By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

Title: By the Book (Meant to Be #2)

Author: Jasmine Guillory

Publisher: Hyperion Avenue 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 320

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Romance Author (actually works in book industry) Finds Romance; Fairytale Retelling - Beauty and the Beast

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 4

Sometimes to truly know a person, you have to read between the lines.

Isabelle is completely lost. When she first began her career in publishing after college, she did not expect to be twenty-five, still living at home, and one of the few Black employees at her publishing house. Overworked and underpaid, constantly torn between speaking up or stifling herself, Izzy thinks there must be more to this publishing life. So when she overhears her boss complaining about a beastly high-profile author who has failed to deliver his long-awaited manuscript, Isabelle sees an opportunity to finally get the promotion she deserves.

All she has to do is go to the author’s Santa Barbara mansion and give him a pep talk or three. How hard could it be?

But Izzy quickly finds out she is in over her head. Beau Towers is not some celebrity lightweight writing a tell-all memoir. He is jaded and withdrawn and―it turns out―just as lost as Izzy. But despite his standoffishness, Izzy needs Beau to deliver, and with her encouragement, his story begins to spill onto the page. They soon discover they have more in common than either of them expected, and as their deadline nears, Izzy and Beau begin to realize there may be something there that wasn't there before.

Ooof. I think I am not a fan of Jasmine Guillory. I desperately want to like her books, but the two that I have read have just not intrigued me. For this one, the characters seem way too young to be the actual ages they are supposed to be. I found Izzy to be way too naive and grating as a character. I found her to be too much at times. Usually I like the grump and sunshine trope, but this one really fell flat for me. Izzy is too much and Beau gives us nothing. In fact, I was super annoyed the revelation late in the book that Beau had been keeping a secret journal this whole time in which he expressed his love for Izzy very early on. I just could not with that part of the book.

Meant to Be:

• #1 If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

• #2 By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

• #3 Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova

• #4 Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren

• #5 Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Next up on the TBR pile:

Year Zero Vol. 2

Title: Year Zero Vol. 2

Author: Benjamin Percy, Kaare Andrews, Juan Jose Ryp, Frank Martin

Publisher: Artists, Writers, and Artisans 2020

Genre: Graphic Novel Horror

Pages: 144

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Reading Season

Where I Got It: Library

Upshot's hit series Year Zero returns with four new harrowing tales of survival from around a post apocalyptic world, set several months after the events on Volume One: A grizzled Norwegian sea captain and her two young grandchildren navigate an ocean teeming with undead while eluding the relentless pirates on their trail. A Colombian cartel boss indulges all of his most sadistic whims unaware that a threat far greater than zombies is headed toward his jungle fortress. A Rwandan doctor must overcome the crippling fear that has plagued him all his life as he stumbles through the African bush. And a pregnant woman barricaded in an American big box store discovers that the greatest threat to her life – and her unborn child's – might not be undead. Benjamin Percy (Wolverine, X-Force) once again pens this global look at the zombie apocalypse, now joined by artist Juan Jose Ryp (Britannia) and colorist Frank Martin (Infinity Wars).

Another great collection of stories. I really enjoyed the Norwegian sea captain story. We get to see children added into the mix and a fun setting. I also really enjoyed the art style of that story. It was bleak and yet fun of emotion and action. Another great collection of stories from the zombie apocalypse.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Year Zero Vol. 1

Title: Year Zero Vol. 1

Author: Benjamin Percy, Ramon Rosanas, Kaare Andrews, Lee Loughridge

Publisher: Artists, Writers, and Artisans 2020

Genre: Graphic Novel Horror

Pages: 144

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Reading Season

Where I Got It: Library

Ben Percy (Wolverine) and Ramon Rosanas (Star Wars: Age of Resistance) team up to present an epic tale that offers a global look at the Zombie Apocalypse. A Japanese hitman, a Mexican street urchin, an Afghan military aide, a Polar research scientist, a midwestern American survivalist – five survivors of a horrific global epidemic who must draw upon their unique skills and deepest instincts to navigate a world of shambling dead. Year Zero wrestles with the weighty moral and theological questions posed by the pandemic and investigates its cause and possible cure.

