Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s topic is: Books I’m Worried I Might Not Love as Much the Second Time Around
I’m tweaking this topic a tiny bit this week because I need a topic that doesn’t take much brain power lol. So here are the books I’m pretty sure I’ve re-read the most.
Books I’ve re-read the most
A Court of Thorns and Roses by. Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Mist and Fury by. Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Frost and Starlight by. Sarah J. Maas
The Cruel Prince by. Holly Black
The Wicked King by. Holly Black
The Queen of Nothing by. Holly Black
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by. Jenny Han
P.S. I Still Love You by. Jenny Han
Always and Forever Lara Jean by. Jenny Han
As you can see my re-reading days were way before my book blogging days and I could actually invest time into reading. I even waited patiently for books in a series to come out, re-read before the next book came out and actually committed to finishing them! Those were good times 😅…now it’s such a struggle to find time to re-read but it is definitely a goal of mine to devote more time to re-reading. I actually want to re-read books I never posted reviews for, so we’ll see if I can do that when I don’t have many arcs to read this year, which will be from April and onwards.
I’ve seen Stacking the Shelves on a few blogs and I decided to do it to replace my book haul posts because, why not? It is hosted by Reading Reality and this is how the meme is described: “Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! And audiobooks. Don’t forget audiobooks!so go check out her blog!”
Chasm by. Stacey McEwan – this is a round 2 borrow and I hope I can finish it in time. I’ve been pushing it aside as I get other books in my queue that’s up for me to borrow. 😅 I hate when that happens!
Sanctuary of the Shadow by. Aurora Ascher – I remember seeing the sprayed edges for this book on presale at Amazon. I was like oooo, so pretty! Saw it on my online library and just was allowed to borrow it but why on Goodreads does it have a 2.95 rating?!!!! Like what happened? Is it that bad? I’m scared to read it but also I want to see why the reviews are so bad.
A delicious and dark gothic romance from bestselling author Romina Garber!
THE HOUSE IS ALWAYS HUNGRY…
After a mysterious attack claims the lives of her parents, all Estela has left is her determination to solve the case. Suffering from survivor’s guilt so intense that she might be losing her grip on reality, she accepts an invitation to live overseas with an estranged aunt at their ancestral Spanish castle, la Sombra.
Beneath its gothic façade, la Sombra harbors a trove of family secrets, and Estela begins to suspect her parents’ deaths may be linked to their past. Her investigation takes a supernatural turn when she crosses paths with a silver-eyed boy only she can see. Estela worries Sebastián is a hallucination, but he claims he’s been trapped in the castle. They grudgingly team up to find answers and as their investigation ignites, so does a romance, mistrust twined with every caress.
As the mysteries pile up, it feels to Estela like everyone in the tiny town of Oscuro is lying and that whoever was behind the attack has followed her to Spain. The deeper she ventures into la Sombra’s secrets, the more certain she becomes that the suspect she’s chasing has already found her . . . and they’re closer than she ever realized.
A calculus nerd enlists her surly classmate’s help to win back her ex-boyfriend, but when sparks start to fly, she realizes there’s no algorithm for falling in love.
Marlowe Meadows understands a lot of things. She understands that calculus isn’t overwhelmingly beautiful to everyone, and that it typically kills the mood when you try to talk Python coding over beer pong. She understands people were surprised when golden boy Josh asked her out and she went from weird, math-obsessed Marlowe to half of their school’s couple goals. Unfortunately, Marlowe was surprised when Josh dumped her because he’d prefer a girlfriend who was more romantic. One with emotional depth.
But Marlowe has never failed anything in her life, and she isn’t about to start now. When she’s paired with Ashton Hayes for an English project, his black clothing and moody eyeliner cause a bit of a systems overload, and the dissonant sounds of his rock band make her brain itch. But when she discovers Ash’s hidden stash of love songs, Marlowe makes a desperate deal to unleash her inner romantic heroine: if Ash will agree to help her write some love letters, she’ll calculate the perfect data analytics formula to make Ash’s band go viral.
As the semester heats up with yearning love notes and late nights spent with a boy who escapes any box her brain tries to put him in, Marlowe starts to question if there’s really a set solution to love. Could a girl who has never met a problem she couldn’t solve have gotten the math so massively wrong?
Seven years ago, I lost him for good. Now he’s back, but is he still the Jay Gatsby I used to know…or is he something more? Something…darker.
Daisy Finnegan is looking forward to the endless golden freedom of summer. No more college, no more pressure, no more worries. But when her cousin goes missing at an exclusive house party, Daisy is all too ready to confront the mysterious host…only to discover the wealthy recluse is Jay Gatsby, her childhood sweetheart—now sinfully hot and impossible to deny.
She could never resist him, and it isn’t long before she’s entangled in a web of wealth and lies and obsession, culminating in a shocking act of violence that shatters the summer haze and threatens to drown them all.
But it isn’t until Gatsby is shot through the heart—and survives—that Daisy discovers the truth of how he clawed his way up in the world: by selling the secret of immortality to the highest bidder. Now with her friends’ lives at stake, her own dizzying new powers still volatile, and an unimaginable threat closing in, Daisy will have to face an impossible choice: Side with the man who claimed her body and soul? Or with the monsters who would see him lost to her forever?
An addictive and truly original spicy New Adult retelling of The Great Gatsby with a magical twist.
Sixteen years ago, six girls were born on the same day—and now, on their birthday, one of them is missing. From the author of Starlings comes a story about small-towns, friendships, and the terrifying things your parents don’t tell you, that’s perfect for fans of Yellowjackets.
For most of her life, Isabeau and her five best friends were inseparable—amazingly enough, the six girls even shared a birthday. Then a rift caused their friendships to fracture, and Iz lost everyone except Reuel, the only one who didn’t abandon her.
Until now. The night of their sixteenth birthday, Isabeau leaves Reuel sitting on her front porch and heads home—and in the morning, Reuel is missing. She’s gone for three days, and when she reappears, there’s something wrong with her. She’s sick. Really sick. And she doesn’t remember anything that happened while she was gone.
If there’s any bright side to the situation, it’s that Reuel’s peculiar disappearance brings the six girls back together. Their sisterhood feels as strong as it was years ago, but when another one of them disappears, they all agree that they must have more in common than simply their birthday. They all feel it. Something’s been waiting for them, and that something has come to claim them one by one.
Deep in their bones, they know—it’s just a matter of time until they they’re all taken. And if they don’t save themselves, no one will.
When an American interning at a fashion house in Rome butts heads with her professor’s surly son, sparks fly!
With her thirties rapidly approaching and a mountain of student debt looming over her, Violet Luciano’s dream of finishing design school and working in fashion has cost her everything. So when she lands an internship at an up-and-coming fashion brand in Rome, she brings her A game to Italy. With nothing left to lose, Violet plans to win the competition among the interns for the ultimate prize—a job at a New York label.
But when a coffee run goes wrong and Violet accidentally destroys a stranger’s laptop, all of the apology Americanos in the world won’t help her. Because it turns out that the man from the café is Matteo, her professor’s eternally grumpy son, who thinks she’s a clumsy American…and maybe a stalker. Their animosity (and undeniable chemistry) grows as together they’re forced to face a summer of chic parties, adventures through Rome and sharing a home…with the person they can’t stand the most.
The more time she spends with him, the more distracted she finds herself. With her chance to win the competition slipping out of her grasp, Violet has to decide whether to say ciao to Matteo—or ciao to her dreams.
Content Warning:
This story takes place in Italy which is always a fun setting for a romance. Violet is an aspiring fashion designer and is chosen with two other students to go to Italy for a one-month internship. She meets Matteo/Matt, who is the son of one of her professors and it’s not the best first meeting. But over the course of the month, sparks fly, and I think you know what happens. So yes it’s predictable but still kind of fun. I especially love her friend Marco, who is younger than her but very supportive and funny.
As for the conflict between Matt and Violet, it’s all due to Violet and her self-doubt but they eventually work things out after some time apart. It wasn’t anything too dramatic.
My Final Thoughts:
I felt like this one was a quick light romance story which would be perfect for a beach or pool read. It’s set in Italy which is fun and perfect for a little romantic escape.
