Birthstone Book Covers: June – Alexandarite, Moonstone, Pearl


The original creator of this book tag is Leslie @ Books Are The New Black so go check out her blog!

THE RULES

  • Mention the creator (Leslie @ Books Are The New Black ) and link back to me so I can see your post!
  • Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone.
  • HAVE FUN!
  • Nominate people if you want!

June’s birthstone is Alexandarite, Moonstone, Pearl

Let’s find some book covers in this color:

I nominate everyone! It’s a fun and easy tag to do so try it out. ☺️

Book Blogger Hop: What would the title of your autobiography be? #bookbloggerhop

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer’s permission, Billy @ Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book-related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blogs.

Question: What would the title of your autobiography be? 

(submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

Answer:

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger” – it’s been quite a life so far and some days I feel like a warrior so yes…this title would definitely fit!

And Break the Pretty Kings by. Lena Jeong | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Title: And Break the Pretty Kings (Sacred Bone, #1)

Author: Lena Jeong

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 6/20/23

Publisher: HarperTeen

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Korean Mythology

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to HarperTeen for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A crown princess. A monster the gods fear. A destiny no one can outrun. Inspired by Korean history and myths, the first book in the Sacred Bone series is a rich and evocative high-stakes fantasy that is perfect for fans of Gallant and Six Crimson Cranes . Mirae was meant to save her queendom, but the ceremony before her coronation ends in terror and death, unlocking a strange new power within her and foretelling the return of a monster even the gods fear. Amid the chaos, Mirae’s beloved older brother is taken—threatening the peninsula’s already tenuous truce. Desperate to save her brother and defeat this ancient enemy before the queendom is beset by war, Mirae sets out on a journey with an unlikely group of companions while her unpredictable magic gives her terrifying visions of a future she must stop at any cost.  

Content Warning: violence

I love this book cover and the title which are both so strong. Unfortunately the story itself didn’t work for me.

There are some things I love about the book, especially how strong Mirae is. I love that it’s a Queendom and a matriarchy. Mirae is about to be crowned the next Queen and she is ready to take on the role when something happens at her ceremony and her brother goes missing. After that Mirae and her friends do what they can to find him and bring him back home. There is a lot of action, lots of fights with mythical monsters and even time-jumping!

But I felt like I was thrown into the story without getting my bearings and it made it hard to connect with the characters. There is a lot going on and the story moves fast. I found it hard to follow the story or maybe it was hard because I lacked the motivation to push on. There were some parts I was skimming just to get to the end. I do wish there was some romance in the story, but that’s a personal preference. Also she has this time-jumping ability but it doesn’t happen much.

I almost didn’t finish this book and I did wish I liked it more because it has so much potential.

Why you should read it:

  • Korean mythology, lots of action, family theme, Queendom

Why you might not want to read it:

  • too much happening in one book and confusing to follow

My Thoughts:

I am in love with this book cover and I so wish I loved the story more than I did but this one didn’t quite work for me. I think other readers will enjoy it but for me I just found it moving too fast and it didn’t give me time to connect to any of the characters.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

WWW Wednesday | 5/31/23

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

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?

I’m leaving a plane today for Okinawa, Japan. We fly to Haneda Airport in Japan then have to catch a connecting flight to Okinawa so wish me luck! I hate the airport and airplane part of the trip – it’s exhausting. I’m hoping everything goes smoothly.

What are you currently reading?

I got Carrie Soto is Back as an audiobook!

What have you just finished reading?

Well Matched by. Jen DeLuca ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Stolen Throne by. Abigail Owen ⭐️⭐️💫

What are you going to read next?

I’ll get to these when I come back from my vacation. Or maybe finish them there? We shall see…

What are you reading right now?

Things That Make Me Instantly NOT Want to Read a Book  | TTT | 5/30/23

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:

Things That Make Me Instantly NOT Want to Read a Book (what are your immediate turn-offs or dealbreakers when it comes to books?)

  1. Bully Romance – I used to read them but I stopped because I always wanted to punch the guy in the face instead of fall in love with him. 🤪

2. I’m pretty open but I can kind of tell by chapter one if the writing is not going to gel with me, or the main character…


3. Reverse Harems – I’ve read a few but I can’t deal with too many guys and one girl. I’m just tired for her even though she loves it. 🤣 Maybe if it’s a thruple, okay…I can deal with 3 people in a relationship but when you add more it gets too hard to follow lol. And I used to read them, I’m happy for the people that love them…but yeah…I’m lazy. Give me one love interest please. Love triangles are fine because I know someone is not going to get the guy or girl.


4. Open Endings – enough said. I hate wondering! Give me closure.

What’s on your TTT?

Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 5/30/23

Happy book birthday to these new releases! Check out this list today:

A Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises—especially to ourselves—by the bestselling and beloved author of The Guncle.

It’s been a minute—or five years—since Jordan Vargas last saw his college friends, and twenty-eight years since their graduation when their adult lives officially began. Now Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig, and Marielle find themselves at the brink of a new decade, with all the responsibilities of adulthood, yet no closer to having their lives figured out. Though not for a lack of trying. Over the years they’ve reunited in Big Sur to honor a decades-old pact to throw each other living “funerals,” celebrations to remind themselves that life is worth living—that their lives mean something, to one another if not to themselves.

But this reunion is different. They’re not gathered as they were to bolster Marielle as her marriage crumbled, to lift Naomi after her parents died, or to intervene when Craig pleaded guilty to art fraud. This time, Jordan is sitting on a secret that will upend their pact.

A deeply honest tribute to the growing pains of selfhood and the people who keep us going, coupled with Steven Rowley’s signature humor and heart, The Celebrants is a moving tale about the false invincibility of youth and the beautiful ways in which friendship helps us celebrate our lives, even amid the deepest challenges of living.

Goodreads | Amazon


Then. Katee Rose is living the dream as America’s number one pop star, caught in a whirlwind of sold-out concerts, screaming fans, and constant tabloid coverage. Everyone wants to know everything about her and her boyfriend, Ryan LaNeve, the hottest member of adored boy band CrushZone. Katee loves to perform but hates the impossible demands of stardom. Maybe that’s why she finds herself in the arms of another CrushZone member, Cal Kirby. Quiet, serious Cal, who’s always been a good friend to Katee, is suddenly Cal with the smoldering eyes and very good hands. One unforgettable night is all it takes to blow up Katee’s relationship with Ryan, her career, her whole life…

Now. Kathleen Rosenberg is okay with her ordinary existence, and leaving her pop star image in the past. That is, until Cal Kirby shows up with the opportunity of her dreams–a starring role in the Broadway show he’s directing and a chance to perform the way she’s always wanted. The two haven’t spoken since the joint destruction of their careers, and each of them blames the other, making their reunion a tense battle of wits and egos. Katee reluctantly agrees to the musical, as long as she keeps her guard up around Cal. But rehearsals are long, those eyes still smolder, and those hands are still very good. Despite everything, Katee can’t deny the chemistry between them. Is it ever a good idea to reignite old flames? Especially if you’ve been burned in the past?

A former pop star finds herself back in the spotlight–along with an old flame from her past–in this “friends to lovers” meets “enemies to lovers” romance from the bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask, the sensational Tik Tok romance!

Goodreads | Amazon


How do you solve a murder? Follow the lessons of the master—Agatha Christie! Iris and Alice find themselves in the middle of another Castle Cove mystery in the sequel to New York Times bestseller The Agathas, by powerhouse authors Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson.

Alice Ogilvie and Iris Adams became the talk of Castle Cove when they cracked the biggest case of the fall: the death of Brooke Donovan. Together, the Agathas put Brooke’s killer away for good, and since then things around town have been almost back to normal. Quiet, even.

But if Alice and Iris know anything, it’s that sometimes quiet is just the calm before the storm. The truth is, Brooke’s disappearance wasn’t the first mystery to rock Castle Cove, and it won’t be the last. So when their school dance at the infamous Levy Castle—the site of film starlet Mona Moody’s unsolved death back in the 1940s—is interrupted by a violent assault, Iris and Alice pull out their murder boards and get back to work.

To understand the present, sometimes you need to look into the past. And if the Agathas want a chance at solving their new case, that’s exactly where they’ll need to start digging. Only, what they uncover might very well kill them.

Goodreads | Amazon


One last summer. 

For Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan, the invitation to show her paintings at the 1889 Exposition Universelle came at the perfect time. Soon to be trapped in a loveless marriage, Manuela has given herself one last summer of freedom—in Paris, with her two best friends. 

One scandalous encounter. 

Cora Kempf Bristol, Duchess of Sundridge, is known for her ruthlessness in business. It’s not money she chases, but power. When she sees the opportunity to secure her position among her rivals, she does not hesitate. How difficult could it be to convince the mercurial Miss Caceres Galvan to part with a parcel of land she’s sworn never to sell?

One life-changing bargain.

Tempted by Cora’s offer, Manuela proposes a trade: her beloved land for a summer with the duchess in her corner of Paris. A taste of the wild, carefree world that will soon be out of her reach. What follows thrills and terrifies Cora, igniting desires the duchess long thought dead. As they fill their days indulging in a shared passion for the arts and their nights with dark and delicious deeds, the happiness that seemed impossible moves within reach…though claiming it would cause the greatest scandal Paris has seen in decades.

Goodreads | Amazon


A high society amateur detective at the heart of Regency London uses her wits and invisibility as an ‘old maid’ to protect other women in a new and fiercely feminist historical mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman.

Lady Augusta Colebrook, “Gus,” is determinedly unmarried, bored by society life, and tired of being dismissed at the age of forty-two. She and her twin sister, Julia, who is grieving her dead betrothed, need a distraction. One soon presents to rescue their friend’s goddaughter, Caroline, from her violent husband.

The sisters set out to Caroline’s country estate with a plan, but their carriage is accosted by a highwayman. In the scuffle, Gus accidentally shoots and injures the ruffian, only to discover he is Lord Evan Belford, an acquaintance from their past who was charged with murder and exiled to Australia twenty years ago. What follows is a high adventure full of danger, clever improvisation, heart-racing near misses, and a little help from a revived and rather charming Lord Evan.

Back in London, Gus can’t stop thinking about her unlikely (not to mention handsome) comrade-in-arms. She is convinced Lord Evan was falsely accused of murder, and she is going to prove it. She persuades Julia to join her in a quest to help Lord Evan, and others in need—society be damned! And so begins the beguiling secret life and adventures of the Colebrook twins.

Goodreads | Amazon

Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

#5OnMyTBR: Space

Hi everyone! I saw this one Chonky Books and thought it would be a fun add to my blog. #5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook and you can learn more about it here or in the post announcing it. It occurs every Monday when we post about 5 books on our TBR.

This week’s theme is: Space

I don’t read many sci/fi books if I were to, these would be on my TBR list:

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?


I liked the movie a lot! So maybe I would give this a try…

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for…

When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.


The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…

A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm
A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates
A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder
An alien warrior with anger management issues
A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering

And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.

They’re not the heroes we deserve. They’re just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.


A deadly competition for the throne will determine more than just the fate of the empire in this duology opener.

Alyssa Farshot has spent her whole life trying to outrun her family legacy. Her mother sacrificed everything to bring peace to the quadrant, and her uncle has successfully ruled as emperor for decades. But the last thing Alyssa wants is to follow in their footsteps as the next in line for the throne. Why would she choose to be trapped in a palace when she could be having wild adventures exploring a thousand-and-one planets in her own ship?

But when Alyssa’s uncle becomes gravely ill, his dying wish surprises the entire galaxy. Instead of naming her as his successor, he calls for a crownchase, the first in seven centuries. Representatives from each of the empire’s prime families—including Alyssa—are thrown into a race to find the royal seal, which has been hidden somewhere in the empire. The first to find the seal wins the throne.

Alyssa’s experience as an explorer makes her the favorite to win the crown she never wanted. And though she doesn’t want to be empress, her duty to her uncle compels her to participate in this one last epic adventure. But when the chase turns deadly, it’s clear that more than just the fate of the empire is at stake. Alyssa is on her most important quest yet—and only time will tell if she’ll survive it.


This one was actually on my TBR for a very long time! I just never made a move to pick up a copy since I’m hardly in a sci-fi mood.

Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him.

Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them.

When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them captured alive.

What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves?

Are any of these on your TBR list?

>>>>>

May

  • 01/05/2023 — Dystopia
  • 08/05/2023 — Whimsical
  • 15/05/2023 — Friendship
  • 22/05/2023 — Number in the Title
  • 29/05/2023 — Space

June

  • 05/06/2023 — Summer
  • 12/06/2023 — Title Starting with a ‘G’
  • 19/06/2023 — Set in a Big City
  • 26/06/2023 — Fairy Tale

Goodreads Monday: And Break the Pretty Kings

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: And Break the Pretty Kings (Sacred Bone, #1)

Author: Lena Jeong

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 6/20/23

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsis:

A crown princess. A monster the gods fear. A destiny no one can outrun. Inspired by Korean history and myths, the first book in the Sacred Bone series is a rich and evocative high-stakes fantasy that is perfect for fans of Gallant and Six Crimson Cranes . Mirae was meant to save her queendom, but the ceremony before her coronation ends in terror and death, unlocking a strange new power within her and foretelling the return of a monster even the gods fear. Amid the chaos, Mirae’s beloved older brother is taken—threatening the peninsula’s already tenuous truce. Desperate to save her brother and defeat this ancient enemy before the queendom is beset by war, Mirae sets out on a journey with an unlikely group of companions while her unpredictable magic gives her terrifying visions of a future she must stop at any cost.  

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Weekly Wrap Up | 5/28/23

Aloha friends!

Well what a week! After my nephew’s graduation my son had a sore throat the next day. I took him to urgent care and sure enough he had strep throat so he was home with me for 3 days. And it was the last week of school, so he did miss two fun events at school but at least he could participate in the pizza party they had on the last day. My daughter was a bit emotional all week, some tears every time I picked her up from school and we talked and she said she’s sad because she’s going to miss Kindergarten. Awww…my son is also sad he is leaving fourth grade because his teacher is his most favorite he’s ever had. I hope they have fun in their next grades and class.

We went to a pool party on Saturday and I have relatives visiting from California so it’s been nice seeing family I haven’t seen in awhile.

Today is my nephew’s graduation party and then that’s it for all the events on my May calendar. On Wednesday we are headed to Okinawa, Japan! So I won’t be blogging for two weeks although I have a lot of pre-written posts that are scheduled while I am gone. I cannot believe we are almost in June…can you believe it?!

I hope all of you have a good week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:


Currently Reading:

I’m listening to When You Wish Upon a Lantern and Carrie Soto is Back as an audiobook. I hope I can get to finish both before my trip but I might now. I feel like I’ve been struggling with The Stolen Throne because I’m not in the mood for it? I’m determined to finish it before my trip in 3 days! But who knows…if not, I’ll pick it up when I come back.

Shows/Movies I Watched:

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!

Tokyo Dreaming by. Emiko Jean | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Tokyo Dreaming

Author: Emiko Jean

Format: audiobook (borrowed) /hardcover (own)

Pages:

Publication Date: 5/31/2022

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Coming of Age, Princess, Family

When Japanese-American Izumi Tanaka learned her father was the Crown Prince of Japan, she became a princess overnight. Now, she’s overcome conniving cousins, salacious press, and an imperial scandal to finally find a place she belongs. She has a perfect bodyguard turned boyfriend. Her stinky dog, Tamagotchi, is living with her in Tokyo. Her parents have even rekindled their college romance and are engaged. A royal wedding is on the horizon! Izumi’s life is a Tokyo dream come true.

Only…

Her parents’ engagement hits a brick wall. The Imperial Household Council refuses to approve the marriage citing concerns about Izumi and her mother’s lack of pedigree. And on top of it all, her bodyguard turned boyfriend makes a shocking decision about their relationship. At the threat of everything falling apart, Izumi vows to do whatever it takes to help win over the council. Which means upping her newly acquired princess game.

But at what cost? Izumi will do anything to help her parents achieve their happily ever after, but what if playing the perfect princess means sacrificing her own? Will she find a way to forge her own path and follow her heart?

Return to Tokyo for a royal wedding in Emiko Jean’s Tokyo Dreaming, the sequel to the Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Tokyo Ever After

I listened to this as an audiobook and then read the last few chapters (because I read faster lol). But I finally read book two of this series and it follows Izumi who is the daughter of the Crown Prince of Japan. After the events of book one, we find out her mom and dad still had feelings for each other so her mom agrees to go to Japan to see where the relationship would go.

Back in Japan Izumi and her mother have to adjust to royal life and it seems to be going well until some things catch up to them. I don’t know that I loved the love triangle. I think Eriku is a great guy and everything was easy and fun with him but her heart was still with Akio even though he basically disappeared from her life. I didn’t quite feel it for her and Akio though like I did in book one.

But I think Izumi grows a lot and she tries to figure out what she wants to do – college or not? And her mom tries to figure out if the royal life is for her. I did like that Izumi became friendly with her cousins.

Tropes: fake dating, love triangle

Why you should read it:

  • because you enjoyed book one
  • It’s like The Princess Diaries but set in Japan

Why you might not want to read it:

  • love triangle

My Thoughts:

I think this one was a sold sequel and if you are into The Princess Diaries type of stories, you may enjoy this one. I also love that it’s set in Japan and we get a peek into the culture and the royal life. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tokyo Ever After by. Emiko Jean | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