I cycled back around to the actual beginning of this series. Love the multiple storylines as we watch the zombie apocalypse unfold. My favorite was definitely the Afghan military aide story. I found her story to be very compelling even within such a short amount of time. I sped through this collection as I could not put it down. Love this spooky story for spooky reading season.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates

Title: Ghost Camera

Author: Darcy Coates

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press 2024

Genre: Horror

Pages: 352

Rating: /5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

When Jenine finds an abandoned polaroid camera, she playfully snaps a photo without a second thought. But there's something wrong with the image: a ghostly figure stands in the background, watching her.

Fixated on her.

Moving one step closer with every picture she takes.

Desperate, Jenine shares her secret with her best friend, Bree. Together they realize the camera captures unsettling impressions of the dead. But now the ghosts seem to be following the two friends. And with each new photo taken, a terrible danger grows ever clearer…

This is actually a reimagined version of one of Coates’ first stories. Ghost Camera is the novella included in this otherwise collection of short stories. Short story collections are not usually my favorite as they tend to be very uneven. This one isn’t an exception, but I still did enjoy most of the stories included. Ghost Camera is the stand out featuring a few very creepy scenes. I loved using the camera as a device to explore the creepy otherworld. Loved it.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher

Title: Paladin’s Grace (The Saint of Steel #1)

Author: T. Kingfisher

Publisher: Argyll Productions 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 364

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love

Where I Got It: Library

Stephen’s god died on the longest day of the year…

Three years later, Stephen is a broken paladin, living only for the chance to be useful before he dies. But all that changes when he encounters a fugitive named Grace in an alley and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now the pair must navigate a web of treachery, beset on all sides by spies and poisoners, while a cryptic killer stalks one step behind…

Another winner from T. Kingfisher. I have loved all of her books except for one (The Twisted Ones). I enjoy her brand of action, adventure fantasy/horror with great characters. I did not realize that this book is actually part of a larger universe. It can be read first, but I will have to put Swordheart on my TBR list for a later date. For this book, we meet two real characters, Stephen and Grace, that find themselves in a much larger mystery than their everyday lives. As the mystery unfolds, we are right there with our characters puzzling out the clues and hoping that they find freedom and maybe even love. This volume sets up a great larger storyline featuring the former Saints of Steel.

The Saint of Steel

• #1 Paladin’s Grace

• #2 Paladin’s Strength

• #3 Paladin’s Hope

• #4 Paladin’s Faith

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

Title: Ink Blood Sister Scribe

Author: Emma Törzs

Publisher: William Morrow 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 416

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Book of the Month June 2023

For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements—books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect.

All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna’s isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they’ll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries . . .

I was so very excited about this book when I bought it and then it just sat in my room for months… I finally cracked it open this Spooky Season and was ultimately disappointedly. The story and the reveals moved so slowly at times that I put the book down and would forget to pick it up. I wanted more. More movement, more growth, more magic. At times, the sisters were written and acted like they were teenagers instead of their actual ages. Their immaturity really got to me at times. I wanted to see two slightly lost women reconnecting with each other and finding a place. But they spend most of the book just flailing around. I think I might have reached my fill of incapable characters.

Next up on the TBR pile:

That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemmin

Title: That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf(Mead Mishaps #2)

Author: Kimberly Lemming

Publisher: Orbit 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Holiday I Don’t Celebrate (because it’s fictional)

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 7

Brie’s never been particularly coordinated…or lucky. Who else would accidentally throw a drink at someone’s head only to miss entirely and hit a stranger behind them? And who else would have that stranger fall madly in love with them because it turns out that the drink she threw was a love potion? Yeah, probably just Brie.…
 
Running her cheese business and dealing with a pirate ship full of demons that just moved into town was hard enough. Now on top of it, she has to convince a werewolf that she’s not really his fated mate. Though even she’s got to admit…having a gorgeous man show up and do all her chores while telling her she’s beautiful isn’t the worst thing to happen to a girl.

The second book in this series and I was so hoping to get Felix’s story after meeting him. Thankfully that’s the story we get. Brie and the werewolf Felix become mates, but have to navigate the mystery of disappearing women. Once again, we get a blend of romance and adventure. Both of those things don’t kick into high gear until the last third of the book, but it’s a short volume overall. I was okay with the pace as we get to know the characters before the action really starts. I loved the mystery of this one and how it pushes forward the world narrative. Mostly definitely I will be picking up the third book. I might also try to get the two novellas/short stories.

