2019 Mid-Year Book Freak Out

I have been seeing this tag all over Booktube and some of my favorite blogs.  I am mainly drawing off the one done at by Lauren @Always Me which you can find HERE and Stormi's over at her Booktube page which you can find HERE.  After visiting here, make sure to check them out!

BEST BOOK YOU'VE READ SO FAR THIS YEAR

There are a couple I could list but I really had a lot of fun with this one.

BEST SEQUEL YOU'VE READ SO FAR THIS YEAR

I can't resist this town full of pets and their zany owners.

NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN'T READ YET BUT WANT TO

Are you sick of seeing this book yet?  I am, I just need to read the darn thing.

MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR

I know - a Christmas book?  But I feel in love with "A Dog Called Jack" and NEED this sequel NOW!

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

I warned everyone this would be the "Little Heaven" of 2019.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

I had no idea I'd love this book as much as I did.

FAVORITE NEW AUTHOR (new to you or debut)

I really enjoyed this creepy little book and will definitely have my eye on Brendan Deneen!

NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH

Matthew - I really don't do book crushes but Matthew has restored my faith in vampires - and thank heavens he doesn't sparkle.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY

I don't really cry when reading but I laughed so hard when reading this one I ALMOST cried.  It will have to count.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY

I dare you to read this book and not smile - go on!

BEST BOOK TO FILM ADAPTATION

This book wasn't really that great but as I've mentioned before, I'm absolute trash for Riverdale so I'm using it.  It actually fills in the time line before the series starts.

FAVORITE POST YOU'VE DONE THIS YEAR

It's not necessarily my favorite but losing Booker T was so traumatic.  I was able to post this tribute post and the outpouring of support we received from you guys was tremendous and most appreciated.

You can find it HERE.

MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU'VE BOUGHT THIS YEAR

How about adorable?  And how cute is the cow standing behind Kirby?

WHAT BOOKS DO YOU NEED TO READ BEFORE THE YEAR IS OVER

ALL OF THEM!!!!!

So there you have it.  Hope you've enjoyed this little recap.  Thanks for visiting.

What's Happening...(06/28/19)

So I'm doing things a tad bit differently this year and will be combining all of my regular weekend posts.  This will enable me to add more content on Fridays and it is just starting to make more sense.  I'll still be linking up with Stacking the Shelves at Tynga's Reviews and Sunday Post at Caffeinated Reviewer.  Both blogs are awesome so make sure you check them out.

So as you are reading this I am officially on vacation.  Or should I say stay-cation.  We are planning a low-key one around the house doing a few projects, having friends and family over on the 4th and of course, some reading for me.  

As of now, there are no new additions to the family.  There was a possibility, and maybe still is, that the dogs I spoke about last week may be split.  A family member is very close to the male.  If that would happen, we MIGHT consider the female.  However, honestly, I can say Mr. Barb just isn't ready.  The pain of losing Booker is still too raw for both of us, but for him especially.  If it were up to me, we'd get her - no questions asked.  But I can't force this on him and if he's not ready, it wouldn't be fair to her.  So as it stands right now, we'll go on spoiling Cass and making sure he gets lots of special attention!

There has been a lack of good rentals to stream lately so no real movie news to report.  We are kind of killing time until "Stranger Things" comes back to Netflix.  We do plan on buying "Pet Semetary" while on vacation for a movie-night treat though.  In the meantime we started watching the Kevin Costner series "Yellowstone."  We have all of season 1 to catch up on and while it's decent (kind of a mix-up of Banshee and Longmore IMO) I have to admit Costner's character is a jerk.  And lots of sudden animal deaths - I'm talking horse, dog, steer, coyote, wolf.  What's up with that Kevin?  Really?  We're only on episode 4 so I hope he got it out of his system.

I did some reading this past week and I have a fresh new stack of books to staring at me for this weekend.  "The Last Stage" is for a blog tour in early July and you've seen "The Girl in Red" before.  I also am feeling the need to pick up something on a whim so who knows what else I might read.  I'm thinking Cherie Priest may be in my future! Oh and how could I forget, I need to finish "NOS4A2" still!

