WWW Wednesday: 22 March 2023

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Hi hello and welcome to my first WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words. This is a really fun and easy weekly post where you answer the three W’s: what are you currently reading, what did you recently finish reading, and what do you think you’ll read next? Let’s get started!
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What are you currently reading?

I'm currently reading an ARC of On Twisting Tides by Val E. Lane and I'm loving it so far! From Tormented Tides was so good and was one of my favorite books I read in 2022, so getting the opportunity to read an ARC of the sequel is incredibly exciting. If you like Pirates of the Caribbean, this is absolutely the book for you. This series is full of lyrical writing that will hook you like a siren song and won't let go until you're emotional as can be and realizing you've finished the book.

What did you recently finish reading?

I finished That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming! I had such a fun time reading it and I really think if you're looking for a refreshing take on the fantasy and romance genres, pick this series up. It's more along the lines of fantasy rom-com and I know that might sound odd but it works so well! The world is fantastic, the characters are so loveable, and the writing isn't what you'd expect from a fantasy book. It's modern fantasy, if that makes sense? I love how different it is than other books that I've read in those genres. Also, I found out the author draws her own covers which is just amazing!

What do you think you'll read next?

Okay, I know that Belladonna by Adalyn Grace wasn't on my Spring TBR but this keeps popping up on TikTok and it has been on my regular TBR for a long time. Plus, it is a springy cover with all the flowers, right? Never mind the fact that they're possibly poisonous flowers. I'm just obsessed with the cover and apparently the sequel, Foxglove, comes out in August so this seems like a good time to read the first book just in case I really enjoy it and want to read the second book!
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And that does it for this WWW Wednesday! I'm such a fan of this weekly post because I'm already doing better with keeping up with my reading. This post really allows me to see how my reading "plans" change weekly because one week I could say I'm going to read one book, and then completely change it the next! How is your reading week going? What's something you're currently reading or planning on picking up soon? Were you introduced to any new books with this post? I'd love to know so please feel free to leave me a comment down below! Don't forget to visit Taking On a World of Words and see Sam's post for the week, and maybe check out some others awesome weekly posts from the comments!
Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in the next chapter!

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Spellbound Lies by Catherine Downen Blog Tour!

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Hi hello friends and welcome to the Spellbound Lies blog tour, hosted by the always wonderful Rockstar Book Tours! Today, I’ll be sharing my review for the book along with an exciting guest post from the author, Catherine Downen, as well as an awesome giveaway where you could win Catherine’s full ebook catalog as well as some beautiful physical art prints! So, be sure to stick around to the end of this post for all of the giveaway information because you definitely don’t want to miss out. Let’s get started!

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Title: Spellbound Lies

Author: Catherine Downen

Pages: 650

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: 11 October 2022

From Goodreads: "The prince has been in a constant battle with the beast lurking beneath his skin. Not a creature to be slayed, but a man crafted from the darkest evils. The two shift between the body they share, threatening to unleash a destruction that would change their realm forever.

When Jessamyn Elisdream sneaks into the palace in search of a lost family heirloom, she uncovers more than she bargained for. To keep Prince Nikolaus’s curse a secret, she is imprisoned in the palace until the witch’s spell can be broken.

Trapped inside the palace with the prince’s two changing forms, Jessamyn is caught in a war of good versus evil. The prince versus his beast. And a heart that betrays her."

Thank you so much to Catherine Downen and Rockstar Book Tours for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m pretty sure I first became aware of this book through TikTok which surprisingly, has not let me down with the recommendations I’ve decided to pick up because of videos on the app. Naturally, I was intrigued by the stunning cover and the fact that it was not only a Beauty and the Beast inspired book but also a Jekyll and Hyde inspired? Color me confused but also sign me up because I absolutely love Beauty and the Beast! So when I saw the opportunity to join the blog tour and actually read the book early, I jumped and crossed my fingers. At over 600 pages, Spellbound Lies is a stunning reimagining of two classic stories that merge together to create a fantastic tale that will leave you breathless and completely spellbound. Okay, I know that was cheesy but I couldn’t resist the opportunity!

We all read books for different reasons, right? Some to escape reality, others to maybe learn more about a certain topic. Fantasy books are always a safe pick when it comes to wanting to leave the real world behind for a bit and travel to a fantastic land where you can be the hero, if only for a few moments. When I was younger, I never really understood how important the ability to escape into a story was. Now, after dealing with a plethora of medical issues and a roller coaster of life in general, books are more important to me than ever. Spellbound Lies came into my life at the perfect time and I didn’t even realize how special it would become to me when I first picked it up. It has allowed me to be someone else for a while as I followed Jessamyn and the Prince’s story and for that, I’m so very grateful to the author. Life has been rough for us lately, but this book gave me a beautiful escape.

A 600+ page book may sound daunting, but Spellbound Lies made every single page count. I can’t even begin to describe how absolutely beautiful this book is! Catherine Downen has a way of weaving words together and genuinely capturing your attention. You’re brought into the story and begin to care about these characters and their world so fast, almost without realizing that it’s happened. The story influences of Beauty and the Beast and Jekyll and Hyde are definitely present, and it’s fun when you notice bits and pieces of each while you’re reading, but it’s also a unique book all on its own! I love how the author took those story influences and turned them into this magical book about love, family, friendship, and finding yourself. Honestly? I could easily read another 600 pages if it meant I got to stay in this world with these characters for a longer period of time!

I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t sure about Jessamyn at first. I couldn’t help but picture and continue to compare her to Belle (who is one of my favorite Disney Princesses of all time) who is this strong and independent character from the very beginning of the story. It’s clear with Jessamyn that she doesn’t know who she is or where she’s going in her life, outside of what she assumes she’ll be doing because of her family business. She’s not comfortable in her own skin and while she does absolutely have her moments of sass, she just feels…lost at the beginning. But oh my gosh the more I continued to read, the more I saw her grow as a character and I loved it so much. She went from lost about her identity to being this amazingly strong and wonderful character and it’s probably one of my favorite character growth arcs that I’ve ever read. I had my doubts but I was happily surprised and proven so very wrong! And I think that’s the sign of a wonderful writer that you can show so much growth and change in a character throughout your book and have your readers fall absolutely in love with a character they were previously unsure of. I can also say that Prince Nikolaus/ Nik was fantastic and also had a great character arc, but I was already on his team from the start because, well, you’ll understand when you read the book!

The writing in Spellbound Lies is probably some of the most descriptive and beautiful writing I’ve read in a long time. I enjoyed how well thought out the world was because it allowed me to really dive in and feel like I was roaming the castle halls with Jessamyn or causing mischief with Nik. I love big fantasy worlds with a lot of history, especially when I find it so easy to get lost within the world. And the descriptions of the treats that Jessamyn bakes are unreal, oh my gosh. I would love a recipe for some of those delicious sweets! I’m just so excited to have found a fantasy book with writing that’s easy to get lost in for hours.

If you’re looking for a nice long fantasy book to cozy up with this Fall season, this is the one you want to pick up! With beautiful writing, characters that you’ll fall in love with, and a world that you’ll want to dive into, Spellbound Lies is the ultimate cozy read you don’t want to miss!

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Guest post from the author, Catherine Downen!

Catherine has shared her top 5 favorite scenes and why they are her favorites, spoiler free of course! Included is some amazing artwork that can also be found within the pages of the book. It's absolutely stunning and now I want to have artwork in the book that I'm writing!

“Choices are in no particular order and are spoiler free! Some include music I listened to while writing or character art that’s been created of those scenes. I also included my favorite line from each of these scenes!”

1. When Jessamyn (our MC) meets the Beast, for obvious reasons. Who doesn’t love a good enemies meeting in an Enemies to Lovers book? This was one of the first scenes I wrote for Spellbound Lies (it takes place in Chapter 3), and I think it was a great sneak peek at all the fun scenes to come. It has a food fight, tension, and some of my favorite dialogue in the book between our two main characters.

“My name is Jessamyn Elisdream. Ring a bell, Prince?”

2. One of the final scenes where Jessamyn is challenged with breaking the curse. To avoid spoilers I won’t say the outcome, but this scene was one I spent the entire writing process looking forward to. I tend to write in chronological order, so the anticipation of getting to this moment was next level. I remember mapping it out when I outlined the book and being able to see it through Jessamyn’s eyes like a movie. An added bonus was being in a new setting with some new characters, that really kept the scene interesting. While drafting I had the song Glass Heart by Tommee Profitt on repeat to get into the Prince’s head during this moment. The line “Is this how it ends” seemed to fit the scene really well!

“You could lose everything.”

“I know.”

3. Jessamyn and Prince Nikolaus baking the desserts for the second courting ceremony would be another favorite! As the two are wrapping up, a flirtatious fight with flour and sugar breaks out and it’s the first time we see either of them carefree and happy. I loved how this scene (full of flirting and love and kindness) was written as a nod back to the food fight between the Beast and Jessamyn (full of anger and hatred and frustration). It was a nice nod to the Jekyll & Hyde aspects (the Good vs the Evil), and it also just gave the cutest dialogue!

“I’m doing the Courting Ceremony as a distraction for the people of Strize. The only girl I have any interest in is standing before me now.”

4. The Fire Festival. The whole event was a dream to write, and it gets me hooked each time I go back to read it. In a way, it’s their world's form of Fourth of July, celebrating the witches being exiled. Jessamyn, a baker’s daughter who came from practically nothing, gets to experience the event in all its glamor. There’s a lot that goes down in the scenes at the Fire Festival, but two moments stick out from the rest. The first is when Jessamyn compares the fireworks she and another character (remaining unnamed for spoilers) lights to a flare of distress, each of them searching for the other to help them. This moment was inspired by and written to Flares by The Script. The second is of course our first kiss in the book! It happens during the dance at the end of the night, which in my head, had a piano instrumental to Champagne Problems by Taylor Swift playing in the background.

“I will dance with you until the sun rises.”

5. The Broken Barrel! I loved writing Jessamyn’s first outing to the local Tavern in disguise, as she was VERY much not supposed to be there. Much of this book is spent with only four characters since Jessamyn is a prisoner in the castle. The Broken Barrel scenes were one of the few that introduced some new characters to the story, and I loved crafting each of them. Especially because I knew, at the time of writing, I was growing the cast of characters that will play a big role in the sequel! Of course, River by Bishop Briggs was viral on TikTok while I wrote this scene, so naturally, that made it on my book playlist.

“I don’t fight for her. I fight with her.”
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About the Author:

Catherine Downen is a Young Adult author in both fantasy and contemporary romance. She graduated from Bradley University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Currently, Catherine is working as an engineer in St. Louis while writing her books.

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/3/2022	Wanderingwitchreads	TikTok Review/IG Post
10/4/2022	Under the Book Cover	Review/IG Post
10/5/2022	Nagma \| TakeALookAtMyBookshelf	IG Review
10/6/2022	@jacleomik33	IG Review
10/7/2022	The Caffeinated Reader	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

10/10/2022	@bookishreviews_byalison	IG Review
10/11/2022	A Bookish Dream	Review/IG Post
10/12/2022	Book Reviews by Taylor	Review/IG Post
10/13/2022	Jael Just Reading	Review/IG Post
10/14/2022	Beers Books Boos	Review/IG Post

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And that’s it for my review of Spellbound Lies by Catherine Downen! I had such an amazing time with this book and I’m so grateful once again to Rockstar Book Tours for giving me the opportunity to discover a new favorite fantasy story. Don’t forget to pick it up when it releases on October 11th, 2022! Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you in the next chapter!

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Where Oceans Burn Trailer Reveal!

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Hi hello and welcome to the trailer reveal for Where Oceans Burn by Casey L. Bond. This awesome book trailer reveal is being hosted by the always lovely Lady Amber's Reviews, so be sure to go and show some love on her post! Are you ready to check out the exciting trailer for Where Oceans Burn? Let's get started!

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Title: Where Oceans Burn

Author: Casey L. Bond

Pages:

Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: 13 October 2022

From Goodreads: "With these three virtues, we shall rise. With these three, we shall conquer. Truth. Honor. Blood. To my people, the sky-reigning Empyreans, Intention Day is sacred.

Truth. To me, it’s the day my carefully crafted lie crumbles and my truth gives way to my ruin. The intense power surging through my veins is revealed, immediately coveted by those eager to exploit me for what they deem a greater good. If they have their way, the future I long for will be ripped away. But I am a warrior born to fly. To fight. Not to be caged and controlled. The great scale of the goddess Neera has tipped out of my favor. The pans teeter between weighty punishment and deadly opportunity. My choices? Capture my most formidable enemy before next Intention Day, or forfeit my wings.

Honor. But life’s loftiest plans are often a breath away from disaster, and tragedy strikes as unpredictably as a bolt of lightning. When I find myself at the mercy of my greatest enemy, the terror known as the Shark of the Sea, the monster who killed the person I loved most, I accept my fate. My death. But the Shark does not lash out in revenge for all I’ve done. He tells me his true name is Crest. And while he calls me a Scourge, he honors his orders to guard me.

Blood. Forced together, Crest reveals that the truth only exists in the place between our perspectives and shares his hope to garner peace before the land is further soaked with the blood of sky and sea. The longer I am among his kind, the more I wonder if he might be right. Could an alliance be the salvation of both our peoples?

I am Elira, great Scourge of the Sky. He is Crest, cunning Shark of the Sea. Together… we could be unstoppable.

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About the Author: Casey Bond lives in West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. She likes goats and yoga, but hasn't tried goat yoga because the family goat is so big he might break her back. Seriously, he's the size of a pony. Her favorite books are the ones that contain magical worlds and flawed characters she would want to hang out with. Most days of the week, she writes young adult fantasy books, letting her imaginary friends spill onto the blank page. Casey is the award-winning author of When Wishes Bleed, the Frenzy series, and fairy tale retellings such as Riches to Rags, Savage Beauty, Unlocked and Brutal Curse.

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And that does it for the trailer reveal for Where Oceans Burn! I am so excited for this book to come out in October, especially after watching that beautiful trailer. I hope you enjoyed watching and that you'll add it to your Fall TBR. Thank you again to Lady Amber's Reviews for allowing me to take part in this trailer reveal! Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in the next chapter!

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April Wrap-Up!

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Hi hello and welcome to my April wrap-up! I had a great reading month with some amazing poetry, some author redemption, and finding a new favorite author that I plan to get lost in. I will be including mini-reviews for all 11 books I read this month in case you're interested in my thoughts on each book. I'll also be linking to any review posts if you'd like to check out my more in-depth thoughts on a book. All books will have links to their Goodreads pages in case you want to add any of these books to your want-to-read lists. With that being said, let's get started!

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Title: I Am Not Your Final Girl

Author: Claire C. Holland

Pages: 91

Genre: Horror Poetry

Release Date: 28 February 2018

From Goodreads: "From Claire C. Holland, a timely collection of poetry that follows the final girl of slasher cinema - the girl who survives until the end - on a journey of retribution and reclamation. From the white picket fences of 1970s Haddonfield to the apocalyptic end of the world, Holland confronts the role of women in relation to subjects including feminism, violence, motherhood, sexuality, and assault in the world of Trump and the MeToo movement. Each poem centers on a fictional character from horror cinema, and explores the many ways in which women find empowerment through their own perceived monstrousness."

Mini-Review: It's hard to put into words exactly how much I loved this. I absolutely plan on doing a full review with quotes and feelings and everything possible so all I'm going to say right now is that I loved every single bit of this. It's heartbreaking and empowering and everything I wanted in a poetry book about final girls. Please pick this up if you haven't read it yet.

Title: Don't Go to Sleep

Author: Bryce Moore

Pages: 320

Genre: YA Thriller/Historical Fiction

Release Date: 02 August 2022

From Goodreads: "Gianna is the average seventeen-year-old girl living in 1918 New Orleans. She worries about her family's store, the great war, and a mysterious illness that's about to take hold of the city she loves. It doesn't help that there also appears to be a mad man on the loose in her neighborhood. The attacks started as burglaries but soon escalate to cold-blooded murder. There's a killer out there, and the police can't seem to figure out how to stop him. Gianna enlists the help of her friend Enzo to investigate. And as they study the crimes, they see a common link between the victims, and Gianna can't help but wonder if it's the same man who attacked her family years before. As Gianna gets closer to the killer, she discovers a connection between them that she never would have suspected."

Mini-Review: This book popped up on NetGalley right after I watched the Buzzfeed Unsolved Axeman episode so of course, I had to hop right on it! I love historical fiction so getting the opportunity to read a historical fiction mashed together with a thriller that included a real-life murder mystery case? Absolutely! Unfortunately, I feel like I set my expectations a bit too high and I was too excited for this if that makes sense. I really wanted something different than what happened and I think I just had a different idea of what this would be about. It did include actual family names from the real-life murders (the author included information at the end about the Axeman murders and the victims) which added to the realism of the story and I appreciated that aspect. I do want to add that the "mysterious illness" that happens throughout the story is eerily similar to the things that are happening in our current world so if content like that is triggering to you, please be aware of this topic. There was a lot of focus on the mystery that the main character is trying to solve and I just wasn't a huge fan of her (or really how she treated her friend, Enzo) as I was reading. The story was fairly easy to read and I did enjoy the historical bits of it, but it was overall a miss for me, sadly.

Title: Night of the Mannequins

Author: Stephen Graham Jones

Pages: 138

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 14 July 2020

From Goodreads: "Stephen Graham Jones returns with Night of the Mannequins, a contemporary horror story where a teen prank goes very wrong and all hell breaks loose: is there a supernatural cause, a psychopath on the loose, or both?"

Mini-Review: I picked this up wanting to dip my toes into Stephen Graham Jones before diving into one of his longer books, just to get a sense of what his writing was like. I think this one missed the mark for me because I just...didn't get it. I feel like I might be in the minority with my opinions on this, unfortunately, but I didn't enjoy this as much as I was hoping I would. I did like the kind of ambiguousness of the story and how you're left to wonder what really happened. The unknown of it all was a pretty cool aspect and it was something that I did enjoy! But I think I just didn't enjoy it enough if that makes sense? I will absolutely still be reading more of his books because I think I could really enjoy his longer works, but this one seemed to just be meh by the end.

Title: My Dearest Darkest

Author: Kayla Cottingham

Pages: 352

Genre: YA Horror/LGBT
Release Date: 29 March 2022

From Goodreads: "Finch Chamberlin is the newest transfer student to the ultra-competitive Ulalume Academy... but she's also not what she seems. Months before school started, Finch and her parents got into an accident that should have left her dead at the bottom of a river. But something monstrous, and ancient, and terrifying, wouldn't let her drown. Finch doesn't know why she woke up after her heart stopped, but since dying she's felt a constant pull from the school and the surrounding town of Rainwater, like something on the island is calling to her. Selena St. Clair sees right through Finch, and she knows something is seriously wrong with her. But despite Selena's suspicion, she feels drawn to Finch and has a sinking feeling that from now on the two will be inexplicably linked to one another. One night Finch, Selena, and her friends accidentally summon a carnivorous creature of immense power in the depths of the school. It promises to grant every desire the girls have kept locked away in their insecure hearts―beauty, power, adoration―in exchange for a price: human body parts. But as the cost of their wanting becomes more deadly, Finch and Selena must learn to work together to stop the horror they unleashed, before it consumes the entire island."

Mini-Review: Let me try and sell you on reading this in just a few phrases: eldritch-esque creature, semi enemies to besties to lovers (they weren't roommates but, you know, they were roommates), bloody body horror, spooky private academy. You can't not want to read this, right? I loved the spooky vibes, Finch was such a great character (watching her grow into her own and accept herself was just chefs kiss), and did I mention the heckin spooky vibes?! This was definitely the perfect spooky read!

Title: Baby Teeth

Author: Zoje Stage

Pages: 304

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Release Date: 17 July 2018

From Goodreads: "Meet Hanna. She’s the sweet-but-silent angel in the adoring eyes of her Daddy. He’s the only person who understands her, and all Hanna wants is to live happily ever after with him. But Mommy stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good.

Meet Suzette. She loves her daughter, really, but after years of expulsions and strained homeschooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette's husband remains blind to the failing family dynamics, Suzette starts to fear that there’s something seriously wrong and that maybe home isn’t the best place for their baby girl after all."

Mini-Review: Okay, a little bit of shame on Megan time. I got an ARC of this book years ago and never got around to reading it. Granted, I had a pretty good excuse of, you know, dealing with cancer, but still! Recently, my mom picked this book up and was raving about it to me which made me want to finally pick it up all these years later. It was so wild, holy crap! I loved the pacing and how things progressed as the story moved forward. I constantly felt a sense of dread not knowing what was going to happen next and it was great. I'm so happy I finally read this!

Title: I Am the Ghost in Your House

Author: Maria Romasco Moore

Pages: 432

Genre: YA Fantasy/LGBT

Release Date: 19 April 2022

From Goodreads: "Pie is the ghost in your house. She is not dead, she is invisible. The way she looks changes depending on what is behind her. A girl of glass. A girl who is a window. If she stands in front of floral wallpaper she is full of roses. For Pie’s entire life it’s been Pie and her mother. Just the two of them, traveling across America. They have slept in trains, in mattress stores, and on the bare ground. They have probably slept in your house. But Pie is lonely. And now, at seventeen, her mother’s given her a gift. The choice of the next city they will go to. And Pie knows exactly where she wants to go. Pittsburgh—where she fell in love with a girl who she plans to find once again. And this time she will reveal herself. Only how can anyone love an invisible girl?"

Mini-Review: I think this was kind of a middle-of-the-road read for me. I read it in 2 sittings, completely by accident to be honest. I did enjoy the story, and Pie as a character. It was heartbreaking at times following her because she wanted so badly to be seen but she had been raised to do the opposite. There were themes of loss, abuse, love, finding yourself, family relationships, and heartbreak that were really well written, in my opinion. I loved seeing Pie's growth throughout the story and who she became by the end. I had a different idea of what this story would be about but it didn't ruin anything for me once I started reading. Truthfully, I'm glad I was wrong about what this story was about! I loved the way it ended up unfolding so much more than I initially thought it would. I'm still shocked I read this in 2 sittings but once I started, I really didn't want to stop! It was haunting; not in a spooky way but in a way that sits in your heart and just reminds you that it's there every so often. This may not be my favorite read of all time but it's certainly one that I cannot stop thinking about and smiling when I remember my time with Pie.

Title: Come Closer

Author: Sara Gran

Pages: 196

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 01 July 2003

From Goodreads: "A recurrent, unidentifiable noise in her apartment. A memo to her boss that's replaced by obscene insults. Amanda—a successful architect in a happy marriage—finds her life going off kilter by degrees. She starts smoking again, and one night for no reason, without even the knowledge that she's doing it, she burns her husband with a cigarette. At night she dreams of a beautiful woman with pointed teeth on the shore of a blood-red sea. The new voice in Amanda's head, the one that tells her to steal things and talk to strange men in bars, is strange and frightening, and Amanda struggles to wrest back control of her life. Is she possessed by a demon, or is she simply insane?"

Mini-Review: Apparently this is the month of novellas with psychological horror undertones! The more I think back on this one, the more I enjoyed it. And I think that also has something to do with the fact that I convinced my mom to read this one, so I got to discuss it with her after she finished reading it. I really liked that this kept me wondering the entire time I was reading. Was Amanda really possessed, or is she losing her mind? It genuinely kept me guessing and thinking about the things that she was doing and wondering if it was a demon taking over her body slowly or if it was just the way that she was deep down and she was just slowly becoming her "true" self. There was such a good story packed into less than 200 pages and it's something that I'm still thinking about long after I finished reading!

Title: We Need to Do Something

Author: Max Booth III

Pages: 188

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 08 May 2020

From Goodreads: "A family on the verge of self-destruction finds themselves isolated in their bathroom during a tornado warning."

Mini-Review: Oh look, another psychological horror novella! This one was awesome, plain and simple. The concept is really as short and sweet as the description: a self-destructing family is trapped inside their bathroom during a tornado warning. I wasn't sure what exactly I was expecting but holy crap it wasn't this. I loved this frickin book. It starts off relatively chill but quickly escalates into something that I wasn't expecting. I still don't really know what happened and I love that it's kept me guessing! This is one that I'll absolutely be going back and reading again because it has the perfect creepy vibe that I always love reading. I don't want to give too much away and I know it's cliche but you really do have to read it to understand. If you're looking for a quick creepy read, this one is perfect!

Title: Spades
Author: Charlie Nottingham
Pages:
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: 03 May 2022

From Author's Website: Brooke is a retired supernatural hunter - now a peace-loving librarian, ignoring her paranormal roots. Declan is the owner of Spades - a biker bar known for its otherworldly clientele. When Brooke gets roped into one last case, she ends up at Spades. But the job goes out the window after a couple drinks with Declan. One day later, Brooke can feel Declan's pain, and he can hear her thoughts... without trying. Somehow, Brooke and Declan are now bound on a sensual, almost spiritual level. But it was only supposed to be a one-night stand. Are they bound together forever?

Mini-Review: I really enjoyed this, oh my gosh. The writing and the world felt effortless to fall into, I found myself very intrigued by the two main characters Brooke and Declan, and I finished this book wanting to know more! You know how some stories that are set in previously established worlds can sometimes feel like…confusing? With Spades, while I do think there is a larger world that the author has created and that exists in other books outside of this one, I never felt lost or like I was “missing” anything. If anything, it made me want to read more and discover the larger picture of the world! Absolutely enjoyed my time with this story and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Title: Raven's Cry

Author: Charlie Nottingham

Pages: 286

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: 04 April 2022

From Amazon: Rain's lost everything in the last decade. Her grandmother, her brother, and her family home might be next. All she has is Graham - a powerful Fae who illegally escaped the Fae Realm and has been her best friend ever since. Until Ezra - the sexiest Vampire she's ever seen - commissions her for one hell of a job. Cleansing dozens of vengeful spirits from an abandoned mansion for a life-changing amount of money. All Rain wants is to focus on her budding relationship with Ezra, but the ghosts in the mansion have awoken the ones Rain has spent a decade trying to keep locked up. But Rain isn't the only one with secrets. Ezra has a few of his own."

Mini-Review: No shame but almost as soon as I finished Spades, I picked up Raven's Cry. I was hooked on Charlie Nottingham's writing and I immediately needed more! Raven's Cry was already on my Kindle (bless KU) so I just started reading it and I am so happy I did. I'm obsessed with the world that Charlie has created and her writing is just so easy to get lost it. This is also one of my favorite introductions to polyamory I've ever read! I'm so ready for the sequel but until that is out, I'll be binging her entire backlist!

Title: The Last Final Girl

Author: Stephen Graham Jones

Pages: 216

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 22 September 2012

From Goodreads: "Aerial View: A suburban town in Texas. Everyone's got an automatic garage door opener. All the kids jump off a perilous cliff into a shallow river as a rite of passage. The sheriff is a local celebrity. You know this town. You're from this town. Zoom In: Homecoming princess, Lindsay. She's just barely escaped death at the hands of a brutal, sadistic murderer in a Michael Jackson mask. Up on the cliff, she was rescued by a horse and bravely defeated the killer, alone, bra-less. Her story is already a legend. She's this town's heroic final girl, their virgin angel. Monster Vision: Halloween masks floating down that same river the kids jump into. But just as one slaughter is not enough for Billie Jean, our masked killer, one victory is not enough for Lindsay. Her high school is full of final girls, and she's not the only one who knows the rules of the game. When Lindsay chooses a host of virgins, misfits, and former final girls to replace the slaughtered members of her original homecoming court, it's not just a fight for survival-it's a fight to become The Last Final Girl."

Mini-Review: This. I knew this book would not disappoint me and it didn't! I was so iffy on SGJ after reading Night of the Mannequins and not vibing with it, but I am so glad I picked this up because I just had a feeling I would love it and I absolutely did. I saw a lot of reviews that weren't fans of it for one reason or another, but a lot of the reasons seemed to be the writing style or the format of the book. It reads like a frickin cheesy horror slasher and that's what made me love it so much! I could really picture it in my head like a movie unfolding as I was reading. It was funny and bloody and just what I needed to end off my reading month on a good note!

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And that does it for my April wrap-up! I can't believe I actually read 11 books this month, that feels insane to me. I think my favorite book that I read in April would have to be Raven's Cry. Charlie Nottingham is a new favorite author for me and I was just obsessed with this book! I also loved I Am Not Your Final Girl and I am absolutely planning on getting a physical copy of this one. I'd love to know what your favorite book that you read in April was and a book that you're excited to pick up in May! Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in the next chapter!