Shon's October 2019 Wrap Up & Book Haul

October Book Haul

• Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee

eBooks & Audible Audiobook (Not Pictured)

• Tarnished Crown (The Royals) by Erin Watt
• Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
  
• The Demon King: A Seven Realms Novel by Cinda Williams Chima
  
• The Ship of the Dead: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan
  
• Queen of Air and Darkness: The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare

October Wrap Up

eBooks & Audible Audiobook (Not Pictured)

• Teacher's Pet by Jordan Silver
• Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide by J.K. Rowling
• Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists by J.K. Rowling
• Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies by J.K. Rowling
• Ramen Assassin by Rhys Ford
• The Babysitters Coven (The Babysitters Coven #1) by Kate Williams
• Havoc (Tattoos and Ties Duet #1) by Kindle Alexander
• Scott Free by James Patterson, Rob Hart
• Puck Me Secretly by Odette Stone
• Backstage Pass (Sinners on Tour #1) by Olivia Cunning
• Rock Hard (Sinners on Tour #2) by Olivia Cunning

October was a pretty good reading month for me!! I added a couple of new books to my shelf in October and read 11 books, which is pretty awesome. Here's hoping for another great month in November!!

What books did you add to your collection this month? How many books did you read??

xoxo,
Shon

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting on Wednesday #80

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting On Wednesday #CWW #WOW

Title: A River of Royal Blood

Author: Amanda Joy

Expected Publication: October 29th 2019

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

An enthralling debut perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone set in a North African-inspired fantasy world where two sisters must fight to the death to win the crown.

Sixteen-year-old Eva is a princess, born with the magick of marrow and blood--a dark and terrible magick that hasn't been seen for generations in the vibrant but fractured country of Myre. Its last known practitioner was Queen Raina, who toppled the native khimaer royalty and massacred thousands, including her own sister, eight generations ago, thus beginning the Rival Heir tradition. Living in Raina's long and dark shadow, Eva must now face her older sister, Isa, in a battle to the death if she hopes to ascend to the Ivory Throne--because in the Queendom of Myre only the strongest, most ruthless rulers survive.

When Eva is attacked by an assassin just weeks before the battle with her sister, she discovers there is more to the attempt on her life than meets the eye--and it isn't just her sister who wants to see her dead. As tensions escalate, Eva is forced to turn to a fey instructor of mythic proportions and a mysterious and handsome khimaer prince for help in growing her magick into something to fear. Because despite the love she still has for her sister, Eva will have to choose: Isa's death or her own.

A River of Royal Blood is an enthralling debut set in a lush North African inspired fantasy world that subtly but powerfully challenges our notions of power, history, and identity. 

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comment section below.

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting on Wednesday #79

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting On Wednesday #CWW #WOW

Title: Rachael Ray 50: Memories and Meals from a Sweet and Savory Life: A Cookbook

Author: Rachael Ray
Expected Publication: October 15th 2019
Genres: Nonfiction, Cookbooks

America's favorite self-taught cook opens up about the most memorable moments of her life to date in this candid memoir-inspired cookbook featuring more than 125 recipes.

"Working in hospitality is hard on the body. But, if it's in you, if it's in your blood, kitchens are your happy place and food is as good for your soul as it is for feeding any appetite. Every nick of the knife, every burn and every ache and pain can go almost unnoticed and ultimately is more than worth it. At fifty, I could be better looking but I couldn't be more fulfilled."

As her fiftieth birthday approached, the woman who taught America how to get dinner on the table, fast, started thinking, not just about what to make for dinner, but how her passion for food and feeding people developed over a lifetime. Where did it come from? How did it grow? Where will it take her next?

Now, Rachael Ray reveals how her mother and Italian grandfather instilled in her a strong work ethic, problem solving skills, and overall love of cooking, and how her time as a dish washer and soda fountain girl shaped her work philosophy; why muggings at gunpoint (two!) eventually led to her career in television, and how competing (and winning) on Iron Chef turned out to be one of the hardest days of her life; plus tales of the friends she's made along the way, like Oprah, Michelle Obama, Jacques Pépin, and many others. Peppered throughout is her kitchen and life wisdom, along with her philosophy on how we can better serve the world and each other.

The accompanying recipes range from all-time favorite recipes and meals to unexpected dishes like French cuisine, her endeavors into baking, and some of her husband John's tasty cocktails. They include: Bavette with Green Peppercorn Sauce Verte, Smoked Oysters with Lemon-Horseradish Mignonette, Mushroom and Chard Crostata, Brown Butter Balsamic Ravioli, Beet Arancini, Nduja Deviled Eggs, Stone Fruit Galette, Negroni Freeze, and a serious Porchetta. Plus favorite recipes for your pets!

a this is a revealing and intimate glimpse into Rachael's world and her every day inspiration. 

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comment section below.

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting on Wednesday #78

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting On Wednesday #CWW #WOW

Title: War Girls

Author: Tochi Onyebuchi
Expected Publication: October 15th 2019
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy

Two sisters are torn apart by war and must fight their way back to each other in a futuristic, Black Panther–inspired Nigeria.
The year is 2172. Climate change and nuclear disasters have rendered much of earth unlivable. Only the lucky ones have escaped to space colonies in the sky.

In a war-torn Nigeria, battles are fought using flying, deadly mechs and soldiers are outfitted with bionic limbs and artificial organs meant to protect them from the harsh, radiation-heavy climate. Across the nation, as the years-long civil war wages on, survival becomes the only way of life.

