Jan 31, 2021

Stacking the Shelves

 

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 Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality.

 

The longest month of the year finally comes to an end! This week was dreadful. It was just so slow at work I thought I was going to lose my mind. But finally, Friday evening came and I was free! Lol. Not much happened this week. My missing UK package is still missing, but I finally have a replacement ordered so I just have to wait for that one now! But luckily this one is coming from the US warehouse, so when it does ship, hopefully it won't take super long!

 

What I bought this week:

 

NOTHING! Yup, I didn't buy any books! I've books ordered that released this week but it might be a while before I receive them. The ones that weren't preordered were beyond my budget this month to get. But I'm constantly checking on them for price drops! Lol.

 

For review from the publisher I received:

The Queen Will Betray You by Sarah Henning (ARC)


THANK YOU Tor Teen!

 

 

Other goodies I received this week:

My Rosie Thorns Kingdom of the Wicked print!



Here is my Caraval print that I got from Pages of the Night! I can't remember the artist and there wasn't one mentioned on the product page. I remember seeing this online somewhere though!


My mom surprised me with that cup I saw on Instagram awhile back! Took awhile for it to be made, but it finally arrived! It's so cool! I love the heartbeat on the back that's filled with books!




My newest book t-shirt! I couldn't resist when I saw it!



I won the grand finale of the 2020 Series Enders Reading Challenge contest and got a gift card to B&N! 



 And that was it for me this week! What all did you get?






Jan 30, 2021

Challenges Monthly Wrap-up: January

CHALLENGE 1: 2021 New Release Challenge

The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa (2/9/21)--Review to come next week!
Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine (3/9/21)--Review to come next month!
The Keeper by Alyssa Rose Ivy (1/14/21)
You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes (4/6/21)--Review to come in March!
Mortal Remains by Mary Ann Fraser (2/2/21)


Five new releases read! That feels like a great accomplishment this month!


CHALLENGE 2: Beat the Backlist 2021 Reading Challenge


The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo (10/6/20)
Snakeroot by Andrea Cremer (12/10/13)
Off the Page by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer (5/19/15)
The Fever Code by James Dashner (9/27/16)


Four books read! Not bad, not bad at all! Currently I'm reading a review book followed by a TBR book! So I plan to keep that up until my review books are finished!



CHALLENGE 3: 2021 Series Enders Reading Challenge
 

Snakeroot by Andrea Cremer (Nightshade Legacy)
Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine (Stillhouse Lake)
Off the Page by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer (Between the Lines)
The Fever Code by James Dashner (The Maze Runner)


Four series completed! I'm already thinking I need to up my goal! Lol. Though soon I want to start starting/finishing series that are longer than one book left! So we'll see what I come up with next month!




CHALLENGE 4: 2021 Discussion Challenge

TBR Book Tag
Why is January the Longest Month?

 

Only two posts, not my best, but as I said, January is not my month! Lol.








Jan 29, 2021

Review--The Fever Code by James Dashner

 

Once there was a world’s end.

The forests burned, the lakes and rivers dried up, and the oceans swelled.

Then came a plague, and fever spread across the globe. Families died, violence reigned, and man killed man.

Next came WICKED, who were looking for an answer. And then they found the perfect boy.

The boy’s name was Thomas, and Thomas built a maze.

Now there are secrets.

There are lies.

And there are loyalties history could never have foreseen.

This is the story of that boy, Thomas, and how he built a maze that only he could tear down.

All will be revealed.

 

The Fever Code is James Dashner’s final book in The Maze Runner series and in some ways, it’s the second book of the series, if memory serves! Yup, it’s that convoluted! This is yet another prequel to the smash hit series set is a dystopian world where everyone struggles to survive the harsh environment that earth became.

Granted, my memory of The Maze Runner is pretty slim. I binged that series so many years ago, but luckily, since this book was a prequel of sorts, I thought it shouldn’t be too hard! I just won’t really remember who Thomas should not be talking to! Lol. Though honestly, it did throw me through a loop when the prequel opens with Newt’s point of view before turning over to Thomas for the duration of the book. I thought it an odd choice.

