At the time this came out I've read 206 books and 51,115 pages. So that's pretty dang good for me! I always have a personal goal of reading 200 books or more. So I made that goal for 2020!
At the time this came out I've read 206 books and 51,115 pages. So that's pretty dang good for me! I always have a personal goal of reading 200 books or more. So I made that goal for 2020!
2020 has been the worst of my life. I don't just say that because of the pandemic. Lots of terrible things have happened. So that would make sense that since my mindset hasn't been the best, the stuff I've read I've not given the best ratings. So I only have nine books that I felt deserved to be on this list. But anyway, let's just jump into this list!
Even though this Christmas may be different, I still hope this post finds you well. I hope that you enjoy this day to the fullest, even if that means Zoom calls with your family instead of a large gathering. Hopefully, things will all be back to normal next year, and 2020 will be nothing but a tiny blimp in the review mirror.
This Christmas will be the same as always for my family. My partner's grandmama and step-grandpapa will come over, and I'll make the dinner. Next year, I'm hoping I'll be able to see my family for once. This year has taught me to really value the people in my life now because they could be gone tomorrow.
I hope you're getting some reading done and maybe sitting by a fireplace enjoying the sounds and smells. Or, if you're like me, using your TV as a fireplace.
Since I've been OBSESSED with Outlander recently, I've been watching the Yule Log videos to read and relax. Sure, I don't get that wonderful fire smell, but I can enjoy the sound with a nice mug of hot cocoa. So maybe you can cuddle up on this day with a drink of choice and read a great book.
A WITCH'S CURSE
Guideau: a feral girl with long fangs and the eyes of a beast. Ashaf: a soft-spoken man with delicate features and a coffin strapped to his back. This ominous pair appears one day in a town that's in thrall to a witch, who has convinced the townsfolk she's their hero. But Ashaf and Guideau know better. They have scores to settle, and they won't hesitate to remove anyone in their way...
Hello, Butterflies! I hope your month is going well. I hope you're reading lots of great books, staying safe, and enjoying the most wonderful time of the year. Well... as much as one can during this pandemic. At least there is hope! A vaccine is slowly rolling out! Hopefully, by this time next year, we will go back to normal! Won't that be amazing! I know the first thing I want to do is go and visit my family. Then start planning a trip to Scotland. What about you? What's the first thing you want to do when it's safe again?
In January 2013, I got to spend 11 days in a wonderful place called Singapore. If you love the city, you'll love this country! It's small but so jammed packed full of amazing things to do! It's the second safest country in the world to live in! It's also been voted as the fourth safest place to live during this pandemic. The regular citizens aren't allowed to own guns but I'd never felt so safe in my life. I even went walking by myself around midnight and never once looked over my shoulder worried some creep was following me.
Singapore is rated as the 11th most beautiful city in the world in 2019. Which is well deserved! It's also the cleanest place I've ever visited. I swear the sidewalks were cleaner than some of the Walmart floors I've seen here in the states. Hell, even some restaurants around here are much dirtier than Singapore roads.
I don't normally make these kinds of posts because I'm a mood reader. But ever since my father passed away in August, I've not been reading like I should. It just doesn't do it for me like it before. Sorry, I won't go any further into that. Point is, I want to push myself to read more, hoping it gets me back on track. So without further ado my little butterflies! Let's get to the books I want to read this month!
So I asked you guys on Twitter if you wanted to see a book haul and you said yes. I don't usually do these kinds of posts because I know it can make some feel felt out and sad when they can't afford to buy new books, which I completely understand! So I will NOT be making this a normal thing on the blog unless you want me to.
I also wanted to point out that only a handful of these books are new. I hate paying full price for just about everything and that includes books. That being said, I've VERY picky when it comes to the condition of my books. They have to be like new or better. I just can't handle books with bent spines. I once bent a spine by accident and ended up selling that book just to buy another copy where the spine was perfect. Yes, I'm THAT person with it comes to my books.
If you'd like to know where I get my books let me know and I could make a post about it.
What would you give for a chance to live your dreams?
For seventeen-year-old Korean American Rachel Kim, the answer is almost everything. Six years ago, she was recruited by DB Entertainment—one of Seoul’s largest K-pop labels, known for churning out some of the world’s most popular stars. The rules are simple: Train 24/7. Be perfect. Don’t date. Easy right?
Not so much. As the dark scandals of an industry bent on controlling and commodifying beautiful girls begin to bubble up, Rachel wonders if she’s strong enough to be a winner, or if she’ll end up crushed… Especially when she begins to develop feelings for K-pop star and DB golden boy Jason Lee. It’s not just that he’s charming, sexy, and ridiculously talented. He’s also the first person who really understands how badly she wants her star to rise.
How is everyone doing this week? I've been so busy with my new seasonal job that I've not been really doing anything but working and sleeping. To go from being a stay at home mummy to 40 hour week was a little rough on my body but I'm slowly adjusting. Thanksgiving is this week! I hope you're all going to stay safe and sound. This will be my first Thanksgiving without my father so I'm going to try extra hard to make it special for my mum and sister. Wish me luck!
I hope you enjoy these two songs by one of my favorite bands, Icon for Hire. They've been having some new stuff come out and so far I've liked most of it. I'm not the biggest fan of seeds because I just don't like how they choose to do the word seeds and how it fits with the music, plus it reminds me a lot of BMTH with Kick Me When I'm Down. That's just me, it's still a decent song, just not one I'll replay a lot. I do love that the two of them have decided to go heavier, it's really working for me.
Hope you enjoyed these! Have a great week! Stay safe!
Beatrix Greene has made a name for herself in Victorian England as a reputable spiritual medium, but she’s a fraud: even she knows ghosts aren’t real. But when she’s offered a lucrative job by James Walker—a scientist notorious for discrediting pretenders like her—Beatrix takes the risk of a lifetime. If her séance at the infamously haunted Ashbury Manor fools him, she will finally have true financial freedom. If she fails, her secret will become her public shame.
But James has his own dark secrets, and he believes only a true medium can put them to rest. When Beatrix’s séance awakens her real gift—and with it, a vengeful spirit—James finds that the answers he seeks are more dangerous than he could have imagined. Together, with a group of supernatural sleuths, Beatrix and James race to settle the ghost’s unrest before it strikes— or else they might not make it out of the haunted manor alive.
New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins, along with Ash Parsons and Vicky Alvear Shecter, weaves darkness, death, and a hint of desire into this suspenseful mystery for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Crimson Peak.
Mini Review
Yes! It's been a while since I've read anything by Serial Box but this was AMAZING! It's creepy, romantic and wonderfully gothic! What more could I ask for?
A Sensual, Powerful, And Thought Provoking Tarzan Retelling
Eden Matthews stumbled upon the discovery of a lifetime while photographing wildlife deep in the heart of Africa…
A gorgeous god of a man living in the wilds of the African jungle among a family of gorillas…
When he saves her life she’s compelled to uncover the man’s tragic past and the fate which led him to grow up in the wild.
But Eden soon learns she can take man from the wild, but she can’t take the wild out of the man…
When her savage savior soon shows her just want he wants of her…her sensual surrender, she finds she can’t resist him teaching her how to love…in the wild.
So.... no. I didn't like this one. The writing was great. It flowed perfectly, I never had to stop and wonder what I'd just read. But what got me was the story itself... insta-love, magic caves, and really not much character development. This was basically a worse version of the Disney movie but with sex and weird magic stuff.
It's a no for me.
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First comes marriage, then comes an earthbound love that is out of this world!
From the day his parents named him, Nasa Yuzaki has been destined for outer space…or so he believes. But while trying to join the space program, he is thrown for a loop when an accident introduces him to Tsukasa, a mysterious girl with strange powers. Is she an alien, a moon goddess or something else? Since she insists on marrying him, Nasa has plenty of chances to find out!
Mini Manga Breakdown
A cute romance manga? YES PLEASE! The art is so pretty. I do feel the beginning is a little jarring... like it just throws the reader into the story and I wasn't sure if I'd missed something or not. Once, I caught on, it was great and the story is cute. Can't wait to read more!
Hisagi must throw himself into a new fight as the mystery that Kaname Tōsen left behind resurfaces. The story reveals more details about the four Noble Houses, the Soul King, Arrancar and Fullbringers.
Mini Book Breakdown
I thought this was a manga but it's actually a light novel. I have this love-hate relationship with light novels because I'm so used to seeing this world and these characters on the page that when I just have to picture them in my head... it's lost in translation.
That being said... I really enjoyed the story here and will continue this series. I love Bleach, the anime, and manga. Adding this new format just makes me happy to know we're still getting Bleach in some form.
Experience the introductory arc of the international smash hit series RWBY in a whole new way—manga!
In the world of Remnant, monsters known as Grimm wreak havoc. They’re kept in check by Huntsmen and Huntresses, highly skilled warriors experienced in monster extermination who utilize their special abilities on the field of battle. Ruby is a ferociously talented young girl who comes to Beacon Academy to hone her skills and serve as a Huntress herself. Alongside her sister Yang Xiao Long, rival Weiss Schnee and newfound friend Blake Belladonna, Ruby leads Team RWBY, the coolest new group at Beacon!
Ruby takes her first step on the road to becoming a Huntress by enrolling at Beacon Academy, eager to take on the battery of tests, challenges and difficulties that follow. Ruby knows her talents will take her to her goal, but is she ready to clash with Weiss Schnee, haughty scion of the Schnee Dust Company?
Mini Manga Breakdown
Action packed! Great art! Cute moments and even a few funny ones. I've never seen the anime and now I really want to change that!
Unleash the wolf within you with the help of this empowering guide to lycanthropic magic. Denny Sargent shows you how to improve your confidence, authenticity, and personal power using werewolf rituals, spells, meditations, folklore, and more.
Werewolf Magick teaches you to shed the restrictive bindings of the modern world and answer the call of your feral side. Once you embrace the wolf within, you'll transform into your fearless animal self and enjoy a more honest, primal, and intuitive way of being. Explore the modalities and invocations of werewolf magick. Discover shamanic shapeshifting, wolf deities and spirits, and werewolf herbalism. This book reveals deep secrets of primal magick and encourages you to awaken your full potential.
Book Breakdown
Thanks to NetGalley for this title in exchange for an honest review
You ever finish a book, close the page and place it on the shelf, and think to yourself, you know, I'm glad I read that book but it wasn't for me at all? Well, that's how I felt with this one. I've never read a book about werewolf magick before so when I saw it, I just knew I had to give it a go. Werewolf magick is not for me at all. Some parts of this book just had me blinking and wondering how it even worked but it takes all kinds to make the world go round.
It's well written the author seems very down to earth, very in touch with his animalistic self. Sometimes it's good to simply focus on our base needs most problems can be found in these simple areas we often overlook. That was something I took away from this book personally.
So if you're into werewolf magick, are just curious like I was, I do say give this a try, you might learn something nifty.
The iconic anthology series of horror tales that's now a feature film!
Full of cute little stories that would have freaked me out as a little one. As an adult, they aren't scary at all, naturally. But most are still entertaining, and I read the whole book in one sitting. As a child, my father would tell me this scary story about the "vindow viper' I never knew where he'd heard the story, but it creeped me out! It was in this book! My father never read, and he was most older than this book. It was still cool to see.
"I vish to vash and vipe the vindows." - The Viper
Now my favorite story is one that talks about this couple who spent the night with an elderly pair. They put some money on the table and left. When they arrived at the next town they learned the place they had stayed at and the people they'd stayed with were much different! Sure enough, when they went back, the house was burned, had been for years. No one lived there. Yet, their money lay untouched on a table.
This is perfect for parents who want to read to their kids but still enjoy themselves. It's really an easy but fun read.
This is one of the books I read for ScreamAThon so it's nice to knock one off the list!
Fear hits her like a wave crashing against the sheer cliffs nearby. She sees the woman’s feet first, then the legs bent like broken driftwood. Then, the blouse strewn open; the marks on her beautiful neck. Her knees buckle as a hand grabs her elbow to break her fall.
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(Joker) Jack's Obsession - Creepy |
Well, that's all for Music Monday this week! I hope you enjoyed these two songs! Lastly, I just wanted to say that the new episode of Kouples Korner is up! We're talking about a horror film since it's the month of October!
Well, that's it for this post! Have a great week!
ScreamAThon is a book reading challenge that takes place during October 1st -31st. Here's the link if you wanna know more. The goal is to try and get a bingo by the end of the month or if you really wanna be a crazy reader, blackout the whole board!
I know there's no way I can blackout the board so I've chosen a route to get a bingo and just leave it at that. I'll still be winning and having a blast!
Sidney Prescott: The Final Girl - Slasher Novel
Don't Blame the Movies - Book to Movie Adaptation
FREE SPACE!
Joel the Camera Man - Contemporary
Maureen Prescott - Paranormal Book
My goal will be to read one book per week, which should be very easy if I pace myself well. None of the books are too long and they're all ones I've been wanting to read for a while I haven't gotten to do so.
So I'm excited to get to reading these! Not only do I love October for its spooky time and horror movies and books: the weather finally starts to cool down and it kicks off the holidays! Which I adore!
But enough of that, let us talk about the books I've selected for each category, shall we?
This spooky addition to Alvin Schwartz's popular books on American folklore is filled with tales of eerie horror and dark revenge that will make you jump with fright.
There is a story here for everyone—skeletons with torn and tangled flesh who roam the earth; a ghost who takes revenge on her murderer; and a haunted house where every night a bloody head falls down the chimney.
Stephen Gammell's splendidly creepy drawings perfectly capture the mood of more than two dozen scary stories—and even scary songs—all just right for reading alone or for telling aloud in the dark.
If You Dare!
