tagged: end of the year book tag

I wasn't actually tagged by anyone, but I've seen this particular meme going around as part of the blogmas celebrations! Now I don't know about y'all, but personally I love end-of-year wrap-ups, summaries, stats, and all the other "big picture" goodies that people post in December and January. This tag gives the perfect taste of how 2018 went and how I hope 2019 will go, plus it gets me thinking on my own wrap-up posts that still need to be written!

book review: vengeful by v.e. schwab

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
Titan Books, 575 pp.
Published September 25, 2018

Eli Ever and Victor Vale were only medical students when their mutual discovery that near-death experiences can, under the right conditions, manifest extraordinary abilities.

They were best friends, and rivals, and then enemies. They were dead, then alive, and then---Eli killed Victor, once and for all.

Or so he thought---but Sydney Clarke felt otherwise, and used her own superpower to tip the scales. Now, a trio hides in the shadows, while another takes advantages of post-death life to take over the city of Merit.

If there can be life after death—will there be calm after vengeance, or will chaos rule?

sunday post #37

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

Another week, another trip. This time I had to visit a site in southern Georgia, but luckily I flew into Atlanta. I drove there several times in college for football games and built up a small list of places I liked to visit; it was nice getting to stop into some again after a few years! Travelling somewhere slightly familiar made everything a little less tiring, a nice treat as the holidays loom closer.

I did manage to get a tablet shipped to me before I left: I went with the Amazon Fire 8! I'm really pleased with all the features you can get for a budget price point. It has a decent screen for watching movies and TV shows, as well as enough space for a few e-books (not something I regularly read, but much better than my smartphone for the occasional e-ARC sent my way). Thank you to everyone who chimed in with their suggestions last week!

fictional worlds i never want to live in

Every reader has a favorite world, a place they would escape to in reality if they could, and not just through the printed word. But for all the beauty in literature, there are those kingdoms, countries, and planets that we wouldn't want to set foot on in a million years. These are a few of those places—all from books I absolutely adored and highly recommend picking up!—that I was delighted to explore in fiction, but hope to avoid in real life.

book review: the sisters of the winter wood by rena rossner

The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner
Redhook, 464 pp.
Published September 25, 2018

DISCLAIMER: I received a free finished copy of this title from the publisher for review purposes. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.

Raised in a small village surrounded by vast forests, Liba and Laya have lived a peaceful sheltered life - even if they've heard of troubling times for Jews elsewhere. When their parents travel to visit their dying grandfather, the sisters are left behind in their home in the woods.

But before they leave, Liba discovers the secret that their Tati can transform into a bear, and their Mami into a swan. Perhaps, Liba realizes, the old fairy tales are true. She must guard this secret carefully, even from her beloved sister.

Soon a troupe of mysterious men appear in town and Laya falls under their spell-despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And these are not the only dangers lurking in the woods...

The sisters will need each other if they are to become the women they need to be - and save their people from the dark forces that draw closer.

sunday post #36

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to recap posts from the past week and tease upcoming content, as well as share new books, reading challenge progress, and anything else you've come across in the last seven days.

This week I traveled to snowy Wisconsin and learned I was not built for sub-freezing temperatures! The good news is my work went smoothly and I managed to drive on the icy roads without an accident; even though I was perpetually cold, it was still a success.

Work continues to dominate the news in my personal life, for better or worse. No, this week it's for the better! There are more changes on the horizon that should give me more flexibility, more room for growth, and make me happier overall. I'm excited about the next couple of months as these changes develop, even if it means a little extra stress in the short-term.

Also, with all of this travelling I'm starting to think about picking up an inexpensive tablet for random internet surfing and Netflix-watching while I fly, if only to help save the battery on my phone. Which I need to keep powered up for actual calls (taking calls? on a cell phone? what??). Do any of y'all have recommendations for tablets you like?