Kathleen's bookshelf: all en-US Mon, 21 Apr 2025 12:41:28 -0700 60 Kathleen's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Wishing Game 62926992
Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it’s like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher’s aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability.

But be careful what you wish for. . . .

Just when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he’s finally written a new book. Even better, he’s holding a contest at his home on the real Clock Island, and Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants chosen to compete to win the one and only copy.

For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind� Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever.

. . . You might just get it.]]> 304 Meg Shaffer 0593598830 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.02 2023 The Wishing Game
author: Meg Shaffer
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Patina Living 40996909 208 Brooke Giannetti 1423650921 Kathleen 4 home-garden
After reading, I can say it's a beautiful coffee table book ~ I wouldn't have expected anything less ~ with lots of inspiring & darling photos of their gardens and sweet animals. I understand why Brooke wants to bring so many baby chicks, birds, ducklings, etc., home with her. I feel exactly the same way when I see them! Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to make it work for me as lovely as they've been able to do. There are some great tips in the book to consider about each type of animal (that they have on their farm) should one be considering a similar menagerie. I also totally understand the feeling that their animal companions & garden give them back as much, if not more, than it takes to care for them. Having a garden myself, I find peace in that plot of nature just by being in it. I can only imagine how enriching the experience would be surrounded by everything they've worked so hard to create. I'm glad they're willing to share it thru their books & social media so we can all enjoy it too. They have such an exquisite eye & touch for beauty, their Ojai haven is a balm for the soul.]]> 4.59 Patina Living
author: Brooke Giannetti
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.59
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2019/04/18
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: home-garden
review:
I pre-ordered this book because I'm such an ardent admirer of the Giannetties & their gorgeous Ojai Farm. It wasn't my intention, but because it features way more pictures than writing, when I sat down to look at it (the minute it arrived) I read it cover to cover right then & there. I will certainly be re-reading it at a more leisurely pace and savoring the photos time and time again.

After reading, I can say it's a beautiful coffee table book ~ I wouldn't have expected anything less ~ with lots of inspiring & darling photos of their gardens and sweet animals. I understand why Brooke wants to bring so many baby chicks, birds, ducklings, etc., home with her. I feel exactly the same way when I see them! Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to make it work for me as lovely as they've been able to do. There are some great tips in the book to consider about each type of animal (that they have on their farm) should one be considering a similar menagerie. I also totally understand the feeling that their animal companions & garden give them back as much, if not more, than it takes to care for them. Having a garden myself, I find peace in that plot of nature just by being in it. I can only imagine how enriching the experience would be surrounded by everything they've worked so hard to create. I'm glad they're willing to share it thru their books & social media so we can all enjoy it too. They have such an exquisite eye & touch for beauty, their Ojai haven is a balm for the soul.
]]> <![CDATA[Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore]]> 228142770 A powerful plant witch and a grumpy alchemist must work together to save their quiet town from a magical plague in this debut cozy fantasy romance about starting over, redemption, and what it really means to be a good person.

Guy Shadowfade is dead, and after a lifetime as the dark sorcerer’s right-hand, Violet Thistlewaite is determined to start over—not as the fearsome Thornwitch, but as someone kind. Someone better. Someone good.

The quaint town of Dragon’s Rest, Violet decides, will be her second chance—she’ll set down roots, open a flower shop, keep her sentient (mildly homicidal) houseplant in check, and prune dark magic from the twisted boughs of her life.

Violet’s vibrant bouquets and cheerful enchantments soon charm the welcoming townsfolk, though nothing seems to impress the prickly yet dashingly handsome Nathaniel Marsh, an alchemist sharing her greenhouse. With a struggling business and his own second chance seemingly out of reach, Nathaniel has no time for flowers or frippery—and certainly none for the intriguing witch next door.

When a mysterious blight threatens every living plant in Dragon’s Rest, Violet and Nathaniel must work together through their fears, pasts, and growing feelings for one another to save their community. But with a figure from her past knocking at her door and her secrets threatening to uproot everything she’s worked so hard to grow, Violet can’t help but wonder…does a former villain truly deserve a happily-ever-after?]]> 368 Emily Krempholtz 0593954300 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.24 2025 Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore
author: Emily Krempholtz
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Swan's Nest 182761465 A tender and engrossing historical novel about the unlikely love affair between two great 19th-century poets, Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett

On a bleak January day in 1845, a poet who had been confined to her room for four years by recurrent illness received a letter from a writer she secretly idolized but had never seen. “I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett,� Robert Browning wrote, “and I love you too.�

Elizabeth Barrett was ecstatic. She was famous for her poetry but completely cut off from the kind of international travel that Browning used to fuel his obscure, unsuccessful, innovative poems, one of which was written from a murderer’s point of view. They began an affectionate correspondence, but Elizabeth kept delaying a visit. What would happen when he saw her in person? What was Robert really like? Could she persuade her father and brothers that he was honorable, even though she had never met his family? And what would happen if she gave in to Robert’s wild proposal that they go to Italy to see whether the sun could cure her?

McNeal brilliantly tells the story of how Robert and Elizabeth fell in love with each other’s words and shocked her conservative, close-knit family and the literary world. Sensitively and lyrically written, as rich as the lovers' own poetry,The Swan's Nestwill sweep up readers in the triumphant story of two people forced to choose between a safe, stable life and the love they felt for each other.]]> 320 Laura McNeal 1643753207 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.70 The Swan's Nest
author: Laura McNeal
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.70
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Lost Baker of Vienna: A Novel]]> 221739728 An historical novel inspired by the experiences of the author’s own family after the Holocaust, a sweeping saga about survival, loss, love, and the reverberating effects of war

In 2018, Zoe Rosenzweig is reeling after the loss of her beloved grandfather, a Holocaust survivor. She becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to her family during the war.

Vienna, 1946: Chana Rosenzweig has endured the horrors of war to find herself, her mother, and her younger brother finally free in Vienna. But freedom doesn’t look like they’d imagined it would, as they struggle to make a living and stay safe.

Despite the danger, Chana sneaks out most nights to return to the hotel kitchen where she works as a dishwasher, using the quiet nighttime hours to bake her late father’s recipes. Soon, Chana finds herself caught in a dangerous love triangle, torn between the black-market dealer who has offered marriage and protection, and the apprentice baker who shares her passions. How will Chana balance her love of baking against her family’s need for security?

The Lost Baker of Vienna affirms the unbreakable bonds of family, shining a light on the courageous spirit of WWII refugees as they battle to survive the overwhelming hardships of a world torn apart.]]> Sharon Kurtzman 0593830873 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.61 The Lost Baker of Vienna: A Novel
author: Sharon Kurtzman
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.61
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Stolen Queen 211025454 From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.

Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.

New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.� Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.

Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.

That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.

As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.]]> 352 Fiona Davis 0593474279 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.91 2025 The Stolen Queen
author: Fiona Davis
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Whisper and a Curse (Raven & Wren, #3)]]> 222023124
When Hadrian’s mother hires Tilda to investigate a medium who claims she can contact her late son, Tilda and Hadrian are drawn into a deadly game. Mediums across London are falling victim to the “Levitation Killer,� and the murderer’s chilling focus soon shifts to them both.

Forced to rely on his visions as never before, Hadrian must fully embrace the gift he despises—and risk everything to keep Tilda safe.]]> 374 Darcy Burke Kathleen 0 to-read 4.56 2025 A Whisper and a Curse (Raven & Wren, #3)
author: Darcy Burke
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane, #1)]]> 36679274
Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher—the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are as close as brothers, but Kel knows that his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible.

Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls within the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend without access to forbidden knowledge.

After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane’s underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces.

As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war—and the world into chaos?]]> 624 Cassandra Clare 0525619992 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.79 2023 Sword Catcher (The Chronicles of Castellane, #1)
author: Cassandra Clare
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Mile High (Windy City, #1) 60909831
Chicago hockey isn't complete without me - everyone's favourite player to hate. I know my role, and I play it well. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy spending the majority of my game time in the penalty box before leaving the arena with a new girl on my arm each night.

What I don't like is the new flight attendant on our team's private plane. She works for me, not the other way around. But I'll be sure to remind her of that, and I can guarantee, by the end of the season, she'll be begging to quit her job.

But every road trip blurs the lines, and I can't quite figure out if I keep pushing that flight attendant call button in order to push her buttons, or if it's more than that.

STEVIE

I've been a flight attendant for years. I thought I'd seen it all, but when my new job lands me onboard working for the most egotistical and self-righteous diva in the NHL, I start to second guess everything. Including the promise I made to myself of never hooking up with an athlete again . . . no matter how annoyingly tempting he may be.

Evan Zanders is unfiltered, unapologetic, and too attractive for his own good. He loves his image, but I hate everything about it.

Everything but him.]]> 603 Liz Tomforde Kathleen 4 3.98 2022 Mile High (Windy City, #1)
author: Liz Tomforde
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Right Move (Windy City, #2)]]> 84943172
She’s a distraction, that’s what she is.

I’m the newest Captain of the Devils, Chicago’s NBA team, and the last thing I needed this year was for Indy Ivers, my sister’s best friend, to move into my apartment. She’s messy, emotional, and way too tempting.

But when the team’s General Manager vocalizes his blatant disapproval of my promotion to Captain, referring to me as an unapproachable lone wolf with no work-life balance, I can’t think of a better way to convince him otherwise than pretending to date my outgoing roommate.

The only problem? Faking it feels far too natural.

Having a fake girlfriend wasn’t supposed to be messy but having Indy under my roof and in my bed is complicated, especially when she wants all the romantic parts of life that I could never give her.


INDY

I never imagined I’d be living with my best friend’s brother, NBA superstar Ryan Shay. Even more unbelievable? He needs me to act as his loving girlfriend who’s suddenly changed him into a friendly and approachable guy.

Because, well…he’s not. He’s controlling of his space and untrusting of others.

Our arrangement isn’t one-sided, though. I’m in a wedding coming up, one where every one of my childhood friends, including my ex-boyfriend, will be in attendance, and there’s no better date than my ex’s celebrity hero.

Blurred lines make it almost impossible to separate real from fake. Falling for my roommate was never part of the deal, especially when Ryan is quick to remind me that he doesn’t believe in love.

I’m a romantic and can’t help fantasizing that he’ll change, but soon enough, I find myself questioning if sharing a roof with my best friend’s brother was the right move after all]]> 499 Liz Tomforde Kathleen 4 FIRST sports romance!! 4.39 2023 The Right Move (Windy City, #2)
author: Liz Tomforde
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves:
review:
FIRST sports romance!!
]]> <![CDATA[Daughter of No Worlds (The War of Lost Hearts, #1)]]> 49826643
Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life.

Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders.

The Orders� intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. But even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future� or the downfall of them both.

But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders� deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart.

Even if it means wielding death itself.

Fans of epic romantic fantasy like Sarah J. Maas and Raven Kennedy will devour this tale of dark magic, passionate romance, vengeance, and redemption.]]> 520 Carissa Broadbent Kathleen 4 fantasy 4.03 2020 Daughter of No Worlds (The War of Lost Hearts, #1)
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: fantasy
review:
I picked this book up off an IG recommendation “for people who loved the ‘Throne of Glass� books. That series is one of my favorites so you can believe I started this book with a healthy dose of skepticism! A high bar is risky but adventurous reader that I am, I jumped on the download.
]]> <![CDATA[Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)]]> 127305713
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.]]> 406 Kristen Ciccarelli 1250866901 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.16 2024 Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Wild Dark Shore 211004089
Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers. But with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants, packing up the seeds before they are transported to safer ground. Despite the wild beauty of life here, isolation has taken its toll on the Salts. Raff, eighteen and suffering his first heartbreak, can only find relief at his punching bag; Fen, seventeen, has started spending her nights on the beach among the seals; nine-year-old Orly, obsessed with botany, fears the loss of his beloved natural world; and Dominic can’t stop turning back toward the past, and the loss that drove the family to Shearwater in the first place.

Then, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes up on shore. As the Salts nurse the woman, Rowan, back to life, their suspicion gives way to affection, and they finally begin to feel like a family again. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting her heart, begins to fall for the Salts, too. But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers the sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own dark secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, the characters must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late—and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.]]> 303 Charlotte McConaghy 1250827957 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.27 2025 Wild Dark Shore
author: Charlotte McConaghy
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Lantern of Lost Memories 204601790 From acclaimed Japanese authorSanaka Hiigari comes aheartwarming, life-affirming novel about amagical photo studio, where people go after they die to view key moments from their life—and relive one precious memory before they pass into the afterlife.

The hands and pendulum of the old wooden clock on the wall were motionless. Hirasakacocked his head to listen, but the silence inside the photo studio was almost deafening. Hisleather shoes sank softly into the aging red carpet as he strode over to the arrangement offlowers on the counter and carefully adjusted the angle of the petals...

This is the story of the peculiar and magical photo studio owned by Mr. Hirasaki, a collector of antique cameras. In the dimly lit interior, a paper background is pulled down in front of a wall, and in front of it stands a single, luxurious chair with an armrest on one side. On a stand is a large bellows camera. On the left is the main studio; photos can also be taken in the courtyard.

Beyond its straightforward interior, however, is a secret. The studio is, in fact, the door to the afterlife, the place between life and deathwhere those who have departed have a chance—one last time—to see their entire life flash before their eyes viaMr. Hirasaki's "spinning lantern ofmemories."

We meetHatsue, a ninety-two year old woman who worked as a nursery teacher,the rowdy Waniguchi, a yakuza overseer in his life who is also capable of great compassion, and finallyMitsuru, a young girl who has died tragically young at the hands of abusive parents.

Sorting through the many photos of their lives,Mr. Hirasaki also offers guests one guests a second achance to travel back in time to take a photo of oneparticular moment in their lives that they wish to cherish in a special way.

Full of charm and whimsy, The Lantern of Lost Memories will sweep you away to a world of nostalgia,laughter, and love.]]> Sanaka Hiiragi 1538757451 Kathleen 3
Of the 3 people we meet in the photography studio, I enjoyed the first story the most.
3.5 Stars]]> 4.29 2019 The Lantern of Lost Memories
author: Sanaka Hiiragi
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves:
review:
Really quick read & an interesting take on what happens when you die & your life flashes before your eyes. Love the idea of getting to pick the most meaningful pictures yourself.

Of the 3 people we meet in the photography studio, I enjoyed the first story the most.
3.5 Stars
]]> <![CDATA[Wings of Starlight (Disney Fairies)]]> 212808316 Brimming with magic and romance, a young fairy queen must form an unlikely alliance or risk an unspeakable danger destroying all she holds dear in this standalone YA novel from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft.

It’s been centuries since a warm-season fairy in Pixie Hollow has crossed into the Winter Woods, and while most fear the legends of monsters lurking in the frozen lands, Clarion, can’t help being intrigued by Winter’s stoic beauty. But under the watchful eyes of the current monarch and the court's seasonal ministers, Clarion has little time to dwell on daydreams while the days to her coronation dwindle away.

That is, until reports of a monster crossing from Winter into Spring make their way to the palace. Clarion sees defeating this threat as an opportunity to prove that she is worthy of her new role. But instead of finding a monster at the edge of Winter, she finds Milori, a young guardian of the Winter Woods. Together, they form an unlikely bond as they race to save their lands.

But as their alliance warms to something more, they will discover there is a reason a warm-season fairy and a winter fairy must not be together. And the cost could be just as deadly as the monsters that prowl the Winter Woods.

Discover the origin of the sweeping, star-crossed romance between the queen of Pixie Hollow and the lord of the Winter Woods.]]> 400 Allison Saft 1368098452 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.25 2025 Wings of Starlight (Disney Fairies)
author: Allison Saft
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) 209668781 Discover the instant #1 New York Times bestseller! TV series now in development at MGM Amazon Studios with Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society.

Accolades for Fourth Wing
Amazon Best Books of the Year, #4 � Apple Best Books of the Year 2023 � Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023 � NPR "Books We Love" 2023 � Audible Best Books of 2023 � Hudson Book of the Year � Google Play Best Books of 2023 � Indigo Best Books of 2023 � Waterstones Book of the Year finalist � ŷ Choice Award Winner � Newsweek Staffers� Favorite Books of 2023 � Paste Magazine’s Best Books of 2023 � TikTok Book Awards UK and Ireland Book of the Year (International) 2024

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.

Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

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.

