Last Week I Read:
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (4.5 stars)
Currently Reading:
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
What I Plan to Read Next:
Reborn Yesterday by Tessa Bailey
Other Posts of Interest:
Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday
Books from the Backlog #10
Book Blogger Hop
Let's Discuss: Thriving in Winter
Stacking the Shelves--The One Before Christmas
Merry Christmas!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Hope everyone celebrating has a wonderful holiday with their loved ones! And if this isn't your holiday, I hope you have a wonderful day doing whatever you please!
Merry Christmas everyone! Hope everyone celebrating has a fantastic day celebrating, and if you don't celebrate I hope you have a fantastic day with whatever you do! The week was another good one overall! I worked a few short days, then took off a day early before the holiday, AND I had a book signing. All in all a pretty great week! My post today won't include any Christmas goodies as I'm writing it on Saturday, so anything bookish will be featured next week!
Anyway here's what I got this week:
Illustrated Girl by Josephine Angelini--a freebie read Josie mentioned in her newsletter, so I downloaded it!
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins--she's coming to a library near me in two weeks, so I thought I'd pick up a copy of it now and buy the new book at the signing!
Lumara by Melissa Landers
Queen of Myth and Monsters by Scarlett St. Clair--SIGNED with the exclusive Indie wrap!
Then I WON an ARC of Kate McLaughlin's upcoming book on Instagram, which came as a surprise as I forgot I entered a contest!
Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin (ARC)--SIGNED!
THANK YOU Kate!
Then I managed to snag, not one, but TWO bunnies from Voodoo Isle's latest drop of Voodoo Bunnies and I was elated since one of them was the GINGERBREAD bunny I requested earlier when she was about to make her Christmas bunnies!
The Gingerbread cutie is on the left then I managed to get one of the larger velvet ones! Those came as a surprise so you didn't know what colors you'd get! I got this one! I have black bookcases so he has to sit on top of one to be better seen! Still love him though and hes sooo soft!
And then finally, when I had to make a return at TJ Maxx, I browsed the store first and found this adorable dragon pillow Squishmallow dude! I thought he'd make a great reading pillow, so I bought him. Yes, I have a problem now. But I still have more books than Squishmallows by a long shot, so it's not a big problem...yet. Lol.
And that was it for me this week in the pre-Christmas haul! I'm not sure what kind of bookish gifts I might get for Christmas as the things I remember asking for I got at my birthday, so we shall see! Hope you all have a magical rest of the day!
Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates—a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.
But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie—not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for.
Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past—or his—catches up to her?
I finally picked up Rachel Hawkins' adult debut, The Wife Upstairs! A chilling mystery that will leave you guessing until the very end! This was a book so twisted with mystery that I honestly didn't know what to believe but I loved every moment of it! This one has been called a modern day Jane Eyre with a twist, but since I don't read many classics, I had no idea what to expect from this one and I loved that the book could keep me surprised!
When the story begins we meet Jane, a woman of mystery who we learn right away is a bit of liar--or just likes to keep her secrets, especially about her identity as she tells us early on, Jane isn't her real name--and a thief. She works as a dog walker in a very upper class neighborhood that pays just barely enough to make her rent with a skeevy roommate. So to help make ends meets she lifts a few things from the uber rich people, little things they'll never miss; an earring there, a bracelet here, and sells them to help get by.
Then one day she meets Eddie, a recent widower, who Jane has an immediate attraction to. It's not just that he is good looking, but Eddie is very well off after his wife's passing, he now has control of her successful company and things are going very good for him, so naturally, Jane sets her sights on him. Jane more less manipulates things to gain Eddie's affection, and it works rather well for the two begin to hit it off. Things are looking great...until the lies and secrets of the wealthy and well-to-do come to fore.
We very early on get details about how Eddie's wife and her best friend died. The mystery behind it and how no bodies had been recovered and leads to a chilling answer. One can imagine that the reader's suspicion turns to Eddie, the "grieving" husband. But it will take awhile before Jane is able to put the pieces all together herself, but will she be able to put them together fast enough before she turns into the next victim? Dun-Dun-DUNNNNNN!
Yes, this one was very mysterious indeed! I'll admit, there was a kind of slow building suspense happening here as Jane slowly learns about Eddie's previous wife. A picture is being painted and it's beginning to look very dark indeed. As Jane tries to adapt to a rich and luxurious lifestyle, she's learning there's a reason why the rich are able to keep things secret and it's a not a good thing!
This book was very...mysterious. It's hard to really pinpoint an adjective to describe it without delving too deep! Although, calling a mystery mysterious is redundant! Lol. But there really isn't another way to describe this dark tale that springs forth more than a puzzle or two! I will tell you that I did not see this ending coming, and I thought I had it nailed down too just because of the obvious facts that were presented early on. But Hawkins managed to surprise me once again! I have loved all of her YA books, and I can safely say the same for her adult books now too! Definitely looking forward to reading more of these chilling mysteries if her adult debut is anything to go by!
If you're looking for a dark mystery to read rife with secrets and a puzzle that will keep you guessing until the very end, then The Wife Upstairs is the read for you! It was a pretty chilling read that kept me guessing, trying to figure out whodunit and which character I should be rooting for. It's a read that kept me entertained right until its end! Highly recommended for mystery fans!
