WWW Wednesday: May 26th 2021

On 2021-05-26 By JolieIn book review6 Comments

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words .

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Personal:

As with my IMWAYR post, I am going to keep this short. My finger is still bandaged and it is still difficult for me to type. It sucks but that’s what I get for tangling with an electric hedge trimmer. I am lucky I didn’t lose my finger.

I also want everyone to know that I will be going on vacation starting Friday and I will not be back to posting until June 7th. This is a long-overdue vacation and I can’t wait!!

What I Recently Finished Reading:

Book Cover — Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.

What I am currently reading:

What books I think I’ll read next:

The Promised Queen (Forgotten Empires: Book 3) by Jeffe Kennedy

On 2021-05-252021-04-30 By JolieIn book reviewLeave a comment

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Date of publication: May 25th, 2021

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Series: Forgotten Empires

The Orchid Throne—Book 1

The Fiery Crown—Book 2

The Promised Queen—Book 3

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Google Play

Format Read: Unedited ARC

Received: Publisher

Goodreads Synopsis

In The Promised Queen, the thrilling finale to Jeffe Kennedy’s Forgotten Empires trilogy, the fate of the world hangs in the balance as Con, Lia, and their allies sacrifice everything in a final bid to destroy the corrupt empire.

Claim the hand that wears the ring, and the empire falls.

Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, claimed the hand that wears the Abiding Ring, but the prophecy remains unfulfilled. Queen Euthalia of Calanthe returned to her island kingdom, but broken in mind and body. With the blood of war unleashing ancient terrors, Calanthe isn’t the haven it once was.

Lia must use her magical bond with Calanthe to save their people while Con fights to hold off the vengeful Emperor Anure and his wizards. Con and Lia will have to trust in each other—and in love—to fend off ultimate disaster.

First Line:

“Lia? Wake up.”
The Promised Queen by Jeffe Kennedy

Review:

If you have been following my blog for any length of time, then you know how much I dislike reading books out of order in any series. I actively go out of my way to avoid doing this. Sometimes, though, books do slip by me. The Promised Queen is such a book.

The Promised Queen is the third book in the Forgotten Empires trilogy. You cannot read it as a standalone. If you pick this book up haven’t read the previous two (or, as in my case, read book one and not book two), you will be confused. So, for those in the back: READ BOOKS ONE AND TWO FIRST. You will thank me.

Because I didn’t read book two, I had a tough time following the storylines. There were several points in the book where I was like “Why,” “What,” and “How?”. I won’t lie; there was a point in the book where I was going to DNF it. But I am stubborn, and since this was an ARC read, I needed to read it.

The flow of the book was pretty good. There was a slight lag in the middle of the book (before Lia refreshed her connection to Calanthe), but once that was over, it righted itself. I will warn, though, that there are no warnings when the author switches over to either Lia or Con. There will be stars, and then it’s up to you to figure it out. Luckily, since Lia uses the honorific We (and its variants), it wasn’t that hard to figure out. But it might bog the flow down for some people.

Lia and Con’s romance was on the backburner for a good majority of the book. It wasn’t until the final chapters (mainly after the scene where Lia flipped her lid about Con’s plan to rescue the royal hostages) that there was focus on it. I enjoyed that.

The storyline regarding Con, Lia, and their plans to exact revenge on Anure and rescue the royals were well written. But, the climax of that storyline was a letdown. I was expecting more than what happened. Mainly because of Con’s whole “I want to smash Anure with my rock hammer” vibe that he had going on. The same thing happened with rescuing the royals storyline. I was expecting something to happen (and it did….kinda), but it just petered out.

The end of the book was interesting. Enough was left open that I wonder if the author is going to do a spin-off series.

I liked The Promised Queen but I couldn’t get into it. There was so much that I didn’t understand or that didn’t make sense to me. I did like the storyline.

I would recommend The Promised Queen to anyone over the age of 21. There are some trigger warnings. While the author didn’t get graphic (at least in this book), they were still talked about. They are torture, rape, and violence.

