books

Update to My 2022 Goodreads Challenge (11/5/22)

November 5, 2022 — Leave a comment

I finished Danielle Vega’s Survive the Night and Natasha Preston’s The Fear. Both were readable books, yet I was disappointed with the stories overall.

On the bright side, I stumbled upon Small Spaces by Katherine Arden thanks to an Instagram post and I loved it! Yes, it is considered a kids’ book, but y’all, the creepy factor was real. I will certainly be reading the rest of that particular series from Arden.

My mom brought me Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Robert. That was a disaster. If you don’t mind books with more smut than plot, this one should be right up your alley. Lol. I myself didn’t enjoy it.

And I know it seems horribly after the fact, but I just read The Maze Runner. I was unexpectedly impressed with the movie, and I tend to think the novels are always superior to the films, so of course I had to check it out. I couldn’t put it down. Another series I will have to follow through on.

My current reads are as follows:

Daylighters (Rachel Caine)

The Snakes (Sadie Jones)

This one was actually sent to me via a “blind date with a book” order from Etsy.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke – and Other Misfortunes (Eric LaRocca)

Once I finish these three, I will have completed my reading challenge for 2022!!!!!

Update to My 2022 Goodreads Challenge (9/27/22)

September 27, 2022 — Leave a comment

I finally finished The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler. It was a really good read, but other books kept jumping ahead of it. For instance: Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw, which is a story from the world created by Tim Burton in The Nightmare Before Christmas (and is thoroughly enjoyable).

I also finished Rachel Caine’s Bitter Blood and read Fall of Night. I think I only have two books left in the Morganville vampires series and that breaks my heart. I love the world and the characters she created, and I’m going to hate to see it end.

Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly was at the top of my to-be-read pile last time I posted, and y’all…that was one fucked up novel. I couldn’t put it down. I certainly didn’t see the twist coming. And that was Vandelly’s first book! I look forward to more from her.

I have now read 18 of my 25 book goal for the year. Here are the books I’m currently reading.

The Fear (Natasha Preston)

Survive the Night (Danielle Vega)

My want-to-read list is sitting at 65 books and I’m adding more basically every day. I don’t think I’m going to run out of options. Lol.

As always, if you have any recommendations, I’d love to hear them! Happy reading!

Update To My 2022 Goodreads Challenge (7/3/22)

July 3, 2022 — Leave a comment

Hello! It’s time for another update to my 2022 reading challenge!

Since my last post regarding this subject, I finished Afraid (a collaborative effort among Lisa Jackson, Lisa Childs, and Alexandra Ivy), My Pretties (Jeff Strand), and – yes – His Final Girl (Brooklyn Ann).

I also read Stephanie Perkins’ The Woods Are Always Watching and Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun. These were two unplanned purchases that jumped ahead on my list.

I have now read 13 of my 25 book goal. And my to-be-read list is now as follows.

1. Bitter Blood by Rachel Caine

2. Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly

3. The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler (I actually started this one a couple of months ago, but I stalled out on it. Trying again.)

As always, I would love to hear what y’all are reading, and feel free to leave me recommendations!

Update To My 2022 Goodreads Challenge (5/9/22)

May 9, 2022 — Leave a comment

So you may remember this post about my progress on this year’s reading challenge, the book I was currently reading, and my (ever-growing) to-be-read pile. Well, I’m here for another update because I am determined to complete the challenge this year and I feel that blogging about it might keep me on track.

I have now read 8 books in 2022. My goal is 25. Since that last post, I’ve finished Black Dawn (Rachel Caine), The Thicket (Noelle W. Ihli), and The Invitation (Lucy Foley).

I am still working on Afraid (a collection of three offerings from Lisa Jackson, Alexandra Ivy, and Lisa Childs). And the next two on the TBR list? My Pretties by Jeff Strand and – for real this time – His Final Girl by Brooklyn Ann. I’m also going to finish The Morganville Vampires series this year…hopefully. I just keep sidetracking myself every time I walk into a bookstore. Lol.

What are you guys reading? Any recommendations for me? As you can see, I like the horror/thriller/suspense genres, and slashers are my faves. So if you’ve read anything that you think I would enjoy, I’d love to hear about it!

2022 Reading Challenge + My To-Be-Read List

March 17, 2022 — 1 Comment

I’m not gonna lie: the last two years I’ve participated in the annual GoodReads reading challenge, I have failed. My goal always seems achievable when I set it – after all, what else am I gonna do with my free time besides read?

Ha. The joke’s on me. Between work, writing, blogging, trips to Colorado to visit my brother and sister-in-law (and their answering visits to Alabama), and driving up to Kentucky to see my best friend, my free time always fills up.

But this year, I am determined. I will complete my list. Upon finishing Ania Ahlborn’s Dark Across the Bay, I have read 5 of my 25 book goal. Here is a short list of what’s coming up next for me.

Currently reading: Afraid, which consists of three intertwining tales by Lisa Jackson, Alexandra Ivy, and Lisa Childs

Up next:

  • Black Dawn by Rachel Caine (a Morganville Vampires novel)
  • His Final Girl by Brooklyn Ann
  • The Thicket by Noelle W. Ihli – I am very intrigued by the summary of this one. It sounds similar to the slasher flicks I enjoy.

You Can Now Pre-order ‘A Dying Machine’ (The Novel)

June 29, 2018 — Leave a comment

In case you didn’t know, there is going to be a novel that tells the story of Tremonti’s concept album A Dying Machine. The book is the combined effort of Mark Tremonti and John Shirley. Pre-orders available on both Fret12.com and marktremonti.com. Items will ship later this summer.

Here’s the synopsis, via Fret12:

“When Brennan Gibbons’ beloved wife Eleanor dies, so does the renowned architect’s career. On a fluke, Brennan enters and wins the 22nd Century Lottery to be one of the few people able to buy a first generation Vessel – an artificial human, part flesh, part machine, created to be the perfect partner. Though slightly dubious, Brennan brings Stella home, with the hopes that she can help him re-engage with life, without replacing his dead wife. At first, Stella is everything Brennan could desire in a partner, but Stella is not entirely human. Her robotic parts make her better, stronger, and faster. Yet as time passes, Stella begins to develop her own personality and free will–along with a dark obsession.

At the same time, the Vessels created to be the bodyguards for the rich and powerful board members of Fusion Flesh are realizing that they too have free will. Bred to be killers and forced to serve as confidants and lovers, these Vessels realize that they have the tools necessary to fight for the rights of their kind. Led by Ares, the bodyguard of Fusion Flesh CEO Maggie Coogan; the Vessels band together to form a ruthless guerilla unit to overthrow those who control them.

A DYING MACHINE weaves a tale of two stories: that of Ares and Stella – highlighting human folly through the creation of seemingly perfect beings… Beings who ultimately want what all people want: the freedom to love and live.“

2018 Reading Goal

January 18, 2018 — Leave a comment

I know this is a music blog, but I wanted to share something else I’m doing with my followers…just because.

I love to read! I have always loved to read. I don’t always have time, of course, though the various apps I can download to my phone have helped. Anyway, I finally joined GoodReads. I browsed through my favorite genres and found at least fifty books I was interested in reading. Lol.

The site encourages its users to set a goal for themselves, so I did. I am going to read fifteen books in 2018. I know that doesn’t seem an exceptional amount, but we’ll see how it goes. I may update my progress here, as well.

Right now, I’m on the final book in a trilogy by Shannon Mayer. The first in the series is entitled Venom and Vanilla. I honestly wasn’t sure how I was going to like it. The main character, Alena, starts out as kind of a stick in the mud. However, once she is turned into a supernatural (saving her from dying of a supposedly incurable disease), things get interesting.

Shannon Mayer combines all the usual suspects — vampires, werewolves, etc. — with the Greek pantheon, and it is masterfully done.

Thus far, my list of books for 2018 is as follows:

  • Venom and Vanilla by Shannon Mayer (read)
  • Fangs and Fennel by Shannon Mayer (read)
  • Hisses and Honey by Shannon Mayer (reading)
  • Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (reading)
  • IT by Stephen King (reading)

At this rate, I think I’ll reach my goal!