Another week closer to Spring Break! My kids and I are looking forward to having a break. We have nothing planned since I decided to Japan trip this year – kind of wish I planned it – but it is what it is!
The weather in Hawaii has been surprisingly cool for March! I’d say it’s been the coolest winter we’ve had in a long time and it’s lasted from December to March. We usually have like 2 weeks of winter weather in January which is basically wind, rain and some 69 degree mornings which is cold for us! But it’s been windy again this week, so the hottest it will get is 80 degrees right now and the other day it went up to 82 and it felt like summer. I was like, what is this?! I’m sweating! 😅 Except our summers are usually 88-89 degrees lol…so I think we are getting a bit spoiled with this perfect temperature we have been having.
The other day on the drive to school it was drizzling and cloudy on one side but the nearer we got to the school, the sun was rising and bursting out of the clouds – and I heard my daughter say “mommy, a double rainbow!!!!”. Sure enough in front of us was the most vibrant, huge, complete double rainbow. It was such a nice way to start our morning – it was so bright, and magical and I wanted a picture of it but I was driving. The rainbow was still there when I got home but not as vibrant, and this is what I got. Still pretty but I wish I got the whole thing when we first saw it.
I hope all of you had a good week and have an even better one this week!
I’ve been watching Doctor Slump on Netflix for the past couple weeks and I love the chemistry between these two actors! They are so cute and funny at the same time. Their romance gives me all the feels! 🥰 Also I love all the mental health and family themes in the the show. I wish all the episodes were out so I didn’t have to wait 😅.
How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!
Categories: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Magic, Paranormal, Adventure, Lite Horror
After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself.
Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning.
On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra’s family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.
Content Warning: domestic violence, death
I finally read a book by this author and I can see why there is so much hype around her books! I love the fairy-tale aspect of Nettle & Bone. I felt like I was lured in by the wonderful writing and then I was just enjoying this journey that Marra and her friends go on. Marra is a princess who is trying to save her sister from her horrible husband but she needs help in doing so. I thought she was an interesting character, the sister who is put away in a convent but she makes it her mission to save her older sister.
The group of characters that come together to go on this quest to kill the Prince who is married to Marra’s sister, is fantastic. I loved their dynamic and interactions, especially the two older ladies, the dust-wife and Agnes (the godmother). Even though they are taking on a dark type of mission, there was so much humor too.
Of course, I loved the strange pets in this story – Bonedog and Finder! There is even a tiny bit of romance that happens for Marra, which was kind of cute.
As far as this being categorized as horror – I was like…where is the horror? I was expecting something darker and maybe some gruesome scenes but nope. This almost felt like a cozy fantasy. This will definitely appeal to the fans who are not fans of horror.
My Final Thoughts:
I love the fairy-tale story telling and the amazing characters and animals that we meet in this book. Even though Marra’s journey to kill a Prince is wrought with challenges, her motivations for doing it comes from her love of her sister. I love that she found the strength to want to try and save her. This was a fun and quick read!
Categories: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Faeries, Series
The epic third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas.
Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s actions and learn what she can about the invading king threatening to bring her land to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit. One slip could bring doom not only for Feyre, but for everything-and everyone-she holds dear.
As war bears down upon them all, Feyre endeavors to take her place amongst the High Fae of the land, balancing her struggle to master her powers-both magical and political-and her love for her court and family. Amidst these struggles, Feyre and Rhysand must decide whom to trust amongst the cunning and lethal High Lords, and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the fate of Feyre’s world is at stake as armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy it.
Content Warning: violence, death, slut-shaming, war
My Goodreads review of this one was 4 stars at first read and I’m keeping it at that!
+ The best part of this book comes in the second half of it and this is quite a long book at 700 pages. So in my re-read it was kind of a slog to get through the first part. But once it hit the halfway mark and things start happening then it just goes off the charts. Just everything that happens in that major battle scene against Hybern is amazing. It’s emotional, it’s chaotic, everyone is on the verge of dying! So good.
+ Nesta. This is where my appreciation for Nesta grows even more and we know her story is going to be amazing because she is badass. That woman is feral! Her book is probably my favorite of the whole series. Elain – we get to see more of her personality and struggles but we REALLY need her book now.
+ That scene with the girls and their dad – ugh, it gutted me in the first read. I think I cried. This time I didn’t but that scene will always stick in my mind.
+ Everyone comes out of the woodwork in this one ti fight against Hybern. It gives me Lord of the Rings – the Battle of Helms Deep – vibes! Can you imagine if this was on screen?! Especially when they think they are going to lose and it pivots. Anyway, everyone puts aside their differences <looking at you Tamlin👀>
~ The first half is a lot of build-up, trying to gather allies, support and leading up to this big battle with Hybern. It wasn’t quite holding my attention, maybe because I knew what was coming but we get to see some things like Lucien and Elain try to be around one another. Some Nesta and Cassian interactions.
~ Tamlin. Man…what happened to you? Sometimes I feel bad for him though because he did love her. Like does he deserve his own happily ever after? I sometimes want it for him but also…he’s such an ass.
~ I got even more tired of Rhys and Feyre calling one another “my mate”. Can’t they just use their names? lol…
My Final Thoughts:
The battle with Hybern is so epic and my favorite part of this whole book. I’m glad that part lived up to expectations. I think there are a lot of things in the first half that could have been cut out just to make the story move faster but I know there was a need to build up the tension of an epic war coming.
The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
It’s Wednesday and I hope I have more motivation to read this week. I have been a tiny bit of a slump I think. But I hope some of the new releases I got make up for it!
I also don’t have a lot of arcs left in my NetGalley library – I might be in a slump there too. Is it me or there isn’t as many good books coming out in 2024 like last year? Or at least not as many anticipated reads for me this year…🤷🏻♀️.
What are you currently reading?
The Prisoner’s Throne by. Holly Black – actually was going to buy the ebook then decided to get the hardcover since it was only $3 more so I haven’t started this one yet!
Heart of the Sun Warrior by. Sue Lynn Tan – this series has the best covers and I want them on my shelf! I find this on kindle unlimited so I started reading it and am 5% in!
Chasm by. Stacey McEwan – 35% in. I had this book last month but my borrowing time expired. I’m determined to finish it this time around!
Happy book birthday to these new releases! Check out this list today:
The Prisoner’s Throne by. HOlly Black
An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame.
Prince Oak is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned in the icy north and bound to the will of a monstrous new queen, he must rely on charm and calculation to survive. With High King Cardan and High Queen Jude ready to use any means necessary to retrieve their stolen heir, should Oak attempt to regain the trust of the girl he’s always loved, or remain loyal to Elfhame and hand over the means to end her reign-even if it means ending Wren, too…
With war looming and treachery lurking in every corner, neither Oak’s guile nor his wit will be enough to keep everyone he loves alive. He will have some terrible choices to make.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black comes the stunning blood-soaked conclusion to the Stolen Heir duology.
One hundred years. Tens of thousands of gladiators. And today, only one will rise…
Everything in the Kingdom of Arrow is a lie.
Leith of Grey thought coming to this new land and volunteering to fight in the gladiator arena—vicious, bloodthirsty tournaments where only the strongest survive—would earn him enough gold to save his dying sister. He thought there was nothing left to lose.
He was wrong—and they took everything. His hope. His freedom. His very humanity.
All Leith has left is his battle-scarred body, fueled by rage and hardened from years of fighting for the right to live another day.
Then Leith meets Maeve, an elven royal who is everything he despises. Everything he should hate. Until the alluring princess offers him the one thing he needs most: a chance to win the coveted title of Bloodguard—and his freedom.
But in a kingdom built on secrets and lies, hope doesn’t come cheap.
The New York Times bestselling author of Dark and Shallow Lies delivers another chilling supernatural thriller filled with murder, romance, and a decades long mystery that haunts a small Florida town.
The perfect blend of Natasha Preston, Krystal Sutherland, and Delia Owens, with a paranormal twist.
Mount Orange, Florida, is famous for two things.
The spectre of Bailey and Celeste’s murders cast a permanent darkness over sunny Mount Orange. Tru has always lived in that shadow. Sometimes, it seems like she knows the long-dead Bailey, feels the dead girl in her bones. Now she’s supposed to head to FSU in the fall with her boyfriend, but those unsolved murders – and the death of her own sister – invade her every thought. It’s only in the shadowy deep, 100 feet below the surface of Hidden Glen Springs, that she can breathe.
When a strange girl named Rio rolls into town, hell-bent on figuring out who killed Bailey and Celeste, Tru can’t resist entangling herself in the thrill of solving the decades old mystery any more than she can resist her familiar, aching attraction to Rio.
As the summer heat ignites, so does the spark between Tru and Rio…along with their other-worldy connection to Bailey and Celeste. But when someone begins stalking them, the girls become convinced the killer is back in town. And if they keep digging into the past, Tru and Rio know this time, it could be their blood that makes the springs run red.
Centuries ago, the heretic sorcerer Ruven raised a deadly briar around Runakhia’s palace, casting the royal family into an enchanted sleep – and silencing the kingdom’s gods.
Born with a miraculous gift, Lia’s destiny is to kill Ruven and wake the royals. But when she succeeds, she finds her duty is not yet complete, for now she must marry into the royal family and forge a pact with a god – or die.
To make matters even worse, Ruven’s spirit is haunting her.
As discord grows between the old and new guards, the queen sends Lia and Prince Araunn, her betrothed, on a pilgrimage to awaken the gods. But the old gods are more dangerous than Lia ever knew – and Ruven may offer her only hope of survival.
As the two work together, Lia learns that they’re more alike than she expected. And with tensions rising, Lia must choose between what she was raised to believe and what she knows is right – and between the prince she is bound to by duty…and the boy she killed.
Spring break is a vibe—until someone gets murdered
Partying with popular classmates they barely know is not what Eva and her BFFs had in mind for their spring break. But things have been off ever since Miles’ academic career took a turn for the worse (they don’t talk about it), so a trip to a private beach lodge might be exactly what they need. And Eva won’t admit it, but the chance to reconnect with Colton is worth putting up with Piper’s constant livestreams to her thousands of “besties.”
At first, it’s all sand and waves, but tensions run high when an anonymous letter shakes up an already-flailing love triangle.
When someone turns up dead, Eva can’t even trust her closest friends—but she thinks she can trust Colton. As they get closer to the truth, they uncover secrets that upend everything they thought they knew about their fellow spring breakers.
Paige Redmond has always felt lucky to spend her summers in Clearwater Ridge, with lazy days sunning at the waterfalls and nights partying at the sprawling houses of the rich families who vacation there. The Covingtons are one of these families, and beautiful, brilliant Audrey Covington is Paige’s best friend. And last year, when Audrey’s crush-worthy brother Dylan finally started noticing Paige, she was sure it would be the best summer ever.
Except Audrey didn’t seem quite like herself. Then one night, she didn’t come home. Though Audrey wasn’t the first girl to disappear in Clearwater Ridge, she left behind more lies than clues. Now, one summer later, her case has gone cold, and nobody, least of all Paige, can make sense of what happened.
When Paige stumbles across a secret hidden in Audrey’s room, however, it changes everything she thought she knew about last summer. She and Dylan set out on their own investigation, discovering things even the police don’t know about the people of Clearwater Ridge. But tracking down missing girls—girls who might be beyond saving by now—means entering a world far darker than Paige has ever imagined. And if she isn’t careful, she’ll become the next girl to vanish.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s topic is: Weird or Funny Things I’ve Googled Thanks to a Book
I can’t remember any of the things I’ve googled thanks to a book because I don’t ever take notes about stuff like that so I’m going to do something simple and just do something that celebrate the coming of spring!
Book Covers With Flowers
Snowglobe by. Soyoung Park
Flower and Thorn by. Rati Mehrotra
Throne of the Fallen by. Kerri Maniscalco
Wisteria by. Adalyn Grace
Reckless by. Lauren Roberts
The Shadows Rule All by. Abigail Owen
Forget Me Not by. Julie Soto
Foxglove by. Adalyn Grace
House of Marionne by. J. Elle
My Sister’s Big Fat indian Wedding by. Sajni Patel
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 