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Guest Post: Author Chat with Kelsey Quick

~ megs14malloy ~ 16 Comments

On Tuesday, December 9, 2019, a great new addition to the vampire genre is set to be released. This fast-paced and inventive novel is a debut for author, Kelsey Quick.

I had the opportunity, thanks to, GODDESS FISH PROMOTIONS, to ask Kelsey a few questions about her work and what this release means to her.

Before we get into that however, for those of you who visit my blog regularly, you may remember that I just reviewed this novel last week, but for those of you who are new…

…and you can check out my full review by clicking HERE!!!

Without further ado, let’s get into my questions for Kelsey and her responses:

Meg: What advice would you give to other aspiring writers?

Kelsey: Aside from “never give up,” it would have to be: Understand that everyone in this industry gets rejected. That agent who rejected you? They get rejected all the time by editors. The editor that rejected you and your agent’s submission? Acquisitions rejected the last five of his/her/their proposals. If you have rejection issues (like me), this is not your industry unless you can see it for what it really is. It’s an unfortunate consequence of bad luck and, perhaps, a poor product—but that’s where persistence comes in. The more persistence you have, the less luck you need, especially if you keep trying to get better rather than to prove everyone wrong. The better you get, the better chances you have. It’s that simple, although it’s no guarantee. You have to really want it enough to overcome the perpetual sting of being told “no.”

Meg: What were your inspirations for this particular story?

Kelsey: Really, a lot of things! I found the basic framework of the story from reading Vampire Knight by Matsuri Hino back in 2007. It was such a chilling, yet romantic manga, especially in terms of artwork. It had a dark, yet shoujo-esque (female-audience intended) style that I’d never seen. My own style of manga was influenced heavily by it, in fact. Aside from the basic framework, I’d always wondered why there wasn’t a big novel featuring vampires ruling over a dystopia, where humans were at their beck and call as slaves. I know they exist and I’ve since heard of them (such as The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa), but at the time, I thought that idea was pretty original, so I stuck with it—and it stuck with me!

Funny enough, a couple of the characters have their own inspirations: Lord Anton Zein is a silver-haired, cruel war general—much like Sesshoumaru from Rumiko Takahashi’s Inuyasha. I’ve also heard that he’s like Prince Cardan from Holly Black’s, The Cruel Prince, as well as Sarah J. Maas’ Rhysand from A Court of Thorns and Roses. Gemini is the candid, blonde vampire that is a blend of three very different characters: Hanabusa Aido from Vampire Knight, Gilderoy Lockhart from Harry Potter, and Guildenstern from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Meg: With release date just a week away, how does it feel to be having your story released into the world?

Kelsey: It is pretty surreal. I thought I’d never have the guts to self-publish if it came to that, but I clung to the hope of getting traditionally published for so long that I think it eventually wore away all the fears and inhibitions—so to speak. While those two years of querying took a lot out of me and completely killed my writing productivity, I think I needed them to realize that rejection by the publishing industry does not equate to rejection by the reading community. As they say, bestsellers are made, not written (to an extent). So, I decided to do the best with what I had, as my passion for A Violet Fire seems to have no bounds. It’s not perfect, but it is my heart book, and I take pride in how much work I put into it to make it shine well enough to be compared to other big names. At the end of the road, I’m going to be glad I did it this way even if the results are less-than stellar. It’s probably the
hardest I’ve ever worked for something… and the work is never-ending.

I want to thank, Kelsey, for being so kind as to answer my questions for her. I feel so blessed to have been provided with the opportunity to be included on this blog tour. Also, a huge thank you to Kelsey for providing me with an early copy of the book to read and review.

I really enjoyed this one and was so impressed by the fact that this is a debut novel. Kelsey has a wonderfully creative imagination and pleasing writing style, I look forward to the chance to continue on with this series!

Be sure to pick up your copy on release day, Tuesday, December 9th!!! Until then, click the link below to enter for your chance to win a $25 Amazon/BN gift card that the author will be giving away. The raffle is run via rafflecopter and one randomly drawn winner will win during the course of the blog tour. It could be you!!

$25 Gift Card Raffle

That’s all for now my lovely book friends! I hope you had a fabulous reading month in November and look for my wrap-up soon.

Cheers & Happy Reading!

Buzzword-A-Thon Wrap-Up

~ megs14malloy

Hey book friends!

Some of you may be wondering how I did with my Buzzword-A-Thon reading. Well, wonder no more. I am here to tell you that I failed miserably! 

As in, zero…that’s right…ZERO books completed. 

I did make it to the 32% mark in The Ancient Nine which I am still reading but I did DNF (did not finish and will never pick up again) Seven Black Diamonds.

I am trying to just pick up the pieces and move on with my life. I will be participating in Fantasy-A-Thon in December hosted by Julie over at Pages and Pens channel on YouTube. For her announcement video, click here:

Fantasy-A-Thon Round 2 Announcement

I think I may see some more success, or any success at all really, during this next readathon as it is two weeks opposed to one. With a full-time work schedule, that is extremely helpful.

Stay tuned for my TBR post which should be going up sometime next week!

Cheers and to my American friends, Happy Thanksgiving!

Buzzwordathon Round #5

~ megs14malloy

Hello my beautifully bookish friends!

Round 5 of Buzzwordathon starts today! I had big plans but realistically, it’s just not going to happen. With this in mind, today I am going to tell you the books I have on my radar for the week but I am not going to declare a definitive TBR (to be read list).

First, let’s talk about what Buzzwordathon is, as some of you may not be aware. Buzzwordathon is a readathon created and hosted by the wonderfully creative Kayla @ BooksandLala channel on YouTube.

Basically she came up with this idea after noticing certain title trends in publishing. Each round she chooses a word, type of word or phrase, that seems to be used a lot in recent releases. The only challenge is to read books that contain the buzzword in the title. For Kayla’s Round 5 announcement, click below:

Buzzwordathon Round 5

Our buzzword this round is numbers. Any title that has a number in it counts. It can be 1, 1st, one, First, Two, Second, etc. Anything denoting a numerical value. After her announcement I went through my unread shelves and found quite a few books that would meet this criteria. Unfortunately, as well all know, there is always too many book and too little time.

This morning I started my first book for the readathon. It may be the only one I get to this week. You see, here is my problem generally with readathons. I read so many books at once that I am never in a good place to put everything on hold to start all new books for the readathon.

I am currently reading five really good books. I don’t want to put them on hold for an entire week while I read other stuff. It’s a dilemma, I’m so torn because I also want to participate.

So, I have decided to take it easy on myself and if I get to some number books, great. If not, so mote it be. The book I began this morning is the one I most wanted to get to. The Ancient Nine, by Ian K. Smith, was one of the first books I ever received from NetGalley, way back in early-2018. I still haven’t gotten to it yet and it’s haunting me. Following a young man gaining entrance into one of the secret societies as Harvard University, it sounds like something right up my alley. So far, so good.

Other books that I am hoping to get to this week but ya know…

include:

  •  Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr, a YA Fantasy that I purchased as a cover buy from Book Outlet close to 2-years ago. It’s read it now or unhaul it.
  • 11/22/63 by Stephen King, Adult SFF that I actually drove to a local book shop to purchase on its release day, November 8, 2011, and it has been sitting unread on my bookshelf ever since.
  • Odd One Out by Nic Stone, YA Contemporary.
  • Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, YA/Adult Science Fiction. This was on of my first Book of the Month selections and I would love to finally get around to it.
  • The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring, new release YA Horror.
  • Five Midnights by Ann Davila Cardinal, new release YA Horror.

As I mentioned above, I am not going to have a lot of time this week to dedicate to this unfortunately. So, I am keeping my goal simple, two books. If I read three, I would be super happy! And with that out of the way, I am off to read!

Are you participating in the Buzzwordathon? If so, what are you reading? Have you read any of the books I have on my radar for the week? I want to know. Leave a comment here or contact me through any of my social media links!

Cheers & Happy Reading!

November Reading Plans

~ megs14malloy

Hello, my beautifully bookish friends!

