Bookish Travels—September 2023 Destinations

I saw this meme on It’s All About Books and thought, I like this!! So, I decided to do it once a month also. Many thanks to Yvonne for initially posting this!!

This post is what it says: Places I travel to in books each month. Books are lovely and take you to places you would never get to. That includes places of fantasy too!!

Bon Voyage!!

Please let me know if you have read these books or traveled to these areas.

Countries I visited the most: United States, Utopian Sects of America, England

States I visited the most: New York, Georgia, Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania

Cities I visited the most: New York City, Los Angeles, Capitol City, Base Nain, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Buffalo


Morning Realms

Zanhei, Old Changxi, Flower Town

United States

New York (New York City, Brooklyn, Mount Kisco, Yorktown Heights, Brewster, Poughkeepsie, Hudson, Amsterdam, Utica, Syracuse, Seneca Falls, Medina, Buffalo, Niagra Falls), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
Unknown state (Wyndy Hallows, Golden City, Forrest Heights), New York (New York City), Massachusetts, Louisiana (New Orleans)
Georgia (Peridot)
Georgia (Atlanta), Washington D.C.
California (Los Angeles), Oregon (Verdana)
Illinois (Chicago)
Virginia (Fairfax)
Massachusetts (Boston, Watertown), California (Los Angeles, Venice, Santa Monica)
California (San Fransisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Sonoma)
New York (Rudolph)
New York (New York City)
Pennsylvania (Glenhaven, Philadelphia)
Georgia (Atlanta), New York (New York City, Buffalo), Missouri (Saint Louis, Springfield, Cedar Wood), Nevada (Las Vegas), Florida (Miami), Connecticut (Stamford), Florida (Haynes)

France

Paris

The Netherlands

Amsterdam

Germany

Berlin

The Czech Republic

Prague

The Federated States of Polynesia

Samoa

Cuba

Havana

Unknown Planet

Nameless Run, Comez, Vine, Grenshtepple

England

London

Utopian Sects of America

Capitol City
Base Nain
Base Nain, Capitol City
The Capitol
The Capitol

Papua New Guinea

Irian Jaya, Wamena

The Atlantic Ocean


Tantalus 13

September 2023 Wrap-Up

Here is what I read/posted/won/received/bought in September.

As always, let me know if you have read any of these books and (if you did) what you thought of them.


Books I Read:


Books I got from NetGalley:


Books I got from Authors/Indie Publishers:


Giveaway Winners


Books Reviewed:

A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander—review coming October 3rd (4 stars)

Guardians of Dawn: Zahara by S. Jae-Jones—review here (5 stars)

The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner—review here (4 stars)

Death by a Thousand Sips by Gretchen Rue—review here (4 stars)

Have You Seen My Sister by Kirsty McKay—review here (3 stars)

Night of the Living Queers by Shelly Page—review here (4 stars)

A Dragon’s Dyne by Brett Salter—review here (4 stars)

The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord—review here (2 stars)

Seams Deadly by Maggie Bailey—review here (3 stars)

Fly with Me by Andie Burke—review here (4 stars)

In Darkness: The Werewolf by L. Diane Wolfe—review here (4 stars)

Scenes of the Crime by Jilly Gagnon—review here (3 stars)

Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz—review here (4 stars)

The Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff—review coming October 24th, 2023 (4 stars)

Dreambound by Dan Frey—review here (4 stars)

Dream Shatter by Ann Hunter—review here (4 stars)

Dream Runner by Ann Hunter—review here (4 stars)

Sandymancer by David Edison—review here (3 stars)

The Golden Gate by Amy Chua—review here (4 stars)

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany—review here (4 stars)

Dream Watcher by Ann Hunter—review here (4 stars)

Dream Giver by Ann Hunter—review here (4 stars)

Dream Rising by Ann Hunter—review here (4 stars)


Reading Challenges:

August

2023 TBR Toppler (a book by a LGBTIA+ author)—One Last Stop

2023 Monthly Themes (August: A book set in Asia)—Diffusion

2023 Reading Challenge (a book in your least read genre)—They Called Us Enemy

2023 ABC Challenge (H)—Heartbreaker


Books I bought:

