Weekly Wrap Up | 11/6/22

Aloha friends!

**I wanted to mention I was devastated by that Halloween incident in Itaewon, South Korea. I was devastated seeing that news before Halloween and I pray for those young souls lost so tragically.🙏🏼** So heartbreaking.💔

It was Halloween on Monday and it was a busy day for us. I was so happy my kids’ school chose Nov. 1st as their waiver day (school closed) – so we didn’t have to wake up early the next morning! They had a school parade in the morning. Then at night we went trick or treating. I bought about 5 or 6 big bags of candy – I made 40+ goody bags for their classmates – the rest went into the candy bowl to pass out. We had a LOT of candy to pass out! Usually we leave the bowls out by the steps and go trick or treating. By the time we came back to the house the bowls of candy was almost empty. By the end of the night I think I refilled the 2 candy bowls twice? And we were left with only a handful at the end of the night. Here are some of the pics from that day and night:

Can you guess what my kids are? My son is a red PIKMIN (a Nintendo game character from the Pikmin game). And my daughter is Pikachu – the ears on her hood is flat in the picture but they are there lol. And yes my son is in slippers (as we call them in Hawaii, flip flops on the mainland lol) – it was 80 degrees outside! My hubby and I were Peanut Butter (him) and Jelly(me). We loved seeing the houses that go all out on decorating! I wish we had as much motivation to do it lol…but it gets expensive. There was one house that was a bit too scary for my kids – it had some ghostly girl swinging on the porch and a creature thing that looked like it didn’t do anything until you stood there long enough and it screamed at you. 🤣

The skeleton house is always popular and the skeletons are SO huge! My kids say it’s their favorite house on Halloween. And then my daughter and I found this one woman who was dressed as a fortune teller and was in full character, asking my daughter to ask her a question, etc… SO cool!

The rest of the week went quick – my birthday was on Friday and we went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

I loved my daughter’s drawing that she made me on Procreate. And yes her name is Layla…can you tell? 😅🥰 Me and the kids are lactose intolerant so we had to take some Lactaid tablets to enjoy the hot fudge sundae. We didn’t have cheesecake because I’d need like 2 more lactaid for that. Cheesecake is hard on my tummy and I only became lactose intolerant in my 40’s. SAD huh? My favorite used to be the Oreo Cheesecake or the Pumpkin Cheesecake…both of which is painful to eat now. 😩

We are counting down the days to our trip…so I’m trying to figure out who can take care of our dog for 2 weeks 😢 – our vet is full, a home sitter I found on Rover.com with good reviews said she’s not available for the dates we are gone. Bummer…so…last resort is he goes to my mom’s house but she doesn’t allow dogs in the house, their dog is an outside dog and it’s a busy/rough neighborhood. I guess I’ll check with one more vet that was recommended…and see what they say. 🤞🏽

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:


Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies I Watched:

  • World Series Major League Baseball – Phillies lost, oh well! But the Astros had really good pitchers.
  • Selena Gomez – My Mind & Me – I can feel her sadness through this documentary 😦 but I’m glad she is healing. I loved the scenes of her going back to the small town she grew up in.

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!

Monthly Wrap Up | October 2022

October started with fall break, my kids getting over their illnesses, enjoying 2 weeks of no sickness, Halloween activities then the last cold of the month lol. It is never ending – but I hope November gives me a break. Me and the kids need a break from the germs. Here’s how I did on reading:

What I Posted: 18 Books

5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️:

4.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

4 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

3 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️:

2.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️💫

2 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️

ARCS I READ FOR FUTURE POST: 2

I did better than last month since my kids were sick less in October. In the middle of the month I felt I hit a slump but I was back to reading a week later. I just needed a break probably. Anyway how did you do?

The River Has Teeth by. Erica Waters | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The River Has Teeth

Format: hard cover (own)

Author: Erica Waters

Pages: 393

Publication Date: 7/26/21

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Horror, LGBT+, Witches

Natasha’s sister is missing.

Her car was found abandoned on the edge of a local nature preserve known as the Bend, but as the case goes cold, Natasha’s loss turns to burning anger.

She’ll do anything to find answers.

Della’s family has channeled magic from the Bend for generations, providing spells for the desperate. But when Natasha appears on her doorstep, Della knows it will take more than simple potions to help her.

But Della has her own secrets to hide.

Because Della thinks she knows the beast who’s responsible for the disappearance — her own mother, who was turned into a terrible monster by magic gone wrong.

Natasha is angry. Della has little to lose.

They are each other’s only hope.

