Shades of Wicked by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Shades of Wicked (Night Rebel #1)

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon 2018

Genre: Romance

Pages: 370

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Spice Rating: 6

The Rule Breaker...

Master vampire Ian is unrepentant, shameless…and every shade of wicked. He’s made one too many enemies in his two centuries of existence, including Dagon, a demon who now lays claim to his soul. Ian’s only chance to escape Dagon is to join forces with a Law Guardian, but he's never been able to abide by the rules for long.

The Law Maker...

Veritas’ normal role is police, judge, and jury to reprobates like Ian. But she has her own ax to grind with Dagon, so if she can use Ian as bait...well, all’s fair in law and war. As they scour supernatural hotspots to perfect their trap, Veritas soon realizes Ian’s carefully cultivated, devil-may-care roguish image hides something much more powerful. And Ian discovers Veritas has shocking secrets of her own. As they’re drawn to each other with a passion as intense as their peril, either love or justice will prevail. But each will have devastating consequences.

Finally, finally, finally we get Ian’s story! I got super excited when his storyline got teased in Vlad’s quartet. I was hoping for a good romance adventure that didn’t nerf Ian’s quirky and rebellious nature. Thankfully, this is still Ian. He’s still brash and at times grating. But darn it, he’s still so incredibly hot. Pairing him with Veritas is genius. We have to have a strong female character to go up against Ian. Their romance is delightful. Beyond that, I really enjoyed the adventure story. The battle with the demon is perfect! I can’t wait to see where their story goes next. This book is great fun!

Night Rebel

• #1 Shades of Wicked

• #2 Wicked Bite

• #3 Wicked All Night

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Dragon's Bride by Katee Robert

Title: The Dragon’s Bride (A Deal with a Demon #1)

Author: Katee Robert

Publisher: Trinkets & Tales 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 179

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Haunted House (Monster Romance)

Spice Rating: 6

Briar Rose might have a name out of a storybook, but she learned at a very young age that no prince was coming to save her. She’ll have to save herself. Unfortunately, even that is an impossible task in her current situation—trapped in a terrifying marriage to a dangerous man.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, which is how she finds herself making a deal with a demon. Freedom from her husband…in return for seven years of service.

She expects the service to be backbreaking and harsh. She doesn’t expect to be put on an auction block in a room full of literal monsters and sold to the highest bidder.

To Sol. A dragon.

He might seem kinder than his fearsome looks imply, but she knows better than to trust the way he wants to take care of her, or how invested he is in her pleasure. In her experience, if something seems too good to be true, it certainly is.

Falling for Sol is out of the question. She’s suffered enough, and she has no intention of staying in this realm…even if she leaves her heart behind when she returns to her normal life.

Unlike yesterday’s 3 star book, I liked this one much more. But I still ended up coming to the end of this book with a general air of meh. We first meet the demon bargainer in another one of Robert’s book. I was intrigued but the setup of the auction of the various women in exchange for a favor. I’m glad to read about one of those women’s story in this book. Briar has so much trauma and I really connected to her anxiety and trepidation about getting involved in someone else. Sol creates a safe space for Briar to heal. All of those parts, I really enjoyed. The actual romance I enjoyed less. The sex scenes are often very strange. I don’t mean the monster-human pairing, I’m referring to the tone. The tone is often very weird and I wasn’t quite buying into the sexual attraction. Oh well. Maybe the next one will be more my style.

A Deal with a Demon

• #1 The Dragon’s Bride

• #2 The Kraken’s Sacrifice

• #3 The Gargoyle’s Captive

• #4 The Succubus’s Prize

• #5 The Demon’s Bargain

Next up on the TBR pile:

Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark

Title: Brutal Prince (Brutal Birthright #1)

Author: Sophie Lark

Publisher: Bloom Books 2020

Genre: Romance

Pages: 304

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Spice Rating: 5

The Griffins and the Gallos have been battling for control of Chicago’s underworld for generations.

Their bitter rivalry reignites when Aida, the youngest and wildest Gallo sibling, crashes a party at the Griffin mansion, accidentally setting fire to the library.

To stave off all-out war, her father arranges a marriage with Callum Griffin, eldest son and heir.

Cold, ambitious, and brutal, Callum is determined to tame his headstrong bride. Aida is more than capable of giving as good as she gets – starting with poisoning Callum on their wedding night.

In their struggle for dominance, who will break first?

Pretty disappointed in this one. I was hoping for a good spicy romance with fun characters, an enemies-to-lovers setup, and spicy sex scenes. What I got was the pretty icky trope of forced marriage (forced by their families) with some episodes of dubious consent. Throw in an age-gap, which I’m not always opposed to, and I was not here for it at all. The age gap is now quite as much of a concern to me as the maturity gap. I wanted to like Aida so much, but she spent most of the book very horny for her husband while simultaneously acting like a spoiled teenager. But also constantly talking about how independent and mature she is. Spoiler alert, she’s not. I just couldn’t root for her at all. And then Lark decided to throw in some commentary about being sex positive. I do not have issues with being sex positive. I wanted to see communication and empowerment happening within characters. I did not see that at all. This was a contender for dirty book month, but I’m definitely crossing it off my list now.

Brutal Birthright

• #1 Brutal Prince

• #2 Stolen Heir

• #3 Savage Lover

• #4 Bloody Heart

• #5 Broken Vow

• #6 Heavy Crown

Next up on the TBR pile:

November 2023 Life Goals

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

• Read 18 Books ✓

• Figure Out Christmas Plans

• Visit Vala’s 5x ✓

• Make a TBR for the Rest of the Year ✓

November Goals:

• Read 18 Books

• Have a Great Thanksgiving

• Finish Cleaning Out My Clothes

• Make Christmas Plans

Next up on the TBR pile:

October 2023 Wrap-up

October TBR Pile (25/26):

1. Bookworms BC: A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (already read)

2. Friend BC: Savage Appetites by Rachel Monroe ✓

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas ✓

4. Kid Read Aloud: Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk ✓

5. Kid Read Aloud: Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome ✓

6. Kid Read Aloud: In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph M. Marshall III ✓

7. Kid Book Club: Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mulllaly Hunt ✓

8. Fantasy: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas ✓

9. Fantasy: The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher ✓

10. Fantasy: Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales by Kiersten White ✓

11. Fantasy: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher ✓

12. Fantasy: The Thorns Remain by JJA Harwood ✓

13. Fantasy: White Cat by Holly Black ✓

14. Fantasy: Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott ✓

15. Romance: Into the Fire by Jeaniene Frost ✓

16. Romance: The Prince & the Apocalypse by Kara McDowell ✓

17. Comics: Eat the Rich by Sarah Gailey ✓

18. Comics: Preacher Vol. 1 ✓

19. Mystery: Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti ✓

20. Horror: Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie ✓

21. Horror: This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham ✓

22. Horror: The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry ✓

23. Horror: Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw ✓

24. Horror: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow ✓

25. Horror: Those We Drown by Amy Goldsmith ✓

26. Horror: Goblin by Josh Malerman ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 8098 pages
Pages Remaining: 286,801 pages

Current Read - The September House by Carissa Orlando; The Dragon’s Bride by Katee Robert; Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (3) - I keep debating about canceling my BOTM subscription and then they have another month like this one. I ended up buying three books this month:

• Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

• The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

• The Fragile Threads of Power by VE Schwab

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 338

• Books Read: 2

• Books Acquired: 3

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 339

November TBR Pile:

1. Bookworms BC: All Systems Red by Martha Wells

2. Friend BC: Underground Airlines by Ben Winters

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers

4. Kid Read Aloud: Tristan Strong Destroys the World by Kwame Mbalia

5. Kid Book Club: From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

6. Romance: Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark

7. Romance: A Delicate Deception by Cat Sebastian

8. Romance: Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey

9. Romance: Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey

10. Romance: Love of My Lives by Yamille Saied Mendez

11. Romance: The Wake-Up Call by Beth O’Leary

12. Romance: Wicked All Night by Jeaniene Frost

13. Romance: Wicked Bite by Jeaniene Frost

14. Horror: Find Him Where You Left Him Dead by Kristen Simmons

15. Horror: The September House by Carissa Orlando

16. Nonfiction: Unlikeable Female Characters by Anna Bogutskaya

17. Comics: Preacher Vol. 2

18. Comics: Preacher Vol. 3

19. Comics: Preacher Vol. 4

Movies Watched

• Final Girls

• The Seventh Seal

• Don’t Worry Darling

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

• The Lodger

• Crawl

• Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

• Candyman (1992)

• The Wicker Man

• Totally Killer

• Sympathy for the Devil

• The Hidden

• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

• The Platform

• Candyman (2021)

• The Haunted Mansion

TV Shows Watched

• Werewolf by Night

• Lower Decks

• Archer

• Preacher S2

• Below Deck: Med S

• Only Murders in the Building S3

• The Great British Bake-Off S14

• Loki S2

• Bachelor in Paradise

Comments - Wow! Another huge month for my reading and our media watching. I knocked out many spooky books to fit my theme and found some gems among them. J and I complete our spooky movie month with a very decent showing of 17 movies.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W10: What Happened to My Weeks?

What We Studied

This is actually a recap of two weeks: one normal week and one flex week. But, I’m really asking myself, What happened to my weeks? Everything seemed to just go off the rails these past two weeks and I wanted to get back on track. School work was all over the place. Everyone was stupid exhausted. And scheduled kept changing everyday. Not a fan. Here’s hoping we can get it together for this week.

Quentin’s Owl Unit

Arthur’s Monday ELA and Math

Literature and Poetry

Arthur wrapped up the unit on Langston Hughes with lots more poetry and a new picture book. We also started reading Tristan Strong Destroys the World. It’s number two in the series. B&R has the first book in its curriculum for grade 4, but we’ve already read it. So I’m just adapting. Unfortunately, we didn’t get very far at all. Her'e’s hoping we make some progress next week. Beyond the actual literature, we are working on some basic grammar skills and starting our writing journey. He also continued his Super Secret Notebook from Blossom & Root.

• Poetry for Young People: American Poetry

• Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes

• Reading Explorer: Intro

• Tristan Strong Destroys the World by Kwame Mbalia

• There was a Party for Langston: King O' Letters by Jason Reynolds

Quentin first covered a unit theme about owls for his reading. We then moved onto starting B&R Level 1 Language Arts. We introduced the concept of fairy tales and covered two different themes. He also worked on some basic grammar.

• Sing a Song of Seasons

• Where I Live: Poems About My Home, My Street, and My Town

• Owls by Gail Gibbons

• Berkeley’s Barn Owl Dance by Tera Johnson and Tania Howells

• Whobert, Whoever Owl Detective by Jason Gallaher

• Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

• Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton

• Hooray for Today by Brian Won

• The Happy Owls by Celestino Piatti

• Owl Sees Owl by Laura Godwin and Rob Dunlavey

• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

• Whoo-ku Haiku by Maria Gianferrari

• Otto the Owl Who Loved Poetry by Vern Kousky

• Good Luck Baby Owls by Giles and Alexandra Milton

• Owls are Good at Keeping Secrets by Sara O’Leary

• The Owl and Other Night Creatures

• Owls by Valerie Bodden

• Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

• Happy Owl-Oween by Laura Gehl

• Knight Owls by Eric Setlzer

• A Haunted Ghost Tour in Nebraska by Louise Martin

• The Turnip by Jan Brett

• The Gigantic Turnip by Aleksei Tolstoy

• The Giant Carrot by Jan Peck

• It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach

Quentin’s ELA and Math

Arthur’s ELA and Quentin’s History

Math

Arthur continued to dive into Singapore 5A. We are definitely going to slow down our math lessons a bit to make sure that Arthur achieves mastery. These past weeks, the units were very much a review of decimals and fractions. We also continued our next logic book.

• Singapore Common Core 5A

• Orbiting with Logic

Quentin finished Singapore 1B with a unit on math to 120.We will be taking a short break between levels to do a Tinkeractive Book and finish our math packets.. We also continued our logic book.

• Lollipop Logic Book 3

• Singapore Common Core 1B

Social Studies

Arthur continued through the passage of time with a few weeks on the Transcontinental Railroad and conflicts with the Native Americans.

• DK American History

• We were There Too! Young People in US History

• Words that Build a Nation

• Heart and Soul

• Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States

• Which Way to the Wild West by Steve Sheinkin

• In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph M. Marshall III

• The Transcontinental Railroad by John Perritano

• Ten Mile Day and the Building of the Transcontinental Railroad by Mary Ann Fraser

Quentin dove into Egypt. We will be sticking to that civilization for the next few weeks also. So much to learn and explore!

