Of Butterflies and Books

 Hello, my fellow readers, I'm sure like all of you can't believe we're in the final countdown to the end of 2023. Also like me, I hope, we're all trying to get those final books read or listened to to add to our 2023 reading goal. Here is my End-of-Year book tag of 2023.  Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?  In short, yes. I try to do my best to finish my monthly TBRs but it doesn't always work out. Still, I'm very excited and interested in finishing the books I'm currently reading so I can add them to my reading goal of 2023. These books include:  The Other Princess by Denny S. Bryce My Name is Barbara by Barbara Streisand   The Court of The Underworld (Books 1-4) Vol 1 by Alessa Thorn I Hope You're Listening by Tom Ryan The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?  I would say I'm still in the fall season with mystery/thr...

 Hello, my fellow readers, it doesn't feel real that November is almost over and we're getting closer to the new year. Well I, like so many people I'm sure, have been taking full advantage of all the current major sales that have been going on online or in person. However, I would not say I've been going overboard. I've made some sensible purchases by putting in a lot of pre-orders that still applied to certain sales and taking advantage of sales and/or offers from different stores that I couldn't get through those sales, but that I could still get some kind of savings from others. Now, I will admit there have been the see, grab it, buy it kind of buys, but they were books I know I'm in the mood to read, and/or they are books I've really enjoyed and know I'm gonna reread again at some point.  So I'm going to go in order of most recent purchases.   First up, I have A Witch's Guide To Fake Dating A Demon  from Books A Million. And then, through...

 Hello, my fellow readers, I still have a few books on my list for my November TBR. Some are books I'm close to finishing or they're books I need to start. I'll start with the books I'm closest to finishing.  I'm currently rereading Emma by Jane Austen through an audiobook and I'm really enjoying reexploring this classic of Austen's works.  I stumbled on this cozy, KU fantasy and I can't wait to see where it goes and if this is gonna be a new favorite author I can add to my list.  Alice Feeney is an author I've gone back and forth on but the plot looked so intriguing for this book that I thought, "I'll give it a try".  This is one of the books up for the Goodreads Choice Awards for Romance and I've wanted to check this book out for a while, but I've pushed it up my timeline.  This is another book I don't know much about but I'm intrigued by the plot and curious to see if I'll want to continue the series.  Do you have...

 Hello, my fellow readers, I've just heard there is going to be a new month-long readathon that I can't wait to happen and that is TBRathon created by Booktuber Leandra The TBR Zero.  I love readathons because they can range from very mood or free-form-based to where there may be some very vague prompts or they can be very specific for certain tropes or types of books. This seems like to be a bit more on the former side as there are multiple ways you can approach the books you are reading. This readathon is all about starting the new year off right and getting a solid hold on your TBR. I can personally say my TBR has been and will probably always be out of control with the number of books I want to read, but I've slowly come to accept that about myself and as a reader. However, that doesn't stop me from setting reading goals for myself each and this readathon sounds just like the thing I need to start the new year off the way I want and try to get to a moderate to good ...

 Hello, my fellow readers, I'm very excited to share an update on where I stand so far with my reading stats for the month of November.  Books read: 13 DNFs: 4 Physical books: 0 E-books: 6 Audiobooks: 7  Rereads: 2  First in a Series: 1 Continuations/Sequels read: 6 Finished Series: 0 Standalones read: 6 Total pages read: 1,656 pages Total Hours listened: 65 hours 1-star ratings: 2 2-star ratings: 2 3-star ratings: 3 4-star ratings: 3 5-star ratings: 3 Avg. rating: 3.23 Avg. page count: 276 pages  Avg hours listened: 9.28 hours ARCS read: 2 Longest book read/ longest audiobook:  Glory and the Master of Shadows by Grace Callaway at 404 pages and The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata at 16 hours.  Shortest book read/shortest audiobook: I've posted reviews of these arcs on this blog: Her Princess at Midnight by Erica Ridley at 96 pages and Starting Over Scottish by Tricia O'Malley at 3 hours.  Are there any stats you are proud of so far in th...

Hello my fellow readers, fall will be gone before we know it and I couldn't let my favorite season end before I completed a book tag I recently found based on one of, if not, my favorite film of all time particularly to watch around this time of year.  1.) What book would you consider to be a "sweet tooth"? (You can't get enough of this book)         I would say a book I read this year is,  A Lot Like Adios by Alexis Daria. I found this book had pretty much everything I could ever want out of a romance novel and can't wait to see what she has next in store for this series. 2.) Name a series or standalone book that has magic, werewolves, and vampires         For this prompt, I'd have to go with Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices series which includes  Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, and Clockwork Princess . You get all three of these and more in Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter world, but there is something truly special a...

 I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  When I read the description of this book of course I was interested. Historical romance, LGBTQIA+ representation, and a fairytale retelling say less. However, I wasn't expecting this book to be as short as it was. I thought Erica Ridley did an excellent job of telling their story in less than 100 pages, but I wish the characters had been given more to do and more characterization. I thought this story was good but not what I was expecting and I'm sure others will enjoy this more than I did. Overall, I gave this novella 2 stars.

   Hello, my fellow readers, today I have a special announcement.  One of my favorite parts of reading is connecting with others who also enjoy to read. This is why I'm really excited to announce not so much a new reading challenge but a new permanent segment on this blog.     I love tropes and analyzing all the many tropes a person who loves to read can find and how tropes can transform over time, as well as how different authors can interpret and bring all these different tropes to life. I myself, as I'm sure whoever is reading this blog have tropes they both love and dislike that can determine whether or not we enjoy certain books, but in many cases determine whether we even pick up books if there is even the slightest hint they contain certain tropes.   For Trope Tuesday, I hope to choose a trope each month and hope to read anywhere from 3-5 books that contain the chosen trope. At the end of the month, I hope to share with you my fellow readers how...

 Hello, my fellow readers,           I wanted to give a little update as to what I'm currently reading.   I'm continuing as always with Brighton Walsh's Starlight Cove series,. I'm really loving the chemistry between the two main characters. Can't wait to finish this and for the next installment in this series.   The next book I'm currently reading is an audiobook of Jamie Wesley's Fake It Till You Bake It , just like Reckless Heart  I'm more than halfway through this delightful romantic comedy between a former football player, now bakery owner, and a young woman who is trying to find her own way.   Continuing to read this horror classic, I reread it every year I have only just started it, but really hoping to finish it this weekend.  What books are you currently reading? Let me know in the comments below. 

 I want to thank NetGalley, Dreamscape Select, and Lovewrite Publishing for sending me an advanced copy the of audiobook of this novella in exchange for an honest review.  Harper Scott wants, no, needs a change. Her life isn't going how she thought it was going to go at this point in her life. She goes all in and arranges to go to Scotland; however, she didn't expect to be going alone, let alone meeting a handsome, yet infuriating man who happens to be the owner of the pub she going to be working in.  I actually really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of some of the romantic comedies that came out in the early 2000s and/or a classic Hallmark movie. If any of that interests you I would say check this out and see what you think. Overall, I would give this 3 out of 5 stars.     #StartingOverScottish #NetGalley

 Hello, my fellow readers,          I had a very productive day where I read for a full 24 hours and in that time, I finished 2 books that I had been meaning to get to and/or finish reading.   I've been loving Brighton Walsh's Starlight Cove series. This is the third book with all the hallmarks of another favorite: Enemies to Lovers, Marriage of Convenience, and He Falls First. Long-time rivals, Quinn and Ford are brought together through various reasons of their own and find the best way to solve their problems is to get married. Though they both know their time together is on a ticking clock, nothing stands in their way when they consider making the most of their time together, but neither of them truly wants to come to terms with the idea of being apart. I really liked this book and once again thought both of the main characters had great chemistry together. I gave this 4 stars because there was a slight "3rd Act Breakup" situation but I can fo...

 I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.  If I'm being completely honest I wasn't a fan of this book personally. I just didn't connect with the main character or anything of going on. Initially, I was intrigued of the synopsis and the gorgeous cover art. However, part of me just felt like the story was all over the place and it was difficult, again for me, to connect with what was going on. I'm sure someone will enjoy this book more than I did, but for now I'm gonna have to give it a 2 out 5 star rating.