The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Fourth Wing
Book #2 Iron Flame
Book #3 Onyx Storm]]> 758 Rebecca Yarros 1649376944 Kathleen 5 fantasy
It took me three days of steady paced reading to finish and now I wish I'd gone slower. It's definitely getting a reread. Being a middle book (3 out of 5) I'd guessed beforehand that we wouldn't have resolution to that cataclysmic ending in Iron Flame and I'm so glad I prepared myself for that. Believe me, we're far, far, FAR away from any type of resolution and now deep in the weeds of more questions than I’m prepared to address. I finished reading on January 23rd and I still can't compile my feelings. I also think my own thoughts are now jumbled with all the theories and comments I've read online by other diehard Empyrean fans?? Anyone else have that happen?? Here's what I know to be true:

1. This book overrode everything else in my brain for days. DAYS!!!! Even now, I can go down a rabbit hole looking at theories. The way it's consumed my thoughts is unhealthy. I don't think I've had that happen with a book before except 'Manacled." IYKYK. Being left hanging is compounded by knowing there won't be a book four for at least two years. Don't worry Rebecca, despite the anxiety of that long wait, I'll be in queue the moment it's available.
2. If anyone thought Xaden had peaked, no worries. He's top tier book boyfriend material even for an older woman like myself. Is it his inntinnsic ability that has him so far in front of everyone else or what? He always seems 10 steps ahead of all the other characters knowing what's going to happen & preparing for it.
3. Violet. How much better I liked Violet in book 3 than I did in Iron Flame. I found her so annoying in the first half of IF but her character really evolved in OS and she's absolutely badass at times. I’ve seen complaints about how much she practically hyperventilates over Xaden & how very fine he looks. I say “go Violet.� Mention his chiseled abs, the way he looks in his flight leathers etc., as many times as you want. She’s 20 (??) if I was 20 and had a boyfriend fitting the description of Xaden I’d be obsessing over him too. Plus it’s a ROMANCE! Yes, there are dragons and magic & evil villains but above all else it’s a romance. That’s always going to be the WIN for me. ❤️
4. I won't go line by line about any more characters but I love that more of the secondary characters are being more fully developed and even given POV's. They're contributing so much more to the storyline now. Aaric is someone of particular interest to me. Brennan is another one that I can't get a handle on. Which side does he ride for? Why is there so much confusion about him? Nothing has been spelled out yet it's there? That niggling thread of doubt. Dain having a redemption arc?!
5. Loved the continued world building, the quests, the island hopping, finding out about Irids, the banter between dragons, the way Ridoc became the comedic relief of the entire book, etc.

For everyone that thought this book was a whole lot of filler and nothing much was gained by it, I say you're missing the intricacies of the whole story. Each island, each little Easter egg we were gifted is going to come back to be meaningful. I fully believe that. We all desperately want to get to the ending but just like that saying "life is about the journey" Rebecca Yarros is taking us on a fantastical journey and I've decided I need to accept the pace of it and enjoy it as it's delivered. I betting the agony she’s putting us thru now will be worth it in the end.

PS It's possible I will be editing this as I continue assembling my thoughts...]]> 4.42 2025 Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/23
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: fantasy
review:
Onyx Storm was one of the books I was most looking forward to reading in 2025. I had it on preorder from the time it became available and dove in the day it was released.

It took me three days of steady paced reading to finish and now I wish I'd gone slower. It's definitely getting a reread. Being a middle book (3 out of 5) I'd guessed beforehand that we wouldn't have resolution to that cataclysmic ending in Iron Flame and I'm so glad I prepared myself for that. Believe me, we're far, far, FAR away from any type of resolution and now deep in the weeds of more questions than I’m prepared to address. I finished reading on January 23rd and I still can't compile my feelings. I also think my own thoughts are now jumbled with all the theories and comments I've read online by other diehard Empyrean fans?? Anyone else have that happen?? Here's what I know to be true:

1. This book overrode everything else in my brain for days. DAYS!!!! Even now, I can go down a rabbit hole looking at theories. The way it's consumed my thoughts is unhealthy. I don't think I've had that happen with a book before except 'Manacled." IYKYK. Being left hanging is compounded by knowing there won't be a book four for at least two years. Don't worry Rebecca, despite the anxiety of that long wait, I'll be in queue the moment it's available.
2. If anyone thought Xaden had peaked, no worries. He's top tier book boyfriend material even for an older woman like myself. Is it his inntinnsic ability that has him so far in front of everyone else or what? He always seems 10 steps ahead of all the other characters knowing what's going to happen & preparing for it.
3. Violet. How much better I liked Violet in book 3 than I did in Iron Flame. I found her so annoying in the first half of IF but her character really evolved in OS and she's absolutely badass at times. I’ve seen complaints about how much she practically hyperventilates over Xaden & how very fine he looks. I say “go Violet.� Mention his chiseled abs, the way he looks in his flight leathers etc., as many times as you want. She’s 20 (??) if I was 20 and had a boyfriend fitting the description of Xaden I’d be obsessing over him too. Plus it’s a ROMANCE! Yes, there are dragons and magic & evil villains but above all else it’s a romance. That’s always going to be the WIN for me. ❤️
4. I won't go line by line about any more characters but I love that more of the secondary characters are being more fully developed and even given POV's. They're contributing so much more to the storyline now. Aaric is someone of particular interest to me. Brennan is another one that I can't get a handle on. Which side does he ride for? Why is there so much confusion about him? Nothing has been spelled out yet it's there? That niggling thread of doubt. Dain having a redemption arc?!
5. Loved the continued world building, the quests, the island hopping, finding out about Irids, the banter between dragons, the way Ridoc became the comedic relief of the entire book, etc.

For everyone that thought this book was a whole lot of filler and nothing much was gained by it, I say you're missing the intricacies of the whole story. Each island, each little Easter egg we were gifted is going to come back to be meaningful. I fully believe that. We all desperately want to get to the ending but just like that saying "life is about the journey" Rebecca Yarros is taking us on a fantastical journey and I've decided I need to accept the pace of it and enjoy it as it's delivered. I betting the agony she’s putting us thru now will be worth it in the end.

PS It's possible I will be editing this as I continue assembling my thoughts...
]]> James 173754979 A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—both harrowing and satirical—told from the enslaved Jim's point of view

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

Brimming with nuanced humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim's agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780385550369.]]> 303 Percival Everett Kathleen 0 to-read 4.46 2024 James
author: Percival Everett
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil]]> 214567026 London, 1837.
Boston, 2019.

Three young women, their bodies planted in the same soil, their stories tangling like roots.

One grows high, and one grows deep, and one grows wild.

And all of them grow teeth.]]> 544 Victoria E. Schwab Kathleen 0 to-read 4.43 2025 Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Kiss of Iron (Shadows of the Tenebris Court, #1)]]> 75565941 In the cut-throat game of court life, masters manipulate pawns—and you never know which one you are. One thing is certain: there’s no space on the board for love.

A penniless noblewoman, Kat is on the verge of losing everything when she’s offered a well-paid job that could be her salvation� or her ruin. Drawn into court’s deadly intrigues, she’s given a single task: spy on the powerful fae lord known as the Night Queen’s Shadow.

Bastian Marwood is handsome, ruthless, and cunning, but Kat can’t decide if he’s a threat to her kingdom or just her heart. To uncover the truth, she must play a dangerous game of desire and deceit, pushing him to reveal his secrets while protecting her own. But Bastian’s shadows have a hold on her—one she isn’t sure she wants to escape.

Kat soon learns that at court, nothing is as it seems and even the best-laid plans can be destroyed in an instant. As a pawn on the board, she can’t afford to fall victim to love—only fight for survival.

A Kiss of Iron is the first book in a new series featuring court intrigue, a morally grey hero, and an unforgettable enemies-to-lovers romance. Perfect for fans of Gild and From Blood and Ash.]]> 608 Clare Sager Kathleen 0 3.99 2023 A Kiss of Iron (Shadows of the Tenebris Court, #1)
author: Clare Sager
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves:
review:

]]> Isola 212806636 A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this epic saga of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam.

Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and her guardian—an enigmatic and volatile man—spends her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. Isolated and afraid, Marguerite befriends her guardian’s servant and the two develop an intense attraction. But when their relationship is discovered, they are brutally punished and abandoned on a small island with no hope for rescue.

Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, she discovers a faith she’d never before needed.

Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival.]]> 368 Allegra Goodman 0593730089 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.00 2025 Isola
author: Allegra Goodman
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Outside In: A year of growing and displaying]]> 198494015
“Inventive, considered, and thoughtful design.”� House & Garden

In this, his first book, garden designer Sean Pritchard shows you how to plan a garden so that every month of the year there's something to bring indoors and display in an engaging way and Divided by season with additional chapters on vessels, scent, color, texture and how
to plan for the gardening year.

​From the cheery joy of early spring daffodils to the velvety richness of late-summer dahlias, the deep glow of golden autumn leaves to the optimism of late-winter catkins, Sean explains how to grow, harvest, and arrange an abundance of nature's treasure - whatever size your plot or your level of horticultural experience.]]> 224 Sean A. Pritchard 1784728853 Kathleen 5 There's just no way I could plop a pot of geraniums on top of a pile of books and have it look anywhere near as charming! There's SO MUCH to take in and I'm thrilled to be able to have a book available and at my fingertips for whenever I feel I need a fix.

When I'm looking at his photos full of flowers, books and all sorts of knick knacky things, I always wish I knew someone with an English cottage like his in my country. I could literally spend hours there just nosing around. If you're on the fence about buying, take a look at his Instagram account and you'll have a great idea of what you're purchasing. I doubt you'll be disappointed. English charm overload!!! ]]> 4.63 Outside In: A year of growing and displaying
author: Sean A. Pritchard
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.63
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves:
review:
When I read that Mr. Pritchard had written a book, I didn't think twice about it, I just straight up ordered. I've been a fan of his since finding him on Instagram. I love his carefree, chaotic, lived in, haphazard, seemingly unchoreographed style. Every photo he posts on Instagram I just sit and stare, hoping to absorb some of the magic he seems to serve effortlessly. There's just no way I could plop a pot of geraniums on top of a pile of books and have it look anywhere near as charming! There's SO MUCH to take in and I'm thrilled to be able to have a book available and at my fingertips for whenever I feel I need a fix.

When I'm looking at his photos full of flowers, books and all sorts of knick knacky things, I always wish I knew someone with an English cottage like his in my country. I could literally spend hours there just nosing around. If you're on the fence about buying, take a look at his Instagram account and you'll have a great idea of what you're purchasing. I doubt you'll be disappointed. English charm overload!!!
]]> <![CDATA[All Our Tomorrows (The Heirs, #1)]]> 201913954 A story of a reluctant billionaire who takes on his father’s empire, its dark secrets, and a fiery assistant he can’t get out of his head.

When Chase Stone’s estranged father dies, leaving his multibillion-dollar business to his children, no one is more surprised than him. Growing up outside of the high-stakes world filled with human vultures, Chase and his sister, Alex, are less than enthusiastic about stepping into their father’s shoes. That is until they learn of a half brother they didn’t know existed, and must find to share their inheritance with.

Piper Maddox was the elder Mr. Stone’s übercapable assistant—abruptly fired two weeks before his death. She knows everything about Stone Enterprises and the man who built it. But Piper has no desire to work for another member of the Stone family. Even one as down to earth as Chase.

Desperately needing financial security, Piper agrees to return so long as kissing up to Chase and accepting unwanted advances were not part of her job description. A task that becomes a serious hurdle for both of them. Piper and Chase scramble to find the third Stone sibling before the media does, sharing secrets along the way. Secrets that can bring them together or tear them irrevocably apart.
]]> 416 Catherine Bybee 166251722X Kathleen 2 I didn’t pick up that it was part of a series until I finished. I will not be reading further. ]]> 4.38 2024 All Our Tomorrows (The Heirs, #1)
author: Catherine Bybee
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves:
review:
This was a free read from Amazon Prime. It was mediocre at best. So many parts of the story almost too good to be true or am I just getting jaded?
I didn’t pick up that it was part of a series until I finished. I will not be reading further.
]]> <![CDATA[A Breathless Sky (The Scorched Earth, #2)]]> 205838158
Syrah Carthan wants to save it. A tour guide for the Sequoia National Park, Syrah has an affinity for the millennia-old Giants that extends to Rhiza, a subterranean world as ancient as Earth itself. Syrah is the reluctant heir apparent as its Keeper. Her duty is to maintain a balance between nature and humans. But Syrah’s greatest adversary has his duty as well.

Romelo, Syrah’s brother, wants humankind to get what it deserves. To protect the forests, he’s already instigated one battle that ended in chaos and death. To reverse the near extinction of the magnificent trees, Romelo’s next move is to conspire with the sequoias themselves. If all goes according to plan, it will leave human beings absolutely breathless.

The siblings are going to battle. In the worlds above and below, only one of them can emerge victorious.]]> 312 Veronica G. Henry 1662520271 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.29 2024 A Breathless Sky (The Scorched Earth, #2)
author: Veronica G. Henry
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Iron & Embers (The Ashes of Thezmarr, #1)]]> 214539406 Wren Embervale, alchemist-turned-assassin, finds solace in only one thing: seeking vengeance for the death of her friends. The wars of the past may be over, but her thirst for revenge is far from quenched.

For years, she has been content with her poisons and potions for company, but when an unknown form of alchemy is used to attack a king of the midrealms, Wren’s time in the shadows comes to an end.

She’s offered a place at the ancient alchemy academy of Drevenor to find a cure to the dark magic threatening the kingdoms. To win her spot, she must conquer the Gauntlet, a grueling series of deadly trials that could cost her sanity, or her life.

More is at play than sabotage from fellow competitors. Magic wielders are being targeted and Wren becomes tangled in a dangerous web of deception and bloodshed that puts the entire realm at risk.

But the biggest threat of all might come from the man assigned to protect her—Torj Elderbrock, the silver-haired war hero who has hated her since she assassinated his last charge.

Their shared history ignites a simmering tension that threatens to consume them both.

Peace is fragile, trust is scarce and enemies lurk around every corner� Will love heal all wounds—or will it be the most lethal poison of all?

Iron & Embers is the breathtaking first installment in the epic fantasy romance series, The Ashes of Thezmarr. With its lush world-building, sizzling chemistry, and heart-pounding action it’s perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, From Blood & Ash, and The Bridge Kingdom.]]> 586 Helen Scheuerer 1922903213 Kathleen 4 fantasy
We already knew Wren was a talented alchemist but aside from finally getting to enter the academy, what do we get from her in 544 pages?? Not a lot. The setting of 'Iron and Embers' ~ 5 years past the Shadow War ~ finds Wren stuck in vengeance and anger mode. She's been blocked from entering the prestigious Drevenor Academy but can't see how dangerous it would be for her to get a coveted slot there while in her one track revenge mode. When she finally gets an acceptance letter, the most interesting thing about it is her mysterious teammate Zavier. I might read the next book just to learn more about him and the dark alchemist we're introduced to at the end. Getting thru 'The Gauntlet" (an achievement necessary to advance at the Academy) was rushed and overrated. I expected a much bigger challenge than what happened.

The touted "sizzling" romance between Wren and the "Bear Slayer" fell far short for me. Talk about sloooowwww burn. It also conveyed more of a lustful experience than anything deeper. I'm just left feeling flat about them. The emotional investment in their couple status was not there for me as it was with Thea and Wilder. It's really disappointing to learn the author has decided to turn their story into a trilogy too. I think with judicial editing and (depending where the story goes next) ONE book could have been fantastic parallel novel. After this lackluster start, I'm left less enthusiastic about an ongoing series.]]> 4.23 2025 Iron & Embers (The Ashes of Thezmarr, #1)
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/01
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: fantasy
review:
I'm erring on the high side in rating this book. It really falls about 3.5 stars if I'm being honest. Having really enjoyed 'The Legends of Thezmarr' series and getting an introduction to Wren and Torj in those books, I had highly anticipated a book with them being the main characters and most especially Wren. Unfortunately, for me, it fell short of the novelty & character growth we experienced in 'The Legends of Thezmarr.'

We already knew Wren was a talented alchemist but aside from finally getting to enter the academy, what do we get from her in 544 pages?? Not a lot. The setting of 'Iron and Embers' ~ 5 years past the Shadow War ~ finds Wren stuck in vengeance and anger mode. She's been blocked from entering the prestigious Drevenor Academy but can't see how dangerous it would be for her to get a coveted slot there while in her one track revenge mode. When she finally gets an acceptance letter, the most interesting thing about it is her mysterious teammate Zavier. I might read the next book just to learn more about him and the dark alchemist we're introduced to at the end. Getting thru 'The Gauntlet" (an achievement necessary to advance at the Academy) was rushed and overrated. I expected a much bigger challenge than what happened.