So I do have a few review books to share.  The author to "Bred in the Bone" reached out to me a week or so ago.  I featured this book on Books to Bark and Crow About. I will be reading it for Dog Days of Summer in August and the author is going to do a guest post for me.  I forgot to share that I got a copy of "The Furies" through Netgalley as well as "The Grace Year."  I really liked Kim Liggett so I have high hopes for this one.  And finally, "The Retreat" sounded pretty good so I couldn't resist.

So what new books did you add this week?  Watch anything good?  Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Blog Tour - The Devil's Equinox

Today I'm presenting you another blog tour stop for John Everson's "The Devil's Equinox" from Flame Tree Press. 

TITLE: The Devil's Equinox

AUTHOR: John Everson

PUBLISHER: Flame Tree Press

PUBLISHING DATE:  June 13, 2019

FROM GOODREADS: Austin secretly wishes his wife would drop dead. He even says so one boozy midnight at the bar to a sultry stranger with a mysterious tattoo. When his wife later introduces that stranger as Regina, their new neighbor, Austin hopes she will be a good influence on his wife. Instead, one night he comes home to find his wife dead. Soon he's entranced with Regina, who introduces him to a strange world of bloodletting, rituals and magic. A world that puts everything he loves in peril. Can Austin save his daughter, and himself, before the planets align for the Devil's Equinox? 

MY THOUGHTS: So have you ever secretly wished for something horrible.  If so, read this book and never do it again.  If not, don't.  "The Devil's Equinox" is a fast-paced, blood and sex filled novel not for the weak at heart.  Austin makes a horrible wish which eventually comes true.  And things kind of go downhill from there if you can imagine.

I went into this novel not knowing a lot about it.  Sometimes it's fun to go into things blindly.  This was a quick read and I did like getting to know Austin, but don't mistake that for liking him.  I really didn't care much for any of the characters in this novel but I didn't find that necessary to enjoy it.  I do think Regina was quite intriguing and rather scary - I don't think I would befriend her in a bar.

I kept turning the pages to find out what happens next and before I knew it, the book was finished.  I would kind of compare it to a B-horror movie which is okay, because sometimes you just want to immerse yourself in something that isn't reality-based.  If you like that kind of book, then Iverson is definitely an author you want to check out.

RATING: 3 PAWS

COYER CHALLENGE UPDATE: Any type of horror

John Everson is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of the novels Covenant, Sacrifice, The 13th, Siren and The Pumpkin Man, all released by Dorchester/Leisure Books in paperback and by Delirium, Necro and Bad Moon Books in limited hardcover. His sixth novel, NightWhere, was a 2012 Bram Stoker Award Finalist. The Family Tree, NightWhereand Violet Eyes, his "creepy spider novel" were released from Samhain Publishing. In January 2017, Redemption, the long-awaited sequel to his novels Covenant and Sacrificewas released. His 10th novel, The House By The Cemetery was released in October 2018 from Flame Tree Press. His 11th novel, The Devil's Equinox, will be released by Flame Tree in June 2019.

A wide selection of his short fiction has been collected in five short story collections - Deadly Nightlusts (Blasphemous Books, 2010), Creeptych (Delirium Books, 2010), Needles & Sins (Necro Books, 2007), Vigilantes of Love (Twilight Tales, 2003) and Cage of Bones & Other Deadly Obsessions (Delirium Books, 2000).

John is also the editor of the anthologies Sins of the Sirens (Dark Arts Books, 2008) and In Delirium II(Delirium Books, 2007) and co-editor of the Spooks! ghost story anthology (Twilight Tales, 2004). In 2006, he co-founded Dark Arts Books to produce trade paperback collections spotlighting the cutting edge work of some of the best authors working in short dark fantasy fiction today.