Legacy by Nora Roberts

On 2021-05-252021-03-22 By JolieIn ARC, book review, St. Martin's Press4 Comments

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: May 25th, 2021

Genre: Romance, Suspense, Contemporary, Mystery, Women’s Fiction, Thriller

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | Barnes and Noble | WorldCat

Format Read: Unedited ARC

Received From: Publisher

Trigger Warnings: Violence

Goodreads Synopsis:

The #1 New York Times bestselling author presents a new novel of a mother and a daughter, of ambition and romance, and of a traumatic past reawakened by a terrifying threat…

Adrian Rizzo was seven when she met her father for the first time. That was the day he nearly killed her—before her mother, Lina, stepped in.

Soon after, Adrian was dropped off at her grandparents’ house in Maryland, where she spent a long summer drinking lemonade, playing with dogs, making a new best friend—and developing the stirrings of a crush on her friend’s ten-year-old brother. Lina, meanwhile, traveled the country promoting her fitness brand and turning it into a billion-dollar business. There was no point in dwelling on the past.

A decade later, Adrian has created her own line of yoga and workout videos, following in Lina’s footsteps but intent on maintaining creative control. And she’s just as cool-headed and ambitious as her mother. They aren’t close, but they’re cordial—as long as neither crosses the other.

But while Lina dismisses the death threats that Adrian starts getting as a routine part of her daughter’s growing celebrity, Adrian can’t help but find the vicious rhymes unsettling. Year after year, they keep arriving—the postmarks changing, but the menacing tone the same. They continue after she returns to Maryland and becomes reacquainted with Raylan, her childhood crush, all grown up and as gorgeously green-eyed as ever. Sometimes it even seems like the terrifying messages are indeed routine, like nothing will come of them. Until the murders start, and the escalation begins…

First Line:

The first time Adrian Rizzo met her father, he tried to kill her.
legacy by nora roberts

Review:

Nora Roberts is one of my favorite romance authors to read. I was first introduced to her work when I was in middle school, and the library had one of her books in stock (I don’t remember which one, that was thirty years ago). When my oldest daughter was born fifteen years ago, I stopped reading and didn’t pick up a book until she was four and my son was two. But, it took me until mid-March to pick up a Nora Roberts book. I am glad I did. I enjoyed reading Legacy!!

Legacy is a medium-paced book. The book’s pacing was medium-paced, but it ramped up quickly during the last few chapters of the book. There was some lag in the book’s middle (when Adrian and Raylan’s storyline came together), but it didn’t last for long.

There were two main points of view, with a third point of view added later in the book. I am not a big fan when an unexpected POV is added late in the book. But, in this case, considering who the POV belonged to, it made perfect sense.

I adored Adrian in Legacy. She was one of the more grounded characters that I have read in awhile. But, I did find it hard to connect to her during certain scenes. But overall, I read her scenes with a smile.

I liked and sympathized with Raylan’s character. His loss was one of the saddest that I have read. I liked that the author showed a realistic view of someone’s grieving process. I thought that he was a great father also. Plus, I like his dog…lol.

Speaking of the dogs in Legacy, they were fantastic. Sadie and Jasper made the book whenever they appeared. Sadie proved herself to be the true MVP at the end of the book (Jasper too).

I loved Raylan’s children, but I did think that they talked a little too grownup for a six and eight-year-old. I have a seven-year-old, and she doesn’t have the vocabulary that Mo did. But, that aside, they were adorable.

I was surprised at who The Poet was. For some reason, I thought it was going to someone else (the PI had mentioned another person).

The author built up the romance angle of the book slowly. Of course, I knew that Raylan and Adrian were going to get together. It was just a matter of when/where. When they did end up getting together, there was a feeling of “Finally.” I liked that the author had them dating before the events that led up to the end of the book. It made the ending so much better!!