Content Warning: murder scene, violence, drugging someone

I’ve had this book on my shelf since summer and it was time to finally read it for spooky season! I love the book cover and was intrigued by the synopsis. Here is what I thought of the book:

+ I enjoyed the mystery and suspense of the story. I love the witchcraft and history and lore about The Bend and Lloyd family. I was intrigued with it throughout the whole book. I loved the atmosphere of the Bend and the woods, it was definitely creepy at times, especially in the abandoned prison!

+ The story is told between two perspectives. Natasha who is looking for her missing sister and Della, the witch, a recluse of a girl who lives in the woods with her dad. Della is a Lloyd and we learn about the magic and history through her. I felt like the author did a great job highlighting how women are treated if they disappear – she even mentions the difference between white and black women and who gets the most coverage in the news.

+ There is a romance that happens between Natasha and Della and though it doesn’t overtake the story, I thought it worked for this type of suspense and mystery story. It’s not a sweet romance, more like one of desperation and desire because of the heavy emotions both are going through but I like how they do fit together. They are opposites that attract one another. Natasha is headstrong and Della is more of someone who thinks things through.

~ I wasn’t vibing with Natasha’s character. I know she was in a rage and desperate to find her sister, I related to that but she was angry throughout the whole book. So angry she was blinded by it and her actions really weren’t thought out. It’s why Della being with her was a good balance. Natasha could have really lost herself in the anger by the end and transformed into something else but Della pulled her back.

Tropes: opposites attract, rich girl/poor girl

Spice Level:

Why you should read it:

  • creepy, mysterious, great setting and very atmospheric
  • f/f romance, opposites attract
  • loved the lore of the The Bend and the witchcraft

Why you might not want to read it:

  • Natasha’s POV was full of anger, rightly so, but made her be rash about some of her decisions which annoyed me

My Thoughts:

I’m so glad I chose this to read for spooky season! It had the perfect creepy vibes, witchcraft, girls going missing and a possible serial killer on the loose. The Lloyd family has a fascinating history and a strong character in Della. I wish Natasha was just as likable but at times I was annoyed with her character. Overall though an enjoyable and entertaining story and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Birthstone Book Covers: November – Citrine and Topaz

This month’s birthstone book cover is Citrine and Topaz for November. This is such a beautiful birthstone! 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!

November’s birthstone is Topaz with an alternate being Citrine.

Today is my birthday! 🎉🎊 Since I’m a November baby, I’ve always resonated with Topaz being the birthstone but I actually love Citrine being an alternate because I actually love Citrine too – I have a Citrine bracelet I love to wear. Topaz comes in blue or yellow but I’m just gonna go with the yellow color today since it’s what I think November is- fall with warm colors!

Here is Topaz:

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. ☺️

BLOG TOUR} Silver in the Mist by. Emily Victoria | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Silver in the Mist

Author: Emily Victoria

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 11/1/22

BUY HERE: Bookshop.org | IndieBound | B&N | Amazon

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Categories: Young Adult, Asexual, LGBT+, Fantasy, Teen Readers

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

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

Silver in the Mist by Emily Victoria is a YA fantasy featuring asexual representation that follows a palace spy sent to infiltrate a neighboring kingdom in hopes of returning magic to her dying land.

Eight years ago, everything changed for Devlin: Her country was attacked. Her father was killed. And her mother became the Whisperer of Aris, the head of the spies, retreating into her position away from everyone… even her daughter.

Joining the spy ranks herself, Dev sees her mother only when receiving assignments. She wants more, but she understands the peril their country, Aris, is in. The malevolent magic force of The Mists is swallowing Aris’s edges, their country is vulnerable to another attack from their wealthier neighbor, and the magic casters who protect them from both are burning out.

Dev has known strength and survival her whole life, but with a dangerous new assignment of infiltrating the royal court of their neighbor country Cerena to steal the magic they need, she learns that not all that glitters is weak. And not all stories are true.

Content Warning: violence, strained relationship

I read Emily Victoria’s This Golden Flame and really thought it was creative and had a great asexual main character. Silver in the Mists sounded totally different so I was curious to read it. Here’s what did and didn’t work for me:

+ The world building is once again, unique and creative. Two kingdoms are kept apart by a phenomenon called the Mists- in Aris, but called the Hush in Cerena. There is a phenomenon that separates the kingdoms called the Mists (in Aris), and the Hush (in Cerena) – and in these mists are monsters. The magic system is different too, magic casters work with filigree.

+ Devlin is the main character and she is asexual. She’s a spy who is sent to Cerena on a mission to kidnap their most powerful magic caster, Alyse. So she spends more time in Cerena than in her home of Aris but we learn about the conflict and history between the two kingdoms while she is there. I enjoyed all the secondary characters too, especially Milla who helps Devlin complete her mission. Dev does have issues to deal with in regards to her mother, The Whisperer – who is basically her boss. They have a very strained relationship but all Dev wants is her mother’s love and approval and she hopes this mission will bring her both.

