

When more women start disappearing, and some of them slowly turn up dead, Loren and Darien's search for answers takes them deep into Angelthene's corrupt underbelly, where they discover a dark secret that threatens to unravel their world. And when tragedy strikes, Loren learns that love can make an ordinary person do extraordinary things.

From the author of Dreams of Ice and Iron comes a new fantasy romance perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas, Ilona Andrews, and Cassandra Clare.

Please note: This book contains darker content that might be triggering for some readers, including violence, mature language, sexual content, drug abuse, death of an animal (with a HEA), sexual harassment, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and suicide. It is not intended for anyone under the age of 18.]]> 760 Kayla Edwards 1777880734 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.67 2022 City of Gods and Monsters (House of Devils, #1)

City of Gods and Monsters (House of Devils, #1)

author: Kayla Edwards
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sweetling (Monstrous World, #3)]]> 217070156 Nowhere is safe for a fae alone��
For all his many days, Allarion has been faithful to queen and country. In their sparkling city on the sea, the fae live long lives of pleasure and luxury. But pretty things can be rotten at their core, and not all is as it seems. A betrayal at the heart of the fae court shatters Allarion’s belief in all that he once held sacred.
Now in hiding, he must make his own sanctuary in the human kingdom of Eirea. The dilapidated estate of Scarborough has been waiting for a chance, and he intends to breathe new life into the land. All he needs is the final anchor to his magic, the one thing that binds a fae to the earth more thoroughly than any spell or power. A mate. Obtaining the woman he wants will be easy. Keeping her is another matter.

There is no denying a fae when he comes to your door��
All her life, barmaid Molly hasn’t had time for dreams or fancies or romance. From caring for her cousins to serving the patrons of her uncle’s tavern, life has always been about earning her keep. That at least kept her safe. Or so she thought. She never imagined her uncle might sell her off to the mysterious patron who’s haunted the tavern and Molly’s dreams for months.
Molly wants a family—not a kidnapping fae with no sense of humor, his terrifying, grumpy unicorn, and a sentient but malfunctioning house. But then, life has never been about what Molly wants—at least until her fae captor insists that’s all he cares about��

A fae in search of his queen, a woman hoping for a home—together they could build everything they dreamed; if human and fae alike don’t tear them apart first.

Fans of Grace Draven, Ruby Dixon, and SJM will love this fluffy, steamy monster romance story! Check sewendelauthor. com for content and trigger warnings. Mature content intended for readers 18+.
Book 3 stands on its own but will best be enjoyed after Ironling.
]]> S.E. Wendel ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.05 Sweetling (Monstrous World, #3)

author: S.E. Wendel
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Crimson Moth (The Crimson Moth, #1)]]> 197538041 Enemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli's latest romantic fantasy.

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe �� a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution �� who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love.]]> 404 Kristen Ciccarelli 000865056X ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 3 2.5 4.22 2024 The Crimson Moth (The Crimson Moth, #1)

author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
2.5
]]> Ravensong (Green Creek, #2) 62039416
“Complex and startling... Green Creek is the perfect setting.�� —Charlaine Harris

The Bennett family has a secret: They're not just a family, they're a pack. Ravensong is Gordo Livingstone's story.

Gordo Livingstone never forgot the lessons carved into his skin. Hardened by the betrayal of a pack that left him behind, he sought solace in the garage in his tiny mountain town, vowing never again to involve himself in the affairs of wolves.

It should have been enough.

It was, until the wolves came back, and with them, Mark Bennett. And when his town is caught in the jaws of a beast, Gordo is summoned back into the life that left him.

“Gordo, you must rise. For your pack. For us. I must ask you to become the witch to the wolves.��

Now, a year later, Gordo has once again found himself the witch of the Bennett pack. Green Creek has settled after the death of Richard Collins, and Gordo constantly struggles to ignore Mark and the song that howls between them.

But time is running out. Something is coming. And this time, it’s coming from within.

The Green Creek Series is for adult readers.
Now available from Tor Books.]]> 512 T.J. Klune 1250890349 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5 The roses bloomed.
The raven took flight.
The wolves howled
Their humans cried along with them
And І did the only thing І could.
І tilted my head back and sang а song of war.

Perfection. The reason I read is in this book.

I wondered how often hope felt like a lie

All emotions were felt. Just like book one, but somehow, this book evoked far more anger and despair. Mark and Gordo, the pain, the loyalties, the family, war, and time packpackpack

His mouth was near my ear when he said, "I wanted to do it for you. Maybe I would have turned Omega. Maybe not. You
were my tether, even then, It might have been enough, but I was too scared to find out. You're my mate, Gordo. Dirt and leaves
and rain."

What power is it this book? I couldn't stop thinking about the pages, the world, the Bennett pack, JESSIE!!! She was everything in this book, and we met Bambi... Holy cow, massive rack and massive balls!

Rico was in the break room, feeding Bambi grapes by hand as she sat in his lap.

I don't understand straight people.

The banter and laughter between Gordo and his human friends/pack members had me giggling, laughing loudly, and it was a really welcome hug when in the middle of struggling to hold my emotions together.

"Wherever you are, that's where my home is."

I can't coherently express my love of these wolves. This series has unexpectedly captured me, moved me, held me, and I'm rating with every possible ounce of love and emotion. Joe and Ox were my everything. They still are, but Mark deserves the WORLD! May their raven soar high and passionately.

❤️�ձ�> 4.30 2018 Ravensong (Green Creek, #2)

author: T.J. Klune
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves:
review:
The roses bloomed.
The raven took flight.
The wolves howled
Their humans cried along with them
And І did the only thing І could.
І tilted my head back and sang а song of war.

Perfection. The reason I read is in this book.

I wondered how often hope felt like a lie

All emotions were felt. Just like book one, but somehow, this book evoked far more anger and despair. Mark and Gordo, the pain, the loyalties, the family, war, and time packpackpack

His mouth was near my ear when he said, "I wanted to do it for you. Maybe I would have turned Omega. Maybe not. You
were my tether, even then, It might have been enough, but I was too scared to find out. You're my mate, Gordo. Dirt and leaves
and rain."

What power is it this book? I couldn't stop thinking about the pages, the world, the Bennett pack, JESSIE!!! She was everything in this book, and we met Bambi... Holy cow, massive rack and massive balls!

Rico was in the break room, feeding Bambi grapes by hand as she sat in his lap.

I don't understand straight people.

The banter and laughter between Gordo and his human friends/pack members had me giggling, laughing loudly, and it was a really welcome hug when in the middle of struggling to hold my emotions together.

"Wherever you are, that's where my home is."

I can't coherently express my love of these wolves. This series has unexpectedly captured me, moved me, held me, and I'm rating with every possible ounce of love and emotion. Joe and Ox were my everything. They still are, but Mark deserves the WORLD! May their raven soar high and passionately.

❤️
]]> <![CDATA[Spark of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #1)]]> 123471760 When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn.

In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.

Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.

With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.

Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers epic is perfect for lovers of magic, dragons, angst, and banter and will appeal to fans of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, Gild, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 438 Penn Cole ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 1 4.20 2023 Spark of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #1)

Spark of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, #1)

author: Penn Cole
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 1
read at: 2025/02/18
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves:
review:
DNF at 80% I have NEVER given up on a book when so little was left, and I think that is the best review I can give.
]]> Bury Your Gays 195790870 From Chuck Tingle, author of the USA Today bestselling Camp Damascus, comes a new heart-pounding story about what it takes to succeed in a world that wants you dead.

Misha is a jaded scriptwriter who has been working in Hollywood for years, and has just been nominated for his first Oscar. But when he's pressured by his producers to kill off a gay character in the upcoming season finale��"for the algorithm"―Misha discovers that it's not that simple.

As he is haunted by his past, and past mistakes, Misha must risk everything to find a way to do what's right―before it's too late.]]> 295 Chuck Tingle 1250874653 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.13 2024 Bury Your Gays

author: Chuck Tingle
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Unhinged 187684551
Someone’s been watching Tana closely, but he’s a lot closer than she realizes. From intimate moments to lazy afternoons on the couch, he’s secretly seen it all - and fallen for her along the way. The problem is that someone else is watching too, and his obsession with Tana is a lot more dangerous. When a man claiming to be her front door enters her dreams to warn her about an imminent threat to her life, Tana initially chalks it up to her weird late-night snacks. But she rethinks things when her earnest visitor insists he’s also ready to protect her - in exchange for one hell of a favor. When Tana trades her best line of defense for an unlikely supernatural ally, the threat lurking beyond her apartment hallway starts getting desperate as the law closes in. Can her inhuman companion save her from the worst of humanity, or is it too late for both of them?

Content Unhinged is a paranormal romance story that involves a human woman getting it on with her front door, which later turns into a guy. This story contains...a lot of stuff that would probably land me on the naughty list with bots from our benevolent overlords if I went into detail in this blurb. Please peek at the look inside for a better idea of what to expect, cool? ;)]]> 71 Vera Valentine ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.00 2023 Unhinged

author: Vera Valentine
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos, #1)]]> 40275288
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction �� but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.]]> 845 Samantha Shannon 1408883457 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.18 2019 The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos, #1)

The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos, #1)

author: Samantha Shannon
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Crimson Snow (A Realm of Chaos and Void, #1)]]> 218035327
Guided by enigmatic allies and pursued by ancient enemies, Seraphine ventures through the treacherous Weeping Forest and into the shadowy depths of the Shadow Market. Here, legendary creatures—mischievous Pookas, sinister hags, and the ominous Grim Wanderer—reveal a world of dark enchantments and hidden power.

As she delves deeper, Seraphine discovers a dark destiny intertwined with her lineage. The Grim Wanderer, an ethereal figure cloaked in shadows, pushes her towards a fate shrouded in mystery and danger. This is not a tale of heroes, but the genesis of a villain, forged from heartbreak and betrayal.

In a web of deceit and ancient prophecies, Seraphine's path is one of transformation and darkness. Will she succumb to the shadows that seek to consume her, or will she rise as a force of vengeance, altering the balance between realms forever?

The Crimson Snow is a dark, gripping fantasy of magic, resilience, and the birth of a new power in a world where heroes are myths and villains are made. Embrace the mystery and uncover the secrets beneath the snow.]]> 368 Laura Vega 9695692532 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.56 The Crimson Snow (A Realm of Chaos and Void, #1)

The Crimson Snow (A Realm of Chaos and Void, #1)

author: Laura Vega
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.56
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Night Circus 9361589
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.]]> 506 Erin Morgenstern ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5
"Do you remember all of your audiences?" Marco asks.
"Not all of them," Celia says. "But I remember the people who look at me the way you do."
"What way might that be?"
"As though they cannot decide if they are afraid of me or they want to kiss me."

There is a beautiful mystery surrounding the circus and their 'challenge', which really had me thinking throughout, and it was just non-stop fun. Honestly, it's been a long time since I have read something this comforting. You have your two main characters, but honestly, I don't really think that they were. Every single character had a place, had a story, and was integral to the plot. There was an overwhelming amount of honesty, communication, secrets that were easily told when asked, and a really refreshing element that I'm finding hard to articulate.

The silence that falls between them is a comfortable one. He longs to reach over and touch her, but he resists, fearful of destroying the delicate camaraderie they are building, He steals glances instead, watching the way the light falls over her
skin. Several times, he catches her regarding him in a similar manner, and the moments when she holds his eyes with hers are sublime.

I'll be honest, that for a while, I wasn't sure how I felt, I was a little confused, even a bit perplexed as to where this was 'going', it did take some reading to overcome that, but it was well worth the slow start, because the ending was the perfect bow finish. I never expected to enjoy this as much as I did. It has been sat on my shelves for a very long time. The circus theme is the ultimate ick, so I'm mightily chuffed to be a 5 star ]]> 4.00 2011 The Night Circus

author: Erin Morgenstern
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves:
review:
An incredibly warm, almost genteel and quaintly magical story. There is a darkness to the story, but even that darkness hasn't escaped the light. There is heartbreak, but you are immediately cuddled, and your read is filled with gentle twists and comforting hugs and tea breaks throughout. It's just superbly written and unending fun. A true page turner, simple but in-depth world building, and a truly romantic book in EVERY sense of that word.

"Do you remember all of your audiences?" Marco asks.
"Not all of them," Celia says. "But I remember the people who look at me the way you do."
"What way might that be?"
"As though they cannot decide if they are afraid of me or they want to kiss me."

There is a beautiful mystery surrounding the circus and their 'challenge', which really had me thinking throughout, and it was just non-stop fun. Honestly, it's been a long time since I have read something this comforting. You have your two main characters, but honestly, I don't really think that they were. Every single character had a place, had a story, and was integral to the plot. There was an overwhelming amount of honesty, communication, secrets that were easily told when asked, and a really refreshing element that I'm finding hard to articulate.

The silence that falls between them is a comfortable one. He longs to reach over and touch her, but he resists, fearful of destroying the delicate camaraderie they are building, He steals glances instead, watching the way the light falls over her
skin. Several times, he catches her regarding him in a similar manner, and the moments when she holds his eyes with hers are sublime.

I'll be honest, that for a while, I wasn't sure how I felt, I was a little confused, even a bit perplexed as to where this was 'going', it did take some reading to overcome that, but it was well worth the slow start, because the ending was the perfect bow finish. I never expected to enjoy this as much as I did. It has been sat on my shelves for a very long time. The circus theme is the ultimate ick, so I'm mightily chuffed to be a 5 star
]]> The Starless Sea 43565560
Zachary Ezra Rawlins is searching for his door, though he does not know it. He follows a silent siren song, an inexplicable knowledge that he is meant for another place. When he discovers a mysterious book in the stacks of his campus library he begins to read, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, lost cities, and nameless acolytes. Suddenly a turn of the page brings Zachary to a story from his own childhood impossibly written in this book that is older than he is.

A bee, a key, and a sword emblazoned on the book lead Zachary to two people who will change the course of his life: Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired painter, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances. These strangers guide Zachary through masquerade party dances and whispered back room stories to the headquarters of a secret society where doorknobs hang from ribbons, and finally through a door conjured from paint to the place he has always yearned for. Amid twisting tunnels filled with books, gilded ballrooms, and wine-dark shores Zachary falls into an intoxicating world soaked in romance and mystery. But a battle is raging over the fate of this place and though there are those who would willingly sacrifice everything to protect it, there are just as many intent on its destruction. As Zachary, Mirabel, and Dorian venture deeper into the space and its histories and myths, searching for answers and each other, a timeless love story unspools, casting a spell of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a Starless Sea.]]> 487 Erin Morgenstern ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.92 2019 The Starless Sea

author: Erin Morgenstern
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mindf*ck Series (Mindf*ck, #1-5)]]> 44799982
They took too much.
Left too little.
I had nothing to lose...until him.
**
I didn't expect him.
I didn't want to fall in love.
But I can't let him go.
Logan Bennett makes the world a safer place.
He's brilliant.
He's a hero.
He locks away the sick and depraved.
But while he's saving lives, I'm taking them. Collecting the debts that are owed to me.
Ten years ago, they took from me. They left me for dead.
They should have made sure I stayed dead.
Now I'm taking from them.
One name at a time.
I've trained for too long.
I've been patient.
I can't stop now.
Revenge is best served cold...
They never see me coming, until I paint their walls red.
Logan doesn't know how they hurt me. He doesn't know about the screams they ignored. He doesn't know how twisted that town really is.
He just knows people are dying.
He doesn't know he's in love with their killer.
No one suspects a dead girl.
And Logan doesn't suspect the girl in his bed.
They're looking for a monster.
Not a girl who loves red.
Not a girl in love.
I'm a faceless nightmare.
At least until I tell them the story they've pretended never happened.
But in the end, will Logan choose them? Or will we watch them burn together?

**Graphic**Adult language**Some triggers could be too much for the easily disturbed reader**Sexual content**Fucked up moral compass; read at your own risk.]]> 683 S.T. Abby ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 3 on-hold I was expecting to fly through this series, love every second, and think of nothing else for the rest of my life because that's what you all promised. ]]> 4.62 2016 The Mindf*ck Series (Mindf*ck, #1-5)

author: S.T. Abby
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.62
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: on-hold
review:
I'm mildly disappointed.
I was expecting to fly through this series, love every second, and think of nothing else for the rest of my life because that's what you all promised.
]]> <![CDATA[The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate, #1)]]> 33099588 The Black Tides of Heaven is one of a pair of standalone introductions to Neon Yang's Tensorate Series. For more of the story you can read its twin novella The Red Threads of Fortune

Mokoya and Akeha, the twin children of the Protector, were sold to the Grand Monastery as children. While Mokoya developed her strange prophetic gift, Akeha was always the one who could see the strings that moved adults to action. While his sister received visions of what would be, Akeha realized what could be. What's more, he saw the sickness at the heart of his mother's Protectorate.