Two sisters, Onyii and Ify, dream of more. Their lives have been marked by violence and political unrest. Still, they dream of peace, of hope, of a future together.

And they're willing to fight an entire war to get there.

Acclaimed author Tochi Onyebuchi has written an immersive, action-packed, deeply personal novel perfect for fans of Nnedi Okorafor, Marie Lu, and Paolo Bacigalupi.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comment section below.

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Shon Review: The Babysitters Coven

The Babysitters Coven
Website | Instagram | Goodreads 
Publication Date: September 17th 2019
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 368
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Paranormal
Source: Own
Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Synopsis

Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it's kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she's good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let's just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She's Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria cooking. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme's babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra's mother left her: "Find the babysitters. Love, Mom."

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they're about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home.

My Thoughts:

This was a very slow build up.  It took about 25% into the book for the story to begin.  I felt most of the back story could have been eliminated.

So about halfway into the book I had to stop and look at the reviews on Goodreads to see if I was the only one who was having problems with this book.  I was so happy to see that I was not alone.  

The author is not a bad writer, the story flow very well. It's to bad that the story is just so painful boring.  There where part of the story, where you felt the author building up to something then there was no payoff.

For example, let's take a look the 'villain' (for a lack of a better word), who shows up and drop this big bombshell and then literally vanish. I'm thinking to myself that the author is setting up the next book. Where are two protagonist will track him down in the next book. Spoiler warning! I was wrong.

I like how one the last pager said: THE BABYSITTERS ARE BACK FALL 2020. I'm like they might be back, but I will not.  I do not see myself continuing on in this series.

xoxo,
Shon

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting on Wednesday #77

Can't-Wait Wednesday / Waiting On Wednesday #CWW #WOW

Title: Fireborne

Author: Rosaria Munda
Expected Publication: October 15th 2019
Genres: Fantasy,Young Adult

Game of Thrones meets Red Rising in a debut young adult fantasy that's full of rivalry, romance... and dragons.

Annie and Lee were just children when a brutal revolution changed their world, giving everyone—even the lowborn—a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders.

Now they are both rising stars in the new regime, despite backgrounds that couldn’t be more different. Annie’s lowborn family was executed by dragonfire, while Lee’s aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship, and seven years of training have made them rivals for the top position in the dragonriding fleet.

But everything changes when survivors from the old regime surface, bent on reclaiming the city.

With war on the horizon and his relationship with Annie changing fast, Lee must choose to kill the only family he has left or to betray everything he’s come to believe in. And Annie must decide whether to protect the boy she loves . . . or step up to be the champion her city needs.

From debut author Rosaria Munda comes a gripping adventure that calls into question which matters most: the family you were born into, or the one you’ve chosen. (less)

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comment section below.

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Changing Of Leaves Readathon | Shon's TBR

Changing Of Leaves Readathon runs from October 14th to 20th!  This readathon has a few reading and photo challenges you may wish to complete.

There are 6 book challenges for this readathon. You can have 1 book count for as many challenges as you want and you can read the books in any order you want.

1. A Scary book
2. A book with a Autumn colored cover
3. A book published in Autumn
4. A second book in a series
5. A book with a number in the title
6. 2019 new release

These are the photo challenges! You can share your phots on social media with the hashtag #tb2k19challenge

• Day1: TBR Stack - a photo of all the books you plan to read during the readathon
• Day 2: Seasonal Book Stack - a photo of a book outside
• Day 3: Spooky Vibes - a spooky photo featuring a book.
• Day 4: Book Series - a photo of a book series
• Day 5: National Chocolate Cupcake Day (book + cupcake)
• Day 6: Green Books - a photo of green books
• Day 7: Book and Planner - a photo of how you planned for the readathon week. It can be your planner, a list pad, a spreadsheet, whatever.

TBR

• Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
• Scott Free by James Patterson, Rob Hart
• Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee 
• Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas 

It's a fairly ambitious list, I'll admit, especially with a full-time nine to five job.

Happy Reading!

I’m Back // Oops I Haven’t Posted Since June

UNEXPECTED HIATUSES

Hello there!  Long time no see.  From the title of this post you have probably reached the same conclusion as I have… For one reason only (maybe two reasons) I haven’t posted on this blog since June! I just wanted to say sorry for the unannounced hiatus that lasted over three months and my poor quality posts of late.  I really miss reading, reviewing and blogging so much.  This was a very unexpected hiatus, and one that I had to kept until I felt as though I could return.  Never fear, I have returned!

WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO

Absolutely nothing. This summer has found me in the biggest reading slump ever (maybe the 2nd biggest ever), one month I was seven books ahead on my Goodreads reading challenge now I'm five books behind schedule.  

I’ve also been reading a bit this past week. Nothing too big, a book I should have not read after coming out of a book slump, three Short Stories and I started new series (Ramen Assassin by Rhys Ford).  I’m so glad to be back.

WHAT'S NEXT

So you may ask, “Shon what’s next?”  I'm glad you ask.  There’s a lot of things that I’m excited about right now.  First of all, it's Fall (which is my favorite season).  I love Fall because of the windy days, chilly weather, hot apple cider and leaves falling from the tree (of course in Southern California this doesn't happen until mid December). Second, the new and returning TV show, one of mine new favorite show is Stumptown (which I just found out is base on a graphic novels).  Third, our last readathon for the year Changing Of Leaves Readathon (October 14th-20th)!

xoxo,

   Shon