We basically follow Thomas from day 1 in his “stay” with Wicked, back when he went by another name and had to learn his new identity. He was just a child when they started their education program for him. He knows there are other kids in the building as well, but he never gets to interact with them. I felt bad for little Thomas in this. No child should have to grow up alone. But it’s not long before he begins interacting with the other kids, if in secret. Kids we all already know too.

As the years pass, Thomas and his friend/neighbor/co-worker, Teresa are brought up to believe that they are doing good by working with Wicked and trying to find a cure for the maddening disease that plagues their world. It’s at a later point they being to help construction of the maze, two in fact, that will help play a role in saving the world.

Even though I know this book was a prequel, I did find it hard to keep up with this very world and the group known as Wicked. To be honest, I think they’ve confused me since day one! Lol. I think it’s more about not fully understanding Wicked and their motives that made this harder for me to get through. But I was still able to keep following along well, but yeah, looking back, I’m still wondering just what their deal was. It’s probably something that could be solved with a series re-read, but I really don’t have that kind of time! Lol.

Looking at this as reading this series for the first time, I found the book to be very enjoyable. If I wasn’t so focused on trying to remember the series and what would come into play, I might have enjoyed it more. But in some sense it was sad seeing the characters that I knew would not make it to the end. It was also a trip seeing Thomas and Teresa, and some of the other guys before they entered the maze too!

Dashner builds up the tension and mystery that is Wicked to an extraordinary amount. Though I held myself back with my trying to remember things, I still ate up these pages eager to see how things would turn out the way they did at the start of The Maze Runner, and yes, that is precisely where this book ends.

If you’re a fan of The Maze Runner series (and haven’t read this one yet, shame on me, I know, I know!) this is definitely one you will want to add to the collection because it does wonders for the timeline procession! And if it’s been a few years since you read the books or watched the movies too, this would be a fun way to look back on how things got started.

 

 

Overall Rating 3.5/5 stars

 

 

 


 

 

12th Blogoversary Giveaway!!!

 


Wow. Who would've thought this day would come? The day I celebrate my 12th Blogoversary!! It still blows my mind sometimes of how long I've been doing this! Just reflecting over it I realized that I started this blog a month or so after my niece was born! She's been growing up right alongside this blog and never knew it! Lol. 

To think...it all started with a little contest where I was trying to win an ARC of Rachel Vincent's Prey! And I kept at this little blog for TWELVE YEARS! I mean I still can't go back to those early day posts because they were cringe worthy! Lol.

I debated constantly over the month about what I wanted to do! I know at my 10th Blogoversary I tried to have 10 winners, but tracking everyone down was so exhausting. Even with the 48 hour limit I gave out to claim prizes, it was still exhausting trying to keep track of all the books that were sent out or ordered. 

I even debated about doing a 12 days of giveaways counting down to my blogoversary or starting on it...but then that presents the same problem really. So in the end, I just went with the simple and true giveaway that I always do.

 

THE CONTEST:

This one will have TWO winners! The first prize is a $30 (USD) gift card to the bookstore of your choice! Ideally, places like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, OR if your Indie store offers e-gift cards, let me know that too and I can purchase that way! I basically need to be able to email it to you! Should this winner be an international winner, then I'll do $30 (USD) in books from Book Depository as long as they ship to you!

Second prize is one book of your choice up to $20 (USD)! This will include choices from Amazon, B&N, and Book Depository.

THE RULES TO ENTER: You must be 18 years or older or have a parent's permission to enter, since this requires you giving me your mailing address should you win the second prize. Book Depository must be able to ship to you.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 


 

Book Blogger Hop

 

 

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

 

 

This week's question is: Do you share books? If so, do you have a system to keep track of whom you lend books to? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews

 

MY ANSWER: Not really. I used to when I had a friend in town and she wanted something new to read or my sister. But after awhile I saw people's reading habits differing than mine...in the way they hold real books. I started not wanting to lend them out. Instead I would gift them the book come birthday or Christmas...whichever was first! Lol.

I mean, in the long run it was easier than making people sign a contract in blood and asking for a deposit on the book...possibly extra if the book was signed.

Soon, people stopped asking because they knew how I felt about my books! Lol.

 

 

 


 

Jan 28, 2021

ARC Review--Mortal Remains by Mary Ann Fraser

 

Morticia. Ghoul Girl. Freak. Eighteen-year-old Lily McCrae has heard it all. But despite what the bullies say, she loves her job doing makeup for the dead for her family’s failing funeral home business. Lately, though, Lily’s best friend Mallory is too busy reinventing herself to hang out, her stepbrother Evan is preoccupied with college applications, and her father is pushing her into taking over the family business without even asking her opinion, so she feels lonelier than ever. She finds herself spending all her time in the prep room talking to her “clients.” After all, the dead are the only ones who really listen.

Then the neighboring house is leveled in an explosion, dredging up memories of Adam, the boy who lived there and saved her life the day of the accident that left her scarred and disabled, and of the things she saw there that she just wanted to forget. When she, Mallory, and Evan go exploring and find a mysterious hatch in the rubble, they discover that someone’s been trapped inside. Someone who says his name is Adam. Trouble is, Adam has been missing for four years. And this Adam doesn’t have any memory of her and seems to be keeping a lot of secrets. As she spends more time with him, she can’t help her growing feelings even as his unwillingness to be open leaves her troubled.

Lily is forced to reconcile her feelings for Adam as together they delve into his mysterious past while she also struggles to figure out what she wants out of life and tries to fix her rocky relationships with Mallory and her parents. Will Lily ever decide who she wants to be? And is love enough to overcome truth?

 

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in way compensated for this review.


Mortal Remains is Mary Ann Fraser debut YA story following teenage Lily, who works in her family's funeral home readying the newly deceased for their funeral. Then one day when an explosion happens in her neighborhood, she and her stepbrother and best friend go exploring the remains and they find a hatch. And inside this mysteriously hidden hatch they find Adam, the boy Lily met years ago who was rumored to have died.

There's a strange air of mystery surrounding Adam, he doesn't have all of his memories, he has no idea who Lily is, yet it's quite clear that he is "different." When he hears that his father had died in the explosion, he is incessant on trying to locate a metal lockbox that holds very important documents in it. Add in a few shady lurkers around the neighborhood and a whopping pile of secrets and mysteries and you would have the makings for a really great read.

Unfortunately, somewhere down the line, things fell a little flat. The shady lurkers pop up every once in awhile to spark an interest then they fizzle out. Mysteries get build up and they're ignored after a time. In between all the interesting bits you have the everyday lifestyle and trials of a teenage girl...in other words, boring stuff. By the halfway point I was really dragging and had to force myself to keep reading this one. The pacing was just terribly off. There was always so much build up and then it fizzled out when we had teenage normalcy. If you're a contemporary reader looking to get into the paranormal genre, this is definitely the read to ease yourself into that world. But for the paranormal reader, I am sad to say you will have to sift through 3/4 of the book before we even get close to the unusual happenings.

That's right, the first 3/4 of the book read very blandly. The teases of mysteries were nothing but that. It very nearly drove me bonkers. And when the big reveal finally happened in the last 1/4 of the book it was definitely a shocker, I'll admit from all my guessing, I did not land on this one! Sadly, even that shock factor didn't help too much with my rating. By this point I was already skimming things trying to get past our everyday life moments to get back to the story at large. I'd say there was some shocking reveals in this one, but by that point my interest was kind of lost already, I was merely trying to finish the book itself.

There was a bit of romance in this one too. It was the sweet budding kind between two somewhat awkward teenagers. Both don't really know what they're doing kind of thing, but the two have a kinship with one another and it ties back to a past meeting. 

All in all, Mortal Remains was an okay read. It's not one I would pick up again or readily recommend unfortunately. Though I will say again to my contemporary readers, if you find yourself wanting to get into the paranormal genre a little at a time, this one is sure to fit the bill! There's intriguing mysteries afoot with secrets galore and of course the bizarre paranormal happenings towards the end, all coupled with what I assume are contemporary fan favorites of dating and parties and all the teenage normalcy.

 

Overall Rating 2/5 stars

 

Mortal Remains releases February 2, 2021

 

 

 


 

Random Thursday

 

Time to get back to 49 Interesting Things You Didn't Know About Every Single Ride at Disney World by Fiona Clair! Next week I'll share the final 9 and the link to the article in full as promised! I basically shortened things but if you wanted to read the full details and whatnot you'll be able to!

As before, all pictures are borrowed from the article unless otherwise noted.


Test Track is the fastest ride at Disney World, allowing guests to go up to 65mph when wind conditions are right.


Wow! I didn't realize that!



(image borrowed from YouTube)

When riding The Seas ride, guests will pass through one of the largest aquariums in the world! From 1986 (when it was built) to 2005, the ride held the top spot up until The Georgia Aquarium took its place.


I never knew this was a ride-ride. As I mentioned before, I never spent a lot of time at Epcot!



Mickey Mouse didn't get his first ride until 2020 when Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railroad opened. You were able to find him in the park in the Hidden Mickey game, but as far as rides went, this was his first!


Well, at least it didn't take the full 50 years!



Each of the limos on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith plays a different soundtrack. The limos will play one of the following songs: "Nine Lives," "Sweet Emotion," "Back in the Saddle"/"Dude Looks Like a Lady" medley, "Love in an Elevator/Walk this Way" medley, "Young Lust"/"F.I.N.E."/"Love in an Elevator" medley.


I never rode this one. I'm not really a fan of the the loop de loop roller coasters! But that's still cool! I'd want to be in the "Back in the Saddle" one! Lol.



The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was very much influenced by the show. The Imagineers watched 156 episodes of the famed show to get their ideas right for the ride.The hotel itself was modeled after different landmarks in Southern California, like the Biltmore Hotel and the Mission Inn.


I've seen a handful of the original Twilight Zone episodes as well and can totally see this! Love this ride! I hope Disney World never ever rethemes it!



Jim Cummings is most famous in Disney history as being the voice of Winnie the Pooh. But did you know he is also the voice of Hondo Ohnaka for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run!

 

Well, the Stars Wars area is too new for me so I haven't been there. Probably would pass anyway as I'm a Disney girl, not a Star Wars one. Still find it comical that good ol' Winnie the Pooh is almost a Star Wars character! Lol!

 

 

 

 

Star Tours was almost themed for a different movies. Originally it was going to be "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", it then transformed into a ride for the 1979 "Black Hole," but that was later scrapped as well. Eventually Imagineers worked with George Lucas to create Star Tours.


I think I rode this ride once as a very young child on one of my first trips to Disney World. I remembered being surprised by it even then thinking, this isn't Disney. But the ride was still pretty cool for a non-fan too!




Technology wise, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is pretty unique. According to CNN, the ride has 5 million lines of code, the largest concrete pour in Disney history, a new motor design, and 65 animatronics to develop the trackless ride.


Never been on this one either, but it sounds pretty cool! Though I would probably take a slightly shorter line to Tower of Terror over anything Star Wars.



Artists made sure to wear 3D glasses when painting Toy Story Midway Mania to make sure everything looked the way it was supposed to.


This was actually a pretty good idea! Lol. This ride was pretty fun!



We all know Pixar loves its Easter Eggs in their movies, but there's also one on the Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story Land. When you pass the box that Rex came in, you might notice a price tag that reads $19.95, with the numbers 11 and 22 along the side of it. This was a reference to when the original Toy Story movie released in theaters.


Oh man, now I want to go back and look for this! Though it can be hard to look for things when you're on a roller coaster, so I am trying to remember when Rex's box is seen. It's possible I may have noticed it back then but can't remember now.







Jan 27, 2021

ARC Review--All the Tides of Fate by Adalyn Grace

 

Through blood and sacrifice, Amora Montara has conquered a rebellion and taken her rightful place as queen of Visidia. Now, with the islands in turmoil and the people questioning her authority, Amora cannot allow anyone to see her weaknesses.

No one can know about the curse in her bloodline. No one can know that she’s lost her magic. No one can know the truth about the boy who holds the missing half of her soul.

To save herself and Visidia, Amora embarks on a desperate quest for a mythical artifact that could fix everything―but it comes at a terrible cost. As she tries to balance her loyalty to her people, her crew, and the desires of her heart, Amora will soon discover that the power to rule might destroy her.

 

 

 

 

 

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

 

Adalyn Grace brings a conclusion to her high seas fantasy duology with All the Tides of Fate! I truly enjoyed her debut, All the Stars and Teeth, last year and was excited for this next installment, but sadly I found it to be a little laskluster this time around. It was still a pretty decent read, but it just wasn’t all that I was hoping for and felt like it was missing the thrills and adventure that the first book had.

Amora is determined more than ever to break the curse between her and Bastien. She is trying to get into her new role as queen, but it’s hard. She is missing her father and not everyone is ready to accept a queen so young…and if they were to know she didn’t have her magic, well, that wouldn’t be good either. But then she gets a lead, from Blarthe if you can believe it. He says there’s a way for her to get her magic back, she just has to find a particular person who knows the key to breaking said curse. Only trouble is, finding this mythical person.

So Amora decides to cast a ruse that she is going from island to island, a royal tour if you will, where she claims to be looking for a husband. It’s also determined that she needs a husband to help her rule over everything. And naturally, Bastien wants a chance at wooing her too. But, Amora isn’t letting her friends in on her real intentions, she’s keeping it secret, much as she is keeping secret about Blarthe’s whereabouts from Vatea.

As we travel from island to island, it would seem Amora hasn’t made any fans for her first stop has someone trying to kill her. You would think this would make for an intriguing and thrilling development of the story and it does, but it took soooo long to get to that point. And then after that things continue to move at an increasingly slower rate as we travel onto the next island where more surprises await.

Though sadly, the increasingly slower pace wasn’t the only thing that started to bog down on me, but Amora herself. Firstly, I can’t stand liars and that Amora was keeping Blarthe a secret from Vatea for so long upset me. She claims they’re friends, yet kept finding excuses as to why she didn’t want to tell Vatea about Blarthe. And when Ferrick gets in on the secret too, it angered me more because he was wanting to tell Vatea yet still didn’t. Amora just felt a little too selfish in this book. It was all about her getting her magic back, all about fixing and solving her problems. Even wanting to go so far as changing the fates’ design in order to satisfy her needs. I mean I get in a sense that we needed to have Amora struggling, to be devastated by loss, to make poor decisions here and there…it was just too much for me. I guess I wish the severity of her decisions wouldn’t have been so deep because it just made me look poorly on her as our heroine.

I’m sad to even say the romance between Amora and Bastien wasn’t as fierce and fiery this time around. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of steamy moments, but there was too much of Amora fighting her feelings in between. Again, I got that Bastien holding her magic and a part of herself made her doubt her feelings for him. I get it, truly. I guess I just got annoyed with her hot and cold moments when it came to Bastien. But naturally, things have a way of working out between them. And as I said, I did enjoy their nicer moments together. They truly were cut from the same cloth these two!

The ending was a bit more dramatic than I expected and emotions were to be had. Oh those rotten emotions. Even as I struggled to enjoy this book because of the pacing, that ending sucker punched me good! But the epilogue was by far the best part of it all and I was happy where things were left!

All in all, if you enjoyed Adalyn’s first book, I still highly recommend reading All the Tides of Fate to see how Amora’s journey will come to its unavoidable end. Dare I say there’s the possibility for spinoffs? Or at least for one particular mermaid that I’ve adored since the beginning? I guess time will only tell!

 

Overall Rating 3/5 stars

 

All the Tides of Fate releases February 2, 2021

 

 

 

 


 

 

Waiting on Wednesday

 

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.

 

Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz returns with a thrilling novel where an eighteen-year-old girl's search for answers lands her in one of the most terrifying situations imaginable.

Four days…
Trapped in a well, surrounded by dirt, scratching at the walls trying to find a way out.
Four days of a thirst so strong, that when it finally rains, I drink as much as possible from the dripping walls, not even caring how much dirt comes with it.

Six months…
Since my escape. Since no one believed I was taken to begin with – from my own bed, after a party, when no one else was home…
Six months of trying to find answers and being told instead that I made the whole incident up.

One month…
Since I logged on to the Jane Anonymous site for the first time and found a community of survivors who listen without judgment, provide advice, and console each other when needed.
A month of chatting with a survivor whose story eerily mirrors my own: a girl who’s been receiving triggering clues, just like me, and who could help me find the answers I’m searching for.

Three days…
Since she mysteriously disappears, and since I’m forced to ask the questions: will my chance to find out what happened to me vanish with her? And will I be next?

 

I am still massively behind on Stolarz's backlist but this one sounds like a good mystery that I want to give a go at some point! 

 

TITLE: The Last Secret You'll Ever Keep
AUTHOR: Laurie Faria Stolarz

PUBLISHER: Wednesday Books
GENRE: YA Thriller
RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021 

 

 

 

 


 

Jan 26, 2021

ARC Review--A Stranger in Town by Kelley Armstrong

 

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's next Rockton book, A Stranger in Town, the biggest mystery is the fate of the town itself.

Detective Casey Duncan has noticed fewer and fewer residents coming in to the hidden town of Rockton, and no extensions being granted. Her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, presumes it’s the natural flux of things, but Casey’s not so sure. Something bigger is happening in the small town they call home.

When an injured hiker stumbles from the woods, the sole survivor of a hostile attack, it’s all hands on deck. Even a member of the elusive Rockton council comes in to help. This council member also comes bearing news: Rockton is being shut down due to the hostile situation.

Casey and Eric must now race to save the town that has allowed residents to have a fresh start, away from the mistakes of their past, while also getting to the bottom of this latest attack.

 

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review. 

 

Kelley Armstrong brings us another spine-tingling mystery set in the remote community of Rockton. A Stranger in Town brings up the worst fears of Rockton residents where an uninvited guest comes into Rockton to shake things up! And boy, do things get shaken up in this one. You can pretty much guarantee that murder will be a foot! 

Casey and Dalton were just going to hang out with their settlement friends when a woman runs out of the forest towards them badly injured. The kicker? She doesn't speak any English. Making a quick decision, they bring her back to Rockton so April can treat her. Though when they try to ask her what happened, they are again brought up against a language barrier. But one of their newest residents happens to know what language she's speaking and speaks a little of it himself. Coincidence or just pure luck?

One thing leads to another and then another and suddenly Casey is looking multiple murders happening in this not-so-remote forest. With two opposing groups of settlers and the wild hostile group, there's no shortage of suspects. Then to make matters worse, Emilie, one of the council members and original founders of Rockton comes to town for secretive reasons. The rumor floating around town is that the council may be wanting to shut Rockton down permanently.

With murderers running around and the threat of the town's very existence, Casey has her hands full.

Like all of Kelley's mysteries this one was very well paced. Though trying to read during the holiday (as I was doing a few months back!) was a bit difficult and my focus may not have been the greatest at times. I was still able to follow along fairly well and pick up on things. There were just times I was a bit lost when we were talking about the many different groups living outside of Rockton's borders and trying to keep straight which group it was and their relationship with Rockton. Then add in the back history of the early Rockton days and its people, and you can imagine how easy it is to get a little lost when you can't focus solely on the book in your hands.

I still enjoyed the story all the same! I love it when we can get insight into the mystery council that financially backs Rockton and keeps it running. They're still a big mystery themselves. There's still a bit of romantic interludes with Casey and Dalton and that's always nice as it gives them a break from the chaos at hand, and you know, Armstrong romance! Lol.

I wouldn't say A Stranger in Town ends with a cliffhanger, but it does end with a very big question at hand, one that will ultimately decide the future books to come! At least I have the answer that we should at least have one more mystery with Casey and Dalton at hand and I'm glad of it! Kelley's worlds are so easy to get sucked into, both the paranormal and contemporary alike. I love getting the chance to visit these worlds and returning time and again! Looking forward to the next Rockton mystery! 

 

 

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

 

A Stranger in Town releases February 2, 2021

 

 

 

 


 

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker


Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

 

"'I would rather die than talk to a stranger one-on-one. I can build the fiercest weapons the world has ever seen, but force me to talk about something other than weaponry with people I don't know, and I won't survive. But I have to have someone in my life. Someone to share my burdens with. Someone to love." p 64*


*Quote comes from the ARC therefore it and its page number are not final.

 

 

 

 

 

TITLE: Blade of Secrets
AUTHOR: Tricia Levenseller

PUBLISHER: Feiwel & Friends
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021



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 New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2020 (If you didn’t read 10 new authors, that’s fine! Just do what you can.)

 

*in no particular order
**some of these are likely debut authors...2020 was the year of the TBR for me! Lol. Not a lot of new authors made it to my TBR...

 

 


10. TRISH DOLLER
9. TOM LEVEEN
8. M. VERANO




7. SARAH GOODMAN
6. KAT ELLIS
5. SAHSA LAURENS



4. MARLENE PEREZ
3. ANDREA PORTES
2. ANNA KATMORE
 
 
 

1. SHELBY MAHURIN