Currently Reading

Well hello out there! So I've put reading A Botanical Daughter, not because I'm not enjoying, because I am. But because I got the chance to read an advance copy of one of my favorite I authors, J.H. Markert! So as much as I was liking, A Botanical Daughter, I put it aside for Sleep Tight. Which I'm loving! I also got the chance to jump into a cute little cryptid book, which has quickly become my bedtime read. It has a lot of folklore inside that I'd never heard of before, which has made it a treat! It's also a nice way to unwind after work, and doesn't give me weird dreams like Markert's books tend to.

I'd love to say after these two books I'm jumping back into A Botanical Daughter. But, when Net Galley gives, it really gives. I have two more books lined up from them to jump into after this. Another cryptid book and a science fiction I'm itching to get my hands into. I adored other books by this author, and I've read the first three chapters already. So I can't wait to deep dive into this one!

HAPPY READING!!

June Silent Book Club

 

Calling all book lovers! If you missed last nights book club here in Edmonds, fear not! We do them every third Wednesday at Leftcraft Tavern from 7:30 to 8:30. Our next one will be June 19th and we'd love to see you there! 

We had a great turn out last night. It's really cool to see so many returning faces, and see what everyone is up to and reading this month! It was also really cool to see a handful of new faces, that I can't wait to see again!

So if you're in the North Seattle area on June 19th, stop on by! You can find more information on our book club through Instagram. The handle is, @silentbookclubedmonds! 

HAPPY READING!! 

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

Avra Helvaçi, former field agent of the Arasti Ministry of Intelligence, has accidentally stolen the single most expensive secret in the world―and the only place to flee with a secret that big is the open sea.To find a buyer with deep enough pockets, Avra must ask for help from his on-again, off-again ex, the pirate Captain Teveri az-Haffar. They are far from happy to see him, but together, they hatch a take the information to the isolated pirate republic of the Isles of Lost Souls, fence it, profit. The only things in their way? A calculating new Arasti ambassador to the Isles of Lost Souls who's got his eyes on Avra's every move; Brother Julian, a beautiful, mysterious new member of the crew with secrets of his own and a frankly inconvenient vow of celibacy; the fact that they're sailing straight into sea serpent breeding season and almost certain doom.But if they can find a way to survive and sell the secret on the black market, they’ll all be as wealthy as kings―and, more importantly, they'll be legends.

Why I'm Waiting: Because it sounds so much fun!!

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

 

A single mother working in the gothic mansion of a reclusive horror director stumbles upon terrifying secrets.

Harry Adams loves horror movies, so it’s no coincidence that she accepted a job cleaning house for horror-movie director Javier Castillo. His forbidding gray-stone Chicago mansion, Bright Horses, is filled from top to bottom with terrifying props and costumes as well as glittering awards from his career making movies that thrilled audiences—until family tragedy and scandal forced him to vanish from the industry.

Javier values discretion, and Harry always tries to keep the house immaculate, her head down, and her job safe. Then she hears noises from behind a locked door, noises that sound remarkably like a human voice calling for help. Harry knows not asking questions is a vital part of keeping her job, but she soon discovers that the house may be home to secrets she can’t ignore.

HAPPY READING!!

May Silent Book Club

Hello! Just a reminder if you in the North Seattle area this Wednesday, more exactly the Edmonds area, the Silent Reading Party kicks off at 7pm tonight at Leftcraft! Drinks, food, and book readers as far as the eye can see. All readers are welcomes, all types of books as well, whatever you currently reading, no matter how your reading. I'll be reading from Kindle this month! I've got two great books I'm currently in the middle of reading! If you have any questions you can pop on over to Instagram to @silentbookclubedmonds! HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

    

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

In this terrifying sequel, Evie Archer and her friends face a new evil ready to devour their town whole.Find him, find me. It's been two weeks since Evie escaped the mines after solving the mystery of Holly's disappearance only to discover that Desmond followed her but never came back. Evie knows he’s alive, lost wherever the Patchwork Girl resides. When Evie tries to reach out to Holly again for help, she realizes that her connection to the Lost Girl—and the shadow world itself—has been severed. Desmond is gone, and it’s all her fault.Ravenglass slowly begins to move on from the tragedy of losing Desmond, but as winter creeps closer and the days grow shorter, a sinister being begins to threaten the lives of Ravenglass residents, stealing them away and bringing them back different. Wrong.Evie knows that the only way to stop it is to connect to Holly again. With the help of her friend Tina, and the troubled newcomer Sai, Evie begins to follow the clues Holly left behind, determined to find the Lost Girl once more, at any cost.

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

Hopefully, this is not the last in the series because I adore both Dee and Johnathon, and I would love more! This was one of my favorites in the series because we get a look at Dee's background, and see him as a young vampire before he became a Judge. As well as a bigger look at the vampire world, and it's set a little at the Library of Alexandria. It was also fun to watch Johnathon fall in love. I just really like the series, it's a lot of fun, and always a quick little read right before bed or over breakfast. Always puts me in a good mood. So I'd love for Tidhar to write more for this series!

So last week, I got to spend some quality time with my niece, which meant hitting a section of my NetGalley Dashboard I rarely look out for. And, that is where I found this gem. This book is about a Bison who's looking for a friend, and along learns about all the things it does to help the world around it. The artwork is adorable, and the story is fun with a great lesson about how little everyday acts can positively change the world around you. The end book has several pages is information on actual bison. This is a lot of fun for kids of all ages, even the older ones. It was a lot of fun reading this out loud to my niece. The Bison and the Butterfly hits shelves on August 6, 2024.

HAPPY READING!!

Night Worms Unboxing

May Theme: Bury Your Secrets

I've been excited about this box because I liked Below by Laurel Hightower. So I was excited to have another book to read. I don't know much about Indian Burial Ground, but it has the phrase, '...wanted a fresh start.' This is always the start of bad things about to happen or a rom-com, but this seems like the former and not the latter. Both books sound great I'm excited to crack into both of them!

Okay, honestly I don't know which I like more, the magnet or the sticker. Both are adorable. The only downside is I'm currently out of forever places for stickers. So all my cool ones are shoved in a drawer on my desk. Do I need to get a sticker book? Has it come to this? In the year 2024?

I'm now looking forward to the next rainy day. Because the flavor of this tea has my attention. I don't drink a lot of decaf anything, which is a problem, but the idea of vanilla and blood orange has my attention. So I'm excited to give this a taste, especially with my new tea infuser. It's so cute!

HAPPY READING!!

Kansas Book Haul

Just went on a trip to Kansas to see family. So of course I had to pop into the bookstore. Actually, I popped into two because a new one opened recently and I'm following it on Instagram. Because they have adoptable cats. So it combines two of my favorite things, cats and books. I could have probably spent a full hour in there, but we'd had other stops to make including another bookstore and an Amazon Bin Store. The Literary Cat Co had the cutest cats, and the whole place was set up with nooks and cranny for the cats to play and sleep in. They had a great selection of books and add the cats and it was even more to look around. Honestly, if I wasn't flying home, that black long-haired one would have come home with me.

I also made it over to Books & Burrow which is a must-stop every time I go home. It's absolutely adorable, and I always find more than just books there. This was a brand new candle from Prairie Fire Candles, which is made locally in Kansas. It smells wonderful and I actually have several things I want to snag from the online shop! 

Oddly enough I found a book at the Amazon Bin Shop. I'm not entirely sure if it's a legit copy of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. So of course I had to buy it! 

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

A new early chapter book series starring a lovable vampire who's just trying to fit in. Frankie D and his family have just moved from Transylvania, looking for a fresh start. Where Frankie is from, the school day began at midnight and ended at dawn. Now in America, Frankie and his family must adjust their sleep schedule, train to be out in the sun, and strictly adhere to a vegan, zero-blood diet. Not only that, Frankie has to navigate school as the “new kid” and keep his vampire identity secret from other humans. A tall order for a deathly pale, fanged fourth-grader with a three-legged wolf as a pet! Brian and Sally Dutra's entertaining series offers a whole new take on what it means to be an outsider. With so many playful twists on vampire tropes, a compelling plot (with a cliffhanger ending!) and loads of deadpan humor, this book is sure to have enormous appeal for early readers. Tiffani Brown's black-and-white illustrations on every spread bring just the right amount of vampire creepiness to the story, tempered by just the right amount of humor. Frankie's open nature and kindness toward others is endearing, and his difficulties trying to navigate a new life while still being true to himself will be relatable to all children. The story highlights important themes of friendship, family, dealing with bullies and adjusting to a new place. It also offers terrific character education lessons on adaptability, initiative and empathy.

Why I'm Waiting: Because this looks absolutely adorable!

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

It is not the monster you must fear, but the monster it makes of men. . . Mary is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. She knows her great uncle disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the Arctic, but she doesn’t know why or how. . . . The 1850s are a time of discovery, and London is ablaze with the latest scientific theories and debates, especially when a spectacular new exhibition of dinosaur sculptures opens at the Crystal Palace. Mary is keen to make her name in this world of science alongside her geologist husband, Henry—but despite her sharp mind and sharper tongue, without wealth and connections their options are limited. When Mary discovers some old family papers that allude to the shocking truth behind her great-uncle’s past, she thinks she may have found the key to securing her and Henry’s professional and financial future. Their quest takes them to the wilds of Scotland; to Henry’s intriguing but reclusive sister, Maisie; and to a deadly chase with a rival who is out to steal their secret. A queer, feminist masterpiece inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic, Our Hideous Progeny is a sumptuous tale of ambition and obsession, of forbidden love and sabotage and a twisty Gothic adventure that may forever change your view of human nature.

HAPPY READING!!

2040 Most Anticipated pt2

June is right around the corner which means another round of books I'm looking forward to reading! This list was a little harder to narrow down because there are so many good books coming out in the next three months. And, so many of them have their way onto my TBR. These nine however are the ones I really wanted to get my hands on. The ones I want to add to my shelves. My top picks are: Sightseeing with Aliens, Holly Horror, and Frankie D! Though I'd love to manage to pick up all of them before the end of the year.

 

In the last three months, I've read one book, and have several more on hold at the library. The two cookbooks I need to add to my cooking shelf. I feel like both of them I'll fill with tabs and notes. I have two from this list already on pre-order. The others will either go on hold at the library, or I'll use them as an excuse to go book shopping. Because that's what I need more, excuses to buy books!

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

    

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

The Finch sisters once spent long, hot summers exploring the dozens of abandoned properties littering their dying town―until they found an impossible home with an endless hall of doors…and three keys left waiting for them. Curious, fearless, they stepped inside their chosen rooms, and experienced horrors they never dared speak of again.

Now, years later, youngest sister Claire has been discovered dead in that old, desiccated house. Haunted by their sister's suicide and the memories of a past they've struggled to forget, Meg and Esther find themselves at bitter odds.

As they navigate the tensions of their brittle relationship, they draw unsettling lines between Claire's death, their own haunted memories, and a long-ago loss no one in their family has ever been able to face.

With the house once again pulling them ever closer, Meg and Esther must find the connection between their sister's death and the shadow that has chased them across the years…before the darkness claims them, too.

HAPPY READING!!

May Silent Book Club

Hey hey hey! A new month means it's nearly time for another Silent Book Club. This one will be held on May 15, same bat time, same bat channel. Only this week I might be hosting alone as my co-host will be gearing up to go on vacation. So come out and meet other readers, help us take over the long tables at Leftcraft, and maybe find some new books to add to your TBR. We'll be kicking off at 7pm, and reading will begin at 7:30! 

If you have any questions you can reach out to the Book Club on Instagram, @SilentBookClubEdmonds. Or, drop a comment here! You can also find other Silent Book Clubs closer to you if you don't live in Western Washington! There are so many Silent Book Clubs, and not all of them require physical present. So places do virtual read-ins!

HAPPY READING!!

May Spotlight Read

 

I adore Christina Henry's books. So when I saw she had a new book out, I ran, not walked, to add this to my TBR. I've already had this on pre-order, and it comes out right before our May Silent Book Club. So this will probably be my May Book Club read. I should be in between physical reads because this also comes out the week after I get back from vacation. I'm hoping to spend reading on my parents' patio!

A single mother working in the gothic mansion of a reclusive horror director stumbles upon terrifying secrets.

Harry Adams loves horror movies, so it’s no coincidence that she accepted a job cleaning house for horror-movie director Javier Castillo. His forbidding gray-stone Chicago mansion, Bright Horses, is filled from top to bottom with terrifying props and costumes as well as glittering awards from his career making movies that thrilled audiences—until family tragedy and scandal forced him to vanish from the industry.

Javier values discretion, and Harry always tries to keep the house immaculate, her head down, and her job safe. Then she hears noises from behind a locked door, noises that sound remarkably like a human voice calling for help. Harry knows not asking questions is a vital part of keeping her job, but she soon discovers that the house may be home to secrets she can’t ignore.

HAPPY READING!!

April Wrap Up

Hello May!  April was an odd month for me. It was both busy and not busy at the same time. If that makes any sense it all. Or, maybe it feels that way because I've been a bit under the weather. This year the pollen is definitely trying to kill me. It feels like it's been ages since I've been this sick with my allergies. I've gone through so many boxes of tissues. That does mean I've been reading a lot because the only I've wanted to do in the morning, or after work, is curl on the couch.

However, I seem to be coming out of my need to read short books. I finally finished Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. Though, that might have to do with the fact I've finally finished and caught up with, the Judge Dee series, so I'm moving on to full books. Or, maybe because it's almost summer and I'm excited about beach and pool reads! Either way, I'm reading two great books at the moment.

Books Read: 7
BINGO Books: 2

A to Z Challenge: 1

Pages Read: 551

Currently Reading: I'm Starting to Worry About the Black Box of Doom

This year's BINGO card is definitely harder than last year's card. While I'm not struggling, per se, I'm definitely not flying through squares like last year. I did however manage to cross off 2 squares this month (Free Space & Red Cover). I'm currently reading my Debut Author Square! My A to Z Challenge has definitely been a struggle this year. Because I've been low-key obsessed with my Kindle. Most of what I've been reading has been on there. I haven't been very interested in my physical reads, despite how many I have, not that it's stopped me from collecting more.

HAPPY READING!!