Tag: book nerd

Worst Books I Read In 2021

Lauren3 Comments

Well Hello, Beautiful People! And how are we doing today? Me, I’m doing fairly well. I just spent two weeks with my family celebrating the Holiday Season. It’s not typically what we do, but there were some things my mom wanted to do with me this year and I couldn’t say no. So yeah, I was gone for two weeks. All of that is to say that this blog post is going up later in the day than I usually do it. Good times.

If you haven’t guessed it from the title, today’s post is all about the worst books I read in 2021. I’m going to try and keep it to the top ten worst books, so lets go.

Crave by Tracy Wolff

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.
Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

This book was the only book to get zero stars from me on The Storygraph this year. It brought back terrible memories of why I gave up on YA books in the first place. I have since decided to give YA a second try, but this book almost made me quit again. Zero out of zero, would not reccomend.

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

It’s been five years since Wendy and her two brothers went missing in the woods, but when the town’s children start to disappear, the questions surrounding her brothers’ mysterious circumstances are brought back into the light. Attempting to flee her past, Wendy almost runs over an unconscious boy lying in the middle of the road…

Peter, a boy she thought lived only in her stories, asks for Wendy’s help to rescue the missing kids. But, in order to find them, Wendy must confront what’s waiting for her in the woods.

I read about 150 pages of this book before I gave up on it. It just didn’t appeal to me. And I really wanted to like it. I like the Cemetery Boys alot, and maybe that was the problem. This book didn’t live up to the potential of that first book.

Low Vol 1: The Delirium of Hope by Rick Remender, Art by Greg Tocchini

Millennia ago, mankind fled the earth’s surface into the bottomless depths of the darkest oceans. Shielded from a merciless sun’s scorching radiation, the human race tried to stave off certain extinction by sending robotic probes far into the galaxy, to search for a new home among the stars. Generations later, one family is about to be torn apart, in a conflict that will usher in the final race to save humanity from a world beyond hope. 

The story was good, but the art style of this story drove me away from it. I couldn’t finish it.

The Hike by Drew Magary

When Ben, a suburban family man, takes a business trip to rural Pennsylvania, he decides to spend the afternoon before his dinner meeting on a short hike. Once he sets out into the woods behind his hotel, he quickly comes to realize that the path he has chosen cannot be given up easily. With no choice but to move forward, Ben finds himself falling deeper and deeper into a world of man-eating giants, bizarre demons, and colossal insects. 

On a quest of epic, life-or-death proportions, Ben finds help comes in some of the most unexpected forms, including a profane crustacean and a variety of magical objects, tools, and potions. Desperate to return to his family, Ben is determined to track down the “Producer,” the creator of the world in which he is being held hostage and the only one who can free him from the path. 

This was an online book club pick, and I loved that, as I already owned it, but I had to quit reading it for my mental health. This book got a 50/50 reaction from the folks in my book club, so I can see it having an audience. I was not that audience.

Bestiary by K-Ming Chang

One evening, Mother tells Daughter a story about a tiger spirit who lived in a woman’s body. She was called Hu Gu Po, and she hungered to eat children, especially their toes. Soon afterward, Daughter awakes with a tiger tail. And more mysterious events follow: Holes in the backyard spit up letters penned by her grandmother; a visiting aunt arrives with snakes in her belly; a brother tests the possibility of flight. All the while, Daughter is falling for Ben, a neighborhood girl with strange powers of her own. As the two young lovers translate the grandmother’s letters, Daughter begins to understand that each woman in her family embodies a myth – and that she will have to bring her family’s secrets to light in order to change their destiny.

I had problems with the writing style in this book. Which is a shame, because I really wanted to like it. It was high up there on my want to read list for the year, and it just didn’t live up to the potential of the synopsis.

Outlawed by Anna North

In the year of our Lord 1894, I became an outlaw. 

The day of her wedding, 17-year-old Ada’s life looks good; she loves her husband, and she loves working as an apprentice to her mother, a respected midwife. But after a year of marriage and no pregnancy, in a town where barren women are routinely hanged as witches, her survival depends on leaving behind everything she knows.  

She joins up with the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang, a band of outlaws led by a preacher-turned-robber known to all as the Kid. Charismatic, grandiose and mercurial, the Kid is determined to create a safe haven for outcast women. But to make this dream a reality, the Gang hatches a treacherous plan that may get them all killed. And Ada must decide whether she’s willing to risk her life for the possibility of a new kind of future for them all.

I do not like westerns, apparently. I will watch them, but not read them. This stinks, because this is a genre I really want to like, because nostalgia. That being said, I think there is an audience for this book that will absolutely love it, it just wasn’t me.

Child of Light by Terry Brooks

At 19, Auris Afton Grieg has led an…unusual life. Since the age of 15, she has been trapped in a sinister prison. Why? She does not know. She has no memories of her past beyond the vaguest of impressions. All she knows is that she is about to age out of the children’s prison, and rumors say that the adult version is far, far worse. So she and some friends stage a desperate escape into the surrounding wastelands. And it is here that Auris’ journey of discovery begins, for she is rescued by an unusual stranger who claims to be Fae – a member of a magical race that Auris had thought to be no more than legend. Odder still, he seems to think that she is one as well, although the two look nothing alike. But strangest of all, when he brings her to his wondrous homeland, she begins to suspect that he is right. Yet how could a woman who looks entirely human be a magical being herself? 

This book was not it, to say the least. The writing style was disjointed, the dialogue was messy, and the way Auris reacted to her rescuer is ridiculous. I expected better from an author as prolific as Terry Brooks.

You Feel it Just Below the Ribs by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson

Born at the end of the old world, Miriam grows up during The Great Reckoning, a sprawling, decades-long war that nearly decimates humanity and strips her of friends and family. Devastated by grief and loneliness, she emotionally exiles herself, avoiding relationships or allegiances, and throws herself into her work – disengagement that serves her when the war finally ends, and The New Society arises.

To ensure a lasting peace, The New Society forbids anything that may cause tribal loyalties, including traditional families. Suddenly, everyone must live as Miriam has chosen to – disconnected and unattached. A researcher at heart, Miriam becomes involved in implementing this detachment process. She does not know it is the beginning of a darkly sinister program that will transform this new world and the lives of everyone in it. Eventually, the harmful effects of her research become too much for Miriam, and she devises a secret plan to destroy the system from within, endangering her own life.

But is her “confession” honest – or is it a fabrication riddled with lies meant to conceal the truth?

So this is the book that made me realize that I don’t like dystopians. That was fun. This book had everything going for it. I just couldn’t overlook the whole dystopian thing. Sigh.

Bow Legged Buccaneers From Outer Space by David Owain Hughes

The year is 2082 – the not-so-distant future – and Chinatown is a prison. One hundred years ago, between 1980 and 1990, hardcore arcade gamers, cinemagoers, TV freaks, and comic book nerds took over the large oriental area and turned it into a no-go zone. The streets became violent, corrupt, and the powers that be lost control. A large wall and river were constructed around the city; the waters were filled with sharks and patrolled by the government’s secret police, who had more artillery than Rambo. 

Paul “Frank Castle” Hoskins is one of the good guys, doing his best to keep the streets clean and the innocent people safe. When Chinatown comes under attack from space pirates, will Frank have finally met his match? Will he be able to protect the woman he loves and save his beloved home? Bullets will fly, blood will be spilt, and vengeance will be sought. 

This book has the most chaotic writing style. And the premise was equally as chaotic. I thought, space pirates, that sounds like fun. I was wrong.

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement.

But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the journal of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.

Fascinated by the secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches. But when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realizes the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she starts to understand that if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her.

I really wanted to like this book, but just about every page made me cringe, and not in the fun way. I had to put it down. Luckily, my book club didn’t like this book either, so I don’t feel to bad about not finishing it.

And there we go. The top ten books that I didn’t like this year. I didn’t have as many books on my DNF list as I thought, so picking my top ten of them was a lot harder than originally planned, but I was able to do it! Huzzah! What books are on your worst read list?

TTT-Best Books I Read In 2021

Lauren11 Comments

Well Hello! It’s funny, I was going to do this post anyway. So, when I saw the Top Ten Tuesday topic for the day, I was all “Hey, this is fortuitous”. Cause it is. Two birds, one stone. But not really. I’d say save the birds, but all the birds were replaced by robots in the 80s.

Thanks for that TikTok. And no, I don’t actually believe that. It is funny though.

But anyway, it’s Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and originally created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week it’s all about the top ten books of the year! Huzzah!

So here are my Top Ten Books of the Year, in no particular order.

A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers

It’s been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again; centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend.

One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of “what do people need?” is answered.

But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how.

They’re going to need to ask it a lot.

This short novella asks some big questions, which I have noticed that Becky Chambers is very good at. But this book is gentle in asking and doesn’t expect you to have the answers right away. Its whole purpose is to make you question what it means to be human, and it does it very well. And, bonus, there is a sequel coming out next year. I may have already pre-ordered it.

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she’s a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire — and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London’s high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

I couldn’t put this book down and read through the first three books in a few days. I still need to finish this series. That would be a good idea. But still, I can recommend the first three books. Also, they are a little spicy. So be prepared for that. If you want to see my more in-depth thoughts, click here.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

This book tells the story of Nora, and there is a trigger warning here, she tries to take her own life. What follows is a crazy look into all the what might have beens of her life. And it was great. I really enjoyed the different lives Nora gets to live. I wrote a review on it, and you can read that here.

