Saturday, September 26, 2020

October Book Challenge • #AlltheBooksOct20

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🎃 Bookworms & Bookstagrammers!! @loriimagination and I are so excited to share #AlltheBooksOct20, our October Book Challenge!! It’s going to be month of spooky fun, and we’d love for you to join us!! . October is right around the corner, Bookworms, and it’s my most favorite time of year! Lori and I have a fun, Halloween themed challenge for this month, and we’d love to see your photos for our prompts! (But you can totally participate even if you’re not a Halloween fan!) . Why join along?? Book challenges are a great way to fill your feed full of lots of bookish awesomeness, and are also great way to discover new books, and new book friends as well! AND you get to talk about the best things ever... BOOKS! Sound like fun? It will be! . To join along, just share a photo for each daily photo prompt and use the hashtag #AlltheBooksOct20. Check the hashtag often to see all the photos that have been shared for the challenge. And, feel free to interact and/or post as little or as often as you’d like. You can also follow both @loriimagination and myself as well to see our daily photo shares and more! (**Tagging us in your photo or stories is not necessary!**) - 📚 Helpful Bookstagram Tips: • Take a few days worth of photos at one time! It helps to plan a few days ahead in case you get busy. • Natural light is your friend! Grab your book and head to the nearest window or door. It's amazing what natural lighting can do for your photos. • Interact! Bookstagramming is a great way to meet new friends who love books just as much as you do, so get out there and interact with others in the challenge. - 📚 If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!! We hope you'll join us, and we can't wait to share all the bookish things in August!! - And, shout out to @loriimagination for once again making us another ADORABLE graphic for the challenge! I love it so much! 🥰 . . . #bookphotochallenge #bookchallenge #photochallenge #photoaday #octoberchallenge #octoberberbookchallenge #bookstagramchallenge #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeature #yabooks #bookphotography #AlltheBooksSept20

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Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Waiting on Wednesday: Skyhunter & Among the Beasts & Briars

Skyhunter
(Skyhunter #1)
by Marie Lu
Tumblr | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: September 29th 2020
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
ISBN: 9781250221681

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Available for Pre-Order:
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A broken world.
An overwhelming evil.
A team of warriors ready to strike back.


Talin is a Striker, a member of an elite fighting force that stands as the last defense for the only free nation in the world: Mara.

A refugee, Talin knows firsthand the horrors of the Federation, a world-dominating war machine responsible for destroying nation after nation with its terrifying army of mutant beasts known only as Ghosts.

But when a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front to Mara's capital, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. Is he a spy from the Federation? What secrets is he hiding?

Only one thing is clear: Talin is ready to fight to the death alongside her fellow Strikers for the only homeland she has left . . . with or without the boy who might just be the weapon to save—or destroy—them all.

Loyalty is life.

#1 New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu is back with an adrenaline-laced novel about the lengths one warrior will go to fight for freedom and those she loves.
(Goodreads)

Ahhhh, a new book by Marie Lu?!
Count me in! This one sounds fantastic!
I'm definitely enjoying fantasy books at the moment, so I'm excited to check this out.


Among The Beasts & Briars
by Ashley Poston
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: October 20th 2020
Publisher: Balzar + Bray
ISBN: 9780062847362

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Cerys is safe in the kingdom of Aloriya.

Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden. Cerys knows this all too well: when she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse—the magic—in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything. The most danger she faces now, as a gardener’s daughter, is the annoying fox who stalks the royal gardens and won’t leave her alone.

As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions the small fox from the garden, a strange and powerful bear, and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home. But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive. (Goodreads)

And here is yet another book that sounds fantastic!
I have only read one of Ashley's books so far,
but I am really excited to read something new by her!
**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**


Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books On My Fall 2020 TBR


September 22: Books On My Fall 2020 TBR

Happy First Day of Fall, Bookworms!!
Are you as ready as I am to tackle your Fall TBR??
There are so many awesome books that just came out,
or are coming out this fall, and I can't wait to read them all.

Here are just a few that I'm excited to read!



The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn



Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco



A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir
Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer



When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
One by One by Ruth Ware



Well Played by Jen DeLuca
Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey

•     •     •

Those are just a few of the many, many books that I am hoping to read this fall!
It's really going to be a great season. I hope!