The touted "sizzling" romance between Wren and the "Bear Slayer" fell far short for me. Talk about sloooowwww burn. It also conveyed more of a lustful experience than anything deeper. I'm just left feeling flat about them. The emotional investment in their couple status was not there for me as it was with Thea and Wilder. It's really disappointing to learn the author has decided to turn their story into a trilogy too. I think with judicial editing and (depending where the story goes next) ONE book could have been fantastic parallel novel. After this lackluster start, I'm left less enthusiastic about an ongoing series.
]]> The Storyteller 53931 ]]> 245 Mario Vargas Llosa 0312420285 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.74 1987 The Storyteller
author: Mario Vargas Llosa
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.74
book published: 1987
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Wedding People 177328214 A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A Today Show #ReadwithJenna Book Club Pick

A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew.

It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.

In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.]]> 384 Alison Espach 1250899567 Kathleen 3 fiction 4.22 2024 The Wedding People
author: Alison Espach
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/17
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: fiction
review:
I just frustrated myself by accidentally deleting my original review when I was clearing out my book duplicates.
]]> The Distance Between Us 157669 Gripping, insightful and deft, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Maggie O'Farrell is a haunting story of the way our families shape our lives, from the award-winning author of THIS MUST BE THE PLACE. It was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller and won the Somerset Maugham Award.

On a cold February afternoon, Stella catches sight of a man she hasn't seen for many years, but instantly recognises. Or thinks she does. At the same moment on the other side of the globe, in the middle of a crowd of Chinese New Year revellers, Jake realises that things are becoming dangerous.

They know nothing of one another's existence, but both Stella and Jake flee their lives: Jake in search of a place so remote it doesn't appear on any map, and Stella for a destination in Scotland, the significance of which only her sister, Nina, will understand.]]> 384 Maggie O'Farrell 0755302664 Kathleen 3 fiction toxic (at least the sisters relationship.) Lots of things left unresolved even at the end.

The main characters lives don't intersect until at least midway thru the book (I think?? I wish I'd marked it.) There's so much back and forth between places, times, characters, etc., that it takes quite a bit of reading and jumping from chapter to chapter, to firmly know who was who and what was going on. I almost put it down. Even tho I pushed thru to the end, I can't say I ever got truly invested in any of the main characters. I would more strongly recommend Ms. O'Farrell's later novels (over this one) if you're new to her writing and want to check out one of her books.]]> 3.66 2004 The Distance Between Us
author: Maggie O'Farrell
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: fiction
review:
I think Maggie O'Farrell has come a long way since writing this book in 2005. Her more recent books I've really enjoyed ~ her writing style is so comfortable and engaging ~ they're easy, captivating reads. The characters in 'The Distance Between Us' are a mess and dare I say even toxic (at least the sisters relationship.) Lots of things left unresolved even at the end.

The main characters lives don't intersect until at least midway thru the book (I think?? I wish I'd marked it.) There's so much back and forth between places, times, characters, etc., that it takes quite a bit of reading and jumping from chapter to chapter, to firmly know who was who and what was going on. I almost put it down. Even tho I pushed thru to the end, I can't say I ever got truly invested in any of the main characters. I would more strongly recommend Ms. O'Farrell's later novels (over this one) if you're new to her writing and want to check out one of her books.
]]> The Lost Bookshop 65137920 The Keeper of Stories meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.

‘The thing about books,� she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.�

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found�

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder� where nothing is as it seems.]]> 432 Evie Woods 0008609209 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.03 2023 The Lost Bookshop
author: Evie Woods
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
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 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.46 2019 The Sword of Kaigen
author: M.L. Wang
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)]]> 63219094 Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile� humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.]]> 665 Rebecca Yarros Kathleen 5 fantasy
Fantastic young adult fantasy. Scorching hot enemies-to-lovers romance, dragons (that little gold feathertail!!) betrayals, secrets, knife-edge battle scenes, surprise (!!) ending ~ Rebecca Yarros serves it ALL!!

I CANNOT wait for 'Iron Flame' to be released. Hurry up November!! (first time I’ve wished summer away! I may have just found another new favorite fantasy author.

P.S. The hype about this book is real. If you’ve been on the fence about reading it, go for it!!]]> 4.74 2023 Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.74
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: fantasy
review:
'Fourth Wing' surpassed all my expectations!!! Absolutely could have read this in one sitting if life just wouldn't get in the way.

Fantastic young adult fantasy. Scorching hot enemies-to-lovers romance, dragons (that little gold feathertail!!) betrayals, secrets, knife-edge battle scenes, surprise (!!) ending ~ Rebecca Yarros serves it ALL!!

I CANNOT wait for 'Iron Flame' to be released. Hurry up November!! (first time I’ve wished summer away! I may have just found another new favorite fantasy author.

P.S. The hype about this book is real. If you’ve been on the fence about reading it, go for it!!
]]> <![CDATA[A Tempest of Desire (Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James, #5)]]> 212872261 New York Timesbestselling author Lorraine Heath returns to the fan favorite series, The Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James, with the story of a viscount who has retreated to a small, secluded island only to have a mysterious and beautiful woman wash up on shore.

After surviving a horrific railway accident, Viscount Langdon retreats to his private island to recover and conquer the nightmarish memories that continue to haunt him. The very last thing he wants—or expects—is for London’s most infamous courtesan to wash up on his beach.

Marlowe is known for her bold flirtations, but her most daring exploits involve flying in her hot air balloon. When a storm blows her off course, she discovers herself alone with the isle’s only inhabitant. The gorgeous, seductive lord tempts her beyond reason, but giving into temptation would lead to her ruination because the all-consuming liaison would demand complete surrender. And she has secrets to protect.

Langdon finds the captivating beauty near impossible to resist, but he can’t risk her learning the true reason behind his isolation. However, a powerful tempest of desire is swirling wildly between them, urging them to give in to the perilous passion that could destroy them . . . or perhaps show them the way to love.


]]> 382 Lorraine Heath 0063384469 Kathleen 3 historical-romance 3.98 2024 A Tempest of Desire (Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James, #5)
author: Lorraine Heath
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/14
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: historical-romance
review:

]]> Playground 205478762 The Overstory at the height of his skills. Twelve-year-old Evie Beaulieu sinks to the bottom of a swimming pool in Montreal strapped to one of the world’s first aqualungs. Ina Aroita grows up on naval bases across the Pacific with art as her only home. Two polar opposites at an elite Chicago high school bond over a three-thousand-year-old board game; Rafi Young will get lost in literature, while Todd Keane’s work will lead to a startling AI breakthrough.

They meet on the history-scarred island of Makatea in French Polynesia, whose deposits of phosphorus once helped to feed the world. Now the tiny atoll has been chosen for humanity’s next adventure: a plan to send floating, autonomous cities out onto the open sea. But first, the island’s residents must vote to greenlight the project or turn the seasteaders away.

Set in the world’s largest ocean, this awe-filled book explores that last wild place we have yet to colonize in a still-unfolding oceanic game, and interweaves beautiful writing, rich characterization, profound themes of technology and the environment, and a deep exploration of our shared humanity in a way only Richard Powers can.]]> 381 Richard Powers 1324086033 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.16 2024 Playground
author: Richard Powers
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Queen and the Cure (The Bird and the Sword Chronicles, #2)]]> 34825003 There will be a battle, and you will need to protect your heart.


Kjell of Jeru had always known who he was. He'd never envied his brother or wanted to be king. He was the bastard son of the late King Zoltev and a servant girl, and the ignominy of his birth had never bothered him.

But there is more to a man than his parentage. More to a man than his blade, his size, or his skills, and all that Kjell once knew has shifted and changed. He is no longer simply Kjell of Jeru, a warrior defending the crown. Now he is a healer, one of the Gifted, and a man completely at odds with his power.

Called upon to rid the country of the last vestiges of the Volgar, Kjell stumbles upon a woman who has troubling glimpses of the future and no memory of the past. Armed with his unwanted gift and haunted by regret, Kjell becomes a reluctant savior, beset by old enemies and new expectations. With the woman by his side, Kjell embarks upon a journey where the greatest test may be finding the man she believes him to be.]]> 279 Amy Harmon Kathleen 0 to-read 4.24 2017 The Queen and the Cure (The Bird and the Sword Chronicles, #2)
author: Amy Harmon
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Life Impossible 198281421 The Life Impossible

� Publish Date : 2024-11-28
� Page & Size : 492p | 5.4 x 8.1 in
� ISBN : 9791168342477

� Artist(s) : Matt Haig, Roh Jin -Sun
� Publisher : Influential

� KJCstar Product ID : NOELE159

★This book is written in Korean
✔️ 100% Original Brand New Product
📦 Safely packed with Tracking Number

Korean Title : 라이� 임파서블
English Title : The Life Impossible

� Synopsis / Plot

Korean version of 《The Life Impossible� written by Matt Haig.

� 세계 1000만부 판매� 기록� 초대� 베스트셀� 《미드나� 라이브러리》의 작가 매트 헤이그가 전작 이후 4� 만에 선보이는 장편소설이다. 마법� 도서관에서 과거� 후회스러� 선택� 되돌리려 하는 전작� 달리, 이번에는 죄책감이란 감옥� 자신� 가� 할머니에� 마법� 섬에� 초대장이 도착하면� 미래� 바꾸� 도전� 펼쳐진다. 아들� 남편� 떠나보낸 � 삶의 의미� 잃어버린 그레이스 할머니는 삶이라는 경이롭고 미스터리� 모험� 다시 시작� � 있을�?

《라이프 임파서블》은 삶의 � 번째 기회와 무한� 가능성, 생명� 대� 경외 � 작가가 오랫동안 탐구해온 주제� 한층 확장� 보인�. 작가 스스� “내 모든 것을 쏟아부은 자랑스러� 이야기”라� 밝혔� 만큼 매트 헤이� 작품 세계� 정수� 보여준�. 그간 소설� 에세�, 동화� 종횡무진하며 성공� 거두었으� 번아웃과 우울�, ADHD 진단 � 어려움� 겪으� 글쓰기� 그만두려 했던 작가가 새롭� 선보� 작품이기�, 기다려온 독자들에게는 더욱 특별� 선물� 것이�. 그만� 마법 같은 이야기는 다시 한번 뭉클� 감동� 진실� 메시지�, 우리에게 살아� 힘을 북돋아준�.

"]]> 368 Matt Haig 0593489284 Kathleen 3 fiction
The protagonist Grace Winters (a retired math teacher ~ so lots of math "stuff" in the book that would appeal to those keen on mathematics) is an unlikely heroine. The story is told thru a lengthy email to a former student and contains quite a few passages I found worthy of highlighting.
Mr Haig has a clear fascination with alternate universes, parallel universes, portals to other worlds, etc. I'm here for any and all of that. The message he tried to convey about visitors from other worlds being genial and helpful instead of threatening was positive. His emphasis on environmental concerns and the connectivity of every living being, terrific. Grace finding a new zest for life at the age of 70, inspirational.
The first third of the book intrigued me but then it totally bogged down and by the end I was wondering when does this thing wrap? Because of all the aforementioned items, it was worth the read. I just wish I could love the authors books all the way to the last page.]]> 3.72 2024 The Life Impossible
author: Matt Haig
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: fiction
review:
Okay, my thoughts on Matt Haigs books ~ they start with a great premise, contain some brilliant messages but somehow fall short of 5 star reads for me.

The protagonist Grace Winters (a retired math teacher ~ so lots of math "stuff" in the book that would appeal to those keen on mathematics) is an unlikely heroine. The story is told thru a lengthy email to a former student and contains quite a few passages I found worthy of highlighting.
Mr Haig has a clear fascination with alternate universes, parallel universes, portals to other worlds, etc. I'm here for any and all of that. The message he tried to convey about visitors from other worlds being genial and helpful instead of threatening was positive. His emphasis on environmental concerns and the connectivity of every living being, terrific. Grace finding a new zest for life at the age of 70, inspirational.
The first third of the book intrigued me but then it totally bogged down and by the end I was wondering when does this thing wrap? Because of all the aforementioned items, it was worth the read. I just wish I could love the authors books all the way to the last page.
]]> I Was Anastasia 33998348 333 Ariel Lawhon 0385541694 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.72 2018 I Was Anastasia
author: Ariel Lawhon
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Our Hearts Are in Scotland (Victoria)]]> 209283701 232 Lester Kathleen 4 home-garden 4.00 Our Hearts Are in Scotland (Victoria)
author: Lester
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/11
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: home-garden
review:
Another gorgeous book by Victoria. It was a tad less exciting for me than the England & France books. I’m not sure why? Scotland is a beautiful country. This book reflects the wild outdoorsy spirit of the people who live there. Less of the refinements that I enjoy seeing but a wonderful book to add to my collection nevertheless.
]]> The Sky Beneath Us 208547650 An inspiring, uplifting story of love and loss, courage and adventure, from the bestselling author of The Skylark’s Secret.

1927. Violet Mackenzie-Grant is embarking on her dream of studying at the Edinburgh School of Gardening for Women. She doesn’t yet know that it’s a journey that will take her to Kathmandu and beyond, deep into captivating landscapes and cultures that are worlds away from everything and everyone she’s left behind in Scotland.

2020. Daisy Laverock has dreamed of retracing the footsteps of her great-great-aunt Violet ever since discovering her long-lost journals, whose accounts of plant hunting in the 1930s inspired Daisy’s own career. Divorced, and facing an empty nest, Daisy decides to embark on the trip of a lifetime. She arrives in Nepal, ready to start trekking in the shadow of Everest. But fate, and the pandemic, have other plans.

Stranded and alone, Daisy must fall back on the kindness of strangers, taking inspiration from Violet’s determination and resilience to keep going in the darkest of times. As she gradually pieces together the fragments of Violet’s story and uncovers long-held secrets, can Daisy finally reveal a path forward to her own future?]]> 309 Fiona Valpy 1662516851 Kathleen 4 historical-fiction The more I read, the more invested I was in both stories & the more emotionally involved I became with the characters. The setting of Kathmandu/Nepal was fascinating & illuminated the realities of living life in such a remote area (what I would consider almost off the grid!) I shed a good many tears towards the end of the book. Very moving & enjoyable book.]]> 4.45 2024 The Sky Beneath Us
author: Fiona Valpy
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/24
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: historical-fiction
review:
First book by this author for me. Recommended by a friend. It’s horticulturally slanted so an interest in plant collecting or gardening would make it more appealing for readers. Since I’m an avid gardener, I enjoyed it tremendously. It’s a dual storyline with the most recent storyline taking place at the start of COVID. Amazing how it brought the pandemic back in full force - the fear, the protocols we were all following & the lockdowns. I never thought I would forget those first months but clearly my memory had softened aspects of it.
The more I read, the more invested I was in both stories & the more emotionally involved I became with the characters. The setting of Kathmandu/Nepal was fascinating & illuminated the realities of living life in such a remote area (what I would consider almost off the grid!) I shed a good many tears towards the end of the book. Very moving & enjoyable book.
]]> A Fire in the Sky: A Novel 205950128 New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns to the high-stakes, sweeping world of dragons, romance, and drama first evoked in her bestselling young adult Firelight series, in a brand-new epic adult romantasy series.

Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.

But human lust for power is immortal.

Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it's her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard...though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride...but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.

Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

A Forbidden Marriage, Hidden Secrets, and a Kingdom on the Brink, Perfect for Fall 2024, Get Lost in this Gripping Romantasy]]> 336 Sophie Jordan 0063391546 Kathleen 3 romantasy, fantasy I wasn’t surprised at the ending- something about that heated marriage bond tipped me off!! Sometimes I get stuck on little details & the one that stuck out to me in this book is why the dogs didn’t react to Fell in the same way they did Tamsyn (knowing what we know now?) It probably didn’t faze anyone else? Regardless of whatever flaws the book contains, I can’t wait to follow Fell & Tamsyn’s next installment to see what happens!! 3.5 Stars
Spice - ]]> 3.91 2024 A Fire in the Sky: A Novel
author: Sophie Jordan
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: romantasy, fantasy
review:
I’m very familiar with this author as I’ve read a number of her historical romances but I didn’t know she was writing Romantasy until this book!! A quick immersive read. This is not a fantasy with epic world building nor is it apt to be at the top level of this genre but the author is a good writer & her books are easy to read. I could have stayed up all night to finish in one sitting but I forced myself to put it down then quickly picked it back up & finished the next day.
I wasn’t surprised at the ending- something about that heated marriage bond tipped me off!! Sometimes I get stuck on little details & the one that stuck out to me in this book is why the dogs didn’t react to Fell in the same way they did Tamsyn (knowing what we know now?) It probably didn’t faze anyone else? Regardless of whatever flaws the book contains, I can’t wait to follow Fell & Tamsyn’s next installment to see what happens!! 3.5 Stars
Spice -
]]> <![CDATA[Sissinghurst: The Dream Garden]]> 55095681 Step inside the world's most famous garden and understand the strength of its attraction in this beautiful and fascinating study.

