Month: September 2019

September Reading Plans

~ megs14malloy ~ 2 Comments

Coming out of a very successful ‘ARC August’-themed reading month, I have decided to select a different theme for each month for the next year of reading!

My goal for each month is to read 10 books that fit within that theme. I generally read between 12 and 18 books a month, so that seems to be an attainable goal. The reason I am giving myself some wiggle room is because I will always have ARCs, readalongs, readathons, etc., that won’t quite fit in with the assigned theme. 

My theme for this month is:

SCI-FI SEPTEMBER!!!!

Guys, I am so pumped for this. Sci-Fi is arguably my favorite genre and I haven’t been reading enough of it lately. I buy a ton of Sci-Fi books but then never seem to get around to them.

Within this I will be including a whole host of Sci-Fi subgenres, such as: apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic, anything involving alien life, time travel, multi-dimension or multi-universe, steampunk, techno-thriller, military, biohazard or anything related to pandemics, zombie, climate fiction, space colonization, space opera and dystopian. 

I think I can definitely meet my goal of 10-books within this wide range of fascinating Sci-Fi subgenres. I have my eye on quite a few on my shelves that have been sitting around for WAY TOO LONG!

I have already started and am currently reading 3 Sci-Fi books: 

  • The Perfect Wife (ARC) by J.P. Delaney. This is an Adult Techno-Thriller with a sentient robot being created essentially to replace a man’s missing wife. I am really enjoying it and actually only have 10% left so may be finishing it tonight!
  • Contagion by Erin Bowman is a YA Sci-Fi Thriller. I am listening to the audiobook for this one and also really enjoying it. It is quite intense. This follows a crew of people sent on a search and rescue mission into deep space when a mining crew puts out an S.O.S. What they find upon their arrival is nothing like what they would have imagined. Let’s just say, this one is quite aptly titled!
  • Hyperion by Dan Simmons is a Hugo-Award winning, complex Adult Sci-Fi novel, written in 1989, that is structured much like Chaucer’s, Canterbury Tales. I am participating in a month-long readalong of this book with some book buddies over on Bookstagram. I just started it this morning and thus far, am confused, but I am sure I will ultimately enjoy the experience.

So, that’s it for now. I just wanted to write this quick update and let y’all know what I was up to. If you have any Sci-Fi recommendations, please feel free to leave them in the comments below or contact me through any of my social media links!

Until next time,

Cheers & Happy Reading!

 

ARC August Wrap-Up

~ megs14malloy

Good day, bookworms! I am finally settling in after traveling over this past holiday weekend. I am happy to report that I had a very successful ARC August and ended up completing 17-books total for the month. 14 of these books were ARCs (Advanced Readers Copies) provided to me by the various publishers in exchange for honest reviews.

As always, I appreciate these copies being sent to me and try to keep as up-to-date as I can with my review copies. Truth be told, however, I frequently fail miserably.

In fact, that is sort of the whole point behind ‘ARC August’. It is a time when individuals within the book community focus as much energy as they can on their ARCs. Playing catch-up or reading ahead for books they know they need to get too. Previously, the most ARC copies I have ever read in a month was 7, so I was actually able to double that best. Going into the month, my goal was 10, so I even went above that.

Without further ado, let’s get into the list of books that I completed this August, as well as my star rating. If the book is an ARC received from a publisher, there will be an asterisk (*) beside the title. This is in completion order:

  1. You’d Be Mine* by Erin Hahn (YA Contemporary), 4-stars
  2. The Escape Room* by Megan Goldin (Adult Thriller), 5-stars
  3. The Chain* by Adrian McKinty (Adult Thriller), 4-stars
  4. Finder* by Suzanne Palmer (Adult Sci-Fi), 4-stars
  5. The Wedding Party* by Jasmine Guillory (Adult Romance), 4-stars
  6. Priest of Lies (War for the Rose Throne)* by Peter McLean (Grimdark Fantasy), 4.5-stars
  7. Nyxia Uprising (Nyxia Triad #3)* by Scott Reintgen (YA Sci-Fi), 5-stars
  8. Dark Shores* by Danielle L. Jensen (YA Fantasy), 4-stars
  9. The Last Hope (The Raging Ones #2)* by Krista & Becca Ritchie (YA Sci-Fi), 4.5-stars
  10. We Were Killers Once (Brigid Quinn #4)* by Becky Masterman (Adult Mystery), 3.5-stars
  11. Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller (YA Fantasy), 3.5-stars
  12. Ration* by Cody Luff (Adult Dystopian), 4-stars
  13. Song of Susannah (Dark Tower #6) by Stephen King (Epic Fantasy), 5-stars
  14. House of Salt & Sorrows* by Erin A. Craig (YA Horror/Fantasy), 5-stars
  15. The Perfect Girlfriend* by Karen Hamilton (Adult Thriller), 2-stars
  16. The Perfect Son* by Lauren North (Adult Thriller), 3-stars
  17. Pasta Mortem (Supper Club Mystery #7) by Ellery Adams (Cozy Mystery), 3.5-stars

Obviously, my least favorite read of the month was The Perfect Girlfriend. As far as a favorite, I would have to go with House of Salt & Sorrows. I was surprised and impressed with it. I expected an average YA Fantasy Retelling but it got so much darker than I anticipated; I loved it! Highly recommend to readers who enjoy a seaside atmosphere with all the gothic feels. I can’t wait to see what Craig writes next!

How did you August reading go? Did you participate in ARC August? What was your least or favorite read of the month? I want to know! Leave a comment below or contact me through any of my social media links.

Until we meet again, my friends,

Cheers & Happy Reading!

Review: The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett

~ megs14malloy

The Lady RogueThe Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Darkly glorious!!!

A bit Stalking Jack the Ripper, mixed with A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, I loved this fast-paced, historical romp with every fiber of my being.

Theo and Huck make a great team and following them on their mystery-filled, rescue mission through the rustic Carpathian Mountains was hella entertaining!

Theodora’s father is a treasure hunter, hired by a mysterious aristocrat to track down the legendary war ring of Vlad the Impaler. Along with his assistant, Huck Gallagher, also Theo’s former beau, he begins his search discovering new clues and following-up on leads.

Poor Theo gets left behind in a hotel, as she usually does, and is more than frustrated with that turn of events. She wants adventure too and is very good at solving puzzles. She just cannot understand why her father wouldn’t want to utilize her talents.

When Huck arrives back at the hotel, without her father, he has no clue as to where he went but he does have his cryptic travel journal. Theo’s mind is put to the test as she tries to decode his writings and figure out where he could be. Did he go willingly or was foul play involved?

I loved so much about this. The mystery, the intrigue, the dark historical connections, the partnership between Theo and Huck, the setting, it was all very up my alley.

I have never read a Jenn Bennett book before but I know this is a new genre for her. I thought she did a fantastic job. Although some of the paranormal things were a little wonky, I was having so much fun with the story, I didn’t even care.

Further, I am not sure if this is slated to be a standalone or a series, but I really, really hope this is not the last we see of this courageous duo!!!

The characters mention at the end of this book a location they may be traveling to next…I’m looking at you, Scotland…and I really NEED that to happen.

Who do I contact about that? Let’s do this, Bennett! I know you have it in you!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Simon Pulse, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I always appreciate the opportunity but extra love when I discover a new favorite!

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Stephen King Reread #4 of 2019: The Dark Half, Review

~ megs14malloy

The Dark HalfThe Dark Half by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


George Stark. Not a very nice guy.

Stephen King Reread #4 for the year and it was just as brilliant as I remembered. Equal parts warped, dark and brutal, this story is a must read for any King fan.

I won’t get into the connections between this and King’s own life and experience with Richard Bachman. Let’s hope this twisted tale of a pseudonym gone rogue is 100% a work of fiction.

I mean, a man gets beaten to death with his own prosthetic arm! That’s rough and that doesn’t even begin to brush the surface of this super violent narrative.

The story begins when our protagonist, Thad Beaumont, is just a kid suffering from debilitating headaches and auditory hallucinations. During surgical exploration of his brain, it is discovered that Thad absorbed a twin in utero and parts of that twin suddenly began growing again causing the symptoms he was experiencing!

With that strange occurrence out of the way, Thad goes on to live a normal life. He becomes a college professor and writer, gets married, has twins, creates a pseudonym, George Stark, to write under that he subsequently kills off after being outed…

You know, the usual.

There’s one problem with this life plan, however, George Stark doesn’t want to be dead. He wants to continue his successful pulp fiction writing and he needs Thad on board in order to do so.

When people involved with Thad’s career begin being brutally murdered, Thad is the prime suspect. Even though he has a solid alibi, there is physical evidence linking him to the crimes, like fingerprints!

Thad is innocent and sets out to prove it, as well as stop the person responsible. Along with everyone’s favorite Sheriff, Alan Pangborn, the pieces of the puzzle start to come together with startling results.

The sparrows are flying again…

If you are looking for a viscious, creepy read to pick up this Autumn, look no further. This King Classic has some of the best body horror ever written and will leave you with a sense of dreadful anticipation the entire way through!!!

Highly recommend!

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Review: Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller

~ megs14malloy

Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King, #2)Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Daughter of the Siren Queen accompanied me on my holiday travels this past weekend and I finished it up yesterday. While I won’t be adding it to my all-time favorites list, it was definitely an entertaining weekend read.

Picking up where the first installment left off, we find Alosa back on her ship with the best crew in the business. Her old enemies are now her captives and she feels successful having gathered the pieces of the map leading to the treasure of the Isla de Canta

She plans to work alongside her father to recover the spoils, however, all of this is changed when a giant secret is revealed. Alosa is devastated to learn her father has been lying to her for her entire life. She feels betrayed and oh, so very angry.

With this new knowledge of her father’s true nature in mind, she decides to set out on her own to claim the booty for herself and her crew.

Her skills as a Captain are put to the test but no one can deny, Alosa is fierce. Struggling to gain control of her Siren powers, she grows closer and closer to Riden when she realizes that something about him makes that easier. I did enjoy their relationship and reading about the Siren’s and their nature.

This was action-packed but I did find my mind wandering from time to time. I am not sure if that is because of the circumstances under which I read it (on vacation) or whether it was because I just wasn’t engaging fully with the narrative. I think for me personally, it read a little young.

Definitely a solid story however, so if you enjoy a good pirate tale, go ahead and pick up this duology and give her a go. We could all use a little more swashbuckling in our lives!

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Review: The Perfect Son by Lauren North

~ megs14malloy

The Perfect SonThe Perfect Son by Lauren North
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Upon waking in the hospital, Tess Clarke, has one thought on her mind: she must find her son! Something happened on the day of his birthday party. She can’t recall exactly what but it ended with her being stabbed and Jamie being gone.

The format was interesting. We have excerpts of interviews between Tess and her doctor, interviews with two individuals tied to the incident, and the bulk of the story told through flashbacks of the days leading up to the big event.

We discover that Tess had been struggling the past few months with extreme grief. Her husband had recently passed in a terrible accident and she was having a very difficult time with every day life. You come to understand fairly quickly that Tess is an unreliable narrator at best.

A grief counselor, hired by her family, arrives at her cottage one day and begins to aid Tess with her healing. The two quickly form a close bond and before you know it, Shelly, seems more of a friend that a professional service provider.

Tess also has her brother-in-law, Ian, sniffing about, seemingly obsessed with his brother’s estate. He claims that her husband owed him a bunch of money but Tess can find no evidence of that in their finances.

She begins to suspect him of some suspicious activities going on at the house that are really scaring her. What is he after really?

While I did enjoy the format and the pacing was nice and steady, I was completely bummed that I knew the twist to this 35% in. It definitely had an affect on my opinion of this story. The writing was good, just really predictable for me.

It hurts my heart as I was looking forward to this so much!

^^^Literally me upon completion: drinking my whiskey, sadly let down by the whole experience.

This being said, while the overall plot and reveal didn’t work for me, I did see a lot of promise in North’s writing and I would absolutely pick up future works by her. I look forward to it actually!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity!

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