What books are on your fall tbr??

Happy Fall, Y'all!!

 


Happy First Day of Fall, Bookworms!!

Fall has finally, FINALLY arrived! And just in time...
I am so beyond ready for cooler weather and warm drinks,
bonfires and sweaters, and reading outside without being attacked by bugs.

:)

I love everything about Fall. It's definitely my favorite season.

So, Happy Fall, Y'all!!

Summer Reads: 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand

28 Summers
by Elin Hilderbrand
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: June 16th 2020
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9780316420044
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: Library Borrow

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By the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Summer of '69: Their secret love affair has lasted for decades -- but this could be the summer that changes everything.

When Mallory Blessing's son, Link, receives deathbed instructions from his mother to call a number on a slip of paper in her desk drawer, he's not sure what to expect. But he certainly does not expect Jake McCloud to answer. It's the late spring of 2020 and Jake's wife, Ursula DeGournsey, is the frontrunner in the upcoming Presidential election.

There must be a mistake, Link thinks. How do Mallory and Jake know each other?

Flash back to the sweet summer of 1993: Mallory has just inherited a beachfront cottage on Nantucket from her aunt, and she agrees to host her brother's bachelor party. Cooper's friend from college, Jake McCloud, attends, and Jake and Mallory form a bond that will persevere -- through marriage, children, and Ursula's stratospheric political rise -- until Mallory learns she's dying.

Based on the classic film Same Time Next Year (which Mallory and Jake watch every summer), 28 Summers explores the agony and romance of a one-weekend-per-year affair and the dramatic ways this relationship complicates and enriches their lives, and the lives of the people they love. (Goodreads)



28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand was one of the books on my Summer TBR that I was most excited to read this year. I just started reading Elin’s books a few years ago, and they always make for the best summer reads. 28 Summers was no exception!

Summer-themed books that are set at the beach are my absolute most favorite books to read around this time of year, and even more so this year since we didn’t get to make it to the beach at all. (Thanks Covid.) I love beach settings, and the one in 28 Summers sounded amazing. The book also had a fantastic storyline that had me completely hooked. There were a lot of interesting characters as well, and I enjoyed reading the story through the two main characters’ different viewpoints. I also enjoyed the format of the book, where each year in the story gets its own chapter. It all made for such a good read.

This book was a library borrow for me and I also opted to listen to the audiobook as well. The narrator, Erin Bennett, is a familiar voice that I know not only from a few of Elin’s previous books that I listened to, and she also narrates a few other books coming up on my TBR as well. I very much enjoy listening to Erin as she reads the story to me, and I think she did a fantastic job with 28 Summers.

Overall; 28 Summers was another great read by Elin Hilderbrand, and I’m so thrilled to have had it on my Summer TBR this year! I am definitely going to keep this yearly tradition going of reading Elin’s books in the summer, but I also plan to check out her winter themed books this coming winter as well!

Monday, September 21, 2020

My Favorite Reads of Summer 2020

 


Happy Last Day of Summer, Bookworms!

Can you believe summer has come and gone? I would say that I am sad, but I'm really not. I LOVE FALL, and I am SO ready to tackle my fall tbr! :)

But before we get to that... Did you have a great reading season this summer?? I didn't get to read quite as much as I had hoped, but I did read a lot of really good books. Here are some of my favorites!


Favorite Summer Reads:

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
Kiss My Cupcake by Helena Hunting

(Series Re-Reads)
Percy Jackson and Olympians by Rick Riordan
The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson
The Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanna A. Brown
The Lost Book of the White by Cassandra Clare
The Switch by Beth O'Leary


Books Not Pictured:

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
Feels Like Falling by Kristy Wood Harvey
The Friendship List by Susan Mallery
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner


•     •     •

So those are just a few favorite reads from this summer! I am so excited to get started on my fall books now, especially my Halloween TBR!

Did you read any books that you LOVED this summer? If so, which books??

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Waiting on Wednesday: The Roomate & Tools of Engagement

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45023611-the-roommate
The Roomate
by Rosie Danan
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: September 15th 2020
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN: 9780593101605

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House Rules:
Do your own dishes
Knock before entering the bathroom
Never look up your roommate online

The Wheatons are infamous among the east coast elite for their lack of impulse control, except for their daughter Clara. She’s the consummate socialite: over-achieving, well-mannered, predictable. But every Wheaton has their weakness. When Clara’s childhood crush invites her to move cross-country, the offer is too much to resist. Unfortunately, it’s also too good to be true.

