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austennerdita2533 · 3 years ago

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Ah thank you! So I think going to go with Dark Matter by Blake Crouch it seems super interesting and a little bit out of my comfort zone which is a little bit of the point anyway. I’m not sure which month I’ll read it yet (I’m deciding at the start of each month to put it in a wheel and let fate decide) but when I do I will let you know my thoughts!! (I also plan to read Pride and Prejudice anyway this year so I didn’t want to cheat and put that on my list :) )

Oh gosh I feel like you’ve already read so many I’ve recommended (I mean you’re even reading Crescent City now which should totally count) but I will give you a few options to pick from too in case you want another haha

First and foremost I mean anything by Olivie Blake even if I haven’t read it yet I just know I will love it anyway (I have read La Petite Mort and Masters of Death but will be continuing with her backlist all year)

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas: I love this book to pieces and it has been a book that I have already reread a bunch of times and it’s such a comfort. The chemistry between the two characters is insane and I adore it. It is forbidden love as it’s ex-boyfriend’s father and it is age gap (19 year old and a 38 year old) and it's smutty! I do think it is Penelope’s best book so if you want to finally try her stuff I suggest this one the most (although my good friend Credence is a wild ride and if you want something just taboo and out there go for that one)

Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey: This is the one that deals with two people meeting in different lives and they have to figure out why they keep meeting. It’s kinda a contemporary sci fi mix and it is super unique. I loved how they kept bringing back certain elements and the idea of free will vs determinism. There isn’t a huge romance plot though which surprised me going into it but I didn’t really mind because I loved it

Twisted Love by Ana Huang: grumpy x sunshine, brother’s best friend, plot twists, smutty. Plus the series finishes out this year too!

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur: If you want a really good and cute sapphic romance with some grumpy x sunshine, astrology, and super funny!! The second book Hang the Moon was also really cute.The third and final book also comes out Feb 1st with the last couple, which is also sapphic.

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren: This is also a comfort read for me and I have reread it countless times. Neighbors/friends to lovers to strangers to lovers and it goes in alternating timelines so you get to watch them fall in love (in a closet turned into a library) as teenagers and then reconnecting. It is so so so good I finished it in like 2 days.

Okay I could probably go on but those are some of my favorites that I don’t think you’ve read yet sorry like all of them are romances that and fantasy are my two genres that I mostly read.

-ACOTAR anon

YAYAYAYAY! I hope you enjoy Dark Matter when you get around to it. I think Blake Crouch does a great job of building suspense and making all the sci-stuff seem plausible. I tore through this book so fast. It just--moves. I'm probably a little biased too because I love thinking about science-y things like quantum mechanics, string theory, superstring theory etc. so this book really vibed for me. (I'm such a nerd haha.)

As for me, I was already planning to read House of Earth and Blood this year so I'm not going to count that one. House of Sky and Breath comes out in February so I figured I might as well get book 1 off my tbr before book 2 drops.

I think I'm going to with either read Birthday Girl or Credence by Penelope Douglas. Maybe both. I love expanding my author/genre/kink roster so I'm down to dive into these.

(Honestly, I'm going to read all of the books you suggested at some point lol.)

Thanks for the recs! I'm excited. xx

#anonymous #darling acotar anon #replies #the loveliest of lovely people #ashlee bree talks books

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rathertoofondofbooks · 6 years ago

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I can’t believe that February is already over… where is 2019 going?!

I got a new MacBook this month and it’s fab. My old MacBook was nearly seven years old and while it was still going okay the screen wasn’t helping my eyes. The Retina display on this new Mac is fabulous and much easier to look at. I’m also finding the new butterly keyboard easier to type on so while I do still use voice software a lot I’m hoping that easier typing might mean I can continue blogging when WordPress forces me to use the update that I’ve so far had to avoid.

I’m mortified to discover that WordPress wasn’t running right on my old MacBook and I now see that I’ve had a lot of lovely comments on my blog over the last few months that I hadn’t seen before. There’s no way I can catch up with them all but I will make sure to read them and will reply where I can manage to. Hopefully things will run smoothly now and I can reply to comments as they arrive. Thanks so much to all of you who’ve commented on any of my posts, I can only apologise for not replying to them.

Here are the 21 that books I read in January:

Birthday Girl by Haruki Murakami

This was a fab short story that I got for my birthday in January and I loved it. It reminded me why I love Murakami’s writing and has made me want to pick up the novels of his that I so far haven’t read.

The Jigsaw Man by Paul Britton

This was an interesting insight into how criminal psychology came to be used more in modern policing in this country. It’s one man’s story and look back over the cases he’s worked on.

Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox

This was a great read, so fast-paced and twisty. I hope to get a review written and posted before too much longer.

Trauma by Dr. Gordon Turnbull

This book is fascinating and I’m so glad I read it. It’s a look at how PTSD came to be a diagnosis in this country, and how the treatment of the condition has changed over the years. I definitely recommend this one!

East of England by Eamonn Griffin

I loved this book. It was so different to my normal kind of read but I very much enjoyed it. I’ve already reviewed this one so click the book title above if you’d like to know more.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

I part listened and part read this book and I found it so interesting. It’s a doorstop of a book but I seemed to get through it in no time as it’s really engaging.

All the Little Lies by Chris Curran

I loved this book too and as I’ve already reviewed it you can find out more about if you click the title above.

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

This book is brilliant and I already feel sure it’ll be in my best books of this year! I reviewed it this week so click the title above if you’d like to know more.

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

I can’t believe I’d never read this book before as I really enjoy Gaskell’s writing, but better late than never as I loved it.

Manhunt by Colin Sutton

I picked this book after recently watching the TV adaptation. I found it interesting but it wasn’t quite as interesting as I’d hoped it would be.

Don’t Turn Around by Amanda Brooke

This was such a gripping read, I found it hard to put down. Hopefully I’ll get a review posted on here soon.

My Last Lie by Ella Drummond

This was another great read in February! I’ve reviewed this one so click on the title if you want to know more.

I Invited Her In by Adele Parks

I enjoyed this book but it wasn’t quite as good as I’d hoped. I spotted all the twists early on but the writing was still great and that’s what kept me reading.

The One by John Marrs

I part read and part listened to this book and it was an okay read. I was expecting a bit more but at the same time I found it hard to put down so it definitely kept me engaged all the way through.

The Girl Next Door by Phoebe Morgan

This was such a good read. I listened to the audio book and it was one of those reads that made me begrudge real life interfering with me book listening time!

The Bridal Party by J. G. Murray

I really enjoyed this book! It was another book that was hard to put down and I love that it all turned out differently than I was expecting.

The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald

This book was so good! It was gripping from start to finish and was also a much more emotional read than I was expecting. I loved it and will definitely review it soon.

Last Ones Left Alive by Sarah David-Goff

This isn’t my usual kind of read but I loved it. It had so much depth to it and made me think, I really enjoyed it.

Are You The F**king Doctor? by Dr. Liam Farrell

This was another good read. It was funny and engaging and witty, I recommend it!

‘Kill The Black One First’ by Michael Fuller

I listened to this on audio and found it so interesting. It was shocking to read of the author’s experiences in the police force as a young black man but inspiring to see how he dealt with it and overcame it. The audio is narrated by the author too, which is always great with a memoir. I definitely recommend this one!

The Golden Child by Wendy James

I’ve had this ARC on my TBR for a few months now and finally picked it up yesterday. I ended up reading the whole book in one sitting, it’s such a good read!

January Blog Posts & Reviews:

I blogged 14 times in February which I’m happy with. Only six of those posts were reviews though which I need to improve on as I’m reading a lot and just haven’t been managing to get reviews written and posted. I think my new MacBook will help with that as it’s easier for me to use, and faster. Anyway, here are my blog posts and reviews from February…

That Was The Month That Was… January 2019

Stacking the Shelves (2 Feb)

This Week in Books (6 Feb)

Review of Senseless by Anna Lickley

Review of East of England by Eamonn Griffin

This Week in Books (13 Feb)

Review of All the Little Lies by Chris Curran

Stacking the Shelves (16 Feb)

Review of My Last Lie by Ella Drummond

This Week in Books (20 Feb)

Stacking the Shelves (23 Feb)

Review of Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

This Week in Books (27 Feb)

Review of Waco: A Survivor’s Story by David Thidebeau

The state of my TBR:

Well my TBR has got a little bit out of control during February. My plan to reduce it by 200 books from the total at the start of the year to the total at the end as gone a bit awry. To be on target my TBR should now be down to 2407 owned books but it’s actually at 2482! Oops! In fairness though I am part-way through having a book sort out so I think there will be some books going to the charity shop that I no longer want to read. Other than I just need to keep reading, and perhaps be a bit better at not buying all of the books at once! Haha!

How was your February? I hope you all had a good month and that you read lots of good books. Did you read many books? What was your favourite book of the month? Please tell me in the comments, I’d love to know. Also, if you have a blog please feel free to leave a link to your month’s wrap-up post and I’ll be sure to read and comment back. 🙂

That Was The Month That Was… February 2019! I can't believe that February is already over... where is 2019 going?! I got a new MacBook this month and it's fab.

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willreadforbooze · 6 years ago

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Hello fellow boozie readers!

Sam’s Update:

This week was insanely crazy. First week back to work after the shutdown and everyone is trying to get as much done as humanly possible before it inevitably shuts down again. Plus I was sick and had a couple really bad pain days.

What Sam finished this week:

Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi: I have been seeing rave reviews about this all over the internet and man, were they right. This story is about a rag tag group of thieves going on a heist in 1889 France with magic. The characters have been adopted into my literary children family. The romance is fabulous, the characters are amazing, the story is thrilling, and so much more. Full review is already written and you’ll see it soon!!

What Sam’s reading now:

Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence: I have been trying to get to this, the sequel to Red Sister for a long time, but hadn’t had a chance to get around to it. Well NOW I AM. This is a magical assassin school set at a convent. With a fierce child named Nona who has the temper of all tempers and maybe a destiny? Shrug emoji.

King’s Rising by C.S. Pacat: This is the third and final book in the Captive Prince series. The premise is that Damianos, heir to his throne, is taken captive and sold as a slave to Laurent, heir to the neighboring kingdom’s throne after Damianos’s step-brother organizes a coup to get the throne. Laurent and [Damen] have a tenuous relationship, and there is pretty graphic rape/slavery/torture scenes. These books are legitimately problematic. They are a problem, they are THE problem, but they are so compelling and I can’t stop reading them once I’ve started. It’s debilitating lol.

Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee: Again, just started this but this is the companion novel to A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. This book follows Monty’s sister Felicity and her mission to be accepted into medical school.

Ginny’s Update:

Well it’s been a busy week, But it’s an exciting time coming up so I’m not sure if that’s going to change how much I get to read for the next few weeks.

What Ginny Is Reading:

Hazel & Holy by Sara C. Snider: This is a netgalley book that I’m pretty excited about. A fantasy novel where Hazel and Holly are witch sisters whose father has disappeared and whose mother has been cursed and is somehow a ghost.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. This book has been on my TBR for so freaking long. I’m pumped to finally be reading it. So far I think a spy is being held by the Nazi’s. That’s all I know.

The Last Goodnight by Howard Blum: Well, I actually DNF’d this book but wanted to keep it here for posterity. It’s a biography about a spy during WWII except the first five chapters cover her talking with someone about writing a biography. It just didn’t really sound like my kind of book.

What Ginny Finished Reading:

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren: This book is about a scientist and how she found her footing in the male dominated industry. This book has a lot of incredibly interesting moments, I particularly enjoyed the breakdown of where how money for salaries is broken down. That being said, this book had a lot more personal information than I was originally expecting. I think the book would have been more interesting if the author would have talked more about her actual work experience. 3.5/5

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Dear god did this book need a better editor. Some of the ideas in this book were absolutely fascinating but getting rid of 6 of the 9 Points Of View would have been incredibly helpful, as well giving the ending some actual fucking lead-up. I enjoyed the world and a number of the characters but an editor with a hands on approach could have made this a better book. 3.5/5

Book Doctor by Esther Cohen: Well, you guys are in for a rare treat. I already wrote a book review because I had VERY STRONG FEELINGS… and they weren’t exactly positive.

Melinda’s Update:

You know those days where you just can’t shut your mind off? It was a whole week of those, for better or worse!

What Melinda is Currently Reading:

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White – I am loving this so far. It is very dark and twisted, but I am totally into it and love the protagonist. Elizabeth is our the childhood companion of Victor Frankenstein, a rich, disturbed kid who can’t be kept in check by his parents, and her fate is tied to his. The book takes place in their early adult years with flashbacks peppered throughout. I have so many questions that need answers! I will definitely have a review for this when I’m done.

What Melinda Finished:

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik – I personally thought this was so. darn. good! I loved how stark (ha!) the culture divide was between the Staryk and the Eastern European human world. My favorite & the main protag Miryem was Jewish too so that culture was in there as well. My only complaint was there were too many POVs—I really only cared for the three leading ladies’ perspectives.

Linz’s Update:

I got little reading done during my birthday and the Super Bowl, so I tried to make up for lost time this week. Alas, I had to work superlate this week and it got me a little offtrack 😦

What Linz read this week:

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen: Nope. Nope nope nope. There’s just too many of these “jealous ex-wife, new shiny second wife, things aren’t as they seem” books glutting the market, so if you write one it better be the standout. And this just wasn’t. The writing wasn’t bad but it was fairly predictable, so it started to drag, and then the ending was very rushed.

Easy Prey by Catherine Lo: One out of my many BookCon 2018 books. Three classmates are accused of posting a teacher’s nudes online–the computer nerd, the jock, and the good girl gone rebel (after her own nudes leaked the year before). I liked the structure of the story (flipping between past and present), and I do think it’s a story that’s relevant and needs to be told these days, but again, it was pretty predictable where the story was going to go.

The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons: DNF. I got about 40% through and was just…so bored. It’s just a lot of standing around waiting for action to happen, and I heard it picks up in the second half, but not satisfactorily, so sometimes you just have to put the book down.

What Linz is reading now:

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones: This is on OPRAH’S reading list, so of course I’m gonna pick it up. The short version is a story about what happens to a young black married couple when the husband is accused of a crime. The longer version is an exploratory piece on the intersection between striving for the American dream, being black in modern America, and, well, relationships. It is not action-based by any means, so it’s a little slow but in a meditative way.

Until next time, we remain forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Melinda, Linz, and Ginny

Weekly Wrap-up: Feb 4-10, 2019 Hello fellow boozie readers! Sam's Update: This week was insanely crazy. First week back to work after the shutdown and everyone is trying to get as much done as humanly possible before it inevitably shuts down again.

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useyourrwords · 6 years ago

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2019 Ahead // It’s Twentybiteen, You Ready?

I’m back! Again!

Your fave chaotic disaster queer took time off once again to get her shit together! Did I???? Kinda???

I’m glad I took the time off, I needed that time and space to sort out and find balance in my life and did I???? Kinda???

So now I’m back! There are going to be a few changes! But I’ll go through that a little later in this post.

2018 was fucking hard man. It was maybe the worst year of my life so far which is not an easy feat, let me tell you!

I’m glad it’s over, I’m thankful for the lessons it gave me but more than anything I’m grateful for the foundation in providing for the next chapter of my life.

2019 so far has been just getting through the delayed effects of the last part of 2018 honestly. But I’m hopeful it’ll only get better from here.

TBR

So what are the books I plan to read this year?? Honestly too many but here are the books I definitely want to get to in 2019.

I was going to talk about my anticipated releases BUT literally, everyone has done that so it’s not like I’d be sharing new information with anyone. No shade! Y’all those lists are amazing and I love them because I am always behind on what is coming out. Those posts just aren’t for me personally to write. But mostly it’s because this year I am focusing on books I actually own and neglected all of last year while I was busy having a love affair with my library.

│The Raven Cycle│Maggie Stiefvater│

│

I read the first book in 2017 and then my mum bought me the whole series for my birthday in 2018 and do you think I’ve read them yet??? Of course not! So I want to this year for sure!

│Shadow and Bone Series│Leigh Bardugo│

│

I loved the Six of Crows duology and now that the Grishaverse is getting a Netflix series I have to read the first series! Undoubtedly I will probably reread the Six of Crows duology after.

│The Conqueror’s Saga│Kiersten White│

│

I loved the first book in this series and I’ve bought the other two books as soon as they came out but did I read them??? No.

│Montague Siblings│Mackenzi Lee│

│

I really enjoyed the first book in this series even though I was in a major reading slump and it heavily dampened my experience but I still enjoyed it so I’m looking to rereading it and then following it with the last book!

│Villains│VE Schwab│

│

I loved the first book and I can’t wait for the second one to come out. I ordered it in December but I entered my address wrong so I ended up going to my neighbour’s house to ask if they had it and they did!!!! Thank god for that!

I think I’ll wait to read them until I can get the paperbacks though since I like to annotate but not in my special editions.

│The Dark Artifices│Cassandra Clare│

│

I loved the first book so much and I meant to read Lord of Shadows asap but then didn’t??? Now I’m just waiting for the last book to come out in the small paperback so I can read the series start to finish.

│Harry Potter Series│JK Rowling│

│

│ I’m not putting LGBT rep because it’s not actually in the book and JK’s intentions don’t seem genuine to me.

The first time I read this series was 2011. And I didn’t finish it. So I’m gonna try again and watch the movies as I go to compare as well! And every time JK does some dumbass shit I am thankful I bought my copies secondhand.

│Sharp Objects│Gillian Flynn│

│

I fucking loved the TV series, it was so intense! I’m looking forward to reading the book!

│Sadie│Courtney Summers│

│

I’ve heard such good things and I need to read it but there’s a huge wait at the library and they do not have enough copies across the state library network so I might just end up buying it??

│Sawkill Girls│Claire Legrand│

│

I’m planning on reading this one this month if I can get a hold of it from the library!

│The Hate U Give│Angie Thomas│

│

I neeeeeed to read this one pronto!!!!

│Rejected Princesses│Jason Porath│

│

│Bygone badass Broads│Mackenzi Lee│

│

So I decided on my new Structured TBR each month (More info in my Month Ahead post!) I’m going to read a certain amount of entries in these each month over the year.

│Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda│Creekwood Series│Becky Albertelli│

│

I need to read the book for my fave romcom guys, I just have to.

│Children of Blood & Bone│Legacy of Orïsha #1│Tomi Adeyemi│

│

I literally bought this the day it came out and so, of course, I haven’t read it yet.

│City of Ghosts│Cassidy Blake #1│Victoria Schwab│

│

I have to read it, it’s a Schwab book. But I am pumped for it!!!

│Percy Jackson and the Olympians│Rick Riordan│

│

A childhood classic I never fucking read as a child. Also, I now own almost all or Riordan’s books because they were super cheap secondhand and so I have to read them.

Past Grey Reads

Book Review // Girl Made of Stars – I Am Broken

Book Review // Everything Leads To You – A Quite Love Story

Book Review // The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – What Do You Mean She’s Not a Real Person???

TBW

Basically here’s a bunch of movies and seasons released this year that I want to watch!

│The Hate U Give│

│Jan 31│

George Tillman Jr.│

Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby│

Australia sucks so this only just came out here but I am ready.

│On The Basis of Sex│

│Feb 7│

Mimi Leder│

Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux│

Looks like a good feminist film!

│Captain Marvel│

│Mar 7│

Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck│

Brie Larson, Gemma Chan, Samuel L. Jackson│

What is this??? The first solo Marvel film for a female Avenger??? I have been waiting!

│Avengers: Endgame│

│Apr 24│

Anthony Russo, Joe Russo│

Brie Larson, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan│

I am not ready. Not even a little bit. I’m just glad it’s confirmed that our lil spidey survives somehow.

│Detective Pikachu│

│May 9│

Rob Letterman│

Suki Waterhouse, Ryan Reynolds, Kathryn Newton│

When I first saw the trailer I legit thought it was a very cleverly put together fan trailer and died when I realised it was real.

│Aladdin│

│May 23│

Guy Ritchie│

Will Smith, Billy Magnussen, Naomi Scott│

I am so excited, it’s gonna be so magical!

│Rocketman│

│May 30│

Dexter Fletcher│

Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard, Taron Egerton│

I never knew I needed it but then I heard of it and then I watched the trailer and now I’m already a fan.

│Men in Black: International│

│Jun 13│

F. Gary Gray│

Rebecca Ferguson, Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson│

This movie is for the bisexuals.

│Spider-Man: Far From Home│

│Jul 4│

Jon Watts│

Zendaya, Jake Gyllenhaal, Cobie Smulders│

Okay blogging secret, when it comes to the directors, creators and stars of this segment I always just copy and paste from IMDB because I’m lazy and can we just appreciate the fact that Tom Holland—the literal star of the movie, the person who plays the main character—isn’t even listed at the top as part of the top stars.

Also, I’m very excited to watch this. Tom and Zendaya are my children and they must be protected at all costs.

│It: Chapter 2│

│Sep 5│

Andy Muschietti│

James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Skarsgård│

I’m ready for adult loser club thanks.

│Star Wars: Episode IX│

│Dec 19│

J.J. Abrams│

Keri Russell, Adam Driver, Richard E. Grant│

I’m always happy with a new Star Wars film.

│To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before 2│

│

Susan Johnson│

Lana Condor, Noah Centineo│

YES YES YES YES YES.

│Brooklyn Nine-Nine│Season 6│

│Jan 10│

Daniel J. Goor, Michael Schur│

Andre Braugher, Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz│

I’m so glad NBC saved this!!!!

│One Day At A Time│Season 3│

│Feb 8│

Gloria Calderon Kellett, Mike Royce│

Justina Machado, Todd Grinnell, Isabella Gomez│

This is probably mine and mum’s fave sitcom that makes us piss ourselves laughing but also makes us sob.

│Game of Thrones│Season 8│

│Apr 14│

David Benioff, D.B. Weiss│

Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington│

I won’t make it to the end of 2019, not because of depression

but because I’m going to die while watching this, I know it.

│Stranger Things│Season 3│

│Jul 4│

Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer│

Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder│

I just want the gang together and happy.

│Mindhunter│Season 2│

│

Joe Penhall│

Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv│

I gotta watch it and live text my thoughts to my aunt who is hugely into true crime (so much so that she is studying criminology). Because I’m hilarious and also I know she’ll appreciate it and also I no longer have a best friend to do this shit with.

│Big little Lies│Season 2│

│

David E. Kelley│

Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley│

Big Little Lies rocked my world and made me realise I actually like thrillers.

│RuPaul’s Drag Race UK│Season 1│

│

I’m just excited to see what a season would look like that isn’t hosted and judged by RuPaul.

Past Grey Watches

Grey Watches // I Wanna Bone Jude Law and Kate Winslet – The Holiday

Grey Watches // It Has To Be A Shit Show – A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding

Grey Watches // I Hate It So Much I Love It – A Christmas Prince

Yes I know I said I wouldn’t change the appearance of my blog while I was gone but we all know I’m a dirty liar.

Besides, it’s only some small tweaks here and there and I won’t be going back through my past posts to edit everything to match. A year of posts is too many. I promised myself and my mum I wouldn’t do it again.

This year I’m going to be posting less! Like half the amount I did last year.

Last year I eventually got to a schedule of four posts a week and this year I will be doing two.

I’m doing this for a couple of reasons.

I exercise and eat healthy now and it turns out those two things take up so much time.

I wanna start actually dedicating time to working on my new WIP and maybe have a draft by the end of the year????

I’m planning on doing more Grey Watches post this year, and my book review posts will now be called Grey Reads and I might try and do more discussion posts called Grey Speaks and maybe WIP writing updates in Grey Writes??? It’s all about that branding.

But who knows what I’ll do, honestly I don’t even know myself! I’m terrible with follow through but we’ll see!

My Ancient Archive posts will be moved to once every two months as well because those posts take ages and as much as I love them I just don’t have that kind of time. And they’ll also get a rename—Grey Learns

I was also going to start requesting physical ARCs from publishers but ahhhh turns out I don’t actually enjoy writing reviews??? And there’s always the risk that I’m not gonna like it and I’ll feel obligated to finish it and I don’t have time for that either so I’m not doing that, I’ll be requesting far, far less from Netgalley.

I’ll be posting book reviews roughly once or twice a month, instead of once a week. I’ll still be writing reviews for all the books I read but they’ll be a lot shorter and I’ll mostly just post them on my Goodreads.

If you notice I am reading a book you wanna see a review of over on here, let me know and I’ll be sure to post it!

Past Month In Review

Month in Review // Christmas is Over Thank Fuck – December

Month in Review // November – I Already Hate Christmas

Month in Review // July, August, September & October – New Post Series!

Goals

Get to a point where I walk 10000 steps a day.

On the reg, like every day for the most part. At the moment I just have my step goal as 8000 a day because small steps literally.

But I hit my first 10000 steps on the 16th of last month so that was very exciting for me especially since it was on the day I don’t go for a walk and proved why that is my day off because it’s my shopping day so I’m clearly walking plenty, to begin with!

Find a way to be more financially stable somehow.

Whether that be by a full-time job or maybe work out a way to get paid for doing what I love??

I don’t know. I’m trying to be more open to different paths to get to a place I want to be.

Also, it seems like I may be forced into this sooner rather than later thanks to things out of my control so that’s exciting but also terrifying because ANXIETY.

Finish a draft for my WIP.

Have I started writing it yet? Absolutely not but I’m gonna try!

And I’m very excited about the concept. Think queer banshees and witches and strong women and girls supporting each other. That’s the plan.

Read 50 books.

I read 100 last year and 130 the year before that but with focusing on writing and my health I feel that trying to keep reading that many books is just going to stress me out so I’m not doing it!

Also, I’m already struggling to get through a book a week right now and I need to if I have any hope of just reading 50.

Legally change my name FINALLY!

And guess what guys that one is very close to being complete!

I’ve submitted to the paperwork and now it’s just the waiting for it to get approved and then I can pick up my new birth certificate!

I’ve been waiting for this moment for years so I’m very excited!

Continue going to therapy.

I’m in a much better mental space than I was last year but I still need therapy. Especially since last year was basically just me venting about how fucked up my family is and this year is about me so I want to use my therapy to focus on my shit, get official diagnoses and maybe testing out medication???

Also find a better way to deal with my paranoia because guys, it’s been especially rough lately.

Take regular mental health days

This is much needed!!!!!

And by mental health days I mean spend one whole day doing nothing but maybe watching Netflix and reading and crying if I need to.

My mum and I don’t really stop and so we get hit with emotions at really inconvenient times so I’m hoping that if we schedule a day where we can allow ourselves to be emotional then it might help?

I want to aim for once a month but we’ll see.

Play more video games.

Because they’re fun and I like them and I keep telling myself I don’t have time because it’s not important but fuck important, sometimes you just gotta do shit because it’s fun and pointless.

Past Month Ahead

Month Ahead // Happy Birthday To Me + Hiatus Announcement – January

Month Ahead // December – I Already Hate It

Month Ahead // November – New Post Series

2019 is all about growth and glow ups guys, I can feel it.

What are you doing this year? What are you reading? What are your goals?

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#my blog #books #grey writes

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dragonbookhoard · 8 years ago

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Revive Booklr Tag

Saw this done by @flamingmirror, and figured why not.

Rules: If tagged, answer the original questions and either add to the list or delete some (if you’d like), then tag more people!

Which book are you currently reading? All Our Wrong Todays (ARC) by Elan Mastai (It’s out on Feb 7th.)

What’s your Hogwarts house? Hufflepuff!

If you could get on a plane right now, where would you go? (Yes, fictional places are good as well. You could also travel via wardrobe/train/etc.) Sweden or Finland, otherwise Alola.

Speaking of, what fictional character would you wish to travel with? Probably either Lyra from His Dark Materials or Daine from The Immortals quartet by Tamora Pierce. And part of me wants to say Rook from Havemercy, but I’m pretty sure that’s a bad idea.

When do you put your Christmas decorations up? Maybe the day before? We don’t really do decorations at my apartment - mostly because of my cat.

Are there any books you want to recommend to the rest of us? Oh so many! The Age of Fire series by E.E. Knight, Enchantress from the Stars by Sylvia Engdahl, Dinotopia by James Gurney, The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black by E.B. Hudspeth, Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in) by John Ajvide Lindqvist, The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood, Interstellar Pig by William Sleator, and I’ll end with Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson.

What is your favourite nonfiction subject to read? Mostly stuff about languages, serial killers, or sociology.

What types of book covers do you find most aesthetically pleasing? Elegant style, realistic. I also like blue and earthy tones, but it really just depends.

Favourite book you’ve read this year? Only read two so far, but I’m gonna have to go with The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood.

If you set yearly goals for yourself, how many books would you like to read in 2017? I would love to read at least 10, but I set my goal at 5 for now. I know it’s super low, especially around booklr, but. . .I really need to work on my Spanish and try to get back to writing.

What book has been on your TBR the longest? Honestly, I have no idea. I’m gonna say House of Leaves because I bought it probably a decade ago.

Who are some of your book girlfriends and/or boyfriends? I’d totally date Maia from The Summer Dragon. Or Cath from Fangirl.

* the questions @i-breathe-therefore-i-read added -

What is the longest book you’ve read? Probably the omnibus of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

First book you remember reading? I. . .have no idea.

I tag anyone who wants to do it! :3

#asks

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stuckinfictionalworlds · 7 years ago

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Hello book-dragons! Today I’m going to talk about the TBR. *dramatic music* Yes, that is right I am tackling the ever growing and never ending monster which is the To Be Read pile (or mountain in my case) of books that we as readers tell ourselves that we are “eventually” going to read. In this blog post I’m going to talk about:

How our TBR gets out of control

Why it gets out of control

What to do to prevent it and how to deal with it

*please note that this based on my own personal experience and observations of other book-dragons in real life and in the World Wide Web

How does the TBR get so big and out of control?

It’s simple really we buy (or borrow ) more books than we read.

*mind blown*

Seriously that’s it.

Why tho?

Why? Why what?

Oh why we buy more books than we actually read. Okay well…

First of all, there are hundreds of books being constantly published every month and not let’s not forget all the beautiful and amazing books that already exist right now whether in print or digital form. All of them have the potential to be THE NEXT FAVOURITE BOOK! No pressure right? What can we book-dragons do other than buy them in the hopes of finding THE ONE. Only to (most likely) go home and put it your bookshelf while telling yourself you’ll read it later. If you never do this please teach me your secrets!

Secondly, cover love. Let’s be honest, as much as we tell ourselves “Not to judge a book by its cover” we judge a book by its cover. It is literally the first thing we see when we buy it online and in bookstores everywhere. (unless you’re doing one of those book blind dates where the book is wrapped and a description is written outside to tell you about the book in which case good on you!) To make it even worse is, us book-dragons are weak towards a pretty book. (Don’t lie. It’s okay nobody will judge you here.) So, of course, we buy that book with gold edges with a bold and fierce font and a dragon on the cover complete with a map inside because maps are awesome!

Just look at all these beautiful books. How can you resist?

Thirdly, books get lonely so they need friends. No matter how many books you have right now YOUR BOOKS NEEEEDD MORE FRIENDS. Honestly, what kind of person would I be to begrudge my books friends? Not friend material that’s for sure. So go buy more books.

Lastly, I just NEED the book, therefore, I gets the book… Yes, I am a responsible and mature human being.

What to do when your TBR is out of control?

Ignore it – you are a master of your own destiny and nothing shall stand in your way not even your precariously stacked to the ceiling tbr.

Keep buying more books. Maybe it’s just lonely and it’ll calm down if it has more friends…

Create structures with your tbr and take aesthetically pleasing photos to put in your bookstagram

Okay, I’m serious now. (I still think the three points are valid and completely acceptable…)

The best way to prevent this happening is not going crazy with your book buying. Do not buy 20 new books a month and tell yourself you’ll read them all because you won’t get to all of them, trust me. There is always a book that will distract book from your what you’re reading and all your other books. ( in a way that’s kind of like a book betraying its own kind, isn’t it?)

If it has reached a point where the point above won’t help then (panic) I suggest not buying any new books. Wow, it hurts just to even look at that sentence. Okay you’re allowed 2 new books but make absolutely sure that everything you read is off of your tbr. No matter what your number of books you read per month make sure that at least 60% (it can be more if you want) of the books are from your tbr. The percentage doesn’t even matter really. As long as you read more books from your tbr than books you buy then your tbr shall slowly shrink and it won’t be a safety hazard anymore.

Or… you could not do any of the logical advice I just said and build a throne with your tbr and continue to ignore its existence.

I found this at my publisher. Throne redux.

A post shared by Victoria Schwab (@veschwab) on Feb 28, 2017 at 2:29pm PST

Let’s all take lessons from the amazing Victoria Schwab.

Choose one word that best describes your TBR? Also, any tips on managing your TBR?

Tackling an out of control TBR. Good luck! Hello book-dragons! Today I’m going to talk about the TBR. *dramatic music* Yes, that is right I am tackling the ever growing and never ending monster which is the To Be Read pile (or mountain in my case) of books that we as readers tell ourselves that we are

#friendly and useful advice #Let&039;s Talk About #monster tbr #TBR #to be read

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lifebooksloves · 8 years ago

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SEXIEST DAD ALIVE by M. Clarke!

Life, Books, & Loves Presents: SEXIEST DAD ALIVE by M. Clarke

The decisions I’ll have to make won’t be easy. No matter what I choose, my heart will break…

Find out what Josh Bennett needs to do to get his own happily ever after in the world of Knight Fashion with SEXIEST DAD ALIVE by M.Clarke…

About SEXIEST DAD ALIVE

Josh Bennett

It was a simple offer.

I invited Isla to rent a room in my five thousand square foot home. Plenty of rooms and plenty of space. But the second she moved in, I knew I was in trouble. I could handle wanting her when there was distance between us, but once we started to play house, all my pent up desire started knocking down walls.

That was my first mistake of many.

The private investigator I hired to track down my ex found her not far from where I live. I should have locked my past behind me, but something urged me to find her. I’m glad I did. But our union left me with a situation to be reckoned with.

When a new fire is lit and old flames rekindle, one will have to burn out. The decisions I’ll have to make won’t be easy. No matter what I choose, my heart will break.

On Sale in Digital: February 27, 2017

Add SEXIEST DAD ALIVE to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

REVIEW by Monique:

Is heart ready for unexpected emotions and explosive off the chart sexual chemistry! With all the emotions running its course through your body with a tailspin of physical feelings, there is a dilemma to solve – search for the d@mn tissues and hope we all find our happiness?

“ Life isn’t a fairytale. Sometimes you have to fight for happily ever after. And sometimes you just have to let go.“

FIVE-STARS! This was my first time reading a novel from Author M. Clarke, so what better novel to ‘p0p my cherry’ with – SEXIEST DAD ALIVE! SEXIEST DAD ALIVE is the third novel on the Knight Fashion Magazine series, a New Adult romance story of three different people from different places drawn together by! Especially since author gives us not an adorable baby too! When I begin reading the novel, I never stopped until I read the entire novel and read it again a few days later!

Josh Bennett, sexy hot model, rented a room to Isla and instantly felt a connection with her quickly becoming the best of friends. Josh also had a past where he felt the need to hire a private detective to find his ex, but was finding her a mistake.

When Josh’s past comes back in life and exposes him, he begins to feel his new life is starting to unravel. Can Josh balance his past with his present or will all be lost trying to have it all – ‘One-Click’ today!

Excerpt:

Since Isla moved in, I’d been eating better. Of course I gave in return by taking her out to eat. I wasn’t a selfish bastard, and I wasn’t about to take advantage of her. For a while, I suspected Isla had feelings for me, and I for her, but both of us kept the feeling locked away. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship if things went wrong. But I realized there was a great chance of something happening, even between friends, when you play house. Isla and I often said things husbands and wives would say to each other: Goodnight, dear. Honey, I’m home. Love you. Don’t forget to pick up milk. The words flew naturally and we laughed it off, but deep in the recesses of my mind, I wondered what it could be like if we did date. But … but … but … we had crossed the line. I might have started to cross over first, but Isla encouraged it. And damn, she felt and tasted amazing. Fuck! I was going to want more of her. Control yourself, Josh. I had been doing well so far. I just had to continue, especially since I had to find out if Shelly’s baby was mine. And if so, Isla may not want anything to do with me. Regret rippled through me. I shouldn’t have kissed her, but when her bright green eyes filled with lust, and she lowered her gaze to my lips as she licked hers, I gave in to temptation. I’d forgotten about Shelly until it was over. Then reality flooded back. I had to get my life straightened out before I even attempted to have a relationship with Isla. She deserved the best of me, not the worst. After I took a freezing shower, I got ready for bed and debated whether to say something to Isla. We’d agreed to pretend nothing happened, and if I didn’t say goodnight to her like I did every night, she would feel like shit. I knew I would. So I opened the door and shot my eyes open wide. “Isla. I was just about to come see you.” Her raised fist, ready to knock on the door, dropped while her eyes lingered on my bare chest. “Josh. I—I—you were about to come see me?” She smoothly changed the subject. When I raked my hair back, her eyes landed on my biceps. Her longing-filled eyes had me so close to giving in to my desire and taking her in my room. Closing my eyes to contain my lust, I inhaled a deep breath to shut out my thoughts and my dick wanting what it shouldn’t. What I couldn’t have. But shit, Isla. Did she have to look so damn hot in her night outfit—shorts and a T-shirt? She crossed her arms, to hide her nipples no doubt. But that didn’t stop me from envisioning the beautiful breasts I saw, touched, and tasted. Oh hell, I imagined my mouth on them as she stood before me. Her disheveled auburn hair—wild and full—contrasted with her face, looking innocent with no makeup. I arched my eyebrows, loosening up, trying to get us back to the way we were. “Yes, I was, but why don’t you tell me why you’re here first?” I gave her my goofy grin—lips twisted, tongue slightly poking out, and eyes crossed. She smacked my arm and let out a delicious, contagious laugh. When her laughter died, my heart died a little too because I couldn’t have her, at least not yet. “I came to say goodnight. Since we’re starting over, I thought we keep things … you know … normal,” she said hesitantly, eyes darting to the door, to my bare chest again, swallowing, and then to her perfect, manicured feet. “I’m glad you came.” Her eyes shot to mine. “You are?” “Of course I am. I was on my way to your room to say goodnight.” “Oh. Okay. That’s good. Thanks. I mean. Goodnight.” She stumbled over her words. Oh hell. I made it that way. She didn’t sound like my friend Isla, but rather a broken and confused Isla. “Goodnight, honey.” I played along. “Do I get a hug?” I thought to ease the tension between us, but as soon as she wrapped her arms around me, I tightened with the tension of unfulfilled pleasure. Isla’s touch burned through my skin, and her body molding to mine unraveled me. Her lavender shampoo filled my nostrils, and I wanted to take her to bed and make love to her all night. We stayed entangled longer than we should have, frozen in time and space. Then Isla pulled away, leaving me cold and empty. Running her hands through her auburn locks, she didn’t notice she had exposed her T-shirt when she backed away. Oh fuck me! Her T-shirt framed her breast, teasing what I could no longer touch or taste. She gasped and crossed her arms again when my dirty eyes reminded her. “Anyway. I’m going to see my brother tomorrow, and I’m going to spend the weekend with his family, so I’ll see you whenever.” Why did that feel like a punch to my gut? It shouldn’t. She had done that two weekends before. “Sure. Have fun.” “You got any plans?” Her long eyelashes fluttered, curious. “I’m having dinner with Nathan tomorrow, but not much.” She nodded and took several steps back. “Okay. Have a great weekend.” Then she turned and walked away. “You too.” I stared at her fine ass and her long legs until she disappeared out of my sight. Inhaling a deep breath, I got back to bed with my laptop to distract me.

See what people are saying about the Knight Fashion series:

“Sexiest Couple Alive is a spectacularly exhilarating and breathlessly sensual story that shows us that scars can be beautiful and mistakes can lead you to the best things in life. ” –Amber from The Wonderings of One Person

“Sexiest Man Alive has it all; heartbreak, drama and excitement! M.Clarke has once again completely blown me away, she had me at the edge of my seat and left me wanting for more.” –Lady Amber’s Reviews & PR

“5 Stars!!! Yes 5 stars baby!!! Wow!!! OMG I am at a loss for words!!! This book was HOT, Sexy and suspense! I can’t believe the ending and WAIT for book 2!!!! Nathan Cross is EVER women’s dream ….ALPHA male, Model and yet a sweet warm hearted guy! And Olivia she is a CONFIDENT, sexy and knows what she wants! She triumphs and struggles which makes her relatable and lovable as a character Grab this today you won’t be disappointed and make sure you get ready to be hooked on a new series.” –FMR Book Grind, Stacey

“I am already anxious for the next book as I can’t wait to find out what happens next! I have been a huge fan of M. Clarke’s since first reading her work a few years ago, and I really love her Something Great series. Nathan is a character that I felt really connected to right away though, and I could not put this book down.” – Ramblings From This Chick

Check out the other books in the Knight Fashion series!

**Feb 27 – Mar 3 – SEXIEST MAN ALIVE is on SALE for $0.99!**

About SEXIEST MAN ALIVE (Knight Fashion Book 1)

WATCH THE TRAILER: https://youtu.be/loLaqma2-kgT Nathan Cross is a struggling actor waiting tables at a local restaurant to make ends meet while he attends endless auditions. Though his hopeful career moves at a slow pace, Olivia is the strength and sunshine in his life… until she leaves him. One day, he is offered a contract with a modeling agent, leading him to work for Knight Fashion Magazine—a dream job he never imagined would become a reality.

Olivia swore she would always put her career first and that’s precisely what she did when she left Nathan. Having a deadbeat dad and watching her mom work two jobs to make ends meet have been her driving force. When she is offered a modeling career, she drops everything—even the love of her life—and moves to New York. Though Nathan and Olivia try to steer clear of one another, working for the same fashion magazine causes their paths to cross again and old emotions are awakened.

Can Nathan forgive Olivia or will he take the next step with the woman he is currently dating? Will Olivia do everything she can to break them apart? Or will she choose her career over her heart… again?

Order this title at these online retailers:

SEXIEST COUPLE ALIVE (Knight Fashion Book 1)

Nathan Cross is living his dream. Not only is he modeling for Knight Fashion Magazine, recently voted “sexiest man alive,” but he is dating a beautiful photographer who could be his new future. When he unexpectedly reunites with his past love, his world crashes around him. Two loves. The past or the future: which one will he choose?

Olivia’s past choices come back to haunt her and could ruin everything she has worked so hard to build. Troy has the power to destroy any hope of happiness. She will do everything to keep that from happening, even if it means giving up her second chance with Nathan. Lies. Revenge. Scandal. Olivia could lose it all.

Order this title at these online retailers:

Author Bio:

International Bestselling, Award-Winning, Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great.

Connect with Mary:

Instagram | Pintrest | Goodreads

CELEBRATE THE RELEASE WITH A GIVEAWAY!

1 Grand Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card 3 Runner-Ups: Each will receive a digital backlist copy of any M. Clarke or Mary Ting book.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Link: http://ift.tt/2m2gn2e?

Disclosure: This information was provided by Barclay Publicity and M. Clarke. This is NOT a compensated post.

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cover2covermom · 8 years ago

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I knew after having a record month in January that I was setting myself up for failure in February. I am going to blame the fact that I went on vacation AND it was a short month. Yes, that’s it! Despite all that, I still managed to complete 8 books. It’s not the 11 books I read in January, but I’ll take it!

Let’s see which books I read and which ones I acquired in February shall we?

*Book titles link to Goodreads

What I read in February:

» A Sparrow in Terezin by Kristy Cambron

Summary of feelings: Much like The Butterfly and the Violin, Kristy Cambron has a very refreshing take on WWII fiction in this book. I love learning new aspects about WWII which was such horrific time in our world’s history. Cambron has a way of finding the beauty (art) in the darkest of places. I had no idea that thousands of pieces of art were created by children in the Terezin concentration camp. These drawings, created with smuggled art supplies, were hidden and later retrieved. This artwork can now be viewed at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. Similar to my feelings of The Butterfly and the Violin, I was not a big fan of the story line that took place in present time, but really enjoyed the storyline that occurs in the past. In my opinion, both books would have benefited without Sera’s story, but this book especially.

*Part of my SOKY Book Fest TBR

» State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Summary of feelings: My first Ann Patchett book! I really loved the premise of this book: a drug company is developing a top secret drug in the Amazon when a company representative dies under suspicious circumstances… I don’t believe I’ve ever read a book set in the Amazon, so I was very excited to pick this book up. Now this book was very slow to get going, but once our main character reaches the Amazon, things really picked up. The cast of characters in the book were not likeable, which added to the suspense of the book because you questioned everyone’s motives. HOWEVER if you need to like or connect to characters to like a book, you may want to skip this one. I really struggled with my rating for this one as I did have some issues with it, but on the other hand I did enjoy it. I would probably say my rating is 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

State of Wonder would make for a fantastic film adaptation…

*Part of my SOKY Book Fest TBR

» When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin

Summary of feelings: What a beautiful middle grade book filled with Chinese mythology and folklore! I was fully immersed in this ode to storytelling. I also adored the gorgeous illustrations included, and only wished there were more… I know, I’m greedy.

*You can read my review here → Kids’ Corner: Diverse Middle Grade Books in Review (Feb 2017) #DiverseKidLit

» The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis

Summary of feelings: This book was way outside my comfort zone, but I am so glad I gave it a go! Despite the fact that this book made me very queasy at times (blood makes me faint), I am shocked at how addicting this book was. How can I describe this book to you? I would classify this one as a “post-apocalyptical psychological thriller wilderness survival story”… is that a genre? As you can tell, this book doesn’t fit into a specific genre, but has elements of multiple genres.

*Review to come!

» Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Summary of feelings: That’s right y’all. I read a book in verse. Surprised? Me too. You want to know something even more surprising? I really enjoyed it! I even put sticky notes into the passages I felt spoke the most to me.

*Review to come!

» The Crystal Ribbon by Celeste Lim

Summary of feelings: Set in medieval China, The Crystal Ribbon is the story of Jing who is sold into an arranged marriage to be the wife and nursemaid to a 3-year-old little boy. Life with the Koh’s is not a happy existence, but things get even worse when the Koh’s sell Jing into an even worse situation in order to pay off some debts… Jing decides she must escape and find her way back to her family and the home she grew up in. I absolutely adored this middle grade book, though I think this book would appeal more to a older middle grade – YA audience. Since this book only just came out in January, and it is a debut novel, I have not seen anyone else talking about this book yet. I’m going to need SOMEONE to pick this one up soon. I would recommend this book to fans of Thanhha Lai and Grace Lin.

*Review to come!

» Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Summary of feelings: My second Thanhha Lai book and I enjoyed this one just as much as Listen Slowly. I really enjoyed reading a refugee experience, especially since Thanhha Lai went through this herself and states that she shared many of the same experiences that our main character Hà experienced as an immigrant to the U.S. during the Vietnam War. This was my second book in verse that I read this month, the other one being Brown Girl Dreaming.

*Review to come!

» Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin

Summary of feelings: I picked this one up hoping to learn what exactly what gender fluid meant. You all know how much I sometimes struggle with the YA genre, but I am here to tell you that Symptoms of Being Human is YA done right! Not only was I educated about all kinds of LGBTQIA+ issues and terminology that I didn’t previously understand, but I was also highly entertained while I was learning. This book also goes into some deeper issues like suicide, hate crimes, bullying, etc etc, but also has some lighter moments with a touch of romance, friendships, and family relationships.

*You can read my review here → Diverse Young Adult Books in Review: Aristotle and Dante & Symptoms of Being Human

Book Reviews:

Book Review: The Girls by Emma Cline

Book Review: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Kids’ Corner: Why You Should Read George by Alex Gino with Your Kids

Kids’ Corner: Buy, Borrow, or Pass – Children’s Picture Books (February 2017)

Kids’ Corner: Diverse Middle Grade Books in Review (Feb 2017) #DiverseKidLit

Diverse Young Adult Books in Review: Aristotle and Dante & Symptoms of Being Human

Other Posts:

January 2017 Wrap-Up + Book Haul

February 2017 TBR

Book Event: Brit Bennett, Author of The Mothers

Challenge Updates:

» Goodreads Challenge

» Diversity Bingo 2017

» I was able to knock out another 5 squares on #DiversityBingo2017! That is a total of 10 squares. This month I completed…

• Immigrant or Refugee MC → Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai #OwnVoices

• Black MC (Own Voices) → Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson #OwnVoices

• MC of Color in SFF → When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin #OwnVoices

• Own Voices → The Crystal Ribbon by Celeste Lim #OwnVoices

• Free Choice → Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin (Gender Fluid MC)

» Last month (January) I completed..

• MC w/ chronic pain → Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo #OwnVoices

• MC w/ an under-represented body → 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad

• Diverse non-fiction → Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

• POC on the cover → Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper

• Non-western (real world) setting → Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai #OwnVoices

*Not sure if this challenge is like traditional BINGO where you only need to get a line to “win,” but I’m going for a cover-all

February 2017 Book Haul:

» A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

» A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

» The Mothers by Brit Bennett *Signed Copy

» Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman *Signed Copy

*Yes that ugly circular spot on my book is STICKER GLUE! WHY?!?! Anyone want to let me in on the secret to remove this from my book?!

» The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas *Pre-Ordered

» Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

So about that 2017 book buying ban… I failed miserably this month, HOWEVER in my defense my ban does not apply to book/author events, which three of these books technically qualify for. I attended an author even for Brit Bennett, author of The Mothers, so obviously I bought a copy to get signed. You can read about my experience here → Book Event: Brit Bennett, Author of The Mothers. I am also attending the V.E. Schwab’s book tour for A Conjuring of Light, so I HAD to purchase the first two books (hardback of course) for her to sign along with A Conjuring of Light… Then we have Norse Mythology. When I was in the bookstore for the Brit Bennett event, it just so happened to be release day for Norse Mythology. It was a signed copy ok? Who would walk away from a signed Neil Gaiman book?! It was out of my hands!

Which books did you read in February?

Did you buy any books? Which ones?

Comment below and let me know :)

See what I read in February and my #BookHaul in my #Wrapup post! #BookBlogger #Bookworm I knew after having a record month in January that I was setting myself up for failure in February.

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rathertoofondofbooks · 6 years ago

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Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found! If you want to join in you just need to share what you’re reading now, what you’ve read over the last week, and what you hope to read next.

Now

Past Life by Dominic Nolan

I started reading this last night and it grabbed me from the opening chapter. I can’t wait to read more of it!

Sewing the Shadows Together by Alison Baillie

This book is so good. I’ve had it on my Kindle for ages and am now kicking myself for not starting it sooner. I’m really intrigued by the story and can’t wait to see how it’s all going to unfold in the end.

Spare Me The Truth by C. J. Carver

This is a book I’ve had on my TBR for ages but I found the audio book on my subscription so decided to part listen and part read. I think if I’d been reading it I would possibly have put it down but it’s making for a great listen and I’m really enjoying it.

‘Kill The Black One First’ by Michael Fuller

I’ve listened to a couple more chapters of this book over the last week and am finding it such an interesting book.

Not Fade Away: The Life and Music of Buddy Holly by John Gribbin

I’ve also read a couple more chapters of this book over the last few days and am really enjoying it.

Then

Are You The F**king Doctor? by Dr. Liam Farrell

I finished reading this yesterday and have really enjoyed reading it this week. It’s a selection of the author’s columns from the BMJ and it makes for such an interesting and engaging read. I’ll be reviewing this one in a couple of weeks for the blog tour but I can recommend it in the meantime.

Last Ones Left Alive by Sarah Davis-Goff

This isn’t really my usual kind of read but I was gripped from start to finish. There was so much more depth in this novel than I was expecting and it’s a book that I keep thinking about since finishing it a couple of days ago. I’ll be reviewing this one soon but it’s another book that I definitely recommend.

The Bridal Party by J. G. Murray

This was such a fun read! It was engaging and gripping, and it went a completely different way than I was expecting, which was great!

The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald

I’ve been so looking forward to reading this book and it didn’t disappoint. It was a much more emotional read than I was expecting and is a book that feels like will stay with me. I hope to get a review of this one written and posted on here very soon.

The Girl Next Door by Phoebe Morgan

I got a chance to read this book on the Pigeonhole app but I just can’t read off a phone screen so I was thrilled to discover the audio book and listened to it instead. It was such a good read and I very much enjoyed it.

The One by John Marrs

This is a book that I’ve had on my TBR ever since it was first published and I finally read it this week. I did enjoy it but it wasn’t quite as wow as I was hoping it would be. It kept me turning the pages though so I would still recommend it if it sounds like your kind of read.

Welcome to the Heady Heights by David F. Ross

As soon as I read the blurb for this book I was so keen to read it, it sounds like my kind of read. I’ve now been invited to be on the blog tour so I plan on starting it in the coming week, I’m so looking forward to it.

Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward

I had wanted to read this book over the last week but I didn’t get to it so I’m putting it on my TBR for the coming week.

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in This Week in Books or WWW Wednesday please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

This Week in Books (27 Feb 2019)! What are you reading this week? Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found…

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rathertoofondofbooks · 6 years ago

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Now

Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

This book is so good! I started it yesterday evening and I’m finding it so hard to put it down – one of those books that makes me resent real life interfering with my reading time!

My Last Lie by Ella Drummond

This is also such a good read! It has an intriguing prologue and now I’m enjoying being suspicious of everyone and trying to work out what’s going on!

Not Fade Away: The Life and Music of Buddy Holly by John Gribbin

I watched a really good documentary about Buddy Holly recently and it reminded me that I had this book unread on my TBR so I immediately sought it out. I’m really enjoying learning more about his background.

The Innocent Man by John Grisham

I put this book to one side for most of the last week as I wanted something a bit easier to read. I’m planning on getting back to this in the coming days though.

Then

All The Little Lies by Chris Curran

I was gripped all the way through this book, it was so good! I’ll be reviewing it tomorrow so keep an eye out for that.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

I part-listened and part-read this biography and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learnt so much much more about Hamilton and about America too. It’s a doorstop of a book at over 800 pages long but it’s so fascinating that I just kept reading one more chapter!

East of England by Eamonn Griffin

This isn’t my usual type of read but I very much enjoyed it. It was a book that I didn’t want to put down. My review should be on my blog today if you’d like to know more.

The Bridal Party by J. G. Murray

I was hoping to read this book this week but time got away from me but it’s top of my list of books that I want to start reading in the coming week.

Last Ones Left Alive by Sarah David Goff

This one has been calling to me from my TBR mountain and it feels like the time to pick it up. I’m intrigued about this one and looking forward to starting it.

Are you the F**king Doctor? by Liam Farrell

I’m taking part in the blog tour for this book next month so as I’m in a non-fiction mood at the moment I’d like to start reading this very soon.

This Week in Books (13 Feb 2019)! What are you reading this week? Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found…

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lifebooksloves · 8 years ago

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SEXIEST DAD ALIVE by M. Clarke

Life, Books, & Loves Presents: SEXIEST DAD ALIVE by M. Clarke

The decisions I’ll have to make won’t be easy. No matter what I choose, my heart will break…

Find out what Josh Bennett needs to do to get his own happily ever after in the world of Knight Fashion with SEXIEST DAD ALIVE by M.Clarke…

About SEXIEST DAD ALIVE

Josh Bennett

It was a simple offer.

That was my first mistake of many.

When a new fire is lit and old flames rekindle, one will have to burn out. The decisions I’ll have to make won’t be easy. No matter what I choose, my heart will break.

On Sale in Digital: February 27, 2017

Add SEXIEST DAD ALIVE to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

Excerpt:

See what people are saying about the Knight Fashion series:

Check out the other books in the Knight Fashion series!

**Feb 27 – Mar 3 – SEXIEST MAN ALIVE is on SALE for $0.99!**

About SEXIEST MAN ALIVE (Knight Fashion Book 1)

Order this title at these online retailers:

SEXIEST COUPLE ALIVE (Knight Fashion Book 1)

Order this title at these online retailers:

Author Bio:

Connect with Mary:

Instagram | Pintrest | Goodreads

CELEBRATE THE RELEASE WITH A GIVEAWAY!

1 Grand Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card 3 Runner-Ups: Each will receive a digital backlist copy of any M. Clarke or Mary Ting book.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Link: http://ift.tt/2m2gn2e?

Disclosure: This information was provided by Barclay Publicity and M. Clarke. This is NOT a compensated post.

The post SEXIEST DAD ALIVE by M. Clarke appeared first on Life Books & Loves.

from Life Books & Loves http://ift.tt/2m26ku4 via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Life Books & Loves SEXIEST DAD ALIVE by M. Clarke

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rathertoofondofbooks · 8 years ago

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This week has been a bit of a stressful one at times. Last weekend was horrible – both stressful and upsetting for me. Firstly there was a mix up over my pain medication, which was very worrying but eventually got sorted late in the evening on Friday. Then Saturday morning brought a stressful and upsetting letter, which couldn’t be dealt with until Monday so I spent the whole weekend feeling awful. It’s on the way to being sorted out now but it’s frustrating when you have to deal with the effects of companies being incompetent. The stress left me feeling really unwell for a few days so I had a quiet couple of days at the start of the week and tried to escape into some books. I haven’t managed to blog as much as I would have liked, or to read and share posts, but I’m trying to catch up now.

Then my Kindle Voyage died. I predominantly read on Kindle so I feel lost without it. I do have instant replacement warranty on it but the company aren’t replying to emails and Amazon are being very unhelpful. Luckily, I have my iPad so can read on the Kindle app but it’s not so good on the eyes to read off a screen so I can’t read for long periods on it, plus my iPad is heavy for me to hold. All of my notes and highlights for recently read review books have been lost too so I’m going to have to try and write reviews from memory, which isn’t the best. I just hope I can get a replacement Kindle soon.

In better news, I’ve finally managed to regain access to my Facebook account. I still don’t know what happened with FB but I’m just glad it’s back up and running. If you want to like my page, you can find me here. Also, feel free to send me a friend request, my account is here.

I also decided to join Instagram so I’m now sharing photos of what I’m up to and what I’m reading on there. You can find me here or search for me, I’m Rathertoofondofbooks on there.

This week I’ve finished reading eight books:

Just Kids by Patti Smith

This book was so beautiful, I loved it. It’s definitely a book that will stay with me and I’m sure I’ll re-read it in the future.

F*cking Apostrophes by Simon Griffin

My husband bought this as a surprise to cheer me up this week and it was a perfect gift after a stressful week. The title alone made me giggle! I enjoyed reading this short book – it’s great for people who are pedantic about apostrophes but it’s also a great book for people who want to learn more about how to use apostrophes.

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

This book really got under my skin and once I had an ebook copy I flew through it in one sitting, I honestly couldn’t put it down. I hope to get my review written and posted soon.

The Breakdown by B. A. Paris

I read this novel in one sitting – it’s such a fast-paced book that hooked me in from the opening pages and next thing I knew it was a few hours later and I’d finished it. I was sent this for review so hopefully I can get that written very soon.

Rage by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)

I have no idea where my copy of this book came from, I found it when I was sorting out my books but I’m pretty sure I didn’t buy it. I opened it to see what it was about and before I knew it I’d read the whole thing. It’s a book about a school shooting but it focuses more on the mindset of the killer than his actions.

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian

I love Chris Bohjalian’s novels so was really looking forward to reading this one when I got it for my birthday. It was a good read, not my favourite by this author but still an enjoyable book.

The Secrets of Happiness by Lucy Diamond

I listened to the audio book of this earlier this week and really enjoyed it. It was the right book at the right time when I was feeling very stressed out. It was great escapism.

Last Night Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel

I very much enjoyed this novel. Like Station Eleven it has a lot of layering, and gradual adding to the depth of the story, and I loved it.

This week I’ve blogged three times:

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Sunday: Weekly Wrap Up (5 Feb) post where I shared all of my blogging, reading and real life news from the previous week

Wednesday: WWW Wednesday post where I shared what I was currently reading, what I’d recently finished reading and what I was hoping to read next

Saturday: Stacking the Shelves post where I shared all the books I’d added to my bookcases in the last seven days

This is what I’m currently reading:

A Game For All the Family by Sophie Hannah

I’ve had this book on my TBR since it was published so it’s great to finally be reading it. It’s such an engrossing read, and it has a modern-day Agatha Christie feel with the way the mystery is being set out. I can’t wait to find out how it all turns out in the end!

Watch Me by Angela Clarke

I really enjoyed the previous book in this series so was looking forward to this one coming out. I finally got to start reading it yesterday and it’s very good. It’s so fast-paced and has me hooked!

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami

I bought this book on a whim last month as I loved the cover and the title. I’ve only read the first couple of chapters so far but I’m enjoying it and keen to see where it goes.

Days Without End by Sebastian Barry

This novel is beautifully written. I’m deliberately taking my time over this one as I want to savour everything about it.

And The Sun Shines Now: How Hillsborough and the Premier League Changed Britain by Adrian Tempany

This book is a fascinating exploration of football since the 80s and how the political landscape of the time has had such an impact on how football has changed.

The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla

This is a collection of essays and is such an important read. I’m reading it slowly so that I can give myself time to really think about each essay in turn.

The Age of Bowie by Paul Morley

I’m still reading this book and still very much enjoying it.

Update on my TBR…

TBR at the start of January 2017: 1885 (see my State of the TBR post)

TBR in last week’s Wrap-Up: 1904

Additions:

Books bought/received for review/gifts: 16 (I did buy couple of audio versions of books I already owned so my TBR only increased by 13. See the books I added this week in my WWW Wednesday post)

Subtractions:

Books read this week: 8

Books I’m currently reading: 7

TBR Books culled this week: 2

Total:

TBR now stands at: 1900

I’m linking this post up to Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer’s Sunday Blog Share. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

How has your week been? What have you been reading? Please share in the comments below. If you write a wrap-up on your blog please feel free to share the link. 🙂

Weekly Wrap-Up (12 Feb) This week has been a bit of a stressful one at times. Last weekend was horrible - both stressful and upsetting for me.

#Adrian Tempany #Amy Engel #Angela Clarke #B. A. Paris #Books #Chris Bohjalian #ebooks #Emily St. John Mandel #Hiromi Kawakami #Lucy Diamond #Nikesh Shukla #Patti Smith #Paul Morley #Richard Bachman #Sebastian Barry #Simon Griffin #Stephen King #Weekly Wrap Up

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rathertoofondofbooks · 8 years ago

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(Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews, which is all about sharing the books that you’ve acquired in the past week – ebooks or physical books, and books you’ve bought or borrowed or received an ARC of.)

It was my birthday last weekend and I received 21 new books as gifts! I wanted to do a book haul for those books separate to my Stacking the Shelves post but if you want to know what other books I got this week please check out my Birthday Book Haul post.

This week I’ve bought 2 new print books:

How to Suppress Women’s Writing by Joanna Russ

A friend recommended this to me many years ago when I was doing my English Lit degree but I never did get around to borrowing it from the library. I’ve had it on my wish list for ages but as it’s out of print it’s always really expensive for a second-hand copy. I got lucky this week when I spotted it being sold in very good condition for £3.00 plus postage. This is a book that won’t be on my TBR for very long as I’m really keen to read it!

The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith

This was another bargain I spotted this week. I got a second-hand hardback copy on Amazon Marketplace for £2.81 including the postage. I’ve had this on my wish list ever since I first heard about it so hope to read it soon.

I also got 6 new ebooks:

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The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla (ed.)

I’ve been wanting to read this since I heard about it around the time it was published last year. I noticed it was available on ebook for £2.99 this week so I snapped it up. I’ve already started reading and it’s very good. I’ve just been reading one essay at a time and then putting it down for a while as it’s a book that makes you think and I want to take my time with it.

The Unseeing by Anna Mazzola

I’ve had this book on my wish list since it came out but have kept putting off buying it for some unknown reason. Then this week I saw a brilliant review on a blog and I knew I had to get a copy. I plan on reading this in the next couple of weeks.

Flamingo Land: and Other Stories by Ellah Wakatama Allfrey

I’ve seen this book being hauled on a few YouTube channels recently and I’ve been intrigued by it. When I saw that it was available as an ebook I decided to take a chance on it. It’s a short story collection, and I really want to read more short stories this year, so I don’t think this will be on my TBR for very long!

Gut Symmetries by Jeanette Winterson

I spotted that this was available as part of Kindle Unlimited at the moment so I immediately downloaded it. I’m not sure that I’ll get to it in the immediate future but I do want to read it fairly soon.

Reader, I Married him by Tracy Chevalier (ed.)

This is another book that I’ve been aware of since it was first published but I couldn’t decide if I wanted to read it or not. Anyway, it’s currently in the kindle sale for £1.99 so I thought it was worth taking a chance on.

Watch Me by Angela Clarke

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Follow Me, when it came out so have been eagerly awaiting the second book. I think this might be next up to be added to my currently reading pile!

And 3 new audio books:

The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain

I love Rose Tremain’s novels, I’ve found all the ones I’ve read before to be so beautiful so I’ve been wanting to get this latest one. It was an Audible deal of the day one day this week so I immediately bought it and can’t wait to listen to it!

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

I’ve actually owned this book on ebook for ages now and while it’s one I feel sure I’ll love it just never seems to get to the top of my TBR. I spotted the audible book in a recent sale and the idea of listen to it really appealed so I bought it.

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

I’ve been aware of this book for ages but wasn’t sure if it was for me or not. I’ve heard so many good things about it though so decided to grab the audible book in the recent sale on their website. I think it’ll be a nice, easy listen and I’m looking forward to it.

Books I received for review:

The Trophy Child by Paula Daly

I love Paula Daly’s novels so was thrilled to be approved on NetGalley to read this new one by her. I’m really looking forward to it and am planning on reading it very soon.

So, that’s all of my new books from the past week. Have you bought any new books recently? Tell me all in the comments below, or if you have a stacking the shelves post on your blog feel free to post the link below too.

My weekly wrap up post will be on my blog tomorrow so please look out for that.

Stacking the Shelves (4 Feb) (Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews, which is all about sharing the books that you’ve acquired in the past week – ebooks or physical books, and books you’ve bought or borrowed or received an ARC of.)

#Allah Wakatama Allfrey #Amber Smith #Angela Clarke #Anna Mazzola #Audiobooks #Book Meme #Books #ebooks #Frances Hardinge #Helen Macdonald #Jeannette Winterson #Joanna Russ #Nikesh Shukla #Paula Daly #Rose Tremain #Stacking the Shelves #Tracy Chevalier

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lifebooksloves · 8 years ago

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After You by Stephanie Rose

Life, Books, & Loves Presents: After You by Stephanie Rose

Title: After You Author: Stephanie Rose Release Date: Feb 21, 2017 Add to TBR

After You is the final STANDALONE novel in the Second Chances series.

I had the happily ever after . . . until it was gone. Three became two. And I was alone. Our time—my time—was over. Alone was the right way to be. The only way. Life was me, my son, and my memories. Until the day I met someone who turned my lonely existence upside down. This man made me smile, made me laugh, made me ache for his touch. But I couldn’t. He shouldn’t awaken feelings I resolved to bury with my husband. But he did. I couldn’t let his presence make my heart race. I couldn’t let him into our little world, where he fit so perfectly. I couldn’t want Nick. But I did.

***

I rescued people. My family relied on me to lend a hand. Everyone thought of me as the fixer, but no one had the first clue how to fix me. Until Ellie. The freckled beauty’s sorrow was like a well-worn shirt—easy and familiar, difficult to part with—and she wore it comfortably. And though I was hers from the moment our eyes first met, she’d never be mine. I loved her in the here and now, but how did I compete with a ghost?

***

How can there ever be anyone After You?

“Friend of the bride or groom?” I jumped at the deep timbre of the voice beside me. I was so into my thoughts I didn’t hear anyone approach.

“Um, both, I guess. Paige is family and Evan is a close friend.” I lifted my head to the man towering over me. The light was at his back, blocking the features on his face.

“Mind if I sit?” He motioned to the empty space on the bench beside me.

I shook my head and shrugged. “No, go right ahead.” He settled next to me, and I felt even smaller than usual. His large frame dwarfed mine.

“Nick … I’m a college friend of Evan’s.” He extended his hand, and I raised my eyes to him as I took it. Even in the dim lighting, I could make out his warm but striking dark eyes. “Seeing him finally marry Paige was worth a trip from Florida for me.”

I chuckled and nodded. “Ellie. Everyone seemed to know but her.”

Nick let out an exaggerated sigh. “If I had a dollar for every time I said ‘Just tell her,’ I’d be rich.” He shook his head and laughed. “So, what is a beautiful woman like you doing out in the cold all by herself?” He raised an eyebrow, then held his gaze on me as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The light illuminated the strong planes of his jaw and full lips. Despite being in the throes of my personal pity party, I couldn’t help but like what I saw.

I exhaled and stared at the ground. “I needed a little air, I guess.” I stuffed my hands under my folded arms, but it didn’t make one ounce of difference. I was freezing my lonely ass off.

“You’re shivering. Know where it’s nice and warm?” Nick cocked his head.

“Where?” I squinted my eyes and shrugged.

“The bar inside. Have a drink with me?” He rose from the bench and extended his hand to me. I jerked away on instinct.

It was on the tip of my tongue to say, ‘No thank you, I’m married,’ but . . . I wasn’t, was I? And I’d spent enough time feeling sorry for myself tonight. My toes were frozen inside my high heels, and an alcoholic beverage with an attractive man who didn’t regard me with pity in his eyes sounded lovely.

“Sure.” I slipped my hand inside his and followed him inside. I craned my head around the mostly empty restaurant. Evan and Paige were long gone, starting their lives together. I hoped the rest of their lives were longer than the one I had with Jack.

I settled into a bar stool and dug into my purse. “I think the open bar ended when the bride and groom made a break for it.” Nick placed his hand over mine and shook his head.

“Put your money away. On me, whatever you’d like.” His mouth split into a wide grin as he settled next to me. He was good-looking enough outside under the soft lights. Inside and up close, he was gorgeous. He raked his hands through his short black hair before sliding into the stool next to mine. The dark suit he wore clung to his large muscular frame. Light brown eyes with longer lashes than any man had a right to fixed on me, and I was ashamed to admit I enjoyed it.

I pursed my lips and fought a smile. “Bailey’s on ice. Please.”

His smile grew even wider as he nodded. “You got it.” He called the bartender over to order our drinks as my eyes fell to my folded hands. My engagement ring twinkled at me, and I covered it with my other hand as I turned to face Nick.

“So, you said you lived in Florida?”

“Yes. Not too far from Tampa. I still have family in the Bronx; they live in Castle Hill. I took a long weekend to visit everyone.” Nick placed my drink in front of me, and I took a long sip from the thin black straw.

“Thank you. That’s nice. They must be happy about that.” I stirred the white liquid as my eyes darted from his. For some reason, it made me uncomfortable to hold his gaze for too long.

“They are. I try to visit as much as I can. My dad won’t admit it, but he hasn’t been feeling well lately, so I’ve been trying to visit more often. My grandmother will probably live to be a hundred.” Nick rolled his eyes and shook his head, making an unexpected laugh escape me.

“You only met Evan in college?”

“Yeah, two boys from the Bronx met in Philadelphia. He’s a great guy; I’m sure I don’t have to tell you.”

I nodded as a smile tugged at my lips. Evan was one of the best people I knew. “He sure is.”

We spent the next hour making small talk. Nick was charming and funny. It felt good to laugh and to not force a smile. My face ached from doing that for most of the night.

“So.” Nick put down his whiskey sour as his eyes bored into mine. “Were you . . . here with anyone tonight?”

I grimaced and looked away. “No. No, I’m wasn’t.”

Nick let out a long sigh. “I’m being too forward and making you uncomfortable, aren’t I?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I’m enjoying your company. I’m not uncomfortable, really.” I gave Nick a big smile, ignoring the pang of guilt at being unfaithful. Jack had been gone for almost a year; there was no one to be faithful to. My head was aware, but my heart vehemently disagreed.

Nick’s shoulders drooped with relief. “Good. You’re . . . really beautiful.”

“Thank you,” I whispered as I sipped my creamy drink. The heat coming from Nick’s stare was making me squirm a bit.

“Took me a while to work up the nerve to talk to you. I was sure you were with someone. How could you not be?” Nick’s voice dropped to a husky rasp as my eyes locked with his. I didn’t know what to do with the sudden flip-flop in my belly from Nick’s words and undivided attention. It was time to put the brakes on whatever this was turning out to be.

Stephanie Rose was born and raised in the Bronx, New York and still lives there with her superhero-obsessed husband and son.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business and a day job in marketing, but she always has a story in her head. Her books are full of swoon-worthy men and feisty heroines.

This lifelong New Yorker lives for Starbucks, book boyfriends, and 80s rock. Her voice is often mistaken for a Mob Wives trailer.

Books by Stephanie Rose: Always You: http://amzn.to/1j5N0X1 Only You: http://amzn.to/1SWdjM1 Finding Me: http://amzn.to/2jgcGRh Always Us: http://amzn.to/2iVftml

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This information was provided by Southern Belle Promotions and Stephanie Rose. This is NOT a compensated post.

The post After You by Stephanie Rose appeared first on Life Books & Loves.

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#IFTTT #Life Books & Loves After You by Stephanie Rose

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