T5W - Freebie (Stories I'm Looking For)

This week the Top Five Wednesday was a freebie and I focused on story ideas or story topics I have been looking for in books. Some of these are specific while others are more general.

Top Ten Books I've Added to My TBR Pile Recently

As always if you would like to participate in Top Ten Tuesday, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl for topics and more information! 

This week I'm trying to stay in line with my goal of focusing on my owned TBR by talking about the 10 books I've purchased most recently instead of my initial plan to feature the 10 most recent adds to my Goodreads "Want to Read" shelf. In 2019 I'm doing my best to ignore my desire to buy the most recently release. Instead I want to read books I already own!

Surprise surprise I also bought my last book before Christmas so congratulate me on my no-buy success thus far. This week the books go in reverse order. Daughters of the Storm is my most recent purchase and we go back in time from there.

 

 

 

 

What books have you picked up or added to your TBR recently? Which one are you most excited about?

My Last Top Ten ---> Top Ten Books I Meant to Read in 2018

Review - River Marked by Patricia Briggs

Series: Mercy Thompson #6

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Age Group: Adult

Hardcover - 326 pgs

Source: Purchased Used

Published: March 2011
Ace Books

Add it // Buy it

Rating: 3.5/5

Coyote shifter Mercy Thompson knows that life with her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will never be boring, but even their wedding doesn't go as planned. Nevertheless, a ten-day honeymoon camping on the banks of the Columbia River, alone, just the two of them, should make up for it. But the trip - and the pimped-out trailer they're using - is courtesy of the fae. And nothing from the fae comes without strings attached...

Being a different breed of shapeshifter - a walker - Mercy can see ghosts, but the spirit of her long-gone father has never visited her. Until now. An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River - and innocent people are dying. As other walkers make their presence know to Mercy, she must reconnect with her heritage to exorcise the world of the legend known as the river devil. 

Overall, I'm really enjoying this series. Unfortunately just like Silver Borne most of the impact and thrill of this story has faded over time. The details have also disappeared from my memory banks. None of that takes away from the fact I enjoyed this story and am enjoying the overall series. This series hasn't wowed me quite like the Kate Daniels series did and, even though it is unfair, I've been comparing them as I read. This book took a hit because the larger story made zero progress. While exploring Mercy's heritage was interesting and provided some answers I had, this removed us from the set of characters we know and love to tackle a side plot.

While reading it I remember enjoying the story and being amused Mercy is so easily thrown into trouble. Honestly, Adam should be used to it and expect Mercy to sniff out trouble or for it to find her. I like both of their characters. Adam grows on me the further into the series we go and, while he is a bit overbearing, he and Mercy are balancing each other out nicely.

I wasn't able to find an own voices review about this book unfortunately. While I enjoyed the story, I would be interested to see what a Native American reader thought of Brigg's use of the lore as she dives deep into it in this book.

My thoughts on the next book will follow soon as I've broken my rule and continued on with the series without a review of the previous book. 

My Last Review --> The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove 

T5W - Top Books On My TBR

Though I think this topic was meant to focus on the books you want to read the most, I wanted to talk about the audiobooks I want to try. I've added a lot of audiobooks to my TBR over the past few years and searched out which books on my TBR are available as audiobooks. These are the ones I'm most excited about.

Top Ten Tuesday - Books I Meant to Read In 2018 but Didn’t Get To

Last year I didn't read the things I wanted to. In general I had a good reading year, but it wasn't a great reading year. Here are 10 books I didn't read that I didn't pick up. My biggest regret is not reading The Hate You Give last year. I started it twice and never finished it. Eventually I will read them all.

As always visit That Artsy Reader Girl for more Top Ten Tuesday topics and a list of who is participating.

  

  

  

Weekend Recap - January 18th - 20th

Weekend Recap - I've never done one of these before. A few of the blogs I follow do weekly reading wrap ups either on Youtube or written out. So, I thought I'd try it out. Let me know what you think!

Today is a holiday and I am absolutely thrilled to have the day off. This time of year is hectic at my work and I've never had Martin Luther King Day off before. The people in charge changed our holiday policy this year for which I am grateful and stressed! I had to work both days this weekend so I'm excited to have off even though I know we will have a lot to catch up on.

This weekend started off on a high note. On Friday my sister and I visited our parents. We had tacos for dinner and spent some quality time with our family dog. Molly is a black lab who is an absolutely sweetie. After a long day at work, it was nice to have her welcome me at the door. I haven't spent quality time with her for a couple of weeks so it was lovely to see her and eat some home cooking!

Friday wasn't a great reading day but I did fit in some audiobook time before work and before I went to bed. I listened to The Yard which is gruesome so far but interesting. I also took Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy with me to work and made some progress. All of these were small gains, but gains nonetheless! (Can you tell I'm watching football while I type up this post?) 

Saturday and Sunday were almost the same. Like I mentioned I worked both days so I tried to be productive in the morning. On Saturday I did some blog work and some cooking while listening to my audiobook. I am listening to Etiquette and Espionage as well as The Yard. E&E is more fun and I've read it before so I can pay less attention to it. I'm mostly rereading this to catch some of the hints and foreshadowing for the next books and the Parasol Protectorate Series. Sunday was another morning of chores and errands while I listened to audio.  

On Sunday at work I finally finished the Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy! It has been a while since I read a Cassandra Clare book. While I'm not a huge fan of her writing style, she does create a compelling story and interesting characters. I am tempted to jump into Lady Midnight before next month which is when I was planning to read it. 

I'm hoping this week I can finish both audiobooks I've already started and maybe one of the books I have hanging on my Currently Reading shelf. However, I work extended hours the rest of the week so that may not happen! 

What did you read last week? Did you start or finish anything you were excited about or you would recommend? 

Video Games I Want to Play in 2019

One of the goals I mentioned in my 2019 goals video was to play five video games this year. Even though that might not sound like much, each game is a lot of hours for me to log when I have many other hobbies and activities. Last year I only finished four even though I logged many hours in a fifth. Hopefully 2019 is more successful. This year I want to play some of the games I already have rather than buying more. Here are a few I want to focus on this year! 

Review - The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove

Series: The Mapmaker's Trilogy

Genre: Fantasy

Age Group: Middle Grade

Hardcover/Audiobook 

Source: Purchased/Library

Published - June 2014

Add it // Buy it

Rating: 3.5/5

Boston, 1891. Sophia Tims comes from a family of explorers and cartologers who, for generations, have been traveling and mapping the New World—a world changed by the Great Disruption of 1799, when all the continents were flung into different time periods.  Eight years ago, her parents left her with her uncle Shadrack, the foremost cartologer in Boston, and went on an urgent mission. They never returned. Life with her brilliant, absent-minded, adored uncle has taught Sophia to take care of herself.

Then Shadrack is kidnapped. And Sophia, who has rarely been outside of Boston, is the only one who can search for him. Together with Theo, a refugee from the West, she travels over rough terrain and uncharted ocean, encounters pirates and traders, and relies on a combination of Shadrack’s maps, common sense, and her own slantwise powers of observation. But even as Sophia and Theo try to save Shadrack’s life, they are in danger of losing their own.

Half way through last year I chose a few books off my shelf that I hadn’t read or had tried and given up on to donate. This was one of the books on that pile, but it kept catching my eye when I walked past it. So, I decided to give it a try before sending it off with the rest. (All the others left I promise)

It turned out to be an exciting and fun adventure story. The world building and story of how the world came into existence was quite interesting. The idea was unique and well crafted. I believed the world had been split and changed into something foreign. In fact, at the beginning of the novel the rhetoric was so similar to the language used today around immigration I felt sick. Even though this story was written several years ago and the story is set in a fantastical version of our own, the feeling was the same and I had to listen to that section in small doses.

 The characters had compelling stories and I loved learning how this world worked. Sophia and her uncle felt genuinely close and I adored their relationship. The side characters were well fleshed out and I loved hearing about their histories as Sophia collects a merry band of people around her. Throughout the story the stakes felt real and very high for Sophia. She was brave and resourceful. Overall, she’s a great character for middle grade readers and adult to fall in love with.

My only quibble with this story was the ending. I was fully invested until the end when the wheels came off a bit. I think the author was trying to do too much and none of it came across as well thought out as the rest of the book. I’m hoping I can find the rest of the series on audiobook since the first was really well narrated.

My Last Review ---> Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Bout of Books Vlog

Earlier this month I participated in the 24th round of  Bout of Books. This is my favorite readathon to participate in and I had a lot of success this time. This readathon happens three times a year and the next round will be in May if you want to join in!

I decided to film my week. I am a bit repetitive about my busy work and about Gail Carriger's readalong. So I apologize for that! I hope you had a lot of reading success this month and had a great start to 2019!

Books Mentioned: 

Becoming by Michelle Obama

The Curious Case of... by Gail Carriger

Herding Cats by Sarah Andersen 

Uprooted by Naomi Novik 

The Yard by Alex Grecian 

Hope Against History by Jack Holland

Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

2019 TBR: Jan - June

This year I'm focused on reading my own books. I'm going to do my best to read my owned books and this is part of that project. I rarely stick to TBRs, but I keep trying! Check out this video for six books I want to read before the middle of the year.

Review - Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Series: The Sixth World #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy 

Age Group: Adult

Paperbook - 304 pgs

Source: Purchased 

Published- June 2018

Add it // Buy it

Rating: 4.5/5

While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land, but so do monsters.

Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last best hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine.

Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel the rez, unraveling clues from ancient legends, trading favors with tricksters, and battling dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology.

This was such an excellent surprise I wasn't sure what to do with it. Overall this was an original and interesting urban fantasy. I was really excited to read it and it did not disappoint me. The world building is fascinating. Maggie's heritage and personal history is as important as the world's history and they are revealed in equal measure throughout the book. While Maggie hunts monsters, we see humans can be just as monstrous in this post-apocalyptic world.    

Maggie and Kai were the highlight of the novel for me. All the characters are interesting and felt fully developed no matter how little time they spent on the page. Kai was charming and amusing which really helped Maggie come out of her shell both for him and the reader. Their interactions helped lighten the novel in-between monster hunts and violent interactions. Maggie is dealing with some serious personal problems and traumatic events. Throughout the novel I could see her struggle with her self confidence and how to trust others. I liked that these feelings didn't magically disappear as the novel went on, instead she struggles more as she is required to interact with more people.

The only issue I think this book had was pacing. The beginning is a bit slow even though we are thrown right into the fire as Maggie takes on a violent and gruesome job. Then towards the end a lot comes together at once. It is very compressed and very fast. Personally, I think parts of the plot could have been stretched into two books so they were more developed and there was more time to build the world.

My Last Review---> Wanted, A Gentleman by KJ Charles

December Wrap Up

Though we've already moved into 2019, I wanted to wrap up everything I read at the end of last year. December wasn't a spectacular reading month. In fact, I read very few books, but I combined my reading wrap up and book haul. Both were going to be short so I made it one video!

Top Ten Tuesday - Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2019

This year in 2019 I am determined to have a good reading year. Very few of the books I read in 2018 knocked my socks off. This year I'm determined to pick good books and read the ones on my shelves. Even so there are some books coming out that look stellar! I can't wait to check some of these out!

As always visit That Artsy Reader Girl for more topics and a full list of people participating in Top Ten Tuesday.

1) King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo (Expected Release: January 29th) - Honestly I can't wait to be back in the Grisha Universe and see Nikolai on the page again. I've missed him so much! I love how Bardugo continues to expand her world.

2) The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi (Expected Release: January 15th)- This wasn't on my radar up until a few days ago when Sam from Thoughts on Tomes read and loved it. I've only read one of Chokshi's other books but I hope to read this one in 2019.

3) The Curse So Dark and Lovely by Brigid Kemmerer (Excepted Release - January 29th) - A Beauty and the Beast retelling will always capture my attention. It goes double when Kemmerer writes the book. I love her contemporaries and I cannot wait to read this!

  

4) Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers (Expected Publication: February 5th) - This is probably my most anticipated release. I loved the Grave Mercy Trilogy and especially Sybella who will make another appearance in this book. 

5) Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan (Expected Release: April 2nd) - The story has intrigued me but that cover is what really grabbed by attention. 

6) We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizel - Expected Release - May 14th) I've been hearing about this book on twitter for years and I'm so excited it finally will be in readers' hands. The story sounds incredible and I can't wait to read it! 

   

7) The Red Scrolls by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu (Expected Release: April 2nd) - I am not caught up on the Shadowhunter World at all, but this book is motivating me to read quickly! All I know is this book is about Alex and Magnus and that is all I want from a book. 

8) Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson (Expected Release: June 4th) - Very cool premise about libraries and magic. I missed The Enchantment of Ravens last year and this sounds even better. 

9) Sherwood by Megan Spooner (Expected Release: March 19th) - Female Robin Hood!!!!! 

10) Storm Cursed by Mercy Thompson (Expected Release: May 7th)- I still have a few books to read before I'm caught up on this series but I am still excited for this next release! 

  

My Last Top Ten Tuesday ---> Top Ten Books I Hope to Find Under My Christmas Tree

Review - Wanted, A Gentleman by KJ Charles

Series: Standalone

Genre: Historical Romance

Age Group: Adult

Ebook - 155 pgs

Source: Scribd

Published: January 2017 

Add it // Buy it

Rating: 3.5/5

Act the First:

the offices of the Matrimonial Advertiser, London

where Lonely Hearts may seek one another for the cost of a shilling

Act the Second:

a Pursuit to Gretna Green (or thereabouts)

featuring:

a speedy Carriage

sundry rustic Inns

a private Bed-chamber

While this was fast-paced and compelling, the romance didn't grab me quite like some of Charles' other couple have. There wasn't quite as much slow burn which is what I keep coming back for in her novels. Since it is less than two hundred pages I flew through it. Even so, at times it felt like it could use more time to fully develop some of the ideas as some of the plot points felt like they came from left field.

Overall, it was what I wanted from a KJ Charles book, but it was not my favorite of hers. However, this was a nice venture into a KJ Charles book I enjoyed after being less than impressed with the wrap up of the Sins of the Cities Trilogy.

My Last Review--> The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland...

End of 2018 Vlog

The end of 2018 was pretty quite around these parts. I tried to capture some of the rest and recuperation that was happening in clips for the end of the year. It isn't fancy, but I'm happy I had these moments for the first Christmas in my new home. It has been quite a year. So much has happened and a lot is about to happen so it was nice to take a moment to just relax and enjoy it.

2018 Goals Wrap Up and 2019 Goals

Happy 2019! I hope the end of 2018 has treated you well and we are all looking forward to 2019. This year I have some new goals and some familiar ones. I hope you will enjoy my review of the goals from 2018 and me laying out the new plan for a new year!