After a bait-and-switch, Clara finds herself sharing a lease with a charming stranger. Josh might be a bit too perceptive—not to mention handsome—for comfort, but there’s a good chance he and Clara could have survived sharing a summer sublet if she hadn’t looked him up on the Internet...

Once she learns how Josh has made a name for himself, Clara realizes living with him might make her the Wheaton’s most scandalous story yet. His professional prowess inspires her to take tackling the stigma against female desire into her own hands. They may not agree on much, but Josh and Clara both believe women deserve better sex. What they decide to do about it will change both of their lives, and if they’re lucky, they’ll help everyone else get lucky too. (Goodreads)


Does this sound super cute, or what??
I am SO into cute rom-coms and contemporaries right now, 
and this sounds right up my alley.
I'm super excited to check it out!



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49203369-tools-of-engagement
Tools of Engagement
(Hot & Hammered #3)
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Publication Date: September 22nd 2020
Publisher: Avon Books
ISBN: 9780062872937

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Hair, makeup, clothing, decor... everything in Bethany Castle's world is organized, planned, and styled to perfection. Which is why the homes she designs for her family's real estate business are the most coveted in town. The only thing not perfect? Her track record with men. She's on a dating hiatus and after helping her friends achieve their dreams, Bethany finally has time to focus on her own: flip a house, from framework to furnishings, all by herself. Except her older brother runs the company and refuses to take her seriously.

When a television producer gets wind of the Castle sibling rivalry, they’re invited on Flip Off, a competition to see who can do the best renovation. Bethany wants bragging rights, but she needs a crew and the only member of her brother's construction team willing to jump ship is Wes Daniels, the new guy in town. His Texas drawl and handsome face got under Bethany's skin on day one, but the last thing she needs is some cocky young cowboy in her way.

As the race to renovate heats up, Wes and Bethany are forced into close quarters, trading barbs and biting banter as they remodel the ugliest house on the block. It's a labor of love, hate, and everything in between, and soon sparks are flying. But Bethany's perfectly structured life is one kiss away from going up in smoke and she knows falling for a guy like Wes would be a flipping disaster.

In Tessa Bailey’s latest rom-com, two enemies team up to flip a house... and the sparks between them might burn the place down or ignite a passion that neither can ignore! (Goodreads)

Ahhhh! I am so very excited for this book!
I have loved Bethany from the very beginning of the series,
and I am so excited to finally read her story.
I hope it's great!
**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**


Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Summer Reads: Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner (Audiobook)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52755548-big-summer
Big Summer
by Jennifer Weiner
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: May 5th 2020
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9781501133510
Genre: Womens Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery

Audio Narrated By: Danielle Macdonald
Audiobook Length: 10hr 54min
Audio ISBN: 9781797108407
Source: Scribd

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Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Audible | Libro FM | Scribd

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “nothing short of brilliant” (People) Mrs. Everything returns with an unforgettable novel about friendship and forgiveness set during a disastrous wedding on picturesque Cape Cod.

Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless.

Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song.

A sparkling novel about the complexities of female friendship, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most. (Goodreads)


Big Summer is the very first book I have ever read by Jennifer Weiner, (though I have had quite a few of her books on my tbr for the longest), and I’m so thrilled to have finally read something by her! This was just the quick read that I didn’t know I needed to get out of my own head for a while.

Let me get this started by saying that Big Summer was not at all what I expected. I went into this book expecting a fun, summer wedding read set at the beach. I totally did not expect the mystery part of the story, and that said mystery that would have me completely hooked. But it did, and I was!

There were a lot of things that I liked about the book. The characters were definitely interesting, even when I thought they all were a suspect. The main character, Daphne, is an Instagram Influencer, but she could definitely get a side gig as a private investigator because she was determined to figure out what happened. She also has really great parents. (I LOVE when there are great parents in a story!)

The setting for the story jumps around a lot, and while I was basically just here for the beach parts, I did enjoy reading about all the other places as well. The storyline for the book was definitely interesting. It was a little slow in a few places, mostly during the backstory parts, but the fast parts definitely made up for that.

Also, I opted to listen to the audio version of this book, and Danielle Macdonald did a fantastic job of narrating the story! I really enjoyed her voices for each of the characters, and she did a great job with the pacing of the story.

Overall; Big Summer may have been my very first read by Jennifer Weiner, but it definitely won’t be my last! I am very much looking forward to reading more books by her soon, and I do think Mrs. Everything will be my next pick. (I’m so excited!) If you’re looking for a fun summer read, do is a great book to add to your list.

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

My Most Anticipated September 2020 Book Releases


September is here! And with it comes LOTS of awesome new books for us to read!
(And thank goodness, because we all need the distraction. haha)

There are SO many awesome new books coming out this month that I can't wait to read. A few I have pre-ordered, and a few I have on hold at the library, but I'm so excited for them ALL!

Here's some of the September Releases I'm looking forward to...

Fantasy

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34605974-the-lost-book-of-the-white

The Lost Book of the White
(The Eldest Curses #2)
by Cassandra Clare

From #1 New York Times bestselling authors Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu comes the second book in the Eldest Curses series and a thrilling new adventure for High Warlock Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood, for whom a death-defying mission into the heart of evil is not just a job, it’s also a romantic getaway. The Lost Book of the White is a Shadowhunters novel.

Life is good for Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood. They’re living together in a fabulous loft, their warlock son, Max, has started learning to walk, and the streets of New York are peaceful and quiet—as peaceful and quiet as they ever are, anyway.

Until the night that two old acquaintances break into Magnus’s apartment and steal the powerful Book of the White. Now Magnus and Alec will have to drop everything to get it back. They need to follow the thieves to Shanghai, they need to call some backup to accompany them, and they need a babysitter.

Also, someone has stabbed Magnus with a strange magical weapon and the wound is glowing, so they have that to worry about too.

Fortunately, their backup consists of Clary, Jace, Isabelle, and newly minted Shadowhunter Simon. In Shanghai, they learn that a much darker threat awaits them. Magnus’s magic is growing unstable, and if they can’t stop the demons flooding into the city, they might have to follow them all the way back to the source—to the very realm of the dead. Can they stop the threat to the world? Will they make it back home before their kid completely wears out Alec’s mom?

Add to Goodreads


•     •    •     •     •     •

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40550366-blood-honey

Blood & Honey
(Serpent & Dove #2)
by Shelby Mahurin

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.

To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.

The hotly anticipated sequel to the New York Times and IndieBound bestseller Serpent & Dove—packed with even steamier romance and darker magic—is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas.

Add to Goodreads


•     •    •     •     •     •

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45044785-the-silvered-serpents

The Silvered Serpents
(The Gilded Wolves #2)
by Roshani Chokshi

Returning to the dark and glamorous 19th century world of her New York Times instant bestseller, The Gilded Wolves, Roshani Chokshi dazzles us with another riveting tale as full of mystery and danger as ever in The Silvered Serpents.

They are each other’s fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope.

Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost — one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumored to grant its possessor the power of God.

Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into the icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all.

As hidden secrets come to the light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves. But what they find out may lead them down paths they never imagined.

A tale of love and betrayal as the crew risks their lives for one last job.

Add to Goodreads


•     •    •     •     •     •

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50892338-legendborn

Legendborn
(Legendborn #1)
by Tracy Deonn

Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy Legendborn offers the dark allure of City of Bones with a modern-day twist on a classic legend and a lot of Southern Black Girl Magic.

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.

Add to Goodreads


•     •    •     •     •     •


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53174067-skyhunter

Skyhunter
(Skyhunter #1)
by Marie Lu

In Skyhunter, a novel laced with adrenaline and filled with nonstop action, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu creates an immersive world broken by war where the only hope against overwhelming evil lies with a team of young warriors willing to sacrifice everything to save what they love.

The Karensa Federation has conquered a dozen countries, leaving Mara as one of the last free nations in the world. Refugees flee to its borders to escape a fate worse than death―transformation into mutant war beasts known as Ghosts, creatures the Federation then sends to attack Mara.

The legendary Strikers, Mara’s elite fighting force, are trained to stop these monsters. But as the number of Ghosts grows and Karensa closes in, defeat seems inevitable.

