Book of Night by. Holly Black | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Book of Night (#1)

Author: Holly Black

Format: ebooks (borrowed)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 5/3/22

Publisher: Tor Books

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Adult Fiction, Mystery

In Charlie Hall’s world, shadows can be altered, for entertainment and cosmetic preferences—but also to increase power and influence. You can alter someone’s feelings—and memories—but manipulating shadows has a cost, with the potential to take hours or days from your life. Your shadow holds all the parts of you that you want to keep hidden—a second self, standing just to your left, walking behind you into lit rooms. And sometimes, it has a life of its own.

Charlie is a low-level con artist, working as a bartender while trying to distance herself from the powerful and dangerous underground world of shadow trading. She gets by doing odd jobs for her patrons and the naive new money in her town at the edge of the Berkshires. But when a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie’s present life is thrown into chaos, and her future seems at best, unclear—and at worst, non-existent. Determined to survive, Charlie throws herself into a maelstrom of secrets and murder, setting her against a cast of doppelgängers, mercurial billionaires, shadow thieves, and her own sister—all desperate to control the magic of the shadows.

Holly Black makes her adult debut with Book of Night, a modern dark fantasy of shadowy thieves and secret societies.

Content Warning: abuse, violence, parental neglect, self harm, murder, drug use

I finally got to borrow an ebook copy of Book of Night and I downloaded right away because I’ve been wanting to read it for the past 2 months now. I saw the bad reviews but I can’t help myself, I’ve been reading Holly Black since 2002! Yup, I’ve been a fan for twenty years so this is what I thought about her adult urban fantasy book.

+ This has been advertised as adult fantasy but this is straight up urban fantasy. It’s set in a contemporary time, in Massachusetts and I love urban fantasy so I was ready to see how the story would play out. The main character is Charlie Hall and she is a very fleshed out character. We learn how she picked up the tricks of her trade – being a thief. There are chapters of her past, and we get a good sense of how broken she is inside, with a broken family, but the only good thing she’s at is stealing. She’s one of the best and her line of work is dangerous and deals with shady people. Charlie is an anti-heroine and I like how tough she was even though she never came off aggressive. She’s slick.

+ The writing is classic Holly Black, she draws you in. I’ve always loved her storytelling style and it surprises me every time. Her stories are dark, but not to the point of scaring me. The characters like Charlie, and Vince are absolutely imperfect and tend to embrace these parts of themselves. I liked the subtle twists we get in the story, there were a few moments that surprised me.

+ I thought the concept of shadows and them being a separate entity or having the ability to become a separate entity from a person was fascinating.

+ I don’t know how it happened because it’s not a romance and there is hardly romance in this but the ending when Charlie and Vince are trying to figure out what happens to them next…it got me.

~ It is a slow read because it feels like a mystery book. But I did finish this in one day! There is a lot of time spent on Charlie, who she is, her history, how she is the way she is and how she learned her skills.

~ I think the explanation of shadows wasn’t solid enough for me in the beginning and so I was trying to figure out what they were, what the Cabal was for, the reason why this whole business about shadows and blights was important. I started to get it the more it was explained and then really understood it by the end, but that was definitely a part that could have lost me as a reader. But I was so interested in Charlie that I kept reading.

Why you should read it:

you like mystery and urban fantasy with dark, imperfect characters
Charlie Hall is a fascinating character
love the twists in the story

Why you might not want to read it:

this is not YA Fantasy Holly Black work – this reads at a slow mystery pace and is urban fantasy so if you are expecting The Cruel Prince, um let me tell you this is a way different ballgame
needs more clear explanation on the shadows from the beginning

My Thoughts:

I don’t know what I expected when Holly Black revealed she was writing an adult fantasy but after reading this I think this falls in line with all her other work it just doesn’t have the Fae. There is an atmosphere that is mysterious and dark which I love, and I was drawn into the main character and all her other perfectly imperfect characters. Yes it was slow and the shadows could have been explained more clearly but I did eventually get it. Charlie as a character was intriguing enough for me and learning about the shadows was fascinating enough I read this in one day. I enjoyed this one even if it had no Fae – it has shadows that become separate from people, and I’m curious what happens to one particular shadow! I’ll definitely be reading the sequel after that ending.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes From the Book:

It turns out that men have more authority, even when they’re not real.”
~ Holly Black, Book of Night

With no good ideas, she was going to go for the bad one. They better carve that on her tomb.”
~ Holly Black, Book of Night

If she couldn’t be responsible or careful or good or loved, if she was doomed to be a lit match, then Charlie might as well go back to finding stuff to burn.
~ Holly Black, Book of Night

Weekly Wrap Up | 7/3/22

Aloha friends!

