Stacking the Shelves--The Ups & Downs Edition

 

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.

Well, it was another week! I kicked it off by driving a little under 5 hours to Nashville to see Brynne Weaver. It was while I was in line that I learned that it wasn't a signing styled event and no books were going to be signed. Which kind of stunk as I had my first edition Tourist Season that I would've liked to had signed, but no dice. Then Monday night I went to see K.A. Linde which was nice! She was a riot and I loved hearing her stories. I met her last year in Kansas City when I had holiday off right at the day of her signing, so it worked out then! Lol. Work was a bit stressful as there was talk of potential layoffs happening again and they were essentially seeking volunteers to leave the company. I guess for those who might be closer to retirement or such? I don't know. Since I am still in my working years it's causing me stress. Add to that and a recent deletion of an email "rule" basically unfiled every single email from the last year and restored them to my inbox caused me more grief. There was no "undoing" that change and after filing away emails through I think April, I had to call it quits and delete the rest. It was just too many to handle. SO naturally, after that, I am getting emails about issues dating back to January and December...which those emails are now gone. So yeah. Fun times all around. The search for a house is now at something of a pause? I don't know, every time I feel like I am getting closer life throws me a curveball that knocks me out of the game. Really hoping to catch a break one of these days that can actually be a break and not something intended to break me.

But onto the best parts of the week:

Kill the Beast by Serra Swift
Royal Vengeance by Aimee Carter
A Cursed Son by Day Leitao--I participated in Day's Kickstarter to get these gorgeous editions. I initially saw the first book with the edges thinking that was the norm, but learned otherwise. Then time was on my side as almost right after that she had a new Kickstarter to get the third book in that treatment but you could also buy the first two in that vein, so that's what I did!
A Traitor Sister by Day Leitao
A Devious Brother by Day Leitao
The Raven at the Ash Door by K.A. Linde--SIGNED!
Harvest Season by Brynne Weaver--SIGNED BAM edition!

Then I got this month's Fairy Loot YA book. This was one I remembered being the FL pick but when I saw the standard US edition, I had to have that too. So yeah, two copies again, but that shouldn't really surprise anyone by now! Lol. Won't share the book itself as per usual, but here's my stand-in pic as per usual too! Lol.

And then I also got this fun hat at the Brynne Weaver signing that was included with the ticket! That was a fun surprise after my somewhat disappointment in learning that she wasn't signing books. Still not sure how I missed that memo when everyone else seemed to have gotten it. But that's what I get for buying my ticket lickety split without reading any fine print! Lol. My paperbacks weren't first print editions this time around, so I may have decided to treat myself to an upgrade. So leaving with only 1 unsigned book wasn't a big travesty, but let's just say that if BAM had had their sprayed edges hardcover for book 1, I would've spent a lot more money! Lol.

And that was it for me this week! Hoping things will get better in the coming week, but honestly, with these potential layoffs coming at work, I don't really know when the "you're safe" period will come around and I can breathe again. Until then I feel like I'm hanging off the precipice. 

Book Blogger Hop #416

 

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

This week's question is: If you could pick any fictional character to live with, who would it be, and how would they change your daily life? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: Oh tough one. I want to go old school and say Katy from Jennifer L. Armentrout's Lux series! She was a reader and a blogger, so I feel like we'd get along swimmingly!

Review--Both Feet in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

 

If you thought you learned more about the dangerous and sexy alpha vampire, Bones, in the USA Today bestselling scorcher, THE OTHER HALF OF THE GRAVE, you haven't seen anything yet...

Cat disappeared from Bones’ life to protect him, but this Master vampire will keep his promise to find her.

Two hundred years of bounty hunting made Bones the best at what he does, yet it's still taken him four long years to find Cat, the half vampire now known as the "Red Reaper." There's a price on Cat's head, and not even her job as a secret government agent can save her. Only Bones can. But has time hardened Bones too much to love again? Or will his passion for Cat burn through every obstacle—alive, undead, or otherwise—between them?

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Night Huntress series comes a fresh, new perspective on the origin saga of Cat and Bones, in Bones' own words…

Naturally, I had to dive straight into Both Feet in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost after reading the first book from Bones' point of view and the deleted scenes collection! My memory was definitely more spotty for this book but as I read through the storyline more and more came back to me and yet, still some things were a surprise, but it was yet another amazing read for sure!

It's been four years since Cat left Bones and he has been looking for her ever since. Bones' devotion to Cat is one thing I have fiercely loved about this series, yes, there was one slip which he admits to and all is eventually forgiven considering the circumstances. But regardless, Bones never once stopped loving her and that just makes me melt! Lol.

Bones has also been taking care of other hitmen who are out to get the famed Red Reaper. Honestly, if you make any kind of move at Cat and Bones is liking to tear off some limb! What I did forget in this one was how unlikable Ian was in the beginning. Yes, this is when we meet Ian, who was a character I grew to love, but omg he is absolutely deplorable in this one! Lol.

We only go a few chapters with Bones looking for Cat before he finally finds her at Randy and Denise's wedding, of course, he knew she'd be there and that's when everything we thought we knew starts! Once again we get to see what Bones was thinking and feeling when everything was going down. We learn that Cat is working for a secret organization within the government hunting down the supernatural bad guys and taking them out.

This truly is yet another story that is meant for the fans of the Night Huntress series! After reading the deleted scenes book, I found it ironic that Jeaniene said she had no intentions to ever write solely from Bones' point of view as she treated us to one scene, and then just a few years later we not only got Bones' point of view from book 1, but also book 2! So magic can happen folks! Lol.

It's funny having a fuzzy memory about books, because though I am reading this story (again from new eyes) for the first time in years, some things I vaguely remember so I wasn't taken by total surprise, but then other things I was like "THAT'S HOW THAT HAPPENED?!" It's weird what my brain can remember or vaguely remember and then the rest being like...whhhhaaaaat?! But needless to say I full-heartedly loved this book once more! I remember my aversion to certain side characters and funnily enough how I later grew to like them if only by tolerance. Lol. 

Both Feet in the Grave was purely delectable! I love a good vampire read and returning to this series through Bones' eyes has been the highlight I didn't know I needed! I feel like just getting two books is enough satisfaction, redoing the whole series from Bones' point of view seems slightly unnecessary, but of course, I would never say no to reading the entire thing again, should it ever happen! Lol. Besides, we got to relive THAT chapter again through Bones' eyes, so this was a solid win and a perfect ending should it be that!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

Books from the Backlog #191

 

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!

A sexy professor.
A logical lawyer.
A determined ghost.
And a very real killer...
Welcome to Wicks Hollow: a cozy town near Lake Michigan filled with quaint houses, eccentric residents, and more than its share of ghosts, murders, and romance.

Diana Iverson needs a break--from her stressful job, from her philandering boyfriend, and from the rest of her fast-paced life. When she inherits her eccentric Aunt Jean's home on Wicks Lake, Diana takes a much-needed vacation in the cozy little town.

But when the lake house becomes the scene of multiple break-ins and other unsettling events, Diana begins to suspect Aunt Jean’s death was not as innocent as it seems.

And then there’s Ethan Murphy, the sexy college professor who lives next door… He appears to know a lot more about Aunt Jean than he should, and Diana doesn’t trust him.

But most of all, there's Aunt Jean herself…who seems determined to communicate with Diana—from beyond the grave.

A ghost story romance set in a small town, featuring a cozy mystery about a ghost that just won’t rest until justice is served. The perfect blend of romance, suspense, and ghosts.

I added Colleen Gleason's Sinister Summer to my TBR pile in February of 2018 and then somewhere between then and 2025 they were tweaked a little bit into a new series! So I think I have the first two books in their OG format and then I think I picked up the other ones in their rebranded versions. She said not much was changed overall, just the minor tweaks and such. But it was a ghost story by Colleen and I LOVED her Gardella Vampire Hunter Chronicles, so anything paranormal from her immediately goes to my TBR pile, but I think it's safe to say she might have left that genre behind now.

Can't Wait Wednesday #253

 

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.

