Mahkjchi's Not-So-Secret Books

Hello! February is here and it is getting colder out too. Below is my TBR for February…lately I have been letting my mood to select what I want to read. I am a burn out on YA Fantasy right now and I am trying to put more books into my TBR that I know I would like to read and not give up on the book.

I do have some e-ARCs that I will be reading this month for blog tours.

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda (TBR and Beyond Book Club Monthly Group Read)

The Vanished Bride (Bronte Sisters Mystery #1) by Bella Ellis

The Gilded Ones (Deathless #1) by Namina Forna (TBR and Beyond Tours Blog tour)

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

For February, I am going to be doing two reading challenges. With TBR and Beyond Book Club and Reading Rivalry.

TBR and Beyond Book Club monthly challenge is about finding your one true bookish love. It is like the Dating Game with 6 doors that hold bookish character. There is still time to sign up for the group and the game.

For the challenge I selected contestant #6.

Prompts for contestant #6:

Read a book with a murder or about a serial killer: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Read book with a supernatural element: Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan

Read a Historical Fiction: In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

Read book with a strong female character: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Hoping to get these books done before the end of February so I can move onto another prompt.

Reading Rivalry is a monthly theme reading challenge. This month theme is fantasy and I am in the The Kingdom of Grimdark.

For this challenge, I am going to use books from my TBR that I am reading this month.

What are you going to be reading for February? Are you doing any reading challenges?

Book Hauls, Monthly Wrap Up, Reviews

January 2021 – End of Month Reading & Book Haul

January 31, 2021January 27, 2021 jwills0829

Happy Belated New Year! I am back from taking a break before the New Year, I was going to post a wrap up for 2020 and 2021 goals but my grandmother passed the week of Christmas and I needed to take a break. But I am back and hoping to be more active with my blog this year compare to last year. I decided not to really setup many reading goals or blog goals for 2021 because I never met them but I am going to try to read 100 books this year for Goodreads challenge, I did go over the 50 books goal in 2020. I am hoping to at least get to 100 books and so far I am doing pretty good with reading.

January 2021 End of Month Reading

I read 5 books in January 2021, which is pretty good and if I can at least keep reading at least five books each month, I think I will be able to meet my 100 reading goal.

One by One by Ruth Ware: This book was for TBR and Beyond Book Club December group discussion that I was the lead for it. I was hoping that I would like this book because I do enjoy reading mystery/thriller books but I really didn’t like it. I would have DNF if I was leading the discussion for the group. I ended up staying up until 1:00 am just to get it finished because if I had put the book down, I wouldn’t have pick it back up. I know a lot of people enjoy her books but I don’t think her writing style is for me. Rating: 💙💙

The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson: The book is the 3rd book in the Truly Devious series and I really loved this book and series. I was introduce to the series by one of Admin/friend in TBR and Beyond Book Club (Samm) and the series doesn’t disappoint. If you enjoy YA Mystery books, then I would recommend picking up this series. It delivers on the mystery and the way Stevie (main character) solves both crimes in two different time period. I am looking forward to the next book in the series called The Box in the Woods coming out 25 May 2021. Rating: 💚💚💚💚💚

Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco: I finally decided to pick up the last book in Stalking Jack the Ripper series that follows Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell trying to solve crimes. The series is YA historical fiction and each book introduces true crime serial killers at that time in history. I was sad to see the series ended because I really do love Audrey Rose and Thomas and reading about their adventure. I hope that Kerri would some day revisit Audrey Rose and Thomas or gives us a book with Thomas’ sister and her lover (I think that would be an interesting book). Rating: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco: Other another Kerri’s book, this is her new series which is YA Historical Fiction about twin witches and the Princes of Hell. This book is for TBR & Beyond Book Club January Group Read. I really loved this book…I couldn’t put it down if it wasn’t for work I would have had read it in one sitting. The book starts out slow but it does pick up and it keeps going and guessing on who killed Emilia’s sister and the other witches. We get introduce to some of the Princes of Hell and Wrath is the one that Emilia summons to find out who murdered her sister.

You can see the chemistry between Emilia and Wrath even though both of them fight it tooth and nail. The other Princes were intriguing too but Wrath definitely keeps staying in your mind the whole time you are reading the book even when he is not in the scene.

Overall, I loved this first book in the series and I can’t wait for the second one, Kingdom of the Cursed comes out later this year. I need to know what happened with Emilia and Wrath. Rating: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado: I will be posting my review which is part of Hear Our Voices blog tour next week – come back to find out what I thought about the book.

So, those are the books I read in January. Notice that I only had one YA Fantasy book that I read, that is due to be being a little burn out with YA Fantasy books and I am trying to read more mystery/thriller and books with supernatural beings in them.

Book Haul

Here are the books I got in January.

What books did you read this month and which ones were your favorite reads? Brought any books this month?

Blog Tour, Reviews, TBR and Beyond Blog Tour

Blog Tour – The Bitterwine Oath by Hannah West (Review & Mood Board)

December 8, 2020 jwills0829

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Bitterwine Oath by Hannah West hosted by TBA and Beyond Tours. Thanks to TBR and Beyond Tours and publisher for the opportunity to the read. I didn’t know about this book until the tour sign up was sent out and I thought it would be a book I would like to read and I was definitely not wrong.

The Bitterwine Oath

By Hannah West

Published Date: December 1, 2020

Genre: Young Adult Mystery

Synopsis: Every fifty years, a cult claims twelve men to murder in a small Texas town. Can one girl end the cycle of violence – and save the boy who broke her heart?

San Solano, Texas is a quaint town known for its charm, hospitality, and history of murder. Twice now, twelve men have been brutally killed, and no one knows who did it. A shadowy witch? A copy-cat killer? Or a man-hating murderess? Eighteen-year-old Natalie Colter is sure that the rumors about her great-great-grandmother’s cult of wronged women are just gossip, but that doesn’t stop the true crime writers and dark tourism bloggers from capitalizing on the town’s reputation. It’s an urban legend that’s hard to ignore, and it gets harder when Nat learns that the sisterhood is real, and magical. And they want her to join.

The more Nat learns of the Wardens’ supernatural history, the more she wonders about the real culprits behind the town’s ritualistic murders. Are the Wardens protecting San Solano from even darker forces? As the anniversary of the murders draws near, the town grows restless. Residents start getting “claimed” as this year’s planned victims, including Levi Langford, the boy whose kiss haunted Nat for a year.

Nat knows that no one is safe. Can she and the sisterhood stop the true evil from claiming their town?

Hannah West is the author of young adult books including The Nissera Chronicles series and The Bitterwine Oath. She’s been writing fantasy since kindergarten, when she penned her first tale about a princess who ran away and lived at the top of a flagpole with two loaves of bread. But it wasn’t until she studied abroad in Orléans, France during college that the premise for her first novel materialized. The fairy tale castles, the snowy winter days, and a Disney princess pencil that arrived in a care package from her parents provided the inspiration that allowed her to wrangle all her untold and unfinished stories into a novel.

Hannah currently lives in the Dallas area with her husband and their two rambunctious rescue dogs.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Rating: 💜💜💜💜

The story started out at a slow pace in the beginning of the book but then it pick up speed after 100 pages. The slow paced didn’t bother me because West took time with introducing the characters and background between the two events that happen in different times that help understand what was happened.

The main character Natalie is learning about how her great-great grandmother is connected to murders that happened 100 years ago and trying to find out what and why the murders are happening again to find a way to stop them.

I really like this book especially the way West execution the world building with different genres mix together in the story where you get paranormal (ghosts), witches and horror in one story was done well. She created characters that you wanted to know more about and trying to figure out what they were hiding. The magic system and emphasis on the female friendship was done really well and how important the friendship were for the community.

Overall, it was good book to read and the way it ended makes me think that we might get another book to find out what is going on with Natalie and the small town of San Solano, TX.

Mood Board

Checkout the rest of tour.

Tour Schedule

Monthly TBR, Reading Rivlary, TBR and Beyond Book Club

December 2020 TBR

December 4, 2020 jwills0829

Welcome to December! This year has gone fast and not the best year either, looking forward to 2021 and hoping it will be a better one. I am hoping that I will get a lot of reading done this month since we will not be travelling for the holiday.

The books I selected for my TBR this month are going to used for two monthly reading challenge this month. The two challenges are TBR and Beyond Book Club’s Do You Want to Build a Snowman Reading Challenge and Reading Rivalry monthly reading challenge which Harry Potter’s Hogwarts House theme. I only have two more books to read to reach my Goodreads reading goal.

Here are the books that I am planning to read this month, these might change depending on my mood.

What is everyone planning to read this month?

Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday!

