February TBR + January Recap

 

First month of 2022 done and it was better than expected! How was yours? Did you manage to read something? ***important message at the end of the post ***

I planned to read 7 books this month and ended up with 11 (almost 12 but it's not complete and don't want to count it as finished) making my goal to be at 13% done and according with Goodreads, I'm 5 books ahead of the scheduled by them. 

So with this I'm hopping that in case of a reading slump coming that I will not feel bad! 😂

One of this books was a surprise for me: an author actually asked me in DM if ok to read and review her book (hope it happens more and more since I really love this!)

So I've read all the book that was listed in the post of January TBR (click on the name to see post) with the exception of Crush by Tracy Wolff. I'm currently at 80% of the book and hope to finish it tonight or tomorrow morning. 

I also read 5 books that was not in the list: Riding High in April, The Seer of Serone, A Very Rossi Christmas, Sons of Ehll and Tracking Trouble. 

***click in book name to see review ***

I noticed that I forgot to publish the review of the 2 first books but do not worry! I will publish the reviews soon!

In January I published a total of 15 posts and 13 was book reviews! As explained in the post of January TBR, I opted to publish reviews of previous books read of some series as Riley Paige Mystery and Black Dagger Brotherhood. The reason of this is to make sure you, my readers, have access to the reviews of the full serie and not only from when I started this blog (in my mind it's seems fair). With that I want to you know that the same will keep happening in February for these 2 series 😉

Now.... the famous and waited TBR:

1. Covet by Tracy Wolff
2. Once Buried (Riley Paige book 11) by Blake Pierce
3. Once Bound (Riley Paige book 12) by Blake Pierce
4. The Conference of Birds (Miss Peregrine book 5) by Ransom Riggs
5. Deception Point by Dan Brown
6. The Librarian by Christy Sloat (The Librarian Chronicles #1)
7. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

I want to make a clear message for all of you: reading is not a competition! The fact that I've read 11 book don't make me better or worst reader than you... it only means that I've got more time to read than excepted from myself! If you have read 1 book in the full month congrats! If you have read 25 congrats and a big "how" but each one of us have a different life so don't feel bad or superior regarding the amount of books you read per month and please don't make it as a competition. Reading is to have fun and not to Stress! 😚

Tracking Trouble by Aldrea Alien

 

Language: English 

Format: ebook 

Pages:240 

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Rating: 4⭐

"Before a routine job brought him to the love of his life, Tracker's world had two facets: Hunting spellsters and entertaining strangers in his bed. There's no doubt he's good at both, even if only one is considered acceptable amongst the King's Hounds.

But there's something off about his current tasks. The spellsters he typically finds aren't usually this powerful or anywhere near as dangerous to a man untouchable by magic. It's as if someone is releasing them with an eye to weaken an already harried kingdom. Can he find out who before they run out of hounds?

Join this mess of an elven magic-hunter as he tries to uphold the code of the King's Hounds whilst struggling to unravel the truth"

Tracker is a Hound that hunts Spellsters for the King. He is part of the King's Guardians and Tracker is not only his name but also his function. He is also not human and very good looking. So good looking that he use is charm not only for fun but also to get some informations and he don't look if men or women or even the specie.... if they want him he will know and will not say no to the invitation.

As you turn the pages you will find sex scenes, gore scenes, lot of fights and also some trips to Tracker's past. 

It was an easy read even if some scenes are... hard to not get personally involved. 

Easy to follow the plot and also it have a part of mystery that made me wanted to know more about this guy and his full story as for who rules truly the kingdom.

I'm now waiting for the next book where I hope to have some answers regarding the guardians and Tracker future.

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

 

Language: Portuguese

Format: Paperback

Pages: 382

Genre: YA fantasy, mystery

Rating: 5⭐

"This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises."

Reading this book made me feel desperate for the kids! 

Passing a portal and entering into a war scenario is not an happy escape... Its so horrible that I wished they just come back from the same way (even if it was a very bad ideia!)

It was so sad to see that sister scene... 

But the best part was actually the animals! Was not excepting a talking dog or a sheep that have special wool.

This book was way better than the first one (probably because of the new characters and scenarios!)

The sons of Ehll by Peace More

Language: English

Format: Ebook

Pages: 116

Genre: Horror

Rating: 3⭐

In a small town called Ehll, an ordinary small town like some you might know of, or have heard of, a brutal crime takes place.

But first, it starts with her sons. They are men, ones who aren't so different from your brothers or your uncles or your fathers. They appear to be loving, because they are loving; they love God, family, and friends, and one could choose whichever order. They laugh and sing like kids when they had drank a few mugs of beer at Avi's Bar, and they are loyal to one another as they should be.

But one evening, news reach them about Avi Crespo's young daughter Abigail, and this turns this evening into one that they wouldn't forget for the rest of their lives. . . The beautiful evening turns evil.

First I want to thank the author to have contacted me and sent her book 😀

It's not horror in the point as Stephen King book but you get very uncomfortable in some parts of the book. 

For me it was very ok until I got that full racist part... 

Balor was automatically labeled as "trouble" and "bad" but I never thought that everyone in that town was so.... influential (I think is the best word to use)

To think that they will just follow a madman without even getting someone to all them back to reason was really as looking to a true story.

Well.. Evil is deep inside us and show in the worst moment.

But the worst part is that people of Ehll knew it was wrong and never "talked" about it...

It was a good plot and you will think about this the rest of the night and day. 

Once Pined by Blake Pierce (Riley Paige Book 6)

Language: English

Format: Paperback

Pages: 265

Genre: Thriller and Mystery

Rating: 4⭐

Men and women are turning up dead in the outskirts of Seattle, poisoned by a mysterious chemical. When a pattern is discovered and it becomes clear that a twisted serial killer is on the hunt, the FBI calls in their best asset: Special Agent Riley Paige. Riley is urged to return to the line of duty—but Riley, still reeling from the attacks on her family, is loath to return. Yet as bodies mount, and the murders become more inexplicable, Riley knows she has no choice.

The case takes Riley deep into the unsettling world of nursing homes, of hospitals, of drifting caretakers and psychotic patients. As Riley delves deeper into the mind of the murderer, she realizes she is hunting the most terrifying killer of all: one whose madness knows no depths—and yet who may just appear shockingly ordinary.

This one was not my favorite at all and probably i was due the fact that the killer is an "angel of death".

This subject is not one that I personally like the most but also this volume lost a star due the following points:

1. Riley's private life it's a mess for sure and adding Jilly is not helping but her ex-husband coming back and acting as a new men? hum.... nop nop. Something fishy here!
2. Hatcher (the fugitive) is always 1 step in front of Riley all the time and we have no clue how!

Probably it's me but this one was not as excepted... so.... let's move for book 7!

A very Rossi Christmas by Quinn Marlowe

 

Language: English

Format: Ebook

Pages: 80

Genre: Mafia Romance

Rating: 4⭐

WARNING: This story includes violence and mature sexual themes. If you’re triggered by guns, sex, rape, or murder, this isn’t the series for you. 

I really enjoyed this prequel and can't wait for "Her Romeo" coming out in February. 

Sloane and Joseph were secret best friends until they graduate. 

They never got a chance since they’re from opposing families. 

Her father is one of the biggest mob bosses in New York and his father is the other. Result? the families hate each other.

So when these two accidentally meet after a five year well you can expect feelings everywhere and out of control.

I loved dual POVs (if correctly done, you get into all characters without any problem or feeling lost). In tis novel it was a plus to know better Sloane and Rossi.

If you like Mafia Romance, it's a most real new serie.

If you like Romeo and Juliet forbidden love vibes, "touch her you'll die" trope, romance and some spice please feel free to get this book and pre-order the volume 1 😉

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Language: Portuguese 

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 334 

Genre: YA fantasy, mystery 

Rating: 4⭐

"A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow-impossible though it seems-they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows."

Ok I've read this books in 2019 and after watching the film so if this review is kind of as a memory of the feeling I got while reading it (the same apply to book 2 and 3 of this serie)

I liked the book for sure and probably since I saw the movie first I got spoiler from myself and well... that happens a lot 😂

The idea is great and it's really sweet to see how each kid protect each other even if I got a bad feeling for at least 1 kid. 

The peculiarity of each one is better explained in the book than in the movie and the best about this serie is that actually the author added the pictures where he got inspired for the book so even if the book is 300 pages you have a lot of them that are just pictures. 

Also how the chapters appear is quite appealing for young readers: it's literally 1 page saying "Chapter + number" in brown. I got that "pause effect" after each chapter. Also they are not big so you can go quickly into the reading.