Set mainly in Paris at the beginning of the twentieth century, this alternate history murder mystery fantasy novel packs a lot into it's nearly 400 pages.

Working for the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena Samantha Harker (yes, the daughter of Dracula's killer) and Dr Helena Moriarty (yes, her father is the Moriarty) are teamed up to solve why werewolf-like beasts attack men in Paris, France. ⬇️

#NetGalley #ARC #MountARC

Not sure how to review this book. I was annoyed by the historical inaccuracies and anachronistic dialogue. I didn't care for the over-the-top brutality of some plot elements and absolutely didn't understand why some of the culprits weren't held accountable for their actions. Why add it to the plot in the first place? Shock-value? What really brought this novel down to just one star was the show-down and its aftermath at the end of the book. ⬇️

Paris, 1866, two sisters, mediums, work together to do one more job to raise enough money for their father's medical bills. Sylvie, meanwhile married to a baron, cannot ask her husband for financial aid, since he doesn't know about her family. Charlotte begrudges her sister getting out of the family business and out of the circumstances they lived in, and is happy to rope her sister into this new con.
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#NetGalley #ARC #MountARC

Kembral is a new mother who takes a tiny break from motherhood to join and hopefully enjoy an end of the year party. She used to work as retrieval agent, but has been on maternity leave. When the party turns into a "Groundhog Day" scenario Kembral seems to be the only one who recognises that the party/the mansion is slowly sinking into the echoes (parallel worlds that are similar, but not the same as the "prime" world).

⬇️

#NetGalley #ARC

Erin leaves notes in the margins of her books and James finds one of her books in a LFL and decides to respond. They haven't met, but they grow closer with every book they share.

Don't let the cute cover fool you. This isn't a cutesy romance. The book focuses on grief, survivor's guilt, mending fences with family and friends, finding yourself,...

More #BookMail - gigantic book. My son unpacked it, he said he wanted to keep me in suspense a bit longer.

Thank you @CaroPi! 😘😘😘 Very fitting on so many levels! You've chosen wonderful books for me. 😘😘

#HHS #HauntedHollowSwap @wanderinglynn

#BookMail - Pub Day is 14th November

#UnpopularOpinion

This was too long (nearly 500pp). So Grinch adjacent, it was cringe. Why does the narrator have to break the fourth wall? Why the overly grumpy big sister? Why all the weird Christmas competitions? Why this stupid 3rd act break-up? Why not more focus on the romance between the main couple, outside of the 🌶️ scenes? Feels like they went from insta-hate to insta-lust to Insta-love. And that epilogue?

Very un-MeghanQuinn-like. 😐

I might not be the target audience for this story. I admire the structure of the book, the play with narrating in different tenses and narrator POVs, but I didn't exactly enjoy the reading experience.

The frame narrative is from Rowena's POV, she's a curator who has discovered a nearly three hundred year old manuscript from 2024. The manuscript tells Fairly's story, a girl who left her home to walk the Horned Road to find meaning in her life. ⬇️

#WorstRead2024 @CSeydel

The Silence Factory wins. I know this might be an #UnpopularOpinion, but I just found the book boring. I guess Gothic is not my jam.

October wrap-up.

I just got an Amazon delivery that said "liquids" on the package, which made me wonder whether Amazon can read minds (I wanted to order some alcohol for Christmas presents, but haven't yet).

Dear @CaroPi Thank you for the #HHS #HauntedHollowSwap package! The book sounds intriguing and I'm honestly amazed that it has rounded corners. The chocolate is perfect, especially since I've just made tea and was looking for biscuits. ?

Second book in #UrbanFantasy series. It ends with a cliffhanger.

I'm not quite sure what happened in this book. I mean, things happened, but it all feels like it was world-building and preparation for the big finish.

#MiddleBookSyndrome

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

It's a Will Watt narration week, it seems.

There's a fairy market in London where you can barter anything, even your destiny. In this alternate Victorian Britain, one of the royals sells their destiny to an indentured servant who would like to gain his freedom. Meanwhile, the children in a workhouse want better conditions and hope their connection to the fairy world will help them.

The story suffered from too many POV,... ⬇️

Re-reading the #audiobook version again. 😬

I said I wouldn't dress up for Halloween/Samhain. I'm not, I wear the shirt and skirt all year round, but I rarely wear them together.

Happy Halloween! 🎃👻🦇

And yes, @BarbaraBB, I'm wearing the grey dress underneath the shirt and skirt. 😉

Happy Halloween!

#TLT#ThreeListThursday #TLT @dabbe

I have read 9 from the list, and probably hundreds of other mystery/thrillers that didn't make the list. And there are so many on the list I'm not the least bit interested in. 🤷🏻‍♀️

One of my favourites (and among the first I've read) is tagged.

Not sure what I was expecting, but it was far better than I thought.

An unplanned pregnancy forces the 19 y/o Margo to earn money in an unusual way.

Really liked the way the author plays with the POV throughout the novel.

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

Tricky, no Halloween like in the US over here. 😉

Tag, you're it. 🎃

Thanks for the tag @Eggs

? Not really. I might put my "Resting Witch Face" shirt on though.

? Classic horror: The Woman in Black - I didn't really enjoy-enjoy it, but it wasn't a pan.

#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

It's 31st October, Nick's birthday. The plan was to spend quality time with him in bed. But the events at the end of the 3rd novel, plus Riley's ex suddenly appearing derail all plans.

Now Santiago Investigations is protecting the ego-maniac ex from whoever wants to kill him, and boy it's a long list of suspects, understandably. For the first time in his career Nick would love to do a piss-poor job.

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

#BookMail

Spreading some love by getting shelf-trophies. 😁

I think I need to get new shelves next. 😬

#HauntedHollowSwap @wanderinglynn #HHS #HHS24

Evening stroll to the petrol station to drop off my parcel. It's on its way.

I guess, with this update now, I have a bingo?

Finished one book, started four new ones. Only one of the four I started was on my tentative #TBR. ??

Also, what exactly counts as a spooky treat? My European mind can't think of something other than "must mean disgusting".

#DeweysReadathon
#readathon

@DeweysReadathon

#DewesReadathon tentative #TBR - a few #ARCs and, of course, the #Discworld book.

#BookMail from @jenniferw88 - in lieu of the Blind Date Book, which I'd already read, I got a surprise book from Jenny.

Thank you!

#BookMail

Preordered months ago, it came as a surprise - especially since the Pub Day is 7th November. 😁

Also, thanks DHL, ramming it into my postbox didn't hurt the book at all. 🙄🤬😡

Anyone else doing #DewesReadathon this weekend?

Clocks go back to Winter Time in Europe tonight, which makes the #readathon 25 hours long. 😁

Picture is from Dewey's Readathon Instagram.

#NetGalley #ARC #MountARC

Rivals Leo and Grimm have to work together, which wouldn't be ideal on a normal day, but due to an accidental curse Leo now has to obey his rival's every command. And as if using forbidden magic wasn't enough to undo the curse they have to go into the Unquiet Wood, a forbidden forest full of monsters and lethal flora. There they might find a legendary sorcerer who can undo the curse with a counterspell, or they ⬇️

#NetGalley #ARC #MountARC

2nd book in Tomes & Tea series

Reyna and Kianthe are still looking for the dragon eggs. Their search gets backburnered though, when they arrive at Diarn Arlon's estate just as the pirate who's been stealing food by the boatloads strikes again. They agree to help Arlon's constable to catch the pirate and soon find out that constable Bobbie and pirate Serina used to be childhood friends now turned enemies. ⬇️

Entertainment while baking. 😁

Second chance #Romance, Fake-Dating

They met at a party two years ago, she was dressed as Mystique, he was charming. They hit it off, but then she sees him collecting the phone number of a hot brunette and writes him off as a player. Now she's working for him and he has no idea they've met before. He's in need of a fake fiancée, she wants a promotion = match made in Manhattan. 😜

Some 🌶️🌶️

#WhereAreYouMonday @Cupcake12

Currently on a sinking boat in the middle of the Nacean River.

Second book in the "Tomes & Tea" series.

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

I've read it. It made me aware of parallels between this story and some others I've read (by other authors and published later).

The writing was good.

Maybe all the hype about it had me expecting more spooky, more haunting.

Anyway, I've read it. I've checked a box. 😉

#buddyread @Leniverse

Current #audiobook read for some #audioknitting, her feline highness, #GhostCat, has decreed it so. Or in other words, I sat down for a minute and she took advantage.

#HistoricalRomance
#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

With Halloween fast approaching, here's the list of our November Birthday Littens.

Would you like to have #BirthdayLove sprinkled on your special day? Contact the #BirthdayFaries via litsybirthdays@gmail.com, send us your birthday and Litsy handle and we'll add you to the calendar.

@CarolynM @squirrelbrain @robinb @KarenUK @Crazeedi

Low pick. There were too many characters that needed introduction which dragged on.

Will certainly read the next in the series.

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

#HistoricalRomance

Cute, but some historical inaccuracies pulled me out of the story. And I'm not talking about historical events here, more like words used before their time, or period inappropriate clothing (e.g.: don't call it 'drawers' and then describe 20th/21st century female underwear).

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

Tiny post- #Gladstones24 airport #BookHaul

Glad I found these airport editions. Wanted to buy both, but didn't want to lugg the hardcover editions with me.

"To the people who gave me one-star reviews because the first book 'had lesbians.' I doubled the lesbians in this one. Just for you."

Fireplace ✔️ Tea can be arranged

#Gladstones24

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

#NetGalley #ARC #MountARC

Not as good as The Missing Maid.

There's a lot happening, but also not a lot happening until about 60% then the plot suddenly thickens.

I'll still read the next one in the series.

#NetGalley #ARC #MountARC

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

#Gladstones24

Roomie book pairing

#ReadingRetreat #Gladstones24

Addition to the #YellowNFShelf.

At happy place for a #ReadingRetreat.

Every time I read about the transition and how it changes the scrawny lad into a muscled giant.

#BDBBuddyRead #BDBBookClub #BDB @TheSpineView

#OokBOokClub

Just a friendly reminder that we'll be reading #TheTruth next! Dig out your books, put in your library holds, or place your orders! The next Discworld adventure continues on November 8th! Woohoo!

If anyone wants to be tagged/untagged for future posts please let me know! Happy to oblige!

#Discworld #SirTerryPratchett #TerryPratchett #PratchettPosse #ReadAlong #BuddyRead #EpicBuddyRead

#OokBOokClub-ers, our Discworld adventure continues TODAY with #MovingPictures!

Looking forward to our discussion next month!

Happy reading!

#Discworld #SirTerryPratchett #TerryPratchett #PratchettPosse #ReadAlong #BuddyRead #EpicBuddyRead

Hello friends! Open discussion is in the FOLLOWING POST marked as a spoiler. Find the #UnseenAcademicals post & tap "show me" on the spoiler tag to join in the discussion. Join in whenever you can! Today. Tomorrow. Next month! The post will always be up so just tag each other & we'll jump in to discuss with you. Feel free to chat about anything!

#OokBOokClub #Discworld #SirTerryPratchett #TerryPratchett #PratchettPosse #ReadAlong #BuddyRead

Agatha Christie-esque story.

Writer Ginevra Ex presents her latest Main Character (person she based her next murder mystery on) Rory with a trip on the Orient Express. Rory is over the moon, but gets suspicious when she meets her brother, ex-bestie, and former fiancé in the dining car. Is this going to be a real life recreation of Christie's novel?

The first half dragged, not entirely but definitely partly due to the 5 different POV, ⬇️

Okayyy, I honestly didn't think I'd like this series, but I've just started the third one.

Second book is about the meanest player Declan and famous singer Kelsey. He rescued her dog, she proposed a #showmance. Little did she know that he never signed the paperwork because he was already head over heels for her. How to convince a superstar that she's the one?

#SeriesLove2024 @TheSpineView @Andrew65