Wednesday, December 30, 2020

2021 Bookish Resolutions


2021 is almost here and I am very much looking forward to the new year. While a lot of this year's problems will persist into the upcoming year, I also have hope that things will get better. That being said, my reading and life habits have changed drastically this year and I have no clue what this next year holds. 

In looking back at last year's resolutions, there were a lot that I didn't achieve. Most of that can be attributed to the pandemic, but some were just because I wasn't feeling them. Based on this past year and what I think my next year will look like, my goals this year are slightly different. Let's go ahead and just dive right in! 
  • Reading
    • Read at least 1 book
      • In the past, my yearly goals have usually been to read 100 books each year. That's about two books every week. While I love the impressive round number of 100 books a year, I think that making my reading about statistics in the last few years has made me enjoy books less. I am going to change that this year and try to change my mindset away from the idea that I need to read a certain amount of books in order to be considered a "real" reader. 
    • Don't force reading
      • My next resolution, which ties into the first, is not to force myself to read. Due to my high reading goals, I've sometimes felt like I was forcing myself to read a book when I wasn't actually feeling it. This has made me dislike books that I'm sure I otherwise would have loved. Because of this, I want to develop more of a mood-based reading schedule and get back into reading for fun. I will still have monthly TBRs, but they're going to be just general lists of what I want to read next and not strict schedules of what I have to read in a specific order or timeframe. 
    • Review less books
      • This seems counter-intuitive, I guess, considering I am a review platform. However, I accepted way too many books for review this year that a lot of titles I was really dying to read were pushed to the side in order to review books. Additionally, I would feel like I was forcing myself to read sometimes which further diminished my enjoyment. This upcoming year, I plan on only requesting or signing up for review copies for books that I'm dying to read. 
  • Social Media
    • Hit 3,500 followers on bookstagram
      • This is a goal I had last year that I just about achieved this year. However, Instagram's algorithm is all kinds of messed up so I didn't quite hit it. I don't want bookstagram to feel like a job, though, so I'm not setting a super high follower goal for myself like I might have in previous years. I simply want to hit my original goal from last year and just enjoy taking pictures and engaging with the community again. 
    • Consistent blogging 
      • Due to how hectic life got this year, I was pretty inconsistent with my usual posting schedule on my blog. I'd like to get back into consistent blogging, even if it's not my usual 3-posts-per-week that I try to aim for. I don't want blogging to feel like a job so I just want to continue putting out consistent yet fun content. 
  • Book Buying
    • Buy less books
      • I dramatically cut down on my book buying in 2020. Whereas in years prior I would average 15-20 books a month (sometimes more, sometimes less), this year I consistently hauled less than 10 books a month. I noticed something with this, too. I was more excited about the books I hauled because I had to be more selective with what I bought. Part of this was because of money but also because I'm just trying to read through my backlist TBR as much as possible. My goal for 2021 is to continue buying less physical books and only buying ebooks when they're a book I really want and are on sale. 
    • Unhaul books
      • I also want to unhaul books. I wasn't able to unhaul many this year because the pandemic screwed those plans up but I would like to unhaul a decent amount this year. There's just a lot of books I have in storage that I would like to send to better homes.
Well, those are my goals for this upcoming year! I am trying to take a more laid-back approach to reading and content creation as I am quite busy with school and stressed because of life. I want reading to be an escape and something I can do to relax again. Do you have any bookish resolutions for the new year? Let me know in the comments! 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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End of the Year Book Tag: 2020 Edition


Hello everyone! I'm a little late doing this tag this year but better late than never! As I'm writing this, there's about four days left of 2020, though, so I'm squeezing it in last second! Let's go ahead and just dive right in! 



1. Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

Yes. I won't get around to finishing all of them but, according to Goodreads, I'm currently reading seven books. Ideally, I'd like to finish Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout and maybe one more from that specific list. 



2. Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Not particularly. I'm doing this tag rather late this year so I've already moved past this. Oops!



3. Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

There are a ton of new releases in 2020 that I am really excited to eventually read, but for now there's none left coming out in the next four days. I am excited to read a bunch of them in 2021 (hopefully!) like These Violent Delights, A Song of Wraiths and Ruins, and so many more! 



4. What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

I do actually hope to read Deity, Elixir, and Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Before finals and the holidays hit, I was reading one of these books in a day so I'd love to finish this series or, at the very least, most of the books in it before 2021 hits! 



5. Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

I honestly doubt it. While I'm excited for the rest of the Covenant series, I don't think it will top my  number one on my current list of favorites. It *may* end up on the list but we'll just have to see! 




6. Have you already started making reading plans for 2021?

I definitely have! I have an extensive TBR list of books I'd like to read in 2021 and some series I would like to finally finish. I actually have an entire list of reading resolutions for 2021 coming out in tomorrow's blog post! 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Sunday, December 27, 2020

Disappointing Books of 2020


Well, we're at the end of 2020. It's been a long year yet somehow this ending snuck up on me. I'm just glad it's over. Anyway, I'm not here to talk about my general feelings about 2020 but, rather, to dive into the first of my yearly wrap-up posts. Every year I do a few fun posts to wrap up my reading year and this year was definitely an interesting one.

Today I'm going to be chatting about my disappointing reads of 2020, but I feel like I need to give a bit of an explanation and disclaimer first. Just because these books are on this list does not mean I didn't like or enjoy them. Also, I am not trying to throw shade at any of these authors or people who like these books because, again, I did enjoy some of these. However, the books on this list are here because I had high or different expectations for the book and ended up disappointed. Let's go ahead and dive in!

The first on this list is actually the only one that I didn't like at all. In fact, I'd go as far to say that I hated it. I've mentioned this book multiple times over the year since I read it at the beginning of isolation but I just...it wasn't good. The book I'm talking about is Crave by Tracy Wolff. I had such high expectations for this book. It seemed right up my alley and I had heard nothing but positive reviews. And then I read it. And hated it. I won't get super in depth here because I have a non-spoiler rant review here but I just was severely disappointed and didn't like this book at all.

The next book is Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer. I feel like this might be a bit of a cop-out add since I technically haven't finished it yet but I think that fact warrants addition to this list on its own. I have been a die-hard Twilight fan since I was nine. I started Midnight Sun the day it came out. And I still haven't finished it. I'm over halfway and have been struggling. I'll have more thoughts once I finally finish but, for now, it's been mostly disappointing so far despite some new content I've enjoyed.

The third book I have is Losers Reap Her by Hayley Stumbo. This is the long-awaited final book in one of my favorite adult trilogies and I was so excited to finally get to reading it. I will admit that I probably hyped it up way to much in my mind and added unnecessary expectations to it. However, I also feel like this book was way different from the first two. Part of the reason I loved the trilogy so much was because I loved our main narrator, and when the POVs changed in this final book I felt a tad disconnected. Also, the ending was one of my least-favorite tropes of all time so that also didn't help. I won't say that I didn't like this book, because I did. I enjoyed finding the resolution to a trilogy I've loved for so long. However, i was a bit disappointed in it not matching my expectations. 

The last book on this list is Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin. This one hurts probably the most out of every book on this list. The first book, Serpent & Dove, was my number one favorite book of 2019. It still remains one of my top books of all time. I was incredibly excited for the sequel. However, I felt like it let me down. I did try to make my expectations realistic in that a lot of the things I loved about the first book couldn't be replicated. However, it felt like this book dragged a bit and I was quite frustrated by many of the characters throughout a lot of the book. I do think this is a case of second-book syndrome, especially considering this was originally a duology that got stretched to a trilogy. I am still quite excited for the third book, Gods & Monsters, and I did give this book 4 stars, but it didn't live up to the first book or the early hype I'd been reading and, for that, I was disappointed. 

Thankfully, those were the only books I had for this list! There were books that I rated low this year but a lot of those were also ones that I wasn't highly anticipating so they didn't really disappoint me, per se. Hopefully next year I won't even need to do this post! 

What books disappointed you this year? Let me know in the comments! 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Saturday, December 5, 2020

November 2020 Book Haul

Hello everyone! Another month, another book haul for you guys! This month I got five physical books and I'm super excited for them all. I'm not quite sure how December is going to go since it is a the holiday season but so far I've been getting fewer books each month which is exciting. I'm trying to cut back a lot on what books I bring into my collection and I'm really excited about all of these!



The first two books I'm going to talk about are The Darkest Star and The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I ordered these because I wanted the covers to match the newest book and I just hadn't bought proper copies yet. The Burning Shadow arrived quickly and is beautiful. The Darkest Star, on the other hand, took so long to arrive that Amazon refunded me before it showed up a week and a half later (and not the edition I ordered, either). What will most likely happen is I end up donating or giving away The Darkest Star since (1) I got it for free and (2) I have the ARC with this cover and would much rather have the new cover edition. Still, I'm super excited to binge this series when the final book releases!

The next book I got was kindly sent to me by Book Terminals and that is a finished copy of the new We Need Diverse Books anthology, A Universe of Wishes which is edited by Dhonielle Clayton and features a brilliant line up of amazing authors! This is a fantasy and sci-fi anthology featuring some authors that I really love so I was incredibly excited when I was chosen for this tour! My post will be up on December 10th over on my Instagram :)

The next book I got was Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco. This is my second edition but I got it for a very specific reason...it's the Beacon edition! This edition features metallic gold edges and is signed! I'm absolutely in love with it and I'm so excited to have both the Barnes & Noble cover and regular cover in my collection. You can also find my non-spoiler review for this book here as well as a playlist curated by me if you're interested!

The final book I hauled in November was Fable by Adrienne Young. I got this off ebay and it was quite the steal! First, it is signed which is awesome since my other book by Adrienne Young is also signed. Then when it arrived I found out that it was the Bookish Box edition with fan art on the back of the dust jacket! This edition goes for $50+ so I was really surprised to find I had gotten it for less than retail price. The main reason I ordered this was because I wanted a hardcover without the Reese's Book Club sticker on it. I think it's incredible and amazing this book was chosen for the club, but I absolutely hate that sticker being put on every book under the sun (figuratively, that is). So I wanted to snag a first edition before they were all too hard to find or too expensive. I'm really excited to have this in my collection and can't wait to read it soon!



Those are all of the books I hauled in November. Like I said, I have no idea how December is going to go. I already have at least three books on my probable haul list but that's before we even get towards Christmas gifts and whatnot. What books did you get in November? Let me know in the comments!



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Wednesday, December 2, 2020

November 2020 Wrap-Up


Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well on this sunny December afternoon. Today I'm bringing you my wrap-up for the month of November! Now, November was a pretty good reading month. Do I wish I could have read a little bit more? Yes. However, I enjoyed every single book I read this month and had some new favorites added to my list! I also have a solid TBR lined up for December based off of what I read this month, so I'm hopeful that December will also be a good reading month for me. For now, though, let's dive into my November! 


1. Title: The Inheritance Games
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

2. Title: Hate
Author: Tate James
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

3. Title: Liar
Author: Tate James
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

4. Title: Fake
Author: Tate James
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

5. Title: Kate
Author: Tate James
Rating: 3.25 // 5 stars

6. Title: Half-Blood
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

7. Title: Daimon
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

8. Title: Pure
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Rating: 4 // 5 stars






Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Friday, November 20, 2020

Book Review: "Pure" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Pure 
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: "Covenant" #2
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Page Length: 329 pages
Publication Date: April 3, 2012
Rating: 4 // 5 stars
Goodreads

Okay so when I first read Half-Blood over five years ago, I enjoyed it but I didn't love it. I much preferred Jennifer's other books that I'd read up until that point. However, I recently decided to reread it on a whim and absolutely loved it. The first book, to me, is very reminiscent of Percy Jackson and Vampire Academy. That's why it probably shouldn't have surprised me that I liked it more on my reread. 

However, whereas the first book is a bit cliched and similar to other popular books of the time, the sequel takes this story and world in a whole new direction. This book is definitely, to me, where the series has begun to bloom into it's own. 

I absolutely love our main character. I connect so well with her and I think that just goes to show Jennifer's strength in writing her characters as I always connect well with hers. Alex is such a fun character to read from. I love her inner monologue and I like how she's not perfect. She constantly makes mistakes but she also owns up to and learns from them without changing who she is.  

Quite a bit happens in this book in terms of plot movement and character development. Our world and lore expand a bit but I'd say the biggest expansion was in terms of character and relationship developments. Alex definitely grew a lot in this book but her relationships with those around her also shifted quite a bit from the previous book. I'm really excited to see where these go. Also, I'm totally a simp for Seth now. 

I am quite the sucker for angsty paranormal stories. This series, to me, is the epitome of that. It's quite a fast series to read, as well, and the books are pretty bingeable. Right now, that's exactly what I need since the real world is so stressful. It's been really enjoyable falling into these books and getting to follow these characters around. 