What the River Knows meets The Mummy in the first installment in a heart-pounding, richly imagined young adult duology from the New York Times bestselling author of To Kill a Shadow, Katherine Quinn.

I'm really hoping this one releases this year as it was already pushed back at least once. Still not much to go on about it's storyline but I pretty much heard What the River Knows meets The Mummy and was sold because I LOVE that movie!

TITLE: The Golden Huntress
AUTHOR: Katherine Quinn
PUBLISHER: Mayhem Books
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: August 4, 2026 (maybe)

Perfect for fans of Adalyn Grace, this captivating sequel to the New York Times-bestselling Dream by the Shadows is filled with revenge, romance, and redemption.

Esmer Havenfall thought freeing Erebus from his five-hundred-year imprisonment would end her nightmare. Instead, it has only just begun. Now bound by fate and darkness, Esmer and Erebus are no longer just dreamers—they are Shadow Weavers, wielders of a power both divine and damning. And something is already clawing its way through the Dream Realm’s cracks.

Raelion, the demon king lurking within Mithras, is poised to destroy the world. His corruptive curse spreads like a plague, twisting dreams into nightmares and turning humans into monsters. If Esmer and Erebus are to survive, they must achieve the forge an army from the broken and unravel ancient horrors before it’s too late. But when Esmer and Erebus are abruptly cast from the Dream Realm into a kingdom teetering on the edge of ruin, they quickly learn that something monstrous has already slipped through—and their love might be the first thing it devours.

I'm dying to start this series but since I knew it would be a duology I held off on reading the first book right away. Luckily, we're winding down to its release...almost! Lol.

TITLE: Cursed by the Dawn
AUTHOR: Logan Karlie
PUBLISHER: Christy Ottaviano Books
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: August 4, 2026

Review--Outtakes from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

 

Cat and Bones fans, sink your teeth into this new outtakes compilation from New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost!

Indulge your love of paranormal super couple Cat and Bones with this ultimate “director’s cut” collection of deleted scenes and alternate versions from the first four novels in the Night Huntress series, complete with author commentary on each selection. Includes: the original beginnings of Halfway to the Grave, One Foot in the Grave, At Grave’s End, and Destined for an Early Grave: a chapter written in Bones’s point of view; alternate versions of sections of Halfway to the Grave, One Foot in the Grave, and Destined for an Early Grave; the “white wedding” scene between Cat and Bones that never made it into the final books…and much more!

So this review will be slightly different and weird as Outtakes from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost is exactly what it sounds…outtakes from the Night Huntress series books 1-4! So this is truly a book for the fans who wanted more Cat and Bones! 

In this one we get alternate beginnings, middles, scenes that were cut for pacing issues or other reasons. Jeaniene gave an author’s note before each scene saying why it was cut and where said scene would fall in its given book. So even if it’s been awhile since you read whichever book, Jeaniene kind of refreshes things a bit to say where the deleted scene would fall. 

What’s funny is a lot of scenes being cut due to pacing issues and some reasons were because there were too many sex scenes! I was shocked that Jeaniene had to cut some and then other people saying there were too many and usually there are only 2-3ish? I am not usually one for spice, I like some spice don’t get me wrong, I just don’t like it taking over the whole book.

Having LOOOOVED Jeaniene’s books, I was excited for this collection of deleted scenes. What’s funny is that this was published a few years before The Other Half of the Grave, and in here we get a first look from Bones’ POV and she mentions having no plans to ever right directly from his POV entirely! My how time changes things! Lol.

It was great revisiting this series even through deleted scenes wise! Some things I was remembering for the first time in years! Lol. I loved seeing different plot points that didn’t quite make it and even light-hearted scenes that were just normalcy. Jeaniene’s author notes were really interesting too and very eye-opening.

Needless to say this book was just a lot of fun! I don’t usually read books like this but honestly when it’s Jeaniene Frost it’s hard to say no to anything! If you’re a fan of vampires or even already a fan of Jeaniene’s then I highly recommend reading these deleted scenes as they were a lot of fun!! 

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

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.

 

"Feelings returned slowly to me. My back ached. Something heavy was on me. My leg was twisted. My shoulder hurt. I tasted blood in my mouth. I was still alive." p 12

TITLE: Outtakes from the Grave
AUTHOR: Jeaniene Frost
PUBLISHER: Self
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: December 22, 2015

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: My Top 10 Bookish Wishes

*in no particular order
**nothing is expected but if you think to...thank you ever so much! <3

***My Amazon Wishlist

10. THE BLOOD COUNTESS by Shelley Puhak--one of the very rare non-fiction books that caught my eye! I mean it is also related to vampire mythos...but HISTORICALLY accurate vampire mythos! ;)
9. TURNS OF FATE by Anne Bishop--still can't believe I missed buying this one!
8. TO LOVE A GRIMM by Christina Farley--fairy tale retellings always catch my eye!

7. BOUND TO YOU by Alyssa Brandon--I am both equal parts a werewolf girlie AND a vampire girlie!
6. THE IMMORTAL'S LIFE by Jade Christy--case in point! lol V V
5. A THORN IN EVERY HEART by Kate King--just love this one's cover! And the story concept, of course!

4. HOW TO FAKE A HAUNTING by Christa Carmen--read a review for this awhile ago and it sounded soo good! Love when the spooky becomes real! Although, not anything I would want to experience myself! Lol.
3. THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DIAZ by Isabel Canas--this one sounded good too!

2. A SEA OF UNSPOKEN THINGS by Adrienne Young--still need to try her adult books and they all sound amazing!

1. BITTER MAGIC by Jana Oliver--I truly, truly must finish this series! I lost track of it when Jana started self publishing the rest of the books!

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:

The Lost Girls of Hollow Lake by Rebekah Faubion (4 stars)
The Other Half of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (5 stars)

Review That Was Posted:

 The Raven at the Ash Door by K.A. Linde (ARC) (5 stars)

Currently Reading:

Outtakes from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

What I Plan to Read Next:

Both Feet in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday #252
Books from the Backlog #190
Book Blogger Hop #415
Stacking the Shelves--The MIA Edition

Stacking the Shelves--The MIA Edition

 

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.

I write this post early on Saturday again as I have evening plans. Also TODAY I WILL BE MIA! Yup, I'm doing another of my 1-day road trips! I'll be driving to Nashville to meet Brynne Weaver and won't be back until later tonight, so I won't be around for my usual commenting. But I'll be back on Monday, so be sure to leave your links if you comment and I'll try to stop by then, but I also have a signing to attend Monday night, so I probably won't be coherent until Wednesday at the earliest! Lol.

This week I attended a Fantasy Author signing where I got to meet Tara Sim and Clare Sager and Summer England! It was a fun and somewhat exhausting night! That area of town and the path to get there is just sooo stressful, I really wish the bookstore would stop hosting signings there. The rest of the week was more mundane and normal. I got some new reads this week and a very special surprise that had me squealing! 

Here's what I got this week:

Nobody's Quest by Alyssa Day--an impulse purchase, lol
You First by Caroline Kepnes--still need to read last year's You book but also excited for this one!
Black River by Ruby Jean Cottle--vampires, need I say more?

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout--ApollyCon Edition, SIGNED! I may never ever, ever, ever, ever get to attend but I am still eligible to buy the books! I was just telling myself I needed to stop doing this but then I saw this edition and I was like okay...just one more! Lol. But it has POPPIES on the sprayed edges! How could I say no to that?

And then at long last, my Fairy Loot edition of Holly arrived! I forgot how long this one got delayed, but it's here and beautiful!

Holly by Adalyn Grace--Fairy Loot edition

And then, the BEST part of my week arrived on Friday and I was on pins and needles HOPING that this was what I thought it was...and it was!

It is the Apple Coin Pin for The Mirror of Infinite Endings! This preorder freebie apparently went lightning fast and I panicked and was worried that I goofed my typing since I was going so fast as I thought there would be some sort of confirmation email that came after submitting, there wasn't and then before I could try double checking or something it was gone! But the pin arrived, and I did not know it was a pin as I thought it was just a coin! Lol. But I LOVE IT!

THANK YOU Flatiron Books!!!

And that was my haul this week! What all did you get?