It's Monday What Are You Reading

 It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! This meme by Kathryn at The Book Date

 I did manage to get a few books finished up this past week, but working on the house has sure put a dent in my reading time. I am also supposed to be sewing and making soap for an upcoming Open House in October and I haven't even started that! EEEKKKK so far behind. But let us get on with it...

WHAT I AM READING...

So I started For The Wolf by Hannah Whitten, which is the book we chose for our August Book Club read. I am going so slow on it, I swear I could have had three other books read. I think the concept of the story is great, but the author seems stuck on describing the world and other things and not just getting on with it. I know you need world-building, but I want to tell her even Rome wasn't built in a day so let it gradually be built as the story moves along. I will get through it...somehow.

I am listening to Ruby Falls by Deborah Goodrich Royce on Audible when I have work to do, and so far I am really enjoying it. Right now there is a lot of mystery going on and it's still up in the air on where this is actually going, but it has kept me entertained as I iron clothes, cook dinner, or paint the woodwork in my dining room.

Murder at Mallowan Hall is my kindle read. I only read my kindle at night so this may be on my what I am reading list for a few more Mondays, but maybe not. It is a mystery that takes place at the home of Agatha Christie, and her housekeeper is out to solve the mystery. Very entertaining, and kind of ironic that Agatha Christie would find a dead body in her own library! I love a good cozy mystery so this is just perfect and may help me a bit with the wolf book LOL

WHAT I READ LAST WEEK:

I finished book 3 of our The Mortal Instruments read along. I love these books, always have, always will so they are read quickly. I can't wait until next month when I can start on book 4! 

I loved The Lost Boys of Montauk, the author, Amanda M Fairbanks did a great job writing about the men who lost their lives and the people they left behind. Though the story was bittersweet, it was a great read and I am glad I got to know a bit about the people that surrounded this accident.

The Summoning by JP Smith was my last audible book. A thriller of sorts, it was about a woman who lost her husband on 9/11 and her daughter in a three-year coma from an accident. She puts on fake seances for people she finds in the New York Times obituary column. It was interesting, however, the ending rather fell short.

I still have a hard time reading graphic novels and considering them a book. I'm old, we read comic books, but only after we had read our " real " books. However, Alice Oseman has me changing my mind with her Heartstopper series. This has got to be the cutest little story of two boys that fall in love. I will forever be a fan of these, and can't wait until volume four releases.

UP NEXT...

I received Before Pittsburg by Kasie Whitener for a blog tour I am on...here is the summary:

Tony is dead and Brian’s world has unraveled. He starts counting the days in Barcelona: barfights and threesomes. The months in San Francisco: short stories and a new romance. The seasons in Tucson, Nashville, Manila, and Seattle: The Crew growing up and apart. Three years unfold between before-Tony-died and after. Brian thinks he has finally left Virginia and its ghosts behind.

Then September 11th brings time to a standstill and Brian faces a new devastation.

With so much work to be done Before Pittsburgh, Brian’s world expands in unexpected ways but contracts in the same old patterns of loss, redemption, and mourning. Can he earn his place in the lives of the people he loves? Or will he remain disconnected, unforgiven, and alone?

Hey guys. I’m getting back into participating in these blogs. You know since it’s two girls and not one.

Well here is my weekly reading update. Or well kind of my Aug update since this is the first one I’m jumping on.

The first book I read for the month of Aug was book three in the Zodiac Academy Series. Now if you are on booksta then you probably have seen these and know that they are described as a Harry Potter with smut. I don’t see too much of the Harry Potter reference other than there is magic and four houses in it; also within those houses, they get points taken or given to them ( though the points feel kinda like it's more of an afterthought). There will be a total of 8 books and 7th was just released.. I have to say these are some of my new favorite reads. They take a little bit to get through because they are some thick boys but I’m loving the plot, characters, and the magic system in them. 

Side note: they are Bully Romances so please check for trigger warnings. 

The next read was a library loan. Again I went into what I thought was a thriller and being ultimately disappointed. This was meh for me. I didn’t really find it having any twists or turns. No suspense and was just lacking in all aspects of the plot. 

Synopsis: Welcome to Hollow’s Edge, where you can find secrets, scandal, and a suspected killer—all on one street.

Hollow’s Edge used to be a quiet place. A private and idyllic neighborhood where neighbors dropped in on neighbors, celebrated graduation and holiday parties together and looked out for one another. But then came the murder of Brandon and Fiona Truett. A year and a half later, Hollow’s Edge is simmering. The residents are trapped, unable to sell their homes, confronted daily by the empty Truett house, and suffocated by their trial testimonies that implicated one of their own. Ruby Fletcher. And now, Ruby’s back.

With her conviction overturned, Ruby waltzes right back to Hollow’s Edge, and into the home she once shared with Harper Nash. Harper, five years older, has always treated Ruby like a wayward younger sister. But now she’s terrified. What possible good could come of Ruby returning to the scene of the crime? And how can she possibly turn her away, when she knows Ruby has nowhere to go?

Within days, suspicion spreads like a virus across Hollow’s Edge. It’s increasingly clear that not everyone told the truth about the night of the Truetts’ murders. And when Harper begins receiving threatening notes, she realizes she has to uncover the truth before someone else becomes the killer’s next victim.

Pulsating with suspense and with the shocking twists that are Megan Miranda’s trademark, Such a Quiet Place is Megan Miranda’s best novel yet—a twisty locked-box thriller that will keep you turning pages late into the night. 

Yea shocking twist my ass so lets just move on.  

I am also reading For the Wolf. You know since I’m one part of that Two girls thing..

But unlike Tee, I’m actually enjoying the story. I’m very curious as to where this is going. I will say that the beginning is very sloppy world-building. I agree a little that she has a lot of extra description that I’m not sure is all that is needed. But I’m intrigued with what this book has in store.

Karin Slaughter is an auto-buy author for me. I love her work. I was introduced to her through a buddy read last October and I have been slowly working through her backlist while at the same time picking up all her new releases. False Witness was released July 20th and while I wanted to get to it sooner life (aka work) likes to take giant dumps on me. But I got to it and I enjoyed it. This wasn’t one of my all-time favorites of hers but still so good. 

Next is I’m also in the buddy read for the Mortal Instruments series.  Me and Tee are not on the same page with our buddy reads this time. While she loves this series I’m being reminded why I was not a fan of Cassandra Clare. This is a reread for me but The first time I read the series was when it first came out 10+ years ago. I do not remember a lot but what I do remember was mostly why this wasn’t my favorite series. Clary is a very annoying spoiled brat who does whatever she wants, screw the consequences, and screw if it hurts anyone else. Simon is a whiney B*I*T*C*H.  and the hint at possible incest 🤢. Again this is a reread so I know they're not related but still my least favorite trope is the proxy incest. Meaning I was struggling in book three. Pray book four is better cuz I can’t remember shit about it. 

 

The next two books I read were because the above book was getting to me so much I could feel it putting me into a reading slump. To get out of a slump before it gets too bad I read cute cheesy rom-coms. What about you?

My favorite half-night stand was perfect. I love the group dynamics. It had some great laugh-out-loud moments. And it was a quick lite read. 

Wanted to stay on the rom-com kick and had heard such great things about this one. I am for the hype on this one. I have never wanted two characters to have sex so much in my life. I definitely recommend this one to get you out of slumps or if you need a funny slow burn. 

This one was read somewhere at the beginning of the month but it was a DNF. 

Ok now that I caught up with Tee; I can keep you updated on my weekly reads. 

Books that will be in the forecast for next week are possible

-For the wolf

_ vagabond

- Book four of Zodiac Academy 

Stay tuned.