Let’s chat about November reading plans. As many of you may know, beginning in August I started a themed reading month plan for a full year. Basically, I have a set theme per month and I try to read ten books within that month that match the theme.

Thus far, I have been successful two out of the three months. This month’s theme is: NEW RELEASES!!!!

I am classifying ‘new releases’ as anything published from January 1, 2019 forward. This will include books that haven’t yet released. I have a ton of books to choose from that will fit this theme so I am fully anticipating another successful month.

I am participating in one readathon this month, the Buzzword Readathon, but I will post more info on that, including my TBR, closer to the start date.

What are you planning to read this month? Do you have a theme or are you participating in any readathons or readalongs? I want to know. Drop a comment down below or contact me through any of my social media links!

Until we meet again, cheers & happy reading!

Themed Reading: Spooktober Wrap-Up

~ megs14malloy

Greetings, Geeks and Ghouls. Alas, the most wonderful month of the year has come to a close. Now…

Before he arrives however, let’s go over my October wrap-up!

For the second month in a row, I completed 15-books total. Not too shabby considering I had a lot of personal things going on this month, including starting a new job. My theme for this month was Spooky reads and the goal was to complete 10-books that coincided with this theme. I am happy to report, I met and beat that goal by completing 12 Spooky books!

Without further ado, let’s get into the books I completed this October. Please note, if there is an * next to the title of a book, it means I am counting that as meeting my Spooky Reads goal:

  1. The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu, 4-stars, YA Dark Contemporary Audiobook
  2. *Dread Nation (Dread Nation #1) by Justina Ireland, 4-stars, YA Historical Fiction with Zombies Apocalypse elements
  3. Ten Blind Dates by Ashley Elston, 5-stars, YA Contemporary Romance (ARC from publisher)
  4. *American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century by Maureen Callahan, 5-stars, Non-Fiction True Crime
  5. *Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, 3.5-stars, Adult Horror Audiobook
  6. *One by One by D.W. Gillespie, 4-stars, Adult Horror (ARC from publisher)
  7. *The Furies by Katie Lowe, 2.5-stars, I’m not sure if this is technically YA or Adult, I would categorize it as Adult Thriller (ARC from publisher)
  8. *All the Bad Apples by Moira Fowley-Doyle, 5-stars, YA Magical Realism Audiobook
  9. *The Line Between by Tosca Lee, 4.5-stars, Adult Apocalyptic Thriller (ARC from author)
  10. *Campfire by Shawn Sarles, 3.5-stars, YA Slasher Horror
  11. *The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco, 4-stars, YA Japanese-Inspired Horror Audiobook
  12. *There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins, 4-stars, YA Slasher Horror
  13. *Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia, 4.5-stars, Middle Grade Mythological Fantasy (ARC from publisher)
  14. *The Institute by Stephen King, 5-glorious stars, Adult Horror/Thriller
  15. *Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero, 4-stars, Adult Comedy Horror Audiobook

I also would like to give an honorable mention to a fantastic short-story  that I read this month called, The Town That Feared Dusk by Calvin Demmer. I have read from this author before and absolutely love his work so I wasn’t surprised to give this 32-page tale a full 5-star review. Although this is a horror short, I didn’t count it toward my Spooktober goal as it was just 32-pages of content. Demmer definitely knows how to pack a punch in that short of time though, I will tell you that.

As far as my monthly TBR Challenges go, which I set for myself at the beginning of 2019, I have been slacking off here a bit towards the end of the year. I started out with 5-monthly challenges and then dropped down to 4. This month, I only ended up completing 2. I read a ‘New Release from 2018’ by reading Dread Nation, and I read a ‘New Release from the Current Month’ by reading 10 Blind Dates. I failed to read a ‘New Release from Next Month’ and to ‘Read a Sequel’.

How did you October reading go? Did you meet all the goals you set for yourself? Did you discover any new Spooky read favorites?

I want to know! Leave a comment here or contact me through any of my social media links. I love hearing what y’all are reading and am always open to new recommendations. I hope to post soon about my November reading plans!

Until next time, cheers & happy reading!

Guest Post: Author Chat with Kwame Mbalia

~ megs14malloy

On Tuesday, October 15, 2019, the latest edition to the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, is set to be released. Pitched as a Middle Grade version of American Gods, this fast-paced, fantastical novel is a debut for author, Kwame Mbalia.

I had the opportunity, thanks to, CAKE LITERARY, to ask Kwame a few questions about his work and what this release means to him. Before we get into that however, for those who may not be aware, let’s go over a bit about the Rick Riordan Presents imprint; its purpose and why its so important.

I think we would all agree that being able to see yourself in a story, to be able to relate to characters in some way, can be an important part of the reading experience. Unfortunately, not all readers are able to easily access books that they can relate to in this way. The Rick Riordan Presents imprint was developed with this issue in mind.

Their goal is to publish stories from Middle Grade authors from underrepresented cultures and backgrounds. The stories are heavily inspired by the mythology and folklore of their own heritage. This imprint, a part of the larger Disney-Hyperion Publishing family, provides a huge platform for these much needed, underrepresented stories to find a wide audience of readers.

I have greatly enjoyed the books released from this imprint so far and many of you may have read reviews for these titles on this blog. Tristan Strong has been one of my most anticipated releases, mainly because it is inspired by West African mythology and African-American folk tales, something I rarely have the opportunity to read about.

I can tell you, as I am currently reading it, this is one of the BEST releases yet! Kwame Mbalia has a fluid, organic writing style and is clearly a very gifted storyteller. Without further ado, let’s get into my questions for Kwame and his responses:

Meg: I would love to know what advice you have for young people who may want to grow up to become writers themselves?

Kwame: The best advice I can give to anyone who wants to be a writer is to write. Write write write. You can’t get at something, whether it’s a sport or a skill, unless you practice. Writing is no different. Find something you enjoy and write about it! Essays. Poetry. Fan fiction. Start with different elements of the craft, like dialogue or description, and just write!

Second to that is to read. Read in the genre you want to write, and then read outside of it. Read fiction and nonfiction. Read short stories and novellas as well as novels. There are some brilliant writers out there and whenever I feel the need for inspiration, I look at what others have done and are doing.

Meg: Can you tell me a little bit about why you chose  to write in the Middle Grade genre specifically?

Kwame: There’s a special sense of wonder and exploration that you find in the Middle Grade genre that appeals to me. There’s this idea that you’re just realizing how enormous the world is, and you learn how varied and diverse the different people and creatures that occupy it, and combining that idea and that wonder with a little bit of history and magic brings me joy.

Meg: What does it mean to you to have your debut story out in the world?

Kwame: Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh, don’t remind me!!!! PEOPLE ARE GOING TO READ MY WORDS!!! How dare y’all? No one informed me this would be the case. I would like to crawl back into my bed and pretend the floor is lava.

I can’t do that?

Well then, fine. I guess I’ll just thank everyone who has read or will read or wants to read my book. It’s been an incredible journey so far and hopefully it’s only just beginning.

I want to thank, Kwame, for being so kind as to answer my questions for him. I feel so blessed that CAKE LITERARY provided me with the opportunity to be included on this blog tour. Also, as always, a huge thank you to the publisher, Disney Book Group and Rick Riordan Presents, for providing me with an early copy of the book to read and review.

I am seriously loving this one, guys, and am anticipating finishing up on Monday, at which time I will post my full review. All I will say thus far is that Mbalia’s writing style is super impressive and I love Tristan so much and the journey he is on. I hope to read more about him in the future!!!

This story can definitely be enjoyed by readers of all ages, so be sure to pick up your copy on release day, Tuesday, October 15th!!!

 

October Reading Plans

~ megs14malloy

IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!!

That’s right, witches! It’s OCTOBER!!!

Many bookworms will tell you that October is by far the best month of the year to be a reader. There is nothing better than getting cozy in your nice warm house, in your comfy clothes, lighting a bookish inspired candle and reading a creepy story well into the night.

To be frank, it is my absolute favorite activity. I generally read a lot of creepy, scary things but for October, I feel extra inspired to pick up exclusively eerie content. With this being said, it will come as no surprise to anyone that my October theme is: SPOOKTOBER READS!!

