The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week?

I started my new job this week! I’m now a project manager and there is so much to learn (and so much paperwork!) I had to use a lot of brain power this week and I am wiped out now!

I also had my booster and flu jab yesterday and I’m always ill after, today is no exception!

I did manage to read but I think I’ll need to cut out audiobooks whilst I’m working because I can’t concentrate on both at the moment!

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New Arrivals

Another big week (and this isn’t even ebooks!)

Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

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What I’ve Read

🎧 Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas (reread) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An Education in Malice by ST Gibson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Look out for my reviews soon!

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You might have missed…..

Review – The Lightstruck by Sunya Mara Review – Illumicrate September 23
Review – Foxglove by Adalyn Grace

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What have you read lately?

Title: Foxglove

Series: Belladonna #2

Author: Adalyn Grace

A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He’s hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago…and now he’s determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.

Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate’s past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate’s unexpected games—all with their destinies hanging in the balance.

Dangerous, suspenseful, and seductive, this sequel to Signa and Death’s story is as utterly romantic as it is perfectly deadly.

Loved Belladonna so couldn’t wait to dive in here!

Percy is gone, Blythe is saved and Signa and Death are doing their dance….so what happens now?

It starts with a death and Uncle Elijah has been framed so Blythe and Signa go on the trail for the murderer but there is an added complication when Fate turns up and sets his eyes on Signa.

Death and Signa made my heart sing!!!!

‘You are mine Signa Farrow. I will burn this world to cinders before I let anyone take you from me.’ (Apologies if this isn’t quite right as I was trying to note down from the audiobook!)

This book was so delightful! It was a bit dark and the whodunnit had me guessing all over the place! I also loved going to Foxglove and seeing what was there, I had such great imagery for it in my head!

There was one small gripe and that was Blythe did get on my wick quite a bit! Saying that though, please tell me there will be a book 3 about Blythe and Fate! I reckon it will be explosive!

Title: The Lightstruck

Series: The Darkening #2

Author: Sunya Mara

Vesper Vale sacrificed everything to save her city from the cursed storm. After becoming a vessel of The Great Queen, Vesper awakes from a slumber three years after her life altering choice.

What she finds isn’t a home freed from the terror of the storm, but one where its citizens are besieged by the even more sinister force of The Great King and his growing army of the lightstruck—once regular citizens who are now controlled by the ominous light encroaching on the city. And the people are all looking to Vesper, now revered as a goddess after her sacrifice, as their city’s only hope.

To save the rings from the Great King, Vesper must contend with the obligations of being a deity to her people and the growing chasm between her and Dalca, the prince she swore never to love. Haunted by the guilt of their past choices and faced with the pressures of a city near ruin, Vesper and Dalca find themselves torn between the growing factions within the city and the royal court.

But in order to save her city from the light, Vesper must face the power most outside of her control—the goddess within.

I absolutely loved The Darkening so couldn’t wait to dive in here and get more Dalca!!!!!

Vesper is now back and trying to get used to being ‘her’ again and finds someone has taken over as the baddie whilst she has been gone.

I must admit I didn’t love this book as much as book 1 and I felt a bit lost at the beginning struggling to remember what was happening!

But, as in book 1, I loved the magic system and I loved the writing style.

Vesper did get in my nerves a bit but the overall character win for me was Cas! Loved him and we really now need a book for him!

September theme – My Last Breath!

Standing between the ceaseless sea and endless sky, I know I will love you until my last breath.

Items inspired by Belladonna, Mexican Gothic, If We Were Villains and a fandom-neutral item.

💛 Gothic Romance Book Pot designed by @chattynora
💛 Kissed by Death Window Magnet inspired by Belladonna with art by @justelfit
💛 Botanical Bloom Bowl Cozy inspired by Mexican Gothic with art from @hollydunndesign
💛 Per Aspera and Astra Puzzle inspired by If We Were Villains. Artwork by @lenyan.art designed by @chattynora

💛 FEATURED BOOK 💛

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

Exclusive cover
Printed hardback by @c.e.illo
Digitally printed edges
Endpaper art @ekbelsher

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Reading Goals I Still Want to Accomplish Before the End of the Year

I’m actually up to date and have over taken all goals for my 3 annual challenges so thought I would think about, and discuss with you guys, what you do in these situations regarding reading goals/annual challenges!

When you hit a challenge goal early, do you up your total or call it a win and keep it the same?

I normally up my Goodreads challenge number to set a new goal and for my other challenges. I just keep going to see what number I can hit!

When you’re thinking about the same goals for next year do you increase it to challenge yourself or do you keep the same (or lower) so there is less pressure?

This is where I struggle! I tend to keep mine the same as I’m scared of failure 🤣

Do you ever add in any new challenges?

I would like to add another next year but not sure what so if you have any in mind, let me know in comments!

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week?

October is here, spooky month! My son wants to decorate for Halloween already so I might let him do some inside but not outside until later on!

I’ve been on an audiobook storm this week as I had an audio arc and 3 library audiobooks come up from hold!

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New Arrivals

It’s been a bumper book week!!!

Upon a Frosted Star by MA Kuzniar
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
To Cage a God by Elizabeth May
Evocation by ST Gibson
Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin
The Night Hunt by Alexandra Christo

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What I’ve Read

🎧 Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Starling House by Alix E Harrow
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Magnus Chase: Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Magnus Chase: Ship of The Dead by Rick Riordan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Look out for my reviews soon!

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You might have missed…..

Review – Audiobook Challenge
Review – Yellowface by RF Kuang

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What have you read lately?

Happy October! Have a great month!

“I wish that every day was Saturday and every month was October.”
― Charmaine J. Forde

“In the entire circle of the year there are no days so delightful as those of a fine October.” – Alexander Smith

Title: Yellowface

Series:

Author: RF Kuang

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars: same year at Yale, same debut year in publishing. But Athena’s a cross-genre literary darling, and June didn’t even get a paperback release. Nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.

So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song–complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.

But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

June is acquaintances with hit author, Athena, and after an unfortunate pancake incident, June basically makes off with Athena’s manuscript!

‘So gorgeous I can’t help but give finishing it a try.’

I’ve spent a bit trying to think how I feel about this. I cringed, I raged at the audacity and my stomach was in my throat watching this all unfold and how June describes it all.

I don’t think I liked June, she was so blase about what she did but it was one of those situations where you can’t stop reading because you know it’s going to blow up and blow up spectacularly!

I read the physical book and listened to the audio at the same time and can recommend the audio!

The Audiobook Challenge 2023 – halfway update!

Hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer and That’s What I’m Talking About. #2023AudiobookChallenge


You can see my sign up post here but I changed my goal from 30 to 50 plus (Marathoner) because I had hit my goal mid-year.

Just a quick update to say I’ve listened to 58 audiobooks so far this year!

Here are a few!

Let’s hope I can keep on keeping on!!!