Saturday Screen Time #45: Eight months later

 

Happy Saturday, everyone! It has been a LONG time since I've done one of these. Actually, it has been over eight months! Honestly though, I really wasn't watching a whole lot during that time. I went quite a few months only watching reality TV because my brain couldn't handle much more than that. Thankfully, I've been feeling a bit back to my old self recently so it's time for another one! I'll be back soon with my Halloween watches, I'm sure!

RECENTLY IN (NEW TO ME) MOVIES

THE BEST

West of Memphis - I have been obsessed with this case for years and I've been wanting to watch this documentary for awhile. Peter Jackson's West of Memphis is such a fantastic, comprehensive account of The West Memphis Three and I knew that he would do a great job making it an engaging viewing experience. It isn't available for free anywhere, but it's only $2.99 to rent and I highly recommend it whether you're new to the case or not. (5/5 stars)

Raya and the Last Dragon - I have no issue saying that I was skeptical of this film. My husband is so bored since Covid started that he'll watch pretty much anything that's new, so we paid $30 to watch this as soon as it came out. I was pleasantly surprised with this story! I love that the newer Disney movies don't all center on a princess and how she ends up falling in love and getting married. Raya was a fantastic protagonist and I loved the mythology of the dragons and the world they inhabited! You should definitely check this out, especially since it's free on Disney+ now! (4/5 stars)

Willy's Wonderland - I literally preordered a blu ray of this and also spent $20 to rent it as soon as it dropped. This movie is silent Nicolas Cage meets Five Nights at Freddy's and it was just as off the rails as you'd expect it to be. I definitely won't call it a quality film, but if you want to watch Nicolas Cage do his thing on a bunch of evil animatronics for an hour and a half, you won't be disappointed. (3.5/5 stars)

Jungle Cruise - Oh look, another movie my husband spent $30 to watch and I was roped into watching. I'll watch just about anything with The Rock, but I wasn't eager to see this. While it wasn't amazing, it was a lot of fun and I will definitely watch the sequel. I enjoyed the nods to the ride as well as all the new world building. I need to go read the backstory for The Jungle Cruise ride and see if they stuck to that at all. (3.5/5 stars)

THE WORST

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - If I had to pick my most disappointing movie of the year, this one would be it. I loved The Conjuring and the second movie is one of my all-time favorites, so I was super excited to watch this as soon as it came out. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was a movie that took the Satanic Panic seriously and made it into a horror movie. This installment was infinitely less scary than the first two and I really didn't understand the choice of villain. It's not surprising that this one is the lowest rated in the trilogy by a full star on IMDB. (2.5/5 stars)

Primer - If The Conjuring was my most disappointing of the year, Primer is the most disappointing of the past five. I have been dying to see this movie ever since I got into timey wimey movies a few years ago. After waiting forever for it to be free to stream, I finally spent money to rent it and... meh. I was honestly bored out of my mind wit this one. I cannot believe the hype this gets online. If you're looking for a quality time bending thriller, definitely check out Triangle or Coherence. (1.5/5 stars)

Black Mountain Side - My husband let me pick the movie the other night. Big mistake. Huge! We actually gave up on this one 15 minutes from the end because it became so ridiculous. When I tell you there's a taxidermy deer monster god creature with a bad imitation Vin Diesel voice... This movie is not it. RIP the $2.99 I spent on this. (1/5 stars)

RECENTLY IN REWATCHES

RECENTLY IN TV

FAVORITES

WandaVision - I finally got around to watching WandaVision and I am SO GLAD I finally did it. The first couple episodes really didn't do it for me, but once things started getting weird, I was hooked. I loved it so much! I can't really say anything without spoiling it for the five people who still haven't watched, but you want to watch this if you haven't already! (4/5 stars)

Bridgerton - I've actually seen this twice. The first time I watched by myself when it first came out, then I watched it with my mom when she visited over the summer. It isn't often that a show can capture my attention enough for me to sit through it more than once, but this one did! Honestly, I'm a little bitter that the Duke won't be back in season two, but I'm still here for Anthony's season. (4/5 stars)

Shadow and Bone - Of course I absolutely binged Shadow and Bone the second it hit my Netflix account! I was extremely skeptical of how they would be able to combine Six of Crows with the original trilogy and, although I didn't love the way the Crows fit in, I enjoyed the show so much anyway. I absolutely adored the Darkling and Alina! I'm aggravated that the people who only watch the show will never understand why so many people hate Mal, but at least he isn't a complete piece of soggy bread anymore. (4/5 stars)

WATCHLIST

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What have you been watching lately?
Any Halloween recs?

Let me know in the comments!

Book Review: You by Caroline Kepnes

Title: You (You #1)
Author: Caroline Kepnes
Publication Date: September 30, 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 424
Add to Goodreads

When a beautiful aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

A terrifying exploration of how vulnerable we all are to stalking and manipulation, debut author Caroline Kepnes delivers a razor-sharp novel for our hyper-connected digital age.

Last year, my husband and I started the show “You” but we only made it through the first season. We couldn’t go any further. Since I’ve become a fan of thrillers, I decided to read You by Caroline Kepnes. I don’t know what was more disturbing: watching the show, reading the words, or listening to the audiobook. This book was disturbing on SO many levels. And yet, I still rate it 5 out of 5.

Joe works at a bookstore and one day, he has a customer named Guinevere Beck. He found her attractive and to him, her smile, laughter, and banter meant she was flirting with him and since she paid by credit card, of course she wanted him to see her name and look her up online later. This encounter quickly spins into an obsession Joe develops for Beck. He stalks her and he even starts to control her life without her being the wiser.

Firstly, this is book is an excellent honey pot for ruling our future romantic and platonic relationships. Any person who finds Joe romantic is a walking red flag.

Secondly, as crazy, manipulative, and psycho as Joe was, there was some beautiful prose in his narration. One of my favorite quotes from the book is “You grow through love. You don’t postpone love until you stop growing.” Some pieces of his narration were just enough to ALMOST make you feel bad for him but it never quite reaches that point.

Thirdly, this book is a huge statement on living in the digital age. It’s scary how easy it can be for someone to stalk you. This book made me want to lock down every social media site I have and change all of my email passwords.

I love that this book was written by a woman. If I’m being honest, I would have never touched it or watched the show had it been written by a man. I would have felt even more gross if it had been. I don’t know if I’ll read the next book in this series, but I know I’ll never, ever, EVER forget You. 

ARC Review: Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Title: Once Upon a Broken Heart (OUABH #1)
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publication Date: September 28, 2021
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 416
Add to Goodreads

Evangeline Fox was raised in her beloved father’s curiosity shop, where she grew up on legends about immortals, like the tragic Prince of Hearts. She knows his powers are mythic, his kiss is worth dying for, and that bargains with him rarely end well.

But when Evangeline learns that the love of her life is about to marry another, she becomes desperate enough to offer the Prince of Hearts whatever he wants in exchange for his help to stop the wedding. The prince only asks for three kisses. But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’s pledged. And he has plans for Evangeline that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy…

It's no mystery around my blog that Caraval is one of my all-time favorite series! Despite not loving book three, it's a trilogy I don't hesitate to recommend and I've read the first two books multiple times. Of course, I was ecstatic when I found out Stephanie Garber would be writing Jacks's story next and couldn't wait to start reading once I got my hands on an ARC! 

Once Upon a Broken Heart feels like a direct sequel to Finale, which I didn't quite realize. The author has said that it could be read independently, but it definitely spoils the ending of the Caraval series and features characters from it as well. I also don't know that it's entirely fair to call this Jack's story. When I first heard about it (and until recently) I mistakenly thought it would be from his point of view. Instead, this book is told entirely from Evangeline's POV and, while Jacks does feature heavily, he is not the main character. 

Luckily, I really enjoyed Evangeline as a protagonist, although not quite as much as Scarlett and Tella. I felt for her struggle over trusting her stepsister and wanting to be loved deeply by someone. There are multiple love interest options for Evangeline in this story and, surprisingly, Jacks really isn't one of them. I did love their interactions and watching their friendship (or is it?) develop over the course of the book. Jacks is still one of the most intriguing characters in YA and I especially enjoyed reading more about his role as a Fate. It's never quite clear how much Jacks can be trusted or what his goals are. 

As for the plot and world building, it did all feel very similar to Finale (which felt very different than Caraval to me). Stephanie Garber's writing is just as whimsical and fantastic as it has always been and I flew through the pages to see what would happen next! I loved exploring the North and its fairy tale lore and was glad to see more of this world explored. Like in her previous series, everything was shrouded in mystery. What did feel different was that each plot point felt a bit spoon fed and I wish there had been a bit less hand holding. There's also a lot of flip flopping on who and what can be trusted, which was a little frustrating at times. 

Although this wasn't a perfect read for me, I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series! I'm hopeful that now that all the mysteries have been set in motion, things will start to make sense and fall into place. I'm also really hoping to get some POV chapters from Jacks! I am dying to know more about his thoughts and motivations. If you enjoyed Caraval like I did, you're not going to want to miss this story! 

Mood reading is the worst

Being a mood reader is absolutely wild. I can go from reading adult high fantasy to only wanting to read middle grade graphic novels. From reading YA fantasy exclusively to nothing but the best dark spicy romance.

I wish SO MUCH that I could sit down and pull a book title from a jar and read it. I have so many incredible books on my shelves that I preordered because I really wanted to read them. I even have access to ARCs of some of my most anticipated 2021 releases! And what have I been reading? Kindle unlimited romance. Thanks, brain. 

To illustrate this I decided to grab screenshots from my handy dandy reading spreadsheets from 2020 and 2021. Although last year was rough in terms of reading, my habits did stay pretty on par with years prior. This year has been completely wild though! 

2020 READING STATS

 

As you can see, in 2020 I read mainly YA fantasy, which makes sense when you look at my blog's history. My header even used to include "a mostly YA blog" and nearly every review was for a fantasy book. I did read quite a bit of adult, although those were mostly thrillers, horror, and mystery. Now let's look at my 2021 extreme mood reading stats!

2021 READING STATS (SO FAR)

Who's reading stats are these because they can't be mine? How does one go from reading 57% YA books to 76% adult? How does one go from reading 2.3% romance to 23.7% romance? Who even am I? I think a year and a half of watching how morons respond to COVID has changed something in my brain. Why can't I enjoy YA fantasy anymore?? 

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Are you a mood reader or do you have a TBR?

Can you read anything at any time? 

Let me know in the comments!

Book Review: The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Title: The Family Upstairs
Author: Lisa Jewell
Publication Date: August 6, 2019
Publisher: Atria Books 
Pages: 340
Add to Goodreads

Soon after her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter she’s been waiting for her entire life. She rips it open with one driving thought: I am finally going to know who I am.

She soon learns not only the identity of her birth parents, but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames in London’s fashionable Chelsea neighborhood, worth millions. Everything in Libby’s life is about to change. But what she can’t possibly know is that others have been waiting for this day as well—and she is on a collision course to meet them.

Twenty-five years ago, police were called to 16 Cheyne Walk with reports of a baby crying. When they arrived, they found a healthy ten-month-old happily cooing in her crib in the bedroom. Downstairs in the kitchen lay three dead bodies, all dressed in black, next to a hastily scrawled note. And the four other children reported to live at Cheyne Walk were gone.

The can’t-look-away story of three entangled families living in a house with the darkest of secrets.

After Libby Jones turned twenty-five years old, she went home from work to discover a letter waiting for her. This wasn’t just any letter; it was the letter that would tell her where she came from. As an adoptee, this letter was gold to her. The contents of the letter not only gave her the names of her birth parents, but it also informed her that she was the sole inheritor of the mansion her birth family used to live in. However, Libby wasn’t the only one waiting for her to turn twenty-five. 

Throughout this book, we are given the story of the past and the present through the points of view of Libby, Lucy, and Henry. Both Lucy and Henry grew up in the mansion at 16 Cheyne Walk, where Libby was found in her crib as an infant while three dead bodies lay downstairs. Libby and Lucy’s stories are both told in the present tense and Henry point of view tells us the story of the past.

Libby can’t open the door to her future until she closes the door to her past, so while Henry is telling us the past, Libby is in the present investigating what really happened at 16 Cheyne Walk. Why was she left in her crib happily cooing? What happened with and to the three dead people found on the floor? What happened to the children who reportedly lived in the house? Why didn’t any of the other children claim the house when they turned twenty-five?

This book was a 4-star read for me. The story was amazing and the build up to the ending of the story was a page-turner. However, there were just too many times that I was so confused I had to ask myself, “what the heck did I just read?” This confusion mostly happened when I read Lucy or Henry’s chapters. Also, the book is called “The Family Upstairs,” but there is no family upstairs. I was picturing a Flowers in the Attic type book sans the horripilation my arms suffered from the incest shudders. I was picturing a family being trapped in the attic or something, but no. Instead, there are people who slowly move into the mansion and take over it; they were an invasive species.

Also, the book was filled with family dysfunction and none of the issues it caused in Lucy and Henry was resolved by the end of the book. That was kind of a let down because they had no growth which I always look for at the end of a book, especially one like this.

ARC Review: Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Kingdom of the Cursed (Kingdom of the Wicked #2)
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Publication Date: October 5, 2021
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Pages: 448
Add to Goodreads
Review for book 1

One sister.

Two sinful princes.

Infinite deception with a side of revenge…Welcome to Hell.

After selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she’s introduced to a seductive world of vice.

She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her beloved sister, Vittoria...even if that means accepting the hand of the Prince of Pride, the king of demons.

The first rule in the court of the Wicked? Trust no one. With back-stabbing princes, luxurious palaces, mysterious party invitations, and conflicting clues about who really killed her twin, Emilia finds herself more alone than ever before. Can she even trust Wrath, her one-time ally in the mortal world...or is he keeping dangerous secrets about his true nature?

Emilia will be tested in every way as she seeks a series of magical objects that will unlock the clues of her past and the answers she craves...

Hold onto your butts! Unpopular opinion incoming. Kingdom of the Wicked was one of my absolute favorite reads of 2020. I was obsessed and had to acquire every edition I could find. Needless to say, I was SO excited to get access to an ARC of Kingdom of the Cursed and jumped in as soon as my brain would allow (mood reading sucks). Based on other reviews I expected a lot of spice and, coming off of a spicy book binge, I was definitely here for it. 

Kingdom of the Cursed picks up immediately after book one with Emilia traveling to the Seven Circles with Wrath. Upon arriving at his palace she begins to search for clues about her sister's murder while resisting the sinful influence of the realm. Honestly, the plot of this book is a bit all over the place and a little confusing at times.  

Kingdom of the Wicked set up a mystery that I was eager to figure out. There are multiple new mysteries on top of the ones that are ongoing from that book and, where book one had a clear focus and goal, this one tried to do too much at once. Emilia seemed to jump around constantly to new theories, mysteries, and plans and I struggled to understand what she was even trying to do. There were some interesting reveals in the last 10%, but I wish there had been more clear plot earlier on. 

Truly though, I'm just here for the romance between Wrath and Emilia. This book has been marketed as New Adult (or at least the word of mouth has implied that it is) and the spice was really not what I expected. While there are certainly spicy scenes, Kerri's way of writing sexuality has always been off to me and it's no different here. Emilia constantly talks about how empowered and sexual she is, but there is always a sense of shame surrounding sex in this world. This was also an aspect of Kerri's previous series that made me uncomfortable.

Mild spoilers to further my thoughts about the weird handling of sexuality:

Two things in particular really make me question what Kerri's feelings towards sex before marriage are: First, the actual act of sex between Wrath and Emilia has massive, life changing consequences. Second, when Emilia actually sees other people having sex, it's at a party thrown by one of the princes and is written as one of many sinful indulgences put on display by Gluttony.

The world itself is fascinating. We only visit three of the Seven Circles, but each one is unique and well written. The brothers Emilia meets are a bit one dimensional and perfectly fit their sins, but I did really enjoy Pride and Envy. All that said, I wish that Kerri spent significantly less time on her descriptions. I frequently found myself skimming multi-page long descriptions of rooms, clothes, gardens, etc. I understand world building, but her overly descriptive style is not for me. 

I definitely plan to continue with book three because the end of this one does feel like it's leading to something better. In the meantime, I think this series will be moving off my favorites shelf. 

Top Ten Tuesday #305: Favorite reading spots

Today's Topic: 

Favorite Places to Read

Happy Tuesday! This week I have to admit that I won't have a top ten, but a top few. I just don't care to read in that many places!

MY BED

My number one place to read is in my bed at night before going to sleep. I do this every night (almost) without fail. I brush my teeth, do my skincare, grab a heating pad because I'm falling apart, and lay down to read for an hour or two.

MY HOME LIBRARY

Number two is my home library, which I've gone out of my way to make extra cozy over the years. I love to curl up on my couch with a dog to read the afternoon away. If only I got to do it more often!

COLUMBIA HARBOR HOUSE

I guess this one is a bit unusual, but I found that one particular spot in Columbia Harbor House in the Magic Kingdom is an amazing place to read. This small dining room is a bridge over a Liberty Square walkway and the tiny tables by the window are perfect to read and people watch.

TOP SECRET LIBRARY ROOM

The photo is horrible, but I had to throw in this old favorite. I went to UNC from 2013-2015 and my absolute favorite spot on campus was this tucked away room in the library. No one went to this room so I went there when I had long breaks to read or study. 

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

Weekly Recap: 7/25 - 8/14

HAPPENINGS OFF THE BLOG

Hi, everyone! It's been a couple weeks since I've done a recap and it's even being posted late in the day. I swear, I am GOING to get back on track at some point. The past two weeks have been a bit of a mess and sometimes I think I just have to catch a break at some point with these dogs. 

Bella's crate training has officially ended. Between her new separation anxiety and possible dementia, her vet said it was time to call that quits. No anxiety drug we've given her so far has even touched it so next week we're trying a new quick acting medication combined with leaving her out in my office. Fingers crossed that she doesn't completely flip out! 

Thursday night Luna suddenly started acting like something was very wrong. Friday morning we took her to the vet and found out she has injured her lower back, probably by jumping off the couch. It's a common injury in weenie dogs, but poor girl is on strict crate rest for four weeks and is high as a kite. 😅

I did finally get some reading done, thank goodness, even if it was just webtoons and spicy books. Something is better than nothing! I have access to so many amazing YA ARCs right now and not much desire to read them. Big oof. 

NEW BOOKS THIS WEEK

    

THIS WEEK I READ

 

   

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Book review of Jay's Gay Agenda

The topic was cover buys for Top Ten Tuesday

I did the Mid-Year Freak Out Tag

ARC review of The Bastard's Betrayal

Book review of Red, White & Royal Blue

UPCOMING REVIEWS

 

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I'm linking up to Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post!

Book Review: Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Title: Red, White & Royal Blue
Author: Casey McQuiston
Publication Date: May 14, 2019
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 421
Add to Goodreads

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations. The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

Red, White & Royal Blue is a humorous story about America’s First Son, Alex, falling for the Prince of Wales, Henry. After the ruination of a wedding cake at a royal wedding, Henry and Alex were forced by their respective heads of family, heads of state, and PR teams to be “best friends” in public. A schedule of public events they’d attend together was devised by their teams and they were forced to play ball. Predictably, their fake, Instagram-worthy friendship becomes real somewhere along the way; and then this real friendship turns into a real relationship. While it’s easier for the First Son to be in a same-sex relationship, it is much more difficult for the Prince of Wales to be in a relationship of his choosing. This is a coming-of-age story full of laughter, heartbreak, friendship, love, and self-discovery and I loved every second of it.

This was a five star read for me. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about it. This book does get pretty steamy, but it’s not YA so unlike Jay’s Gay Agenda, it didn’t make me uncomfortable because of my age. I’m extremely disappointed to admit that this was only the second same-sex relationship romance novel I’ve ever read, seconded to She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen a few months ago. I’m privileged enough to have never had to struggle with my sexual identity, but so many people do and that’s why stories like Alex’s are important. It’s important for LGBTQ+ people to see themselves represented in the literary world and I can’t wait to see what LGBTQ+ romance novel is coming out next.

ARC Review: The Bastard's Betrayal by Katee Robert

Title: The Bastard's Betrayal (Scandalous Scions #1)
Author: Katee Robert
Publication Date: September 13, 2021
Publisher: Trinkets and Tales LLC
Add to Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon

//I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review//

She thought it was love.

Rose Romanov is a mafia princess, and everything that entails. Violently over-protective parents. A giant extended family, all ready to kill anyone who looks at her wrong. Learning to run a business that isn’t exactly on the right side of the law. So, naturally, when she meets a nice guy who isn’t in the life, she falls hard… Right up until the she discovers her new boyfriend isn’t a civilian at all.

But he betrayed her.

When Dante Verducci was sent on an undercover mission to evaluate the Romanov family for weakness, he never expected to have an instant connection with their unlikely heir. There’s something fierce and feral about Rose that calls to him. They’re alike, even if they’re both lying to each other during the months they date. Before he could figure out a new plan, Rose finds out who he really is, dumps him, and immediately enters an engagement with the heir of a rival family. Yeah, no, that’s not going to work for Dante.

Now he’ll do anything to reclaim her. Even go to war.

Katee Robert has been one of my favorite authors for the past year or so, having officially won me over with her Wicked Villains series. I read and loved Neon Gods earlier this year and knew that I would probably love anything she published, so I was eager to read The Bastard's Betrayal when it was announced! This was my first mafia romance, but reading one by a favorite author seemed a great way to break myself in!

Rose Romanov is the MC of this story and the heir to the Romanov family empire. When she discovers that her boyfriend is actually a member of a rival family, she takes decisive action against him, but he doesn't take the hint and kidnaps her instead. She is such an absolute badass, pulling no punches and holding her own from page one. I really liked that Katee discussed the challenges that came with a female heir in a male dominated world. 

This series picks up thirty years after The O'Malleys, but you don't need to have read that one to enjoy Rose's story according to the author. I did feel that there were a ton of references I missed, though, so I definitely do want to go back and see how Rose's parents ended up together! 

Something I noticed rather quickly is that this book is much more plot and romance heavy than the Wicked Villains series, which (let's be honest) is mostly focused on the spice. I LOVED watching Dante chase Rose and seeing her annoyance turn to something else. Although they know each other in the beginning, this is still a slow burn romance. The Bastard's Betrayal is essentially a lovers to enemies to lovers romance and I enjoyed it so, so much! 

I will say that I did find the politics of this world a bit tedious at times. There were so many mafia families and so much talk of a war between them that I honestly started to skim over those parts. I'm assuming those are a large part of most mafia romances, and I'm guessing that now that I've been thoroughly introduced to the world the next one will be less info dumpy. 

Even with that minor complaint, I'm excited to continue the series and see what happens next. This book ends with an epilogue that sets up the next romance and it definitely sounds dramatic! I loved Rose and Dante's story and I can't wait to read book two of this new series. 

Mid-Year Freak Out Tag

Like everything else in my life in 2021, I'm running behind with this year's mid-year freak out! But I'm here and I'm ready to do this! Thankfully, 2021 is going better than last year (how could it not?). I have a new puppy, a vacation planned way out on the horizon, and I'm convinced things will keep getting better from here because they have to. Let's get to the books!

BEST BOOK YOU'VE READ IN 2020

It was a little hard to choose, but For the Wolf definitely takes the cake for best book of 2021 so far! This book had everything and had me totally captivated for weeks after it was over. 

BEST SEQUEL YOU'VE READ IN 2020

I just realized I've barely read any sequels this year, so this one goes to this (extra) spicy Hades, Meg, and Hercules retelling.

NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN'T READ YET, BUT WANT TO

It's on my shelf and I hope to start it soon! I've been having such a weird reading mood this year, but I can't wait to see how this amazing series ends.

MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF 2020

I'll admit that Finale just didn't do it for me when it wrapped up the Caraval series, but I'm still so excited to see what will happen in this book with Jacks! I have an ARC and I can't wait to dive into it!

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT 

Good grief, this book. Last year this category went to Crescent City and I'm sensing a theme. I just don't think SJM adult books are for me, mostly because I don't think she understands what adult books actually are. According to SJM it's a YA book + sex + cursing.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

I'm new to Webtoons and this was the first one I read. I was shocked at how much I loved it! It put me into a reading slump and I didn't know what to do when I ran out of episodes!

FAVORITE NEW TO YOU OR DEBUT AUTHOR

I am LIVING for spicy books this year and Harley Laroux is one of my new favorites! I did not expect to love this book as much as I did, although I should have since it was recommended by the author of For the Wolf! This is a demon romance horror combination that has me dying for the next in the series!

NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH

Hades 😳

NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER

I loved Deka so much! I can't wait for book two so I can find out what happens next in her story.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY

Um... I don't really do that, but this one got me right in the feels.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY

This comic was just so good! I loved the art, the stories, the characters. It definitely made me smile!

FAVORITE BOOK TO FILM TV ADAPTATION

Shadow and Bone and it isn't even close.

FAVORITE POST YOU'VE DONE THIS YEAR

The one in which I got to talk about aphantasia again!

MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU'VE BOUGHT THIS YEAR

This beautiful edition of The Wolf and the Woodsman from Illumicrate! I'm obsessed with everything about it, especially the reverse dust jacket! Photo is from @fantasyandfolklore on Instagram.

BOOKS YOU NEED TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR

  

These are three books I can't wait to start!

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What was your favorite read so far this year?

What sequel are you excite for?

Let me know in the comments!