Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:
We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is Books on My Winter 2024-2025 to-Read List
Howl’s Moving Castle (Howl’s Moving Castle #1)
Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books
Pub Date: 1 April 1986
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Panda Rating:
(3.5 pandas)
“How about making a bargain with me?” said the demon. “I’ll break your spell if you agree to break this contract I’m under.”
In the land of Ingary, where seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, Sophie Hatter attracts the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste, who puts a curse on her. Determined to make the best of things, Sophie travels to the one place where she might get help – the moving castle which hovers on the nearby hills.
But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl, whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the hearts of young girls . . .
TL;DR: I’m not sure I know where to begin with this review. Let’s start by saying that the Ghibli movie is one of my all-time favourites. It’s comforting and familiar and I rewatch it (along with the other Ghibli’s) several times a year. I’m so glad that I knew in advance how different the book would be because that also helped me manage my expectations. Howl’s Moving Castle fits perfectly under the category of “I loved this book but I can’t begin to tell you why”. Many elements normally would not have worked for me but I found myself enjoying it regardless. Diana Wynne Jones sweeps you along for the ride before you even know it and what a ride it was!
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We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time reading in bed or wish you had time to read today.
I’ve got three reads on at the minute but I think I’ll be spending the rest of my Sunday night in bed with Lady Derring Takes A Lover by Julie Anne Long. I’ve been meaning to read JAL’s books for a while now and am excited to read more. I’m only at 16% but am enjoying it so far!
It’s been a minute since I wrote one of these so I’m sorry if I waffle on a bit too much in this post! 🤣
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits, and it’s where we get to discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! Check out all the past topics if you want to join in the bookish discussion fun.
Today’s topic is:
[Suggested by: Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly]
Prompts: Is there such a thing as buying too many books? Do you limit the number of books you buy? Do you only buy certain types of books or books from certain authors? Are there any books you’re hoping to get over the holidays?
Hi friends, as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours I’m excited to share my thoughts on A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya. Thanks to the TBR team for having me on tour and to Joy Revolution for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!
A Cruel Thirst
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Publication Date: 17 December 2024
Genre: Young Adult Historical Paranormal Romance
Rating:
(4 pandas)
A fledgling vampire and a headstrong vampire huntress must work together–against their better judgment–to rid the world of monsters in this irresistible romantic fantasy.
Carolina Fuentes wants to join her family in hunting the bloodthirsty vampiros that plague her pueblo. Her father, however, wishes to marry her off to a husband of his choosing, someone who’ll take her away from danger.
Determined to prove she’d make a better slayer than wife, Carolina vows to take down a monster herself. But when she runs intoun vampiro that is somehow extremely attractive and kind, herplan crumbles.
Lalo Villalobos was content leading a perfectly dull life until un vampiro turned him. Now forced to flee his city, he heads to the pueblo where he believes the first vampiro was made. Surely its residents must know how to reverse this dreadful curse. Instead of finding salvation, Lalo collides with a beautiful young woman who’d gladly drive a dagger through his heart.
Fortunately, Lalo and Carolina share a common enemy. They can wipe out this evil. Together. If his fangs and her fists can stay focused, they might just triumph and discover what it feels like to take a bite out of love.
Blood, death of loved ones (recounted, on page), murder, gun violence, knife violence, death of animals (off page), misogyny
TL;DR: A Cruel Thirst was a great romp of a read! This YA historical paranormal romance had engaging characters who were easy to root for and an entertaining action-packed plot that kept me turning the pages. I loved Carolina and Lalo and enjoyed their enemies-to-reluctant partners-to-lovers dynamic so much. Despite recognising certain flaws in the story that would’ve normally irritated me, the humorous writing and witty banter made this such an enjoyable laugh-out-loud read, that the flaws didn’t seem to matter! I would recommend it to those looking for a relatively light-hearted but action-packed story featuring an interesting vampire x vampire hunter dynamic that’s heavy on fun, romance, and banter!
Read More » Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:
We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is Books to Read During a Storm (these can be cozy/comfy reads, books with storms in them, atmospheric reads for dark and stormy nights, light reads to combat the heavy weather, etc.) (Submitted by Astilbe.)
Rookie Mistake (Orleans University #3.5)
Pub Date: 24 September 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Panda Rating:
(3.5 pandas)
I won my brother’s rival in a Date the Player auction… and had the best night of my life.
Davis Guidry is Orleans University’s starting rookie pitcher.
He’s handsome, charming, and an all-around flirt.
After spending a hot, spontaneous night together, we can’t seem to keep our hands off each other.
But our no-strings fun comes crashing down when my overbearing brother, who happens to be Davis’s biggest rival, catches us in action.
Even that seems to only make the fire burn hotter when we’re together.
And suddenly, our secret fling starts to feel like something more than either of us bid on.
Are these casual hookups between us just a fun way to pass my freshman year…
Or have we made the ultimate rookie mistake and caught feelings?
Rookie Mistake is approximately a 36k word novella in the Orleans University world. It is a complete standalone.
This is high spice, low plot and lots of fun!
Moore describes this as “high spice, low plot, and lots of fun”, which is spot on for this college romance novella. At less than 200 pages, things move unsurprisingly quickly for Zara and Davis but thankfully, even with their instant connection, there are no instant declarations of love. From the go, their chemistry was palpable and I loved seeing them grow closer as friends and romantic partners. Their personalities were complementary and it resulted in some fun and wild times!
Read More » We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time reading in bed or wish you had time to read today.
I’ve spent my Sunday in bed reading Howl’s Moving Castle. This is my buddy read with Becky and it’s been an interesting experience so far! I keep comparing it to the movie because it’s one of my faves (in Ghilbi and general)! There are major differences but I’m not mad about it. It’s a whimsical
dinipandareads 