Always Me

❋  ❋  ❋ I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Twenty-three year-old Jesse is the respected coffin maker in the Halloween tourist town of Gregor’s Hollow. He took over the family business after his father disappeared years ago. His routine is disturbed when Death himself pays a visit to Jesse's shop demanding eight coffins in time for Halloween. The coffins are for his next victims, all of which are from the town. Jesse can't turn Death down, especially when in exchange Death will tell him what happened to his father. Although taking Death's deal, Jesse has a different plan. Although he's started on the coffins, he's going to save Death's next victims. The Coffin Maker by Breeann Allison sounded like it could be right up my alley. While it was good, it just didn't quite work for me. It's described as a mystery/ thriller fantasy, but it's definitely much more of a cozy mystery with a dash of paranormal. Cozies are...

I can't believe today is already the last day of April - meaning 8 of the 24 tasks for  Book Riot's 2018 Read Harder Challenge  are complete!  The tasks I completed required me to read a   book of true crime and a   classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance).  For the tasks, I selected  The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America  by Erik Larson  and  1984  by George Orwell  respectively.  Read on to see my mini reviews and what's next for May: ❋  ❋  ❋  ❋   ❋ The Devil in the White City  has been recommended so many times, both by friends and on the job and I was so exited to try it out for myself.  Luckily, it did not disappoint in the least.  The detail that has gone into this account is absolutely stunning, especially considering that it's all true to life.  It's also compulsively readable.  I...

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. Awhile back I shared some of my favorite music moments from Supernatural from both both seasons 1 & 2 as well as 3 & 4 , this week I'm back spotlighting a favorite from both season 5 & 6.  From season 5, I had to go with "O Death" by Jen Titus from episode 21, "Two Minutes To Midnight", which features one of the ...

❋  ❋  ❋ I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. As far as sixteen year-old Merrilee is concerned, boys in books are much better than boys in real life. What she wouldn't give to have a real boy sweep her off of her feet into a whirlwind romance like her favorite book boyfriends. She's about to get the chance of a lifetime when she, her best friend, and her sister start at a prestigious new high school, but things don't always turn out the same way for her as they do for her favorite heroines. Bookish Boyfriends by Tiffany Schmidt sounded like it could be a fun YA contemporary. I have a hard time saying no to a character who loves books. Unfortunately, the first half or so of this story was incredibly grating, and a lot of that is due to Merrilee herself. As a book lover, I really hope I'm not half as annoying as Merrilee to my peers who don't love reading quite so much as I do. I probably gave my eyes quite a work out with all of...

Happy Sunday everyone!  This past week has been so busy and crazy, but luckily I was able to have a little bit of fun.  I got to take my first bike ride of the year.  I tackled my favorite bike path (13.3 miles one way, 26.6 miles total) which is incredibly scenic. Near the end of the trail before I turned back around I spotted a lot turtles.  There are at 8 turtles (at least one of them is a painted turtle) in the photo on top.  Can you spot them all?  There are also a couple of spots along the bike trail where you can see eagles nests.  It's hard to make it out in the photo, but there are two babies in the nest and mommy and/or daddy eagle is perched in a nearby tree.  For reference, the size of the nest is just about the size of an upside down Volkswagen Beetle.  As much fun as I had on the bike ride, it actually got really clear and sunny more so than it has been all year and I ended up with a sunburn - a little pink on my face...

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. This week I'm spot...

Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to my stop on the Song of Blood & Song  Blog Tour from  St. Martin's Press .  Read on to learn more about this book, the author, check out my review, and read early praise for the novel!  On to the tour: SONG OF BLOOD & STONE  Earthsinger Chronicles, Book One  By L. Penelope Published by St. Martin’s Press  Release Date: May 1, 2018 A treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers.  Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.  Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagamiri is about to fall ne...

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Welcome to the first Top Ten Tuesday now hosted by  That Artsy Reader Girl .  This week's topic is Frequently Used Words In [Insert Genre/Age Group] Titles.  I'm going with fantasy titles that begin with "The Girl" and I'm breaking down my list by books I've read books and books on my TBR.  Here we go: Read Books: The Girl At Midnight  by Melissa Grey The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig The Girl With All The Gifts  by M.R. Carey The Girl With Ghost Eyes by M.H. Boroson Books On My TBR: The Girl From The Well  by Rin Chupeco The Girl In The Steel Corset  by Kady Cross The Girl Of Fire And Thorns  by Rae Carson The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making  by Catherynne M. Valente The Girl Who Drank The Moon  by Kelly Barnhill The Girl Who Never Was by Skylar Dorset Have you ever ...

❋  ❋  ❋  ❋  ❋  I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Eelyn is a warrior alongside her fellow Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Life is brutally simple: fight and survive until the next battle. Then Eelyn sees something impossible - her brother alive and fighting on the side of the enemy, the same brother she watched die five years before. Faced with his betrayal, Eelyn has no choice but to outlast the winter in the mountains with the Riki. She is surrounded by the mortal enemy of her people, where every scar could be one she delivered in the heat of battle. Then, the Riki village is raided by another ruthless clan thought to be legend, Eelyn is more desperate than ever to get back to her family. Now she has no choice but to trust her brother's new Riki friend, Fiske, who sees her as a threat. The three will have to do the impossible and unite the Aska and Riki clans if they all want to survive this new...

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. I've recently finished the first season of  Westworld .  I liked the old movie with Yul Brynner and I'd been told I ought to try this series - as it turns out I love it.  There's so many great characters and I love the sci-fi element, as well as how creepy it begins to get the further you go along.  Anyway, one of the best little surpris...