House of Earth and Blood

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas | 803 pages | 2020

Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life-working hard all day and partying all night-until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She'll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss's enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he's offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City's underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they'd only let it.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

It's my second time reading this one, and I still feel like it's 4 stars. She built a really cool world, and I think the balance between urban and fantasy works very well. Basically a whole star gets taken for the terrible supervillain info dump that happens at the climax, which is so clumsy and lengthy that it slows down the momentum.

A Cross-Country Christmas

A Cross-Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh | 256 pages | 2021

Lauren Richmond isn’t a fan of Christmas. Which is why she rarely makes the trip home to the Midwest for the holidays. After all, she has plenty to keep her busy—namely, her duties as a set decorator on a TV sitcom. But this December, Lauren's brother and his wife are expecting a baby, so her brother arranges a ride home for her with his good friend, Will. Unfortunately for Lauren, she’s been trying to forget college baseball coach and childhood crush Will Sinclair for more than ten years. Now, thanks to her fear of flying, she’s stuck in a car with him from California to Illinois.

She’s circumspect and organized. He’s flirty and spontaneous. She’s convinced that people don’t change. He’s trying to prove to her (and himself) that he has. On this cross-country road trip, they’ll both discover that history doesn’t exactly repeat itself. . . but like any good Christmas carol, it does have a second verse.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

This story was a quick read, and cute in a Hallmark Christmas Movie sort of way. The banter and comedic moments were enjoyable, and I got a little misty-eyed at the end (before the cheese went off the charts).
Unfortunately there were things that kept pulling me out of the story, so I think it would have benefitted from better editing. Several typos were really distracting (including misspelling Keira Knightley's name wrong, twice), and there were some details about things like daily life and technology that were just kind of...not how things work. It also relied heavily on the "I'm going to keep my secrets and feelings to myself" trope, which has a tendency to drive me nuts. It wasn't hard to keep reading, but I don't think this will stick with me very long.

Beg, Borrow, or Steal

Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams | 384 pages | 2025

Emily Walker hates having her carefully crafted world disrupted by anyone, most of all her legendary nemesis, Jack Bennett. He’s the opposite of the wonderful heroes she dreams up in her double life as a romance writer, which is why Emily was perfectly happy when Jack left Rome, Kentucky mid-school year with his fiancée. The last thing Emily saw coming was Jack’s return at the start of summer after calling off the wedding and ending his relationship, but he’s here to stay – as her colleague and her neighbor.
Jackson Bennett is glad to be back, eager to renovate his house and work on the next mystery novel under his bestselling pen name. But when he realizes he’s now neighbors with the one woman who has always pushed his buttons, he discovers something he’s even more excited for – thwarting Emily and her petty plans to sabotage his return.
With their chemistry-fueled animosity at an all-time high, Emily accidentally sends an email to their school’s principal that could reveal her secret literary side hustle. She needs to steal back her manuscript, and Jack – she hates to admit – is just the man to help her. Surprisingly, Jack agrees. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

The last book I had read by Sarah Adams was The Cheat Sheet, which admittedly wasn’t my favorite. Now I’m returning to her writing in the third installment of a completely different series, and her writing has evolved remarkably! Which felt all the more fitting since this book is so much about writing, growing, and finding your voice. I’m a sucker for a romance that explores the role of trauma in relationships, and this one did an excellent job of it. The tension between Emily and Jack was delightful, and Adams does a wonderful job of building the slow growth of their friendship (and then more). The balance between comedy, drama, and emotional content was very well done. Despite not having read the previous books, I got a good introduction to the other members of the Walker family, without feeling like I was getting a complete summary. After this installment I’m eager to go back and read the previous two, and then get my hands on the fourth when it comes out! This was a warm hug of a read that kept me coming back for more.

The Problem with Prophecies by Scott Reintgen

 The Problem with Prophecies by Scott Reintgen (338 pages)

Synopsis: Most people inherit eye colors or heirlooms, but for Celia Cleary, the gift of prophecy has been passed down in her family for generations. And on the 4,444th day of her life, Celia will have her first vision. But nothing could have prepared her for what she sees—the quiet boy down the street, Jeffrey Johnson, is about to die. Determined to save him despite her grandmother’s warnings against it, Celia alters events to stop her vision from playing out. But for each prophecy she avoids, another one takes its place, putting Jeffrey in constant danger. Fate has made its choice, and it’s not giving up the hunt. Focusing on homework or friends isn’t easy when you’re going head-to-head with death—and keeping Jeffrey Johnson alive is throwing Celia’s seventh grade year into chaos. It doesn’t help that she’s getting to know Jeffrey more and more with each new rescue attempt. It really doesn’t help when she realizes she kind of likes him.

Opinion: This is a Truman Award Nominee for the 2024-2025 school year. I fully enjoyed reading this book. It has a little bit of everything, some supernatural elements with the seer abilities, some cuteness, friendship drama, and action. The characters are all relatable and easy to like. Celia had me invested as I wanted to see whether she would be able to pull off her main goal of the book. I will say I did predict the ending of the book, but I was still satisfied by it. 

                                                         The Testing - Joelle Charbonneau

The front of the book has a review claiming that all fans of The Hunger Game will simply devour. 

That review was pretty spot on, at least in my case. 

I ate every word written until I found myself at the end. 

I even bounced between the book and audio because I could not get enough. 

Maybe because it was so much like The Hunger Games. 

The transportation method  was very similar. 

The testing students seeing the different cities and classes as they traveled. 

Being sent to an unknown location to fight it out to the end. 

They may have had more people coming out alive, versus The Hunger Games but it was pretty similar. 

 And don't even get me started on how badly I wanted Cia to react during the officials watching her be tested like Katniss did. 

With all that I still loved it. 

I rooted for Cia to cross that finish line. 

I swooned when Michael was proud of her for finding the cameras.

I was sketched out about Thomas before Cia even was. 

This is why I wanted more. 

Thank god for book 2 and 3. 

The Truth About the Accident by Nicole Trope

 

The Truth About the Accident by Nicole Trope - 310 pages

I gaze at my husband’s once handsome face, so still and pale in the hospital bed. The doctors say I should keep talking. He might be able to hear me even after the terrible accident that left him fighting for his life. But all I have to whisper to my husband is I know what you did.

Every day I wave my husband Damon off with a kiss and a smile, drive our precious children to school, and make sure our house is pristine before preparing a delicious meal. I pretend I’m not filled with fury that he once nearly destroyed our perfect life. It’s important to carry on as normal.

That is, until the accident.

My husband was hit by a car. It was pouring with rain. Nobody saw what happened. But the police are asking questions…

Do they know about the terrible argument we had that day?

Do they know about the text message I sent, telling someone to Delete everything ?

And do they know that no one is happier that my husband is in a hospital bed, than me?

This book was alright; it was a little long winded for me.  The ending was nice; it tied everything up in a nice little bow.  I did get tired of the character named Athena mentioning how war-goddess-like she was; it was said anytime she got upset.  Overall it was an alright read.  I've read it once, I don't need to read it again. 

Dune, The Graphic Novel Book 2: Muad'dib by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Raul Allen, and Patricia Martin

 Dune, The Graphic Novel Book 2: Muad'dib by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Raul Allen, and Patricia Martin -163 pages

This is the second of three books in the graphic novel adaptation of the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. I am enjoying reading through it so far. Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides and his journey on Arrakis after his father, Duke Leto Atreides, is assassinated. Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica, go on the run from the Harkonnens who assassinated the Duke. They run into the Fremen and others. I've seen the movie Dune: Part One and am eagerly anticipating Dune: Part Two coming later this year. I liked this one and rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Hori-san and Miyamura-kun

 

Hori-san and Miyamura-kun

by Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara

volumes 1-16 

2,771 pages

A sweet "aww"-inspiring tale of school life begins!!

At school, Kyouko Hori is known for being smart, attractive, and popular. On the other hand, her classmate, the boring, gloomy Izumi Miyamura tends to get painted as a "loser fanboy." But when a liberally pierced and tattooed (not to mention downright gorgeous) Miyamura appears unexpectedly on the doorstep of secretly plain-Jane homebody Hori, these two similarly dissimilar teenagers discover that there are multiple sides to every story...and person!

As a whole I very much enjoyed this series. It has some very sweet moments among the growing friend group. There are also some good examples of becoming more comfortable with who you are growing to be, especially when that is a very different person than who you were.

I do feel it trailed off a little vaguely there at the end, but the short after story was a nice little glimpse of the future.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid -- 368 pages

For a while, Daisy Jones & The Six were everywhere. Their albums were on every turntable, they sold out arenas from coast to coast, their sound defined an era. And then, on 12 July 1979, they split. Nobody ever knew why. Until now. They were lovers and friends and brothers and rivals. They couldn't believe their luck, until it ran out. This is their story of the early days and the wild nights, but everyone remembers the truth differently.

The only thing they all know for sure is that from the moment Daisy Jones walked barefoot onstage at the Whisky, their lives were irrevocably changed. Making music is never just about the music. And sometimes it can be hard to tell where the sound stops and the feelings begin.

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie

 

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie - 467 pages

Fade to Black is the newest hit ghost hunting reality TV show. Led by husband and wife team Matt and Claire Kirklin, it delivers weekly hauntings investigated by a dedicated team of ghost hunting experts. Episode Thirteen takes them to every ghost hunter's holy grail: the Paranormal Research Foundation. This brooding, derelict mansion holds secrets and clues about bizarre experiments that took place there in the 1970s. It's also famously haunted, and the team hopes their scientific techniques and high tech gear will prove it. But as the house begins to reveal itself to them, proof of an afterlife might not be everything Matt dreamed of. A story told in broken pieces, in tapes, journals, and correspondence, this is the story of Episode Thirteen -- and how everything went terribly, horribly wrong. 

This is written as the show is being produced so it took a bit for me to get used to the format.  Reading each characters' diary entries, production notes, hot copies, etc.  It was a bit slow to get into the story but once the action started it was fantastic!  If you're into horror, paranormal, and/or ghost hunting this is a great book!