+ I like that this book was fast paced and it kept me engaged from beginning to end! I do feel like this will appeal to teen readers more than young adult.

~ Although the world-building is very unique I did wish we had a little more information about the magic system. I just went with everything because the story was moving quickly and I was invested in Dev’s undercover mission. But it would be nice to learn more about the filigrees. Also there was one thing in the story that kept throwing me off and it was the word Layde. Is it pronounced “lady” or “laid”? And it was applied to upperclass citizens I believe but I kept stumbling over how to say it.

Tropes: spy, asexual main character, strained Mother/Daughter relationship

Why you should read it:

  • fast paced story
  • unique world building
  • a spy/undercover story that is entertaining

Why you might not want to read it:

  • more geared towards teen readers

My Thoughts:

It’s rare to find stand alone fantasy books these days but I like what this author is doing with the ones she’s written so far. She has her signature unique world-building and a main character who is asexual. I found Silver in the Mist quite entertaining and feel like it would appeal to teen readers.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

BLOG TOUR } This Golden Flame by. Emily Victoria ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

About the Author:

Emily Victoria is a Canadian prairie girl who writes young adult science fiction and fantasy. When not wordsmithing, she likes walking her overexcitable dog, drinking far too much tea, and crocheting things she no longer has the space to store. Her librarian degree has allowed her to work at a library and take home far too many books.

Author Website: https://www.avictoriantale.com/

Twitter: @avictoriantale

Instagram: @avictoriantale

Most Anticipated Book Releases | November 2022

We are nearing the end of the year and I don’t have too many books I’m looking forward to by now. There is a lot for 2023 though…yikes…I cannot believe this year is almost over!


Bloodmarked is my most anticipated book for November! I’m so excited it will finally be out!

What is your most anticipated book release for November?

WWW Wednesday | 11/2/22

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?

It’s November! Can you believe it? I can’t! I haven’t read a lot this week and I won’t be reading a lot in the coming month because *crossing fingers my kids will not get another cold* I’m supposed to go on vacation in 2 weeks.
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?

I only have these 2 December arcs to finish reading and then I can move on to my 2023 arcs…can you believe it? 2023? I’m not ready!

What are you reading right now?

Happy Reading!!

Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 11/1/22

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

The grandchildren of two rival Brazilian bakeries fall in love despite their families’ feud.

Trust neither thin-bottomed frying pans nor Molinas.

Lari Ramires has always known this to be true. In Olinda, Brazil, her family’s bakery, Salt, has been at war with the Molinas’ bakery across the street, Sugar, for generations. But Lari’s world turns upside down when her beloved grandmother passes away. On top of that, a big supermarket chain has moved to town, forcing many of the small businesses to close.

Determined to protect her home, Lari does the unthinkable—she works together with Pedro Molina to save both of their bakeries. Lari realizes she might not know Pedro as well as she thought—and she maybe even likes what she learns—but the question remains: Can a Ramires and a Molina truly trust one another?


Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Eight years ago, everything changed for Devlin: Her country was attacked. Her father was killed. And her mother became the Whisperer of Aris, the head of the spies, retreating into her position away from everyone… even her daughter.

Joining the spy ranks herself, Dev sees her mother only when receiving assignments. She wants more, but she understands the peril their country, Aris, is in. The malevolent magic force of The Mists is swallowing Aris’s edges, their country is vulnerable to another attack from their wealthier neighbor, and the magic casters who protect them from both are burning out.

Dev has known strength and survival her whole life, but with a dangerous new assignment of infiltrating the royal court of their neighbor country Cerena to steal the magic they need, she learns that not all that glitters is weak. And not all stories are true.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Hemlock Falls isn’t like other towns. You won’t find it on a map, your phone won’t work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you.

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie’s town—and the rest of humanity—from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night.

Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal—and restore her family’s good name. Or die trying.

But in order to survive, Winnie enlists the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.

Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


In this “sinister, jaw-dropping” (Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary) debut novel, a circle of researchers uncover a mysterious deck of tarot cards and shocking secrets in New York’s famed Met Cloisters.

When Ann Stilwell arrives in New York City, she expects to spend her summer working as a curatorial associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she finds herself assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval art collection and its group of enigmatic researchers studying the history of divination.

Desperate to escape her painful past, Ann is happy to indulge the researchers’ more outlandish theories about the history of fortune telling. But what begins as academic curiosity quickly turns into obsession when Ann discovers a hidden 15th-century deck of tarot cards that might hold the key to predicting the future. When the dangerous game of power, seduction, and ambition at The Cloisters turns deadly, Ann becomes locked in a race for answers as the line between the arcane and the modern blurs.

A haunting and magical blend of genres, The Cloisters is a gripping debut that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


The author of The Charm Offensive returns with a festive romantic comedy about a woman who fakes an engagement with her landlord…only to fall for his sister.

One year ago, recent Portland transplant Ellie Oliver had her dream job in animation and a Christmas Eve meet-cute with a woman at a bookstore that led her to fall in love over the course of a single night. But after a betrayal the next morning and the loss of her job soon after, she finds herself adrift, alone, and desperate for money.

Finding work at a local coffee shop, she’s just getting through the days—until Andrew, the shop’s landlord, proposes a shocking, drunken plan: a marriage of convenience that will give him his recent inheritance and alleviate Ellie’s financial woes and isolation. They make a plan to spend the holidays together at his family cabin to keep up the ruse. But when Andrew introduces his new fiancée to his sister, Ellie is shocked to discover it’s Jack—the mysterious woman she fell for over the course of one magical Christmas Eve the year before. Now, Ellie must choose between the safety of a fake relationship and the risk of something real.

Perfect for fans of Written in the Stars and One Day in DecemberKiss Her Once for Me is the queer holiday rom-com that you’ll want to cozy up with next to the fire.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

Unlikable Characters You Can’t Help but Love  | TTT | 11/1/22

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:

Unlikable Characters You Can’t Help but Love

(These are villains, criminals, jerks, etc. that make you fall in love with them anyway, perhaps because they evolve by the end or they’re secretly wonderful and have been all along.)

  • Parisa – All the characters in The Atlas Six are flawed and unlikable in some way but Parisa is so intriguing. I’m curious to see how her character arc goes.
  • Violet – she’s the kind of antihero I can’t help but root for!
  • Ren – she kills and kills to get her brother back, she’s a bit psychotic but I do admire her love for her sibling.
  • Maddy – she’s so misunderstood. 😦
  • King Vincent – he’s a ruthless vampire and yet he raised and protected a human child until his death.
  • Lord Shin– he comes off like the enemy at first…but then we get to know him and fall in love with him.
  • Vittoria – okay she’s done many things she shouldn’t have but I think she has a story to tell and I’m here willing to listen to it lol.
  • Kasta – hated him in book one, book two he was growing on me, we shall see in book three if he can fully redeem himself!
  • Jacks – he SHOULD be unlikable, but I love the bad boys
  • Aaron – he’s from a rival family but I kinda want to see him end up with Joan? lol…I’ll check back in to this thought after I read the sequel.

Who’s on your list of unlikable characters that you can’t help but love?

Halloween Book Covers Tag

Here’s a tag I saw on Kristin Kraves Books and I think it’s the perfect book tag to celebrate Halloween. So I thought I’d try it out too! The tag was originally created by Kit @ Metaphors and Moonlight.

Skull/Skeleton/Bones:

Pumpkin:

I don’t read books with pumpkin covers apparently! Had to google this one.

Blood:

I Still love this book cover and how subtle the blood was to me at first glance. I just loved the pink cover!

Spider, Bats, or other Creepy Creatures:

I like moths but I feel like they are used a lot in creepy book covers – maybe because of Silence of the Lambs? We do have this huge month in Hawaii that is huge(2 hand spans huge) and when it’s late at night and you see them hanging out on the ceiling of your porch – it can be frightening! lol…in filipino culture we always say it’s the spirit of a deceased loved one that is visiting us if you see one.

Something Witchy:

Love the musical but I didn’t read this book. I remember when it was so popular though!

Severed Body Part:

I can’t find a severed body part book cover for the life of me! So I’m going with Anatomy since it’s a book about medicine and they were doing surgery and cutting open bodies for science!

Full Moon:

Cemetery:

A book I still need to finish reading!

Haunted house:

This has a very haunted house in it!

Ghost:

Another book I’ve never read but always wanted to.

Classic Monster (vampire, werewolf, mummy, etc.):

I’m working on reading this one – I’m barely through chapter one. It seems like going to be an epic story though.

Candy:

I read this book, but I do not remember this being one of the covers for it! The one I read had a paper heart on it! But this works for this book tag.

Someone in a Costume/Mask:

This isn’t a mask or costume but it totally could be!

Orange and Black:

I heard mixed reviews about this one but the cover looks creepy and the closest to orange and black that I could find.

Something Creepy:

This cover looks pretty creepy with those hands on her face.

I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween if you celebrate! What’s your favorite Halloween candy? For me it’s been Snickers and Twix. 🤷🏻‍♀️