Weekly Reading // February 19th – 25th

- Bunny 1 Comment

Hi Friends,
I usually do Friday Reads posts, but I thought that I would change it up and do a weekly reading post. I’m going to be talking about the books that I hope to read this week. On my TBR for the month, I have mostly just the fantasies left to read. But, I’m not sure I’ll actually get to any of them before the month is over. However, I do have big reading plans for the week.

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander
I’m 30% into the book, and hoping that I can finish it soon. The book is pretty slow, but it is a thriller that I am enjoying so far.

Betting on You by Lynn Painter
This is an anticipated read for me, which means it is crazy that I haven’t read it yet. This is on my TBR for the month and it should be a fairly quick read. I typically love Lynn Painter’s young adult books, and I’m expecting this one to be no different.

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
This is the one fantasy from my TBR that I would like to actually read this week. I read the first book back in 2022, so I need to get this duology completed.

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang
This is tentatively on my TBR for the week because the audiobook is available on Libby soon. If that hold comes in, then I will most likely pick it up.

There you have my reading plans for the week. In the comments, let me know what you are planning on reading this week. Don’t forget that you can like and share the post. And, it is completely free to follow the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Clowns In A Cornfield // Book Review

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About The Book
Kettle Springs is caught in a battle between old and new, tradition and progress. It’s a fight that looks like it will destroy the town. Until Frendo, the Baypen mascot, a creepy clown in a pork-pie hat, goes homicidal and decides that the only way for Kettle Springs to grow back is to cull the rotten crop of kids who live there now.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3wllqR6

My Rating

I’d heard nothing but good things about this book! Many readers said that it was a good, fast-paced, young adult slasher book. However, I wasn’t feeling the plot from the get-go, and my connection to the characters was lacking. So that might be why I didn’t find it as gripping or as enjoyable as others did.

The plot had the potential to be great, since it centers on a classic horror theme of a killer, or in this case killers. Killer clowns, to be exact. While the concept is intriguing, the book falls short in execution. However, I can see how the straightforward plot and simple rural slasher story may appeal to readers new to the young adult horror genre.

The book’s strengths truly lie with the fact that it is a great introduction for younger readers who are just dipping a toe into the world of horror literature. The familiar premise of a killer picking off their victims one by one would most likely make it a decent choice for those who are exploring the horror genre for the first time.

“Drawing a new line in the sand while nobody else is watching, then wiping away the old one. And the whole time you know . . . You know where it’s all leading.”

Unfortunately, the twists and turns in the story were disappointingly predictable. Which, again, might not be an issue for new horror readers. I found myself anticipating each plot development, and nothing in the narrative genuinely surprised me. The lack of unexpected moments or suspenseful elements made the reading experience somewhat flat and uninspired.

One aspect of the book that stood out was the author’s incorporation of their political views into the narrative. While it’s not uncommon for authors to infuse their work with personal beliefs I have heard some readers say that the heavy-handed political aspect of the book was distracting and even off-putting. Also, the author’s writing style didn’t align with my personal tastes. Sometimes, I enjoy being thrown right into the plot. This was an example of one where I would have liked to get to know the characters a bit more.

Overall, the book is a decent, but forgettable, young adult horror novel. While the plot concept is engaging, the predictable twists, political influence, and lackluster execution make it nothing special. The fact that I could see what was coming in each chapter left me with no surprises from the story. If you are a serious horror reader seeking an immersive and captivating experience, it’s possible that you, like me, will find yourself wanting more from this book.

In the comments let me know if you have read this book and your thoughts. Make sure to like and share this post. Finally, don’t forget that you can hit the follow button to get notified whenever there’s a new post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Valentine’s Day Sweetheart // Book Tag

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Hi Friends,
Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m not sure if I have ever done a Valentine’s Day book tag, but if I have I hope it wasn’t this one. But, if it was sorry not sorry. I’ll just be a book tag repeater. This tag was created by Pampered Pages on YouTube. It’s just a fun, bookish tag inspired by one of the most romantic days of the year.


Reese’s hearts all the way! Honestly, as someone that doesn’t enjoy peanut butter it confuses me that I can’t get enough of peanut butter cups. Thus, these have to be my favorite type of Valentine’s Day candy.

Yes! I love me a good adult romcom or young adult romance.


This is hard for me to answer because I do try to read as much romance as I can during February but as a mood reader it’s hard for me to stick with one genre. But, I do generally like to read as many romances that I can in honor of Valentine’s Day.


Let me just say that I’m a happily married women, but if one of my fictional crushes happen to show up at my door the perfect gift would be a love note. I know that’s lame but my love language is words of affirmation.


