Month: December 2019

Book Review: Fate of the Drowned (The Broken Lands #3)

fate of the drowned.jpgTitle: Fate of the Drowned (The Broken Lands #3)

Author: Carrie Summers

Pub. Date: December 14, 2017

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

The Empire is shattered. From the northern ice fields to the storm-battered coast, chasms gash the landscape. Hordes of twisted beasts ravage towns and cities, and still, the people riot.

But the prophecies bespeak hope. Bolstered by the newfound, if fragile, peace with Stormshard, Emperor Kostan begins to fortify his rule. Savra, torn between her desire to learn her family’s fate and the duty she feels to her Emperor, delves deeper into her magic in hopes she can answer both calls.

At the heart of the Empire, an ancient seal will soon fail. But Savra and Kostan will fight to the end–and there lies the Empire’s last hope for salvation.

This will be a spoiler free review.

I enjoyed this finale, let me start there. Overall, this was a good book, a good completion to the trilogy as a whole. I did have a few issues though…well one and it’s kind of an issue I have with a lot of high fantasy/journey books.

The ending never feels truly satisfying.

I often find that in YA/NA fantasy trilogies that the final battle never truly has the emotional weight it’s supposed to. Either the final battle is lackluster and over much too quickly, or its peace talked away.

I can count on one hand how many trilogies that haven’t left me feeling let down, my hopes dashed upon the rocks. Unfortunately, Fate of the Drowned left me feeling a bit dejected. Its Epilogue was a saving grace, in my opinion, and without it I would have been very mad at how it ended. I also feel like the book should have been longer. The whole trilogy came to a close in the last 20ish pages, which is another thing YA/NA fantasy book tend to do. It drives me nuts, honestly. I get anxious and terrified when there’s still so much left unresolved and there are like 20ish pages left in the book. Ya’ll that’s not enough time.

I also think that the long break I took between book 2 and book 3 didn’t help matters, because it was a bit of a struggle to get back into the story and feel those emotional weights that were already in place. \

We’re thrown right back into Savra’s and Kostan’s fight to save their world, and everything looks super bleak. The odds are stacked against them, and they’re basically racing against a clock. The world needs to believe that Kostan will fight for them, that he sees them, and they need to know that he’s one of them. When all hope seems lost, what will they do to save the world.

Again, overall, I liked this book and enjoyed it. I was reminded of why I’ve fallen in love with Carrie’s writing. She’s so good at it, and making the world come to life in your mind. She’s so good at creating these wonderfully flawed human characters that make you feel. I’m already anticipating what book of hers I’m going to read next, there are so many to choose from. If you’re interested, you can check out my reviews for Heart of the Empire and Rise of the Storm as well as this Spotlight Post on Carrie. The Broken Lands series is out in whole, so you can pick it up whenever and I encourage you to do so!

Writing Update #11

I took December off.

It was an unplanned break.

I started with just taking a week to recoup a bit from NaNoWriMo and then some personal stuff happened – we had to put my dog down – and then all motivation left me. I also tend to take December off after NaNoWriMo to recover from burnout, but I thought for sure that I was going to be able to jump right back into my SF WIP because I was so excited to work on it.

Then life happened and things kind of sucked and I didn’t want to get lost in my own story. Doing that would have required brain power, and I wanted to turn my brain off and get lost in other people’s stories – which is exactly what I did.

That feeling of excitement and itching is back, but with the end of the year two days away, and a million things to do before then (to prep for the NYE party we go to every year) I unfortunately just don’t have the time to sit down and write. That, and this break has been kind of nice. It’s let me miss my characters – absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

I haven’t been completely ignoring my WIP though. Since I’m excited, I’m constantly thinking about it and I know exactly what I need to do when I jump back into revisions at the start of the year.

2020 is the year I seriously hope I finally finish this book and start the process of getting it out there. That’s the other thing that’s changed this year. I’m still terrified of people reading my book, but there’s also this anticipation and excitement for people to fall for these characters the way I have. I’ve been working on my SF WIP since 2011, and it’s gone through so many versions, drafts, iterations and it’s finally (well, once I’m done revising) the story it was supposed to be.

You know, when I started this story, I had these grand delusions that I would be able to write it in a year, get it published and use that money to put myself through college. It was a freaking dream and I knew it was unattainable, because let’s be real, that would be like a one in a million chance. Then I think about how if I’d published that draft, that first, very shitty draft, how different it would be. How bad it would be, and then I’m glad I never fulfilled that unattainable dream.

It’s crazy to look back and see how much I’ve changed as a writer, and how visible those changes are in the various drafts of this story. 2020 is going to be MY year, and I’m going to finish this damn WIP and I swear I’m going to take the next steps in getting this thing on a Barnes and Nobles shelf.

So, here’s to 2020 and may all our Writing Dreams come true…now we just got to stick our butts in a chair and write.

 

 

Book Review: Wardens of Eternity

wardens of eternityTitle: Wardens of Eternity

Author: Courtney Moulton

Pub. Date: January 21, 2020

Rating: DNF at p.135

Ziva Ellison has one memory of her parents, made the day they abandoned her on the streets of New York City when she was three years old. They left her with only a memory and a promise that she had a great and terrible destiny.

Fifteen years later, Ziva discovers that destiny includes powers that she doesn’t understand and can barely control. Her magic attracts vicious, otherworldly monsters, and eventually compatriots to help her fight them. Sayer and Nasira know the secrets Ziva doesn’t; that Ziva is descended from Egyptian royalty and in possession of ancient magic passed down from the time of the gods. They promise to teach Ziva to control her magic and to give her the family she’s always yearned for.

But trouble is brewing in the world around them; darkness is descending on Hitler’s Germany, threatening World War II. As the last heir of a revered Egyptian queen, Ziva is the only one with the power to prevent another costly global conflict. As Ziva navigates her newfound abilities and makes a connection with Anubis and other Egyptian gods, the Nazis are hunting for the ultimate weapon, and Ziva has caught their interest.

This probably won’t be a spoiler free review, because I feel a bit like ranting, but I also didn’t finish this book, so how much can I actually spoil? I’ll try to keep it as spoiler free as I can.

I thoroughly loved Courtney’s Angelfire series when I read it, so when I found she was writing a book about Egyptian Mythology, I was excited. Unfortunately, this book did not hold my interest. It took me days to reach page 135 before I decided that I just needed to stop. I didn’t care about the characters, the world, the conflict, any of it really. I thought the pacing was strange and I didn’t quite understand the point of setting the story at the beginning of World War II. Ziva doesn’t even remotely fit the mold of what a late 1930’s woman would be – not even in a “I’m a head of my time” kind of way. She felt like she’d been plucked out of the 21st century and dropped into 1939 New York.

Which brings me to another issue I have. Ziva has powers, and there are others who have powers, and those powers are flaunted (in life or death situations, but flaunted nonetheless) out in the open, without a care to who sees. Same with the supernatural beings that put Ziva and her friends in these situations. Like, is there knowledge in this world of magical powers? Why aren’t locals more freaked out? It almost felt run of the mill and it was weird.

Let me jump back to Ziva really quick because she confused me. Other than feeling out of place in the story, I didn’t get how she was so trusting with Sayer and Nasira. They say they know things about her, and she just trusts them. What? She’s a young woman, living alone in New York and constantly has guards up, but she just trusts these two because they look like her and know things about her. This had me rolling my eyes.

AND Ziva goes from knowing nothing, to training and is suddenly like an expert with magic and fighting after like 3 days of training, bullshit. Like, i get that she’s special, and is inherently going to be gifted, but come on. Three days of training and she’s that bad ass. Three days of training after basically being starving and malnourished. I can’t. I don’t buy it.

Maybe one day in the future I’ll try finishing this book, but today’s not that day. I wanted desperately to like this book, but between the lacking characters, the weird pacing and unbelievable actions, I can’t bring myself to finish it. I don’t buy into Ziva, I don’t care about her or her journey. I don’t care about any of it, if I’m being completely honest. It kind of felt like this could have been a part of the Shadowhunter universe, but like, in a way that just didn’t work. I don’t know and I’m bummed because it sounds really good. Maybe the second half of the book is really good – if it is, and if you’ve read it let me know.

 

 

 

Book Review: Unknown (Unknown #1)

unknown.jpgTitle: Unknown (Unknown #1)

Author: Wendy Higgins

Pub. Date: August 8, 2016

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Amber Tate believes the worst thing she’ll suffer in life is dealing with the unrequited love she feels for her brother’s best friend, Rylen Fite. She also believes war is something unfortunate that happens places far, far away from her rural Nevada town. She’s wrong on both counts.

When an unknown organization meticulously bombs major cities in the United States and across the globe, a trickle-down effect spreads to remaining towns at an alarming speed—everything from food and water sources to technology and communications are compromised. Without leadership, the nation is split between paralysis and panic, but Amber isn’t one to hide or watch helplessly. She’s determined to put her nursing skills to use, despite the danger, even if it means working alongside the man she can never have.

This will be a spoiler free review.

After yesterday’s behemoth of a post, i have a short and sweet one for you today!

I couldn’t get into my last book, and this caught my eye on my shelf. So, I decided to give it a go. Overall, I really enjoyed it, but the first half of the novel made me angry. But even so, I’m dying for the next one – so much so, that I legit just ordered it. You know those books that you read that you ultimately enjoy, but you’re also incredibly angry at them? This is books, is that for me. I don’t even know where to begin, because I really did enjoy it, but ugh. I don’t want to post spoilers, so it’s harder.

I guess I kind of expected more romantic tension and not so much backstory. Actually, I was expecting this to be a little more post-apocalyptic right from the get-go and it wasn’t. It kind of reminded me of Poison Princess in that way. I also figured out who the bad guys were right away, and then grew frustrated that it took the characters so long to come to certain realizations.

I do think my favorite part about this book is the cast of characters and the bonds between them. I care about the core group and I want them to be okay and make it to the end of this trilogy. I really can’t wait for the romantic tension to break, because damn slow burn/unrequited love. No, it’s not actually unrequited now that I think about it. It’s that trope where they both fucking love each other but won’t do a damn thing about it but stare at each other. At this point, I need Rylen and Amber to get together because I’m dying.

If you’re looking for a quick, post-apocalyptic, alien, slow burn romance read, you’ll definitely want to check this out. I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of book 2, and maybe I should just go ahead and order book 3.

10 Book on my Kindle

…that I haven’t read.

I have this bad habit of putting books on my Kindle and then never reading them. A lot of them come from Free Booksy, .99 sales, or just really, too good to pass up sales and they just end up sitting there, untouched…for ages.

