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.
I get my best travel ideas from reading. Because of that, I have a list of countries and cities that I am burning to visit. So, here are my top 10 places that I want to visit that have been inspired by the books I have read.
Let me know if you have visited/want to visit any of these places!! Also, let me know if you have read the book!!
Enjoy!
1. Seattle, Washington — Forget Me Not by Alexandria Oliva
SixforSundays is a meme hosted by A Little But A Lot. Every month there is a theme and that is broken down on Sundays into categories.
This week’s theme is:
Books set in the country you live
When I saw today’s prompt (well yesterday’s because I didn’t go on my computer at all), I knew it was going to be easy. Why? Because I live in the United States and 90% of the books I read are set in there.
So enjoy!! And let me know what books are set in your country!!
Flesh and Blood by Willow Rose. Set in the small town of Shadow Hills in one of the midwestern states (not sure which on
2. Blue by H.J. Bellus: Mainly set at a fictional college in California. Blue traveled from Colorado and Tuck is from Arizona
This is my first weekly update in forever!! I put off doing these because I wasn’t doing a ton of reviews or getting any ARC’s. But now that I am back, I will start doing these again.
So enjoy!! And let me know if you have read any of these and if you enjoyed them!!
Helena Pelletier has a loving husband, two beautiful daughters, and a business that fills her days. But she also has a secret: she is the product of an abduction. Her mother was kidnapped as a teenager by her father and kept in a remote cabin in the marshlands of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Helena, born two years after the abduction, loved her home in nature, and despite her father’s sometimes brutal behavior, she loved him, too…until she learned precisely how savage he could be.
More than twenty years later, she has buried her past so soundly that even her husband doesn’t know the truth. But now her father has killed two guards, escaped from prison, and disappeared into the marsh. The police begin a manhunt, but Helena knows they don’t stand a chance. Knows that only one person has the skills to find the survivalist the world calls the Marsh King–because only one person was ever trained by him: his daughter.
I was a little let down by this book. The Marsh King’s Daughter was in my top 10 books that I wanted to read and I was thrilled when it came off hold at the library. Then I started reading it and my excitement waned. It was mainly because of Helena. I couldn’t stand her. I did feel bad for her because she was extremely damaged but that was about where my tolerance of her ended.
Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?
The faire is Simon’s family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn’t have time for Emily’s lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she’s in her revealing wench’s costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they’re portraying?
This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can’t seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.
I loved this book!! It made me almost pee my pants laughing (Emily’s explaining of her lack of boobs to Simon had me rolling) to crying (basicallythe last couple of chapters and the epilogue). It also made me miss the Ren Faire. It was cancelled last year and I am looking forward to going this fall.
Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most–a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen and or remain a human forever.
The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby–it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good–But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?
This was another book that I loved. The characters (even the secondary ones) were vibrant and full of life. I was rooting for both Elian and Lira to accomplish their quests (I know, messed up because of what Lira had to do). I also loved the snarky references to The Little Mermaid. But, it was the end that made the book for me. I went from sorrow to horror to sorrow to joy and back.
As a former cop turned private investigator, Annie Fitch hopes to never be in the line of fire again, so she’s expanded her business to include installing security systems. She’s thrilled to be hired by Preston Farr, a farmer with a vandalism problem on his family’s historic apple orchard and farm.
Preston’s roots in the community run deep. His family has held the same property in Leesburg, Virginia, since the 1700s. The two get to know each other over the course of the job. When Preston asks her out after the work is done, she accepts. After all, Annie’s on-again, off-again love affair with her childhood best friend, Ford, is currently off. Why should she mope until he decides it’s on again?
What she intended to be a fun, casual romp with Preston turns serious quickly when Annie’s newly installed security cameras record startling footage. Family secrets begin to unravel, echoing over two hundred years of heartache and violence.
Hidden Fury was an enjoyable read. Not going to say much about this book because I did write a review on it (see below). Everything I needed to say about it was said in the review.
House of Enchanted: The Revelations of Oriceran by Sarah Noffke, Martha Carr, and Michael Anderle
The Kingdom of Virgo has lived in peace for thousands of years…until now. The humans from Terran have always been real assholes to the witches of Virgo. Now a silent war is brewing, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Princess Azure will soon be crowned queen of the Kingdom of Virgo.
In the Dark Forest a powerful potion-maker has been murdered.
Charmsgood was the only wizard who could stop a deadly virus plaguing Virgo. He also knew about the devastation the people from Terran had done to the forest.
Azure must protect her people. Mend the Dark Forest. Create alliances with savage beasts. No biggie, right?
But on coronation day everything changes. Princess Azure isn’t who she thought she was and that’s a big freaking problem.
Welcome to The Revelations of Oriceran.
A magical world tied to Earth, and nothing like it.
I wasn’t a huge fan of House of Enchanted which surprised me. I had gone into reading it thinking that it would be a cute adventure or be something like Piers Anthony wrote. Nope, nothing like his works and it wasn’t exactly cute to read. I was disappointed because I have read books by all three authors and enjoyed them.
Jace Wilder has been rebuilding his life since the love of his life, Taryn, up and left town unexpectedly. But when she mysteriously returns, Jace’s dependable world comes crashing down. Taryn is hiding a dangerous secret, and no matter how hard he tries, Jace can’t stay away―especially when Taryn is at risk. And especially when the attraction he thought he’d buried long ago is back and hotter thanever. Will he be able to trust Taryn again?
Taryn Hillman’s world fell apart one horrifying night, and it’s never been the same since. When she sees a small chance at untangling herself, she takes it, though it means returning to Clearview – and seeing Jace again. But when he vows to protect her, will Taryn take a chance, and this time, never let him go?
I have had a really bad turn of luck with the last 3 books I have read (the one before, this one, and the one after). They have all been “meh” to me. Now, I am not going to go into detail about what was “meh” about A Cowboy Kind of Love. There’s a review coming the end of April and it will explain everything.
Blue Williams shines no matter the circumstance. -Prettiest in her hometown -Most talented cheerleader on her high school squad -Valedictorian of the senior class -Prom queen and runner up for Miss Teen Colorado And the list goes on…
That’s until college, when she finds out nobody recognizes her, and if they do they couldn’t care less. Blending in is something Blue has longed for her entire life. Living in a dorm with a set of new friends is just what she needed to escape her stale life back home. For the first time, she’s seen for her talent and not her name or looks.
Cheer is her number one priority, considering a full-ride scholarship landed her at a prestigious university, and she intends to take advantage of it. A true beauty inside and out, Blue’s heart has always pumped competitive blood.
Until one night changes her forever…the beauty is gone, and all she has left are nasty, ugly memories. The man who saved her has a story of his own, with ninety percent of his body scarred.
What happens when the Beauty falls for the Beast?
This is the last of the trio of books that I mentioned above. I had a love/hate relationship with this book. I loved it because it showcased mental health (Blue’s declined over the course of the book), bullying, and positive body image (Tuck learning to love his body). But at the same time, I hated it. Blue acted like a child for 90% of the book. She pushed Tuck into doing things he didn’t want to (sexually and it left a bad taste in my mouth after that scene). Oh and the language bothered me. Now, I am pretty relaxed with cursing and all that. But to read a teenager using that language in conversations with her parents?!? Yeah, it didn’t anything for me.
Fifteen-year-old RJ Armante has never known a life outside his dead-end hometown of Arcangel, CA. The Blackjacks still rule as they have for generations, luring the poorest kids into their monopoly on petty crime. For years, they’ve left RJ alone…until now.
When the Blackjacks come knocking, they want RJ to prey upon an old loner. But RJ is at his breaking point. It’s not just about the gang who rules the town. It’s about Charley, his younger brother, who is disabled. It’s about Roxanne, the girl he can’t reach. It’s about the kids in his crew who have nothing to live for. If RJ is to resist, he must fight to free Arcangel of its past.
I was super excited when I saw that the publisher had granted my wish on NetGalley!!! I have been a few reviews for this book. Almost everyone had loved it. I hope I do!!!
Tessa James has worked and planned tirelessly to open her own millinery shop. All she needs now is a loan from the lord who sired and abandoned her. The only problem is, she doesn’t even know his name. What’s a woman to do to find him but enter the aristocratic world by becoming a governess?
Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin, has returned to London after years abroad to discover that his young daughter Sophy has become a wild-child known for scaring away every governess who’s crossed his doorstep. When Tessa James applies for the job, he hires her in desperation despite his misgivings that she’s too bold and beautiful–and that she might be fibbing about her qualifications.
Their blooming attraction leads them on a completely unexpected path to love that neither wants to deny. But when an old enemy threatens Guy’s family, their forbidden romance goes up in flames. Can they still learn to love and trust each other as forces try to tear them apart?
I had been reading the Unlikely Duchess series and have been loving it. So, when I got the email from SMP asking to review it, I jumped on it. Hopefully it will be just as good as the first two books.
What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
Personal
I am on my 3rd round of antibiotics for this stupid bladder infection. I am hoping that this stuff kills it because I have no idea what will happen if it doesn’t.
Nothing going on in Miss R’s world. Same old stuff going on. I plan on her playing outside tomorrow and Thursday. It’s going to be in the 60’s here and she needs the exercise/fresh air.
Mr. Z has finished up all of his projects and is relieved. He’s hoping that his teachers (mainly his social studies and science) will give him a break with projects.
Miss B has her cardiologist appointment next Monday. She’s a little nervous (I don’t blame her) but we will finally get answers to what is going on.
I got a new laptop on Saturday and we got Miss B a new one on Sunday. In turn, Mr. Z got my gaming desktop and Miss R got Miss B’s touch screen 2 in one. It worked out for everyone. All 3 kids are thrilled with what they got and I love my laptop (gaming and I got an Alienware).
I still haven’t been watching much TV. I have been watching bits and pieces of Babylon 5 when BK watches it. I just don’t have the energy to watch it at night. I am wiped by 6pm.
I made Crockpot Lemon Pepper Chicken for supper on Monday (my weekly recipe) and served it with salad and white rice. It was OK. If I make it again, I will add more lemon pepper. Strangely enough, there wasn’t a strong lemon pepper taste and I used a ton of it. I plan on either making a Pioneer Woman recipe or an Ina Garten recipe. Not sure which ones, though.
Blog:
I have started updating my old blog posts. That consists of checking (and replacing) links, making sure that the book is still on Amazon (and removing the post if the book isn’t listed), updating the cover/blurb (and adding an alternative cover link if there are more than one cover), making sure that the tags are right, and adding the other books in the series. So, if you see any posts with the word “next” in the title, that is a hint to myself where I left off. It’s tedious but needs to be done.
My WordPress issue from last week has been resolved. But, like I said in that post, I changed my passwords and added two step verification. Still, it was weird.
Reading:
I still wasn’t feeling 100% over the weekend and didn’t read much. But, I did finish two books by Tuesday. Go me. I’m hoping to get back to reading regularly by the end of the week.
I recently finished reading:
One Kiss could be the Last
Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal—fit in at school, and go out on a real date with the gorgeous Zayne, whom she’s crushed on since forever. Trouble is, Zayne treats Layla like a sister—and Layla is anything but normal. She’s half demon, half gargoyle, with abilities no one els possesses. And even though Zayne is a Warden, part of the race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe, Layla’s kiss will kill anything with a soul—including him.
Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know her secrets. Though Layla knows she should stay away, it’s tough when that whole no-kissing thing isn’t an issue. Trusting Roth could ruin her chances with Zayne—and brand her a traitor to the Warden family that raised her. But as Layla discovers she’s the sole reason for a violent demon uprising, kissing the enemy suddenly pales in comparison to the looming end of the world.
I loved this book so much that I actually got mad when it ended. The storyline was original and the characters were wonderful. Plus, I couldn’t get enough of Roth. Or Layla. Or Roth and Layla. I didn’t like the triangle that was forming, though. Zayne just didn’t do it for me <shrug>.
What I am currently reading:
As a former cop turned private investigator, Annie Fitch hopes to never be in the line of fire again, so she’s expanded her business to include installing security systems. She’s thrilled to be hired by Preston Farr, a farmer with a vandalism problem on his family’s historic apple orchard and farm.
Preston’s roots in the community run deep. His family has held the same property in Leesburg, Virginia, since the 1700s. The two get to know each other over the course of the job. When Preston asks her out after the work is done, she accepts. After all, Annie’s on-again, off-again love affair with her childhood best friend, Ford, is currently off. Why should she mope until he decides it’s on again?
What she intended to be a fun, casual romp with Preston turns serious quickly when Annie’s newly installed security cameras record startling footage. Family secrets begin to unravel, echoing over two hundred years of heartache and violence.
I just started reading this book last night. So far, I like it. This is a review copy (book won’t be published until 2-2) and I realized Saturday that I needed to read it.
What books I think I’ll read next:
I had one book come off hold from the library. I am pretty excited to read this book. I had originally requested this on NetGalley and got turned down. After that book, I have 1 NetGalley ARC and 2 long term books that have been sitting on my TBR. The first 2 will definately be read. The TBR’s might not be gotten to until this weekend/early next week.
The mesmerizing tale of a woman who must risk everything to hunt down the dangerous man who shaped her past and threatens to steal her future: her father.
Helena Pelletier has a loving husband, two beautiful daughters, and a business that fills her days. But she also has a secret: she is the product of an abduction. Her mother was kidnapped as a teenager by her father and kept in a remote cabin in the marshlands of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Helena, born two years after the abduction, loved her home in nature, and despite her father’s sometimes brutal behavior, she loved him, too…until she learned precisely how savage he could be.
More than twenty years later, she has buried her past so soundly that even her husband doesn’t know the truth. But now her father has killed two guards, escaped from prison, and disappeared into the marsh. The police begin a manhunt, but Helena knows they don’t stand a chance. Knows that only one person has the skills to find the survivalist the world calls the Marsh King–because only one person was ever trained by him: his daughter.
Jace Wilder has been rebuilding his life since the love of his life, Taryn, up and left town unexpectedly. But when she mysteriously returns, Jace’s dependable world comes crashing down. Taryn is hiding a dangerous secret, and no matter how hard he tries, Jace can’t stay away―especially when Taryn is at risk. And especially when the attraction he thought he’d buried long ago is back and hotter thanever. Will he be able to trust Taryn again?
Taryn Hillman’s world fell apart one horrifying night, and it’s never been the same since. When she sees a small chance at untangling herself, she takes it, though it means returning to Clearview – and seeing Jace again. But when he vows to protect her, will Taryn take a chance, and this time, never let him go?
The Kingdom of Virgo has lived in peace for thousands of years…until now. The humans from Terran have always been real assholes to the witches of Virgo. Now a silent war is brewing, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Princess Azure will soon be crowned queen of the Kingdom of Virgo.
In the Dark Forest a powerful potion-maker has been murdered.
Charmsgood was the only wizard who could stop a deadly virus plaguing Virgo. He also knew about the devastation the people from Terran had done to the forest.
Azure must protect her people. Mend the Dark Forest. Create alliances with savage beasts. No biggie, right?
But on coronation day everything changes. Princess Azure isn’t who she thought she was and that’s a big freaking problem.
Welcome to The Revelations of Oriceran.
A magical world tied to Earth, and nothing like it.
Blue Williams shines no matter the circumstance. -Prettiest in her hometown -Most talented cheerleader on her high school squad -Valedictorian of the senior class -Prom queen and runner up for Miss Teen Colorado And the list goes on…
That’s until college, when she finds out nobody recognizes her, and if they do they couldn’t care less. Blending in is something Blue has longed for her entire life. Living in a dorm with a set of new friends is just what she needed to escape her stale life back home. For the first time, she’s seen for her talent and not her name or looks.
Cheer is her number one priority, considering a full-ride scholarship landed her at a prestigious university, and she intends to take advantage of it. A true beauty inside and out, Blue’s heart has always pumped competitive blood.
Until one night changes her forever…the beauty is gone, and all she has left are nasty, ugly memories. The man who saved her has a story of his own, with ninety percent of his body scarred.
What happens when the Beauty falls for the Beast?
For fans of Twilight and A Shade of Vampire comes a new addiction impossible to put down. “It’s like Riverdale meets Big Little Lies meets Romeo and Juliet, but with vampires!” What if you can’t trust your own family?
Robyn’s parents are ruining her life. As if their constant bickering and embarrassing behavior wasn’t bad enough, they’ve forbidden her from hanging out with her crush just when a flirty new girl moves to their block. Strangely enough, Robyn’s parents look the other way when her big brother breaks curfew… even after a local girl’s violent murder. With the neighborhood on high alert, strange sightings are on the rise and the accusations begin to fly. Between her brother’s nighttime excursions and her parents’ odd behavior, Robyn starts to worry that the killer may be living under her own roof. In a town where neighbor has turned against neighbor, deciding whom to trust with her dark fears could be a matter of life and death… Flesh and Blood is the first book in a fun and frightening series of romantic paranormal mysteries. If you like terrifying thrills, flesh and blood characters, and vampires without the sparkle, then you’ll love Willow Rose’s tale of suburban terror.
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 post 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.