I have a ton of romances written by the same author. I recently got most of the Chestnut Springs series, I’m only missing one book, and I’m so excited to start it! I have heard that they are just such great, small town! cowboy romances.


The one book that made me sob is ‘Five Feet Apart,’ which is the most heartbreaking and sweet young adult romance. Honestly, it’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s still such a good read. But be prepared to shed a few tears. Maybe more than a few.
Related Post: Five Feet Apart // Book Review


I’m going to be so basic and say Paris. It’s the city of love. I know that’s such a lame answer but it’s on of the places I’ve always wanted to visit.


I feel like I’ve answered this question way too many times, so I’m going with a release that I haven’t mentioned yet. That would be ‘Nothing Like The Movies’ by Lynn Painter. When I found out that ‘Better Than The Movies’ was getting a sequel, I knew that it would most likely be in my top 5 favorite books of the year.


I never remember a lot of my favorite book quotes so I did have to do some digging when it came to this question. I found two quotes that I absolutely adore that I think perfectly describe the feeling of being in love.

“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same” ― Emily Brontë, Withering Heights

“I didn’t fall in love with you. I walked into love with you, with my eyes wide open, choosing to take every step along the way. I do believe in fate and destiny, but I also believe we are only fated to do the things that we’d choose anyway. And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you” ― Kiersten White, The Chaos of Stars


After looking at my bookshelf, I believe that I have more books with pink spines than red ones. This kind of makes sense, because most of my romances have more pastel tones for their cover art.

Those are all the questions in this tag, but before you go, let me know in the comments your answers to these questions. Don’t forget to like and share this post with others! As always, follow the blog, so that you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Edited

Some Girls Do // Book Review

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About The Book
Morgan, an elite track athlete, is forced to transfer high schools late in her senior year after it turns out being queer is against her private Catholic school’s code of conduct. There, she meets Ruby, who has two hobbies: tinkering with her baby blue 1970 Ford Torino and competing in local beauty pageants, the latter to live out the dreams of her overbearing mother. The two are drawn to each other and can’t deny their growing feelings.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3urFYH4

My Rating

This is a really cute, young adult, queer romance with a lot of depth to it. I honestly wouldn’t call this a light or fluffy female/female romance, because it does cover a lot of heavy topics. That being said, I really enjoyed the story. I didn’t expect it to be so hard hitting, but I really loved the way the author went with the plot.

In the book, Morgan, a new transfer student and star athlete, meets Ruby, who is a beauty pageant queen that happens to love working on cars. Their first meeting isn’t exactly a meet-cute, but they quickly form a friendship that leads to something more. The only problem is: Morgan is openly gay, but Ruby is still trying to figure things out.

Now, I did find that Morgan was a little bit too intense, and wasn’t quite understanding when it came to Ruby’s situation. However, knowing about her path, and why she had to transfer schools, it’s understandable that she wasn’t willing to hide who she was.

“So what if she’s a mess? Maybe we all are. But what if she’s meant to be my mess, and I’m meant to be hers?”

On the other hand, I really felt for Ruby in this book. She didn’t know how she was going to pay for college. She was forced to be a beauty queen, so that her mother could live vicariously through her. And she was truly afraid that no one would accept her as bisexual.

The book was really about self discovery, and how nobody can force you to do anything you’re not ready to do. In the end, all we can do is support and be there for each other. I really loved Morgan and Ruby’s relationship, and also what they learned from each other throughout the book.

Overall, this is a really good read, and the writing was impeccable. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a fast-paced book, since books with heavy subjects seem to take longer, but I still enjoyed it. And, although this book deals with some heavier topics, it is still a contemporary romance at its core.

If you have read this book, leave me a comment telling your thoughts on it. As always, you can like and share this post with others. Before you go, remember you can get post notifications by following my blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Murder In The Family // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

About The Book
One body. Six experts. Can you solve the case before they do? Mega-bestselling British crime novelist Cara Hunter makes her big American debut with a wholly immersive thriller like none you’ve seen before: written as the teleplay of a true-crime documentary, it has the reader puzzling away, reviewing photos, maps, coroner’s reports and other evidence as they read. Can you tell who’s lying?
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3St4EHe

My Rating

I wish I could say that this book was a roller coaster ride, but unfortunately, I predicted the ending twist right from the first chapter. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I really like the mixed media element. In the book, we follow a group of experts in their respective fields, such as journalism, psychology, and detective work, starring in a television show to solve a cold case.

The Director of the show has a true connection to the murder, as the victim was his stepfather. The story dragged a little bit too much for my liking. I felt as though the chapters were too long, and I kind of figured where they were going with the plot. Now there were some moments that were a surprise to me, and I really liked the format of the book.

I can’t generally say too much about the characters, because there are a lot of them, and we didn’t get to really know them personally. However, I thought that case that they were looking into was very interesting, and I liked working with them to put the puzzle pieces together and figure out what happened.

“True crime reality TV, if you like. Judging by the cliffhanger at the end of last night’s opening episode, it certainly shows promise.”

In a way, the book really makes the reader the detective as well, which I think is a very unique concept. As for the ending, like I said, there was no big shock there but I think the author took a lot of time with the plot and wrote everything to make sense at the end.

Overall, I would’ve liked the book to be about 100 pages shorter, yet it was a decent read, and I think a lot of mystery readers could really enjoy this book. Honestly, I think it would make a great book club read, since you could get together and try to solve a crime.

Let me know if you have read this book, and your thoughts on it. If you have other readers in your life feel free to share this post with them. Don’t forget to follow the blog for more book reviews and other bookish content!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Yerba Buena // Book Review

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About The Book
The debut adult novel by the bestselling and award-winning YA author Nina LaCour, following two women on a star-crossed journey toward each other. At once exquisite and expansive, astonishing in its humanity and heart, Yerba Buena is a testament to the healing qualities of a shared meal, a perfectly crafted drink, a space we claim for ourselves. Nina LaCour’s adult debut novel is a love story for our time.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3SjMSpG

My Rating

This is a beautifully written story that is more than just a love story. The plot hits on some heavy topics and is really the journey of self discovery. The two main characters, Emilie and Sara, are far from perfect, but even through all their hardships in life, they continue to try to be better, and do better.

Their connection is so strong that the universe keeps bringing them back to each other. It really is a story about what commitment, and letting someone in truly means. The book focuses on the girls’ journey, not only together, but apart as well. We follow their lives, and learn a lot about them.

I wouldn’t say that one of the girls lives was more interesting than the other. However, I did find that Sara’s story was a bit more unsettling, since she was a runaway at sixteen. While Emilie still struggles, her journey was more about finding her path.

“So this was how it felt- to be dealt a blow, to pause, to keep going in spite of it. Not to start over but to continue.”

The two girls make a lot of mistakes throughout the book, and as a reader, the story felt very real. I am sure there are many people that can connect with both girls in one way or another. Although, I didn’t have a personal connection with them, I enjoyed the plot tremendously, which I was surprised about.

I am not someone that generally gravitates towards literary fiction, so my fondness for the book came as a shock to me. However, the book was very well written, and it was very fast read. I didn’t want to put it down, which is high praise coming from me! And, the fact that this is Nina LaCour’s adult debut amazes me.

Overall, the book showcases how we can sometimes meet the right person at the wrong time. And, if things are meant to be, we will find our way back to each other. It perfectly displays the ups and downs of all types of relationships, from family to romantic. I would definitely recommend this to readers who are just getting into the literary fiction genre.

In the comments let me know your thoughts on this book. Would you recommend other books by this author?  Don’t forget to like and share this post. As always, you can follow the blog to get notified whenever there is a new post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Island // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

About The Book
Jagged Island: a private amusement park for the very rich—or the very influential. Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley—social media influencers with millions of followers—have been invited for an exclusive weekend before the park opens. When the teens arrive, they’re stunned: the resort is even better than they’d imagined. But soon they’ll discover that something’s missing from their schedule: getting off the island alive.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/49igyu8

My Rating

I was really hoping that I would love this book, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. However, I didn’t hate it either, and it had some good qualities. However, the overall plot was missing something, and the writing felt a little lackluster.

The book follows a bunch of influencers in different niches, from books to gaming, getting invited on an exclusive trip to remote island. They are there to test out a new amusement park and promote it, for its billionaire owner.

As you can probably figure, with this being a thriller, things turn deadly. I will say that I was surprised as to how gruesome the book was. The death scenes are intense, and a lot of killing does occur. Also, it’s pretty graphically detailed, at least in terms of a young adult thriller.

“People listen to someone online they’ve never met more than they do to their parents, teachers, doctors.”

The characters were very stereotypical, when it comes to what you think influencers might be like. There wasn’t much depth to them, and although they were getting all this money and had all this attention, they had very poor attitudes. So, I didn’t really care what was happening to them.

This is definitely a page turner. It’s such a fast read you don’t want to put it down. Honestly, I could see reading this in a day, even if you aren’t normally a quick reader. The book is very addictive, despite the plot lacking a certain attachment to the characters.

Overall, this isn’t the most amazing young adult thriller, but it kept me interested. That being said, I do wish that the ending left me a little bit more surprised. And honestly, I’m not exactly sure how I feel about the final chapter. This author tends to leave things open ended, which I’m not sure I love. But, it does kind of work in this case.

In the comments, let me know if you like cliffhangers. Don’t forget to give this post a like and a share. If you would like to get post notifications, then hit the follow button.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

February 2024 // To Be Read

- Bunny 1 Comment

Hi Friends,
It’s TBR time again! Is it just me or did it feel like January lasted forever? Before we get into this month’s Bookopoly TBR, let us go over January’s TBR. I believe that I had 11 books on that TBR, out of which I read six, which I think is quite good. Unfortunately, I DNFed two books in January. I have changed some of the spaces on the board to different prompts. Now, it is time to talk about the month’s rolls. As always, I started off with eight rolls, but add a roll if I got doubles.

This first space I landed on was just bought, which is great because I have a book-buying problem. This month I got ‘Game On’ by Seressia Glass which is an adult romcom. The great thing is that it has to do with video games, and as the wife of a gamer, I knew that I had to read it during the month of Valentine’s Day. Also, I got doubles, so I had to add a roll.

The next roll took me to the pretty cover space, which is a prompt I love since I have some beautiful books. I decided to use this prompt to finish a duology I have been putting off for a while. So, ‘Our Violent Ends’ by Chloe Gong will, hopefully, be read in February.

I am not sure how I feel about getting the outside genre (out-of-comfort zone) space because they are usually books I am not super excited to read. Therefore, I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to read ‘The Witchlings’ by Claribel A. Ortega, the first book in a middle-grade series. This book is on my self-destruct TBR for the year.

The fourth roll landed on the sequel space. Well, it just so happens that in January I read ‘One Dark Window’ by Rachel Gillig. I fear that if I wait too long to read the sequel, I might forget about the first book. All this is to say that I will read ‘Two Twisted Crowns’ as my sequel. Sadly, the first book put me in a bit of a reading slump, so I am hoping that it does not happen again.

My next roll got me into a chance space, which was a random prompt. The prompt I received was Published In 2021. The book I went with is Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis. I was hesitant to put this on my TBR because I am unsure if I will enjoy it. However, this is another book on my self-destruct TBR, so I decided that I might as well read it sooner rather than later.

Fortunately, my six roll landed me on the favorite author spot, which was perfect since Lynn Painter had a book released last November. I can’t wait to read ‘Betting On You!’ This is a young adult contemporary, and I believe the trope is enemies-to-lover.

I screamed when I landed on the favorite trope space, because one of my favorite tropes is the exchange of services, or at least that is how I describe it. Well, ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ by Sarah Adams has just that type of plot, and the good girl meets the bad boy trope. This book is one of my five star predictions for the year, so I am more than ready to read it.

The eighth roll landed me on just bought again. I decided that if I land on the same spot twice in one game, I would have to draw a random prompt and combine the two if that makes sense. Thus, the book not only had to be a recent purchase, but also a retelling. The book I selected was ‘Never’ by Jessa Hastings. I am excited to read this ‘Peter Pan’ retelling but also nervous because I have not heard the best things about it.

The last roll took me to the sequel space again, so I selected a random prompt, Fanro. And, I’m happy to say the book I’ll be reading is ‘Ruthless Vows’ by Rebecca Ross which is the sequel to ’Divine Rivals.’ I anticipate this as a favorite book.

I hope that you have enjoyed this post. Doing Bookopoly has been so much fun, and I have been loving sharing my TBR. Don’t forget to follow the blog so that you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The January Book Tag // 2024

- Bunny 1 Comment

Hi Friends,
Today, I am doing ‘The January’ book tag, which I have done previously. This book tag helps you reflect on your last year’s reading and your reading plans for the year ahead. I am happy to continue my tradition of doing this tag every January.


Funny enough, I remember many, if not all, of my January reading in 2023. The book that I started the year reading was ‘Five Survive’ by Holly Jackson, who is the author of the ‘A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder‘ trilogy. For some reason, I could not remember the last book I read. Let me say that it was a crazy end of the year. After looking at my GoodReads I saw that my final read of 2023 was ‘Secret Santa’ by Andrew Shaffer, which is a short Christmas horror.
Related Post: Five Survive // Book Review
Related Post: Secret Santa // Book Review


In 2024, the first book I ended up finishing was actually one I started in 2023, which was ‘Lovelight Farms’ by B.K. Borison. I had initially DNFed the book but decided to go ahead and finish it on January 1st. I probably will not be posting my review until November or December of this year, but spoiler alert I was not a fan of it.


I have a whole post on my 2024 reading goals, but my top three are to read my owned TBR, read outside my comfort zone, and one that I did not mention in that post is to finish a few book series. I think that these goals are typical and that I can accomplish them.
Related Post: 2024 Anticipated Releases // January To June


Well, I just so happen to also have a post on my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2024. But, my three most anticipated releases for the entire year would have to be ‘Happily Never After’ by Lynn Painter (March 2024), ‘Wisteria’ by Adalyn Grace (August 2024) and ‘Spectacular’ by Stephanie Garber (October 2024). These are all favorite authors of mine, so naturally, I cannot wait to read their new releases.
Related Post: Belladonna // Book Review
Related Post: Caraval // Book Review


I reached my reading goal last year, which I believe is always an accomplishment. Unfortunately, I did not read much of my physical TBR. However, graphic novels were a pretty big part of my reading last year, and I do not normally read them, so I would call reading out of my comfort zone a success.


Honestly, the first book that came to mind was ‘House of Flame and Shadow’ by Sarah J. Maas (January 2024), which is the third book in her ‘Crescent City’ series. I have no desire to read the book, or anything else written by the author. Her books seem so long, and there are #7 or #8 books in some of her series. This is just too much for me. Needless to say, I will not pick this book up when it is released, and I am okay with that.


I am not sure if I have any reading habits or red flags so to speak that I would like to change this year. I know that is such a lame answer, and I think it’s one I have given in the past to this question. I try not to take reading too seriously because it is some I love to do and makes me happy.


I am not ashamed to admit that I do not keep up with book adaptations. So, I have no idea what is being adapted in 2024. Except for ‘It Ends With Us,’ which will star Blake Lively. However, I am not necessarily excited about that since I probably will not be watching it, because I have never read the book and do not plan to.


Probably joining Bookthreads! I have become so active there and Bookstagram. It has been so fun, and I am glad I discovered it last year. I hope to connect with more bookish people this year and do more buddy reading.


If you are talking about books, I started last year and still need to finish that would be ‘Furyborn’ by Claire Legrand and ‘Book Lovers’ by Emily Henry. But, if you mean 2023 releases I still need to read than the list is probably too long to mention.

Hope that you enjoyed this tag! If you have done it on your blog, let me know in the comments below, so that I can read your post. Feel free to leave a comment with your answers as well. Do not forget to share this post and follow the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Borrow My Heart // Book Review

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About The Book
When a girl overhears a guy getting verbally destroyed by his friends for being catfished, she jumps in to save the day—and pretends to be his online crush. Suddenly she’s fake-dating a boy she knows nothing about. And it’s . . . amazing. A young adult romance from the critically acclaimed author of Places We’ve Never Been.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3Scapc5

My Rating

I’m a big fan of Kassie West, and a young adult contemporary about a catfishing story just seemed super cute. However, this one sadly missed the mark. It just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, and the ending made me quite angry.

In the book, we follow Warren, an animal-loving control freak that decides to do a ‘good deed’ by helping out Asher when she overhears his friend teasing him about being catfished. This sparks a cute little romance between Warren and Asher, but it does all start off as a lie, which makes things complicated.

I loved Warren, and found her to be such a great main character. Asher was a really good love interest, too. Even the side characters were likable, as well. Kasie West knows how to write really good characters. Teens that aren’t annoying, stereotypical, or immature. However, this didn’t have that same witty banter that her books normally do.

“That’s what good people with big hearts do.”

As usual, they are more to her plots than just romance. Warren has a broken home life, because her mother left her to go off and do her own thing. The fact that there are more serious elements to her stories, rather than just teen love, make them more impactful. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good straight forward teen romance, but I love the fact that her books have more substance, as well.

My biggest con for this book, and the reason that it isn’t a four or five star, is the ending conflict. There’s always some conflict in romance novels where the love interests pull away from each other, but this one made me so mad and I didn’t like the resolution. Maybe I’m petty, and I hold a grudge.

Overall, I enjoy Kasie West’s writing, and her books are such fast reads. And, I do like how she focused on social media, but how social media can negatively impact someone’s life, and affect them. Although this story wasn’t my favorite, and the ending still drives me nuts, I will continue to read any book she puts out.

In the comments, let me know if you’ve ever been catfished. Is catfishing even a thing anymore? Don’t forget to check out my Facebook page for more bookish updates. And, you’ll never miss a post if you follow the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny