1. A STUDY IN DROWNING BY AVA REID (5⭐️) SERIES:  A Study in Drowning (Book 1 of 2) WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Effy has grown up as a super fan of the famous fairy tale book Angharad. As she studies architecture in college, she applies for the position to update the seaside home of Angharad's author. When she gets there, though, sinister things begin to happen. QUICK REVIEW: This novel is an ode to the art of storytelling. It uses fairy tale symbolism to convey its message of female em

1) THE ROAD OF BONES BY DEMI WINTERS (Adult Fantasy) (539 pages) (4.5⭐️) Silla is being hunted by an assassin and seeks safety in Kopa. To get there, she must travel the treacherous Road of Bones. She hides away in a wagon only to learn it belongs the infamous Bloodaxe Crew. This book was a great start to my reading year. The world is immersive, the plot was equal parts romance and danger, and I enjoyed the multiple POVs. I do wish some side characters got more spotlight. I l

FOUR RUINED REALMS BY MAI CORLAND (5⭐️) SERIES: The Broken Blades (Book 2 of 3) WHAT IT’S ABOUT (Book 1 - Five Broken Blades): A mercenary, a thief, a poison maiden, a count’s son, a banished prince, and a spy master must all work together in order to kill the god- king ruling their country. QUICK REVIEW: This may be a middle book in a trilogy, but it doesn’t feel like a filler novel. Readers get to see and learn so much more of this world. The plot is just as thrilling as th

1. NOT QUITE DEAD YET BY HOLLY JACKSON (Adult Thriller) WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Jet survives a brutal attack but develops an aneurysm that will kill her in a week. She is determined to solve her own murder before she inevitably dies. WHY IT’S A FAVORITE: I became invested in Jet and her mission. I actually cried for her while reading this book, and I don’t cry easily reading books. Billy, Jet’s neighbor and childhood best friend who helps her solve her murder, is the definition of a

1. THE CLINIC BY KATE QUINN (Adult Thriller) WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Meg decides to become a patient at a remote clinic in order to investigate her sister Haley’s death. WHY IT’S HERE: The ending of this book goes completely off the rails in a way that was too outlandish and unnecessary. It spoiled the book for me, to be honest. I liked the dual perspectives of a patient and a worker at the clinic, but the worker, Cara, was painfully naive and useless. Also, as tends to be the case

NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER READS   1. Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland (Adult Fantasy) (439 pages) (4.5⭐️) This is the conclusion to the Broken Blades trilogy following a group of morally grey characters who, in the first book (Five Broken Blades), engage in a high stakes heist. I have grown attached to the characters throughout the series and it was emotional to bid them farewell. This trilogy is one of my favorite fantasy series to date – it has well developed characters and

I want to start this blog by acknowledging I am very lucky to have a family who gift me books and gift cards to buy them for Christmas. I love my local library and use it frequently, but I also love collecting books (which I of course read) to own. BOOKS I RECEIVED PHYSICALLY   1. The Road of Bones by Demi Winters (Adult Romantasy) This novel is about Silla Nordvig who is fleeing a queen's assassin and joins a band of mercenaries known as the Bloodaxe Crew on a perilous journ

GENRE: Adult Romantasy LENGTH: 511 pages   PLOT Princess Odessa lives in a land of five kingdoms infested with deadly monsters. She is married off in an arrangement with a foreign prince, Zander, and finds herself stranded and alone in a new and dangerous land.   CHARACTERS Odessa is a wonderful protagonist. She may be a princess, but she’s humble, kind, determined, and tough. She’s no damsel in distress (though she IS a terrible spy). She has a slowburn romance with the Gu

GENRE: Adult Fantasy LENGTH: 439 pages   PLOT In the conclusion to the Broken Blades trilogy, the blades (Aeri, Royo, Mikhail, and Sora – plus Tiyung) are in possession of 3 of the 5 Dragon Lord relics. They seek out the final two in order to reclaim their lands and protect their peoples.   CHARACTERS Given this is the final book in the trilogy, I’m sure I don’t need to reintroduce the characters to you. All of the blades (and Tiyung) as well as their questionable allies re

GENRE: YA Fantasy LENGTH: 395 pages   PLOT Seung and Eunji come from very different backgrounds yet both seek the same thing – freedom -  Seung from his family’s poverty and Eunji from her forced marriage. The two befriend each other and fall in love. Things become complicated when they discover the last tiger and find themselves on opposing sides.   CHARACTERS             Seung and Eunji come from different worlds. Seung’s family is extremely poor, while Eunji’s family is in

GENRE: Adult Thriller LENGTH: 383 pages   PLOT Anna Matheson invites the six people responsible for destroying her family aboard a 13 hour train ride. They’re to be arrested upon their arrival at their destination, but on the way, she intends to confront them for their sins.     CHARACTERS This was my fourth Sager book (though admittedly I DNF’d one). He has a chronic problem of writing flat female characters. To be clear, I don’t think that male authors are incapable writi

GENRE: YA Fantasy LENGTH: 385 pages   PLOT This is the sequel to Blade of Secrets and the conclusion to the Bladesmith duology. Ziva and Kellyn are captured by an evil prince who intends to use Ziva’s bladesmith magic for his own selfish desires of world domination.   CHARACTERS Ziva is a character who means a lot to me. I suffer from a diagnosed anxiety disorder and growing up I never got to see myself represented in YA fantasy. To think that today’s youth will have a char

SEPTEMBER READS 1.     Never a Hero by Vanessa Len (YA Fantasy) (509 pages) (5⭐️) This is the second book in the Monsters trilogy about a girl, Joan, who discovers she’s half-monster. In this book, she and her first love, Nick, are on the run from the Monster Court. This was a reread in anticipation of the final book’s release. This is a fantastic middle book as it nicely progresses the plot and is never boring. The stakes are even higher than in the first book. Full Review:.

GENRE: YA Fantasy LENGTH: 500 pages   PLOT In the conclusion to the Monster trilogy, Joan, Nick, and Aaron and their allies find themselves in a timeline ruled by monsters. They must stop Joan’s evil sister, Eleanor, and reverse the damaged timeline she created.   CHARACTERS I knew this novel was going to have to resolve the love triangle between our main trio. If you look at other reviews for the series it’s pretty clear that most readers prefer Aaron. I myself find Joan a

GENRE: Adult Thriller LENGTH: 380 pages PLOT Jet survives a brutal attack but develops an aneurysm that will kill her in a week. She is determined to solve her own murder before she inevitably dies.   CHARACTERS The novel primarily follows Jet and Billy. Jet has spent her life drifting, always believing that things will ‘start’ eventually, but never actually motivated. Her attack and the subsequent seven day deadline cause her to regret her wasted time and become determined

GENRE: Adult Romantasy LENGTH: 385 pages   PLOT Sibyl is a Diviner who drowns to receive dreams/visions from the Omens (gods). When her fellow Diviners go missing, she joins a heretical knight, Rodrick, and others on a quest to find them.   CHARACTERS Sibyl is the novel’s protagonists. Accompanying her are the new king, Benedict ‘Benji’, two of his knights, Rodrick ‘Rory’ (who is Sibyl’s love interest) and Maude, as well as an unnamed gargoyle from the Cathedral. The novel’

GENRE: YA Fantasy LENGTH: 376 pages PLOT Effy has grown up immersed in the famous fairy tale book Angharad. As she studies architecture in college, she applies for the position to update the seaside home of Angharad's author. When she gets there, though, sinister things begin to happen. CHARACTERS As a woman, writer, and fairy tale lover I connected with Effy on many levels. Unfortunately, I fear many female readers will relate all too well to Effy in her struggles with her

GENRE: YA Historical Romantasy LENGTH: 339 pages   PLOT Branwen/Evelyn (henceforward called Evelyn) and Arden have been reincarnated...

GENRE: YA Historical Fantasy LENGTH: 371 pages   PLOT In the sequel to What The River Knows, Inez is determined to track down her...

GENRE: Adult Thriller LENGTH: 381 pages PLOT Private security officer Amy Wheeler teams up with her father-in-law and a famous author to...