I tend to use my Kindle solely for eARCs these days, but I really need to start getting into the habit of reading books on my Kindle. I’m out of shelf space – or just about out of it, and Kindle could solve that problem. Though, to be honest, it doesn’t help when a Kindle book is $9.99, and I can often get a physical copy for the same price. Somehow that rationalization leads me to the physical copy over the digital and I need to get out of that mindset.

Now, the books I’m going to be sharing I have not read. I know nothing about them other than the synopsis. Even then, it’s probably been ages since I read the synopsis. Also, I definitely acquired most of these because I liked the cover. That is the easiest way to get me to buy a book/click a link of a book. If the cover is gorgeous – I’m bound to check it out.

I judge books by their covers ALL the time.

I’m just going to pick 10 books at random from my 284 on my Kindle, and I’m going to steer clear of the ones I have read. Maybe this list can serve as a reminder to maybe finally read these damn books. If you’ve read/heard anything about any of these books – or you have some I should check out, let me know!

Let’s jump into this.

Ruin.jpgRuin (Fire & Blood #1) – Alexa B. James

The cover for this is gorgeous and I read “vampires” in the synopsis and I downloaded it when it was free sometime this year. It is a reverse harem novel – not my usual kind of read, but I figured I’d give it a chance…it was free.

In a world of perpetual night, vampires rule and humans have no chance of escape.
On the surface, my life must appear one of lavish design. As a courtesan for the vampire royals, extravagant gowns are tailor-made to hug my curves, ensuring I look my best as an ornament decorating a luxurious palace.
What is the cost of all this splendor? My blood, my body… and my soul.
After being arrested for war crimes, I volunteered to become a consort to the three kings to allow my family time to escape. But when the malicious leader of the human rebellion demands I betray my new lovers, even I’m surprised to discover my loyalties have shifted.
My body now craves the touch of my vampiric kings, awakening a burning passion within me to protect them from an uprising that could bring them to their knees. Can I find a way to protect all those I love, or will I pay with my life for daring to care for both sides?

The Fire & Blood series, written by Alexa B. James, is an 18+ Reverse Harem Romance weaved together by secrets, fangs, and passion.

The edinburgh seerThe Edinburgh Seer (The Edinburgh Seer #1) – Alisha Klapheke

I don’t remember if this was free when I got it, but I definitely got it because I’m dying to go back to Scotland, and it sounds good.

A Seer with a deadly secret.

A chemist turned spy.

And the rebellion that will thrust them together.

In an alternate, modern-day Edinburgh full of ghosts and magical sweets, Aini MacGregor must hide her magic or face the mad king’s firing squad.But when the most notorious clan in Scotland abducts her father, she must risk death to follow a trail of artifacts to save him. It might just work out.Until she realizes the man she trusts the most, her father’s genius apprentice, is a spy.
Outlander meets Mortal Instruments in this romantic fantasy set in a modern, alternate Scotland.

pestilencePestilence (The Four Horsemen #1) – Laura Thalassa

I really need to read this. I’ve heard great things. Someone make me read this. Please.

They came to earth—Pestilence, War, Famine, Death—four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all.
When Pestilence comes for Sara Burn’s town, one thing is certain: everyone she knows and loves is marked for death. Unless, of course, the angelic-looking horseman is stopped, which is exactly what Sara has in mind when she shoots the unholy beast off his steed.
Too bad no one told her Pestilence can’t be killed.
Now the horseman, very much alive and very pissed off, has taken her prisoner, and he’s eager to make her suffer. Only, the longer she’s with him, the more uncertain she is about his true feelings towards her … and hers towards him.
And now, well, Sara might still be able to save the world, but in order to do so, she’ll have to sacrifice her heart in the process.

The collectors societyThe Collectors’ Society (The Collectors’ Society #1) – Heather Lyons

It’s based off Alice in Wonderland. I needed it. And I need to read it.

After years in Wonderland, Alice has returned to England as an adult, desperate to reclaim sanity and control over her life. An enigmatic gentleman with an intriguing job offer too tempting to resist changes her plans for a calm existence, though. Soon, she’s whisked to New York and initiated into the Collectors’ Society, a secret organization whose members confirm that famous stories are anything but straightforward and that what she knows about the world is only a fraction of the truth.
It’s there she discovers villains are afoot—ones who want to shelve the lives of countless beings. Assigned to work with the mysterious and alluring Finn, Alice and the rest of the Collectors’ Society race against a doomsday clock in order to prevent further destruction . . . but will they make it before all their endings are erased? 

insanityInsanity (Insanity #1) – Cameron Jace

Another Alice in Wonderland re-imagining. I’m a sucker for retellings/adaptations/re-imaginings and Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorites.

After accidentally killing everyone in her class, Alice Wonder is now a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. No one doubts her insanity. Only a hookah-smoking professor believes otherwise; that he can prove her sanity by decoding Lewis Carroll’s paintings, photographs, and find Wonderland’s real whereabouts. Professor Caterpillar persuades the asylum that Alice can save lives and catch the wonderland monsters now reincarnated in modern day criminals. In order to do so, Alice leads a double life: an Oxford university student by day, a mad girl in an asylum by night. The line between sanity and insanity thins when she meets Jack Diamond, an arrogant college student who believes that nonsense is an actual science. 

the harvestingThe Harvesting (The Harvesting #1) – Melanie Karsak

ZOMBIES. Also, a sucker for zombies and this cover caught my eye and I went and downloaded it.

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up undead.
Layla spent her whole life running away from her hometown. Raised by the town’s medium, and dubbed the “weird” girl, the last thing she wants is to go home. When Layla gets a desperate phone call to return just as a mysterious outbreak sweeps the country, Layla’s instincts urge her to go. Good thing, because the dead are rising. The town’s residents, including the ex who jilted her, will need Layla’s help if they hope to survive.

relentlessRelentless (Relentless #1) – Karen Lynch

 Vampires! But honestly, the cover called to me, and idk if at the time, I even knew it was vampires. (Yes, I have a problem. I blindly download, I know.)

Sara Grey’s world shattered ten years ago when her father was brutally murdered. Now at seventeen, she is still haunted by memories of that day and driven by the need to understand why it happened. She lives a life full of secrets and her family and friends have no idea of the supernatural world she is immersed in or of Sara’s own very powerful gift.
In her quest for answers about her father’s death, Sara takes risks that expose her and her friends to danger and puts herself into the sights of a sadistic vampire. On the same fateful night she meets Nikolas, a warrior who turns Sara’s world upside down and is determined to protect her even if it’s the last thing she wants.
Sara’s life starts to spin out of control as she is hunted by an obsessed vampire, learns that her friends have secrets of their own and reels from the truth about her own ancestry. Sara has always been fiercely independent but in order to survive now she must open herself to others, to reveal her deepest secrets. And she must learn to trust the one person capable of breaking down the walls around her.

Neron RisingNeron Rising (Neron Rising Saga #1) – Keary Taylor

I honestly don’t remember why I downloaded this one, other than it’s a sci-fi. It sounds good, but my reasonings are lost to me.

“I…am nothing.”
He takes a step forward, shaking his head twice, with absolute conviction. “You’re not nothing, Nova.”
In the Eon galaxy, Dominion controls any planet with solid Neron deposits, and Nova just found out they’re coming for hers. Korpillion isn’t supposed to have any Neron—the galaxy’s purest form of energy—but Nova Ainsley has been working with the owner of a secret mine for months, building highly illegal weapons that can wield Neron. She wants off Korpillion, and selling these weapons will buy her and her father a ticket to another planet in the galaxy.
Neron is incredible on its own, but there are those who can wield it to their will, granting them the ability to read minds, see the future, and destroy worlds—the Nero. But this is a galaxy where they are ceasing to exist, and Dominion owns the last one in the known universe, using him to take over and destroy billions of lives.
An encounter with the last Nero shows Nova her future: it’s with him. She will stand by his side one day, her fingers laced through his, love and adoration in both their eyes, a dark queen to his evil, pawn king.
Fate or destiny, Nova will do whatever it takes to change their future, and that of the galaxy.
The Neron Rising Saga is a series of episodes. Neron Rising is a slow-burn space-fantasy romance.

Frey_mech_fnl.inddFrey (The Frey Saga #1) – Melissa Wright

 I love finding relatively unknown fantasy authors. This definitely sounds good and I really want to read it now.

Frey’s life is a lie. She doesn’t remember being bound from magic. She didn’t intend to get entangled in Council business.
But she did.
And now she’s on the run. As the Council trackers pursue her, Frey discovers a world beyond their lies. With the aid of a stranger, she fights to reclaim her true identity before the others hunt her down. If they find her, she will burn.

wyltWylt (The Blood Lake Chronicles #1) – Amy Kuivalainen

 I’m pretty sure I need to read this right now. Help. I’m suddenly drowning in books.

‘The Wylts have always served the Vanes. It is our honor. It is our duty.’
Rosa Wylt’s life plans are disrupted when she is summoned back to Gwaed Lyn, an ancient estate in the Lake District.
Struggling with childhood memories overshadowed by the wealthy Vane Family, Rosa is determined to learn of the ties that have kept the Wylt’s bound to their benefactors for centuries.
Rosa finds more than her own family’s history when she uncovers the passionate, doomed love affair of a Vane ancestor… an ancestor that bears an uncanny resemblance to Balthasar, the only Vane that she cannot help being drawn to.
Nothing in the estate is as it seems and as Gwaed Lyn and the immortal Vane Family start revealing their mysteries, Rosa realizes it is called The Blood Lake for a reason…
A modern gothic romance inspired by a new vampire origin story and tangled with the myth and magic of the Fae.

And that’s 10 unread books on my Kindle. I suddenly want to read all of these and I don’t know where to start. It’ll have to be a goal of 2020 to read as many of these books as possible. I’m making this list an informal 2020 TBR list. By the end of 2020, I need to have read these 10 books.

Finger’s crossed.

What are some of the books on your Kindle that you haven’t read and just blindly downloaded?

Also, if you’ve made it to the end of this apologetically long post, MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Movies That Make Me Happy

I’ve been in a bit of an emotional funk the last two weeks. Long story short, my dog of almost 12 years had to be put down two weeks ago. He had Laryngeal Paralysis – basically the nerves in his neck were dying and causing breathing issues. About a week prior to us making the impossible decision, he had a really bad episode and just never fully recovered and quickly got worse. The day we had to give him up was the worst day of my life. If you want a little bit more backstory – I talk about it a bit more in these two posts – 1 / 2 – and maybe others, honestly, I’m not sure. My head’s been in a bit of a fog for a while now, understandably.

