June and July Challenge Wrap Up Post

2019* Book I Already Own Challenge

So, here is my confession.  Work and life got a little crazy and I never realized that I did not post a June wrap up!! *sigh*  So, instead you are going to get two months worth of reading in one nifty little post and I'm going to try to keep up with things again! *fingers crossed*

Here's what I read in June/July:

Audiobooks I Own - June
Buried Heart by Kate Elliott
Arcana Rising by Kresley Cole
The Beholder by Anna Bright

Audiobooks I Own - July
Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues by Molly Harper (novella)
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Spirit of the Witch by Deanna Chase
Scythe by Neal Shusterman *5 star*
A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole (novella)

Physical Books I Own - June
A Heart so Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer *5 star*
The Falconer by Elizabeth May *5 star*
The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May *5 star*
The Fallen Kingdom by Elizabeth May *5 star*
Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym Martineau *5 star*
Day Zero by Kresley Cole (novella)

Physical Books I Own - July
In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire *5 star*
Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep
Smitten by the Brit by Melonie Johnson
Ain't She a Peach by Molly Harper
The Magicians: Alice's Story by Lilah Sturges and Lev Grossman
Roar by Cara Carmack

eBooks I Own - June
A Stranger Thing by Isla Neal and Martin Leicht
The Year of Shadows by Claire Legrand

eBooks I Own - July 
Prey by Carina Cook
Loving My Pack by Lane Whitt
A Few Pecans Short of a Pie by Molly Harper

Required Reading 
(for work - June) Still Life by Louise Penny
(for review - July) The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman *5 star*
(for work - July) Lethal Licorice by Amanda Flower
(for review - July) Here There are Monsters by Amelinda Berube

Book Borrowed from the Library
Crazy Cupid Love by Amanda Heger

So, that's quite a few books over two months.  Thirty-two to be exact.  I'm not sure how I managed that with things being as busy as they were!! I will say that audio books have been a godsend for me this year. I can listen while doing chores, in the car, putting on my makeup, etc. It gains me a lot of reading time. I was also lucky enough to pick up a few books that were such page turners they turned out to be one-sitting books! I haven't had one of those in a while... 

In terms of my challenge, I didn't do too badly.  Not only did the majority I read come from my own collections, but I was happy to read a few of my oldest TBR books this summer! I finished a series that I'd been two-thirds of the way through for years. I reread the first book in a trilogy and then read both other books to finish the series. (And I LOVED them... OMG why did I not finish the Falconer series sooner???) I finally read Good Omens because the TV show came out and I refused to watch it without having read the book.  And while I did have one pretty disappointing read over the two months, I had EIGHT five star reads, which is awesome! 

I'm hoping now that things might be calming back down in work and life, that I can pick up on writing my five star book reviews, because I've fallen woefully behind... like months and months worth... *sigh* 

How has your summer reading been?

Anxiously Awaiting... The Vanishing Throne!

So, not too long ago I posted my slightly gushy Gold Star review of Elizabeth May's The Falconer. Well, today Elizabeth posted the title and cover (UK) of the sequel THE VANISHING THRONE.

I am BEYOND excited for this one... I'm just sad we still have to wait so long for it!!

The Vanishing Throne 
by Elizabeth May
The Falconer, book two

Publication date: Sept 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 . . . (Description from Elizabeth May's website)

Gold Star Review: The Falconer

The Falconer 
by Elizabeth May
Falconer series, book one

Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.

Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.

But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge? (Description from Goodreads.com) 

This book gripped me from page one and never let go.  It's action-packed with a good side of "feels."  Exactly the type of book that I love most - steampunk with dark faeries and a little romance.  The best thing is that this book reads like a great historical fiction, with just elements of steampunk to give May's world atmosphere without being overwhelming.  

The main character, Aileana, is a great heroine.  One who can act the part she's supposed to play while still being true to herself.  At first, she wants to deny both parts of herself, embracing neither, but then she realizes that she has to acknowledge both what is expected of her and what she wants and NEEDS for herself. She will not let anyone, not even the men who seem to want the best for her, stand in her way.  Spunky through to the end.  

Dark faeries.  Oh how I love dark faeries.  There are some great ones in this book.  Beautiful and destructive.  Bold and dangerous.  Looking to destroy the world.  

I *CANNOT* wait until book two comes out.  Definitely worth a big 'ol GOLD STAR. 

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library