The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

Title: The Haunting of Alejandra

Author: V. Castro

Publisher: Del Rey 2023

Genre: Horror

Pages: 272

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Alejandra no longer knows who she is. To her husband, she is a wife, and to her children, a mother. To her own adoptive mother, she is a daughter. But they cannot see who Alejandra has become: a woman struggling with a darkness that threatens to consume her.

Nor can they see what Alejandra sees. In times of despair, a ghostly vision appears to her, the apparition of a crying woman in a ragged white gown.

When Alejandra visits a therapist, she begins exploring her family’s history, starting with the biological mother she never knew. As she goes deeper into the lives of the women in her family, she learns that heartbreak and tragedy are not the only things she has in common with her ancestors.

Because the crying woman was with them, too. She is La Llorona, the vengeful and murderous mother of Mexican legend. And she will not leave until Alejandra follows her mother, her grandmother, and all the women who came before her into the darkness.

But Alejandra has inherited more than just pain. She has inherited the strength and the courage of her foremothers—and she will have to summon everything they have given her to banish La Llorona forever.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this horror novel, but found that it very very scary. Not in a jump scare way at all, but in a “this is too close to real life” way. Alejandra has awakened to the fact that the life she is currently inhabiting is not one that she envisioned for herself. We get to see just how sad and out of place she is in her current situation. The parts of the book really focussed on her current life made me so sad. From there we get to learn has many of Alejandra’s ancestors felt the same way at different times in history. There is a cycle of generational trauma here that was very true to life. I was so very angry for all the women forced into situation that they did not choose. The demon figure masquerading as La Llorona just added to the horror of the situation, but it was very much secondary. This is a feminist rage book that I can get behind and recommend to anyone that can handle a bit of horror with their rage.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian

Title: Unmasked by the Marquess (Regency Imposters #1)

Author: Cat Sebastian

Publisher: Avon 2018

Genre: Romance

Pages: 304

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Courtship Row; Finishing the Series

Spice Rating: 5

The one you love…

Robert Selby is determined to see his sister make an advantageous match. But he has two problems: the Selbys have no connections or money and Robert is really a housemaid named Charity Church. She’s enjoyed every minute of her masquerade over the past six years, but she knows her pretense is nearing an end. Charity needs to see her beloved friend married well and then Robert Selby will disappear…forever.

May not be who you think…

Alistair, Marquess of Pembroke, has spent years repairing the estate ruined by his wastrel father, and nothing is more important than protecting his fortune and name. He shouldn’t be so beguiled by the charming young man who shows up on his doorstep asking for favors. And he certainly shouldn’t be thinking of all the disreputable things he’d like to do to the impertinent scamp.

But is who you need…

When Charity’s true nature is revealed, Alistair knows he can’t marry a scandalous woman in breeches, and Charity isn’t about to lace herself into a corset and play a respectable miss. Can these stubborn souls learn to sacrifice what they’ve always wanted for a love that is more than they could have imagined?

I’m a bit disappointed by this one. I had heard great things and wanted to explore a queer romance. This one just didn’t quite land for me and I’m not exactly certain why. Robin/Charity/Robert was a complicated character and I didn’t quite buy their entire motivation. I totally get their identification and nonbinary. I don’t really get their motivation when it came to the Duke and such. Or maybe it was because I didn’t buy the Duke and Robin together. They still seemed mismatched by the end of the book. I wanted a bit more conversation and connection… But I will be reading on in the series as many have said that the second one is better.

Regency Imposters

#1 Unmasked by the Marquess
#2 A Duke in Disguise
#3 A Delicate Deception

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

Title: The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (Doomsday Books #1)

Author: KJ Charles

Publisher: Sourcebooks 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Rainbow Row; Finishing the Series

Spice Rating: 5

Abandoned by his father, Gareth Inglis grew up lonely, prickly, and well-used to disappointment. Still, he longs for a connection. When he meets a charming stranger, he falls head over heels—until everything goes wrong and he's left alone again. Then Gareth's father dies, turning the shabby London clerk into Sir Gareth, with a grand house on the remote Romney Marsh and a family he doesn't know.

