Reading round up (79)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week. 

8th June

I wanted to finish Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen today but it just didn't happen. I read 94 pages and I totally forgot about the guillotine scene!! I still think the book hit a peak in the tunnels and then dipped considerably, though. This ending feels more like a beginning of the next book...

9th June

I skim read the last 70 or so pages of Stolen Songbird and I still really think the ending is WAY less interesting that the labyrinth-almost-beheaded thing. 

I also started Ashes by Ilsa. J. Bick because I was in the mood for something post-apocalyptic. I've read 93 pages and I LOVE IT. So, so cool. Reminds me of The Darkest Minds and The Immortal Rules so far.

10th June

I read 74 pages of Ashes and it's SO GOOD. A love interest was introduced and it ... STRENGTHENED the story. Whaaaaaaaaaaaat. What is happening here???

11th June

Lost track of what I read today. Some pages of Ashes, I think.

12th June

Alright I spoiled myself accidentally with Ashes and now I have no interest in finishing it because that spoiler is the opposite of what I wanted. So I'm stalled at page 242 and sad about it. This was gonna be one of my faves ever, but that had to happen.

I read 16% of The Lying Game, though, and it's still fairly good. The mystery has dropped off a lot, though.

PLUS I started A Thousand Nights by E. J. Johnson. Which is really good so far - and has diverse main characters!!! So that's cheered up my reading list considerably.

13th June

I read 44% of A Thousand Nights, and it is so good. The setting is authentic and just, everything feels respectful of the culture. Thank you, E. K. Johnston.

14th June

Today I finished A Thousand Nights, and it was perfect. I also started A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, and my galley is missing a bunch of letters that makes some paragraphs difficult to read but I am NOT abandoning this book. 

Books finished this week: 2
Books DNF'd this week: 1

For review:

I'm not listing these or linking them because I'm lazy/ Thanks to Harper Collins + imprints, and Angry Robot for these lovely, shiny galleys.

Amazon Freebies:

The Cure | Stephanie Erickson

Blitz: Passionate Pen Conference

Passionate Pen Conference

This comprehensive weekend event is open

to any unpublished, aspiring writer, blogger, jotter, dotter

and published authors in any genre.

  Blushing Books and Lazy Day Publishing are hosting a writer's conference in the nation's capital this summer. Come mingle at the Marriott Gateway for four(ish) days of social events and workshop sessions that will surely add something to your arsenal.   Workshop sessions are being developed with your response in mind and will guarantee to be led by one third Blushing Books staff, one third experienced authors, and one third outside professionals.   Registering is easy! Individual registration forms are required from every writer, author, staff, fans, friends, family or otherwise implied interested party for any and all parts of the conference.  

Head over to the Passionate Pen website for the itinerary, lodging or other information.

Contact Bella for questions you still have after perusing the site.

Conference@blushingbooks.com

http://www.blushingconference.com/

The conference is not only for the authors.

COME ONE, COME ALL

You've been reading them for months, maybe even years.

The Passionate Pen is offering readers and fans the opportunity to meet Blushing Books and Lazy Day authors!

You may also book your room at the Marriott Gateway (if you aren't their slumber party buddy) and stay the whole weekend at the same rate as the authors, with access to the events below.

   

THURSDAY, WELCOME RECEPTION @ 7:00 PM

Be part of the conference opening and welcome reception.

Tickets are $40 and include nibbles and a drink. Registration is required.

SUNDAY, BREAKFAST WITH THE AUTHORS @ 9:00 AM

Sit at a table and eat breakfast with your favourite author, or visit a few tables. Either way, you can be up close and personal. They'll have some pretty lovely bits of swag, too.

Ticket are $40 and includes buffet breakfast. Registration required.

Reading round up (78)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week. 

1st June

Today I read 43% of In The Air Tonight by Lori Handeland, finishing it, and it was really good at the end. I also read 47 pages of With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent, my fave.

2nd June

I read 74 pages of With All My Soul, and I'm continually shocked at how good these books are. Also the cover model looks SO much like Lindsy Fonseca!

3rd June

I finished With All my Soul (166 pages read!), and with it the entire Soul Screamers series, and it killed me. I've literally been brought back as a reaper to type this update from beyond the grave. Tod/Kaylee are too cute. Nash's character development is too important to me. And Sabine/Sophie being adoptive sisters IS SOMETHING ELSE. Thank you, Rachel Vincent, for this absolute gift.

4th June

Today I started my reread of Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen. I now own the pretty paperback, which I am very happy about. I read 57 pages and it's as awesome as I remembered.

I also impulse bought and immediately started reading The Lying Game by Sara Shepard, because I'm LOVING PLL being back and I've been waiting for a kindle sale on her books for ages. I've read 20% and colour me pretty darn interested. Don't go downhill from here, please!!

5th June

I read 89 pages of Stolen Songbird and hello Tristan my love *heart-eyes*. I also read another 9% of The Lying Game, and I think it's about to get cooler.

6th June

I have absolutely no idea what I read today. All my progress and page numbers got mixed up.

7th June

Today I read 16% of The Lying Game, bringing me to 45%, and I am actually really into the love interest. Well played, Sara Shepard, making him interested in astronomy. I also read 96 pages of Stolen Songbird, and my heart is in pain rn.

Books finished this week: 2
Books DNF'd this week: 0

For review:

NOTHING AGAIN!!!!

Hell yiss.

Bought:

The Lying Game | Sara Shepard

Rush | Eve Silver

As you see above, I've already started The Lying Game. It's pretty cool. And I've been wanting to read Rush for YEARS. It's one of those books I never got around to. But I hate the UK cover, and I've just realised it's a game-based sci-fi (I've read three of these and DNF'd all of them) so we'll see...

Chameleon Moon | RoAnna Sylver

Adamant | Emma L. Adams

These are two LONNNNG overdue purchases for me. Chameleon Moon sounds amazing and unique and has HELLA DIVERSITY. And Adamant will count towards my Saruuh Explores NA... project!!!

In The Air Tonight (3 STARS)

In The Air Tonight (ARC Review)

Sisters of The Craft: In The Air Tonight | Lori Handeland

Published by: St Martin's Paperbacks, June 2nd 2015

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Pages: 352

Format: Ebook

Source: St Martin's Press, via Netgalley

Four centuries ago, in a small Scottish village, three baby girls escaped the wrath of a witch hunter. Today, one young woman will learn about her secret history, her heart's destiny, and the sisters she never knew she had...

With her blue-black hair and dark eyes, Raye Larsen has never fit in with the Scandinavian community of New Bergin, Wisconsin. Being adopted is part of the reason she feels like an outsider, but what really sets Raye apart is her ability to see dead people. Everywhere. 

She’s learned to keep her visions to herself . . . until she stumbles onto the ghost of a murder victim who needs Raye’s help. Enter Bobby Doucet, a distractingly handsome homicide detective who has been tracking a killer all the way from New Orleans. Could this be the break in his case he’s been looking for all along? 

Meanwhile, the deeper Raye gets involved with the case—and with Bobby—the closer she comes to unlocking the mystery of her own origins. What she discovers about herself could destroy everything she knows . . . and everyone she loves. Is finding the truth worth the risk?

Filled with dark magic, dazzling romance, and dire suspense, this is the first book in a thrilling new series by New York Times bestselling author Lori Handeland.

It took me absolutely ages to get into this book. There's a disconnect with the POVS, one of which is first person and the other is third, and the book is peppered with references to things I just do not know. They're definitely regional, and because of this cultural difference it took damn forever to get used to the writing style. But by around 30% these dropped off and the gem of a story started to show. And I really, really liked it.

The main character, Raye, is a witch who sees ghosts. Except she doesn't realise she's a witch, ad she pretends she doesn't see the ghosts so people won't think she's crazy. Bobby, the other MC, is a cop investigating a serial killer who just rolled up to Raye's town and killed a woman. The serial killer turns out to be a witch hunter, and is after Raye because she can see ghosts. It's a pretty complex plot, and there's a lot to it, but it's great. It's not a plot-heavy book, though - it's very set in the real world and relationships (even if some of those relationships are with ghosts) so at some points I did skim some pages. 

There's a couple obligatory (and unnecessary imo) sex scenes but they don't delay the story too badly, and they do link into the character's growth. It turns out this book is a lot more paranormal romance than urban fantasy, but I still enjoyed a lot of it. My only issue is how Raye and Bobby went from sex to marriage in a matter of weeks. That seems ridiculously unrealistic to me - why would you jump into marrying someone when you don't 100% know them yet? Date first, kids. You'll find out all their problems before you're bound to them by law.

It's a much better book than the beginning set me up for. I did wish for more ghosts and supernatural stuff at parts, but the bits we did get were amazing and make me want more. The cult conspiracy thing is awesome and definitely interested me, and I liked this story enough to want to read the next one right away. I'd definitely recommend it for urban fantasy and paranormal romance fans.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world-building ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

This book is very close between 3 and 3.5 for me. So technically, it's a 3.25 star!

Reading round up (77)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week. 

25th May

Today I read 12% of The Girl At Midnight by Melissa Grey, and I started With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent (22 pages) because I NEED  a good book to break up The Girl At Midnight. That 12% almost killed me - I've just lost all kind of investment in it.

26th May

Had a crappy day today, so I only read 12% of The Girl At Midnight. I'm pretty astounded by the fact it's adding a love triangle and instalove 50% through the book. WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE? It was So Good without it!

27th May

DNF'ed The Girl At Midnight at 71% because not only is the girl falling in instalove with the crappy love interest, and getting all RIDICULOUSLY CLICHE about it, but the guy (the hundreds year old dragon!!!!) is doing the same. Thought he'd know better BUT NOPE.

On top of this I read 22 pages of With All My Soul, and I'm not flying through this book as quickly as I'd hoped. Today's amount of pages is pretty pathetic tbh. 

I also picked up Falling Kingdoms again because I need to finish my reread (I dropped off reading this around a month and a half ago...) and read 31 pages of tiny, tiny text.

28th May

Today I finished The Wolf Wilder (50% read) and it was everything I hoped it'd be.

29th May

Light reading day - all I read was 5% of In The Air Tonight by Lori Handeland which has stopped the confusing references, but I'm still not sure. I don't need the guy to be referencing the MCs breasts every POV chapter tbh, and I want more ghosts!

30th May

To say I was getting grumpy with the language and references of In The Air Tonight, I actually found my way into the book. It took 25% but w/e. I'm now at 40% and I like it. Still having to overlook a lot of stuff and I can't see me giving it more than 3 stars but at least it's seeming like I'll finish and enjoy it!

31st May


Read another 17% of In The Air Tonight, bringing me to 57%, and I actually do like it. But there's still something off.

Books finished this week: 1
Books DNF'd this week: 1

For review:

NOTHING!!!

I'm so proud of myself. 

Bought:

When Magic Sleeps | Tera Lynn Childs

I LOVED Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs, so when I found out she had a novella for less than £1, I didn't hesitate to get it. Pretty excited to read this!

The School For Good and Evil | Soman Chainani
Unremembered | Jessica Brody
Kindle sales are my best friend. Two of the books I was DYING to get my hands on I now own!!!!

Powerless (4.5 STARS)

The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath (3 STARS)

The Girl At Midnight (DNF AT 71%)