Wondrous Readings

Update.

2023-08-26T14:36:00.002-05:00

Hello, this is a hard post to make, but I think it is time, far past time for an update to the blog.

I know that I have not been active on the blog for a while, I could make an excuse but I'm not going to do that. I can say I'm sorry, it's been different than when I started my blog. Sometimes it's hard to get motivated to post anything, I've been pondering whether or not I should update it for months now.

I appreciate everyone who has been here to support me and my blog. It's still hard to believe that I still have the blog going.

Change can be good sometimes, I'd like to change it around, change everything about my blog. The layout, the colors, everything including the name of the blog. I have both my instagram as well as my twitter names the same and I'd like to my blog to have the same name.

I just wanted to make a post before I went up and changed it all. I don't really know how long it will take me to get everything changed, seeing as it's just me working on it and I'm not all that smart when it comes to computer codes and stuff, but we'll see how it goes, wish me luck.

So next time you go to check out Wondrous Readings, it will be no more, instead it will have a new color, a new layout even a new name.

Review: Downpour

2023-08-25T15:02:00.000-05:00

Title: Downpour

Series: Standalone

Author: Christopher Hawkins

Publisher: Coronis Publishing

Publication Date: October 3, 2023

Genre: Adult, Horror, Science Fiction

Reading Source: Edelweiss

Length: 245 pages

Format: e-book

Cover Art: 5/5

Overall: 4/5

A sudden storm appears above an isolated farmhouse in rural Illinois, bringing with it a relentless and unnatural rain. A rain that eats away at everything it touches. A rain that turns people into monsters.

Trapped inside his crumbling home, a father must do everything he can to keep his family from falling apart. But the rain calls to them, and not everyone wants to stay inside.

Haunted by memories of loss, he must put aside his painful past and find a way to keep them all safe. But the rain shows no signs of stopping, and time is running out.

Review:

Downpour is a novel set-in rural Illinois on a farmhouse that is under attack.

When a mysterious raincloud comes into view the citizens think it’s nothing special, just your run of the mill thunderstorm but it’s actually much worse. When the rain touches anything it erosions away the houses and it changes not just people but also pets. Once they get wet something changes in them, they turn into wild, strange monsters.

From the cover I thought this book was about something else entirely, (because I am a horrible person who judges books by their covers; I didn’t read the synopsis of the book) with the “roots” covering the walls, but I was surprised when it wasn’t. Downpour is a mix of science fiction and horror that I think works very well together. There was an eerie feeling while reading but I kept coming back to it. (it was like a wreck that I couldn’t look away from). It was part Bird Box part The Rain from Netflix.

Normally I read YA or fantasy or romance novels where the MCs are young-ish/er, almost always female (not that I’m against male MCs or anything) but Scott, an older adult man, was a very refreshing character. I enjoyed the other characters as well. Tallie, while understandable whiny, she is only a little girl, but she was brave as well. Jason, the older brother; a typical teenager, rebelling against his father in the beginning but he soon grows up some. He (Jason) is helpful to his Scott when he needs to be though.

If I had to nit-pick, the ending was a little rushed, I didn’t read to get the satisfying end that I felt it needed.

Thank you to Coronis Publishing and Edelweiss for this early review e-arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Review: Everneath

2023-07-28T12:25:00.000-05:00

Title: Everneath

Series: Everneath #1

Author: Brodi Ashton

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: January 12, 2012

Genre: Young Adult

Reading Source: NetGalley

Length: 370 pages

Format: e-book

Cover Art: 5/5

Overall: 4/5

A captivating story of love, loss, and immortality Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she's banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

Review:

Everneath is a retelling of Hades and Persephone.

Nikki has been missing, taken into Everneath, the underworld

but she comes back Nikki only has six months before she returns to Everneath this time for good.

I am a sucker for retellings. I really liked the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the e-ARC.

W.O.W. #81

2016-12-14T21:25:00.000-06:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: Pretty Fierce

Author: Kieran Scott

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: April 4th 2017

Kaia has been on the run her whole life. The daughter of professional assassins, she knows true danger—and she’ll do anything to survive. After her parents vanished during a job gone bad, Kaia’s spent the last year in hiding, trying to blend in as an ordinary teenager, and there’s no one who makes her feel more normal or more special than her boyfriend, Oliver.

But when she’s jumped by a hit man, and Oliver catches her fighting back, Kaia’s secret is exposed. In a split-second decision, she flees the small town, taking Oliver with her. With professional killers stalking their every move, can Oliver and Kaia protect each other long enough to uncover the mysteries of her past?

W.O.W. #80

2016-12-07T21:05:00.004-06:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: Love and Vandalism

Author: Laurie Boyle Crompton

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: May 1st 2017

Rory has a secret: she’s the vandal who paints graffiti lions all over her small town. If her policeman dad knew, he’d probably disown her. So when Hayes, a former screw-up on the path to recovery, catches her in the act, Rory’s sure she’s busted. Instead, he makes her a deal. If Rory shows him around town, he won’t turn her in. It might be coercion, but at least the boy is hot. As they spend more time together, Rory worries she made the wrong choice.

W.O.W. #79

2016-11-30T13:23:00.001-06:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

nedTitle: The Disappearances

Author: Jeff Strand

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Release Date: July 4th 2017

What if the ordinary things in life suddenly…disappeared?

Aila Quinn’s mother, Juliet, has always been a mystery: vibrant yet guarded, she keeps her secrets beyond Aila’s reach. When Juliet dies, Aila and her younger brother Miles are sent to live in Sterling, a rural town far from home--and the place where Juliet grew up.

Sterling is a place with mysteries of its own. A place where the experiences that weave life together--scents of flowers and food, reflections from mirrors and lakes, even the ability to dream--vanish every seven years.

No one knows what caused these “Disappearances,” or what will slip away next. But Sterling always suspected that Juliet Quinn was somehow responsible--and Aila must bear the brunt of their blame while she follows the chain of literary clues her mother left behind.

As the next Disappearance nears, Aila begins to unravel the dual mystery of why the Disappearances happen and who her mother truly was. One thing is clear: Sterling isn’t going to hold on to anyone's secrets for long before it starts giving them up.

W.O.W. #78

2016-11-23T13:09:00.003-06:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

nedTitle: Stranger Things Have Happed

Author: Jeff Strand

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: April 1st 2017

Jeff Strand pulls another winner out of his hat with this hilarious tale of illusions and self-discovery

At 15, Marcus Millian III, the great-grandson of the famous Zachary the Stupendous, is already a talented illusionist. But when Marcus chokes during a card trick and leaves the audience unimpressed, prideful Zachary promises that he and Marcus are working on an illusion that will shock, stun, and astonish. That night, Zachary dies in his sleep.

To uphold the honor of Marcus's beloved great-grandfather, the show must go on, and Marcus will need to make a shark disappear in front of everybody. It would take a sorcerer to pull this off, but, hey, Marcus is the next best thing…right?

W.O.W. #77

2016-11-16T17:34:00.000-06:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: Pointe, Claw

Author: Amber J. Keyser

Publisher:Carolrhoda Books

Release Date: April 1st 2017

Jessie Vale dances in an elite ballet program that requires perfection to land a spot with the professional company. When she is cast in an animalistic avant garde production, her careful composure cracks wide open. Nothing has felt more dangerous.

Kindle Deals #19

2016-11-16T13:18:00.002-06:00

Here are ebooks that are $5.99 and under!

(Click on the images to go to the amazon page.)

And don't forget to follow me on twitter

because I sometimes post deals there and not here on my blog.

$0.99

$1.99

$2.99

$3.99

$4.99

$5.99

Do you have any deals I should know about?

W.O.W. #76

2016-11-09T21:15:00.002-06:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: What Girls Are Made Of

Author: Elana K. Arnold

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books

Release Date: April 1st 2017

When Nina Faye was fourteen, her mother told her there was no such thing as unconditional love. Nina believed her. Now she'll do anything for the boy she loves, to prove she's worthy of him. But when he breaks up with her, Nina is lost. What is she if not a girlfriend? What is she made of? Broken-hearted, Nina tries to figure out what the conditions of love are.

W.O.W. #75

2016-11-02T16:58:00.002-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: The Beast is an Animal

Author: Peternelle van Arsdale

Publisher: McElderry Books

Release Date: February 28th 2017

A girl with a secret talent must save her village from the encroaching darkness in this haunting and deeply satisfying tale.

Alys was seven when the soul eaters came to her village.

These soul eaters, twin sisters who were abandoned by their father and slowly morphed into something not quite human, devour human souls. Alys, and all the other children, were spared—and they were sent to live in a neighboring village. There the devout people created a strict world where good and evil are as fundamental as the nursery rhymes children sing. Fear of the soul eaters—and of the Beast they believe guides them—rule village life. But the Beast is not what they think it is. And neither is Alys.

Inside, Alys feels connected to the soul eaters, and maybe even to the Beast itself. As she grows from a child to a teenager, she longs for the freedom of the forest. And she has a gift she can tell no one, for fear they will call her a witch. When disaster strikes, Alys finds herself on a journey to heal herself and her world. A journey that will take her through the darkest parts of the forest, where danger threatens her from the outside—and from within her own heart and soul.

W.O.W. #74

2016-10-26T21:09:00.004-05:00

W.O.W. #73

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: Reaper

Author: Lexa Hillyer

Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Release Date: May 9th 2017

Sixteen-year-old Rosie Wolf is sure when you die, you go straight to Paradise, until she wakes to discover she has died in an accident and that Paradise isn’t what she thought it would be.

Rosie Wolf was sure that when her dad died, he went to Paradise. After all, isn’t that where everyone went? But when Rosie wakes up in a strange hospital bed and finds out that she’s died in an accident, she learns things aren’t always what you think they will be.

Now her father feels further away than ever, and Rosie is left to deal with the Grim Reaper, who isn’t a man in a black cloak, but a beautiful woman with a bad attitude. The Grim Reaper tells Rosie that before she can move on to Paradise, she has to go back down to Earth and collect three souls. But Rosie quickly realizes it’s not so simple.

To complicate matters, Rosie meets Kyle, a boy who is different than anyone she’s ever known. He’s cute, smart, and funny. Rosie’s been warned to stay away from the living, but she doesn’t want to. What will happen if she doesn’t?

Kindle Deals #18

2016-10-22T13:50:00.000-05:00

Here are ebooks that are $5.99 and under!

(Click on the images to go to the amazon page.)

And don't forget to follow me on twitter

because I sometimes post deals there and not here on my blog.

$0.99

$1.99

$2.99

$3.99

$4.99

$5.99

Do you have any deals I should know about?

W.O.W. #73

2016-10-12T18:14:00.003-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: Spindle Fire

Author: Lexa Hillyer

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: April 11th 2017

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo, Spindle Fire is an enthralling, wholly original reimagining of a classic faerie story.

Half sisters Isabelle and Aurora are polar opposites: Isabelle is the king’s headstrong illegitimate daughter, whose sight was tithed by faeries; Aurora, beautiful and sheltered, was tithed her sense of touch and voice on the same day. Despite their differences, the sisters have always been extremely close.

And then everything changes, with a single drop of Aurora’s blood, a Faerie Queen who is preparing for war, a strange and enchanting dream realm—and a sleep so deep it cannot be broken.

Spindle Fire is a tour-de-force fantasy set in the dwindling, deliciously corrupt world of the fae and featuring two truly unforgettable heroines, from a writer destined to be a major voice in YA.

September Wrap Up & October TBR

2016-10-05T22:01:00.000-05:00

I only read one book in September.

Do Unto Animals by Tracey Stewart ★★★★★

September book of the month was:

Challenge Progress:

2016 TBR Pile: 2/11-20

Debut: 1/12-15

Dystopia: 3/13-18

Retelling: 1/5-9

New Release: 2/15
Re-read: 1/10-15
Goodreads: 46/100

October TBR:

I'll try this again.

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Stalking the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

W.O.W. # 72

2016-10-05T10:36:00.004-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: Be By Your Side

Author: Kasie West

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: January 31st 2017

In this irresistible story, Kasie West explores the timeless question of what to do when you fall for the person you least expect. Witty and romantic, this paperback original from a fan favorite is perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

W.O.W. #71

2016-09-28T16:48:00.000-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: Under Rose-Tainted Skies

Author: Louise Gornall

Publisher: Clarion Books

Release Date: January 3rd 2017

Norah has agoraphobia and OCD. When groceries are left on the porch, she can’t step out to get them. Struggling to snag the bags with a stick, she meets Luke. He’s sweet and funny, and he just caught her fishing for groceries. Because of course he did.

Norah can’t leave the house, but can she let someone in? As their friendship grows deeper, Norah realizes Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can lie on the front lawn and look up at the stars. One who isn’t so screwed up.

Kindle Deals #17

2016-09-24T12:09:00.000-05:00

Here are ebooks that are $5.99 and under!

(Click on the images to go to the amazon page.)

And don't forget to follow me on twitter

because I sometimes post deals there and not here on my blog.

$0.99

$1.99

$2.99

$3.99

$4.99

$5.99

Do you have any deals I should know about?

W.O.W. #70

2016-09-21T10:12:00.001-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: The Vicar's Daughter

Author: Josi S. Kilpack

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Release Date: April 4th 2017

Cassie, the youngest of six daughters in the Wilton family, is bold, bright, and ready to enter society. There's only one problem: her older sister Lenora, whose extreme shyness prevents her from attending many social events. Lenora is now entering her third season, and since their father has decreed that only one Wilton girl can be out at a time, Cassie has no choice except to wait her turn.

Evan Glenside, a soft-spoken, East London clerk, has just been named his great-uncle's heir and, though he is eager to learn all that will be required of him, he struggles to feel accepted in a new town and in his new position.

A chance meeting between Evan and Lenora promises to change everything, but when Lenora proves too shy to pursue the relationship, Cassie begins to write Mr. Glenside letters in the name of her sister. Her good intentions lead to disaster when Cassie realizes she is falling in love with Evan. But then Evan begins to court Lenora, thinking she is the author of the letters.

As secrets are revealed, the hearts of Cassie, Evan, and Lenora are tested. Will the final letter sent by the vicar's daughter be able to reunite the sisters as well as unite Evan with his true love?

W.O.W. #69

2016-09-14T11:08:00.002-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: The Last Thing You Said

Author: Sara Biren

Publisher: Amulet Books

Release Date: April 4th 2017

Last summer, Lucy’s and Ben’s lives changed in an instant. One moment, they were shyly flirting on a lake raft, finally about to admit their feelings to each other after years of yearning. In the next, Trixie—Lucy’s best friend and Ben’s sister—was gone, her heart giving out during a routine swim. And just like that, the idyllic world they knew turned upside down, and the would-be couple drifted apart, swallowed up by their grief. Now it’s a year later in their small lake town, and as the anniversary of Trixie’s death looms, Lucy and Ben’s undeniable connection pulls them back together. They can’t change what happened the day they lost Trixie, but the summer might finally bring them closer to healing—and to each other.

August Wrap Up & September TBR

2016-09-12T13:10:00.004-05:00

Seven seems to be the magic number for me because I read seven books in August.

Zenith (The Androma Saga #1) by Sasha Alsberg & Lindsay Cummings ★

Evernight (Evernight #1) by Claudia Gray ★★★

Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell ★★★★

Turning Points In Compassion: Personal Journeys of Animal Advocates

by Gypsy Wulff & Fran Chambers ★★★★★

Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time, Volume 1 (Haruka #1)

by Tohko Mizuno ★★★

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two (Harry Potter #8)

by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne (NO RATING)

City of Bones (Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare ★★★★ -Reread-

August book of the month was:

Challenge Progress:

2016 TBR Pile: 2/11-20 *

Debut: 1/12-15

Dystopia: 3/13-18

Retelling: 1/5-9

New Release: 2/15
Re-read: 1/10-15
Goodreads: 46/100

September TBR:

I'm hoping to get around to these books this month.

Do Unto Animals: A Friendly Guide to How Animals Live, and How We Can Make Their Lives Better by Tracey Stewart & Lisel Ashlock

The Girl from Everywhere (The Girl from Everywhere #1) by Heidi Heilig

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game #1) by Evelyn Skye

W.O.W. #68

2016-09-07T18:52:00.004-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: Alex, Approximately

Author: Jenn Bennett

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: April 4th 2017

In this delightfully charming teen spin on You’ve Got Mail, the one guy Bailey Rydell can’t stand is actually the boy of her dreams—she just doesn’t know it yet.

Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online by “Alex.” Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.

Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new arch-nemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever-it-is she’s starting to feel for Porter.

And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.

W.O.W. #67

2016-08-31T13:59:00.002-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: The Valiant

Author: Lesley Lisingston

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: February 14th 2017

Lost to history, the story of the female gladiator has never been told. Until now.

Fallon is the daughter of a proud Celtic king and the younger sister of the legendary warrior Sorcha. When Fallon was just a child, Sorcha was killed while defending their home from the armies of Julius Caesar.

On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Fallon is excited to follow in her sister's footsteps and earn her place in her father's war band. She never gets the chance.

Fallon is captured by ruthless brigands who sell her to an elite training school for female gladiators owned by none other than Julius Caesar himself. In a cruel twist of fate, the man who destroyed Fallon s family might be her only hope of survival.

Now, Fallon must overcome vicious rivalries, deadly fights in and out of the arena, and perhaps the most dangerous threat of all: her irresistible feelings for Cai, a young Roman soldier and her sworn enemy.

A richly imagined fantasy for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Cinda Williams Chima, "The Valiant" recounts Fallon s gripping journey from fierce Celtic princess to legendary gladiator and darling of the Roman empire."

Kindle Deals #16

2016-08-26T14:45:00.000-05:00

Here are ebooks that are $5.99 and under!

(Click on the images to go to the amazon page.)

And don't forget to follow me on twitter

because I sometimes post deals there and not here on my blog.

$0.99

$1.99

$2.99

$3.99

$4.99

$5.99

Do you have any deals I should know about?

W.O.W. #66

2016-08-24T11:58:00.000-05:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to post books that you have been really wanting for a long time.

Title: City of Saints & Thieves

Author: Natalie C. Anderson

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young

Release Date: January 24th 2017

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets Gone Girl in this enthralling YA murder mystery set in Kenya.

In the shadows of Sangui City, there lives a girl who doesn't exist. After fleeing the Congo as refugees, Tina and her mother arrived in Kenya looking for the chance to build a new life and home. Her mother quickly found work as a maid for a prominent family, headed by Roland Greyhill, one of the city’s most respected business leaders. But Tina soon learns that the Greyhill fortune was made from a life of corruption and crime. So when her mother is found shot to death in Mr. Greyhill's personal study, she knows exactly who’s behind it.

With revenge always on her mind, Tina spends the next four years surviving on the streets alone, working as a master thief for the Goondas, Sangui City’s local gang. It’s a job for the Goondas that finally brings Tina back to the Greyhill estate, giving her the chance for vengeance she’s been waiting for. But as soon as she steps inside the lavish home, she’s overtaken by the pain of old wounds and the pull of past friendships, setting into motion a dangerous cascade of events that could, at any moment, cost Tina her life. But finally uncovering the incredible truth about who killed her mother—and why—keeps her holding on in this fast-paced nail-biting thriller.