Falling to Centerpieces by Ellie Cahill

Grim’s Little Reaper by Raisa Greywood

Bowled Over Americano by Carolyn Arnold

The Devil I Don’t Know by L.K. Shaw

Marshal in Petticoats by Paty Jager

A Touch of Midnight by Lara Adrian

True Colors by Thea Harrison

Double Crossed by Ally Carter

Salt in the Wound by Sierra Simone

Show Me How to Love You by Jasmine Haynes

Revenge by Jasmine Haynes

Second Chance Ranch by Jenna Hendricks

Finding Love in Montana by Jenna Hendricks

The Ghost Files by Apryl Baker

A Little Wilder by Serena Bell

The Wolf and the Witch by Claire Delacroix

Flirting with the Playboy by Gia Stevens

In All My Wishes by Ciara Knight

Free Fall by Brad Thor

Epilogue II: A Bonus Chapter to Hidden Order by Brad Thor

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

The Witch Sisters by Alma Katsu

Lover’s Knot by Karen Chance

On Basilisk Station by David Weber

Captive in the Dark by C.J. Roberts

Red at Night by Katie McGarry

Dream Runner (Dream Runners: Book 2) by Ann Hunter

Publisher: Rebel House Ink

Date of publication: February 1st, 2022

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance

Series: Dream Runners

Dream Shatter—Book 1 (review here)

Dream Runner—Book 2

Dream Watcher—Book 3

Dream Giver—Book 4

Dream Rising—Book 5

Dream Legacy—Book 6

Purchase Links: Kindle

Goodreads Synopsis:

Logan Kent is abandoning everything he knows.

Logan’s parents have failed to recruit him into the folds of The Circle– a secret society puppeteering the government and forming a utopia by stealing the dreams of its citizens.
Unrest has broken out between The Capitol and the rebel faction, Anyone. Now Logan is running away with Reina, a medicine thief from Anyone, to escape the oppression of The Circle and find refuge with those still clinging to their free will.
Danger awaits between the quiet outlying Heartlands and an arid expanse where few dare cross. Will they reach the last major rebel outpost in the country before The Circle starts hunting them down?

Fans of The Matrix, Inception, and The Giver have been dreaming of this series for a long time coming.


First Line:

I didn’t want to let go…but I did.

Dream Runner by Ann Hunter

Logan wants nothing to do with his parents or The Circle. With Reina, the medicine thief from Anyone, they decide to run away from The Capitol and the oppression that The Circle creates. They are running towards Base Nain, which some think is a myth. But the voice in his head and Reina’s belief says otherwise. To get to Base Nain, Logan and Reina must travel across an arid expanse filled with danger, human and otherwise. Will Logan and Reina find Base Nain? Or will they be hunted down by The Circle?

If you haven’t read Dream Shatter, I suggest leaving this review, picking up Dream Shatter, reading it, and coming back here. Why? There will be some spoilers, and I don’t want to ruin Dream Shatter for anyone. Don’t worry; this review will be here when you get back.

Now that I said that, back to the review.

Dream Runner is book 2 in the Dream Runners series. This book is not stand-alone. You need to read book one before you pick this one up. Essential details and events will be discussed in Dream Runner that will confuse you if you don’t read Dream Shatter first.

I rarely do this, but I will put up a trigger warning here (it is also a spoiler, so skip it if you don’t want to read it). The warning is attempted rape and violence. A senior officer of the Duners almost rapes Reina before Logan can get to her. There is also a lot of violence in this book. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading this book.

The main storyline for Dream Runner centers around Reina, Logan, and their quest to find Base Nain. It is a fast-moving storyline that has zero lag. It was also well written, with characters I am starting to care about and others I wonder about.

The storyline with Reina, Logan, and their quest to find Base Nain was fascinating. The author added layers to a world I am already fascinated with because of what happened in The Capitol. Reina and Logan never got time to grieve (Reina for her brother and people, Logan for his best friend). Instead, they struck out and evaded capture several times during the book, each more harrowing than the other. I did get a sick feeling in my stomach when the Duners (think Mad Max but more tech-savvy) caught Logan and Reina. I got even more disgusted when I realized what the group leader had planned for her. By the time they arrived at Base Nain, they were battered, emotionally and physically.

I adored Logan in this book. He went from being somewhat useless in book 1 (he was!!) to becoming Reina’s hero in Dream Runner. When Reina was injured, Logan became her backbone. When the Duners captured them, Logan fought with everything he had. He ended up saving Reina from being raped. When The Capitol found them in the dust storm, Logan was the one to lead her through the dust storm and carry her into Base Nain.

I wanted to hug Reina. She had witnessed her brother being killed by The Capitol, her underground village (with the people in it) being destroyed by acid, her arm dislocated when Logan rescued her from the sand, and a Duner nearly raped her. It was a wonder that she wasn’t screaming when they entered Base Nain. It showed how strong she was and how determined she was to get to the base.

The romance angle was adorable and wasn’t mentioned until Logan and Reina arrived at George’s farm. Then, I saw more and more of Logan falling in love with Reina. Of course, I couldn’t see if Reina had feelings for him back until almost the end of the book.

The end of Dream Runner ended on another cliffhanger. She dropped the doozy of all twists right before the author finished the book. I was not expecting what was revealed, and neither was Logan. I had to read those last words twice before they sunk in. It made me very excited to read book 3.

I would recommend Dream Runner to anyone over 16. There is language and violence. There are no sexual situations. There are trigger warnings (the attempted rape is off-page).

Many thanks to Ann Hunter for allowing me to read and review Dream Runner. All opinions stated in this review are mine.


If you enjoy reading books similar to Dream Runner, then you will enjoy these:


Other books by Ann Hunter

WWW Wednesday: September 13th, 2023

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?

Here is what I am currently reading, recently finished, and plan to read from Thursday to Wednesday.

Let me know if you have read or are planning on reading any of these books!!

Happy Reading!!


What I am currently reading:

Mess Hopkins, proprietor of the seen-better-days Fairfax Manor Inn, never met a person in need who couldn’t use a helping hand—his helping hand. So he’s thrown open the doors of the motel to the homeless, victims of abuse, or anyone else who could benefit from a comfy bed with clean sheets and a roof overhead. This rankles his parents and uncle, who technically still own the place and are more concerned with profits than philanthropy.

When a mother and her teenage boy seek refuge from an abusive husband, Mess takes them in until they can get back on their feet. Shortly after arriving, the mom goes missing and some very bad people come sniffing around, searching for money they claim belongs to them. Mess tries to pump the boy for helpful information, but he’s in full uncooperative teen mode—grunts, shrugs, and monosyllabic answers. From what he does learn, Mess can tell he’s not getting the straight scoop. It’s not long before the boy vanishes too. Abducted? Run away? Something worse? And who took the missing money? Mess, along with his friend Vell Jackson and local news reporter Lia Katsaros, take to the streets to locate the missing mother and son—and the elusive, abusive husband—before the kneecapping loansharks find them first.


What I recently finished reading:

Daniel Rosenberg and Liyah Cohen-Jackson’s last conversation—fourteen years ago at summer camp—ended their friendship. Until they find themselves seated next to each other on a plane, and bitterly pick up right where they left off. At least they can go their separate ways again after landing…

That is, until Daniel’s marketing firm gets hired by the Chicago museum where Liyah works as a junior curator, and they’re forced to collaborate with potential career changing promotions on the line.

With every meeting and post-work social gathering with colleagues, the tension (and chemistry) between Daniel and Liyah builds until they’re forced to confront why they broke apart years ago at camp. But as they find comfort in their shared experiences as Jews of color and fumble towards friendship, can they ignore their growing feelings for each other?

With sexy charm and undeniable wit, Rachel Runya Katz’s sparkling debut, Thank You For Sharing, proves that if you’re open to love, anything is possible.


What I think I will read next:

In this thrilling contemporary fantasy novel, a father must uncover the secret magical underbelly of Los Angeles to find his daughter, who has seemingly disappeared into the fictional universe of her favorite fantasy series.

When Byron Kidd’s twelve-year-old daughter vanishes, the only clue left behind is a note claiming she’s taken off to explore the Hidden World, a magical land from a series of popular novels. She is not the only child to seek out this imaginary realm in recent years, and Byron—a cynical and hard-nosed reporter—is determined to discover the whereabouts of dozens of missing kids.

Byron secures a high-profile interview with Annabelle Tobin, the eccentric author of the books, and heads off to her palatial home in the Hollywood Hills. But the truth Byron discovers is more fantastical than he ever could have dreamed.

As he uncovers locations from the books that seem to be bleeding into the real world, he must shed his doubts and dive headfirst into the mystical secrets of Los Angeles if he ever hopes to reunite with his child. Soon Byron finds himself on his own epic journey—but if he’s not careful, he could be the next one to disappear…

Told through journal entries, transcripts, emails, and excerpts from Tobin’s novels, Dreambound is a spellbinding homage to Los Angeles and an immersive

he Circle is robbing the dreams of its citizens.

In Logan Kent’s world, disease, hunger, and war have all been resolved by the dreams of its citizens thanks to nanobots developed and implanted into everyone as newborns. At least, that’s how it seems…

Now The Circle wants Logan to join their fold and continue the utopia they’ve created. He has no reason to distrust his parents—high ranking members in The Circle—until he meets Reina, a girl from the exiled faction “Anyone,” who refuse to give up their free will.

Logan begins to question everything he knows and loves. Can the girl be trusted—especially when she’s a medicine thief skulking around Capitol City—or is it really true that peace can only be maintained beneath The Circle’s rule?

Fans of The Matrix, Inception, and The Giver have been dreaming of this series for a long time coming.

Logan Kent is abandoning everything he knows.

Logan’s parents have failed to recruit him into the folds of The Circle– a secret society puppeteering the government and forming a utopia by stealing the dreams of its citizens.
Unrest has broken out between The Capitol and the rebel faction, Anyone. Now Logan is running away with Reina, a medicine thief from Anyone, to escape the oppression of The Circle and find refuge with those still clinging to their free will.

Danger awaits between the quiet outlying Heartlands and an arid expanse where few dare cross. Will they reach the last major rebel outpost in the country before The Circle starts hunting them down?

Fans of The Matrix, Inception, and The Giver have been dreaming of this series for a long time coming.

Amy Chua’s debut novel, The Golden Gate, is a sweeping, evocative, and compelling historical thriller that paints a vibrant portrait of a California buffeted by the turbulent crosswinds of a world at war and a society about to undergo massive change.

In Berkeley, California, in 1944, Homicide Detective Al Sullivan has just left the swanky Claremont Hotel after a drink in the bar when a presidential candidate is assassinated in one of the rooms upstairs. A rich industrialist with enemies among the anarchist factions on the far left, Walter Wilkinson could have been targeted by any number of groups. But strangely, Sullivan’s investigation brings up the specter of another tragedy at the Claremont, ten years the death of seven-year-old Iris Stafford, a member of the Bainbridge family, one of the wealthiest in all of San Francisco. Some say she haunts the Claremont still.

The many threads of the case keep leading Sullivan back to the three remaining Bainbridge heiresses, now Iris’s sister, Isabella, and her cousins Cassie and Nicole. Determined not to let anything distract him from the truth―not the powerful influence of Bainbridges’ grandmother, or the political aspirations of Berkeley’s district attorney, or the interest of China’s First Lady Madame Chiang Kai-Shek in his findings―Sullivan follows his investigation to its devastating conclusion.

Chua’s page-turning debut brings to life a historical era rife with turbulent social forces and groundbreaking forensic advances, when race and class defined the very essence of power, sex, and justice, and introduces a fascinating character in Detective Sullivan, a mixed race former Army officer who is still reckoning with his own history.

September 2023 TBR

Books for Review:


The StoryGraph Reading Challenge books

Buzzword Reading Challenge 2023—game related words in the title, from game itself to games like chess, checkers, cards, twister…to words related to games like first, last, win, lose, race, chase, clubs, spades, diamonds etc.
2023 Sami Parker Reads Title Challenge—A book that has a rhyme in the title

Cover Scavenger Hunt 2023—Glasses/Sunglasses

The StoryGraph Reads the World 2023—Syria

The StoryGraph Genre Challenge 2023—A horror or mystery book written by a woman or nonbinary author

Beat the Backlist 2023—Non-fiction just for fun

Scavenger Hunt TBR Book Challenge—Flip to any page in the book you just read and point to a random word. The next book title should have that word in the title (my word: tears)

Scavenger Hunt—A book about your favorite school subject or unit (my choice: history)

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2023—A book with a color in the title

2023 TBR Toppler—A non-Fiction Book

2023 Monthly Themes—Stop and catch up on TBRs

2023 Reading Challenge—The Longest Book on my TBR

2023 ABC Challenge—I

Romanceopoly 2023!—Slow burn or fast burn contemporary romance
2023 TBR Prompts—A book with multiple generations