Immortal tales of the past and present from the world of Vampire Knight.
Vampire Knight returns with stories that delve into Yuki and Zero’s time as a couple in the past and explore the relationship between Yuki’s children and Kaname in the present.
Yuki and Zero have decided to become a couple. Though relations between the Hunter Society and vampires have improved, bombs have been set off in the city and the “Vampire King” is claiming responsibility. Yuki, Zero, Aido and Kaien enter the battle to protect those they care about.
Spine-chilling horror in the vein of Joe Hill. After moving into a new house, journalist Harry Hendrick wakes up with tattoos that aren’t his...
When washed-up journalist Harry Hendrick wakes one morning with a hangover and a strange symbol tattooed on his neck, he shrugs it off as a bad night out. But soon more tattoos appear: grisly, violent images which come accompanied by horrific nightmares – so he begins to dig deeper. Harry’s search leads him to a sinister disappearance, torment from beyond the grave, and a web of corruption and violence tangled with his own past. One way or another, he has to right the wrongs.
She won't rest until she's sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.
If anyone had told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that's all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.
Her father was right. The monsters are real.
To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn't careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies.
Well, that's all she wrote folks! There is my ScreamAThon TBR! Wish me good luck! I really wanna get that bingo! Until next time, stay safe, stay happy, and read a good book!
Feel the drama and passion in the Dynasties: Seven Sins series!
Next stop, paradise—With the man of her forbidden fantasies?
Giving in to desire with her brother’s best friend…
A secluded island resort is the perfect romantic setting for the night of passionate abandon Allison Randall plans to share with Zane Patterson. Her elder brother’s best friend has always been off-limits…and Zane is determined to keep it that way. But when a storm strands them together, neither can hold back. Everything Allison dreamed of is finally in reach…until unwelcome revelations threaten a rude awakening!
Harlequin Desire: Luxury, scandal, desire—welcome to the lives of the American elite.
One man’s betrayal can destroy generations. Fifteen years ago, a hedge-fund hotshot vanished with billions, leaving the high-powered families of Falling Brook changed forever. Now seven heirs, shaped by his betrayal, must reckon with the sins of the past. Passion may be their only path to redemption. Experience all Seven Sins! - Goodreads Blurb
Book Breakdown
I've have half a dozen read to review books on backlog from NetGalley that I'm gonna try and get through. I started with an easy one. Forbidden Lust isn't a long book and it reads so fast that I finished it in two hours. So if you're looking for a steamy quick read, this is for you!
I'm a little saddened by this series because it was not what I was hoping it would be. I was thinking of a 'grown up' version of the TV show Dynasty . This just felt like any other Harlequin Desire book. So that was a real let down for me. I have one more in the series to review so hopefully it's more like I was hoping it would be.
That's not saying this book is awful. That's not true! It's a good book. An average book. You'll enjoy it while reading but forget about it not long after you're finished. I hate to say that but it's true. But it does provide a nice escape from the world we're currently living in and that is worth its weight in gold.
Another long post but I just wanted to add a few things onto this one. First off, my partner got one of his shorts filmed! It's about ten minutes long and it turned out pretty dang well! He's very proud but says it also feels very surreal. I hope this is the start of something great for him!
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Another thing I wanted to add; the second episode of Kouples Korner is now live! We were a little excited and recorded another one. But after spending all day editing, we are going to stick to once a week, only on Friday's schedule. Editing really takes a lot of time! My eyes were so blurry by the time I finished that I walked into the kitchen counter.... yeah. I'll take more breaks for next week's episode. You can listen to the Youtube video or click the link HERE to find it on your favorite podcast site. I usually listen through Apple Podcasts myself. Please enjoy! This one turned out a whole lot better!
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"Let me guess... someone stole your Sweetroll?" - Skyrim
Now, I no longer have to care if my Sweetroll is stolen because I can just make my own!
I've been getting into cookbook more recently and when I saw this was a thing; I had to read it! A cookbook based on one of my favorite video game worlds of all time?! Heck yeah!
I have a lot of recipes lined up to make, Sweetrolls are one of them! But there's also the Potato Cheddar Soup and Boiled Creme Treat, Stewed Apples and Eidar Cheese!
I wish I could show you all these amazing pictures from the book but I think I'd get into trouble if I shared all the ones I wanted to make.
Something I find fun is before each recipe, there's a little mention of how the dish relates to the Elder Scrolls world and which race created the dish. It's so thorough that I feel like these are real places the author talks about and not a video game world. It's amazing! When I make a few of these dishes I want to take pictures and put them on Instagram. Let me know if that's something you'd want to see.
Bottom line: I love this! Until next time, stay healthy, stay happy, and read a good book!