by Sarah | Jul 21, 2021 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Book Reviews, I'm A Reader, Redefining Perfect, Wordy Wednesday
I thought about doing one book per recommendation post – but then changed my mind.
I’m going to recommend One, one, and one every month. The genres may change, but it lends some variety.
This week we’re going to look at 3 books that I recommend for beach reads. One YA, One Mystery, One Romance.
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I literally read 1/3 of this as a beach read. I blazed through a hundred pages it in a couple of hours, sitting next to my mom. Enjoying the sun, listening to the waves, and getting lost in the world of Snow’s asylum.
The story is a light and easy read, while simultaneously has depth and darkness to keep it intriguing.
A definite recommend from me. I can’t wait to finish it. (this month, come hell or high water)
It’s not often that a mystery keeps me truly guessing until very close to the end. This one managed to do it.
The twist in this mystery is it’s told in reverse…so you think you know exactly where it’s going. You don’t.
It’s a quick read, and keeps you interested until the very end. The characters are engaging and deeply flawed.
Okay, I heard about this one LONG before I ever read it. Not sure what took me so long, but it’s a great, fun read.
Perfect for the beach, this spicy, sexy read will keep you interested…and LAUGHING. The humor is spot on.
And at least the sun will rose your cheeks to keep your blush hidden.
*~*~*
Those are my recommendations for this month! Hope you enjoyed.
What are some of your favorite books? I love adding to my TBR.
by Sarah | Jul 7, 2021 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Book Reviews, I'm A Reader, Redefining Perfect
With working full time, and school full time, I have been massively slacking on the fun reading…but I’ve kept up with audiobooks, and while on vacation I managed to start a couple of actual physical books. I cannot express how much I missed just sitting with nothing to do and getting lost in a book…which I did in the stereotypical “beach read” fashion. When I’m at home, my mind is always flitting to something else I can do and it’s more difficult to ‘get lost’ in the pages…but I hope to do it again soon…especially since I still have to finish those 2 books I started on vacay.
Onto the post:
What I Read
I’ve been wanting to read this since I saw it on netgalley (this is not a netgalley read…I borrowed from library). I wasn’t approved on netgalley…so when I saw the audiobook available at the library, I snatched it up.
It was a SLOW mover and I found my desire to keep listening waning. I knew it was going somewhere, the reviews were raving…but it was falling too flat for me.
The narrator had a pleasant voice and I enjoyed the characters…and I understand world building is necessary – but this one too too long for my taste. Maybe the sequel will move quicker since the world is built already?
Maybe?
I hope….
Hubby and I were EXTREMELY late to the GoT bandwagon.
Seriously, we just started watching it around 3 months ago…and we’re still not done (we’re moving slow and fitting it into our schedule…almost there…at the end of season 7 now).
Anyhoo…I thought I’d give the book themselves a go to see if I got even more out of it.
To be honest, I’m glad I watched the show first. The book gave a much deeper look into certain aspects and enhanced my watching of the show, rather than hinder it.
It’s a LONG listen (maybe my longest yet?), and I had to take it out twice in order to finish…but it was worth the wait.
When all else fails…Harry Potter.
I have re-listened to these so very many times, it seems silly to even include them in my monthly ‘what I’ve read’ post…but I am anyway.
Last time I listened to the series, I ran out of time on this halfway through…and just went back to the start rather than wait to take it out again. I shouldn’t have done that…because the ending is always so very interesting.
As always, happy to have read it. The narrator is always nice to listen to.
~Sigh~
I loved the Netflix movie. I really, truly, happily did.
So, of course I picked up the book hoping it would (as GoT did), enhance my enjoyment…
Unfortunately, this was one of the rare cases where I truly enjoyed the movie better.
That rarely happens. Utterly rarely.
I think this has been on my wish list forever and a day.
Moving states, I’ve found that the libraries here do not compare to mine in Indiana when it comes to stock, especially of audiobooks. They did, however, have this series. So I grabbed it.
It’s an enjoyable read, though a bit heavy on the typical YA tropes. Girl who has power that was oblivious to the power until it happened and everyone is annoyed with her and she’s woefully misinformed and CUTE BOY who doesn’t want to give her the time of day, until he does…but then there’s the other girl…
So yeah, tropey…
But still a fun read/listen. The narrator is pleasant and I don’t find the characters cloying or annoying…just…a bit in the box.
I’ve seen approximately half of the TV series, and 1 of the movies. I enjoy it, but I’m not totally geeking out over The X-files.
However, this book really sucked me in. I enjoyed getting to know a young Fox Mulder and his small, but intrepid, group of friends. His relationship with his parents…
And of course the enigmatic smoking man had to fit in there…
A book about the Believer before he became the believer that delves into serial killers and UFOs and secret organizations.
It was a lot of fun, a great mystery and really left me hoping for another about Mulder…
(I really, really, really, wish I could say the same for Scully’s book. It was a DNF for me. 🙁 )
A semi-perrenial favorite. Every time I give this wonderful, inspiring, lovely book a listen/read I say I should make it an annual read. I really should.
Last time I read it was on my drive down to move to Florida 2 years ago.
I should have read it five million times in the past 2 years. It’s that good.
And no, it’s not just about being creative in the artist/writer/performer sense…it’s about being creative in your life, period.
Such a good read.
Always, always leaves me inspired.
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What I’m Reading Now
I first read this book *checks goodreads* TEN years ago!! TEN?! Wow.
I remember it was a huge book, like 600-ish pages…and I read it in a weekend I loved it so much.
I wanted to read the rest of the series…but, alas…it’s been ten years. So, I have started again from the beginning and I’m SO glad I did because I remember NOTHING.
The narrator is wonderful, her accents are delightful, and voice soothing and highly tolerable.
Need to finish before my lending period is over.
This has been on my shelf for ages. I did, of course, enjoy Dorothy Must Die quite thoroughly…so I was excited to try this, but it languished on the shelf.
I picked it up at the beach on vacation and couldn’t put it down for 100 pages…until I needed to get back to the water because beach.
A fun, unique take on the twisted fairy tale.
I’m 1/3 through and need to sit my butt down and finish.
My crochet project is done, and midterms are over tomorrow…so hopefully I will finish this soon.
*
This was on my wishlist and my bestie bought it for me.
I also started this on the beach and got about halfway through.
It’s a wonderful, easy read for NF.
The take on green witchcraft and fitting it into every day life is fascinating and easy to put into practice.
Can’t wait to finish and continue using it for reference.
*
Currently the only netgalley book on my list (see aforementioned swampedness).
Enjoyable read so far…but I was hoping for more depth to the stories.
The stories are brief, clips really. Generalized tales rather than fascinating in-depth looks into the twisted path to the eventual diagnosis.
I will finish, but I’m currently only ‘eh’.
*~*
What are you reading these days? I’m always looking for suggestions!
Stick around…more updates coming soon!
by Sarah | May 6, 2020 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Book Reviews, I'm A Reader, Redefining Perfect
I’m currently on vacation, and so my reading is down to little because I am busy around the house and with yarn stuffs. In the past couple of months as I study, I have been relying very heavily on audiobooks to get me by with finals coming up. Unfortunately, not every audiobook (or book) is one that I enjoy or manage to get all the way through.
So, my list is smaller than expected.
Onto the post:
What I Read
I really enjoyed Megan Miranda’s All the Missing Girls back in January, so I picked up this one in hopes it would be as good.
While I enjoyed the story as a whole, it wasn’t my favorite. It got off to a really, really slow start. I had guessed most of the mystery before it was revealed, like WAY before it was revealed. Biggest question was that one final boom that hit, and I guessed it in the moments before it happened and was screaming at the protagonist in my car to get out.
Overall it was enjoyable, but I preferred All the Missing Girls which had a bigger impact and wasn’t so slow.
The final installment in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series did not disappoint.
I did have to keep reminding myself that Audrey Rose was merely seventeen, because in many ways she seems much older. I was annoyed at the first part of the book with the surprise in the church, and the fallout from it. It seemed rather contrived in the whole of things.
However, the story itself was really good and exciting. I may have guessed early on about whom the culprit was…but it didn’t detract from the story in this case, because there was so much going on. My husband, being a big fan of the Devil in the White City, is rather familiar with America’s first serial killer. By association, so was I.
This was a unique take on the story that was rather intriguing. Yes, there was plenty of creative license taken with the story of the devil…but it made for a hell of a story so long as you take it for the fiction it is.
I’d never heard of the podcast, but the title of the book caught my attention. As a big fan of true crime shows, I had a lot of fun in listening to this one. Karen and Georgia were easy to listen to, and made me laugh quite a bit.
I wouldn’t call it self-help, but it had that element to it.
A definite fun listen, but I don’t think I would have enjoyed it in print as much because the narrators/authors lent their own voices to it so very well.
*~*
What I’m Reading Now
I’m already on book 6 in this. I fear not finishing it because I am on vacation and it’s due back much too soon.
As always I love listening to this series, and it’s often my go-to. Seems I always have one of these books on hold at the library.
Book 6 is action packed and a bit of movement and excitement after the duldroms of Book 5 (which I always call the most depressing book in the series).
Here’s to hoping I finish before it’s due back!
I was granted a later book in the series through netgalley and since I hate going into the middle of a series, I got this so I could get a feel for the author before I get to the one I need to read through netgalley.
Haven’t really started this one yet, as I was studying for finals…but it’s next on the list.
*
*
I’ve been reading through this series of shorts from several authors called The Forward Collection, all science fiction, all post-apocalypse.
This is the next in the series.
Again, because of finals, I’ve yet to pick it up. I was relying heavily on audiobooks up until finals.
*
*
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What are you reading these days? I’m always looking for suggestions!
Stick around…more updates coming soon!
by Sarah | Jan 8, 2020 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Book Reviews, I'm A Reader, Redefining Perfect
Somehow in all of the chaos I managed to read 50 books in 2019. Still not sure how, and though I set the same goal for this year, I’m not sure I’ll manage to make it again what with school and work and kids and hubby and Disney and all of that good stuff.
Still, I’m making an effort, and working to keep a record again somewhere other than Goodreads.
Onto the post:
What I Read
Yes, yes…AGAIN.
Like I said on Twitter recently…I will ALWAYS go home to Hogwarts.
Though I enjoy reading the books myself, there is something fun and magical about listening to the audiobook version that makes me happy and makes driving in this atrocious traffic less of a bother.
(Yes, I know about the controversy and I do not condone or agree with Rowling’s actions…and will never purchase another book first-hand. However, I will borrow the series and read my well-worn copies because the stories go beyond her narrow views.)
I own this and the first in the series in hardcover (GORGEOUS books, mind you)…but the narrator of the audiobooks is such a delight that it makes listening to them fun and engaging.
The second in the series began a little slow, but had its own sort of impact. After the events of Hunting Jack the Ripper, our heroine Audrey Rose is suffering a bit of PTSD. One of my delights in this book is that Maniscalco does not shy away from this fact, or the fact that she should be suffering PTSD in the first place. What was suffered in the first book begets such a thing.
The way she struggles adds an extra haunting note to the story, and the location of Bran castle only increases that feeling. After such trauma it takes AR some time to get her ‘sea legs’ so to speak. Despite the bumbling attempts of the frustrating adorable and obtuse Thomas Cresswell, her struggles remain. When she first picks up a scalpel again we begin to see hints of the AR we know and love. A little less innocent, sure, but still smart and cunning, and almost too daring.
On a personal side note: I totally want to create the tea Thomas mentioned creating…Audrey Rosehips. It sounded delicious.
Yup, another audio, and one out of my normal wheelhouse of books. I used to read a lot of mysteries some years ago…but dropped them in favor of YA and romance and fantasy, etc. Recently, I’ve begun to try to expand what I read again, and this fit the bill.
The story was intriguing, and the result truly had me by surprise. The twist on format, going backwards in time, was done well enough.
The characters were not always likable, and the ending a little sketchy on morality, but I really enjoyed it and was completely satisfied with how things turn out.
It’s not often a mystery/thriller takes me by surprise and this one managed it.
I put these two together, but separate because they are part of a series of standalones, each set in both the near and far future.
ARK was an enjoyable, quick read for me. About a group of scientists gathering every bit of data they can about life on earth (as in plant life) before the big asteroid hits. On their last day before boaring the third and final Ark to depart the earth, the MC stumbles on something amazing. It was touching, heart-breaking, and beautiful all at once.
Summer Frost was good, just not my cup of tea. I found myself having to push my way through it. I enjoy Blake Crouch’s writing, I just didn’t really connect with the story after a certain point. I wanted to, but after the first few scenes it just lost all appeal. Going forward with the collection, though…It’s a fun way to get a glimpse of different authors I’ve never read.
What I’m Reading Now
I finished the first and the second came right along to ease my loneliness.
While COS is not my favorite Potter read, I don’t like skipping books…besides, there’s some lovely details in this one that help.
Plus, where would we be without kitty Hermione?
Plus, as I said above, the narration is always pleasing and it’s a nice way to pass the time in the crazy trafficness that is Florida.
(Book releasing 2/8/20)
I have, admittedly, been “currently reading” this one for a while now. Mostly because I want it to get my full attention and I so rarely have that for book time. I’m a major multi-tasker and this book deserves more.
I really like it, and the way the theory and practices are presented. The author has an easy voice to read, and everything clicks in my head when I read it. I’d like more time to put everything together and into practice.
*This is a book I received via netgalley. All opinions are my own*
I was intrigued by the book when the blurb mentioned the MC is gender fluid. I’d never read a book with such a main character, and the premise of the story (a competition to the death!) while familiar, appeared to have a new spin on it.
It’s a good, quick read when I remember it’s waiting for me (I’m currently trying to find where my Kindle is…I seem to have misplaced it and I don’t like reading longer stories on my phone)…my biggest issue is just what drew me in. Sal is gender-fluid. It’s mentioned in the blurb…but I feel like the first 1/3 of the book is kind of bashing you over the head with it a little. I DO like how those around Sal approach their fluidity, both with and without grace, to identify how to address them.
As for the meat of the story, so far it’s a tangled web of intrigue and action. From essential street-urchin into a death battle with highly trained adversaries isn’t easy…and this book isn’t making Sal a miracle expert at everything. They struggle to survive and fight, and the whole thing is rather intriguing.
I hope to get back to this ASAP…if I could only figure out what I did with that Kindle…
*This is a book I received via netgalley. All opinions are my own*
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What are you reading these days? I’m always looking for suggestions!
Stick around…more updates coming soon!
by Sarah | Jul 3, 2019 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Book Reviews, I'm A Reader, Redefining Perfect
Well, May and June were halfway kind of a wash, but at the same time, not. I actually got a few read. I’m working on several others right now. Hubby and I found our local library. It’s not awesome, but we can request books from the more awesome larger county libraries so it’s not a total loss by any means. As my books are still packed, I’m going to be reading some I’d already bought, and library books while I get more settled in.
Oh, and in disappointing news, there is no Half Price Books in Florida…there is a Barnes & Noble relatively close, but I love the option to take and sell my books when I’m done with them. So, I’ll be searching for a local bookstore in which I can do that at the very least for store credit.
Anyhoozles, onto the list. More in what I’ve read than am reading, but there’s reasons. There’s at least one book I’m not listing for reasons and it’s taking up my reading time at work.
Some may interest you, some may not. I hope it gives you at least a few ideas!!
Onto the post:
What I Read
Okay, this one is a long one…but I had a 17 hour car drive to listen to it.
Reading, re-reading, listening, and re-listening to this series is one of my favorite things. It is my literary comfort food as none but the Little House series has ever been for me.
As always, Order of the Phoenix is no my favorite of the series, but it brings about several necessary transitions.
Now I wait on book 6…just a few weeks, and I will have it in my greedy little fingers.
I don’t even remember what made me put this on my list, but there it was.
It was an interesting, if mildly predictable tale of a young woman dealing with the secrets her father leaves behind, and the pain and turmoil she endures when her world falls apart upon his alzheimer’s diagnosis.
In parts hard to listen to, in others painfully real, it was an interesting story along the lines of which I don’t normally read.
It feels good to stretch my reading wings again.
Oh, I wanted this to be so much more than it was. I’ve never been a big Sherlock reader, but the premise of this intrigued me.
However…oh, however…
Every single character was a descendant of a Sherlock character…great…no problem…but they were an almost EXACT replica of their parent…except, BETTER. It was just…ugh.
Predictable, and predictable plot.
It was a quick read, at least. I’ll give it that.
A girl can cross the threshold between life and death after dying once herself and being saved by nothing less than a ghost.
Her parents, who are ghost hunters, don’t believe in her powers. They take her with them to Scotland, a land teeming with ghost stories and ghosts themselves to film a new TV show…
This leads to much mayhem on Cassidy’s part, and to her meeting another like her.
There were some predictable YA tropes involved, but it was a cute, quick listen.
I’ve been wanting to read this for a while now. I was glad to snag an audio copy from the library to listen to.
It was a delightful read, and the who-dun-it managed to surprise me, which is unusual enough.
The narrator was delightful, and the story was fun.
I’m looking forward to reading the next one when my books are uncovered again.
Unless I decide to get the audiobook for the next one, too.
I’d heard lots and lots about this one. I bought it a couple of years ago. I had yet to read it.
I decided to give the audiobook a chance, hearing that the audiobook had a cast instead of a single narrator.
The story itself was slow to take off, and I predicted the who-dun-it really early on in the story, honestly.
However, the story was good. None of the main characters was particularly likable, but I had a fair amount of sympathy for 2 out of 3 of them by the end (Rachel and Megan) – and I really hated Anna the whole time. Ugh, could not stand her.
So, it really played with my emotions, which I guess is a good sign.
What I’m Reading Now
I’m a huge fan of Splintered, so I’ve been curious about this from the start.
I know it is not one of Howard’s most popular, in fact I’ve seen some rather derisive reviews of it, but I want to give it a go anyway.
It’s a different, more modern take on the Phantom, where the story exists already in the world so I’m wondering how it will all play out.
It’s a library book, so I have limited time to read. Hopefully that means I’ll finish it or make a quick decision to quit it.
Pretty sure everyone and their mother has read this one and raved about it (at least amongst my friends).
I’ve been dying to read it myself, but it’s been cost prohibitive on the occasions I’ve seen it. I had a credit for Greats on Kindle, so I decided to use it for this one.
I’m excited to get started.
And so is my hubby.
So this may be next, even with another library book on my shelf.
This was a Christmas gift to me from myself. I had just started when the move happened and silly me packed it away, so it’s still in storage, but once I finally unpack I will happily dive back in.
It has good reviews and is self-described as helping one to carve their own path spiritually.
As that’s what I’m doing, I thought it would be a good read for me.
I’ll let you know when I find out. 😉
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What are you reading these days? I’m always looking for suggestions!
Stick around…more updates coming soon!
by Sarah | Apr 17, 2019 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Book Reviews, I'm A Reader, Redefining Perfect, Wordy Wednesday
I thought about doing one book per recommendation post – but then changed my mind.
I’m going to recommend One, one, and one every month. The genres may change, but it lends some variety.
This week we’re going to look at Series that I recommend. One YA, One Graphic Novel, One Romance.
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Oh, don’t look so surprised…or are you looking annoyed?
Either way – stop.
Call it the gateway drug, call it what you want, but I’ve read it like 7 times, which is still not as many as the Little House books, but it’s a lot for someone that never re-reads books. Like, ever.
I was late to this party. Seriously. I’d heard plenty about it, even given book one to my son in a desperate attempt to get him interested in reading (it didn’t work, FWIW). However, I never picked them up. That long-mentioned tendency toward not liking things that are immensely popular.
Then, we got free tickets for a pre-screening of The Goblet of Fire in the theaters. Arguably, not the best book or movie, BUT it was my introduction into the series and it excited hubby and I both enough to leave the theater saying “We have GOT to read these books…”
And so we did.
Unfortunately, only 5 books were out at the time. While I breezed through and loved the first four books, I hit a road block. It took me almost a year to read that super-depressing Order of the Phoenix, and then book 6 was out, but then I had to wait a year for book 7…and by then I’d forgotten many of the characters and it lost all magic.
Several years later, though…that’s when I had some time to sit down and read them all in order without stopping. It took 2 weeks but I finally “got” it.
That’s a long way of saying I can’t recommend them enough. It’s a magical world you never want to end. While people scrambling for more has led to some intriguing theories, and stories, it’s also led to some questionable ones.
But the initial 7. They are classic. The time and effort spent building the world, the magic, everything. I will forever read and re-read these books in both print and audio form. They hold all my love and the love of so many others. If you haven’t read them, give them a shot. They may not be your cup of tea, and that’s okay…but at least you tried.
Okay, there are 8 books in this series currently, despite only having 4 pictured.
This is a series that both my girls and I devoured like it was water and we were stranded in the desert.
There are many things to enjoy about the series. The story itself is riddled with magic, technology, mystery and some fun characters along for the ride with out heroine, Emily.
It’s definitely a fun series both kids and adults can enjoy. I highly recommend it for your kids – and for you.
Okay, to be honest I personally only REALLY enjoyed half of these. However, that was personal preference based on the story type more than anything.
The series as a whole is great. Each book is written by a different author for a different season. Each book takes the Beauty and the Beast story and revises it in a modern take using various paranormal tropes from shifters to monsters to plain old magic.
I really enjoyed the modern, paranormal take on the classic story. The series really brought to light how four different authors can take the same base story and put their own, unique spin on it.
side note: These are labeled erotic, and they each definitely have some racy scenes in them. It’s well worth it for the fun ride, though. Trust me. 😉
*~*~*
Those are my recommendations for this month! Hope you enjoyed.
What are some of your favorite books? I love adding to my TBR.
Stealing Snow
Wallbanger