John shares a deep purple den in Naperville, Illinois with a cockatoo and cockatiel, a disparate collection of fake skulls, twisted skeletal fairies, Alan Clark illustrations and a large stuffed Eeyore. There's also a mounted Chinese fowling spider named Stoker courtesy of fellow horror author Charlee Jacob, an ever-growing shelf of custom mix CDs and an acoustic guitar that he can't really play but that his son likes to hear him beat on anyway. Sometimes his wife is surprised to find him shuffling through more public areas of the house, but it's usually only to brew another cup of coffee. In order to avoid the onerous task of writing, he records pop-rock songs in a hidden home studio, experiments with the insatiable culinary joys of the jalapeno, designs book covers for a variety of small presses, loses hours in expanding an array of gardens and chases frequent excursions into the bizarre visual headspace of '70s euro-horror DVDs with a shot of Makers Mark and a tall glass of Newcastle.

For information on his fiction, art and music, visit John Everson: Dark Arts at www.johneverson.comor Facebook at www.facebook.com/johneverson.

Friday Face Off (3)

So I'm back with another round of Friday Face Off, hosted by Books by Proxy.

And who decided which people wore the striped pyjamas” – A cover that is striped

1. English - Walker & Company (2010)

2. Enlish - Candlewick Press (2011)

3. Australian - Penguin Group (2010)

So I kind of struggled with this one but finally succeeded.  Even though I've not read it yet, this book is on my TBR.  Since it features talking animals, that's kind of a given right?  I actually have a hard time naming a favorite this week because honestly, I think all three are great.  However, I love the animal expressions on #2 so I think I have to go with that one.

Which one is your favorite???

2 Bloggers 1 Series - Gunmetal Magic

So Stormi and I continued on with the Kate Daniels series this month with a title that is actually 5.5 in the series.  Carole from Carole's Random Life in Books mentioned to me that it was probably better to read this one where it fell so we decided to work it in.  To see if it was a good or bad idea, read on!  And then go check out Stormi's review at  Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!

TITLE: Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels 5.5)
AUTHOR: Ilona Andrews
PUBLISHER: Ace
PUBLISHING DATE: July 31, 2019

FROM GOODREADS: Some people have everything figured out—Andrea Nash is not one of those people. 

After being kicked out of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, Andrea’s whole existence is in shambles. All she can do is to try to put herself back together, something made easier by working for Cutting Edge, a small investigative firm owned by her best friend Kate Daniels. 

When several shapeshifters working for Raphael Medrano—the male alpha of the Clan Bouda and Andrea’s former lover—die unexpectedly at a dig site, Andrea is assigned to investigate…and must work with Raphael. As Andrea’s search for the killer leads her into the secret underbelly of supernatural Atlanta, she knows that dealing with her feelings for Raphael might have to take a back seat to saving the world… 

MY THOUGHTS: So when we start, Andrea's life is a mess.  She's been kicked out of the Order, she and Raphael are still on the outs and she has so much baggage she sleeps in the closet of her heavily warded apartment.  The only positive thing is her job working with Kate at her detective agency, and even that may create more problems than she can handle when a group of Raphael's workers are brutally murdered and she is tasked with finding the culprits.

I have to get this out of the way.  I liked "Gunmetal Magic" but that being said, I kind of struggled with it and it's my least favorite installment so far.  I was super excited to learn more about Andrea and that still stands, but there were a few reasons this book didn't work for me.  The relationship between Andrea and Raphael grated my last nerve.  So I get that they both messed up, and I get that they both still have feelings for each other.  I even understand there is going to be a huge amount of angst given that they have to work together.  I liked angst and hate-to-love relationships.  But these two were already mated basically and they were both being stupid and it all became a little to much.   I also found myself missing Kate and Curran, even though they do make appearances.  And let's not forget - giant snake-people.

As for the positives.  The mystery was interesting enough and we get so see some of our favorite side characters.  Also, I still like Andrea and feel that she had a lot of character growth during the novel, even if she is still kind of dysfunctional.  There was also plenty of action.  I just felt myself struggling to pick it up which isn't something I encountered with this series before.  But am I glad I read it?  Most definitely.

One last note.  There simply was not enough Grendel, the giant attack poodle.  Since Andrea cared for him so much in the past, I assumed he would be around more.  There is an adorable bulldog in the beginning of the book named Chief but he didn't stick around long and basically just worried me.  I WANT MORE GRENDEL!

