Saturday, October 24, 2020

Dewey's 24 Hour Fall Readathon Kick off & TBR

 It has been quite some time since I was last able to participate in Dewey's 4 Hour Readathon, thus is the life of a sports mom, but with the way things are now what better time to stay in and read?!


I am a little late in deciding to join so I am not officially signed up and I won't be updating here on the blog but if you want to follow along in my reading adventures, I will be updating throughout the day on my Instagram (@Easternsunset9) both in posts and stories.


Some Goals:
Read for at least 10 hours
Finish at least 6 books
Read the equivalent of 800 pages (much will be audio books)

TBR Pile
I have a few books already started that I would like to complete as well as a selection of short books, graphic novels and audio books to break up the hours.  I also hope to work on some of my current read, Dracula, but it might be a bit heavy for a long readathon. Anyway, here are a few of the books I have picked for my TBR:
Murder Past Due (Currently Reading): 100 Pages remaining
Serpent & Dove (Currently Reading): 230 pages remaining
Blind Search: 340 pages
Scrooged: 132 pages
Plum Crazy Vol. 3: 180 pages
Bookwyrms Vol. 1: 184 pages
Mistletoe Murder: 236 pages

I know I won't make it through all of those, but I want to give myself options.  Though I am noticing my choices mostly revolve around holiday books and murder or both LOL!


 Are you participating? What are you reading?


Here we go! I am kicking off with the audio book of Scrooged to get me through a few chores, this should take a couple hours, then I will probably break it up with a quick graphic novel before a snack and outdoors break.

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Friday, October 23, 2020

Bedtime Story: Drac & Frank A Happy Little Story by Jason L. Witter

 

Read for: TBR/ Children's Books

Synopsis: "Join Drac & Frank and all their friends as they search for THE KEY TO HAPPINESS & stuff."


My Review: I received this book through a Kickstarter quite some time ago and finally got around to reading it. This is a really cute little book. The illustrations are simple pencil sketches but fit really well with the style of book. The story is also a great one about discovering what makes others happy and you happy. Drac and Frank are sent on quite the quest as they try to find the secret to being happy. I really enjoyed this book and Munchkin has put it on his pile to read as well, definitely a book for all ages.


My Rating: This was such a cute and simple story but with big meaning behind it.  I really loved the style of the book as well and will be picking up more books by Witter. I give this one a rating of Three Paws and a Stump Wag.



Good Night! Sweet Dreams!

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Thursday, October 22, 2020

Review of Desdemona and the Deep by C.S.E. Cooney

 

Read for: Recently Added/ Audio Book

Synopsis: "In Desdemona and the Deep, the spoiled daughter of a rich mining family must retrieve the tithe of men her father promised to the world below. On the surface, her world is rife with industrial pollution that ruins the health of poor factory workers while the idle rich indulge themselves in unheard-of luxury. Below are goblins, mysterious kingdoms, and an entirely different hierarchy."

My Review: I was on the hunt for a good fall read, atmospheric, dark, twisty, etc. and then I stumbled upon this book. The cover instantly drew me in and I bought it without knowing much about it. If you are looking for a bit of a darker fae story, this is a great one to pick up. It was a short read and maybe I would have liked a little more time in the various kingdoms but it was a very satisfying read. It is a bit of a portal story and gave me Wayward Children vibes but it was definitely a darker tone. I was not a huge fan of Desdemona as a character but I think that was a bit intentional because she has a great character arc throughout the story. I loved the variety of characters we get in this story, both human and non-human, fae, goblins, etc. they are all so vivid. The world building is beautifully done, I loved the way the magic worked and the descriptions are so beautiful I can almost picture it in my mind; though I would LOVE a graphic novel of this book! I want to see all the costumes, clothes, settings and characters & creatures, for now I guess I will have to search out any fan art.

My Rating: For going into this not knowing anything, I was very pleasantly surprised.  I really enjoyed where the story took me and the variety of characters. I honestly just want more!  I give it a rating of Four Paws!

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Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Can't Wait for . . . Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore



Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hoste at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. If you're continuing with WOW, feel free to link those up as well! Find out more here.


I am so excited! I just found out that one of my all time favorite series is getting a new book in 2021! Not only that but the whole series is getting a new set of covers!! I am going to have to find more room on my shelves because I need them all, US & UK to add to my collection!  I had to add both covers, the first is the US and the second is the UK cover.



 
Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore
Release Date: January 19, 2021



Synopsis: "Four years after Bitterblue left off, a new land has been discovered to the east: Torla; and the closest nation to Monsea is Winterkeep. Winterkeep is a land of miracles, a democratic republic run by people who like each other, where people speak to telepathic sea creatures, adopt telepathic foxes as pets, and fly across the sky in ships attached to balloons.

But when Bitterblue’s envoys to Winterkeep drown under suspicious circumstances, she and Giddon and her half sister, Hava, set off to discover the truth–putting both Bitterblue’s life and Giddon’s heart to the test when Bitterbue is kidnapped. Giddon believes she has drowned, leaving him and Hava to solve the mystery of what’s wrong in Winterkeep.

Lovisa Cavenda is the teenage daughter of a powerful Scholar and Industrialist (the opposing governing parties) with a fire inside her that is always hungry, always just nearly about to make something happen. She is the key to everything, but only if she can figure out what’s going on before anyone else, and only if she’s willing to transcend the person she’s been all her life."



How do you feel about authors reviving old series, sometimes that have been completed for years? Most of the time I have no desire to pick up new books, but I am dying for this one.  I am so hoping for Fire and Brigan to be in this one, I need more of them!  

Either way, who is up for a re-read with me in December & January?!
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Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Review of Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

 

Read for: Recommended/Borrowed Books/Audio Book

Synopsis: "R is having a no-life crisis—he is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he is a little different from his fellow Dead. He may occasionally eat people, but he’d rather be riding abandoned airport escalators, listening to Sinatra in the cozy 747 he calls home, or collecting souvenirs from the ruins of civilization.

And then he meets a girl.

First as his captive, then his reluctant guest, Julie is a blast of living color in R’s gray landscape, and something inside him begins to bloom. He doesn't want to eat this girl—although she looks delicious—he wants to protect her. But their unlikely bond will cause ripples they can’t imagine, and their hopeless world won’t change without a fight."


My Review: There is nothing quite like zombies around Halloween (especially in 2020) and this book is one of my friend's favorites, so it was about time I give it a try. It definitely wasn't quite what I was expecting but it was really enjoyable. The unique perspective of R was intriguing and kept me reading. It definitely wasn't a scary or spooky book by any means, it did have some rather gross, decomposing bodies and zombies eating, moments but really nothing too disturbing. Julie was a fun character, full of spitfire and courage. I really enjoyed the way the story developed, the story arc and twists kept the pages turning and me interested in where the story was going. I don't know if I would be interested in continuing the series because it was a rather satisfying ending with an note of hope at the end, and I rather liked where it left off.


My Rating: This book was just unusual and unique enough for me to really enjoy it. It was not at all what I expected and it was definitely worth the read.  I give it a rating of Three Paws and a Stump Wag!

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Monday, October 19, 2020

Monday Reading List

  It is Monday again and it is time to update with what I read last week, what I am currently reading and what to look forward to next week.



Reviews Posted Last Week:
Links will take you to my review



 Books Finished Last Week:
Reviews will be posted at a later date

Barking Up the Wrong Tree
Maids
Every Dog Has His Day
Rhett's Make Believe Marriage


Currently Reading:

Murder Past Due by Miranda James - Print - on page 93 of  294



Pages Read/ Time Listened
805:02 Hours Listened (17:57 listened this week)
25,028 Pages Read (425 This week)

Books Added to Shelves Recently: TBR
The Eyes of Tamburah (gift)
The Wolf in the Whale
~~~~~~~~~~March Birthday Waiver Books ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Rain Dragon Rescue
The Order of the Unicorn
All the Wandering Light
Life on the Leash
Phoenix Unbound
You Can't F*ck Up Your Kids  (gift) - READ
Mary Shelley Monster Hunter Vol. 1 - READ
The Caged Queen
The Mum Who'd Had Enough
The Voyage to Magical North
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End Birthday Waiver~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scavenge the Stars
Beefcakes
Hades & Persephone
Dark Skies
No Country for Old Gnomes (gift)
About That Kiss
The Girl and the Stars
A Choir of Lies
Loving Cara
Girl of Fire & Thorns (gift)
Murder Past Due
Fury of a Phoenix
Homicide in Hardcover (gift)
Unravel the Dusk
Ruthless Gods
Gnomes - READ
Comfort Food - READ
Maids - READ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


How did this week fly by so quickly?!  I got to read some really great books this last week and it seemed like I read a lot more than I actually did.  It was a busy week getting ready for my first card sale of the season, followed in 2 weeks by my 2nd sale. I have been busting my butt to get enough inventory created for both sales, and am happy that I have nearly 150 cards created and ready for sale! Lucky for me, audio books make great crafting companions and I have been listening while I work.  I am excited for the next couple of books I have downloaded.  I am having fun reading the combination of spooky, darker reads, broken up with some fun holiday romances and feel good books. 

One thing I do need to get done is some reviews, I have over 15 reviews to write, then I can finally get back to posting regularly on here. I promise to get right on that tomorrow morning.  For now I am working from home since Munchkin has a home day today, so I best get some work done so maybe we will have time to read later.
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