Tag Tuesday | End of the Year Book Tag

November 10, 2020November 10, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

This one is floating around on youtube this time of year and I believe it was originally created by Ariel Bissett. Anyways, I thought it would be fun to do on the blog so I decided to tackle it!

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

Yeah, there are a few books that I currently have bookmarks in right now. I did do a great job of clearing out my currently reading shelf on Goodreads earlier in the year, but I haven’t been adding to it either. I’d say the book I’ve started that I definitely want to finish is The Silence of Bones by June Hur. I started this one and immediately got sucked in, it just got set down because I had to take care of some review books that had deadlines, but I’m hoping to finish it this month, fingers crossed!

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Hmm, not so sure on this one. I still have a number of spooky books that I wanted to get to in October which I’m still hoping to get to and most of those are set in fall or winter – so I’d say there’s quite a few.

Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

I need to pick up a few books that have come out recently, but I’ve been resisting because my owned TBR is a very good size, but I would say the next new release I will probably pick up would be Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao (which came out today)!

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

I’m still planning on picking up Home Before Dark by Riley Sager, and I’m fairly sure from what I’ve been hearing that I’m going to love it!

Have you already started making reading plans for 2021?

Yes, I always have my physical TBR to pull from, and I do already have some blog tours set up for next year. Here’s hoping it ends up being a better year than 2020 has been!

Happy reading!

Blog Tour | Claiming the Rancher’s Heir by Maisey Yates | Review

November 9, 2020November 9, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Arrogant, infuriating, insufferable… And the sexiest man she’s ever met.

Wren Maxfield hates Creed Cooper, but now she’s working with the wealthy rancher over the holidays! Those strong feelings hide undeniable chemistry…and one wild night results in pregnancy. Now Creed vows to claim his heir. That means proposing a marriage in name only. But as desire takes over, is that a deal they can keep?

Includes Rancher’s Wild Secret, a bonus story!

Emerson Maxfield is a sheltered beauty who never steps out of line. Now she must marry her family’s enemy before desire spells downfall for them all…

From page one you could tell that this was going to be hate to love, with very intense hate going on. I did enjoy the characters and their interactions, but there were definitely times when I felt there was just a little too much of the discourse. I also enjoyed the family interactions and side characters.

The writing was fast paced and easy to read, the book itself can easily be read in a single sitting as it does suck you right in with the way it starts. I do think that the extreme nature of the characters dislike for each other could be polarizing for some people, but if you like hate to love you’ll probably really enjoy this one.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit.

In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard. She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.

Author links | Website | Instagram | Facebook

Happy reading!

Review | Katie the Catsitter by Colleen A.F. Venable and Stephanie Yue

November 8, 2020November 7, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Katie is dreading the boring summer ahead while her best friends are all away at camp–something that’s way out of Katie and her mom’s budget, UNLESS Katie can figure out a way earn the money for camp herself. But when Katie gets a job catsitting for her mysterious upstairs neighbor, life get interesting. First, Madeline has 217 cats (!) and they’re not exactly . . . normal cats. Also, why is Madeline always out EXACTLY when the city’s most notorious villain commits crimes?! Is it possible that Katie’s upstairs neighbor is really a super villain? Can Katie wrangle a whole lot of wayward cats, save a best friendship (why is Beth barely writing back? And who’s this boy she keeps talking about?!), AND crack the biggest story in the city’s history? Some heroes have capes . . . Katie has cats!

I was initially sucked in just from the description because it mentioned lots of cats, but I loved this! The surface layer of the story is a superhero/supervillain story, but beyond that it is a story about things that happen when a friendship starts to become distant and fade away. All of us have gone through it at some point, but an often time it does happen is in those transition years between middle school and high school.

It isn’t just a story about Katie catsitting and finding out things about the superheroes and villians in her city, it’s also somewhat about her figuring out what trajectory her life is going to take and who she’s going to spend time with.

I loved so many things about it and have to point out the details and personalities that went into all of the cats. I’m not going to say much more because spoilers, but I adored it! The art also was a shining part of this book, with a muted palette that perfectly suited the mood.

Happy reading!

Discussion | TBRs and Wrap Ups

November 7, 2020November 7, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

I don’t know if you all noticed, but the last few months I haven’t really been doing TBRs or wrap ups. This hasn’t been because I didn’t want to, but my reading has been so all over the place this year that I consciously decided to take a break from doing them so I wouldn’t get upset with myself when I recapped what I did and didn’t read and how may plans failed.

I don’t need to tell you all what 2020 has been like, you all know. On top of being the year of the dumpster fire, my workload at my day job went up dramatically – and while I have been able to handle it, there has been effect on my mental health. This year has been a lot of lost focus, hard time concentrating, etc. So reading everything I want to read has been hard. My main focus for a couple months were simply to get review books done – and I did enjoy most of what I was reading, but I would have liked to work on some of my existing TBR too.

The last time I did a monthly wrap up here, I was super disappointed and upset with myself for not having read more – and honestly I didn’t want to experience that every month, so I stopped doing wrap ups for the time being. The same thing with TBRs, I didn’t want to specify which books I wanted to pick up – and then not be able to get to any of them.

So where does this leave us? Well, the last couple months have actually been better! In October I let myself mood read a bit and was super excited that I got 5 print books off my TBR and read a total of 23 books in the month.

I’m probably not going to do TBRs or wrap ups for the rest of the year to be honest, just for my own mental health – but I do plan on starting them back up in 2021!

In the meantime if you want to check out what I’m reading and working on, be sure to follow me (or add me as a friend) on Goodreads!

Happy reading and stay safe! 😀

Review | The Weirn Books Vol 1: Be Wary of the Silent Woods by Svetlana Chmakova

November 6, 2020November 6, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

In the Night Realm, vampires, shifters, weirns, and other night things passing for human prowl the streets… but they still have to go to school! Ailis and Na’ya are pretty average students (NOT losers), but when a shadow starts looming and a classmate gets all weird, they are the first to notice. It gets personal, though, when Na’ya’s little brother D’esh disappears-It’s time to confront the secrets of the forbidden mansion in the Silent Woods!

I have read some of Svetlana’s previous works and absolutely loved them, so I was excited to have the chance to read her newest one. This is set in the same supernatural world as her Nightschool series and features some young Weirn teens who are not only living in their night world, but also dealing with some of the insecurities and difficulties that young teens face. The adventure that the two cousins go one while trying to solve the mystery before them is fun and has the perfect amount of spooky elements.

Chmakova’s art style is beautiful and the color palette perfectly suited the story and characters. I really enjoy how she depicts astrals especially and how each one of them had a different personality and look.

I think people of all ages would enjoy this story and it’s great if your looking for a light spooky read for younger readers. Svetlana Chmakova writes amazing stories for the middle grade age range and I recommend checking out any of her works if you think you might like her artwork or style.

Thank you again to the publisher for reaching out and sending a copy of this book to me!

Happy reading!

Review | The Getaway by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

November 5, 2020November 5, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

In this short thriller from number one New York Times best-selling authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, a young woman’s dream getaway becomes her worst nightmare.

Prepare yourself for a transformative experience. Sometimes, life’s setbacks contain hidden gifts. Here at Lakewood, you’ll find the space to unwrap them.

A weekend at the Lakewood Retreat is exactly what Chloe Powell needs. Freshly unemployed after her boss loses a reelection campaign, the former press secretary desperately wants a break from the bustle of Washington DC. A flier posted at her yoga studio leads her to the getaway, which looks amazing: organic meals, celebrity testimonials, and a serene private property within driving distance of the city.

It’s so perfect, in fact, that Chloe’s barely bothered by the intensely personal questions she’s asked in her application, or the unnerving social experiments her enigmatic host, Sebastian, imposes on her once she arrives at his remote cabin. But when a mysterious new guest shows up, Chloe can no longer suppress her rising panic: This place is not at all what it seems.

A pulse-pounding story from the first minute to the last, The Getaway explores the weight of the small choices we make every day, and their staggering, unintended consequences.

If you’re looking for a short thriller that has a couple decent twists, then this one is a great example. At first I was definitely unsure of where it was going, but the reveals definitely snuck up before the pieces fell into place. I did enjoy the dual timelines that slowly converged to tell the story. As with a lot of short stories, especially those with lots of twists, I did find myself wanting a little more character depth and backstory. What was written was sufficient to tell the story, but I definitely could have enjoyed it longer if there was a little more to it.

Happy reading!

Can’t Wait Wednesday | 11/4

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Can’t Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on the meme Waiting on Wednesday by Breaking the Spine. In this weekly post people share a book that they’re excited about being released.

Today I want to look at City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda. I am way behind on the Rick Riordan imprint, but every single one that comes out I immediately want to get my hands on!

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents CITY OF THE PLAGUE GOD, an adventure based on ancient Mesopotamian mythology written by Sarwat Chadda, author of the Ash Mistry series. Characters from the Epic of Gilgamesh populate this high-stakes contemporary adventure in which all of Manhattan is threatened by the ancient god of plagues.

Thirteen-year-old Sik wants a simple life going to school and helping at his parents’ deli in the evenings. But all that is blown to smithereens when Nergal comes looking for him, thinking that Sik holds the secret to eternal life.Turns out Sik is immortal but doesn’t know it, and that’s about to get him and the entire city into deep, deep trouble.

Sik’s not in this alone. He’s got Belet, the adopted daughter of Ishtar, the goddess of love and war, on his side, and a former hero named Gilgamesh, who has taken up gardening in Central Park. Now all they have to do is retrieve the Flower of Immortality to save Manhattan from being wiped out by disease. To succeed, they’ll have to conquer sly demons, treacherous gods, and their own darkest nightmares.

Happy reading!

NaNoWriMo | Finding Time

November 3, 2020November 3, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

We’re three days into NaNo, how is everyone doing? I’m somehow on target (though I haven’t yet started my writing for today) fingers crossed it stays that way.

I know that a big question I’ve seen floating around is “How do you find time?” It’s a good question for sure and it’s something that can be hard. I have a full time day job, plus keeping up with cooking, housework, time with my significant other and of course must find time to read as well!

Carving out specific writing time is something you have to do consciously. Unfortunately, when you have so many obligations it has to be done. I go to bed a few hours later than my significant other, so that is definitely time that is being earmarked for writing.

I also try/plan to do more than the daily average on my days off, to make up for those work days that I don’t quite hit it. As long as I write something every day, I will consider that a good step.

Current word total: 3400 words.

Happy writing, everyone!

Review | Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie Vol 1 by Keigo Maki

November 2, 2020November 2, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Shikimori seems like the perfect girlfriend: cute, fun to be around, sweet when she wants to be… but she has a cool dark side that comes out under the right circumstances. And her boyfriend Izumi loves to be around when that happens! A fun and funny high school romance with a sassy twist perfect for fans of Nagatoro-san and Komi Can’t Communicate!

Shikimori and Izumi are high school sweethearts. They hold hands walking home from school, they flirt in the halls, they tease each other. But Shikimori knows what she wants, and how to get it, and she can turn from cutie to cool in an instant.

This manga was so adorable! This is definitely heartwarming and humorous as we follow Izumi and his girlfriend Shikimori. To the general populace Shikimori is seen as a very cute girl, but she has a side to her that is more ‘cool’ as the manga says. Her boyfriend often sees this side of her when she protect him from different things. This was a super fast read that left me both smiling and laughing at their antics. They both want to do things for each other and Izumi is always floored by how Shikimori acts. If you’re looking for a cute pick me up that will make you laugh this is a great start.

Happy reading!

Blog Tour | Rescue You by Elysia Whisler | Review

November 1, 2020November 1, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

She needs a fresh start. He’s got scars that haven’t healed. With the help of some rescue dogs, they’ll discover that everyone deserves a chance at happiness.

After a year of heartbreak and loss, the only thing keeping Constance afloat is the dog rescue she works at with her sister, Sunny. Desperate for a change, Constance impulsively joins a new gym, even though it seems impossibly hard, and despite the gym’s prickly owner.

Rhett Santos keeps his gym as a refuge for his former-military brothers and to sweat out his own issues. He’s ready to let the funny redhead join, but unprepared for the way she wiggles past his hard-won defenses.

When their dog rescue is threatened, the sisters fight to protect it. And they need all the help they can get. As Rhett and Constance slowly open up to each other, they’ll find that no one is past rescuing; what they need is the right person—or dog—to save them.

As soon as I started this book I was immediately sucked in by the writing and the introduction to the sisters. I was almost instantly invested and really had a hard time putting the book down. There was so much that was both heartwarming and heartbreaking in this book as the characters worked through their own personal struggles. You could really tell that Whisler either heavily researched what she was writing about or has personal knowledge on some of the subjects. The characters were full of depth and fleshed out really well, so I definitely found myself cheering for them through the ups and downs of the book.

Extra points for talking so in depth about animal rescue and the difficulties/events that can happen with it, it’s something I have a soft spot for. Based on the writing style and how three dimensional this story was I will definitely be checking out more of Whisler’s writing in the future!

Elysia Whisler was raised in Texas, Italy, Alaska, Mississippi, Nebraska, Hawai’i and Virginia, in true military fashion. Her nomadic life has made storytelling a compulsion from a young age.

She doubles as a mother, a massage therapist and a CrossFit trainer and is dedicated to portraying strong women, both in life and in her works. She lives in Virginia with her family, including her large brood of cat and dog rescues, who vastly outnumber the humans.

Happy reading!