Since is was bought and transformed by writer Vita Sackville West and diplomat Harold Nicholson in the 1930s, this garden has captured imaginations with its unique and intricate design.

This unforgettable garden of rooms is influential today for its design, its exuberant planting, and its effect on visitors as a complete garden experience.

Author Tim Richardson explores its power and its magic, explaining the nuances of its evolution and shows how we can all enjoy it today.

Beautiful photographstransport you to the National Trust property, showcasing it in all its brilliance.]]> 224 Tim Richardson 0711237344 Kathleen 4 home-garden 4.32 Sissinghurst: The Dream Garden
author: Tim Richardson
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.32
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/28
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: home-garden
review:
This is the book I was wanting after I finished reading ‘The White Garden!� So many more photos of this infamous garden & Vitas “tower� - it’s just a beautiful, inspiring place. I hope one day to see it in person.
]]> Mansfield Park 45032 488 Jane Austen Kathleen 0 to-read 3.86 1814 Mansfield Park
author: Jane Austen
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1814
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Shadow & Storms (The Legends of Thezmarr, #4)]]> 208301504
The time has come to make one last stand against the forces of cursed men and monsters. But Thea’s enemies are only getting stronger. With allies divided and an outnumbered army, she must race against her own fate to secure the future of the midrealms � or die trying.

A prophecy is looming, and Thea’s life is in the balance. Does she have the power to cheat death itself?

Love and loyalty will be tested. Bonds will fracture forever. But all must fight for a better world.

In the final war for survival, will Thea and Wilder emerge victorious? Or will the shadows consume them at last?

Fans of Fourth Wing, The Witcher and The Bridge Kingdom, brace yourselves for sizzling romance, found family and heart-pounding battles in Shadow & Storms, the epic finale to The Legends of Thezmarr.]]> 420 Helen Scheuerer 1922903183 Kathleen 4 4.21 2024 Shadow & Storms (The Legends of Thezmarr, #4)
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/24
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves:
review:

]]> Eleanore of Avignon 203955624 Rich with unforgettable characters, gorgeously drawn, and full of captivating historical drama, Eleanore of Avignonis the story of a healer who risks her life, her freedom, and everything she holds dear to protect her beloved city from the encroaching Black Death

Provence, 1347. Eleanore (Elea) Blanchet is a young midwife and herbalist with remarkable skills. But as she learned the day her mother died, the most dangerous thing a woman can do is draw attention to herself. She attends patients in her home city of Avignon, spends time with her father and twin sister, gathers herbs in the surrounding woods, and dreams of the freedom to pursue her calling without fear.
In a chance encounter, Elea meets Guigo de Chauliac, the enigmatic personal physician to the powerful Pope Clement, and strikes a deal with him to take her on as his apprentice. Under Chauliac’s tutelage she hones her skills as a healer, combining her knowledge of folk medicine with anatomy, astrology, and surgical techniques.

Then, two pieces of earth-shattering the Black Death has made landfall in Europe, and the disgraced Queen Joanna is coming to Avignon to stand trial for her husband’s murder. She is pregnant and in need of a midwife, a role only Elea can fill.

The queen’s childbirth approaches as the plague spreads like wildfire, leaving half the city dead in its wake. The people of Avignon grow desperate for a scapegoat and a group of religious heretics launch a witch hunt, one that could cost Elea—an intelligent, talented, unwed woman—everything.]]> 319 Elizabeth DeLozier Kathleen 0 to-read 4.41 2024 Eleanore of Avignon
author: Elizabeth DeLozier
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Here One Moment 208516656 If you knew your future, would you try to fight fate?

Aside from a delay, there will be no problems. The flight will be smooth, it will land safely. Everyone who gets on the plane will get off. But almost all of them will be forever changed.

Because on this ordinary, short, domestic flight, something extraordinary happens. People learn how and when they are going to die. For some, their death is far in the future—age 103!—and they laugh. But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are not far away at all.

How do they know this? There were ostensibly more interesting people on the flight (the bride and groom, the jittery, possibly famous woman, the giant Hemsworth-esque guy who looks like an off-duty superhero, the frazzled, gorgeous flight attendant) but none would become as famous as “The Death Lady.�

Not a single passenger or crew member will later recall noticing her board the plane. She wasn’t exceptionally old or young, rude or polite. She wasn’t drunk or nervous or pregnant. Her appearance and demeanor were unremarkable. But what she did on that flight was truly remarkable.

A few months later, one passenger dies exactly as she predicted. Then two more passengers die, again, as she said they would. Soon no one is thinking this is simply an entertaining story at a cocktail party.

If you were told you only had a certain amount of time left to live, would you do things differently? Would you try to dodge your destiny?

Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment is a brilliantly constructed tale that looks at free will and destiny, grief and love, and the endless struggle to maintain certainty and control in an uncertain world. A modern-day Jane Austen who humorously skewers social mores while spinning a web of mystery, Moriarty asks profound questions in her newest I-can’t-wait-to-find-out-what-happens novel.]]> 512 Liane Moriarty 0593798600 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.98 2024 Here One Moment
author: Liane Moriarty
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fate & Furies (The Legends of Thezmarr, #3)]]> 199057100 466 Helen Scheuerer 1922903175 Kathleen 5 romantasy brutal Great Rite experience (no recovery time for her!) followed by an immediate unorthodoxed trip to rescue Wilder.

It was action packed from the first to last page. I felt a bit guilty for supporting Thea in her rage against Wilder but why don't these men disclose more?? Seriously. It would prevent so many issues!! Cal and Kipp solidify as fantastic secondary characters in this book and I absolutely fell in love with Wilder even more as a MMC.

I was so happy the book ended with Thea using her real (family) name. I hope it's a sign her kingdom will be rebuilt. I have a feeling the final book is going to be epic and I'm already sad because I don't want this series to end. It's been a wonderful unexpected surprise how much I've enjoyed it.]]> 4.30 2024 Fate & Furies (The Legends of Thezmarr, #3)
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/21
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: romantasy
review:
Gut wrencher of a book. The author conveyed Thea's emotions so eloquently, from her fury at Wilder in the beginning of the book to the way she came around when the truth was exposed. It practically ripped me raw reading about her brutal Great Rite experience (no recovery time for her!) followed by an immediate unorthodoxed trip to rescue Wilder.

It was action packed from the first to last page. I felt a bit guilty for supporting Thea in her rage against Wilder but why don't these men disclose more?? Seriously. It would prevent so many issues!! Cal and Kipp solidify as fantastic secondary characters in this book and I absolutely fell in love with Wilder even more as a MMC.

I was so happy the book ended with Thea using her real (family) name. I hope it's a sign her kingdom will be rebuilt. I have a feeling the final book is going to be epic and I'm already sad because I don't want this series to end. It's been a wonderful unexpected surprise how much I've enjoyed it.
]]> <![CDATA[Sissinghurst: Vita Sackville-West and the Creation of a Garden]]> 20613462 All Passion Spent and maker of Sissinghurst, wrote a weekly column in the Observer depicting her life at Sissinghurst, showing her to be one of the most visionary horticulturalists of the twentieth-century. With wonderful additions by Sarah Raven, a famous British gardener in her own right who is married to Vita's grandson Adam Nicolson, Sissinghurst draws on this extraordinary archive, revealing Vita's most loved flowers, as well as offering practical advice for gardeners. Often funny and completely accessibly written with color and originality, it also describes details of the trials and tribulations of crafting a place of beauty and elegance.

Sissinghurst has gone on to become one of the most visited and inspirational gardens in the world and this marvellous book, illustrated with drawings and original photographs throughout, shows us how it was created and how gardeners everywhere can use some of the ideas from both Sarah Raven and Vita Sackville-West. Sissinghurst is a magnificent portrait of a garden and a family.]]> 386 Vita Sackville-West 1250060052 Kathleen 3 home-garden Cover is 5 star tho.]]> 3.90 1997 Sissinghurst: Vita Sackville-West and the Creation of a Garden
author: Vita Sackville-West
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1997
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/15
date added: 2024/11/15
shelves: home-garden
review:
I ordered this book after reading ‘The White Garden� but it wasn’t the book I was looking for. I wanted more of a coffee table book (lots of photos) along with the narrative so that I could actually SEE the garden. There are hardly any photos in the book which is really astounding. The photos that are included are primarily small black and white images. Very disappointing. If you’re a reader who doesn’t want any visuals of this famous garden, perhaps this is the book for you. It’s just not for me & falls far off the mark when the subject is such an inspirational garden.
Cover is 5 star tho.
]]> <![CDATA[The White Garden: A Novel of Virginia Woolf (Random House Reader's Circle)]]> 8162582 The White Garden is an enthralling novel of literary suspense that explores the many ways the past haunts the present–and the dark secrets that lurk beneath the surface of the most carefully tended garden.]]> 338 Stephanie Barron Kathleen 4 historical-fiction 4.02 2009 The White Garden: A Novel of Virginia Woolf (Random House Reader's Circle)
author: Stephanie Barron
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/11
date added: 2024/11/15
shelves: historical-fiction
review:
Captivating. I would like to think it wasn't just because of all the garden content but it very well may have been??? A lovely little mystery but more interesting was reading the snippets about the garden at Sissinghurst. It inspired me to order another book on Vita Sackville-West's famous garden. It also felt like a mini tour around England ~ so many famous places visited and a lot of name dropping of the incredible people in Virginia Woolf's era. Delightful read especially for a passionate gardener.
]]> <![CDATA[Vows & Ruins (The Legends of Thezmarr, #2)]]> 123007281
But Thea’s world is turned upside down as she struggles to navigate her newfound magic and uncover the secrets of her past. Slowly, she begins to untangle the truth about her family, her powers and the evil that threatens to engulf the kingdom.

When Wilder Hawthorne returns to be her official mentor, everything changes. Dark forces are gathering, and he will stop at nothing to prepare her for the challenges to come, even if it means breaking her.

As war looms and their quest for answers leads master and apprentice deeper into danger, the undeniable connection between them intensifies � defying all odds, but also threatening to tear them apart.

With secrets unravelling and evil closing in, Thea and Wilder fight to save the world, and each other. The fate of the realms rests in their hands � will they emerge victorious, or will the darkness consume them both?

Full of action, adventure and steamy romance, Vows & Ruins is the second book in the spellbinding epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr and is perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher.]]> 536 Helen Scheuerer 1922903051 Kathleen 4 4.05 2023 Vows & Ruins (The Legends of Thezmarr, #2)
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/05
date added: 2024/11/08
shelves:
review:

]]> Slaying the Shadow Prince 123636295
Drue Emmerson, noblewoman-turned-ranger, wants one vengeance. With her family slain by the vicious shadow wraiths, she’s determined to defend her fallen kingdom. And that means carving out the hearts of every dark creature she can find.

Talemir Starling, celebrated warrior of the realms, has a dangerous he's a half-wraith, kin to the creatures wreaking devastation on the world. He’ll do anything to keep his true nature under control� especially around the woman who’s vowed to destroy him.

When someone Drue cares about disappears, all signs point to Talemir’s kind. But he’s determined to prove he’s no monster, and to seek answers of his own. Begrudgingly, the pair must join forces to uncover the deadly truth.

But in a world of chaos and carnage, where danger lurks at every turn, deadlier still is their attraction to one another � the one thing that might just spell the end of them both.

Will Talemir win Drue’s heart? Or will she carve his out before the end?

Slaying the Shadow Prince is a standalone instalment of the heart-pounding fantasy romance series, Mortal Enemies to Monster Lovers . If you like fiery heroines and tortured heroes, as well as forced proximity, found family and touch-her-and-you-die vibes, you will devour this sexy, addictive fantasy romance.]]> 416 Helen Scheuerer 1922903094 Kathleen 4 3.81 2023 Slaying the Shadow Prince
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/08
date added: 2024/11/08
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blood & Steel (The Legends of Thezmarr, #1)]]> 63905241
Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.

The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.

All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.

Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr � or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?]]> 550 Helen Scheuerer 1922903027 Kathleen 5 4.20 2023 Blood & Steel (The Legends of Thezmarr, #1)
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/01
date added: 2024/11/08
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times]]> 52623750 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780593189481.

An intimate, revelatory book exploring the ways we can care for and repair ourselves when life knocks us down.

Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a break up, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time, but embraced the singular opportunities it offered.

A moving personal narrative shot through with lessons from literature, mythology, and the natural world, May’s story offers instruction on the transformative power of rest and retreat. Illumination emerges from many sources: solstice celebrations and dormice hibernation, C.S. Lewis and Sylvia Plath, swimming in icy waters and sailing arctic seas.

Ultimately Wintering invites us to change how we relate to our own fallow times. May models an active acceptance of sadness and finds nourishment in deep retreat, joy in the hushed beauty of winter, and encouragement in understanding life as cyclical, not linear. A secular mystic, May forms a guiding philosophy for transforming the hardships that arise before the ushering in of a new season.]]> 241 Katherine May Kathleen 0 to-read 3.82 2020 Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times
author: Katherine May
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Daughters of Rome (The Empress of Rome, #2)]]> 8577314
The Roman Empire is up for the taking. With bloodshed spilling out of the palace and into the streets of Rome, chaos has become the status quo. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything—especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome�.

Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. She lives to one day see her loyal husband as Emperor. Her sister, Marcella, is more withdrawn, content to witness history rather than make it. Even so, Marcella has her share of distinguished suitors, from a cutthroat contender for the throne to a politician’s son who swears that someday he will be Emperor.

But when a bloody coup turns their world upside down, Cornelia and Marcella—along with their cousins, one a collector of husbands and lovers, the other a horse-mad beauty with no interest in romance—must maneuver carefully just to stay alive. As Cornelia tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Marcella discovers a hidden talent for influencing the most powerful men in Rome. In the end, though, there can only be one Emperor � and one Empress.]]> 385 Kate Quinn Kathleen 0 to-read 3.95 2011 Daughters of Rome (The Empress of Rome, #2)
author: Kate Quinn
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Juliet 35148447 ]]> 533 Anne Fortier Kathleen 0 currently-reading 3.95 2010 Juliet
author: Anne Fortier
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/18
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Winter's Fury (Furyck Saga, #1)]]> 35819635
She was their greatest warrior; the daughter of the king. But her uncle stole the throne and sent her away to marry Eadmund, the drunken son of their worst enemy. Now she must pick up her sword again to restore her family’s honour and return to the home she loves.

Despite her skill with a sword, her prowess in battle, and her reputation as the greatest warrior in Brekka, without her father to protect her, Jael was merely a pawn, a woman to be married off so her uncle could forge an alliance to fulfil his own desperate ambitions.

Eadmund is broken hearted, tortured by the murder of his first wife, but his father had lost patience with him. He wanted heirs for his kingdom. He wanted his son back, restored to the fierce warrior he had once been. And when his daughter has a dream about Jael, the woman who would save him, he eagerly jumps at the opportunity to make an alliance with his worst enemy.

Jael and Eadmund will fight against their union, but the dreamers know that this marriage is meant to be; it must happen for the sake of all Osterland. For without them... without Jael and her sword, without Eadmund by her side, the five kingdoms will not survive the darkness that is coming to claim them all.]]> 738 A.E. Rayne Kathleen 3 3.94 2017 Winter's Fury (Furyck Saga, #1)
author: A.E. Rayne
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/10
date added: 2024/10/18
shelves:
review:
I borrowed this book for free as part of my Prime account benefits. It started a little slow. And pretty soon was undoubtedly lopsided in that the FMC is a superbly trained warrior Princess who gets forced into marriage to a drunk, broken, “has been� Prince of a neighboring kingdom. Throughout the book we find he’s kind but otherwise the love interest seems pretty unfathomable. I loved Edela & her visions were intriguing, I’m just not sure enough to make me buy the 2nd book.
]]> Heir (Heir Duology, #1) 206780522 An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.

And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.

Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hotheaded mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.