I will say that I am so excited to see what happens in the next book. A lot happened in this book, some of which I saw coming and some of which completely blew me away, and I'm both incredibly excited and anxious to see where the story goes in the next book. Right now the odds are stacked against our protagonists so I am a bit worried. However, I have book three sitting right by me ready to go! Overall, I really enjoyed this installment and am adding this to the massive pile of Jennifer L. Armentrout books that I love! 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Sunday, November 15, 2020

Series Review: "Madison Kate" by Tate James


Series: Madison Kate
Author: Tate James
Genre: Reverse Harem Romance
Reading Order & Individual Ratings: 
  1. Hate - 4 // 5 stars 
  2. Liar - 4 // 5 stars
  3. Fake - 4 // 5 stars
  4. Kate - 3.25 // 5 stars
Overall Rating: 3.75 // 5 stars

“Madison Kate Danvers was murdered tonight.”

Those words changed my life, and not for the better.
They were wrong, of course. I wasn’t dead. But I was set up.
After being charged with a string of offences--and made an example of by my political minded father--I’m eventually released back into Shadow Grove with one thing on my mind.
Hate.
Someone is going to pay for derailing my carefully laid out future. Someone is going to catch the full force of my hate. How very convenient that someone just moved into the bedroom down the hall from me.
Archer D’Ath and his boys messed with the wrong chick and they’re about to learn just how cold Madison Kate’s hate can run.

HATE is a full length mature college/new adult romance with enemies-to-lovers/love-hate themes. This is a reverse harem novel, meaning the main character has more than one love interest. This is book one of four in the series.

I was really excited to read this series. I had just finished Tate James' other series, Kit Davenport, a few months ago when I discovered this one and then I decided that I wanted to wait for the last book to be released so I could binge them when the time came. I was quite excited this month when I realized the final book came out at the end of October and I knew I had to give it a go.

Overall, this was quite an addicting series. There were definitely moments in the beginning where I was wanting to reach through the book and shake the main character but overall I adored reading this series. I truly feel that if I hadn't had those moments of annoyance at our main character that I could have rated these books five stars. Of course, that didn't last through all of the books nor was it that often, so my reading experience was overall great. 

One thing that I love most about reverse harem books is that they tend to be full of angst and sassy characters. This series was no different. I loved how I could feel the angst and the tension as if I were in the room with all the characters. I loved how I was laughing out loud at certain points. It was truly a fun series despite dark moments and serious plot lines. 

I'd say Madison Kate, our main character, was definitely my favorite. I enjoyed her love interests and side characters but we only got MK's POV so I did feel most connected with her. Even though there were times I wanted to shake her for not sticking to her guns, overall I really enjoyed her and her story. Honestly I also liked how she wasn't a super badass from page one and instead had to work hard to become a badass on the same level as some of the others. 

I also enjoyed all our love interests and side characters. One thing that sometimes happens with reverse harem books is that all the love interests blur into carbon copies of each other with the same character voice and very little differences. I've noticed that my favorite reverse harem books are the ones that don't do this but instead make sure to show the differences between the love interests as well as their close bonds. I liked getting to know each love interest on their own and I liked their dynamic with each other apart from our main character. 

The plot was enjoyable as well. There were two or three major plot points throughout the entire series with a few smaller ones here and there. I really like books that have depth like this because it draws me in and connects me to the characters better. I was fascinated with the storyline for this series and it was definitely the reason why I was so drawn to binging the series. 

I will say that, for some reason, I didn't enjoy the last book as much as the first three. There could be a number of reasons for that ranging from my personal life being stressful to actual book things. I will say that it felt a lot longer than the others and dragged in some places to me. However, we also got to see a lot of plot strings tied up finally and that was quite enjoyable (though I did think some of them were too easy).

Overall, I really enjoyed this series. I thought it was fun, which seems weird to say when there's a lot of murder, gangs, and stuff along those lines but it's true nonetheless. I could definitely see myself revisiting this series in the future and I will definitely be checking out some of Tate James other books. Also, there was a lil plot thread left open to introduce a spin-off series and I'm very intrigued about that one so I may have to check that series out once it releases next year!



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Sunday, November 8, 2020

Book Review: "The Inheritance Games" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: The Inheritance Games
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Series: "The Inheritance Games" #1
Genre: YA Mystery
Page Length: 384 pages
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Rating: 4 // 5 stars 

*I was sent a free copy of this book by Wunderkind PR in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and comments are my own. This review is spoiler-free*

Synopsis

A Cinderella story with deadly stakes and thrilling twists, perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and Knives Out.

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why--or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch--and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.

Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive. 

I first want to give a big shoutout to Wunderkind PR for sending me a copy of this book! I had it on my wishlist and it was one that had intrigued me from the moment I read the synopsis so being sent a copy truly made my month!

I loved this book! I was intrigued from the moment I read the synopsis but I'd also seen some people say that it was good but not amazing. I'm glad that I tried not to let other people's opinions influence my expectations because I came out of this book wholly satisfied. 

Right off the bat I was sucked into this book. The pacing was quick, but not so fast that I was confused. I thought this worked really well because it didn't spend time focusing on places we weren't going to be revisiting or characters who wouldn't matter later on. The pacing is what kept me, to be honest. The story was fun and wonderful and full of mystery, but if it had been slower I might have struggled a little. However, the fact that this book took off right from the start and didn't slow down meant that I finished the majority of it in just one sitting. I was engrossed. I was obsessed. I still am obsessed, if we're being honest.

The story itself was interesting and well-balanced. There was mystery and there was humor. There were serious, heart pounding moments and then there were times I was laughing my head off. It was great. The mystery gripped me and I was actually nervous at times for our main character. As someone who doesn't like mystery thriller books that often (which is strange since I love crime and mystery TV shows), I've found that YA mysteries are more my speed than adult. This was one of those books that I adored the mystery in because I felt like it vibed well with my personal preferences. 

Our main storyline seemingly wrapped up while a few secondary threads set up the second book but, as the characters consistently pointed out in the book, I'm wondering if that's just a trick or a misdirect. I feel like Tobias Hawthorne, the person who engineered the whole mystery, would have a few more tricks up his sleeve. I just have so many questions about how the next book will go and I am eagerly anticipating it.  

In terms of characters, we have a pretty good sized cast. We only have one point of view which is our narrator, Avery, but there are a bunch of characters who play large roles throughout the book such as the Hawthorne brothers. I am definitely intrigued by all of the brothers and I'm interested to learn more about them in the next book and unravel some of their secrets. 

The romance, I think, was the least interesting part of this book. That's not to say it was bad, but I wasn't really invested in the romance plot as much. I felt like we didn't get enough character interactions on page between those characters to see them as more than friends at that point. It's also worth pointing out that this book was not marketed as romance, so this issue I had with the romance isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, I am still interested to see where it goes in the next book.

Overall, I loved this book and it will most likely end up on my list of 2020 favorites. It's such a solid YA mystery with an interesting cast of characters and a main character you can't help but love. I am so incredibly excited to read the next book and highly recommend it to anyone who liked Knives Out or enjoys a good YA mystery! 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Friday, November 6, 2020

Unboxing: Fairyloot's "Blood & Honey" Collector's Edition Box


The time has finally come! My Blood & Honey special edition box from Fairyloot has finally arrived! Let me just tell you guys...this box was stressful. Buying it initially was so stressful with website stress and then I had to get a new debit card since their site was compromised. Then this box was delayed not once but twice. But, eventually it arrived. I got one of the first boxes to have shipped and it was perfect since I got it delivered right before I left (if it had even been a day later it would have been another month before I could go back and get it). 

I've seen a lot of people complaining around this box ranging from not having their books near enough to relief (fair, but I preorder multiple copies like the mess I am) to not thinking the box was worth it for the money. Personally, I disagree and think that this box was more than worth it for the money and pretty perfect in every way.

In the months since I ordered this box, I sometimes wondered on what the items would be that hadn't already been revealed. I ended up getting everything I had hoped would be an item! I love this entire box and think it was more than worth it for the cost, even with international shipping, and I'm so excited to share it with you guys today! Let's go ahead and dive in!

(Oh, and there will obviously be spoilers for the box)



Up first I want to talk about the book. This edition of Blood & Honey was signed by the author, had glittery sprayed edges (to match the first book), and had artwork on the reverse of the dust jacket. Having read Blood & Honey already, I am obsessed with the scene they chose for the dust jacket and the artwork itself. I'm definitely super in love with it! There was also a short bonus content scene included (on a separate booklet). 

As for the items, we got five main items and a bonus art print as an apology for the box being delayed. There were two items that they had revealed beforehand that I knew were coming but the rest were a complete surprise. Like I mentioned above, I was so excited to see that I loved every single one of the items and will use each of them. 

