first lines friday

First Lines Friday #30

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?  If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but donโ€™t give anything else about the book away just yet โ€“ you need to hook the reader first
  • Finallyโ€ฆ reveal the book!

If youโ€™re using Twitter, donโ€™t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!


Hello, reader!

We’ve made it to another Friday, which means that it’s time for First Lines Friday! Today, I’m featuring a book that I started reading recently and am absolutely loving! It’s hard putting this one down when I start reading and that’s always a good sign.

The story certainly already has me hooked. Now let’s see if the first few lines can capture your interest, as well!


The Line(s):

“They shouldn’t have been out on the snow.
‘The snow hides death,’ the Fira people would claim, one of the many cheerful sayings taught to their children as soon as they were old enough to learn. And with good reason. The snow was a deadly place to be.
But the ball wasn’t that far away.”


The Hints:

This is a middle grade novel that is the first in a series.

This book is a perfect read for the winter season.

It has incredible illustrations that really add to the story!


The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday #30”
down the tbr hole

Down the TBR Hole #22

Itโ€™s time for a new round of Down the TBR Hole! This is where I go through my Goodreads โ€˜Want to Readโ€™ shelf and do a bit of cleaning up. If you want to see the full description of what this post is all about, check out my first round HERE.


Hello, reader!

As you may recall from my last round of Down the TBR Hole, I had added a ton of books to my Want to Read shelf and I didn’t take many off. There were a lot of incredible sounding books in the last one, I couldn’t help myself. Still, I managed to get my TBR list down to 721 books. And where am I sitting currently?

*cough*728 books*cough*

To be fair, there have been so many “2022 Most Anticipated!” lists and blog post coming out and ya girl is weak! At least I’ve been good about sticking to my buying ban. We are only on the second week of the new year, though… give it time. Still, that’s why I do this post! To try and whittle this TBR down, though we all know it’s a never-ending thing, haha.

With that being said, let’s get into round 22!


Descendants by Rae Else

I don’t remember putting this on my TBR, but that’s not really saying much ๐Ÿ˜‚ After reading the synopsis, it sounds like a generic YA fantasy, though. Girl has mysterious power she didn’t know she had until she caused some catastrophe and now she’s on the run from powerful forces. I think I’ll give this one a pass.

Verdict: Remove


In The Heights by Lin-Manuel Miranda

My love of Broadway is peeking through with this TBR addition! I already own this book, so it’s definitely staying on the TBR. In The Heights is one of my favorite Broadway musicals, so I kind of had to pick this up. Eventually I will get around to reading it, probably while listening to the soundtrack for max effect!

Verdict: Keep


Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sรกenz

Oh, I’m most definitely keeping this one! This is a beloved book in the bookish community and one I’ve wanted to read for awhile. I actually have the audiobook because it’s narrated by the man who wrote the previous one, haha. Perhaps I’ll make this my first audiobook of 2022!

Verdict: Keep

Continue reading “Down the TBR Hole #22”
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: Jan 12, 2022

Itโ€™s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think youโ€™ll read next?

If youโ€™d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.


Current Reads

  • Revenge of the Beast by Jack Meggitt-Phillips: This is the sequel to one of the funniest middle grade books I read in 2020! I’m reading it for my first The Write Reads tour of 2022 and I’m so excited to participate. So far, this is just as tongue-in-cheek and engaging as the first book. I’ve only read a couple chapter, but I’m loving it!
  • Frostheart by Jamie Littler: I’ve been wanting to read this middle grade novel for ages! Winter seems like the perfect time to do it, as well. This is the January pick for Middle Grade Marvels. I love discussing middle grade novels with this group and I’ve found some new favorites because of them! I’ve just started this one, too, and, so far, I’m having a great time.
Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: Jan 12, 2022”
book tag

Meet the Book Blogger Tag

Hello, reader!

I’m doing another tag today and one I think is kind of perfect for the beginning of a new year. It’s the Meet the Book Blogger Tag! I was tagged by the wonderful Mani @ Mani’s Book Corner. You all should definitely go check out her blog because it’s fantastic! I’m very grateful for the tag though, once again, I must apologize for taking forever to do it ๐Ÿ˜… One day, I’ll be on top of my tag game… one day.

Alright, let’s jump in!


The Rules:

  • Nominated bloggers can nominate ten other bloggers.
  • Use the same questions from the tag.
  • Tag the original creator (Bibliomavens) and the blogger who tagged you

The Questions:

Who is your all-time favourite book character?

Oof, we’re kicking off with a tough one, huh? There are so many characters that I adore from a lot of different books, it’s hard to pick one that is my all-time favorite! It’s like picking a favorite pet! My current favorite would probably be Tarisai from the Raybearer duology by Jordan Ifueko. She’s an incredible main character and it is a pleasure watching her grow throughout the series. And I think it would be fun to hang out with her! I’m a little sad that there won’t be more books in this series (as of right now) because I’d love to see more of Tarisai’s life.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which book would you take with you? (Survival books do not count)

Okay, for once I’m not going to cheat on this question and make up an omnibus for a series I love that doesn’t exist ๐Ÿ˜‚ So I’ll pick a book that has would have high readability for me and is a standalone. I’m going with The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. I just know that every time I read it, I would find something new to love. Thinking about this now, I kind of want to re-read it!

Whatโ€™s your most unpopular book opinion?

I honestly don’t think I have any really unpopular book opinions. Maybe it’s the fact that I don’t like DNFing books? I mean, I’m perfectly fine with other people DNFing, I actually champion it! Life is too short and all that. But when it comes to my reading, I feel like I have to finish everything I start, even when I’m not particularly enjoying it. I mean, that’s the only reason I ever finished the dumpster fire that is The Scarlet Letter. Which maybe isn’t such a great thing…

Whatโ€™s your weirdest bookish habit?

Besides pushing myself to read a book I’m hating? Probably the fact that I can’t do other things that require any kind of thought when I’m listening to an audiobook. Like… any thought. I can’t even play a mindless game on my phone or color! If I do, I invariably stop paying attention and lose track of what’s going on in the story. Which means I have to rewind until I find something that sounds vaguely familiar, lol. The only time it isn’t an issue is when I’m driving, which makes no sense as driving requires all my attention! My brain, she is a complicated beast.

Continue reading “Meet the Book Blogger Tag”
5 on my tbr

#5OnMyTBR – Pink Cover

#5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted byย E. @ Local Bee Hunterโ€™s Nookย where you chose five books from your to-be-read pile that fit that weekโ€™s theme. If youโ€™d like more info, head over to theย announcement post!


Hello, reader!

It’s time for another 5 On My TBR and this one I really had to search my TBR to fulfill, haha. That’s because the theme this week is books with pink covers. I, apparaently, don’t have a ton of pink books on my TBR. Honestly, it’s mostly black/blue/white! But, after scouring my Want to Read shelf on Goodreads, I finally found five books that I’m eager to read and have pink hues.

So, without further ado, let’s get to the list!


#1. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

I’m a little mad at myself for having not read this yet. I was so hyped when it came out and then I just… never picked it up. I even pre-ordered it! But this sapphic story about two girls running competing henna businesses for a school project is something that sounds like I would love it. I’m going to have to make this one a priority in 2022!

#2. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Yeaaaahhhh. I’ve owned this book for, um, awhile. And I have had every intention of picking it up! It always seems to keep being pushed further down my list as other books (read: fantasy books) capture my interest. I do want to read this romance featuring the son of the President of the United States and a literal prince and I think the hype has calmed down enough that I won’t go into it with my expectations too high.

Continue reading “#5OnMyTBR – Pink Cover”
book spotlight

Book Spotlight: From Fame to Ruin by Jina S. Bazzar

Hello, reader!

Today, I have a book spotlight for all the romantic thriller fans out there! From Fame to Ruin by Jina S. Bazzar features an heiress to a broken empire and an up and coming rock star that have a difficult past. I was approached by the author to see if I would like to read and review, but I’m still so new to reading romance, I didn’t think I would be able to give it the review it deserved. The author was kind enough to accept a spotlight instead because I do think this sounds like something that could be amazing.

So, let’s jump right in to the spotlight post!


Book Details


  • Title:ย From Fame to Ruin
  • Author:ย Jina S. Bazzar
  • Publication date:ย December 21st, 2021
  • Genre:ย Romantic Suspense
  • Age group:ย Adult
  • Content/Trigger Warnings:ย Character overdose, mentions of child abuse

Amazon::Goodreads

Continue reading “Book Spotlight: From Fame to Ruin by Jina S. Bazzar”
book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop: Jan 7 – 10

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created byย Crazy-For-Booksย and is currently being hosted byย Coffee Addicted Writer. Every Friday, a new question is posted for book bloggers to answer in the coming week. The purpose of the hop is connection and community. You can discover new blogs to follow, new books to read, and you may end up with some new followers, as well!


This Week’s Question

Image by Coffee Addicted Writer

Do you have a genre you haven’t read before but would like to?

Submitted byย Sam @ย Another Book on the Shelf.

Continue reading “Book Blogger Hop: Jan 7 – 10”
first lines friday

First Lines Friday #29

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?  If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but donโ€™t give anything else about the book away just yet โ€“ you need to hook the reader first
  • Finallyโ€ฆ reveal the book!

If youโ€™re using Twitter, donโ€™t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!


Hello, reader!

It’s the first Friday of the new year, so let’s kick it off right with a First Lines Friday post! The book I’m featuring today is one I’ve mentioned recently on the blog. I’m reading it for a blog tour and I’m so excited to dive in! Let’s see if the first few lines can amp up my excitement even more.


The Line(s):

“When Ebenezer Tweezer was eleven years old, the world was much younger.
Instead of cars on the streets, there were horses and carriages. In place of phones and computers, people would communicate via letters and hopeful shouting.
There was no such thing as photographs, and so if you were the sort of person who liked to capture the moment whenever you happened to be wearing a nice outfit or eating a pretty meal, you would have to travel around with your own personal portrait artist.”


The Hints:

This is a sequel to another blog tour book I read in 2020.

It is a middle grade novel that promises to be both gruesome and hilarious.

Though I suppose a child-eating monster is no laughing matter…


The Reveal:

Continue reading “First Lines Friday #29”
down the tbr hole

Down the TBR Hole #21

Itโ€™s time for a new round ofย Down the TBR Hole! This is where I go through my Goodreads โ€˜Want to Readโ€™ shelf and do a bit of cleaning up. If you want to see the full description of what this post is all about, check out my first roundย HERE.


Hello, reader!

Time for the first Down the TBR Hole of the new year! Now, before I tell you the current state of my Want to Read shelf, I feel like I should give a disclaimer. I just went through all my owned TBR and scanned them into Goodreads. And more than I thought weren’t even on my Want to Read shelf, yet! So I ended my last round at 653 books and my shelf is currently sitting at… 723 books ๐Ÿ˜ฌ

Look, this just means that this type of post is gonna be around for awhile, lol. It’s a good thing I enjoy writing! Hopefully you enjoy reading them, as well.

Alright, let’s kick off round 21!


Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley

I have no idea how this book ended up on my TBR, lol. It’s apparently a classic? It is a book about a magical bookseller, so it does hit one of my favorite tropes. It sounds like it could be a fun read and it’s quite short. All that adds up to this book getting to stick around.

Verdict: Keep


Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

This is a TBR veteran that has been around for a minute. It’s a desert fantasy that definitely sounds intriguing. There’s a young girl fighting t get out of her town, a mysterious stranger that maybe be able to help her, and โœจmagicโœจ Mix that all together and you get a story I definitely want to read.

Verdict: Keep


Mrs. Sherlock Holmes by Brad Ricca

Imma be honest. I remember adding this book but I thought it was a historical fiction. Turns out it’s a true crime concerning a woman who upstaged the entire NYPD back in 1917 by solving an infamous cold case. Which sounds way more interesting! I’m glad I read the synopsis cause this one almost got dumped ๐Ÿ˜‚

Verdict: Keep

Continue reading “Down the TBR Hole #21”
www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: Jan 5, 2022

Itโ€™s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What did you recently finish reading?
  3. What do you think youโ€™ll read next?

If youโ€™d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.


Current Reads

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

My first read of 2022 is going quite well, so far! I’m about a third of the way into this one and I’m absolutely loving it! Juliette is an incredible character and I guess Roma ain’t bad, either. I do love how much these two hold each other at gun/knife-point, so far ๐Ÿ˜‚ Looking forward to taking my day off to read a good chunk of this book!

Continue reading “WWW Wednesday: Jan 5, 2022”