Broken (in the best possible way) By Jenny Lawson

As Jenny Lawson’s hundreds of thousands of fans know, she suffers from depression. In Broken, Jenny brings readers along on her mental and physical health journey, offering heartbreaking and hilarious anecdotes along the way.

With people experiencing anxiety and depression now more than ever, Jenny humanizes what we all face in an all-too-real way, reassuring us that we’re not alone and making us laugh while doing it. From the business ideas that she wants to pitch to Shark Tank to the reason why Jenny can never go back to the post office, Broken leaves nothing to the imagination in the most satisfying way. And of course, Jenny’s long-suffering husband Victor—the Ricky to Jenny’s Lucille Ball—is present throughout.

I will never stop raving about the wonderousness that is Jenny Lawson. This book made me laugh so very hard. If you want to read my full review, you can click the link!

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

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

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

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

Or does he?

Um. Yes. This whole book. It made me laugh. It made me angry. It made me cringe. It made me write a review on it. I swear this whole post is just ending up with me plugging my reviews.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Welcome to Charon’s Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

So this book made me cry, but in the best possible way. It was my favorite book this year, and I read House in the Cerulean Sea by the same author. I might have had a problem choosing between the two. But yeah. This was better. And yes, I also wrote a review on this one!

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

A young royal from the far north, is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. Her brothers are dead, her armies and their war mammoths long defeated and caged behind their borders. Alone and sometimes reviled, she must choose her allies carefully.

Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor’s lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for.

At once feminist high fantasy and an indictment of monarchy, this evocative debut follows the rise of the empress In-yo, who has few resources and fewer friends. She’s a northern daughter in a mage-made summer exile, but she will bend history to her will and bring down her enemies, piece by piece.

This short novella had an excellent story to tell, and it told it well. The characters were engaging and the plot was captivating. I recently picked up the sequel and I know I’m going to enjoy that one too. No expectations, at all. Also, this book is available on Kindle unlimited at the moment, so go check it out.

This Place: 150 Years Retold forward by Alicia Elliott

Explore the past 150 years through the eyes of Indigenous creators in this groundbreaking graphic novel anthology. Beautifully illustrated, these stories are an emotional and enlightening journey through Indigenous wonderworks, psychic battles, and time travel. See how Indigenous peoples have survived a post-apocalyptic world since Contact.

This graphic novel made me cry ugly tears! These stories are all about the Canadian Indigenous experience, but a lot of the same things happened to Indigenous persons here in the States. There were heartbreaking stories and hopefully stories. And in between each was facts about the Indigenous laws and experience, including things that still happen to this day. Read this!

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.

So I rated this entire series 5 stars. And it was a re-read for me. I love the story, the writing, the pacing, the world, and the characters. And yes, I wrote a review. But warning, the review is for the whole series…because reasons.

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter, and while she was raised by werewolves, she can never be one of them, especially after the pack ran her off for having a forbidden love affair. So she’s turned her talent for fixing cars into a business and now runs a one-woman mechanic shop in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State.

But Mercy’s two worlds are colliding. A half-starved teenage boy arrives at her shop looking for work, only to reveal that he’s a newly changed werewolf—on the run and desperately trying to control his animal instincts. Mercy asks her neighbor Adam Hauptman, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, for assistance. 

But Mercy’s act of kindness has unexpected consequences that leave her no choice but to seek help from those she once considered family—the werewolves who abandoned her…

If you’ve been hanging around here recently, you’d know I was doing a re-read of this series. I particularly love this first book in the series. It makes me happy. Which is pretty much why it gets five stars from me. Is it a book that is going to change the world? No. But is it hella entertaining? Absolutely.

Bookish Christmas Book Tag

Lauren1 Comment

Well hello, beautiful people! And how was your holiday? Was it filled with family and friends? Or was it relaxing and calm? Mine was great! I’m still not ready for it to be over, so I went on the interwebs and searched for a fun and festive book tag. I found this one on Meghan M Blogs but its original creator has removed it from their blog. Oh, bother.

On to the tag!

Father Christmas: Name a book you received as a child that you treasure to this day.

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

It’s all the Nancy Drew books I received as a child, really. This was just the first one. Plus, she was a 1930s feminist icon! I Loved, loved Nancy Drew.

The Ghost of Christmas Past: Is there a book or series you like to revisit each year at Christmas time?

The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn

No one should be surprised by this. I may not be reading this particular book this year, but I am hoping to get to the sequel before the end of the year.

Christmas Tree: Name a series that reaches new heights with every entry.

The In Death Series by J.D. Robb

Yes. I will take all of this, always, all of the time. I love the rich character dynamics, the mysteries, the settings. It all makes for a spectacular 50 plus book series. I have already pre-ordered the next one!

Friends and Family: Name a book with fantastic characters.

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

While this book had great world-building and an amazing story, I was really blown away by the characters in it. I want to be friends with Susan and Merlin and Merlin’s crazy family!

Decorations: Name a book with a gorgeous cover you would proudly display on your shelves.

The Hobbit: Illustrated Edition by J.R.R. Tolkien

I do proudly display this. It’s a gorgeous edition with loads of beautiful illustrations inside. It’s also a souvenir from when the Hubs and I took our engagement photos many eons ago.

Christmas Cards: Name a book that carries a great message.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

A story about it never being too late to change yourself for the better. There are also some other messages in this book, but you’ll just have to read it to find out for yourself.

Ice and Snow: Name a book that you were hoping to love but which ultimately left you feeling cold.

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

Sometimes, a book just doesn’t make you happy. This was one of those books.

Christmas Lunch: Name a book that was big and intimidating but oh so worth it in the end.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

I’m not sure if this was exactly worth it. I only gave it three stars, but I did find the size of it (864 pages!) intimidating. The Hubs laughed at me. He’s been reading Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive. Zeesh.

Mince Pies: Name a book you found sweet and satisfying.

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

I just finished this one earlier this month. I found it was a cute and cozy holiday read that I very much enjoyed.

Presents: What book do you wish you could give everyone to read?

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

I want everyone to read this story. It’s so expertly told. And Addie’s life is fascinating. Just fascinating. And that ending! Oh, that ending!

Spreading the Festive Cheer: Tag some friends to help spread the festive bookish love.

You. I don’t usually tag people to do these things. But yeah. Why don’t you give it a try and let me know how it went!

First Lines Friday-December 24, 2021

Lauren1 Comment

Happy Christmas! How is your holiday eve going! Me, well, I’m going to watch A Muppet’s Christmas Carol 16 times. That movie is perfect.

But hey, it just so happens to be First Lines Friday!

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author, or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

The Lines:

” Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge’s name was good upon ‘Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was a dead as a door-nail.”

That’s a pretty famous opening line. Do we even need arrows?

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an old miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their visits Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.

I just couldn’t help myself. It is Christmas after all! Besides, I couldn’t mention the superior adaptation of A Christmas Carol and not use the original for my First Lines Friday post.

Themeing!

But in all seriousness. I wish you and yours the happiest of holidays. May you know both comfort and joy this Christmas and may all your bookish wishes come true!

Naughty or Nice Book Tag

Lauren3 Comments

When I saw this festive tag on the Wicked Witch’s Blog, I knew I had to do it. She got it from Jennily, to whom the image below also belongs. This tag spoke to me, which is weird because I read it.

Rules

  • Tag & link the person who tagged you (um, no one)
  • Tag and link me/this post (if you would be so kind, I love reading your answers!)
  • Tick/cross off the ones you’ve done
  • Tag another 10 people! (I don’t think I even know ten people!)

Received an ARC and not reviewed it: Yes, but’s that’s only because I like to review books closer to their release date. I should work on that.

Have a less than 60% feedback ratio on NetGalley: Unfortunately, the answer to this one is yes. And that’s because of the same answer above. I’m also behind by one book. Sigh.

Rated a book on Goodreads and promised a full review was to come on your blog (and never did): I can honestly say I have never done this. I don’t really write reviews on Goodreads, and if I do, it’s the same thing you would find on my blog so…yeah.

Folded down the page of a book: Yes. When I was younger. It leads to tearing and ripping on my part so I stopped doing it.

Accidentally spilled on a book: No, thank goodness. Now other people have spilled on my books and I have never forgiven them. But yeah, not me.

DNF a book this year: That’s a big affirmative.

Bought a book purely because it was pretty with no intention of reading it: Yes. I have an illustrated copy of The Hobbit that I got purely for the aesthetics.

Read whilst you were meant to be doing something else (like homework): Um, yes. Almost all the time. I mean, who needs sleep?

Skim read a book: No. I dislike skim reading. If I generally dislike a book enough to be tempted to skim it, I just stop reading.

Completely missed your Goodreads goal: Yes, though I met it this year. Go me!

Borrowed a book and not returned it: Never. Libraries are sacred places. You should always return your books!

Broke a book buying ban: Am I breathing? Then yes, yes I have. And I will continue to do so to the point that I will ban myself from doing book buying bans.

Started a review, left it for ages then forgot what the book was about: Nope. I tend to sit down a write a review as soon as I finish the book so I don’t forget what it is I was reading.

Wrote in a book you were reading: I can honestly say I have not. Have I thought about it? Sure. That temptation usually passes me by.

Finished a book and not added it to your Goodreads: In my past, yes. My Goodreads from years past is a mess. I am much better at keeping up with it now. Of course, this means I’m posting what I’m reading on both Goodreads and The Storygraph.

Borrowed a book and not returned it to a friend: Only once. And I am bound and determined to get that book back to her. I just saw her a few months ago too! I missed my golden opportunity!

Dodged someone asking if they can borrow a book: No. But that’s because I just outright say no.

Broke the spine of someone else’s book: Nope. At least, not that I can remember.

Took the jacket off a book to protect it and ended up making it more damaged: Yes. But my cat did it. I have since learned to put the dust jackets back on the books when I am not reading them.

Sat on a book accidentally: Of course. Who hasn’t? Liars, that’s who.

My score is 11 out of 10, so I’m naughty, but also nice? But mostly naughty. Guess I’m getting coal in my stocking this year!

If you would like to do this tag, go on and give it a go! I had a lot of fun doing it. It’s always amusing to admit you forgot to give a book back.

Ha. Ha ha.

TTT- Books I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes

Lauren7 Comments

It’s almost Christmas!!!

I don’t have a problem. I swear. Anyway… it’s Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and originally created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s post is all about the books we want for Christmas! And I’m not gonna lie. I already have that list prepared because all I asked for Christmas was books.

I’m not predictable at all.

Far From The Light Of Heaven by Tade Thompson

The colony ship Ragtime docks in the Lagos system, having traveled light-years to bring one thousand sleeping souls to a new home among the stars. But when first mate Michelle Campion rouses, she discovers some of the sleepers will never wake.

Answering Campion’s distress call, investigator Rasheed Fin is tasked with finding out who is responsible for these deaths. Soon a sinister mystery unfolds aboard the gigantic vessel, one that will have repercussions for the entire system—from the scheming politicians of Lagos station, to the colony planet Bloodroot, to other far-flung systems, and indeed to Earth itself.

Inhibitor Phase by Alistair Reynolds

For thirty years a tiny band of humans has been sheltering in the caverns of an airless, crater-pocked world called Michaelmas. Beyond their solar system lie the ruins of human interstellar civilization, stalked by a ruthless, infinitely patient cybernetic entity determined to root out the last few bands of survivors. One man has guided the people of Michaelmas through the hardest of times, and given them hope against the wolves: Miguel de Ruyter.

When a lone human ship blunders into their system, and threatens to lead the wolves to Michaelmas, de Ruyter embarks on a desperate, near-suicide mission to prevent catastrophe. But an encounter with a refugee from the ship—the enigmatic woman who calls herself only Glass—leads to de Ruyter’s world being turned upside down.

The Body Scout by Lincoln Michel

In the future, you can have any body you want—as long as you can afford it.

But in a New York ravaged by climate change and repeat pandemics, Kobo is barely scraping by. He scouts the latest in gene-edited talent for Big Pharma-owned baseball teams, but his own cybernetics are a decade out of date and twin sister loan sharks are banging down his door. Things couldn’t get much worse.

Then his brother—Monsanto Mets slugger J.J. Zunz—is murdered at home plate.

Determined to find the killer, Kobo plunges into a world of genetically modified CEOs, philosophical Neanderthals, and back-alley body modification, only to quickly find he’s in a game far bigger and more corrupt than he imagined. To keep himself together while the world is falling apart, he’ll have to navigate a time where both body and soul are sold to the highest bidder. 

A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He’s struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents’ excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what’s been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he’s always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it—not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin’s predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they’ve been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles—and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

Absynthe by Brenden P. Bellacourt

Liam Mulcahey, a reclusive, shell-shocked veteran, remembers little of the Great War. Ten years later, when he is caught in a brutal attack on a Chicago speakeasy, Liam is saved by Grace, an alluring heiress who’s able to cast illusions. Though the attack appears to have been committed by the hated Uprising, Grace believes it was orchestrated by Leland De Pere–Liam’s former commander and the current President of the United States.
 
Meeting Grace unearths long-buried memories. Liam’s former squad, the Devil’s Henchmen, was given a serum to allow telepathic communication, transforming them into a unified killing machine. With Grace’s help, Liam begins to regain his abilities, but when De Pere learns of it, he orders his militia to eliminate Liam at any cost.
 
But Liam’s abilities are expanding quickly. When Liam turns the tables and digs deeper into De Pere’s plans, he discovers a terrible secret. The same experiment that granted Liam’s abilities was bent toward darker purposes. Liam must navigate both his enemies and supposed allies to stop the President’s nefarious plans before they’re unleashed on the world. And Grace is hiding secrets of her own, secrets that could prove every bit as dangerous as the President’s.

Hench by Natalie Zina Walchots

Anna does boring things for terrible people because even criminals need office help and she needs a job. Working for a monster lurking beneath the surface of the world isn’t glamorous. But is it really worse than working for an oil conglomerate or an insurance company? In this economy?

As a temp, she’s just a cog in the machine. But when she finally gets a promising assignment, everything goes very wrong, and an encounter with the so-called “hero” leaves her badly injured.  And, to her horror, compared to the other bodies strewn about, she’s the lucky one.

So, of course, then she gets laid off.

With no money and no mobility, with only her anger and internet research acumen, she discovers her suffering at the hands of a hero is far from unique. When people start listening to the story that her data tells, she realizes she might not be as powerless as she thinks.

Because the key to everything is data: knowing how to collate it, how to manipulate it, and how to weaponize it. By tallying up the human cost these caped forces of nature wreak upon the world, she discovers that the line between good and evil is mostly marketing.  And with social media and viral videos, she can control that appearance.

It’s not too long before she’s employed once more, this time by one of the worst villains on earth. As she becomes an increasingly valuable lieutenant, she might just save the world.

Once More Upon A Time by Roshana Chokshi

Once upon a dream, there was a prince named Ambrose
and a princess named Imelda who loved each other…
But alas, no more.
“What a witch takes, a witch does not give back!”
their friends and family warn.
They resign themselves to this loveless fate…
A year and a day pass.
And then their story truly begins…

Embark on a perilous journey with Imelda and Ambrose as they brave magical landscapes and enchanted creatures on their quest to reclaim their heart’s desire…But first, they must remember what that is…

No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull

One October morning, Laina gets the news that her brother has been shot and killed by Boston cops. But what looks like a case of police brutality soon reveals something much stranger. Monsters are real. And they want everyone to know it.

As creatures from myth and legend come out of the shadows, seeking safety through visibility, their emergence sets off a chain of seemingly unrelated events. Members of a local werewolf pack are threatened into silence. A professor follows a missing friend’s trail of bread crumbs to a mysterious secret society. And a young boy with unique abilities seeks refuge in a pro-monster organization with secrets of its own. Meanwhile, more people start disappearing, suicides and hate crimes increase, and protests erupt globally, both for and against the monsters.

At the center is a mystery no one thinks to ask: Why now? What has frightened the monsters out of the dark?

The world will soon find out.

The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl

Holly Liddell has been stuck with crimped hair since 1987 when she agreed to let her boyfriend, Elton, turn her into a vampire. But when he ditches her at a gas station a few decades into their eternity together, she realizes that being young forever actually means working graveyard shifts at Taco Bell, sleeping in seedy motels, and being supernaturally compelled to follow your ex from town to town—at least until Holly meets Elton’s other exes.

It seems that Holly isn’t the only girl Elton seduced into this wretched existence. He turned Ida in 1921, then Rose in 1954, and he abandoned them both before Holly was even born. Now Rose and Ida want to kill him before he can trick another girl into eternal adolescence, and they’ll need Holly’s help to do it. And once Holly starts falling for Elton’s vulnerable new conquest, Parker, she’ll do anything to save her.

To kill Elton for good, Holly and her friends will have to dig up their pasts, rob a bank, and reconcile with the people they’ve hurt in their search for eternal love. And to win the girl, Holly will have to convince Parker that she’s more than just Elton’s crazy ex—even though she is trying to kill him.

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Welcome to Mexico City, an oasis in a sea of vampires. Domingo, a lonely garbage-collecting street kid, is just trying to survive its heavily policed streets when a jaded vampire on the run swoops into his life. Atl, the descendant of Aztec blood drinkers, is smart, beautiful, and dangerous. Domingo is mesmerized.

Atl needs to quickly escape the city, far from the rival narco-vampire clan relentlessly pursuing her. Her plan doesn’t include Domingo, but little by little, Atl finds herself warming up to the scrappy young man and his undeniable charm. As the trail of corpses stretches behind her, local cops and crime bosses both start closing in.

Vampires, humans, cops, and criminals collide in the dark streets of Mexico City. Do Atl and Domingo even stand a chance of making it out alive? Or will the city devour them all?

I also had The Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao on this list, but the hubs gave that to me early as a birthday gift! It’s like he knows me!

But yes, I did ask for all of these books for Christmas. No, I’m not expecting to get them all. Santa loves me but I don’t expect him to have to carry that many books down the chimney.

First Lines Friday-December 17, 2021

Lauren1 Comment

Well hello. Are you prepared for the upcoming Christmas chaos? Me neither! It’s always hectic. We have lots of nieces and nephews, and even though we don’t always get to see them all, we love and miss them all!

Don’t celebrate and are just looking forward to a day off of work? Awesome! I hope you have a nice, relaxing day.

But on this, the Friday before Christmas, I am thinking of First Lines Friday!

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author, or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

The Lines:

“Her name is Melanie. It means “the black girl”, from an ancient Greek word, but her skin is so fair she thinks maybe it’s not such a good name for her. She likes the name Pandora a whole lot, but you don’t get to choose. Miss Justineau assigns names from a big list: new children get the top name on the boys’ list or the top name on the girls’ list, and that, Miss Justineau says, is that.?”

Intrigued?

The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her “our little genius.”
Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don’t like her. She jokes that she won’t bite, but they don’t laugh.

So I’m not going to lie. This has been on my TBR for a while. And, since I have had my realization that I don’t like dystopians, I am worried I won’t like it. But! I must go in with an optimistic mind! Otherwise, I will defeat myself before I have even started the book. But yeah, I’ve had this book for years. Years! And I haven’t picked it up. Maybe in the new year?

TTT-Books On My Winter 2021 To-Read List

Lauren5 Comments

Well hello, happy people! At least, I hope you’re happy. Are you happy? If you’re not that’s okay. You don’t have to be. All feelings are valid. Except for the ones that lead to pre-meditated murder. Those are not good and you should seek help immediately.

I think I may have gotten a bit off-topic. Because it’s Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and originally created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week we celebrate the winter TBR, a list of ten books that I think I will get to over the next few months!

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell—both critical to her success as a show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie’s identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family’s bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won’t get the memo that they’re over.

With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven’t done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins’ identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track?

This one is on my TBR for this month. So I’m hoping to get to it presently.

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Prince Kiem, a famously disappointing minor royal and the Emperor’s least favorite grandchild, has been called upon to be useful for once. He’s commanded to fulfill an obligation of marriage to the representative of the Empire’s newest and most rebellious vassal planet. His future husband, Count Jainan, is a widower and murder suspect.

Neither wants to be wed, but with a conspiracy unfolding around them and the fate of the empire at stake they will have to navigate the thorns and barbs of court intrigue, the machinations of war, and the long shadows of Jainan’s past, and they’ll have to do it together.

So begins a legendary love story amid the stars.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this book. I mean, it did get nominated for a Goodreads choice award. So yeah.

Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner

Set in 1991, just as Star Trek: The Next Generation has rocketed the cast to global fame, the young and impressionable actor Brent Spiner receives a mysterious package and a series of disturbing letters, that takes him on a terrifying and bizarre journey that enlists Paramount Security, the LAPD, and even the FBI in putting a stop to the danger that has his life and career hanging in the balance.

Featuring a cast of characters from Patrick Stewart to Levar Burton to Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, to some completely imagined, this is the fictional autobiography that takes readers into the life of Brent Spiner, and tells an amazing tale about the trappings of celebrity and the fear he has carried with him his entire life.

A book that was written by Data himself? How could I pass this up?

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

The Anthropocene is the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast, bestselling author John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale—from the QWERTY keyboard and sunsets to Canada geese and Penguins of Madagascar.

Funny, complex, and rich with detail, the reviews chart the contradictions of contemporary humanity. As a species, we are both far too powerful and not nearly powerful enough, a paradox that came into sharp focus as we faced a global pandemic that both separated us and bound us together.

I’m going to try to read more non-fiction next year. A goal I set for myself for this year. I thought I would start the year off with this one.

The World Gives Way by Marissa Levin

In fifty years, Myrra will be free.

Until then, she’s a contract worker. Ever since she was five, her life and labor have belonged to the highest bidder on her contract—butchers, laundries, and now the powerful, secretive Carlyles.

But when one night finds the Carlyles dead, Myrra is suddenly free a lot sooner than she anticipated—and at a cost she never could have imagined. Burdened with the Carlyles’ orphaned daughter and the terrible secret they died to escape, she runs. With time running out, Myrra must come face to face with the truth about her world—and embrace what’s left before it’s too late.

I just want to read this because the cover is so pretty. That’s how it’s done, right?

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

When her mate’s ex-wife storms back into their lives, Mercy knows something isn’t right. Christy has the furthest thing from good intentions—she wants Adam back, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get him, including turning the pack against Mercy.

Mercy isn’t about to step down without a fight, but there’s a more dangerous threat circling. As the bodies start piling up, she must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her whole world apart.

I know, I know. It’s the only Mercy Thompson book on the list! I promise. Does it mean it’s the only one I’m going to read? Nope. It’s just the only one I put here.

Monstress Vol 1: Awakening written by Marjorie Liu and art by Sana Takeda

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900’s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steampunk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.

I keep meaning to get to this one and just forgetting I own it! I am hoping by listing it here that I will get to it.

Outlander by Diana Galbadon

Scottish Highlands, 1945. Claire Randall, a former British combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding clans in the year of Our Lord . . . 1743.

Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of a world that threatens her life, and may shatter her heart. Marooned amid danger, passion, and violence, Claire learns her only chance of safety lies in Jamie Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior. What begins in compulsion becomes an urgent need, and Claire finds herself torn between two very different men, in two irreconcilable lives.

I have a friend who has been on me to read this book! And since I have a physical copy, a Kindle copy, and have it on audiobook, so I have no excuse!

When the Tiger Came Down the Mountian by Nghi Vo

The cleric Chih finds themself and their companions at the mercy of a band of fierce tigers who ache with hunger. To stay alive until the mammoths can save them, Chih must unwind the intricate, layered story of the tiger and her scholar lover—a woman of courage, intelligence, and beauty—and discover how truth can survive becoming history.

I gave the first novella 5 stars, so I have high expectations for this one!

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

What happens when America’s First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There’s only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn’t always diplomatic.

I figured with Valentine’s Day coming up in February I should try and read something romantic. So why not this?

Now, will I actually get to all these books? Probably not. But am I going to try my hardest? Also probably not. I mood read too much. It interferes with my TBR attempts.

But what will you be reading this winter? Inquiring minds want to know.

A Festive TBR- December 2021

Lauren5 Comments

hello beautiful humans! I hope you are doing well this fine day! Me, I’m fine. A little disgruntled that it’s not Christmas yet!

Oh well. I shall tide myself over with festive movies, music, and, well, books! This month I only have a few books on the TBR due to the hectic nature of the holiday season. I don’t know about you, but my month is crazy and I don’t even have kids!

To the TBR we go.

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

Laid off from her department store job, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. The prospect of spending Christmas with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered yuppie life does not appeal.

Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want her prickly sister Carmen there either. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs help revitalizing his shabby old bookshop. So Carmen moves in and takes the job.

Thrown rather suddenly into the inner workings of Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the picturesque streets of historic Edinburgh, Carmen is intrigued despite herself. The store is dusty and disorganized but undeniably charming. Can she breathe some new life into it in time for Christmas shopping? What will happen when a famous and charismatic author takes a sudden interest in the bookshop—and Carmen? And will the Christmas spirit be enough to help heal her fractured family?

If you’ve been following along this month, I have already read this one. It was cute.

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell—both critical to her success as a show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie’s identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family’s bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won’t get the memo that they’re over.

With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven’t done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins’ identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track?

I did a First Lines Friday on this one, and it sounds so cute! Plus I can imagine I will want to bake cookies by the time I am done with this book.

The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews

When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love—but Ivy didn’t bargain on just how much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk, that it’s a full-time job sorting through all of it.

At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit—beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit, she finds a note written in a childish hand: it’s from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold?

Ivy’s quest brings her into the community, at a time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she ever thought possible: a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved, and a second chance at love.

Another one that sounds, well, cute. I need to use another word. Adorable! Yeah! this one sounds adorable!

And yes, you are seeing that right. I only have three books on my holiday TBR this month. And one of them is a novella! I wanted to keep it short and sweet so I could have time to do activities and visit with friends and family. Mostly over facetime.

First Lines Friday-December 10, 2021

Lauren1 Comment

Hello happy people! How was your week? Don’t forget to relax after all your hard work. You’ve earned it! Not that you need me to tell you that. But it’s important to take time to take care of yourself. So pull up a cozy mystery, a comfy blanket, and a cup of cocoa and de-stress.

And now I want a cup of tea. Oh well.

But it’s Friday! Huzzah! That means it’s time for First Lines Friday!

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author, or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

The Lines:

“Charlie Goodwin drew a shaky breath and tapped furiously on her phone, the screen illuminating her face in the dark storeroom. She opened an app and searched for the emergency two-minute stress-release meditation. Once the soothing voice began, she closed her eyes and took another deep breath, trying to slow her frantic heartbeat. But all it did was bring the sharp scent of peppermint further up her nose and into her throat.”

Intrigued?

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell—both critical to her success as show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie’s identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family’s bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won’t get the memo that they’re over.

With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven’t done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins’ identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track?

This book just so happens to be on my TBR for this month. I couldn’t help myself. Baking is one of my favorite holiday activities. I also found the premise of this story to be so cute! It’s not available until after the holidays on Amazon but is available at Barnes & Noble.

What do you think of this book? Would you give it a read?