This book centers on a group of thieves, who must work together. But each has their own motivations & secrets, & each plan to betray the others.

Minimal world-building. A magic system that‘s used more as a form of slavery & a way to rule this world than real magic. Multiple POVs & I couldn‘t connect to the characters.

I'm not sure I liked this one enough to pick up book 2 even though this one ended on a big ole cliffhanger.

Well, I culled over 100 books off my shelf (left photo) . . . but then there were all these holes on my shelves. 🤷🏼‍♀️ so I *had* to fill at least some of the holes (right photo). Right? 😆

#booknerdproblems

#two4tuesday

1. Fried chicken, fresh lemonade, watermelon

2. Any book. I love to read outdoors.

I was reading another book but this one kept interrupting. I had ignored this book b/c I didn‘t like The Girl the Sea Gave Back. But the red door kept calling. (Don‘t you hate it when books get fussy & demanding that you read them?) I finally put down the other book & picked this one up to shush it. I thought I‘d read a chapter then go back to my other book. That was a few hours ago. Now I‘ve finished & I‘m wondering what the heck happened. 👇🏻

It has a lot of positive reviews, but sadly, it‘s not for me.

If you‘re interested as to why, I explain why better in my GR review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4500324885

#hailthebail #offtheshelf

I wanted to finish this book, to find out what happened to Roman and Iris. And yet, I kept putting it down because I also didn't want to finish it as I knew, KNEW, my heart would be torn to shreds by the end.

And it was.

But I also have some mixed feelings about this book. While I enjoyed it, I didn't love it like I loved DR. DR will clearly be one of my favorite read of the year. This one will fall somewhere further down the list.

They‘re here! They‘re finally here!

The Arcane Society editions of Blood Heir and Iron & Magic by Ilona Andrews & they are simply stunning!

❤️🤩😍🖤

While I loved The Seven Year Slip, this one did not make the cut for me. Off my shelf and onto my PangoBooks shelf!

The story definitely has a Disney-esque fairytale feel to it. Clearly she‘s is a huge Disney fan—from the title to the animal friends, the curse, and all of the Disney easter eggs, like:

“But can you imagine? Me, dancing with that boorish, brainless. . ."

I skimmed most of it & never missed anything.

Book 7 for #wyrdandwonder

Happy Good Omens publish day anniversary! 🎉🥳

May your day be filled with ineffable joy 💜

“It is said that the first king of Aloriya was born with fire in his blood.”

#firstlinefriday

#5JoyFriday

1. Visited several indie bookstores in Denver including the tagged
2. Found Boulder is the home to Liberty Puzzles, family-owned wooden puzzle company & toured their factory!
3. Visited the Denver Botanical Gardens Chatfield Farms & met a little friend on the trail
4. Hiked Flatirons & had incredible views of Boulder & Denver
5. Had the entire row to myself on my flight from DEN to ORD
Bonus: having a blast with #wyrdandwonder

Several people have recommend Sanderson to me. I decided to give this one a go because (1) it's not over 500 pages & (2) it's a stand alone.

Honestly, I almost DNF'd it because I got bored & kept putting it down. I finally started skimming it just to see how it resolved. I realize I'm not the target demographic for this book, & maybe that's the issue. Overall, it was just okay, but it doesn't make me want to pick up any of his other books.

If you like literary-themed soy candles, please check out Frostbeard Studio. They are a small handmade business & are having a slow year. I have quite a few of their candles & can attest that they smell delicious.

http://referral.frostbeardstudio.com/DPd6u7gV

Plus, the blue hard cover is my new (used) copy of the tagged! It‘s an absolutely gorgeous edition!

Martha Wells is an incredible writer.

Book 5 for #wyrdandwonder24

Denver Littens 🎉 Here‘s my list of Denver Bookstores to visit. Did I miss any? Which ones do you recommend are a must visit?

What did I just read?! Because my heart has been ripped out & now I have to wait, WAIT, for the sequel.

I don't think I'm going to make it. Had I known, HAD I KNOWN, this was book 1 & there will be a book 2, I would have left this book ON MY SHELF until book 2 was released like exactly what I did with Strike the Zither by Joan He. Instead, I'm left with a gaping hole in my chest.

This is why I normally read reviews & check out the book. 👇🏻

#firstlinefridays

“Cold fog had settled over the depot like a burial shroud, and Iris Winnie thought the weather couldn‘t have been better.”

I also love that she uses the word “petrichor” in the first paragraph.

