Birthstone Covers – December

This meme was created by Leslie at Books Are The New Black

Rules

  • Mention the creator (me- Leslie @ Books Are The New Black ) and link back to me so I can see your post!
  • Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone.
  • HAVE FUN!
  • Nominate people if you want!

I went more for the Tanzanite color for this month and here are my picks!

  • The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden – I am currently reading this one.
  • There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh – I still have this mystery on my TBR from November, hopefully I can get to it in the next couple of weeks.
  • Witches Get Stuff Done by Molly Harper – I started this romance back in October but never picked it back up, maybe someday I will.
  • Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman – I love this authors writing so much and can’t wait for this one next year!
  • The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose – This is sequel to The Maid which I really enjoyed last year, hoping again to get this one soon.

WWW Wednesday – 12/20

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived by Sam on Taking on a World of Words. All you have to do is answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

What are you currently reading?

  • The Lilly of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews – Loving this and will finish today.
  • Love Me Do by Lindsey Kelk – My current audio
  • Zero Days by Ruth Ware -I put this one down to read some historical romances but hope to pick it back up this week.

What did you recently finish reading?

  • The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore – 4 Stars
  • Charlie and The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl – 4 Stars

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • Two of these are January ARC’s that I have and would like to get a jump start on reading and the third is one I have on audio that I would like to get too.

What are you currently reading? Let me know in the comments below!

November Reading Stats

Here is a short but sweet November Stats! Hope you are having a wonderful December!!

What was your favorite book this month?

Books I read in November

  • Total Books – 5
  • E-Books -4 Books
  • Physical – 1 Books
  • ARC’s – 4 Books
  • Pages Read – 1,912

Genres

  • Contemporary Romance – 1 Book
  • Paranormal Romance – 1 Book
  • Fantasy – 3 Books

( I am only putting each book in what I think is the most prominent category )

Year Book Was Published

  • 2023 – 4 Books
  • 2024 – 1 Book

Star Ratings

  • 3 Stars – 1 Book
  • 3.5 Stars – 1 Book
  • 4 Stars – 2 Books
  • 4.5 Stars – 1 Book

3 Stars

3.5 Stars

4 Stars

4.5 Stars

ReCap on my Challenges

  • For Kayla’s Buzzword – 12/12
  • Goodreads Goal – 94/100 = 94%
  • Backlist Books – 7/30 = 23%
  • Non-Fiction Books – 1/5 = 20%

Until Next Time, Happy Reading!

WWW Wednesday – 12/13

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived by Sam on Taking on a World of Words. All you have to do is answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

What are you currently reading?

  • The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore – My at night kindle read, not far into it.
  • Zero Days by Ruth Ware – This was going to be my audio but I think I am going to switch to my book.
  • Wanderlust by Elle Everhart – Currently listening to this one, again not very far as I just started all of these yesterday.

What did you recently finish reading?

  • Throne Of The Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco – 4 Stars
  • Rouge by Mona Awad – 3 Stars
  • Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura – 3 Stars
  • The Honeymoon Crashers by Christina Lauren – 4 Stars

What do you think you’ll read next?

  • These are a few January ARC’s that I have and would like to get a jump start on reading.

What are you currently reading? Let me know in the comments below!

Blog Tour: Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

Thank you Berkley for letting me apart of the blog tour for Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura. I am currently in the middle of this one and I am really enjoying it! I have been a sucker for anything archeological since elementary school when I got to participate in a fake dig behind my school. Even though I knew it wasn’t in the cards I always loved the idea of being an archeologist and getting to discover ancient secrets that have been buried for hundreds of years, I even minored in Anthropology because that was as close to it as I could get at my school. This early discovery plus movies like Jurassic Park and The Mummy just cemented my life long love of these types of stories. So far this book is giving me rivals with moments of pining and I am loving it. Things are starting to come together now and I am anticipating some jungle high jinks as well as action and adventure! If you are a fan of Indiana Jones, The Mummy or even the new movie with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum then I would highly recommend giving this one a try. Raiders of the Lost Heart comes out today so be sure to go and pick it up!

About the Book

Archaeologist Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía has a bone to pick. Literally.  

It’s been Corrie’s life goal to lead an expedition deep into the Mexican jungle in search of the long-lost remains of her ancestor, Chimalli, an ancient warrior of the Aztec empire. But when she is invited to join an all-expenses-paid dig to do just that, Corrie is sure it’s too good to be true…and she’s right.

As the world-renowned expert on Chimalli, Corrie should be leading the expedition, not sharing the glory with her disgustingly handsome nemesis. But Dr. Ford Matthews has been finding new ways to best her since they were in grad school. Ford certainly isn’t thrilled either—with everything going on in his life right now, the last thing he needs is a reminder of their rocky past.

But as the dig begins, it becomes clear they’ll need to work together after learning that a thief is lurking around their campsite. Now they are forced to keep their discoveries—and lingering attraction—under wraps. With money-hungry artifact smugglers, the Mexican authorities, and the lies between them closing in, there’s only one way this all ends—explosively.

December New Release

Only When Its Us by Chloe Liese – 12/5 This is a traditional print run of the independent series The Bergman Brothers. All of them will slowly be re-released and this is book 1.

Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura – 12/5 Contemporary Romance, this was a total cover and title pick!

Gentlemans Gambit by Evie Dunmore – 12/5 Historical romance, I love this series and am excited to read this one!

Engagement Party Darby Kane – 12/5 I always enjoy this author’s mystery/thrillers.

Always Only You by Chloe Liese – 12/12 Book 2 in The Bergman series and probably my favorite!

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross – 12/26 Sequel to Divine Rivals and I can not wait!!!!!

December (Maybe) TBR

Hi Friends! Here is my short TBR for December. I only read 5 books in November, I am hoping to have a better month in December but with working retail this time of year who knows!

December ARC’s I still need to read

  • The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore – Out 12/5
  • Raiders of the Lost Hear by Jo Segura – Out 12/5

Other Books I would like to get too if I have time

For Kayla’s Buzzword – Magic words

I am trying to get caught up before the end of the year and I am only 1 prompt behind. So with that one and November’s here is what I am looking at.

  • Flavors/seasonings/herbs for May – Sugar Plum Spies by Jennifer Estep
  • Good is the word for November – Good Taste by Caroline Scott
  • Sound Related Words – No idea what I will read for this prompt!

Again these are all books that I would like to read soon but I know I probably won’t get to most of these. What are you reading this month? Are you participating in any fun reading challenges?

Reading Round Up: November 1-15

Hello Friends! I can’t believe I am actually posting a round up for a month we are still in!!!! I am trying to get better about writing my reviews quicker because the longer I wait the less I remember. Hope everyone is having a great month so far!!

Born to Be Badger by Shelly Laurenston – 4.5 Stars If you have been around for awhile than you probably already know that I love this series!!! The books are completely bonkers but I am here for every single one!!!!! This is book 5 in a series that was a continuation of the Pride series where we are following the Honey Badgers! We met Tock and Shay back in book 3 but now we get to see how they come together! Tock’s grandmother is trying to recruit her and ends up on a mission with Shay the Tiger as her back up. This book is full of laugh out loud moments and I love the world that Shelly has built for us. Each book has it’s own story but also plays into the overall plot that continues with each new release. I can’t wait to find out who we follow in the next book! These are paranormal shifter romances that are also full of suspense. I can not recommend this series enough! Thank you Kensington books for my gifted copy for review!

Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon – 4 Stars I went into this one not really knowing much other than it was a pretty book with a great map on the inside but I really enjoyed it! This is an enemies to maybe more fantasy with a little romance on the side. We are following Talasyn who has light magic as she battles Price Alaric who wields shadow magic. They are on opposite sides of the war but are soon brought together and will have to work together if they both want to survive. I really enjoyed the writing, world building and character development of this story. I was pretty much hooked from the beginning and can’t wait for the next book in the series! Thank you Harper Voyager for my gifted copy for review.

Only and Forever by Chloe Liese – 3 Stars So I have been a fan of the Bergman Brothers since book one and have loved almost every single one. This one is the last in the series and we are following loveable Viggo as he struggles with a new business, depression and loneliness. I was so sad that this one didn’t work for me, I really struggled with the female main character Tallulah, she drove me nuts! I really did not like her and wanted to skip all the chapters from her point of view. I do like that we kind of get to see the family at the end and where they are all at but I am really going to miss getting stories about this fun family. I will probably need to do a re-read when all the new covers start coming out next month. Thank you Berkley and Edelweiss for mu gifted copy for review.

End Of Year Book Tag

Hi friends! I thought today would be a good day to do The End Of Year Book Tag. This Tag was created by @Ariel Bissett over on youtube and her video can be found here: https://youtu.be/UddPv6ROQXk

Tag Questions:

1. Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish? Only One Left by Riley Sager, I barely started this one but would really like to finish it by the end of the year.

2. Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year? No, Im such a mood reader that I just pick up what ever sounds good. I also don’t really enjoy holiday themed books so I don’t tend to pick those up unless they are buddy reads.

3. Is there a new release you’re still waiting for? Yes!!! Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

4. What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

5. Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year? Maybe Ruthless Vows

6. Have you already started making reading plans for 2024? Yes, I have started to think about what my goals will be and also starting my overall theme and outline for my 2024 bullet journal.

Thanksgiving Book Tag

I wanted to do a tag for Thanksgiving and I did this one last year so I thought I would do it again. I hope everyone who celebrates this holiday has a great one and if not I hope you have a wonderful Thursday!

The Rules

  1. Thank the person who nominated you
  2. Give credit to the author (Annasbooknook)
  3. Answer the prompts
  4. Tag others if you desire!

FRIENDS AND FAMILY
A Book With Characters That Feel Like Family

The Bergman family is up there with the Winston’s as one that I would love to meet if they were real. They are filled with so much love!

FALLEN LEAVES
A Book That Fell Flat (Didn’t Meet Your Expectations)

This one was just missing something for me, felt very blah.

THANKSGIVING DINNER
A Book You Want To Read Every Year During This Season

I don’t really do this, I like to read seasonally but there is not one book that I always pick up. I do like to pick up fantasy though during this time of the year and Throne of the Fallen is my next fantasy read.

TURKEY

A Book With A Bird In It

So many pretty birds!

HAM
A Book That Made Your Eyes Glaze Over (Boring)

So boring!! Thats is it nothing else to add.

DINNER ROLLS
A Book That Melted Your Heart And Made You Feel Warm

This book gave me all the warm fuzzies and I loved it so much!

MASHED POTATOES
A Book With A White Cover

GRAVY
A Book You’re Not Totally Sure Why You Love, But You Do

I am not usually a fan of books centered around weddings or wedding planners or second chance romances but this one really worked for me!

PUMPKIN PIE
A Dessert Book That You Love

I chose this book for this prompt because I really enjoyed it and think more people should read it! This book is pretty bonkers and is definitely a guilty pleasure read but it is so much fun!!!