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The Inklings Digest
Currently Reading:
I’m currently reading One of Our Own by Lucinda Berry. This is a short thriller about a 988 suicide hotline operator who gets a call from a young girl in distress. She begins to learn that the young girl had been assaulted by boys at a party and becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened as a way of trying to help the girl. But, as the details line up, she begins to suspect and fear that maybe her son has something to do with it. I’m about 80% into it and really enjoying it. I’ll finish it within the next hour or so. I’m also currently reading Saint’s Blood by Sebastien De Castell. This is the third book in the Greatcoats series and I’m really enjoying this whole series.
Recent Reads:
Long Way to A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers was fun, wholesome, and interesting. I’m really excited to read more from this author. I love explorations of space and this just hit a cozy spot I didn’t realize I was looking for. Voyage of the Damned by Frances White was not as fun. It didn’t feel like this book knew what it was hoping to be. It was lighthearted but also deep. The magic wasn’t really interesting and the murder mystery didn’t keep my attention well. There was also a ‘reveal’ that I just hated. It was irritating and I don’t feel like there was much lead-up to it.
I also read To Hell With Hallmark by Brad Ricks. This is a collection of short horror stories that were pretty interesting. Some were fun, some were cheesy. For anyone who either loves Hallmark movies or absolutely hates Hallmark movies, this is great if you’re looking for horror during Christmas season. I’m not the biggest fan of short stories and still enjoyed it, but I did feel like the ending was really silly. Moving onto a very different book, I read The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai and it was so sweet and wholesome it make my tummy hurt. It was precious. And this really kickstarted a love for translated healing fiction.
I did move on to Out of The Dark by Gregg Hurwitz after that. This is the fourth book in the Orphan X series and I adore it. It is peak Dad fiction for me and it’s so fun and so interesting. He’s going after the freaking president in this book. Phenomenal, fun, strangely heartwarming. I kept that fast paced action up by going into the Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman. This is the third book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series and it is fun, precious, and quick. I love every minute of it. This series and these audiobooks have my whole heart. They are just so much fun. And because they’re so fun and I love them so much, I went right into the fourth book, The Gate of the Feral Gods. Spectacular.
Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage was cute and fun. I have thing for single parent tropes and seeing them fall in love with someone who treats their kids right. It’s even better that Gus doesn’t hate his child’s mother. They are friends and co-parent well and I don’t feel like you get to see that often. I went on to Draggon Your Bones, the ending of the coming of age duology by Tatianna Obey. Fantastic, loved every minute. There were a few times that it felt repetitive or too long, but I quickly got over that and cried a little by the end of it. I went on to Every House is Haunted, another short story collection. It’s okay. I got this form my Twisted Retreat box, who I have about a 87% success rate with. This, unfortunately, was part of the 13% unsuccessful rate. I just don’t really get into short stories. There were some I liked, but not enough to justify a positive regard. Luckily, this was part of a box that had two books. Hopefully the other will be great.
The Light of all that Falls was okay. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t provide for lead up I was hoping for and I just didn’t care about any of the characters. Before the Coffee Gets Cold made me cry and I will indeed be continuing it. Strangely, I moved onto to a horror after that one. I guess it was too wholesome, heartwarming, and sweet for me. I read The Perfect Victim by David Sodergren. All of his books are fun and interesting. This reminded me a little of home alone, but if it was horror with terrible people and more gore. Highly recommend. So fast paced. So fun. Brutal deaths. 10/10.
Week’s Plans:
I’ll be doing the reading reading for the next few weeks. I feel in a huge mood for intense horror/thriller or fantasy, so I’m going to continue to ride with that wave. Other than that, a review for The Perfect Victim is coming within the next few days. I expect at least one more discussion post and one more review after that.
Thanks for tuning in, I’d love to know what you thought about any of these. I’ll chat with ya soon!
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Bookish Goals of 2025
As the year comes to an end, people are talking about their goals regarding all things reading. I don’t tend to put a constraint on myself, honestly. My goal for number of books read is going to be the same as it was this year – 100 books. I hit that goal pretty early and am about to finish book #223. Since it as a relatively easy hit, I’m going to keep it there so that I don’t have to stress over it. I’ve found that the more I stress about it, the less fun reading is. And, honestly, I want to keep it fun. I don’t want it to get confused in my brain as a ‘have to,’ which is really easy to do when I’m trying to hit a number rather than allowing myself to just enjoy my time.
There are a few other goals I have. First, I want to have less ARCs to read. I feel like I only want to read books that light me up in excitement instead of books I think will be good or interesting. A lot of the books I read and reviewed this past year were ARCs and I want to focus on books that are genuinely exciting for me that I feel like I would have a lot to say on. Going along with that, I want to improve my reviewing process. I’m really excited because I’ve seen a lot of growth within the last year. I used to be the person who didn’t like a book, but wasn’t able to pinpoint why. Now I can see why and I can explore the why as well.
Naturally, I would like to grow my blog and podcast as well. I don’t think there is a specific number I feel like I have to hit. I just want it to be consistent and fun. I’m learning what works for me and what doesn’t and it’s really important to me that people are able to see how much I love and enjoy doing what I’m doing. So, my biggest goal is that people are able to see and feel the love and joy I have for reading and reviewing.
I think that’s really it for the big goals of 2025. I’d love to see your goals as well!
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The Inklings Digest 12
Currently Reading:
I have starting read the Starlight Heir, which is coming out January 7th. I don’t have many thoughts on this just yet because I’m only two chapters in. I will say that the writing feels closer to YA, but also seems like it’s going to be really fun. I’m also reading Voyage of the Damned and am doing a Read with Me here I potentially attempt to solve the case as I read along.
Recent Reads:
I finished Carl’s Doomsday Scenario and had so much fun with it. I am in love with the audiobooks of this series and plan to catch up potentially by the end of December. Carl and Donut have my entire heart and I love them dearly. I also read Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff. This is their debut and it was pretty good. The writing can feel pretentious and the ending had about one too many villain monologues, but it has a ton of potential and I felt very similarly about If We Were Villains when I read that. Neither are my favorite, but I see a large audience for it and a ton of growth and potential for Sash.
Unfortunately, this was followed by Book People by Jackie Ashenden. I didn’t like or buy the chemistry. Everyone felt surface level. There’s a ‘grand reveal’ that I feel everyone will see even at the beginning of the book and there’s an attempt to cover it by the character saying, “I probably should’ve guessed it, but I didn’t.” Still, that could’ve been fine if the emotional parts hit me the way they were meant to, but they just didn’t.
I then read No Safe Haven, the follow up to No Heart For a Thief by Jame Lloyd Dulin. I really enjoyed No Heart for a Thief. This sequel picks up fairly quickly from where the first left off, but I don’t think I was in the mood for it this go around. The characters are in a different place, yet it still felt like more of the same for me. I was also reading Echo of Things to Come by James Islington, the follow up to The Shadow of What was Lost. I really enjoy this trilogy, even if it leaves me confused. I don’t mind putting faith in authors that they are intentionally confusing me and will make up for it later, but hate it when the result isn’t up to par. I don’t like being confused just for the sake of it, basically, so hopefully the last book will live up to what I hope for. This book was definitely better than the last and I enjoyed the characters more. I will note, though, that it reminds me a lot of Wheel of Time – especially with the same narrator for each audiobook. Still a different story, but I think you can definitely see what the inspiration was.
I ended the week with Hell Bent, the third book in the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz. This is dad fiction at its peak for me. I love a nice action packed book full of spies and love and loss. Evan is dealing with a lot in this one, with the death of a loved one, a young girl being thrust into his life (now he has to figure out how to talk to teen girls without accidentally insulting them), and his interest in downstairs neighbor, Mia, being put to the test even further. This series kind of reminds me of the show Burn Notice – not plot wise, just purely vibes wise. And I love it.
Week’s Plans:
I am off work from Wednesday to Sunday, so I plan on doing the reading reading. I do have about 3 or 4 Thanksgiving dinners to go to, but there’s still plenty of time in my days to read as much as I can. I have no idea what I’m planning to read just yet, other than finishing my current reads and picking whatever I’m feeling from the list of books I’d like to have done by the end of the year. I’d love to know everyone else’s thanksgiving plans and what you’re reading!
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The End of Year TBR
We all have a never ending TBR that we’re desperately striving towards finishing but never will. While it does hurt my heart to realize there are some books out there that I could very well love, yet will never get the chance to read before I’m rotting in the ground, I can always do my best. Not only do I have a never ending TBR, I also have quite a few series I’m in the middle of and some ARC’s coming in January that I would like to get a jump on. My end of year TBR consists of series I’d like to make progress in, series I’d like to finish, and ARC’s I want to go ahead and get done.
Series to Make Progress In:
This list is pretty simple. I would like to make progress in Dungeon Crawler Carl. I read the first book a few months ago and fell in love, then promptly never picked another up. I’d like to fix that. There appears to be 7 that have been published and I would like to finish all 7. I’ll be making these audiobooks a priority for the next two months so that I can do that. If you don’t know, this series is about Carl and his cat, Princess Donut. The world has suddenly ended and he finds himself in a video-game style fight to the death with multiple levels, ways of leveling up, an AI who likes his feet, and an entire alien race(s) watching his progress. It’s so much fun and I love it with my whole heart. The audiobooks are the way to go.
Next, I would like to make progress within the Orphan X series. This is your usual dad-fiction. Evan was a child assassin known as Orphan X, housed by the Orphan Program. We follow him as he does some small jobs and is hunted down by other Orphans still working for the very government that created the program – a program he thought was no longer in effect. Love it, super fun. There are 9 books that have been published, with the 10th expected sometime in 2025. I want to at least get up to book 5, meaning I only have to read 3 more.
Series to Finish:
I would like to finish the Licanius Trilogy. I read book one a few months ago (maybe 6 months ago?) and, as per usual, never picked up the following book. I only have two more and I feel like I could easily read one this month and finish it next month. This is time-travel fantasy and I really did enjoy the first book.
I’d also like to finish the greatcoats series by Sebastien de Castell. I have fallen in love with the man’s writing this year, which is honestly the worst thing that could happen to my reading because I stop reading the series I adore. I can’t explain it, don’t ask me too many questions. These are thick, yes, but they are also really quick reads. I started Saint’s Blood this week, so I’ll only have one more to read to complete the series.
Lastly, I would like to finish two duologues. I would like to read Draggon Your Bones, a coming of age fantasy that I adored the first book of. Then I would like to read No Safe Haven. I really enjoyed No Heart for a Thief and want to know how the story ends.
ARC’s
I have no idea what a good amount of these are about because I’ve forgotten them after requesting them on Netgalley. Just know I did think they sounded interesting at one point.
First is Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff. This is a thriller coming out January 7th and started it Sunday night. Also coming out January 7th are two fantasies called Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee and the Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard.
I have two ARCs that are coming out January 14th. A fantasy called Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao and a thriller called Clever Little Thing by Helena Echlin.
To finish it off, I have two ARCs that are coming out January 28th. A romance called Book People by Jackie Ashenden and a horror called At The Bottom Of The Garden by Camilla Bruce.
That’s my end of year TBR. Fingers crossed I actually read them; I am notorious for making a TBR that I then do not read. Let me know what you’re reading for the rest of the year and let me know if you’ve read any of the books mentioned above! I would love know your input.
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The Inklings Digest 11
Currently Reading:
I’m currently reading an ARC I was lucky enough to receive titled Sweet Fury. I’m about 10% through and liking it so far. I’m definitely curious to see how it goes. I’m also starting Long Way to a Small Angry Planet today – I have the audiobook for it and will be listening to that while I clean house a bit. Really hoping it’s a good audiobook and not something I feel like I have to exclusively read with my own eyeballs, but we’ll see.
Recent Reads:
There are 9 books to catch you up on. I took another week’s break from the blog and just immersed myself in both school work and reading. Last time I checked in, I was reading Revenant X, which I absolutely loved. It’s just as fun and action packed as the first one, with zombies on an alien planet. Honestly, what more could I ask for? There were some things that really bugged me, like character deaths. I already dislike takeout deaths; I feel like they make the emotions we went through with that death feel cheaper. This series so far has had three of those. It’s really irritating, but I’m still loving the series so far. Admittedly, I am hoping it’s a trilogy and not any longer than that. I just don’t want the things that make this series great begin to feel like a gimmick.
I then went on to finish Ghostsmith, which was my audiobook. It was okay. I didn’t have a terrible time reading it, but I feel like I would have liked it more if I had read it closer to when I read the first one. I just don’t think I’m in the mood for YA fantasy right now, because that is also the feeling I had with Mirror of Beasts and The Dagger and the Flame. I kept trying to force myself into enjoying one of them, especially because I really liked Silver in The Bone. I just couldn’t bring myself to care about these three. The worlds weren’t what I was looking for, the characters were annoying, and I just wasn’t having a grand time.
I also finished my ARC of the last book in the Combat Codes trilogy, Blacklight Born. I fell in love with Combat Codes, but there were some issues I had with the writing. There were multiple times when something major would be irritating the characters, but that issue would be resolved behind closed doors. We were amped up for it, but never got to see the solution. I didn’t mind it too much because I loved the combat scenes; they’re some of the best I have ever seen. It seems like the further I went with the series, the more I just did not enjoy the writing more and more. This last book felt like a chore to get through. I think it’s because when I read the first, the combat scenes were like a treat that I didn’t receive often. By the third book, I was used to that treat, so the flaws felt like they showed more and more. There was also a death in here and I just did not feel the emotion for it that I was supposed to feel.
A Step Past Darkness was a really great read and kept me interested, but it did feel like it dragged a lot. There were moments when I was invested in what I was reading and then other moments when I was so easily distracted that I’d forget what I had just read and have to reread it. I finished this past week off with Do What Godmother Says and really enjoyed it. It’s a book that was in the October Twisted Retreat box and I have no read a single book that they’ve featured that I didn’t really like (I’ve read 4, but this is my second box I’ve received). The representation of Shanice’s anxiety how she describes it as a beast that lurks and waits for the right moment to pounce was phenomenal. Some of the twists were very obvious, but the almost gothic atmosphere made the reading experience so great. There’s generational trauma, white washing of black art, and so much more that was fascinating and interesting to read. A lot of this made up for the ‘overly’ obvious twists.
Week’s Plans:
I’m going to post my end of year TBR. This is just 16 books that I want to finish by the end of year, separated by 8 in November and 8 in December. I’ll very likely read more than that, as my average books per month is around 15-20. I don’t typically plan all of those books out though, so I’m sticking with the 16 I feel as if I need to get done. I’ll be posting around 4-5 posts this week, not counting this one. The first will be the end of year TBR, then I should have a few reviews coming as well.
As for what I’m planning on reading, I going to try and read 4 of my 8 this week because I have gotten a bit of a late start on it. I’m starting with Sweet Fury, which will have a review this week as well. I think I also plan on picking up Carl’s Doomsday Scenario and Saint’s Blood. I’m not sure yet, but we’ll see. Thank’s for tuning in, I’ll see ya later this week!
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Zombies in Space: A Review of Paradise-1’s Thrilling Sequel
Information:
- Goodreads: 3.96 out of 25 ratings
- Age Category: Adult
- Series: Red Space, book 2
- Genre: Sci-Fi Horror
Summary:
After the events of Paradise-1, the crew has landed. Petrova, Zhang, Parker, and Rapscallion begin their mission of finding the community on the planet, but everything is eerily quiet. Until Zhang starts screaming. What they find on Paradise-1 is nothing they ever would have imagined and it just gets worse and worse for our crew. Bless their little hearts.
Review:
This book is just as action packed as the first one. The chapters are super short, making for a quick, intense, and fun read. There wasn’t a moment in this book that I felt bored or easily distracted. I was having a blast the entire time. There were a few issues I’ve had with the series, but all of them are personal preference rather than anything else. We have great and interesting characters who all have real desires and flaws, a really interesting world, and zombies in outer space. What more could you ask for?
The characters carry the series. I would not give a holy hot damn about the plot if I didn’t care about Petrova, Zhang, Parker, and Rapscallion (Rapscallion is, indeed, my favorite). Sure, Petrova and Parker’s relationship doesn’t feel believable to me because we were dumped into them having already had a past – a one night stand from what I understand – and we’re still supposed to believe they have these intense feelings after that. That’s besides the point because I am still a sucker for how much Parker loves her. And Petrova’s dilemma about having these weird and complicated feelings for him while also knowing that he isn’t real can be gut wrenching. Especially when we see how much Parker struggles with the fact that he does not have a real body in this book. He can touch things, he can move them, but he cannot feel them, in such a strange way, is heartbreaking.
Zhang has made so much progress by the end of the book. He began without really wanting anything to do with anyone. He basically just didn’t like anyone and was a coward who didn’t want to do much of anything, yet somehow also got roped into it. With this book, he and Petrova kind share leadership. They’ve developed this interesting relationship – I don’t wanna hear it about how their relationship is a trauma bond. I know that, they know that, we can move on. They’re basically besties now that have a sibling-ish dynamic. He’s just going with the motions, trying hard to not die and to keep his friends from dying too. Sweet little Rapscallion is constantly having to remake his own bodies. I would die for Rapscallion and his bright green bodies. He is precious to me. He is the savior of the day most of the time and also the humor – love seeing him try to understand humans, cause we’re silly. The characters are a 9/10.
But here’s the thing. I wish Wellington could commit to actually killing someone. Listen, I love em all. I adore these character and I don’t want anyone to die. However, we have had about 3-4 times a major character has died (one of em twice). Then they somehow continue to come back. I don’t like that trope and I have an especially hard time when it’s done more than once. I was nearly gotten with a character death, felt some tears prickling my eyes. Was pretty bummed out for a few pages. And then even more bummed when they came back. I don’t like having that emotional impact and then having it nearly immediately taken away ends up usually making it feel cheap for me.
Aside from that, the book is full of action and anticipation. I loved every bit of it. There are some moments when the book makes some comments or explores a topic. Zhang and Rapscallion talk about why people feel the need to burn books. Zhang has pretty intense PTSD. There’s a few mentioned of whether or not Parker is even really Parker and, if so, how much of him is real when he’s a copy of a copy. Parker’s storyline throughout this is him dealing with not having a body and how differences between our minds and our bodies can lead to even bigger issues. But its mostly just a fun sci-fi horror and I love that.
The prose is simple. Wellington doesn’t go overboard on the descriptions, yet the characters still feel real and the world still feels lived in and alive. The way he writes keeps constant tension on the story without ever feeling as if I’m drained or exhausted. He seems to allow his small and to the point sentences to propel the story further. He’s a master at saying so little while also conveying so much. This helps make the story of three people and a robot exploring a planet and searching for a lost colony feel even more exciting. Also, zombies in outer space controlled by an alien more ancient and powerful than our human minds could ever comprehend? I’m in. Admittedly, the villain’s monologue at the end felt a little cliche, even more so when it happened twice. But I still don’t find myself able to complain much about it at all.
I would love to know your thoughts about the book if you’ve read it! Thanks for tuning in and I’ll see yall soon!
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Friends to Lovers: Callum and Lark’s Story
Morbidly Yours Review
Information:
- Goodreads: 3.97 out of 20,343 Ratings
- Genre: Romance
- Age Category: Adult
- Series: Love in Galway, book 1
Summary:
Lark has moved to Ireland instead of facing her issues within her life after her husband has died. Callum works as a mortician and has to marry by his 35th birthday in order to keep his family’s funeral home. They quickly become friends, but also quickly develop feelings that just friends don’t have and the adorable chaos ensues.
Review:
I have a hard time reviewing books solely about a romance because I never feel like I have all that much to say. I liked this book. I had a great time reading it. Callum is precious. I love when the man falls first and falls harder. But more than that, I love how he is not perfect. He’s socially anxious, often says the wrong thing, and has a stutter. I don’t feel as if a love interest often has things like that in a lot of romances I’ve read – though maybe I’m reading the wrong ones. Emily Henry really does a great job with it, too. I’m also not sure I’ve ever read one where the male love interest has to fall for someone before comfortably having sex with them – before even imagining having sex, really. Callum’s stutter doesn’t magically get fixed or go away, he still has it even in the epilogue and it’s never made to be a big deal for anyone who isn’t an asshole in the book. I love that.
Lark is okay. I definitely liked Callum more. Lark’s husband has passed two years and she’s taken on a lot of guilt about their last conversation before he died. I like seeing her progress, learning that she’s allowed to love and miss her husband while also being able to love Callum and treat him the way he should be treated. She begins their story knowing she’s leaving Ireland soon and only working on a friendship with this lovely and sweet human being. Lark has sworn off of ever being in a relationship again because she doesn’t feel as if she’s responsible enough to be in one. I loved getting to see her realize that’s not accurate.
Their story is super cute and made me realize that I’m kind of into friends to lovers romance. It was so sweet watching them have dates that weren’t dates. They built a friendship first and the love and lust came later. It was wonderful. And neither of them gave up what they needed for the other. I just wish we could’ve had more time to watch them fall in love with one another. It all felt too quick for what I felt like Ivy was going for – a slow burn of watching these two people develop a friendship and feelings. It was truly beautiful though and I can’t wait to see what Ivy comes out with next.
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The Inklings Digest 10
Currently Reading
I have been in a strange mood. I can’t tell if I’m in the mood for romantasy, epic fantasy, or a good and juicy thriller. I’ll start reading a book and then put it down a few chapters in because I’m not feeling it at the moment. I am currently reading Revenant-X and The Songbird and The Heart of Stone and really enjoying it. I find that reading one sci-fi horror and one romantasy is hitting the spot, as I can easily switch when one isn’t working out.
Recent Reads:
Easy peasy, I just read one book. I read Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks. It was so cute. We follow Callum, a socially awkward mortician with a stutter and Lark, an outgoing and grieving widow. Callum has to marry before he’s 35 to keep his family business and Lark quickly becomes his best friend, but doesn’t tell him her reason for being single for the rest of her life is because her husband recently died and she feels the blame is on her. The match between these two is perfect. I love them. Callum is so sweet and so worried about being made fun of because of his stutter. It was so cute. More to come about this couple, though, as there will be a blog about the book this week.
This Week’s Plans
I’m really excited and feeling great this week. I’ve been going to the gym and consistently making 10 thousand steps a day – not pushing myself but as a fun challenge to see if I can make it. I’ve found that reading on my treadmill is a ton of fun. I do plan to figure out a few series I want to either continue or finish up between this month and next so that I can lower that number and/or not feel guilty for starting a new series. I’ve also recently gotten into boxing and have fallen in love with it. I have scheduled 2 sessions per week starting off, which I’m really excited about. I likely will see a decrease in reading until I figure out how I can fit reading into the other activities I’ve taken up. I have no idea how much reading I’ll finish this week, but I should at least finish up the two I’m currently reading.
Thanks for checking in today! I’ll talk to ya later this week.
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The Inklings Digest 9
Currently Reading
Oh, man, it’s good to be back. I have a lot to catch everyone up on. First, I’m currently reading Heat of the Everflame (Look at me, continuing series for the first time in my life). There’s something about this so wonderfully readable. I’m also currently reading The Sign of the Slayer. By currently reading, I mean I have taken a look at the first page. Definitely planning on starting today, though.
Recent Reads
There’s a good amount to catch up on. I read Incidents Around the House by Josh Mallerman. It was really good, but I also don’t see it being as good as everyone else says. It didn’t give me the creep factor I heard was there, but I still had a really good time with it and the narrator is phenomenal. I moved into finished American Rapture while I was on the plane. This book is bleak and I loved it. We watch a girl as she tries to navigate this terrifying new world she’s found herself in, as well as her own faith. Her entire world has crumbled around her and it’s a devastating read. This does not have the same vibes that Maeve Fly has, but it’s just as good.
I also read This Delicious Death, which was okay, but not good. I don’t know what I was going into it expecting, but I got teen ghouls instead. The Nightward was a better read and so interesting with its intricate world building. Definitely would recommend. Paradise-1 was an amazing read and I, luckily, somehow have the ARC for the second, which I’m starting within the next day or two. We got so much in one book. It did feel occasionally long and sluggish, but those moments didn’t last because, holy shit, is this book action packed. We had zombies at one point, a cult obsessed with living in the dark, mommy issues. Truly, it had it all.
Sugar by Mia Ballard has a review on here and it was an interesting read. The first bit had me. It reminded me of Pearl with our delusional main character explaining her reasons for having committed murder. But it lost me in the second half. I don’t have much to say about the Pumpkin Spice Cafe either. It was fun and cute, exactly what I was looking for when I started reading it. How to Dungeon Master Parenting was wonderfully informative and interesting to read. There’s definitely some advice in there I’ll take into my own parenting style. I also read Happy Place by Emily Henry, who always knows how to get me. This wasn’t my favorite that she’s written, but I love all of her stories. The couples we follow were complex and dealing with engaging and, unfortunately, relatable mental health issues. Loved it. Then, I just ended the week with Home is Where The Bodies Are. Easily forgettable and not my thing. It is well written, but I guessed the ‘twist’ at the beginning of the book.
Week’s Plans
I have a few books to finish up. I’m getting back into the gym this week, but we’ll see how that goes as I think I’m coming down with a cold. It’s been rough getting back into my daily life coming back from Alaska. I fell in love with it there and definitely want to die there when I’m old. It’s beautiful and cold and everything I love. I had a blast being there. My husband (I finally get to call him my husband) and I found ourself looking up homes for sale while we were there. I’m trying to get myself settled back into the swing of things here. I’m in a big mood for the reading reading, so I just wanna get into that. I have no idea what I’m going to be picking up next, but I feeling great about it. I’ll see you guys next week! Thanks for tuning in.
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Satara’s Delusion: A Dive into Horror and Revenge
Information:
- Goodreads: 4.21 out of 154 ratings
- Genre: Horror
- Age Category: Adult
- Series: No
Summary:
Dean’s life flashes before Satara’s eyes when she finds out he is cheating on her with her best friend, Lilah. Naturally, as one would do, she kills him. It’s not like she hasn’t done it before, calm down. And she has great plans on remarrying, starting over. Sure, she wants to get with another married man and that does seem hypocritical considering the hatred she holds for Lilah. But, here’s the difference – Lilah was her best friend. Satara isn’t pals with this man’s wife. Unfortunately, Lilah is hot on Satara’s trail with a goal of showing the world was Satara really is. And so we dive into Satara’s world as everything is crumbling around her but its totally okay because she has witchcraft on her side.
Review:
I don’t even know what to say about this book. I think I liked it. I also think I hated it. Hear me out. Satara is interesting. Her delusion is fun to follow and I was reminded a bit of Pearl. Actually, I feel like the first portion of this would be a cool A24 film. We’re following Satara as she slips into her delusion more and more, learning more about her past murders and seeing her justification of all of them. You can almost see and understand her perspective. The first man absolutely deserved her outrage. Pearl just wants fame and love and Satara just wants love, but no one can ever live up to what love is to her. She lives very oppositely towards her own morals – such as actively pursuing a married man while being angry at Lilah for sleeping with her husband – and it was fun seeing how she justified that difference – it was wrong because Lilah is her best friend but she’s not friends with this man’s wife.
I’m all down for reading about a serial killer woman losing touch with reality and dabbling in drugs and witchcraft. I was down for watching Pearl go on a murder spree and also lose touch of reality. Pearl had a great ending though. There were no weird twists to piece together, she just was. The writers seemed content and comfortable enough to know that Pearl could carry the story on her own with her own delusion and face a bit of reality when her husband comes home – though we know that isn’t for quite so long. We do get to see Satara continue through her delusion. We get to see how she justifies every action she takes, how her world continues to crumble around her and how she thinks she’s successfully maneuvering it. But with Satara, it felt like Mia Ballard felt as if she had to add in more twists and turns. Satara and her delusions weren’t allowed to carry it all on her own and I feel that the story suffered for it.
Instead, we learn that her love spells aren’t actually working (shocker) and there has actually been a 6 year long investigation hoping to catch her for her past murders. Hear me out: I know killing five people is a lot of people. Is it 6 years worth of an undercover investigation that has multiple cast members? That’s where you lose me. Not only is Lila actually her first victim’s fiancé – who doesn’t care that he groomed and raped a 15 year old – everyone else for the last 6 years of Satara’s life with the exception of maybe 2 people were also in on it. It’s one thing for me to follow one person’s delusion, it’s another to just not believe in the world we’re in. And I know Lilah/Stacey is also unhinged, I could get behind these two delusional assholes duke it out. I would love a fun cat and mouse between two women full of rage and complicated feelings. But that’s not necessarily what we got. Or, not only what we got. We have these, with Lilah doing ungodly things to make sure she catches Satara. We also get a whole office, community, and police department willing to engage in this weird ass investigation/delusion. It doesn’t sound like it would check out.
It felt like the first half had the potential of capturing an audience the same way Pearl did and I mean that in the best way. Mia Ballard’s mind and writing for this portion were outstanding. It’s just the last portion that stumped me and made me go from a 5 star to a 3. And then the epilogue came in and I was back in. We were given what I wanted – two Pearl’s now engaged in revenge against one another. I just wish it was given the permission to stay with that, because it truly could have been one of the best of the year.
Also, that fucking cover is amazing. I’d love to know you’re thoughts if you’ve read it yet and thank you for tuning it!
