Stacking the Shelves--Super Magnificent Two Week Haul of Awesomeness!

 

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Reading Reality.

Wow. It's been two weeks since my last update as I was exhausted after The Forbidden Love event when I came home Sunday morning. I spent my day unpacking and unloading and putting things away and doing laundry...the usual! Lol. It was a fun event! Chaotic in some areas, but good! I sadly didn't make the self-publishing panel. It was the last panel of the day and I had spent a good 90 minutes beforehand waiting in line for a new friend! Lol. I wanted to help someone I was talking with at one point in the day get her books signed for one of the feature authors. I had met Rachel Gillig last year, so all my books were already signed, but she was worried she wouldn't make it through the general line to see her, as I had a VIP ticket. It likely wouldn't have been an issue in the end as VIPs were not given first access, it was just a one by one sort of line exchange. A lot of us in that line thought it should have been 2 VIPs to every 1 "regular" as the VIP ticket cost a good chunk more than the level below it. My friend and I splurged thinking this would help us when it came to these particular lines, but we were wrong. I was also dismayed to learn that the "swag" bag we received had some decent premium items in it. Premium items that I had preordered separately from their "gift shop." I mean, I get they are trying to make more money, but I feel like since I bought a VIP ticket, letting me know what "big" items I'd get in my bad would've been nice. I would've saved myself a good chunk of money. And this was before I learned that the VIPs were not really getting a VIP line treatment. When the lines got chaotic, I ended up listening to the volunteers about where we needed to go and kind of got screwed by being at the back of the line while others, did not listen and they got to be in front of the line with no repercussions for not listening to said volunteers about where we needed to go to line up. The event people did make a post about making some mistakes when it came to the featured authors lines, which was nice in a sense. There was also a lot of discrepancy about what these rules regarding when you could line up for the authors. Because one time length was printed in the program, they posted another time length on Instagram, then the time varied by volunteer at the actual event. So you can imagine some of the frustration we had. I'm all for rules and following them, but there needs to be an agreement on what the rule is! Lol.

The week prior to the event was just more of the same usual. Then this week things were back to reality. I did attend one book event with Taylor J. Larue. That was pretty fun! I enjoyed hearing a debut author speak about all the bookish things! Work is steadily picking up little by little as we get closer to open enrollment for health insurance picking and whatnot. By September and October we might be pretty slammed, so this steadily picking up is nice! Summer here continues to be hot and brutal and awful. I just hope every single person who complains about winter is sitting outside and enjoying this crap. Lol. I stay indoors unless I have 2-3 fans and maybe my cooling towel with me. 

So the books you see here are from two weeks! But then again...I bought 7 of them at the Forbidden Love event! Lol. I kept telling myself to rein it in but then I bought another one. It's hard to say no to books being sold by the authors in front of you, so yeah...I went a little overboard and then I had preorders come in and then I attended two events in the two weeks from this haul. So yeah...it's a big one!

Here's what I got these last two weeks:

Prince of Swords by Elise Kova--SIGNED!
Spellcast by Sophie Jordan
The Seance Garden by Juliet Blackwell
Cursed by the Dawn by Logan Karlie
Gingerbread Bones by Lindsay Lovise
Cursed by a Siren's Kiss by Riley Hunt & L.S. Embers--SIGNED by Riley!
Our Immortal Hears by Lara Buckheit--SIGNED!
Heart of a Forest by Sylvia Lockard--SIGNED!
Thorn of a Curse by Sylvia Lockard--SIGNED!
Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis--SIGNED B&N edition!
Gravebriar by Casey L. Bond--SIGNED!
Solis Falling by T.A. Reilly--SIGNED!
Steelborn by Taylor J. Larue--SIGNED Allurial Edition!
The Lion & The Deathless Dark by Carissa Broadbent
The Killing Rules by Bree Despain

Then for review from the publisher I received:

The Killing Rules by Bree Despain (ARC)

THANK YOU Mayhem Books!

Then some of the merch I bought and/or received at The Forbidden Love Event:

Caraval necklace created by Artistic Mayhem

a heart frame with a painting inside that is a broken heart with pink and blue coloring and white stars and the name "jacks" on the inside!

Created by Goodnight Rose Studio!

Then I got these two tarot cards from Nerdstrom Designs!

One is Morpheus from Tourist Season that I got for knowing a secret code word!
The other is a white apple that says Jacks for OUABH! 

I actually also bought myself a sweatshirt too, but then after buying sooo many books, I asked my mom if she wanted to buy it off me to save for my birthday or Christmas as I am notoriously hard to shop for! Lol.

 

Then I received my preorder gift for The Shadow Reaper:

Character cards and vellum overlay!

THANK YOU Knopf Books for Young Readers!

Then I got this bookmark at the Taylor J. Larue event:

Then I had preordered this Funko Pop some months ago because I LOOOOOVE Scooby Doo! This was a cute iconic moment from the first episode so I had to get it! Lol.

And that was my super magnificent two week haul of awesomeness!

Book Blogger Hop #423

 

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

This week's question is: Do you see yourself more as an editor, a writer, or just a reader? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: Well, I am definitely a reader! First and always a reader! Lol. But I was bitten by the writer's bug many years ago. Although it's been wayyyyyyy too long since I've pulled up my WIP. Last week I attended the Forbidden Love event in Nashville and there was a panel on self-publishing tips and such and I planned on attending. 

SIDE NOTE: I am writing this post ahead of time, so hopefully all went off without a hitch!

I feel like if I could get some tips on what to do after the manuscript is done, I will make better progress on the self-publishing route. I mean I suppose I could try querying for an agent again as it's been a long time since I last did that. I do need to tweak my manuscript as time has gone by and there are some dated things in there that I need to fix and there were other little things I felt like tweaking or editing up as well.

So always yes to the reader and I consider myself a writer in some sense. I just need to get back to it.

Books from the Backlog #197

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks. This is a fun meme hosted by Carole's Random Life in Books!

History is on repeat…

Seth never thought he’d have a future. But now he’s on the brink of having it all with Josie: A tomorrow. A family. A forever. And all that's standing between him and that forever is the Titans. If he helps Josie entomb them -- without killing them, a nearly impossible task for him -- everything he could ever want will be in reach. But he soon realizes that as a god, every little choice he makes can reshape the world for the better… or worse. And in meddling with the Titans, Seth may have just set into motion catastrophic consequences that will force the Olympians to enter the mortal realm and reshape the delicate balance of power that keeps the world from total collapse.

A price must be paid…

Entombing the Titans is Josie’s top priority. After all, it was what she was born to do. But the plans her father put into play to help her are no longer an option, and the odds she and Seth face in forging their own path are grim. The escalating violence between halfs and pures only increases the danger closing in on them and their friends. Josie knows their chances of succeeding in their task are slim at best -- and if they fail, they might lose everything. But she also knows she's not fighting just for herself -- she's fighting for the man she loves, for their future, for the world. Together with the Army of Awesome, Josie and Seth will face the unthinkable. And to win this war, the ultimate sacrifice must be made.

For the end is here and the Prophecy will be fulfilled….

I added Jennifer L. Armentrout's The Prophecy to my TR pile in March of 2018. It's a series I STILL need to start! I kept saying I would when the series was completed and that was so long ago now! Lol. I did enjoy The Covenant series from wayyyy back when and where this series spun off from, so I will one day get to this series! I just need the time!

Review--The Shattered Mirror by Dana Evyn

 

They failed once. Now, the fate of their world depends on whether they can heal—and fight—together.

When the unthinkable shatters Eva and Bash’s bonding ceremony, Quinn Sagray knows she’s the only one who can make things right. And the best person to help her? Tobias—her best friend’s brother whose death broke her heart.

He’s been avoiding her. But danger doesn’t care about old wounds and faceless fears, and neither does the dark force threatening everything they love.

As Quinn and Tobias uncover a twisted conspiracy and face a familiar foe, she must wield every ounce of her medical knowledge and forbidden magic—powers she swore she'd never use. And Tobias must finally face the shadow that haunts him, confront the mistakes of his past, and reclaim the strength he thought he lost.

The past still aches. Something still smolders between them. But time is running out.

To save his sister, their people, and maybe each other, they’ll have to trust what was broken. Or risk losing their minds.

The Shattered Mirror is a dark and spicy fantasy romance featuring second chance romance, forced proximity, dual POV, and a heart-wrenching journey toward healing, magic, and redemption.

Well, after having a fun filled weekend, my reading got put on hold, lol. The Shattered Mirror by Dana Evyn brings an end to The Mirrored Trilogy, but in a twist, this time we get new character point of views since Eva and Bash's story arc came to an end. They were still involved with the story but not in the compacity that you would think.

This time we follow Quinn, Eva's best friend from childhood who is also tied to this fantasy world, and Eva's brother Tobias. Tobias is struggling with PTSD from being a prisoner of Aviel. Quinn longs to help him, but isn't sure what the right step to take is. But then the unthinkable happens and Eva falls ill but some mysterious malady and it's up to Quinn to figure out what it is and work on a cure. Desperate to save his beloved, Bash goes into a sort of stasis to find Eva in her dreams and help to keep her mind together before this curse can have irreparable effects.

Quinn and Tobias travel to another kingdom with more resources in order to work on a cure. They are greeted by the queen's head scientist type, Dolion who seems to take an extra interest in Quinn much to Tobias' displeasure.

This was an interesting story. True, I did miss Bash and Eva, but since I felt like their story came to a conclusion, if felt right to have a different couple pop up, though I still felt surprised by it being Quinn and Tobias. I feel like we might have had hints about their feelings before but since the previous books focused on Eva and Bash, I can't quite remember a minuet detail like that. But still, seeing the relationship between Quinn and Tobias evolve was sweet. There was definitely some intense and heated moments between them but it was in latter half of the story since there's so much healing that needs to be done between these two in the beginning.

The pacing to this one was about the same as the previous books. Not fast, but not super slow. It was a sedate pace with a lot of character driven growth. I enjoy a good character drive plot myself, so this was nice! I did totally pinpoint a twist in the story to the letter! I had two theories of course, but banked myself on my first guess the most! Lol.

All in all, this was an enjoyable book and a great addition to the world series. I enjoyed reading points of view from other characters and this acted as a sort of bonus story in some sense but still wrapped things up with a nice little bow for everyone involved. I will definitely be looking forward to Dana's future books for sure!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Can't Wait Wednesday #260

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Aveyard comes an epic adventure of love and betrayal, amid a brutal war for the high seas.

May the sea always sing for you

Cat Rose knows what it is to live in two worlds, in two times. Before—as Lady Catrine Rose of the Meridian Empire, chained to a loathsome lord with a dwindling fortune. And after—as the Widow Rose, queen of a pirate tavern in the Lyrian Sea, determined to be the master of her own fate.

But tides turn and winds change. The Meridian Empire looms on the horizon, the full weight of her navy falling on the Lyrian, bent on reclaiming the wealthy colonies and crushing the pirate republic once and for all. Ship after ship is captured, save for one, captained by a pirate who continually evades both noose and blade: the legendary Valerian Kane.

With his fearsome ship and uncanny connection to the song of the sea, Valerian is the only man who might rally the pirates who remain. The only man who threatens the Empire. And the only man Cat has ever loved, blazing in and out of her life like a star.

Desperate for victory, the Empire offers Cat a devastating choice: bring them Valerian or hang. In truth, no choice at all.

But Cat Rose is nothing if not a survivor.

A storm is rising on the Lyrian Sea—the question is, what will it leave in its wake?

Still need to read Aveyard's last YA series but also excited for her adult debut!

TITLE: Tempest
AUTHOR: Victoria Aveyard
PUBLISHER: Harper Voyager
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: September 8, 2026

Luminary is more than just a school. It is a test of moral fiber, strength of will, and human resilience.

Lia Michaels can pick any lock and break into most computer systems. But a life of delinquency has her bouncing between foster homes and juvie. So when she applies to Luminary Prep, a new experimental school created to challenge academic conventions, Lia is surprised by the acceptance letter that follows.

With state-of-the-art technology, fancy cafeteria food, and a campus that looks like a painting come to life, Luminary seems to be the break Lia needs. That is, if she can excel in class and be one of only five students who will be allowed to graduate.

But classes at Luminary are . . . odd. And dangerous. There is a death-trap obstacle course in Physics, a Chemistry exam with explosives, and guillotines in Political Science. As students keep vanishing, one by one, Lia starts to wonder if it's not that five students will graduate—but that only five will survive.

I loooove Danielle's thrillers! I still need to read her adult ones, but her YA ones have always been entertaining so I am definitely looking forward to this one too!

TITLE: Deadly Little Lessons
AUTHOR: Danielle Valentine
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
GENRE: YA Thriller
RELEASE DATE: September 15, 2026

Jen Williams stuns in a heartrending sequel to The Sleepless that is as romantic as it is deadly.

Will Lucian pursue chaos and power?
Will Artair choose isolation, or will he choose to walk out into the wider world?
And Elver, perhaps, has the hardest choice of all.

After being sacrificed yet again at the hands of Mother Maura, Elver has returned from the dead even more jih than human. A strange new power simmers beneath her skin alongside a warning from the Queen of Serpents: though she’s been granted another chance at life, someday soon, Elver will be called from the land of mortals.

Now that Artair knows the spirit with whom he shares a body, Lucian, is an ordinary human, the two have formed an uneasy truce. While they attempt to wield their shred of Maura’s stolen power—the only thing keeping her from ascending to full godhood—they’re also confronted with feelings for Elver that are impossible to deny.

But Maura is out for revenge. As dangerous new alliances brew among the Twelve, Elver, Artair, and Lucian must set out to find the only being in existence capable of killing a god. And Elver will need to decide once and for all with which of the Sleepless her poisoned heart lies.

Still need to start this series as well but it sounds like one I will enjoy!

TITLE: The Dreamless
AUTHOR: Jen Williams
PUBLISHER: Wednesday Books
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: September 29, 2026

 

Top Ten Tuesday

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week's topic is: Top Ten Covers with an Animal

*in on particular order

10. FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros--dragon
9. THE FOREST KING'S DAUGHTER by Elly Blake--butterfly, owl, and a fox
8. BLACK SHEEP by Rachel Harrison--black sheep ;)

7. MEDDLING KIDS by Edgar Cantero--dog and something with tentacles...I still need to read this one, so can't confirm what that thing is! Lol
6. THE QUEEN OF NOTHING by Holly Black--snake
5. HEXES AND HEMLINES by Julie Blackwell--pig

4. KITTY GOES TO WASHINGTON by Carrie Vaughn--leopard
3. RIVALS and Retribution by Shannon Delany--wolves
2. BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE by Annette Curtis Klause--shadow of a wolf

1. BITTEN by Jordan Stephanie Gray--wolf