Tag: Anna Bailey

WWW Wednesday: May 5th 2021

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments
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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 are easing up here (thank God!!). I haven’t taken an allergy pill in a little over 2 days and I am hoping that we’re over the hump.

With Miss B and Miss R being back in school, I knew that sickness was right around the corner. And oh man, has it hit our household. Everyone (except me, I think I have Mom immunity) has gotten this awful cold. It started with Miss R last Wednesday and by Sunday, BK got it. I’ll admit, I did get a little nervous when I heard the coughing. But, all symptoms were knocked out by Dayquil and everyone (except BK who is on day 3) was over it in 4 days.

Miss B found out that she will not have to take her World History final exam. She was thrilled about that. She does wish that she didn’t have to take her Math 1 or honors ELA exams.

Mr Z takes his exams starting next Wednesday. He only has to take Math and ELA. He has to go to the school and take the test. On a Wednesday (they are virtual here on Wednesdays). At 730 in the morning. Lucky for him (or not lucky depending on how you look at it), I am up by 615 on the weekdays and will be able to wake him up fairly early.

Miss R is still loving school. Her favorite classes: Music (and I like her music class too) with Art being a very close second. She has a boy in her class who likes her….lol.

BK is still traveling. He is off to Atlanta, DC, North Dakota, and NYC this month. I am enjoying the peace during the day (and at night). The only place he hasn’t been is North Dakota and he is excited about going. I told him to take pictures (I live through him).

I haven’t been watching a ton of TV. BK and I did sneak in an episode of Lovecraft County over the weekend. I had nightmares about the ghosts in Letty’s house and what was done to them. Shudder.I am still playing BDO and my games on my phone. My huge generation on BitLife died out yesterday. I was super sad because I was on generation 83.

I made Slow-Cooker Pork Burrito Bowls last night. I wasn’t a huge fan of it. It was the lettuce. If I made it again, I would leave the lettuce out.

Blog

Same old thing going on with the blog. I have had zero motivation with fixing it up.

Reading

I read 4 books between last Wednesday and yesterday. Yay me!!!

What I Recently Finished Reading:

Book Cover
The town of Whistling Ridge guards its secrets.

When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened. The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn’t believe that her friend would leave without her, and when officers find disturbing evidence in the nearby woods, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail’s family and the people of Whistling Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences.

Among those secrets: Abi’s older brother Noah’s passionate, dangerous love for the handsome Rat, a recently arrived Romanian immigrant who has recently made his home in the trailer park in town; her younger brother Jude’s feeling that he knows information he should tell the police, if only he could put it into words; Abi’s father’s mercurial, unpredictable rages and her mother’s silence. Then there is the rest of Whistling Ridge, where a charismatic preacher advocates for God’s love in language that mirrors violence, under the sway of the powerful businessman who rules the town, insular and wary of outsiders.

But Abi had secrets, too, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling the past, the farther she feels from her friend. And in a tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark—the truth of what really happened that night—to change their community forever.

I am not going to say too much about this book except it evoked very strong emotions while reading it. Not saying I didn’t like it but there are some strong themes running through this book that kept me up after I finished it. Mainly because there are still towns and people out there that act like the people in this book and it scares me.

What I am currently reading:

Book Cover
Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious race that we only know as the Overseers took primitive humans and scattered them on dozens of worlds across the galaxy. Now, some of those people have found their way back to Earth. A young Justice Keeper named Anna Lenai has tracked a criminal through unexplored regions of space in the hopes of recovering a symbiont that grants its host the ability to bend space and time. Her search leads her to Earth, where she befriends a young man named Jack Hunter. Together, they will face enemies with advanced technology as they struggle to recover the symbiont before its power falls into the wrong hands.

I am finally reading this book!! I only got into a couple of pages before I fell asleep but yay!!

What books I think I’ll read next:

I am finally getting to the books that have been on my TBR forever!! The order in which I will read them are: TBR, ARC, and TBR. I do have a book that can possibly come off hold this week. If it does, I will read it before the other TBRs.

Book Cover
What to do when your crush turns out to be a monster (and other such problems).

Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shapeshifting warrior and a half-vampire plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.
Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.
Book Cover
At twenty-six, Dahlia Lighthouse has a lot to learn when it comes to the real world. Raised in a secluded island mansion deep in the woods and kept isolated by her true crime-obsessed parents, she has spent the last several years living on her own, but unable to move beyond her past—especially the disappearance of her twin brother Andy when they were sixteen.

With her father’s death, Dahlia returns to the house she has avoided for years. But as the rest of the Lighthouse family arrives for the memorial, a gruesome discovery is made: buried in the reserved plot is another body—Andy’s, his skull split open with an ax.

Each member of the family handles the revelation in unusual ways. Her brother Charlie pours his energy into creating a family memorial museum, highlighting their research into the lives of famous murder victims; her sister Tate forges ahead with her popular dioramas portraying crime scenes; and their mother affects a cheerfully domestic façade, becoming unrecognizable as the woman who performed murder reenactments for her children. As Dahlia grapples with her own grief and horror, she realizes that her eccentric family, and the mansion itself, may hold the answers to what happened to her twin.
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As the captain of the Chicago Aces, Marc Dupuis is all business. The apartment he shares with his teammate and best friend, Duncan, is a refuge from the pressures of fame. But when the sexiest woman he’s ever seen interrupts his early morning coffee wearing only a skimpy cami and matching panties, Marc can’t exactly say he minds. Their chemistry is off the charts. Unfortunately, this girl’s no random puck bunny. She’s Duncan’s little sister—and she’s moving in.

Lovey Armstrong could stare at Marc’s chiseled abs and listen to his French-Canadian accent all day. She just has no idea what’s going on inside his head: When he’s not charming her pants off, Marc makes a Zamboni machine seem warm and cuddly. Lovey knows the team’s bro code says no messing with sisters, but all these mixed messages are hard on a girl’s self-esteem—especially since she’s finally getting her new life together in Chicago. She decides he’s worth another shot . . . because if anyone can melt the ice around Marc’s heart, it’s Lovey.
Book Cover
Can a broken Alpha save her from the Big Bad wolves?

Lucas has lost his mate, and he’ll never claim another—his kind of broken can’t be fixed. He’s still alpha enough to rescue a young woman from the predatory Red wolf pack, but when she shows up at his office—as his sexy new intern—she stirs up feelings that need to stay buried…

Mia’s just trying to earn her degree and dig her way out of poverty. Keeping her shifter nature secret is key, but her internship at the hottest dot-com development firm in Seattle also has the hottest boss… and he’s a wolf. Who just happened to save her life.

She’d break all the rules for this guy—except he wants nothing to do with her. And the wolves who do are the Big Bad Wolf kind. The kind she’s always heard about.

Mia’s in the middle of a pack war with nowhere to turn… but to the one guy who doesn’t want her at all.
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Leaving the Navy after the death of his best friend in the line of duty, ex-SEAL Ben Harper has returned home in search of some form of normalcy. He’s good at hiding his thoughts and feelings and is positive he has everyone around him fooled. After all, no one ever brings his service career up to him, and he likes it that way.
Presley James is drawn to the new Director of Security at the hospital where she works, just like every other nurse and employee in the building. Tall, dark, dangerous and sexy as hell. With a wicked grin and happy hello for everyone—he is a total contradiction. After spending most of her life caring for people, something about Ben is pulling at her. Something about his smile just doesn’t equal up to the rest of him. No matter how hard he tries, she isn’t fooled.
Will she be able to help him find his way when her own baggage is more than even she can handle?
Mature content, not intended for under 18 years of age.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

~ Jolie ~ 6 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 hope your weekends were fantabulous and you were able to get stuff done.

My weekend was good. On Saturday, we went to a local compact (I believe that is the name for it) zoo called Zootastic. It is around 45 mins (give or take because of traffic). The last time we went to this zoo was around 3 years ago and we didn’t have a great time. Most of the exhibits weren’t up and they were renovating the place. Well, this time, it was awesome. They had double to animals that they had. We even saw a pregnant kangaroo with a joey in its pouch. The kids had a blast. We got home and hung out for the rest of the day.

Sunday, BK decided he was going to start building a patio area. So, we went, got 24 paving stones and laid them out in roughly the area we want to build it. We have to get 20 (or so) more before it is finished. We also decided to get a squirrel baffle for one of the bird feeders. We also go more suet, a corn holder for the squirrels, sandpaper, buckets, and gardening glove. He also made his own baffle. He cut a hole in a pot that we weren’t using, put it on top of a clamp, and zip tied the area shut. They haven’t been able to get up it. The sandpaper, buckets and gloves were for something different. We had gone gem mining at the zoo and the kids wanted to polish the gems they got. So, they did that while BK and I set all the bird stuff up in the back.

I did read this weekend. But it wasn’t any of the books on my Currently Reading list. Instead, I have been reading The Birding Pro’s Field Guide: Birds of North Carolina. I used to be an avid birdwatcher but stopped when we moved to NC. Now that we have the feeders up, I plan on using that guide. But, I am also reading through it.

I put The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue on hold at the library. Any guesses at where I am on the hold list? I am 533 out of 552 people waiting and they have 19 copies with 29 people waiting per copy. I was amazed when I saw that number. See, I have never put a “hot” book on hold before. I got a little laugh from that.

So, how was your weekend? Read anything good? Any great adventures?

What I am Reading Now:

Book Cover
As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

What I plan on reading this week:

The order I plan on reading the books are: Library, ARC, TBR.

Book Cover
Everyone has a secret they’ll do anything to hide…

Twenty-five years ago, the body of sixteen-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa—discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold.

For decades Maggie was haunted by Eve’s death and that horrible night. Now a detective in Grotto, and seven months pregnant, she is thrust back into the past when a new piece of evidence surfaces and the case is reopened. As Maggie investigates and reexamines the clues, secrets about what really happened begin to emerge. But someone in town knows more than they’re letting on, and they’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth buried deep.
Book Cover
The town of Whistling Ridge guards its secrets.

When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened. The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn’t believe that her friend would leave without her, and when officers find disturbing evidence in the nearby woods, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail’s family and the people of Whistling Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences.

Among those secrets: Abi’s older brother Noah’s passionate, dangerous love for the handsome Rat, a recently arrived Romanian immigrant who has recently made his home in the trailer park in town; her younger brother Jude’s feeling that he knows information he should tell the police, if only he could put it into words; Abi’s father’s mercurial, unpredictable rages and her mother’s silence. Then there is the rest of Whistling Ridge, where a charismatic preacher advocates for God’s love in language that mirrors violence, under the sway of the powerful businessman who rules the town, insular and wary of outsiders.

But Abi had secrets, too, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling the past, the farther she feels from her friend. And in a tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark—the truth of what really happened that night—to change their community forever.
Book Cover
Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious race that we only know as the Overseers took primitive humans and scattered them on dozens of worlds across the galaxy. Now, some of those people have found their way back to Earth. A young Justice Keeper named Anna Lenai has tracked a criminal through unexplored regions of space in the hopes of recovering a symbiont that grants its host the ability to bend space and time. Her search leads her to Earth, where she befriends a young man named Jack Hunter. Together, they will face enemies with advanced technology as they struggle to recover the symbiont before its power falls into the wrong hands.
Book Cover
What to do when your crush turns out to be a monster (and other such problems).

Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shapeshifting warrior and a half-vampire plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.
Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.