Always Me

BINGO!  This Summer 2017 Bookish Bingo reading challenge was hosted by  Bekka @ Pretty Deadly Reviews  - it ran from June (though I started a bit late) through to the end of August.  Initially, I had made my TBR for the entire board just in case.  The goal of this challenge was to get as many bingos as possible, but I'm happy earn the one because I got to read some pretty great books that I'd been meaning to get to for quite a while.  It's definitely helped me whittle down my huge TBR a bit!  Read on for my mini reviews of my bingo books: Thriller: ❋  ❋  ❋  ❋ I have no idea why I put off The Cuckoo's Calling , the first book in the Cormoran Strike series, by Robert Galbraith, aka J.K. Rowling. I glad I finally decided to give it a try even if I'm four years late to the party. The mystery is tight and kept me wondering what's coming, but really I was invested in our detective and his assistant. Both Cormoran and Robin are the heart of this story -

❋  ❋  ❋  ❋  ❋ I received an eARC of this novel from NetGalley . Isabelle is despised and neglected by her cruel father because she was born with a deformed hand and without bloodshadow magic. The neglect is fine by her because that means she has more time to follow her passions by illegally studying math and science. Although Isabelle is a princess, she doesn't believe she has any future prospects until an offer of arranged marriage to the Prince of Aragoth opens up her world. Isabelle travels from her home on Isle des Zephyrs in l'Empire Céleste to the Kingdom of Aragoth with Jean-Claude, the King's Own Musketeer who has guarded since birth and is her dearest friend. Isabelle and Jean-Claude quickly learn that the two locales are quite different from one another - for one thing the people of Aragoth don't deal with things by bloodshadow but by glasswalking. The two also find themselves caught up in dangerous intrigue - the prince's previous fiancee was murde

Happy Tuesday and welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish !  This week's topic is Hidden Gem Books In X Genre so it gives me a little free reign.  I'm going to share hidden horror gems this week.  Each title on my list is linked to my review.  Here we go, in order of Goodreads ratings: Only the Dead Know Burbank  by Bradford Tatum  - Ratings: 72 Love classic horror films, Old Hollywood, and historical fantasy with a dose of gritty humor, then this is for you! The Spirit Chaser by Kat Mayor  - Ratings: 153 If you like Supernatural and The Conjuring , you need The Spirit Chaser in your life! Gideon ( Lauren Reardon  #1) by Alex Gordon  - Ratings: 321 If you like Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane , I have a feeling that you will also enjoy Alex Gordon's Gideon . The Awesome by Eva Darrows  - Ratings: 964 I expect that if Dean Winchester from Supernatural was a seventeen year old girl, he w

Happy Monday everyone and welcome back to Music Monday! Let's share some songs we've been enjoying lately!  If you would like to play and I really hope you do, please see the rules and link up below. Rules: Every Monday share a few songs you've been enjoying lately.  It doesn't have to be a specific genre, new, or one of your favorites - just something you'd like to share with others.  If possible, share a music or lyric video of the song and your thoughts on the song(s), artist(s), and/or music video(s). If you would like to participate in Music Monday, please join the link up by sharing your post's url. Last week I had a real trip down memory lane and the nostalgia hit me hard - at the library I was scanning in a stack of CDs and one of them happened to be Underage Thinking by Teddy Geiger (2006) .  It took me a second to place it, but I quickly remembered the lead single from the album, "For You I Will (Confidence)"  - it was big stuff b

Erica @ Erica Robyn Reads recently nominated me for the Mystery Blogger Award!  Thanks very much, Erica!  This award was created by Okoto Enigmas Blog .  Now, let's get to the tag! The Rules: 1. Put the award logo/image on your blog 2. Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog. 3. Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well 4. List the rules. 5. Tell your readers 3 things about yourself 6. Share a link to your best post(s) 7. Answer the 5 questions set to you by the person who nominated you 8. Nominate 10 – 20 people 9. Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with at least one weird or funny question 10. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog 3 Things About Myself (TV Edition): 1. I'm only really watching one new show live right now - NBC's Midnight, Texas - and I'm already hooked! 2. I'm about a quarter of the way through the first season of  Veronica Mars .  I've never seen

  On Friday's I take part in three weekly link ups - The Friday 56, hosted by  Freda's Voice , Book Beginnings, hosted by  Rose City Reader , and 50/50 Friday is a new weekly link up and it is hosted by  Carrie @ The Butterfly Reader  and  Laura @ Blue Eye Books .  For The Friday 56, you choose a book, a book you have just finished, a book you are about to start, your current read, and share a line or a few lines that grab you (but don't spoil anything) from page 56 or 56% of the way through the ebook.  Post it and share your post's url on Freda's most recent Friday 56 post.  As for Book Beginnings, you share the first sentence or so and your initial thoughts, impressions, or whatever else it inspires, and then link up your post's url with Rose City Reader.   Then, for  50/50 Friday, every week there's a new topic featuring two sides of the same coin - you share a book that suits each category and link up on the hosts blogs. Okay!  I'm fi

Earlier this month, I was approached by JKS Communications - Literary Publicity regarding author D.E. Night's debut middle grade novel titled  The Crowns of Croswald , described as part Harry Potter , part Percy Jackson , and part Cinderella , in order to help celebrate it's July 21st release.  As you might expect that immediately piqued my interest, especially since Rowling and Riordan are a couple of my favorite authors!  Anyways, it's now time to celebrate - yesterday I received a box from the author including an ARC of her new novel, along with a few magical surprises!  This novel looks like it's going to be fun and I can wait to dive into it.  Until then, let's celebrate and check out some of these magical surprises together, shall we?    I have to say that this is the first time I've ever received anything like this and the thrill of opening this box was real! This Glanagerie Bottle is really cool - the picture doesn't quite do it justi

Happy Tuesday and welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish !  This week's topic is a Back to School themed freebie and I've decided to share Books To Complement A History Lesson.  Here we go, in no particular order: Flygirl  by Sherri L. Smith  - Women's efforts during WWII hardly gets any page time during history class.  I would love to see this novel about the WASP incorporated on the syllabus. A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen  - This is a must read MG about a family split apart by the Berlin Wall - definitely make for interesting class discussion. Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis  - This YA novels features the African American battalion of the Women's Army Corps - another wonderful jumping off place to dive into women's involvement in WWII. Dodger by Terry Pratchett  - This would be such a fun historical-fantasy novel to include in a unit on Charles Dickens, especially the audiobook! Th