The plot was heavy on the character study and light on the murder mystery, which made it overall pretty boring. I wasn‘t a fan of the romances, especially when they, like the twist ending, come out of nowhere and don‘t make a whole lot of sense. A disappointing sequel to a great first book, despite the character cameos from Nate, Addy, Cooper, and Bronwyn.

Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/one-of-us-is-next.

I really enjoyed this book, even though it was slow in some parts and there was a romance plot I thought was unnecessary. Now, if Rowan is taking requests, go get the High Blade, please and thank you. :)

Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/scythe.

#favorites #scifi #dystopia

I would like to note my plants name is DRACARYS, not Draco. Anyway, the book was overall very boring, mostly due to the fact that Sheherd was trying to do way to much with the plot. It just seemed like she didn‘t care after the first part with Anouk at the Cottage. Everything else read like an afterthought.

Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/midnight-beauties.

#LGBT #romance #magic

Tried for six, but 5 books in a month isn‘t bad. I‘m almost halfway to my reading goal of 50 for the year (!!!) and a month ahead of schedule.

#bookgoal #april #aprilwrapup

Anouk is a very constant character, but the fact that she‘s 17 with three love interests in this book (and one that proposes TWICE) bothers me a little. I think the ‘bury your gays‘ trope is tired, and also fake in this sense so - why? Petra was the first trans representation I‘d ever seen in a ‘mainstream‘ book, and I love her to bits.

Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/grim-lovelies.

#fantasy #ya #21of50

None of the characters are likable. I want to hit Lynnette with her truck. Hendrix‘s take on the bury your gays trope is infuriating, especially since this was written in 2021. I didn‘t like Riley Sager‘s The Final Girls, but I will say his book was MUCH better than this one. Hendrix needs to stop writing women.

Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/the-final-girl-support-group.

#gross #nothanks

I was expecting a lot more, and I feel like the story would‘ve benefitted from a slower pace and maybe another book for the second half. There was just a lot all the time, and it smothered what was good. I liked it, but not as much as other people I‘ve seen review the book. It was a good debut, but it could‘ve been better.

Read my full review here: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/the-wolf-and-the-woodsman.

Ronan and Hennessy‘s self-destructiveness goes on tour, coming to a dam near you! I really appreciate Carmen and Liliana‘s relationship growth. Jordan and Declan taught me about art and I‘m not mad at it. Matthew needs a therapist and Bryde needs to take a long drive off a short cliff. Excited and anxious about Greywaren in Oct.

Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/mister-impossible.

#fantasy #YA #LGBT

Ronan and company are back and better than ever, and the case, the writing, and the stakes are *chef‘s kiss*. Stiefvater is one of my all-time favorite authors, and with the last book in this trilogy coming out in October, I figured it was high time to read it.

Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/call-down-the-hawk.

#fantasy #LGBT #favorites

Minya gets a story, but so do other characters that were entirely unneeded. For an almost 600 page book, it was pretty boring. I was hoping for a lot more. 😕

Read my full review here: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/muse-of-nightmares.

#disappointed #fantasy #YA

To be honest, I found this horror book to be very underwhelming. There was too much about the ex and not enough Annie coming into her own. Sophie was a neat character, and I liked the town of Rowan and its people, but I just feel like there should‘ve been more. :/

Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/cackle.

#horror #witches

10 books in Feb? Who is she?? I will admit I started Kindred and Man from the Train before Feb, but the point is I finished them in Feb, so. Sue me.

LOOK AT THAT COVER, HOLY SH*T.

Anyway, I really, really didn‘t want to put this book down, but also I picked it up during a super heavy homework weekend (whoops). Andrew gets propped up by an amazing cast of side characters in this book, BUT THE VIBES? Immaculate. Beautiful prose, a good ghost story, but a lot - A LOT - of cars.

Full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/summer-sons

Cozzy is tired of me propping books on him, lol. Anyway, i read this one in one sitting, and it was very good. The language was pretty, the characters were lovable, and I loved the representation. I wish this kind of representation was the norm, and not something that would be praised bc it‘s so rare, especially from white authors. It‘s not hard to do better.

Read my full review here: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/one-last-stop

I first read this book when I was in high school, and I HATED it then. It was after I‘d read Six of Crows, and I went in expecting that and came away with half-assed love triangle romances and some semblance of a plot. Now, as an adult, I reread it and its still not great, but my hatred isn‘t as vehement.

Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/shadow-and-bone

#fantasy #reread #YA

This book was really just meh. It seemed to be a lot of buildup for little reward, which was a bit disappointing. I loved the author‘s voice, and the character interactions, and I hope Sterling writes more for Grave‘s Glen.

Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/the-ex-hex

#romance #witches

This book was so much fun I immediately recommended it to three people. I didn‘t realize how much I missed the vignette style until I started this book, and it fits so well. The perfect palette cleanser after the others I‘ve finished today!

Read my full review here: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/my-sister-the-serial-killer.

#thriller #comedy

First 5 star read of the year! Complex characters, time travel, a reliable and strong narrator: what more could you ask for? I regret that I had to put it down for classes, and only just picked it up again.

You can read my full review here: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/kindred

#scifi #historicalfiction #cat #catsoflitsy

I have major problems with this book that outweighs the minor things I liked about it, which was really disappointing. I wanted to like it, but after a time it just became something I had to finish reading through to move on to something better. Another swing and a miss recommendation from MFM.

Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/the-man-from-the-train (SPOILERS)

#mfmrec #disappointed #truecrime

I read most of this series back in middle school, but when I found it for $3 online I knew I had to reread it. The nostalgia is there, but as an adult looking back, I‘m able to recognize that they aren‘t as good as I remember them being.

If you‘d like to read my reviews of each individual story, I have them posted on my blog (!!!): rainyreader.com. Very proud of how it‘s turned out, and excited to finally get it up and running!

#reread

Thank you Misty and Leigh!! I can‘t wait to dive into the book, and I think I‘ll make the tea tomorrow before class.

And thanks to everyone that sent me birthday cards! I really appreciate it! ❤️❤️

#litsylove #birthday

BOTM came in! Didn‘t realize this book comes out next week, so my personal library app had some trouble adding it haha. So excited to read it tho! #botm #bookofthemonth

For the final week, I earned 1153.8 points for team #mistletoemaniacs!! This has been such a fun #wintergames, and I can‘t wait for next year already!!

My cat decided to walk in front of me taking the pic, so.

This “virtual” tour of haunted places in Shockoe Bottom was very informative! I‘ve been to the Irish restaurant, and a friend once had a birthday party at that laser tag place. Now I live nearby Jefferson Park, and will absolutely be not wandering that a way after dark since I‘d rather not hear the screams of the buried. Anyway, 4.25/5, fascinating read.

I liked the first one a lot more. There were just too many plot holes, too much of Emilia jumping to conclusions, and too many times getting lost because something was edited out that shouldn‘t have been. I hope the next one is better about that. The author also promised spice and stars above did she deliver. Wouldn‘t have minded that pared down a bit for essential stuff that was lost, but c‘est la vie. 3.5/5

#wintergames #mistletoemaniacs

Hated it. There was way too much talk about food and lying and how tall Adam was and not enough plot or character development. Everybody was bland, there was no story besides “Olive lies, fake dates Adam, and no one can communicate”. I only read it bc my sister asked me to annotate it, since she also hated it. Also it‘s Reylo fanfic, and I‘m not here for it.

#wintergames #mistletoemaniacs

#Wintergames week 4! We‘re in the home stretch now, #mistletoemaniacs! +2065.3 points

This book hurt me, and I‘d like to thank it for that. Not many things I read this year were 5 star reads, but I‘d consider this book as one. It‘s a tragedy, but I was allowed to forget that in the brief happiness Frances has, even surrounded by the horror she‘d endured. And the prose is beautiful. 10/10

#wintergames #mistletoemaniaca

+30pts, and get ready for a #selfiescavengerhunt dump tomorrow (along with our tree AND our sweaters!)

#christmasornamenthunt #wintergames #misteltoemaniacs

AND a book cart in my favorite color? I think this one‘s a keeper, haha.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! And Happy New Book Day to those that don‘t!

Thank you so much @Endowarrior21 !! I can‘t wait to dive into the books, I LOVE the sticker, and the ornaments are already on my tree!! Special thanks to @teebe for organizing this swap 🖤🖤

#creepychristmasswap #ccs

I got a bingo on #AVeryMerryBingo board!

#mistletoemaniacs #wintergames

#guessthebook21 #guessthebook2021 #wintergames #mistletoemaniacs

Oooh hoo hoo, I‘ve needed a palette cleanser after what I‘ve been reading recently and stars above, I *devoured* this one. I‘m a sucker for anything witchy, and throw in some demons, a curse, and a murder mystery - 4.5 stars. DELICIOUS. Also, it made me miss Italy so much. 😥

#wintergame #mistletoemaniacs

#guessthebook21 #mistletoemaniacs #wintergames

Despite my finals, I managed to beat last weeks personal points total AND finish my first semester of grad school! +8642.1 pts for #mistletoemaniacs!

#wintergames

I have been to Alaska. I love it up there. My boyfriend and I plan to move there eventually. This book didn‘t do it justice, and I didn‘t even have a good time reading it. The characters were annoying, and while I‘m all for a cheesy romance, both of the stories were very creepy and I absolutely would‘ve pepper sprayed at least one person in both towns. And also pressed charges.

#wintergames #mistletoemaniacs

Thank you so much @BookwormAHN !! I‘m so excited to jump into these books, and I was just telling my boyfriend that it was time to cleanse the apartment again, haha! I love the ornament; it smells soooooo good! And I‘m gonna go brew a cup of coffee right after I post this.

Special thanks to @Chrissyreadit and @sprainedbrain for organizing this swap. It‘s one I always look forward to!

#wintersolsticeswap #wss

And my #creepychristmas package came in at the same time as my #creepmas mugs came in! BlueGillCeramics on TikTok/Insta/Etsy is doing another creepy christmas drop soon, so be sure to check them out! Thank you @Endowarrior21 I‘m so excited to open it!

I looooved this movie. Also, it takes place around and during Christmas, so like Die Hard, I‘m gonna count this one as a Christmas movie. Even my boyfriend liked it, despite finding Far From Home incredibly boring. 10/10, I can‘t wait to watch it again when it‘s on Disney+.

#mistletoemaniacs #wintergames

What happens when two sisters (the older pregnant, the younger getting over a bad break up) meet two guys (one a rockstar and the other a high school love)? Romance, I suppose.

I know I‘m a fan of easy romances, but I‘m getting a little frustrated with the lack of diversity in these books. I‘ve got one more drugstore paperback to read before moving on to my non-Christmassy tbr.

#mistletoemaniacs #wintergames

I‘m not a Wiccan, but it was lovely to read for different ideas. A lot of them were group oriented, though, and I‘ll have to do more research into the origins, but this book is a good starting place!

#wintergames #wg21 #mistletoemaniacs #tisthereadson #dashingindecember #averymerryreadathon #wrapitupreadathon

Much better than last week DESPITE everything I‘ve got going on, haha! Sorry for the late post @Clwojick , I had a final due last night!

#wintergames #wg21 #mistletoemaniacs

I would like everyone to meet Aayla, the newest addition to our household! This sweet baby was rescued from a trash bag by a local couple who rehomes strays, and she‘s so, so precious. She‘s still getting used to the apartment (and her new name - her dad is a massive Star Wars nerd) but she and Cozzy are getting along so far (minimal hissing through the doors)!

This book was okay, probably because I‘m used to reading more diversity. I might backlist Sarah Morgan, though, because it‘s been a minute since I read a book in (almost) one sitting. Anyway, LOTS of points with this one, haha. It was a SNOWy FAMILY CHRISTMAS so many, many, *many* #wgwordsearch points.

#mistletoemaniacs #wintergames #wg21

+30pts for words found!

#mistletoemaniacs #wintergames #wg #wgwordsearch

I gave this book 4 stars but the ending of the like…underlying plot was super unsatisfying. I like Hollis and Marek as characters though, and it was a lot better than I was expecting from a drug store paperback. Maybe I‘ll check out the first few in the series…

#mistletoemaniacs #wintergames #wintergames2021 #wg #wg21

299.2 points this week! It‘s been slow going (finals coming up and of course my profs piling on last minute work 🤪) but aspiring for more next week!

#MistletoeManiacs #WinterGames2021 #WinterGames #WG #WG21

Also this came in, but I‘m not sure when because my parents didn‘t tell me I had a package until yesterday. 🤪 But it‘s here safe and I can‘t wait to open it!!

#wss #wintersolsticeswap

My last piece was delivered for both packages, so these are being FedExed tomorrow. #WSS should arrive on Thurs, and #CSS should arrive on Wed.

#wintersolsticeswap #creepychristmasswap