The thriller/suspense angle of the book kept me on edge. I liked the mini-chapters where The Poet was featured. I got a better understanding of how this person was spiraling. When that person started escalating, I couldn’t read the book fast enough. I needed to see how this book played out with Adrian. And once the author revealed the connection to her, I was even more eager. Of course, there was poetic justice with how those scenes played out too!!

The end of Legacy was good. The author was able to wrap up the storylines in a way that satisfied me as a reader. There were no storylines left open/hanging. There were no questions about specific events that happened in the book.

Legacy was a great romantic suspense novel. The plotline was great and the characters made the book. Plus, I didn’t figure out who The Poet was until the reveal which surprised me.

I would recommend Legacy to everyone over the age of 21. There is sex, but it is not graphic. There is somewhat graphic violence. At the beginning of the book, Adrian’s father attacked Adrian, her mother, and her mother’s best friend/nanny.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

On 2021-05-24 By JolieIn book review3 Comments

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

Happy Monday (well, as happy as a Monday can be…lol) everyone and I hope you all had a great weekend!!

I am going to keep my Monday update section short. Why, you ask? Well, I have a very good reason.

On Saturday, I decided to trim my bushes in front of my house. To do this, we use electric trimmers (keep this in mind). As I was trimming my second bush, it slipped and caught on the middle finger of my left hand. That pinched and caught my finger at the same time and resulted in a deep cut. BK rushed me to Urgent Care and I ended up with 3 stitches. I am having a very hard time typing, as well as doing other chores. I never knew how much I used my middle finger until this happened….lol.

So, I can’t type (well I can in 3 days…once the bandage comes off) and because I can’t type, this is going to be short.

What I am Reading Now:

What I plan on reading this week:

Olivia Callahan’s quiet, orderly life is shattered when she regains consciousness in a hospital and discovers she is paralyzed and cannot remember a thing. The fragmented voices she hears around her help her piece together that an apparent assault landed her in the hospital, but nobody knows who attacked her, or why. After a chilling struggle to survive, she awakens from a coma unable to remember what happened to her or anything at all, except she has been told she is an entirely different person. Or is she?

Now, in spite of a brain injury that has rewired her personality, Olivia is on a mission to reclaim her life. As clarity surfaces and she starts to understand who she was, she is shocked. Had she really been that person? And if so, does she want her old life back?

Letters by Cinderlight: A Tale of Cinderella (HighTower Fairytales) by Jacque Stevens

On 2021-05-202021-05-17 By JolieIn ARC, book review, sjacquebooks4 Comments

Publisher: sjacquebooks

Date of publication: May 20th, 2021

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Series: HighTower Fairytales

Winter Falls: A Tale of the Snow Queen—Book 1 (Review here)

Cry Wolf: A Tale of Beauty and the Beast—Book 2

Lone Wolf: A Tale of Beauty and the Beast—Book 3

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: A Tale of Beauty and the Beast—Book 4

Between Dog and Wolf: A Tale of Beauty and the Beast—Book 5

Wolves at Bay: A Tale of Beauty and the Beast—Book 6

Depths—Book 7

Graves: A Tale of the Little Mermaid—Book 8

Storms—Book 9

Robin’s Hood: A Tale of Sherwood Forest—Book 10

Marian’s Man: A Tale of Sherwood Forest—Book 11

Lion’s Heart: A Tale of Sherwood Forest—Book 12

Letters by Cinderlight: A Tale of Cinderella—Book 13

Wishes by Starlight: A Tale of Cinderella—Book 14 (expected publication date: June 17th, 2021)

Purchase Links: Amazon

Format Read: Unedited ARC

Got Book From: Publisher

Trigger Warning: Child Abuse, Bullying

I, Elya Pavlovna, am a horribly wicked and unfortunate girl.

After her governess is fired for teaching her to read, Elya writes in a secret journal to continue her lessons on her own. Though, as an unwanted scullery maid, she doubts she will ever have much to say.

But when a charming stranger answers her private messages, Elya’s world turns upside down. He calls her sweet. He calls her strong. He challenges her to come to a palace celebration and leave her abusive past behind.

Each small push reveals more risks and hidden heartache. Will the magic of their words be enough to rewrite their story together, or will it all fade away at midnight?

If you like inspirational heroines, unique love stories, and untrustworthy fae, this romantic fantasy is for you! One-click now to start the magic, romance, and heart-wrenching emotional journey!

Letters by Cinderlight is a twist on the Cinderella story based in Slavic mythology and full of magical fairies with stories of their own.

First Line:

The story I have to tell is a sad one, but it is also a mystery.
Letters by Cinderlight: A Tale of Cinderella by Jacque Stevens

Review:

I am not one to like fairy tale retellings, and I do not go out of my way to read books that do so. I find that most retellings are boring. So, when I read the blurb for Letters by Cinderlight, I almost decided not to review it. But there was something about the blurb that caught my interest. I am glad I chose to review Letters by Cinderlight. It is one of the more imaginative fairytale retellings that I have read.

I usually don’t do this, but I want to give a heads up on possible triggers. Child abuse is the big one here. Elya is abused in every way except sexually. While most of the abuse scenes are not graphic, the scene where Elya is deliberately burnt in the face by her stepmother is. It was a scene where not only could I feel Elya’s pain, but I could hear her screams and smell the flesh burning. It did trigger me, but I could get through my trigger and continue reading the book.

The other trigger in the book is bullying. Elya is bullied horribly by her stepsisters. There is name-calling, a song that they would sing to her, and they did everything and anything to get her in trouble. They weren’t as graphic as the child abuse scenes, but they could still trigger someone.

Letters by Cinderlight did take a couple of chapters for the storyline to get going. But once it did, it moved fast. There was minimal lag (mainly after Lady Mother burnt Elya’s dress and before Grandmother Lada appeared), but it didn’t take away from the storyline.

I liked that the author incorporated Slavic mythology into the book. There was talk of rusalkas (one talked to Elya at various points in the book) and domovoy. Lada, who is spoken of at the beginning of the book and shows up towards the end, is the Slavic goddess of Spring. It made the book so much more interesting to read.

I loved Charming!! He was unwavering in his support for Elya (even when she was rude to him), and he tried so hard to bolster her self-esteem up. He made Elya rethink why she was being treated the way she was. He even changed the invites so scullery maids would be invited to the ball. I didn’t see him falling in love with Elya until after telling him about what her stepmother did. His response was telling, as was his letter at the end of the book.

Letters by Cinderlight is a very clean book. There is kissing, but I expected it between Charming and Elya.

The end of Letters by Cinderlight drove me nuts. I understood why Elya did what she did. She was scared. She had zero self-esteem and truly believed that Charming couldn’t love someone like her. It was one of the saddest scenes that I have read. That isn’t what drove me nuts. What drove me nuts is that the book ended on a flipping cliffhanger. I HATE cliffhangers!!!

Letters by Cinderlight was an interesting retelling of Cinderella. It was engaging and fast-moving. This is a book that I would read again.

I would recommend Letters by Cinderlight for anyone over the age of 16. This is a clean book with only two kissing scenes towards the end of the book. But there are disturbing scenes of child abuse, with two graphic scenes involving Elya, her Lady Mother, and a candle. There are also scenes of bullying.

WWW Wednesday: May 19th 2021

On 2021-05-19 By JolieIn book review4 Comments

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words .

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Personal:

I didn’t think this was going to be an eventful week since Monday’s IMWAYR post. I was wrong!!

Miss B had an awful day on Monday. She came home from school upset because her favorite teacher is being let go at the end of the school year. The reason the teacher didn’t sit right with me: She didn’t have a good relationship with the students. If it was a private school, then I wouldn’t think anything about it. But it’s a public school and the teachers are hired by the city. What I think is that there were budget cuts and they let go of the newer teachers. Anyway, Miss B wants to go protest (her entire class is going) at the school board meeting Friday night. We’re taking her and BK is going to supervise. We believe it is important for our kids to have their voices heard.

Now, the other awful thing that happened on Monday to Miss B was that she burnt plastic in the microwave. How did she do that? Well, she was making a White Castle burger, didn’t put it on a plate (grrrr at this), and then proceeded to microwave it for 4 mins on each side. That created a smoke-filled panic. Thankfully, that’s all it was (smoke). I did talk to her about using microwaveable safe plates and reading directions. Now, all I have to do is get the burnt plastic smell out of the house….sigh.

Mr. Z passed his end-of-grade math test. His math teacher was proctoring the end-of-grade testing today (he went in for ELA) and told him. He was thrilled. We told him that if he passed the test, we’ll get him a Steam game. And we did. It’s a game called Europa Universalis and he is loving it. I am going to peek in and see what he’s doing and what the game is like.

Miss R is doing well. They are taking it easy at school for the last couple of weeks. I did request for her to start speech and am waiting for the school to call me back. Ever since her teeth were pulled, I have noticed she isn’t pronouncing her “Th’s” and “S’s” correctly. I thought it would correct itself but it’s getting worse. So, the call to the school so she can get evaluated.

BK is in NYC until tomorrow. He is at this huge meeting with the entire company. I haven’t talked to him much (other than the flurry of texts about the microwave incident). I am hoping that he brings me home either bagels or cannolis!!

BK and I binged Jupiter’s Legacy (which I mentioned on Monday). It was a different show and I can’t wait to see if they make more episodes.

Tomorrow, I start deep cleaning for my vacation. We have a pet sitter coming to make sure the cats are alright and scoop the litter box. So, I don’t want my house a mess. Which it is (not going to lie).

I haven’t made any new meals this week. I was supposed to make a creamy chicken marsala in the crockpot. But Walmart forgot it in my delivery order last week and I didn’t notice until yesterday.

Blog

I worked a little on my blog. I updated some admin things and went through tags/categories.

Reading:

I have read 2 books since Monday. I was able to sit down (and ignore my messy house…lol) and dive right into reading. I am hoping to read at least 2 more by the end of the week.

What I Recently Finished Reading:

I enjoyed Claiming Mia. It was an interesting shifter romance. I didn’t like Lucas at first but once his backstory was explained, I started liking him. This book has a lot of sex in it. A. Lot. Mia and Lucas go at it like bunnies and don’t stop. I enjoyed it but it’s a warning to those people who don’t like a bit of erotica to go with their paranormal romance.

What I am currently reading:

I am on the fence with All or Nothing. I like the romance and the writing. I do not like that Ben basically stalked Presley (he drove by her house 3-4 times after the bar scene) before he found out she worked at the hospital with him. I also don’t like that there is zero backstory on her. There are hints about a past but nothing is explained. I should mention that I am 40% into the book and there should be more depth to her by now. I plan on finishing the book today/tonight.

What books I think I’ll read next:

I am hoping to read at least 2 of these books over the weekend. I have a feeling that The Three-Body Problem is going to be a long book, so I have allotted myself a couple of days to read it. I might have one or two library books coming off hold this week. If that’s the case, they will be read after the ARCs. My reading order for the rest of the week is Library book, ARC, ARC, ARC, TBR, ARC.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Titles that Are Complete Sentences

On 2021-05-18 By JolieIn book review4 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

How it works:

She assigns each Tuesday a topic and then posts her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.

When I saw today’s prompt, I knew that it was going to be as easy as last week’s prompt. So, here are my top ten!!

Let me know if you have read them or what you think!!

1. How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks

2. The Highlander Who Protected Me by Vanessa Kelly

3. Someone to Watch Over Me by Anne Berkley

4. The Not So Perfect Plan to Save Friendship House by Lilly Bartlett

5. The Passing of Each Perfect Moment by Kenneth Preston

6. Welcome to Sortilege Falls by Libby Heily

7. We Said Forever by Marie James

8. First Do No Evil by Carey Baldwin

9. Even the Moon Has Scars by Steph Campbell

10. P.S. I Hate You by Winter Renshaw

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

On 2021-05-17 By JolieIn book review4 Comments

Happy Monday (well, as happy as a Monday can be…lol) everyone and I hope you all had a great weekend!!

I have several great things that happened over the weekend (well since last week’s WWW).

Miss B and Mr. Z got their first Covid shot. I was able to book their appointments that Wednesday night. Miss B got hers on Thursday. She was actually the first teenager that got their vaccine at that Walgreens. Mr. Z got his on Saturday and let me tell you, all of the people waiting for their vaccines were teenagers and their parents. There were 4 kids ahead of Mr. Z and I counted 4 more going in (Miss R was with me and I took her to wait in the van). They get their 2nd dose the first week of June (June 3rd and June 5th) and after that 2-week wait, they will be vaccinated!! All I am waiting on right now is for Miss R’s age group to get approved and our whole family will be vaccinated. Yay!!

The mask mandate was lifted in NC on Friday…if you were vaccinated. I was so happy (I have a mask phobia and wearing them was awful). I walked into the grocery store (Publix) for the first time in over a year without a mask. We also went out to eat as a family on Saturday. It felt weird to walk in without a mask (and the kids were wearing them). I also cringed because the table next to us was coughing up a fit (to the point where the server asked the guy to step outside on the patio….the guy declined).

School ends next week and they are in high gear testing mode. Mr. Z has to go on Wednesday for his ELA end-of-grade test and I believe on the 26th for his science (not sure on that, they weren’t clear). Miss B has her end-of-course testing this week and her end-of-grade test for Math 1 on Monday.

Meanwhile, in 1st grade, Miss R is having a week of fun last couple of weeks of school. I sent her in with 3 cans of shaving cream and 2 packs of spoons for an activity. Not quite sure what they’re doing. She also brought in a board game (it’s game day). Last week, they had Bring Your Favorite Book to School (Thursday and it was Dolly Parton’s A Coat of Many Colors) and Bubbles and Chalk Day (Friday). Her teacher announced that Wednesday will be their last virtual day (Thank the Lord!!).

BK and I did a lot of yard work over the weekend. I started to pressure wash our deck/pressure wash our outdoor furniture while he mowed and weed-whacked. Plus, we cleaned out under the deck (got rid of any/all toys that weren’t put away for the winter). We also made the discovery that we have a huge fire ant nest. For the time being, I told the kids to stay away from that area and we are going to pick up poison to kill them on the weekend. I also set up my birdbath, refilled the seeds/suet, and the dried corn for the squirrels.

I did do some reading over the weekend but only finished 1 book. BK and I discovered this new show on Netflix: Jupiter’s Legacy and we binged it this weekend. It is a very dark superhero series. We originally thought that it would be a good show for Mr. Z but decided that he probably shouldn’t watch it. I liked it. There is a huge twist during the last episode that made me go “WTF!!“

Also, because of my bingeathon, I didn’t work on any posts. I was too involved with the show to even think about it….lol.

How was your weekend? Anything interesting happen? Read any good books? Watch any good shows?

Let me know!!

What I am Reading Now:

This was a series I started mid-series in. I started at book 5 and finished the series out. So, I put books 1-4 on my TBR list and figured that I would get around to reading them. Well, here I am. I started reading this last night and I am about a chapter in and I am loving it. I had always wondered about Lovey and Marc’s relationship and how it got started. Now I know!!

What I plan on reading this week:

My reading order for this week is pretty set. My library book should be coming off hold at some point this week (I am #3 in the queue and they have 3 books that they are lending out). So, for this week, the reading order is TBR, TBR, Library, ARC.

WWW Wednesday: May 12th 2021

On 2021-05-12 By JolieIn book review4 Comments

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words .

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Personal:

Allergies and that awful cold has been banished from the house. Mr Z was the last one to get it and wouldn’t you know, he got it the worst. He is also my one kid that NEVER gets sick. So it figures that he got laid out with this cold.

Mr. Z has his end-of-grade testing coming up. He did his math today and ELA next week. I’m expecting him to pass both with flying colors. Put it this way, he has a 96 in Math and a 97 in ELA. His GPA is 4.0.

Miss B’s end-of-course testing starts next week. She has one EOG on the 24th. After that, she’s out of school. Well, according to her she’s out of school for the rest of that week. I do plan on emailing her EC (special Ed) teacher to confirm

Because Miss R is in 1st grade, they don’t do end-of-grade testing. Instead, they see how proficient the kids are in math, ELA, writing, and science/social studies. Because Miss R’s teacher contacted me last week, I know that she isn’t proficient in writing. Honestly, I am not that worried about it. I will work with her over the summer break (I got workbooks). Considering how messed up the school year was, I am happy that she is on grade level for everything else.

BK is in Baltimore/Washington D.C. this week. I am worried about how he is going to get home with the gas shortages. He took his company car there yesterday and had problems finding a gas station. He’s hoping that by tomorrow that there will be gas.

Speaking of the gas shortage, we’re good with gas. BK fills the cars (Dodge Journey and Dodge Grand Caravan) up every Saturday/Sunday. So, we’re good for a while if I only drive when I have to. They are expecting everything to be OKish by the weekend (according to the news).

BK and I finally got to watch another episode of The Nevers on Sunday. I am really enjoying that show. But, because of the shitstorm that is around Joss Whedon, I am wondering if it will be canceled….sigh. Hey, at least I still have The Magicians and Lovecraft County.

I have stopped playing Black Desert Online. The game got boring for me. I decided to redownload Elder Scrolls Online and play that. So far, I am liking it!!

I made Slow-Cooker Savory Roast Chicken and Vegetables with garlic mashed potatoes for supper last night. It was a bust. None of the kids ate it. Miss B didn’t like the taste of the chicken, Miss R didn’t like that there were mushrooms in it, and Mr. Z doesn’t like chicken, period. I thought it tasted good….shrug. Gotta love having picky kids.

Blog

I had posted this on Monday (on the IMWAYR post) but I am going to restate it here. I am finally able to edit my posts without having to scroll through all of them. I was so excited about that and I did about 5-6 posts before closing shop for the night. I am hoping to get all my posts edited/links fixed by the end of the summer!!

Reading:

I didn’t do a lot of reading last week. As I mentioned in that IMWAYR post, I had an awful migraine that lasted two days. Then it was my birthday/Mother’s day. Then on Monday, my Kindle died (that happens when you don’t charge it….lol). But I was able to finish one book last night and I am almost done with another.

What I Recently Finished Reading:

I wasn’t a huge fan of this book. I loved what was promised in the blurb. But once Anna and Jack got the symbiont, the book got very, very weird.

What I am currently reading:

I am enjoying this book, even though it isn’t quite what the blurb promised. Yes, October is a nurse but the blurb fails to mention that she has severe OCD. That is brought on by being raised by an abusive hoarder of a mother. As for her being an Omen, October wasn’t even aware of it until the night she met her mother’s new boyfriend. Other than that, I am loving it. Von is one of my favorite characters (the scene where he is trying not to feed on October was pretty funny…mainly because of what he was saying). Mason, I am not sure of, and I do NOT like Danny. He’s a little too free with his hands if you know what I mean.

What books I think I’ll read next:

I finally have new books on my TBR list for this next week. I will have a book come off hold from the library at some point this week, so I am including it on this week’s list. The order in which I will be reading these books are NetGalley ARC, Author ARC, Library book, TBR, TBR, TBR.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Nature on the Cover

On 2021-05-11 By JolieIn book review4 Comments

How it works:

I was happy that today’s TTT prompt was pretty easy. There are hundreds of books that have nature themes on their covers. I decided that I was going to use my library TBR and my NetGalley TBR for this prompt. If I don’t have enough on those, then onto my regular TBR!!

For nature covers, what do you like? Beaches? Woods? Flowers? Lakes? Let me know!!

So, here are my choices!! Enjoy

1. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren