TOP TEN BOOKS I READ IN 2018

Happy 2019 Book Lovers!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly Meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. 

This week’s meme is: Best Books I Read in 2018!

I can’t believe 2019 is here so fast! This past year seemed to just fly by. I didn’t read a lot, but fortunately I did discover some books that I loved. Take a look at my list below. It was very hard narrowing the list down to 10 only! Clicking the book covers will take you to Goodreads.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware – I loved the writing in this book. The mystery wasn’t completely obvious and Hal was a great character. 

The Vanishing Season (Ellery Hathaway #1) by Joanna Schaffhausen – I loved the main character in this book. She is a survivor and she doesn’t care whose feathers she ruffles as long as justice is served. The mystery portion was well done. 

Blood Type (Blood Type #1) by K.A. Linde – I was unsure about this book when I first started it. The more I read, the more pulled into the story I got. It’s not your typical paranormal romance that’s for sure. 

Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb – This was a very atmospheric gothic style read. I enjoyed following Kate on her journey and seeing the outcome of everything play out. 

Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren – This was my top read of 2018. It was a very cute friends to lover romance. It made me laugh and smile all throughout the book. 

 Hate Notes by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward – This romance was as laugh out loud funny as it was sweet and swoon worthy.

Risk: Part 1 by Nina Levine – This one is a romance quickie. Shorty and steamy. I loved the two main characters and I cannot wait to see what happens in Part 2.  

                                            

Fight or Flight by Samantha Young – This hate to love romance was so much fun to read. Caleb and Ava stole my heart. Their banter and chemistry kept me turning pages. 

Midnight Wolf (Shifters Unbound #11) by Jennifer Ashley – I fell in love with the two main characters. They are both headstrong and capable of handling themselves, yet when they are together it works perfectly. This paranormal romance was so easy to devour. 

                                                                                                                                                            

Promises & Primroses (Mayfield Family #1) by Josi Kilpack – I adored this historical romance. The main character is strong and independent, especially for that time period.  

Murder Notes & Murder Girl (Lilah Love #1 & #2) by Lisa Renee Jones – I love this series. The mystery aspect is well done and the romance is not overdone.

Top Ten Tuesday: 2017 Debuts I’m Excited For

It has been quite a while since I last participated in Top Ten Tuesday. I thought why not start again in 2017. There are so many books releasing this year that it almost seems impossible to keep track of what I want to read. This week’s list focuses on the top ten 2017 debuts I cannot wait to get my little hands on. The books are in no particular order. Clicking on the book image will take you to Goodreads. Are any of these books on your list??

F.Y.I: Top Ten Tuesday is sponsored by The Broke and the Bookish.


1. Speak Easy, Speak Love by McKelle George. There is no image for this book yet. It sounds like a cool retelling of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

 

      

 

Waiting on Wednesday #47

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. The goal is to spotlight upcoming books that I am super excited for.

This week I am waiting on A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston.

Expected Publication: October 6, 2015

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

LO-MELKHIIN KILLED THREE HUNDRED GIRLS before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next. And so she is taken in her sister’s place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin’s court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong. Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air. Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.

This book sounds really interesting. And I believe that it is a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. Not to mention the cover is absolutely gorgeous!

What book are you looking forward to this week???

Waiting on Wednesday #41

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. The goal is to spotlight upcoming books that I am super excited for.

This week I am waiting on The Vanishing Throne (The Falconer #2) by Elizabeth May.

Expected Publication: September 17, 2015

My name is Lady Aileana Kameron. First the fae murdered my mother. Then they destroyed my world. Now I’m fighting for more than revenge. Aileana took a stand against the Wild Hunt, and she lost everything: her home, her family and her friends. Held captive by her enemy, and tormenting herself over her failure, escape seems like only the faintest possibility. But when she gets her chance, she seizes it . . . to rejoin a world devastated by war. The future is bleak. Hunted by the fae, running for her life, Aileana has only a few options left. Trying to become part of a society scarred by – and hiding from – the Wild Hunt; trusting that a fragile alliance with the fae will save her; or walking the most dangerous path at all: coming in to her own powers as the last of the Falconers . . .

I liked The Falconer and am very interested in what is going to happen next with Aileana. The only bad thing is I have to wait until September!

What are you excited for this week???

Waiting on Wednesday #40

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. The goal is to spotlight upcoming books that I am super excited for.

This week I am waiting on A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.

Publication: May 05, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s

When 19-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it ... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

I feel like I don’t have to say much about this cover since it’s obviously gorgeous. It just looks so badass to me. Love it!  And I just happen to love Sarah J. Maas’s writing, so I am hoping that this book exceeds my expectations.

What are you excited for this week???

Waiting on Wednesday #38

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. The goal is to spotlight upcoming books that I am super excited for.

This week I am waiting on The Shadow Cabinet (Shades of London #3) by Maureen Johnson.

Publication: February 10, 2015

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

The thrilling third installment to the Edgar-nominated, bestselling series Rory and her friends are reeling from a series of sudden and tragic events. While racked with grief, Rory tries to determine if she acted in time to save a member of the squad. If she did, how do you find a ghost? Also, Rory’s classmate Charlotte has been kidnapped by Jane and her nefarious organization. Evidence is uncovered of a forty-year-old cult, ten missing teenagers, and a likely mass murder. Everything indicates that Charlotte’s in danger, and it seems that something much bigger and much more terrible is coming. Time is running out as Rory fights to find her friends and the ghost squad struggles to stop Jane from unleashing her spectral nightmare on the entire city. In the process, they’ll discover the existence of an organization that underpins London itself—and Rory will learn that someone she trusts has been keeping a tremendous secret.

What is on your radar for this week???

Waiting on Wednesday # 37

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. The goal is to spotlight upcoming books that I am super excited for.

This week I am waiting on Cut Me Free by J.R. Johansson.

Publication: January 27, 2015

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR)

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte barely escaped from her abusive parents. Her little brother, Sam, wasn't as lucky. Now she's trying to begin the new life she always dreamed of for them, but never thought she'd have to experience alone. She's hired a techie-genius with a knack for forgery to remove the last ties to her old life. But while she can erase her former identity, she can’t rid herself of the memories. And her troubled history won’t let her ignore the little girl she sees one day in the park. The girl with the bruises and burn marks. That’s when Charlotte begins to receive the messages. Threatening notes left in her apartment--without a trace of entry. And they’re addressed to Piper, her old name. As the messages grow in frequency, she doesn’t just need to uncover who is leaving them; she needs to stop whoever it is before anyone else she loves ends up dead.

This author is new to me, but I am looking forward to checking out her work. Thrillers are so much fun to read and this one sounds like it would be a good one.  Keeping my fingers crossed that it is!

What is on your radar for this week???

Waiting on Wednesday #35

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. The goal is to spotlight upcoming books that I am super excited for.

This week I am waiting on The Beautiful Ashes (Broken Destiny #1) by Jeaniene Frost.

Publication: August 26, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin

In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate.  Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse—her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who's bound by an ancient legacy to betray her.  Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn't mean he can change his fate…no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn't: that every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny, and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other. And nothing but ashes in between…

I first fell in love with Jeaniene Frost’s writing when I read Once Burned. I hope this new series is just as good if not better than the Night Prince novels.

What is on your radar for this week???