This started very strong, it‘s sort of X-Men in the Victorian era. This first third was great, though there were a few moments some additional edits could help. Where the book lost me was when it jumped to a different timeline and set of characters and the pacing became a slog. I was so bored, so sadly I am DNFing this one at 50%. I think this could benefit from additional edits, there is no reason for this to be so long.

Mailing out my #HHS #HauntedHollowSwap package tomorrow. 🎃🧙🏻‍♀️😎
@wanderinglynn

What a top tier romance. Book 1 was fun, but this just blew me away (pun intended IYKYK). Two incredibly lovable protagonists and an adorable kid. No third act breakup. Just pure entertainment and solid steamy times. One of my top romances of the year. 5⭐️

Finished listening to this in one day it was so good. A follow up to Firekeeper‘s Daughter, though it can be read alone. Again this deals with the continuing poor treatment of our indigenous people but also showcases the amazing community of this northern Michigan tribe. Again this is a YA thriller that does not really feel YA, except for the age of our protagonist.

This was a fantastic horror read. It has a great balance of humor and gruesome horror and would make an amazing movie. You constantly are questioning what is really going on in the house with a dark history until the very end. I will say nothing else as this is best read knowing very little. 5⭐️

A great choice if folks are looking for more picks for #Scarathlon!

Here is my #Scarathlon #Watchlist

A delightful mix of classic and modern horror, from chilling to gory. Some of these are movies I watch every Halloween, some are movies I‘ve meant to get to and saved for October. I may watch more than what‘s here depending on what pops up on streaming. 🎃😈🧙🏻‍♀️🫣 #HHC

Another action packed, devastating volume in this epic historical manga based on Nordic history. 4.5⭐️

I had heard this is many readers least favorite of the series and I agree. The actual story is solid and has a nice ending. What fails here is the character work, in particular a new character Cora, who seems very awkwardly inserted to add commentary on fat phobia and body positivity. I admire the want to make a body positive character, however, come on, is the book with the world made out of sugar the place for this?⬇️

So I had previously DNF‘d this, but I was in the mood for something strange and decided to give it another chance. This time I listened to the audiobook, and that made this extremely bizarre story unfold for me. I honestly don‘t completely know what was going all the time. However, this is a savage exploration of snobby academia. There is so many little details that could be discovered on reread as well.⬇️

Here are my #Roll100 picks for my #OctoberTBR

Heartless by Marissa Meyer - has been on my TBR for a long time, and with my current YA track record I doubt I‘ll finish it
The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty
The Changeling by Victor LaValle - I‘ve picked up and put down this one a few times, so one more chance!

Here is my #Scarathlon #FallBucketList go team #HHC!

#HHC #Scarathlon 2023
Getting to know me!
1. Reese‘s!
2. Book - Near the Bone by Christina Henry
Movie - The Conjuring
3. #teamwickedwitchofthewest
4. Pennywise
5. Reader, teacher, kind

This is a very cute, silly Paranormal rom-com. I would compare to Molly Harper, but not quite as laugh out loud funny. It was a quick easy read, though included some implausible moments, the main characters were quite lovable. 3.75⭐️

My favorite romance of the year so far. A fantastic sports romance with a hero who pretty much imperfectly perfect and a heroine who is incredibly lovable. A slow burn that is very steamy. This is the second book of a series but can be read alone. 5⭐️

Wow, this is just incredible. Dark Age was so sad and devastating so I‘m glad I didn‘t have to wait to read this one. It still has some gut punches but unlike Dark Age, it has hope. Now the long wait for the next book…5⭐️

DNFing, which is sad because I have really enjoyed her previous books. However, the characters are so unlikeable from the beginning, I do not want to continue reading.

I want to mood read for #Scarathlon 2023 so I created some stacks of spooky reads from my owned #TBR

I‘ll be building my #bookspin #doublespin #bookspinbingo from these stacks too.

Excited to be part of team #HHC!

This was good if a bit predictable. The characters were very likable though which kept me reading. 4⭐️

#WondrousWednesday

🍏Walks outside with the cooler weather and autumn leaves
🍎Tired - teacher tired IYKYK
🍏tagged, liking it so far, entertaining though a bit on the nose so far, we‘ll see how it ends.

This is not for me, it is very much a YA fantasy and written for a younger audience. It is very cute, but I should know better at this point after DNFing a large number of YA recently. However, I got a beautiful edition from Illumicrate so I had to check it out. DNF

This is a better written, post Apocalypticish version of Where the Crawdads Sing. 4⭐️

#SummerEndReadathon

This is a fantastic, original epic standalone fantasy. I have seen many excellent reviews, and it definitely lives up to the hype. A modern fantasy taking place in a small mountain village that seems frozen in time and the people possess powerful abilities. I knew very little about this going in and recommend the same. The only weakness is the end, which left this open to other stories, but seemed a bit tacked on after the main action sequences.⬇️

Vapid, unlikeable characters that reads like social media influencer posts. No thanks dnf.

But hey off the TBR!
#SummerEndReadathon

This was an action packed thriller with strong commentary on the American Justice system. This book shows a not too distant future where reality TV and the prison system have teamed up to create a new extreme sport - basically ancient gladiators/Battle Royale.
The author has created some solid main characters that you grow to care about in spite of the horrific acts they commit. I wouldn‘t call this a fun read, but it was intriguing.⬇️

This was epic, action packed and absolutely heartbreaking. I am very glad I waited until the next book was out before reading this one. If I didn‘t have several library holds up I would go right to Light Bringer, but I definitely want to see what happens next in this fantastic space opera. 5⭐️
#SummerEndReadathon

This one was just ok. The continuation of the Buggy story from Vol 2 dragged a bit. I am looking forward to Vol 4 though! 3⭐️
#SummerEndReadathon

Here is my #HauntedHalloweenSwap collage of favorites! I love Reese‘s anything, I love themed gnomes. Three of my favorite Halloween movies that I rewatch: the original Halloween, Beetlejuice & The Exorcist. Two of my favorite horror reads this year: Near the Bone by Christina Henry & Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones - I do own both of these, just showing I love a good slasher/monster scary book! #hhs23

I really enjoyed this friends to lovers suspense romance. I loved the two main characters and was definitely rooting for them. The ending went a little over the top, but was still very entertaining. Catherine Cowles is now a favorite author and I will continue to read her backlist. 4.5⭐️
#SummerEndReadathon

I enjoyed this novella diving into Jack & Jill‘s alternate world story. Part the story of two girls who are pigeonholed into what their parents want them to be. They discover a portal into a dark realm of monsters and find a different version of themselves. This is such a unique series that are quick reads. I look forward to the next book! 4⭐️
#SummerEndReadathon

This was a cute and silly start to this giant manga series. Had to check out the book before checking out the new Netflix series. Looking forward to continuing One Piece! 4⭐️
#SummerEndReadathon

Here is my #SeptemberTBR #bookspinbingo card!

My #bookspin pick is:
The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
My #doublespin pick is:
The Witch Elm by Tana French

Also yay for #SummerEndReadathon

I‘m really bored and after looking at reviews I think I‘m glad I‘m bailing. Another book off the TBR & #Roll100 list! Also #doublespin pick off the TBR

#SummerEndReadathon

This is my second or third time picking this up and I gave it about 30% and it‘s just not for me. Something about Lady Trent does not work for me. DNF

My #AugustReads
It was sort of a meh month, with only a few 5⭐️ reads and 5 DNF‘s (not shown)
My favorites were:
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
The Heartsong duet by Jennifer Hartmann
& continuing the manga series - Vinland Saga

This was fine? I figured out the end way too early so the twists weren‘t great twists and so the ending was a bit disappointing. A solid audiobook though. 3⭐️

I had this on my September TBR but the audiobook went quick so done early! #Roll100 one done!

This was a cute, low angst, steamy rom com. A ghost writer has a very bad one night stand, who turns out to be her next ghost writing client. I like this authors romances because they are actually rom-coms, do not have ridiculous, unnecessary, awkward third act conflicts and do have some steam along with a plot. I definitely recommend this one. 4⭐️

Bailing for now. The jumping POV‘s is not allowing me to settle into the story. It may be I‘m not in the right mood for this one. If I hear good buzz I may give it another try later. I did really like her previous book.

Sigh, not enjoying this one. Is Kristen Ashley being very Kristen Ashley, but without the likable characters. The hero is just a jerk and I don‘t feel like seeing him redeemed.

I really enjoyed this epic urban fantasy series. This was a fitting end with lots of twists and turns. It did feel a bit long, especially the last third which really dragged out. However, I would definitely recommend this unique series and I really enjoy V. E. Schwab‘s writing and world building. 4⭐️

Another fantastic installment in this historical fiction manga. 5⭐️

Here is my #SeptemberTBR
As usual I‘ll be participating in #bookspin #doublespin #bookspinbingo & #roll100

I‘ve already hit my Goodreads reading goal for the year so I‘m just picking mostly things I own that I want to get too. My reading slowed way down in August due to beginning of the school year. I am ready to get back into my groove so I can get more reading in!

Here are my #Roll100 picks:

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu - heard this series is great, just intimidated by the length.
Run Time by Catherine Ryan Howard -looks like a fun thriller
The Witch Elm by Tana French - been on my TBR forever, so we‘ll see

Adding these to my September TBR which I will post soon!

A fun quirky twisty mystery. I highly recommend this on audiobook!

I enjoyed this second book of the series. It brings back our main characters along with pirates, more polity intrigue and a magical competition. A lot of fun and I look forward to the next book!
#doublespin done! First #bookspinbingo 😁

This is a strange book of young love and a mysterious underwater house. This book has very little plot and not terribly deep character development. However, I was hypnotized by the atmosphere and pure sense of dread. I completely understand why it has a low rating because it will not be for everyone. I liked it though. 4⭐️
The only #roll100 I didn‘t dnf yay!

Just signed up for the #hauntedhallowswap #hhs
So ready for spooky season!
Head over to @wanderinglynn to sign up‘
#hhs23

I enjoyed this quite a bit. It was definitely thrilling, though I did guess the who-did-it, I still enjoyed the twists and turns. The various timelines keep you confused, along with our poor main character. There are some loose ends and far fetched happenings that prevent this from being a perfect thriller, but it is still a lot of fun. Do NOT read this via audiobook, I almost DNF‘d this because one of the narrators is incredibly bad.⬇️

Finished rereading this unique, parallel world, urban fantasy. I read this when it first came out and never got back to the series. That was unfortunate because it is very fun. The first half is a bit slow and confusing due to the world building, but the second half is action packed. I also love our main characters. I look forward to reading book 2 this month! 4⭐️
#rushathon #bookbinge

On reread I‘m moving this up to 4.5⭐️
I never continued in the series and look forward to continuing.

#rushathon #bookbinge

I really enjoy Molly Harper‘s characters, and the quirky small town paranormal romances she writes. I liked the first half of this new series, I liked the small island community, our protagonists and all the surrounding characters. What I didn‘t like was the third act conflict. It just felt forced, unlike the characters and resolved so quickly it seemed unnecessary. I will continue the series though. 3.25⭐️ #rushathon #bookbinge