Little bit of a background change for me. I'm at a conference through Saturday. Today's pre-conference program focused on strategic planning. It was actually quite a great program. And the book I brought to read is this year's Booker Prize winner, Orbital by Samantha Harvey.
pickI was off today for working Saturday and the majority of the day was spent reading this book. Only put it down to eat and walk Periwinkle. It's a fascinating memoir that focuses on Lenz's decade in a cult. She grew up very religious and when she moved out to L.A. to try out for acting gigs, she joined what seemed like a simple, small group Bible study. I sympathized with her. She really showed how cults tear you down and consume you.
I couldn't decide what genre of fiction I was in the mood for, so decided to read a non-fiction instead. I don't know this actress at all and didn't watch One Tree Hill, but I'm very interested in the being in a cult aspect of her life.
Aardvark Book Club's November challenge was a challenge! I only had the vowels e and a to work with. The challenge was to come up with a word stacking Aardvark books and using the first letter of the first word of the title. Each letter was worth a certain number of points. I came up the word watercress for 15 points.
#aardvarkbookclub
I keep seeing mentions of how charming this book is and I need something like that in my life right now. Starting this one tonight.
pickI stayed up late last night, but made myself stop doomscrolling and instead read. So I finished this book. It was a fever dream of a book and a perfect escape for the moment. It takes place in a city over centuries as a demon and angel rebuild the city the angel helped destroy. Very beautifully written. Harsh at times, but beautiful.
#aardvarkbookclub
"No one loves a city like one born to it, and no one loves a city like an immigrant. No one loves a city like they do when they are young, and no one loves a city like they do when they are old."
"Vitrine loved her city like demons and cats may love things, with an eye towards ownership and the threat of small mayhem."
Page 69
Next up is this slim fantasy from #aardvarkbookclub. It's my first book by this author.
My November #aardvarkbookclub picks. Both authors were introduced to me by Aardvark and I've been excited to read their next books. Glad I could get them through Aardvark again.
Eight books read in October. It was the month of vampires and dark academia for me. Weyward was my favorite!
November #botm books are up and I picked four. A romance, a memoir, and two fantasy.😁
pickThis was a low pick for me. I didn't always understand why Sloane and Naomi were best friends. And I wanted more interaction with the vampire group and not Noami and Sloane off by themselves. But I do like these types of wandering vampires and Sloane's own inner fight on who she wants to be. It was a fast read and interesting violent world.
Owlcrate's October adult fantasy is here. Very pretty and taller than what they have been doing for these special editions. ✨✨✨
My staycation is already almost to an end. Back to work on Monday. For my last read of it, I'm starting the new Ruby Dixon.
Peri and I just finished our walk.
Up next is another dark academia. This one's adult though and takes place at a college for magic.
pick5⭐️
I stayed up ridiculously late last night today finish this book. I needed to know what happened to Altha in 1619, Violet in 1942, and Kate in 2019. A perfect blend of women's fiction, historical fiction, and magic realism.
Finally received my September Romantasy FairyLoot book. It's The Half King by Melissa Landers. Another purple book. I'm hoping we get some other colors for these special editions. As pretty as they are, they don't all have to be purple and blue!
I'm continuing the vampire theme and starting an ARC of the J.R. Ward book out in Nov. I have so many physical books, that I've been heavily restricting my ARC intake, but couldn't resist a J.R. Ward book.🙃
pickEnemies to lovers, but very heavy on the enemy part. Kidan and her sister June have been hidden away from the vampire world where her family have been companions with vampires for generations. Her sister is kidnapped and Kidan must enter that world to find her. This book has some pretty dark themes of magic, death, and betrayal. I thought it had some very beautiful writing. It's the first of a trilogy, so no satisfying ending yet.
Vacation starts today! Well, a staycation. I'm off through all next week. On the agenda - sleep, read, some deep cleaning, and walks with Peri. I'm about a quarter of the way into Immortal Dark.
Starting Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma. Hopefully it's a good sign of a good book that I love what I see just opening the cover. Love a library book detail.
Had a Dr appt an hour away yesterday, so took advantage and also stopped at Barnes and Noble. Found another edition of Persuasion that I don't have yet. Also got Fear the Flames and a pretty edition of The Do-Over with sprayed edges.
Currently Reading:
Two Can Play in audio
Someone in the Attic in harcover
There's a new sprayed edged hardcover edition of Emily Henry's Beach Read out today and I absolutely pre-ordered it. The cover changes are nice too.
My #aardvarkbookclub picks for October! They surprised us with another signed book - My Vampire Plus-One is signed. It's also their 2 year anniversary, so in celebration, the box will also include an acrylic holographic bookmark.
Ending the month with a romance. Starting this one today. Seemed fitting as we are having unusually hot weather for the end of September here.
My September Owlcrate is here! It's a gorgeous edition of Lady Macbeth.
pickThis was fun. It takes place in a historical, magical New Orleans, but the majority of the book takes place in a hunted mansion. Ophelia follows her younger sister into this deadly competition featuring the different levels of hell. There is a love interest of course. And this one is adult for sure, if you know what I mean. It also is a bit gruesome at parts. It's a stand alone, so no cliffhanger. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I'm starting Phantasma today.💀
That was fast! My September Books of the Month are here!
I finished 8 books in August. My favorite was definitely The God of the Woods.