That’s why I thought I’d share a few movies that make me feel better. They rarely not work and always are able to lighten my mood. I’m able to just turn my mind off, get a few laughs and just enjoy myself. I’ve watched a few of these in the last two weeks (as well as a lot of TV) and they’ve at least taken my mind off the harsh reality. This is one of those rare times that they don’t cure my “bad” mood.

In the case that someone or something makes me angry, these movies usually do the trick to snap me out of it, and most of them I found by complete accident trolling through Netflix over the years. They’re all rom-coms and fantastic movies.

*These are in no particular order.

Alls Faire In Love.jpgAll’s Faire in Love

Set in the world of a Renaissance Faire, “All’s Faire in Love” is a light-hearted romp, a romantic camp comedy, falling somewhere between “Shakespeare In Love” and “Meatballs”. After years of performing together, a rag-tag theatre troupe is about to lose its prime gig at Ye Olde Times Renaissance Faire when the Faire’s owner threatens to hand over their stage to a rival troupe of conceited, classically-trained Shakespearean actors. The gonzo group must revive their act and find help from an unexpected source – their two new backstage hands, a young actor and actress who must overcome all manner of subterfuge and opposition to prove their worth, win the day, and – perhaps – fall in love.

This is probably my favorite rom-com of all time and I just love it to bits. It’s perfectly wonderful and equally ridiculous – I love it. I’ll admit that that acting could be better, but you’re not watching this to critique it. You’re watching this for pure enjoyment and fun.

The Decoy BrideThe Decoy Bride

Famous actress Lara Tyler can’t get married to author James Arber without intrusive paparazzi crashing the ceremony. Because of James’s best-seller, Lara’s agent, Steve, checks out the little known Hegg Island in Scotland as the site for their next attempted wedding. Unfortunately, James is a hack, and his book (supposedly based on Hegg) relays little of it accurately. Katie, an island native and the only unmarried woman on it, has been unlucky in love. She’s working on writing her own guide to Hegg Island when Steve and crew arrive, eventually hiring her as a reluctant decoy bride to distract the paparazzi. In a mix-up, she and James end up married to each other while Lara, having spotted the press, goes into hiding. Katie and James now have to get an island divorce while avoiding the press while other parties seek out Lara (who has disguised herself as one of the elderly islanders).

David Tennant. Need I say more? If you’re a fan of fake relationships and blossoming feelings, then you’ll want to check this out. It’s so good and so cute and I love it.

The DuffThe Duff

Bianca is a content high school senior whose world is shattered when she learns the student body knows her as ‘The DUFF’ (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) to her prettier, more popular friends. Now, despite the words of caution from her favorite teacher, she puts aside the potential distraction of her crush, Toby, and enlists Wesley, a slick but charming jock, to help reinvent herself. To save her senior year from turning into a total disaster, Bianca must find the confidence to overthrow the school’s ruthless label maker Madison and remind everyone that no matter what people look or act like, we are all someone’s DUFF.

I never read the book, but I thoroughly enjoy this movie whenever I watch it. It’s just easy to turn your mind off and sit back and just have fun.

AustenlandAustenland

Austenland is a romantic comedy about 30-something, single Jane Hayes, a seemingly normal young woman with a secret: her obsession with Mr. Darcy-as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice-is ruining her love life; no real man can compare. But when she decides to spend her life savings on a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become more real than she ever could have imagined.

Honestly, if you haven’t seen this movie yet, you’re seriously missing out. It’s brilliant and hilarious and overall just a great movie. I pop it into the DVD player, make some popcorn and have fun with it. If you’re a Mr. Darcy fan, you’ll want to check this out.

Chalet GirlChalet Girl

Pretty tomboy Kim Matthews, 19, used to be a champion skateboarder – but now she’s stuck in a dead end job trying to support her Dad. Opportunity comes knocking in the form of a catering job in the one of the most exclusive chalets in the Alps. At first, Kim’s baffled by this bizarre new world of posh people, champagne and skiing – but then she discovers snowboarding, and the chance to win some much-needed prize money at the big end-of-season competition. But before she can become a champion again, Kim’s going to have to dig deep to overcome her fears. Hard enough, without the complicating factor of Jonny, her handsome – though spoken for – boss…

This movie is so much fun. (Do I sound like a broken record yet?) But it is. The cast of characters is great – Chuck Bass, anyone? It has everything you could want in a rom-com with a sing-along credit scene.

All these movies leave me in a better mood than I started. They make me feel happy and carefree. I usually end up watching these movies by myself, in bed, but they are great for movie nights with friends. If you’re like me and you watch them all the time, then they become great background noise while doing other things. They’re just fun rom-coms that allow you to turn off your brain and just forget for a bit…sometimes that’s all you want in a movie.

What movies/shows make you feel better when you’re in A Mood™?

 

Currently Reading & Watching #10

img_6842I’ve spent the last two weeks either immersed in book after book, or neck deep in Grey’s Anatomy and various other shows. Despite it being the holidays and the time of the year that I always love and anticipate, it’s hard this year. Not to be a total downer, but it’s been 13 days since we had to put my dog down. I haven’t really talked about it on here, because it’s hard. It hurts and I don’t know how to talk about it.

In some ways it’s felt like an eternity already, but in others it feels like no time at all. It weird how our lives snapped right into this new normal, almost as if he was never here…except his toys are still piled in the corner, his beds are still tucked places and his leash is sitting by the front door.

There are reminders of him everywhere.

Last week a delivery man rang my doorbell and had me sign for a package. It wasn’t until he put the box in my hands that I realized what – who – it was. My dog was home again. That day was hard. Very hard. I know he’s not in pain and in a better place now, but to keep my mind occupied, I’ve been ingesting stories and shows and honestly, burning myself out quite a bit.

I think about my dog and I cry. And I feel like I’ve done nothing but cry lately, and I’m sick of it. It doesn’t make me feel better…so I read. I watch shows. I occupy my mind.

Which leads me into this post – well, the intended part of this post – I’ve watched so much Netflix/Prime/Disney+ recently. My productivity is down the drain. But anyways, let’s check out what I’ve been reading and watching.

BOOKS:

Wardens of Eternity – Courtney Moulton

I’m struggling to get into this and I’m not entirely sure why. I’m going to try reading a bit more of it to see if it maybe, finally grabs me, but if it doesn’t happen by 100 pages (if I make it that far tbh) then sadly, it’ll be another DNF. I really want to give it a fair shot because I loved Angelfire (that whole trilogy) and I want to like this.

*I read a lot more books – but you’ll have to wait for my wrap up post to find out what they were.

SHOWS:

(+ 1 movie)

Grey’s Anatomy (Netflix)

Yep, neck deep. So much has happened – the plane crash, mainly. Also, Lexi and Mark’s deaths. I’ll forever be bitter about how they ended up. I saw on Facebook, a post about how someone suggested they do another “What If” episode where Mark and Lexi don’t die, and everything was how it should’ve been. But then I remember the whole point of the “What If” episode was to just point out that we’re going to end up where we’re supposed to be no matter what.

Karev is still my favorite character out of the whole series.

Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime)

Funny story, I watched the first two episodes of Season 2 (I have no idea why my Prime account suggested S2 to me – I’ve never watched any of the show, and I wasn’t paying attention). I also didn’t know I’d watched S2 until I was telling my friend I’d started it and she looked at me funny and then told me I was watching S2. I liked what I saw, and I’m slowly working my way through it. It’s kind of back burner for now.

Black Summer (Netflix)

The first 7 episodes of this were really good. The way it was filmed reminded me of Lost and I really enjoyed that. I also enjoyed the fresh take on Zombies. These are not your Walking Dead Walkers. These things are smart, actual predators and vicious as hell. The final episode – with no news on whether or not there’s going to be a second season was raging inducing and only 20 minutes (to the first 7 episodes 40-minute episodes) and I hated it. But overall, the show is definitely worth checking out.

V Wars (Netflix)

Ian Sommerhalder. Need I say more?

I’m all down for a sort of dystopian vampire show – which funnily features Damon Salvatore sans vampire-ness. I’m not very far into it, but it seems like it might be a decent show. I’ve kind of dragged my mother into watching it with me, so I’ve only been able to watch it with her and we’ve been a bit busy with the holidays, unfortunately.

Star Wars: The Rise of the Jedi

I don’t usually include movies in these posts, but this one was so anticipated I felt almost obligated.

I’ll keep this spoiler free – I liked it. As someone who can read plots pretty easily, I can see where there are some glaring issues and holes, and what the fuck moments. As a fan who simply enjoys the space movies for what they are, action movies in space and on various planets, I really enjoyed it. I’m not super hard to please when it comes to space sci-fi movies.

Though, the more I think about it, the more I’m annoyed with some of the plot choices and that definitely comes from the writer in me.

The Witcher (Netflix)

I literally just finished this, so give me a moment to scream and wail in despair that I now have to wait a year for season 2.

Why can’t whole new series just drop all at once? Feed my bingeing habits! I need to know what happens next!

I’ll admit, I started off not really sure if I was going to like it. I was confused as hell in the first episode, but by the middle of episode 2 I was hooked and less confused. I kind of binged the last five episodes this evening and that’s how we’re ending this season?? So, may questions and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Geralt is easily my favorite character and every time he “hmm’s” I chuckle. I thought the world was really interesting and the characters even more so.

I just really want season 2, right now.

12 Days of Christmas Book Tag

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I saw Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker tonight and pretty much from the minute I got home, I’ve been madly baking Christmas Cookies. I’m behind on the Holidays – what can I say. You might ask, why don’t you bake them tomorrow? Or Why don’t you bake them this weekend. I’m going to bake the rest tomorrow, and I would love to just do them all over the weekend, but alas I’m not in town. So, I’m countless batches in and numerous episodes into my Grey’s Anatomy re-watch and I just realized that I haven’t done a blog post for tomorrow yet.

It’s 3:08 AM.

I’m tired, and I still have a few more cookies to bake, and quite honestly, I’m a bit sick of Grey’s right now, but let’s jump into this blog post. I found it by Googling “Bookish Christmas Blog Tags” and it wasn’t the first option. In fact, every other holiday themed tag I’ve done this week popped up first. This tag was originally created by Lizzie Loves Books – make sure you check out that post. But I found it over on The Sassy Book Geek – make sure you check out that post as well. Both are linked.

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stainON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE.

The partridge stood alone in the pear tree. What is your favorite stand alone?

Oh, this is hard. There are quite a few, across various genre’s I could choose from. I’m going to go with Stain by A.G. Howard. It was an amazing read and I highly recommend.

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Half BloodON THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: TWO TURTLE DOVES.

Love is in the air! Who is your one true pairing?

Oh, another hard one. I’m gonna have to choose Alex and Aiden from the Covenant Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I just love them so much.

