Review: Bloodlines

Title Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1)
By Richelle Mead
Genre YA Supernatural Paranormal
Format Audio book
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
Sydney's last encounter with the Moroi put her in a sticky situations with the other Alchemists. Seen as sympathetic to vampires she's in risk of losing her place. To save her younger sister being put in a dangerous situation, she takes on a new job protecting the Moroi Princess's younger sister.


First Sentence
I couldn't breath.



After reading the Vampire Academy series I was half ready to be done with that universe and half wanting more.

It's been just over two years since I finished the VA series and I guess I wanted more so I picked up Bloodlines.

I really love this world Mead has created. It's very intricate but doesn't get in the way of the story which is something that happens in other books far too easily.

Sydney as the lead was fun. She's very different than Rose and I liked learning more about her and watching her kick ass.

These series are not mind blowing for me but they are guilty little pleasures and I'm excited for a whole new series to delve into.

Review: Siege and Storm

Title Siege and Storm (Grisha Verse #2)
By Leigh Bardugo
Genre YA Fantasy
Format Ebook
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
Alina and Mal are in hiding after narrowly escaping the Darkling. But hoping to stay hidden forever and ignore the pull to her powers isn't going to work for Alina. The Darkling still searches for her and a rise of pilgrims calling her a saint will draw her back out.

First Sentence
Two weeks we'd been in Cofton, and I was still getting lost.




After really enjoying the first book I decided to jump right into the rest of the series and finish it all at once.

Second books in fantasy series can often feel like filler books but I didn't think this one had that problem. It starts out with a bang and then carries on with the story nicely. While it may have lagged a little for some people I enjoyed the time the author took to develop the characters. I loved seeing them grow.

Speaking of characters...I LOVED Nikolai! I loved his banter with Alina, I loved his sense of humor, his smarts, Agh! I loved him! Every time he and Alina talked I was giggling.

I found this one a nice, rock solid middle book and am half way through book three as I write this. I'm so excited to see how it all ends.

Review: Before We Were Yours

Title Before We Were Yours
By Lisa Wingate
Genre Adult Fiction
Format Audiobook
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis
Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong. (From Goodreads)

First Sentence

I take a breath, scoot to the edge of the seat, and straighten my jacket as the limo rolls to a stop on the boiling-hot asphalt.

I put the Goodreads synopsis on my review so you could see why I thought I was getting something completely different when I started this book. 

I expected it to feel like a historical fiction where you feel slightly distanced from the characters and like you might be tested on facts later. What I got was a rich and vivid look into the lives of a fictional family whose life was ripped apart by a real historical event. 

I guess what I'm saying is it read much more like a southern family drama than a historical fiction. Which, for me, was a good thing. I was riveted by page one and was wholly invested in the characters the whole way through. 

Great writing, gripping plot, memorable characters...what more can I say? I really liked it. My only beef with the book was the convenient way no one would reveal secrets that kept the plot moving. Not my favorite plot device. But don't let that deter you. This one is worth the read.     

September Wrap-Up

Well, here we are in October my favorite month of the year! That means September is over and the crisp air and falling leaves can start....any time now! Please!!! Ahem. Anyway. September started out on a crazy trip to Oregon to furnish our vacation home, to fancying up the exterior of one of our duplexes to, well, nothing. Things seemed to have calmed down and I'm loving it! More time for reading, binge watching shows and enjoying the cooler weather....anytime now, Fall.

 I read 8 books this past month. 2 print books 3 ebooks and 3 audiobooks. Fairly balanced I'd say.

The Girl From The Well
A creepy read about a murdered girl who seeks revenge until she meets a boy with an even more creepy ghost attached to him.

Shadow and Bone (Grisha Verse 1)
All the regular ingredients to a fantasy but tasted delicious.

A Simple Favor
Stupid, pointless story with deplorable characters.

The Woman in Cabin 10
A likable character in a psychological thriller? I know! I'm shocked too!

The Orphan Keeper
Intriguing page turner about a kidnapped child and his journey home.

Before We Were Yours
Surprising with twists and turns through past and present.

Big Mushy Happy Lump
Get ready to laugh for the few minutes it will take to read this delightful book.

Siege and Storm (Grisha Verse 2)
Slower middle but still so yummy! (review to come)




And there you have it. Big Mushy Lump gets 5 stars because there's nothing to dislike and I'll definitely be reading it again but The Grisha books,The Woman in Cabin 10 and Before We Were Yours were all great books too.  Besides A Simple Favor, which was just awful, I had a pretty good reading month.

Sunday Salon

I've decided to revamp the Sunday Salon post....again as a way to catch up with you all if I don’t manage to get any reviews posted. And as a way to combine books movies and TV because the separate posts for all that isn’t working. Ready?

Weather Small Talk: It's finally cooling off at nights which is glorious. The days are warm but not unbearable but it's still dry, dry, dry! It is supposed to rain next week though. I hope it really does and I hope it's lots of rain. We need it badly!

On The Idiot Box: I finished my first K-drama. The one I was talking about last week called Beating Again. It was so soap opera-y but so much fun. The ending was a bit of a cop out but I liked it. I also finished all the available episodes of The Frankenstein Chronicles. It's such a strange show but I liked it too. I Started American Horror Story The Cult and I don't know if I'll finish it. This show keeps getting worse and worse with each season.
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Weekly Reads: I finished Before We Were Yours. It wasn't at all what I was expecting and I really liked it. I'm still working on Siege and Storm the second book in the Grisha trilogy. I'm liking it but it's one of those books that's so much fun while reading but if you put it down it's hard to pick back up. I squeezed in a Sarah Scribbles book and laughed my way through it and started Bloodlines by Richelle Mead on audiobook for when I get off my butt and go walking everyday.

Crazy Kitties: My cat Belly gave me a huge scare this week. I had the front door open because I was cooking steak and the house was all smoky (I'm so not a cook) and when I was done eating I went out to find her. She's scared of the front yard and never wanders more then 20 feet from the door unless she slips around to the backyard. Well, I called and called for her looking in both the front and backyard and nothing. I started panicking and my husband and I started looking in the neighbors yards and all over the street. I decided to check inside again (I'd already checked all her usual hiding places and remembered she sometimes squeezes under my dresser) but she wasn't there. Suddenly I turn around and see her head poking out of the closet. She'd found a new spot to hide and was behind a huge fuzzy robe hanging in there. Why? Why do cats do this to us?! Ugh!

This Past Week: I went with some of my friends to an author event my library put on with Camron Wright the author of the book I reviewed on Friday, The Orphan Keeper. It was a smaller low key event but a lot of fun...and as usual, I didn't take a single picture. 

Movie(S) of the Week: We saw The House With The Clock in its Walls which is not one I'd seek out but there isn't much out in theaters that I haven't already seen so we gave this one a go. It wasn't bad. It was cute and a little spooky and a whole lot of fun. 

Food Talk: Remember those steaks I mentioned? After trying and failing to make a decent steak without smoking up the whole house and attempting a roast in my crockpot the next day that turned our dry and rubbery with half the potatoes done and the others still crunchy, I swore off cooking and we went out to dinner the following two nights! 

Plans For The Upcoming Week: It's still pretty warm but I think I'm going to start winterizing my yard: Pulling up my annuals and putting up the yard furniture etc. I like all that cleaned up so it doesn't get in the way of raking leaves...and they're starting to fall.