Mead Mishaps

• #1 That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon

• #1.5 Mistlefoe

• #2 That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf

• #2.5 A Bump in Boohail

• #3 That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human

Next up on the TBR pile:

Year Zero Vol. 0

Title: Year Zero Vol. 0

Author: Daniel Kraus, Goran Sudžuka

Publisher: Artists, Writers, and Artisans 2023

Genre: Graphic Novel Horror

Pages: 128

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

In this action-packed prelude to the hit series, acclaimed horror writer Daniel Kraus (George Romero's The Living Dead, The Autumnal) unveils four globe-spanning tales from the earliest days of the zombie apocalypse when even the wildest rumors couldn't measure up to the horror to come. A streetwise Russian cop patrols the back alleys of the opportunistic black market that emerges in response to the crisis...a North Korean soldier observes strange happenings on the DMZ...An E.R. nurse in the rural South fights to protect her hospital from threats without and within...A transgender flight attendant who has observed disturbing clues as she crisscrosses the globe keeps a wary eye on the passenger in seat 23C.

I somehow completely missed this series. I absolutely love zombie stories so I definitely needed to grab this one. I didn’t even realize that this is prequel, but it was still a fun ride to see the beginnings of a zombie apocalypse. We follow a few characters as they slowly get the sense that something terrible is happening. The Korean storyline was my favorite. We get a few very introspective conversations and monologues by those characters. I really loved the reveals as the stories progressed. I most definitely need to keep reading this series.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Behind the Horror by Lee Mellor

Title: Behind the Horror: True Stories that Inspired Horror Movies

Author: Lee Mellor

Publisher: DK 2020

Genre: Nonfiction - True Crime

Pages: 288

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

Where I Got It: Library

Which case of demonic possession inspired The Exorcist? What horrifying front-page story generated the idea for A Nightmare on Elm Street? Which film was based on the infamous skin-wearing murderer Ed Gein?

Unearth the terrifying and true tales behind some of the scariest Horror movies to ever haunt our screens, including the Enfield poltergeist case that was retold in The Conjuring 2 and the serial killers who inspired Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

Behind the Horror dissects these and other bizarre tales to reveal haunting real-life stories of abduction, disappearance, murder, and exorcism.

Overall, the stories behind the horror movies are pretty uneven. A few were very detailed and sufficiently creepy. I loved the chapters that detailed the background of the The Exorcist and Poltergeist. I found some of the chapters very detailed and informative. But then many of the chapters were too plodding. I found myself getting bogged down in some of the details. And a few times even I found the details to be too gross.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holton

Title: The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love (Love’s Academic #1)

Author: India Holton

Publisher: Berkley 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 384

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf RC; She Reads Romance - Only One Bed (repeated!)

Where I Got It: Book of the Month September 2024

Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, stealing both her bird and her imagination like a villain. Albeit a handsome and charming villain, but that's beside the point. As someone highly educated in the ruthless discipline of ornithology, Beth knows trouble when she sees it, and she is determined to keep her distance from Devon. 

For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Professor Beth Pickering. She's so pretty, so polite, so capable of bringing down a fiery, deadly bird using only her wits. In other words, an angel. Devon understands he must not get close to her, however, since they're professional rivals. 

When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. Now keeping their distance becomes a question of one bed or two. But they must take the risk, because fowl play is afoot, and they can't trust anyone else—for all may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology.

A new series from India Holton! I must have it immediately! And thankfully this one was just as delightful as her previous series. In here, we get a colleagues and competitors to romance story. It’s not quite an enemies-to-lovers tropes but a bit more gentle than that. Devon and Beth are thrust together by their own choices and the machinations of a pair of black-clad gentleman for a madcap adventure to capture a rare bird. Along the way we encounter some peril, multiple one-room-in-the-inn situations, competing ornithologists, some protective French fisherman, and a whole lot of swoony moments. I loved seeing Beth and Devon succumb to their mutual admiration and attraction. Overall, a delightful adventure romance with equal parts. I can’t wait until Gabriel’s story!

Love’s Academic

• #1 The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love

• #2 The Geographer’s Map to Romance

Next up on the TBR pile:

Dead Lake by Darcy Coates

Title: Dead Lake

Author: Darcy Coates

Publisher: Black Owl Books 2020

Genre: Horror

Pages: 158

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; In Case You Missed It - 2020

Where I Got It: Library

A week's visit to the remote Harob Lake cabin couldn't have come at a better time for Sam.

She's battling artist's block ahead of a major gallery exhibition. Staying at the lake house is her final, desperate attempt to paint the collection that could save her floundering career. It seems perfect: no neighbors, no phone, no distractions.

But the dream retreat disintegrates into a nightmare when Sam sees a stranger by the lake.

A tall, mysterious man stands on the edge of her dock, staring intently into the swirling waters below. He starts to follow her. He disables her car. He destroys her only way to communicate with the outside world. And something about the man seems… unnatural.

Soon Sam suspects he's responsible for the series of disappearances from a nearby hiking trail.

Completely stranded, Sam realizes she's become the prey in the hunter's deadliest game…

Another fun creepy Darcy Coates book for my Spooky Season. I didn’t realize that this was actual a novella and a few short stories. But I still really enjoyed each story. The novella was a fun take on the isolated cabin and a killer in the woods with a supernatural bend. As always, Coates excels at the creepy imagery that gets me every time. The second story featuring a monster in the woods was my favorite of the collection. I was truly horrified by that one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

Title: Phantasma (Wicked Games #1)

Author: Kaylie Smith

Publisher: Forever 2024

Genre: Fantasy; Horror

Pages: 461

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Book of the Month September 2024

Spice Rating: 5

Welcome to Phantasma.

There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love.

When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him. Blackwell doesn’t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart…

Wicked Games

• #1 Phantasma

• #2 Enchantra

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lost Boy by Christina Henry

Title: Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook

Author: Christina Henry

Publisher: Titan Books 2017

Genre: Horror; Fantasy

Pages: 292

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retellings; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy.
 
Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter's idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite.

Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever. Peter lies.

This book has been on my TBR list for years now. I had previously enjoyed Henry’s brand of mixing horror and fairy tales and this one definitely hit the spot. Right away, we know that we are going dive deep into how Jamie become Captain Hook. I was hoping for a villainous portrayal of Peter Pan and I got exactly what I was hoping for. In fact, he was much more horrendous than even I imagined. (I have always very much disliked the Peter Pan character from literature and the movie/tv versions.) We quickly learn how demented Peter is and attempt to navigate his impossible situations alongside Jamie and the other Lost Boys. In a short amount of time, I really came to care for those kids. But I knew that this story was not going to end well. Overall, this one is not for squeamish people and especially not for anyone who cannot handle violence involved children.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

Title: A Sorceress Comes to Call

Author: T. Kingfisher

Publisher: Tor Books 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 336

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project

Where I Got It: Book of the Month September 2024

Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this house—and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him.

But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t evil sorcerers.

When her mother unexpectedly moves them into the manor home of a wealthy older Squire and his kind but keen-eyed sister, Hester, Cordelia knows this welcoming pair are to be her mother's next victims. But Cordelia feels at home for the very first time among these people, and as her mother's plans darken, she must decide how to face the woman who raised her to save the people who have become like family.

Loved loved loved this book! I have loved almost everything that T. Kingfisher has put out. I love her blend of horror, fantasy, and fairy tales. The blend makes her book shave a great atmospheric quality mixed with solid plots. For this book, I wasn’t sure what we were getting at first. I was not super excited to spend 300+ pages with Cordelia as our narrator. Thankfully, we are introduced to Hester pretty quickly and from then on we get two narrators. Much better! I loved seeing the story and the situations play out from each perspective. The suspense ratchets up throughout the first half of the book leading to some great scenes. And then the plot kicks into high-gear and we get one long adventure leading to the conclusion of the book. I loved it!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Book of Night by Holly Black

Title: Book of Night (Book of Night #1)

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Tor Books 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 304

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Book of the Month May 2022

Charlie Hall has never found a lock she couldn’t pick, a book she couldn’t steal, or a bad decision she wouldn’t make.

She's spent half her life working for gloamists, magicians who manipulate shadows to peer into locked rooms, strangle people in their beds, or worse. Gloamists guard their secrets greedily, creating an underground economy of grimoires. And to rob their fellow magicians, they need Charlie Hall.

Now, she’s trying to distance herself from past mistakes, but getting out isn’t easy. Bartending at a dive, she’s still entirely too close to the corrupt underbelly of the Berkshires. Not to mention that her sister Posey is desperate for magic, and that Charlie's shadowless, and possibly soulless, boyfriend has been hiding things from her. When a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie descends into a maelstrom of murder and lies.

Determined to survive, she’s up against a cast of doppelgangers, mercurial billionaires, gloamists, and the people she loves best in the world—all trying to steal a secret that will give them vast and terrible power.

So very disappointed by this book. I was intrigued by the summary and interested in reading a dark magical story featuring a scrappy protagonist. What I got was a meandering, boring story featuring a highly unlikable main character. Charlie lies, cheats, and steals, even to and from those she loves to accomplish some very unspecified goals in life. I never found myself connecting to her. I also was very annoyed by those surrounding Charlie. Posey is terrible in her own way. And I hated that Vince keep everything important secret. I’m really sick of books where every character keeps very important information from the people who need it the most. All for a perceived gift for another character. Very annoying. As for the storyline itself, I was continuously annoyed by the interlude chapters about Charlie’s past. I really didn’t need all those long chapters detailing her past transgression. We get it. I would have cut most of those and focused more on the present.

Book of Night

• #1 Book of Night

• #2 Thief of Night

Next up on the TBR pile:

From Below by Darcy Coates

Title: From Below

Author: Darcy Coates

Publisher: Poisoned Press 2022

Genre: Horror

Pages: 469

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season RC

Where I Got It: Library

Years ago, the SS Arcadia vanished without a trace during a routine voyage. Though a strange, garbled emergency message was broadcast, neither the ship nor any of its crew could be found. Sixty years later, its wreck has finally been discovered more than three hundred miles from its intended course...a silent graveyard deep beneath the ocean's surface, eagerly waiting for the first sign of life.

Cove and her dive team have been granted permission to explore the Arcadia's rusting hull. Their purpose is straightforward: examine the wreck, film everything, and, if possible, uncover how and why the supposedly unsinkable ship vanished.

But the Arcadia has not yet had its fill of death, and something dark and hungry watches from below. With limited oxygen and the ship slowly closing in around them, Cove and her team will have to fight their way free of the unspeakable horror now desperate to claim them.

I also enjoy a Darcy Coates book for some spooky fun. This one involves a sunken ship and lots of creepy creepy scenes. I will say that every Coates book is a wild ride. I never know exactly where we are going and I really enjoy the journey. We dive in (haha) to this story featuring a cast of unreliable characters on a mission. I suspected every single one these characters of having nefarious intentions on the mission. With every chapter, the tension and creep factor increased. I ended up speeding through the book dreading what they were going to find inside the ship. Once the horror begin to be revealed, I was thoroughly horrified. Lovely!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz

Title: The Terraformers

Author: Annalee Newitz

Publisher: Tor Books 2023

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 338

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Lifetime - Intergenerational

Where I Got It: Library

Destry's life is dedicated to terraforming Sask-E. As part of the Environmental Rescue Team, she cares for the planet and its burgeoning eco-systems as her parents and their parents did before her.

But the bright, clean future they're building comes under threat when Destry discovers a city full of people that shouldn’t exist, hidden inside a massive volcano.

As she uncovers more about their past, Destry begins to question the mission she's devoted her life to, and must make a choice that will reverberate through Sask-E's future for generations to come.

Goodness, I had such high hopes for this one. I was intrigued by the initial chapters. I wanted to learn so much more about how this world actually works. I was intrigued by the mysterious underground city. I wanted to follow along with Destry’s life. Unfortunately the story completely changed with a huge time jump. I was very annoyed to leave my characters behind for a whole new cast. I also felt like the messages became much more simplistic and reductive. I would have liked a more nuanced message and story. I know that our book club discussion will be great full of interesting opinions and insights.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lore Olympus Vol. 6 by Rachel Smythe

Title: Lore Olympus Volume 6

Author: Rachel Smythe

Publisher: Del Rey

Genre: Fantasy Comic

Pages: 432

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

“We have to make an example of her.”

