book review · challenges · review

Two Book Tuesday

This month’s post is pretty much themed around the O.W.L.’s Magical Readathon I’m participating in during the month of April. I’ve been enjoying going back to books and series’ that I remember liking in the past, as well as venturing way outside of my comfort genres and reading things like straight up romance *gasp*!

Okay, confession time… I haven’t had the chance to really get into this book. Shame on me, but I spent most of my free time sewing up a face mask to wear out-and-about.

Altered Heart follows Mick Matranga as he works to rid his city of the lowest scum out there. Along the way, he discovers his mate, one Rio Hardin, a human-turned-werewolf about the experience his first shift.

I’m pretty sure this is my first time reading Kate Steele, so here’s hoping it’s a good first introduction, lol.


By the title alone, The Perfect Wife by Gina Fields doesn’t sound like something I’d enjoy, but it comes highly suggested by my mother and she has great taste in books, so we shall see.

My mom says that it’s just a “really great story without a lot of extra stuff to clog up the plot” and “one the nicest romances I have ever read”.

I’m looking forward to reading this, even though it’s kind of short, lol.

blog · challenges

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday for March 30: Ten Signs You’re a Book Lover (basically, people know you’re a book lover because… i.e., you’re always carrying a book or two, your library card broke from overuse, etc.)

1. Absolutely anything can become a bookmark (except for food and personal hygiene items… yuck!)

2. I always have a book with me. Always.

3. Have more book bags than I do purses and all of my purses are purchased with the requirement that they can comfortably tote a hardcover book. 😛

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blog · challenges

Blog | 2020 Magical Readathon O.W.L.’s

So, what is this thing?

The Magical Readathon was created by the book-tuber, Book Roast, in 2018 as a fun Harry Potter themed reading challenge. Held during the month of April, there are many different levels for the O.W.L.’s so readers of all ages, time constraints, etc. are able to participate and I’m hoping to convince some of my gal pals to join in the fun!

With this particular challenge, you choose your career and then complete the reading prompts required to pass each of the subjects. For my career as a Librarian (IRL and for the challenge, lol), I must pass five separate O.W.L.’s, so I must read five books.

Here you can see the subjects that Librarians are required to study and pass in order to gain employment within the wizarding community.

Some of the key traits for this career are to be knowledgeable, brave, adventurous, and resourceful… I think I have those covered. 😛

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blog · challenges

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday for February 25: Characters I’d Follow On Social Media (submitted by Tilly @thebiblioshelf)

This post was both fun and stressful. It was surprisingly difficult to think of ten characters that I would actually follow on social media, if they had accounts in real life, so I ended up cutting the number down to just five. Sorry, I failed the challenge this week. D:

I chose to include video game characters because I think that video games are just another kind of storytelling and, if done correctly, can be even more enthralling than a book!

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blog · challenges

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and is basically a list of challenges that you can participate in each Tuesday and I think it’s a fun way to get to know your personal library.

The challenge for today was “Book Cover Freebie (choose what kind(s) of covers you want to talk about: prettiest, most unique, most misleading, weirdest, most memorable, creepiest, ugliest, etc.)”

Here are the covers and I’ll be sharing my thoughts below…

Fragment by Warren Fahy is probably one of my favorite covers, it’s just so ominous and really does the story justice. The characters within must deal with deadly creatures in order to survive and escape the terrifying island they’ve discovered, but something else escapes too… dun, dun, dun!

Ghost by Carole Cummings, book one in the Wolf’s Own quartet, was initially quite difficult for me to get into. I love the intensity on Fen’s face here, as if he’s going to take you right out of existence if you’re not careful. Cummings just kind of drops you into this world and, as much as the cover made me want to read this book, I had to really work to get into it. Once it got a hold of me, this series did not let me go!

The God Engines by John Scalzi instantly caught my eye when it came across my desk at the Germantown Community Library. I immediately added it to my “To Read” list and waited (im)patiently for it to come out of new book status. This book is amazing and certainly lives up the creepiness that it’s cover exudes.

Once Upon a Flock by Lauren Scheuer is just as cute as the cover indicates! I kind of just stumbled across this title while I was organizing the shelves at the library and absolutely had to add it to my stack of books to take home.

The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic by F. T. Lukens has a very simplistic style of cover art, but it is also very telling about the story’s contents. Quirky and 100% having re-readability, this title is great for an afternoon or lunch-break read. I just found out that the sequel was just recently released and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

Seven Tears At High Tide by C. B. Lee has such a beautiful cover. It looks like a painting that I would love to have on my wall and, when I found out that one of the Main Characters is a selkie, well I just had to have it. There just aren’t enough books about selkie in the world today.

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson was just too cool not to check out from my local library. I actually ended up listening to the audio book (same cover) and it is an amazing story… I only wish that we had more to read in this universe.

Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz again, has a simple cover, but some times simple is good and this is one of those times! I adore how the two fish hooks have been placed to form a heart (yes, this story is romantic) even while the title puts you on edge (and it really should, because the story is also horrifying).

Touch by Alexi Zentner is the only title on this list that I have not read, but the cover is what made me add it to my “To Read” list in the first place. This cover looks like it came right out of my childhood growing up in the woods of northern Wisconsin. I only wish I could read this book AND enjoy the same views from my own window… alas, Memphis, Tennessee rarely gets snow!

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera might be the last book on my list, but it’s just as good as all of the others. The cover and the story are both contemporary and so very well done. I love the little details such as the torn jeans and the lack of socks to the postage on the box and the way the two boys are looking back at each other. Such a good book!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I will earn a small amount, if you purchase an item through these links. All proceeds go to purchasing supplies for Micro-Preemie socks that are knitted by hand and donated to a local Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Thank you for your kind support.

blog · challenges · library life

2020 Library Love Challenge

If you’ve been around for a little while, you’ll know that one of my goals for 2020 is to read more and, since I have limited shelf space, I plan to get many of these books from my local libraries. I will be trying for the Library Addict level, but may go on for the Library Card on Fire level… we shall see.

If you’d also like to participate, here’s what you’ll need to know:

  • The challenge runs from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020.
  • You can join at any time and sign ups will remain open until December 31, 2020.
  • Put a sign up post on your blog (or dedicate a Goodreads shelf or LibraryThing) and link it in the linky on the host’s site. Make sure it’s public. 
  • There will be a Monthly Email dedicated to the library love challenge that will focus on the monthly posts.
  • Please link back to both challenge hosts and include the challenge button in your sign-up posts.
  • The goal is to read at least twelve (12) books from the library, but you can read more. While twelve is the minimum; there is no maximum limit.
  • Any format will work for this challenge (prints, eBooks, or audios); as long as you checked it out from the library, it counts.
  • You can read any genre you want!
  • Crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed, including re-reads. The goal is to support your local library and save money.
  • As an added bonus: MONTHLY GIVEAWAYS will be offered with this Challenge. On the 1st of every month, a link-up will go up on both Angel’s Guilty Pleasures and Books of My Heart where you can leave your links for your reviews on the books you read from the library.
    • (Optional) Reviews: Write a review to enter the giveaway. 2 sentences or an essay, whatever works for you, but there is a minimum of 2 sentences.
  • Please use the #LibraryLoveChallenge hashtag
  • Sign up HERE

Levels

  • Dewey Decimal: Read 12 books
  • Thrifty Reader: Read 24 books
  • Overdrive Junkie: Read 36 books
  • Library Addict: Read 48 books
  • Library Card on Fire: Read 60+ books

Tracker

  • 01/09/2020 – The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
  • 01/09/2020 – The Pearl by John Steinbeck
  • 01/17/2020 – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  • 01/21/2020 – Bob by Wendy Mass

beautiful people challenge · blog · writing

Writing | Beautiful People #19

Do they want to get married and/or have children? Why or why not?

At this point in time, Quill does not see himself married with or without children.

Ransom, coming from a large family, would like to have a large family of his own.  He imagines a house in the country, filled with at least six kids, two dogs, and a variety of fish… Sometimes, he thinks he’d like to run his own farm and get away from city life altogether.

What is their weapon of choice? (It doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical weapon.)

Quill’s weapon of choice is words, of course.  Ransom prefers not to be in a situation that requires weapons… However, he is trained to use and owns his own firearms.

What’s the nicest thing they’ve done for someone else, and why did they do it?

Have they ever been physically violent with someone, and what instigated it?

A fairly easygoing person, Quill has never found himself in a position where physical violence against someone else.

A retired veteran, Ransom now works in the cyber-crime unit of a local police station. While in the military, he found himself in situations where physical violence was the only way to insure he and his fellow soldiers lived to see another day.

Are they a rule-follower or a rebel?

Quill is a strict rule-follower, he believes that if there is a rule in place that it must have been created for a reason.

Ransom is the rebel of their age-group and was an instigator of many “adventures” during their youth.  While he never broke any laws, Ransom is able to see when a rule is not good for a situation and react accordingly.

Are they organized or messy?

Quill is super organized except for when Ransom comes to visit and then all bets are off.  Shoes left in the middle of the living room?  You bet.  Socks hanging from the lamp in the entry way?  Yep.  Refrigerator all out of whack?  Definitely.

What makes them feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way?

What do they eat for breakfast?

On mornings that he is scheduled to work, Quill has a breakfast of grape nuts cereal, some fruit, and a cup of fresh coffee.

Ransom is NOT a morning person. As such, he often just grabs a granola bar to eat on his commute and a cup of coffee when he arrives at the station.

Have they ever lost someone close to them? What happened?

Quill’s grandmother died of natural causes when he was eleven years old. They had always been close and he was absolutely devastated by her death.

What’s their treat of choice? (Or, if not food, how else do they reward themselves?)

Both men enjoy being outdoors and, whenever possible, escape from city life to hike through the woods, up a mountain, or just go camping.