Last Week I Read:
Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine (ARC)--Review to come at a later date
The Keeper by Alyssa Rose Ivy (ARC) (4.5 stars)
Snakeroot by Andrea Cremer (3.5 stars)
Currently Reading:
You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes (ARC)
What I Plan to Read Next:
Off the Page by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer
Other Posts of Interest:
Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Waiting on Wednesday
Random Thursday
Book Blogger Hop
TBR Book Tag
Stacking the Shelves
Week two of the new year survived! Barely. Lol. This was another meh week. January is just meh. I sadly couldn't get all of the books I wanted this week because they were not on sale, so that was a bummer. I let myself buy one though...both were keeper copies so it didn't really matter which one I got! Lol!
The best news of the week was lost mail FINALLY arrived! Sadly not my Fairy Loot Holly Black book. Getting insanely worried about that one...
Here's what I got this week:
Defending the Galaxy by Maria V. Snyder--SIGNED keeper copy! After a month and a half of being lost it FINALLY arrived and I was sooo happy to see it!
Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert--keeper copy! This book is sooo beautiful! I love how it has that fairy tale book look and feel! It's perfect!
For review from the author I received:
The Keeper by Alyssa Rose Ivy (ARC)--read and reviewed! This was an excellent start to a new world series that still had a nice bridge with the last one! So if you've wanted to give the Chronicles world a start, starting with this new one is the perfect place!
Other goodies:
Postcard mail! I signed up to receive a postcard from Lisa Maxwell! I love getting paper mail in the mail! I still need to start this series but I figured why not? Lol.
And that was it! No books actually made it to my TBR pile since I read The Keeper this week, and the rest were keeper copies! Then I got my delightful new Pops! I was pretty happy all things considered! What did you get this week?
HOW DO YOU KEEP TRACK OF YOUR TBR PILE?
Goodreads. Without Goodreads, I'd be lost! Lol. Though that being said...I've also been known to forget to add a title to my Goodreads list and don't realize it until I am reading the book! Lol. Though I also add most of my TBR books to my TBR jars too, minus any sequels.
IS YOUR TBR PILE MOSTLY PRINT OR E-BOOK?
Print, definitely print! I don't always add the e-books to my TBR jars or inventory!
A BOOK THAT'S BEEN ON YOUR TBR PILE THE LONGEST?
Honestly, all three volumes of the Night World compilations were the foundation of my TBR pile. So 2010...the year Borders was closing out the stores and I was buying books left and right at the closing sales, all while crying. :(
A BOOK THAT YOU RECENTLY ADDED TO YOU TBR PILE?
Not counting review books that would be In the Shadows by Jill Nolan! This was a contest win and right to the TBR pile it went as I'm in my review book mode lately...though I am alternating with older TBR books...more so ones that will help me finish off series!
A BOOK IN YOUR TBR PILE STRICTLY BECAUSE OF ITS BEAUTIFUL COVER?
I decided to give Where Dreams Descend a second chance when I saw the gorgeous Owl Crate cover!
A BOOK ON YOUR TBR PILE THAT YOU NEVER PLAN TO READ?
This if one of the previously mentioned forgotten ebooks! Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter sounded awesome at the time, but since it's a kindle book, I usually forget about those in favor of the TBR books that actually glare accusingly at me, but I never say never if I bought the book!
AN UNPUBLISHED BOOK ON YOUR TBR THAT YOU'RE EXCITED FOR?
Well, You Love Me, my current read, was one I was SUPER excited for! I thought the series done at book 2, now there's going to be 4 books total, so yay! Red Wolf by Rachel Vincent is another I am SUPER excited to get to!
A BOOK ON YOUR TBR EVERYONE HAS READ BUT YOU?
That would definitely be Blood & Honey and From Blood and Ash! I'm trying to get caught up with other books so that I can dive into these!A BOOK ON YOUR TBR THAT EVERYONE RECOMMENDS TO YOU?
Recommends in the sense that I see From Blood and Ash EVERYWHERE and still haven't read it!
A BOOK ON YOUR TBR THAT YOU'RE DYING TO READ?
Besides the aforementioned Blood & Honey and From Blood and Ash, Jennifer L. Armentrout's The Brightest Night is another I am aching to read!
HOW MANY BOOKS ARE ON YOUR TBR?
Based on Goodreads and minus the wishlist books, it's an estimated 407 books. There's a chance I forgot to add a few here and there or take some off, so we can say about 400 but 407 is likely accurate but that also includes the ebooks that I've left sitting for years, near on a decade for some!
Fans asked for it, and now they've got it!
Andrea Cremer is continuing the story she began in in her internationally bestselling trilogy: Nightshade, Wolfsbane and Bloodrose.
Bosque Mar haunts the dreams of both Adne and Logan, trying to escape for the Nether, where Calla, Shay and the other Guardians trapped him in the final battle in the War of All Against All...
Will he turn Adne to the dark side? Will Logan reclaim his birthright? And will darkness take over our world?
Digging deep down into the TBR pile I brought up Snakeroot by Andrea Cremer! It was the continuation of the Nightshade trilogy, meant to start off a new trilogy, but since it’s been seven years since its release and there are no other titles to be found, I take it this series didn’t take off as well. A shame too, because this was an amazing read!
It’s been seven years or perhaps longer since I read the conclusion to the Nightshade trilogy and you can imagine how sketchy my memory was regarding it. Luckily, Andrea does a good job at giving bits and pieces of information to help jive my recollection. Though I can honestly say I did not remember this new cast of characters well at all, but that’s okay since this was a new series.
Adne has been having nightmares lately, ones she can’t explain that keep her up at night. Something dark is coming, she can feel it. She’s afraid that it ties back to Bosque Mar, the great big evil entity that everyone worked so hard to send back to where he came from. But there’s no way he can come back, right?
Well, Logan believes otherwise. Logan was one of our nefarious enemies from the Nightshade trilogy and it seems he hasn’t let go of his old ways, not even with the deaths of his “people.” He’s determined to bring Bosque Mar back whatever the cost, he has no compunctions against killing anyone or betraying anyone. He’s a guy without morals.
Things start off on the wrong foot when there’s a robbery in the ancient house where Adne and everyone else lives. Someone has stolen books from the library, books with spells in them that can lead people to do all sorts of bad things.
I will say that I was not prepared for so many different points of view in this one. I forgot to look back to see if this was a Nightshade occurrence as well, I want to say it was, but yeah, bad memory. Lol. What made it hard was not always remembering who these people were. There were so many names being thrown out that it was hard to keep track of who was Team Good and who was Team Evil and who was Team Not Good. Yeah, there was more than two sides here it would seem.
What was also bad was struggling to remember what kind of world we were in. What the rules were and such, what are typical happenstances and what was out of the ordinary. The little things that help to shape a world series. Feeling like an outsider myself to this once beloved series, I still found myself enjoying the story, if being a bit confused here and there, it was still an enjoyable read.
The characters definitely were what made the story for me. I took their lead on the plot and just went with that direction. Of course, knowing the previous backstory would’ve been a huge help, I was still able to grasp, vaguely, what had happened. I was also excited to see some familiar faces if distantly in this one, that was an added surprise!
What’s even sadder is that this is where things end, at the beginning of the new beginning. Who knows what dangers would’ve happened, will the characters who were in peril still be there or will good prevail once again? Will characters make surprising decisions that change the course of the story? All things that can never be answered. This is what happens when you take too long to return to a series, I initially thought this was a standalone add-on, but it was meant to be so much more. If you’re wanting to read the original Nightshade trilogy, I would still recommend throwing this one in there, simply for the joy of returning. True, it will end with cliffhangers, but that just seems to be the way of things lately.
Overall Rating 3.5/5 stars
This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!
This week's question is: How many posts do you schedule for your blog on a weekly basis? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)
MY ANSWER: I do 6 memes a week, nearly daily except for Saturdays. Reviews are harder to say, I try to get at least 1 a week...unless it's a review book kind of week where there's a handful of them popping up. Though that usually means there was a week or two in the past where I didn't get any reviews up.
So in the long run, I say I try to get something up on my blog everyday when at all possible!
And as before if not stated, the pictures were borrowed from the article!
Disney World renamed Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel in 2010 and it became Prince Charming Regal Carrousel and with the name came a fun backstory. According to Disney, after they married, Prince Charming built a training arena for jousting tournaments that included wooden horses and because of its popularity, he had built the friendlier device for the townspeople to ride!
That’s an intricate backstory for sure!
The Seven Dwarves Mine Train contains familiar figures that were once used in the Snow White’s Scary Adventures ride that the mine train replaced.
I remember this older ride and thought it was fun way back when! Glad that Disney kept its spirit alive in some way!
(image borrowed from Wikipedia)
We all know about the Hidden Mickeys hidden throughout the park, but did you know there’s one you can only see once a year? It’s hidden in the waiting line of Journey of the Little Mermaid and you can only see it on Mickey’s Birthday. At noon on November 18 the sun shines through a particular rock that shows off one of the most elusive Hidden Mickeys in the park.
I’ve never been to Disney on Mickey’s birthday but that’s kind of weird how it’s only the sunlight on November 18 that makes it appear. *Also note, this is the Disneyland version...that's the first picture I saw come up that I know is from a cooperative source! lol
Did you know that Space Mountain was the first roller-coaster to be controlled by a computer?
Let’s hope the machines never get mad at us while we’re on this ride!
(image borrowed from Walt Disney World)
In Fantasyland there’s a ride called The Great Goofini’s Barnstormer—it originally went by The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm but was renamed when Fantasyland expanded—and it’s believed to be inspired by another airplane ride that was once at the now gone Opryland USA theme park in Nashville around 1978.
Didn’t know about this park before! And it was closer to me than Disney!
Did you know that Splash Mountain was designed to help promote the movie Splash? Former Disney CEO, Michael Eisner ended up winning his name choice, otherwise we’d be calling it the Zip-a-Dee River Run.
Yeah, Splash Mountain was easier to say. Though I wonder what it will be called after its retheme?
(image borrowed from Walt Disney World)
Did you know that Jean Shepherd, the narrator of A Christmas Story, lends his voice to the Father on the Carousel of Progress?
You know, I don’t recall ever riding this one! Shame! I know!
Yale Gracey was the Imagineer responsible for some of the ghostly spectators in The Haunted Mansion. He’s the name inspiration for the master of the house as well!
That’s too cool!
(image borrowed from Wikipedia)
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In The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the ride pays homage to the ride it replaced. As you pass by a property deed to Owl, you will see a portrait of Mr. Toad hanging above it.
And we also know a statue of Mr. Toad is in the Pet Cemetery at The Haunted Mansion too!
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin was the first Adventureland ride to be added in over 20 years.
Wow. I didn’t realize that there was such a gap between rides when Aladdin came in.
Some secrets are meant to be shared...
Derrik Ray is angry. He’s been sent to guard supernatural secrets on a remote island populated mostly by inmates at a high security prison. His plan is to keep his head down and find a way out of the mess—until he meets Dinah.
Dinah is tired. She’s tired of convincing herself she did the right thing taking the blame for a murder in order to protect a friend. She’s made it five years believing her freedom was worth the sacrifice—until she meets Derrik.
When a science experiment goes haywire and another body is found on the mainland, Derrik and Dinah must turn to each other in order to save what they hold most dear.
*New Adult Paranormal Romance*
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Alyssa Rose Ivy is starting a brand new world series that will spin off of the classic Chronicles World! The Keeper starts off the Chronicle Tales and brings with it a new group of characters, with a familiar face as well. Dinah is the niece of a very familiar someone, who confessed to a murder she didn’t commit and was sentenced to paranormal prison for it. Derrik is now the Keeper of said prison/island; a job he didn’t ask for or was prepared for but had to take because of certain circumstances.
Let’s just say this book starts off with a lot we don’t know, a lot of mysteries that I am positive will be answered within time. We know from the get-go that Dinah didn’t murder a very prominent Pteron that led to her imprisonment, she’s protecting her very dear friend who did the killing for her. We’ll learn there was a very dark reason why the Pteron was murdered.
Meanwhile we have Derrik who has taken on the mysterious role of Keeper on this island that houses a prison, a laboratory, and the Keeper’s house with all its secrets that require protecting. He doesn’t really know what he signed up for, but he has his reasons for needing to get away from his old life to accept this new job.
So, as I said, there’s a lot of strange mysteries building up around here that we only just brush the surface of. But to help wet our whistle, we do learn that another murder (off the island) has occurred, one that has eerie similar qualities to the murder that Dinah “supposedly” committed herself. And since she’s locked away…yeah, that definitely brought up some excitement!
Things are being set into place to build up to something huge! Since this is the first book in a new series, and a new world series spinoff, we had a bit of groundwork to cover. Fans of the classic Chronicles series will have no trouble catching onto certain things and new fans who want to start here will be in the right place as Alyssa mentions this will be a new world series (with a few familiar faces here and there).
The book wasn’t without its romance either. One might worry at first there would be a more creepy Stockholm Syndrome thing going on since Dinah is a prisoner, but never fear there is absolutely none of that! By getting both Dinah and Derrik’s perspectives we know exactly how they are feeling about certain things. The connection between them is absolutely mind-blowing! Like many in the Chronicles world, these star-crossed lovers have found each other and feel that absolute connection with the other without being able to say what it is exactly. While there are a few kisses exchange there’s no true serious moving forward with one another, but there was definitely something else that will leave your head spinning!
The Keeper ends with quite cliffhanger too! Like this is seriously one of those cliffhangers that will leave you desperate for more and the wait will be agonizing! There is a lot left unsaid at the end of this one with a lot of uncertainties, but that is just the building stones to what is sure to be an incredible new series to enjoy!
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars
The Keeper releases January 14, 2021
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.
Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.
The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.
Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.
Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other's arms.
I say this with all the love in my heart as an "adult" and lover of YA, this book has positively one of the ugliest covers I've ever seen that in no way truly reflects what this series is to so many of us. But I still cannot wait to read it!!
TITLE: A Court of Silver Flames
AUTHOR: Sarah J. Maas
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury Publishing
GENRE: Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: February 16, 2021
