A Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark
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Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey Review
What Did I Read in June? What's going on in July?
Obsidian: Awakening by Sienna Frost Review
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones Review
May Wrap Up
Seraphina's Lament by Sarah Chorn
Monthly Mariana! May- Kulti
MAY The Force Read With you Read a Thon
April Wrap Up and Updated TBR List
The Winter Road by Adrian Selby
April TBR- New Format
Monthly Mariana! April- Under Locke
Monthly Mariana! March- Lingus
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Monthly Mariana!
Mark Lawrence Interview
Edge of the Breach by Halo Scot
Future Planning
The Hay Bale by Priscilla Bettis
Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar
Happy New Year! Reading Goals for 2022
Stone & Shield by Thomas J. Devens
GhostCityGirl by Simon Paul Wilson
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Blog Entries
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By BrandieNoel in Brandie Babbles 1Happy July Everyone! 🎆
Just wanted to check in and give an update on what books I read in June and my plans for July!
First, I did take a break from my Monthly Mariana schedule. I will probably pick that back up in August. I just have so much going on and group reads that I am participating in, so my re-reads have had to take a back seat to that. I am hoping to be back to that in August with Rhythm Chord and Malykin.
June was a month of mood reading for me. It was fun to read just whatever I felt in the mood for. It prompted me to join in on some fun new book clubs. Most of "the list" went out the window for the month. Here is what ended up happening in my reading world:
I found some fun romance book tubers that are new to me and started some book clubs, the first is Smut Club lol...I thought "why not? sounds fun"
Smut club was started by Oheyitsmichae and That Tall Book Girl and the first book was:
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Sounds scandalous, eh not really. I guess it was ok. But not really what I thought it would be based on what was promised. For a "smut" book the smut level was actually pretty low. I did like some of the side characters and the idea of the story was fun, it just didn't land for me. It also did the thing that is sort of a pet peeve for me in contemporary romance. Diversity box checking. I have talked about this before, but it sad to me when an author just inserts a sort of diverse idea or character just to check off that box that they included something diverse without it contributing to the story in any real way. I am all for these ideals in my reading, but it seems insulting when it feels like it's just added to check a box and it doesn't really add to the story. I am looking forward to keep going, and the July book for Smut Club is In Flight by R.K. Lilley.
Here is the spoiler filled discussion about Kink Camp Hunted:
I also decided to read along with Michea's Out of Bounds book club too.
June's book was:
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This is a forbidden romance club. So this forbidden romance was a priest romance. I have never read a priest romance before. I liked the story and really liked the characters. It was just a fun and taboo read, exactly the kind of romance fun I was looking for this month. From what I understand though it was not as taboo as most priest romances (according to the ladies in the discussion) Seemed pretty scandalous to me though! I'm having fun getting out of my comfort zone a little with these books. July is Cruel Black Hearts by Candace Wondrack.
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This was heavy and dark. The writing, the world building, political intrigue, and moral grayness of characters, whoa! Very complex with a lot going on. I think I may have missed some things. @Steve has a great non spoiler video on his channel and I found that Slowly Red has a good spoiler filled review on his channel. Both really helped me to understand some of the complexities in this world. They both really have a good way of getting me excited for the next one. Link for both of those below:
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This was not my favorite Witcher book. I spent a lot of time confused in this one. I did have to go to my son and ask for explanations about what was happening. A lot of it could have just been the head space I was in when I read it. It was during a time of the month that I was pretty distracted with life things. But I do always enjoy the discussion that I get to have with my son and the passion he has as he explains the story, he just loves these stories so much.
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I usually really love a Lauren Rowe book. I can usually count on her for some funny romantic comedy. This is the first in a trilogy. The main character is Reed Rivers, who in previous books is kind of known as a jerk, not the fun loving funny hero that I have read in previous Lauren Rowe books, (the Morgan brothers are hilarious). I will continue with the series, not much happened in this book one, just a lot of set up.
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This book moved a little slow for me. Usually I find that Brittany C. Cherry writes a heartbreaking love story with struggle and loss. When I read her Elements series I cried...A LOT. This was good and a fun read. Just not the emotional ride that I come to expect from her.
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This was a fun, quick, horror read. It wasn't as scary as I expected. I really feel like Daniel Barnett has ruined me for other horror sometimes. His books got in my head so much that I measure most horror against them. But I did find The Only Good Indians to be a fascinating story with some weirdness that I really liked. There were some scenes that I found to be a little long winded, going on way too long. Only my second SGJ books, but I am looking forward to reading more of his books.
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I ended my month with Carrie. I have decided to go back and read Stephen Kings works in publication order. This was first on my list. It was so good. I did an immersion thing with the audiobook, narrated by Sissy Spacek! I watched the movie years ago, but have never read the book, so listening to her read the audiobook added an extra level of creepy for me. It was such a fun read.
I know we are already into July, my plans for July....
The Indie Accords Read-a-Thon! I have joined The Dark Knights team. I don't really have a TBR for this, But I do have a list of indie books that is quite large that I just plan to pull from throughout the month and hopefully fulfill some of the prompts for the read-a-thon. I will also try to make a blog post to review the books I am reading for indie accords in July.
It's going to be a fun month!! What are you all reading?! Have you read any of these books? What Indie books have you read that you love? I am always open for suggestions!
Hugs! 🤗
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By Steve in Steve's Talks Books 0Before starting A Court of Broken Knives I was reading Leviathan Wakes. For those who haven't read Leviathan Wakes, it's a really easy and smooth read, fast and fun. You fly through pages without realizing it. Opening A Court of Broken Knives I had to not just pump the breaks but slam on them. The writing is thick and poetic. It isn't the type of prose that you fly through, each word is loaded. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the writing, I did and it didn't bother me to slow down this much. It reminded me of the mind set I have when reading someone like Bakker or Erikson. It's a different approach. The book switches from first person to third person and omniscient POVs and some readers can be put off by that. The action scenes are specially enthralling, putting you in a position of not only seeing what the characters see but the feelings and thoughts they have during these events. You feel uneasy and a sense of chaos happening all around you. The sentences and word give you a sense of panic and that you have no control or sense of all that's going on, a tunnel vision that makes sense during a battle like this from a characters perspective fighting for their life. It reminded me of the uneasy feeling I had reading someone like Adrian Selby.
We switch POV's now and then but stick with each character enough to grab onto them and attach yourself to them. It jumps around but not too often. There aren't many characters that you really truly root for, but I wanted to know more about them and how they fit into the world. None of them are completely likable and you can go from feeling sorry for them and the next minute fearing what they'll do because they are so unpredictable. Their motivations aren't always clear, but that adds to the suspense and political maneuvering. Lots of political maneuvering and even some double crosses. You never really trust anyone, the world is gritty and unforgiving. The world is on the verge of something having go give and you feel it rocking back and fourth knowing something will give soon.
It's fascinating how the world uses religion as means of control. The traditions change over time, so what starts out as a necessary sacrifice becomes less often when it's not as popular. Some absolutely brutal scenes that play out because of these traditions or beliefs. How those traditions can be manipulated and controlled by outside forces or people in positions of power. We learn about the history and the past, creating a clearer idea of what their motivations may be.
You start to wonder if prolonged periods of peace are intentionally sabotaged over the course of our own history. Do we crave conflict? Do we get bored when it's peaceful for too long?
If you like to go into books blind, avoid the synopsis.
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By Steve in Steve's Talks Books 0Usually when I watch the live adaptation I'll avoid reading the books because it ruins the reading experience for me. I enjoyed The Expanse more than I thought I would have and after hearing that the books continue beyond where the series went, I decided to give the books a try.
There wasn't a whole lot of surprises from the television series, but I do see Miller much differently now. I feel as though his character had a lot of time in the show but I didn't understand his motivations nearly as well as I did after reading the book. He became my favorite character. The other characters are fine, but Miller was the most compelling of them all.
It's a quick and easy read, but that doesn't mean there aren't bigger themes and ideas to chew on here. Within this story you start asking yourself what you would do in this situation and instead of thinking of right now thinking beyond into the future and what your choices could mean to everyone else. The world is very well established, especially for a space opera. I do think knowing so much about the world from the television series helped me have a grasp on the different factions but the book does a great job laying things out at a steady pace. It's very focused on a certain set of characters and their journey, it doesn't juggle as many story lines as the television series does right out of the gate. This is a great series to chat about, so I'm glad I'm on this journey with other readers.
Sometimes the humor had a little too much cheese in it and I found myself rolling my eyes but most of the time it lightened the tone. The villain in the story was much more terrifying in the books and I had a much better grasp on it and it's backstory, too.
Sounds like a 5 star read, right? Well... there's just something missing from this book that doesn't push it over the edge into 5 star territory for me. The thing is I just can't put my finger on what it is. It is just missing something.
I'm not huge into science fiction but this is a really great gateway drug for anyone wanting a science fiction story that is easy to follow.
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By Steve in Steve's Talks Books 0Obsidian Awakening is one of those books that feel easy to read, but when you look back you realize how much depth it had. How much you've learned about the world, the politics and the characters without feeling like you at the time. The characters and world are so clear and defined that you feel like you've read a few books in the series already.
All of the characters have something they struggle with or something that happens to them that changes them in a positive or negative way. How they deal with what happens to them is so fascinating. There are some absolutely heart breaking scenes but they happen for a reason and serve the story. It's established pretty quickly that anything can and will happen, nobody is safe and the characters you begin to latch onto won't be spared. All of the characters get enough time that you get to know all of them, they are all flawed and are dealing with trauma.
The world is lush and vivid. Lots of maneuvering and politics, making you wonder what will happen next or what is really going on and what everyone's motivations really are. Sienna Frost also explores the cost of survival and civilizations. What leaders must do to keep order, to keep everyone fed and alive. How do you rule over so many people and keep them motivated? Would you trade freedom for security? Would you rather be safe behind walls and part of the machine or be free and vulnerable to the many dangers in the world?
So many details I'm sure I missed on the first read, this one is just begging for a re-read. Not because it's hard to follow, but because there are so many details sprinkled in that will be relevant later in the series.
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By BrandieNoel in Brandie Babbles 2Hi Everyone!! 📚
Whoa! I read A LOT in May! It was just one of those months where it worked out that way. Some of you may have seen my blog post about the May The Force Read with You Read-a-Thon. I was able to check everything off my list of prompts for that, and had a blast chatting with others in the discord about what we were reading.
So here is what I read in May and some brief spoiler free thoughts on each book. Have you all read any of these books? I would love to hear your thoughts as well!
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I have been having a great time reading through this series. Even though I am AWFUL at Discord and all things that have to do with social media, I am trying to participate in the discussion with The BookStara Readalongs. I started Discovery of Witches (book 1) about a year ago and DNF'd it. I am really not even sure why. I am so glad I gave this series another chance. It is pretty good. I am loving the love story, of course, but the creatures, powers, and without spoiling it too much I am always down for some time travel! I am looking forward to hearing the group's thoughts! There is going to be a spoiler filled discussion on June 10th here:
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This was the 24 Hour Read-a-Thon pick for May. It was SO GOOD. Ok, at first I was having trouble with it, the problem was with me. It has been a while since I have read a fantasy book with multiple perspectives, so I found myself getting frustrated rather than just embracing the style. Once I got over it and switched gears it was so much easier to enjoy this book. I did finish it in less than 24 hours. It kept me guessing the whole time...and I was ALWAYS wrong. I couldn't predict what was happening. This is the mark of a great book for me. I had originally gave it 4 stars, but 2 weeks later I am still thinking about it. It deserves 5 stars. Do any of you ever do that? Rate a book and then go back and change it later? I don't know why I think sometimes that my rating should be "set in stone" I am allowed to change my mind right?! Just feels weird for some reason. Here is our midnight kickoff stream to start off the read-a-thon. It is always a fun time!
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This is the second book in the series. I liked it. There is a lot of political intrigue and cultural issues that I enjoy. The story moves a little slow for me and it just feels SO long. There are so many books that I read that are long, and don't feel like they are that long. This one is long and it feels that way. I guess it was dragging for me. There is a relationship between the main character and her "love interest?", that absolutely frustrates me, but in a good way. I like that the relationship is unpredictable and not a "cookie cutter" type of romance. I like when a book makes me feel a certain way, even if the feeling is anger and frustration. I am weird like that.
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Under Locke was my Monthly Mariana Re-read for the month of April. I started the last day in April and finished in May. Still Loved it. I guess I would classify this one as an "enemies to lovers" story. A grumpy, brooding, jerk of a hero and a lovable, funny heroine with a tragic back story. I have been thinking a lot lately about the formulaic nature of the romance novel. I don't mind that romance usually follows a formula. But particularly, lately I have been looking for the "3rd act break-up". I hope it doesn't spoil anything, but I think maybe Mariana books don't really follow a formula as much as others. Maybe that is why I love her writing so much? No 3rd act break up in this one. Maybe it's because it is such a slow burn. I am not sure. Formula or no, I am still loving these books.
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Still one of my favorite Mariana books! This was the Monthly Mariana for May. I just love this book. Another grumpy, brooding, jerk of a hero with a funny and lovable heroine. I love the progression of this story from enemies to friends to lovers. Some of the side characters in this book are just awesome and hilarious. I LOVE Sal's dad. I laughed out loud so many times reading this book. There are also some extremely heartwarming parts and I am not going to lie, there were tears. Stay tuned for my blog post for the next Monthly Marianna, Rhythm, Chord, and Malykin.
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This book has one of my favorite romance tropes, marriage of convenience/fake relationship. That is not a spoiler because you find that out on page one of this book. This was a book that has been on my TBR for a long time. It was a cute story and an enjoyable read. I always read my romance at night before bed. Romance is my go to for a comfort read so I find it relaxing to read before bed. This was a great book to do that with. I did listen to the audio book for a couple of chapters. It was good, but I find that I don't really enjoy a romance audio book as much as I like to just read a physical book or my kindle. I love to listen to other genres on audio book though. What are your thoughts on this topic? I am interested to know what audio books you all are listening to.
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This was the pick for @Lezlie's Wine and Crime book club this month. I am really loving stepping out of my comfort zone and reading some crime/suspense books. It is such a fun time and I really liked this book. I have been having some issues with sleep lately so it freaked me out a little to read this one, which I loved. I could really relate haha!. It also had a theme that I love in a book or a movie/tv show. I won't say what that is though because it would be a major spoiler. I read the physical book but mostly listened to to audio book for this one...I have to say the narrator was fantastic and super creepy at times. Here is the discussion from Lezlie's channel, it is spoiler filled after a certain point, but there is a section at the beginning that is spoiler free.
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I am about to embark on the Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb, starting with Fools Errand. It was suggested to me by @Derri That I read this short novella before getting started. I just love the story telling of Robin Hobb. I told my husband "this book is a pretty cover with messed up stories inside" haha. The things a character in a Hobb story goes through, geesh! There was some good insight in this book about the origin of a piece of the magic system that can be found in the Farseer lineage. I have never given a single Robin Hobb book less than five stars at this point. I can always count on the fact that I am really going to enjoy anything that I read in the Realm of the Elderlings so far.
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I have been trying to read at least one classic each month. I enjoyed this one. I watched the movie when I was younger but totally forgot what it was about, so enough time passed that it seemed like a new story. There were parts of this book that I felt dragged on a little and it didn't hold my attention as much as Jane Austen. But I did really like it and I am glad I experienced the book. Maybe I will revisit the movie now.
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I am still enjoying reading through this series. I found this second book to be better than the first. It took some turns and went some places that I was not expecting. It is a quick and to the point read. I am really liking the morally grey nature of the characters and just the story in general. Ready to move on to book three!
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I read this book looking for some new techniques to use in my journey to healing. There are a lot of things in this book that I already do, but it was a nice reminder of things I could be doing to improve the mind/body connection on my path to wellness. I will keep this book around and refer back to it. It will be a good resource to have in my arsenal.
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This was the last book in our journey through the Dark Tower series. Although it was written after the series was complete, it falls between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla. I am glad though that we saved it for last. I wanted to experience the books in the chronological order that they were written. It was a short and fun little side story, I loved it! Now that I am done with the series I just plan to try and read Stephen King chronologically. Starting with Carrie next month... Hopefully. Our Ka-tet will be discussing this book too, so keep an eye on the calendar here for that.
What did you all read in May?!
Hope you all had a great month!
Hugs 🤗
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Blog Comments
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Top-quality post, @BrandieNoel. Thank you for the spoiler-free reviews and excellent link recommendations. I am 2/5 into The Darkness That Comes Before, it's definitely 5 stars so far for me too and will, without a doubt, watch simplyred's video when finished. @Steve's conversation with Mark, Clayton Snyder and Michael R Fletcher was a riot, so much fun. Carrie has now moved up on my TBR.🧯Stephen Graham Jones is interesting, he is highly respected, but the reviews I've seen have been decidedly mixed. What was the first book you read? I need to start Daniel Barnett's Nightmareland Chronicles soon. I joined https://www.the52book.club/'s 2022 Reading Challenge a year ago. Though I'm a few books behind, it has helped my reading so much, given me structure, motivation and a guide to read more this year than I have the past decade. The 2023 prompts should be out any day now, I can't wait. This was great, hope you're enjoying your weekend. Cheers.
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On 6/14/2022 at 9:10 AM, Stacyejaye said:I am so behind on your blog! It is amazing that you keep this going even when I know you aren't feeling 100% or even 90%. *hugs*
Anyway, I had a mediocre reading month in May. I just couldn't shake a reading slump that may have been brought on by a bit of burnout. I decided to take it easy in June so we will see how it goes. Anyway, I didn't read most of the books that I was supposed to read with you, but you rated them all 5 stars so I will be making them a priority this month.
I have never read Carrie and I also want to read more SK. Maybe I will try to get the audiobook and listen to it in June as well. I was watching Stranger Things 4 last night and I was getting Carrie vibes with what was happening to Eleven in California.
Speaking of Stranger Things. Do you watch that show? I haven't finished season 4 yet, but so far I think this is the scariest of the shows history. Which is saying a lot. I have been watching a lot more "TV" in the recent weeks as I slowed down on my reading. Mostly reruns of favorite shows, because I don't feel like investing in anything new.
I am going to wrap up my comment by sharing the only 2 books that I really enjoyed reading in May. The first one I gave 5 stars was Book Lovers by Emily Henry. It was so good. As an avid reader (and fan of Gilmore Girls), I could really relate with one of the characters (I will let you guess which one). But it is also an enemies to friends to lovers romance and it was done soooo well. I highly recommend.
The second book I gave 5 stars was Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher. This is a fairytale type fantasy that felt like a Grim Brothers story. It is a stand alone (I think), but I wouldn't mind more books about these characters. This book is really about the strength women have. Not physical, but emotional and mentally. Women endure more than we succumb and I think that this story puts that on display. It is also funny and heartwarming while exploring dark themes and atmosphere. I loved the writing style and will definitely be reading more of T. Kingfisher's fantasy. I also recommend the author's horror novel titled The Hollow. I read it last year and really enjoyed it as well. **Note: also humorous, but very dark
Anyway...thank you Brandie for continuing your blog admit your personal struggles. I really enjoy reading them every month. Cheers to you!
I am just now seeing this! I am so behind on my blog too, as you can see... LOL
I did an immersion thing with Carrie. I got the audiobook from the library and it was narrated by Sissy Spacek, I loved it. I am so glad that I read it.
We just started the new season of Stranger Things, we are 2 episodes in and so far it seems good. This season is feeling a little more scary to me.
I added Book Lovers to my goodreads list! Thank you for the rec! I can't wait to check it out. I love Gilmore Girls! Looks really cute. Also adding Nettle and Bone too, sounds right up my alley.
Thank you for following the blog, when I find time it has been pretty therapeutic to get some thoughts out there and have something that is just a little extra fun that I can look back on later. Especially since I have been so bad with my reading journal...I really need to get caught up on that lol.
Steve and Stacyejaye reacted to this -
I am so behind on your blog! It is amazing that you keep this going even when I know you aren't feeling 100% or even 90%. *hugs*
Anyway, I had a mediocre reading month in May. I just couldn't shake a reading slump that may have been brought on by a bit of burnout. I decided to take it easy in June so we will see how it goes. Anyway, I didn't read most of the books that I was supposed to read with you, but you rated them all 5 stars so I will be making them a priority this month.
I have never read Carrie and I also want to read more SK. Maybe I will try to get the audiobook and listen to it in June as well. I was watching Stranger Things 4 last night and I was getting Carrie vibes with what was happening to Eleven in California.
Speaking of Stranger Things. Do you watch that show? I haven't finished season 4 yet, but so far I think this is the scariest of the shows history. Which is saying a lot. I have been watching a lot more "TV" in the recent weeks as I slowed down on my reading. Mostly reruns of favorite shows, because I don't feel like investing in anything new.
I am going to wrap up my comment by sharing the only 2 books that I really enjoyed reading in May. The first one I gave 5 stars was Book Lovers by Emily Henry. It was so good. As an avid reader (and fan of Gilmore Girls), I could really relate with one of the characters (I will let you guess which one). But it is also an enemies to friends to lovers romance and it was done soooo well. I highly recommend.
The second book I gave 5 stars was Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher. This is a fairytale type fantasy that felt like a Grim Brothers story. It is a stand alone (I think), but I wouldn't mind more books about these characters. This book is really about the strength women have. Not physical, but emotional and mentally. Women endure more than we succumb and I think that this story puts that on display. It is also funny and heartwarming while exploring dark themes and atmosphere. I loved the writing style and will definitely be reading more of T. Kingfisher's fantasy. I also recommend the author's horror novel titled The Hollow. I read it last year and really enjoyed it as well. **Note: also humorous, but very dark
Anyway...thank you Brandie for continuing your blog admit your personal struggles. I really enjoy reading them every month. Cheers to you!
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2 hours ago, Stacyejaye said:So, my son started reading The Hobbit a few days ago. He is doing immersion reading with the Serkis audiobook. I have never seen him this excited about a book. He loves to read and he has many favorites, but this one I think is special because he has been a big fan of LOTR, but had struggled to read it in the past. He was only 6 or 7 at the time. We tried the audiobooks before, but he didn't like the narrator. Now with Andy Serkis, it is fun and he brings the story to life. Even the songs are fun to listen to!
I read a lot of the books you have on here lol, but I want to share my thoughts on The Dark Tower. This book also wrecked me. I sobbed, SOBBED, while reading it. Maybe it was hormones, but I like to give credit to the author who made characters that felt so real that I genuinely mourned the end of this series. I am very seriously considering re-reading this whole series, but this time reading the connected books along the way. I have been wanted to re-read The Stand, but the original version. So maybe I will start there.
I love how the Council of High Ladies has evolved. Our readathons have always been fun and I look forward to them every month. What do you think about us going back and doing check in shows and sprints? Maybe just on discord?
I can't say enough how amazing Andy Serkis is. My daughter is listening too. My son has a strong aversion to audio books. He is almost done with fellowship.
I am thinking that I will definitely go through Amanda's list and at the very least read all of the connected books that I missed. I too was so invested in all of the characters. He really made us love them all even the ones we are supposed to hate.
I am up for anything as far as the read a thons go. I sometimes have trouble doing youtube check ins if Steve has other stuff going on and I can't use his set up. But I personally try to make myself available all weekend to discuss and read and hopefully finish the entire book. I do look forward to it every month. It is my one thing that everybody in my house knows I'm checked out for the weekend. It's my mom break every month! HA HA
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