Chaos reigns in Olympus as Zeus publicly declares Persephone a traitor and issues a warrant for her arrest. But Hades defies his brother’s decree, sheltering Persephone in the Underworld—and as the pair spend more time together, they are able to speak openly about their pasts. The goddess of spring admits the truth behind the bloody secret that led to Zeus’s ire, and the king of the Underworld shares the trauma he suffered at the hands of his power-hungry father, Kronos.

But as Hades and Persephone’s relationship grows stronger, others begin to fall apart. The bond between Hades and Zeus is stretched to its limit, threatening to fracture the peace between their realms. Persephone and Artemis’s friendship hangs by a thread as the goddess of the hunt slowly uncovers the vile truth about her twin, Apollo. A line is being drawn in the heavens, putting everyone’s loyalties into question as all the gods are forced to choose sides.

And as the cracks in the foundation of the pantheon spread, something darker and more earth-shattering might soon be released. . . .

This edition of Smythe’s original Eisner Award–winning webcomic Lore Olympus features exclusive behind-the-scenes content and brings the Greek pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 127–152 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.

Finally I grabbed this volume of one of my favorite comic series. I loved how the story actually moved forward in this volume. The last one did not move the plot along very much. We finally get to see more perspectives of Persephone and move along her relationship with Hades. And that last issue was a doozy. I am very interested to see where Smythe takes this story next. Cannot wait for the next volume.

Next up on the TBR pile:

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

Title: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon (Mead Mishaps #1)

Author: Kimberly Lemming

Publisher: Orbit Books 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 288

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Social Media Rec; In Case You Missed It - 2022

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 6

Spice trader Cinnamon’s quiet life is turned upside down when she ends up on a quest with a fiery demon, in this irreverently quirky rom-com fantasy that is sweet, steamy, and funny as hell.
 
All she wanted to do was live her life in peace—maybe get a cat, expand the family spice farm. Really, anything that didn’t involve going on an adventure where an orc might rip her face off. But they say the goddess has favorites, and if so, Cin is clearly not one of them.
 
After Cin saves the demon Fallon in a wine-drunk stupor, Fallon reveals that all he really wants to do is kill an evil witch enslaving his people. And who can blame him? But now he’s dragging Cinnamon along for the ride whether she likes it or not. On the bright side, at least he keeps burning off his shirt.…

This book had been on my radar but kept getting pushed down. Thankfully I grabbed it from the library as it was the perfect read for me this week. I took a little teensy break from the spooky to enjoy some fantasy romance adventure. This is a great mix of genres that reminded me of the movie Romancing the Stone. We get an unlikely pairing on a quest to find (in this case destroy) artifacts. I loved the humor and banter between Fallon and Cinnamon as they enter uncharted territory. The action sequences were great fun and fast-paced. The romance was swoony and very cute. I loved very page of this novel and cannot wait to grab the second one.

Mead Mishaps

• #1 That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon

• #1.5 Mistlefoe

• #2 That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf

• #2.5 A Bump in Boohail

• #3 That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human

Next up on the TBR pile:

Never Whistle at Night

Title: Never Whistle at Night

Author: Various

Publisher: Vintage 2023

Genre: Short Story Horror

Pages: 400

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Indigenous Culture; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home.

These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones, these stories are a celebration of Indigenous peoples’ survival and imagination, and a glorious reveling in all the things an ill-advised whistle might summon.

Randomly found this collection of horror filled stories at the library and knew that I needed to read it. Like every short story collection, some stories are outstanding, while some are not-so-great. Thankfully this collection erred on the better side. I found myself actually a bit creeped out by many of the stories included. I especially loved the ones that incoprotated folklore and mythology into the horror. The ones that were much more based on the horror of current life didn’t work as well for me. I’m not as much of a real-life horror fan. I like the weird, the strange, and the supernatural. Overall, this was a good collection and shared a lot about indigenous life.

Next up on the TBR pile: