Last Books of April
I can't believe it is the end of April already. Time is flying by but yet some days seem to drag as well so I have never been able to figure that one out. We have been busy trying to fix all of the things that we have been putting off to one day in the future. Right now, we are working on our bedroom, some of the wiring and drywall needed replacing and the whole room needs a new coat of paint. So, my husband and I have been relegated to the living room when it is time to sleep. So needless to say, I haven't been sleeping very well but it is only for a short time and hopefully by next week we will be done. We did have a fun Saturday last weekend. It was Independent Bookstore Day on and every year some of the local bookstores hold a book crawl. Where you are given a brochure with each bookstore's information and then you go to as many as you want and get your paper stamped. At the end you turn it in and are entered in to win all sorts of prizes. Plus, all the bookstores have other activities as well, like musicians, poetry readings, scavenger hunts, and even a farmer's market. It is honestly one of my favorite days of the year. As it gives me an excuse to buy books and not feel guilty.
This week I read: 1 paranormal romance, 2 urban fantasies, and 1 cozy mystery.
Risky Whisky by Lucy Lakestone
This was a great start to a new cozy mystery series for me. I do not drink but I have always had a fascination with cocktails and the way bartenders mix drinks and all the different combinations they come up with. So even though I may not be the best judge of this I do think the drink portion of this book was highly compelling. The mystery was well-plotted and also kept my attention. I did feel bad for one of the characters (who was a total sweetheart) when the murder was unmasked, you could tell they were totally heartbroken. The main character Pepper was a great protagonist to follow around and I liked her interactions with the other characters. One of the things that both worked for me and at the same time didn't was Pepper and Neil's on-again off-again flirting. I liked their chemistry but every time they were starting to get closer something would happen and after a while, it felt a bit overdone. Hopefully, that corrects itself further into the series. I am looking forward to the next one.
Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire
This is the third book in the Incryptid series. I was a bit worried when I saw that this book was a pov shift from Verity, the main character in the first two novels, to her older brother Alex. Thankfully, I enjoyed Alex just as much. In fact, I liked his job as a biologist better as I have always loved biology. I thought the plot was well-written and fairly interesting. One of the things that bothered me though was sometimes the dialogue felt a bit too quippy. Other than that, it was a good time. I am looking forward to reading more.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Bride was my first Ali Hazelwood book probably because she mainly writes contemporary romance, and I don't read a lot of that. When I saw that this book was a paranormal romance I decided to give it a try. For the most part I enjoyed the world she created I thought she did a good job with setting up vampire/human/werewolf relations as uneasy enemies/allies. Misery and Lowe were interesting individuals it was buying them as a couple that I had a hard time with. They didn't seem to have a lot of chemistry together, but I was willing to go along with it as the story was interesting. Unfortunately, the author employed the trope of the protagonist being mean to their love interest in order to push them away for their own good, instead of treating them as an adult who can make their own decisions. Other than that, it was good. I wouldn't mind reading more by this author.
Labyrinth by Kat Richardson
Labyrinth was another good addition to the Greywalker series. It is a continuation of the previous book Vanished. I thought the plot was interesting and I liked how the author wrapped up the various threads they had woven together over the last five books. Also, I am enjoying the romance between Harper and Quinton. Their relationship is in the background, but I love that Quinton is just a normal guy. He isn't a mage or a vampire or has any real superpowers. He is a kind, supportive, tech nerd who treats Harper well and I love that their relationship is so respectful. The conclusion of this story is very fast-paced and exciting and makes me want to continue in the series, sooner rather than later to see what happens next.
Reading Challenges 2024:
Mount TBR: Risky Whisky, Half-Off Ragnarök
Cloak & Dagger: Risky Whisky
Let's Tour the United States: Half-Off Ragnarok
How was your April?
This week I read: 1 paranormal romance, 2 urban fantasies, and 1 cozy mystery.
Risky Whisky by Lucy Lakestone
This was a great start to a new cozy mystery series for me. I do not drink but I have always had a fascination with cocktails and the way bartenders mix drinks and all the different combinations they come up with. So even though I may not be the best judge of this I do think the drink portion of this book was highly compelling. The mystery was well-plotted and also kept my attention. I did feel bad for one of the characters (who was a total sweetheart) when the murder was unmasked, you could tell they were totally heartbroken. The main character Pepper was a great protagonist to follow around and I liked her interactions with the other characters. One of the things that both worked for me and at the same time didn't was Pepper and Neil's on-again off-again flirting. I liked their chemistry but every time they were starting to get closer something would happen and after a while, it felt a bit overdone. Hopefully, that corrects itself further into the series. I am looking forward to the next one.
Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire
This is the third book in the Incryptid series. I was a bit worried when I saw that this book was a pov shift from Verity, the main character in the first two novels, to her older brother Alex. Thankfully, I enjoyed Alex just as much. In fact, I liked his job as a biologist better as I have always loved biology. I thought the plot was well-written and fairly interesting. One of the things that bothered me though was sometimes the dialogue felt a bit too quippy. Other than that, it was a good time. I am looking forward to reading more.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Bride was my first Ali Hazelwood book probably because she mainly writes contemporary romance, and I don't read a lot of that. When I saw that this book was a paranormal romance I decided to give it a try. For the most part I enjoyed the world she created I thought she did a good job with setting up vampire/human/werewolf relations as uneasy enemies/allies. Misery and Lowe were interesting individuals it was buying them as a couple that I had a hard time with. They didn't seem to have a lot of chemistry together, but I was willing to go along with it as the story was interesting. Unfortunately, the author employed the trope of the protagonist being mean to their love interest in order to push them away for their own good, instead of treating them as an adult who can make their own decisions. Other than that, it was good. I wouldn't mind reading more by this author.
Labyrinth by Kat Richardson
Labyrinth was another good addition to the Greywalker series. It is a continuation of the previous book Vanished. I thought the plot was interesting and I liked how the author wrapped up the various threads they had woven together over the last five books. Also, I am enjoying the romance between Harper and Quinton. Their relationship is in the background, but I love that Quinton is just a normal guy. He isn't a mage or a vampire or has any real superpowers. He is a kind, supportive, tech nerd who treats Harper well and I love that their relationship is so respectful. The conclusion of this story is very fast-paced and exciting and makes me want to continue in the series, sooner rather than later to see what happens next.
Reading Challenges 2024:
Mount TBR: Risky Whisky, Half-Off Ragnarök
Cloak & Dagger: Risky Whisky
Let's Tour the United States: Half-Off Ragnarok
How was your April?