As with my previously themed reading months, the goal is to complete 10-books that are spooky, creepy, eerie, scary, all my favorite adjective things. DARK. I want to be afraid to turn my lights out at night.

I also hope to participate in Spookathon, hosted by Kayla over at the YouTube channel, Books and Lala. To view her Spookathon announcement video, click here: Spookathon 2019 Announcement where she will list the dates, challenges, etc. I won’t have a specific TBR for that week but will try to meet all of the challenges.

So, that’s it for now! Are you planning to read a lot of creepy books this month? What is your favorite scary book or movie? I want to know. Leave a comment below or contact me through any of my social media links.

Until my next post, Cheers & Happy Reading~

September Wrap-Up, Non-SciFi

~ megs14malloy

Hi, book friends! Hello!

Here we are, the 3rd day of October and I realize, I haven’t yet posted my full September Wrap-Up. As some of you may know, September was my 2nd month of my ‘themed-reading project’. For last month, the theme was SciFi. I completed a total of 7 books for that project, although the goal was 10…

In spite of this fact, I still consider it a win. To find out why, read the full blog post below:

Themed Reading: SciFi Wrap-Up

In addition to these 7 SciFi books, I also completed 8 other books, so a total of 15 books completed for the month!

The non-SciFi books I completed last month, in completion order are as follows:

  1. Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King #2) by Tricia Levenseller – YA Fantasy, 3.5-stars. I listened to this audiobook on my annual Labor Day Weekend road trip.
  2. The Dark Half (reread) by Stephen King – Adult Paranormal Horror, 5-stars. This was my second time reading this glorious, underrated King story. Literally some of the best body horror ever penned can be found in this book.
  3. The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett – YA Historical Fiction with Paranormal Mystery elements, 5-stars. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Simon Pulse, so a big thank you to them. This was super entertaining for me and incorporated the lore of Vlad the Impaler. 
  4. The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox – Adult Historical Fiction, 4-stars, with a beautifully gothic atmosphere. I was so blessed to receive an ARC of this book from the publisher, Graydon House, so a huge thank you to them. This was so appreciated as it was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I absolutely adored Fox’s 2018 debut, The Witch of Willow Hall. This did not disappoint!
  5. Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson – YA Contemporary with a Paranormal kick. I picked this delightfully witchy romp up to participate in the Dragons & Tea Book Club September readalong. I am so happy that I did. This was exactly what I needed at the time, 5-stars.
  6. The First Mistake by Sandie Jones – Adult Domestic Drama, 4-stars. I read this book in under 24-hours. It was very compelling. Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books, for providing me with an ARC copy. As always, it is so appreciated!
  7. The Fire Keeper (The Storm Runner #2) by J.C. Cervantes – Middle Grade Mythology / Retelling, 4-stars. This too was one of my most anticipated books of the year. Another release from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, a part of Disney Book Group. I have been so blessed by this imprint over the years, receiving every one of their books early for review. I adore this imprint and completely stand behind their mission, which if you don’t know, is to provide a platform for voices from cultures around the world to tell their stories, that most likely wouldn’t be heard otherwise. All of the books are Middle Grade providing a resource for young readers to either see themselves in a book or learn about another culture through a book. Yes and yes!!!
  8. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow – I am not sure if this is YA or Adult, I am going to go with Adult Historical Fiction with a dash of Portal Fantasy. I am not going to go to far into my thoughts on this book. I didn’t enjoy it. Gave it 2-stars. It was a struggle.

So that is it! All of the non-SciFi books that I was able to complete in September. As far as my normal, monthly TBR challenges that I set for myself, I completed 3 out of the 4. I completed read a new release from 2018 (Undead Girl Gang), read a new release from the current month (The Widow of Pale Harbor), and read a sequel (Daughter of the Siren Queen). Yes, I did read some other books that would fit these challenges but I always just count the one that completes the challenge first.

How did your September reading go? Did you complete everything you wanted? Did you find a new favorite, or worse, a least favorite? I want to know! Leave a comment below or contact me through any of my social media links.

Until we meet again, Cheers & Happy Reading!

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!