Time to snuggle up with some yummy snacks, a cup of purple butterfly pea flower tea, and my first book buy of the year! I LOVE Talia Hibbert and I am diving right into her debut YA romance! The excitement is so very real!

Finally got the chance to visit the new indie bookstore up North for the first time yesterday! This queer centric bookstore was full of all the queer books and swag I could hope for! It was so much fun and I was excited to finally get my hands on Bingo Love. I‘m behind by many years on this one I might kick the new year off with it! I also snagged a physical copy of Black Sun. I‘ve already read and loved it, but I still needed it for my shelves!

Diving into Holiday reads early this year! Was a much better book than I was expecting! There may have been tears at one point and I definitely laughed out loud a few times. I will definitely be continuing my read of this series!

I enjoyed this YA #Slasher #Horror well enough. I can see why people are loving this, but personally, I didn‘t connect with any of the characters. Maybe I‘m too old to connect with the teens? Maybe I don‘t hate teens enough to connect with the baddies? IDK, but this was a so-so read for me. There was only one moment that had me cheering. Though bloody, the chill factor is low. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Maybe slashers just aren‘t the horror sub genre for me? #NSR22

Every Fall, when I feel that first icy bite of the winter to come, I can‘t help but fall back into this comfort read. I loved getting to read the newest Sarah Addison Allen book, Other Birds. There were elements that called back to this book. But, I managed to hold off my reread until now, and it was as wonderful as I remember it being. A perfect read for this time of year!

@Nessavamusic just posted her Bingo board for next year's #NoShameReadathon23 I'm digging the new Bingo board format. I can't wait to start adding covers to this graphic! #NSR23 is a reading challenge celebrating genre fiction. This is a great way to explore the genres. Join in! Each bingo equals an entry for an end of year drawing for a big prize box in December and a black out gets you 5 additional entries. I can't wait to see everyone's TBRs!

This was a fun new take on vampires, definitely a cozy, let‘s read books together, sexy vamps romance. I‘m interested in seeing where the overarching story is going. It looks like we are following the same couple in the next one - though this could stand alone if you wanted to stop at one. It‘s giving me, KJ Charles‘ “The Will Darling Adventures,” vibes. But more cozy and less suspicious of their partner‘s motivations.

I love this book! It really helps break things down to manageable parts and keep the overall narrative in perspective! Tonight I‘m working on my Romancing the Beats Scrivener beat sheet between trick or treaters in preparation for #NaNoWriMo‘s kick off! And CleoCatra is “helping” me, lol. I had planned on reading some ghost stories, but the last minute panic of zero prep has kicked in! 😹

“Being haunted was seeing history.”
- Sideways Pike
The Scratch Daughters (Scapegracers #2)
H.A. Clarke

@Avanders Thank you so much! You went above and beyond! The wrapping paper was so pretty and I love the tissue paper. I was so surprised to see four books instead of two! I‘m so excited to read each of these books! They all look so good! I know what I‘ll be reading between trick-or-treaters!
@MaleficentBookDragon thanks so much for hosting #AllHallowsReadSwap #AHRS

1. The movie, Don‘t Be Afraid of the Dark, with Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce, definitely freaked me out. All those nasty little dark faeries scuttling around…stabbing people…eating their teeth…

2. The Hob‘s Bargain by Patricia Briggs is one of my favorite books with magic.

3. Orange 🧡🧡🧡

Wanna play @Nessavamusic ?

#NSR22 #NoShameReadathon22
Set in a darkly magical world, full of monsterous terrors. People send their children to the hungry halls of the Scholomance only a fraction of them will return from. But some survivors are better than none. Naomi Novik kept me guessing at where this was all going from book to book and delivered a fantastic conclusion to this #Fantasy trilogy! I loved this engrossing juxtaposition of #Grimdark horror and grudging hope.

Sent my swap yesterday! And snagged some nifty marine stamps while I was at it! The package should be arriving Friday!!!
#AllHallowsReadSwap #AHRS

I picked up these Christopher Pike novels at a library sale years ago because I remembered loving his books when I was in Jr. High! I‘ve let them languish on my TBR shelves, but now that there‘s an adaptation of The Midnight Club, I might finally read them! But I‘ll probably watch the show first, lol.

#AllHallowsReadSwap #BookOfTheMonth
I had an exhausting trip out of town but came home to #BookMail! I got my #AHRS swap box, the books for the swap box I‘m sending, & the other was my #BoTM! I picked Sign Here because it was rec‘d on my fave horror book podcast, Books in the Freezer. As for the rest - I‘ll be shipping off my swap box tomorrow! I can‘t wait to open my box! Thanks @Avanders 😆 you‘re very on the ball! Now to wait in suspense! 🎃

This is the first high fantasy in a long time that I‘ve been able to read all the way through. The plot, characters, and pacing all weave together in a way that had me racing through the chapters to figure out where it was all leading. Definitely a 5 ⭐️ read! I can‘t wait to read the next book in the series!
#NSR22 #HighFantasy #NoShameReadathon22

#NSR22
I loved this #CozyMystery! It was a great balance of plot and character development. The mix of small town murder, charming characters, and mouth watering foodie moments is just right. I'm a life long mystery lover, but I haven't really enjoyed the genre in recent years, (definitely a me problem, lol) but I really got into this one. Also - I am definitely going to be trying the recipies in the back of the book! The excitement is real!

🎃My copy of @roanparrish ‘s newest book came in the mail 📦today!!! I‘m so excited to read this one!!! 📚 I nabbed the 2.5 novella on e too 🥰 Yay for release day delivery! #BookMailIsBestMail these will both definitely be next up on my TBR!

#NSR22 #DarkRomance @Nessavamusic
Shockingly good. One of my favorite reads of the year even! This Serial Killer x FBI profiler romance is more than I ever expected! Especially since it‘s only novella length, ST Abby (fantastic pun btw) did an expert job layering information and character building into the details as this story moved along. While Dark romance isn‘t really my thing, I‘ll definitely have to read the rest of this particular series!

The #AllHallowsReadSwap is still available to join until the 13th! I‘m so glad I was able to get in before the deadline!

You will be sending THREE Items-
1 BOOK From Your Recipient's Wish List, Some Halloween Candy, AND 1 scary book you recommend to them.

We open on Oct. 30th so packages need to be sent by Oct. 15th

Sign up here - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdZhCMivmtTcmJOnO7eTiIc7oBwjprI2HRxBc0P...

#NSR22 #Fantasy #UrbanFantasy
Literally read this in a 24hr period. I loved all of it and will probably read it again before the end of the year. Since this is the 13th book in the series it‘s difficult to talk about in a non-spoiler way. But if you‘re looking for a gateway book into autumnal feels this year, this would be a great way to kick off the pumpkin spice season!

#LittlePumpkin 🎃😂 #IYKYK

#NSR22 #SciFi #SpaceOpera
A “Why Choose” “Jane Austen in Space”, this is the first part of a longer story (1 of 3 - I think.) So we end on an HFN rather than an HEA. The female MC feels a bit more removed and distant than I prefer and the space portion of this space opera is a bit light, but I feel like both of those things might change as the books progress? Either way, I feel lukewarm about this one and might or might not read further. 🤷🏽‍♀️

It‘s kinda shocking how much Willow Scarlett was able to pack into so few pages! This quick burn enemies to lovers was done right! Two very different people with very different ideals find common ground while burning up the sheets! The POV MC was kind of a difficult pill for me at first, but he grew and changed to something truer to himself and that was part of the joy of this book! The other MC is a firecracker and I couldn‘t get enough of him!

I‘m having mixed feelings about the end. I‘m definitely leaning toward positive feelings. But I think I need to reread this one down the line to sort those feelings. Ultimately, here‘s what I came away with:

*This book made me laugh a lot.
*It made me smile even more
*And it left me thinking.

Any more details than that feel like spoilers. And if you want those spoiler details, I‘m happy to chat about them in the comments with spoiler settings.

This book is so sweet I couldn‘t put it down! I ended up reading it til 3 AM on a work night! The sweetness of their friendship & the tension of their attraction is an addictive combination. And the HEA is so complete and satisfying. Definitely recommend.

I made it through the 1st third of this book, but it took me a week to even get that far. Because it was so boring. None of the characters were interesting enough to feel invested in either their death or survival. It was all very surface level bad to meh people going through the motions of the day. By the time I bailed the second death had taken place. There were no thrills. No chills. No camp. No reasons to care if anyone lives or dies. #NSR22

Starting my #Slasher read for the #Horror genre in #NSR22 this one promises to full of bloody, campy, good times. @Nessavamusic

This #GothicHorror met all my expectations and more. This truly haunted ghost story echoes parts of Daphne du Maurier‘s Rebecca, but walks it‘s own path. Set in the wake of the Mexican War of Independence, the complex web Beatriz, new mistress of Hacienda San Isidro, finds herself in is far more fraught than she ever thought it could be. She will face the malevolence in her new home with the help of an unusual priest.
#NSR22 @Nessavamusic

“Our relationship was founded on one thing and one thing only: my world was a dark, windowless room, and he was a door.”

Just started my #GothicHorror read for #NSR22 I‘m only 4 short chapters in and the vibes are strong with this one! It‘s already very atmospheric and I‘m rooting for this scrappy soul. And really, you can‘t get a more gothic start to a marriage than this!

July 2nd and I maybe already found my #FaveOfTheMonth? And it‘s a #SnowedIn book? 🤷🏽‍♀️❄️😎 A compelling combination of sweetness and sharp edges. The first book I‘ve read in a while that just sucked me in, I was late to work because of this book, lol. #NoRegrets Full of those moments that feel out of time and space that leave the characters slightly less the people they thought they were just a moment ago, and more the people they actually are.

The magic felt so real and possible. The Bend feels like a place I would love to live. I might find myself rereading this book just visit the Bend again. As a nearly 40 year old woman reading a sapphic YA supernatural horror, I vacillated between how this would‘ve impacted a younger me and how much adult me just wants to hug these girls and keep them safe. 5/5✨

@Nessavamusic #NSR22 #Horror #Supernatural

#ThoughtfulThursday @MoonWitch94
🌙 Updating my spreadsheets 💻

🌙 Every night 📚

🌙 Something in the middle 🎶

@Nessavamusic

New month, read, & new nails! Happy Pride month y‘all!!!
🌈📚💅🏽💕

📚 ☕️ Just finished a reread of one of my favorite books from last year. This book is just as delicious as I remembered. And Nate is still my favorite character in the series. I think this stack of magical texts and Starbucks coffee served in a hand lettered mug would be a great way to lure him into friendship! What do you think? 😂
#ItsTheSassyMCsForMe #CoffeeAndBooks

A mug of Muscato, Dark Souls, & an Audiobook. Best way I can think of to kick off the weekend!

What you guys getting up to this weekend?

So I decided to start including my monthly book spending (KU, ARCs, and free books not included) in my wrap ups. I‘ll do a breakdown of my book spending quarterly and see how my reading & spending correlate.

(Tagged book is both a February buy and a current read.)

I hope you had a fabulous February. Mine was kinda rocky - but my reads were great anyway! Somehow, there are zero books from Lily Mayne in Litsy‘s library? But the first book in her Monstrous series, Soul Eater, was my favorite read this month. It‘s somehow both a cozy romance and a post-apocalyptic monster romance? And I ate it up! I loved it so much, I‘m currently 5 books into the series. I definitely recommend these books! 5/5✨

This is a haunting story that will keep you thinking about it long after you‘ve finished reading it. May last update holds true. The prose are beautiful & creepy. The horror elements are visceral. The sapphic witchy vibes are exactly what I hoped for. The end is satisfying. There was a moment I worried the twist was tired one - but it‘s been spun into something new and I enjoyed it in the end. CWs in comments as a spoiler - no actual spoilers.

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs
1. Lyndsay Sands - she‘s my comfort read author! I imprinted on her vampire & historical romance novels early and I keep coming back to her!
2. Bed or my front room.
3. Whenever I‘m able to!

Thanks for the tag @Nessavamusic
How about you @pygmywarrior

I'm about 2/3 into the ARC of #Extasia and it drops in the morning! I wish I could give a full review of it before it releases, but I'm really enjoying it and I don't want to rush the experience! The prose are beautifully creepy. The horror elements are visceral, hooking into your subconscious and lingering on the edges of your conscious mind. The sapphic witchy vibes are exactly what I hoped for. I trust Claire Legrand to deliver an epic end!🤞🏼

Image credit: Alexis Hall‘s IG @quicunquevult

The Northanger Abby quote at the beginning sets the tone and is instantly delivered on. The ridiculousness abounds! It‘s delicious! Nearly the entire cast of characters is queer and I love it! The tongue in cheek humor is perfection. This road-trip romance is a rollicking good time filled with sweet moments, sexy times, and sets a very dense Duke on the road to self discovery and epic love.

Kicking off the year with a pretty great reading month! (The page for The MissingPage remains missing, lol 😂) I definitely leaned hard on some favorite rereads in the first half of the month. I regret nothing. 😊 I posted the review for my favorite January read a few days ago - the big take away being that it‘s a sweet, nuanced romance - wrapped in a cozy, Agatha Christie-esque, mystery. It builds beautifully on the previous book and ups the ante

I burned through this book in under 24 hours. It was so good to finally revisit the IAD-verse with a new story. And Munro was even better than I expected. This is probably one of the most thoroughly satisfying books in the series. Definitely the most cozy installment in IAD, on the Kresley Cole scale, at least. If you aren‘t a KC fan, you probably wouldn‘t call this cozy, lol.

Still no page for The Missing Page, so I‘m posting my review here:

Oh my goodness, I really enjoyed this cozy romantic mystery! What seems like a straight forward mystery is complex & has wonderful resolutions. Their romance has so many sweet nuances & quietly explosive emotions. With a slower beginning that subtly snow balls into briskly paced revelations, this book is even better than Hither, Page. I look forward to future rereads with relish!

The audio version is finally available!!! Just in time for release day!

So we went on vacation and I can confirm, these books travel well! This is my 6th or 7th reread, maybe? So here‘s a general, non spoiler over view of the series so far: Volume One will wreck you. Volume Two will make it all better! And Volume Three does both. Volume 4 dives deeper. I don‘t suggest you read Volume One if you can‘t immediately jump into Volume 2! The tears were real! This series definitely makes my heart ache in the best ways!

I found that cover I was coveting! Turns out it‘s the stepback for the paperback!
@Nessavamusic

I love this series on WEBTOONS and I was beyond ecstatic when I found out it was going to be physically published! You can read everything that‘s available on WEBTOONS, but it‘s definitely worth owning physically if it‘s something you can afford. Plus you get a previously unpublished chapter that was cut for pacing purposes but makes for a great Easter Egg! Definitely check CWs - but it's all very thoughtfully and well done, and worth the read.

1. Started Lore Olympus this morning! The rest of my Current Reads I started in December.
2. I‘m going to Disney World for the first time next week! (I think I‘m looking forward to and fearing this in equal measures - fingers crossed that all my vaccinations and precautions do their jobs!)
3. Trying to get more comfy with bailing on a book I‘m not enjoying. I really need to get over my DNF shame - life‘s too short!
@ozma.of.oz #SundayFunday

The Miscellaneous categories for #NoShameReadathon were harder than the rest for me, they really aren‘t in my wheelhouse.

Western - A Longer Fall (Gunnie Rose #2)
Inspirational - ???

While I think of the Gunnie Rose series as Paranormal Alt History, it‘s totally a Western. As for the Inspirational Fiction genre, I find myself at a loss - I‘ve got nothing. I might just let it be, but if you have any suggestions, I‘m all ears!

#NSR22 #Readathons