It’s been such a fun and busy weekend for my family. My sister and mom came to sleep over at my house since my sister’s husband and her sons went to Los Angeles for the weekend! We went to the pool, and got some lunch at the mall. My dog had 2 more extra people to love on – he LOVES his grandma and aunty. 😅 My daughter monopolized her aunt’s time which was cute but she cried when they left the next day. 🥺

I cannot believe it’s July – this means I have to go back to school shopping. 😩 My kids start school on August 1st. My daughter finally starts Kindergarten and wow…that means it will be just me and the dog alone in the house for 5 hours. I don’t know how to act! lol…

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies I Watched:

Sing 2 (Netflix)– had some movie time with my daughter, this was cute and loved all the music.
Ron’s Gone Wrong (Disney+) – my son wanted to do movie time with us too and the kids decided on this one. We loved it!
Inside Out (Disney+) – my son wanted to watch this movie again – first time he saw it, he was younger and it made him too sad and he couldn’t watch the whole thing. He saw it on the last day of 3rd grade and it resonated with him more and he wanted to watch it again. My daughter was too scared of the emotional scenes so it was my son and I who wanted the whole thing.
Stranger Things 4 Pt. 2 (Netflix) – the last episode is just so EPIC! That scene when Eddie plays Master of Puppets by Metallica had me transported to my teenhood when I was a big Metallica fan. Like they scared me but their music was so good. And my other favorite part was when they were killing or hurting Vecna and his “hive mind”. So many heroes but it was heart-wrenching too. I hope season 5 comes out next year. I love this show!

Games I Played:

My Singing Monsters
Wii Sports – just to get moving – doesn’t make me move much really lol…I need to start up Just Dance again to get my cardio in. I stopped when I got back from Vegas and had covid. And haven’t done it since which is mad so new month, new fitness goals!

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!

💖 ~ Yolanda

Monthly Wrap Up | June 2022

June was a long month! I was recovering from covid, my husband was recovering from covid, my best friend’s whole family had covid except for her. I was dealing with wasps, cancelled trips, and all kinds of stuff. I survived it and at least I had books to keep my mind off the crazy things going on.

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: 3

I read about 13 books in June, and about 2 or 3 were read before the month of June since they were arcs. I think I did pretty good considering I had no strength or desire to read for like two weeks. How was your month of June?

Take care and stay safe out there.

~ Yolanda

The Hacienda by. Isabel Cañas | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Hacienda

Author: Isabel Cañas

Format: ebooks (borrowed)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 5/3/22

Publisher: Berkley

Categories: Gothic Horror, Historical Fiction, Forbidden Romance, Young Adult, Supernatural

In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father is executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost.

But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.

When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark its doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?

Beatriz only knows two things for certain: Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will help her.

Desperate for help, she clings to the young priest, Padre Andrés, as an ally. No ordinary priest, Andrés will have to rely on his skills as a witch to fight off the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda and protect the woman for whom he feels a powerful, forbidden attraction. But even he might not be enough to battle the darkness.

Far from a refuge, San Isidro may be Beatriz’s doom.

Content Warning: abuse, gory scenes, cheating

I don’t read a lot of horror, but I really enjoy gothic horror type of stories so when I see it I try to get a copy to read it.

+ What I love about historical gothic fiction is the history facts I get in the story. This one takes place after the period of Mexico’s War of Independence which I know nothing about. I learned a lot just from this story alone about the casta system, the racial issues and socioeconomics of the hacienda owners, colonialism and religion – I mean they were threatening to bring people to the Inquisition which I knew happened a long, long time ago like in the 1300’s or something like that, but I didn’t know it was still happening in the 1800’s! A lot of eye opening information.

+ The gothic atmosphere around the hacienda was really creepy and chilling especially at night. You know something is wrong, the house is clearly haunted by some evil spirit but we don’t know why. There is a bit of a mystery about the first wife of Don Rodolfo Solórzano, and Beatriz being his second wife is the target of some entity or someone in the house.