Still, one Striker refuses to give up hope.

Robbed of her voice and home, Talin Kanami knows firsthand the brutality of the Federation. Their cruelty forced her and her mother to seek asylum in a country that finds their people repugnant. She finds comfort only with a handful of fellow Strikers who have pledged their lives to one another, soldiers determined to push Karensa back at all costs.

After another devastating battle, Mara seems ready to fall. But when a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. Is he a spy from the Federation? Or could he be the weapon that will save them all?


Add to Goodreads


•     •    •     •     •     •

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52339313-cemetery-boys

Cemetary Boys
by Aiden Thomas

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.


Add to Goodreads

•     •    •     •     •     •

Mystery/Thrillers


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50892433-one-by-one

One by One
by Ruth Ware

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Turn of the Key and In a Dark Dark Wood returns with another suspenseful thriller set on a snow-covered mountain.

Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?

When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?

Add to Goodreads


•     •    •     •     •     •

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49398072-when-no-one-is-watching

When No One is Watching
by Alyssa Cole

Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times Notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning…

Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block—her neighbor Theo.

But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised.

When does coincidence become conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other—or themselves—long enough to find out before they too disappear?

Add to Goodreads

•     •     •     •     •     •

Contemporaries

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49397758-grown
by Tiffany D. Jackson
Korey Fields is dead.

When Enchanted Jones wakes with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night, no one—the police and Korey’s fans included—has more questions than she does. All she really knows is that this isn't how things are supposed to be. Korey was Enchanted’s ticket to stardom.

Before there was a dead body, Enchanted was an aspiring singer, struggling with her tight knit family’s recent move to the suburbs while trying to find her place as the lone Black girl in high school. But then legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots her at an audition. And suddenly her dream of being a professional singer takes flight.

Enchanted is dazzled by Korey’s luxurious life but soon her dream turns into a nightmare. Behind Korey’s charm and star power hides a dark side, one that wants to control her every move, with rage and consequences. Except now he’s dead and the police are at the door. Who killed Korey Fields?

All signs point to Enchanted.

Add to Goodreads

•     •     •    
•     •     •

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50089191-well-played

Well Played
(Well Met #2)
by Jen DeLuca

Another laugh-out-loud romantic comedy featuring kilted musicians, Renaissance Faire tavern wenches, and an unlikely love story.

Stacey is jolted when her friends Simon and Emily get engaged. She knew she was putting her life on hold when she stayed in Willow Creek to care for her sick mother, but it's been years now, and even though Stacey loves spending her summers pouring drinks and flirting with patrons at the local Renaissance Faire, she wants more out of life. Stacey vows to have her life figured out by the time her friends get hitched at Faire next summer. Maybe she'll even find The One.

When Stacey imagined "The One," it never occurred to her that her summertime Faire fling, Dex MacLean, might fit the bill. While Dex is easy on the eyes onstage with his band The Dueling Kilts, Stacey has never felt an emotional connection with him. So when she receives a tender email from the typically monosyllabic hunk, she's not sure what to make of it.

Faire returns to Willow Creek, and Stacey comes face-to-face with the man with whom she’s exchanged hundreds of online messages over the past nine months. To Stacey's shock, it isn't Dex—she's been falling in love with a man she barely knows.

Add to Goodreads


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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49203369-tools-of-engagement

Tools of Engagement
(Hot & Hammered #3)
by Tessa Bailey

Hair, makeup, clothing, decor... everything in Bethany Castle's world is organized, planned, and styled to perfection. Which is why the homes she designs for her family's real estate business are the most coveted in town. The only thing not perfect? Her track record with men. She's on a dating hiatus and after helping her friends achieve their dreams, Bethany finally has time to focus on her own: flip a house, from framework to furnishings, all by herself. Except her older brother runs the company and refuses to take her seriously.

When a television producer gets wind of the Castle sibling rivalry, they’re invited on Flip Off, a competition to see who can do the best renovation. Bethany wants bragging rights, but she needs a crew and the only member of her brother's construction team willing to jump ship is Wes Daniels, the new guy in town. His Texas drawl and handsome face got under Bethany's skin on day one, but the last thing she needs is some cocky young cowboy in her way.

