February Wrap Up

I started February so strong! then kind of collapsed at the end. I was able to finish 4 more books since my last check in.

So final stats for February are:

Total Read: 20 books - 6,815 pages
Currently reading: 9

Even though my reading fell off, my love for the books did not.

Mister Tender's Girl by Carter Wilson
A free physical book in exchange for an honest review.
I was sucked into the story and highly entertained throughout. It was horrific that it was inspired by true events. If you are a sensitive reader it might not be the best book but if you like a little gore and psychological thrill I highly recommend it. The end did not satisfy me though so I only gave it 4 stars.

Fade to Us by Julia Day
A free physical book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was not what I was expecting. In a good way. I was expecting cute contemporary read, fast pace and entertaining in a very light way. This story had some unexpected depth and I think the relationships were more realistic then most YA romances. I liked the Asperger's representation. I have some experience with those on the spectrum and I think the author did decent research into it. Another four star read!

Final Girls by Riley Sager
I listened this on audio and was highly entertained. Not for sensitive readers.
Quincy was an entertaining leading character and I liked her struggles with wanting to leave the horrific night of the Pine Cottage Murders behind her. She is a one of a few girls that are labeled the Final Girls, they were the last girls left alive in each of their brutal attacks. It seems though that someone wants all the Final Girls dead, but not before they find out what Quincy knows about that night. I was not expecting the ending but there were times that the pacing was a bit slow so I gave it four stars!

Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher
Book #8 in the Dresden Files so I won't say anything outside of I love Harry Dresden and Jim Butcher doesn't disappoint in this installment. It is not my favorite in the series but it was very entertaining so 3 stars. I listened to this on audio!

The Defense by Steve Cavanagh
I received The Plea which is book #2 in the series for review so of course I needed to pick up book one. This was a true drama. A slow burn at the start with the huge ending being amazing. I literally could not sleep until I read the final 100 pages. If you are in the mood for a drama I highly recommend this. Eddie Flynn was a fun character and his upbringing leads to a very interesting take on being a lawyer. I cannot wait to pick up The Plea! I gave this book 4 stars but I might bump it up!

February Mid Month Check In

15 books in 15 days! 

What a great reading month with a lot of amazing books. So far 2018 has been a wonderful reading year for me. Very few disappointing books and a lot of 5 stars.

Free books in exchange for honest reviews:

Take Me With You	Andrea Gibson
A False Report	T Christian Miller
The Wedding Date	Jasmine Guillory
Anatomy of A Scandal	Sarah Vaughan
The Queen of Hearts	Kimmery Martin
Dead Serious	Jane Mersky Leder
Off Limits	Clare Connelly

Highly recommend:

*Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Becky Albertalli

This was a fantastically cute book and even better that I read it around Valentine's Day with all the love in the air! I saw this repeatedly on booktube and it was getting so much hype that I picked it up. I had no idea what it was about so was a little surprised, pleasantly, as I got into it. I totally understand where it gets it hype and I will keep this book as a warm and fuzzy thought for years to come.

*The Queen of Hearts            Kimmery Martin

Wow, just wow. This book sucks you in immediately and then refuses to let you go. I wanted to crawl into a comfy couch and not leave until I consumed the whole thing but, adulting.

First, check out that cover... 

Then as you are reading it feels like Kimmery Martin is leading you through the woods finding your way to the conclusion one little bite size sentence at a time. Each little micro reveal left me reeling and rethinking what I thought I knew. I didn't see it coming. I should have seen it coming. 

-Not for sensitive readers.

-Free in exchange for honest review

Instagram: @shelf.loving

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/shelfloving

19 Souls by JD Allen

A free e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

19 Souls by JD Allen

Published 02/08/2018

I enjoyed this book, a solid 3 star read. 

Jim Bean is a PI that lets his past haunt him into making bad current decisions. He is the perfect PI for Sophie Evers. He is sober enough to do the job but drunk enough from not questioning the situation too much. Unlucky for her though he is smart and not easily continuously deceived. Sophie Evers is looking for Daniel, Bean thinks this is an easy case. He quickly learns though that Sophie isn’t what she says she is and Daniel, along with anyone else in the way, is in grave danger. 

Even though we are told from the synopsis that Sophie isn’t who she says she is I still enjoyed the way the twist played out and what it lead to. It was unique, for me at least, and I enjoyed it. Yes, there was pacing flaws and my copy had technical editing flaws but overall it was a solid and entertaining read!

Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi

Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi
Published 02/06/2018

I received a free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Saaket “Scott” Ferdowsi is winning at quitting. He has no ambition and as he is nearing his high school graduation this is becoming more evident. It is not through the lack of his parents trying to motivate him, it is not through the lack of exceptional opportunities that are provided to him. Scott just lacks grit.

As Scott realizes this character flaw in himself is leading him down roads he doesn’t want to go a very opportunistic set of events unfold. His parents leave for an entire month and he discovers a professor who talks about grit that is just a bus ride away. So Scott’s journey to get gritty starts. It of course would not be a YA book without the typical trope of meeting a pretty, but slightly quirky, girl.

Fiora Buchanan is…intense and slightly damaged. Scott of course immediately falls in love with her. She leads him through some self-discovery that will not allow him to give up the adventure before it truly begins. Of course though, it has to be a super small world and cast of characters so Scott meets several people in the first few hours in his adventure and they are all able to lead him through. All of these characters though seemed superficial though and did not add a ton of value.

This was not a bad book. I definitely found myself grinning at some parts. The pacing was not perfect though and I grew bored of the characters towards the end since no one seemed to develop. It was just all a little too unbelievable and seemed like things worked out just to keep the plot moving.

I did really enjoy the diversity presented in this book though. Scott is an Iranian-American which was a new view point for me to read from. The story touches on sensitive topics around race, sexual identity and mental disorders. If you take this book for what it is, a YA contemporary it is quirky and worth the read.

Reign of the Fallen - Sarah Glenn Marsh

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh
Published January 28, 2018

Free e-book from Penguin First to Read in exchange for an honest review

Not sure what I expected from this book and maybe that is why it fell short. It had an interesting premise. Kings being risen from the dead to continue rule over a city that literally is under law to not change. The dead, and those that go raise them, lose something. I wanted more of an emotional punch from this. I thought this was supposed to be young adult but words like "f***" were just randomly thrown around, not adding a lot, not really necessary. The deaths were violent and gruesome. I felt the pacing was all over the place and I was bored with the stilted dialogue. I can see why people would like this but it just wasn't for me. A solid fantasy read that maybe has potential as a series now that the world is built.

Instagram: @shelf.loving

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/shelfloving

January Wrap-Up

Current TBR List: 15
Currently Reading: 9
Books Finished in January: 26

Another great reading month under my belt, and a great way to start off the new year! There were so many great releases this month that I am still trying to catch up on everything! 

January Mid Month Check In

Current TBR List: 16
Currently Reading: 9
Books Finished in January: 13

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling

Crazy enough, but I liked the first book better during this reread. I love meeting the characters all over again but this one opening with Dobby makes me cringe and have a lot of negative feels with the abuse Harry suffers and that Dobby suffers. It is amazing to know how the book ends, how the series ends, and all the little details that wrap back into each other. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. So happy to be back in this world!

Origin by Dan Brown

I was a little disappointed with this. It was getting so much hype and I had to wait so long to borrow a copy from my library that I built it up in my mind a little too much. Once again we are following Robert Langdon and the plot takes off quickly and never stops. Don’t get me wrong. I was thoroughly entertained. I was just hoping for a little more. I liked the Inferno much more than this one, but again, that doesn’t mean this one was bad. Just more of the same. Maybe I should have waited longer between reading Inferno and this one so I couldn’t compare them so closely.

9^th Judgment by James Patterson
Chipping away at my old TBR lists! This is another series that I added to my GoodReads list in 2012 when I joined. I am still really enjoying the series. This one was really emotional for me though, and I recommend that you read the synopsis before you dive in if you are sensitive to crime against infants/young children. This was fast moving and had me hooked from the start. I really enjoyed how the two different plot lines linked up to each other! A young woman and her infant are gunned down the same night the wife of an A List celebrity is shot. Whose case should take priority? Body count raises and quickly and there is always more to the story.

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
Regarding descriptions, 5 stars. Regarding overall content, I am still not sure how to rate this book. It is a coming of age story. Tess has made it to the big city and doesn’t know what she wants out of life, until she comes to The Restaurant. She interviews and miraculously gets the job at a very well-known and established restaurant in the heart of New York. All I could think was Coyote Ugly minus the music, add a ton of food and wine descriptors and some drugs. This was not a bad book. I was highly entertained throughout but it was more of a descriptive meandering piece of work that definitely was not plot driven and almost not even character driven even though we are following Tess around the city. This is written for a specific audience and you need to be in the mood for it or Tess will drive you insane.

Instagram: @shelf.loving

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