+ There is haunts, there are scary hallucinations, there are gory bloody scenes and witchcraft. It made me even question if I should walk in the dark to the bathroom because I was reading late at night lol. That’s what I want in a horror/gothic story.

+ I liked Beatriz and found her to be really brave while dealing with a haunted house without any support and no husband by her side. Even though she was terrified night after night, she slept there – that would so NOT be me lol. I felt like she was so fed up with the spirit haunting her, I liked her fighting spirit.

~ There isn’t much scenes between Beatriz and her husband. He leaves right away to go somewhere after he drops her off at the hacienda. So her budding forbidden romance with Padre Andrés had lots of room to grow. I wasn’t into it though – and not because he was a priest – I get that it’s a forbidden love situation and what’s more forbidden than a priest and a married woman?! I understood his and his family’s reasoning to pushing him into priesthood but I did like them as friends. I didn’t quite feel the chemistry between them.

~ Like with most mysteries, it feels like a slow read, especially in the beginning when we don’t know much about the history of the house or Beatriz’ husband and his first wife. Once we get more information, it picks up. I did feel like I wish Padre Andrés had more witchcraft powers – he seemed so weak against the spirit at times. Maybe I was just expecting too much from him.

Why you should read it:

you like mysterious gothic, historical fiction with a bit of creep factor and lite horror
the time period and information we get about the state of Mexico after the War of Independence
thrills, chills and lush world-building

Why you might not want to read it:

not into horror
not into forbidden love between a priest and married woman
kinda slow at first

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one because it gave me scared to read at night haha – especially once night came to the hacienda! Some parts were a bit slow but once Beatriz and Padre Andrés set to exorcizing the house of the spirit, there is a bit of action. I enjoyed all the historical aspects of the book and found it an entertaining story. I look forward to reading more from this author.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes From the Book:

Life has a way of taking the wind out of our dreams sometimes…”
Judy I. Lin, A Magic Steeped in Poison

Tea for me is home, is joy, is family.”
Judy I. Lin, A Magic Steeped in Poison

Human hands make mistakes, Ning, but they are the hands the gods gave us. We use them to make amends, to do good things.”
Judy I. Lin, A Magic Steeped in Poison

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by. Silvia Moreno-Garcia | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 7/19/22

Publisher: Del Rey

Categories: Coming of Age, Sci-Fi, Lite Horror, Historical Fiction

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

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

Carlota Moreau: a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of either a genius, or a madman.

Montgomery Laughton: a melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers.

The hybrids: the fruits of the Doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.

All of them living in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction.

For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite.

THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey.

Content Warning: Addiction, Abuse, Lite Horror Scenes, Colorism, Colonization, Prejudice

This is only the second book I’ve read from this author and though it is completely different from the first one I’ve read, the luscious, beautiful writing seems to be this author’s signature. So yes the author’s name was a big factor in making me request this book and also the gorgeous, colorful book cover attracted me as well. I’m only vaguely familiar with the classic The Island of Doctor Moreau but I get the gist of what the story is about.

I loved the setting of this story. It is set in the Yucatán peninsula and the author even delves into some history and strife occurring in the area in the 19th century between the Maya people and the Mexican people, and those of European descent. I found those parts very fascinating and made me want to learn more about it. It is a part of history I don’t know much about.

The characters are perfectly cast in this story. Doctor Moreau is creating hybrids of people – he thinks he can provide cheap labor by fusing human and animal genes together. These hybrids are supposed to benefit his benefactor, a very rich man by the name of Hernando Lizalde. Like anyone who think he can play at being God, Doctor Moreau has succeeded so far in his experiments except for the fact the hybrids are imperfect and die young. He is a slave to science. His daughter Carlota is gorgeous, sweet, obedient and afflicted with an illness but she loves the hybrids as if they are her own siblings because she’s grown up with them at Yaxaktun. All she wants is a happy, perfect life in Yaxaktun but she learns quickly that thoughts like that are but a dream. Montgomery is Moreau’s hired hand – he is troubled, running from his past by drinking it and gambling it away. Then there are Lupe and Cachito, two hybrids who have grown up with Carlota.

