Consumed by J. R. Ward

J. R. Ward has given us another hot one! Full disclosure-I own the entire Black Dagger Brotherhood, Fallen Angel, and Bourbon Kings series. I fell in love with her writing with Dark Lover and I have been a devoted fan ever since.

Another full disclosure-I’m married to a firefighter. To The Chief. Of course I bought this book. He also dropped everything to grab his gear so I could play around with my camera.

Ann Ashburn comes from a family of firefighters and she has the skills and courage to be one of the very best. During a sketchy warehouse fire, Ann makes the decision to leave her partner and venture out on her own. Not only is this completely dangerous, it’s against protocol. When the building begins to collapse, Ann becomes trapped. Luckily, Ann is saved by her fellow firefighter Danny Maguire, but it’s how he saves her that changes them both forever.

Spoiler-not-a-spoiler: He cuts her hand off! With an ax! Her hand was completely trapped and there was no other way to get her out before the flames completely took them over.

But once Ann is safe, things become incredibly dangerous for Danny. After handing Ann out to the fellow crew members for medical treatment, the building collapses on Danny. When Danny is finally found, his injuries are so severe that no one can understand how he survived.

Both Ann and Danny required months and months to recover. Now that Ann has only the one hand, she can no longer work as a firefighter with her crew. Unable to leave the profession completely, she throws herself into her new career-arson investigator. Nearly a year later, Ann is investigating a series of suspicious fires that forces her to cross paths with her old crew, and most importantly, Danny.

This book was everything I was hoping it would be! Ward writes very strong female characters I really enjoyed Ann’s character. Ann is smart, tough, resourceful, and is willing to work to get what she wants. She’s fearless as an investigator and refuses to be intimidated. On her first investigation, she rescues a stray dog that is hurt and hungry. I love the way the relationship between Ann and Soot, the pup, is written.

Danny’s character is a little predictable-tough but injured guy is medicating himself with alcohol and OTC meds. After Ann’s accident, the two of them don’t speak for nearly a year but she is constantly on his mind. He becomes more and more dangerous and is constantly putting himself in danger. With that said, the way he is with Ann completely redeems all that. He is never pushy, never overbearing, and he completely appreciates Ann for her strengths and her mind and not just for her amazing abs.

If you’ve never read Ward before, I would highly recommend you start. Consumed just came out last week so you’ll have plenty of time before the next book comes out. If you’re into paranormal romance her Black Dagger Brotherhood books are amazing. They’re almost soap opera-ish ( I truly mean this in the best way) and follow a great group of characters across almost 20 books. Definitely start with the first one, Dark Lover.

Have you read this yet? Let me know what you thought of this one.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

Water. It is everywhere in this book. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book more suited for a rainy, stormy night than this one. The atmosphere is so dark, dreary, gray, and just down right wet. There are constant rain showers, pounding a thunderstorms and horrific accident involving the backyard pond. Grab a rain coat and some tissues-this book is an adventure.

Moving to the countryside to escape an appalling-and it’s a doozy- scandal doesn't save the Montrose family from heartache and devastation. Lydia Montrose, the middle daughter with secrets of her own, does her best to keep the family peace by caring for her younger sister Emeline while also trying to save her family from her older sister Catherine’s scandalous antics.

In Catherine’s defense, the book is set during a time where smiling at a man could ostracize you from society. But that’s her only defense-the girl has some serious issues to deal with. Also, I really don’t like getting negative on here-we have way too much of that everyday-but the scandal they’re running from? I could really do without that. There are so many ways that society has deemed women’s behavior scandalous that the options were endless. I did not like this option. I just didn’t.

The family's new home has completely unnerved their neighbor, John Barrett. Barrett is very upset after finding out that the family has decided to stay in the house full time but doesn’t provide any reasoning for his reaction. Even more unsettling to Lydia is the house seems to be home to a malevolent spirit that calls to Lydia and her younger sister and fighting it is proving exhausting.

When the family attempts to gain the good graces of their neighbors by hosting a town hall and party, the family suffers a horrible loss. In that loss, Lydia discovers a power in her that is both frightening and alluring. It’s a power that has been hidden since her earliest memories. But is it real?

If Lydia isn't careful, she will lose not only those that she loves, but herself as well.

A dark and troubling story of sibling rivalry, family tragedy, and deceit. Richly told with twists and turns that will have you questioning your own sanity.

This read like it could be the first in a series-and I hope it does continue because more information needs told about many of the different plot points. It’s published by Graydon House for YA audiences but besides the age of the main character, it didn’t feel like a YA novel at all so don’t let that keep you from giving it a shot.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

After the Fire by Will Hill

This one is amazing!

After the Fire by Will Hill is a riveting story of how one girl survives a deadly cult in the deserts of Texas. Inspired by the events in Waco, Texas with the Branch Davidian religious sect, After the Fire follows the life of Moonbeam, a seventeen year old who has only known life surrounded by her Brothers and Sisters inside the walls of the Lord’s Legion base. Moonbeam spends her days working in the gardens, training, and helping the other Legionnaire’s keep the Base running smoothly.

But then comes the fire.

Now, Moonbeam’s life is a series of Before and Afters. Before the fire, she lived inside the fence. After the fire, she lives in a hospital. Before the fire, she was a promised wife to the Prophet. After the fire, she has to learn what real truth is.

Why did the Prophet change his name? What was inside the mysterious packages that the Prophet received. Why were the Servants of the Serpent after them? Why did they want them dead?

Moonbeam’s harrowing story is told through flashbacks and therapy sessions at the hospital she is sent to after the fire. Brought to the Base when she was only a year old, her parents were trying to find a better and simpler life. What began as a group of people trying to live purely for the Lord, quickly becomes something much darker when a new Prophet joins their ranks. Father John, Prophet of the Lord has declared that the Base must begin to train for the End Times. With Armageddon close, Father John imposes harsh punishments against those that refuse his orders. Training with guns become part of everyone’s daily life. Hand to hand combat is taught to children with severe consequences for anyone who doesn’t train hard enough. Young girls are promised as wives to the Prophet-the only father to future children.

This story is incredibly well told. From the first page I was completely sucked in. The story is raw and emotional, but because it’s told through Moonbeam’s point of view, the author does a wonderful job of not making her pain-or any other character’s-gratuitous. We find out at the very beginning that Moonbeam has a terrible secret-one so big that she can’t let anyone find out what it is. Her constant fear of someone discovering her secret impacts her healing and that of those around her. After the Fire is an incredible look at how easily power can corrupt and affect the lives of innocent people.

An amazing story-I can’t recommend it enough. After the Fire by Will Hill is available from Sourcebooks Fire on October 2, 2018.

Sincere thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Nightingale by Amy Lukavics

I could not put this book down! Suspenseful, terrifying, and with a mind-bending ending, this book kept me up way past my bedtime.

It’s 1951 and June Hardie wants to do more with her life than learn how to cook, clean, and be a good little wife. While her mother is determined to keep June powdered and lipsticked, June dreams of being a writer. Instead of supporting June’s dreams, her parents are using her to date the son of a potential business partner as a way to further her family’s place in society. But before June is able to leave town and pursue her goals, a horrible betrayal completely upends her life.

Now June finds herself in a mental institution surrounded by troubled young women. How did she get here? Why hasn't her family come to visit? Why don't the other women remember their lives before the institution? Why does she receive treatments without ever seeing the doctor? Will she ever leave? June is left with more questions than answers as she tries to survive in her new surroundings all while trying to investigate how she ended up in the institution in the first place.

This book was amazing! All of the twists and turns really keep the story moving. As it becomes more difficult to tell the truth from June’s delusions, the story goes from creepy to truly terrifying.

Nightingale by Amy Lucaviks is available September 25th from Harlequin TEEN. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Changeling by Molly Harper

This was such a fun adventure! This is the first book by Molly Harper that I’ve read and it’s just delightful. It’s also the first in the Sorcery and Society series.

When Sarah Smith, housemaid to a magical Guardian household nearly knocks over a priceless vase, her world is completely turned upside down. Instead of the vase shattering, Sarah sets the vase spinning in midair. Only Sarah doesn't have magic powers. She is part of the Snipes, the non-magical working class of servants and caretakers. In order to avoid a complete scandal Mrs. Winters, the intimidating matriarch of the Winter household, invents a new identity for Sarah, a distant cousin named Cassandra Reed.

Now Cassandra must prove herself to be a haughty, well educated lady of the upper class. Sent to Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies, Cassandra must hone her powers, avoid dancing at all cost, survive the social complexities of the upper class, and learn where her magical powers came from.

Cassandra has so much to deal with in this book. If anyone finds out that she comes from a Snipe family, her family could be in danger and the Winters could lose everything. Her sister Mary is madly in love with Owen Winters, heir to the Winter household and completely out of her league. When Cassandra and Mrs. Winters meet with the headmistress on the first day of school, Cassandra is dismissed to the library to write a lengthy essay. Left alone and without further direction, she sets off to explore other parts of the large library only to be attacked by a book. Only in a magical library would one need to worry about books attacking you. Only, Cassandra isn’t being attacked. She has been chosen by the Mother Book to become it’s Translator- a sort of magical interpreter of the spells within the book. Now she’s covered in magical tattoos and a mysterious metal dragonfly appears on her palms. Not only is she the mysterious new girl, she’s the Translator.

Luckily for Cassandra, she meets two girls, Ivy and Alicia, both of whom are the school’s social outcasts. Both girls come from wealthy and prominent families, but they have little desire to play the part in petty gossip and school drama. Together, the girls take on the school bullies, an evil Guardian, and learn the value of true friendship.

Full of witty dialogue, magic, and strong female characters, Changeling is a fun look at friendship and the power of kindness.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Thank you to Netgalley and INscribe Digital for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel

I’d Rather Be Reading:  The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life is a love letter to readers everywhere. It’s a reassurance that it’s ok to have overflowing bookshelves and never ending piles of books that we couldn’t let languish on a sale rack. It’s an affirmation that no matter how you read-audio, physical, e-reader, book club,in a coffee shop or in line at the store-it’s all equally important.

And, perfectly ok. 

Anne covers everything reading related. From how to select books, proper shelving techniques, and how to not force books on others no matter how good your intentions are. Oh, and how to rearrange your books because the first shelving system didn’t work. And then, change it again. 

Her words on never ending TBR piles spoke volumes to me. I have 37 physical books I want to read on the two shelves next to me right now. 37! That I have paid for and can’t wait to get to. I also have 7 advance digital copies and 4 paperbacks that come out next month to read-and hopefully they’re great so I can share them with you. Not to mention Book of the Month and oh, yeah, I work at a library. So I completely understand never ending TBR lists.

Anne writes of her love of the library and how living next door to one shaped her as a reader and an adult. How a library can help fuel passions and help discover new interests. 
I’d Rather Be Reading is a slim volume about the true love of reading life.

Anne has another book, Reading People:  How Seeing the World Through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything, that was published last year and definitely worth checking out.  Not only does Anne have a thing for long titles, she has a gift for gorgeous book covers that look amazing on your shelves.  

You can also find her on one of my favorite bookish podcasts, What Should I Read Next, where she provides book recommendations to readers facing the biggest obstacle-what should I read next?  It's actually the first book related podcast I started listening to and it is truly a delight to listen to other readers gush about the books they love.  

I'd Rather Be Reading is available now, and available wherever you buy books. You can get your copy, and help support the site, here: 

Also, as of this morning, Anne's book Reading People is available on Kindle for $2.99 this morning!  

Sheets by Brenna Thummler

Marjorie Glatt has a lot on her plate.  School, taking care of her brother, running the family laundry business, sleazy businessmen, and ghosts.  She definitely doesn’t have time for ghosts.

After the death of her mother, Marjorie’s father shut down and began drinking away his grief.  This leaves Marjorie to deal with everything on her own. She’s left to care for her little brother, the housework, and the stress of high school.  

If the family is to stay afloat, Marjorie has to become the sole employee of the family laundry.  Hurrying home from school, Marjorie has to deal with impatient customers who have no sympathy for a high schooler trying to run a business and go to school.  Not only does Marjorie have to work long in to the night to get all the orders completed, she has to deal with the most disgusting and juvenile of sleazy businessmen.  Mr. Saubertuck has dreams of turning the Glatt’s Laundry in to a spa resort. True to his gross form, he doesn’t want to provide an actual business offer, instead he tries to sabotage the business by spreading rumors and tainting the laundry detergent with dye.  Unfortunately for Marjorie, his attempts at sabotage are beginning to work.

With her business constantly threatened by a shady businessman, Marjorie is at the breaking point and the last thing she needs is a ghost named Wendell. Wendell died when he was only 11 and is very lonely living in the land of ghosts.  When he discovers that Saubertuck is trying to ruin Marjorie’s business, he tries to help her out. But his attempts at helping don’t go as planned. When the other ghosts learn that he has made contact with a living person, he is faced with devastating consequences.  

Full disclosure:  I received a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own. 

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Toil & Trouble edited by Jessica Spotswood and Tess Sharpe

Toil & Trouble introduces us to 15 young women just coming in to their magical powers.  From love spells and healing hands to magical spells that write plays, this collection tells the stories of strong and powerful young women.  Covering different time periods and locations, the different stories in Toil & Trouble are both unique and unified.  

We meet Esperanza, a fashion icon who uses her social media prowess to spread her gift of astrology who finds her scientist soulmate during an online debate.  Deliverance Pond, a midwife in the 1600’s who witnesses an extraordinary birth. Mattie, a Priestess who uses her gift to solve a mystical crime. Our young and powerful witches use their gifts to empower, heal, and protect.

Consent, domestic abuse, sexual identity, family, school, boyfriends, girlfriends, best friends, body image-it’s all in here.  Each story was powerful and engaging and I was unable to put it down. Excellent collection!

Full disclosure:  I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review-all opinions are mine. This was an excellent book! 

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here: 

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles by Mark Russell

Available in comic book shops August 22nd and everywhere else August 28th

 I am definitely not an expert on comics or their history, but a quick interweb search provided a very brief background on DC Comics putting out reimagined stories for some of the older Hanna-Barbera characters.  I wasn’t aware they had new comics out about the Flintstones and after reading Exit Stage Left,  I can’t wait to find them and check them out.  

Exit Stage Left:  The Snagglepuss Chronicles is set in 1953 but feels as though it could be written for today.  Snagglepuss is under investigation by the House Committee on Un-American Activities for involvement with Russian spies.  Married to a woman but secretly in love with a man, Snagglepuss hides his true identity from the public and all but his closest of friends.  Writer Mark Russell gives us a Snagglepuss, or SP as he is commonly referred to, that is a wildly successful playwright and his latest play is a huge hit on Broadway.  But even with all of his fame and money, Snagglepuss is still forced to hide his relationship to Pablo. Snagglepuss isn’t the only one with secrets- Huckleberry Hound makes an appearance as well.  Best friend to SP, Huckleberry is a once-successful novelist who lost everything when a scandalous affair cost him his marriage and relationship with his son. Now, unemployed and wandering the country, he has stopped in New York long enough to see his old friend.  But Huckleberry is allowed a short time of happiness. He falls in love with a police officer but the Stonewall riots reveal a darker side to their relationship.

Exit Stage Left:  The Snagglepuss Chronicles is full of secrets, lies, and betrayals that are revealed through court hearings, flashbacks, and an autobiographical play produced by Snagglepuss.  This was a great read that combined amazing artwork from artist Mike Feehan and an engaging story.

Exit Stage Left:  The Snagglepuss Chronicles will be available in comic shops on August 22nd and everywhere else on August 28th.  

The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle

August Book of the Month Pick

If you could have dinner with any five people, living or dead, who would they be?  It's a question I can't seem to answer.  I honestly can't make up my mind.  Would there be hard feelings if I chose J.R. Ward over my husband?  Probably.  He knows about the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  Are you obligated to pick your own child?  Your parents?  Bill Murray would be amazing, as would Amy Schumer.  Would they be as interesting to talk to as Nnedi Okorafor or John Scalzi?  Should I think bigger?  Queen Victoria or King Arthur?  Can they be fictional?  If so, definitely King Arthur.  Or Odin.  

Like I said, I can't make up my mind.  

Sabrina Nielsen arrives at her birthday dinner to find Audrey Hepburn, her deceased father, longtime roommate and best friend Jessica, her college professor, and her ex-lover Tobias.  How?  No one has any idea how they got there, why they are there, and how much time they have.  What follows is a sometimes uncomfortable look at how our many relationships can shape our lives and possibly our own destiny.  

Turning 30 hasn't been what Sabrina thought it would be.  Her decade long relationship with Tobias hasn't led to marriage.  She hasn't climbed as far up the ladder in publishing as she'd like.  Her best friend is now married and a mother in the suburbs with a completely different life than her own.  Added to her stress, her birthday dinner includes her long deceased father who left the family when Sabrina was still little.  Will learning his side of the story bring closure?  Why is her former professor at the dinner?  How did Audrey end up here and what does she have to teach Sabrina about love and life?

A look at life, love, and forgiveness, Rebecca Serle explores it all with grace and sensitivity.  Told through a combination of memories and present day, Sabrina reflects on her life and relationships and what she needs to be fulfilled. 

This was my third Book of the Month pick and I have yet to be disappointed.  While this story did start a bit slow, I really wanted to learn how and why her list of five was able to be at the dinner.  

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here: 

Any Man by Amber Tamblyn

Library copy of Any Man by Amber Tamblyn

***Trigger Warning for violent sexual assault.***

Any Man by Amber Tamblyn was a brutal and intense look at how we treat those who have been victimized by sexual assault.  A serial rapist who goes by the name of Maud is hunting men. She looks for them online, in bars, and breaks in to their homes and what she does to the men is horrific and traumatizing.  Somehow, Maud is able to commit these crimes without ever leaving any trace of evidence-except for one terrifying piece and the police spend a decade searching for her. But Maude is never caught and her story is never told.  Tamblyn only gives us the stories of the men-told through journal entries, online chats, therapy sessions, and nightmares. We see how society treats their attacks as less than serious because they’re men and shouldn’t be able to have this inflicted on them.  We are shown how family members and friends alienate them as more gruesome details of their attacks surface. At one point, our main character Donald has to explain to his young son what happened to him and it was absolutely heartbreaking.

The book is told using many different types of writing styles-journal entries, online chats, and one section that was the most disturbing to me.  Tamblyn includes an entire section of tweets about the attacks that was absolutely chilling to read. Tweets from celebrities and news hosts received the most retweets and comments and those from police departments seeking help in find attackers received zero interactions.  Absolutely chilling to realize this is how real life plays out.

This novel was absolutely gripping-I read it in one sitting and couldn’t put it down.  While it’s an amazing piece of writing, please only read this if you feel safe doing so.  

You can get your copy, and help support the site here:  

Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire

Available September 4, 2018

When October “Toby” Daye, knight errant in service to the Court of Shadowed HIlls finds her human ex-husband and his new wife on her doorstep, she knows it can only mean trouble.  Toby’s mortal daughter Gillian has been taken and not only is she in danger, but it could also bring to light secrets that Toby needs to stay hidden. Along with her closest friends and fiancé, Toby sets out to discover who in faery knows of Gillian’s existence and why they would dare to threaten her.  

But Toby's team is still healing from their last adventure.  Tybalt, King of Dreaming Cats and Toby's fiancé, was brutally tortured by Toby's mother and must deal with his own emotions and recovery.  Can their relationship continue after all the hurt?  Will Gillian's kidnapping be the tipping point?  Added to all the stress, Toby has not been present in Gillian's life. In order to keep her safe from the fae and prevent her death from elf-shot, Toby used her blood magic to turn Giliian fully human.  Dealing with her ex-husband and his new wife, and why does she look so familiar, is incredibly hard on Toby.  With accusations on from both sides being thrown back and forth, everyone will need to put aside the past in order to save Gillian's future.   

But as more clues unfold, the mystery only becomes deeper and the list of who and what Toby can trust becomes smaller.  If Gillian can be saved, at what cost?

I really enjoyed this book.  It's the first one in the series that I've read and I plan on fixing that mistake very soon!  Even though it's book 12, I didn't feel like I was missing out on any backstory or had any difficulty following along.  I found the mix of magic and faery, the setting of San Fransico, and the history of the fae and mortals to be very well thought out and engrossing.  An amazing story full of fae politics, lore, and magic that keeps the pages turning from beginning to end.

I highly recommend this series.  Night and Silence is available September 4, 2018. You can preorder your copy, and help support the site, here:

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group-DAW and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.  While I received a free copy in return for a review, all opinions are my own.  

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

This past week, The Hubs and I took The Kid and two of our dogs for a trip down memory lane.  Twelve years ago we honeymooned in the middle of the Shawnee National Forest, cut off from easy access to grocery stores, internet, and good beer.  A lot has changed in twelve years.  We packed great food, there is now lightning fast internet, and the local gas station had an impressive beer selection.  Impressive enough that we had to cram in our selections in the apartment-sized fridge in the cabin.  But one thing didn't change-the quiet of the woods is my favorite place to read.  I plowed through three books in our four day stay and all of them were amazing.  

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is my second Book of the Month pick and my first time reading this author.   

I know, I'm kicking myself too.  Novik is a great writer.

Spinning Silver is a gender-flipped retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale.  Miryem is the much-loved daughter of a moneylender whose kindness and leniency has left his own family in poverty.  When Miryem's mother falls ill and needs medicine and care they can't afford, Miryem takes matters into her own hands and sets out with her basket to collect what is owed to her family.  When the villagers realize that she means business and is more than capable of keeping precise records, debts begin to paid on schedule.  Her newfound success not only changes the fate of her own family, but of those around her.  Wanda, a young woman whose abusive father would rather drink the family's money than pay off their debt, is sent to work as a housemaid for Miryem's family.  Away from her father and finally receiving at least one proper a meal a day has given Wanda her first sense of security since her mother's death.  

While on a trip home from visiting her wealthy grandparents, Miryem confronts her mother's unwillingness to be proud of Miryem's success.  Why should they be cold?  Hungry? Why, when Miryem can turn silver into gold?  This last statement brings out the mysterious Staryk, the magical and lethal fey that rule the woods and have a lust for all things gold.  When the Staryk King traps Miryem into an impossible deal, her fate, and that of those around her, is put in the balance.  Across the land, another woman, Irina,  awaits her fate with the Tsar-a man who is not what he seems and wants Irina for more than her dowry.  When Irina and Miryem cross paths, the two realize that they are stronger together and the only hope for their kingdoms.  

Novik weaves a tale that is both action packed and beautiful.  I read this while sitting in a cabin staring at the forest-and hoping there really wasn't any fey kings wanting to pop out.  The white trees, embroidered dresses, silver crowns, and horse drawn sleighs made for a magical setting.  The friendship and trust that grows between Wanda and Miryem was also beautiful to watch.  As daughters, meant only to be married off and produce heirs, their intelligence and cunning was sorely underestimated.

I really enjoyed this book.  It was the perfect mix of fantasy and suspense set in a beautifully crafted world.  

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here: 

A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

A Place for Us, is one of those quiet, beautiful books that draws you in and doesn’t let go until the last page.  Fatima Farheen Mirza creates characters that you can’t help but become invested in and care for.

A Place for Us is about an Indian family who is gathered together for the wedding of Hadia, oldest daughter to Rafiq and Layla.  As her sister Huda helps her prepare for the ceremony, Hadia is hopeful that her brother Amar will be in attendance.  After leaving the family three years ago, none of the family has seen or heard from him. A Place for Us tells the story of how the family got their start in the United States, what tore them apart, and what may hopefully bring them together.  We follow the family through joyful birthdays, trouble at school, the effects of 9/11 on a Muslim family, and how no matter how far you fall, your family is always there.  

Many parts of the story are retold in different points of view of each family member giving a complete view of each event.  What seemed as a betrayal to one was truly meant to be a well-meaning intervention.

I felt this book also showed how faith can cause such strife amongst a family, but also provide great comfort and stability at the same time.  How all families, regardless of religion, home state, or social status can have both joy and discord.

Tissue warning:  Part Four was brutal.  Beautifully brutal and the perfect ending, but I was a complete mess after reading it.  

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Yes We (Still) Can by Dan Pfeiffer

The mere fact that I was very excited to hear Dan Pfeiffer was going to write this book and I preordered tells you just about everything you need to know about my political views.  You’ve been warned-but this post is about the book, not me.

Dan Pfeiffer is the former White House Communication Director for the Obama administration and a current cohost of the Pod Save America podcast.  Yes We (Still) Can is his take on how politics have changed beginning with the Obama administration and the effect that social media and television networks have had on the American public.  Pfeiffer is an engaging speaker and an equally engaging writer.

Pfeiffer provides insights into his early political career working on senate campaigns all the way up to his days after the White House.  One thing that I really respected about the book is it’s honesty. There is no shying away from failure. When he, or the someone on the staff, made a mistake-he gives it as much weight and analysis as any high point.  

I really enjoyed the book-it’s well written and accessible and I’ve listened to Pfeiffer on Pod Save America enough that I heard his voice in my head the whole time.

Yes We (Still) Can by Dan Pfeiffer is available now.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse (Copy)

It’s been 26 hours since vacation officially started.   The Kid and I took the pugs on a very slow meandering stroll through the woods, went out to lunch, and I devoured the most badass monster slaying story.

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse is the grown-up Buffy* I’ve been dying to read.  When Maggie Hoskie was a child, she survived a horrific attack that awakened her clan powers.  Faster, stronger, and more deadly than any human, she hunts the monsters that roam what is left of the Navajo lands, now known as the Dinétah, after a climate apocalypse.  But it’s not just monsters that wander the earth, so do gods and beings with power.

Drug out of self-imposed seclusion to help rescue a child who was taken by a monster, Maggie  finds more than just a simple case of search and rescue. Seeking out help from her dear friend and local Medicine Man Grandpa Tah, leads to the discovery of deadly witchcraft and a new partner, his grandson Kai Arviso.  Together, they work to find the one responsible for the deadly monsters and confront Maggie’s past in order to survive.

Maybe.  No promises on that one.

This is an amazing book.  Maggie is tough and impressive even without her clan powers-but the clan powers are amazing.  The balance of old myths and legends blending with post apocalyptic droughts and magic is just perfect.  I don’t want to live in that world-Hell. No. But I want to read all of it. Coyote the Trickster is here creating chaos.  There is a magical/mystical dance hall that shows up in the desert on it’s own schedule and is a popular place for all special beings.  Kai puts some silver paint on Maggie’s eyes which allows her to see what everyone looks like without their illusions-I would love to see that on screen or in a graphic novel version.  It’s an amazing part of the book. Many of the people have some animal characteristics-like the Feather People have feathers and the Big Deer People have huge antlers on their heads. The club itself is like the Tardis where space seems to change to fit what is inside and going underground still gives you a view of the sky.  

Maggie has a lot to overcome throughout the book.  Not just the horrible attack that awakens her powers and takes away her family, but also being apprenticed by a demigod during some very formative years and her whole identity being questioned then later on in life.  There are also a lot of relationships that shift and change and with all of her trust issues, it’s a rough ride.

I really enjoyed this book.  Luckily, there is a sneak peek at Book #2 in the back so there will be more.  

Trail of Lightning, by Rebecca Roanhorse is available now.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

*Side note:  We're re-watching the entire Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and wow is that problematic!*

How many books fit in a mason jar?

6!  Well, six plus three comic books but The Kid took off with his comics before I could get a photo.  

I keep a "Fun Money" jar on my desk-it's a bright green Mason jar that I don't use for canning because marinara sauce looks really weird in colored jars.  Each time the jar gets full, we cash it in and find something fun to do.  

This time around, we hit our local independent bookstore and spent every last penny.  We had nearly $87 crammed into that jar and would have been right on budget had I not seen another beekeeping book for the Hubs.  Since I was buying an extra book specifically for him, it didn't matter that we went over.  I can justify any book purchase.

I was able to pick up six titles that I've been wanting to read but didn't have at our Library.  The Hubs only reads nonfiction so I tried to find a few that would interest us both.  I can always justify nonfiction purchases because he takes forever to read a book.  I will never understand how some people can read three pages and then move on to something else.  

If that's how you read, you do you.  

My final picks were:

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald, Three Moments of an Explosion by China Mieville, Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott, Black Fire by Robert Graysmith, and The Backyard Beekeeper by Kim Flottum.

Now I need to finish up the three books I borrowed from the Library, the four titles that are coming out in October, four other books I ordered online, and then I'll get to these.  

Well, that's the plan at least.  Having too many books read is the best kind of problem! 

How do you buy books?  Library sales?  Independent booksellers?  Online? 

Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne

If you take your favorite fairy tale and mix in some slightly off character tropes, unusual food choices, and really bad puns-you still wouldn't come close to describing this book.  Kill the Farm Boy is a hilarious and fast paced take on slightly off-kilter fairy tale retellings.  

Worstley has the worst job on the farm:  he's the pooboy.  At least, that's what the animals think of him.  But Worstley's fortune changes drastically when a pixie named Staph tells him of his status as the destined Chosen One who must go save the princess who is cursed with a sleeping spell at the very top of a tall tower in a land far away...This would have all been far more impressive had the Pixie not been drunk, haggard, and only wearing one sock but the Pixie Staph demonstrates her power by giving Worstely's billy goat, Gustave, the ability of speech.  Unfortunately the goat has some major attitude and a huge hankering for leather.   

This sets off a hilarious tale of a rag tag group of warriors, fuzzy bunnies, and a wizard whose magic is as weak as his scraggly beard.  We have Argabella, cursed to remain awake at the castle while everyone else is sleeping away for years.  Oh, and she was also turned in to an incredibly large rabbit.  She is somewhat saved by Fia, a giantess warrior who sees nothing wrong with her chain mail bikini and has a blood thirsty sword.  Together, they set off to Lord Toby to help right a horrible wrong only to find an incompetent wizard who is better at planning dinner parties than a spell.  With the "help" of his rogue assassin Poltro who can be scary when she isn't hiding from evil chickens, they set off to find the Chosen One and Grinda the Sand Witch.  

Full of puns, witty banter, and a colorful cast of supporting characters, this book is laugh out loud hilarious.  No fairy tale is safe from mockery and no character too precious to be made fun of.  Mercilessly.  I highly enjoyed this book.  I have read nearly all of the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne-and I highly recommend that series- but this is my first book from Delilah S. Dawson and I just can't say enough how delightful this book was.

You can get your copy, and help support the site, here:

Kill the Farm Boys is available July 17th from Del Rey Books.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review this book!