Down The TBR Hole #1: The Scary Adventure Begins

Down The TBR Hole is hosted by Lia @ Lost In A Story

Down The TBR Hole is hosted by Lia @ Lost In A Story that prompts you to clean out your TBR of all those books you’re never going to read and sort through it all to know what’s actually on there. The idea is to go to your Goodreads to-be-read shelf and try to figure out if you really want to read the books you added there. For more information, head to Lia's blog.

Wednesday Chatter: 8 Years Of Blogging And Reading (and counting)

Wednesday Chatter is a weekly feature at Ruby's Books where we'll be talking about anything and everything related to books and reading. Click here if you want to see what we talked about in the previous weeks

WARNING: Some bad words might be used in the following post. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Hello my fellow book lovers! Today's post was inspired by the fact that *surprise* my blog is 8 years old.

 

Source: Giphy.com

Well, more accurately, 8 years 3 months and 9 days old. Wow, time flies. I previously did something similar on a Wednesday Chatter post, where I talked about how blogging changed me. I kind of wanted to update on that post a little bit, since I feel like I've grown quite a lot since 2015, when that post was written, as a blogger, as a reader, and as a person in general. So without further ado, here's my celebratory post about

Release Day Launch: Order Of Protection by Lexi Blake

To high-end defense attorney Henry Garrison, Win Hughes is a woman he met during one of the most trying times of his life. She’s soft and warm, and he finds solace in their brief relationship. But Win has a secret. She’s actually Taylor Winston-Hughes—born to one of the wealthiest families in the country, orphaned as a child by a tragic accident. Win moves in the wealthiest circles, but her lavish lifestyle hides her pain.

When her best friend is murdered in the midst of a glittering New York gala, Win’s charged with the crime, and the only person in the world she wants to see is Henry.

Henry is shocked at the true identity of his lover, but he can’t reject the case. This case could take his new firm into the stratosphere. Still, he’s not getting burned by Win again. And yet every turn brings them closer together.

As the case takes a wild turn and Win's entire life is upended, she must look to the people she's closest to in order to find a killer. And Henry must decide between making his case and saving the woman he loves…

Now available

Amazon | iTunes | Barnes & Noble | GooglePlay | Kobo

  

 If Henry gave her a minute, they would be back to polite. He wouldn’t find out if she could want him in an honest way. “Win, I’m an alcoholic. I’m divorced, and it wasn’t some thoughtful conscious uncoupling. It was nasty and ugly. I’m a lawyer who doesn’t give a shit if his clients are guilty or not as long as they have the money to pay me. I have gotten off people who probably went back out into the world to do terrible things, and I’ll probably do it again because I believe in this system. It’s imperfect, but it’s better than anything else. And I’m too old for you.”
She snorted, an oddly amusing sound. “I’m not some shrinking virgin. I’m twenty-nine, and I’ve been around the block a couple of times and with some men I wish I hadn’t ever gotten into the car with. How old are you? Forty?”
He winced. “Thirty-seven.”
Her lips curled up, and it was worth the blow to his ego. “Well, you don’t look a day over forty, and that’s a pretty nice age for a man. You think you don’t deserve such a young, hot chick?”
Thank god she was teasing him again. He’d hated the way her shoulders had slumped when she’d thought he’d rejected her. But still, he had to be honest. If he was going to do this, she would get the new Henry. “I think I could hurt a woman like you if I’m not careful.”
“Then be careful with me, Henry Garrison,” she said, moving closer to him. “And I’m a big girl. I can make my own decisions and live with them. I would like to spend the night with you. It doesn’t have to last beyond tomorrow. I’m not asking to be your girlfriend. I’m asking you to help me get through the night, to help me get that nightmare out of my head, so I can feel safe for the first time in months. It’s been a long time since I felt safe.”
That he could do. She moved in close, right between his legs, and he reached up and cupped her face, holding her still as he looked into her eyes. So much fucking innocence. He didn’t care what she’d been through. She was way too young for him, but she’d said yes and he wasn’t a saint. Not even close. “Be sure. I might want more than one night. I’m here for a few weeks. I could use this. I could use some time with you.”
It wouldn’t work long-term. When he finished up and got back to the city, he wouldn’t have time to spend with her, and she deserved that. He would be knee-deep in the sewer again. It wasn’t a place he would take her, but he could be what she needed here.
“I could use some time with you,” she replied. “You’re right about a few things. I haven’t ever been around a man like you. The men I’ve been with have been boys who cared more about their images than they did about pleasing me. I think it might be different with you. I know you’re trying to scare me off with all that ‘I screwed up my life’ stuff, but I get that. You can’t make me run, or I would run away from myself. Tell me if you can make me forget about everything except what you’re doing to my body because tonight that’s all I want.”
Oh, he could do that. He might not be able to feed her soul, but he could work her body all fucking night long.

         

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Thought About DNFing, But Didn't

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

Hello my book loving friends! Today we're talking about Books I Thought About DNFing. I mentioned this several times in my long blogging years, but it doesn't take me long to DNF. Since today's topic is mostly geared towards the readers who DNFed too quickly, who might not do it often, I decided to put my own spin on it. So without further ado, here are

TOP TEN BOOKS I THOUGHT ABOUT DNFing BUT DIDN'T 

(and thank god for that!)

1. Brownie Fix by Ellen Cardona - my review here

When I read this book many, many years ago, I struggled with the subject. I was on a "happy books only for this gal" kick, and when I signed up for the blog tour I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was a story I will treasure forever, and I'll forever be happy and proud for going against my initial reaction of DNFing.

2. And I Darken by Kiersten White - my review here

As a Romanian born and raised person, I'm always, ALWAYS weary of people tackling Vlad the Impaler's story. Why? Because most people get it wrong, they make him be this mythical monster and forget about the military genius he was. And I don't mean they make him into a vampire. The guy was messed up if you are to believe some of the stories from that time, while we view him as a national hero. Does White's version of the story have mistakes? Yes. Is it a perfect rendition of Vlad's life? No. It's full or tiny errors, and they almost made me DNF the book. But the reason why I didn't and the reason why I ultimately gave it 5 cups/stars despite them, was that it made me curious. I never really felt the curiosity to go beyond what I knew of that era, but this book prompted me to do so, and I discovered some pretty curious, interesting things.

3. The Silver Swan by Elena Deblanco - my review here

This book was such a departure from what I normally read. I was tempted at one point to put it aside, not because it's not my normal genre, but because, as I said in my review, I was a little put off by all the flashbacks. I am very glad I pushed through and read it, because it was a truly great story. And, believe it or not, despite the rating, it's one of those books that have stuck in my memory.

4. The First Night by Marc Levy

It's no secret that I love Marc Levy's books. It's rare that I feel disconnected from his stories, but The First Night, the second book of a duology, was not an easy read for me. I don't know exactly why that is, but at one point I was kind of ready to put it down and never pick it up again. I'm glad I kept reading though, because towards the end of the book I got to understand what exactly was this duology all about.

5. Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy

Nights of Rain and Stars was, like The Silver Swan, something completely new to me. At the time I read it I was used to Anne Rice's horror stories, full of action, drama and sexual tones. So when I read Binchy's book, I was completely shocked by the slower pace, so much so that I wanted to give up reading it. However, there was something in Binchy's words that kept me reading, and it is, by far, one of my favorite books ever.

6. The Shakespeare Curse by Jennifer Lee Carrell

Shakespeare is another of my favorite subjects. Since it is one of the literary mysteries that probably will never be solved, a lot of authors have tried to figure out who was Shakespeare, if it was one person or a group of people. Jennifer Lee Carrell is one of these authors and her The Shakespeare Secret is one of my favorite novels ever. Unfortunately, The Shakespeare Curse suffers from the "second book syndrome" and doesn't quite reach its predecesor's brilliance for me, and I thought about DNFing it quite a few times. However Kate, the heroine, is awesome, and I enjoyed the chance to read more about her and to find out more about Shakespeare's plays.

7. The Hunchback by Paul Feval

One of my favorite books from my childhood, and yet it was in danger of me enver finishing it. As with Nights of Rain and Stars, there was something about this book that kept me reading, especially when I got to the part where Aurore tells her side of the story of how she grew up. Reading about her childhood is actually the hook that got me to finish the book and what, ultimately, made me love this book as much as I do.

 8. Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

The Black Dagger Brotherhood was one of my favorite paranormal series ever. I may not be currently reading it, but at the time I read it it was a great joy. I remember waiting impatiently for the newest book to come out, while rereading the previous ones. That would not have happened had I DNFed the second book in the series. I won’t lie, the first two books aren’t as great as I wanted, but the ending of book 2 is what really hooked me to the series. Even though I have parted ways with this series, I will forever be glad that I didn’t give in to the urge to DNF this book.

9. Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris

Although not my favorite way to tell any Charlaine Harris story, the good thing that came out of me reading this comic book was that I remembered how much I really loved her storytelling. I want to read the books this comic book was based on, and I owe that to this rendition of the story.

10. Originally Human by Eileen Wilks

This was my first completed audiobook experience ever. I don’t have a great relationship with audiobooks, especially when there is just one narrator, mostly because the lack of different voice actors takes me out of the story faster than anything else. Add to that the fact that I am a pretty fast reader, and most audiobooks are not progressing as fast as I’d want, and it’s pretty easy to understand why I don’t really get along well with audiobooks. However... Originally Human is a fantastic audiobook. It’s almost like the old theater plays I used to listen to on vinyl growing up. I’m glad I gave it a chance, because it was an amazing experience. Keep in mind this is an adult story if you want to try it out.

Let’s discuss. What are some books that you almost DNFed but you are glad you didn’t?

Monthly Wrap-up: May 2018

Hello lovely book lovers!

May was a really slow month for me. Real life interfered with my reading and blogging, so I've been away for a little over two months, actually. But I'm here now, at least for the foreseeable future, and I'm ready to start the summer properly. 

Blog Tour Book Review & Playlist: The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold

Author: David Arnold
Series: N/A
Audience: +16
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 22nd 2018
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: Publisher
Blurb (from Goodreads):

“An epic wonder”* from the bestselling author of Mosquitoland

This is Noah Oakman → sixteen, Bowie believer, concise historian, disillusioned swimmer, son, brother, friend.

Then Noah → gets hypnotized.

Now Noah → sees changes: his mother has a scar on her face that wasn’t there before; his old dog, who once walked with a limp, is suddenly lithe; his best friend, a lifelong DC Comics disciple, now rotates in the Marvel universe. Subtle behaviors, bits of history, plans for the future—everything in Noah’s world has been rewritten. Everything except his Strange Fascinations . . .

A stunning surrealist portrait, The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik is a story about all the ways we hurt our friends without knowing it, and all the ways they stick around to save us.

*Adam Silvera, bestselling author of More Happy Than Not and They Both Die at the End

*Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.