A rebellion is growing. The Machinists discover new levers to move the world every day, while the Tensors fight to put them down and preserve the power of the state. Unwilling to continue to play a pawn in his mother's twisted schemes, Akeha leaves the Tensorate behind and falls in with the rebels. But every step Akeha takes towards the Machinists is a step away from his sister Mokoya. Can Akeha find peace without shattering the bond he shares with his twin sister?]]> 236 Neon Yang 076539541X ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 4 What a beautiful Novella 3.70 2017 The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate, #1)

The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate, #1)

author: Neon Yang
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves:
review:
What a beautiful Novella
]]> <![CDATA[Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children, #2)]]> 31450908
This is the story of what happened first��

Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.

Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.

They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.

They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.]]> 187 Seanan McGuire 0765392038 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.14 2017 Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children, #2)

Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children, #2)

author: Seanan McGuire
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)]]> 56791389 Alternate cover edition of ASIN B08BKGYQXW

The apocalypse will be televised!

A man. His ex-girlfriend's cat. A sadistic game show unlike anything in the universe: a dungeon crawl where survival depends on killing your prey in the most entertaining way possible.

In a flash, every human-erected construction on Earth—from Buckingham Palace to the tiniest of sheds—collapses in a heap, sinking into the ground.

The buildings and all the people inside have all been atomized and transformed into the dungeon: an 18-level labyrinth filled with traps, monsters, and loot. A dungeon so enormous, it circles the entire globe.

Only a few dare venture inside. But once you're in, you can't get out. And what's worse, each level has a time limit. You have but days to find a staircase to the next level down, or it's game over. In this game, it's not about your strength or your dexterity. It's about your followers, your views. Your clout. It's about building an audience and killing those goblins with style.

You can't just survive here. You gotta survive big.

You gotta fight with vigor, with excitement. You gotta make them stand up and cheer. And if you do have that "it" factor, you may just find yourself with a following. That's the only way to truly survive in this game—with the help of the loot boxes dropped upon you by the generous benefactors watching from across the galaxy.

They call it Dungeon Crawler World. But for Carl, it's anything but a game.]]> 446 Matt Dinniman ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.49 2020 Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)

Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)

author: Matt Dinniman
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, #1)]]> 7090447
On Christmas Eve, Sadie and Carter are reunited when their father brings them to the British Museum, with a promise that he's going to "make things right." But all does not go according to plan: Carter and Sadie watch as Julius summons a mysterious figure, who quickly banishes their father and causes a fiery explosion.

Soon Carter and Sadie discover that the gods of Ancient Egypt are waking, and the worst of them—Set—has a frightening scheme. To save their father, they must embark on a dangerous journey—a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and its links to the House of Life, a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.]]> 528 Rick Riordan 1423113381 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 currently-reading My 9 year old son wants to read this together... who am I to say no? But this may be on my list for the next 12 months... it's a slow read when only reading 10-15 minutes a night together.]]> 4.10 2010 The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, #1)

The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, #1)

author: Rick Riordan
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: currently-reading
review:
Pre-read:
My 9 year old son wants to read this together... who am I to say no? But this may be on my list for the next 12 months... it's a slow read when only reading 10-15 minutes a night together.
]]> <![CDATA[These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows, #1)]]> 53422971 From New York Times best-selling author Lexi Ryan, Cruel Prince meets A Court of Thorns and Roses in this sexy, action-packed fantasy about a girl who is caught between two treacherous faerie courts and their dangerously seductive princes.

Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she'll do whatever it takes to get her back—including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.

Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done. Brie's only choice is to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits with their own secret agenda. As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his seductive charm.

Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.]]> 448 Lexi Ryan ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0
No rating, as I gave up far too early to be truly critical. I may come back to it one day, but the cinderella start, and the overwhelming predictability of this book holds zero interest after a few chapters. Then I discover there is a love triangle, I'm not opposed to these, but I am when I could probably tell you the plot without reading it!]]> 3.95 2021 These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows, #1)

These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows, #1)

author: Lexi Ryan
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:
DNF

No rating, as I gave up far too early to be truly critical. I may come back to it one day, but the cinderella start, and the overwhelming predictability of this book holds zero interest after a few chapters. Then I discover there is a love triangle, I'm not opposed to these, but I am when I could probably tell you the plot without reading it!
]]> <![CDATA[Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1)]]> 47212 HARRY DRESDEN �� WIZARD

Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a—well, whatever. There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks.

So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get interesting.

Magic - it can get a guy killed.]]> 372 Jim Butcher 0451457811 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5 I was not a murderer. I was Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. I was a wizard. Wizards control their power. They dont let it control them. And wizards dont use magic to kill people. They use it to discover, to protect, to mend, to help. Not to destroy.

Dresden Dresden Dresden... what a quirky, fun, sarcastic, witty, and grumpy guy.
Lives with his massive cat Mister and Bob an ancient spirit housed in a skull, honest in his work that varies from helping people who want his services (more phone him to prank him/check he is real) or helping the local Police, thinks himself an old fashioned gentleman, drives an unreliable multicoloured beetle, can barely pay his rent, makes potions as a hobby and gets himself into trouble and out of trouble in equally clumsy ways. ]]> 3.99 2000 Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1)

author: Jim Butcher
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:
I was not a murderer. I was Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. I was a wizard. Wizards control their power. They dont let it control them. And wizards dont use magic to kill people. They use it to discover, to protect, to mend, to help. Not to destroy.

Dresden Dresden Dresden... what a quirky, fun, sarcastic, witty, and grumpy guy.
Lives with his massive cat Mister and Bob an ancient spirit housed in a skull, honest in his work that varies from helping people who want his services (more phone him to prank him/check he is real) or helping the local Police, thinks himself an old fashioned gentleman, drives an unreliable multicoloured beetle, can barely pay his rent, makes potions as a hobby and gets himself into trouble and out of trouble in equally clumsy ways.
]]> Blood Over Bright Haven 208430658 Magic has made the city of Tiran an industrial utopia, but magic has a cost—and the collectors have come calling.

An orphan since the age of four, Sciona has always had more to prove than her fellow students. For twenty years, she has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry. When she finally claws her way up the ranks to become a highmage, however, she finds that her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues will stop at nothing to let her know she is unwelcome, beginning with giving her a janitor instead of a qualified lab assistant.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was once more than a janitor; before he mopped floors for the mages, Thomil was a nomadic hunter from beyond Tiran’s magical barrier. Ten years have passed since he survived the perilous crossing that killed his family. But working for a highmage, he sees the opportunity to finally understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the Tiranish in power.

Through their fractious relationship, mage and outsider uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first. Sciona has defined her life by the pursuit of truth, but how much is one truth worth with the fate of civilization in the balance?

A standalone dark academia brimming with mystery, tragedy, and the damning echoes of the past. For fans of Leigh Bardugo, V. E. Schwab, and Fullmetal Alchemist.

(Content warnings for gore, sexual assault, and suicidal ideation)]]> 430 M.L. Wang 0593873351 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.39 2023 Blood Over Bright Haven

author: M.L. Wang
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Magicians' Guild (The Black Magician Trilogy #1)]]> 28249
This year, like every other, the magicians of Imardin gather to purge the city of undesirables. Cloaked in the protection of their sorcery, they move with no fear of the vagrants and miscreants who despise them and their work-—until one enraged girl, barely more than a child, hurls a stone at the hated invaders...and effortlessly penetrates their magical shield.

What the Magicians' Guild has long dreaded has finally come to pass. There is someone outside their ranks who possesses a raw power beyond imagining, an untrained mage who must be found and schooled before she destroys herself and her city with a force she cannot yet control.]]> 467 Trudi Canavan 1841493139 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 3 3.98 2001 The Magicians' Guild (The Black Magician Trilogy #1)

The Magicians' Guild (The Black Magician Trilogy #1)

author: Trudi Canavan
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves:
review:
Sonea is a protagonist who has been with me since I first read this book in 2002 (23 years ago!!!!
]]> <![CDATA[Scorched Skies (Way of Wings, #1)]]> 216772869 From the award-winning author of the Mousai series comes book one in an epic duology inspired by the Icarus myth, about an outcast woman and a winged prince torn between forbidden love and born duty.

In the divided world of Cādra, where the winged Volari rule over the earthbound Süra, Tanwen has never relished her life of secrecy, but hiding is her only means of survival. As the child of a forbidden union, her very existence is punishable by death.

As the Crown Prince, Zolya is forced to fulfill his father’s every whim. Acting on orders, he captures Tanwen’s father and brother, whisking them away to his kingdom in the sky. Determined to save her family, Tanwen infiltrates the royal court disguised as a servant.

Amid the palace’s intrigue, she realizes there’s more to save than just her family and more to Prince Zolya than meets the eye. As their worlds collide, their star-crossed relationship intensifies under the king’s oppression. With their loyalties pulling them in opposite directions, Tanwen and Zolya must decide if their love can bridge the divide or if they have flown too close to the sun.]]> 541 E.J. Mellow 166251543X ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.21 2025 Scorched Skies (Way of Wings, #1)

author: E.J. Mellow
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Burning God (The Poppy War, #3)]]> 45857086 The exciting end to The Poppy War trilogy, R. F. Kuang’s acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect.

After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead.

Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much—the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges—and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation.

Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners. As her power and influence grows, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it? ]]> 622 R.F. Kuang 0008339147 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.29 2020 The Burning God (The Poppy War, #3)

author: R.F. Kuang
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Run to Me 209238196
Dangerous.

Exactly like his criminal father.

A ticking time bomb who doesn't understand right from wrong.

Too damaged to ever be like the rest of us.

None of this is what I see when I look at Jace. He's not only my stepbrother, he's my best friend. Whatever else is happening between us can't seem to slow down, no matter how much we need it to.

I look at him and I see love, safety and somewhere I belong. They can say all they want. They can keep trying to pull us apart. But even their best efforts will never stop me from running to him.]]> 249 Ashlynn Mills ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.85 Run to Me

author: Ashlynn Mills
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.85
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Catcher in the Rye 5107 It's Christmas time and Holden Caulfield has just been expelled from yet another school...

Fleeing the crooks at Pencey Prep, he pinballs around New York City seeking solace in fleeting encounters—shooting the bull with strangers in dive hotels, wandering alone round Central Park, getting beaten up by pimps and cut down by erstwhile girlfriends. The city is beautiful and terrible, in all its neon loneliness and seedy glamour, its mingled sense of possibility and emptiness. Holden passes through it like a ghost, thinking always of his kid sister Phoebe, the only person who really understands him, and his determination to escape the phonies and find a life of true meaning.

The Catcher in the Rye is an all-time classic in coming-of-age literature- an elegy to teenage alienation, capturing the deeply human need for connection and the bewildering sense of loss as we leave childhood behind.

J.D. Salinger's (1919��2010) classic novel of teenage angst and rebellion was first published in 1951. The novel was included on Time's 2005 list of the 100 best English-language novels written since 1923. It was named by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. It has been frequently challenged in the court for its liberal use of profanity and portrayal of sexuality and in the 1950's and 60's it was the novel that every teenage boy wants to read.]]> 277 J.D. Salinger 0316769177 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.81 1951 The Catcher in the Rye

author: J.D. Salinger
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1951
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Wildblood 137965660 The Witcher meets October Daye with a splash of John Wick in this dark, gritty, and sexy urban fantasy-noir.

Kai Donovan has always had sharp teeth.

Earning his keep as an underground fighter in South Boston, he revels in well-earned notoriety. Wild. Irreverent. Vicious. His secret: he’s the monster from a fable.

But when Kai loses a match against a mysterious opponent whose ferocity rivals his own, he finds himself beholden to the underworld. What he owes isn’t money, but the recovery of an elusive prize coveted by the city’s most dangerous criminals.

His partner Miya—burdened with the ability to traverse dreams—spends her days investigating supernatural phenomena. When she receives a shadowy proposal to find a missing teenager, she’s confronted with the possibility that another like her exists.

As Kai and Miya chase ghosts, the threads of their pursuits weave into a menacing tapestry. Kai’s dark past returns to haunt him, threatening the bonds he believed to be ironclad. Unhealed wounds fester as he’s faced with a ruinous choice: unravel his blood-soaked history or lose himself and the life he’s scavenged together.

Bare your teeth. The nightmares are at your door.

--------

Wildblood is a companion novel to The Chaos Cycle Duology. It can be enjoyed as a standalone, though familiarity with the duology may enrich reader experience.]]> 494 A.J. Vrana 1956136770 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.28 Wildblood

author: A.J. Vrana
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #2)]]> 188563943
Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat�� er, out-of-evil-office.

But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs—Kingsley’s included—point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies�� including their nemesis, the king.

Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe (provided no one finds out) the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.

It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so�� so�� delightfully fun.

But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?]]> 336 Hannah Nicole Maehrer 152991776X ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.14 2024 Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #2)

Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #2)

author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Find Me Between the Stars (Meet Me in the Ether, #2)]]> 218546689
After Neira Aroya strikes a bargain with the enigmatic Herald of Death, Orion Kallistar, she slowly discovers that the secrets he’s been keeping are far more dangerous and life-altering than anything she could have ever imagined. The more she navigates the alluring Lunar Realm and experiences the full extent of her etherwalking abilities, the closer she comes to the unseen force that has been pulling their strings all along.

On the other side of the Cosmos, the city of Chethra has fallen into autocratic chaos. With the gangs rising to do Oberon’s bidding, Riona is left with no choice but to run for her life while Aramis, Orpheus, and Eirene follow Zephyr on the dark and bloody path to retribution.

Find Me Between the Stars is a character-driven dark romantasy about the unremitting chase between fate and agency and a love that transcends them both.]]> Iris Lake ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.03 Find Me Between the Stars (Meet Me in the Ether, #2)

Find Me Between the Stars (Meet Me in the Ether, #2)

author: Iris Lake
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.03
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Piranesi 50202953
There is one other person in the house—a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.]]> 272 Susanna Clarke 163557563X ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 3
I was expecting to be sucked in and changed by this novel, I was sadly left feeling, well, not a lot.

I'm struggling to pinpoint why, because there isn't anything that was 'wrong' with it, but there was also nothing, particularly 'great' about it either.

It was like reading when a little tipsy. The words are being read, but it isn't really making much sense. When it did start to make sense, the moment had passed, and it fell flat.

I don't know... it was unusual, interesting, a page Turner, short book, you want to understand the book and this is what drives you to carry on (and the prose, it was a fun read at times) and a NEED to know what happens, but overall, it was hard to connect with our main character, hard to fully let go of myself to be fully submerged into the House and the Tides, and I did try, but it wasn't really for me.]]> 4.22 2020 Piranesi

author: Susanna Clarke
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves:
review:
What a quirky and unusual story.

I was expecting to be sucked in and changed by this novel, I was sadly left feeling, well, not a lot.

I'm struggling to pinpoint why, because there isn't anything that was 'wrong' with it, but there was also nothing, particularly 'great' about it either.

It was like reading when a little tipsy. The words are being read, but it isn't really making much sense. When it did start to make sense, the moment had passed, and it fell flat.

I don't know... it was unusual, interesting, a page Turner, short book, you want to understand the book and this is what drives you to carry on (and the prose, it was a fun read at times) and a NEED to know what happens, but overall, it was hard to connect with our main character, hard to fully let go of myself to be fully submerged into the House and the Tides, and I did try, but it wasn't really for me.
]]> Red Queen (Red Queen, #1) 22328546 This is a world divided by blood—red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance—Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.]]> 388 Victoria Aveyard 0062310631 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 3
Do you Prince? Do you understand what it's like to be taken away from everything you love, forced to be something else, to lie every minute of every day for the rest of your life? To know there's something wrong with you?

Fast paced, which matches the writing style, and I did find our MFC age appropriate. (Not that I enjoyed her immaturity a lot of the time, but that's because I'm rapidly turning into a wicked old hag, jealous of youth ]]> 3.98 2015 Red Queen (Red Queen, #1)

author: Victoria Aveyard
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves:
review:
This was fun. It was OK. It had many issues, but I think it comes from an older woman's brain and misplaced for a YA novel like this. So, overall, it was good. Younger me would have lapped this up. And... I did.

Do you Prince? Do you understand what it's like to be taken away from everything you love, forced to be something else, to lie every minute of every day for the rest of your life? To know there's something wrong with you?

Fast paced, which matches the writing style, and I did find our MFC age appropriate. (Not that I enjoyed her immaturity a lot of the time, but that's because I'm rapidly turning into a wicked old hag, jealous of youth
]]> Binti (Binti, #1) 25667918 For the first time in hardcover, the winner of the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award!

With a new foreword by N. K. Jemisin

Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself -- but first she has to make it there, alive.

The Binti Series
Book 1: Binti
Book 2: Binti: Home
Book 3: Binti: The Night Masquerade]]> 96 Nnedi Okorafor 0765384469 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 3 It is like nothing I have read before, far from my normal read, and I'm very grateful to have been blessed with these pages that gave me pause for thought and a true sense of adventure.]]> 3.81 2015 Binti (Binti, #1)

author: Nnedi Okorafor
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves:
review:
Went into this blind, and I was pleasantly surprised at how I enjoyed this very quick read. For such a short book, it touches on some very strong themes and is very well written.
It is like nothing I have read before, far from my normal read, and I'm very grateful to have been blessed with these pages that gave me pause for thought and a true sense of adventure.
]]> If We Were Villains 30319086
As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.]]> 354 M.L. Rio 125009528X ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.11 2017 If We Were Villains

author: M.L. Rio
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Martyr! 139400713 A newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a remarkable search for a family secret that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum. Electrifying, funny, and wholly original, Martyr! heralds the arrival of an essential new voice in contemporary fiction.

Cyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of the Persian Gulf in a senseless accident; and his father’s life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk, an addict, and a poet, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past—toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the angel of death to inspire and comfort the dying, and toward his mother, through a painting discovered in a Brooklyn art gallery that suggests she may not have been who or what she seemed.

Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, others.]]> 331 Kaveh Akbar 0593537610 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5 I remember thinking that was funny, lighting myself on fire next to a grill.

This book is ideal for the over thinkers, those of us who disassociate ourselves from our lives, and even those of us who allow our emotions to become all consuming.

Mostly I just sit around listening to my brain saying the same shit over and over. 'Wouldn't you rather be masterbating?' 'Wouldn't you rather be overwhelmed?'. And the answer is always yes, yes.

I finished this book in a day, which, for me, is almost unheard of. I cancelled plans in order to finish it, and it's taken me a day of reflection to figure out why, and in turn, how can I rate this book and do it justice?

First off, why did I finish this in a day? I don't think the answer is simple, but the strongest feeling is this...

I'm blessed to have a good and close network of friends and family, and yet I feel incredibly lonely a lot of the time. I feel that this will resonate with a lot of you. Having a dark mind can be all-consuming and unintentionally selfish.

"Seriously, Cyrus, what the fuck? Do you know who I am? Sometimes I feel like you don't see me at all" Zee said.

Walking these pages, I did not feel lonely. It was that warm hand that gently removed you from the edge. An embrace you never want to end. And after it all, you can reflect and laugh, really laugh.

"Cyrus, everyone and their mailman believes they're an unacknowledged genius artist. What do you, specifically, want from your unprecedented, Never-to- be-repeated existence? What makes you actually different from everyone else?"

I don't have the ability to explain this novel with the eloquence that it deserves, however, I can confidently say that it has had a profound effect on me. I will be re-reading Martyr more than a few times, and I can guarantee there will be hidden gems, missed meanings and feelings. It was a masterpiece, especially for me.

The ending is perfection.

Reading is all about enjoyment, reflection and our interpretations. I think I understand Cyrus, and I can imagine with Zee he is seeing and hearing everything in a brighter and happier place. Afterall, love and acceptance can release that drug like feeling. Zee is solid, he is calm and he is the right path for Cyrus.

"Cyrus, for months, Every song I've listened to has been directly about me. About my life. And my stupid fuckinh life with you. Every flower has been blooming straight into my fucking face. Do you know what that is? It's like being insane. Like the fucking pigeons are speaking to me. Have you ever felt that? Do you have any idea what I'm even talking about?"

There are so many elements here, I could go on and on... I really could. But in a way, this book is also private to me. I can't say that you would enjoy this book, I can see why others may not have such a journey as me and others, and that's OK, but know this book deals HEAVILY with dark themes, depression, anxiety, addiction and so so much more, and dark humour is present throughout which was perfection ]]> 4.22 2024 Martyr!

author: Kaveh Akbar
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves:
review:
I remember thinking that was funny, lighting myself on fire next to a grill.

This book is ideal for the over thinkers, those of us who disassociate ourselves from our lives, and even those of us who allow our emotions to become all consuming.

Mostly I just sit around listening to my brain saying the same shit over and over. 'Wouldn't you rather be masterbating?' 'Wouldn't you rather be overwhelmed?'. And the answer is always yes, yes.

I finished this book in a day, which, for me, is almost unheard of. I cancelled plans in order to finish it, and it's taken me a day of reflection to figure out why, and in turn, how can I rate this book and do it justice?

First off, why did I finish this in a day? I don't think the answer is simple, but the strongest feeling is this...

I'm blessed to have a good and close network of friends and family, and yet I feel incredibly lonely a lot of the time. I feel that this will resonate with a lot of you. Having a dark mind can be all-consuming and unintentionally selfish.

"Seriously, Cyrus, what the fuck? Do you know who I am? Sometimes I feel like you don't see me at all" Zee said.

Walking these pages, I did not feel lonely. It was that warm hand that gently removed you from the edge. An embrace you never want to end. And after it all, you can reflect and laugh, really laugh.

"Cyrus, everyone and their mailman believes they're an unacknowledged genius artist. What do you, specifically, want from your unprecedented, Never-to- be-repeated existence? What makes you actually different from everyone else?"

I don't have the ability to explain this novel with the eloquence that it deserves, however, I can confidently say that it has had a profound effect on me. I will be re-reading Martyr more than a few times, and I can guarantee there will be hidden gems, missed meanings and feelings. It was a masterpiece, especially for me.

The ending is perfection.

Reading is all about enjoyment, reflection and our interpretations. I think I understand Cyrus, and I can imagine with Zee he is seeing and hearing everything in a brighter and happier place. Afterall, love and acceptance can release that drug like feeling. Zee is solid, he is calm and he is the right path for Cyrus.

"Cyrus, for months, Every song I've listened to has been directly about me. About my life. And my stupid fuckinh life with you. Every flower has been blooming straight into my fucking face. Do you know what that is? It's like being insane. Like the fucking pigeons are speaking to me. Have you ever felt that? Do you have any idea what I'm even talking about?"

There are so many elements here, I could go on and on... I really could. But in a way, this book is also private to me. I can't say that you would enjoy this book, I can see why others may not have such a journey as me and others, and that's OK, but know this book deals HEAVILY with dark themes, depression, anxiety, addiction and so so much more, and dark humour is present throughout which was perfection
]]> Without You (Without You #1) 48642911 “Tragedy brought us together, but something stronger made me want to stay.��

Julian was the boy next door. My brother’s best friend, he fit with my family in ways I never could. While he and Rhett went on to play house, I left the only life I knew, desperate for a fresh start.

Until everything changed.

Heartache came along, and the aftermath of my brother’s death was here to stay. I was now face to face with Julian more than I ever wanted to be.

Being around him brought up all my insecurities, forced me to deal with hard truths, and conjured up feelings I had no business entertaining. He wasn’t the man I thought I knew. He was complex and layered, and inherently beautiful in all the ways I’d never noticed.

Not on another person.

Not on another man.

Not until him.]]> 358 Marley Valentine ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 2
What on earth did I just listen to?
I stuck around for the romance and the romance alone... but the back story, the unread letters, the dead brother, the straight brother (Deacon) who just sailed through his sexuality with complete ease, the sprinkling of dead brother guilt here and there and the cherry on top, the ex who fell madly and deeply in love with his dead boyfriends straight brother and moving across the country in just a few weeks...

Nothing was believable and was like listening to a high budget porno that only paid for the viagra, muscles, and lube. Just... weird.

The 2 stars are for the romance, the narrators, and for being good enough for me, not to DNF. It was unremarkable and unbelievable but provided mild satisfaction. ]]> 4.14 2020 Without You (Without You #1)

author: Marley Valentine
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves:
review:
Sold by the book cover, sold by the narrators (loved and trusted) and sold by the 4+ rating on goodreads...

What on earth did I just listen to?
I stuck around for the romance and the romance alone... but the back story, the unread letters, the dead brother, the straight brother (Deacon) who just sailed through his sexuality with complete ease, the sprinkling of dead brother guilt here and there and the cherry on top, the ex who fell madly and deeply in love with his dead boyfriends straight brother and moving across the country in just a few weeks...

Nothing was believable and was like listening to a high budget porno that only paid for the viagra, muscles, and lube. Just... weird.

The 2 stars are for the romance, the narrators, and for being good enough for me, not to DNF. It was unremarkable and unbelievable but provided mild satisfaction.
]]> A Promised Land 55359022 In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.
Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.
Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.
A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,�� and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.
This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.]]> 701 Barack Obama 1524763160 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.40 2020 A Promised Land

author: Barack Obama
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Soul Eater (Monstrous, #1) 58114709
Twenty years ago, monsters rose on earth and began a new age of civilization.

One where humans live in military-controlled, cramped and dirty cities along the coasts, and the majority of the United States is known as the Wastes. A lawless, desolate and dangerous place, teeming with monsters that have claimed the land for their own.

Including Wyn the Soul Eater.

He appears every three years, making his way across the country and slaughtering humans randomly, sucking them dry until they’re nothing but husks.

I’ve only been in the military for six months, but now I’m part of a unit tasked with trying to stop and capture him. And when I’m the only soldier out of hundreds that the Soul Eater leaves alive, I realise that�� something about me has intrigued him.

But what is it? What could a twenty-three year old guy from the south, with no one and nothing in the world, have possibly done to capture the attention of a death monster with horns, blackened fingertips and a face hidden in the dark depths of his hood?

Soul Eater is the debut novel of Lily Mayne. It is the first in a planned post-apocalyptic fantasy series featuring monsters and human men falling in love. This m/m love story contains explicit content and is not suitable for young readers. It also contains scenes of violence, but don’t worry—they get their happy ending.]]> 329 Lily Mayne ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.24 2021 Soul Eater (Monstrous, #1)

author: Lily Mayne
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Jackal's Mistress 214537772 In this Civil War love story, inspired by a real-life friendship across enemy lines, the wife of a missing Confederate soldier discovers a wounded Yankee officer and must decide what she’s willing to risk for the life of a stranger, from the New York Times bestselling author of such acclaimed historical fiction as Hour of the Witch and The Sandcastle Girls.

    Virginia, 1864—Libby Steadman’s husband has been away for so long that she can barely conjure his voice in her dreams. While she longs for him in the night, fearing him dead in a Union prison camp, her days are spent running a gristmill with her teenage niece, a hired hand, and his wife, all the grain they can produce requisitioned by the Confederate Army. It’s an uneasy life in the Shenandoah Valley, the territory frequently changing hands, control swinging back and forth like a pendulum between North and South, and Libby awakens every morning expecting to see her land a battlefield.
    And then she finds a gravely injured Union officer left for dead in a neighbor’s house, the bones of his hand and leg shattered. Captain Jonathan Weybridge of the Vermont Brigade is her enemy �� but he’s also a human being, and Libby must make a terrible decision: Does she leave him to die alone? Or does she risk treason and try to nurse him back to health? And if she succeeds, does she try to secretly bring him across Union lines, where she might negotiate a trade for news of her own husband?
    A vivid and sweeping story of two people navigating the boundaries of love and humanity in a landscape of brutal violence, The Jackal’s Mistress is a heart-stopping new novel, based on a largely unknown piece of American history, from one of our greatest storytellers.]]> 336 Chris Bohjalian 0385547641 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.09 2025 The Jackal's Mistress

author: Chris Bohjalian
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Vengeful (Villains, #2) 26856502 A super-powered collision of extraordinary minds and vengeful intentions��#1 New York Times bestselling author V. E. Schwab returns with the thrilling follow-up to Vicious.

Magneto and Professor X. Superman and Lex Luthor. Victor Vale and Eli Ever. Sydney and Serena Clarke. Great partnerships, now soured on the vine.

But Marcella Riggins needs no one. Flush from her brush with death, she’s finally gained the control she’s always sought—and will use her new-found power to bring the city of Merit to its knees. She’ll do whatever it takes, collecting her own sidekicks, and leveraging the two most infamous EOs, Victor Vale and Eli Ever, against each other.

With Marcella's rise, new enmities create opportunity--and the stage of Merit City will once again be set for a final, terrible reckoning.]]> 462 Victoria E. Schwab ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 4 4.13 2018 Vengeful (Villains, #2)

author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves:
review:
Schwab has become one of my top authors. Her writing style is spot on, I enjoyed every paragraph, every word used, and her brain... her BRAIN
]]> These Deadly Prophecies 150246156
Being an apprentice for one of the world's most famous sorcerers has its challenges; Tabatha Zeng just didn’t think they would include solving crime. But when her boss, the infamous fortuneteller Sorcerer Solomon, predicts his own brutal death—and worse, it comes true—Tabatha finds herself caught in the crosshairs.

The police have their sights set on her and Callum Solomon, her murdered boss’s youngest son. With suspicion swirling around them, the two decide to team up to find the real killer and clear their own names once and for all.

But solving a murder isn’t as easy as it seems, especially when the suspect list is mostly the rich, connected, and magical members of Sorcerer Solomon’s family. And Tabatha can’t quite escape the nagging voice in her head just how much can she really trust Callum Solomon?

Nothing is as it seems in this quick-witted and fantastical murder mystery.]]> 256 Andrea Tang 059352425X ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.39 2024 These Deadly Prophecies

author: Andrea Tang
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.39
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Victorious (Villains, #3) 44232064 Fall 2026 Victoria E. Schwab ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.39 2026

author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1)]]> 5043 Ken Follett is known worldwide as the master of split-second suspense, but his most beloved and bestselling book tells the magnificent tale of a twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.

Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time the twelfth century; the place feudal England; and the subject the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape.

Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.

The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.

For the TV tie-in edition with the same ISBN go to this Alternate Cover Edition
]]> 976 Ken Follett 045122213X ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5
It has taken me weeks to finish this mammoth novel, only reading in the short minutes I have between school runs and work commutes... and it's been a workout hurling these pages around in my handbag for so long, but the fulfilment and pleasure along the way has been beautiful to feel.

You never know," Jack said speculatively. "There may come a time when savages like William Hamleigh aren't in power; when the laws protect the ordinary people instead of enslaving them; when the king makes peace instead of war. Think of that - a time when towns in England don't need walls!

By far, one of my top reads. Ever.

The duck swallows the worm, the fox kills the duck, the men shoot the fox, and the devil hunts the men.

There is a continuous theme of power struggle, a desire for peace and joy, constant threat of ruination, war, disruption, politics, court politics, religious politics and this bleeding into the masons and master builders and the ordinary Town folks. The journey is long, exhausting, perilous, tragic, disgusting, morally corrupt and yet there is beauty, poetic justice, love, passion, tenderness, emotional intelligence and really is a book that makes you stop and think.

There are unpleasant themes throughout this book, rape and murder, and some may consider the wording crass or uncomfortable, but I think it added to the overall feel that this book makes you feel. It's an unfortunate reality in a very cruel and dangerous time, whilst this is fictional, it is steeped in our familiar history and blended to create a very realistic and heart warming read, one that makes you look at your English Country Village very very differently and takes you back to its time of creation in such an intimate way. I live in a Hamlet, nestled deep into a stone village/church and old farming... it was not hard to use my imagination when reading.

And Jack, our little Village no longer have walls for protection.

I highly recommend this book, and Ken Follett has become a staple on my shelf, even though this is my only novel I have read of his, I know I will enjoy his other works of art. And these are meaty books...

She loved him because he had brought her back to life. She had been like a caterpillar in a cocoon, and he had drawn her out and shown her that she was a butterfly.]]> 4.34 1989 The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1)

The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1)

author: Ken Follett
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1989
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves:
review:
Well, as someone who completely rejects the idea of a 'God' and Religion, I certainly did not expect this book, which is ultimately about building a stone cathedral, would enthrall and capture me the way it did.

It has taken me weeks to finish this mammoth novel, only reading in the short minutes I have between school runs and work commutes... and it's been a workout hurling these pages around in my handbag for so long, but the fulfilment and pleasure along the way has been beautiful to feel.

You never know," Jack said speculatively. "There may come a time when savages like William Hamleigh aren't in power; when the laws protect the ordinary people instead of enslaving them; when the king makes peace instead of war. Think of that - a time when towns in England don't need walls!

By far, one of my top reads. Ever.

The duck swallows the worm, the fox kills the duck, the men shoot the fox, and the devil hunts the men.

There is a continuous theme of power struggle, a desire for peace and joy, constant threat of ruination, war, disruption, politics, court politics, religious politics and this bleeding into the masons and master builders and the ordinary Town folks. The journey is long, exhausting, perilous, tragic, disgusting, morally corrupt and yet there is beauty, poetic justice, love, passion, tenderness, emotional intelligence and really is a book that makes you stop and think.

There are unpleasant themes throughout this book, rape and murder, and some may consider the wording crass or uncomfortable, but I think it added to the overall feel that this book makes you feel. It's an unfortunate reality in a very cruel and dangerous time, whilst this is fictional, it is steeped in our familiar history and blended to create a very realistic and heart warming read, one that makes you look at your English Country Village very very differently and takes you back to its time of creation in such an intimate way. I live in a Hamlet, nestled deep into a stone village/church and old farming... it was not hard to use my imagination when reading.

And Jack, our little Village no longer have walls for protection.

I highly recommend this book, and Ken Follett has become a staple on my shelf, even though this is my only novel I have read of his, I know I will enjoy his other works of art. And these are meaty books...

She loved him because he had brought her back to life. She had been like a caterpillar in a cocoon, and he had drawn her out and shown her that she was a butterfly.
]]> <![CDATA[World Without End (Kingsbridge, #2)]]> 5064 Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found here

World Without End takes place in the same town of Kingsbridge, two centuries after the townspeople finished building the exquisite Gothic cathedral that was at the heart of The Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the priory are again at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge, but this sequel stands on its own. This time the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroads of new ideas—about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race—the Black Death.]]> 1237 Ken Follett ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.30 2007 World Without End (Kingsbridge, #2)

author: Ken Follett
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Perfume: The Story of a Murderer]]> 343 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

An acclaimed bestseller and international sensation, Patrick Suskind's classic novel provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man's indulgence in his greatest passion—his sense of smell—leads to murder.

In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift—an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille's genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the smells of objects such as brass doorknobs and fresh-cut wood. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the "ultimate perfume"—the scent of a beautiful young virgin. Told with dazzling narrative brilliance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity.]]> 263 Patrick Süskind ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.05 1985 Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

author: Patrick Süskind
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) 209439446
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.]]> 527 Rebecca Yarros 1649374186 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 1
I’m 100% done with Yarros, Violet, Xayden and the insufferable ‘banter��.

I rated Fourth wing and Iron flame 4 stars, I remember feeling conflicted about the rating as I found the story lacking, immature and odd writing style, but went with the vibes and enjoyment only. But this book��

This book was second hand embarrassment. Violet, I loved her with a PASSION, but whats happened to her? She made me rage beyond rage�� sick of her POV, sick of her ‘BAD ASS�� ways that verge on being obnoxious and immature. I have never experienced such a shift in my feelings towards a character like this�� I feel like I’ve missed a book where she became this annoying girl?

Xayden�� BORED OUT OF MY BRAINS! Jealousy looks bad on this boy. If his ‘skilled�� tongue or ‘skilled�� fingers got mentioned again, I’d dry up dryer than a raisin! Mr moody red eyes crossed his arms and smirked even MORE times in this book than the previous and not even his shadows could save this boy from my hatred of him. Well done Yarros.

The whole book got on my tits�� the banter was tiringly the same throughout, even Ridoc got on my nerves.

And the tension did not tension. The romance did not romance.

I know the writing style was lacking in the other books, I know the story lacked ‘something��, but my feelings, emotions and enjoyment, completely disregarded this, here, I’m not even sure if the writing is the same or worse, but the story was just�� travelling, drama, banter�� filler�� I ended up listening to it on audiobook on high speed from 70% onwards so I could just get it over and done with. Don’t even know why I bothered because the ending wasn’t worth the effort purely because I DON'T CARE�� so that’s on me.

Bored, couldn’t care less, never felt this strongly before�� The series has died here and I will never be picking up these books again.

Gutted about my dragons, but thanks to Violet and Xayden�� I’ve lost any care for them.

Yarros will never grace my shelves again. Dramatic emotions�� valid.

I was a strong defender of these books, now, they can burn in my log burner!

PLEASE NOTE, I Love you all, you rated this 5 STARS and I truly am so happy that you get that reward, and please do not take my review seriously.
]]> 4.17 2025 Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)

author: Rebecca Yarros
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves:
review:
Violet and Xayden are dead to me.

I’m 100% done with Yarros, Violet, Xayden and the insufferable ‘banter��.

I rated Fourth wing and Iron flame 4 stars, I remember feeling conflicted about the rating as I found the story lacking, immature and odd writing style, but went with the vibes and enjoyment only. But this book��

This book was second hand embarrassment. Violet, I loved her with a PASSION, but whats happened to her? She made me rage beyond rage�� sick of her POV, sick of her ‘BAD ASS�� ways that verge on being obnoxious and immature. I have never experienced such a shift in my feelings towards a character like this�� I feel like I’ve missed a book where she became this annoying girl?

Xayden�� BORED OUT OF MY BRAINS! Jealousy looks bad on this boy. If his ‘skilled�� tongue or ‘skilled�� fingers got mentioned again, I’d dry up dryer than a raisin! Mr moody red eyes crossed his arms and smirked even MORE times in this book than the previous and not even his shadows could save this boy from my hatred of him. Well done Yarros.

The whole book got on my tits�� the banter was tiringly the same throughout, even Ridoc got on my nerves.

And the tension did not tension. The romance did not romance.

I know the writing style was lacking in the other books, I know the story lacked ‘something��, but my feelings, emotions and enjoyment, completely disregarded this, here, I’m not even sure if the writing is the same or worse, but the story was just�� travelling, drama, banter�� filler�� I ended up listening to it on audiobook on high speed from 70% onwards so I could just get it over and done with. Don’t even know why I bothered because the ending wasn’t worth the effort purely because I DON'T CARE�� so that’s on me.

Bored, couldn’t care less, never felt this strongly before�� The series has died here and I will never be picking up these books again.

Gutted about my dragons, but thanks to Violet and Xayden�� I’ve lost any care for them.

Yarros will never grace my shelves again. Dramatic emotions�� valid.

I was a strong defender of these books, now, they can burn in my log burner!

PLEASE NOTE, I Love you all, you rated this 5 STARS and I truly am so happy that you get that reward, and please do not take my review seriously.

]]> Madonna in a Fur Coat 52379413 'The pain of losing something precious can be forgotten over time. But our missed opportunities never leave us, and every time they come back to haunt us, we ache.'

A shy young man leaves his home in rural Turkey to learn a trade and discover life in 1920s Berlin. There, amid the city's bustling streets, elegant museums, passionate politics and seedy cabarets, a chance meeting transforms his life forever. Caught between his desire for freedom and his yearning to belong, he struggles to hold on to the new life he has found.]]> 176 Sabahattin Ali 0241422264 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.35 1943 Madonna in a Fur Coat

author: Sabahattin Ali
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.35
book published: 1943
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Haunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse, #1)]]> 58763686
I can manipulate the emotions of anyone who lets me.
I will make you hurt, make you cry, make you laugh and sigh.
But my words don't affect him. Especially not when I plead for him to leave.
He's always there, watching and waiting.
And I can never look away.
Not when I want him to come closer.

The Shadow

I didn't mean to fall in love.
But now that I have, I can't stay away.
I'm mesmerized by her smile, by her eyes, and the way she moves.
The way she undresses...
I'll keep watching and waiting. Until I can make her mine.
And once she is, I'll never let her go.
Not even when she begs me to.]]> 583 H.D. Carlton ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 1 "She was always smiling and humming, while Mom is cursed with a perpetual scowl on her face and looking at life like her glasses got smashed when she was plunged out of Nana’s vagina."

This made me laugh at the beginning, and then the writing continued down this route... ]]> 3.95 2021 Haunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse, #1)

author: H.D. Carlton
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves:
review:
"She was always smiling and humming, while Mom is cursed with a perpetual scowl on her face and looking at life like her glasses got smashed when she was plunged out of Nana’s vagina."

This made me laugh at the beginning, and then the writing continued down this route...
]]> Nocticadia 136470356 A dark, atmospheric tale of deadly secrets and forbidden love.

Mortui vivos docent.
The dead teach the living.

After watching my mother succumb to a mysterious illness, I promised myself two things. I’d find the cure for what ravaged her. And leave the godforsaken city where she abandoned me.

Four years later, I receive an acceptance letter from Dracadia University, one of the oldest, most prestigious schools in the country. Nestled on a secluded island off the coast of Maine, it’s rumored to be haunted by the souls of the mental patients exiled there centuries before. Those whose bones are said to make up the island’s white sandy shores.

And restless ghosts aren’t even its most daunting peculiarity.

Devryck Bramwell, known on campus as Doctor Death, is a brilliant pathologist in charge of the midnight lab. He’s also my devastatingly handsome professor, who seems to loathe tenacious first-years, like me. Except, his dark and enigmatic gaze tells me all the ways he’d devour me if given the chance, and his stolen kisses burn my lips with forbidden jealousy.

I crave his authority.
He aches for redemption.
Together, we’re toxic. Delicious fodder for the prying eyes hellbent on exhuming the rotted skeletons of our pasts.

For the dead have much to teach, and it’s only a matter of time before Dracadia’s most depraved secret is resurrected.

Nocticadia is a standalone dark academia gothic romance.]]> 682 Keri Lake ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 2
I couldn't get into this novel, whatsoever, I nearly DNf'd so many times, but... I wanted to let it grab me, and it always fell short.

Unfortunately, I really disliked Lilia, and I really tried to like her, I did. So, in turn, I found the whole experience a chore.

Dark and gothic? There wasn't enough punch for my tastes.

It was OK, it wasn't great.

And my god... how on earth do we film ourselves masturbating with a phone camera between our thighs sitting on a hard plastic chair? ]]> 4.22 2023 Nocticadia

author: Keri Lake
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves:
review:
Ah, it just wasn't for me.

I couldn't get into this novel, whatsoever, I nearly DNf'd so many times, but... I wanted to let it grab me, and it always fell short.

Unfortunately, I really disliked Lilia, and I really tried to like her, I did. So, in turn, I found the whole experience a chore.

Dark and gothic? There wasn't enough punch for my tastes.

It was OK, it wasn't great.

And my god... how on earth do we film ourselves masturbating with a phone camera between our thighs sitting on a hard plastic chair?
]]> Irreversible 222432376 I know that better than anybody��
Because I’m one of them.

I spend my days locked in a black-market nightmare, held captive by a twisted mastermind who considers me his prized possession. My only form of human contact are the victims in the next room, each of whom disappears faster than the last.

Everyone leaves…except me.

Then I hear him—Isaac. Brash, elusive, and haunted, he isn’t anyone’s idea of a hero. Separated by a wall, our faces hidden, his voice cuts through the darkness, becoming my only hope. He’s driven by vengeance, bearing scars as dark as my own. Despite his rough edges, a fragile bond forms between us—a lifeline.

Isaac might be my best chance of escape, but time is slipping away. Breaking free will mean outrunning both our pasts, and in this twisted game, the cost of freedom may be more than we can afford to pay.

Appearances deceive. Choices have consequences.

And some consequences?
They are irreversible.]]> 582 Jennifer Hartmann ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.15 2025

author: Jennifer Hartmann
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Wraith King (The Rise of Northgall, #1)]]> 202452565 Una Hartstone, Princess of Issos, learns the price the Wraith King demands to end the war once and for all. Her. In exchange for the safety of her people, she agrees to give her life—and her body—to her greatest enemy.

Gollaya Verbane is determined to fulfill his destiny and his god’s prophecy. When his seer points to the Princess of Issos as the key to the rise of the dark fae, he demands her submission. But when she finally yields, he realizes Una is much more to him than a priceless weapon.

A mystery that has haunted Una for years awakens when she is abducted and dragged back to Näkt Mir. The palace hides many dark secrets…and at least one traitor. A traitor determined to take King Goll’s throne—and all he possesses. What he doesn’t know is that Una’s magick is more powerful than he can imagine, and that Goll will burn the whole world to save her.]]> 452 Juliette Cross ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.65 2024 The Wraith King (The Rise of Northgall, #1)

The Wraith King (The Rise of Northgall, #1)

author: Juliette Cross
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Forgery of Fate 219446158 A breathtaking romantic fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast about a girl who paints the future and a cursed dragon lord, bound by love and deception in a plot to bring down the gods.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes!

Truyan Saigas didn't choose to become a con artist, but after her father is lost at sea, it’s up to her to support her mother and two younger sisters. A gifted art forger, Tru has the unique ability to paint the future, but even such magic is not enough to put her family back together again, or stave off the gangsters demanding payment in blood for her mother’s gambling debts.

Left with few options, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with a mysterious dragon lord. He offers a fresh start for her mother and sisters and elusive answers about her father's disappearance, but in exchange, she must join him in his desolate undersea palace. And she must assist him in a plot to infiltrate the tyrannical Dragon King's inner circle, painting a future so treasonous, it could upend both the mortal and immortal realms. . . .]]> Elizabeth Lim 0593650638 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.48 2025 A Forgery of Fate

author: Elizabeth Lim
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Heart of Snow 219390097
As a huntsman’s page, Friedrich has had enough of nobles to last him a lifetime, so when Countess Margaretha asks for his help, he has no intention of saying yes—until she offers a bargain he cannot refuse, giving him the ability to decipher a puzzling letter from his past. Soon, harmless lessons evolve into something more as Friedrich finds himself falling for the beautiful countess, but Margaretha’s plan to save her brother is not her only deceit. She is harboring a shocking secret, the weight of which may shatter the romance blossoming with Friedrich.]]> 349 Rachel Grow Law 1524427748 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.28 Heart of Snow

author: Rachel Grow Law
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Stranger Skies (Drowned Gods, #2)]]> 207293715 Ninth House meets The Hazel Wood in this riveting sequel to the New York Times bestselling dark academia fantasy Curious Tides, following Emory, Baz, Romie, and Kai on their desperate quests through space and time!Opening locked doors has a price—even for those who hold a key. After going through the door that called to them both in dreams, Emory and Romie find themselves in the the same verdant world written of in Song of the Drowned Gods, albeit a twisted, rotting version of it. A sinister force has awoken with their arrival, intent on destruction as it spills across realms, and now Emory and Romie must stop it before it reaches their own shores. Meanwhile, Baz and Kai are desperate to follow their friends through the door to other worlds, but a mishap pulls them back in time instead—where they come face to face with Cornus Clover himself, famed author of Song of the Drowned Gods. Stuck together in the past, they must navigate a very different Aldryn as they unravel the school’s darkest secrets. Across time and worlds, Emory, Romie, Baz, and Kai find their fates eerily interwoven with the heroes from Clover’s book. But when stories can’t be trusted, friendships are put to the test, and deadly enemies are not always as they seem, they must decide who gets to be a hero—and who is desperate enough to see themselves become a villain.]]> 608 Pascale Lacelle 1665939303 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5 He'd come to terms with not seeing himself reflected in Song Of The Drowned Gods. He was the reader, doomed to watch his favourite heroes from the sidelines , as he'd always done"

I know this is to be a trilogy, and how many of them suffer the 'middle book syndrome'? Not this one... Holy moly, this was phenomenal, truly, and blew me away.

This book gave me goosebumps, tears, and hope, kept me on my toes, made me laugh, weep (and I mean, ugly crying!!!!) and broke my heart.

I won't give any spoilers. It's hard to truly review without doing so...

We have 4 POV's in this book... and let me tell you, it was AMAZING! Emory, Baz, Kai (yes, my stunning man!!!) And Romie. Get ready to understand these 4 for the better and the worst, to see their hunger for power, retribution, confusion, deceipt, lying, love, passion, and destiny.

Kai and Baz...
Kai is a do now, think later kind of guy whereas Baz really is a thinker, pondererer, worrier... Something passed between them. It was the kind of rare moment where Kai dared to hope. Where he imagined Baz finally reaching for the bruised and broken heart laid out in offering before him. but do they actually ever go anywhere? There is a simmering slow burn here... it's delicious and heart-wrenching. Delve into these pages to find out... but have tissues.

Emory and Romie, are they ever going to be what they used to be? Or are they too changed?

They were so close, yet this rift between them seemed wider than it had been when they were worlds apart.

Too scared of what they have become or what they may become? It's a hard journey, one where jealousy and misplaced trust rears their ugly heads and makes you think, every single character should be very careful when throwing stones!

"Do you ever notice how sometimes, the people we're closest to don't know us at all? They see the version of us that they want to see and don't bother knowing the version of us that we want to be."

This book is darker than book one. Every single page is filled with adventures, trials, and excitement.

"You learn to live in the dark when you have no choice. Can you blame me for making the darkness mine?"

��

Power had the ability to corrupt everyone, sure enough. But in the same way, everyone had the capacity for bravery.

The message is crystal clear, be very careful who you trust, when there is good there is evil, no one is safe from greed and a need for power and no one is as they seem. Power corrupts.

He was done being scared. Done coasting along, while others did the brunt of the work and put themselves in harm's way while he did nothing. He'd always seen everyone around him as heroes in a story while he was nothing more than a side character. The heroes were heroes because they did what others could or didn't want to do. They embraced what made them special and faced their problems head on. It was time for him to step up.

This has surpassed my expectations tenfold, I was NEVER bored and never skipped a single word. I will most definitely be re-reading this book in time for the third book... WHEN WILL THAT BE????

The sleepers among stars]]> 4.22 2024 Stranger Skies (Drowned Gods, #2)

author: Pascale Lacelle
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves:
review:
He'd come to terms with not seeing himself reflected in Song Of The Drowned Gods. He was the reader, doomed to watch his favourite heroes from the sidelines , as he'd always done"

I know this is to be a trilogy, and how many of them suffer the 'middle book syndrome'? Not this one... Holy moly, this was phenomenal, truly, and blew me away.

This book gave me goosebumps, tears, and hope, kept me on my toes, made me laugh, weep (and I mean, ugly crying!!!!) and broke my heart.

I won't give any spoilers. It's hard to truly review without doing so...

We have 4 POV's in this book... and let me tell you, it was AMAZING! Emory, Baz, Kai (yes, my stunning man!!!) And Romie. Get ready to understand these 4 for the better and the worst, to see their hunger for power, retribution, confusion, deceipt, lying, love, passion, and destiny.

Kai and Baz...
Kai is a do now, think later kind of guy whereas Baz really is a thinker, pondererer, worrier... Something passed between them. It was the kind of rare moment where Kai dared to hope. Where he imagined Baz finally reaching for the bruised and broken heart laid out in offering before him. but do they actually ever go anywhere? There is a simmering slow burn here... it's delicious and heart-wrenching. Delve into these pages to find out... but have tissues.

Emory and Romie, are they ever going to be what they used to be? Or are they too changed?

They were so close, yet this rift between them seemed wider than it had been when they were worlds apart.

Too scared of what they have become or what they may become? It's a hard journey, one where jealousy and misplaced trust rears their ugly heads and makes you think, every single character should be very careful when throwing stones!

"Do you ever notice how sometimes, the people we're closest to don't know us at all? They see the version of us that they want to see and don't bother knowing the version of us that we want to be."

This book is darker than book one. Every single page is filled with adventures, trials, and excitement.

"You learn to live in the dark when you have no choice. Can you blame me for making the darkness mine?"

��

Power had the ability to corrupt everyone, sure enough. But in the same way, everyone had the capacity for bravery.

The message is crystal clear, be very careful who you trust, when there is good there is evil, no one is safe from greed and a need for power and no one is as they seem. Power corrupts.

He was done being scared. Done coasting along, while others did the brunt of the work and put themselves in harm's way while he did nothing. He'd always seen everyone around him as heroes in a story while he was nothing more than a side character. The heroes were heroes because they did what others could or didn't want to do. They embraced what made them special and faced their problems head on. It was time for him to step up.

This has surpassed my expectations tenfold, I was NEVER bored and never skipped a single word. I will most definitely be re-reading this book in time for the third book... WHEN WILL THAT BE????

The sleepers among stars
]]> <![CDATA[Whispers of the Deep (Deep Waters, #1)]]> 202675767
But then, on a solo job in an abandoned section of the city, she encounters a monster of legend. An undine. A dangerous merman from an ancient civilization, long forgotten.

Arges has fought his entire life for his people. With deadly creatures under his control, he plans to eradicate Beta once and for all to protect his kind and their peaceful way of life. But when a human woman saves him, she unknowingly creates a bond between them, one he can’t ignore. Even though her flaming red hair haunts his dreams, he needs her for information on the undine’s enemies.

So he steals her. Keeps her. Feeds her. Only to realize their bond is far deeper than captor and captive. He cannot let her go—but he cannot keep her under the sea. In a battle to determine if love can survive a war beneath the waves, it will be their decision that changes the tides.]]> 381 Emma Hamm ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.00 2024 Whispers of the Deep (Deep Waters, #1)

author: Emma Hamm
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Anathema 218431572 From the author of Nocticadia comes a spellbinding gothic fantasy about a shunned woman who is forced beyond the forbidden boundary of the mortal realm, into a dark and terrifying world of cursed souls and grotesque creatures.

Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods ...

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what's taken is never given back. Only those who've lost their senses would dare to go near it.
Or the banished.
Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before.
One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that's as dangerous as it is alluring.
It's there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he'd sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.
If only he could.
Maevyth's blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.
Including himself.

Anathema is a full-length, gothic dark fantasy and the first book in The Eating Woods duology. It's perfect for those looking for a wickedly enchanting, plot-heavy fantasy with a unique magic system, a smoldering, slow-burn romance and a touch of horror.]]> 704 Keri Lake ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.95 2024 Anathema

author: Keri Lake
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Sisters Brothers 9850443
With The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt pays homage to the classic Western, transforming it into an unforgettable comic tour de force. Filled with a remarkable cast of characters - losers, cheaters, and ne'er-do-wells from all stripes of life - and told by a complex and compelling narrator, it is a violent, lustful odyssey through the underworld of the 1850s frontier that beautifully captures the humor, melancholy, and grit of the Old West, and two brothers bound by blood, violence, and love.]]> 328 Patrick deWitt 0062041266 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.84 2011 The Sisters Brothers

author: Patrick deWitt
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Malice: Award-winning epic fantasy inspired by the Iron Age (The Faithful and The Fallen Series Book 1)]]> 219208502 641 John Gwynne ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.26 2012 Malice: Award-winning epic fantasy inspired by the Iron Age (The Faithful and The Fallen Series Book 1)

Malice: Award-winning epic fantasy inspired by the Iron Age (The Faithful and The Fallen Series Book 1)

author: John Gwynne
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Curious Tides (Drowned Gods, #1)]]> 101141871
Emory might be a student at the prestigious Aldryn College for Lunar Magics, but her healing abilities have always been mediocre at best—until a treacherous night in the Dovermere sea caves leaves a group of her classmates dead and her as the only survivor. Now Emory is plagued by strange, impossible powers that no healer should possess.

Powers that would ruin her life if the wrong person were to discover them.

To gain control of these new abilities, Emory enlists the help of the school’s most reclusive student, Baz—a boy already well-versed in the deadly nature of darker magic, whose sister happened to be one of the drowned students and Emory’s best friend. Determined to find the truth behind the drownings and the cult-like secret society she’s convinced her classmates were involved in, Emory is faced with even more questions when the supposedly drowned students start washing ashore�� alive —only for them each immediately to die horrible, magical deaths.

And Emory is not the only one seeking answers. When her new magic captures the society’s attention, she finds herself drawn into their world of privilege and power, all while wondering if the truth she’s searching for might lead her right back to Dovermere…to face the fate she was never meant to escape.]]> 544 Pascale Lacelle 1665939273 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 4 The story has only just begun

This cannot be a simple review. This novel has hit me in the most surprising way and I feel I need to put MY feelings into words…if that is possible.

Full transparency, even though I am ranking this 4 stars, it was a 2 for an embarrassingly long time. I was close to putting this book down, purely based on the fact that I struggled to like Emory and even Baz at times.

But�� Here are the things that kept me coming back to this story, and there are a few things, and I would love this review to grab someone maybe feeling similar to me when maybe struggling to flick the pages, persevere��

Pascale Lacelle has the most beautiful way of writing a story that is immersive, detailed in an easily digestible way that you are gently taken through a unique, complex and magical world. You hardly notice the information dumping, you simply feel like you are a part of the world. That's incredible writing.

Beyond Baz and Emory, who are our MC (I will be coming back to these two eventually) we have a large amount of ‘side characters�� and be prepared for the most incredible character, Kai…the Nightmare Weaver.His voice was conjured night. It was darkwood at midnight, the chilling howl of a beast; it was the quiet of dreams and the pull of nightmares, lovely and frightening all at once. I want MORE MORE MORE!!! Just the most joyous, fearless, impulsive, passionate, caring and fiercely loyal character in this entire book. He was the name I longed to see�� I refuse to believe that one slipup equates eternal damnation.

We had a non binary character, I have no one in my life (that I know of) who is non binary and always fumble in my mind how to navigate the terminology without offending in my ignorance. So to read it so seamlessly, it was nothing noteworthy, nothing offensive, nothing deterring from the story�� like in life! Easy, they were easy to read about, their story was remarkable and significant and wouldn’t be a great story about a found family without them.

The world was fascinating, heavily revolving around the Tides and Moon cycles, that quickly became understandable and was easy to grasp, thanks to the already mentioned author's ability to communicate her wonderful imagination to us as the reader.

Here is a good place to bring back our MC, I will try to prevent spoilers, maybe a warning��

I will tell you how I view Emory, and how I ended up accepting her and eventually loving her.

Emory is young, Naive and uses people around her as a crutch, emotionally manipulative and crippled, I feel, with complex anxiety and deep depression.
Her anxiety puts these mental blocks in place where she is preventing herself from achieving anything beyond ‘mediocre��, allowing others to either outshine her or tell her how to feel/behave etc. ”Fear of failure’s the bitch that holds you back from success�� Quick to blame others when things do not go her way, neglectful of her friends and utterly self absorbed in her own grief, whether it be the new grief of losing her best friend or old, of feeling abandoned by her mother. Emory made some terrible choices, made awful friends (You will NOT like her choices, one male character in particular was repulsive from the word go, and it was hard to stomach him) but do you know what she did not do? Give up.

After a while, I really started to realise what it was I disliked about her, she reminded me of myself. Me as a silly teenager, desperate to be part of something, keen to be something, and losing myself in these pursuits. Emory has a darkness to her, a depression and the world she lives in is filled with looming danger, looming collapsing, looming greed and a real magical ‘class�� divide�� similar to our world in more ways than one.

Give Emory a chance, actually read her POV and hear her over thinking, the depression taking hold of her life and sensibilities. Imagine having loved ones taken away from you, having questions unanswered when you KNOW the answer is in reach, seeing the world carry on as normal, learning world changing things that you have to keep secret and try maintaining balance, normality and likeability? Yeah�� unlikely right? So yes, Emoy is hard to stomach, she is emotionally manipulative, but please know, she becomes self aware�� like we all do eventually. Emory may be faster than most. I cannot forgive some of the things she did…particularly to Baz and quick to judge and trust certain people�� but, we all make mistakes in life. Approach her with sympathetic hearts. Forgive her youth. She grows very very fast.

”Lets just say I know what it is like to lose a friend to Dovemere. To want answers so badly you risk losing yourself��

Baz, He is also like Emory. But more of a sensitive rule follower, cautious to life and a most patient friend. He is a quiet soul, had a difficult life when his Father and then his sister had incidents…his traumas are extensive and his magical being makes him lonely. There is a love triangle here that I hope gets explored further, one Baz seems very much in the dark about�� you will see if you read this novel.

I am incredibly cross with Baz, I love this floppy haired, spectacle wearing, storm deep eyed boy so so so much, but I hated how he neglected Kai in his moment of need�� even Jea did, and they didn’t even know Kai…halfway across the world i also need to mention�� I was furious with him for a long time. Terrible friend.

There are plot moments/tropes that made me deeply uncomfortable�� the love triangle made me sick to the stomach (not the one I mentioned above!!!) I struggled reading these parts because this character was disgusting and I saw right through him too quickly, so it was lost on me. He was nearly the cause to DNF�� it was a strong feeling.

Plot is heavy with lies, deceit and half truths. This is a personal dislike and hard to read, so I had to take breaks.

This story reminds me of one of my all time favourite songs by Papa Roach: Leave a light on. When you finish this story, listen to the song. I wonder if you will see what I mean?
This story really is about young adults entering a world away from the safe clutches of our family, ones we love or things we know and trust, about the harsh realities of the world shattering our dreams and changing our whole trajectories in life…if you let it.

Don't let the collapse take you, do not allow anyone, anything or yourself take away your dreams. They are yours and you're alone, find the strength to not give up or give in and be your destiny. Dreams can change, but do NOT give up or follow in others' shadows.

The ending made this a 4 star, I was so glad I persevered and allowed myself to be patient with Emory and grow to love her courage, self exploration and to allow herself to realise her mistakes and accept them in the way we all should, by the throat and dealt with it to right the wrongs for less selfish means. She was willing to die for what she believed in, could you say the same? Baz is possibly one character that I think will be in my heart for some time. His POV was honest, reflective and beautifully poetic at times. I really felt for him.

I wasn’t planning on going into book 2 straight away, but I feel like I don't want to take a break�� jump straight into their world again and see what's in store for the characters left..

This is a complex story, and in my humble opinion which you are very welcome to scoff at, this is a story for those who understand the darkness we all possess, for those who have patience and emotional awareness. I was so close to being someone critical of this story, I can understand others opinions that are less than positive, but I do not agree, I actually feel empowered by this story. Medicinal. Made me reflect. Powerful author indeed.

I think this is the first book to ever make me U turn as fast as I did and completely disregard my displeasure when I started.

She was the sea, moving in and out of his life, between this world and the next. But what was the sea if it had no shore to return to?

The romance in this book is beautiful when you finally see it, when they finally see it, when they finally feel it.

Pre- read ]]> 3.79 2023 Curious Tides (Drowned Gods, #1)

author: Pascale Lacelle
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves:
review:
The story has only just begun

This cannot be a simple review. This novel has hit me in the most surprising way and I feel I need to put MY feelings into words…if that is possible.

Full transparency, even though I am ranking this 4 stars, it was a 2 for an embarrassingly long time. I was close to putting this book down, purely based on the fact that I struggled to like Emory and even Baz at times.

But�� Here are the things that kept me coming back to this story, and there are a few things, and I would love this review to grab someone maybe feeling similar to me when maybe struggling to flick the pages, persevere��

Pascale Lacelle has the most beautiful way of writing a story that is immersive, detailed in an easily digestible way that you are gently taken through a unique, complex and magical world. You hardly notice the information dumping, you simply feel like you are a part of the world. That's incredible writing.

Beyond Baz and Emory, who are our MC (I will be coming back to these two eventually) we have a large amount of ‘side characters�� and be prepared for the most incredible character, Kai…the Nightmare Weaver.His voice was conjured night. It was darkwood at midnight, the chilling howl of a beast; it was the quiet of dreams and the pull of nightmares, lovely and frightening all at once. I want MORE MORE MORE!!! Just the most joyous, fearless, impulsive, passionate, caring and fiercely loyal character in this entire book. He was the name I longed to see�� I refuse to believe that one slipup equates eternal damnation.

We had a non binary character, I have no one in my life (that I know of) who is non binary and always fumble in my mind how to navigate the terminology without offending in my ignorance. So to read it so seamlessly, it was nothing noteworthy, nothing offensive, nothing deterring from the story�� like in life! Easy, they were easy to read about, their story was remarkable and significant and wouldn’t be a great story about a found family without them.

The world was fascinating, heavily revolving around the Tides and Moon cycles, that quickly became understandable and was easy to grasp, thanks to the already mentioned author's ability to communicate her wonderful imagination to us as the reader.

Here is a good place to bring back our MC, I will try to prevent spoilers, maybe a warning��

I will tell you how I view Emory, and how I ended up accepting her and eventually loving her.

Emory is young, Naive and uses people around her as a crutch, emotionally manipulative and crippled, I feel, with complex anxiety and deep depression.
Her anxiety puts these mental blocks in place where she is preventing herself from achieving anything beyond ‘mediocre��, allowing others to either outshine her or tell her how to feel/behave etc. ”Fear of failure’s the bitch that holds you back from success�� Quick to blame others when things do not go her way, neglectful of her friends and utterly self absorbed in her own grief, whether it be the new grief of losing her best friend or old, of feeling abandoned by her mother. Emory made some terrible choices, made awful friends (You will NOT like her choices, one male character in particular was repulsive from the word go, and it was hard to stomach him) but do you know what she did not do? Give up.

After a while, I really started to realise what it was I disliked about her, she reminded me of myself. Me as a silly teenager, desperate to be part of something, keen to be something, and losing myself in these pursuits. Emory has a darkness to her, a depression and the world she lives in is filled with looming danger, looming collapsing, looming greed and a real magical ‘class�� divide�� similar to our world in more ways than one.

Give Emory a chance, actually read her POV and hear her over thinking, the depression taking hold of her life and sensibilities. Imagine having loved ones taken away from you, having questions unanswered when you KNOW the answer is in reach, seeing the world carry on as normal, learning world changing things that you have to keep secret and try maintaining balance, normality and likeability? Yeah�� unlikely right? So yes, Emoy is hard to stomach, she is emotionally manipulative, but please know, she becomes self aware�� like we all do eventually. Emory may be faster than most. I cannot forgive some of the things she did…particularly to Baz and quick to judge and trust certain people�� but, we all make mistakes in life. Approach her with sympathetic hearts. Forgive her youth. She grows very very fast.

”Lets just say I know what it is like to lose a friend to Dovemere. To want answers so badly you risk losing yourself��

Baz, He is also like Emory. But more of a sensitive rule follower, cautious to life and a most patient friend. He is a quiet soul, had a difficult life when his Father and then his sister had incidents…his traumas are extensive and his magical being makes him lonely. There is a love triangle here that I hope gets explored further, one Baz seems very much in the dark about�� you will see if you read this novel.

I am incredibly cross with Baz, I love this floppy haired, spectacle wearing, storm deep eyed boy so so so much, but I hated how he neglected Kai in his moment of need�� even Jea did, and they didn’t even know Kai…halfway across the world i also need to mention�� I was furious with him for a long time. Terrible friend.

There are plot moments/tropes that made me deeply uncomfortable�� the love triangle made me sick to the stomach (not the one I mentioned above!!!) I struggled reading these parts because this character was disgusting and I saw right through him too quickly, so it was lost on me. He was nearly the cause to DNF�� it was a strong feeling.

Plot is heavy with lies, deceit and half truths. This is a personal dislike and hard to read, so I had to take breaks.

This story reminds me of one of my all time favourite songs by Papa Roach: Leave a light on. When you finish this story, listen to the song. I wonder if you will see what I mean?
This story really is about young adults entering a world away from the safe clutches of our family, ones we love or things we know and trust, about the harsh realities of the world shattering our dreams and changing our whole trajectories in life…if you let it.

Don't let the collapse take you, do not allow anyone, anything or yourself take away your dreams. They are yours and you're alone, find the strength to not give up or give in and be your destiny. Dreams can change, but do NOT give up or follow in others' shadows.

The ending made this a 4 star, I was so glad I persevered and allowed myself to be patient with Emory and grow to love her courage, self exploration and to allow herself to realise her mistakes and accept them in the way we all should, by the throat and dealt with it to right the wrongs for less selfish means. She was willing to die for what she believed in, could you say the same? Baz is possibly one character that I think will be in my heart for some time. His POV was honest, reflective and beautifully poetic at times. I really felt for him.

I wasn’t planning on going into book 2 straight away, but I feel like I don't want to take a break�� jump straight into their world again and see what's in store for the characters left..

This is a complex story, and in my humble opinion which you are very welcome to scoff at, this is a story for those who understand the darkness we all possess, for those who have patience and emotional awareness. I was so close to being someone critical of this story, I can understand others opinions that are less than positive, but I do not agree, I actually feel empowered by this story. Medicinal. Made me reflect. Powerful author indeed.

I think this is the first book to ever make me U turn as fast as I did and completely disregard my displeasure when I started.

She was the sea, moving in and out of his life, between this world and the next. But what was the sea if it had no shore to return to?

The romance in this book is beautiful when you finally see it, when they finally see it, when they finally feel it.

Pre- read
]]> The Bridges of Madison County 2502055 171 Robert James Waller 0749320346 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5 In a universe of ambiguity, this kind of certainty comes only once, and never again, no matter how many lifetimes you live."

What a truly delightful, well written, quick read. Highly recommended. (I wouldn't have enjoyed this book a decade ago when I thought I understood love)

This is a true 'forbidden love' romance

Robert Kincaid.
A man that has an eye for beauty, but the kind of beauty hidden from the normal eye. He sees light, little moments, and intelligence. He is the type of man that unhappy housewives dream about. You don't look for him, he doesn't look for you, it's a magical moment, a fleeting moment, but it's life changing.

Francesca,
So relatable to a lot of us ladies living in a man's world. Quick to put herself down, putting her worth behind her husbands. Richard expected/wanted/told me... too humble and diminishing her own achievements. Oblivious to her own beauty, worth, and intelligence. Something Robert immediately noticed and brought out in her, he gave her her femininity back.

Sometimes, strangers are what we need. Someone to finally NOTICE you, admire YOU, and do small, careful, thoughtful things to bring back your spark and smile. Even as simple as NOT slamming a porch door.

"It's not what I dreamed about as a girl." The confession, at last. The words had been there for years, and she had never said them. She had said them now to a man with a green pickup truck from Bellingham, Washington. A woman who fulfilled her husbands dream and forgot her own/abandoned all hope.
Mum
Wife

This short novel is an insight into infedility. A subject I morally struggle to grapple, often choosing to omit it from my reading pleasures, 8 years I'm healing from my own monumental betrayal... but this is a beautifully written novel that goes full throttle into the unexpected in life. The reasons are on every single page as to why this is the perfect meeting of two lost soles. It is tragic, sad, painful, and erotic.
They are both in need of brandy and art.

This is important for the new generation to remember when there is so much toxicity doing the rounds again... communicate with your lovers, embrace change, learn, grow, talk about sex, be erotic, embrace each other, live your lives YOU want... do not allow 'social norms' dictate to you. Work on your playfulness, and you may just find that you are more than happy with your partner in life. If you don't, someone else WILL come along and fill in that space you are neglecting if they let them... and temptation can come knocking when asking for directions.

Love matters when you find it.

But ultimately, if you read this book, which I highly recommend, the question you will find yourself asking yourself is, did Francesca make the right choice?

The ending is what you should read. The end is what really captures the heart and twists it. I am broken. I hope they are drinking that Brandy, in candlelight dancing round the kitchen table to Autumn Leaves.

To ancient evenings and distant music]]> 3.91 1992 The Bridges of Madison County

author: Robert James Waller
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1992
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/30
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:
In a universe of ambiguity, this kind of certainty comes only once, and never again, no matter how many lifetimes you live."

What a truly delightful, well written, quick read. Highly recommended. (I wouldn't have enjoyed this book a decade ago when I thought I understood love)

This is a true 'forbidden love' romance

Robert Kincaid.
A man that has an eye for beauty, but the kind of beauty hidden from the normal eye. He sees light, little moments, and intelligence. He is the type of man that unhappy housewives dream about. You don't look for him, he doesn't look for you, it's a magical moment, a fleeting moment, but it's life changing.

Francesca,
So relatable to a lot of us ladies living in a man's world. Quick to put herself down, putting her worth behind her husbands. Richard expected/wanted/told me... too humble and diminishing her own achievements. Oblivious to her own beauty, worth, and intelligence. Something Robert immediately noticed and brought out in her, he gave her her femininity back.

Sometimes, strangers are what we need. Someone to finally NOTICE you, admire YOU, and do small, careful, thoughtful things to bring back your spark and smile. Even as simple as NOT slamming a porch door.

"It's not what I dreamed about as a girl." The confession, at last. The words had been there for years, and she had never said them. She had said them now to a man with a green pickup truck from Bellingham, Washington. A woman who fulfilled her husbands dream and forgot her own/abandoned all hope.
Mum
Wife

This short novel is an insight into infedility. A subject I morally struggle to grapple, often choosing to omit it from my reading pleasures, 8 years I'm healing from my own monumental betrayal... but this is a beautifully written novel that goes full throttle into the unexpected in life. The reasons are on every single page as to why this is the perfect meeting of two lost soles. It is tragic, sad, painful, and erotic.
They are both in need of brandy and art.

This is important for the new generation to remember when there is so much toxicity doing the rounds again... communicate with your lovers, embrace change, learn, grow, talk about sex, be erotic, embrace each other, live your lives YOU want... do not allow 'social norms' dictate to you. Work on your playfulness, and you may just find that you are more than happy with your partner in life. If you don't, someone else WILL come along and fill in that space you are neglecting if they let them... and temptation can come knocking when asking for directions.

Love matters when you find it.

But ultimately, if you read this book, which I highly recommend, the question you will find yourself asking yourself is, did Francesca make the right choice?

The ending is what you should read. The end is what really captures the heart and twists it. I am broken. I hope they are drinking that Brandy, in candlelight dancing round the kitchen table to Autumn Leaves.

To ancient evenings and distant music
]]> The Nightingale 21853621 Der Weltbestseller �� die Nr. 1 aus den USA.
Zwei Schwestern im von den Deutschen besetzten Während Vianne ums Überleben ihrer Familie kämpft, schließt sich die jüngere Isabelle der Résistance an und sucht die Freiheit auf dem Pfad der Nachtigall, einem geheimen Fluchtweg über die Pyrenäen. Doch wie weit darf man gehen, um zu überleben? Und wie kann man die schützen, die man liebt?
In diesem epischen, kraftvollen und zutiefst berührenden Roman erzählt Kristin Hannah die Geschichte zweier Frauen, die ihr Schicksal auf ganz eigene Weise meistern.]]> 564 Kristin Hannah 0312577222 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5 Was Vianne really supposed to let Sophie starve to prove her loyalty to France?

This was quite frankly a beautifully written story. It was perfect for evoking strong emotions, The right balance of discomfort, pain, loss, anger, pain, loyalties, friendship, love, hate, desperation, and cruelty.

This story really forces you to face that question, what would you do?

This story had everything... I was NEVER bored, so much so, I read it in under 2 days (for a busy mum, this is quite some achievement!) I will be thinking of these sisters for a long time.

There are obviously flaws in the story, some storytelling that asks the reader to stop and think... (trying to work out the age of Sophie, children, etc, weather, language, stealing of bikes, things happening that never get explained, etc), these are just tiny imperfections... i would advise you to just switch off and enjoy the story as intended.]]> 4.63 2015 The Nightingale

author: Kristin Hannah
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.63
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves:
review:
Was Vianne really supposed to let Sophie starve to prove her loyalty to France?

This was quite frankly a beautifully written story. It was perfect for evoking strong emotions, The right balance of discomfort, pain, loss, anger, pain, loyalties, friendship, love, hate, desperation, and cruelty.

This story really forces you to face that question, what would you do?

This story had everything... I was NEVER bored, so much so, I read it in under 2 days (for a busy mum, this is quite some achievement!) I will be thinking of these sisters for a long time.

There are obviously flaws in the story, some storytelling that asks the reader to stop and think... (trying to work out the age of Sophie, children, etc, weather, language, stealing of bikes, things happening that never get explained, etc), these are just tiny imperfections... i would advise you to just switch off and enjoy the story as intended.
]]> <![CDATA[Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #3)]]> 42900 In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Of these, Zsadist is the most terrifying member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her…]]> 434 J.R. Ward 0451219368 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 4 I'm loyal to this series, no matter how awful adult me finds it, and it really is far from being a written masterpiece. But this book and whole series is my guilty pleasure ]]> 4.43 2006 Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #3)

Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #3)

author: J.R. Ward
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/26
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves:
review:
This reads differently 19 years after you first read it.
I'm loyal to this series, no matter how awful adult me finds it, and it really is far from being a written masterpiece. But this book and whole series is my guilty pleasure
]]> <![CDATA[The Awakening (Zodiac Academy, #1)]]> 46261182 This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN B07SV21LFY

You have been selected to attend Zodiac Academy, where your star sign defines your destiny.

If you're one of the Fae, elemental magic is in your blood. And apparently it's in ours. As twins born in the month of Gemini, we're a rare breed even in this academy of supernatural a-holes.

Changelings were outlawed hundreds of years ago but I guess our birth parents didn't get the memo. Which means we're totally unprepared for the ruthless world of Fae.

Air. Fire. Water. Earth.

No one has ever harnessed all four of them, until we arrived. And it hasn't made us any friends so far.

As the rarest Elementals ever known, we're already a threat to the four celestial heirs; the popular, vindictive bullies who happen to be some of the hottest guys we've ever seen. It doesn't help that they're the most dangerous beasts in the Academy. And probably on earth too.

Our fates are intertwined, but they want us gone. They've only got until the lunar eclipse to force us out and they'll stop at nothing to succeed.

We never knew we had a birthright to live up to but now that we do, we intend to claim our throne.

We can't expect any help from the faculty when it comes to defending ourselves. So if the dragon shifters want some target practice, the werewolves want someone to hunt or the vampires fancy a snack then we have to be ready. But we've been looking after each other for a long time and fighting back is in our blood.

Today's horoscope: totally screwed.]]> 436 Caroline Peckham ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0
It was fine... nothing that I really hated. It simply isn't for me.
It was too young in language, attitude, and plot for me. High school bullying is simply yuck. I'm just not interested enough to continue.]]> 3.81 2019 The Awakening (Zodiac Academy, #1)

author: Caroline Peckham
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves:
review:
DNF

It was fine... nothing that I really hated. It simply isn't for me.
It was too young in language, attitude, and plot for me. High school bullying is simply yuck. I'm just not interested enough to continue.
]]> Shy Creatures 199531966
Croydon, 1964. Helen Hansford is in her thirties and an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital where she has been having a long love affair with a charismatic, married doctor.

One spring afternoon they receive a call about a disturbance from a derelict house not far from Helen's home. A mute, thirty-seven-year-old man called William Tapping, with a beard down to his waist, has been discovered along with his elderly aunt. It is clear he has been shut up in the house for decades, but when it emerges that William is a talented artist, Helen is determined to discover his story.

Shy Creatures is a life-affirming novel about all the different ways we can be confined, how ordinary lives are built of delicate layers of experience, the joy of freedom and the transformative power of kindness.]]> 400 Clare Chambers 0063258226 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.99 2024 Shy Creatures

author: Clare Chambers
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[He Who Fights with Monsters (He Who Fights with Monsters, #1)]]> 57189884 Jason wakes up in a mysterious world of magic and monsters.

It’s not easy making the career jump from office-supplies-store middle manager to heroic interdimensional adventurer. At least, Jason tries to be heroic, but it's hard to be good when all your powers are evil.

He’ll face off against cannibals, cultists, wizards, monsters...and that’s just on the first day. He’s going to need courage, he’s going to need wit, and he’s going to need some magic powers of his own. But first, he’s going to need pants.

After cementing itself as one of the best-rated serial novels on Royal Road with an astonishing 13 million views, He Who Fights with Monsters is now available on Kindle.

About the series: Experience an isekai culture clash as a laid-back Australian finds himself in a very serious world. See him gain suspiciously evil powers through a unique progression system combining cultivation and traditional LitRPG elements. Enjoy a weak-to-strong story with a main character who earns his power without overshadowing everyone around him, with plenty of loot, adventurers, gods and magic. Rich characters and world-building offer humor, political intrigue and slice-of-life elements alongside lots of monster fighting and adventure.]]> 680 Shirtaloon ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 3 I won't be continuing as LitRPG isn't really my thing... but was a fun change of scenery.]]> 4.42 2021 He Who Fights with Monsters (He Who Fights with Monsters, #1)

He Who Fights with Monsters (He Who Fights with Monsters, #1)

author: Shirtaloon
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/09
date added: 2024/12/09
shelves:
review:
I've been listening to this on audible for a fair while now, I had fun... I had to force myself back into Jason's bizarre journey a few times, but overall, it was laugh out loud, funny, chaotic, dangerous, and ridiculous.
I won't be continuing as LitRPG isn't really my thing... but was a fun change of scenery.
]]> <![CDATA[Impact Winter Season 2 (Impact Winter #2)]]> 188963408
Six months have passed since the Vampire Queen fell silent, and the world balances on a knife’s edge. Rejoin the courageous Dunraven sisters, Darcy and Hope, as they navigate the vampire apocalypse in a sunless, endless winter that grows deadlier with each passing day. Brace yourself for a frigid realm of sacred daggers, mighty swords, secret seaside caves, unthinkable human blood farms, and a superpowered vampire villain on the hunt. Will Darcy emerge from hiding to save her sister? Will Hope venture from the castle refuge and find Darcy first? When all paths converge, everyone in Hope and Darcy’s orbit is in mortal danger, including the sisters themselves.

Dare to listen in the dark again as this thrilling saga expands to new lands, new loves, new weapons, and new warriors. Presented in Dolby Atmos spatial audio, the second season of Impact Winter is designed to haunt you like never before. Hear your heart stop.

Please note: This content is for mature audiences only. It contains adult language and themes. Discretion is advised.

©2023 Shoe Leather Digital, Inc (P)2023 Audible Originals LLC]]> 6 Travis Beacham ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 3 3.98 2023 Impact Winter Season 2 (Impact Winter #2)

Impact Winter Season 2 (Impact Winter #2)

author: Travis Beacham
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/09
shelves:
review:
Ah ... I'm a little underwhelmed. The first hooked me in, and this was somewhat of a letdown. The ending was fun and happy to continue on... it's a fab audiobook/listening experience. The effects, acting etc is really great, but I feel like the plot has list some of its depth and excitement.... so let's see where season 3 takes us...
]]> Project Hail Mary 54493401
Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?]]> 476 Andy Weir 0593135202 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5
Full transparency... I totally expected to dislike this story, yet here I am, 10 minutes after finishing, wiping my eyes, and feeling blown away by it all. ]]> 4.49 2021 Project Hail Mary

author: Andy Weir
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/09
date added: 2024/12/09
shelves:
review:
The most immersive story I have read of 2024!!!

Full transparency... I totally expected to dislike this story, yet here I am, 10 minutes after finishing, wiping my eyes, and feeling blown away by it all.
]]> <![CDATA[Dark Harmony (The Bargainer, #4)]]> 62843810 There are worse things than death. Things that lurk in the shadows and slip into your dreams. Things that have no business existing. Things that once slept �� but have now awoken.

For Callypso Lillis, the fae magic that now runs through her veins is equal parts curse and good fortune. For the very thing that bonds her to Desmond Flynn, the King of the Night, also makes her vulnerable to the Thief of Souls, a man who wants to break the world �� and Callie along with it.

But it’s not just the Thief whose shadow looms over the Otherworld. Des’s father is back from the dead, and he wants revenge on the son who sent him to the grave in the first place.

Des and Callie must figure out how to stop both men, and time is running out. Because there are forces at play working to tear the lovers apart once and for all �� and unfortunately for them, death is no longer the worst thing to fear.]]> 488 Laura Thalassa ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 1
How can the plot become so diluted by over the top sexy times! ]]> 4.05 2018 Dark Harmony (The Bargainer, #4)

author: Laura Thalassa
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2018
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves:
review:
Ridiculous.

How can the plot become so diluted by over the top sexy times!
]]> The Impossible Us 58575269
***

Nick: Failed writer. Failed husband. Dog owner.

Bee: Serial dater. Dress maker. Pringles enthusiast.

One day, their paths cross over a misdirected email. The connection is instant, electric. They feel like they've known each other all their lives.

Nick buys a new suit, gets on a train. Bee steps away from her desk, sets off to meet him under the clock at Euston station.

Think you know how the rest of the story goes? They did too . . .

But this is a story with more twists than most. This is Impossible.]]> 483 Sarah Lotz 0593436776 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 3
Started strong, immediately like Bee and Nick, witty dialogue and sharp writing. Delved straight into these pages, so excited to see where this very unusual type of 'rom com' would take us...

Then the middle, wow... it almost almost LOST me...dragged on, got the picture,and didn't need so much guff. ]]> 3.86 2022 The Impossible Us

author: Sarah Lotz
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/02
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves:
review:
This was an odd one...

Started strong, immediately like Bee and Nick, witty dialogue and sharp writing. Delved straight into these pages, so excited to see where this very unusual type of 'rom com' would take us...

Then the middle, wow... it almost almost LOST me...dragged on, got the picture,and didn't need so much guff.
]]> <![CDATA[A Strange Hymn (The Bargainer, #2)]]> 62891197
She survived the mad king...but the nightmare isn't over.

Siren Callypso Lillis still wears the physical reminders of her time as Karnon's captive, even after reuniting with soulmate Desmond Flynn, the King of Night. Not only that, but mounting evidence suggests the Thief of Souls, the being responsible for the disappearance of countless fae warriors, is still out there.

Invited to an annual Solstice celebration, Callie and Des journey to the Kingdom of Flora to continue their investigation. But under the bright lights and striking blooms of the realm, new complications arise, ones that no amount of bargaining can undo. Soldiers begin to go missing from the gathering, and some of the fae begin to suspect Des is the man behind it all. To Callie, one thing is no one is who they appear to be. Not even her soulmate.

Fairies play dangerous games. Some want love, some want vengeance, some want flesh, and some want horrors too unspeakable to name. Something is stirring in the Land of All that Grows, and if Callie isn't careful, it will claim everything she loves—and her along with it.]]> 390 Laura Thalassa 1728272939 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 3
What I like... the plot (to a point), the darkness and mystery.
I mildly enjoyed the romance... not as much as the first book.
Characters were OK.
But the language, the personalities of our MC and some of the speed we got through some of the world building/explanations were simply... lacking.

I'm invested... but I could also leave it here...

It's OK.]]> 3.89 2017 A Strange Hymn (The Bargainer, #2)

author: Laura Thalassa
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/11/29
shelves:
review:
It was OK.

What I like... the plot (to a point), the darkness and mystery.
I mildly enjoyed the romance... not as much as the first book.
Characters were OK.
But the language, the personalities of our MC and some of the speed we got through some of the world building/explanations were simply... lacking.

I'm invested... but I could also leave it here...

It's OK.
]]> ’Salem’s Lot 11590 Librarian's Note: Alternate-cover edition for ISBN 0450031063

Thousands of miles away from the small township of 'Salem's Lot, two terrified people, a man and a boy, still share the secrets of those clapboard houses and tree-lined streets. They must return to 'Salem's Lot for a final confrontation with the unspeakable evil that lives on in the town.]]> 483 Stephen King 0450031063 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.06 1975 ’Salem’s Lot

author: Stephen King
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1975
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Wicked (Wicked Years, #1) 204833980 When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?

Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

]]> 480 Gregory Maguire 0063398346 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.32 1995 Wicked (Wicked Years, #1)

author: Gregory Maguire
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.32
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Rhapsodic (The Bargainer, #1) 62316279 From bestselling indie author Laura Thalassa comes the newly revised and edited first book in her smash-hit dark fantasy romance between a siren and the "bargainer" she owes countless favors to.

Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past.

For the last seven years Callie has been wearing a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she once received. Only death or repayment will fulfill her obligations.

Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer to make it happen. He's a man who can get you anything you want �� at a price. And everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects. But for Callie, he's never asked for repayment. Not until now.

When Callie finds the Bargainer in her room, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, she knows things are about to change. At first it's admitting a truth—a single bead's worth—acknowledging the attraction between them. But the Bargainer is after more than just rekindling their connection. Something is happening in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing one by one, and only the women are returned, each in a glass casket, a child clutched to her breast.

For the Bargainer to save his people, he'll need the help of the siren he spurned long ago. If she can forgive him.]]> 423 Laura Thalassa 1728272912 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 4 "Fee fi fo fum, I'm not done siren, oh no, I've just begun"

3.5 ]]> 3.85 2016 Rhapsodic (The Bargainer, #1)

author: Laura Thalassa
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/24
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves:
review:
"Fee fi fo fum, I'm not done siren, oh no, I've just begun"

3.5
]]> Skyshade (Lightlark, #3) 207003676 The pulse-pounding third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Lightlark Saga, by acclaimed author and #BookTok sensation Alex Aster

Love kills kingdoms��

Back in Grim’s castle on Nightshade, Isla is reeling in the wake of a brutal battle and the devastating truths it exposed. Her future—and the fate of the world—now hinge on a heart split in two.

Past Isla, who fell in love with the ruler of Nightshade, fights to resist feelings she considers treasonous. The Isla of the present, who has seen the ruin her powers can cause, will do anything to save Lightlark and its king.

As the line between enemy and friend is tested, Isla is more desperate than ever to understand the oracle’s final prophecy and change her heartrending fate. But a storm is coming. And with it, a long-buried evil greater than anything the realms have faced before.

With the clock ticking on her destiny and the survival of two warring kingdoms hinging on her own shattered heart, Isla Crown will either save the world—or destroy it.]]> 384 Alex Aster 141977378X ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 4 "I would do it again, I would do it a thousand times over, heart; you should know that. I will choose you over the world every single time."
Which meant it was up to her to save it.

They say 'Love is blind' and with this series, it's so bloody true. I love this series and so much so, I can completely overlook all the silly things that in any other book, would infuriate me or ruin the series.... there is a lot wrong with the writing style and story but I don't actually care enough to let it influence my heart.

The author has gripped me with Grim, he is my absolute LOVE, and I'm still semi routing for Oro, I'm not a fan of the golden boy, but when I'm reading and he's there... I forget about Grim sometimes, and that's such a skill. I think Isla and us readers have split hearts. (Well.... I'm very much a lover of Grim)

I think we can all guess where this series is going... but I don't mind, I love this journey regardless. Isla is amazing, Grim is adorablely dark, Oro is a golden boy with an edge, and all the other characters smash this book into my being! I really enjoyed myself... ]]> 3.62 2024 Skyshade (Lightlark, #3)

author: Alex Aster
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/22
date added: 2024/11/23
shelves:
review:
"I would do it again, I would do it a thousand times over, heart; you should know that. I will choose you over the world every single time."
Which meant it was up to her to save it.

They say 'Love is blind' and with this series, it's so bloody true. I love this series and so much so, I can completely overlook all the silly things that in any other book, would infuriate me or ruin the series.... there is a lot wrong with the writing style and story but I don't actually care enough to let it influence my heart.

The author has gripped me with Grim, he is my absolute LOVE, and I'm still semi routing for Oro, I'm not a fan of the golden boy, but when I'm reading and he's there... I forget about Grim sometimes, and that's such a skill. I think Isla and us readers have split hearts. (Well.... I'm very much a lover of Grim)

I think we can all guess where this series is going... but I don't mind, I love this journey regardless. Isla is amazing, Grim is adorablely dark, Oro is a golden boy with an edge, and all the other characters smash this book into my being! I really enjoyed myself...
]]> <![CDATA[The Twisted Throne (The Bridge Kingdom, #5)]]> 212101795
The Maridrinians left Ithicana in ruins and its people impoverished. So when the wealthy kingdom of Harendell claims her as a bride for its crown prince, Ahnna is prepared to do whatever it takes to gain influence as the future queen. And to control the gold that comes with the throne.

Yet Ahnna swiftly discovers that beneath the beautiful surface of Harendell's court is a dark underbelly built upon schemes, duplicity, and the pursuit of power. The only individual who holds himself above the politics is not her future husband, but his infuriating half brother, James. And as she begins to question whether Harendell is the ally it claims to be, Ahnna finds herself drawn into a forbidden attraction to the wrong prince.

As deadly plots tighten around her, Ahnna must decide whether saving her people will be achieved as a bride...or as a blade.]]> Danielle L. Jensen ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 2
Ana is one spoiled brat, strong and determined, beautiful and incredibly smart, stubborn, and arrogant. Yet, justifiably! She had it rough and wears her trauma on her face, actions, and attitude, and whilst it's completely against the grain for my usual likes, I totally get where she is coming from. I did find her thought process hard at times, made me uncomfortable, I hate conflict ]]> 4.24 2024 The Twisted Throne (The Bridge Kingdom, #5)

The Twisted Throne (The Bridge Kingdom, #5)

author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/11/19
shelves:
review:
The twisted throne

Ana is one spoiled brat, strong and determined, beautiful and incredibly smart, stubborn, and arrogant. Yet, justifiably! She had it rough and wears her trauma on her face, actions, and attitude, and whilst it's completely against the grain for my usual likes, I totally get where she is coming from. I did find her thought process hard at times, made me uncomfortable, I hate conflict
]]> <![CDATA[The Annihilator (Dark Verse, #5)]]> 54683187
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?

She lives in the shadows. He rules them.

She's the moon, and he the dark night encompassing her.

She's surrounded by demons, and he's the biggest devil of them all.

And she's his.

Passion, obsession, possesion. Theirs is a tale of danger, deviance, dread, desires, and the darkest flavors of love.

𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻.

Disclaimer: This is not a standalone. The series must be read in order. Please read the author's note.]]> 257 RuNyx ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.11 2022 The Annihilator (Dark Verse, #5)

author: RuNyx
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Endless War (The Bridge Kingdom, #4)]]> 211081097
Newly crowned as king, Keris has watched, powerless, as his forbidden relationship with Zarrah is revealed. But when Zarrah is imprisoned by the empress, Keris knows there is only one way to save her: to ally with the kingdom he nearly destroyed.

Imprisoned on the dreaded Devil’s Island, Zarrah faces two choices: prove her loyalty to the empress who condemned her or die a traitor. Yet as she struggles to survive among violent prisoners, Zarrah uncovers a third path: a rebellion to overthrow tyranny entwined with a destiny she must fight to claim.

While the empress plots a war with devastating consequences, Keris and Zarrah must find their way back to each other. Yet their greatest adversary is the fiery passion between them. Unless they overcome the bitterness of betrayal, their love will not be the bringer of peace but rather the fuel that turns the Endless War into an inferno.]]> 576 Danielle L. Jensen 0593975278 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5 4.17 2023 The Endless War (The Bridge Kingdom, #4)

The Endless War (The Bridge Kingdom, #4)

author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves:
review:
I could quote the entirety of this novel, I swear
]]> <![CDATA[The Inadequate Heir (The Bridge Kingdom, #3)]]> 211081102 Return to the world of The Bridge Kingdom in this sensuous fantasy full of romance and intrigue that is perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Silver Flames.

A soldier raised as heir to an empire, Zarrah is motivated by two truths. The first is that the Veliant family murdered her mother. And the second is that her pursuit of vengeance will put every last one of them in their graves.

The Endless War between Maridrina and Valcotta has raged for generations, leaving thousands of Zarrah’s people dead and countless more orphaned. So when she’s given command of the contested city of Nerastis, Zarrah is prepared to do whatever it takes to destroy the Maridrinian forces who oppose her. And to kill the Veliant prince who leads them.

Yet a chance encounter with an anonymous, and handsome, Maridrinian causes Zarrah to question whether the violence she’s perpetrated is justice or a crime. And as she continues to meet the nameless man each night, she finds common ground - and fiery passion - in his arms.

But when identities are revealed, Zarrah must decide whether to embrace a chance at peace…or march to the drums of war.]]> 673 Danielle L. Jensen 0593975243 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 4
Well, I was very pleasantly surprised to find myself struggling to put this book down. It's much like book one of this series.

However, book two has made me cautious, so I did struggle to look past some dubious moments, but there weren't many. I also disliked revisiting parts of the Bridge Kingdom timeline, vital as they are (it is set on the same timeline afterall!), I really feel strongly that 'less is more'...we really didn't need verbatim repetitions at times.

However, overall, I had a lot of fun with Zarrah and Keris and completely invested in their relationship and character growth. I found them both truly likeable and understand both characters' pov and equally routing for them.

Moments were obviously predictable, and it didn't distract me from my enjoyment, and moments did surprise me... it was fun.

It was political, meaty at times, deeply romantic, erotic, harrowing, frustrating, fast-paced, slower paced, tragic... all the feels.

I'm back on the road for enjoying this series again.]]> 4.06 2022 The Inadequate Heir (The Bridge Kingdom, #3)

The Inadequate Heir (The Bridge Kingdom, #3)

author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/03
date added: 2024/11/04
shelves:
review:
After finding book two a slight disappointment, I saw the thickness of this book and found myself expecting...not a lot...

Well, I was very pleasantly surprised to find myself struggling to put this book down. It's much like book one of this series.

However, book two has made me cautious, so I did struggle to look past some dubious moments, but there weren't many. I also disliked revisiting parts of the Bridge Kingdom timeline, vital as they are (it is set on the same timeline afterall!), I really feel strongly that 'less is more'...we really didn't need verbatim repetitions at times.

However, overall, I had a lot of fun with Zarrah and Keris and completely invested in their relationship and character growth. I found them both truly likeable and understand both characters' pov and equally routing for them.

Moments were obviously predictable, and it didn't distract me from my enjoyment, and moments did surprise me... it was fun.

It was political, meaty at times, deeply romantic, erotic, harrowing, frustrating, fast-paced, slower paced, tragic... all the feels.

I'm back on the road for enjoying this series again.
]]> <![CDATA[Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, #2)]]> 33555224
Citra, now a junior scythe under Scythe Curie, sees the corruption and wants to help change it from the inside out, but is thwarted at every turn, and threatened by the “new order�� scythes. Realizing she cannot do this alone—or even with the help of Scythe Curie and Faraday, she does the unthinkable, and risks being “deadish�� so she can communicate with the Thunderhead—the only being on earth wise enough to solve the dire problems of a perfect world. But will it help solve those problems, or simply watch as perfection goes into decline?]]> 504 Neal Shusterman 1442472456 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.38 2018 Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, #2)

author: Neal Shusterman
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Impact Winter (Impact Winter #1)]]> 60299393
From executive producers of The Walking Dead and Travis Beacham, the writer of Pacific Rim, comes a heart-stopping Audible Original featuring a brilliant British cast. It’s the near future and seven years since a comet hit the earth and blotted out the sun. The world is a dark, frozen landscape. And then, beastly creatures emerge and take over. Can they really be vampires?