The first item was a gorgeous and fluffy blanket with the quote, "What you are now is not what you’ve always been, nor is it what you always will be. You are a snake. Shed your skin if it no longer serves you, transform into something different. Something better." This was designed by @noverantale. I haven't yet taken it out of the packaging since I don't have a spot to store it yet, so here's a link to a post with a picture of the design!

The next item was this gorgeous storage tin that has the quote, "Blood is easily given. Tears--the pain that causes them--are not," which was designed by @chattynora. This is absolutely perfect because I have a few Serpent & Dove pins and small trinkets that I need a way to store until I have bookshelves again. I was hoping there would be a mug or a storage tin like this and I was so excited when I saw that this was included!

Up next was a gorgeous, full size wood-wick candle from @bookishburns. It is La Fôret Des Yeux themed and smells like wild patchouli, distressed leather, and fruits. Honestly, I love the smell. It's a perfect balance to where it's not an overpowering scent either. The label is pretty cute and was created by @blanca.designs. I don't think I'll burn it simply because I just don't burn candles but I love having them for pictures and to smell every once in a while. 

Then was a gorgeous enamel two-pin set from @jezhawk. One pin features a dove with the quote, "Love makes fools of us all, darling," and the other has a snake with the quote, "The world needs a whit less hate and a trifle more love." This is absolutely stunning and I'm so excited to add these to my collection. I'm hoping one day to have a small pin banner dedicated to this series and these will definitely look amazing on it! 

The next item was a gilded tarot card deck with character art from @oblivionsdream. These are stunning cards and I can't wait to check out Fairyloot's page to see what character is represented on each card. Some of them are pretty obvious but others aren't as much since I don't really remember what most of the characters look like. These are stunning, though, and I'm so excited to use them in pictures.

The last item was a bonus art print of Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel that was added as a thank you for waiting. This was designed by Katherine Britt. I do like this print and the artwork is pretty but I'm not quite sure how I feel about it in regards to the overall series. Still a nice bonus addition though! I did forget to take a picture of it but you can find an unboxing of one here



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Wednesday, November 4, 2020

October 2020 Book Haul


Hello everyone! Today I'm here with my book haul for the past month of October! I got a total of nine physical books, which I think is a pretty good number. Some of these I've already read whereas others are on my immediate TBR for this year and I'm really excited about them all! So, without further ado, here are the books I hauled in October!



The first book I picked up was a copy of Dear Justyce by Nic Stone. This is the sequel/companion to Dear Martin which I read over the summer. I am so intrigued to see how this book goes and to educate myself a bit. I actually have gotten a few books by Nic Stone over the past few months and I'm intrigued to read them all. I feel like Dear Martin hit me right in the feels so I very much expect Dear Justyce as well as Nic's other books to do the same! 
The next book I got was a copy of Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare and a plethora of co-authors. This was the last book in the Shadowhunters world that I had to get (until the next one releases, that is!) and I'm quite excited. This is a collection of novellas and short stories set in the world following a bunch of different characters. I'm planning on doing a Shadowhunters read-through all the way from the beginning soon and I'm glad to have finally added this to my collection.

Up next I got my preorder for Lightbringer by Claire Legrand. This is the third and final book in the Empirium Trilogy and I am so excited. This was one of the books in my top five most anticipated for this year and I'm so excited for it to finally be out. The ending of the second book blew me away and destroyed me so I am beyond excited to finally see how this final book plays out. I am also incredibly terrified to see what is going to happen. 

The next book I picked up was the signed Owlcrate edition of Incendiary by Zoraida Córdova. This is one of my favorite books of the year and I was just browsing on Instagram when I saw this gorgeous edition and realized that I didn't have a finished copy yet. I was so lucky and found this on ebay for less than list price! I am so excited to one day have a gorgeous collection of different editions for this series since it really is superb!

Up next I got my preorder of The Brightest Night by Jennifer L. Armentrout which actually came signed! I have to say, I wasn't a huge fan of the new covers when they were announced but in person it's actually quite pretty. This is the third book in the Origin series which is the spin-off to the Lux series (one of my favorites). I plan on waiting for the final book to release and then binging them all but I, of course, had to get my hands on this signed first edition! 

The next book was kindly sent to me by Wunderkind PR and that is The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This is a book that was pitched to me as Cinderella meets One of Us is Lying and  Knives Out and I, of course, was immediately intrigued. I actually just finished this book late last night and loved it so make sure to stay tuned for my full, non-spoiler review this upcoming weekend where I'll gush about how good this book was! 

Then I finally got my Fairyloot edition of Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin. I was so lucky that my box was one of the first shipped and arrived before I left my mom's house because this box was so amazing! I will also have a full unboxing of this box coming this Friday. This specific edition had sprayed edges, artwork on the back of the dust jacket, and was signed so that it all matched the Serpent & Dove edition from last year that I got. 

The next book I got was actually an advanced reader's copy of Lightbringer by Claire Legrand. I was so lucky to find this in a trade because this was probably my most sought after ARC for this year. I'm so excited that my Empirium Trilogy collection is virtually complete and that I have the ARCs for all of the books. This is one of my favorite trilogy and I knew that this was an ARC I would trade almost anything to get my hands on. I was so lucky that someone was finally trading it after months of searching!

The last book that I got this month was my Barnes & Noble edition of Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco. This is the first book in Kerri's new series and you can find my spoiler-free review here. The B&N edition had a different cover and behind the scenes content at the back so I knew that I had to snag a copy before they sold out as I loved this book!



Those are all of the books I got this month! Did you get any exciting books in October? Let me know in the comments down below! 

Thanks for reading!
 
Lauren



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Sunday, November 1, 2020

October 2020 Wrap-Up


Hi all! Another month has gone by (how is it already November?!) and I have another monthly wrap-up to do! October was an alright month. It was mostly full of stress, deadlines, and midterms but there were some good moments such as spending time with my family and getting to read some good books. 

I read a total of 15 books in October. However, I'm not entirely happy with my reading month. The numbers were good and I liked everything I read but I didn't stick with my TBR and there were only a couple of books that I loved. I really struggled with reading my TBR and the only way that I felt like reading were reverse harem romances. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because I did enjoy them, but I just wish I'd been more in the mood for my planned TBR.  That being said, I hope November can be a better month for me in terms of sticking to that TBR, but I'm still going to just go with my mood and not force myself to read things that I don't want to. For now, let's go ahead and dive into October!



BOOKS READ
1. 
Title: Kingdom of the Wicked
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars 

2. 
Title: Queen of Shadows
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-
How is this the fourth time I've read this book? Honestly, to me, this is probably the *best* Throne of Glass book. Don't get me wrong, all the others are also amazing and great but Queen of Shadows gets me every time. There's not a single moment of this book that I don't enjoy. I just...all the feels on my fourth reread. Now I'm torn if I should continue rereading the series or actually read my tbr for this month....

3. 
Title: The Lightning Thief: Graphic Novel
Author: Rick Riordan
Adapted by: Robert Vendetti
Illustrators: José Villarrubia & Attila Futaki
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

4. 
Title: The Sea of Monsters: The Graphic Novel
Author: Rick Riordan
Adapted by: Robert Venditti
Illustrators: Atilla Futaki & Tamás Gáspár
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

5. 
Title: The Titan's Curse: The Graphic Novel
Author: Rick Riordan
Adapted by: Robert Venditti
Illustrators: Atilla Futaki & Greg Guilhaumond
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

6. 
Title: The Battle of the Labyrinth
Author: Rick Riordan
Adapted by: Robert Vendetti
Illustrators: Orpheus Collar & Antoine Bodé
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

7. 
Title: The Last Olympian
Author: Rick Riordan
Adapted By: Robert Venditti
Illustrators: Orpheus Collar & Antoine Dodé
Rating: 5 //5 stars

8. 
Title: Love is Not Lost
Author: Nikki Bolvair
Rating: 3.5 // 5 stars
-reread-

9.
Title: Brokenly Found
Author: Nikki Bolvair
Rating:  3.5 // 5 stars
-reread-

10.
Title: Gaining Ground
Author: Nikki Bolvair
Rating: 3.5 // 5 stars
-reread-

11.
Title: Silent Secrets
Author: Nikki Bolvair
Rating: 3 // 5 stars
-reread-

12.
Title: Game On
Author: E.M. Moore
Rating: 2.75 // 5 stars

13. 
Title: Foul Line
Author: E.M. Moore
Rating: 3 // 5 stars

14. 
Title: At the Buzzer
Author: E.M. Moore
Rating: 2.75 // 5 stars

15. 
Title: Shared by Her Bodyguards
Author: Cassie Cole
Rating: 3 // 5 stars



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Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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