September 2018 Wrap-Up

Here's everything I read in September 2018! I didn't read the most books in September, but I enjoyed a lot of the ones I read.

 

  

-- Within These Walls by Ania Ahlborn -- BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5 -- Very Spooky! Had a Charles Manson kind of vibe to it. Shocking ending. I'm gonna read more by Ania Ahlborn.

-- Gemina (Illuminae #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff -- BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.3/5 -- I LIKED THIS SO MUCH! I was a little under-whelmed by Illuminae, so I was kind of nervous going into Gemina, but I enjoyed this one a lot. I enjoyed the characters. And I think I just liked the premise better. Instead of a rogue AI, we had some pretty mean mercenaries taking over the ship. I'm excited to read Obsidion and see how everything ends.

-- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne -- BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5 -- Really, really cute and steamy. I liked it a lot. Not realistic at all when it came to what I think of a work environment, but I really enjoyed it.

-- The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones -- BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5 -- I wasn't blown away by this one. I really enjoyed the premise of it, but I don't think it ever really reached that cool potential. I wanted more danger and more action, and it had very small moments of it, but overall, it read more like a kind of contemporary story. I don't know. I really love Emily Lloyd-Jones superhero/super abilities series, so I was expecting more from The Hearts We Sold.

-- Nailbiter, Volume 5: Bound by Blood by Joshua Williamson, Mike Henderson, Adam Guzowski, John J. Hill, and Rob Levin -- BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5 -- This is a perfect Halloween read graphic novel. It's really violent, really dark, and I really like this series. There's only one more Volume left before it ends and I have all the answers!!

And that's my September 2018 Wrap-Up. What did you read?

Review: Within These Walls by Ania Ahlborn

Title: Within These Walls

Author: Ania Ahlborn

Published by: Gallery Books

Released: 2015

Source: Library

Summary: From indie horror author and bestselling sensation Ania Ahlborn, this brand-new supernatural thriller questions: how far would you go for success, and what would you be capable of if the promise of forever was real?

With his marriage on the rocks and his life in shambles, washed up crime writer Lucas Graham is desperate for a comeback. So when he’s promised exclusive access to notorious cult leader and death row inmate Jeffrey Halcomb, the opportunity is too good to pass up. Lucas leaves New York for the scene of the crime—a split-level farmhouse on the gray-sanded beach of Washington State—a house whose foundation is steeped in the blood of Halcomb’s diviners; runaways who, thirty years prior, were drawn to his message of family, unity, and unconditional love. Lucas wants to tell the real story of Halcomb’s faithful departed, but when Halcomb goes back on his promise of granting Lucas exclusive information on the case, he’s left to put the story together on his own. Except he is not alone. For Jeffrey Halcomb promised his devout eternal life…and within these walls, they’re far from dead. ( Synopsis from Goodreads )

My Thoughts: I liked this! I'm definitely going to read more from Ania Ahlborn. Within These Walls was a slow burn scare. It had a lot of build up to an ending that shocked me. It was definitely an experience of a book. It had a Charles Mason vibe to it, which made it really weird and really creepy.

I was really looking forward to Lucas getting that interview with Jeff Halcomb, and it made me a little crazy that it never happened. It would have been such an intense and creepy scene.

I liked getting all the flashbacks to the time of the original crime. They were really interesting to read and experience. I felt so badly for Audra Snow. She seemed like such a lost and lonely soul, and these people just took advantage of her. What have I learned? Never invite a bunch of weird, beach living strangers into your house. I wish she would have kicked them out, especially as they got more and more sinister. I wish she could have recognized that there was no love there, no belonging, they were just using her.

I won't say that I ultimately understood everything that happened. I didn't understand all the whys. I still have questions about the baby. Questions about just what really was going on. It was very weird. I also had questions when it came to Lucas's ex-wife. Why didn't she try to get in contact with her daughter more?

I will say I did guess who one of the villains might be, so I wasn't that surprised when they were revealed.

Within These Walls was one crazy ride. It was a slow-burn scare that I really ended up enjoying. It's not a book that will scare the pants off you, but it does have a creep factor that will stay after turning the last page. I'm going to be reading more by Ania Ahlborn.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Spooooooky!

Reading Right Now! (178)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

 

-- Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda -- I actually finished this one in the wee hours of Friday morning, but I'm still going to include it anyway. I definitely enjoyed it, buuuut I do see ways it could have been better. I'll dive deep into it once I write my review. As a teaser for my upcoming review, I'll just say that I think this would have been better if it had been broken up into two books. And I did have some other qualms about it, but I won't spoil them for you here. I'm definitely going to read more by Courtney Alameda!

-- The Hatching (#1) by Ezekiel Boone -- As you can see, I decided to go all in for the scary/creepy books for the month of October. They are fun. Also, I could be craving them because I've decided to take part in the Spookathon picture challenge on Instagram and probably the Spookathon Readathon.

This one is about spiders!!! Can We Panic Now!?! I've just started it, and I'm interested. So far, each chapter has been a different character, so I'm excited to see how they all come together.

The cover is perfection!! Pure Creepy Spider Web Perfection!

And that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading?

BLOG TOUR: Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn

I'm really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn. I've read other books by Pintip Dunn and have liked them all, so that made me even more excited for Star-Crossed. I want to thank Entangled Teen, Pintip Dunn, and YA Bound Book Tours for letting me be a part of this fun tour. I was provided with a free e-arc for review purposes, but all thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and 100% my own.

Title: Star-Crossed

Author: Pintip Dunn

Released: October 2, 2018

Goodreads  Entangled Website  Amazon

Synopsis: In a world where nutrition can be transferred via a pill, and society is split into Eaters and Non-Eaters, seventeen-year-old Princess Vela has a grave dilemma. Her father, the king, is dying, and only a transplant of organs from a healthy Non-Eater boy will save him.

Vela is tasked with choosing a boy fit to die for the king, which is impossible enough. But then Carr, the boy she's loved all her life, emerges as the best candidate in the Bittersweet Trials. And he's determined to win, because by doing so, he can save the life of his Non-Eater sister.

Refusing to accept losing the boy she loves, Vela bends the rules and cheats. But when someone begins to sabotage the Trials, Vela must reevaluate her own integrity—and learn the true sacrifice of becoming a ruler.

My Thoughts: Yet another Pintip Dunn book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I liked Star-Crossed a lot! I love a good sci-fi tale, and this one had it all. Planets and Colonists, tough choices, greater good, mystery, romance, heartbreak, it had alllll the things I like in a book.

There were a lot of tough circumstances in this book, sacrifices that characters had to make for the greater good. It was very thought provoking to read. I don't think I could ever survive in most of the book worlds I visit, and I probably wouldn't have survived in this one either, but I love reading tales of hard choices and what humanity will do to keep going.

The romance was everything I wanted it to be. Sweet, steamy, and it gave me all the feels.

The world was really fun to read about. As I've stated before, I've been a big fan of sci-fi lately. Part of that probably stems from my obsession with The 100 and Bellamy Blake and of course Firefly, which was canceled TOO SOON! I really enjoy reading books set in a future where humanity has to contend with different, dangerous challenges.

The characters were great to follow. I liked reading about them.

I'd definitely recommend Star-Crossed and Pintip Dunn books in general to everybody. Star-Crossed was good, really, really good.

Meet the Author

Pintip Dunn

Website  Twitter  Instagram  Facebook  Goodreads  Amazon  Entangled Publishing

Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of young adult fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B., and received her J.D. at Yale Law School.

Pintip’s novel FORGET TOMORROW won the 2016 RWA RITA® for Best First Book, and SEIZE TODAY won the 2018 RITA for Best Young Adult Romance. Her books have been translated into four languages, and they have been nominated for the following awards: the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire; the Japanese Sakura Medal; the MASL Truman Award; the Tome Society It list; and the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her other titles include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, THE DARKEST LIE, GIRL ON THE VERGE, and the upcoming STAR-CROSSED and MALICE.

Thank you for stopping by my Blog Tour Stop for Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn. If it sounds good to you, pick it up. I definitely recommend it. Thanks again to YA Bound Book Tours, Entangled Teen, and Pintip Dunn for letting me be a part of this fun tour!

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BLOG TOUR: After Always by Barbara J. Hancock

I'm really excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for After Always by Barbara J. Hancock. The cover looks so haunting and dramatic that I knew I had to read it. I want to thank Entangled Teen, Barbara J. Hancock, and YA Bound Book Tours for letting me be a part of this tour. I received a free e-arc of After Always for review, but all thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and 100% my own.

Title: After Always

Author: Barbara J. Hancock

Release Date: October 1st, 2018

Goodreads  Amazon  Entangled Teen

Synopsis: Lydia’s life felt like it ended when Tristan died. Sure, they had their problems and he could be a little…intense at times. But he’d promised to love her forever…

When her parents propose a summer across the country with a music teacher who runs an inn, Lydia agrees. But it’s different from what she expected. There’s a presence there she can’t quite reconcile—and it feels like it’s hunting her. It seems Tristan’s promise followed her…and may have graver consequences than she could have known.

Then there’s Michael Malone, the one light spot in an otherwise dark existence. Lydia can’t help but be drawn to him, and as they try to uncover the evil plaguing the inn, they grow closer. But guilt over Tristan’s death still consumes her. Can she and Michael uncover what evil lurks in the inn before it takes another victim?

