Books I preordered in 2021 and haven't read

It never fails. Every year I preorder a bunch of books and every year most of them sit unread until sometime down the road. Occasionally I even wait for the audiobook to be available from the library so that I can read it with my ears. This mainly stems from being a horrible mood reader, which I've discussed at length in other posts, but I can't believe ONLY mood readers do this. 

Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat

The Captive Prince trilogy is one of my all-time favorite series and one of the few I've read more than once. But that was adult and Dark Rise is YA, and I think that's the main reason I've been so hesitant to actually pick this up, despite preordering it months early. It's going to be hard for this book to live up to her first series for me, especially knowing the characters are teenagers. I'll definitely read it! Just as soon as I work up the nerve.

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

Yeah, honestly I don't even know with this one. Sci-fi isn't a genre I read very often and certainly not adult sci-fi. My husband loved the show, but I never got around to watching it. It was probably a combination of the gorgeous anniversary edition along with the hype. I did start the audiobook, but nothing seemed to be happening and I got bored. I'll get back to it eventually!

Phantom Heart by Kelly Creagh

Yep, this is another one I'm legitimately scared to start. I read and adored this author's Nevermore series years ago, but I've never read anything else by her (I believe this is the first thing she's traditionally published since). I love Nevermore and I love Phantom of the Opera, but what if I don't love this? Does this happen to anyone else?

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

Listen, don't come at me. I am obsessed with the original Grisha Trilogy and Six of Crows was fine. Admittedly, I didn't love King of Scars all that much, but the ending GOT ME. Still, I'm really scared of what's going to happen based on that ending and I'm pretty sure it's going to be what I don't want to happen. I feel like Leigh is kind of backtracking with this plot line and I don't want to see it. I did buy the expensive Illumicrate edition and for what?? I'll read it, I'll read it.

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

Everyone who knows me knows that I am HERE for cult books. I preordered this and opened it immediately and... realized it might not be for me. The writing was a bit out of my comfort zone and I just really need to be in the mood to read something different than normal when I finally pick this up again.

Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin

Series enders, am I right? I absolutely loved the first two books in this series, but I have friends who did not care for this finale and now I'm hesitant to pick it up. Never mind that I ordered multiple special editions. I'm kind of worried that I wasted money on multiple copies of a book I won't love and I am SO tired of last books in series letting me down. I'm going to read it, I swear!

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Do you preorder books and then not read them?
Have you read any of these?
Let me know in the comments!

Book Review: The Other Woman by Sandie Jones

Title: The Other Woman
Author: Sandie Jones
Publication Date: March 29, 2018
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Pages: 304
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Emily thinks Adam's perfect; the man she thought she'd never meet. But lurking in the shadows is a rival; a woman who shares a deep bond with the man she loves.

Emily chose Adam, but she didn’t choose his mother Pammie. There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her son, and now Emily is about to find out just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants: Emily gone forever.

The Other Woman is an addictive, fast-paced psychological thriller about the destructive relationship between Emily, her boyfriend Adam, and his manipulative mother Pammie.

When Emily found her perfect man, Adam, she couldn’t believe her luck! She’d never felt this way about someone before and never thought she could. That is until she met his mother, Pammie. Pammie took the term “monster-in-law” to a whole other level. Pammie did everything she could to break up Emily and Adam. There was only room for one woman in life: her. In my opinion, no man, perfect or otherwise is worth dealing with a monster-in-law but Emily was determined to hold on to her man. A man who, in my opinion, wasn’t worth holding on to because he treated her terribly. Even in an imagined world I can’t see how any woman would choose him. Emily was also extremely attracted to Adam’s brother, James. The whole family was cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, but it made for a thrilling ride.

This was a REALLY good, unexpected, fast-paced psychological and domestic thriller. I loved the story, but I did not like any of these characters. I pretty much hated each one. I found it extremely difficult to care about the main character but that’s just because I found her whiny and annoying. However, the characters did feel real to me. So real that I ended up throwing this book across my room a few times. This book definitely kept me guessing and it had some twists I didn’t see coming. My favorite part of this book was the climax because it had one of those twists that makes you want to reread the book with your new knowledge. This was a suspenseful page-turner that actually gave me palpitations.

As mentioned earlier, what I hated about this book was the characters, especially Emily. She was this desperate, unintelligent, whiny, annoying, pick-me woman and I loathed her. That is my most hated character trope ever. However, the twist and the story themselves were SO good that my hatred of Emily still made this book a definite five-star rating for me. I know that some people like to know as much as possible about a book before they read it, but this is one of those books you just have to go into blind! I’m even planning to read it again sometime next year when I’ve had time for my brain to forget the little things in the book. 

Book Review: Into the Dark by Dana Isaly

Title: Into the Dark
Author: Dana Isaly
Publication Date: October 30, 2021
Publisher: Self Published
Pages: 225
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Him

I am the monster that lurks in your nightmares. Evil incarnate. A sociopath. A murderer. I kill women who are guilty of nothing other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Women like Lyra. Her yellow raincoat flapped in the cool breeze when she walked by, that blonde hair making her look like a drowned rat as she stopped to taste the rain. She wasn’t like the others, but my demon wanted her. We followed her. Watched her. Obsessed over her. She is ours. Of that I’m certain. We will pull her into the depths of our darkness and keep her imprisoned there. Until we meet our end.

Lyra

I am ordinary in every way. Average looks. Mundane job. Boring life. But when he looks at me, I become something else entirely. His gaze stalks and tracks me like a game of cat and mouse, his eyes licking fire over my skin every time they glance in my direction. My thoughts are consumed by him every moment he’s out of sight. He is my obsession. I can’t let him go. And once he shows me his true form, I know I’ve captured him forever. He is mine. Of that I’m certain. I will follow him to the depths of darkness and happily submit to his madness. Until we meet our end. 

Into the Dark was put on my radar by a friend who is obsessed with dark romance. I don't read nearly as many as a lot of people, but when I heard that this was a serial killer romance I was intrigued. It definitely isn't a premise you see every day, and it definitely isn't for everyone. This is a DARK book and please be sure to check the trigger warnings before you go anywhere near it. 

Like I said, this is a serial killer romance and it never shies away from the fact that the MC is a murderer with quite a high body count. He has the stereotypical tragic backstory and a "demon" inside him who lives for the hunt. There is no redemption for this character. He is a bad dude, full stop. The other POV character is Lyra, a 25 year old woman with an obsessive personality and a history full of her own trauma. Together they're the perfect combination for a whirlwind, out of control romance that you just know can't end well.

This book made me question what I was comfortable with and what I was willing to believe for the sake of a story. The thing is, I didn't think it was all that far out there. Certainly there are women who are in love with Very Bad Guys and Lyra's specific mental health conditions made this a believable scenario. While I knew going in that their relationship would be toxic, I was still rooting for them and hoped that they'd find a way to make it through to the other side.

Into the Dark is one of the darkest books I've ever read, but it also made me feel so many emotions and the end absolutely gutted me! I did wish that it could have ended differently, but it really was perfect for these characters and their romance (obsessive relationship). 

Weekly(ish) Recap: 10/24 - 11/6

HAPPENINGS OFF THE BLOG

Hi, everyone! Once again, I've been stuck in a fanfiction rabbit hole, but at least I managed to read a bit more for this update, mostly thanks to audiobooks! I've read about 2,000 pages of this latest fic and was 1,600 pages in before realizing it wasn't complete. Whoops. I'm really happy to have read more than I added to my shelf this time around, which doesn't normally happen! Now it's on to some fantasy and more mysteries! I also started making plans for Christmas since it looks like my brother will be visiting (yay!) and we'll be doing Christmas dinner without my mom here to cook it. Wish us luck! XD Do you guys have any fun Christmas traditions? 

NEW BOOKS THIS WEEK

  

THIS WEEK I READ

 

    

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Book review of XY

I shared my favorite and least favorite spinoffs

ARC review of Her Soul for Revenge

Book review of Big Little Lies

I discussed some controversial movie opinions

UPCOMING REVIEWS

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I'm linking up to Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post!

Saturday Screen Time #46: Spooky & controversial

 

Happy Saturday, everyone! I'm back today with another movie and TV update. Since it was spooky season, I watched a ton of horror movies, but also some sci-fi and fantasy. I have some controversial ratings for you today and I can't wait to hear what you all thought! 

RECENTLY IN (NEW TO ME) MOVIES

THE BEST

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - My husband and I made a trip to the local drive in (I can't believe we have one of those) to see Shang-Chi and knew nothing going in. We were both so pleasantly surprised with this movie! I loved the new characters and mythology, the cameos, and the visuals. I am so excited to see how this ties into the new generation of Marvel movies! This is one I'll definitely be buying a physical copy of. (5/5 stars)

Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin - The new Paranormal Activity movie is nothing if not polarizing. I happen to fall into the camp that really enjoyed it! No, it doesn't seem to have a single tie to the OG Paranormal Activity franchise, but I loved the claustrophobic atmosphere and creepy cult vibes. The demon in sufficiently spooky and I liked that the ending left room for a sequel. If only the characters didn't consistently make idiotic choices. (4/5 stars)

THE WORST

Dune - Controversial opinion time! I was honestly hesitant about giving two and a half hours to this film, but my husband really wanted to see it and I caved. I feel like there must be an incredible story here (and maybe we'll get that in part two), but this movie just dragged. It was gorgeous to look at, but the characters are as dry as sandpaper and I found that I didn't care about any of them. I didn't necessarily need more action because I love a ton of really slow movies! I just needed more to care about. I'm glad so many other people loved this one, but it was not for me. (2/5 stars)

Found Footage 3D - This was a buddy watch and I honestly don't know if I would have finished it on my own. There were great ideas, but the execution was questionable. A lot of Found Footage 3D was repetitive and the characters didn't make realistic decisions. I did like the last several minutes, but I feel that this would have been better as a short film. (2/5 stars)

RECENTLY IN REWATCHES

RECENTLY IN TV

Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 - I think I might finally have outgrown this franchise. I haven't watched a main season since Colton's started and I found myself watching this just out of fear of missing something. I didn't really care about any of the participants and the drama was over the top. Goodbye for now, Bachelor Nation. (1/5 stars)

You Season 3 - I thought I knew where this season was going to go, but I was so wrong! They definitely took Joe and Love's story completely over the top, but I didn't hate it. I know people were split over the ending, but I loved it and I can't wait to see what happens next! (4/5 stars)

Big Brother Season 23 - After skipping most of last season, I decided to give this one a chance. While I did enjoy it way more than Cory's popularity tour, I hate that most new seasons are complete steamrolls and this one fell into that category. The winner was fine, but the journey to get there just wasn't as fun as in older BB seasons. (3/5 stars)

WATCHLIST & CURRENT WATCHES

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Have you seen Squid Game yet?
What controversial movie opinion do you have?

Let me know in the comments!

Book Review: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Title: Big Little Lies
Author: Liane Moriarty
Publication Date: July 29, 2014
Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books
Pages: 458
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Sometimes it’s the little lies that turn out to be the most lethal...

A murder . . . a tragic accident . . . or just parents behaving badly?
What’s indisputable is that someone is dead.
But who did what?

Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads:

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).

Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.

New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

This was my second Liane Moriarty book but my first Moriarty mystery book. Big Little Lies starts off with a murder. The reader doesn’t know who died or who killed them, all they know is that someone died at an elementary school’s parents’ trivia night.

The story has three points of view – Madeline, Celeste, and Jane. Madeline is a spitfire with a strong personality and she’s the first one to try to right an injustice no matter how big or small. Celeste has the kind of beauty and wealth that makes people stop and stare on the street and makes women who know her jealous. To the outside world, she and her life were perfect, but no one ever knows what happens behind closed doors. Jane is the newest and youngest mom on the block. Just 24, she and her son Ziggy moved to a new town. Madeline, Celeste, and Jane all had kids in the same kindergarten class. On the tip of the iceberg, this book is about elementary school parents and the cliques they separate themselves into. Under the surface, however, this book tackles issues such as bullying, eating disorders, sexual assault, and others.

My favorite character in this book was Celeste. She was the only character I found myself completely enjoying no matter what happened to her. Each of these characters felt extremely real to me. I had to constantly remind myself that they weren’t real people to keep from crying. This story continuously kept my guessing. I’m usually good at guessing how stories will end but there was so much of this book that I didn’t see coming. My favorite part of this book was the climax. I literally found it impossible to put the book down once I reached it. The only thing I disliked about this book was my attempt at watching the HBO series based on it. I didn’t even make it five minutes into the show before I had to turn it off.

This book was a five-star read for me and I would definitely recommend it to others. There are some disturbing topics in this book talking about sexual assault, domestic abuse, and bullying so I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who cannot handle these topics, but if you can handle these topics and you love drama, intrigue, and mystery, this is the book for you!