Hoohoo, friends of the blade.
Let’s have a little look at this past month with its many ups, more downs & quite a few walks through different forests.
PERSONAL LIFE
October 2022 was a month of many ups and downs, but mostly downs. I’m so tired and so happy this month is over. I sincerely hope November will be better. The month started with a funeral and ended with the preparations for another. I’m truly tired.
I did spend a lovely long weekend with my boyfriend in Saxony Switzerland, though. We hiked every day, collected mushrooms, explored the forests, took many photos and had an overall amazing time. Saxony Switzerland is just beautiful and I’d love to go there again very soon. Luckily, we were in a part that is not frequented by tourists that much during autumn so we had a lot of paths to ourselves.
We also had some wonderful bike rides and walks through the forest in our city. Autumn forests are something to behold and if anything can soothe my soul, it’s walks outside.
I went home for the funeral and spent more time in the forest, this time with my mother, collecting more mushrooms. I LOVE mushroom season.
WHAT I READ
The King’s Men by Nora Sakavic
All for the Game #3
Neil Josten is out of time. He knew when he came to PSU he wouldn’t survive the year, but with his death right around the corner he’s got more reasons than ever to live.
Befriending the Foxes was inadvisable. Kissing one is unthinkable. Neil should know better than to get involved with anyone this close to the end, but Andrew’s never been the easiest person to walk away from. If they both say it doesn’t mean anything, maybe Neil won’t regret losing it, but the one person Neil can’t lie to is himself.
He’s got promises to keep and a team to get to championships if he can just outrun Riko a little longer, but Riko’s not the only monster in Neil’s life. The truth might get them all killed—or be Neil’s one shot at getting out of this alive.
After my fourth reread, I still love the All for the Game series so incredibly much! It brings me so much comfort.
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Study #1
On the eve of her execution for murder, Yelena Zaltana is offered an incredible reprieve – on the condition that she becomes the food taster for the military leader of Ixia, Commander Ambrose.
Avoiding poison is the least of her troubles, however … General Brazell, father of the man she killed, has vowed bloody revenge; she’s beginning to have feelings for her captor, Valek; and someone is plotting the downfall of the current regime.
In a desperate race against time, Yelena must learn to control the growing magical talent withinn her and master the demons of her past. The Commander’s life, the future of Ixia and all those she loves depend on it
I loved this book so much back in 2016 (?) when I read it for the first time. And don’t get me wrong, I still think it’s a good book but I’m not loving it as much as I did. I still adore some of the characters and think the way gender is handled is interesting and I still love the magic system. But I’m not liking the writing as much anymore. Maybe I’ll continue rereading the series, though I don’t know yet.
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Baily
Bellinger Sisters #1
Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father’s dive bar… in Washington.
Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face.
Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart.
Listen, at first I wasn’t a fan of Piper. She is the embodiment of spoiled, rich young woman who never had a hard time in her life. But she really, really grew on me and I loved how resilient and fierce she was and how she was making space for herself in a town that didn’t completely welcome her. I loved the grumpy x sunshine romance with Brendan as well, they fit so well together. They complement each other and bring out the best in each other, as well as other sides they wouldn’t have found otherwise. I also really enjoyed Piper and Hannah’s sisterly relationship.
Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
Bellinger Sisters #2
King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he’s a guaranteed good time-in bed and out-and that’s exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She’s immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his… personality? And wants to be friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is.
Now, Hannah’s in town for work, crashing in Fox’s spare bedroom. She knows he’s a notorious ladies’ man, but they’re definitely just friends. In fact, she’s nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a few tips from Westport’s resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker’s eye… yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can’t deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost.
Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she’s walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and… and… man overboard! He’s fallen for her, hook, line, and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he’s all in, she’ll choose him instead?
As soon as I finished book one, I started with this one. I already adored Hannah in “It Happened One Summer” and I was so happy to read her story. She works hard for what she wants, can be very impulsive and is generally a lovely young woman who cares deeply for the people in her life. Contrary to her sister, she can’t really remember their father and hasn’t yet found a way to connect with his legacy, afraid she never truly will. But her love for music finally gives her the opportunity and I really liked how the connection and the feeling of family were written, but how that also impacted her life directly in the actual moment. I loved the whole musical aspect to the book.
I also enjoyed how Hannah and Fox work together, how they lift each other up and help fight their insecurities. The two of them are such an amazing couple.
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
Empire of the Vampire #1
Twenty-seven years have passed since the last sunrise, and for almost three decades, the creatures of the night have walked the day without fear. Once, humanity fought bravely against the coldblood legions, but now, we exist only in a few scattered settlements—tiny sparks of light in a growing sea of darkness.
Gabriel de León is the last of the Silversaints, a holy order dedicated to defending realm and church, now utterly destroyed. Imprisoned for the murder of the vampiric king, Gabriel is charged with telling the story of his life.
His tale spans years, from his youth in the monastery of San Michel, to the forbidden love that spelled his undoing, and the betrayal that saw his order annihilated. Most importantly, Gabriel will tell of his discovery of the Grail—the legendary cup prophesied to bring an end to the eternal night.
But the Grail was no simple chalice; it was a smart-mouthed teenage urchin named Dior. Their journey with a band of unlikely allies would see Dior and Gabriel forge an unbreakable bond, and set the broken paragon on a road to redemption.
But now, the Grail is shattered. And with the cup of the Savior destroyed and the last Silversaint awaiting execution, what can bring an end to this unholy empire?
This was the first book I dnf’d this year. I know I wasn’t in the right mood for it but started it anyway to prepare a bit for a work event with him present. I made it to page 184 and maybe I’ll pick it up again in the future, but for now, I found it slightly boring and I was annoyed with how many swear words there were on every single page. I use many swearwords myself and don’t care about them being used in books at all… but there were just so many, unnecessary ones that just sounded plain ridiculous. I didn’t get into the story at all and couldn’t connect to any of the characters because all of them were ~very edgy~ and not like the other characters. Sigh.
To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters
The Regency Vows #1
Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love, and got married. Four years ago, they had a fight to end all fights, and have barely spoken since.
Their once-passionate love match has been reduced to one of cold, detached politeness. But when Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious at their country estate, she races to be by his side—only to discover him alive and well at a tavern, and completely unaware of her concern. She’s outraged. He’s confused. And the distance between them has never been more apparent.
Wanting to teach her estranged husband a lesson, Violet decides to feign an illness of her own. James quickly sees through it, but he decides to play along in an ever-escalating game of manipulation, featuring actors masquerading as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, faux mistresses—and a lot of flirtation between a husband and wife who might not hate each other as much as they thought. Will the two be able to overcome four years of hurt or will they continue to deny the spark between them?
This sounded amazing and I had high expectations that weren’t completely met. I had a fun, good time reading this book but I expected witty dialogues, more sexual tension, something else but miscommunication. What I got was a back and forth of pretenses that both James and Violet easily saw through so they didn’t make much sense at all. None of this plot would have happened if both of them weren’t so stubborn and convinced to be in the right. They are married. They’ve lived in the same house for 5 years and haven’t spoken a single important word to eachother? Unbelievable. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story and especially the friendships portrayed!
Fence Vol 5.: Rise by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, Joana Lafuente & Jim Campbell
Excitement is in the air as Nicholas and his friends celebrate their prestigious invitation to the Halverton Training Camp. They immediately come face-to-face with the best teams in the country, and Nicholas struggles as he suffers defeat after defeat by an old enemy. Will a new addition to the team bring Nicholas closer to the rest of the team and awaken the resilience within he needs to prevail? But Seiji, in contrast to Nicholas, remains unchallenged and let down by the camp. With Seiji’s goal to learn (instead of win) stuck in his head, will Nicholas step up to pose a real challenge to Seiji, even growing their friendship as a result?
I love Fence so much and I was so happy to finally pick up this newest volume! It has such wonderfully portrayed characters that, despite all their differences, are incredibly supportive with each other. I love the friendships and the romances and that fencing is not only a necessity to get the characters somewhere, but that it plays a big role in the story. I love that everything about it is explained and that we get a glimpse into the sport. I desperately want more of Fence and I do not want to wait for it.
The River of Silver by S.A. Chakraborty
A companion to the Daevabad Trilogy
A prospective new queen joins a court whose lethal history may overwhelm her own political savvy…
An imprisoned royal from a fallen dynasty and a young woman wrenched from her home cross paths in an enchanted garden…
A pair of scouts stumble upon a secret in a cursed winter wood that will turn over their world…
Now together in one place, these stories of Daevabad enrich a world already teeming with magic and wonder. From Manizheh’s first steps towards rebellion to adventures that take place after The Empire of Gold, this is a must-have collection for those who can’t get enough of Nahri, Ali, and Dara and all that unfolded around them.
I’m am so, so in love with this book and its world. Returning to it made me instantly feel comforted, despite all the pain the book tells us of. I loved these little snippets of different characters, each story giving another view to the main story. I enjoyed every single one because even though the Daevabad trilogy is complete in itself, every story adds to it. Returning to these characters I’ve come to love was a beautiful experience. Read my full review of The River of Silver.
BOOK HAUL
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
The Drowning Empire #1
The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands.
Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.
Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright – and save her people.
Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
Hot & Hammered #1
Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and they haven’t taken her seriously since. Frankly, she’s over it. Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She’s determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World… whatever that means.
Phase one: new framework for her business (a website from this decade, perhaps?)
Phase two: a gut-reno on her wardrobe (fyi, leggings are pants.)
Phase three: updates to her exterior (do people still wax?)
Phase four: put herself on the market (and stop crushing on Travis Ford!)
Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite?
Travis Ford was major league baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can’t even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there’s Georgie, his best friend’s sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme—that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job—he agrees. What’s the harm? It’s not like it’s real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her…
Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey
Hot & Hammered #2
Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be, anyway. Now, Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with 10 years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp.
Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippie. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous – yet surprisingly helpful – assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret… and it could demolish everything.
Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey
Hot & Hammered #3
Hair, makeup, clothing, decor… everything in Bethany Castle’s world is organized, planned, and styled to perfection. Which is why the homes she designs for her family’s real estate business are the most coveted in town. The only thing not perfect? Her track record with men. She’s on a dating hiatus and after helping her friends achieve their dreams, Bethany finally has time to focus on her own: flip a house, from framework to furnishings, all by herself. Except her older brother runs the company and refuses to take her seriously.
When a television producer gets wind of the Castle sibling rivalry, they’re invited on Flip Off, a competition to see who can do the best renovation. Bethany wants bragging rights, but she needs a crew and the only member of her brother’s construction team willing to jump ship is Wes Daniels, the new guy in town. His Texas drawl and handsome face got under Bethany’s skin on day one, but the last thing she needs is some cocky young cowboy in her way.
As the race to renovate heats up, Wes and Bethany are forced into close quarters, trading barbs and biting banter as they remodel the ugliest house on the block. It’s a labor of love, hate, and everything in between, and soon sparks are flying. But Bethany’s perfectly structured life is one kiss away from going up in smoke and she knows falling for a guy like Wes would be a flipping disaster.
The River of Silver by S.A. Chakraborty
A prospective new queen joins a court whose lethal history may overwhelm her own political savvy…
An imprisoned royal from a fallen dynasty and a young woman wrenched from her home cross paths in an enchanted garden…
A pair of scouts stumble upon a secret in a cursed winter wood that will turn over their world…
Now together in one place, these stories of Daevabad enrich a world already teeming with magic and wonder. From Manizheh’s first steps towards rebellion to adventures that take place after The Empire of Gold, this is a must-have collection for those who can’t get enough of Nahri, Ali, and Dara and all that unfolded around them.
Fence Vol. 5: Rise
Excitement is in the air as Nicholas and his friends celebrate their prestigious invitation to the Halverton Training Camp. They immediately come face-to-face with the best teams in the country, and Nicholas struggles as he suffers defeat after defeat by an old enemy. Will a new addition to the team bring Nicholas closer to the rest of the team and awaken the resilience within he needs to prevail? But Seiji, in contrast to Nicholas, remains unchallenged and let down by the camp. With Seiji’s goal to learn (instead of win) stuck in his head, will Nicholas step up to pose a real challenge to Seiji, even growing their friendship as a result?
Don’t Play With Your Boss by Sarah Saxx
Adrian Price ist arrogant, unfassbar gutaussehend – und Harper Mackenzies neuer Boss. Schnell stellt sie fest, dass sie ihn mit ihren weiblichen Waffen aus dem Konzept bringen und seine schlechten Launen zumindest kurzzeitig vertreiben kann. Dabei beginnt sie jedoch ein Spiel mit dem Feuer und riskiert, sich zu verbrennen.
Dass ihm seine neue Assistentin regelmäßig heiße Träume beschert – und das nicht nur nachts –, ärgert Adrian Price. Harper ist nämlich verdammt gut in ihrem Job und nur ungern würde er ihre Stelle neu besetzen müssen. Deshalb versucht er mehrfach, ihr klarzumachen, dass sich an ihrem Verhältnis nichts ändern wird. Dabei übersieht er jedoch, dass er damit nur Öl in die lodernden Flammen gießt.
Denn Harper ist nicht die einzige Frau, die den sexy Anwalt in ihrem Bett und ihrem Leben sieht …
To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters
The Regency Vows #3
Lady Emily Turner has been a debutante for six seasons now and should have long settled into a suitable marriage. However, due to her father’s large debts, her only suitor is the persistent and odious owner of her father’s favorite gambling house. Meanwhile, Lord Julian Belfry, the second son of a marquess, has scandalized society as an actor and owner of a theater—the kind of establishment where men take their mistresses, but not their wives. When their lives intersect at a house party, Lord Julian hatches a plan to benefit them both.
With a marriage of convenience, Emily will use her society connections to promote the theater to a more respectable clientele and Julian will take her out from under the shadows of her father’s unsavory associates. But they soon realize they have very different plans for their marriage—Julian wants Emily to remain a society wife, while Emily discovers an interest in the theater. But when a fleeing actress, murderous kitten, and meddlesome friends enter the fray, Emily and Julian will have to confront the fact that their marriage of convenience comes with rather inconvenient feelings.
Sturmverliebt: Ausgerechnet Island by Karin Lindberg
Die Architektin Luna kann ihr Glück kaum fassen, als sie zu einem Auswahlwettbewerb für ein nachhaltiges Bauprojekt nach Reykjavík eingeladen wird. Das Unfassbare geschieht, sie bekommt den Job, und das Abenteuer Island kann beginnen. Kaum in Island angekommen, schwärmt Luna nicht nur für die atemberaubende Landschaft, auch der attraktive Isländer Magni hat es ihr angetan. Und das, obwohl Luna sich striktes Männerverbot verordnet hat. Der isländische Frühling zeigt sich von seiner stürmischen Seite und wirbelt nicht nur die Gefühle der beiden kräftig durcheinander. Das Landleben im Norden der Vulkaninsel hat zudem seine Tücken, und Magni scheint auch nicht mit offenen Karten zu spielen. Als dann noch Lunas schrille Mutter mit vollen Koffern auf der Matte steht, ist das Chaos perfekt.
Aurora’s End by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
What happens when you ask a bunch of losers, discipline cases, and misfits to save the galaxy from an ancient evil? The ancient evil wins, of course.
Wait. . . . Not. So. Fast.
When we last saw Squad 312, they were working together seamlessly (aka, freaking out) as an intergalactic battle raged and an ancient superweapon threatened to obliterate Earth. Everything went horribly wrong, naturally.
But as it turns out, not all endings are endings, and the team has one last chance to rewrite theirs. Maybe two. It’s complicated.
Cue Zila, Fin, and Scarlett (and MAGELLAN!): making friends, making enemies, and making history? Sure, no problem.
Cue Tyler, Kal, and Auri: uniting with two of the galaxy’s most hated villains? Um, okay. That, too.
Actually saving the galaxy, though?
Now that will take a miracle.
ON THE BLOG
BLOG VISITS
blog posts by other bloggers I’ve loved
Reviews
- Strike the Zither by Joan He by Becky @ Becky’s Book Blog
- Galatea by Madeline Miller by Cindy @ Behind the Books
- Shape of Love by Marina Neumeier by Ramona @ Kielfeder
- Schattenbraut by Yangsze Choo by Sandra @ Miss Page Turner
- Where the Lost Ones Go by Akemi Dawn Bowman by Charvi @ Not Just Fiction
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry by Noura @ The Perks of Being Noura
Other
- 10 Sex Positive YA Books That Explore Sex (Awkwardly) Right by Nyx @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books
- Kaleidoscope of Tropes #8: Fake Identity by Lais @ The Bookish Skies
- 9 Dark Academia Books by Authors of Colour by Kate @ Your Tita Kate
How did you wrap up October? Did you have a good month? On a scale of 1-10, how much do you love autumn?
Until next time,