My Thoughts: Oooh I liked this one. It had this creepy romantic vibe to it that I really enjoyed. It was a dark tale, darker than I thought it was going to be. There were also some unexpected twists and secret reveals that I really enjoyed. After Always was different than what I expected it to be.

It had a very gothic feel to it, which I really enjoyed. It had this atmosphere to it that was just fun and creepy to read.

I liked the flashback storyline a lot. I was always excited when I would get to one of those sections.

I also really enjoyed the writing style. I got pulled into the story from the first page.

I also really enjoyed the romance. Every good Gothic book needs a romance in my opinion.

I really enjoyed After Always. It had a good creep factor, some romance, a lot of secrets and shocks. I'd definitely say give it a read. It's a good one.

Meet the Author

Barbara J. Hancock

Website  Twitter  Goodreads  Facebook

Barbara J. Hancock lives in a cabin in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her many rescued pets and the guy who lured her into the wilderness with promises of lots of peace and quiet for writing. To this day, the Appalachian wildwood is the best gift she’s ever been given. Her favorite pastime (besides animal rescue) is bringing darkly romantic stories to life by firefly light.

Thanks for stopping by my Blog Tour stop for After Always by Barbara J. Hancock. I'm so excited that I got to be a part of the tour. Thanks again to YA Bound Book Tours, Entangled Teen, and Barbara J. Hancock for letting me be a part of this creepy, romantic tale.

Fresh Releases: October 2, 2018

These Releases are FRESH FROM THE GRAVE!!!! SHAMBLING ONTO YOUR SHELF!!! It's October, so everything automatically becomes spooky. There's a lot of Fresh Releases this week, I'll just name the ones I remember, but be sure to check them out!

 

 

 

--  Grim Lovelies (#1) by Megan Shepherd --

-- Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa --

-- Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke --

-- A Map of Days (#4) by Ransom Riggs --

-- Broken Things by Lauren Oliver --

-- Muse of Nightmares (#2) by Laini Taylor --

I know I'm missing some, probably a lot, but there's a bunch of books coming out in October. Some pretty exciting releases too! Better get them while they're FRESH FRESH.

I say that, but you can really read a book whenever. Sometimes it's even better to read it after the hype goes down.

Review: Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3) by Seanan McGuire

Title: Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3)

Author: Seanan McGuire

Published by: Tom Doherty Associates (TOR)

Released: 2017

Source: Library

Summary:  Beneath the Sugar Sky returns to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. At this magical boarding school, children who have experienced fantasy adventures are reintroduced to the "real" world. 

Sumi died years before her prophesied daughter Rini could be born. Rini was born anyway, and now she’s trying to bring her mother back from a world without magic. ( Synopsis from Goodreads )

My Thoughts: I'm going to be unpopular about this, but I didn't find anything particularly spectacular about this story. It was okay, it was fine, but I'm not feeling the hype the majority of the book world feels for this series. 

In a sense, I felt like I was getting preached at, which I HATE HATE HATE when it comes to books. I expect to be given a story that I will fall into and enjoy. I don't like it when I can see the slant, the subliminal messaging being blasted at me. Beneath the Sugar Sky was just screaming LOOK HOW DIVERSE I AM! I mean that's fine. I'm all for diverse reads, I just don't like being beat over the head with it. I want to love a character because they are a good character, not because they fit into all these diverse categories.

What I did like is that Beneath the Sugar Sky kind of looped itself back around to events from the first book. I enjoyed getting to see characters that I'd already been introduced to. It was fun seeing Nancy again, even though I still don't get the lure of being a living statue. It was fun seeing Rini's Daughter, and learning that they were somehow going to bring her back. I like Seanan McGuire's writing. I like the illustrations that randomly popped up, even though they were very sparse.

I didn't really feel anything for the main character Cora. She was always thinking about how people were judging her for being fat. All she focused on was Fat Fat Fat. I think that fat mentality is something she needs to work on in herself, because it seemed to really bother her way more than it bothered other people. I'm not saying she needs to become a skinny minny, but she just needs to learn to like herself.

I didn't feel like the Candy Land world was that unique. I've seen it before. It reminded me a lot of Wreck-it-Ralph.

I really think the first two books were stronger than Beneath the Sugar Sky. This one had a protagonist that I just didn't really care about. 

And my main complaint that I've had through the whole of this series is that every single one of them is too short. The quest felt so rushed in Beneath the Sugar Sky. It needed more time, more development of the characters, for certain aspects of the plot to not resolve themselves so easily. The characters needed more of a challenge, which needs more time and pages.

I enjoy this series, but I don't love it. I don't necessarily get the hype. I'll still read more of them because I'm interested, but I don't ever see it becoming a 5 Star, Favorite Series for me.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Needs More Sugar.