Books from the Backlog #46

 

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!

 

In the second book in the New York Times bestselling mystery series, Veronica Mars is back with a case that will expose the hidden workings of one of Neptune’s most murderous locations.

The Neptune Grand has always been the seaside town’s ritziest hotel, despite the shady dealings and high-profile scandals that seem to follow its elite guests. When a woman claims that she was brutally assaulted in one of its rooms and left for dead by a staff member, the owners know that they have a potential powder keg on their hands. They turn to Veronica to disprove—or prove—the woman's story.

The case is a complicated mix of hard facts, mysterious occurrences, and uncooperative witnesses. The hotel refuses to turn over its reservation list and the victim won’t divulge who she was meeting that night. Add in the facts that the attack happened months ago, the victim’s memory is fuzzy, and there are holes in the hotel’s surveillance system, and Veronica has a convoluted mess on her hands. As she works to fill in the missing pieces, it becomes clear that someone is lying—but who? And why?

 

I read the first Veronica Mars book when it came out and loved it! It picks up where the movie left off and is the last canon of the series I will accept! That season Hulu did was just downright terrible! And after ALL of that, it doesn't even look like a second season is happening--not that I would watch it anyway--but still! To do THAT and then just leave it there?! DISGUSTING! I added this to my TBR in January of so right around its release. But anyway, Mr. Kiss and Tell was the second of two books that popped up sometime after the movie did and was a nice little add on of mysteries!  At least the first book was and since this was the second, I can only assume it will continue Veronica's detective adventures. I do still plan to read this one despite my bitterness over what they did with the revival season...I mean seriously, to do what HE DID (Rob Thomas) to the fans with that disgusting ending...that was just freaking WRONG! 

 

 
 

 

 

Can't Wait 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.

 

A high-stakes hide-and-seek competition in an abandoned amusement park comes to life in this graphic novel thriller.

What would you do for $50,000? For Mack, the prize money would be life changing. She knows her time at the women’s shelter is already up. And she’s good at hiding. At least this time, her life doesn’t depend on it–or so she thinks.

The challenge is simple. All fourteen competitors must spend seven days hiding in an abandoned amusement park from dawn to dusk. There’s only one rule: Don’t get caught.

But as the people around her begin disappearing one by one, Mack realizes this competition is more dangerous than she’d imagined, and that together might be the only way to survive.

Rendered in stunning full-color art by beloved comic artist Veronica Fish, this gripping graphic adaptation of Hide fully immerses you in the chilling and page-turning horror story of Mack and her fellow competitors as they fight to make it out of the Amazement Park.

 

I read Hide last year and LOVED it! Then I learned it was being made into a graphic novel and got really excited! I've never read a horror graphic novel! Usually my graphic novels that were based off books were all YA ones, so this is going to be exciting! I also heard it was being made into a TV series so I am also looking forward to THAT too! To watch during daylight hours of course, because I know I will get myself ultimately terrified! Lol!

 

TITLE: Hide
AUTHOR: Kiersten White
ADAPTER: Scott Peterson
ILLUSTRATOR: Veronica and Andy Fish
PUBLISHER: Ten Speed Press
GENRE: Horror Graphic Novel
RELEASE DATE: September 12, 2023

 

 

A chilling, thrilling collection of 13 haunting tales. Perfect for every YA reader!

From supernatural thrillers to contemporary horror, creepy ancient legends to murders gone wrong - this insatiable anthology is impossible to put down, and even more difficult to forget.

From some of the most celebrated authors writing in this space, this must-have collection will keep you awake at night and inhabit your darkest dreams.

Co-curated by Amy McCaw and Mia Kuzniar, this anthology has a story for every reader out there.

Perfect for fans of Stranger Things, Wednesday, and all things scary!

Featuring stories from: Amy McCaw, Maria Kuzniar, Kat Dunn, Kat Ellis, Rachel Faturoti, Kathryn Foxfield, Dawn Kurtagich, Amy McCulloch, Cynthia Murphy, Melinda Salisbury, Louie Stowell, Rosie Talbot, Mary Watson.

 

I love spooky reads and short stories are even better! I haven't been this excited for a collection of spooky stories since Slasher Girls and Monster Boys! This has definite potential to be my Halloween giveaway pick! I will just have to get this one preorder and read before then!

 

TITLE: A Taste of Darkness
CURATORS: Amy McCaw & Maria Kuzniar
PUBLISHER: Scholastic
GENRE: YA Horror
RELEASE DATE: September 14, 2023
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sizzlin' Summer Book Tag

 

So I saw this tag through the Discussion Challenge group and thought it sounded like fun! I found it over at Lili Lost in a Book and I borrowed her gorgeous image as you all know how much I love purple these days! Lol! Lili found that it was created by Jesse the Reader and after looking it over and I thought it sounded like fun and I wanted to join in on it too!

SUMMERTIME

A book that you feel brings on the ultimate summer vibes

I've never really had books bring on seasonal or holiday vibes as my genres don't really recognize those things as "themes," so to speak. But every time we talk summer and summer reads or beach reads, Jaws has been my go to for pure irony's sake! Lol!

SUNSCREEN

A book you felt protected you from a reading slump

I've honestly never had a reading slump! I always have soooo many books that I want to read that it's never been a problem for me to be in a slump! But I'm choosing Old Magic as it was a book I discovered in my hard days of looking for paranormal or magical reads and it was a breath of fresh air for at the time I (likely, as it was ages ago and I can't really remember) was in danger of having to re-read something! Lol. I did use to re-read but I always loved having new stories!

SUNBURN

A book that burned you

I actually had to search through my past reviews to find something as I can't always remember the books that burned me, which I guess is a good thing! I went in hoping for so many things from The Missing Season and was constantly letdown at every turn!

POOL TIME

A book that made a splash in your life & had you diving in deep & making it your entire personality

I mean is anyone really surprised? Lol! I thought I might as well go with the book that started it all in my love and devotion of Stephanie's books! If you're new here, just use the search bar under my list of posts and search for Stephanie Garber, you will see a ton of posts and things that describe my absolute love of her books! :)

FIREWORKS

A book with an explosive plot that kept you hooked on the book

OMG! Stephanie's second series may actually fast becoming my favorite of hers! The Ballad of Never After absolutely had me hooked from beginning to explosive ending and I NEED THE FINAL BOOK YESTERYEAR! Lol! Planning a well timed re-read of this trilogy in October to hopefully end just before the third book comes out so I can be 1010% ready!

LEMONADE

A refreshing read that reminded you why you love reading

Although I hardly ever need a reminder of why I love reading, I am choosing Master of Iron by Tricia Levenseller and theoretically I could choose the first book but when I was flipping through my reviews to help me narrow down a choice I saw this one first! Lol. I chose this one as it was refreshing to have a heroine who wasn't perfect. Ziva had a social anxiety that is practically a mirror to my own. I just loved seeing a heroine who wasn't battle ready and fierce and perfect. She was a bit flawed but had reasons to try and reasons to fight anyway and I just loved that!

POPSICLE

A short and sweet book that melted away far too quickly

Though I am still pretty behind in this amazing series, I find that the books are just perfectly sweet! I love that they are all paranormals that take place in a little town where it's always Halloween and the vampires and witches, and shifters are all real! Every book is just so sweet and while they may not be "short" in terms of actual page length, averaging in the low 300s I felt like this series was the right choice regardless!

FIREFLIES

A book that lit up your life

I'm betting everyone had this one narrowed down to at least 5 books! Lol! Maybe 2-3 depending how long you've been following me! I chose Legendary because I positively adored Tella! I shared some commonalities with Scarlett but I felt like I might have shared a little more with Tella! Plus I love how she always just spoke her mind regardless of tact or what have you! This book was just a delight because I am pretty sure I was laughing and chuckling way more than I ever had in a book before!

SUNSET

Show us the prettiest, most summeresque book cover

Well this was another hard one! So I flipped through some titles that I thought wouldn't be the dark and dreary type as somehow most of my books tend to have covers like that! Lol. But Kristen Painter's The Siren Saves the Billionaire looked like a good summery cover that wasn't another Jaws one! Lol. This is one I still need to read, I'm need to get to book 10 and this is 13. Yes, it's a series you don't have to read in order, but my psyche has never been able to accept that fact! Lol.

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.

 

"And the worst part wasn't that there was a dead body here.

The worst part was that somewhere out there...was a killer." p 27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TITLE: The Lake House
AUTHOR: Sarah Beth Durst
PUBLISHER: HarperTeen
GENRE: YA Thriller
RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2023

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: WATER: Top Ten Books with Water on the Cover

 

*in no particular order

 

 

10. HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS by Erin A. Craig
9. ROMEO REDEEMED by Stacey Jay
8. HOLD BACK THE TIDE by Melinda Salisbury

7. CAPTIVATE by Vanessa Garden
6. TO KILL A KINGDOM by Alexandra Christo
5. ON THESE BLACK SANDS by Vanessa Rasanen

4. LYING IN THE DEEP by Diana Urban
3. ARCANA RISING by Kresley Cole
2. DAUGHTER OF THE SIREN QUEEN by Tricia Levenseller

1. BITING BAD by Chloe Neill

 

 

 

 

Let's Discuss: Book Reviews of Favorite Authors

 

Okay, so I've another topic that I discussed once I think it was in 2017, but I'm sort of doing a redo/update on it! Lol.

Book Reviews of Favorite Authors

Why I find this has not occurred so much lately since the blogging world is slowly dying and I am truly mourning the loss...there was a time when reviews of books were rampant! They were everywhere! I loved it! I could always count on someone I followed having a review of a book I was curious about but wasn't sure if I should buy just yet.

But anyway, there was one thing I never did...and still don't really do and that is reading reviews of my favorite authors' books.

Yup. Back then, when I could I was almost always caught up with authors' books that for my ultimate faves I didn't want to read a review and go in with any kind of opinion, be it good or bad. I'm like that sometimes still with certain books or authors. I don't want any opinion to effect mine. I mean way back in the day I would pick up a book without any knowledge of what it was about other than it's blurb. Most of those were always wins too!

Don't get me wrong bloggers have helped me out immensely! I've avoided books I thought I would not enjoy, I've found books I might not have otherwise noticed.

There's just those rare authors I still like to go in with kind of blind.

Then there's also the fact that for at least one of these authors I am incredibly behind with her books! They've just gotten sooo long and my reading speed as gotten sooo slow! Lol.

 

What about you! Do you like to read reviews of your favorite authors' books BEFORE you read the book? Do you go back and see what others thought? (I do do this sometimes, if I can remember or wasn't too far behind or if I see someone reads a book I loved and I think let's see what they thought!)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

 

Last Week I Read:

Vengeance of the Pirate Queen by Tricia Levenseller (ARC)--Review to come at a later date

 

 

Currently Reading:

 The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst

What I Plan to Read Next:

The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard (ARC)

Other Posts of Interest:

Let's Discuss: Bookplates
Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Let's Discuss: Background Noise
Can't Wait Wednesday
Let's Discuss: Choosing the Next Read
Books from the Backlog #45
Let's Discuss: TBR Pile Organization
Book Blogger Hop
Let's Discuss: Condiment Temperature
Stacking the Shelves