In the British countryside, a band of survivors forms a resistance in the fallout shelter of a medieval castle. Darcy is a battle-tested vampire hunter who is at the front line leading the charge to save humanity. Meanwhile, her younger sister Hope wants life to return normal so she can go above ground and know what it’s like to live again. And she just might be willing to risk it all.

A story of apocalypse, horror, and adventure, Impact Winter is a wholly original new saga created just for Audible with immersive 3D audio that dares you to pop in your earbuds and listen in the dark. Venture into an eternally sunless world of swords and crossbows; primal hunters and shape-shifters; leaders and lovers. Hear how a brave few fight to survive the impact winter.]]> 5 Travis Beacham ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5
Broadcasting out from Dartmoor Inn, Devon!!! Where I LIVE!!! Made me all a giddy ]]> 3.98 2022 Impact Winter (Impact Winter #1)

author: Travis Beacham
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/30
date added: 2024/11/01
shelves:
review:
From the word go, I was gripped!

Broadcasting out from Dartmoor Inn, Devon!!! Where I LIVE!!! Made me all a giddy
]]> <![CDATA[The Traitor Queen (The Bridge Kingdom, #2)]]> 211081092
A queen now in exile as a traitor, Lara has watched Ithicana be conquered by her own father, helpless to do anything to stop the destruction. But when she learns her husband, Aren, has been captured in battle, Lara knows there is only one reason her father is keeping him alive: as bait for his traitorous daughter.

And it is bait she fully intends to take.

Risking her life to the Tempest Seas, Lara returns to Ithicana with a plan not only to free its king, but for liberating the Bridge Kingdom from her father's clutches using his own weapons: the sisters whose lives she spared. But not only is the palace inescapable, there are more players in the game than Lara ever realized, enemies and allies switching sides in the fight for crowns, kingdoms, and bridges. But her greatest adversary of all might be the very man she's trying to free—the husband she betrayed.

With everything she loves in jeopardy, Lara must decide who—and what—she is fighting for: her kingdom, her husband, or herself.]]> 416 Danielle L. Jensen 0593975219 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 3 We will bring them to their knees

How do I begin to review this after the gushing of approval, love, and teenage style fanatical behaviour I gave the first part to the duology? The first book was, to me, fantastic, flaws outweighed by the sheer enjoyment. This book, however, was a roller coaster of ... 60% flat with a few loopdeloops and twists.

Beginning was as expected and I liked that we have venom and guilt, the middle was awash with backwards and forwards, some moments of delight and appreciated the tension, but mostly, it was eye rollingly far fetched that even on the high was feeling from book one, couldn't overlook.

Because this story didn't hit me quite as hard as the first, I found myself struggling to forgive the ability for Aren and Lara to outsmart every infiltration, every masterful attack, outrun poisonous bites, matrix worthy lunging and just incredible (and unforgiveable luck)... I enjoyed myself, please don't misunderstand me, I just had a hard time ignoring the voice in my head saying "yeah right", "oh ffs" and "here we go again" but... I still wanted the best for them, so something was being done right!

The one thing I can not forgive is the sex scene towards the end... it was misplaced and, quite frankly, gross. If you read this story, I'm sure you'll know what I'm talking about. I love a graphic, well written, and well PLACED sexual frolic, but this was none of them ]]> 4.18 2020 The Traitor Queen (The Bridge Kingdom, #2)

The Traitor Queen (The Bridge Kingdom, #2)

author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/29
date added: 2024/10/30
shelves:
review:
We will bring them to their knees

How do I begin to review this after the gushing of approval, love, and teenage style fanatical behaviour I gave the first part to the duology? The first book was, to me, fantastic, flaws outweighed by the sheer enjoyment. This book, however, was a roller coaster of ... 60% flat with a few loopdeloops and twists.

Beginning was as expected and I liked that we have venom and guilt, the middle was awash with backwards and forwards, some moments of delight and appreciated the tension, but mostly, it was eye rollingly far fetched that even on the high was feeling from book one, couldn't overlook.

Because this story didn't hit me quite as hard as the first, I found myself struggling to forgive the ability for Aren and Lara to outsmart every infiltration, every masterful attack, outrun poisonous bites, matrix worthy lunging and just incredible (and unforgiveable luck)... I enjoyed myself, please don't misunderstand me, I just had a hard time ignoring the voice in my head saying "yeah right", "oh ffs" and "here we go again" but... I still wanted the best for them, so something was being done right!

The one thing I can not forgive is the sex scene towards the end... it was misplaced and, quite frankly, gross. If you read this story, I'm sure you'll know what I'm talking about. I love a graphic, well written, and well PLACED sexual frolic, but this was none of them
]]> <![CDATA[The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom, #1)]]> 211081101
The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara's homeland. So when she’s sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king.

Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she’s the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she’ll save�� and which kingdom she’ll destroy.

Passionate and violent, The Bridge Kingdom is a seductive fantasy perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.]]> 430 Danielle L. Jensen 0593975189 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 5
It was recommended via Audible... and thank you for bringing me the most PERFECT PLOT for my sole. I have bought the series to adorn my shelves as the most perfect little trophies so I can delve back into this world of the most bad ass MFC Lara, and the MMC Mr Perfect King, Aren. YES, Perfect is being thrown around freely here, come for me, I dare you. THIS BOOK LIFTED ME TO NEW HEIGHTS OF DELIRIUM.

“I love you," he said, his lips grazing against hers. "And I will love you, no matter what the future brings. No matter how hard I need to fight. I will always love you."

The words undid her, broke her apart completely, then forged her into something new. Something stronger. Something better.��

The romance was unmatched in ENEMIES to LOVERS .... Then...then the stress that this caused, I hated a few chapters because I knew a twist in fate was coming, and I just didn't want to keep reading...but that's a bloody brilliant novel there, it had its absolute grip on me. I have not read a book this gripping since Lightlark (I make no apologies for how Grim has stolen me OK)

“Since the moment I set eyes on you in Southwatch, there's been no one but you. Even if I'm a goddamned fool for it, there will never be anyone but you."

You are a fool, she thought as darkness took her.

And that made two of them.��

Were there moments that a sober, more level headed reader Kelly that would make my eyes roll? Yes...do I care? NOT ONE BIT....

The ending, yeah, ridiculous but I lapped it up and I am immediately jumping into the next book... Danielle Jensen better have the rest of this series at this level otherwise i fear my fall back to earth may damage me beyond all hope of recovery. I mean every word of my dramatics... I'm normally level headed with my reviews, but this story undid all my sensibilities and I loved every minute.

If you read this, and don't agree with me... be careful, I'm not ready to be humbled. For MEEEEEEE this was the chefs kiss for a story that took my favourite tropes and smashed them into my life and left me a soppy mess!

“Alive isn't living.��

PEOPLE: This had
One Bed
Enemies to lovers
Spice
Bad Ass MC
Political intrigue
War
Likable characters
Plot Twists
Secrets
Heartache
Snakes
Assasins
A big Cat

Seriously, I had so much fun and I apologise if my review sends you into these pages and you do not agree with me.

]]> 4.01 2018 The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom, #1)

The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom, #1)

author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/27
date added: 2024/10/28
shelves:
review:
Excuse me... but why did this suck the breath out of me and make me rethink my whole loyalty to certain books??? Holy Fuck... where the hell did this story come from?

It was recommended via Audible... and thank you for bringing me the most PERFECT PLOT for my sole. I have bought the series to adorn my shelves as the most perfect little trophies so I can delve back into this world of the most bad ass MFC Lara, and the MMC Mr Perfect King, Aren. YES, Perfect is being thrown around freely here, come for me, I dare you. THIS BOOK LIFTED ME TO NEW HEIGHTS OF DELIRIUM.

“I love you," he said, his lips grazing against hers. "And I will love you, no matter what the future brings. No matter how hard I need to fight. I will always love you."

The words undid her, broke her apart completely, then forged her into something new. Something stronger. Something better.��

The romance was unmatched in ENEMIES to LOVERS .... Then...then the stress that this caused, I hated a few chapters because I knew a twist in fate was coming, and I just didn't want to keep reading...but that's a bloody brilliant novel there, it had its absolute grip on me. I have not read a book this gripping since Lightlark (I make no apologies for how Grim has stolen me OK)

“Since the moment I set eyes on you in Southwatch, there's been no one but you. Even if I'm a goddamned fool for it, there will never be anyone but you."

You are a fool, she thought as darkness took her.

And that made two of them.��

Were there moments that a sober, more level headed reader Kelly that would make my eyes roll? Yes...do I care? NOT ONE BIT....

The ending, yeah, ridiculous but I lapped it up and I am immediately jumping into the next book... Danielle Jensen better have the rest of this series at this level otherwise i fear my fall back to earth may damage me beyond all hope of recovery. I mean every word of my dramatics... I'm normally level headed with my reviews, but this story undid all my sensibilities and I loved every minute.

If you read this, and don't agree with me... be careful, I'm not ready to be humbled. For MEEEEEEE this was the chefs kiss for a story that took my favourite tropes and smashed them into my life and left me a soppy mess!

“Alive isn't living.��

PEOPLE: This had
One Bed
Enemies to lovers
Spice
Bad Ass MC
Political intrigue
War
Likable characters
Plot Twists
Secrets
Heartache
Snakes
Assasins
A big Cat

Seriously, I had so much fun and I apologise if my review sends you into these pages and you do not agree with me.

]]> <![CDATA[A Bargain of Smoke and Vines (The Sundered Fates, #1)]]> 220205746
But our lands and earthen powers have fallen under the hungry gaze of a would-be usurper, who demands we bend the knee in his quest to take control of this world. Our only hope for survival is an alliance with the fearsome Mordorin Fae, who rule the Sundered Kingdoms with an iron fist. To keep our freedom and protect the Grove, a bargain must be struck, but there is just one thing the Mordorin want�� a bride fit for their wicked crown prince, Daedalus Phaedren.

To save my people from destruction, I must leave the lush green of my home and live out my days in the stronghold of Baev’kalath, serving as wife to a heartless killer. But there are secrets within these castle walls, and the rebel army marches ever closer. If I must fight, then I must place myself where I dread most. At Daed’s side.]]> 398 J.L. Tomlinson ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.92 A Bargain of Smoke and Vines (The Sundered Fates, #1)

A Bargain of Smoke and Vines (The Sundered Fates, #1)

author: J.L. Tomlinson
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Death (The Four Horsemen #4) 62252576 It all began with the kiss of Death.

Abaddon, the Destroyer, right hand of Lucifer, has returned from the dead with one thing on his mind: revenge on the Horseman who kept him from taking back what is his. But spending time alone with Death has awakened something between them, resulting in an experience that he enjoys more than revenge. The natural conclusion is to keep doing it, of course. He never planned on his heart getting involved with a Horseman he can’t even touch.

Death is the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, arriving only when the end is near. The Apocalypse he and his brothers were summoned for this time is over, lost when they lost one of their own, but the stakes are higher now than ever before. It isn’t just Earth that’s at risk; the fate of existence now hangs in the balance, with a power-hungry God ready to unleash a new world order.

Death cannot touch another and has resigned himself to spending his existence alone, until a kiss changes everything for him. When Abaddon returns, and they pick up right where they left off, Death doesn’t fight the attraction that spirals out of control faster than they can keep up with it. Death cannot feel Abaddon’s skin against his own, but Abaddon breaks so beautifully under him anyway, taking everything that he can give and asking for more.

Abaddon had never imagined that he would love anyone or fall so hard, so fast. Death had never imagined that he would find someone to walk beside him, someone to call his own. Time is running out for them, and if they don’t find a way to push back against the powers vying for them, all will be lost.

The last Apocalypse is coming, and no one is safe.

Death is the fourth and final book in the Four Horsemen series. This book is not a standalone and must be read in order. You have been warned.

Content warnings: religious themes, extreme violence, gore, blood play, masochism, and others listed inside.

Arachnophobia warning: There is also a dog-sized pet spider named Paul who just wants to be loved.

Death is a 112,000-word dark paranormal MM romance featuring morally questionable characters, unrequited hate, Angels, Demons, Horsemen of the Apocalypse, snark and plenty of banter.]]> 402 Sienna Moreau ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.47 2023 Death (The Four Horsemen #4)

author: Sienna Moreau
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Book Lovers 58690308 One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming....

Nora Stephens�� life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters�� trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.]]> 377 Emily Henry 0593334833 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 2
I found it really hard to connect, and I had no other book on me to DNF, I will never ever think of either character again.

I can see why others would like it. The romance was enjoyable, and I did enjoy the writing style, so 2 ]]> 4.09 2022 Book Lovers

author: Emily Henry
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/26
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves:
review:
I struggled to get into this story. The characters were not overly likeable for me. I loathe perfection and the desire to be perfect, so I couldn't relate to Nora nor Charlie.

I found it really hard to connect, and I had no other book on me to DNF, I will never ever think of either character again.

I can see why others would like it. The romance was enjoyable, and I did enjoy the writing style, so 2
]]> Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1) 204593914 Welcome to Phantasma. There are only two rules to the game: Stay alive. And don’t fall in love.

When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him. Blackwell doesn’t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart . . .]]> 497 Kaylie Smith 1538769255 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 4.05 2024 Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1)

author: Kaylie Smith
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Thrum 210835673 Meg Smitherman ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.93 2024 Thrum

author: Meg Smitherman
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Until You (Off-Limits, #1) 60872655
Their lives weren’t meant to collide �� but everything changes when Grayson realizes that Aria is the mysterious woman behind a wildly popular vigilante platform.

She’s the woman he’s been falling for online, the one whose coding skills outdo his, the one he’s been trying to track down.

It’s her. And she’s off-limits.]]> 328 Catharina Maura 9887531936 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 3 I'm not asking for forgiveness, I'm asking for a chance to earn it."

I'm so shocked at how much I enjoyed reading/listening to this story. It was free with my audible membership, and I was getting frustrated with started stories that missed every mark... then I began listening to this story.... and yeah, I think it's hardly a complex story, fast-paced, lots crammed in, but it was thoroughly enjoyable and had me smiling and stopping in my tracks to listen intently.

I actually found it fairly realistic, i mean, there was even a 3-minute sex scene ]]> 3.81 2021 Until You (Off-Limits, #1)

author: Catharina Maura
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/24
date added: 2024/10/24
shelves:
review:
I'm not asking for forgiveness, I'm asking for a chance to earn it."

I'm so shocked at how much I enjoyed reading/listening to this story. It was free with my audible membership, and I was getting frustrated with started stories that missed every mark... then I began listening to this story.... and yeah, I think it's hardly a complex story, fast-paced, lots crammed in, but it was thoroughly enjoyable and had me smiling and stopping in my tracks to listen intently.

I actually found it fairly realistic, i mean, there was even a 3-minute sex scene
]]> No Exit 39938177
A kidnapped little girl locked in a stranger’s van. No help for miles. What would you do?

On her way to Utah to see her dying mother, college student Darby Thorne gets caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. With the roads impassable, she’s forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside are some vending machines, a coffee maker, and four complete strangers.

Desperate to find a signal to call home, Darby goes back out into the storm . . . and makes a horrifying discovery. In the back of the van parked next to her car, a little girl is locked in an animal crate.

Who is the child? Why has she been taken? And how can Darby save her?

There is no cell phone reception, no telephone, and no way out. One of her fellow travelers is a kidnapper. But which one?

Trapped in an increasingly dangerous situation, with a child’s life and her own on the line, Darby must find a way to break the girl out of the van and escape.

But who can she trust?]]> 336 Taylor Adams 0062875655 ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 to-read 3.98 2017 No Exit

author: Taylor Adams
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Falling in Between 40951192 You fight through your tequila-induced haze, trip over his designer suit crumpled on the floor, and run.
After all, you’re 1,500 miles from home. It’s not like you’ll ever see him again.
Unless you’re me.
Fast forward six months and I somehow find myself in the middle of a bet with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Tattooed that includes me owing him four dates. Four dates with an arrogantly charming man whom I know little about, what could possibly go wrong?
I’ll tell you what’s going wrong, my falling asleep in his arms on date three and realizing I’m in love with a man who doesn’t even know my real name.]]> 226 Stevie J. Cole ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆ 0 Don't bother. 3.86 2018 Falling in Between

author: Stevie J. Cole
name: ☆°�Ģ°☆�ˡk��ˡ☆°•°☆
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2024/10/23
date added: 2024/10/23
shelves:
review:
Don't bother.
]]>