en-US Mon, 10 Mar 2025 04:44:07 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 220326403 A Romantic Fantasy filled with forbidden love, plot twists, betrayal, banter, and a steamy love triangle.

Violet has lived her entire life in the Mountain Realm and has been in a secret relationship with Calum, the Sovereign of her realm, which is completely forbidden. The rule is Every Sovereign must marry from the royal bloodlines of the Seven Sovereigns.

When Calum is sent to the Night Realm to begin his engagement to the sister of the Night Realm＊s Sovereign, he promises Violet he will find a way out of the engagement and make his way back to her. Violet holds onto that promise until she finds herself in the Night Realm where she realizes everything isn＊t as true as she thought it was.

To make matters worse, the Sovereign of the Night Realm〞the most evil and vicious of them all〞has taken a strange liking to Violet and is quite curious about her rare heart condition which is something unheard of amongst fae.

Now Violet must navigate her way through the next several months as she fights an internal battle between her heart and her head.]]> 320 Lexi Hodges Diana 0 to-read 3.78
author: Lexi Hodges
name: Diana
average rating: 3.78
book published:
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date added: 2025/03/10
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]]> 217236276
When a brutal betrayal leaves twenty-eight-year-old Nell heartbroken, she makes a desperate plea for love〞offering anything in exchange. But when her bargain is answered by Enver, a cursed immortal bereft of emotions and memories, she is swept away to his timeless castle and presented with an impossible choice: escape his labyrinth within forty-eight hours or surrender to an eternity as his lover.

Despite the passion that burns hot between them, Nell refuses to become another of Enver＊s victims. She vows to face the labyrinth〞and his seduction〞head-on. But Enver embodies temptation, and every stolen moment with him leaves her craving more.

With every step deeper into the labyrinth, she uncovers not only hidden truths about herself and what she truly desires but also the forgotten secrets of its enigmatic ruler. With every touch, their connection deepens, and Nell begins to see beyond Enver＊s shadowed facade, realizing he may not be the monster he claims to be.

Torn between her desire for love and the dangerous being incapable of loving her, Nell must choose between her heart and her freedom〞or risk surrendering both to his darkness forever.

For fans of Labyrinth and Beauty and the Beast.]]> 532 Jordan Lynde Diana 0 to-read 3.75
author: Jordan Lynde
name: Diana
average rating: 3.75
book published:
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]]> 58785677 A spicy new twist on an old classic - a deliciously dark Beauty and the Beast reimagining.

I could save him, but he would ruin me.

The beast.
The creature that stalks the forbidden wood.
The dragon prince.

He has suffered a fate worse than death. We all have. A curse put upon us by the mad king.

We are a kingdom locked in time. Shifters unable to feel our animals. Stuck here by a deal between the late king and a demon who seeks our destruction.

The only one keeping this kingdom alive is Nyfain, the golden prince to a stolen throne. The last dragon shifter.

He＊s our hope.
He＊s my nightmare.

When he catches me trespassing in the forbidden wood, he doesn＊t punish me with death, as he＊s entitled.

He takes me, instead. Forces me back to the castle as his prisoner. Seeks to use me.

Apparently, I can save him. I can save the whole forgotten kingdom, locked away by the demon king＊s power.

But it would mean taming the monster beneath his skin. It would mean giving myself to him.

It would mean my ruin.

_ _ _ _ _ _

This is a dark and sexy Beauty and the Beast retelling, featuring a strong heroine, a dangerous anti-hero, and a humorous supporting cast. It is a full-length novel at 80k words and suitable for 18+. This is the beginning of a trilogy and ends on a cliffhanger. Buckle up. The author was let off her leash.]]> 386 K.F. Breene Diana 0 to-read 3.83 2021
author: K.F. Breene
name: Diana
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 75396525
There are no whispered words here. No condemnation for the blood that flows through my veins. The only animosity I face comes from the beautiful and infuriating Headmaster, Alaric Grayson Thorne, a man who despises me just as much as I loathe him and everything he stands for.

But that doesn＊t mean secrets don＊t threaten to tear the school in two. No one talks about the bloody massacre that forced it to close decades prior, only the opportunity it can afford to those fortunate enough to attend.

Because for the first time in fifty years, the Coven will open its wards to the Thirteen: thirteen promising students destined to change the world.

If the ghosts of Hollow＊s Groves＊ victims don＊t kill them first...

The Coven is book one in the Coven of Bones series and ends on a cliffhanger. This is a gothic, dark-academia, paranormal romance and includes elements that may be triggering to some listeners.]]> 298 Harper L. Woods Diana 0 to-read 3.73 2023
author: Harper L. Woods
name: Diana
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 140319698
※I will never understand why women let men decide if they get to be the villain or the victim in their story.§

In a world of talisman powers and magical rivalry, Jane finds herself playing many roles〞depending on the situation, she is either as soft as a rose petal or as lethal as the thorn. Swept deeper into a world of shadows and lies when her mentor, Baltazar sends her on a seemingly simple mission每donning the mask of dainty again, she finds herself fighting to maintain who she is beyond her pretty, painted exterior. The series of events to follow rip her in and out of her past, as she tries to move on from the unimaginable pain that led her to this life. Stealing from your soon-to-be fianc谷 is one hell of a wedding gift, but let＊s hope he never discovers she is dodging eyes, lies, and daggers〞while ensuring that not a hair is out of place for her royal obligations.

But＃what if half-truths can＊t prepare her for this life? And when the mission＊s cost is more than she bargained for〞her freedom and her life〞what if she doesn＊t want to pay the price? At least she still carries the favor of her loyal mare. And though her luck in love is not great, it is never hard for her to find some way to quench her thirst in her droughted kingdom. When her fianc谷 isn＊t lurking over his newest possession, she is easily entertained with her ex-lover and unwanted keeper. Entangled with a lost love, whose secrets threaten to undo everything she＊s worked towards, she has to manage the most daunting mission yet. An unfit marriage to the Mad King＊s son. Will the Cursed King＊s daughter survive?

※Looking into his eyes〞the same ones I pictured every time mine closed〞I wondered if things would have been different, if my mother had told me stories about great loves instead of tragic loss. But she hadn＊t. And though I lived in a world of royals, I knew that princes weren＊t noble, and that love didn＊t prevail.§

//CW: Violence (Graphic), Death, Mature Content, Mature Language, Sexual Content, Mental Abuse, Physical Abuse, Misogyny, Suicide (Mentioned), Sexual Assault (Mentioned), Death of a Parent, Child Abuse, Animal Death//]]> 436 Deanna Ortega Diana 0 to-read 3.34 2022
author: Deanna Ortega
name: Diana
average rating: 3.34
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
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]]> 59820919 Welcome to the city of Angelthene. We hope you survive.

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

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

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

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

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

Please note: This book contains darker content that might be triggering for some readers, including violence, mature language, sexual content, drug abuse, death of an animal (with a HEA), sexual harassment, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and suicide. It is not intended for anyone under the age of 18.]]> 760 Kayla Edwards 1777880734 Diana 0 to-read 3.68 2022
author: Kayla Edwards
name: Diana
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59531495 River of Shadows is an adult dark fantasy romance based on Finnish mythology and the underworld of Tuonela.

When 24-year old Hanna Heikkinen's estranged father dies, she reluctantly makes the trip to Northern Finland for his funeral. Being in the enchanting land of ice and snow feels miles away from Hanna's busy life back in Los Angeles, especially under the complicated circumstances.

But when Hanna discovers that her father's body is missing, that's when things really get weird. A mysterious man, Rasmus, tells Hanna the truth: her father was a powerful shaman who went into Tuonela, the Realm of the Dead, in order to barter for more life, and has been held captive by Tuoni, the God of Death. The only way her father can be freed is if she travels with Rasmus into the mythical underworld to rescue him.

Willing to do anything to have a second-chance with her father, Hanna accompanies Rasmus into the dark and bloody realm, traveling via the River of Shadows, stalked by dangerous creatures, monsters, and the living dead, until they finally come into the haunted kingdom ruled by Death and his family.

Only for her to be captured and held prisoner by the God of Death himself.

Turns out Death is intrigued by Hanna's beauty and fierceness and makes a bargain with her. If she marries him, and spends an eternity in the Realm of the Dead as his wife, he'll set her father free.

But even the most noble sacrifices come with hidden costs, and Hanna's might involve the most unexpected of all things: her heart.]]> 354 Karina Halle Diana 0 to-read 3.65 2022
author: Karina Halle
name: Diana
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
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]]> 60142646
A land where witches wear their spells like tattoos is no place for a woman without a single magical mark〞except for Raven, whose unblemished skin contradicts the truth of her power. Surviving under the scowls of her fellow witches has carved indelible scars into her mind over the years〞just as the day she watched the Dark King's men murder her grandmother in cold blood.

