Always Me

This year is really flying by isn't it?  Anyway, now that March has come to a close this means that I've completed 6 out of 24 books of  Book Riot's 2019 Read Harder Challenge !  The tasks I completed  this month required me to read an alternate history novel  and a   book of mythology or folklore .   For the tasks, I selected  Curtsies & Conspiracies  ( Finishing School  #2) by Gail Carriger  and  The Lost Hero  ( Heroes of Olympus  #1) by Rick Riordan .   Read on to see my mini reviews and what's next for April: ❋  ❋  ❋  ❋ Within the last year or so Gail Carriger has become one of my favorite authors. Now that I've completed  The Parasol Protectorate , I'm glad I can go back through this YA prequel series. It's awesome seeing characters younger versions of some of that series appear here, like Lord Akeldama, Sidheag Maccon, and Genevieve Lefoux. As for Sophronia, our...

Happy Sunday everyone!  Today I'm sharing two mini reviews with you: Too Close to Breathe ( Frankie Sheehan #1) by Olivia Kiernan and The Killer in Me ( Frankie Sheehan #2) by Olivia Kiernan  (ARC) which will be available on April 2nd, 2019.  I picked up the first book in the series from the library and in a real piece of luck Dutton Books offered me an ARC of  the sequel right around the same time in exchange for an honest review.  I can officially say I've been thoroughly sucked into this mystery series.  Thanks again, Dutton!  Read on to see my thoughts on these two books and a giveaway of my ARC of The Killer In Me (US Only ) : ❋  ❋  ❋  ❋ Too Close to Breathe by Olivia Kiernan is a dark, intense, and addicting debut. I'm so glad I stumbled on this atmospheric suspenseful crime thriller at the library - a patron had just read it and totally sold me on it. I loved diving down the intricate rabbit hole of the central mystery...

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 spotli...

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Welcome to the Top Ten Tuesday now hosted by  That Artsy Reader Girl .  This week's topic is an audio freebie.  I'm putting my music on shuffle and I'm sharing the first ten songs to play.  Here we go: Red Hot by Billy Lee Riley Jack Sparrow by Hans Zimmer from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Fascination by La Roux Star Spangled Man by Alan Silvestri from from Captain American: The First Avenger Golden Slippers by Tony Elman Cheer Up! Smile! Nertz! by Eddie Cantor John Grey by Bear McCreary from Outlander: Season Three Bugle Call Rag by The Tom Cunningham Orchestra Bring Me A Boat by Kate Rusby Waiting For Your Return by Jasmine Chen from Crazy Rich Asians Have you heard any of these songs?  What do you think of my ecclectic taste in music?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!

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. This week I'm sharing my favorite songs from the Boots Randolph album Boots Randolph's Yakety Sax! - Yakety Sax, Cacklin' Sax, and his cover of If You've Got the Money .   I found the vinyl album at a thrift store not too long ago and I've been to a lot of the songs on repeat.  Anyway, if you aren't familiar with him he was...

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 spotli...

Today I'm sharing four ARC mini reviews with you: The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson  (available March 12th, 2019), Women Talking by Miriam Toews  (available April 2nd, 2019), White Rose by Kip Wilson  (available April 2nd, 2019), and Lovestruck by Kate Watson  (available April 2nd, 2019).  Thank you very much to NetGalley for providing me with these ARCs in exchange for my honest reviews.  Read on to see my thoughts on these novels: ❋  ❋  ❋  ❋ The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson was one of my most anticipated novels and I'm honored to have been approved. Luckily for me, Wilson's new historical fantasy novel really delivered. Wilson's writing is absolutely captivating. I adored all of the historical detail and the research that clearly went into the novel. It really makes me want to learn more about the Emirate of Granada. That said the mythology and magic featured in the story are brilliant. Hassan is one of my favorite characters no...

Today I'm sharing three mini reviews with you:  A Chance Beginning ( Shadow's Fire  #1) by Christopher Patterson , The Perfect Assassin ( The Chronicles of Ghadid  #1) by K.A. Doore  (ARC, now available), and  Radioactive Evolution by Richard Hummel .  Thank you to the author for A Chance Beginning , NetGalley for The Perfect Assassin , and Book Publicity Services for  Radioactive Evolution .  Read on to see my thoughts on these novels: ❋  ❋  ❋  ❋ A Chance Beginning ( Shadow's Fire #1) by Christopher Patterson is an enjoyable epic fantasy adventure story and a promising first in a trilogy. It's a bit slow to start and it took me a little while longer than I would have liked to become invested in the cast. However, once you do take the time to get to know them, they really start to grow on you. That being said, this story realistically meanders so you have to be willing to stick with them. Either way, it works for t...

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Welcome to the Top Ten Tuesday now hosted by  That Artsy Reader Girl .  This week's topic is Books On My Spring 2019 TBR.  Here we go, in alphabetical order by title: Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson - I've heard so many great things about this YA Contemporary and I'm excited to finally read it for the Contemporary April as a part of Devour Your TBR . Damsel by Elana K. Arnold - I've been looking forward to this and now that I'm taking part in the 2019 Hub Reading Challenge 2019 I have a great excuse to finally pick it up.  It sounds like a great dark YA Fantasy novel to me.  By the way, it's a 2019 Printz Honor Book .  You can see my tbr for that challenge here . In Cold Blood  by Truman Capote  - I'll be reading this in May as a part of Book Riot's 2019 Read Harder Challenge and it will fulfill the book by a journalist or about journalism task.  I'm surprised that I haven't al...

I'm very excited to welcome everyone to my leg of the Final Year by MJ Moores blog tour, hosted by  Rockstar Book Tours !  Today, you'll find the details and summary for this novel, a guest post from the author herself on her Fan Cast of the Characters from Final Year , an about the author, MJ Moores, a giveaway, and the blog tour schedule.  I can't wait to read this novel because it sounds like it'll be great!  Thanks for visiting my stop on Final Year  blog tour! Title : FINAL YEAR Author : M.J. Moores Pub. Date : March 2, 2019 Publisher : Love Knot Books Formats : Paperback, eBook Pages : 192 Find it : Goodreads , Amazon Graduation can be killer… Beth pushes beyond her comfort zone to prove a sociology thesis. She turns a chance meeting with a known player into a personal experiment on first impressions. Weaving herself into casual meetings with the guy reinforces her assumptions… until she’s no longer the one pursuing him. Jer...