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars
Thriving in Winter
The Winter Solstice was just a few days ago and with it brought a little melancholy for me, as I realized now, ever so slowly the days will be getting longer and the nights will be getting shorter and soon we will have to lose that extra hour of the day. Unlike everyone else I know, I love it when there are shorter days and longer nights. To me, that part really doesn't matter, but it's knowing we have that extra hour that means a lot! We get a little more sleep, a little more reading time...just more time!
Everyone else seems to prefer the longer days and I don't know why I don't. Or I have suspicions but they are not quite happy ones. Being an introvert with very real life friends--okay, let's just say none because all my friends are online ones who live states away! I'm still single where most of my online friends aren't, so I just have a hard time being around people and such and the longer days just remind me more of all that alone time and it gets me down. I guess with the longer nights, it's like there's a good reason to stay cooped up inside, I mean I really only go out at night if it's for an author signing anyway, lol. So being home makes me feel like everyone else is too. When I go out, I get reminded of being alone even when I'm in a crowded room. I guess it makes it even harder knowing that the friends I once had in school and such were never really readers anyway, so it wasn't like I could convince anyone to come with me to meet the super fabulous authors anyway.
I don't know. Like I said, talking about it kind of depresses me in some ways too. I know I come off as antisocial but it's just me being an introvert like most readers. I try to talk to people but I feel like it never goes off well. Tricia Levenseller's Bladesmith duology really hit home for me because I have those same fears and anxiety running through me that Ziva did, like legit she was reading my mind when I am forced to talk socially with people.
So yeah, when we get longer days and such I grow more reclusive and depressed. It's the backwards seasonal depression the greater part of society gets. While they get theirs in winter, I feel myself thriving, but once we cross that Winter Solstice and the days get increasingly longer, I find myself growing increasingly more depressed minute by minute and I get full on down once we hit Spring.
I told you, it doesn't quite make sense. Perhaps if we were not forced to give up that hour anymore I could do marginally better, but I feel like if Daylight Savings Time does ever get axed, it will be done when we don't get that extra hour of life back, so yeah.
Not exactly the warm fuzzy topic to have around this time of year, but since the Solstice just passed I figured it kind of fit. I am super excited for Christmas this weekend though as it is one of my favorite holidays! I stress all month long (and all November since I usually start shopping early) over getting my family presents and hoping they will like them...especially if it was an item they didn't ask for, and I always hope they will enjoy it! So yeah, adding more stress to my sensibility, probably not the best idea, but I do love the holidays! So yeah...I've never been one to be normal anyway! Lol.
My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy; a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest. But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why; especially since I should have been the one who died...
I acquired Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep at the Romantic Times Booklovers' Convention in 2012. So many of my early TBR books were! Lol. This was the HEIGHT of YA Paranormal fiction and I was in heaven! I hadn't heard of this one but I picked it because free books! And pretty much at every RT I attended thereafter I got the next book of the series. I think I only had to buy one of them...maybe book 4? Needless to say I am ready to binge it whenever I get around to it! Lol.
In this sequel novella to Sorcery of Thorns, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas must unravel the magical trap keeping them inside Thorn Manor in time for their Midwinter Ball!
Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city's most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate's wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor's occupants inside. Surely it must be a coincidence that this happened just as Nathaniel and Elisabeth started getting closer to one another...
With no access to the outside world, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas - along with their new maid Mercy - will have to work together to discover the source of the magic behind the malfunctioning wards before they're due to host the city's Midwinter Ball. Not an easy task when the house is filled with unexpected secrets, and all Elisabeth can think about is kissing Nathaniel in peace. But when it becomes clear that the house, influenced by the magic of Nathaniel's ancestors, requires a price for its obedience, Elisabeth and Nathaniel will have to lean on their connection like never before to set things right.
Okay, I admit, I STILL need to read Sorcery of Thorns, but I have a hopeful feeling that I will adore it and will need this one asap! Lol!
TITLE: Mysteries of Thorn Manor
AUTHOR: Margaret Rogerson
PUBLISHER: Margaret K. McElderry Books
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: January 17, 2023
New York Times best-selling author Kendare Blake takes us back to the demon capital of the world in this highly anticipated sequel to In Every Generation, set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Frankie Rosenberg is coming to terms with the fact that she’s the newest slayer, but that doesn’t mean she has it all figured out just yet. She and her friends are still reeling from the deadly attack on the annual slayer retreat—and the new revelation that some slayers may still be alive. She’s got her own Scooby Gang, but sometimes feels more on the outside than ever. She throws herself into training with her mom, the great witch Willow, and her new Watcher, Spike, but they’ve got demons of their own to contend with (both of the real and metaphorical variety). Buffy made it look easy, but being a slayer is hard—and lonely.
But Frankie doesn’t have time to wander through Sunnydale Cemetery singing about her new responsibilities. With news of Buffy’s possible demise, Demons are making their way back to Sunnydale in droves, called by a Hellmouth that is starting to reawaken. And then an oracle brings news of a new Evil brewing…something called The Darkness. Could this be what attacked the slayers? And is it coming for Frankie?
Super excited to read this one! I looooved In Every Generation! I loved how it was so set into the Buffyverse but still totally its own story and I cannot wait to find out what happens next!
TITLE: One Girl In All the World
AUTHOR: Kendare Blake
PUBLISHER: Disney-Hyperion
GENRE: Paranormal YA
RELEASE DATE: January 31, 2023
