Tag: books

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/2/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ My hubby is a federal worker so let’s just say, every week since Trump has been in office has been a circus. He never knows if he will still have a job. So far he does…but he’s stressed. I’m stressed too but as long as he has his job, I try to stay positive.

+ Went to the library to pick up two books: Under the Surface by. Diana Urban and To Shatter the Night by. Katherine Quinn

+ Made some beaded bag charms/keychains for my Etsy shop because I realize I have a lot of beads in my craft boxes. I don’t know if any of you readers are crafters, but you know how you have a little bit of everything lying around? 😅. It felt good to make stuff – I kind of miss it.

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

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!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 541

Publication Date: 5/19/20

Categories: Young Adult, Dystopian, Series


It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.


Content Warning: death, violence, murder, hanging, death of children

I finally read this prequel to The Hunger Games and this is what I thought:

+ I liked getting to know Coriolanus Snow’s background. Yes…he is who becomes President Snow in The Hunger Games. This is his story, how he is living in Capitol poverty and ashamed of it and trying to hide it. It’s interesting to see how it shapes him.

+ This is in the early days of the first few Hunger Games so it’s interesting to see how different it is compared to when Katniss is a participant. In this book, the Hunger Games isn’t as sophisticated and high-tech yet, but it’s still very cruel – maybe moreso because all they do is throw these kids into the zoo of all places and then try to lure them out with food to kill one another. I did learn more about why the games were started, and why they felt like it was a good way to keep the peace.

+ Lucy Gray is the sunshine in this story. She is quirky, unconventional, she doesn’t seem like someone who could kill and win the Hunger Games but she surprises everyone. The romance between Lucy and Coryo is surprising and yet…not…because he didn’t seem like a psychotic, power-hungry person yet. Not when he was with Lucy and thinking of running off with her. But things change so much.

~ The story was slow moving except for the last part of the book. It took me almost two weeks to finish. I wish it moved faster. Also I didn’t feel like the Hunger Games was as focused on. This was all about who Coryo is and what shaped him.

~ The crazy thing is I didn’t even see Coryo as scary in the beginning. He was ashamed of his station and wanted the best for his family and to survive. Wanting best for your family is a good thing, right? But there was a feeling that the Capitol hated him and he didn’t know why. I was hoping he would actually turn against them instead when he met Lucy and in District 12 but nope, that experience and then some pushed him harder into his convictions about the Capitol and the Hunger Games. He believed the Capitol was right and the Hunger Games were a necessity, unfortunately. Slowly we see him try to justify all his bad actions and even kind of lose it in the end because of Lucy Gray.

Quotes from the book:

“No one would ever let him have enough.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“His terror was a private thing, not meant for public display.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“If the people who were supposed to protect you played so fast and loose with your life…then how did you survive?

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“Who are human beings? Because who we are determine the type of governing we need.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“I’m being erased, he thought. And to erase me, they must erase the Games.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

“It was never meant to be anything more than theoretical. And who but the vilest monsters would stage it?”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins

Final Thoughts:

I expected this one to be fast moving and intense like the The Hunger Games series but it wasn’t so for me it was an okay read. The beginning was slow, even through the games, and it only picks up at the end. I did like getting to know Coriolanus Snow more and I like how Lucy Gray was sunshine to his dark life. I thought this book gave me good insight into the man who will become President Snow in the series but I did expect more.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

When the Bones Sing by. Ginny Myers Sain | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: When the Bones Sing

Author: Ginny Myers Sain

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller

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

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!


From New York Times bestselling author of Dark and Shallow Lies comes a new southern gothic supernatural thriller about a teen girl in a small Ozark town who can hear the bones of the dead.

The past three years have been tough for Lucifer’s Creek, Arkansas, a small town quietly tucked away in the Ozark mountains. More than two dozen people have disappeared on the local hiking trails; there one moment, gone the next, not a trace left behind, until their buried bodies are discovered.

17-year-old Dovie doesn’t believe in magic even though she comes from a long line of women who can hear the bones of the dead sing, and for the past few years the bones have been crooning nonstop, calling out to Dovie to dig them up.

Some of the old-timers believe that it’s the monstrous Ozarks howler snatching people off the Aux Arc Trail. Well Dovie doesn’t believe in the howler, and she doesn’t believe her best friend Lo when he tells her he is being haunted by dark shadows. All she believes in is her talent that guides the local sheriff to the bones when they begin their song, then reuniting the dead with their families to give them some peace.

Lo doesn’t know peace, though. The shadows follow him everywhere. He soon learns they’re the murdered hikers and they want answers. But the truth of their deaths isn’t buried with their bones; it’s hidden somewhere deep in the hills. And Lo and Dovie must unearth it before anyone else is killed.