The Marsh is another world, a strange, empty place notorious for its ruthless gangs of smugglers. And one of them is dangerously familiar...

Joss Doomsday has run the Doomsday smuggling clan since he was a boy. When the new baronet—his old lover—agrees to testify against Joss's sister, Joss acts fast to stop him. Their reunion is anything but happy, yet after the dust settles, neither can stay away. Soon, all Joss and Gareth want is the chance to be together. But the bleak, bare Marsh holds deadly secrets. And when Gareth finds himself threatened from every side, the gentleman and the smuggler must trust one another not just with their hearts, but with their lives.

A random recommendation from a library list and it was a good one. We get a great romance between two seemingly opposite character and a big mystery. Sometimes I really enjoy a romance book that has a mystery or an action plot attached to it. We get a little something to propel the storyline forward while exploring a romance. This one was a good mix of the two. We get to meet Gareth and Joss and watch them attempt to find common ground out on the marsh. The setting really was another character in this book. I could definitely picture the surrounding area and the plants and insects that inhabit it. it made for a fun aspect to this historical romance.

The Doomsday Books

#1 The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen
#2 A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel

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Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #15

Reading: I picked up another old BOTM selection from my Unread Shelf and started reading The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker. I’m only a few chapters in and am still a bit unsure about this book. We’ll see how this goes.

Watching: We finally started Get Back, The Beatles documentary. It’s surprisingly interesting for not being a linear documentary.

Listening: Slowly slowly working my way through Hello from the Magic Tavern. I’m only like 5 years behind, but eventually I’ll get caught up (if they stop recording the show soon).

Making: Coop starts on Thursday and I’m busy prepping the supply bag. Lots of random supplies to collect and put into the correct bins and bags.

Feeling: The weather has been so humid for the past few days and I’m just feeling so muggy. It’s terrible and I hate it.

Planning: I know I’ll be teaching W7-8, nocturnal animals for the preschoolers, and I might just have to teach W5-6, photography for the preschoolers. All of this before I teach W13-18, board games for the oldest kids. I’m really trying to only teach 8 weeks this semester, but it’s not looking good. So now I need to really buckle down nd start planning.

Loving: We officially started our next school year yesterday and I’m so excited that we’re back to our school routine. Having a basic schedule for the week really helps calm my anxiety.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Linkin Park "Massive"

I really miss Chester’s voice.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #22

As I look outside my window: It’s overcast and a bit drizzly. Definitely a change from the days of sun and 90 degrees last week.

Right now I am: Sitting outside enjoying the cooler weather and drinking my coffee. I imagine that I will have to go in soon if the drizzle really turns to rain, but it’s nice right now.

Thinking and pondering: What book should I read next? Maybe one of the two below or something completely different.

On my bedside table: Wrapped Up in You by Jill Shalvis; Vampiric Vacation by Kiersten White

On my tv this week: J and I finished S3 of The Witcher while continuing to watch What We Do in the Shadows S5, The Righteous Gemstones S3, and Foundation S2. We also watched The Blackening, Loved this flip on the horror genre.

Listening to: I just discovered Nita Strauss’s new album and it is amazing. I’ve been listening to it nonstop.

On the menu for this week:

Monday - Chili with Cornbread
Tuesday - Cajun Stuffed Chicken
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - BBQ Cheddar Stuffed Meatloaf
Friday - Fancy BLT Grilled Cheese
Saturday - Chicken Shawarma Fries
Sunday - Chicken Ranch Tacos

On my to do list: Nothing much. We’re starting school tomorrow, so I’ve tried to scale back my to-do list to accommodate.

Happening this week:

Monday - First Day of School
Tuesday - Fontenelle Forest Visit
Wednesday - Zorinksky Playground Time
Thursday - Coop; ET at the Quasar Drive-In
Friday - Nature Explorers at Neale Woods
Saturday - Friend’s Birthday Party
Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: I want to work on my June and July Memory Planner pages. Hopefully I can find some time.

My simple pleasures: A few quiet minutes…

Looking around the house: We picked up the living room and breakfast area in preparations for school. The school racks have been filled and supplies refilled.

From the camera: Arthur enjoying his first go-kart ride.

Playing for Keeps by Jill Shalvis

Title: Playing for Keeps (Heartbreaker Bay #7)

Author: Jill Shalvis

Publisher: Avon 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 272

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

If you’re planning on falling in love…

When it comes to the confident, charismatic Caleb Parker, Sadie Lane feels the spark—the kind that comes from rubbing each other the wrong way. She’s yoga pants, he’s a suit. She’s a tattoo artist, he’s a straight-laced mogul. But after they accidentally co-rescue an abandoned dog from a storm, Sadie sees a vulnerable side to the seemingly invincible hottie.

you’d better be sure…

Caleb doesn’t do emotions. Growing up the underdog, he’s learned the hard way to build up an impenetrable wall. Perfect for business. Disastrous for relationships. He’s never worried about it before—not until he finally gets behind Sadie’s armor and begins to fall.

… someone is there to catch you.

Both guarded and vulnerable, Sadie and Caleb are complete opposites. Or are they? Shocked at their undeniable connection, can they ever admit to wanting more? That all depends on what they’re each willing to risk.

Another volume in this good contemporary romance series. I still really enjoy how every book has some type of more serious themes. Sometimes I want a bit of substance along with my fluffy romance. In this one, I really liked Sadie as a character. She felt very real with all her hang-ups. I enjoyed her prickly manor especially as she sparred with Caleb. Speaking of, Caleb wasn’t my favorite main character, but he was a decent counterpart to Sadie. Somehow I only have one more completed book in this series? I cannot even imagine.

Heartbreaker Bay

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Title: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Author: Sandu Mandanna

Publisher: Berkley 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 318

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Books on the Cover; Romanceopoly - Journey’s End

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos "pretending" to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when peril comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for....

Our book club pick for August and it was a delightfully warm hug. We enter into a world full of secret witches and oddball characters all looking for a home. Thankfully they find their home, albeit after a few trials and some periods of self-doubt. I fell for every single one of the characters but I think Rosetta was my favorite. All the characters created their own space and place within the family. We get to see how they all fit together into a beautiful tapestry. I’m looking forward to reading the next book from Mandanna.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

We are just a few days away from the start of school. Better get my supplies all in line…
My current read is extremely depressing. I’ll need a pick-me-up read after this one.
The fridge needs a good cleaning out. And the freezer also. Better get on that.
This week my head has been hurting a lot. Really need to get that doctor appointment made.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Hey, Hun by Emily Lynn Paulson

Title: Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing

Author: Emily Lynn Paulson

Publisher: Row House Publishing 2023

Genre: Nonfiction - Business

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer TBR

The eye-opening, funny, and dangerous personal story of author Emily Lynn Paulson rising to the top of the pyramid in the multilevel marketing (MLM) world, only to recognize that its culture and business practices went beyond a trendy marketing scheme and into the heart of white supremacy in America.

A significant polemic on how MLMs operate, HEY, HUN expertly lays out their role in the cultural epidemic of isolation and the cult-like ideologies that course through their trainings, marketing, and one-on-one interactions.

Equally entertaining and smart, Paulson’s first-person accounts, acerbic wit, and biting commentary will leave you with a new perspective on those “Hey Hun” messages flooding your inbox.

An interesting first-hand account of just how insidious MLMs. I was really interested in Paulson’s personal narrative. We really get to see how the companies work on people to deconstruct their entire beings and remake them in the company’s images. I didn’t mind how Paulson used aggregate characters and amalgamations to illustrate the tactics. I was even interested in the psychology behind the BITE model. But then, the chapters started to run together and information started repeating. I get the emphasis on various tactics, but it really felt too repetitive. I just got tired of reading the book after awhile.

Next up on the TBR pile:

August 2023 Life Goals

Let’s check in on July’s goals and my progress.

Read 18 Books ✓
Indiana/Ohio Road Trip ✓
Finish Prepping for 2023-2024 School Year ✓

August Goals:

Read 18 Books
Kick-Off Our Homeschool Year and Coop
Knock Out 5 More Items from Our Summer Bucket List
Limit My Personal Library Check-outs

Next up on the TBR pile:

We're Homeschooling - Year 4! Planning and Schedule

Our Schedule

So now I have the supplies, it’s time to start planning and gathering everything I want to do. I’m a Type A planner that always feels better with a good plan going in. I’m always up for flexibility and change in the spur of the moment, but I need a plan to reference when things change. Last year, I made a large scale scope and sequence for reference. This should help me keep Arthur and Quentin straight as I dive in each year.

Back around April, I started with making a simple list of of the various curriculum we will be using. I definitely watch the sales to grab curriculum I know we want at the best price. And we are now recycling curriculum from Arthur’s previous years for Quentin’s current year. That definitely helps for our bottom line.

I’m a big fan of time blocking, but we have multiple events outside of our house to account for. This coming year, we have our STEAM coop, chemistry class, and weekly nature explorers/nature hikes. My first pass at scheduling our day began with the outside items. From there, I came up with this basic schedule. Note that I built in Flex Time for our coop related field trips. None are scheduled yet, but I know the committee is working on three trips a month. Our tentative date is Tuesday so I built in some open time. We can shift Tuesday’s plan to Wednesday if we have a field trip that week.

Next, I broke the week schedule down into days to better see if everything would fit. Arthur’s schedule is set and I am still tweaking Quentin’s schedule. I primarily use Roam to accomplish my day to day planning. This is our basic weekly template of blocks. I can easily copy and paste this into each week’s page for easy planning. I only need to modify as special events pop onto our calendar (e.g. dentist appointments, special activity).

I then broke down each day’s blocks. I don’t go back to these pages very often, but I do like to write everything out to make sure.

My next step was to create an overview calendar with our big themes. I used index cards cut into smaller pieces laid out on my desk so I could see everything at once and move things around. Very low tech solution, but sometimes paper really is better. I always end up shifting some weeks to take advantage of the calendar and/or align with the other kid’s schedule. For example, I moved Arthur’s reading of Ramayana to coincide with Quentin’s week that includes covering ancient India and the Ramayana story.

I usually buy a paper planner as my brain really likes the act of writing things down to commit to memory. I grabbed this new planner to try out after hearing about it from many homeschool bloggers. I like the amount of space available and the fact that it’s undated. My biggest complaint right now is that the month pages and weekly pages are completely separated from each other. We’ll see how this one goes for basic planning and reference. On second thought, I also do not like the binding. I would prefer spiral bound for each of opening and laying flat. I could cut off the binding and make it a spiral bound, but that might be too much work for any benefit.

My last big planning step is to create very detailed lesson plans including videos, books, and details. This will be my third year using a special note talking app called Roam. I’ve been actively using Roam to collect all my notes, lesson plans, scheduling, and other miscellaneous items. (Also, you can see from the sidebar that I use Roam for a wide range of projects, not just homeschooling.) I’m still exploring the various tools on Roam and I’m sure that my planning with get more advanced and efficient as this year goes on. This screenshot is the start of our first week.

And that’s it! My planning and scheduling process seems very complicate but most of it is prep work before the year begins. Once we start, I mainly use the paper planner as reference and work inside Roam for the day-to-day planning. As usual, I tweak the process as I go along but this is my starting place.

We’re officially starting our homeschool adventure the second week of August. Starting August 14th, I’ll post a weekly wrap-up. I hope to do weekly updates highlighting our highs and lows on this journey.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Matchbox Twenty "Don't Get Me Wrong"

Blast for my high school/college years! I can’t believe Matchbox Twenty is back with new music. Love it.

Next up on the TBR pile:

July 2023 Wrap-up

July TBR Pile (21/27):

Bookworms BC: Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman ✓
Bookworms BC: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Friend BC: Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz (reread) ✓
Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: The Bees by Laline Paull ✓
Kid Read Aloud: TBD
Kid Book Club: NONE
Literary Fiction: Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
Literary Fiction: The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer ✓
Nonfiction: Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby
Nonfiction: Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy ✓
Horror: The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher ✓
Horror: Silent Came the Monster by Amy Hill Hearth ✓
Horror: The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox ✓
Horror: Camp Red Moon by R.L. Stine ✓
Horror: Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A Snyder ✓
Fantasy: Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse ✓
Fantasy: Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young ✓
Fantasy: Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron ✓
Fantasy: Immortality by Dana Schwartz ✓
Fantasy: This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost ✓
Science Fiction: Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
Science Fiction: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton ✓
Romance: The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian
Romance: The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman by KJ Charles
Romance: Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood ✓
Romance: Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez ✓
Romance: Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost ✓
Romance: Wasted Words by Staci Hart ✓
Comics: Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 6988 pages
Pages Remaining: 310,119 pages

Current Read - Hey, Hun by Emily Lynn Paulson

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (3)

Ordinary Monsters by J.M Miro
Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder
Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn

UnRead Shelf Progress

Starting Number: 342
Books Read: 6
Books Acquired: 3
Books Unshelved: 0
Finishing Number: 339

August TBR Pile: With the start of school, I’m not going to overwhelm my planned TBR. Let’s just go with these few books to start. I know I will have a ton more checkouts from the library and I have all those books from my library.

Bookworms BC: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Friend BC: Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang
Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Kid Read Aloud: TBD
Kid Book Club: Wildoak by CC Harrington
Nonfiction: Hey, Hun by Emily Lynn Paulson
Romance: The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman by KJ Charles

Movies Watched

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3
Asteroid City
Get Smart (rewatch with the kids)
Romancing the Stone (rewatch with the kids)
Crocodile Dundee (rewatch with the kids)

TV Shows Watched

Human Target S2
Below Deck: Sailing Yacht
Below Deck: Down Under
The Bachelorette
What We Do in the Shadows S5
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia S16
Foundation S2
The Righteous Gemstones S3
Good Omens S2

Comments - Another successful month of reading and media consumption. I read the largest number of books from my UnRead Shelf for one month. I read 6 books which was just amazing! Now I only have 339 to go (until I buy more).

Next up on the TBR pile:

Silent Came the Monster by Amy Hill Hearth

Title: Silent Came the Monster

Author: Amy Hill Hearth

Publisher: Blackstone 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 350

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Related to the Word “Monster”

“Sharks are as timid as rabbits,” says a superintendent of the Coast Guard, dismissing the possibility that a shark could be the culprit in an unprecedented fatal attack at the Jersey Shore. It’s July, and swimming in the sea is a popular new pastime, but people up and down the East Coast are shocked and mystified by the swimmer’s death. A prominent surgeon at the shore, Dr. Edwin Halsey is the one who examines the victim, and the only one who believes the perpetrator was a shark—and that it will strike again.

With the public and the authorities—and even those who witnessed the attacks—so stubbornly disbelieving, Dr. Halsey finds himself fighting widespread confusion, conspiracy theories, and outright denial. Seeking the input of commercial fisherman, he soon learns they have long been concerned about a creature they call the Beast. The Lenape, one of the tribes native to the area, have their own beliefs about this creature, but can Dr. Halsey convince the rest of the world before it’s too late?

The story of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark changed the way Americans think of the seashore, reminding us once again that nature plays by its own rules.

Another recommendation from my favorite book podcast. I was intrigued by the fictionalized account of a very true horror story. This is a very horrifying story full of people who aren’t all real, but feel very real. We are put back into a bygone era. At times, the writing was a bit stilted and the characters were hard to understand. But that’s all a part of fully inhabiting the time period and the story. Overall, I enjoyed the story. I would have liked a bit more to the author’s note, but that’s a minor quibble.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoët

Title: Beautiful Darkness

Author: Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoët

Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly 2014

Genre: Comics

Pages: 94

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Newly homeless, a group of fairies find themselves trying to adapt to their new life in the forest. As they dodge dangers from both without and within, optimistic Aurora steps forward to organize and help build a new community. Slowly, the world around them becomes more treacherous as petty rivalries and factions form.

Beautiful Darkness became a bestseller and an instant classic when it was released in 2014. This paperback edition of the modern horror classic contains added material, preparatory sketches, and unused art. While Kerascoët mix gorgeous watercolors and spritely cartoon characters, Fabien Vehlmann takes the story into bleaker territory as the seasons change and the darkness descends. As with any great horror, there are moments of calm and jarring shocks while a looming dread hangs over the forest.

Not quite sure what I just read, but it was just horrifying enough that I found myself riveted to the pages. The horror takes a few pages to really present itself, but then we are off and running. I was really rooting for Aurora the entire time, hoping that she would be able to overcome the myriad obstacles in her path. This is a very quickly little horror comic that was an instant hit for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Immortality by Dana Schwartz

Title: Immortality

Author: Dana Schwartz

Publisher: Wednesday Books 2023

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 389

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Books Club - Includes a Funeral

Hazel Sinnett is alone and half-convinced the events of the year before—the immortality, Beecham’s vial—were a figment of her imagination. She doesn’t even know if Jack is alive or dead. All she can really do now is treat patients and maintain Hawthornden Castle as it starts to decay around her.

When saving a life leads to her arrest, Hazel seems doomed to rot in prison until a message intervenes: Hazel has been specifically requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte, the sickly granddaughter of King George III. Soon Hazel is dragged into the glamor and romance of a court where everyone has something to hide, especially the enigmatic, brilliant members of a social club known as the Companions to the Death.

As Hazel’s work entangles her more and more with the British court, she realizes that her own future as a surgeon isn't the only thing at stake for her. Malicious forces are at work in the monarchy, and Hazel may be the only one capable of setting things right.

A successful and satisfying follow up to Anatomy. I was very annoyed by the cliffhanger at the end of the first book, but thankfully, this volume closes that storyline. We re-encounter Hazel continuing her work alone in her family’s house in Edinburgh. This story line is all fine and good, but the book finally picks up once Hazel is transported to London and meets Princess Charlotte. I loved the royal intrigue aspect of the story and Hazel’s relationships with Charlotte and Eliza. We don’t get quite as much medical talk in this one as the last, but it’s still there. This book did feel like a bit more of a stretch by including so many real characters into the plot line. Most of it was fine, but there were a few parts that I was a bit incredulous by the actions taken by some characters. As such, I still have issues with the supernatural aspects of this duology. A nice quick read, but it’s not going to make my top 10 of the year.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Wasted Words by Staci Hart

Title: Wasted Words (The Austen’s #1)

Author: Staci Hart

Publisher: Staci Hart Novels 2016

Genre: Romance

Pages: 349

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: COYER; Finishing the Series

Spice Rating: 5

Falling for my roommate might be the worst idea I never had.

Guys like Tyler Knight don’t go for girls like me.

He’s an ex-tight end with a face so gorgeous, he belongs on a billboard, and I’m a book nerd with glasses and a comic book obsession. I might not know much, since most of my boyfriends exist between the pages of books, but I do know when I’m out of my league.

So instead of obsessing over Tyler, I put all my energy into playing Cupid, using the book bar, Wasted Words, as my playground.

When he kisses me? Welp, there’s no hiding the truth.

But the last time I trusted someone with my heart, it shattered, and the pieces never quite fit together again. With Tyler’s high profile job and the subsequent barrage of women, there doesn’t seem to be room for me. And so my heart breaks over and over until it finally falls apart again.

And this time, I don’t know if I can pick up the pieces.

*A romantic comedy inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma*

A random pick from my extensive Kindle library. And I really enjoyed this one. We get a contemporary retelling of Austen’s Emma (in my top half of Austen novels) with a few tweaks here and there. I enjoyed seeing a modern Emma deal with modern matchmaking obstacles. Thankfully our heroine, Cam, is not a wilting wallflower or a sheltered damsel. She’s an independent woman with baggage, but manages to work through most of that baggage inside these pages. We get to see her actually grow and change independent of the romance aspects. Focusing on the romance, I really loved Tyler’s point of view the best. He was a great modern Knightly. He had his own backstory to work through. I loved seeing the two of them together as a relationship unfolded. We didn’t have to wait until the end to get our main characters together. Thank goodness! After finding this one, I am definitely reading the rest of Hart’s Austen inspired modern romances.

The Austens

#1 Wasted Words
#2 A Thousand Words
#3 Love, Hannah
#4 Love Notes
#5 Pride and Papercuts

Next up on the TBR pile:

Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Eternal Kiss of Darkness(Night Huntress World #3)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2010

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Pages: 361

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer TBR; Unread Shelf, Finishing the Series

Spice Meter: 5 (albeit with a vampire)

An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness . . .

And now one woman has stumbled into the shadows.

Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she's only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he'd seen it all. Then Kira appears—this fearless, beautiful . . . human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.

Oh this one was a wild ride. Mencheres has always been an intriguing character in the regular Night Huntress series and I was so glad he got his own stand alone book. We get to learn his entire history and put to rest an ancient rivalry, all while finding his match in a private investigator. Kira was the right amount of smart and feisty heroine for our master vampire. I loved seeing their interactions and the ways in which Mencheres is forced to open up to Kira. Of course, I always love drop in appearances from Bones and Cat, but I especially love appearances from Vlad. He may be my favorite character in this entire world. This book has the right amount of action and romance to keep me flipping through the pages until the very end.

Night Huntress World:

#1 First Drop of Crimson
#2 Eternal Kiss of Darkness

Next up on the TBR pile:

Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy

Title: Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues

Author: Jonathan Kennedy

Publisher: Crown 2023

Genre: Nonfiction - History, Pandemics

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer TBR

According to the accepted narrative of progress, humans have thrived thanks to their brains and brawn, collectively bending the arc of history. But in this revelatory book, Professor Jonathan Kennedy argues that the myth of human exceptionalism overstates the role that we play in social and political change. Instead, it is the humble microbe that wins wars and topples empires.

Drawing on the latest research in fields ranging from genetics and anthropology to archaeology and economics, Pathogenesis takes us through sixty thousand years of history, exploring eight major outbreaks of infectious disease that have made the modern world. Bacteria and viruses were protagonists in the demise of the Neanderthals, the growth of Islam, the transition from feudalism to capitalism, the devastation wrought by European colonialism, and the evolution of the United States from an imperial backwater to a global superpower. Even Christianity rose to prominence in the wake of a series of deadly pandemics that swept through the Roman Empire in the second and third centuries: Caring for the sick turned what was a tiny sect into one of the world’s major religions.

By placing disease at the center of his wide-ranging history of humankind, Kennedy challenges some of the most fundamental assumptions about our collective past—and urges us to view this moment as another disease-driven inflection point that will change the course of history. Provocative and brimming with insight, Pathogenesistransforms our understanding of the human story.

A fascinating look at how pandemics have shaped the history of humanity. While I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to a lot of readers interested in the topic, I couldn’t give it 5 stars. Mostly, I felt like I was reviewing a ton of material that I had already learned. This is the problem with reading a ton of history books and epidemiology books. I probably know way to much to accurately judge a book like this. I did appreciated how Kennedy lays out some basic context for each of the time periods he discusses before showing the reader how a pandemic changed the situation. My favorite chapters were about the Paleolithic and Neolithic plagues. Probably because those were the two chapters that I learned the most from. Our collective understanding of those two time periods has greatly increased over the last 15 years. I am here for all the new information we have gleaned from skeletons and artifacts. Loved it! The rest of the book was a bit review for me, but I did enjoyed the refresher course.

Next up on the TBR pile: