Fall Reads!

Autumn has arrived! I love this time of year for so many reasons; leaves falling everywhere, I can where pants without dying, and the holiday season is just around the corner! I can't get enough of it. However with everything that's coming, keeping up with a monthly TBR is something that gets harder and harder as the year comes to a close, so I figured it would be much more logical for me to make a Fall Reads TBR of all the books I would love to read by the end of fall (mind you, these are books that I already own. this does not include books that will be released in the fall) So without further ado, my Fall Reads TBR!

All the Beautiful People by Jonathan Yanez 
I've been trying to broaden my reading and since I read The Girl with All the Gifts I've wanted to read more Zombie based books. When I found this on KU I felt like it would be an interesting jump into the genre. Besides, I'm really liking the cover.

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows 

The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1) by Samantha Shannon

The Darkest Magic (Spirits and Thieves #2) by Morgan Rhodes 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5) by J.K. Rowling 
Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon #1) by Dan Brown 
I'm actually cureently reading this and it is so much better than I thought it was going to be...so far.
Goldern Son (Red Rising #2) by Pierce Brown
I know I've had this on my TBR all year, but I just haven't picked it up because of the move, the new job, and so many other things that have come up. I want an opportunity to just sit down and really enjoy this book.

Any books that you plan on getting to this fall, or any suggestions for me? Let me know. I love getting suggestions on new books to read that I may not have usually picked up! 

T5W: Yeah...No, Your World Sucks

As always Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at gingerreadslainey and is hosted by Sam at thoughtsontomes. All past topics and the rest of this months topics can be found on the Goodreads group page.

Jon Snow - Westeros 

Mind you, I wouldn't want to be anyone who lives in Westeros. Still, it would SUCK so much to live there with all the political corruption, crazy wars, weird beings on the other side of a massive wall, and just so much more, oh! and the fact that no one is really safe. Yeah, I'm going to have to pass on this one. 

Just about anyone - Mordor (iffy)

On one hand, I would absolutely love to live in Middle Earth at a time of peace. However, Mordor, either in peace or war time, would be such a crappy place to live. Always dirty, there's a huge volcano, and giant spiders dwelling in the surrounding caves...no. 

Kady - Illuminae Files  

Space would be so awesome, but I would rather live on Earth than the crazy space that Kady lives in; AI's with their own thoughts, weird diseases, and catastrophic wars. Plus, I am not clever enough to survive as long as her. 

Amy - Land of Oz in Dorthy Must Die series 

What kind of messed up place is this? I would never want to live somewhere with a crazy woman, a giant, perpetually hungry lion, a scarecrow who I'm convinced has performed lobotomies before, and a tin woodman who would do anything for said crazy woman are basically ruling over everything. Nope, I'm out. 

Anything with zombies in it 

Not much to say here. I am absolutely terrified of zombies... in fact they are what scares me the most. If I lived in a world with Zombies I would probably have go into shock, lock myself in somewhere, and die of hunger...yeah, nothing fun about that. 

So yeah, those are just a few of the fictional characters whose worlds I would really REALLY not whant to live in. Is there anyone you would hate to switch places with? Let me know! 

Mini Reviews #2: The One Where I Want To Slap Just About Everyone

**WARNING: Most of this is utter nonsense I wrote up late at night when I needed to vent about some of my more recent reads. It's probably poorly written and mostly ridiculous. Thank you**

The Hazards of Skinny Dipping (Hazards #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy 

Synopsis: This isn't a deep book about first loves or self-discovery. If you want a book like that, I'd be happy to recommend one, but I don't have that kind of story to tell. Instead my story is about rash decisions and finding out that your dream guy is bad in bed. It's the story of when I finally went skinny dipping, and how my life was never the same again. Oh, and it's also the story of my freshman year of college and realizing Mr. Right might have been there all along.

My Opinion: Okay, first of all, to say I wanted to slap the nonsense out of her would be a bit of an understatement. She realized he was a total tool, practically off the bat, and yet she was with him for months! You know what they say, love blinds, but apparently it makes you a complete idiot too. I get it, she was trying to be nice. But....I couldn't get over how obvious it was that she was actually falling for another man. Also, the reasons she broke up with certain people made we want to yell at her for being such a pain and to actually think things through without reacting like a mad person. But the hickey thing...yeah, that was probably the only time in the entire book that I was completely on her side. Plus, she was pretty witty when she wanted to be. All in all. this wasn't a bad read, and a decent choice for something quick and light. (3/5)

April's Fool by Blanche Marriott 

Synopsis: How can a wedding album start a tug-of-war between the bride and groom? When they aren't really married and an April Fools joke goes awry.In a moment of self-pity, April Vaillancourt, a graphic designer and all-around dreamer, creates a fake wedding album. She accidentally leaves it behind at a restaurant after a girls night out. Weeks later, when it turns up on the desk of the fake groom, he confronts her, and she's faced with telling the truth or living a lie.

Michael Goode is a high-powered investment advisor on the threshold of becoming CEO. His neat and orderly bachelor life is jarred when April's prank appears on his desk. Ready to take her to task for the brazen invasion of his privacy, he instead falls captive to her charms. Intrigued by her evasive tactics, he pursues her, but when he finds himself wanting to spend every minute with April, he begins to question his bachelor life. Could there be something better? 

My Opinion: Okay, okay, I know no one reads these kind of books because they are incredibly realistic or anything, but I am practically dumbfounded as to where this story went. I mean, yeah, it ended exactly how we all expected it would, but damn, the book takes place over like two weeks...talk about a fast relationship with someone. Also, what was she thinking when she made that book and why did her friends think it was so damn funny?! And how could you forget something like that in a restaurant?!?!? Ugh, I just had so many problems with the details, in regards to the two of them coming together. Don't get me wrong, the book wasn't terrible and in some ways I can see why people would like it but...insta-love is not something I'm a fan of. Plus, the boy-chases-girl situation was dragged on a little too much. All in all, this just was not my cup of tea in any way, shape, or form. I will say, I did laugh and aw at some of the super gushy parts though...no lie. (2/5)

T5W: Books I Want To Be TV Shows

As always Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at gingerreadslainey and is hosted by Sam at thoughtsontomes. All past topics and the rest of this months topics can be found on the Goodreads group page.
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this weeks topic. There are a lot of books I think could make good movies, but not that many that I can imagine being dragged into a series...

 Jackaby series by William Ritter
This is one of those series that I feel is so underrated! Though, it would be a lot like Grimm, Sherlock, and other such shows, who wouldn't want another Sherlock Holmes meets the supernatural? I would love this! 

The Legends Saga by Stacey Rourke 
Another underrated book series that I love! This would make such an awesome Halloween mini series on Syfy or something. Its got history, secret societies and of course, the HEADLESS HORSEMAN! C'mon producers, let't do this.

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey 

I know this is being made into a movie, but this would also make a pretty awesome mini series too. It would have both action, and drama; being incredibly heartbreaking and amazing all in one. Plus, the finale would leave one crazy fandom.

Witch and Wizard by James Patterson 

Let me start off by saying that I was not a huge fan of this series, but I see potential for it to be a TV show. It's got the kid warrior factor, powers, and of course, a conqueror. This could be good. 

The Selection by Kiera Cass
A dystopian The Bachelor? Let's just take a moment and revel in how well or how absolutely terrible this could go. 

What do you think would make a great TV show? Let me know, 'cause now I'm fantasizing.

Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter Book Review

Ghostly Echoes (Jackaby #3) by William Ritter 

Synopsis 

Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

Opinion 

I originally picked up Jackaby when I was in the mood for a fun, easy read, and since I love Sherlock Holmes I thought the choice was a no-brainer. But, OH MY GOODNESS, this series has becomes so much more. This is Sherlock Holmes meets the supernatural in some of the best ways. Abigail, being the prime caring companion of, the almost clueless to the real world, Jackaby. The characters in this book are flawless (okay, obviously no one is perfect, but these characters can frustrate/surprise you in some of the best ways). Jenny Cavanaugh, being the wonderful soul that she is makes you want to route for her throughout this entire book, and I'm so happy that we get the opportunity to learn more about her, her life, and her (former) fiance. 

"My brick. My house. My whole wide world." She slid through the demolished wall. "My turn."

This series just keeps getting better and better. In Ghostly Echoes, Ritter definitely brings more depth into the story, both literally and metaphorically. While you slowly get to learn more and more about the layers of people, timelines, and worlds in the story, you also get dragged into them as well. While learning more about the dark corners of New Fiddleham, Ritter brings in more experiences with the Unseely and Seely, and their roles in the gates between the mythical underworld and the only world that Abigail has ever known. The plot as a whole becomes much more intricate than what we first encountered in books one and two, and I couldn't have asked for a better build up to whatever Ritter has in-store for the final installment. 

I will say, that their were a few spots in the book where the writing was a little rough and I had to reread some parts a time or two before I understood exactly what was going on. Overall, however, I am a huge fan of this series! I'm not really one for anticipating and aggravatingly waiting for books to come out, but I have done just that with this series, I can already tell that the wait for book four, especially since I don't know the title or even the release date, is going to be killer. The series is so action packed, fast paced, and fun that it's hard not to enjoy. One of my favorite things about it so far, is how the stories from the other books as well have been really brought into book three and the way that it's building up to one hell of a finale. And though there's plenty of light hearted humor, there's also that darkness, which makes for such a heartbreaking yet whirl-wind of a book (and series), making it that much better. (4.5/5)

 PS. The Barnes & Noble near me (accidentally?) released it a day early and this is how I felt when I saw it on the shelf: 

T5W: I Wish We Were Related

As always Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at gingerreadslainey and is hosted by Sam at thoughtsontomes. All past topics and the rest of this months topics can be found on the Goodreads group page.
I'm totally diggin' this weeks T5W because I've thought about this before, besides, who hasn't thought about how cool it would be to be related to some of your favorite fictional characters? Anyways, let's get down to business! *insert Mulan song here*

1.  I know I've mentioned this before, but I really wish that Fred and George Weasley were my brothers, we could get into some serious mischief together. Also, they are so freaking sweet and care about Ginny so much who wouldn't want them as siblings? Acrually, now that I think about it, I would also really want Ginny as a younger sister and...well, I just love their whole family. (Harry Potter) 
   
   
   
2. You know who else would make an awesome older brother? Jon Snow. He is so great to Arya and even though he has been through so much especially in regards to his family, he still cares. (A Song of Ice and Fire) 
   
   
   
3. Okay okay, I need to calm down with the whole older brother thing, but in case it wasn't
   obvious, I've always wanted one. So, I also have to add Legolas Greenleaf and Aragorn to this list. They take care of their own and the amount of effort they put into the protection of the hobbits (not just because of the ring) that I feel like they would make some pretty sweet and kick ass older brothers. (Lord of the Rings) 
   
   
   
4. On the note of older siblings, Jane and Elizabeth Bennet would be some great older sisters. I feel like they would be awesome role models and would really look out for me. Also, I would have loved to personally watch Elizabeth and Darcy's love unfold. (Pride and Prejudice) 
   
   
   
5. And last but certainly not least, I would love to be a member of the Pevensie family. They all look out for each other and kick-ass together. Plus they get to go on some pretty incredible adventures. #famgoals (The Chronicles of Narnia) 
    

If you could be related to one of your favorite fictional characters, who would it be? Let me know, I'm sure I missed some pretty great ones!

September TBR!

Fingers-crossed I'll actually be able to stick to my TBR in September. These past few months I haven't even been making TBR's knowing that I wouldn't be sticking to them; I tend to get distracted with random book either at the library or on the kindle. But my pile of physical books I've got that are unread is getting to be too much for me to deal with, so that's where I'm going to begin. Anyways, let's do this! 

TBR

The Darkest Magic (Spirits and Thieves #2) by Morgan Rhodes 

The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy #3) by Marie Rutkoski 

The Bones Season (The Bone Season #1) by Samantha Shannon 

What about y'all? What are some of the books you hope to get to in September??

August Wrap-Up

Another month has passed, and as always, I feel like it went by so fast! Maybe I'm just bad at keeping track of how quickly time passes, probably because I'm partly in denial about the fact that I'm basically an adult, regardless, this I'm ridiculous. Anyways, here's to another month of reading, blogging, and fandoming (I think that's a word) *Raises Glass*
Oh! and this is my 100th published post! yay me :)

Wrap-Up

1. Raven (The Legends Saga #2) by Stacey Rourke (4/5) - Review 
2. Adorkable by Cookie O'Gorman (3.5/5) - Review 
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4) by J.K. Rowling (5/5)
4. The Map (Jackaby #1.5) by William Ritter (3.5/5)
   
   
5. April's Fool by Blanche Marriott (2.5/5) 
6. Ghostly Echoes (Jackaby #3) by William Ritter (4.5/5) - Review Coming Soon 
7. Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven and Other Tales: A Graphic Novel by Edgar Allen Poe and Pete Katz (4/5)
8. The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger (3/5) - Review Coming Soon 

Other

On a none bookish related note, I'm so excited for the fact that it's almost fall! Also, it's hurricane season in South Florida (SoFlo represent!) which means, A LOT OF RAINY DAYS, aka the best kind of weather to read in; this is going to bee good. 

Also, I've really been getting into music lately, my Spotify account is basically my baby, so I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite songs from August!

 *Tap The Image For The Song on Spotify*

Kids by OneRepublic 

Romantic by Stanaj 

Killer by WrongONyou

Sanctified by Joshua Grey 

iRobot by Jon Bellion 

I've basically listened to these songs as well as the rest of the playlist I made on repeat all month. Listen to my whole playlist here >> Bienvenue <<