#5JoysFriday

1. I gave away over 10 puzzles to neighbors, took over 50 to the puzzle swap, & came home with only 3.
2. I can see the sun now when I walk to the metro at 6:15am.
3. I‘m off today & leave tomorrow for a mini vacay!
4. I‘m finally feeling more like myself again.
5. When planning a 45-years of federal service party, our SES popped in & said he wanted a pony. We got him a pink My Little Pony. He thought it was hilarious. #greatboss

The story is both sad & hopeful, full of the magic & wonder of nature. Yes, there is witch magic, but it's so interconnected with the world. I found that simply beautiful. Having lived in the PNW, I could feel myself in that old growth forest, which does have a magic, turning her fear & anxiety into hope & even joy. Although I knew how the story would end, I loved seeing how things played out.

Book 8 for #AwesomeApril
Book 3 for #wyrdandwonder

I took off the dust jacket to start reading it & look at this cover! So pretty!

This is next up on my #wyrdandwonder TBR!

There are threads of an idea but it was poorly executed. It seemed the author was trying to explore the concept of fate” but it came across as a cheap plot device. Combined with a lack of world-building, poor pacing, flat characters, and predictable plot with no real purpose, this was a disappointing read. I basically skimmed most of it just to finish it & get it off my shelf.

Book 7 for #AwesomeApril
Book 2 for #wyrdandwonder24

The entire story felt like a series of scenes with no overall plot or end goal. And the title bugs me. I get that it's the 3d book and there's a theme, and maybe I'm being pedantic, but Dante didn't get drunk—Cherry *drugged* him (which I‘m not even going to comment on). And I didn‘t like Cherry.

Overall, disappointing. It just felt like lazy story writing just to get a 3d book out.

Book 6 for #AwesomeApril
Book 1 for #wyrdandwonder24

#wondrouswednesday

1. It‘s not springtime without crazy up & down weather.

2. The tagged along with its companion, A Psalm for the Wild-Built

3. Going to Denver for a mini vacay this weekend & Wyrd & Wonder!
http://wanderinglynn.com/2024/05/01/wyrd-wonder-2024-let-the-games-begin/

I‘m a 90s grunge girl & have been listening to Garbage. This is one of my favorite albums & I was lucky enough to see them in concert when this album came out. Favorite fave track from this album is When I Grow Up & Stupid Girl from Garbage (1995). Love, love, love Shirley Manson.

For #tuesdaytunes, one of my fave Spotify playlists is Garbage Radio:

https://spotify.link/wQQ7KDMreJb

I saw this at the first 2 indies I went to on IBD but didn‘t get it at either because I intended to pick it up at the 6th & last store. But I didn‘t make it to that 6th store.

And I didn‘t realize then that this is the special edition only offered by indie bookstores on Independent Bookstore Day because IBD always falls around Pratchett‘s birthday (4/28).

Luckily my intended 6th store still had copies & I picked it up today! 🎉 Huzzah! 🥳

#two4tuesday

1. The tagged & the sequel, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy

2. All of them! 😆 I have 19 books on my Wyrd & Wonder TBR (it was 20 but I just read one)—we‘ll see how many I get to. Here‘s the list:
http://wanderinglynn.com/wyrd-wonder-2024-tbr/

Sometimes you read the right book at the right time. I devoured this delightful fantasy in one sitting. While I do think there could have been some things fleshed out more and better developed, I overall enjoyed this debut novel.

Book 5 for #AwesomeApril

#unpopularopinion

I preface this by acknowledging I am not the target audience. That being said, I really don't get the hype around this book. I got halfway & considered DNF'ing it. Instead, I read some other books before returning. I ended up skimming the last third of the book. Plot & pacing issues were what killed it for me.

Overall, not for me but it‘s off my shelf!

Book 4 #awesomeapril

It started off okay but quickly became disappointing. Uneven pacing & writing, poor character development & world building. I won't even go into the plot holes. Gigantic ones that make me wonder what the actual idea was supposed to be because it really came across as a bunch of fantasy scenarios and tropes thrown into a pot and stirred but none developed.

It‘s a duology, but it didn‘t interest me enough to pick up book 2.

Book 3 #AwesomeApril

Christine! Thank you for the goodies AND for keeping me on track. Without receiving your package, I‘d forget to mail Stacy! 🤦🏼‍♀️

Stacey, I‘m mailing yours tomorrow priority mail. 🙃

Ashley, I‘m looking forward to digging into your pick!

#travelingstars24

#sundayfunday

I have several books that I own more than one copy. But I think Good Omens is the most with 5 physical copies and 2 audiobooks (one full cast version & the original version read by Martin Jarvis). Plus, I have the DVDs of Good Omens season 1 along with the Script Book.

Part Adams, part Monty Python, & an all around ridiculously absurd fun space adventure.

Book 2 for #AwesomeApril

Book 1, or maybe book 0.5 since it‘s a novella, for #AwesomeApril

I absolutely adore monk & robot. I will definitely revisit these stories.

My #IndependentBookstoreDay book haul!

5 bookshops in 5.6 hrs, 7 books, & 11k+ steps = 1 fantastic day!

I‘ve posted links to all 5 bookstores on my blog, wanderinglynn.com

5th stop on my DC #IndependentBookstoreDay tour was Second Story Books in Dupont, which is DC‘s oldest used bookstore, founded in 1973.

Since this was bookshop no. 5 for me, I got a gift—a Second Story pin & notebook.

I‘m at 10k+ steps and it‘s only 1:30. That‘s 5 hours of glorious bookshop browsing.

There‘s 1 more bookshop I want to hit, but first a stop at home to eat & rest for a minute.

4th bookstore visited for my DC #IndependentBookstoreDay tour!

Solid State Books is a cute little bookshop in the Adam‘s Morgan district. I‘m more than halfway through my list of 6. I left my house at 8:30 this morning, it‘s currently 12:30, & I‘ve walked 4 miles already!

Next up is Second Street Books in Dupont!

Third stop on my DC‘s #IndependentBookstoreDay your was Loyalty Books in the Petworth neighborhood.

My first time at Loyalty—super cute bookshop with awesome booksellers!

Now back down the street to hit Solid State Books.

Second stop for #IndependentBookstoreDay was @eastcitybookshop also near Eastern Market.

East City is also celebrating their 8th anniversary 🎉

Now back to the metro to head to the northwest part of the city to visit Loyalty Books.

First stop on #IndependentBookstoreDay : Capitol Hill Books in Eastern Market.

I love used books. I could have spent the whole day here just browsing. But the day is short & I have a list of bookshops to get to! Next stop, just down the street, East City Bookshop!

#bookhaul

Independent Bookstore Day Checklist
Bookstore plan/list - ✅
Read to Live tote bag - ✅
An extra bag just in case (not shown) - ✅
Umbrella & rain coat (not shown) because the weather decided not to cooperate - ✅
Good walking shoes - ✅

Now just waiting for the metro so I can get started celebrating #IndependentBookstoreDay24 🎉

Absolutely loved this little book. I really want to start the next one, but I need to get to bed so I‘m ready for #IBD tomorrow!

“If you ask six different monks the question of which godly domain robot consciousness belongs to, you‘ll get seven different answers.”

#firstlinefridays

#5JoysFriday

1. Got my TBR for #wyrdandwonder24 that also doubles as my TBR for #awesomeapril readathon!
2. I‘ve written 6 new blog posts in the last week. 3 are live and 3 are scheduled for May for Wyrd & Wonder
3. I‘ve prepared for Independent Bookstore Day tomorrow!
4. I took a walk & saw these beautiful blooming trees.
5. I completed this gorgeous puzzle from Puzzles of Color.

#AwesomeApril readathon rolls into May, which is Wyrd & Wonder month!!! Perfect timing!

I have a huge fantasy TBR stack ready to go. And since IBD is Saturday, I‘ll probably end up with an even bigger stack. 😆

Everyone is welcome to celebrate the fantastical during Wyrd & Wonder month. More info on my blog:
http://wanderinglynn.com/2024/04/25/wyrd-wonder-2024-tbr/

Pre-gaming Independent Bookstore Day. This is the route if I try to hit all 19 participating DC bookstores. Letter A is where I live.

#IndependentBookstoreDay #indiebookstores

🎉 Libro.fm is doing their Golden Ticket giveaway this Saturday for Independent Bookstore Day! 🎉

Find golden ticket & get 12 feee audiobooks. The list of participating bookstores:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DlGzupjQbOnkYEtpO2v21DsrvYImC4xY

#two4tuesday

1. A country girl at heart currently living a very urban life.

2. 🤞🏻 I get the job to move out of urbanlandia to live in the burbs & at least rural-adjacent.

#motivationalmonday

1. Just trying to get through the work week to make it to Independent Bookstore Day! And then on Sunday, my library is hosting a puzzle swap 🧩
2. One day, I will adopt a new fur-baby.
3. Probably a bird, one of the raptors so I could soar in the sky.

Thanks for the tag @Eggs ❤️

#sundayfunday

I‘ve met Jimmy Carter, John Scalzi, T.J. Klune, Darynda Jones, David Lipsky, Joy Harlow, Shelby Van Pelt, Ed Yong, Todd Lockwood, & several more I‘m blanking on right now.

I‘d love to meet the wife-husband team Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Robin Hobb, & Martha Wells.

The great spring declutter/book purge continues. I‘ve pulled another 10 or so books off my shelves. And I listed quite a few on PangoBooks. Stop by & check it out (same user name):
https://pangobooks.com/bookstore/wanderinglynn