The writing is as gorgeous as ever and pulled me into the story so that I felt like I was at Yaxaktun. I could feel the humidity and imagine the lush surroundings. I could picture Carlota’s beauty. The mysteriousness and solitude of Yaxaktun lent the story an eerie feeling but one that didn’t creep me out too much – it just made me more curious about the hybrids. I was more creeped out and angry at Carlota’s father for all his ego and lies. I say lite horror because of the description of the science lab but this book was not scary or anything. I thought the real horror was how the hybrids were treated and created and the plight of the Maya people. The beginning was a little slow, but it is told like a mystery so I let it unfold and really enjoyed how the tension was built.

Why you should read it:

the beautiful writing
Carlota’s character arc – from obedient sweet girl, to a fighter
the historical information, deep issues about colonialism and the questions about playing God

Why you might not want to read it:

sci-fi/horror not your thing

My Thoughts:

This might have taken me a bit longer to get into but I am always drawn in by this author’s words. Her writing just flows so well and I like that the characters were imperfect and made me question their actions. The story unfolds slowly but I love how the tension builds until the end. I love how Carlota went from a docile young lady to one who faces the truth about her life and herself. I found the history aspects of the story quite fascinating and opened my eyes to some of the issues taking place in 19th century Mexico and it made me want to learn more. Will absolutely be reading more of this author’s work!

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Charmed List by. Julie Abe | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Charmed List

Author: Julie Abe

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 7/5/22

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Teen Reader, Romance, Contemporary, Magical Realism

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

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

After spending most of high school as the quiet girl, Ellie Kobata is ready to take some risks and have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List—thirteen items she’s going to check off one by one. She’s looking forward to riding rollercoasters, making her art Instagram public (maybe), and going on an epic road-trip with her best friend Lia.

But when number four on Ellie’s list goes horribly wrong—revenge on Jack Yasuda—she’s certain her summer has gone from charmed to cursed. Instead of a road trip with Lia, Ellie finds herself stuck in a car with Jack driving to a magical convention. But as Ellie and Jack travel down the coast of California, number thirteen on her list—fall in love—may be happening without her realizing it.

In The Charmed List, Julie Abe sweeps readers away to a secret magical world, complete with cupcakes and tea with added sparks of joy, and an enchanted cottage where you can dance under the stars.

Content Warning:

This one is a cute read with some fun elements to it: magic, enemies to lovers romance, a bucket list, and a road trip.

The magic element to the story is just kind of thrown in. Ellie and her family are part of the magic community, and Jack her ex-friend/enemy and his dad are part of it too, her best friend Lia – is not. There are some rules about being part of the magic community and we do see some mild magic being done. Ellie has a bucket list for the summer and I think it was nice for her to go through with it to help her get out of her shy-girl shell. Also there is the romance between Ellie and Jack, they used to be friends, until Jack closed himself off to her, with his dad’s encouragement. But on the road trip they are forced to spend time together which means they start liking one another.

The story reads more for teenagers so I didn’t quite connect to the story or characters, I’m not the audience for this one. But I think someone who wants a light hearted teen romance that has magic would really enjoy this book.

Why you should read it:

magic, romance, a bucket list and a road trip
sweet, coming of age story

Why you might not want to read it:

this is more for teen readers

My Thoughts:

I’m not the target audience for this book but I thought it was a sweet story about a girl who is trying to break out of her shell. Some parts were a bit dramatic for me, like when Ellie’s best friend finds out about magic but like I said – I wasn’t connecting to the book or characters. I think if you want a light-hearted romance filled with magic, and some angst you will enjoy this one.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Love & Gelato on Netflix

Another book I read so long ago! But that’s okay if I hardly remember it, I am loving all these adaptations on all the streaming services I have.

I loved all the scenes in Italy – it made me reminisce about my honeymoon 11 years ago. I also love the food aspects of the movie. It made me crave pasta and gelato of course!

I thought it was a cute movie – my favorite parts were when Lina’s best-friend Addie was in the scenes, she made it fun. There is the love triangle between Lina trying to choose between Alessandro (hot, rich guy who’s going to Harvard) and Lorenzo who actually has a girlfriend but he’s the sweet, charming guy training to be a chef. There is some kissing, but all pretty innocent. I thought it’s a great summer movie option about traveling overseas instead of the typical beachy summer movie.

I haven’t read any of the other books in the series – should I? Let me know in the comments below if you read this series and if you will be watching this movie on Netflix!

Here’s the trailer:

The Guncle by. Steven Rowley | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Guncle

Author: Steven Rowley

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 326

Publication Date: 5/25/21

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Family, Grief, LGBTQ+

Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is honestly a bit out of his league.

So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick’s brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian. Despite having a set of “Guncle Rules” ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parenting—even if temporary—isn’t solved with treats and jokes, Patrick’s eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you’re unfailingly human.

Content Warning: grief, death of a loved one, addiction, anxiety, story of sexual assault

I had my eye on this book since last year and finally got it from my library. I’m glad I did because I felt like it would be a great summer read and it’s Pride month so why not read about a guncle (gay uncle). This book hit me in the feels!

+ Yes Patrick, GUP, Guncle is a bit self-centered and snarky. He is a golden globe winning actor and was a star for a time. He loves to talk about when he was super famous, he loves all things television, movies, broadway, and theatre. But things happened in his life and he’s now in his 40’s and living a quiet life in Palm Springs until he is forced to be out again because his family needs him. His best friend and sister-in-law has passed on, his brother needs to go to rehab and leaves his kids with Patrick. I love how taking care of his niece and nephew scared him but he stepped up in the best way possible. It warmed my heart so much.

+ This book is about relationships and grief. It gave us a peek at how relationships we have with our siblings, the ones or we have with our parents can be messy. Messy and yet it can still be loving. Patrick is relatable in that way. I could also relate to his fear of wanting to love people because he is still stuck in his grief losing his partner, Joe. There is a lot of loss Patrick is dealing with and I felt like his fears were my own. I could totally relate.

+ Patrick’s experiences growing up gay, trying to explain to his sister how he had to protect his inner, real self in the outside world by pretending was such an important point. I love that he could tell his side of this story especially when he was trying to explain it to his sister Clara who in turn felt like she had to struggle also being a woman. Everyone around Patrick had their own trauma and I like that the story was honest and truthful about these struggles.

+ I love the humor – when Patrick is on, he is ON and the children have no clue what he is saying have the time. I can already imagine this book as a tv series, it has that sitcom kind of feel but with some tough issues. I was laughing one moment and then heartbroken the next when the kids talked about missing their mother or Patrick was missing Joe. 😭

Why you should read it:

Patrick is a force – he’s funny, snarky, self-centered but loves his family even though they have problems – no matter, he is there for them the best way he can be.
Patrick with his niece and nephew have such adventures in Palm Springs
This story is full of grief and yet full of hope, the will to survive a broken heart, the beauty of life that come with tragedy. The medicine of laughter and love, family and friends.

Why you might not want to read it:

not into Patrick talking about himself all the time lol…I can picture him talking fast, like how some people just do

My Thoughts:

This one hit my heart with so many feels! The story dealt with so many issues about grief, fear and anxiety – letting go and moving on. It hurt. But I was also laughing when Patrick was trying to take care of two kids for the first time in his life, and he did it without much help – he’s even too afraid to drive! Thank goodness for ride-share! I love that the kids taught him things like youtube lol. But seeing those two kids melt through his guarded heart was a glorious thing. I love that we get Patrick’s point of view as a gay man trying to raise two kids on his own, trying to deal with his grief and figuring out what will be act two in his life after his tv stardom has ended. His journey was rocky but like he said in the end, he survived it…the show must go on. I love Patrick and his family and was rooting for all of them to help each other get through grief, addiction, divorce, resentment and anything else that was holding them back from bonding. This is a beautiful story and I’m glad I finally read it!

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes From the Book:

We’re hyper-connected, but at the same time desperately lonely.”
~ Steven Rowley, The Guncle

What do you think gay people do? Have done for generations? We adopt a safe version of ourselves for the public, for protection, and then as adults we excavate our true selves from the parts we’ve invented to protect us. It’s the most important work of our queer lives.”
~ Steven Rowley, The Guncle

I am less of me. I left part of myself with you. I don’t know what it was, but I felt it leave my body the last time I held your hand.|
~ Steven Rowley, The Guncle

The sky is not going to fall. That’s what I’m telling you. The pain you feel, the disaster you think is imminent. Those feelings fade. And some day you even miss it. Some days you miss the pain, because you’re afraid. Afraid that as the pain softens so do memories of the one you lost.”
~ Steven Rowley, The Guncle

Grief orbits the heart. Some days the circle is greater. Those are the good days. You have room to move and dance and breathe. Some days the circle is tighter. Those are the hard ones.”
~ Steven Rowley, The Guncle

WWW Wednesday | 6/29/22

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?

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

I have so many books I’m reading right now that I’m not even going to consider what’s next on my list! LOL I don’t even know if I can finish these books. 😅

I have a lot of books to read! The arcs priority last week, but now my library books do since they are due soon! What are you reading right now?

Happy Reading!!

~ Yolanda

Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 6/28/22

Happy book birthday to these new releases!

Three weddings. Three funerals. Alessa’s gift from the gods is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill every suitor she touches.

Now, with only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything on her island home, Alessa is running out of time to find a partner and stop the invasion. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island’s only hope, her own soldiers try to assassinate her.

Desperate to survive, Alessa hires Dante, a cynical outcast marked as a killer, to become her personal bodyguard. But as rebellion explodes outside the gates, Dante’s dark secrets may be the biggest betrayal. He holds the key to her survival and her heart, but is he the one person who can help her master her gift or destroy her once and for all?

Emily Thiede’s exciting fantasy debut, This Vicious Grace, will keep readers turning the pages until the devastating conclusion and leave them primed for more!

Andry, a former squire, continues to fight for hope amid blood and chaos.

Dom, a grieving immortal, strives to fulfill a broken oath.

Sorasa, an outcast assassin, faces her past when it returns with sharpened teeth.

Valtik, an old sorceress, summons a mighty power.

And Corayne, a pirate’s daughter with an ancient magic in her blood, steps closer to becoming the hero she’s destined to be.

Together they must assemble an army to face Queen Erida and Taristan’s wicked forces. But something deadly waits in the shadows, something that might consume the world before there’s any hope for victory.

In the sequel to Realm Breaker, a divided world must rally, an unstoppable enemy must be defeated, and the fate of the world rests on a blade’s edge.

THE SUBURBS, RIGHT NOW . . .

Seventeen-year-old Ivy’s summer break kicks off with an accident, a punishment, and a mystery: a stranger whose appearance in the middle of the road, in the middle of the night, heralds a string of increasingly unsettling events. As the days pass, Ivy grapples with eerie offerings, corroded memories, and a secret she’s always known—that there’s more to her mother than meets the eye.

THE CITY, BACK THEN . . .

Dana has always been perceptive. And the summer she turns sixteen, with the help of her best friend and an ambitious older girl, her gifts bloom into a heady fling with the supernatural, set in a city of magical possibilities and secret mystics. As the trio’s aspirations darken, they find themselves speeding toward a violent breaking point.

Years after it began, Ivy and Dana’s shared story will come down to a reckoning among a daughter, a mother, and the dark forces they never should’ve messed with.

These days, I’ve been killing it when it comes to letting people down. Now I’ve been kicked out of high school, arrested, and accepted into a remote, off-the-grid school owned and operated by an inscrutable billionaire tech guru.

Gray Wolf Academy is looking for a certain kind of student. Ones that no one will miss. Like me.

Then there’s Braxton. The beautiful, oddly anachronistic guy who showed up right when the trouble started. And he’s a total enigma—which means that I definitely can’t trust him, even if there’s something about him that makes me want to.
They all tell me I have a gift. A very rare gift. And Gray Wolf Academy wants me to learn it. To use it. Because if what they say is true, I have all the time in the world.
And that makes me the most dangerous high school student you’ll never know…

This sweeping YA fantasy romance full of star-crossed love, complex female friendship, and astrological magic is perfect for fans of Laini Taylor, Alexandra Bracken, and V.E. Schwab. From the acclaimed author of The Beholder.

Best friends Rora and Claudia have never felt more like their lives are spiraling out of control. And when they meet Major and Amir–two boys from one of the secret cities of the spheres, ruled by the magic of the astrological signs–they discover they’re not alone. There is a disruption in the harmony between the spheres, and its chaos is spreading.

To find the source of the disharmony, Rora and Claudia will embark on a whirlwind journey of secrets, romance, and powerful truths–about themselves, each other, and two long-ago explorers named Dante and Beatrice, who were among the first to chart this course toward the stars.

Inspired partly by the classic works of Dante Alighieri, this gorgeous stand-alone contemporary fantasy will captivate readers of Lore and Star Daughter.

Are you getting any new books this week? Happy Reading! ~ Yolanda