What I've Been Reading Lately {8.31.17}

Man, I am so ready for fall, you guys. Fires in the backyard. Reading in the hammock. Sounds like bliss. I mean, I've been reading, but not the way I usually do. This time last year, I'd already HIT my reading goal for the year, and while I'm still ahead this year according to Goodreads, I'm barely going to reach my goal as it stands. Which isn't a terrible thing considering I've been taking time for family and friends and just my general mental well-being. But I don't like to fail. :(

So, I've mostly been re-reading -- or re-listening, as it were - instead of spending time with new books that I may or may not love. And I simply could not find any new adult novels to love this month, which makes me endlessly sad. So, re-reads and young adult novels it is.

And without further ado, here's what I've been reading lately...

(More on why I've gone to this format here in lieu of traditional reviews for each.)

Y O U N G   A D U L T

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Well, that was a romping good time, if I've ever read one. Monty was, in a word, adorable. But also? He was witty and clever and funny, to boot. The heroes in the historical romance novels I usually read are always so somber and solemn, unless they're rakes, as our dear boy Monty here is. As you can probably guess, rakes are my favorite. Rogues, too. Even better if they're roguish rakes...or rakish rogues. ;) But I digress. This really was such a pleasure to read -- or listen to in my case. And I'm so glad I put off reading it in favor of the audiobook because, egads, was the narrator brilliant!?! The accents. The banter. How each character was just so very much their own person. I've never heard this narrator before, but you'd better believe I'll be seeking out other audio featuring him as narrator. (I might have a teensy tiny crush on him as Monty.) Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's very My Lady Jane...but even better. =D 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Daughter of the Burning City - What a fantastic debut! The imagery was phenomenal; I felt as if I were walking the paths of the Gomorrah Festival, taking in the sights and sounds myself. I almost want to be one of Sorina's illusions so I can experience the magic of the festival and the Menagerie. The characters were so well crafted and so intriguing. And then there's the mystery aspect, which made me feel like I was running in circles half the time. It was confusing and convoluted and half the time I didn't know where Sorina stood with anyone, yet I wouldn't have had it any other way. I was just SO captivated by this story. I think it's a stand-alone (bless!), but I saw a sophomore novel listed on GR and it, too, sounds amazing and compelling and I already can't wait to get my hands on it. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Lucky in Love - Ugh, it pains me to say this, but I think I read a different book than everyone else. Honestly, it was a short book but it felt so loooong. Even on audio, thanks to a terrible narrator. If I had rated this based on the first three-quarters, it would have been a lot lower, but the ending redeemed the book somewhat. I usually adore Kasie West novels! And I was positive I'd love this one a million times more than Windfall, which was also a lottery story. In the end, neither really clicked with me. It's just...the romance fell flat, the MC was supposed to be sooo level-headed and then she makes all these air-headed decisions, and it sort of felt like reading Windfall all over again, except from the winner's perspective. Not my favorite Kasie West novel at all. But that's not to say I won't pick up another one of her novels. Because I will. Because I'm kind of trash for Kasie West novels, even if I didn't end up loving this one. 🌟🌟🌟


Secondborn - There is just something about a book by Amy A. Bartol. They're just so fun and entertaining and always leave me wanting more. I loved her KRICKET series and I'm still hoping there's another book forthcoming, but I may have enjoyed this book even more. It was so engaging! I loved the world -- despite being a dystopian, which I kinda swore off for the longest -- and the characters were so intriguing. I can't wait to read more, but in the meantime, I'm definitely going to check out her PREMONITION series. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Summer Unscripted - I haven't read all that many "summer-y" books this summer, but I loved Shuffle, Repeat, so I was pretty sure Summer Unscripted was going to be a great read, summer or not. And it totally was. Finally, here's a character who feels exactly how I did in high school: directionless, dispassionate, and unsure of how to change it. Rainie makes a lot of mistakes -- especially where romance and friendship are involved -- but throughout it all, she takes risks and follows her heart and has this fun, quirky journey of self-discovery.  🌟🌟🌟🌟

Inescapable - Welp, that's what I get for going back to read an author's first book, I guess. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever read, but as other reviewers have pointed out, it IS very Twilight-esque. And that's not a selling point for me. Yet, I've really enjoyed the author's newer works, especially Secondborn, which just released. So, I thought, reasonably enough, that I'd probably enjoy her backlist. I even wasted my last Hoopla credit on the second book because the start of Inescapable was relatively auspicious. But it's not to be. I can't force myself to listen to more of this love triangle, the constant declarations of love. I'm sure if I'd read this back when I read Twilight, I probably would have liked it. Maybe even really liked it. But I didn't, and so I don't. 🌟


An Enchantment of Ravens - Read this one way earlier in the month and fully intended on writing up a real review -- and I may still -- but for now, I'll leave you with one of my status updates on GR because it should tell you everything you need to know about why I loved this book so hard: "Cocky fae prince who turns into a raven. Sassy portrait artist who KNOWS better than to fall for him. I am SO here for this." 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Reign the Earth - I knew I was going to love this one, but wow. It started off a little like The Girl of Fire and Thorns and just got better from there. I also hope to review this one in full later, possibly closer to release, but know that it should definitely be on your radar. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Wonder Woman: Warbringer - So, I haven't seen the movie, but I figured it wouldn't matter since this is more of an origin story type-thing, and I have some knowledge of Wonder Woman since I watched the old show with Lynda Carter back in the day. (Re-runs with my Dad...sheesh, I'm not THAT old. :D) And honestly, you don't need to know a thing about WW or even really like her to enjoy this story because it's all female empowerment and awesome friendships and give the bad guy the what-for. And it was also just really fun. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

R E - R E A D S

Daughter of the Pirate King - Just as good the second time around! Or, dare I say, even better on audio? =) It's going to be so hard to wait for the next book. Waaaaahhhh. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Hating Game - Re-reading this book can always get me out of the foulest mood. As soon as I've read it, I immediately want to start reading it again. It's just so flippin' cute! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Scorpio Races - When in doubt, re-read an old favorite. For the fifteenth time. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Grave Mercy - When you're in the mood for violence and vengeance, you can't beat a book about assassin nuns. =) 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟


Unearthly series - I didn't love this quite as much as I did when I read it years ago, but it's still a great series as a whole. I think I've had my fill of angel-themed stories for a bit, though. =) 🌟🌟🌟🌟


Alex, Approximately - I needed a good, summery read, so when my library uploaded this audio, I snatched it up, despite having read the ARC mere months ago. It was totally worth it, especially since the narrator was good. Made summer ending and school starting seem a little less awful. You can check out my original review here. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Disruption duology - Still pretty effing amazing, even knowing all the twists and turns. There is just something about those Aussies, I swear. Highly recommend. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟


Seven Realms series - Whenever I'm in a funk or can't figure out what to read/listen to next or all of the above, I turn to this series. It never fails to delight and enthrall. And despite putting off the second book in the spin-off series because of reasons, I think I'm not finally ready to do this thing. Please don't break my heart AGAIN, Cinda Williams Chima.

A D U L T

The Pact - This was my first Karina Halle novel, and, well, I'm not really all that impressed. I've always loved the friends-to-more trope, but I've seen it done better. And with more feeling. The story had its moments, but I just never cared enough about these characters to become fully invested. I will say that the second half was much better than the first, but it was still never a great story. I've heard her other books/series are fantastic, though, so maybe I'll give them a try one day. 🌟🌟🌟




Have you read any of these? What did you think? Find any new titles to check out? ;0)

Until next time! Happy reading!

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Labels: discussion, mini reviews, reviews, what i've been reading lately

{Giveaway} WONDER WOMAN: WARBRINGER by Leigh Bardugo

Thanks to Random House Kids for sending a copy of Wonder Woman: Warbringer and for providing a finished copy to give away! Here's more about the book:

Title: Wonder Woman: Warbringer
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: DC Icons, book #1
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 29, 2017
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

She will become one of the world’s greatest heroes: WONDER WOMAN. But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning. . . .

Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.

Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.

Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.

I just finished reading this last week, and I kind of love Leigh Bardugo's take on Diana's origin story. It's also got me very intrigued by the rest of the DC Icons' stories to come!

About the author:

Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling and USA Today bestselling author of the Six of Crows Duology and the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, as well as the upcoming Wonder Woman: Warbringer (Aug 2017) and The Language of Thorns (Sept 2017).

She was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University. These days, she lives and writes in Hollywood where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band.

Find Leigh:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram

I've partnered with Random House Kids to bring you this awesome giveaway!

One (1) winner receives:

• a finished copy of Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

Giveaway open to US addresses only.

Prizing and samples provided by Random House Kids.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Labels: dc icons, giveaways, leigh bardugo, mythology, random house, superheroes, superpowers, wonder woman

Sensual and Mysterious: THE HUMMINGBIRD HEART by A.G. Howard

Title: The Hummingbird Heart
Author: A.G. Howard
Series: Haunted Hearts Legacy, book #2
Publisher: self-published
Publication Date: August 15, 2017
Source: ARC received from author
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Set 19 years after The Architect of Song.

Shortly after escaping a circus tragedy, young Italian orphan, Willow Antoniette, seeks refuge at The Manor of Diversions—a holiday resort in England born of a ghost story. For eleven years, she’s raised alongside the children of the resort’s owners: Julian, his twin brother, Nick, and their younger sister Emilia. Now that Willow is of marriable age, she's determined to escape finishing school along with everyone's efforts to make her a proper lady. The only man she wants to spend her life with is Julian, after all. Yet how can she tell him, when he thinks of her as nothing but a friend?

As a machinist and engineer, Julian Thornton prefers a governable life. He can't allow his ever-deepening attraction for Willow to distract from his amusement park plans to lure a younger, wealthier clientele to their family's resort. In hopes to escape Willow and find investors, Julian sets off on a transatlantic ocean liner headed for the St. Louis World’s Fair, unaware Willow has secretly stowed away on the same ship.

A tiny, mute orphan named Newton and a pair of haunted Italian shoes bring Willow and Julian face to face on deck. Forced to work together to solve the mystery of Newton and his vindictive, ghostly companion, Julian and Willow can no longer fight their untapped passions. However, time to admit their true feelings is running out, for the ghost and her murderer have enlisted them as unsuspecting pawns in a karmic game of cat-and-mouse that could cost all of them their lives.

This novel was, simply put, gorgeous. I loved Howard's Splintered series, but there's no doubt in my mind that I love this series best. I think it's just how sensual and mysterious each ghost story is -- or has been thus far -- coupled with the historical setting. I can't get enough of her atmospheric words.

Howard's characters are always so multi-faceted, and Willow and Julian are no exception. By all appearances, Willow is a tough, no-guts-no-glory kind of tomboy, but as the story progresses, you get to see her more vulnerable side, the one she doesn't want anyone to see. And Julian is the straight-laced, analytical type, but he comes out of his shell more than a little throughout the story. But when they come together...they are completely different people with each other. Their chemistry would blow up a lab if left unchecked. But they are also very caring, attentive, loyal and protective with each other, and I loved reading as they learned how to love each other together.

But it's not just the main characters I found so appealing because Anita's characters all have these layers and dimensions to them that you discover as you're reading. I love how the author weaves such diverse characters and situations and how seamlessly she does so. She doesn't just mention them and then brush them aside; that diversity is essential to the story. These characters facing adversity and trying to right the wrongs of the past gives me life. Howard doesn't gloss over Newt's muteness or the rumors of a fellow passenger being part of the Italian mafia simply because he is rich and has a harem of gorgeous women in his entourage. It was the same in the last book and I am on board for more of this.

My only real complaint with The Architect of Song, the previous book in this series, was that I wanted more from the ending. And I got that with this sequel. More from the previous couple AND more from the featured couple and their story, and it was everything I'd hoped for them. I adore how these stories are already connected and what that might mean for future books in this series, and I can't wait to read more!

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

A.G. Howard is the #1 NYT & International Bestselling author of several young adult retellings and spinoff novels, including her gothic Alice in Wonderland Splintered series, and RoseBlood, a Phantom of the Opera inspired adaptation.

When writing, A.G. is most at home weaving the melancholy, magical, and macabre into her settings and scenes. In her downtime, she enjoys rollerblading, gardening, and visiting 18th century graveyards or abandoned buildings to appease her muse’s darker side.

Find Anita:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr

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Labels: a.g. howard, beautiful covers, favorite authors, favorites, ghosts, gothic romance, haunted hearts legacy, historical fiction, indies, reviews