• History Quest Early Times

• DK When on Earth?

• Human Wold

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK A Child Through Time

• A History of Western Art

• DK Science Year by Year

• DK Myths, Legends, and Sacred Stories

• Find the Journeys Around the World by David Long

• Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs by Gail Gibbons

• Nat Geo Investigates: Ancient Egypt by Jill Rubalcaba

• Egypt in Spectacular Cross Section

• Ancient Worlds by Miranda Smith

• Ancient Egypt by Jinny Johnson

• DK Eyewitness Ancient Egypt

• DK Eyewitness Pyramid

• 20 Fun Facts About the Great Pyramid by Kristen Rajczak

• Pyramids of Ancient Egypt by Christopher Forest

• What Did the Ancient Egyptians Do for Me? by Patrick Catel

• Nat Geo Investigates: Ancient Egypt by Jill Rubalcaba

• Who Built the Pyramid? by Meredith Hooper

• Mummy Cat by Marcus Ewert

• The Mummy Makers of Egypt by Tamara Bower

Science

Arthur explored more of the periodic table and atom basics. We also covered another chapter in our Story of Science. At chemistry class, they built elements and learned about how changing the combination of elements changes the outcome.

• RSO Chemistry

• DK Super Simple Chemistry

• Story of Science Vol. 2: Newton at the Center by Joy Hakim

• DK The Elements

• The Periodic Table of Elements by Jenny Karpelenia

Quentin ended up not covering any units from RSO Life these two weeks. He did get some great clouds and weather lessons from coop, so that’s okay. We’ll catch up soon.

• RSO Life

• DK Oversimple Biology

Quentin’s Turnip Stories, Poetry, and Math

Arthur’s ELA and Math

STEAM Coop

Arthur finished art mediums with two weeks spent exploring watercolors. He really got excited by the projects. Quentin covered clouds and weather. His favorite part was making a glittery red tornado bottle. .

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

And I continued not fitting in these subjects. I just could’t seem to get it to fit in our schedueles. I suspect this will be an issue until November, but hoping we can slide it in at least half of the weeks.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• Modern Art Adventures by Maja Pitamic and Jill Laidlaw

• 13 American Artists Children Should Know

• A Child's Introduction to Art

• Women in Art by Rachel Ignotofsky

• We are Artists by Kari Herbert

Arthur’s ELA and Math featuring Langston Hughes Unit

Arthur’s History

Field Trip

We did a fun free exploration day at Arbor Day Farm with coop friends. We really love it there. The kids enjoy the nature classroom and treehouses. Unfortunately, the trampoline had been taken down. I assume that it needed to be replaced. Just annoyed that the website didn’t notate that. The kids very disappointed about running full out to the treehouses and realizing that the trampoline wasn’t there.

Quentin’s Egypt Unit

Quentin’s ELA

High

We finished our season of visits at Vala’s. Our total for September and October was eight visits. Many rides were ridden and ciders were drunk. We had tons of fun. Until next year Vala’s.

Low

Constant schedule changes left me a bit of a mess. I really hate last minute changes to plans.

Next Week

• Continuing Tristran Strong

• Covering Tell It in Three as a read aloud theme

• Multiplying and diving fractions (A)

• Lots of math review (Q)

• Continuing Egypt for Q’s History

• Moving into cowboys and farmers for A’s History

• Covering more of the Periodic Table

• Learning about insects

• Having fun for Halloween!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Portugal The Man "Doubt"

Oh. Great new song from them!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

Title: Thistlefoot

Author: GennaRose Nethercott

Publisher: Anchor 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 448

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: BOTM Cleanout; Unread Shelf

The Yaga siblings—Bellatine, a young woodworker, and Isaac, a wayfaring street performer and con artist—have been estranged since childhood, separated both by resentment and by wide miles of American highway. But when they learn that they are to receive an inheritance, the siblings agree to meet—only to discover that their bequest isn’t land or money, but something far stranger: a sentient house on chicken legs. 

Thistlefoot, as the house is called, has arrived from the Yagas’ ancestral home outside Kyiv—but not alone. A sinister figure known only as the Longshadow Man has tracked it to American shores, bearing with him violent secrets from the past: fiery memories that have hidden in Isaac and Bellatine’s blood for generations. As the Yaga siblings embark with Thistlefoot on a final cross-country tour of their family’s traveling theater show, the Longshadow Man follows in relentless pursuit, seeding destruction in his wake. Ultimately, time, magic, and legacy must collide—erupting in a powerful conflagration to determine who gets to remember the past and craft a new future.  

An enchanted adventure illuminated by Jewish myth and adorned with lyrical prose as tantalizing and sweet as briar berries, Thistlefoot is a sweeping epic rich in Eastern European folklore: a powerful and poignant exploration of healing from multi-generational trauma told by a bold new talent.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable fairy tale retelling. I loved how Nethercott flips the story to exist in our world. A world where houses do not have legs and a sentience. This makes for an interesting play on the classic fairy tale. My favorite sections were the ones told from the perspective of the house. Apparently, I really enjoy non-human character narrations. Laying out the history of the Jewish people added a more serious layer to this story, but one that was greatly appreciated. My biggest complaint is the pacing. The story felt overly long with nothing happening for large sections. A bit more editing would have increased my enjoyment.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #31

As I look outside my window: It’s very cloudy and currently 30 degrees. Quite a turn from the highs in the 80s from a week and a half ago. I had really hoped that we would stay in the 50s and 60s for awhile.

Right now I am: Preparing cinnamon rolls for brunch and getting the laundry started. Definitely a great day to stay indoors and hibernate a bit.

On my bedside table: The September House by Carissa Orlando; The Dragon’s Bride by Katee Robert

On my tv this week: More spooky movies to add to our monthly total. A few rewatches and a few new ones. We’ve also kept on track with our currently airing stories.

Listening to: More episodes of Hello from the Magic Tavern and 99PI.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Honey and Lime Jalapeño Chicken

• Tuesday - Snack Dinner

• Wednesday - Leftovers

• Thursday - Pomegranate Chicken

• Friday - Pizza Night

• Saturday - Out

• Sunday - Appetizer Night

On my to do list: I’ve got some coop tasks for this week including finishing out the board games theme. I should also make a few appointments.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home Day

• Tuesday - Coop Halloween Party

• Wednesday -Home Day

• Thursday - Coop; Lit Society

• Friday - Nature Explorers

• Saturday - Coop Book Club; Friend’s Birthday Party

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Nothing much, but I do want to get my Memory Planner started.

My simple pleasures: Egg and potato hash (simple but great breakfast), spooky books, purging unwanted clothing

Looking around the house: After doing a closet purge, I now need to physically get rid of the piles. Some might go to friends in the coop, but some will probably go to the Goodwill.

From the camera: One last visit to Vala’s. And look at those beautiful colors.

Goblin by Josh Malerman

Title: Goblin

Author: Josh Malerman

Publisher: Del Rey 2021

Genre: Horror

Pages: 416

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Goblin seems like any other ordinary small town. But with the master storyteller Josh Malerman as your tour guide, you’ll discover the secrets that hide behind its closed doors. These six novellas tell the story of a place where the rain is always falling, nighttime is always near, and your darkest fears and desires await. Welcome to Goblin:

A Man in Slices: A man proves his “legendary love” to his girlfriend with a sacrifice even more daring than Vincent van Gogh’s—and sends her more than his heart.

Kamp: Walter Kamp is afraid of everything, but most afraid of being scared to death. As he sets traps around his home to catch the ghosts that haunt him, he learns that nothing is more terrifying than fear itself.

Happy Birthday, Hunter!: A famed big-game hunter is determined to capture—and kill—the ultimate prey: the mythic Great Owl who lives in Goblin’s dark forests. But this mysterious creature is not the only secret the woods are keeping.

Presto: All Peter wants is to be like his hero, Roman Emperor, the greatest magician in the world. When the famous magician comes to Goblin, Peter discovers that not all magic is just an illusion.

A Mix-Up at the Zoo: The new zookeeper feels a mysterious kinship with the animals in his care . . . and finds that his work is freeing dark forces inside him.

The Hedges: When his wife dies, a man builds a hedge maze so elaborate no one ever solves it—until a little girl resolves to be the first to find the mysteries that wait at its heart.

A collection of loosely collected short stories that wasn’t my favorite. I have really enjoyed a few of Malerman’s longer novels, but this one just do it for me. The stories were too much without a point and full of terrible people. I was intrigued b the prologue and the beginnings of a few of the stories, but most o the time, I wanted more. Short stories are never really my thing…

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Thorns Remain by JJA Harwood

Title: The Thorns Remain

Author: JJA Harwood

Publisher: Magpie 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 416

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

1919. In a Highland village forgotten by the world, the young people who remain after war and flu will soon head south to make something of themselves.

Moira Jean and her friends venture to the forest for a last night
of laughter before parting ways. Moira Jean is being left behind. She too planned to leave once – but her lover died in France and, with him, her future. The friends light a fire and dance. But, with every twirl about the flames, strange new dancers thread between them, music streaming from the trees.

The Fae have joined the dance.

Suddenly Moira Jean finds herself all alone, her friends spirited away.

For the Fae feel left behind and forgotten too. Led by the darkly handsome Lord of the Fae, they are out to make themselves known once more. Moira Jean must enter into a bargain with the Lord to save her friends – and fast, for the longer they spend with the Fae, the less like themselves they will be upon return. If Moira Jean cannot save her friends before Beltane, they will be lost forever…

I grabbed this off the library shelf mostly due to the beautiful cover. I was hoping for a great fae novel full of atmosphere and high stakes. Instead, we get a book that just seems to plod along with a main character that never seems to grow and has to rely on others to save herself and others. The only parts that I enjoyed were ones that directly featured the fae. Otherwise, I was pretty bored throughout this one. Sad that this fae retelling of Tam Lin just didn’t land for me at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Prince and the Apocalypse by Kara McDowell

Title: The Prince and the Apocalypse

Author: Kara McDowell

Publisher: Wednesday Books 2023

Genre: YA Romance

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Beau Boulevard (Read a young adult book of your choice)

Spice Rating: 3

Wren Wheeler has flown five thousand miles across the ocean to discover she’s the worst kind of traveler: the kind who just wants to go home. Her senior-year trip to London was supposed to be life-changing, but by the last day, Wren’s perfectly-planned itinerary is in tatters. There's only one item left to check off: breakfast at The World’s End restaurant. The one thing she can still get right.

The restaurant is closed for renovations—of course—but there's a boy there, too. A very cute boy with a posh British accent who looks remarkably like the errant Prince Theo, on the run from the palace and his controlling mother. When Wren helps him escape a pack of tourists, the Prince scribbles down his number and offers her one favor in return. She doesn’t plan to take him up on it—until she gets to the airport and sees cancelled flights and chaos. A comet is approaching Earth, and the world is ending in eight days. Suddenly, that favor could be her only chance to get home to her family before the end of the world.

Wren strikes a bargain with the runaway prince: if she’ll be his bodyguard from London to his family’s compound in Santorini, he can charter her a private jet home in time to say goodbye. Traveling through Europe by boat, train, and accidentally stolen automobile, Wren finds herself drawn to the dryly sarcastic, surprisingly vulnerable Theo. But the Prince has his own agenda, one that could derail both their plans. When life as they know it will be over in days, is it possible to find a happy ending?

I don’t remember where I saw this recommended, but I do love an apocalypse story so I grabbed it from the library. This was very cute with a great meet-cute and fast-paced storyline. This is YA, but more like New Adult with protagonists that have graduated from high school. I was more okay with that given that the characters were still young adults, but not super whiny. As for the storyline, I enjoyed following Wren and Theo through Europe. It moves quickly without many lulls. This isn’t a deep book, but fun for the week.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• I am exhausted! I don’t know what it is about this week, but I am so incredibly tired. Good thing we don’t have anything scheduled for this weekend.

• We had our 8th visit to Vala’s yesterday! I think we got our money’s worth for those season passes.

• I took advantage of Old Navy’s 50% everything online sale this week. Very excited to get a few new tops and pants along with Christmas pjs and fleece jackets for the kids.

• Sad that spooky movie month is almost over. But that means it’s almost…

• Nic Cage November! We are planning on doing a retrospective of his movies. J and I each get one veto, but otherwise, we are going to dive in.

Next up on the TBR pile:

White Cat by Holly Black

Title: White Cat (Curse Workers #1)

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books 2010

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 310

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

The first in a trilogy, this gritty, fast-paced fantasy is rife with the unexpected. Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn’t fit in at home or at school, so he’s used to feeling like an outsider. He’s also used to feeling guilty—he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago.

But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas— and a plan to con the conmen.

After two amazing reads, I was really hoping that this one would land as well. But it didn’t. In fact, I finished this one and really wanted to through it against the wall. Considering that I listened to it on my phone, I restrained myself. What did I like about this book? Nothing really. We get terrible characters, a slow-moving plot, and lots of problematic scenes. Cassel is a total piece of cardboard. I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would want to be around this guy. He’s not anti-hero, he’s just super boring. The plot took way too long to actually get going and by that time, I didn’t care at all. Everything was super obvious and boring. I will definitely not be reading more into this series.

Curse Workers

• #1 White Cat

• #2 Red Glove

• #3 Black Heart

Next up on the TBR pile:

Those We Drown by Amy Goldsmith

Title: Those We Drown

Author: Amy Goldsmith

Publisher: Delacorte Press 2023

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 416

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

It should have been the trip of a lifetime.

When Liv lands an all-expenses-paid opportunity to study aboard the luxury cruise ship The Eosfor a semester, she can’t believe her luck. Especially since it will offer her the chance to spend time with Will, her ex–best friend, who’s barely spoken to her since the night their relationship changed forever.  

But as soon as she steps on board, Liv realizes just how out of her depth she is. With Will, with the rest of the Seamester students—including the brittle and beautiful Constantine, who may be hiding his own ties to the Eos—and most of all, with the Sirens, three glamorous and mysterious influencers who seem to have the run of the ship.

Liv quickly discovers that the only reason she was invited to join the trip is because another girl disappeared shortly after enrolling—and no one seems to know what happened to her. When further disappearances rock the ship and strange creatures begin haunting Liv’s dreams, she wonders: Is the Eos hiding a dark secret within its shadowy decks?

The truth will come at a price . . . only, how much is Liv willing to pay?

Another five star read for spooky month! This one gives us a big mystery with a great setting and lots of references to Greek mythology. I was totally into the mystery as soon as we set foot on the ship. Thankfully, the book doesn’t take long to really get going and give us brief glimpses of horror. Liv wasn’t my favorite character, but I really did feel for her as she tries to navigate the ship and relationships all while wondering if she is completely hallucinating things. I figured out the main mystery of the cruise, but still enjoyed how everything was revealed. The ending is super open-ended, but after reflecting upon it, I really enjoyed it. A fun horror at sea for this month.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Title: Starling House

Author: Alix E. Harrow

Publisher: Tor Books 2023

Genre: Horror

Pages: 320

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: BOTM Cleanout; Unread Shelf

I dream sometimes about a house I’ve never seen….

Opal is a lot of things—orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic and part-time cashier—but above all, she's determined to find a better life for her younger brother Jasper. One that gets them out of Eden, Kentucky, a town remarkable for only two things: bad luck and E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, who disappeared over a hundred years ago.

All she left behind were dark rumors—and her home. Everyone agrees that it’s best to ignore the uncanny mansion and its misanthropic heir, Arthur. Almost everyone, anyway.

I should be scared, but in the dream I don’t hesitate.

Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House—and make some extra cash for her brother's escape fund—she can't resist.

But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur’s own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might finally have found a reason to stick around.

In my dream, I’m home.

And now she’ll have to fight.

The absolute perfect book for spooky season! I love a super atmospheric horror tale with an interesting location. This book delivered on all fronts. Right away, we know that there’s something special about Starling House. We get to follow Opal as she is invited into the house and is given a task of sorts. Opal is an extremely rough-around-the-edges character but I found myself rooting for her from page one. I was hoping to see Opal really grow into her own and lower some of her walls for anyone. And so enters Arthur Starling, Warden of Starling House. We only get glimpses of him throughout the first half of the book, but I loved him immediately. As the mystery unfolds, we learn more about the house and the history of the town. We get some super creepy beings and a ton of good spooky scenes. I took my time reading this book, not speeding through it, but really savoring the pages and the beautiful illustrations throughout. This may just go on my Top 10 of the year list.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - K. Flay feat. Vic Fuentes "Irish Goodbye"

Oh, what a collaboration! I’m so digging this song this week.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Preacher Vol. 1

Title: Preacher Vol. 1: Gone to Texas

Author: Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon

Publisher: Vertigo 1996

Genre: Horror

Pages: 336

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Jesse Custer was just a small-town preacher in Texas... until his congregation was flattened by powers beyond his control and the Preacher became imbued with abilities beyond anyone's understanding.
 
Now possessed by Genesis—the unholy coupling of an angel and demon—Jesse holds Word of God, an ability to command anyone or anything with a mere utterance. And he’ll use this power to hold the Lord accountable for the people He has forsaken.
 
From the ashes of a small-town church to the bright lights of New York City to the backwoods of Louisiana, Jesse Custer cuts a righteous path across the soul of America in his quest for the divine—an effort that will be met by every evil that Heaven and Earth can assemble. Joined by his gun-toting girlfriend, Tulip, and the hard-drinking Irish vampire, Cassidy, Jesse will stop at nothing to fulfill his quest to find God.

The creative powerhouse team of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon bring readers on a violent and riotous journey across the country in this award-winning Vertigo series, beginning with Preacher Book One. Collects issues #1-12.

We started watching the television series, so I wanted to go back and read the comic series. The two are very different stories. I can’t quite seem to really love this volume. The stories have a choppy quality that I’m not a huge fan of. The casual racism and misogyny, while probably accurate to the time and place, is very grating. Tulip is kinda a terrible character and I really wish she grows and develops throughout the rest of the series, but I don’t hold out a lot of hope. Truly, my favorite character of the bunch is Cassidy. He’s at least very interesting in both the comic and the television show. I imagine that I will continue reading this series, albeit at a slow pace.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #30

As I look outside my window: It’s bright and sunny and going to be pretty warm today. I would like the fall temps back please.

Right now I am: Staring at a giant pile of clothes that I need to sort. I’m doing the great clothes cleanout in this house, but it’s hard to find a few hours to just focus on my clothes.

On my bedside table: Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark; Thistlefoot by Genna Rose Nethercott

On my tv this week: Spooky Movie Month has been awesome! We watched some great movies along with keeping up with Archer, Loki, Lower Decks, and Ghosts.

Listening to: Mostly just a podcast here and there. I up to episode 68 of Hello from the Magic Tavern (season 1). Slowly slowly.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Roast Pork Cubano

• Tuesday - Out for Book Club

• Wednesday - Out for Book Club

• Thursday - Garlic Ranch Chicken Pizza; Regular Pepperoni Pizza (for kids)

• Friday - Chicken Tortilla Soup

• Saturday - Maafe

• Sunday - Irish Whiskey Short Rib Stew with Brussels Sprout

On my to do list: Along with all those clothes to sort, I do need to take care of some stupid student loan crap today. And I need to finish solidifying our plan for board games theme for coop so I can move on to planning W7-9 for chemistry.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Chemistry class

• Tuesday - Arbor Day Farm; Book Club

• Wednesday - Vala’s (one last time for this year); Book Club

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Nature Hike

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: I really want to get back to my Memory Planner, but I think it’s going to have to wait until next weekend. I still need to do September’s pages and pretty soon, October’s pages.

My simple pleasures: Looking at all the fall colored leaves, apple cider, spooky books

Looking around the house: Meh. Things could be better…

From the camera: View from Friday’s nature hike

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

Title: Nothing But Blackened Teeth

Author: Cassandra Khaw

Publisher: Tor Nightfire 2021

Genre: Horror

Pages: 128

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company. It’s the perfect venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends, brought back together to celebrate a wedding. A night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare as secrets get dragged out and relationships are tested. But the house has secrets too. Lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart. And she gets lonely down there in the dirt. Effortlessly turning the classic haunted house story on its head, Nothing but Blackened Teeth is a sharp and devastating exploration of grief, the parasitic nature of relationships, and the consequences of our actions.

What the heck did a I just read? That was incredibly short and incredibly weird. I love a good haunted house and was promised some creepy goings-on with this story. That part of the story delivers. It was the characters that I very much disliked. They are terrible and clearly all hate each other. I wanted to root for at least one of them, but found myself rooting for the ghosts and demons. Not the best foundation for a story. And then I was confused in parts as to what exactly I was supposed to be seeing in this house. I loved the premise, but didn’t quite get the execution.

Next up on the TBR pile: