#Marcella is one of the characters where both less time focused on her or more time focused on her would have been better.

[dayables]

I think (after a lot of thinking) that my main issue with Marcella in Vengeful is the fact we don't really get to watch her struggle?

Marcella is on a rampage the entire time. Her plot for revenge against Marcus wraps up very quickly despite it being a perfectly compelling story on its own.

Partially because of her lack of compassion, we don't see her struggle with her EO power, seeming to come into it and accept it very naturally.

June and Jonathan don't have any conflicts with her. She's very intelligent so all her plans work without a hitch.

This isn't necessarily bad. The issue comes from the fact that she is a main character of Vengeful yet there is nothing besides rage (which after the quickly wrapped up revenge plot against Marcus is unfocused) to make you feel for her.

The issue isn't really having a larger cast or a prominent role but that nearly all her scenes are ultimately forgettable. Other characters who have less time dedicated to them/no POV (June, Rios, Dominic and Stell) manage to be more memorable.

[blznbaby]

Today Was A Fairytale

Book: The Royal Romance Pairing: Liam x MC Audience: General Note: The fic is titled after the song 'Today Was A Fairytale' by Taylor Swift. This song came on and I immediately thought of my kinky king and had flashbacks to great moments in the story. I miss him so much :( I suggest listening to it while reading. It kind of played through my head like a music video :). I didn't really edit or put much thought into grammar. Here's my rough draft. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Pixleberry Studios. I do not own rights to the song. All rights reserved to Taylor Swift

Liam stood in the grand ballroom of the palace and found himself face to face with the most breathtaking woman he’d ever seen. Her hair was dark and flowing, a black demi-mask securely tied around her head, and her shapely figure hugged the fabric of her red gown that popped against the deep bronze of her skin. Even with half her face hidden she was striking. There was something about this mystery woman that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. And it wasn’t just her beauty—there were scores of beautiful women there. Perhaps it was her smile, the almond shape of her eyes, or the way her beauty seemed to radiate from within. She shimmered. She glowed. She was utterly radiant, and Liam suddenly realized that it was because of the light in her eyes. She looked so damned happy. Happy to be where she was. Happy to be who she was. But who was she? He was certain that if he’d ever seen those eyes before, he would surely remember. He stared hard for a moment, then his eyes went wide.

“Marcella!” he exclaimed, shock apparent on his face. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

Marcella couldn’t help but grin. “So…this is a good surprise I hope?” she asked slyly.

“The best,” his eyes twinkled at her. “I can’t believe you came all this way for me.”

Ever since their magical night in New York he’d had trouble focusing on much else. He played that night over in his head a million times with the hope that he would see her again. He hadn’t forgotten for a moment how it had felt to be with her, and he’d spun more than a few fantasies about what it might be like if she were part of his future and there she was, right in front of him. Fate had been kind.

“Liam…I know we have something special. I want to see what it can be.”

“I feel the same way,” he breathed.

The sounds of a dreamy waltz filled the ballroom. Liam extended his hand smiling at her expectantly. She smiled back, a wide, beaming grin that traveled straight to his soul. She put her hand in his, and it was only then that Liam realized he’d been holding his breath. She leaned forward, “I don’t…I’m not sure I know the steps,” she whispered. He smiled confidently, assuring her. “Just follow my lead.”

His hand found her waist, and he drew her close into starting position. He was strong, but gentle as he guided her every movement across the ballroom floor. They moved together elegantly as one, in perfect sync, as hundreds of people looked on. But, in that moment everyone else in the room seemed to fade away as they looked into each other’s eyes. It was something straight out of a fairytale; a girl being swept off her feet by a charming prince. And from that moment on, they knew this was the beginning of something special…

Today was a fairytale

You were the prince

I used to be a damsel in distress

Most women would’ve swooned or run off at his admission, but Marcella didn’t care. So what he was some Crown Prince of Cordonia or whatever the hell it was, to her he was the same guy she’d met earlier that evening. The man was special and not because of his wealth and title, but because he was kind, thoughtful, charming, and admittedly handsome, which was a rarity these days. Liam was relieved. It was nice to be considered a little less than a prince and a little more of himself and he realized that the more he talked to this woman the more he came to like her...

You took me by the hand

And you picked me up at six

Today was a fairytale

Today was a fairytale

He approached the front door of the Beaumont estate, glancing at his watch—5 p.m. He felt awkward showing up unannounced, but he needed to see her. The way Marcella had thrown herself into the courtly life with such grace and enthusiasm hadn’t gone unnoticed. He knew it wasn’t easy, especially for her. He imagined dating for her was quite different back in New York and after everything she had done for him, he wanted to meet her halfway. He drew a deep breath and straightened the lapels on his blazer, nervously pressing his finger on the doorbell.

“You’re a delightful surprise,” Marcella laughed lighthearted.

“…it’s maybe a little silly, but…would you go on a date with me?" Liam asked, hopeful.

Marcella was pleasantly surprised, a glimmer of a smile on her face. “A date?”

“My first true date. I want it to be with you.”

Even though he’d never been on a date before, he was prepared to pull out all the stops for her. He had done all the research necessary to ensure a proper date. That night, he just wanted to be Liam and Marcella. Two normal people away from the pomp and circumstance of court. Awkward icebreaker questions and first-date nerves were foreign to him, but he was excited for every bit of it. He knew it was last minute, but every fiber in his being was hoping she’d say yes.

“Liam…I’d love to go on a date with you!”

Liam was delighted, the corners of his eyes creasing from smiling so hard. “Sounds perfect. I’ll meet you at your room in an hour?” Excitement fluttered inside her like a million butterflies, and she gave a small nod. “I’m in the east wing, fourth door from the right. I’ll see you then.”

Today was a fairytale

I wore a dress

You wore a dark gray t-shirt

“Ya know…I think I prefer this look second to you in no shirt at all.”

Liam chuckled, “I’ll make note that you prefer t-shirts to three piece suits.”

His dark colored t-shirt was the perfect disguise in their incognito adventure. People rushed past, barely sparing them a glance as they continued their romantic walking tour along the busy New York City streets. Liam thought it funny, although they were completely surrounded, they were ignored, no one seeming to notice Marcella sticking out like a sore thumb in a cream colored ball gown. But, he wasn’t complaining, it was nice to be normal for a change and there was no one else he’d rather get lost in a crowd with. It was like the first night they met, before she knew he was a prince. The greatest gift the city had ever given them was each other and it would forever hold a special place in both their hearts.  

You told me I was pretty

When I looked like a mess

Today was a fairytale

Marcella shook and beat at the skirts of her dress, trying to remove any remnants of dirt or dust that may have soiled it from their hedge maze rendezvous. They had to return to the ball before anyone noticed their disappearance. She smoothed down her dress and patted her hair, pulling a twig from her long dark mane and tossing it aside. She giggled at herself, she was sure she looked ridiculous. She turned to Liam, and huffed, “hey, how do I look?”

He stopped brushing the sleeves of his black dress coat to smile at her, his gaze sweeping up and down her body…he had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life.

“You look like a princess,” he said softly, taking her hand and pressing it to his lips, his eyes growing serious,”…or someone who is about to become one.”

Time slows down

Whenever you’re around

Time ceased to exist as they took off running, weaving through the many twists and turns of the hedge maze, laughing and giggling like two kids, heading for the large tree in the distance just around the corner. Liam was hot on her heels, as she made a beeline toward the center, confident in her victory when he reached out to tag her, his momentum sending them tumbling and rolling to the ground, stopping at the base of the tree. They looked at each other before bursting out laughing like a pair of hyenas. It was something about her that made him want to break all the rules, their game of maze-tag unexpected, but somehow perfect. He had laughed more in that maze than he had in ages, perhaps this was exactly what he needed.

Can you feel this magic in the air?

It must’ve been the way you kissed me

Fell in love when I saw you standing there

It must’ve been the way

Today was a fairytale

The boat slowed in the harbor, Lady Liberty emerging from the mist. Liam stood silent, so much unsaid that didn’t need to be said. He was moved beyond words, in awe of the view, and of her. No one had every planned such a grand gesture to make his dreams come true. No one had ever cared enough to listen and get to know him for him. She had touched him in a way she could never understand. It was nothing short of a dream and it had been so long since he’d allowed himself to dream. He felt wonder, happiness, and for the first time, possibility. He knew he would cherish the moment for the rest of his life.

Liam drew closer to her, admiring her sense of adventure and her unique way of following her heart. Marcella smiled, realizing she had set off something inside of him. Something inside that had been dormant for so long that he didn’t even know it still existed. Throwing caution to the wind, she pulled him into a deep kiss. She was falling for him…hard. There was something about him, and she knew she hadn’t stopped smiling since their eyes met earlier that evening. In the morning she’d be back to reality, but tonight he was hers. Though shocked at first, Liam responded eagerly, giving in to the magic of the experience and trusting her fully. He finally had the freedom to be whomever he wanted to be, even if it were only for one night.

“I’m glad to have met you Marcella. I’ll never forget this night.”

Today was a fairytale

You’ve got a smile

That takes me to another planet

Every move you make

Everything you say is right

Today was a fairytale

Liam led Marcella through the flower-covered arches at the country estate, a swift breeze rustled over the hedges, picking up the sweet scent of roses. Liam picked Marcella up in his arms and spun her around. He always felt like himself whenever they were together, perhaps even his best self. Marcella giggled at his unexpected change. He was different that day…lighter…more carefree. They smiled together looking into the maze, when she spotted a pretty wooden swing hanging from a giant tree.

“Hey Liam.”

“Hey Marcella.”

“Will you push me on the swing?”

“My pleasure.”

Marcella was over the moon. They talked for what seemed like hours, their laughs echoing through the maze. Liam wanted nothing more than to get lost in the maze with her and never find their way out. Liam slowed the swing to a stop, leaning over, wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned back into him, resting her head against his shoulder breathing him in. Liam tightened the embrace, pulling her to his chest. Looking up, Marcella cupped his check and pulled him over, pressing her lips against his. This. This was what he’d been waiting for his entire life, without even knowing that he’d been waiting. This feeling of being so incredibly alive, like every inch of his skin was awake, all because of her. As he pulled away, he laughed. She looked at him, puzzled. “What are you laughing about?”

He laughed again; he couldn’t help it. “I’m just so happy.”

Today was a fairytale

All that I can say is now it’s getting so much clearer

Nothing made sense ‘til the time I saw your face

Today was a fairytale

Time slows down

Whenever you’re around

Marcella peered over the edge of the waterfall, putting her hand in Liam’s.

“On three? One…Two…Three!”

It were as if time slowed as they both bent their knees and jumped, confident in their leap of faith. They flew through the air hand in hand unable to scream, the exhilarating fall taking their breath away. Their bodies hit the cool clear water with a thunderous splash. 

“Thank you for coming out here with me. For getting to know me. For…for caring about me, Marcella. I’ve never had anyone in my life like you. And now that I have you…I never want to lose you.”

They shared a heated kiss as Liam brought her body flush against him. Marcella reveled in his warmth, running her fingers through his hair, bringing him closer. They pulled apart, breathless, their foreheads touching. They knew they hadn’t known each other long, but whenever they were together everything made perfect sense. Everything was becoming so much clearer.

But can you feel this magic in the air?

It must’ve been the way you kissed me

Fell in love when I saw you standing there

It must’ve been the way

Today was a fairytale

She hitched up the hem of her dress and walked across the palace grounds, making her way through the hedges to find Liam waiting for her at the center. He heart fluttered at the sight of him standing there. Twinkling fairy lights and bright pink and yellow roses surrounded them while the soft sound of chirping crickets played in the background. It was magical. Liam was grateful that she had come out to meet him. It was just as he wished it to be, just the two of them before their lives changed forever. He had so much to tell her, things he’d been wanting to say for quite some time. He had never expected to feel the way he did about anyone or meet someone as incredible as her and he didn’t want to spend another minute without her knowing exactly how he felt. He had never said the words to anyone before, but he knew it was as true as his own name.

“…Marcella…I love you.” He said softly, watching her carefully.

Marcella looked back into his all too serious eyes. “Liam…I love you too.”

Time slows down whenever you’re around

I can feel my heart

It’s beating in my chest

Do you feel it?

I can’t put this down

The stars twinkled in the night sky as they disembarked the boat on their last stop of the evening. They strolled shoulder to shoulder toward the base of the Statue of Liberty while taking in the majestic view. They were back at the place where it all started, finally, they had come full circle.

Liam turned to her, his gaze intense with every ounce of love he could muster as he took her left hand in his. Marcella could feel her heart racing, pounding in her chest. Suddenly, her breath caught in her throat, eyes growing wide as Liam slowly got down on one knee…

But can you feel this magic in the air?

It must’ve been the way you kissed me

Fell in love when I saw you standing there

It must’ve been the way

Liam opened the right box tucked in his hands to reveal a dazzling diamond ring. He looked into her eyes with every ounce of love he could muster, and began to speak.

“Lady Marcella, queen of my heart, I have yearned to say these four words for a very, very long time…” Realizing what was happening, her right hand flew over her mouth.

“Will you marry me?”

Tears streaming down her face, she frantically nodded. “Oh Liam…Yes! A thousand times yes!”

He gently slid the ring on her finger and rose to his feet, looking deep into her dark eyes, his smile more brilliant than she had ever seen before. He picked her up and twirled her around in his arms. They shared a thrilling celebratory kiss as she wrapped her legs around him and he held her body tight against his. He set her down and she stood in his arms, his forehead resting against hers.

“I have never been happier than I am in this moment!”

But can you feel this magic in the air?

It must’ve been the way you kissed me

Fell in love when I saw you standing there

It must’ve been the way

Today was a fairytale

It must’ve been the way

Today was a fairytale

The doors of the church opened, revealing a flower-strew cathedral filled with their closest family and friends. She glided down the aisle on Bertrand’s arm. Looking ahead, she saw him; her future husband, her king, her one true love standing at the altar, smiling, his eyes glistening with emotion. Liam happily received his bride, and the ceremony got underway, his thumb brushing across her knuckles as he held her hands. The pure joy in his eyes as he looked at her was almost overwhelming. She blinked back tears, as she recited her vows and completely lost it when Liam recited his. Everything was wonderful, sweet and heartfelt and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

“By the power vested in me by the kingdom of Cordonia, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Marcella threw her arms around Liam’s neck and kissed him passionately. He slipped an arm around her waist, dipping her into an even deeper kiss. With all the guests erupting into cheers and congratulations, they walked arm and arm back down the aisle. Outside, hundreds of well-wishers cheered as their King and new Queen emerged from the church and stepped into the warm sunlight.

“King Liam! Queen Marcella! Look over here!” They turned as Donnie held up his camera and their lips meet in a sweet kiss, the first of many in this new and exciting chapter in their lives. They climbed into the carriage and pulled off into the sunset, waving….

Today was a fairytale…

“Sorry I’m late. Thanks for your patience, Miss…?”

Marcella blinked out of her reverie and tried to focus on the handsome stranger, who was staring at her, thoroughly amused.

“Uh, Marcella,” she murmured.                                       

He looked at her questionably at the mention of her name, struck with an unexpected, and strangely intense, sensation that he’d met her before.  He extended his hand. “Charmed to make your acquaintance, Marcella. I’m Liam.”

She place her hand in his. “Trust me, the charms all mine. It’s nice to meet you, Liam.”

[cover2covermom]

Why hello there February!  Ta-ta January!!!

I don’t know about you all, but I had a fantastic month.  Not only was I able to slay my January TBR and read a total of 10 books, but I was able to get back into my blogging groove.

Let’s see how I fared in January, shall we?

» After being on a hiatus from October – December 2017, I feel like I am finally back into the swing of things.  I really focused this month on writing book reviews to clear out my backlog of NetGalley reviews.   This will most likely continue through February until I am all caught up.

» Moving forward, I will only be writing full reviews for books I receive for review.  For all other books I read, I will be breaking them up into genres (historical fiction, fantasy, thriller, etc) & posting mini-reviews once I have about 5 books to review in each category.  I wish I had time to review every book I read, but it just isn’t realistic since I read much faster than I review.

*Book titles link to Goodreads

» The House at the Edge of Night by Catherine Banner

Feelings in a few thoughts:

this book is a gem – I wish it had received more attention when it came out in 2016 ¤ set on an island off the coast of Italy – small island living where everyone is in everyone else’s business

loved the inclusion of folklore & superstition (inspired by Sicilian & Italian folklore?

this book follows one family over the span of the 20th century – you would think character development would suffer as the different descendants come to the forefront of the story, but the author somehow pulls it off so well

family secrets & drama

interesting seeing the progression of the island community throughout the course of the century

» The Girl in the Tower (Winternight #2) by Katherine Arden

Feelings in a few thoughts:

Even BETTER than the first book!

I love Vasya’s character.  I love that she is fierce, brave, independent, level-headed, and kind

Political intrigue

Sibling relationships – complicated, but at the end of the day they always have each other’s backs.

Religious tones – not preachy.  Christianity vs. Paganism.

I’m a sucker for books where women disguise themselves as men – Think Mulan

The Bear and the Nightingale was a slower moving book for world building purposes – The Girl in the Tower is an action packed adventure.

If you enjoy this series, I’d recommend the YA historical fiction (no fantasy) series The Conqueror’s Saga: And I Darken & Now I Rise by Kiersten White.  It is a gender swap retelling of Vlad the Impaler.

» Tumbledown Manor by Helen Brown

Feelings in a few thoughts:

Same plotline as Under the Tuscan Sun – divorced woman moves to another country, buys old house, begins fixing up old house with goofy contractors, disasters along the way, and a wedding at the house at the end of the book… sound familiar?

The romance was very awkward.

Struggled with the writing at times: “But his pillow was as vacant as the wastelands of Antarctica” “It was her favorite pillow, so it probably harbored superbugs.” “The scar ran in a horizontal line across her torso like a ruler marking the end of a school essay.” “…row of suns yellow as egg yolks.” “Scott’s boots lay like a pair of drunken sailors under the step.”

Best part about the book is that the MC is an author who writes a series of books based off the Brontë sisters, so there were lots of tidbits of information about the sisters and their lives.

Love the cover

» May the Road Rise Up to Meet You by Peter Troy

Feelings in a few thoughts:

This book is about 4 hours too long – because of the length & slower moving plot, this book took me a month to read.

The convergence of the 2 love stories didn’t really work for me.  There wasn’t a significant enough connection between Ethan/Marcella and Micah/Mary.  They all just kind of met up at the end, which felt a little forced.

This book needed to be separated into two books: Ethan & Marcella’s story, and Micah & Mary’s story.  I enjoyed both stories, but it was too much all together.

This wasn’t a bad book by any means, just feel that the author was a little too ambitious.

» The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Feelings in a few thoughts:

The Handmaid’s Tale is timeless.  I cannot believe this book was written in the early 80’s.

With the current situation in the U.S., this book felt very relevant.  It is also what makes it so terrifying, the fact that it isn’t so unbelievable as you would hope.

This wasn’t exactly an enjoyable read.  It made me angry, which was Atwood’s intent.

Loved the open-endness of this book and felt it was really fitting of the story for us to leave some things up to the reader’s imagination.

The way THT is written took a little bit to get used to – switches from present to past frequently without clear indication.

This book isn’t action packed, but it still packs a punch.

» Nora & Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

Feelings in a few thoughts:

Content/Trigger Warning: child abuse.  This book ended up including a topic that I am very sensitive to: child abuse.  Generally I can handle books that do not go into graphic detail, but unfortunately this one did.  This was a hard book for me to get through.

Going to leave this one unrated because it ended up include a topic I am sensitive to.  I don’t feel like it would be fair to rate this one because of this.

This book would have been better as a single POV book.  I feel like it would have been better to tell this one through Kettle’s eyes alone.

Loved that the characters in this story showed the aftermath of the interment of Japanese Americans during WWII, HOWEVER the author gave zero information about the actual event.   We only get small flashbacks of life in the camp through the characters’ eyes, but we don’t get any actual historical context.  If you are not familiar with this event in history, you would have to look it up to see what the author is talking about.

Less a Peter Pan retelling, and more like the story was inspired by Peter Pan – this aspect was well done.

» The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia #1) by Sarah Beth Durst

*4.5 stars*

Feelings in a few thoughts:

I loved the world in The Queen of Blood: the idea that humans & spirits (water, earth, air, fire, etc.) have to coexist despite the fact that spirits desire the eradication of all humans.  The setting was also intriguing: people colonizing in trees together to form villages & cities… very whimsical

Daleina was such an awesome main character.  I admired her level-headedness, cleverness, dedication, work ethic, and bravery.  I also really appreciated that she was not the best, in fact she struggled, with controlling the spirits.  It was refreshing to see someone who had to make up for things that do not come naturally with hard work and cleverness.

I was worried at first that this book was going to be cliché, but it wasn’t like anything I had read before.  Some things were not a big shock, but I was still surprised a fair amount of times.

Positive female friendship – zero girl hate!

The ending was on point!

» The Hatching (The Hatching #1) by Ezekiel Boone

Feelings in a few thoughts:

I stepped WAY outside of my comfort zone with this one… I tend to avoid books that have to do with things I am terrified of, like man-eating spiders.

If I had no idea who the author was before reading this, I could have told you it was written by a man.  This book definitely feels like a book that would appeal to the “man’s man.”  This is not a criticism of the book, just that you should not expect “flowery writing.”

I would describe this book as being a little “rough around the edges.”  It has foul language and is crude at times, which doesn’t bother me, but if you are easily offended this probably isn’t your book.

Despite the fact that this book terrified me, it was very readable – I had to know what was going to happen next.

Loved that Boone had so many female characters in positions of power in this story: the president, a marine squad leader, a leading scientist in the field of spiders…

While I understand why the author chose to tell this story by introducing us to multiple characters, it was almost too much.  I would have preferred for the story to have been told through 3-4 main POVs, and leave the others off.  We were introduced to a new character every chapter up until the 30% mark before we cycled back around to some of the past characters.

The Hatching leaves us with a HUGE cliffhanger, enough of one that I am throwing around the idea of reading the next book.

» Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Feelings in a few thoughts:

I would have adored this book when I was in high school.  This is such an appropriate YA romance.

There isn’t much of a plotline – this is a very character driven story.

Would recommend to fans of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe BUT I felt the pacing of this book was much better than Aristotle and Dante

Positive family dynamics with parents that are actually involved with their children’s’ lives.  A teenager actually got grounded in a YA book?!  Thank you!  I don’t know about you all, but I spent much of my teen years grounded.

Positive friendships for the most part – just a smidge of “girl hate” in Leah & Abby’s relationship, BUT there was at least a reasoning behind it.

The author nailed Simon’s perspective – I really felt like I was in the head of a teenager.

There were two parts in the plot that annoyed me a little – they both have to do with separate fights that Leah & Abby have with Simon… Really?  HOWEVER I try to keep in mind that these are teenagers.

FYI: Simon’s last name (Spier) is pronounced “SP-EAR” – I just looked at the spelling and if I hadn’t listened to it via audiobook I would have been pronouncing it “SPY-ER”

» Binti (Binti #1) by Nnedi Okorafor

Feelings in a few thoughts:

This world gave me Star Wars and The Fifth Element vibes.

There were times where I had a difficult time following along & understanding the world & the concepts – this isn’t a criticism of the book per se, as it is probably more me not being able to wrap my head around everything.

The writing is breathtaking.

Themes: cultural diversity, peace, communication, customs & traditions, forging one’s own path, etc.

Binti was an amazing female lead – smart, talented, brave, level-headed, etc.

The audiobook is wonderfully narrated by Robin Miles,

I really wish this had been a full length novel – how was the author able to pack in such a mind-blowing world in such a short novella?!?

I think fans of The Fifth Season would enjoy this novella series.

  2017 Reading Wrap-Up + Bookish Goals for 2018

January 2018 TBR

2017 New Releases I Wish I Had Read in 2017

Book Event: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Book Tour

Book Event: The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo Book Tour

Book Reviews:

Book Review: The Last Girl (The Dominion Trilogy #1) by Joe Hart

Book Review: North of Here by Laurel Saville

Book Review: Enchanted Islands by Allison Amend

Book Reiew: Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale by David Kudler

eBooks:

» As Good As True by Cheryl Reid

A powerful and haunting novel of a woman’s broken past and the painful choices she must make to keep her family and her home.

August 1956. After a night of rage and terror, Anna Nassad wakes to find her abusive husband dead and instinctively hides her bruises and her relief. As the daughter of Syrian immigrants living in segregated Alabama, Anna has never belonged, and now her world is about to erupt.

Days before, Anna set in motion an explosive chain of events by allowing the first black postman to deliver the mail to her house. But it’s her impulsive act of inviting him inside for a glass of water that raises doubts about Anna’s role in her husband’s death.

As threats and suspicions arise in the angry community, Anna must confront her secrets in the face of devastating turmoil and reconcile her anguished relationship with her daughter. Will she discover the strength to fight for those she loves most, even if it means losing all she’s ever known?

» Declaration: A Poetry Chapbook in Three Movements by Jeff Roush

This poetry chapbook constitutes the first collection published by Jeff Roush. Its inspiration and organizational structure come from Jefferson’s inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The chapbook focuses its linguistic eye and musical ear on quiet moments in everyday life that fall among and across these lofty concepts.

Physical Books:

» Beartown by Fredrik Backman

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove returns with a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world. 

Which books did you read this month?

Have you read any of the books I read or hauled this month?  If so, what did you think?

Did you buy any books?  If so, which ones?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

How was your #reading month in January? I read 10 #books! See which ones in my #wrapup. #BookBlogger #Bookworm Why hello there February!  Ta-ta January!!! I don't know about you all, but I had a fantastic month.