Banished from her people for an unforgivable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who uses magic to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Martial Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But when a chance encounter leads to an unexpected attraction, Sirsha learns her mission might cost her far more than she's willing to give up.

QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire and nephew of a venerated empress, but he’s loath to take the throne when his aunt steps down. As the son of a reviled emperor, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.

Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives―and their hearts. Literally.]]> 484 Sabaa Tahir 0593616944 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.24 2024 Heir (Heir Duology, #1)
author: Sabaa Tahir
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall, #1)]]> 202507554 moons.

They certainly did not expect them to fall.

As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve’s job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve’s world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles—a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.

Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore’s notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.

The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can’t ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time.
However.
There’s more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths �
They’re too poisonous to swallow.

When the Moon Hatched is a fast-paced fantasy romance for fans of witty banter and strong, sassy protagonists. Beneath the cover is an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages. ]]> 718 Sarah A. Parker Kathleen 3
Huge glossary in the prologue. Should have been the first warning. World building is difficult stuff and something I admit I could never do successfully but the process has to be engaging and done in a manner the reader gets immersed and totally sucked into the universe. Didn’t happen for me. Still sitting on my own sofa, in this world, not orbiting around any place in ‘When the Moon Hatched.� The idea of dragons flying into the sky (in their death throes) to become moons is really the most novel aspect of the book. There were times I lost interest tho. Never a good thing. Maybe some serious editing and a little less mystery could make it more compelling? Mystery is good but an overabundance just leads to frustration.

The romance is just so so. The MMC (Kaan Vaegor) is way more interesting than Raeve in my opinion (FMC) & way too nice to her. She’s as snarky & smart mouthed as they come & somehow it didn’t especially work for me?? Her incessant rhetoric about not opening up so as not to hurt anyone got redundant. I definitely got the picture by the 3rd mention. She wore me out more than had me rooting for her.

In my opinion (when there’s a book with a storyline as ambiguous as this one) the sequel should be published right on the heels of the first book. That way the reader has a chance of seriously committing to the series. As it is, when I put this book down, I wasn't on the edge of my seat, pining for the next installment. If it had been readily available, perhaps I'd give it a chance???
3 stars
Spice: ]]> 3.99 2024 When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall, #1)
author: Sarah A. Parker
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/03
date added: 2024/10/04
shelves:
review:
I saw a lot of hype about this book which led me to add it to my wtr list. It sounded promising & has a lot of wonderful components that we romantasy lovers like but somehow it didn’t end up enthralling me? It’s described as fast paced. Ummm, I’ll have to disagree on that aspect. I found it confusing rather than fast paced, especially every time the POV would change. I think I caught on by the end as to who was who (kinda?) and what was going on. I have to say it’s written in a very convoluted way tho.

Huge glossary in the prologue. Should have been the first warning. World building is difficult stuff and something I admit I could never do successfully but the process has to be engaging and done in a manner the reader gets immersed and totally sucked into the universe. Didn’t happen for me. Still sitting on my own sofa, in this world, not orbiting around any place in ‘When the Moon Hatched.� The idea of dragons flying into the sky (in their death throes) to become moons is really the most novel aspect of the book. There were times I lost interest tho. Never a good thing. Maybe some serious editing and a little less mystery could make it more compelling? Mystery is good but an overabundance just leads to frustration.

The romance is just so so. The MMC (Kaan Vaegor) is way more interesting than Raeve in my opinion (FMC) & way too nice to her. She’s as snarky & smart mouthed as they come & somehow it didn’t especially work for me?? Her incessant rhetoric about not opening up so as not to hurt anyone got redundant. I definitely got the picture by the 3rd mention. She wore me out more than had me rooting for her.

In my opinion (when there’s a book with a storyline as ambiguous as this one) the sequel should be published right on the heels of the first book. That way the reader has a chance of seriously committing to the series. As it is, when I put this book down, I wasn't on the edge of my seat, pining for the next installment. If it had been readily available, perhaps I'd give it a chance???
3 stars
Spice:
]]> Forever Amber 819694 976 Kathleen Winsor 1556524048 Kathleen 5 historical-fiction
The protagonist, Amber, had me on a roller coaster of emotions. She wasn't particularly likeable from the first introduction. A girl (16 when the novel commences) with a focused, narcissistic, mercenary attitude about her life. Let's not omit the driving factor of the book ~ her stalker like/obsessive/unhealthy feelings toward Lord Carlton. When I wasn't angry with her, I would alternately feel a bit sorry for her. The sick kind of game Lord "Bruce" Carlton played with her ~ on the one hand saying he would never marry her and repeating over and over again that he'd always been honest with her in that regard. But then, his undeniable and equal fascination (where he couldn't stay away from her no matter what he told her or himself) was a major head game.
Of all the victims of their dysfunctional relationship I felt the sorriest for Rex Morgan. So weird too that the author had Amber marry the Earl of Radclyffe ~ her biological Mother's unwelcomed arranged fiance. A weird full circle moment. I kept waiting for Amber to learn who her biological parents were or to "date" someone of her own lineage but neither occurred. It didn’t seem inconceivable the latter could happen.

Reading this reinforced how repelling the plotting and intrigues of court life were and how rampant the promiscuity & hedonistic lifestyles were within the ranks of the nobility and Kings orbit. It totally dispelled any romantic notions of Court life.

I can't help believing Kathleen Winsor must have intended to write a sequel. The way the book left off, there would have been plenty of material upon Ambers arrival in America. I wonder why there wasn't a clamor for it after publication??]]> 3.91 1944 Forever Amber
author: Kathleen Winsor
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1944
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/27
date added: 2024/10/03
shelves: historical-fiction
review:
I was referred to this book by a friend who called it "a great historical romance." That's a lure to me if ever there was one but now that I've read it, I can't say I'd classify it as a "romance." It's an epic novel, 1000 pages of tumultuous reading, but I'd say it's more of a classic or historical fiction novel rather than a romance. A well researched historical portrayal of the period when King Charles II returned to England and to power.

The protagonist, Amber, had me on a roller coaster of emotions. She wasn't particularly likeable from the first introduction. A girl (16 when the novel commences) with a focused, narcissistic, mercenary attitude about her life. Let's not omit the driving factor of the book ~ her stalker like/obsessive/unhealthy feelings toward Lord Carlton. When I wasn't angry with her, I would alternately feel a bit sorry for her. The sick kind of game Lord "Bruce" Carlton played with her ~ on the one hand saying he would never marry her and repeating over and over again that he'd always been honest with her in that regard. But then, his undeniable and equal fascination (where he couldn't stay away from her no matter what he told her or himself) was a major head game.
Of all the victims of their dysfunctional relationship I felt the sorriest for Rex Morgan. So weird too that the author had Amber marry the Earl of Radclyffe ~ her biological Mother's unwelcomed arranged fiance. A weird full circle moment. I kept waiting for Amber to learn who her biological parents were or to "date" someone of her own lineage but neither occurred. It didn’t seem inconceivable the latter could happen.

Reading this reinforced how repelling the plotting and intrigues of court life were and how rampant the promiscuity & hedonistic lifestyles were within the ranks of the nobility and Kings orbit. It totally dispelled any romantic notions of Court life.

I can't help believing Kathleen Winsor must have intended to write a sequel. The way the book left off, there would have been plenty of material upon Ambers arrival in America. I wonder why there wasn't a clamor for it after publication??
]]> A Book In Time 94167309 A Book in Time is a truly enchanting work of magical realism by “a hugely talented storyteller.� This exceptional novel has been described by publishers, agents, and literary judges alike as “visionary�, “ambitious�, “magical�, “unique,� “refreshing�. You will never have read anything like it before. And if you’re a lover of books, or you work in a profession to do with books, you will be hooked from the first sentence � a sentence that is extraordinarily unusual and captivating.

A Book in Time is really a love story about a book’s longing over two centuries for the mother who bore it. Adopted by many different owners � some loving, others unscrupulous � this book longs to be reunited with an elderly author who cherished it as if it was her only child. As the book passes through many hands, it observes not only the way people treat it, but each other, and in all of this, its mother’s love sets the high standard against which everything is lovingly judged.

In a strange demonstration of synchronicity, the author � Mark Stibbe � experienced the culmination of his own search for a mother after completing this novel. Having been orphaned in 1960, and having never met or known his birth mother, Mark met her for the first time at the end of 2021, shortly before she died. So, there is more than a hint of Mark’s own search in the book’s quest for its author.

In the case of A Book in Time, in perhaps a unique way, art has magically imitated life even as life has magically imitated art.]]> 359 Mark Stibbe Kathleen 0 to-read 3.83 2023 A Book In Time
author: Mark Stibbe
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> When I Come Home Again 50897166 How can you know who you are, when you choose to forget who you’ve been?

November 1918. On the cusp of the end of the First World War, a uniformed soldier is arrested in Durham Cathedral. It quickly becomes clear that he has no memory of who he is or how he came to be there.

The soldier is given the name Adam and transferred to a rehabilitation home where his doctorJames tries everything he can to help Adam remember who he once was. There’s just one problem. Adam doesn’t want to remember.

Unwilling to relive the trauma of war, Adam has locked his mind away, seemingly for good. But when a newspaper publishes Adam’s photograph, three women come forward, each just as certain that Adam is their relative and that he should go home with them.

But does Adam really belong with any of these women? Or is there another family waiting for him to come home?

Based on true events, When I Come Home Again is a deeply moving and powerful story of a nation’s outpouring of grief, and the search for hope in the aftermath of the First World War.

Praise for The Photographer of the Lost:]]> 493 Caroline Scott 1471183785 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.93 2020 When I Come Home Again
author: Caroline Scott
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy, #1)]]> 153283393 This sparkling edition will include a special case stamping, bonus content, and a teaser to book two in this heart-pounding series!

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, this young adult fantasy follows the forbidden romance between a powerful prince and an ordinary girl as they try to survive their kingdom’s grueling laws pitting them against each other.

She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting.
He is the very thing she’s spent her whole live pretending to be.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites. The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be keenly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can to stay alive and out of trouble…easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilya’s princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites� powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is…completely Ordinary.]]> 523 Lauren Roberts 1665954884 Kathleen 3 Too many tropes, too many repetitive interactions. Overused phrases & adjectives. Had the potential to be good & maybe for YA it’s fine. I want my characters to evolve & mature & experience some actual romance.
Spice - ]]> 4.21 2023 Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy, #1)
author: Lauren Roberts
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/07
date added: 2024/09/15
shelves:
review:
Not continuing this series.
Too many tropes, too many repetitive interactions. Overused phrases & adjectives. Had the potential to be good & maybe for YA it’s fine. I want my characters to evolve & mature & experience some actual romance.
Spice -
]]> The Hidden Girl 209142012 This title was previously published as Hidden Beauty by Lucinda Edmonds, and has been rewritten and reimagined by her son, Harry Whittaker, for Lucinda Riley fans the world over. ]]> 576 Lucinda Riley 1035047977 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.10 2024 The Hidden Girl
author: Lucinda Riley
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Nora Roberts' Chesapeake Bay Saga 1-4]]> 11075796
SEA SWEPT

Cameron Quinn is coming home to say goodbye to the only father he ever loved. And he’ll have to put his fast-paced life on hold to care for the last lost boy Ray Quinn hoped to save�

RISING TIDES

Though not born to the tradition of a waterman, Ethan Quinn has embraced the life. But now, he must face his own dark past to accept not only who he is but what he hopes to become�

INNER HARBOR

As Phillip Quinn struggles to draw his new brother into his life, he must deal with a beautiful woman who has secrets that will affect them all—a woman who needs both his trust and his heart�

CHESAPEAKE BLUE

When world-renowned artist Seth Quinn returns to his home on Maryland’s eastern shore, he finds the woman of his dreams. But someone from his past is determined to destroy his newfound happiness�

Source: penguinrandomhouse.com]]> 1486 Nora Roberts 1101531304 Kathleen 4 romance
As far as the 4 books go, the first book 'Sea Swept' was my favorite. Loved both Cam & Anna. But it's truly a heartwarming saga about family.]]> 4.63 2002 Nora Roberts' Chesapeake Bay Saga 1-4
author: Nora Roberts
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.63
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2023/07/05
date added: 2024/09/11
shelves: romance
review:
Reading these books has made me beyond homesick. My family settled the Eastern Shore of Maryland when they started immigrating to the colonies in the 1600's. The descriptions in these pages, of the Bay, the marshes, watermen, the blue crabs, etc., just took me straight back to my birthplace. So glad my Aunt kept urging me to read them. I probably rated them higher than I would otherwise because of sentimentality.

As far as the 4 books go, the first book 'Sea Swept' was my favorite. Loved both Cam & Anna. But it's truly a heartwarming saga about family.
]]> <![CDATA[Romancing the Duke (Castles Ever After, #1)]]> 18052985 In the first in Tessa Dare's captivating Castles Ever After series, a mysterious fortress is the setting for an unlikely love . . .

As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens. She never doubted romance would be in her future, too. The storybooks offered endless possibilities.

And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off. One by one by one.

Ugly duckling turned swan?
Abducted by handsome highwayman?
Rescued from drudgery by charming prince?

No, no, and� Heh.

Now Izzy’s given up yearning for romance. She’ll settle for a roof over her head. What fairy tales are left over for an impoverished twenty-six year-old woman who’s never even been kissed?

This one.]]> 370 Tessa Dare 0062240196 Kathleen 4 historical-romance
This was my first one by this author and I liked her writing style a lot. I will definitely be reading another by her. Smartly written. Characters with imperfections but wonderful chemistry and of course, a happy ending. This chick is happy!]]> 3.86 2014 Romancing the Duke (Castles Ever After, #1)
author: Tessa Dare
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2020/01/04
date added: 2024/09/09
shelves: historical-romance
review:
I had to slip a historical romance in to start the year off on the right note!!

This was my first one by this author and I liked her writing style a lot. I will definitely be reading another by her. Smartly written. Characters with imperfections but wonderful chemistry and of course, a happy ending. This chick is happy!
]]> <![CDATA[The Secret Service of Tea and Treason (Dangerous Damsels, #3)]]> 61100920 Two rival spies must brave pirates, witches, and fake matrimony to save the Queen.

Known as Agent A, Alice is the top operative within the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, a secret government intelligence group that is fortunately better at espionage than at naming itself. From managing deceptive witches to bored aristocratic ladies, nothing is beyond Alice’s capabilities. She has a steely composure and a plan always up her sleeve (alongside a dagger and an embroidered handkerchief). So when rumors of an assassination plot begin to circulate, she’s immediately assigned to the case.

But she’s not working alone. Daniel Bixby, otherwise known as Agent B and Alice’s greatest rival, is given the most challenging undercover assignment of his life� pretending to be Alice’s husband. Together they will assume the identity of a married couple, infiltrate a pirate house party, and foil their unpatriotic plans.

Determined to remain consummate professionals, Alice and Daniel must ignore the growing attraction between them, especially since acting on it might prove more dangerous than their target.]]> 368 India Holton 0593547276 Kathleen 2 3.95 2023 The Secret Service of Tea and Treason (Dangerous Damsels, #3)
author: India Holton
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/08/31
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves:
review:

]]> Weyward 57823095 I am a Weyward, and wild inside.

2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.

1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. As a girl, Altha’s mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of her powers to maintain her freedom.

1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family's grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives––and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom.

Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart's Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.]]> 408 Emilia Hart Kathleen 3 Not sure i could recommend?? ]]> 4.21 2023 Weyward
author: Emilia Hart
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/31
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves:
review:
Three storylines in three different time periods all of women in the same family. Unfortunately, also all with depressingly similar life experiences. Not sure what I expected but other than a supernatural connection to nature, this wasn’t as exhilarating as I’d hoped.
Not sure i could recommend??
]]> <![CDATA[Around the world in eighty days]]> 46151953 198 Jules Verne 8827531041 Kathleen 5 classics the positive or negative events unfolding around him. I felt there was a lesson in that for all of us: stay calm and carry on, after Plan A there's a Plan B, etc. These classic books are awesome in the way they contain an instructional message all within a delightful story. One of these years I'm going to devote a whole year to reading nothing but them!

The only puzzling thing about the book to me was the seemingly impulsive leap into the 80 day journey? It was so out of character for the man we were introduced to ~ that lived his life in such a structured and punctual manner ~ to just jump at the challenge. Maybe even he hungered for a change from his highly scheduled, predictable routine? If ever I undertake such a journey tho, I need to do it just as he did so as to cheat time out of an extra day on earth.

I loved this book, and because I loved it, I have to learn more about its author, Jules Verne. For starters, how did he get to be so freaking smart? There was no "google" in the late 1800's for him to cross reference and yet, as I read, I learned about shipping schedules, how the American railway system was built, where the tracks ran and a whole sundry of information from the country of India to British Hong Kong, etc., etc. Pretty incredible. If you want to read it, you may want to schedule time. I literally started it of an evening, got so engrossed, I couldn't put it down until I finished!

It's interesting how I came to this book too ~ never thumb your nose at a historical romance because the last one I read (Chasing Cassandra) mentioned a smattering of classic literature within its pages of which this 'Around the World in Eighty Days' was one. Another thing I love ~ when I learn about new books thru reading a book or better still, being introduced to a fellow book lover (real or imaginary) because of words sandwiched between a front and back cover. Truly a treasure.]]> 4.57 1872 Around the world in eighty days
author: Jules Verne
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.57
book published: 1872
rating: 5
read at: 2020/02/20
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves: classics
review:
Stand aside literary men of my heart, there's another Englishman joining your elite company ~ Mr. Phileas Fogg! I did not mind in the least that Mr. Fogg was stingy with conversation, not when he could list among his qualities those of being considerate, chivalrous, philanthropic & even keeled. A gentleman first and foremost. It was so impressive that he kept his composure no matter the positive or negative events unfolding around him. I felt there was a lesson in that for all of us: stay calm and carry on, after Plan A there's a Plan B, etc. These classic books are awesome in the way they contain an instructional message all within a delightful story. One of these years I'm going to devote a whole year to reading nothing but them!

The only puzzling thing about the book to me was the seemingly impulsive leap into the 80 day journey? It was so out of character for the man we were introduced to ~ that lived his life in such a structured and punctual manner ~ to just jump at the challenge. Maybe even he hungered for a change from his highly scheduled, predictable routine? If ever I undertake such a journey tho, I need to do it just as he did so as to cheat time out of an extra day on earth.

I loved this book, and because I loved it, I have to learn more about its author, Jules Verne. For starters, how did he get to be so freaking smart? There was no "google" in the late 1800's for him to cross reference and yet, as I read, I learned about shipping schedules, how the American railway system was built, where the tracks ran and a whole sundry of information from the country of India to British Hong Kong, etc., etc. Pretty incredible. If you want to read it, you may want to schedule time. I literally started it of an evening, got so engrossed, I couldn't put it down until I finished!

It's interesting how I came to this book too ~ never thumb your nose at a historical romance because the last one I read (Chasing Cassandra) mentioned a smattering of classic literature within its pages of which this 'Around the World in Eighty Days' was one. Another thing I love ~ when I learn about new books thru reading a book or better still, being introduced to a fellow book lover (real or imaginary) because of words sandwiched between a front and back cover. Truly a treasure.
]]> <![CDATA[The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)]]> 23281894 The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale and sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night

Fans of the All Souls Trilogy sent this highly anticipated finale straight to #1 on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list. Bringing the series� magic and suspense to a deeply satisfying conclusion, The Book of Life is poised to become an even bigger phenomenon in paperback.

Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.]]> 561 Deborah Harkness 0143127527 Kathleen 5 least you think it necessary, liking vampires (or witches for that matter) is in NO WAY a prerequisite to enjoying the books/story. I do not specifically seek out that subject matter myself but you can see how enthralled I am by the trilogy. I've also just learned the books have been turned into a TV series and that's high on my radar to track down & invest hours of my pitiful human life on.

The societal message within the book (regarding the covenant formed to keep creatures from interbreeding) also kept tugging at me all throughout the book. How fear ~ based on the unknown ~ actually depresses the evolution of creatures instead of advancing them. It seemed it could be applicable to cultures, races, etc.. Even tho the story is quite captivating on it's own, that message kept reverberating in my brain.

One of the reasons I "have" to see the TV series, is to get a visual of Diana with the tree growing up, around & out of her. Good heavens. I kept trying to picture what she looked like based on the description but I never could totally formulate an image. One thing I don't especially want a visual of tho is Matthew in the hands of Benjamin. That was quite explicit & graphic not to mention revolting.

I'm entirely happy with the ending of the trilogy but even happier that there are, & will be, spin off's for some of the characters. I can think of many I want to explore further ~ Ysabeau, Phillippe & Gallowglass off the top of my head. Thankfully, there's one available for me to move straight to ~ 'Time's Convert' (Marcus & Phoebe's story.) My hands are practically rubbing themselves together with glee!]]> 4.31 2014 The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2019/07/12
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy, romance
review:
Cannot say too many times how much I loved this whole series! Just as it was recommended to me, from now on, I plan to recommend it to all my reading friends. It's so smartly written, it's a delight to read. The same way 'Twilight' got a whole generation enthralled with vampires, this series does the same but on an elevated level. However, least you think it necessary, liking vampires (or witches for that matter) is in NO WAY a prerequisite to enjoying the books/story. I do not specifically seek out that subject matter myself but you can see how enthralled I am by the trilogy. I've also just learned the books have been turned into a TV series and that's high on my radar to track down & invest hours of my pitiful human life on.

The societal message within the book (regarding the covenant formed to keep creatures from interbreeding) also kept tugging at me all throughout the book. How fear ~ based on the unknown ~ actually depresses the evolution of creatures instead of advancing them. It seemed it could be applicable to cultures, races, etc.. Even tho the story is quite captivating on it's own, that message kept reverberating in my brain.

One of the reasons I "have" to see the TV series, is to get a visual of Diana with the tree growing up, around & out of her. Good heavens. I kept trying to picture what she looked like based on the description but I never could totally formulate an image. One thing I don't especially want a visual of tho is Matthew in the hands of Benjamin. That was quite explicit & graphic not to mention revolting.

I'm entirely happy with the ending of the trilogy but even happier that there are, & will be, spin off's for some of the characters. I can think of many I want to explore further ~ Ysabeau, Phillippe & Gallowglass off the top of my head. Thankfully, there's one available for me to move straight to ~ 'Time's Convert' (Marcus & Phoebe's story.) My hands are practically rubbing themselves together with glee!
]]> <![CDATA[How Not To Fall (Belhaven, #1)]]> 27208942
Data, research, scientific formulae--Annabelle Coffey is completely at ease with all of them. Men, not so much. But that's all going to change after she asks Dr. Charles Douglas, the postdoctoral fellow in her lab, to have sex with her. Charles is not only beautiful, he is also adorably awkward, British, brilliant, and nice. What are the odds he'd turn her down?

Very high, as it happens. Something to do with that whole student/teacher/ethics thing. But in a few weeks, Annie will graduate. As soon as she does, the unlikely friendship that's developing between them can turn physical--just until Annie leaves for graduate school. Yet nothing could have prepared either Annie or Charles for chemistry like this, or for what happens when a simple exercise in mutual pleasure turns into something as exhilarating and infernally complicated as love.]]> 320 Emily Foster 1496704185 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.62 2016 How Not To Fall (Belhaven, #1)
author: Emily Foster
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Girl From Number 7, Windsor Avenue: A memoir]]> 110916021
In a fascinating retelling of her life, the author shares insight into her personal experiences as a military dependent who resided in England, France, and America during the fifties and sixties. While detailing the traumatic death of her younger brother (Eisenhower's biggest fan), the tumultuous years of living in Mississippi during the Kennedy administration, and then, ultimately witnessing the loss of friends to military service during the Viet Nam War, Worthington provides a rare glimpse into a world populated by the men, women, and families who live to serve.

The Girl from Number 7, Windsor Avenue is the humorous and poignant account of an English-American girl growing up as an Air Force brat in a post-World War II world.]]> 300 Vivienne Grilliot Worthington 166324877X Kathleen 0 to-read 4.43 The Girl From Number 7, Windsor Avenue: A memoir
author: Vivienne Grilliot Worthington
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Memories of the Russian Court 36384597
Anna Viroubova, a lady-in-waiting and confident of the Tsar’s wife, Alexandra Feodorovna, witnessed this destruction first-hand.

Her memoirs, Memories of the Russian Court , takes the reader from her entry in 1905 into the world of pomp and power at the center of the Russian Empire, through the subsequent twelve years that she spent with the Tsar’s family, finally providing captivating insight into the turmoil of the Russian Revolution shook the foundations of her world.

Particularly fascinating are the chapters that focus on Grigori Rasputin as she attempts to set the record straight again detractors like Alexander Spiridovich who claimed that Viroubova was Rasputin’s "fanatical admirer, the driving force of his cult, and was at the head of his loyalists".

Viroubova explains of the great strain that the First World War placed upon her country and how she assisted as a nurse through those years before she was arrested and thrown into prison by the Bolsheviks. But even through these dark days Viroubova remained in contact with the Tsarina Alexandra through letters thus providing continuing insight into the last few months of the Imperial family’s life.

Memories of the Russian Court has been published to commemorate the centenary of the Russian Revolution and to provide readers with a view into how life was before, during and after this momentous event for those at the top of Russian society.

Anna Virobouva eventually escaped prison to Finland where she lived out her final days in Helsinki in 1964. This book was first published in 1923.]]> 265 Anna Viroubova Kathleen 0 to-read 3.91 2014 Memories of the Russian Court
author: Anna Viroubova
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Caraval (Caraval, #1) 27883214 A legendary competition.
A mesmerizing romance.
An unbreakable bond
between two sisters.

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.]]> 407 Stephanie Garber 1250095255 Kathleen 3 romantasy In fairness, I do think the romantasy genre has had a massive evolution in the 8 years since this book was published.]]> 3.97 2016 Caraval (Caraval, #1)
author: Stephanie Garber
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/05
date added: 2024/08/22
shelves: romantasy
review:
This romantasy (more fantasy than romance) was comparable to reading about a chess game being played. I felt like a spectator watching the characters make moves around a mysterious island with crazy rules & happenings. It was definitely more "young adult" than some of the other (more mature) books of this genre that I've recently read. It was interesting but not on a level to keep me reading the sequels.
In fairness, I do think the romantasy genre has had a massive evolution in the 8 years since this book was published.
]]> <![CDATA[A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1)]]> 43204703 here.

Fall in love, break the curse.

Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she's pulled into a magical world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.]]> 484 Brigid Kemmerer 1681195089 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.94 2019 A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1)
author: Brigid Kemmerer
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Nightingale's Castle 199793578 In the vein of riveting historical novels such as Hamnet and Circe—with a touch of Dracula—a propulsive, feminist reimagining of the story of Erzsébet Báthory, the infamous sixteenth-century Hungarian aristocrat known as the “Blood Countess�, who was rumored to have murderedhundreds of peasant girls and bathed in their blood.

In 1573, Countess Erzsébet Báthory gives birth to an illegitimate child. Secretly taken to a peasant family living in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, the infant girl israised as their own. Years later, a young woman called Boróka—ignorant of her true history—is sent to join the Countess’s household.

Terrified of the Countess’s murderous reputation and the brutally cruel women who run the castle, Boróka struggles to find her place. Then plague breaches the castle’s walls, and a tentative bond unexpectedly forms between the girl and the Countess. But powerful forces are moving against the great lady whose wealth and independence threatens the king. Can the Countess trust the women seemingly so close to her? And when the show trial begins against the infamous “Blood Countess� where will Boróka’s loyalties lie?]]> 320 Sonia Velton 0063351463 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.69 2024 The Nightingale's Castle
author: Sonia Velton
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Till Death (The Never Sky, #1)]]> 205055893 Beyond the realm of gods, two cities stand at the brink of despair, and a dark destiny awaits Death's newest Maiden.

Long ago, Requiem was plagued by war and abandoned by the gods but Death saved the suffering people, giving each soul a hundred years of immortality. With that grace, he also sent two Maidens. One of Life, for healing and comfort, and one of Death, the only person in the world with the ability to kill.

Generations later, the Life Maiden is missing and Princess Deyanira is nothing more than a trained weapon. A hunter. A murderer wrenched into Death's dark court to have the name of her next victim seared onto her palm.

She is the enemy of this land. But, when she's given the chance to bring peace through marriage and finally show her father's kingdom her worth, she is viciously tricked into marrying the wrong man, ruining the future of the damaged realm. Her only hope to give something back to the world is to find the missing Life Maiden.

Now, eternally bound to her enemy and dragged into the dark burlesque show her new husband is bound to, she must fight to keep herself free. And her heart. Especially when she becomes the hunted.

“A deliciously sinful experience centered around a show of life and death at the hands of the Maiden. Fans of Kerri Maniscalco’s Kingdom of the Wicked and Stephanie Garber’s Caraval will love this story of the Death Maiden’s one chance to defy Death himself, combined with a searing romance that adds an irresistible layer of passion." - Jessica, @books_and_crafts]]> 644 Miranda Lyn Kathleen 3 fantasy 3.77 Till Death (The Never Sky, #1)
author: Miranda Lyn
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.77
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/02
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Can't Spell Treason Without Tea (Tomes & Tea, #1)]]> 61753288
But after an assassin takes Reyna hostage, she decides she’s thoroughly done risking her life for a self-centered queen. Meanwhile, Kianthe has been waiting for a chance to flee responsibility–all the better that her girlfriend is on board. Together, they settle in Tawney, a town that boasts more dragons than people, and open the shop of their dreams.

What follows is a cozy tale of mishaps, mysteries, and a murderous queen throwing the realm’s biggest temper tantrum. In a story brimming with hurt/comfort and quiet fireside conversations, these two women will discover just what they mean to each other� and the world.]]> 388 Rebecca Thorne Kathleen 0 to-read 3.71 2022 Can't Spell Treason Without Tea (Tomes & Tea, #1)
author: Rebecca Thorne
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)]]> 23395680
The year is 2575, and two rival mega-corporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra � who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents � including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more � Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.]]> 608 Amie Kaufman 0553499114 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.23 2015 Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)
author: Amie Kaufman
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Frozen River 56699106
Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.]]> 432 Ariel Lawhon 0385546882 Kathleen 4 historical-fiction Sobering to read about women's rights (or lack thereof.) So much respect for Martha in trying to champion for her patients. The author did a great job conveying her personality and dedication to each patient well beyond helping with the birthing.

Really glad I read this and what a benefit that Martha's journals were preserved and passed down so future generations could have a "real" accounting of the nuances of life in the Revolutionary Era. No way to read this retelling of Marthas life and come away anything short of awed. To answer a call of need in the middle of the night, whether it be raining, snowing, freezing cold, etc. and to go on horseback no less, without the slightest grumbling deserves so much respect. She seemed such a calm, practical woman yet also capable of exhibiting a dash of fire when necessary. Obviously very good at her vocation as it was stated she never lost a birth in the 1000+ babies she delivered. That's a stellar record! Also incredible that Martha delivered her last baby 6 days before she died!

I put off reading this for awhile because I thought (from the book blurb) that it could be depressing and I wasn't sure I was up for it. Although there is difficult subject matter within the pages, it's written in a such a way, I found it interesting and engaging. First book from this author that I've read.]]> 4.52 2023 The Frozen River
author: Ariel Lawhon
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/19
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves: historical-fiction
review:
It's been awhile since I've read anything set during this time period in history ~ the late 1770's ~ after America has newly won its independence and is just establishing a justice system, national currency, etc. The protagonist, Martha Ballard, an exceptional woman in that she's literate and keeps a written record of her midwife activities. Hard to imagine in todays world that being able to read and write was so unusual (and especially in the case of women.)
Sobering to read about women's rights (or lack thereof.) So much respect for Martha in trying to champion for her patients. The author did a great job conveying her personality and dedication to each patient well beyond helping with the birthing.

Really glad I read this and what a benefit that Martha's journals were preserved and passed down so future generations could have a "real" accounting of the nuances of life in the Revolutionary Era. No way to read this retelling of Marthas life and come away anything short of awed. To answer a call of need in the middle of the night, whether it be raining, snowing, freezing cold, etc. and to go on horseback no less, without the slightest grumbling deserves so much respect. She seemed such a calm, practical woman yet also capable of exhibiting a dash of fire when necessary. Obviously very good at her vocation as it was stated she never lost a birth in the 1000+ babies she delivered. That's a stellar record! Also incredible that Martha delivered her last baby 6 days before she died!

I put off reading this for awhile because I thought (from the book blurb) that it could be depressing and I wasn't sure I was up for it. Although there is difficult subject matter within the pages, it's written in a such a way, I found it interesting and engaging. First book from this author that I've read.
]]> <![CDATA[Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1)]]> 212127083
In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn't much a girl wouldn't do for a glass of water.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen's reservoirs for as long as she can remember.

But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently re-opens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares... but it turns out they're real, and Saeris has landed herself in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist's magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him . . . or her.

Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he's the only way Saeris is going to make it home.]]> 588 Callie Hart Kathleen 4 romantasy and an actual plot and I'm prepared to forego sleep! This was captivating almost from the first page. I love a strong, fearless female main character and all the better if she possesses some unexplored magical powers. Lots of interesting secondary characters too. I'd love to see some of them explored more fully.

Action packed book with Saeris and Fisher being great romantic leads. I'm going to be counting down the days until book two is released.]]> 4.35 2024 Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1)
author: Callie Hart
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/25
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves: romantasy
review:
Build me a Fae world, add in some alchemy, a sprinkle of vampires and an actual plot and I'm prepared to forego sleep! This was captivating almost from the first page. I love a strong, fearless female main character and all the better if she possesses some unexplored magical powers. Lots of interesting secondary characters too. I'd love to see some of them explored more fully.

Action packed book with Saeris and Fisher being great romantic leads. I'm going to be counting down the days until book two is released.
]]> <![CDATA[Gemina (The Illuminae Files, #2)]]> 29236298 A New York Times Bestseller

Brace yourself for GEMINA—the highly anticipated sequel to the book critics called “out-of-this-world awesome”—featuring journal illustrations by bestselling author Marie Lu!

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.
The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.
Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy's most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.
When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station's wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.
But relax. They've totally got this. They hope.
Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.]]> 663 Amie Kaufman 0553499157 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.54 2016 Gemina (The Illuminae Files, #2)
author: Amie Kaufman
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Power of Myth 35519 293 Joseph Campbell 0385418868 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.26 1988 The Power of Myth
author: Joseph Campbell
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1988
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Never Rescue a Rogue (The Merriwell Sisters, #2)]]> 59808217
Diana Merriwell and Giles Sinclair only tolerate one another for the sake of their nearest and dearest. Everyone believes that the two of them are meant to be together, but Diana and Giles know that their constant pithy barbs come from a shared disdain―not a hidden attraction. Diana loves the freedom of working at the newspaper too much to give it up for marriage, and Giles is happily married to his bachelor lifestyle. But they do have one thing in common―the secrets they can’t risk escaping.

When Giles� father, the curmudgeonly Duke of Harpenden unexpectedly turns up his toes, it’s only a matter of time before someone comes crawling out of the woodwork who knows the true circumstances of his only son's birth. As the threat of blackmail becomes real, Giles must uncover the truth of his parentage first, or else he and all those who depend upon him will be ruined―and dogged bloodhound Diana is his best hope at sniffing out the truth. As Giles and Diana dive into his family’s past, the attraction that the two of them insisted wasn’t there proves impossible to ignore. Soon, the future of the Sinclair estate isn’t the only thing on the line…]]> 368 Virginia Heath 1250787785 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.89 2022 Never Rescue a Rogue (The Merriwell Sisters, #2)
author: Virginia Heath
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Berry Pickers 123036004 A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a tragic mystery that haunts the survivors, unravels a community, and remains unsolved for nearly fifty years.

July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family’s youngest child, vanishes. She is last seen by her six-year-old brother, Joe, sitting on a favorite rock at the edge of a berry field. Joe will remain distraught by his sister’s disappearance for years to come.

In Maine, a young girl named Norma grows up as the only child of an affluent family. Her father is emotionally distant, her mother frustratingly overprotective. Norma is often troubled by recurring dreams and visions that seem more like memories than imagination. As she grows older, Norma slowly comes to realize there is something her parents aren’t telling her. Unwilling to abandon her intuition, she will spend decades trying to uncover this family secret.

For readers of The Vanishing Half and Woman of Light, this showstopping debut by a vibrant new voice in fiction is a riveting novel about the search for truth, the shadow of trauma, and the persistence of love across time.]]> 307 Amanda Peters 1646221958 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.04 2023 The Berry Pickers
author: Amanda Peters
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Crowns of Ice (Fae of Snow & Ice, #4)]]> 199213604
With my mate at my side, my strength strong and imbued, Norivun and I venture back to the capital to fix all of the wrongs that have not yet been made right.

But victory won’t come easily.

Choices must be made.

Lives will be lost.

And in the end, only the true royals will rise.


Crowns of Ice is the final book in Fae of Snow & Ice, a four-book enemies-to-lovers fae fantasy romance series that takes place in Krista Street’s Supernatural World. This series contains steamy romance, a strong female fae who refuses to bow, a morally gray prince whose brutality knows no bounds, and a deadly tangle of royal strife and intrigue. Start reading the epic conclusion today!]]> 390 Krista Street Kathleen 0 4.16 2023 Crowns of Ice (Fae of Snow & Ice, #4)
author: Krista Street
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Wings of Snow (Fae of Snow & Ice, #3)]]> 199213600
Left with no choice, I flee from the Solis continent even though my heart is shattering at leaving my love behind. But I can’t return to Solisarium until I’ve reclaimed my affinities and am able to fight with the crown prince at my side.

Yet enemies lie everywhere, and those I thought I could trust prove to be the biggest traitors of them all.

Trapped far from the icy north, I struggle to survive while learning who I’m destined to become.

One thing I know—victory comes to those who are worthy—if only I can achieve the destiny the gods have created for me.


Wings of Snow is book three in a four-book enemies-to-lovers fae fantasy romance that takes place in Krista Street’s Supernatural World. This series contains steamy romance, a strong female fae who refuses to bow, a morally gray prince whose brutality knows no bounds, and a deadly tangle of royal strife and intrigue.]]> 390 Krista Street Kathleen 0 4.09 2023 Wings of Snow (Fae of Snow & Ice, #3)
author: Krista Street
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Thorns of Frost (Fae of Snow & Ice, #2)]]> 199213595
Intent on fleeing, I train my new affinities and learn what’s needed to survive while pretending to vie for the throne. With my sister at my side, I know we’ll find a way to prevent my enslavement to the Court of Winter.

But the Crown Prince has other ideas. As Prince Norivun’s interest in me grows, I’m determined to avoid his allure, until he reveals sides of himself he’d kept hidden—sides that make me want to succumb to the innate need burning inside me.

Now that his secrets are laid bare, devastating consequences loom for me and him. Consequences that not even the powerful prince could have foreseen.

Thorns of Frost is book two in a four-book enemies-to-lovers fae fantasy romance that takes place in Krista Street’s Supernatural World. This series contains steamy romance, a strong female fae who refuses to bow, a morally gray prince whose brutality knows no bounds, and a deadly tangle of royal strife and intrigue.]]> 388 Krista Street Kathleen 0 4.26 2023 Thorns of Frost (Fae of Snow & Ice, #2)
author: Krista Street
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Court of Winter (Fae of Snow & Ice, #1)]]> 198207910 defective marks me in the eyes of the Solis Fae. Wingless. Magicless. Weak. To my kind, I’m nothing—not when strength is needed to survive the perpetual snow and ice that shrouds our northern continent in endless winter.

But I’ve persevered, living a meaningful yet simple life with my sister . . . until the hated Crown Prince of the Winter Court thunders into our village.

Prince Norivun’s massive black wings and potent magic cloud my senses and steal my breath. He’s beautiful yet brutal, so when he whisks me away and locks me in his castle I’m certain my death is tomorrow’s promise.

Yet my end doesn’t come, not when the prince looks at me with hunger in his gaze while revealing the true reason for my abduction.

Now I’m faced with an impossible choice—either join forces with the hated prince who’s robbed me of everything I love or watch our kingdom start a devastating war.


Court of Winter is book one in a four-book enemies-to-lovers fae fantasy romance that takes place in Krista Street’s Supernatural World. This series contains steamy romance, a strong female fae who refuses to bow, a morally gray prince whose brutality knows no bounds, and a deadly tangle of royal strife and intrigue.]]> 354 Krista Street Kathleen 0 4.12 2023 Court of Winter (Fae of Snow & Ice, #1)
author: Krista Street
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Queen This Fierce and Deadly (Kingdom of Lies, #4)]]> 201537019 We all pay it eventually�
In every life�

Some moments are too painful to be endured.
Some moments will break you if you let them.

And yet I can’t afford to let anything break me. Because we have one chance to win this war. One chance to create a better life for everyone across the four kingdoms.

Even as our enemies ally with each other, and our own allies are forced to betray their kingdoms, their people…and themselves.
And even as Regner plans something so cruel, so wholly evil, he’s poised to douse the last remaining spark of hope in this world.

Unless we kill him first.]]> 641 Stacia Stark Kathleen 4 to-read, romantasy What?? The Grimoire that was supposed to be so dangerous & sought after by dark forces is still in play (albeit with Madinia??) All of the characters that seemed so necessary but their powers were somewhat mysterious didn't amount to a lot ~ thinking Tor and Jamic. Maybe a few less battle preparation scenes and more back story or page time for some of the characters we're introduced to but don't get fleshed out? Another mysterious character was Calysian. He shows up three different random times but who/what is he?? Clearly he's following Madinia when the book ends but for the grimoire or her?

Romance/spice between Lorian and Prisca was (maybe) a two. The beginning of the series and the cliffhanger at the end of book 3 were all much better than the finale. I do think the door is open for a spinoff or 5th book. Maybe then some of these questions will be answered...]]> 4.12 2024 A Queen This Fierce and Deadly (Kingdom of Lies, #4)
author: Stacia Stark
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/25
date added: 2024/07/14
shelves: to-read, romantasy
review:
Satisfactory ending. Although it could have been much, much better. The battle against King Regner seemed over in a heartbeat. All the plotting and planning and build up in the first three books and then Prisca stops time and just walks up and stabs him. End of story. What?? The Grimoire that was supposed to be so dangerous & sought after by dark forces is still in play (albeit with Madinia??) All of the characters that seemed so necessary but their powers were somewhat mysterious didn't amount to a lot ~ thinking Tor and Jamic. Maybe a few less battle preparation scenes and more back story or page time for some of the characters we're introduced to but don't get fleshed out? Another mysterious character was Calysian. He shows up three different random times but who/what is he?? Clearly he's following Madinia when the book ends but for the grimoire or her?

Romance/spice between Lorian and Prisca was (maybe) a two. The beginning of the series and the cliffhanger at the end of book 3 were all much better than the finale. I do think the door is open for a spinoff or 5th book. Maybe then some of these questions will be answered...
]]> <![CDATA[The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women]]> 34394482 The incredible true story of the women who fought America's Undark danger

The Curies' newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War.

Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" are the luckiest alive - until they begin to fall mysteriously ill.

But the factories that once offered golden opportunities are now ignoring all claims of the gruesome side effects, and the women's cries of corruption. And as the fatal poison of the radium takes hold, the brave shining girls find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America's early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights that will echo for centuries to come.

Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the "wonder" substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives...]]> 476 Kate Moore 1492649368 Kathleen 4 historical-fiction 4.28 2016 The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
author: Kate Moore
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/21
date added: 2024/07/14
shelves: historical-fiction
review:
Extremely sad about the fate of these beautiful young girls who signed up so enthusiastically to help their country by painting radium on watch faces, their own teeth and everything else after repeatedly being told it was "safe." It makes you question everything, especially about a new product. The fact that they licked the paint brushes in-between numbers (to keep the bristles in as fine a point as possible) was cringe. Now we know, every time they did that, they were ingesting a little more and getting a little sicker.
]]> <![CDATA[Lord of Wicked Intentions (The Lost Lords of Pembrook, #3)]]> 15782195
Three young heirs, imprisoned by an unscrupulous uncle, escaped—to the sea, to the streets, to faraway battle—awaiting the day when they would return to reclaim their birthright...

Lord Rafe Easton may be of noble blood, but survival taught him to rely only on himself and to love no one. Yet when he sets his eyes on Miss Evelyn Chambers, and earl's illegitimate daughter, he is determined to have her, if only as his mistress.

After her father's death, Evelyn Chambers never imagined she would be sold to the highest bidder, yet circumstances give her little choice except to accept the lord's indecent proposal. Rafe is wealthy, as well as ruthless. Yet his coldness belies deep passion and deeper secrets. If she must be his, Evelyn intends to lay bare everything the Lord of Pembrook is hiding. But dark discoveries threaten to destroy them both until unexpected love guides the last lost lord home.]]> 370 Lorraine Heath 0062100033 Kathleen 4 4.02 2013 Lord of Wicked Intentions (The Lost Lords of Pembrook, #3)
author: Lorraine Heath
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/18
date added: 2024/06/19
shelves:
review:

]]> The Royal Librarian 123263354
Windsor, 1940: Secretly tasked with foiling a suspected plot, Sophie Klein is placed in the Royal Library at Windsor castle, where the princesses reside. But when she learns that Windsor is compromised, Sophie must sacrifice everything she knows to save the future queen of England�

Philadelphia, Present day: Looking through her grandmother's papers, Lacey Jones comes across a mysterious letter stamped with the Windsor Castle crest. But how did it come to be in her family's possession?

And so begins a journey that will take Lacey deep into the heart of the oldest inhabited castle in the world, and change her life forever. . .]]> 384 Daisy Wood 0008636923 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.88 2024 The Royal Librarian
author: Daisy Wood
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[City of the Lost (Casey Duncan, #1)]]> 28227879 Casey Duncan is a homicide detective with a secret: when she was in college, she killed a man. She was never caught, but he was the grandson of a mobster and she knows this crime will catch up to her. Casey's best friend, Diana, is on the run from a violent, abusive ex-husband. When Diana's husband finds her, and Casey herself is attacked shortly after, Casey knows it's time for the two of them to disappear again.

Diana has heard of a domestic violence support town made for people like her, a town that takes in people on the run who want to shed their old lives. You must apply to live in Rockton and if you're accepted, it means walking away entirely from your old life, living off the grid in the wilds of Canada: no cell phones, no Internet, no mail, no computers, very little electricity, and no way of getting in or out without the town council's approval. As a murderer, Casey isn't a good candidate, but she has something they want; she's a homicide detective, and Rockton has just had its first real murder. She and Diana are in. However, soon after arriving, Casey realizes that the identity of a murderer isn't the only secret Rockton is hiding - in fact, she starts to wonder if she and Diana might be in even more danger in Rockton than they were in their old lives.

An edgy, gripping crime novel from a bestselling urban fantasy writer, City of the Lost boldly announces a major new player in the crime fiction world.

]]> 412 Kelley Armstrong Kathleen 0 4.20 2016 City of the Lost (Casey Duncan, #1)
author: Kelley Armstrong
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2024/06/16
date added: 2024/06/16
shelves:
review:

]]> Secrets of Rose Briar Hall 199216118
1908, Long Island: For Millie Turner, the young and beautiful wife of a powerful New York stockbroker, Rose Briar Hall—a gleaming edifice of white marble on the North Shore—is more than a home. Every lavish detail speaks of Charles Turner’s status and wealth, and its stylish interior is testament to Millie’s sophistication. All that’s left is to prove her worthiness to be his bride. What better way than to throw a grand party for New York’s social elite?

After painstaking planning, the night of the event arrives and all is perfection—until Millie wakes to a cold, eerily quiet house, and a gray cloud where her memory should be. Can it be true that she has been in and out of consciousness for weeks, ever since the party took a terrifying turn? Millie recalls nothing. But her friends have shunned her, and it soon becomes clear that if she can't find out what really happened that night, much more than her reputation will be at risk . . .

As the house that promised so much happiness begins to feel more like a prison, Millie wonders whether a woman alone, even a wealthy one, can ever be entirely safe. And if she succeeds in finding the truth, will it bring relief, or shake her marriage, and her life, to the core?]]> 304 Kelsey James 1496742931 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.57 2024 Secrets of Rose Briar Hall
author: Kelsey James
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)]]> 165940364 A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya's dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region's jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest She possesses a drop of a goddess's blood, whichmakes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack.It was foretold such a magicwould unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he's destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.]]> 505 Danielle L. Jensen 0593599845 Kathleen 4 Review to Follow 4.08 2024 A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated, #1)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/26
date added: 2024/05/26
shelves:
review:
Review to Follow
]]> Lies and Weddings 197144545 A forbidden affair erupts dramatically amid a decadent Hawaiian wedding in this hilarious, sophisticated, and thrillingly plotted story of love, money, murder, sex—and the lies we tell about them all.