As the race to renovate heats up, Wes and Bethany are forced into close quarters, trading barbs and biting banter as they remodel the ugliest house on the block. It's a labor of love, hate, and everything in between, and soon sparks are flying. But Bethany's perfectly structured life is one kiss away from going up in smoke and she knows falling for a guy like Wes would be a flipping disaster.

In Tessa Bailey’s latest rom-com, two enemies team up to flip a house... and the sparks between them might burn the place down or ignite a passion that neither can ignore!Add to Goodreads


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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52278666-a-rogue-of-one-s-own

A Rogue of One's Own
(A League of Extraordinary Women #2)
by Evie Dunmore

A lady must have money and an army of her own if she is to win a revolution—but first, she must pit her wits against the wiles of an irresistible rogue bent on wrecking her plans…and her heart.

Lady Lucie is fuming. She and her band of Oxford suffragists have finally scraped together enough capital to control one of London’s major publishing houses, with one purpose: to use it in a coup against Parliament. But who could have predicted that the one person standing between her and success is her old nemesis, Lord Ballentine? Or that he would be willing to hand over the reins for an outrageous price—a night in her bed.

Lucie tempts Tristan like no other woman, burning him up with her fierceness and determination every time they clash. But as their battle of wills and words fans the flames of long-smouldering devotion, the silver-tongued seducer runs the risk of becoming caught in his own snare.

As Lucie tries to out-manoeuvre Tristan in the boardroom and the bedchamber, she soon discovers there’s truth in what the poets say: all is fair in love and war…

Add to Goodreads

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45023611-the-roommate

The Roomate
by Rosie Danan

House Rules:
Do your own dishes
Knock before entering the bathroom
Never look up your roommate online


The Wheatons are infamous among the east coast elite for their lack of impulse control, except for their daughter Clara. She’s the consummate socialite: over-achieving, well-mannered, predictable. But every Wheaton has their weakness. When Clara’s childhood crush invites her to move cross-country, the offer is too much to resist. Unfortunately, it’s also too good to be true.

After a bait-and-switch, Clara finds herself sharing a lease with a charming stranger. Josh might be a bit too perceptive—not to mention handsome—for comfort, but there’s a good chance he and Clara could have survived sharing a summer sublet if she hadn’t looked him up on the Internet...

Once she learns how Josh has made a name for himself, Clara realizes living with him might make her the Wheaton’s most scandalous story yet. His professional prowess inspires her to take tackling the stigma against female desire into her own hands. They may not agree on much, but Josh and Clara both believe women deserve better sex. What they decide to do about it will change both of their lives, and if they’re lucky, they’ll help everyone else get lucky too.

Add to Goodreads

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SO many great books, right?
I really can't wait to read them all. :)

Are there any September releases that you're looking forward to reading??


Tuesday, September 1, 2020

My September 2020 TBR!


Happy First Day of September, Bookworms!

September has finally arrived! And with it comes the promise of fall, a hint of cooler weather, and, of course, a brand new TBR!

If you've been following my blog for a while, then you probably know that 2020 has not been a good reading year for me. I've had a few good months, and even more bad months, and I'm nowhere near where I want to be with my yearly reading goal.

BUT, there are still 4 months left in the year, and I'm really hoping I can get back on track.
*fingers crossed*

This month I have a LOT of awesome books picked out to read. I'm finishing up my re-reads of *The Remnant Chronicles, *Percy Jackson and *The Trials of Apollo series, and I've very much enjoyed reading all of these books again.

And I have a few new-to-me and LOTS of new release books to check out as well. I hope I can read them all. :)

Here's what I'm reading in September:
Books I'm Reading:

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
(SO excited to finally read this!)

Kiss My Cupcake by Helena Hunting
(A new romance! Count me in!)


Books I'm Re-Reading:

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
(To prepare for Blood & Honey!)

The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
(I love this series so much. Can I start it again??)

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
(I'm not ready to say goodbye to this series again!)

The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan
(SO ready for The Tower of Nero!)

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I also have a lot of new releases coming this month that I can't wait to read, including:

The Lost Book of The White by Cassandra Clare
Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi
Well Played by Jen DeLuca
Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey
A Rogue of Ones Own by Evie Dunmore

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That's my TBR for the month! I really hope I can read them all!

What are you guys reading this month??