Cover Reveal, TBR and Beyond Blog Tour

Cover Reveal- Hunt (North #3) by Alexandria Warwick

December 3, 2020 jwills0829

Welcome to my spot on the cover reveal for Hunt (North #3) by Alexandria Warwick hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours.

Hunt (North #3)

by Alexandria Warwick

Publishing Date: Fall 2021

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Synopsis:

Deep within the frozen tundra, darkness is stirring. Nanuq, master of all polar bears, seeks a terrifying power that would grant him control over all who inhabit the North – both animal and man. Slowly, he builds his forces. Slowly, he moves his pawns.

Salvation lies with young Apaay. After being separated from her family, she finds herself deep in enemy territory, navigating a world of violence and cunning. But her quest for truth is only the beginning. The path laid before her will test her loyalties, beliefs, and even her own identity. For if Apaay is to live in a free world, she must embrace a destiny greater than anything she has ever known.

In this breathtaking third installment of the North series, Apaay discovers just how far she’ll go to protect those she loves, and to claim her place in a changing world.

In second grade Alexandria started a book writing club with her two friends where they made homemade t-shirts and published (i.e. stapled together) two books about camping our and throwing rocks at some boys when they stole their swings on the playground. The books were “gripping”, “earth-shattering,” and “like nothing you’ve seen before.” Said my parents.

She has never outgrown her love of crafting stories. In addition to writing, she is a classically-trained violinist. She also dabbles in watercolors from time to time. She feels most free when she is creating, it’s safe to say.

Monthly Wrap Up

November 2020 Wrap Up

December 2, 2020 jwills0829

Hi Everyone! It is the end of November! Hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a good one and safe one too. This month I read 6 books, not as many I was hoping to get read but it is still not bad. I am almost close to reaching my Goodread Reading Challenge goal, just have two more books to reach it which will get done in December and I might be able to go the goal number by the end of December.

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson: Second book in the Truly Devious series. the book left off with Stevie being sent home after the incidents at the school but then she returns with the help of a man she dislikes, Edward King convinces her parents that it is safe for her to return to the school but there is catch for his help. She will need to keep being friends with David and keep him from trouble. Of course there is still crimes from the present and past that need to be solve and Stevie is all willing to do so.

I really like this book, lately I have been burned out on fantasy and I decided to go back to reading mystery/thrillers again. This was perfect start of getting back into reading them again. I am definitely reading the next one in December. Rating: 💜💜💜💜💜

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin: ***TW: sexual assault, rape, victimization*** On her way to cover trial in North Carolina for Rachell Krall’s true crime podcast, the trial she is covering is trial of college swimmer accused of raping a 16-year-old girl. While on the road to the trial, Rachel is left a message on her dashboard asking her to look into possible murder that happened 25 years ago to girl named Jenny. The person that left the note is Jenny’s sister Hannah who wants and needs answers on what happened to her. Instead of Rachel covering the present case, she ends up looking into the past case.

This is the first book I have read from Goldin, the book was one of TBR and Beyond Book Club Group reads for November. This book is pretty dark and it has a very a strong message on how society perceived and treat victims of rape. I enjoy the book even though there were times I felt like I couldn’t get through it. I really enjoy the way the podcast was included in the book and I also listen to the audiobook. The audiobook made you feel like you were really listening to a true crime podcast. I am hoping we will get more story with Rachel and her podcast in the future. Rating: 💜💜💜💜

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James: This was another group reads for TBR and Beyond Book Club. This is the first time that I read a book from St. James but I was looking forward to it because I heard a lot about it. It definitely didn’t disappoint, it is a creepy, spooky thriller. I really enjoy it a lot and I didn’t mind the back and forth of the timeline. Rating: 💜💜💜💜💜

The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White: Find my review and rating, posted here.

Born at Dawn by Christina Davis: Find my review post and rating, posted here.

Lie Like Poison by Chelsea Pitcher: Find my review post and rating, posted here.

I did enjoy this months books…next month I am hoping to top my read count (hopefully).

How did you all end your November month? Did you have a good month of reading?

Blog Tour, New Releases, Reviews, TBR and Beyond Blog Tour

Blog Tour – The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White (Review & Giveaway)

November 14, 2020November 14, 2020 jwills0829

Welcome to my stop in the blog tour for The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. I was excited to be able to participate in the blog tour for the second book Camelot Risings.

The Camelot Betrayal (Camelot Rising #2) by Kiersten White

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publishing Date: November 10, 2020

Synopsis:

The second book in a new fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White, exploring the nature of self, the inevitable cost of progress, and, of course, magic and romance and betrayal so epic Queen Guinevere remains the most famous queen who never lived.

EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE IN CAMELOT: King Arthur is expanding his kingdom’s influence with Queen Guinevere at his side. Yet every night, dreams of darkness and unknowable power plague her.

Guinevere might have accepted her role, but she still cannot find a place for herself in all of it. The closer she gets to Brangien, pining for her lost love Isolde, Lancelot, fighting to prove her worth as Queen’s knight, and Arthur, everything to everyone and thus never quite enough for Guinevere–the more she realizes how empty she is. She has no sense of who she truly was before she was Guinevere. The more she tries to claim herself as queen, the more she wonders if Mordred was right: she doesn’t belong. She never will.

When a rescue goes awry and results in the death of something precious, a devastated Guinevere returns to Camelot to find the greatest threat yet has arrived. Not in the form of the Dark Queen or an invading army, but in the form of the real Guinevere’s younger sister. Is her deception at an end? And who is she really deceiving–Camelot, or herself?

Kiersten White is the New York Times bestselling and Bram Stoker award-winning author of the And I Darken trilogy, the Paranormalcy trilogy, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, Slayer, The Guinevere Deception, and many other novels. Kiersten lives with her family in sunny San Diego, California, where she perpetually lurks in the shadows.

Find her here: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook

I am a fan of the story of Camelot so when Kiersten White came out with The Guinevere Deception I was excited to see how she brings this legendary story to life. She did a great job with the first book and this second one.

I like that Sir Lancelot was change from being male to female because it gave the relationship between Guinevere and Lancelot stronger with their friendship and loce between them even though it is forbidden.

But I am still not sure about her ans Arthur’s relationship because I am not sure how I feel about Arthur. He just doesn’t give me the wow feeling like Lancelot and Mordred does. I am conflicted with my feelings about Lancelot and Mordred because I like him too. I think he genuinely loves Guinevere and is respectful of her wishes so I am hoping that I don’t hate him in the next book.

In this book we get the answers from the cliffhanger from the first book and we get to know more about who Guinevere is. Also, we see her grow slowly in this book even though she still trying learn more and be less naive about what is going on. Hopefully her growth continues in the next book.

Overall, I really love this book and can’t wait for the next book to answer another cliffhanger from this book.

Rating: 👸👸👸👸👸

Tour Schedule

Giveaway (US Only):

Finished copy of The Camelot Betrayal. The giveaway ends on November 16th. Enter it here.

Blog Tour, Favorite Quotes, Reviews, TBR and Beyond Blog Tour

Blog Tour – Born at Dawn by Christina Davis (Review & Favorite Quotes)

November 10, 2020November 10, 2020 jwills0829

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Born at Dawn by Christina Davis hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. I am happy that I was chosen to do the tour because I was looking forward to reading the book.

Born at Dawn

By Christina Davis

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publishing Date: November 15, 2020

Synopsis: When a heist goes terribly wrong and the binding spell holding 17-year-old Neva’s powers at bay is shattered, the half-human thief knows she’s in trouble.

Neva has always hidden her Da’Valian heritage while working risky jobs to make a name for herself and serving at her family’s tavern, but she won’t be able to hide much longer. She can either risk the safety of those she cares about or seek out her mother’s people to gain control over her emerging powers.

The Da’Valia are beautiful, brutal creatures created by the god or war, and the austere Da’ Valian soldier Astiand reluctantly agrees to take Neva to his clan under his protection. She makes unexpected friends, including the handsome fighter Emiliand, and a new enemy in the clan’s ruthless leader.

Spying on her guardian, the sly heroine quickly discovers just how deep she has stumbled into a dangerous, developing clan feud.

Will she be able to embrace who she is in time to keep her loved ones safe?

Find the book here: Amazon | Goodreads

Christina Davis was raised in the Santa Cruz Mountains and is a California girl at heart. She spent much of her childhood in and out of hospitals and embraced reading as an escape. After being home-schooled through high school, she graduated summa cum laude from San Jose State University and attended NYU’s Summer Publishing Institute before embarking on a decade-long career in journalism. She enjoys chocolate, cosplay, coffee, and board games, but not necessarily in that order. She now lives in beautiful Monterey County with her husband and daughter.

Find her here: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

I enjoyed reading Born at Dawn, it is good YA fantasy. The has a magic system that is really good and the author done a good job with explaining it. It also has romance if you love triangles than you would definitely enjoy the ones in the book. I don’t mind having romance in fantasy but I am not a fan of a lot of it in the story, I think it takes away from the main focus of the story.

The author did a great with giving the backstory of the characters especially Neva, I enjoyed reading and learning about her and understanding about her more. The world building was done really well and enjoy how it was written.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and definitely looking forward to the next book to find out what happens next with Neva.

Rating: 💜💜💜💜

“The magic rebelled upon being forced back into the goblet, sending out a shock wave.”

“You are strong, powerful, and dangerous.”

“Something with the strength straight from the gods.”

Checking out the rest of the tour for Born at Dawn here:

Tour Schedule

Blog Tour, Reviews

Blog Tour – Lies Like Poison by Chelsea Pitcher (Review)

November 7, 2020November 8, 2020 jwills0829

Welcome to my blog stop for Lies Like Posion by Chelsea Pitcher hosted by The Book Terminal Tours.

Lies Like Poison

By Chelsea Pitcher

Expected publication: November 10, 2020

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

ISBN – 1534470956

Synopsis: Poppy, Lily, and Belladonna would do anything to protect their best friend, Raven. So when they discovered he was suffering abuse at the hands of his stepmother, they came up with a lethal plan: petals of poppy, belladonna, and lily in her evening tea so she’d never be able to hurt Raven again. But someone got cold feet, the plot faded to a secret of the past, and the group fell apart.

Three years later, on the eve of Raven’s seventeenth birthday, his stepmother turns up dead. But it’s only belladonna found in her tea, it’s only Belladonna who’s carted off to jail. Desperate for help, Belle reaches out to her estranged friends to prove her innocence. They answer the call, but no one is prepared for what comes next.

Now, everyone has something to lose and something equally dangerous to hide. And when the tangled web of secrets and betrayal is finally unwound, what lies at its heart will change the group forever.

Find the book here: Goodreads | Amazon | Indie Bound | Barnes & Noble

Chelsea Pitcher is a karaoke-singing, ocean-worshipping Oregonian with a penchant for twisty mysteries. She is the author of THE S-WORD, THE LAST CHANGELING & THE LAST FAERIE QUEEN.

Find her here: Website | Twitter | Instagram

I want to thank NetGalley and The Book Terminal Tours the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really like this book, I am a big fan of thriller/mystery books and I have been trying to find more YA books in the genre and Lies Like Poison hit the mark. The story is based on the mystery of who murdered and four best friend trying to help their friend who is being accused of committing the murdered. This book not is a mystery book, but deals with mental health and queer characters which you see them overcome what everyone else in their town and life expects them to be. What I like the most was that the author gave each of them a chance to tell their story in the book. It wasn’t just stated that they were queer but gave us a information on each one of them.

In the beginning of the book, you do question who actually killed the stepmother because everyone have different stories on where they were and the truth. The story had a lot of twist and turns which kept you reading on finding out who killed the stepmother. I was totally shocked on who actually did the murdered and it wasn’t who I thought it would be.

If you are looking for a YA thriller/mystery book with LBGTQ representation then I would definitely recommend this book.

Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Please check out the rest of the tour for Lies Like Poison here:

Tour Schedule

Monthly TBR, TBR and Beyond Book Club

November 2020 TBR & Book Challenge

October 31, 2020October 30, 2020 jwills0829

Hello! November is here and it is getting colder and yucky in Ohio right now. My TBR for this month will have a lot of thrillers, mystery and historical fiction books in them. I am doing only one reading challenge. I am doing TBR and Beyond Book Club’s Crime Detective Agency Reading Challenge. It is a follow those clues to solve a murder that we match books with the clues that are given. It sounds like a lot of fun and I do love murder, mystery books.

Here is the TBR and Beyond Book Club’s reading challenge. We have 11 clues to solve the murder.

Also the November group reads for TBR and Beyond Book Club can be used for some of the clues. I am hosting The Night Swim by Megan Goldin in the group and I am going to be reading the other two. This month group reads are:

My November TBR are below but I might have some changes to them. It depends on my mood at the time but I am going to try to stick with them for the challenge. I do have some books this month that I have to read for blog tours.

What are your TBR for November? Are you doing any reading challenges?