Rufus Leung Gresham, future Earl of Greshambury and son of a former Hong Kong supermodel, has a problem: his family fortune, the legendary Gresham Trust, has been depleted by decades of profligate spending. While magazine covers and Instagram stories display impeccably designed manors and shiny new yachts, the secret reality holds nothing more than a gargantuan mountain of debt. The only solution, put forth by Rufus’s scheming mother, is for Rufus to seduce a woman with money, thereby securing the family's precarious financial future.

Should he marry Solène de Courcy, a French hotel heiress with honey-blond tresses and a royal bloodline? Should he pursue Martha Dung, the tattooed venture capital genius who passes out billions like lollipops? Or should he follow his heart, betray his family, squander his legacy, and finally confess his love to the literal girl next door, the humble daughter of a doctor, Eden Tong?

When the Gresham family descends on the Big Island of Hawaii to host a veritable who's who of sultans, barons, and oligarchs for the wedding of the decade, Rufus must merely flex his famous abs to bewitch the heiress of his choice. But instead a hot mic exposes a secret tryst, a volcanic eruption burns through the nuptials, and the Gresham family's plans—and their reputation—go up in flames.

Can the once-great earldom rise from the ashes? Or will a secret tragedy, hidden for two decades, reveal a shocking twist? Spanning the black sand beaches of Hawaii, the red city of Marrakech, the Los Angeles bachelor pad of a billionaire playboy, and the inner sanctum of England’s oldest family estate, Lies and Weddings reveals an enthralling family saga that is as scandalous and satirical as it is full of heart.]]> 437 Kevin Kwan 0385546297 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.69 2024 Lies and Weddings
author: Kevin Kwan
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth]]> 196774869
“Mesmerizing, world-expanding, and achingly beautiful.� –Ed Yong, author of An Immense World

“Rich, vital, and full of surprises. Read it!”–Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Under a White Sky and The Sixth Extinction

“A brilliant must-read. This book shook and changed me.� –David George Haskell, author of Sounds Wild and Broken, The Songs of Trees, and The Forest Unseen

Award-winning Atlantic staff writer Zoë Schlanger delivers a groundbreaking work of popular science that probes the hidden world of the plant kingdom and reveals the astonishing capabilities of the green life all around us.

It takes tremendous biological creativity to be a plant. To survive and thrive while rooted in a single spot, plants have adapted ingenious methods of survival. In recent years, scientists have learned about their ability to communicate, recognize their kin and behave socially, hear sounds, morph their bodies to blend into their surroundings, store useful memories that inform their life cycle, and trick animals into behaving to their benefit, to name just a few remarkable talents.

The Light Eaters is a deep immersion into the drama of green life and the complexity of this wild and awe-inspiring world that challenges our very understanding of agency, consciousness, and intelligence. In looking closely, we see that plants, rather than imitate human intelligence, have perhaps formed a parallel system. What is intelligent life if not a vine that grows leaves to blend into the shrub on which it climbs, a flower that shapes its bloom to fit exactly the beak of its pollinator, a pea seedling that can hear water flowing and make its way toward it? Zoë Schlanger takes us across the globe, digging into her own memories and into the soil with the scientists who have spent their waking days studying these amazing entities up close.

What can we learn about life on Earth from the living things that thrive, adapt, consume, and accommodate simultaneously? More important, what do we owe these life forms once we come to understand their rich and varied abilities? Examining the latest epiphanies in botanical research, Schlanger spotlights the intellectual struggles among the researchers conceiving a wholly new view of their subject, offering a glimpse of a field in turmoil as plant scientists debate the tenets of ongoing discoveries and how they influence our understanding of what a plant is.

We need plants to survive. But what do they need us for—if at all? An eye-opening and informative look at the ecosystem we live in, this book challenges us to rethink the role of plants—and our own place—in the natural world.]]> 298 Zoë Schlanger 0063073870 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.43 2024 The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth
author: Zoë Schlanger
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Women 126918788 De la autora superventas de El Ruiseñor , una historia de mujeres valientes decididas a arriesgar su vida por los demás en uno de los momentos más peligrosos de la historia.

Inspiradas por el coraje. Ligadas por la amistad. Unidas por la esperanza.

«Las mujeres pueden ser heroínas». Cuando Frankie McGrath, estudiante de enfermería de veinte años, oye por primera vez estas inesperadas palabras, siente una revelación. Criada en el idílico y soleado sur de California y protegida por sus conservadores padres, siempre se ha enorgullecido de hacer lo que se espera de ella, de ser una buena chica. Pero en 1966 el mundo está cambiando y, de repente, su vida parece abrirse a nuevas posibilidades. Cuando su hermano parte para combatir en Vietnam, ella se une de manera impulsiva al Cuerpo de Enfermeras del Ejército para seguirle.

Allí, Frankie se siente igual de inmadura e inexperta que los jóvenes enviados para luchar, y se ve abrumada por el caos y la destrucción de la guerra. Además, un trauma inesperado la golpea al volver a casa, el de encontrar un país cambiado y dividido, un país que quiere olvidar. Frankie descubrirá el verdadero valor de la amistad y el dolor que puede causar un corazón roto.

***Número 1 en las listas de best sellers de The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, la Asociación de Librerías Independientes, Los Angeles Times, Publishers Weekly, Amazon, Audible y Los Angeles Daily News***

Sobre la novela han
«De nuevo, Hannah ilumina con su luz a mujeres que la historia ha ignorado».
People Magazine

«Hannah está en su mejor momento en esta novela».
The New York Times

«Conmovedora y excepcionalmente documentada».
Stephen King

«ʴǻDz».
Matt Haig, autor de La biblioteca de la medianoche

«Kristin Hannah, una de las mejores narradoras de nuestro tiempo, aborda una de las más crueles y viles guerras del último Vietnam. Las mujeres de la guerra revela la enorme contribución y los horribles sacrificios de las enfermeras militares que sirvieron en ella... Nunca una novela de guerra se ha metamorfoseado tan profundamente en una historia sobre el corazón humano».
Delia Owen, autora de La chica salvaje

«Este libro es ficción histórica en su mejor versión. Tan conmovedor, tan desgarrador, y, sin embargo, en última instancia, optimista. ¡Bravo!».
Nicholas D. Kristof, ganador del Premio Pulitzer y coautor de La mitad del cielo

«Deslumbra con su sacrificio; y eleva el ánimo con su heroísmo... Un importante y largamente esperado tributo a las valientes enfermeras que sirvieron en Vietnam».
Bonnie Garmus, autora de Lecciones de química

«Los fans de los libros históricos protagonizados por mujeres van a disfrutar esta magnética novela».
Publishers Weekly

Please This audiobook is in Spanish.]]> 472 Kristin Hannah Kathleen 5 historical-fiction
As difficult as the material is in this book I was thoroughly immersed. The story is told thru the eyes of Frankie, a privileged young woman with idealized notions about heroism and serving your country. There could not be a bigger juxtaposition than the life she's been raised in to her new reality of nurse in the Vietnam war. The book is basically two halves; her service in 'Nam and her return to civilian life. As horrific as the time in service was conveyed ~ interminable hours under horrific conditions and witnessing unimaginable loss and human atrocities, her post war life was even sadder. The impossibility of returning to and resuming her previous life was heartbreaking to read. To be told time and again "there were no women who served in Vietnam" and to learn even her parents were so ashamed of her service they lied about what she was doing would make the transition even worse. It once again provokes thought about how anyone who volunteers or is drafted into war, can come home and lead a "normal" life. PTSD was a totally new concept at this time but it's undeniable as demonstrated by Frankies downward spiral and inability to find her way. I can't even imagine the constant adrenaline of staying alive then attempting to process it once home all while no one wants to talk about it, acknowledge it or even give respect for what's been sacrificed.

What I take away from the book is the undisputable dichotomy created by Frankies service. She's completely unable to retain any friendships or parts of her "before" life after the trauma of her wartime experiences. Considering how devastating her treatment is upon returning home, it feels completely natural that the friendships she formed in Vietnam (and the other veterans she comes in contact with) are the only connections she can sustain. With every "war" book Kristin Hannah writes, I feel she tries to impart the irrevocable impacts of war on her readers. She succeeds here in portraying the unique (and shameful) experience Vietnam vets received.

I cannot bring myself to scrutinize Frankie's romantic liaisons considering they occurred under the duress of war. Nor can I fault her for finding some happiness and/or attributing feelings she may or may not have had if she weren't serving her country and existing in those harsh conditions. I'm sure servicemen and women find themselves making similar choices in similar situations when their lives are at peril every day. That's most likely why the author wrote them in and even gave them the subsequent outcomes she did? The blow to the human pysche would be real tho (thinking of the Rye situation.) I can't subtract stars from the read or feel less about it because of them.

For those of us too young to recall this period in American history and the unrest created by the war, it's an enlightening read. It really made me want to visit the Wall memorial in Washington DC. and gives me so much more compassion for those veterans who've had such a difficult time since returning. 4.5 Stars]]> 4.71 2024 The Women
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/19
date added: 2024/05/20
shelves: historical-fiction
review:
Kristin Hannah books are auto reads for me. I put this on my list as soon as I became aware of it but then passed on downloading a few times because my heart just wasn't ready for the beating I knew it would take. Without fail Ms Hannah knows how to pulverize that tender organ using only words.

As difficult as the material is in this book I was thoroughly immersed. The story is told thru the eyes of Frankie, a privileged young woman with idealized notions about heroism and serving your country. There could not be a bigger juxtaposition than the life she's been raised in to her new reality of nurse in the Vietnam war. The book is basically two halves; her service in 'Nam and her return to civilian life. As horrific as the time in service was conveyed ~ interminable hours under horrific conditions and witnessing unimaginable loss and human atrocities, her post war life was even sadder. The impossibility of returning to and resuming her previous life was heartbreaking to read. To be told time and again "there were no women who served in Vietnam" and to learn even her parents were so ashamed of her service they lied about what she was doing would make the transition even worse. It once again provokes thought about how anyone who volunteers or is drafted into war, can come home and lead a "normal" life. PTSD was a totally new concept at this time but it's undeniable as demonstrated by Frankies downward spiral and inability to find her way. I can't even imagine the constant adrenaline of staying alive then attempting to process it once home all while no one wants to talk about it, acknowledge it or even give respect for what's been sacrificed.

What I take away from the book is the undisputable dichotomy created by Frankies service. She's completely unable to retain any friendships or parts of her "before" life after the trauma of her wartime experiences. Considering how devastating her treatment is upon returning home, it feels completely natural that the friendships she formed in Vietnam (and the other veterans she comes in contact with) are the only connections she can sustain. With every "war" book Kristin Hannah writes, I feel she tries to impart the irrevocable impacts of war on her readers. She succeeds here in portraying the unique (and shameful) experience Vietnam vets received.

I cannot bring myself to scrutinize Frankie's romantic liaisons considering they occurred under the duress of war. Nor can I fault her for finding some happiness and/or attributing feelings she may or may not have had if she weren't serving her country and existing in those harsh conditions. I'm sure servicemen and women find themselves making similar choices in similar situations when their lives are at peril every day. That's most likely why the author wrote them in and even gave them the subsequent outcomes she did? The blow to the human pysche would be real tho (thinking of the Rye situation.) I can't subtract stars from the read or feel less about it because of them.

For those of us too young to recall this period in American history and the unrest created by the war, it's an enlightening read. It really made me want to visit the Wall memorial in Washington DC. and gives me so much more compassion for those veterans who've had such a difficult time since returning. 4.5 Stars
]]> The Great Divide 181110028
It is said that the canal will be the greatest feat of engineering in history. But first, it must be built. For Francisco, a local fisherman who resents the foreign powers clamoring for a slice of his country, nothing is more upsetting than the decision of his son, Omar, to work as a digger in the excavation zone. But for Omar, whose upbringing was quiet and lonely, this job offers a chance to finally find connection.

Ada Bunting is a bold sixteen-year-old from Barbados who arrives in Panama as a stowaway alongside thousands of other West Indians seeking work. Alone and with no resources, she is determined to find a job that will earn enough money for her ailing sister’s surgery. When she sees a young man—Omar—who has collapsed after a grueling shift, she is the only one who rushes to his aid.

John Oswald has dedicated his life to scientific research and has journeyed to Panama in single-minded pursuit of one goal: eliminating malaria. But now, his wife, Marian, has fallen ill herself, and when he witnesses Ada’s bravery and compassion, he hires her on the spot as a caregiver. This fateful decision sets in motion a sweeping tale of ambition, loyalty, and sacrifice.

Searing and empathetic, The Great Divide explores the intersecting lives of activists, fishmongers, laborers, journalists, neighbors, doctors, and soothsayers—those rarely acknowledged by history even as they carved out its course.]]> 321 Cristina Henríquez 0063291320 Kathleen 0 to-read 3.62 2024 The Great Divide
author: Cristina Henríquez
name: Kathleen
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom, #1)]]> 53921926
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.]]> 356 Danielle L. Jensen Kathleen 4 romantasy 4.02 2018 The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom, #1)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/03
date added: 2024/05/18
shelves: romantasy
review:

]]> The King's Messenger 188390416
1613: King James � sixth of Scotland, first of England, son of Mary, Queen of Scots - has unified both countries under one crown. But the death of his eldest son, Henry, has plunged the nation into mourning, as the rumours rise the prince was poisoned.

Andrew Logan’s heard the rumours, but he’s paid them little heed. As one of the King’s Messengers he has enough secrets to guard, including his own. In these perilous times, when the merest suggestion of witchcraft can see someone tortured and hanged, men like Andrew must hide well the fact they were born with the Sight.

He’ll need all his gifts, though, when the king sends Andrew north to find and arrest Sir David Murray, once Prince Henry’s trusted courtier, and bring him a prisoner to London to stand trial before the dreaded Star Chamber.

A story of treachery, betrayal and love�
]]> 512 Susanna Kearsley 1398514381 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.19 2024 The King's Messenger
author: Susanna Kearsley
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Ladder to the Sky 40400269
Working as a waiter in a West Berlin hotel in 1988, Maurice engineers the perfect opportunity: a chance encounter with celebrated novelist Erich Ackermann. He quickly ingratiates himself with the powerful � but desperately lonely � older man, teasing out of Erich a terrible, long-held secret about his activities during the war. Perfect material for Maurice’s first novel.

Once Maurice has had a taste of literary fame, he knows he can stop at nothing in pursuit of that high. Moving from the Amalfi Coast, where he matches wits with Gore Vidal, to Manhattan and London, Maurice hones his talent for deceit and manipulation, preying on the talented and vulnerable in his cold-blooded climb to the top. But the higher he climbs, the further he has to fall. . . .

Sweeping across the late twentieth century, A Ladder to the Sky is a fascinating portrait of a relentlessly immoral man, a tour de force of storytelling, and the next great novel from an acclaimed literary virtuoso.]]> 362 John Boyne 1984823019 Kathleen 0 to-read 4.18 2018 A Ladder to the Sky
author: John Boyne
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Throne of the Fallen (Prince of Sin, #1)]]> 73071451 Sinner. Villain. Wicked.

The Prince of Envy has never claimed to be a saint. But when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows it will take more than a hint of sin to win and save his falling demon court. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin like no other�

Virtuous. Darling. Liar.

The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows Waverly Green’s most notorious rake to blackmail her. To avoid a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Envy, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature...

Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Underworld—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm and beyond—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love.]]> 612 Kerri Maniscalco 031655751X Kathleen 3 fantasy, romantasy Cover is 5 Stars!!!

Less invested in Envy & Camilla than I was in Wrath & Emilia but maybe that makes perfect sense when the latter couple had a trilogy devoted to them and everything happened in one book for E & C.
The game they embarked on was intriguing but the connection between the two of them seemed more physical than emotional?? Maybe there just weren't enough pages for it to develop in one book?

The demon princes are interesting to me so I'm sure I'll continue the series to read all their depraved stories.]]> 4.00 2023 Throne of the Fallen (Prince of Sin, #1)
author: Kerri Maniscalco
name: Kathleen
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/29
date added: 2024/04/30
shelves: fantasy, romantasy
review:
3.5 Stars
Cover is 5 Stars!!!

Less invested in Envy & Camilla than I was in Wrath & Emilia but maybe that makes perfect sense when the latter couple had a trilogy devoted to them and everything happened in one book for E & C.
The game they embarked on was intriguing but the connection between the two of them seemed more physical than emotional?? Maybe there just weren't enough pages for it to develop in one book?

The demon princes are interesting to me so I'm sure I'll continue the series to read all their depraved stories.
]]>