David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite! discussion

Finished Bloodleaf, which I loved. Started The Vanishing Stair, which is super slow right now but hopefully it will pick up. After that I’m going to do a re-read of CBB and then read CVV.

I finished my book called The Promise by Robyn Carr

on audio

Thanks in part to my main focus being on reading and writing over the weekend, and also in part to the relatively short length of three of them, this week I read five books. So, here's what I read, along with my book reviews.

Airships
by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an excellent ending to the adventure, and a fantastic read in its own right. Wonderful worldbuilding, great characters, plus a nice blend of cyber punk, appocalyptic, and paranormal elements.

Laughter Lines: Life from the Tail End
by Sue Vincent
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a marvelous and entertaining collection of poems. I'm already a fan of Ani from her blog posts and previous book, but I'm sure this book would have made me fall in love with her if I hadn't been. That dog is such a character, and the stories told in these poems are delightful.

Doggerel: Life with the Small Dog
by Sue Vincent
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is another delightfully entertaining collection of poems. I loved catching up with more of Ani and Sue's adventures through the stories told in them. If you're a fan of dogs and poetry, I have no doubt you'll enjoy them too.

Open a new door: a collection of poems
by Robbie Cheadle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a beautiful collection of poems. The glimpse of South Africa we get in the poetry from that section is fascinating to someone like me who has never been there, and is unlikely ever to do so. Then there are the poems in the sections about family, work, and other personal experiences of the two poets, which will touch your heart, even if you can't relate to the exact same experience. In short, this is a wonderfully written collection of poetry, which I highly recommend.

Death of a Crafty Knitter
by Angela Pepper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
My actual rating is 3.5 stars, but I rounded up. This was a pretty good read, but not as enjoyable as the first book. I kind of felt like the author was focussing more on the sarcasm and sense of humour of the main character than on the mystery at times. Also, the title kind of bugs me, because the knitting club essentially seemed to be there just to create a link between something in the story and the title (not to mention, I have to wonder how they finish any projects if their gatherings are like the one we saw all the time, since the little knitting they did during it seemed to just be an excuse to play a drinking game with their wool). So, a good read, but not a fantastic one. Good enough that I want to continue the series though.

I finished my book called The Homecoming by Robyn Carr

Finished The Vanishing Stair and started The Hand on the Wall. I’m going to be sad when this series is over.

I finished my book called Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas

Finished The Hand on the Wall last night and absolutely loved it! Starting my re-read of CBB today.

This week was another busy reading week. Most of what I read were short books, which meant I ended up reading six books during the past week. So, here's what I read, along with my book reviews.

The Lords Of Terra
by L.J. Goulding
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I've been reluctant to read more of these books, since I found the ones I have read kind of dark. But I'm taking part in a reading challenge where the
whole point is to read something you've been reluctant to read, so read this anyway. As it happens, I'm glad I did, since I really enjoyed it. Yes, it's
dark - and quite gory in places, especially the third of the stories - but I still devoured all three stories in one sitting. A new favourite? Definitely
not. But I'm glad I read it.

The Case of the Mystery of the Bells: Davey & Derek Junior Detectives, Book 6
by Janice Spina
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was another great mystery by this author, which makes for a fun addition to this series, as well as an enjoyable read in its own right. The characters
are wonderful, and I'm enjoying watching them grow and learn, while the story - which is a fantastic combination of mystery and paranormal elements - unfolds.

Subject A36
by Teri Polen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was eagerly anticipating this book, having thoroughly enjoyed the author's previous books, and was a little worried my hopes for it were so high I'd
end up disappointed. I needn't have worried; I was not disappointed. This is a gripping read, with wonderful world building, a great cast of realistic
and relatable characters, and an action-packed plot full of surprises. It had me hooked from the start, and took me on an emotional rollercoaster throughout,
leaving me breathless at the end, but eager for another wild ride. The ending is tied up enough to leave a cliffhanger hater like me satisfied, while remaining
open enough that I'd have immediately reached for the next book had it been out and available to read, because I'm desperate to know what happens next.
*NOTE: I was given a free advanced copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This fact has in no way influenced either my opinion
of this book, or the contents of my review. All opinions given here are my own.

Life’s Rich Tapestry: Woven in Words
by Sally Cronin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an absolutely delightful collection of beautiful stories and poems, exploring a wide variety of genres and topics, and often featuring animals.
It's impossible to pick a favourite, because they're all so well told, and stir the emotions and senses in one way or another. I devoured the book in one
sitting, and would have gladly stayed up past bed time to continue had there been more of it to read. This is not the first book I have read by this author,
and it most definitely will not be the last either.
*NOTE: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This fact has in no way influenced either my opinion of this
book, or the contents of my review. All opinions given here are my own.

Topsy and Tim: The Complete Audio Collection
by Jean Adamson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a cute collection of stories, all of which are just as good as I remember from when I read them as a child.

Royal Blood
by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a great collection of tales, which are wonderful additions to the series, as well as being excellent stories in their own right. "TheWiddow" especially
was a fantastic story.

I finished my book called The Second Chance Cafe by Alison Kent

I finished my book called The Request by David Bell

I finished my book called Phantom Poetry by Kayla Lowe

This week is another where I read a lot of short books, so ended up reading several, with the result that I read six books this week. All by the same author too. Yes, really. Like I said, they were short ones, though most definitely not because they were children's stories, so please bear that in mind. Anyway, here's what I read, along with my book reviews.

Male Lovers of Silvery Earth Volume 3
by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I'm giving this the whole five stars, but my actual rating is 4.5 stars; I'm rounding up. Why? Because mostly the stories were fantastic, and in all cases the characters were interesting and the worldbuilding was wonderful, but I was a bit disappointed with the ending of "Princess Sapphire" which seemed to come too easily. Other than that though, this is another excellent collection of stories by this author, which are great additions to the overall series.

Relationships
by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a great collection of enjoyable and sweet stories.

Rogue
by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an excellent addition to this series, and it was great to get to learn more of Hal's story, while having more of the overall story filled in.

Mumbai Dreams
by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A sweet and enjoyable quick read.

Joint Operations
by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a fast-paced action-packed read, with great characters and an interesting plot.

More Fairy Tales Revisited on Silvery Earth
by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
These are really quite sweet fairy tale retellings. If you're a fan of m/m romance - or simply don't object to happily ever after not always being between people of different genders - and enjoy a good fairy tale retelling, you'll enjoy these stories.

I finished my book called Exit Strategy by Steve Hamilton

Started House of Salt and Sorrows. It’s giving me Jane Austen vibes with a hint of mystery. Also re-reading Order of the Phoenix.

Ohhhhh, I need to do a Harry Potter reread soon!!

I finished my book called Cover Shot by LynDee Walker

Finished a few days ago

Currently reading

I still need to read Hidden Figures!!

Karen’s Library wrote: "I still need to read Hidden Figures!!"

I thought it was kind of dry tbh

Finished House of Salt and Sorrows, which I absolutely loved! Started Scavenge the Stars, too early to tell whether I like it or not.

I finished my book called Front Page Fatality by LynDee Walker

This week I read two books. So, here's what I read, along with my book reviews.

The Poinciana Tree
by Rita Lee Chapman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was an enjoyable read. It’s well-written, has an intriguing plot, and contains a cast of interesting characters. However, while it was a wonderful
read in many ways, it didn’t grip me the way this author’s previous mysteries have. Maybe it’s just me, and has nothing to do with the book. I don’t know.
I mean, it was a great book, with plenty of twists in the plot, etc. But it didn’t grip me the way the author’s previous books have. I still thoroughly
enjoyed it though, and would still recommend it to mystery lovers.

Leith's Vegetarian Bible
by Polly Tyrer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was brought for me by a family member as a gift, and I'm glad it was, because it seems like an excellent book for a vegetarian - or even a vegan
- to have a copy of (I'm a vegan at this point, but was still vegetarian when the book was brought for me). I love how you get all kinds of information
on the vitamins and things you can find in various foods as well as the recipes. I'm no expert, but from what I've read elsewhere from those who are, it
seems like pretty reliable information. It's great that you get measurement conversions too. As for the recipes: well, I haven't tried any yet, but they
look amazing, and generally pretty straight-forward to follow. Plus, many seem to either already be vegan friendly, or could be easily adapted to become
vegan friendly, which I was glad to see. I only don't give it the full five stars because I think the way the recipes are organized is kind of weird (it's
done by main vegetable ingredient, rather than course) and also because I haven't actually tried the recipes yet, because I was so over-whelmed with the
number of choices that I never got around to picking one to try.

Ashley *Hufflepuff Kitten* wrote: "Karen’s Library wrote: "I still need to read Hidden Figures!!"

I thought it was kind of dry tbh"

Oh. Good to know!

I finished my book called The New Husband by D.J. Palmer

Set Scavenge the Stars aside for now, it wasn’t doing much for me. Started All the Stars and Teeth, which has had it’s moments but is kinda meh at times. Also reading Truthwitch, which I’m not sure about yet.

This week I read two amazing books. So, here's what I read, along with my book reviews.

Eradication
by Charles E. Yallowitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
OK, WOW! If it wasn't for my reading time being more limited this week, I could have totally read this book in one sitting! It's an amazing addition to
the series, which was a gripping read. It has an exciting plot, which alternates between being an action-packed thrill ride and an emotional rollercoaster,
with some delightful moments of comedy thrown in to give you a moment to catch your breath. The way these characters are evolving is wonderful, and I can't
wait to see what will happen next.

Grinders
by C.S. Boyack
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is another amazing book by this author. The characters are relatable and believable people, the plot is fantastic, and the worldbuilding is incredible.
It has an extremely satisfying ending too. Not to mention, it's an interesting glimpse in to possible future technological and scientific advances, as
well as being a subtle but powerful reminder of where we might be heading if we don't start making wiser choices and taking care of our planet. All those
elements, combined with the author's wonderful writing, make for an excellent read, which I have no hesitation at all in recommending.

You had a good week of reading, Victoria!!

I’m going through a slump I guess. I’ve picked up at least 8 books (audio, ebooks, print books) these last few days and nothing is grabbing me yet. 😕

I picked City of Bones back up because I felt bad for quitting when I found out about Clary and Jace. I finished it yesterday morning and ended up loving it, I’m going to buy the second one since the whole series is checked out at the library due to Chain of Gold coming out. Still reading All the Stars and Teeth, which is okay so far, very slow beginning.

I finished my book called Did You Miss Me? by Karen Rose

Finished Now I Rise on Sunday evening. This saga is fascinating. As much as I love the genderbent aspect which is Lada, I couldn't help but wonder about what it would be like as a regular historical fiction story - that is, if Vlad was male. To her credit, White doesn't shy away from tackling the siege of Constantinople in this book. Radu's POV was a little repetitive as a result, but never boring because he always had plenty to do.

Currently rereading Foundryside in anticipation of the sequel next month.

I finished my book called Fatal Jealousy: The True Story of a Doomed Romance, a Singular Obsession, and a Quadruple Murder by Colin McEvoy

Karen’s Library wrote: "You had a good week of reading, Victoria!!

I’m going through a slump I guess. I’ve picked up at least 8 books (audio, ebooks, print books) these last few days and nothing is grabbing me yet. 😕"

Yes, I had a really good reading week. The books I'm reading this week are fantastic too, though I'm not getting as much time to enjoy them as I'd like, since it's been one of those weeks... *sigh*

Hope something has grabbed you by this time.

Oh, and sorry for the slow reply.

I just have one review for you this week, and here it is:

The Animals of Farthing Wood
by Colin Dann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Having loved the animated TV series for this when I was younger, and also heard snippets of the story when my brother was listening to it on audio when
we were young, I was eager to actually read the whole book. I was not disappointed. It was just as good as I thought it would be; as good as the TV series,
if not better. Only the fact I limited myself to how many chapters I could read at a time before bed stopped me devouring the book in one go. I highly
recommend this book, and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

I finished my book called True Devotion by Dee Henderson