But the Dark King's reign of terror is far-reaching, and Raven's grandmother won't be the last witch to die under his rule. After the death of a coven leader heralds the start of the infamous Witch Trials, Raven finds herself dodging death to triumph. The journey quickly descends into perils far greater than she'd ever imagined, including a war on her heart from a man she＊d only ever known as a villain.

Still, trust is always fragile in kingdoms ruled by magic, especially when love enters the fold. Yet, something else is awry in the land of spells and shadows and Raven must decide whether she trusts her gut or her heart.

The Unmarked Witch is the first gripping book in the seductive and intriguing duology,Unmarked.

From the author of the heart-pounding fantasy series, Fae Rising comes this new darkly ambitious tale.]]> 421 Miranda Lyn 173683391X Diana 0 to-read 3.88 2022
author: Miranda Lyn
name: Diana
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61376722
Taken in as ward of Lord Drakon after her parents' slaughter. Forced to navigate a new life, trying to become what is required of her in a world so vastly different than what she had known.

Then Attica, Kingdom of the Wytchlings, moves to rise again. Territories long alienated are forced to unite. Secrets begin to unravel. Secrets that make her question everything.

She is Amylia Sylvers.
And she is about to show the world that even the most unexpected ＃
can burn the brightest.]]> 369 C.C. Davie 1991165803 Diana 0 to-read 3.80 2022
author: C.C. Davie
name: Diana
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 213812735
King Renwick rules the rival kingdom of Infernis, the land of the dead. When Oralia flees the palace of Aethera after her power is let loose with deadly results, he recognizes her potential as a weapon and aids her escape.

Oralia finds herself the prisoner of the man she has been taught to fear most, and Renwick is surprised to find there is more to this princess than her untamed powers. Despite the gulf of secrets and magic between them, Renwick can＊t deny the pull he feels towards her, and Oralia struggles to resist the one person who cannot only survive her touch, but craves it.

As Oralia uncovers the truth of her parentage and masters her magic, she will discover that the power to raze or save either Aethera or Infernis lies in her hands. War between the two kingdoms looms and she must decide who she can trust and which she wants more: power or love.]]> 388 Gillian Eliza West Diana 0 to-read 3.70
author: Gillian Eliza West
name: Diana
average rating: 3.70
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
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]]> 218471995 There is but one lesson humans are slow to learn and quick to forget: the fae lie＃

When half-fae Bronwyn is caught fleeing the scene of a robbery, a Crusader arrow finds its mark. But as her roguish partner-in-crime Eoin tends to her wounds, a spark between them replenishes Bronwyn＊s magic 〞 revealing her as part-Siren. And quite possibly cursed.

Meanwhile, word is spreading of the two thieves and the illegal magic they left behind them. To escape discovery, Bronwyn and Eoin accept a dangerous yet tempting a wedding heist that leads them into the depths of the fae realm.

But August, the merciless vampire lord of the Selen Court, is used to getting what 〞 and who 〞 he wants.

In a land of deception, seduction and meddling gods, Bronwyn puts her life on the line, only to discover temptation may be her undoing. And time is running out for her to make a choice, before she＊s stuck on the wrong side of a looming war.

The Curse of the Siren is a steamy, plot-driven romantasy with magic, political intrigue, and two tempting MMCs.]]> 447 S. E. Nielsen Diana 0 to-read 3.90
author: S. E. Nielsen
name: Diana
average rating: 3.90
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55504599
Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Fallon?who was taken far away from home shortly after she was born.?
A home that held more than strange traditions and bizarre superstitions.
Twenty-four years later, she returned to Weeping Hollow, a town she＊d only heard about in stories during restless nights under a marble moon, in the middle of the night to take care of her last living relative.?
They called the nosy mortician a freakshow每a ghastly thing.
They said I couldn＊t go near her.
Still, there was this aching pull to Fallon Grimaldi that I couldn＊t escape.
A nostalgic pull as if we＊d been here before.

Once upon a time, there lived a mysterious boy named Julian with a curse as old as centuries wrapped around his soul.?
He was one of the four Hollow Heathens, the very dark creatures who caused the town＊s people to live in fear.?
And the Blackwell name was stained with darkness and death.
They called him a monster. Cold and hollow.
They said I shouldn＊t go near him.
Still, there was this aching pull to Julian Blackwell that I couldn＊t escape.
A nostalgic pull as if we＊d been here before.?]]> 475 Nicole Fiorina 1735204722 Diana 0 to-read 3.85 2020
author: Nicole Fiorina
name: Diana
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 65214365
Long ago, the world was destroyed by gods. Only nine cities were spared. Separated by vast wilderness teeming with monsters and unimaginable dangers, each city is now ruled by a guardian求royalty who feed on mortal pleasure.

Born with an intuition that never fails, Calista knows her talents are of great value to the power-hungry of the world, so she lives hidden as a courtesan of the Baron of Archwood. In exchange for his protection, she grants him information.

When her intuition leads her to save a traveling prince in dire trouble, the voice inside her blazes with warning求and promise. Today he＊ll bring her joy. One day he'll be her doom.

When the Baron takes an interest in the traveling prince and the prince takes an interest in Calista, she becomes the prince＊s temporary companion. But the city simmers with rebellion, and with knights and monsters at her city gates and a hungry prince in her bed, intuition may not be enough to keep her safe.

Calista must follow her intuition to safety or follow her heart to her downfall.]]> 416 Jennifer L. Armentrout 1250750199 Diana 0 to-read 3.94 2023
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Diana
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 123349658
Rain of Shadows and Endings is book one in The Legacy Series and ends on a cliffhanger. This is new adult dark fantasy romance series and includes elements that may be triggering to some readers.]]> 670 Melissa K. Roehrich Diana 0 to-read 4.01 2023
author: Melissa K. Roehrich
name: Diana
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 124945529 I was the big man on campus.

Everything in my life was going exactly according to plan until a wrecking ball reminded me that there were more important things than touchdowns, booze, and pretty girls.

In the most turbulent time of my life, I felt lost and defeated until the moment my eyes landed on her.

Sophia Summers is everything I never knew I wanted. A sweet shot of sunshine in the unrelenting hurricane.

There＊s just one little problem. She doesn＊t trust in love, and she definitely doesn＊t trust me.

But I＊m a patient man, and she＊s worth waiting for. Soon she＊ll realize that I want every part of her〞the darkness, the light, and the shadows in between. I＊m already hers, whether she likes it or not.

No returns, no refunds.

This is the first novel in the Crystal Bay University series by Hailey Dickert.

Return Policy can be read as a standalone; however, since Sophia is a side character from Dickert's first novel The Sister Between Us, it is suggested to read that first for the best reader experience.]]> 446 Hailey Dickert Diana 0 to-read 3.85 2023
author: Hailey Dickert
name: Diana
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 30226723
Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country〞and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire〞leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.]]> 520 Victoria Aveyard 0062310712 Diana 2 3.91 2017
author: Victoria Aveyard
name: Diana
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2017
rating: 2
read at: 2018/07/30
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: english, ya-fantasy, romantasy
review:

]]> 22328546 This is a world divided by blood〞red or silver.

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

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

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

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance〞Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.]]> 388 Victoria Aveyard 0062310631 Diana 3 3.98 2015
author: Victoria Aveyard
name: Diana
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: english, ya-fantasy, romantasy
review:

]]> 23174274 If there＊s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it＊s that she＊s different.

Mare Barrow＊s blood is red〞the color of common folk〞but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince〞the friend〞who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they＊ve always known〞and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.]]> 444 Victoria Aveyard 0062310666 Diana 2 3.79 2016
author: Victoria Aveyard
name: Diana
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2018/07/12
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: english, ya-fantasy, romantasy
review:

]]> 16102004 An ambitious intern. A perfectionist executive. And a whole lot of name calling.

Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He's exacting, blunt, inconsiderate〞and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.

Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family's massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who'd been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative〞completely infuriating〞creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he's never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe's so tempting he's willing to bend the rules〞or outright smash them〞if it means he can have her. All over the office.

As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they're willing to lose in order to win each other.

Originally only available online as The Office by tby789 〞 and garnering over 2 million reads on fanfiction sites 〞 Beautiful Bastard has been extensively updated for re-release.]]> 271 Christina Lauren 1476730105 Diana 3 3.91 2013
author: Christina Lauren
name: Diana
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2018/07/12
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: english, contemporary, adult, romance
review:

]]> 50659467
At least, he＊s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she＊s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin〞and his world〞forever.

From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.]]> 419 Sarah J. Maas 1635575567 Diana 4 new-adult, romantasy
The first chapters were kinda annoying cuz her family was literally annoying. I get it. But it was annoying nevertheless.

I have to be honest and say that Tamlin is fine but he＊s not my type ]]> 4.16 2015
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Diana
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/06
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: new-adult, romantasy
review:
Omg I literally devoured this book, it made me laugh, giggle, startle, and all in all it was pretty amazing.

The first chapters were kinda annoying cuz her family was literally annoying. I get it. But it was annoying nevertheless.

I have to be honest and say that Tamlin is fine but he＊s not my type
]]> 52735921 Two sisters.
One brutal murder.
A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself...
And an intoxicating romance.

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe - witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family's renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin...desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister's killer and to seek vengeance at any cost〞even if it means using dark magic that's been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked〞princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia's side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women's murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems...]]> 372 Kerri Maniscalco 0316428469 Diana 3 english, new-adult, romantasy 2nd read: 3.87 2020
author: Kerri Maniscalco
name: Diana
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/10
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: english, new-adult, romantasy
review:
2nd read:
]]> 52772417
She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her beloved sister, Vittoria... even if that means accepting the hand of the Prince of Pride, the king of demons.

The first rule in the court of the Wicked? Trust no one. With back-stabbing princes, luxurious palaces, mysterious party invitations, and conflicting clues about who really killed her twin, Emilia finds herself more alone than ever before. Can she even trust Wrath, her one-time ally in the mortal world... or is he keeping dangerous secrets about his true nature?

Emilia will be tested in every way as she seeks a series of magical objects that will unlock the clues of her past and the answers she craves...

One sister.
Two sinful princes.
Infinite deception with a side of revenge＃ Welcome to Hell.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author of Stalking Jack the Ripper Kerri Maniscalco comes the sizzling, sweepingly romantic sequel to Kingdom of the Wicked!]]> 437 Kerri Maniscalco 1529350506 Diana 4 2nd read: 4.09 2021
author: Kerri Maniscalco
name: Diana
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/11
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: english, fantasy, new-adult, romantasy
review:
2nd read:
]]> 58470171
When a high-ranking member of House Greed is assassinated, Emilia and Wrath are drawn to the rival demon court. Damning evidence points to Vittoria as the murderer and she＊s quickly declared an enemy of the Seven Circles. Despite her betrayal, Emilia will do anything to solve this new mystery and find out who her sister really is.

Together Emilia and Wrath play a sin-fueled game of deception as they work to stop the unrest that＊s brewing between witches, demons, shape-shifters and the most treacherous foes of all: the Feared.

Emilia was warned that when it came to the Wicked nothing was as it seemed. But, have the true villains been much closer all along? When the truth is finally revealed, it just might end up costing Emilia her heart.

Two curses.
One prophecy.
A reckoning all have feared.

And a love more powerful than fate. All hail the king and queen of Hell.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stalking the Jack the Ripper series comes the steamy conclusion to Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy.]]> 417 Kerri Maniscalco 0316342084 Diana 4 3.85 2022
author: Kerri Maniscalco
name: Diana
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/16
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: ebook, english, new-adult, romantasy
review:

]]> 56483061 The fae abandoned this world to us. And the ones with power rule.

Gold.

Gold floors, gold walls, gold furniture, gold clothes. In Highbell, in the castle built into the frozen mountains, everything is made of gold.

Even me.

King Midas rescued me. Dug me out of the slums and placed me on a pedestal. I＊m called his precious. His favored. I＊m the woman he Gold-Touched to show everyone that I belong to him. To show how powerful he is. He gave me protection, and I gave him my heart. And even though I don＊t leave the confines of the palace, I＊m safe.

Until war comes to the kingdom and a deal is struck.

Suddenly, my trust is broken. My love is challenged. And I realize that everything I thought I knew about Midas might be wrong.

Because these bars I＊m kept in, no matter how gilded, are still just a cage. But the monsters on the other side might make me wish I＊d never left.

The myth of King Midas reimagined. This compelling adult fantasy series is as addictive as it is unexpected. With romance, intrigue, and danger, the gilded world of Orea will grip you from the very first page.

Please Note: This book contains explicit content and darker elements, including mature language, violence, and rape. It is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age. This is book one in a series.

An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.]]> 402 Raven Kennedy Diana 1
The writing was bad and repetitive. Auren hasn't had one single moment of character development in my opinion.

Midas is also insane. And not in an "entertaining for the plot" type of insane. He's just a man-child.

At this point, I'm not even curious to see what happens next. If I, by some miracle, or out of boredom decide to read the second book, I'll make an edit on this post saying if it was worth it or not. Right now, I'll just take it as a lesson; "How to not write a book".]]> 3.60 2020
author: Raven Kennedy
name: Diana
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at: 2024/04/30
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: ebook, english, dark-romance, new-adult, romantasy
review:
I really didn't care for it.

The writing was bad and repetitive. Auren hasn't had one single moment of character development in my opinion.

Midas is also insane. And not in an "entertaining for the plot" type of insane. He's just a man-child.

At this point, I'm not even curious to see what happens next. If I, by some miracle, or out of boredom decide to read the second book, I'll make an edit on this post saying if it was worth it or not. Right now, I'll just take it as a lesson; "How to not write a book".
]]> 60714999 Human or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always 每 always 每 guard your heart.

The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.

But winning won＊t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival.

Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father＊s crown＃ and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him.

But there＊s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone 每 but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night is the first book in a new series of heart-wrenching romance, dark magic, and bloodthirsty intrigue, perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.]]> 504 Carissa Broadbent Diana 3 3 4.30 2022
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: Diana
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/04
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: ebook, english, new-adult, romantasy
review:
3
]]> 50659468
Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she's now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.

As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre's hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future-and the future of a world in turmoil.

Bestselling author Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her dazzling, sexy, action-packed series to new heights.]]> 626 Sarah J. Maas 1635575583 Diana 5 4.65 2016
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Diana
average rating: 4.65
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2023/09/18
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: 5-stars, english, new-adult, romantasy
review:
Better than the first book for sure
]]> 50659472 The epic third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's actions and learn what she can about the invading king threatening to bring her land to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit. One slip could bring doom not only for Feyre, but for everything-and everyone-she holds dear.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre endeavors to take her place amongst the High Fae of the land, balancing her struggle to master her powers-both magical and political-and her love for her court and family. Amidst these struggles, Feyre and Rhysand must decide whom to trust amongst the cunning and lethal High Lords, and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the fate of Feyre's world is at stake as armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy it.]]> 699 Sarah J. Maas 1635575605 Diana 4 english, new-adult, romantasy 4 stars 4.47 2017
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Diana
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/01
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: english, new-adult, romantasy
review:
4 stars
]]> 50659471
Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, her concern for those dearest to her deepens. They have more wounds than she anticipated-scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.

Bridging the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin with the later books in the series, A Court of Frost and Starlight explores the far-reaching effects of a devastating war and the fierce love between friends.]]> 272 Sarah J. Maas 1635575621 Diana 3 english, new-adult, romantasy 3 3.69 2019
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Diana
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2023/11/22
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: english, new-adult, romantasy
review:
3
]]> 59440711 Sarah J. Maas's sexy, richly imagined series continues with the journey of Feyre's fiery sister, Nesta.

Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.

The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.

Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.

Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other's arms.]]> 784 Sarah J. Maas 1635577993 Diana 4 english, new-adult, romantasy I loved this book, and loved the fact that the focus was on them.

For my own personal taste, I would have preferred a little more anger than what she was already expressing, rather than withdrawal and silence. I don't know how to explain it, but her rage was milder than I thought it would be.

I am also not a fan of Feyre's pregnancy, and the fact that Nesta had to give up everything for her. But again, I started disliking Feyre ever since book 3, and that dislike just grew. And Rhysand gets on my nerves for keeping it all from Feyre, and his just overprotective attitude is suffocating me.]]> 4.53 2021
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Diana
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/11
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: english, new-adult, romantasy
review:
I think ever since the third book, Nesta just slowly became my favorite character.
I loved this book, and loved the fact that the focus was on them.

For my own personal taste, I would have preferred a little more anger than what she was already expressing, rather than withdrawal and silence. I don't know how to explain it, but her rage was milder than I thought it would be.

I am also not a fan of Feyre's pregnancy, and the fact that Nesta had to give up everything for her. But again, I started disliking Feyre ever since book 3, and that dislike just grew. And Rhysand gets on my nerves for keeping it all from Feyre, and his just overprotective attitude is suffocating me.
]]> 75513900 She is the very thing he＊s spent his whole life hunting.
He is the very thing she＊s spent her whole life 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 in order 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 overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas 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 Diana 3 3.5 4.17 2023
author: Lauren Roberts
name: Diana
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: ebook, english, romantasy, ya-fantasy
review:
3.5
]]> 62685652
Reyna was born a valuable slave to the Gold Court, imprisoned her whole life in a glittering palace by sadistic, greedy fae.
When the palace is raided, she takes her opportunity to escape. But the raid is led by her worst nightmare. The Prince of the most feared fae of all; the Shadow Court. And he wants one thing.
Her. The copper-haired, rune-marked human.

Reyna doesn＊t know why the Prince has kidnapped her. But when he announces her as his betrothed, she knows that she must escape before she is eternally bound to the monster behind the mask.
Only, when he takes the mask off, he isn＊t what she expects. He＊s lethal, beautiful and exudes sin. And he needs her.

Drawn into a deadly world shrouded in secrets, and desperate to keep her own hidden, Reyna must find a way out. If she doesn＊t, she risks more than just death. She risks giving everything to her intoxicating captor.

This is the first book in the Shadow Bound Queen series, and is inspired by Norse mythology and Vikings. Sexy fae Vikings. It has Hades and Persephone, Beauty and the Beast vibes, and is slow-burn enemies to lovers fantasy romance with a burn-the-world-down-for-her hero. The series builds in steam and is filled with magic, myth, and delicious tension.

Brides of Mist and Fae is a brand new world from Eliza Raine, unconnected to the Dark Gods of Olympus.]]> 312 Eliza Raine Diana 0 to-read 3.89 2022
author: Eliza Raine
name: Diana
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 137630640 0 Michel Houellebecq Diana 0 to-read 3.63 2015
author: Michel Houellebecq
name: Diana
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 44451887
In a world where demons feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryoma Sukuna were lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna＊s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of Jujutsu Sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the undead!

Yuji Itadori is high schooler who spends his days visiting his bedridden grandfather. Although he looks like your average teenager, his immense physical strength is something to behold! Every sports club wants him to join, but Itadori would rather hang out with the school outcasts in the Occult Club. One day, the club manages to get their hands on a sealed cursed object, but little do they know the terror they＊ll unleash when they break the seal...?]]> 192 Gege Akutami 1974710025 Diana 0 manga 4.31 2018
author: Gege Akutami
name: Diana
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2021/01/01
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: manga
review:

]]> 35068705
When Rin aced the Keju〞the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies〞it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn＊t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin＊s guardians, who believed they＊d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard〞the most elite military school in Nikan〞was even more surprising.

But surprises aren＊t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power〞an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive〞and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Rin＊s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.]]> 545 R.F. Kuang 0062662597 Diana 0 to-read 4.16 2018
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Diana
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 128123545 He＊s coming for you.

Death is meant to come on a chariot of broken dreams or in the dark trenches of a storm, not in love letters and gifts.

He did not take my soul when I was meant to die. He did not want it all the other times that I＊ve offered it to him on a silver platter. Yet, time and time again, he reminds me that I am his: His night monster, his dark love, his perfect other.

Death was the only thing keeping me alive. He watches me from his corner, taunts me with sweet messages, marks my body with his touch as I sleep.

He took the people that I love away from me. Still, no one believed me when I said that I saw the faceless man on the night of the accident.

No one can escape death.

Me? I＊m chasing it.]]> 178 Avina St. Graves Diana 0 to-read 3.38 2023
author: Avina St. Graves
name: Diana
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 218260239
She＊s also my ex-girlfriend.

The first time I saw her after ten years apart, I slammed into the plexiglass minutes before our game was set to begin. The second time I threw up. But third time＊s a charm apparently because as my fianc谷e and I walked into an appointment to meet the woman hired to plan our nuptials每there she was again.

Obviously, I did what any smart man would do每I called off the wedding.

I don＊t have a plan per se, other than winning back the only girl I＊ve ever loved.

As a future hall of famer and one of the best centers hockey has ever seen, I know a thing or two about winning, but convincing Lennox Kennedy to give this hockey boy another chance might just be the challenge of a lifetime and this game I＊m playing may turn out to be nothing but a pucking disaster.]]> 490 Brittanee Nicole Diana 0 to-read 4.07
author: Brittanee Nicole
name: Diana
average rating: 4.07
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 205474305 Her ex-boyfriend's older brother is the king of Silicon Avenue. And he needs a fake fianc谷e...

Hannah's ex is a womanizing cheater, and she has just the plan to get over him.

Upgrade.

To the mysterious man she meets at a club who agrees to a one-night stand.

But following the hottest night of her life, it's the same smoldering green eyes she stares into across an interview table.

Damien Bass

The dirty-talking, possessive tech-mogul says he needs a personal assistant.

But the position comes with one small caveat.

To be his fake fianc谷e.

Inside Job is the first book of the Silicon Billionaires series, each an interconnected standalone that follows a hot tech-mogul and the fiery romance that bring them to their knees. They do not need to be read in order, but expect some characters/couples to have cameos in future books.

WARNING: This book contains a possessive, dirty-talking, morally-gray hero. Readers should expect sexually explicit content, angst and profanity. There is dual POV, NO cheating, and a guaranteed HEA. ]]> 396 Alexis Knightly Diana 0 to-read 3.62
author: Alexis Knightly
name: Diana
average rating: 3.62
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 218690556 I never intended to set foot in Smoky Heights again.

But when I learn my mom has less than a year to live, I swallow my pride and return to help her through her final months. My plan is stay focused, avoid the past, and most importantly, steer clear of Wyatt Grady〞my first love and the person I hurt the worst when I left.

But fate has other ideas. One unfortunate encounter is all it takes to remind me that the chemistry between us is as electric as ever, reigniting old desires and emotions I thought I＊d buried for good. What starts as a reluctant reunion quickly turns into something far more complicated. Before I know it, we＊re in too deep, with a pact to keep things strictly physical.

Soon enough, he＊s becoming the best part about my visit to this small mountain town we both grew up in. All we need to do is keep feelings out of the equation, but as old sparks reignite, that becomes harder and harder to stick to, and I can＊t help wondering if I made the wrong choice all those years ago.

Rekindling the Flame is a touching story of redemption, rekindled love, and the power of forgiveness. It is a standalone with a happily ever after, and has enough spice to start a food truck.

________________________________________________



Small town romance
Second chance romance
Hookup pact
※If it wasn＊t you, it wasn＊t anyone.§
City girl goes back to the mountains]]> 401 Madison Myers Diana 0 to-read 4.14
author: Madison Myers
name: Diana
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 1772910 82 Fyodor Dostoevsky Diana 0 currently-reading 4.16 1848
author: Fyodor Dostoevsky
name: Diana
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1848
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 395922 Searching for the ultimate thrill, she vowed to have Stefan. Stefan
Haunted by his tragic past, he struggled to resist her passion. Damon
Driven by revenge, he hunted the brother who betrayed him. The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.]]> 253 L.J. Smith 0061020001 Diana 0 currently-reading 3.40 1991
author: L.J. Smith
name: Diana
average rating: 3.40
book published: 1991
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 219684304 Horror Romance meets science fiction in this dark and delicious gothic psychological thriller by NYT bestseller Karina Halle, perfect for fans of Gothikana, Ninth House, and Mexican Gothic.



Aspiring mycologist Sydney Denik is getting a second chance. When a dream opportunity presents itself with a prestigious foundation doing promising Alzheimer＊s research, Sydney leaves the shambles of her old life to join a dozen other grad students at an isolated lodge hidden away in a remote, fog-shrouded inlet on Vancouver Island.


But the Madrona Foundation harbors more than brilliant minds. Everyone around her is hiding a terrible secret〞including the resident psychologist she＊s falling in love with. A student disappears, and no one but Sydney seems to care. Ghosts walk the halls. Snow falls in the middle of summer. Dead animals move like the living. The more Sydney uncovers about the foundation, the more she begins to question her own sanity. And if Sydney isn＊t going mad, then the horrors in the surrounding forest are real, and the Madrona Foundation may be the biggest monster of all.


NOTE: This will be a live release on Amazon for paperback, ebook and hardcover on October 23rd 2024. The paperback and ebook cover is different from the case-laminate and dustjacket hardcovers. This is a standalone novel. Check content warnings inside the book or author's IG closer to publication.]]> Karina Halle Diana 0 to-read 3.98 2024
author: Karina Halle
name: Diana
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 35702241
1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King＊s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she＊s going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra＊s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen〞all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?]]> 326 Tricia Levenseller 1250189969 Diana 0 to-read 3.82 2020
author: Tricia Levenseller
name: Diana
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58175788 Free the crows, Fallon, and they will make you queen.

Until an oracle predicted my regal future, I＊d never imagined myself rising above the curve of my round ears. After all, I was the magicless halfling loved by beasts but loathed by every pure-blooded faerie at court. Well... by all but one.

Dante Regio, prince of Luce, had owned my heart since he gave me my first kiss. If gathering a slew of iron relics could help me overthrow the current monarch and crown his brother to rule at my side, then treasure hunting I＊d go.

If only the oracle had warned me what winged demon I was releasing into the world.

And that I＊d become this demon＊s obsession.

Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Mary E. Pearson will devour this epic fantasy romance full of deceit, betrayal, and false loves that could swallow a person whole.]]> 490 Olivia Wildenstein 1948463555 Diana 0 to-read 3.95 2022
author: Olivia Wildenstein
name: Diana
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 191755077 Ten women. A deadly contest. Only one can win the Sun King's heart.

Lor has endured twelve long years of torment under the Aurora King＊s rule. Her only desire is to escape and pay him back for every moment of misery she's endured.

When a surprise release finds her in the hands of the rival Sun King, Lor is thrust into the spotlight as she competes against nine other Tributes for the role of queen. If she wins his heart, she'll earn her freedom and finally get her revenge.

But Lor doesn't belong in the Sun Queen Trials. Not only does she not understand why she was freed, she isn＊t a citizen of the Sun King＊s court. The other Tributes resent her presence and will stop at nothing to ensure Lor is removed from the competition, permanently.

Now Lor must win, because if she loses, she dies. Or worse, she'll be returned to the evil〞and now vengeful〞Aurora King.]]> 400 Nisha J. Tuli 1538767481 Diana 0 to-read 3.81 2023
author: Nisha J. Tuli
name: Diana
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58340706
Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder〞she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.

But nothing comes for free, especially magic.

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. And the highwayman? He just so happens to be the King＊s nephew, Captain of the most dangerous men in Blunder＃and guilty of high treason.

Together they must gather twelve Providence Cards〞the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.]]> 399 Rachel Gillig 0316312487 Diana 0 to-read 4.26 2022
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Diana
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211081101
The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara's homeland. So when she＊s sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king.

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

Passionate and violent, The Bridge Kingdom is a seductive fantasy perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.]]> 448 Danielle L. Jensen 0593975189 Diana 0 to-read 4.01 2018
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Diana
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 208930983 In the underground Fae realm, only the strongest and most ruthless have power〞but a young human woman forced into a life of servitude is about to change everything.

Kenna Heron is best known in her village for being a little wild〞some say ※half feral§〞but she＊ll need every ounce of that ferocity to survive captivity in the cruel Fae court.

Trapped as a servant in the faeries＊ underground kingdom of Mistei, Kenna must help her new mistress undertake six deadly trials, one for each branch of magic: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood. If she succeeds, her mistress will gain immortality and become the heir to Earth House. If she doesn＊t, the punishment is death〞for both mistress and servant.

With no ally but a sentient dagger of mysterious origins, Kenna must face monsters, magic, and grueling physical tests. But worse dangers wait underground, and soon Kenna gets caught up in a secret rebellion against the inventively sadistic faerie king. When her feelings for the rebellion＊s leader turn passionate, Kenna must decide if she＊s willing to risk her life for a better world and a chance at happiness.

Surviving the trials and overthrowing a tyrant king will take cunning, courage, and an iron will... but even that may not be enough.]]> 451 Sarah Hawley 0593819799 Diana 0 to-read 4.21 2024
author: Sarah Hawley
name: Diana
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/12
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]]> 209192695 From the bestselling author of Norwegian Wood and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World comes a love story, a quest, an ode to books and to the libraries that house them, and a parable for our peculiar times.

We begin with a nameless young couple: a boy and a girl, teenagers in love. One day, she disappears . . . and her absence haunts him for the rest of his life.

Thus begins a search for this lost love that takes the man into middle age and on a journey between the real world and an other world〞a mysterious, perhaps imaginary, walled town where unicorns roam, where a Gatekeeper determines who can enter and who must remain behind, and where shadows become untethered from their selves. Listening to his own dreams and premonitions, the man leaves his life in Tokyo behind and ventures to a small mountain town, where he becomes the head librarian, only to learn the mysterious circumstances surrounding the gentleman who had the job before him. As the seasons pass and the man grows more uncertain about the porous boundaries between these two worlds, he meets a strange young boy who helps him to see what he＊s been missing all along.

The City and Its Uncertain Walls is a singular and towering achievement by one of modern literature＊s most important writers.]]> 449 Haruki Murakami 0593801970 Diana 0 to-read 3.73 2023
author: Haruki Murakami
name: Diana
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/12
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]]> 195791479 Save one world. Doom her own.

From the acclaimed author of The Deep Sky comes a thrilling anti-colonial space heist to save an alien civilization.

Maya Hoshimoto was once the best art thief in the galaxy. For ten years, she returned stolen artifacts to alien civilizations〞until a disastrous job forced her into hiding. Now she just wants to enjoy a quiet life as a graduate student of anthropology, but she＊s haunted by persistent and disturbing visions of the future.

Then an old friend comes to her with a job she can＊t refuse: find a powerful object that could save an alien species from extinction. Except no one has seen it in living memory, and they aren＊t the only ones hunting for it.

Maya sets out on a breakneck quest through a universe teeming with strange life and ancient ruins. But the farther she goes, the more her visions cast a dark shadow over her team of friends new and old. Someone will betray her along the way. Worse yet, in choosing to save one species, she may condemn humanity and Earth itself.

--

Content warnings are available at the author's website (see author bio).]]> 312 Yume Kitasei 1250875374 Diana 0 to-read 3.64 2024
author: Yume Kitasei
name: Diana
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/12
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]]> 127278666 Some people think foxes are similar to ghosts because we go around collecting qi, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . .

Manchuria, 1908.
In the last years of the dying Qing Empire, a courtesan is found frozen in a doorway. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and handsome men. Bao, a detective with an uncanny ability to sniff out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman＊s identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods, yet they＊ve remained tantalizingly out of reach〞until, perhaps, now.

Meanwhile, a family who owns a famous Chinese medicine shop can cure ailments but can＊t escape the curse that afflicts them〞their eldest sons die before their twenty-fourth birthdays. When a disruptively winsome servant named Snow enters their household, the family＊s luck seems to change〞or does it?

Snow is a creature of many secrets, but most of all she＊s a mother seeking vengeance for her lost child. Hunting a murderer, she will follow the trail from northern China to Japan, while Bao follows doggedly behind. Navigating the myths and misconceptions of fox spirits, both Snow and Bao will encounter old friends and new foes, even as more deaths occur.

New York Times bestselling author Yangsze Choo brilliantly explores a world of mortals and spirits, humans and beasts, and their dazzling intersection. Epic in scope and full of singular, unforgettable characters, The Fox Wife is a stunning novel about old loves and second chances, the depths of maternal love, and ancient folktales that may very well be true.]]> 390 Yangsze Choo 1250266017 Diana 0 to-read 3.97 2024
author: Yangsze Choo
name: Diana
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> 122779502
The day I meet him, the ruthless mercenary leaves me for dead.

Just hours after humans are born, the gods take what little power we have. In return, they protect our borders from the vicious, merciless fae.

The humans who manage to keep their power are known as the corrupt.
And they are burned.

When my forbidden power is discovered, I＊m forced to flee my tiny village and the life I adore.

To survive, I make a desperate bargain with the mercenary who abandoned me at my weakest.

Our deal is simple: I＊ll help him and his mysterious friends sneak into the city. And he＊ll help me learn to wield the strange, dark power I＊ve always kept hidden. The power that may just be the key to my survival.

But the ruthless mercenary is hiding secrets of his own. Secrets that threaten the safety of everyone I love. Secrets that could tear this kingdom〞and perhaps even this world〞apart.

Please note: A Court This Cruel and Lovely is an NA/adult romantasy book with steam. While this series is slow burn, the chili pepper rating will increase for each book.]]> 562 Stacia Stark Diana 0 to-read 4.10 2023
author: Stacia Stark
name: Diana
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/12
shelves: to-read
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]]> 157981739
When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran＊s exile from the Elven lands, they are both forced into the terrifying wilderness beyond their borders. There they encounter the the fae court.

The fae haven＊t been seen for a millennium. But now Yeeran and Lettle are thrust into their seductive world 每 torn between their loyalty to each other, their elven homeland, and their hearts. . .]]> 386 Saara El-Arifi 0593723007 Diana 0 to-read 3.53 2024
author: Saara El-Arifi
name: Diana
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> 217206125 The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst＊s romantasy debut每a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz〞a magically sentient spider plant〞have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire＊s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city＊s elite.

When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she＊d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy〞and very handsome〞neighbor who can＊t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she＊s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn＊t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.

But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island＊s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.]]> 377 Sarah Beth Durst 1250333970 Diana 0 to-read 3.99 2024
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Diana
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> 62335396 Love is a sacrifice at the altar of power.

In the wake of the Kejari, everything Oraya once thought to be true has been destroyed. A prisoner in her own kingdom, grieving the only family she ever had, and reeling from a gutting betrayal, she no longer even knows the truth of her own blood. She＊s left only with one certainty: she cannot trust anyone, least of all Raihn.

The House of Night, too, is surrounded by enemies. Raihn＊s own nobles are none too eager to accept a Turned king, especially one who was once a slave. And the House of Blood digs their claws into the kingdom, threatening to tear it apart from the inside.

When Raihn offers Oraya a secret alliance, taking the deal is her only chance at reclaiming her kingdom每and gaining her vengeance against the lover who betrayed her. But to do so, she＊ll need to harness a devastating ancient power, intertwined with her father＊s greatest secrets.

But with enemies closing in on all sides, nothing is as it seems. As she unravels her past and faces her future, Oraya finds herself forced to choose between the bloody reality of seizing power 每 and the devastating love that could be her downfall.]]> 626 Carissa Broadbent Diana 0 currently-reading 4.10 2023
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: Diana
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/12
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]]> 210134467 New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, Songbird and the Heart of Stone, where A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante's Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods. Features beautiful case art and a detailed map.

In the descent to the underworld, a bride of the sun must choose between the light of her redemption＃ or a dark love that defies the gods themselves

Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire 每 her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who Turned her, redemption feels impossible.

But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she＊s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself.

Yet, Mische＊s punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him＃ by killing the very death god she＊ll help resurrect.

Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness 每 and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods.

As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in and angry gods are growing restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.]]> 498 Carissa Broadbent Diana 0 to-read 4.03 2024
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: Diana
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/11
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]]> 202452565 Una Hartstone, Princess of Issos, learns the price the Wraith King demands to end the war once and for all. Her. In exchange for the safety of her people, she agrees to give her life〞and her body〞to her greatest enemy.

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

A mystery that has haunted Una for years awakens when she is abducted and dragged back to N?kt Mir. The palace hides many dark secrets＃and at least one traitor. A traitor determined to take King Goll＊s throne〞and all he possesses. What he doesn＊t know is that Una＊s magick is more powerful than he can imagine, and that Goll will burn the whole world to save her.]]> 452 Juliette Cross Diana 0 to-read 3.65 2024
author: Juliette Cross
name: Diana
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/30
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]]> 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 每 or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?]]> 550 Helen Scheuerer 1922903027 Diana 0 to-read 4.20 2023
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Diana
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> 59986018 A thousand years ago, Dianna gave up her life in the deserts of Eoria to save her dying sister. She called upon anyone who would listen, not expecting a monster far worse than any nightmare to answer. Now she does what Kaden asks, even if that means securing an ancient relic from the very creatures that hunt her.

A King thought long dead and long forgotten.
In the old world his name was Samkiel. In the new world it is Liam, but one title remains true throughout time. He is the World Ender, a myth to his enemies, a savior and King to those loyal to him. After the Gods War, he locked himself away, hiding from the world. He denied his crown and responsibilities, leaving the very ones who needed him most to deal with the fallout of the death of their homeworld. Now an attack on those he holds dear sends him back to the one realm he never wished to visit again and into the sights of an enemy he thought imprisoned eons ago.

Now enemies older than time must put aside their differences and work together in hopes of saving both their world and every realm in between.]]> 572 Amber V. Nicole Diana 0 to-read 4.07 2022
author: Amber V. Nicole
name: Diana
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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]]> 50607309 ※All magic is beautiful,§ she said, ※and terrible. Do you not see the beauty in yours, or the terror in mine? You can stop a heart, and I can stop your breath.§

She is heir to a Sultanate that once ruled the world. He is an unwanted prince with the power to destroy.

She is order and intellect, a woman fit to rule in a man's place. He is chaos and violence and will stop at nothing to protect his people.

His magic answers hers with shadow for light. They need each other, but the cost of balance may be too high a price. Magic is dying and the only way to save it is to enlist mages who wield the forbidden power of death, mages cast out centuries ago in a brutal and bloody war.

Now, a new war is coming. Science and machines to replace magic and old religion.

They must find a way to save their people from annihilation and balance the sacred Wheel〞but first, they will have to balance their own forbidden passion. His peace for her tempest, his restlessness for her calm＃

Night and day, dusk and dawn, the end, and the beginning. ]]> 420 J.D. Evans 1951607015 Diana 0 to-read 4.17 2020
author: J.D. Evans
name: Diana
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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]]> 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 Diana 0 to-read 4.35 2024
author: Callie Hart
name: Diana
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> 136470356 A dark, atmospheric tale of deadly secrets and forbidden love.

Mortui vivos docent.
The dead teach the living.

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

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

And restless ghosts aren＊t even its most daunting peculiarity.

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

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

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

Nocticadia is a standalone dark academia gothic romance.]]> 682 Keri Lake Diana 0 to-read 4.23 2023
author: Keri Lake
name: Diana
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> 46261182 This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN B07SV21LFY

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

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

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

Air. Fire. Water. Earth.

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

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

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

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

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

Today's horoscope: totally screwed.]]> 436 Caroline Peckham Diana 0 to-read 3.81 2019
author: Caroline Peckham
name: Diana
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/29
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]]> 123471760 When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn.

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

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

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

Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers epic is perfect for lovers of magic, dragons, angst, and banter and will appeal to fans of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, Gild, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 438 Penn Cole Diana 0 to-read 4.20 2023
author: Penn Cole
name: Diana
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
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]]> 204593914 Caraval meets Throne of the Fallen in this spicy dark romantasy where a necromancer needs help from a dangerous phantom to win a deadly competition, only to find their partnership puts her at risk of breaking the game＊s most vital rule: don't fall in love.

When Ophelia and her sister discovers their mother brutally murdered, there is no time to grieve: Ophelia has inherited both her powerful death-driven magic and enormous debt on their home. Circumstances go from dire to deadly, however, when Ophelia＊s sister decides to pay off the loan by entering Phantasma〞a competition where most contestants don＊t make it out alive and the winner is granted a single wish.

The only way to save her sister is to compete. But Phantasma is a cursed manor, with twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, and filled with enticing demons and fatal temptations. Ophelia will need to face nine floors of challenges to win... if her fears don＊t overtake her first.

When a charming, arrogant stranger claims he can protect and guide Ophelia, she knows she shouldn＊t trust him. While Blackwell may not seem dangerous, appearances can be deceptive. But with her sister＊s life on the line, Ophelia can＊t afford to turn him away. She just needs to ignore the overwhelming, dark attraction drawing them closer and closer together.

Because in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart.]]> 497 Kaylie Smith 1538769255 Diana 0 to-read 4.06 2024
author: Kaylie Smith
name: Diana
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
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]]> 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 Diana 0 to-read 3.97 2016
author: Stephanie Garber
name: Diana
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/29
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]]> 210966754 The dragons are lost.
The elements are at war. Enlisting isn＊t optional.
And I＊m falling for a man who wants me dead.

I＊m a wielder of hearts and summoner of corruption. Heir to nothing and born to a fool in the wrong damn month.

But I＊m also one of only two Fae in this divided land of hellions who might be starting to see through the lies we＊ve swallowed for so long.

In the year we turn twenty-one, conscripts from across the warring nations of air, fire, earth and water are sent to Never Keep 每 the only place in our besieged continent where our magic can be Awakened.

But something is wrong inside Never Keep. Something which might extend far beyond the reaches of this desolate fortress. Within the gothic walls of this frigid castle in the snow, we＊re left to hold our own against the brutal Fae from the opposing lands.

The Reapers are merciless. The Royals are lying. The Werewolves run rampant and Vampires roam the wastelands in bloodthirsty covens. But even though death lurks in every shadow of the Keep, it＊s the least of my worries.

I＊m delving into secrets the stars don＊t want me uncovering, making alliances with Fae born to be my enemy, falling for a sinner while promising my heart to a different heathen and somewhere amid it all, I＊m supposed to win a war.

I thought the only thing I had to do was survive my magical instruction.

Turns out, fate doesn＊t favour the wicked.]]> 636 Caroline Peckham Diana 0 to-read 4.09 2024
author: Caroline Peckham
name: Diana
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/29
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]]> 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 Diana 0 to-read 4.00 2023
author: Kerri Maniscalco
name: Diana
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/29
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]]> 201017011 ※I don＊t need another kink.§

That thought pops into my head whenever I pull up my favorite social media app, but alas, every time I scroll, I learn something new about myself, and another one is born. And yes, I know I＊m responsible for what the algorithm shows me, but I＊m trying to ignore that fact.

Lately, my feed has been dominated by masked men. I＊ve favorited videos with them dressed in full cosplay, decked out in futuristic military apparel, and wrapped up like ghouls.

But more than anything else, my FYP is filled with shirtless men wearing ghost masks. Bonus points if they＊re heavily tattooed, wielding a knife, or covered in fake blood. At night, I dream about being chased by them, of them catching me and doing deliciously dark things to my more than willing body.

I never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become my new reality.

Lights Out is a fast-paced dark romance with a morally grey male lead. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the TWs at the beginning of the book. ]]> 338 Navessa Allen Diana 0 to-read 4.17 2024
author: Navessa Allen
name: Diana
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 768889
The Seven Kingdoms are divided by revolt and blood feud. In the northern wastes, a horde of hungry, savage people steeped in the dark magic of the wilderness is poised to invade the Kingdom of the North where Robb Stark wears his new-forged crown. And Robb's defences are ranged against the South, the land of the cunning and cruel Lannisters, who have his young sisters in their power.

Throughout Westeros, the war for the Iron Throne rages more fiercely than ever, but if the wall is breached, no king will live to claim it.]]> 663 George R.R. Martin 0006479901 Diana 3 4.47 2000
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Diana
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/10/15
shelves: english, fantasy, adult, high-fantasy
review:

]]> 6334
Within the grounds of Hailsham, Kathy grows from schoolgirl to young woman, but it＊s only when she and her friends Ruth and Tommy leave the safe grounds of the school (as they always knew they would) that they realize the full truth of what Hailsham is.

Never Let Me Go breaks through the boundaries of the literary novel. It is a gripping mystery, a beautiful love story, and also a scathing critique of human arrogance and a moral examination of how we treat the vulnerable and different in our society. In exploring the themes of memory and the impact of the past, Ishiguro takes on the idea of a possible future to create his most moving and powerful book to date.]]> 288 Kazuo Ishiguro 1400078776 Diana 0 currently-reading 3.85 2005
author: Kazuo Ishiguro
name: Diana
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/06
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 56978100
Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village〞and the beloved of Mina＊s older brother Joon〞may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong＊s stead.

Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin〞as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits〞Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.

But she doesn＊t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking＃]]> 325 Axie Oh 1250780861 Diana 0 dnf 4.10 2022
author: Axie Oh
name: Diana
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/06
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> 40097951
Alicia＊s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations〞a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman＊s act of violence against her husband〞and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.]]> 336 Alex Michaelides 1250301696 Diana 0 to-read 4.18 2019
author: Alex Michaelides
name: Diana
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 42815544
But everything changes when Samantha receives an invitation to the Bunnies' fabled "Smut Salon," and finds herself inexplicably drawn to their front door--ditching her only friend, Ava, in the process. As Samantha plunges deeper and deeper into the Bunnies' sinister yet saccharine world, beginning to take part in the ritualistic off-campus "Workshop" where they conjure their monstrous creations, the edges of reality begin to blur. Soon, her friendships with Ava and the Bunnies will be brought into deadly collision.

The spellbinding new novel from one of our most fearless chroniclers of the female experience, Bunny is a down-the-rabbit-hole tale of loneliness and belonging, friendship and desire, and the fantastic and terrible power of the imagination.]]> 307 Mona Awad 0525559736 Diana 0 dnf Dnf-ed this at 20% 3.53 2019
author: Mona Awad
name: Diana
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/19
shelves: dnf
review:
Dnf-ed this at 20%
]]> 57915993 Magic has made the city of Tiran an industrial utopia, but magic has a cost〞and the collectors have come calling.

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

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

Through their fractious relationship, mage and outsider uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever〞if it doesn＊t get them killed first. Sciona has defined her life by the pursuit of truth, but how much is one truth worth with the fate of civilization in the balance?

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

(Content warnings for gore, sexual assault, and suicidal ideation)]]> 527 M.L. Wang Diana 0 to-read 4.45 2023
author: M.L. Wang
name: Diana
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 69571 195 Robert T. Kiyosaki 0751532711 Diana 0 dnf 4.11 1997
author: Robert T. Kiyosaki
name: Diana
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1997
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/11
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> 50706646
Lin is the emperor's daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.

Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright - and save her people.]]> 435 Andrea Stewart 0316541427 Diana 0 to-read 3.97 2020
author: Andrea Stewart
name: Diana
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 27833670 A mindbending, relentlessly surprising thriller from the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy.

Jason Dessen is walking home through the chilly Chicago streets one night, looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace with his wife, Daniela, and their son, Charlie〞when his reality shatters.

"Are you happy with your life?"

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.

Before a man Jason's never met smiles down at him and says, "Welcome back, my friend."

In this world he's woken up to, Jason's life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that's the dream?

And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could've imagined〞one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human--a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we'll go to claim the lives we dream of.]]> 342 Blake Crouch 1101904224 Diana 0 to-read 4.13 2016
author: Blake Crouch
name: Diana
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 13206760
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother, or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana.

The adventure continues in this fresh fairytale retelling that combines elements of Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.]]> 454 Marissa Meyer 0312642962 Diana 0 currently-reading 4.24 2013
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Diana
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/07
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 53152636
Noem赤 is also an unlikely rescuer: She＊s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she＊s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin＊s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noem赤; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi＊s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family＊s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noem赤, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family＊s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family＊s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noem赤 digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noem赤, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.]]> 320 Silvia Moreno-Garcia 0525620788 Diana 2 adult, ebook, english, horror
It was gross, but it wasn't as gross as I'd imagine it. It just didn't give me the "wow" factor.
Was ok.

Virgil is one annoying prick though. ]]> 3.66 2020
author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
name: Diana
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2024/07/07
date added: 2024/07/07
shelves: adult, ebook, english, horror
review:
I liked it, but I think I was just so prepared for this "amazing discovery" at the end of the book that people were talking about and I put my expectations so high up.

It was gross, but it wasn't as gross as I'd imagine it. It just didn't give me the "wow" factor.
Was ok.

Virgil is one annoying prick though.
]]> 153
Anna Karenina seems to have everything - beauty, wealth, popularity and an adored son. But she feels that her life is empty until the moment she encounters the impetuous officer Count Vronsky. Their subsequent affair scandalizes society and family alike and soon brings jealously and bitterness in its wake. Contrasting with this tale of love and self-destruction is the vividly observed story of Levin, a man striving to find contentment and a meaning to his life - and also a self-portrait of Tolstoy himself.]]> 838 Leo Tolstoy 0140449175 Diana 0 to-read 4.21 1878
author: Leo Tolstoy
name: Diana
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1878
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58884736
"A story of love and hope as interweaving characters display: how all moments, big and small, can measure a life. If you want joy, love, romance, and hope〞read with us." 〞Jenna Bush Hager
A luminous, spirit-lifting blockbuster that asks: would you choose to find out the length of your life?

Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.

It seems like any other day. You wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and head out.

But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. The contents of this mysterious box tells you the exact number of years you will live.

From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise?

As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they＊ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?

The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn＊t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.

Enchanting and deeply uplifting, The Measure is an ambitious, invigorating story about family, friendship, hope, and destiny that encourages us to live life to the fullest.]]> 353 Nikki Erlick 0063204207 Diana 0 to-read 3.96 2022
author: Nikki Erlick
name: Diana
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/07/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 181110045 A haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, D.C. boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.

Washington, D.C., 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation＊s capital, where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship: poised English beauty Fliss whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; police officer＊s daughter Nora, who is entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Bea, whose career has ended along with the women＊s baseball league of WWII; and poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy＊s Red Scare.

Grace＊s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. When a shocking act of violence tears apart the house, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: Who is the true enemy in their midst?]]> 432 Kate Quinn 0063244748 Diana 0 to-read 4.26 2024
author: Kate Quinn
name: Diana
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 198563674 A sweeping novel inspired by the untold history of women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons hungry for power and oil wealth.

Oklahoma, 1909. Eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley knows that her stepfather doesn＊t have good intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards. When the older girl disappears, Ollie flees to the woods, taking six-year-old Nessa with her. Together they begin a perilous journey to the rugged Winding Stair Mountains, the notorious territory of outlaws, treasure hunters, and desperate men. Along the way, Ollie and Nessa form an unlikely band with others like themselves, struggling to stay one step ahead of those who seek to exploit them . . . or worse.

Oklahoma, 1990. Law Enforcement Ranger Valerie Boren O＊dell arrives at Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to balance a career and single parenthood. But no sooner has Valerie reported for duty than she＊s faced with local controversy over the park＊s opening, a teenage hiker gone missing from one of the trails, and the long-hidden burial site of three children deep in a cave. Val＊s quest to uncover the truth wins an ally among the neighboring Choctaw Tribal Police but soon collides with old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land itself.

In this emotional and enveloping novel, Lisa Wingate traces the story of children abandoned by the law and the battle to see justice done. Amid times of deep conflict over who owns the land and its riches, Ollie and Val traverse the wild and beautiful terrain, each leaving behind one life in search of another.]]> 368 Lisa Wingate 0593726502 Diana 0 to-read 3.81 2024
author: Lisa Wingate
name: Diana
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 205058752
All legacies 〞 the descendants of the Four Houses 〞 are required to attend because we＊re all cursed, and the only way to break our curses is through binding our hearts in a quintet. Becoming part of a quintet is a dream come true. Destiny fulfilled. A gods-given, merciful blessing.

For me, it＊s a hard pass. I can＊t be bound to anyone else. Trust me, it wouldn＊t end well.

So when I＊m placed in a quintet, I promptly reject all four of my matches for their own good. But these powerful, gorgeous, high-profile legacies have no idea how to handle rejection, because＃

The cutthroat blood fae shows me his soft side. The charming dragon shifter won't leave me alone. The unhinged nightmare prince calls me darling. And the gorgeous ice elemental is as overprotective as he is cold.

They're the kind of deadly perfection that draws attention. Which is exactly what I'm trying to avoid, since no one can know my secret. I'll do whatever it takes to make them decide I＊m not worth the chase. The problem is, no matter what I do to make them hate me, it only seems to have the opposite effect＃]]> 286 Morgan B. Lee Diana 0 to-read 4.18 2024
author: Morgan B. Lee
name: Diana
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/25
shelves: to-read
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]]> 186642 The Tale of the Heike is one of the masterworks of Japanese literature, ranking with The Tale of Genji in quality and prestige. This new translation is not only far more readable than earlier ones, it is also much more faithful to the content and style of the original. Intended for the general audience as well as the specialist, this edition is highly annotated.

]]> 489 Anonymous 0804718032 Diana 0 to-read 3.98 1219
author: Anonymous
name: Diana
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1219
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 22320989 Ry迂nosuke Akutagawa Diana 0 to-read 3.97 1915
author: Ry迂nosuke Akutagawa
name: Diana
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1915
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 7144 671 Fyodor Dostoevsky Diana 0 to-read 4.26 1866
author: Fyodor Dostoevsky
name: Diana
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1866
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59950 Librarian's note: An alternate cover of this ISBN can be found here.

From the Nobel Prize-winning writer and acclaimed author of Snow Country comes a beautiful rendering of the predicament of old age〞about an elderly Tokyo businessman who must face the failures of his memory and the sudden upsurges of passion that illuminate the end of a life.

※A rich, complicated novel＃. Of all modern Japanese fiction, Kawabata＊s is the closest to poetry.§ 〞The New York Times Book Review

By day Ogata Shingo, an elderly Tokyo businessman, is troubled by small failures of memory. At night he associates the distant rumble he hears from the nearby mountain with the sounds of death. In between are the complex relationships that were once the foundations of Shingo＊s life: his trying wife; his philandering son; and his beautiful daughter-in-law, who inspires in him both pity and the stirrings of desire. Out of this translucent web of attachments, Kawabata has crafted a novel that is a powerful, serenely observed meditation on the relentless march of time.

Translated from the Japanese by Edward G. Seidensticker]]> 276 Yasunari Kawabata 0679762647 Diana 0 to-read 3.92 1954
author: Yasunari Kawabata
name: Diana
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1954
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/20
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review:

]]> 12218696 The Fairy Tale Book (Otogiz身shi) in the last months of the Pacific War. The traditional tales upon which Dazai's retellings are based are well known to every Japanese schoolchild, but this is no children's book. In Dazai's hands such stock characters as the kindhearted Oji-san to Oba-san ("Grandmother and Grandfather"), the mischievous tanuki badger, the fearsome Oni ogres, the greedy old man, the "tongue-cut" sparrow, and of course Urashima Taro (the Japanese Rip van Winkle) become complex individuals facing difficult and nuanced moral dilemmas. The resulting stories are thought-provoking, slyly subversive, and often hilarious.

In spite of the "gloom and doom" atmosphere always cited in reviews of The Setting Sun and the later No Longer Human, though, Dazai's cutting wit and rich humor are evident in the entire body of his work. His literature depicts the human condition in painfully blunt and realistic terms, but, like life itself, is often accompanied by a smile.]]> 125 Osamu Dazai 4902075407 Diana 0 to-read 4.00 1945
author: Osamu Dazai
name: Diana
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1945
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 43913694 214 William Shakespeare 0998809101 Diana 0 to-read 3.86 1623
author: William Shakespeare
name: Diana
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1623
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 27297
The Analects are a collection of Confucius＊s sayings brought together by his pupils shortly after his death in 497 BC. Together they express a philosophy, or a moral code, by which Confucius, one of the most humane thinkers of all time, believed everyone should live. Upholding the ideals of wisdom, self-knowledge, courage and love of one＊s fellow man, he argued that the pursuit of virtue should be every individual＊s supreme goal. And, while following the Way, or the truth, might not result in immediate or material gain, Confucius showed that it could nevertheless bring its own powerful and lasting spiritual rewards.

This edition contains a detailed introduction exploring the concepts of the original work, a bibliography and glossary and appendices on Confucius himself, The Analects and the disciples who compiled them.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.]]> 249 Confucius 0140443487 Diana 0 to-read 3.84 -475
author: Confucius
name: Diana
average rating: 3.84
book published: -475
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/20
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]]> 97411 No man can live a happy life, or even a supportable life, without the study of wisdom

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC-AD 65) is one of the most famous Roman philosophers. Instrumental in guiding the Roman Empire under emperor Nero, Seneca influenced him from a young age with his Stoic principles. Later in life, he wrote Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, or Letters from a Stoic, detailing these principles in full.

Seneca＊s letters read like a diary or a handbook of philosophical meditations. Often beginning with observations on daily life, the letters focus on many traditional themes of Stoic philosophy, such as the contempt of death, the value of friendship, and virtue as the supreme good.

Using Gummere＊s translation from the early twentieth century, this selection of Seneca＊s letters shows his belief in the austere, ethical ideals of Stoicism 每 teachings we can still learn from today.]]> 254 Seneca 0140442103 Diana 0 to-read 4.33 64
author: Seneca
name: Diana
average rating: 4.33
book published: 64
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 640565 320 Zhuangzi 0140194886 Diana 0 to-read 4.38 -350
author: Zhuangzi
name: Diana
average rating: 4.38
book published: -350
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 36337550
There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit.

We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer.

Understood? Then let's begin . . .

Evelyn Hardcastle will die. Every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others . . .

The most inventive debut of the year twists together a mystery of such unexpected creativity it will leave listeners guessing until the very last second.]]> 432 Stuart Turton Diana 0 to-read 3.78 2018
author: Stuart Turton
name: Diana
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 11588 497 Stephen King 0450040186 Diana 0 to-read 4.28 1977
author: Stephen King
name: Diana
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1977
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 56179377
Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince〞if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning.

On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra's family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.]]> 243 T. Kingfisher 1250244048 Diana 0 to-read 4.08 2022
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Diana
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 121360706
Everything in the Kingdom of Arrow is a lie.

Leith of Grey thought coming to this new land and volunteering to fight in the gladiator arena〞vicious, bloodthirsty tournaments where only the strongest survive〞would earn him enough gold to save his dying sister. He thought there was nothing left to lose.

He was wrong〞and they took everything. His hope. His freedom. His very humanity.

All Leith has left is his battle-scarred body, fueled by rage and hardened from years of fighting for the right to live another day.

Then Leith meets Maeve, an elven royal who is everything he despises. Everything he should hate. Until the alluring princess offers him the one thing he needs most: a chance to win the coveted title of Bloodguard〞and his freedom.

But in a kingdom built on secrets and lies, hope doesn＊t come cheap.

Nor will his ultimate revenge＃]]> 535 Cecy Robson Diana 0 to-read 3.79 2024
author: Cecy Robson
name: Diana
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/19
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review:

]]> 15793201 531 Adam L.G. Nevill 1250018188 Diana 0 to-read 3.71 2012
author: Adam L.G. Nevill
name: Diana
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/19
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review:

]]> 890 ※I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why.§

They are an unlikely pair: George is "small and quick and dark of face"; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a "family," clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation. Laborers in California's dusty vegetable fields, they hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. But George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own.

While the powerlessness of the laboring class is a recurring theme in Steinbeck's work of the late 1930s, he narrowed his focus when composing Of Mice and Men, creating an intimate portrait of two men facing a world marked by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and callousness. But though the scope is narrow, the theme is universal: a friendship and a shared dream that makes an individual's existence meaningful.

A unique perspective on life's hardships, this story has achieved the status of timeless classic due to its remarkable success as a novel, a Broadway play, and three acclaimed films.]]> 107 John Steinbeck 0142000671 Diana 0 to-read 3.88 1937
author: John Steinbeck
name: Diana
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1937
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date added: 2024/06/19
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]]> 61215351 One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit.

In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.]]> 432 J.R.R. Tolkien Diana 0 to-read 4.52 1954
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Diana
average rating: 4.52
book published: 1954
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date added: 2024/05/29
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