RATING: 3 Paws


COYER CHALLENGE UPDATE: Read a book written but two individuals (most are aware that Ilona Andrews is a husband/wife team).

Can't Wait Wednesday (216)

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: Gothic, intoxicating, feminist, darkly provoking and deeply romantic - this is the breathtakingly imagined untold story of the brides of Dracula, by bestselling author Kiran Millwood Hargrave in her much-anticipated YA debut.

They say the thirst of blood is like a madness - they must sate it. Even with their own kin.

On the eve of her divining, the day she'll discover her fate, seventeen-year-old Lil and her twin sister Kizzy are captured and enslaved by the cruel Boyar Valcar, taken far away from their beloved traveller community.

Forced to work in the harsh and unwelcoming castle kitchens, Lil is comforted when she meets Mira, a fellow slave who she feels drawn to in a way she doesn't understand. But she also learns about the Dragon, a mysterious and terrifying figure of myth and legend who takes girls as gifts.

They may not have had their divining day, but the girls will still discover their fate... 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  This book hits all my switches - Gothic, brides of Dracula, castles.  I saw this a few weeks ago and knew I'd have to get my hands on it!

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

TTT - Books I Should Have Read by Now!

The top 10 weekly meme used to be hosted by The Broke and the Bookish they  handed over the reins to ThatArtsyReaderGirl who can be found HERE.  Each week she will focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading.

This week's topic is books on our summer TBRs.  Well, I do a monthly TBR post, plus last week was an anticipated release post so I really wanted to try and not post the same books over and over.  So instead, I'm sharing books I SHOULD have read by now!

NOS4A2 - Joe Hill.  I'm about 500 pages in but it keeps getting pushed aside for other books.  I am really enjoying it though.

Titanshade - Dan Stout.  I really have no excuse.

The Stand - Stephen King.  Can you believe I've never read this one?  Yep, me either.  I think I committed to Stormi to read this one in November or December.  Can't quite remember.

Noir - Christopher Moore.  I really love this author and think I've even checked this out from my library on two occasions.  

A Dog's Purpose - W. Bruce Cameron.  In my defense, I know why I haven't read this one yet. I don't want to start sobbing uncontrollably!

Downward Dog - Katherine Hayton.  Seriously, I smile every time I see this cover so I just need to pick it up already. It's a cozy mystery so it should go pretty fast!

Megalodon in Paradise - Hunter Shea.  I always enjoy Shea's book and this one is screaming - read me during the summer.  So why didn't I read it LAST summer???

HEX - Thomas Olde Heuvelt. I was so excited for this book that I had to order a copy from the UK before it even reached the US.  So why does it sit unread?

Inspection - Josh Malerman.  I have had this from the library for 6 weeks and still haven't picked it up.

 Borrowing of Bones - Paula Munier.  I bought this for my Kindle with a gift certificate I won last year so I don't know why I haven't read it yet.  And even though I know it's a dog, does anyone else see a cougar when they look at the cover?

So there you have it.  I guess I need to get reading!

I Hate Fairyland Cumulative Review

TITLE: I Hate Fairyland Vol 2: Fluff My Life
AUTHOR: Scottie Young
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PUBLISHING DATE: December 13, 2016

FROM GOODREADS: All hail Gertrude, the new Queen of Fairyland. After thirty years of wreaking havoc across this magical world to find her way back home, she must now overcome her biggest challenge yet... ruling the place she hates most. Join Gert as she continues her never-ending quest to get the FLUFF out of Fairyland. The hilariously brutal Fairytale adventure continues by superstar cartoonist SKOTTIE YOUNG. Collects issues 6-10. 

MY THOUGHTS: I really enjoy this graphic novel series and Volume 2 was a lot of fun.  Gertrude is still stuck in Fairyland and is trying to get out.  The reader meets some interesting characters in this volume including a little boy in dragon pajamas named Duncan who at first seems adorable, and then comes back to haunt Gertrude later.  Gertrude's language is still a force to reckon with and it's a good thing the author uses substitute words or this would definitely be "Rated R."

RATING: 4 PAWS

TITLE: I Hate Fairyland Vol. 3 Good Girl
AUTHOR: Scottie Young
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PUBLISHING DATE: October 24, 2017
                                                 

FROM GOODREADS: Gert finally realizes that being such a murderous maniac might be the reason she's not been able to find her way out of the candy-coated world of Fairyland that has been her nightmare for over forty years. She sets off on a new quest to redeem herself and tries to earn her way back home with good deeds and kindness and love and whatever other mushy, touchy-feely things she can manage. The epic and hilarious fantasy quest continues from fan favorite cartoonist SKOTTIE YOUNG Collecting issues 11 through 15. 

MY THOUGHTS: I'm amazed at all the shenanigans that Gert manages to find in a place called Fairyland.  In this one, Gert has convinced herself that being "bad" has gotten her nowhere so she has decided to be good.  Who knew being good could cause her so much trouble. It was fun to see Gert try a different approach to getting home and the adaptation of "nice Gert" is almost more troubling than "bad Gert."

RATING: 4 PAWS

COYER CHALLENGE UPDATE:  Read a graphic novel/Deserted Island Read-a-thon.

What's Happening...(06-22-19)

So I'm doing things a tad bit differently this year and will be combining all of my regular weekend posts.  This will enable me to add more content on Fridays and it is just starting to make more sense.  I'll still be linking up with Stacking the Shelves at Tynga's Reviews and Sunday Post at Caffeinated Reviewer.  Both blogs are awesome so make sure you check them out.

So I honestly think the world is going mad.  Earlier in the week there was a murder in our town.  A unregistered sex offender stabbed his neighbor to death in his front yard while his dogs watched.   The perp was on the run for over a day but finally turned himself in.  Allegedly he stabbed someone two years ago and got a slap on the wrist.  The victim was a hardworking man who lived alone with his two pets.  The town is kind of reeling.  Now the family is looking for a home for the two boxers - yep, you heard it right.  We are considering it and have been in touch.  They simply have to be kept together but I also don't know if we are ready yet.  And we've had three before and know what a big handful that can be - time and expense wise.  However, our hearts do go out to the victim and his family - especially his dogs who were present for everything.

In other news....so I watched "A Star is Born" over a 3 day period.  I saw it was on HBO so I downloaded to our Direct TV system so I could watch it at my leisure (aka - when Mr. Barb was busy because he had NO interest).  I've monitored the whole Gaga/Cooper thing and heard such good press about the movie.  I was ready for an epic love story (no I've never seen the others).  Man, was I disappointed!  SPOILER RANT TO FOLLOW:  This was one of the most depressing movies EVER.  Both characters were co-dependent and Cooper's was an out-and-out alcoholic.  Some of his scenes were so awful I turned it off for a while.  And the ending!  Let's make our cute pooch a huge steak, go out in the garage and hang our self while the dog patiently lies down outside the closed garage door.  Forget Gaga - Dog trauma people! On the plus side, I enjoyed watching Sam Elliot as the brother and Andrew Dice Clay did a bang up job as Gaga's dad.  Yep, never thought I'd EVER type that sentence!   I have never liked ADC.

I have been reading a lot and finished "Discovery of Witches."  I have two new books to start this weekend - well, I've already started "Gunmetal Magic."  I also hope to read "The Girl in Red" soon.

So on to the books!  I kind of obtained more review books than I planned.  But that happens when you hit the request button right?  Oh well, I'm excited for all of them and you all are such evil enablers so no apologies! 

The Heart and Other Viscera

Grave Expectations

The Art of Theft (Lady Sherlock #4)

The Absinthe Earl - Tammy I got it!

Needled to Death

Ivory Apples

Just Bill

Violet

And lastly I had some library holds come in so of course I had to rush and pick them up because apparently I have nothing else to read.

Teeth in the Mist

The Scent of Murder

Middlegame

The Girl in Red

So if you hung in through the entire post, thanks.  Have you read any of these and where should I start???