Content Warning: death, murder

I really love the atmosphere and setting of this book. It’s set in a small town in Arkansas, and the author does a great job of capturing the mysterious, and complicated that is the Ozarks. I love how the mix of the natural environment and the different types of people who came to live in the Ozarks are represented. There was definitely a Southern-gothic vibe to this book. I could hear the twang in the way the characters talked just by the way it’s written. There is the religious community and then the others that believe in simple spells and spirits. There is even talk about the Howler, a supernatural creature roaming the Ozarks. I think all of this contributed in giving this story a mysterious, creepy and tense feeling.

I did enjoy the mystery about the hikers that were going missing and ending up being killed. Dovie being a person who can find their bones is fascinating and Lo, who can see spirits just added to the vibe of the book. There is a little romance in this story but I don’t think that it was needed, I liked Dovie and Lo being best-friends enough. I didn’t need the mini love triangle that was thrown in.

As much as I enjoyed the mystery, I wanted more suspense and thrills, but I will say the truth that Dovie and Lo uncovers is pretty awful.

Final Thoughts:

My favorite part of this book is the atmosphere for sure! I love the Southern gothic vibes of the Ozarks – it’s mysterious and creepy and perfect for a story like this. I didn’t think the romance was needed but I did like Dovie and Lo’s friendship. Overall, I enjoyed the storytelling, just maybe wanted a bit more thrills.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

One Last Breath by. Ginny Myers Sain | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark and Shallow Lies by. Ginny Myers Sain | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

WWW Wednesday | 2/26/25

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?

We are in the last week of February friends – it’s unbelievable! That means I have 3 months until my trip to South Korea with my older sister. It also means Spring Break is just around the cover but we aren’t planning anything special because my daughter wanted to do 3 days of math camp at school (I love that she wanted to sign up!) and then my hubby has to go to Washington D.C. for a work conference during that week also. As for my reading, I think I’m on a roll (don’t want to jinx it lol). I hope all of you have a good week!

What are you currently reading?

Filthy Rich Vampire by. Geneva Lee (KU) – 1% just started!

Thunderhead by. Neal Shusterman – 14% – my ebook copy expired so I have to read my hardcover now. So that might go a little more slowly.

A Journey to Us by. Lady B (gifted to me) – 11%

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by. Suzanne Collins (borrowed) – 26% – I’m determined to finish this one since Sunrise on the Reaping is coming out soon!

Of Earthly Delights by. Goldy Moldavsky (arc) – 5%, just started!

What have you just finished reading?

Queen of Shadows and Ruin by. Nisha J. Tuli (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Hangry Hearts by. Jennifer Chen (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rebel Witch by. Kristen Ciccarelli ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Thrashers by. Julie Soto ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

What are you going to read next?

What are YOU reading right now?

Weekly Wrap Up | 2/23/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Kids had a 4-day weekend, lucky them! So we went to see the Dog Man movie (we have all the books because my son was reading them in elementary school and then gave them to his sister, who loves the whole series). The movie was…wild lol…I was laughing because I felt like the humor was geared towards adults, but my daughter found it funny as well.

+ I had plans for this weekend, a birthday party for my cousin’s daughter at the water park, but my daughter pulled a neck muscle on Wednesday, at school. Poor thing, she had a hard time bending her head to the right, she was crying in the health room and I get it because I’ve had a stiff neck before and it takes days to loosen up. I used to be a massage therapist, so I’ve been working on it, been using a hot pack on it and trying to encourage her to do stretches. I think she may have slept on it funny or she does a lot of coloring at school and home, and sometimes her right arm gets tired, so it might have been from that. So she only went to school twice this week, but at least her school was closed on Friday.

+ Can you believe we are at the end of February?

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • American Murder: Gabby Petito (netflix)

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!

Spells, Strings and Forgotten Things by. Breanne Randall | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things

Author: Breanne Randall

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Publisher: Dell

Categories: Romance, Contemporary Fantasy, Witches, Paranormal

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

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


A young witch cursed with sacrificing memories to cast spells must decide how much she’s willing to lose to save her town in this thrilling tale of magic, love, and self-discovery—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic.

In the small town of Gold Springs, Calliope Petridi and her two sisters carefully guard the secret of their magic and the price they must pay to practice memories. The more powerful the magic, the greater the memory required.

Luckily, all Calliope wants to do is forget. Forget the mother who left them without a trace. Forget the cracks in her relationships with her judgmental oldest sister, Thalia, and her distant middle sister, Eurydice. Forget about the very cost of her magic. And most of all, forget the way the love of her life shattered her heart two years ago.

But when an ancient evil awakens in their town, the fragile thread that holds the sisters together breaks. As their magic slowly begins to fade, Calliope accidentally binds herself to an annoyingly handsome leader of a rival coven infamous for their ruthless pursuit of power.

Battling a sizzling chemistry to a man she can’t trust, Calliope needs to confront her sisters and the painful memories of her past, dark family secrets, and ancient magic in order to keep the town and all she loves safe. But will she have anything left of herself?

Content Warning: violence

+ This book gave me a combination of vibes of different shows/movies like Charmed, Practical Magic and Pride and Prejudice. Three Petridi sisters, Thalia, Calliope and Eurydice, who’s mother left them, are conflicted about magic. They have a history in their family as being Lightcraft witches and their purpose is to protect the Dark Oak, a tree that is holding enormous power. Out of all the sisters, only Calliope still practices magic, but they are cursed because using magic requires sacrificing a memory.

+ I love the sisters and their bond even though it’s complicated and they fight. It’s real. Calliope is the main character and she is the wild one. She’s bi-sexual, she’s a free spirit, impulsive, messy, and chaotic. But she loves her family and will do anything to protect them.

+ The romance is great because Calliope accidentally binds herself to a Shadowcrafter named Lucien. He’s gorgeous, worldly, powerful, her total opposite and he too loves his sister and will do anything to protect her. Their romance is full of bickering, and tension, which makes the spice all the more satisfying. He comes off as a Mr.Darcy with some of the way he professes his feelings to Calliope (which I loved because I recognized but weird because Lucien is not Mr. Darcy). And the ending is totally from the Pride and Prejudice movie!

+ There is a diverse cast of characters in this small town, which was fun.

~ There were too many times things became convenient in the story. Like spells just came to the sisters (the ones who haven’t used it in years), because it’s rooted in them – which is great but believable? Not sure about that. There were a lot of things the characters didn’t know but then everything happened to work out.

~ The ending gets a little wild and had too much going on. I honestly didn’t understand the “strings” at some point but I went with it. And no, I would never forgive Malik, if I was Lucien! Like how can your friend betray you and then all is well afterwards?

Final Thoughts:

Calliope embodies exactly how I felt reading this book – kind of wild. I love the small town vibes and the sisters’ bond. I enjoyed the romance between Calliope and Lucien with their opposites attract, her being messy and him needing control. She’s sunshine and he’s grumpy so I loved them together. But the story had a lot going on especially at the end and I found some things happening that was a but too convenient. For the most part, I found this story really entertaining because it was kind of chaotic and yet a little bit cozy at the same time, if that makes sense.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Something Like Fate by. Amy Lea | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Something Like Fate

Author: Amy Lea

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 3/4/25

Publisher:  Skyscape

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Italy

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

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


During a summer in Italy, two best friends discover whether true love is up to destiny or free will in this winning romantic comedy by the international bestselling author of Woke Up Like This.

For generations, the fortune-telling women in Lo Zhao-Jensen’s family have foreseen The One—the great loves of their lives—before ever meeting them. Except for Lo, who has zero psychic abilities. Just memories of old rom-coms and a lot of poor judgment when it comes to love.

Until now.

When Lo finally has the vision she’s been waiting for, her delighted aunties are convinced she’ll meet The One on her backpacking trip in Italy. Vero amore, here she comes.

Along for the summer is Lo’s best friend and confidant, Teller Owens, her opposite in every way. Upon arrival in Venice, Lo is saved from a runaway trolley by Caleb, a fellow backpacker. It’s a meet-cute so swoony, it has to be fate. But with each destination, Lo’s complicated feelings for Teller are becoming harder to ignore. From the cobblestone streets of Rome to the rocky cliffs of Amalfi, Lo begins to wonder if fate has other plans.

Two best friends, Lo and Teller, find themselves on an Italian adventure when Lo’s other best-friend injures herself and can’t go. So instead she asks Teller, her ex-coworker, other bestie, and her secret crush, to go with her.

Throughout the trip we see how different Lo and Teller are – she’s a free spirit, whereas Teller is a planner. They are opposites but they work so well because they are both kind of gentle spirits. We learn a lot about their past, their dating histories with other people and I thought they had a sweet friendship.

But Lo isn’t only on this trip to go on vacation, she’s there to meet her soulmate. Her family is famous for being kind of psychic. But everything gets muddled when she meets Caleb (clearly her soulmate because of a vision?) and yet her feelings that she accepting about Teller.

I loved the traveling that is happening in the story – a trip all over Italy? How fun and romantic.

Things do get complicated for Lo and Teller, and Lo has to question her feelings or fate. I think I wanted the ending to be a bit more romantic. Lo makes a choice, which shows how she grows. But I wanted more romantic moments between Lo and Teller.

Final Thoughts:

This was a cute, easy read. It’s a friends to lovers romance with a fun tour around Italy. I thought Lo and Teller’s friendship was really sweet and it was nice to see them realize their feelings for one another. The whole vision and fate aspect of finding her soulmate was interesting, but more so for the fact of her questioning the idea of a soulmate when someone else fits better for her. I just wanted a little more romantic scenes between them but overall, an easy, light read.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Woke Up Like This by. Amy Lea | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blog Tour} The Catch by. Amy Lea | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Exes & O’s by. Amy Lea | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

WWW Wednesday | 2/19/25

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?

Can you believe March starts next Saturday? I actually got a lot of reading done this week – yay! Maybe I’m out of my mood slump (for now). I’m determined to finish these arcs for March though so wish me luck!

What are you currently reading?

Thunderhead by. Neal Shusterman – 14% – my ebook copy expired so I have to read my hardcover now. So that might go a little more slowly.

Filthy Rich Vampire by. Geneva Lee – 1% just started!

Queen of Shadows and Ruin by. Nisha J. Tuli (arc) – 31% I just started this one but I’m almost halfway there!

Hangry Hearts by. Jennifer Chen (arc) (arc) – 1% just started!

What have you just finished reading?

When the Bones Sing by. Ginny Myers Sain(arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Something Like Fate by. Amy Lea (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Onyx Storm by. Rebecca Yarros (owned) ⭐️⭐️💫

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by. Amélie Wen Zhao ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things by. Breanne Randall (arc) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

What are you going to read next?

What are you reading right now?

Unhallowed Halls by. Lili Wilkinson | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Unhallowed Halls

Author: Lili Wilkinson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 2/18/25

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Dark Academia, Young Adult, Gothic, Urban Fantasy, Romance, LGBT+

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

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


A teen girl travels to an exclusive boarding school located deep within the Scottish moorlands after a deadly incident at her old school, but the wood-paneled halls of Agathion are built over centuries of secrets—including an ancient society which may have ties to demonic magic—in this dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of Curious Tides.

Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Which is why when she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn’t even consider turning it down.

Agathion is everything Page has ever wanted: a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. And for the first time in her life, Page has even managed to become part of a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion’s halls–the only problem is, they’re all keeping secrets from her.

Page doesn’t know it yet, but her perfect new school has dark roots–roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society with rumored ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will be forced to learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.

Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories should stay buried.

Content Warning: self-harm, violence, demon possession

This book definitely got the gothic, dark academia part down with it being set in Scotland. The setting is perfect for a boarding school filled with misfits. It’s dark, gloomy, always raining and cold, and surrounded by moors.

As for the story – something mysterious is happening at Agathion and it’s not only all the Greek philosophy being studied at the school. Something dark and sinister. That also was done very well in the book I feel, the whole atmosphere of impending doom.

Page is trying to find where she fits in at Agathion and she thought she finally found her place until she figures out what is happening at the school. Who can she really trust? Even with her new found friends, I didn’t feel like she could trust anyone until the very end. As a character, I didn’t really connect to her but I thought she had a lot of growth as the story went on. There is a little romance which I found to be kind of sweet.

I did like the chaos of everything happening in the book, there are a few twists and turns but I think there were times where too much was happening and at times it got confusing. It may just be a pacing issue for me and it being just a tad bit too long.

Final Thoughts:

I thought overall this was an entertaining read. It did take me a few days to read because of the pacing issues but I did push through even when things got confusing because a lot was going on. It’s got all the gothic vibes, a little romance, a little magic, some fantasy, and some demon possession. If you like dark academia, demons and Scottish mores, you might enjoy this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

A Hunger of Thorns by. Lili Wilkinson | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Weekly Wrap Up | 2/16/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ The Philadelphia Eagles won the Super bowl last Sunday! WOOHOO! So I was very nervous and couldn’t even watch the first of the game LOL. I could watch it after it was 24-0 BUT…knowing Kansas City, I didn’t trust that score until the end of the game. 😅 I love the Eagles but gosh my heart can’t take watching them in a super bowl. SO happy they won though.

+ More national news – but I hate the news right now. And because I hate the news, I watched Eagles highlights ALL WEEK. Just to be nice to my mental health.

+ The vog (volcanic smoke from the eruption on the Big Island) was bad on our island this week – the haze was covering the mountains. So my Monday and Tuesday started off with a headache. It always makes my allergies act up and my sinus fill up – so that wasn’t fun. Tylenol, saline spray, Claritin and a hot towel on my face did help 😅, at least to get my sinuses draining.

+ My daughter had a Honey Bee Valentine’s Day Luncheon (their mascot is the bee) on Thursday, so I went to eat lunch with her. It’s always crazy and chaotic at these luncheon events, and always so quick. I only have 20 minutes with her out of their 30 minute lunch – she wants to play at lunch recess lol. So that was a quick event but glad I could be there with her.

+ Kids have a 4 day weekend, which is nice.

I hope you all have a great week!

Blog Posts:

Books I Read:

Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Super Bowl 59 – Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles – yay, the Eagles won!
  • Kendrick Lamar – GNX album

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!