I read 30 books in July with an average score of 3.83. I read 14 YA books and 5 graphic novels. My most-read genres were contemporary, romance, and fantasy.

My favorite book was Charged: the New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration - Emily Bazelon, even though it was a tough read. My least favorite is no contest at all: We Know It Was You - Maggie Thrash. I haven't had a one star read in a long time, but there was no question on what I was rating this.

5 Stars

4.5 Stars

4 Stars

3.5 Stars

3 Stars

2.5 Stars

1 Star

Books by author gender:

• Male: 6
• Female: 23
• Male/Female Mix: 1

Books by format:

• Physical: 10
• Audio: 20

Cover Shot

by LynDee Walker
Book 5 of A Nichelle Clarke Crime Thriller

Cover Shot was another enjoyable installment of the Nichelle Clarke series, with more convoluted twists to Nichelle's investigation, and a sort of personal touch involving some emotional back story on Nichelle's part, even if only touched upon briefly.  This particular book was also a bit more subdued on the dark and gritty than the previous book was--you don't even get to see the first murder victim, and the entire "hush-hush" on the investigation thing almost made me forget that there'd been a murder victim in the first place from page one.

There isn't a whole lot to say, as Nichelle is as spunky, resourceful, and persistent, as usual... except I DO wish she would stop trying to get herself killed while proclaiming that she has no desire to get herself killed.  As an investigative crime reporter, TSTL seems to be one of her traits that I've learned to live with, and meeting unknown sources in back alleys is probably one of the few ways she depends upon for information.

Meanwhile, I absolutely enjoyed focusing more on the multiple lines of investigation going on, with two crimes occurring that verge together in the end to make sense.  Gone are the 'Mean Girl' cat claws and hissing between Nichelle and Shelby, and even Charlie seems more subdued after her first sarcastic insult at Nichelle.  Unfortunately, without those, the book seems to fade the two rivals out, as if their only purpose was to be rude and antagonistic to Nichelle.  But whatever, at least we can skip all of that, because Nichelle had more worries on her mind to deal with in the first place.

We've also set the romance on the back burner, as Nichelle had officially made her choice previously, so we got to kiss the love triangle good-bye... even IF I still don't see the chemistry between her and Joey, and even IF the male posturing still continues on.  In fact, the mystery mafia man still doesn't strike me as all that appealing, and it seems that aside from a mutual attraction, food, and sex, the two don't really have a whole lot in common.  And since Joey remains so shrouded in shadows, you don't get to know him well enough, and neither does Nichelle, to understand why he's the better choice.  Although in the long run, I suppose Nichelle's feelings on the matter are truly all that matter.

On the flip side, Kyle has grown a bit petty.

Anyway, another strong, solid entry into the series that I'm still enjoying!


***

Booklikes-opoly 2019

Roll #17:
Square: The Stay-cation 9 | Read a book that includes a visit to a museum, a concert, a library, or a park, or that the author's name begins with one of the letters in R-E-L-A-X.

How it fits:  Author's name begins with the letter 'L.'
Page Count:  360
Cash:  $3

Her Deadly Secrets

by Laura Griffin
Book 2 of Wolfe Security

It's quite signature of Laura Griffin to give you a few main POVs to follow during the course of one of her books--it's kind of a way for her to very subtly, and sometimes very naturally, introduce more characters into her series, and setting up a background for them for future books.  And so while this book's main focus should have been Kira Vance and her bodyguard, Jeremy Owen, Her Deadly Secrets also spends a lot of time following around police detective Charlotte Spears and her partner as they investigate the death of Kira's mentor, Ollie.

In a way, it felt like two separate investigations going on at the same time, following two different investigators, which all ultimately tied together in the end.  And it wasn't until closer to the end of the book that you realize that aside from having about equal book time for Charlotte as much as for Kira, there was also very little in the romance department, considering this book is filed as a romantic suspense.  And normally, I would have been quite disappointed that the romance was set on the back burner for so long... but, in truth, I enjoyed the entire book, as the murder mystery and both lines of investigations were quite interesting to follow.

Well... I take back one thing I just mentioned.  I did get slightly disappointed that the story was so light on the romance, because it kind of ended up sidelining Jeremy's character status to not-quite-main-hero, sliding him in right behind Charlotte.  Of course, while he didn't stand out all that well, he DID assume his role properly as the bodyguard.  But since I had a hard time recalling his name just to right this post, that kind of goes to show how memorable his character truly was.

But aside from that, I think I thoroughly enjoyed, and was entertained by, this second installment of the Wolfe Security series.

And I'm also quite happy to say that I'm glad that Kira wasn't TSTL and after her first attempt at resisting having a security team guarding her, she kind of readily relied on them to help keep her safe while she tried to do her job as a PI for the fancy defense lawyer who hired her.  It was a bonus that Jeremy also pitched in to help unearth some info for her investigations.  And so, in a way, while Kira and Jeremy's romance felt a little lackluster, they're working relationship turned out quite fun to follow.

As is typical of Laura Griffin, the pacing was non-stop the entire way through, starting from the murder at the beginning.  I'm looking forward to the next book now, and am hoping it will be following Charlotte, since I absolutely enjoyed her POV of things, romance or no, though there's a little hint of who might be her main love interest somewhere in this book.


***

Booklikes-opoly 2019

Roll #15 (July Fourth Bonus):
Square: The Stay-cation 9 | Read a book that includes a visit to a museum, a concert, a library or a park, or that the author's name begins with one of the letters in R-E-L-A-X.

How it fits:  Author's name begins with the letter 'L'.
Page Count:  368
Cash:  $3

Okie doke!  Here's a quick update.

I finished reading Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart the previous night, getting $3 for its 372 pages.  This brings me to my unofficial goal of breaking into the triple digits of cash by reaching $100!  Yay!

Because I finished this book right before midnight, I passed out before I rolled again.  So I rolled real quick this morning before heading to work, giving me a bit of time to think about what I wanted to read next.

My next roll was a 7 which took me to The Lake House 19, another square I've been to before; another square with loads of possibilities.

It's a party on the BL-opoly board tonight.  My younger brother and his wife went to a Harry Potter party that was being thrown for one of their nephews, and brought me some party favors.  And so Monkey and friends have decided to throw a small Harry Potter party of their own!  Monkey wields his magic wand to keep Teddy Bear on his spot, and Peek-a-Boo Penni plays her namesake's game from inside an HP-themed baggy.  =D

Fun times!

There were a bunch of other books that I could choose from, and even some books that I feel like I need to get read.  But I'm in the mood for a romantic suspense, and specifically I'm feeling Jayne Ann Krentz.  Deep Waters fits this square in both ways, where the cover is most definitely greater than 50% blue, and Jayne Ann Krentz's last name starts with a 'K' which fits the "first or last name starts with any letter in the word L-A-K-E".  Perfect!

Deep Waters is 376 pages, paperback version, which will give me $3 when I'm finished reading it.


Tomorrow is August 1st, which is coming into the last two week (a little less than two weeks actually) stretch, which means even if I finished my books in time for each next roll, I'll only get to roll a whole of four more times.  I'm going to make the most of these last few rolls, but most likely, I'm just going to go with the flow since I've already made it to $100 and am quite satisfied with my progress.

Besides... I'm kind of gearing up for Halloween Bingo now!  Whoo-hoo!

Novelty Cards Currently In My Pocket

Novelty Cards Used

Roll #18 Book Chosen: Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart

My Progress

Current Bank:  $100
Bail Fund Donation:  0 pages || in table: remain in parentheses in (italics and red)
Books Read:  19
Pages Read:  6,337

Table notes:
*Dates link to corresponding dice roll updates / other links for related activities included.
*Book titles link to reviews if written.
*Page/Cash values in parentheses are still pending reads/ not yet cashed out.
*Doubles rolls are depicted as such (dbls) under the dice roll number.

Welcome to August. I hope everyone had a lovely July. Only three more weeks and school starts here again .. YAY.... The beasts will go back to school lol. 

Reading wise July was slow for me, I didn't get as much reading done as I liked but it happens every summer and that is okay. I'm only 10 books away from my Goodreads goal so I have plenty of time with that. I also only have one review copy that I'm reading right not and with that I'm free to take a break and or read whatever I like before the next review rush comes. 

I put up the new giveaway sometime mid-July but in case you missed it I will add it to the bottom here. Make sure t o enter.

Here are some books that will be released in August according to Goodreads:

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews 

The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter 

Blood Truth by J.R. Ward

At Death's Door Sherrilyn Kenyon

Currently on audio, I'm taking a break from Harry for a book and went back to Winter by Marissa Meyer, a series I adore and finally going to finish, I also have the hardcover so I can switch back and forth if needed. 

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mark her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend--the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes her to be and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? Fans will not want to miss this thrilling conclusion to Marissa Meyer's national bestselling Lunar Chronicles series.

I'm also reading Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber, I'm about 2/3 through and most likely will finish it today sometime.I really enjoy this book, it is one of the make you feel good books. 

Nestled in the mountain shadows of Alabama lies the little town of Wicklow. It is here that Anna Kate has returned to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café.

It was supposed to be a quick trip to close the café and settle her grandmother’s estate, but despite her best intentions to avoid forming ties or even getting to know her father’s side of the family, Anna Kate finds herself inexplicably drawn to the quirky Southern town her mother ran away from so many years ago, and the mysterious blackbird pie everybody can’t stop talking about.

As the truth about her past slowly becomes clear, Anna Kate will need to decide if this lone blackbird will finally be able to take her broken wings and fly.

Next I was planning on staring It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover, I saw many good things about this book and it gives me a break from fantasy that I sometimes need.

Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up — she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

After that I was thinking about re-reading The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout to see if I might like it better. I wasn;t the biggest fan of it but I never understood why because I like Armentrout's books and I loved the Lux series, plus I was not in a good place when U first read it so I will give it another try to see if I like it better, the second time around. 

When seventeen-year-old Evie Dasher is caught up in a raid at a notorious club known as one of the few places where humans and the surviving Luxen can mingle freely, she meets Luc, an unnaturally beautiful guy she initially assumes is a Luxen...but he is in fact something much more powerful. Her growing attraction for Luc will lead her deeper and deeper into a world she'd only heard about, a world where everything she thought she knew will be turned on its head...

#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the universe of the Lux in this brand new series, featuring beloved characters both new and old

And now to my July books, as always you can find the buy links in my review that is linked. 

I wish you all a great August and don't forget to enter the giveaway down below.

Happy Reading :) 

Dragonslayer by Duncan M. Hamilton

In his magnificent, heroic, adventure fantasy, Dragonslayer, Duncan M. Hamilton debuts the first book in a fast-moving trilogy: a dangerous tale of lost magics, unlikely heroes, and reawakened dragons.

Once a member of the King’s personal guard, Guillot dal Villevaurais spends most days drinking and mourning his wife and child. He’s astonished–and wary–when the Prince Bishop orders him to find and destroy a dragon. He and the Prince Bishop have never exactly been friends and Gill left the capitol in disgrace five years ago. So why him? And, more importantly, how is there a dragon to fight when the beasts were hunted to extinction centuries ago by the ancient Chevaliers of the Silver Circle?

On the way to the capitol city, Gill rescues Solène, a young barmaid, who is about to be burned as a witch. He believes her innocent…but she soon proves that she has plenty of raw, untrained power, a problem in this land, where magic is forbidden. Yet the Prince Bishop believes magic will be the key to both destroying the dragon and replacingthe young, untried King he pretends to serve with a more pliable figurehead.

Between Gill’s rusty swordsmanship and Solène’s unstable magic, what could go wrong?

3 ★

Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens—gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.

When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed…

4 ★

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

HARRY DRESDEN — WIZARD

Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a—well, whatever. There’s just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks.

So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. And that’s when things start to get interesting.

Magic – it can get a guy killed.

5 ★

Flynn Nightsider and the Edge of Evil by Mary Fan

Break the enchantments. Find the truth. Ignite the revolution.

A century ago, the Enchanters defeated the evil Lord of the Underworld, but not before he’d unleashed his monsters and ravaged the earth. The Enchanters built the Triumvirate out of what remained of the United States, demanding absolute obedience in exchange for protection from the lingering supernatural beasts.

Sixteen-year-old Flynn Nightsider, doomed to second-class life for being born without magic, knows the history as well as anyone. Fed up with the Triumvirate’s lies and secrecy, he longs for change. And when he stumbles across a clue that hints at something more – secrets in the dark, the undead, and buried histories – he takes matters into his own hands.

Before long, Flynn finds himself hunted not only by the government, but also by nightmarish monsters and a mysterious man with supernatural powers … all seeking him for reasons he cannot understand. Rescued by underground rebels, he’s soon swept up in their vision of a better world, guided by a girl as ferocious as the monsters she fights. But as the nation teeters on the brink of revolution, Flynn realizes three things.

The rebellion is not what it seems.

Flynn himself might be more than he seems.

And the fate of the world now rests in his hands.

3★

Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews

Dina DeMille isn’t your typical Bed and Breakfast owner. Her inn defies laws of physics, her dog is secretly a monster, and the only permanent guest of the inn is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. The inn needs guests to thrive and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina’s door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance. Unfortunately, for Dina, bridging the gap between space vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the merchants of Baha-char is much easier said than done. To make the summit a success, she must find a chef, remodel the inn, keep her guests from murdering each other, and risk everything, even her life, to save the man she might fall in love with. But then it’s all in the day’s work for an Innkeeper.

 4 ★

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