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acomafON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: THREE FRENCH HENS.

In the spirit of threes, what is the best trilogy you have read?

Ugh, all of these questions are apparently going to be hard. Um, I’m going to basic and say the A Court of Thorns and Roses Trilogy. I don’t necessarily think it’s my absolute favorite of all time, but I do really love it.

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Air AwakensON THE FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: FOUR CALLING BIRDS.

Since series usually consist of four or more books, what is your favorite series?

Oh, this one is easy! The Air Awakens series by Elise Kova. Do yourself a favor and go read them if you haven’t. They are excellent.

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ON THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: FIVE GOLDEN RINGS.

One ring to rule them all! Who is your Favorite Villain/Antagonist?

Back to the hard questions. Honestly…I don’t think I have one. None come to mind and I’ve been thinking about this for almost an hour.

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carve the markON THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: SIX GEESE A LAYING.

Creation is a beautiful thing. What is your favorite world/world-building?

I absolutely loved the worlds/world building in Veronica Roth’s Carve the Mark and The Fates Divide. I read this question and those were the first two books that came to mind.

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Throne of GlassON THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: SEVEN SWANS A SWIMMING.

Who needs seven swans when all it takes is one good animal sidekick? Who’s your favorite animal sidekick?

Ugh, to be honest, I hate these types of questions. I don’t know. I forget all the animal sidekicks, except for apparently Fleetfoot from Throne of Glass but I also don’t think she’s my fave.

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ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: EIGHT MAIDS A MILKING.

Milk is so 18th century. Which book or series takes beverages/food to a whole new level?

I have no idea. Food related questions also throw me. My mind is blank. It’s clear to me now, that I need to start reading some books that feature food, because I have no idea.

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V. VisionsON THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: NINE LADIES DANCING.

Dancing is just one skill of a Lady! Who is your favorite kickass female lead?

How do you choose just one? I have no idea. There are so many and since there are so many, I’m just going to choose one from one of my current reads. Vi Solaris from The Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles – she’s freaking badass.

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becoming the dark prince.jpgON THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: TEN LORDS A LEAPING.

How about your favorite leading lad?

Does it count if he doesn’t actually have a POV? Because if it doesn’t, then it’s Thomas Cresswell. If it does, then I don’t know, because he’s my fave and I wish he’d gotten POV chapters. We were robbed.

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Throne of GlassON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: ELEVEN PIPES PIPING.

What is your favorite book or bookish thing with musical influence? (It can be about music, reference music a lot etc.)

Hi blank brain, nice for you to drop in again. I don’t know. Doesn’t Aelin in TOG know how to play the piano…or something? Clearly, I also need to read more books with music as a relevant theme.

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echoes between us.jpgON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY TRUE LOVE SENT TO ME: 12 DRUMMERS DRUMMING.

Drum roll please…what is your favorite read of this year?

Fuck. How do I choose? My current list is like 20 books long. Ugh. Okay, I’m going to say Echoes Between Us by Katie McGarry, which is technically a 2020 release, but damn – it’s so good.

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I think I need to diversify my reading – I need books that feature food and music more…oh and animal sidekicks! Leave some recommendations down below if you have any. Feel free to do this tag – I tag everyone and anyone who reads it. It makes you think, but it was also really fun!

Bookish Naughty or Nice Tag

Bookish Naughty or Nice.jpg🎄☃️🎅❄️🎄☃️🎅❄️🎄☃️🎅❄️🎄☃️🎅❄️

I’m back again with another tag! I know this week has a been a bunch of Q&A and Tag posts, but so many good Holiday/Festive/Christmas ones are out there, and I want to do them all! With Christmas 5/6 days away I’m in the spirit and honestly, I needed to take my mind off the fact that this holiday is going to be incredibly weird and quiet without my dog. So, you get Q&A’s and Tags and I get to turn my brain off for a bit!

I found this tag by Googling “Christmas Bookish Blog Tags” and the first link that popped up was from Jenniely and once I read it, I knew I needed to do it. Thanks, Jenn, for creating such a fun tag! A couple of the questions definitely had me thinking about my book/reading habits.

*Also, note: I’m not actually participating in Blogmas – despite the fact that my blog is nothing but Christmas/Holiday/Festive posts right now. Jenn also, so wonderfully made this cute graphic to use, and I couldn’t not use it.

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The rules are:

If you haven’t been tagged, feel free to do it anyways – I did! It’s a lot of fun!

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  1. Received an ARC and not reviewed it 🎅

Yep. Though it’s rarely because I just ignore it. There are unfortunately limited hours in a day, and just so many books.

  1. Have less than 60% feedback rating on Netgalley

Nope! Currently sitting at 71%…I keep requesting though, so I’m going to assume that it’ll go down rather quickly.

  1. Rated a book on Goodreads and promised a full review was to come on your blog (and never did)

Nope. I always forget to transfer my reviews over to Goodreads. It’s a problem. I had to do 60+ like a week and a half ago. I fell that behind.

  1. Folded down the page of a book 🎅

Yep. The books we have to buy for my local book club…I don’t care about them. So if I don’t have a bookmark…all bets are off.

  1. Accidentally spilled on a book

Not that I can remember.

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  1. DNF a book this year 🎅

So many. I’ve pretty much given up on reading books that I can’t get into. So many books, so little time.

  1. Bought a book purely because it was pretty with no intention of reading it

Nope. Not this year. Shockingly. I had to rack my brain for this question.

  1. Read whilst you were meant to be doing something else 🎅

Yep. Reading instead of working on my WIP.

  1. Skim read a book 🎅

Yep. In the cases I don’t DNF, I just skim through them…also the book club books.

  1. Completely missed your Goodreads goal

Nope. Because I didn’t set one up.

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  1. Borrowed a book and not returned it

Nope.

  1. Broke a book buying ban

Nope. Went on a ban in October, but even though I acquired books, none were purchased during that month! Pre-orders!

  1. Started a review, left it for ages then forgot what the book was about

Nope. Though, writing a review weeks after reading is another thing entirely.

  1. Wrote in a book you were reading

Nope. I don’t annotate my books…or tab them.

  1. Finished a book and not added it to your Goodreads 🎅

Honestly, probably. Though my Goodreads’ shelves are such a mess, I couldn’t tell you for sure.

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  1. Borrowed a book and not returned it to a friend

Nope. I don’t borrow books from friends…mainly because I have my own library lol.

  1. Dodged someone asking if they can borrow a book

Nope. The only person who borrows my books has free access to any of them.

  1. Broke the spine of someone else’s book

Nope. See the last two questions.

  1. Took the jacket off a book to protect it and ended up making it more damaged

No? This happens? Like, I’m not mad if the hardcover is messed up, because then the dust jacket will just hide it.

  1. Sat on a book accidentally 🎅

Yes. Honestly.

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 Final Score: 7/20

 Does this mean I’m on the “Nice List”?  Woo! Honestly, I thought my score was going to be much worse.

*Note: This is purely for fun, and you’re not a terrible person if you’re on the naughty list.

I mentioned it above, but if you do this tag, make sure you tag me so I can see your fun responses as well! I’m not going to be tagging TEN people, mainly because I want to see everyone do this tag! So tag yourselves, just like I did, and have fun!

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All I Want for Christmas Tag

This week is all about the Tags and Q&A’s. I think I kind of burned myself out last week with reading 5 books – 1 per day, and now I don’t know what to read next. I really only have a few books (like 4-5 that are either already out or out in January) left on my TBR for 2019 and I don’t know which one to pick up next.

So, help me choose!

Diamond City

Wardens of Eternity

Lady Smoke

Tweet Cute

Fate of the Drowned

I have a few later releases on my TBR (Ruthless Gods, The Stars We Steal) but those are low priority for right now. But, since I can’t decide, maybe you can help me. Let me know in the comments or on Twitter in the comments under the Tweet for this post, what you think my next read will be. In 24 hours, I’ll pick whatever is chosen.

Can you believe that Christmas is now less than a week away? That this time next week, we’ll be in bed, and when we wake up, presents will be under the tree? Or in little piles around the room since a tiny village is currently parked under ours. I cannot believe that we’re closing in on the end of the year. That blows my mind. It honestly feels like January 2018 was yesterday, and I was writing up my Most Anticipated Reads Post. Now I’m getting ready to do that again, but first, let’s find out what I want for Christmas!

I initially saw this tag over on Emma’s Chapter, but it was founded by Book Princess Reviews. I’ve linked both of their posts with this tag, so make sure you check them out!

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🎄 What Fictional Character Do You Want Santa to Leave Under Your Christmas Tree?

Thomas Cresswell. Audrey Rose doesn’t deserve him.

🎄 What Character Do You Want to Kiss Under the Mistletoe?

Ugh, so many. If I had to pick just one, Rhysand, because, why the hell not.

🎄 You Write Your Christmas List for Santa; What are the Top 5 Books on It?

Failed Future and Sovereign Sacrifice by Elise Kova, Marrow Charm by Kristin Jacques and the UK ARCs for A Curse so Dark and Lonely and a Heart so Fierce and Broken.

🎄 It’s Secret Santa at Hogwarts, What Do You Most Want to Receive?

Besides a Weasley Sweater? A pair of glasses that don’t smudge, repel water – basically a pair where the lenses stay perpetually clean, all of the time.

🎄 You Get to Spend the Day with the Characters and Movie Adaptation Actors from One Fandom, What Do You Pick?

Easy, The Hunger Games. I feel like that was a really fun set to be on. Also, they’re some of the best book to movie adaptations out there – in my opinion.

🎄 What Fictional Animal Would You Like to Replace Rudolph and Meet on Your Roof?

Um…I don’t actually know. Every animal ever in a book just fled from my mind.

🎄 You Can Invite 10 Fictional Characters to Your New Years Eve Party, Who Do You Pick?

Oh boy. Um, Fred and George Weasley. Thomas Cresswell. Aiden and Alex (The Covenant Series by JLA) Grey and Lia Mara (AHSFAB) Aldrik and Vhalla and Baldair (Air Awakens)

This one was hard. Ooof.

🎄 What Character Would Make a Good Santa? (doesn’t have to be appearance, personality counts too)

I feel like Cassian would get a kick out of playing Santa. He’d take it really seriously and now I want a bonus scene.

🎄🎅☃️❄️🎄🎅☃️❄️🎄🎅☃️❄️🎄🎅☃️❄️🎄🎅☃️❄️🎄🎅☃️❄️🎄🎅☃️❄️🎄🎅☃️❄️

This was such a fun tag, and now I’m curious, what do you want for Christmas (or the holidays)? Or in terms of this tag, who do you want? LOL

Feel free to tag yourself if you want to do this tag!