This is Konosuke's story as he's the down and out samurai that is at his wits end before the mysterious Tsuki finds him and makes an interesting proposition but nothing is really given about her. She is a mystery and the author chooses to shape the story in such a way that by as these two are finding themselves in a comfortable union and are getting to know each other, all hell breaks loose and I'm left with a cliffhanger!!!!
#pantone2024

Omg what a great volume and a very Anya-centric one as the opening story started with her getting her puppy as a reward from the last volume.
And what a puppy. He's larger than her, fluffy, and a protective cinnamon roll and I love him.
This good boy protected Anya throughout the entire volume, risking himself from all the dangers that kept coming and without spoiling too much got into himself adopted by the Forgers 🥰

Haha omg Twilight is a fantastic and shameless liar and I love him.

This volume started with dinner with Yuri, Yor's brother who is not who he says he is but then again is anyone in this story who they say they are 😂
The tension between Yor and Twilight, the action, the espionage, and the dodgeball scene had me laughing along with each new mission.

Book 15 of the year!
I absolutely loved that right from the beginning, it was easy to imagine this story about a boy and the graveyard that not just saves him but allows him to grow and learn from. I was entertained by y the additional amount of spirits, ghouls, and specters that Gaiman intros us to.
Gaiman narrates this story and I love that he narrates most of his books because there is something quite magical in how he reads them.

I saw this title in a pic someone posted about manga recommendations and it was everything they listed!!!
Absolutely loved the quick pace, the art style, the action filled scenes and that love has the power to change people because Sakamoto is proof that love is powerful enough to turn him away from his previous hitman lifestyle.
#pantone2024

I love a slow-burn romance but it's been a while since I've read one that I enjoyed from opening line to the last one.
Her Emmy and Brooks had me hooked. Sage has a great way of writing that really showed through the more I read, even as I tried hard to pace myself, but this one was too good and it gave me what I needed.

#pantone2024 #24in24 #taylorswiftreadingchallenge

I can't wait for my library hold for the next one.

Book no.12
It was fast, action-filled, and full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The dialogue is fast-paced, well-written, and witty. I was in love with the first-person POV of Din, the "Watson" to Ana, the "Holmes" if you will of this mystery thriller, they have such an interesting dynamic, which I loved as he's her apprentice. I can't get over how much I loved reading about her from his pov.

Book no.11 of the year!
I've read a different version of Homer's work but I was intrigued by this one and I have to say that I do love Wilson's translation of this epic poem.
Her use of modern language and choice of iambic pentameter for her translation felt new and contemporary and it was easier to read and visualize for me. This alone was a challenge as she managed to keep the same number of verses from the original Greek! Kudos Wilson 🎉🎉

I can't believe it's over...
it took me a while to getting around to this trilogy after Fangirl mainly because I wasn't sure what to expect but I don't know why I doubt. Rowell gave me a fantastic set of characters that outgrew what I knew from their first iteration and she added depth, layers, and growth all throughout. So freaking well done!!
#pantone2024 #24in2024 #popsugarreadingchallenge #fromthetbr

Book no.9 for the year
Still in love with this family.
Volume two picks up right after the last and a lot is riding on poor little Anya's shoulders but Twilight and his organization might be asking for too much there 😂
Especially as Anya has to get close to the target's son, Damian, which might be easier said than done. The child is smarmy and Anya, who I think has little to no social cues, is trying her hardest but Anya is becoming a fave for me

Book no.8
What an amazing , fun,and action filled first volume!
Right from the first few pages I was intrigued by Twilight, loved Anya's spirit and fell for Yor.
Endo went straight into the story with little fuss but in a great and fun way of letting the action depict more of who they are through facial expressions and body language.

Loved this first volume a lot and I can't wait to jump into the next one!

Book no7
I borrowed this on a whim after seeing the film 😅
The third person narration is ok. A bit odd to me considering how much emotion is coming through Hadley's character as the story centers around her but all in all a solid read with a whirlwind romance, a bit of they will they or won't they trope, and the dialogue between Hadley and Oliver was cute and lent it itself nicely to a more believable romance for me than other young adults books.

I am so delighted to have read this and yet mad that I just read it for the first time, now, at my age, because this book was absolutely magical and delightful.

This book is just such a sweet, simple read and yet full of layers in an easy enough language for the age group that it's written for. I love that the author breaks the 4th wall throughout the book to connect with the reader.

Absolutely loved this!

I can't believe this last book!!
Stroud did an amazing job of keeping me not just on the edge of my seat but also laughing thanks to Skull these last few books as he's gotten more and more lines as he's a bit more integral to the story.
So many great moments but more than anything I loved how much the characters grew from book one. I mean.... This last one had so much going on and I loved every minute of it.
#24in2024 #books2024

An adorably drawn ode to platonic love.
It's sparse but that's the beauty of it as I kept flipping the pages because the few intersected words work hand in hand with the matching illustrations.

In hindsight, this feels like an unsent letter or text. The thing that gets written in deep thought as we think about, or maybe overthink, about something. It's short and well written.
#fromthetbr

I love the progression of the characters from book one till now!

Having been able to read them rather one after the other definitely helps to see the progression as I appreciate that Stroud doesn't talk about the past books too much as some others, but more as a quick note and in the form of a memory or a past conversation that is coming back to the current story.
#fromthetbr #readin2023

As I posted about The Creeping Shadow, I realized I didn't post the other books 🙃😅

Loved Book no.2 of the series - Character arcs have deppened since book one as Lucy is definitely part of Lockwood and Co. now and fully integrated. Loved the further interactions between Lucy and George as they settle since their dynamic within the team as the investigate their current job.

What a way to not just start but end a book!

Tension is running high from the start of the book and Stroud did a fantastic job of mixing in wit, humor, fantasy, mystery and suspenseful moments all throughout. I'm actually a bit upset at that surprise ending on this one because I didn't see it coming 😂 but I'm already off to go find the next and last book of the series.
#pantone2024 #fromthetbr #taylorswiftreadingchallenge

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I wanted to really love this but I just couldn't get or understand the FMC. She's irresponsible on so many different levels, that I'm not sure how she's managed to live this far, based on her actions in the book, is astounding. I loved the MMC and his family, a bit of a hero complex, but all in all it was an ok novella.

My first read of 2024 was my last read of 2023 that I just couldn't finish 😂but that's okay I was also trying to not overstress about my reading during the holidays.
And since I finished this one this year, it fits I to this year's challenges 😁

@BarbaraBB thanks for tagging me because I am so doing this challenge again! #pantone2024 #fromthetbr #taylorswiftreadingchallenge

I was 29/30 books for the #pantone2023 challenge and I still have to post some books here but I was very proud of how many I managed to fit!

@Clwojick this was a fun challenge

Such a great story on a Frankenstein-style tale of sisters and the depths one is willing to take to bring her sister back at any cost leading to very unexpected results leading to more questions.

The opening was such a heart wrenching moment and sets up the voice for the lead MC, M, as she navigates a world she's been forced into. M is so open, unguarded, both in expression and mannerisms.

I loved the characters, and although based on actual historical events, the author manages to make the story quite her own.
I do think the story stalled around halfway through the book but all in all a great story, lots of gumption and great dialogue from the female MC and I loved that. I regret not having picked this up earlier. It was an entertaining listen part in thanks to Christina Moore's narration.

I wanted to like this one.
I tried but honestly the male MC doesn't recognize his mistreatment until more than 3/4ths of the way in and by then I really couldn't see or understand how aside from the contract keeping them together, why, and this is a short read, they would be together? The female MC has so many different self issues aside from being a survivor of abuse to stay in a relationship with a man who neglected her time and time again.

What a conclusion! As far as originally retellings go, this is honestly one of the best I've read. Book one was setting up the world and characterizations, book two provided so many revelations that book three had to pick them up, go into detail, and what a show Oakes gave!

So much went into all the books & what made her into the Queen of Hearts because this is not a happily ever after tale, but the beginning of her reign.

@Clwojick #pantone2023

Muniz has a great way of telling a story and with The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich she had me hooked within the first few panels. I loved the choice of a modern day setting and the choice of names. It was very cheese themed and I loved it.

This was a complete joy from start to finish and I could have easily finished it in a single night but I really was trying to pace myself because I didn't want it to end.

@Clwojick #pantone2023

It's non linear format might bother some but Moxley had me laughing and sharing moments with my sister as she was made to listen to parts of the book while I did the dishes or just had to have her listen to some parts. Moxley had a great blend of personal moments and professional insights and tidbits that included some key takeaways that were part of his Ambrose years at WWE and the start of Mox over at AEW.

#pantone2023 @Clwojick

This gives me such feels!
Like it was one thing to imagine it in my head but to see some of the same emotions and moments play out similarly on paper is just a gut punch because I was like 'YES, THAT'S HOW I SAW IT TOO!!!!!"

And considering this volume is right off of the heels of the cliffhanger that was volume 2, yeah I was waiting to see how Nam was going to illustrate this part of the story and I wasn't disappointed.

Overall I liked the book and found it to be an easy read but being a fan of fanfiction, this was weird for me to see in a published book. Some chapters were set up to open to look like an AO3 fic, chapter title and tags and all, so that was just so weirdly off-putting for me as a reader. Personally, it always took me away from the story and it's pacing and became a bit hard to get back into the actual story.

@Clwojick #pantone2023 #blazingyellow

It's so nice to go back and re-read the story, better to own my own copy. I'm still enjoying the modern settings and the way that Smythe has reconstructed the characters as she tells her narrative. It's a definite slow burn between Hades and Persephone here.
A lot of additional characters have their moments to allow the story to build on what was already introduced in the previous volumes.

Cyrano is everything I didn't realize I needed right now as there's different elements that caught my attention, kept me reading at a slower pace to keep up with the older English but I was captivated by it.

It's a short play that has a full cast of characters each with a different voice and tone and having read this play, it's nice to see the intro at the beginning to set the scene and it let my imagination run.

For the first volume, it's a good start.

Rinko is a 30something year old single career woman who has realized, along with her two single besties, that she might not be living up to her potential and is in want of getting married before the Tokyo Olympics (2020) rolled around but she's too busy with work, her own fantasies, and drinking with her girls to actually go out and date but there's this one guy that she keeps bumping into so maybe?

@Clwojick #pantone2023

I am absolutely in love with the story and art style of this book!

Garlic is just so adorable and yet courageous to have gone on this adventure that has been forced upon her by her "friends". With nothing more than a will to listen and by being her kind self was able to figure out what she needed to do to help everyone.

Nora Ephron has a great wit and it shows in the dialogue which I enjoyed but I didn't like a single character. Not a single one.

The MC, Rachel, is a wet blanket that allows herself to get stepped on not just once, but multiple times in the book by different people in her life. It made me question a lot of her choices which lead to where she is at and what the book is about.

This has been a different read for me compared to all the others. From the beginning there was a different tone and pace – something more tranquil, a bit on the quieter side but just as important and it's these types of works that make me pause and rethink a few things and I enjoy that.

I'm curious by this author and I can't wait for what else they write!

@Clwojick #pantone2023

I chose to go with the audiobook and wow – The casting was amazing!!! Jennifer Beals has such a voice that reflects a little bit of rasp and grit while Pablo Schreiber's voice lents it's warmth to Billy's character that makes him shine and Benjamin Bratt shines as Graham while omg Judy Greer's voice feels so spot on for Karen Karen and her quips and confidence.

Stopped at 24%.
I wanted to like this one but the jumping around from person to person across different times was a very confusing and hard to keep all the characters straight.

I ended up flipping back n forth a lot more than I wanted to and that along with the nonlinear pacing threw me off a lot.

Adelmann gave me not just re-imagines, but well written characters, diverse in looks and tone, modern world building that has it's own personality and such an interesting story that intersects and weaves — letting each character have her moment and say her side of the story before the surprise of a reveal that I never could have seen coming.

#popsugarreadingchallenge

I'm on the fence on this one. In one hand , I'm intrigued because I'm left with more questions than answers. The story really is just starting at the end of this volume but on the other hand, am I intrigued enough to keep going? The art is lovely looking but I didn't connect with any character and it's hard to tell if it's because of the repetitveness of the opening or the characters themselves.

I might come back to this story later...might.

This picks up after book one and jere she finds unexpected allies, a tutor, too many revelations, pain and anger that not only fuel her for what's to come but is the beginning of what I can see as the Queen of Hearts and I am giddy to think how book three will play out.

Moira Quirk is amazing in her narration and portrayal of Dinah. She's so full of emotions that I never have a problem knowing which is character is which.

#popsugarreadingcgallenge

I definitely will have to read another of Rai's books. Her characterizations were fantastic and believable, the world building was almost like another character with how easy I could imagine it, and the story was just so awwwwww and the dialogue.... Omg the dialogue.... Sonia and Neil have some great and witty moments that I enjoy. Such good banter!

I'm a little on the fence about this book. In some aspects I liked and enjoyed it and in others I was left wondering why the author went that direction. I liked Gina's character but she's very hung up on her looks, particularly her nose, and that's stemming from a high school prank that has deeply affected her and how she perceives everyone around her. Especially men, especially a hot man she kissed that light her up.

@Clwojick #pantone2023

@rachelsbrittain #weekendreads

In between trying to finish these reads, also listening to Re: Dracula while following along with Dracula Daily.

Ok. A book this good shouldn't have taken me as long as it did but trying to read this at night in a home that makes weird sounds and then randomly nothing but silence creeped me enough to just read this during the day which thanks to work took longer than what even I wanted.
St. James did an amazing job of keeping me in my toes!

#popsugarreadingchallenge #taylorswiftreadingchallenge

https://www.romancebookworms.com still has the list up and some books are still $0.00!
The list is long but worth scrolling through to find some new reads and some for free still.

When my current read gives me such a good quote featuring two of my favorite books, I need to gush about it.

Please know that this book is so good I've scared myself a few times already reading this at night!

Oooh the cliffhanger ending left me with more questions and I'm impatient for volume 3.

The art is still beautiful and the storyline had a slow progress which I think is what's stopping me from falling in love with it the way I want to. It's a slow story arc that's being told between the cuteness of En and Ichii's blossoming romance.

I really enjoyed the art style on this one. It's beautiful to look at and compliments the story as it follows newly turned vampire En as he struggles with his new life.

Lucky for him he has tall, dark,and grumpy Ichii who is his guardian to help him navigate this new world and hunger 😉😊

I realized I never posted this for vol. 1 when I read it... hehe my bad ?

The opening, though, hooked me. The tense mystery surrounding the unknown narrator, as she starts with telling the reader, "it was the end of a late night in Brooklyn" leading into a past memory, a brief moment that seems like nothing but is a snippet of a larger picture.

Told across multiple POVs and across days, this volume just grazes the beginning of what's to come.

4.0

It took me a few pages to realize what happened and then I had questions which honestly led to more questions as I kept reading.

Walter is still in the center of everything but there's a melancholy in this volume that adds on to the tension as the group is sill together but oddly enough not the same from volume one.

One can only hope that there's another volume that'll help me find the answers.