12 Letdowns From 2023 // Worst Books

- Bunny 8 Comments

Hi Friends,
Today I’m talking about my worst reads of 2023. Now this year, it is more disappointments than worst books, because 2023 was a fairly good reading year for me. I had mostly 3 and 4 stars, and I don’t consider a 3 star to be a bad book. So, with all that out of the way, let’s jump into my top 10 most disappointing reads of 2023.

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I thought that this was going to be such an interesting YA thriller, but it was fairly confusing. I am still not sure of the plot. The book was very weird, and the writing style wasn’t my favorite. And, for a thriller, it wasn’t necessarily a thrilling book. You see what I did there?

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Frankly this isn’t a huge disappointment since I didn’t really have high expectations going into this book. I hadn’t heard anything about it, but as someone that grew up watching ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’, I wanted to get similar vibes from the show. But, for a book based on Spike, the character wasn’t very reminiscent of his television counterpart.

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This book frustrated me to no end. Besides the writing, it has no redeeming qualities. I wouldn’t even call it a romance story. Well, it might be a romance, but a messy one (that isn’t exactly romantic). Also, anyone can see where the plot is going to go? The ending was crystal clear, making me wonder what the point to the story was. Needless to say, I wasn’t a fan.

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I wish that I loved more from this author, but I just can’t seem to enjoy much that I read from her. Although, I can’t seem to stop reading her books either. This plot was very generic, and I’m not a fan of books based on snobby rich kids. This is like Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars, which might appeal to some, but for me it didn’t work at all.

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I was so disappointed in this book, because I was hoping for a cute supernatural romance but it was very slow paced and cringy. The storyline wasn’t very engaging, and the characters barely had any chemistry.

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I have a love/hate relationship with the Disney Twisted Tales books, but this one was low on the totem pole for me. I didn’t get ‘The Little Mermaid’ vibes, and truthfully, I was barely making it through reading the book. It could be that the ‘What If’ storyline didn’t work for me this time around, but the story wasn’t captivating as other books in this series have been.

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In my opinion, this book was not good at all. It completely read like a middle grade, and the story was not compelling at all. I wasn’t a big fan of the characters or the supernatural elements. But the book cover was so pretty that I wished I liked the inside more.

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This book sounded so appealing, but it was a struggle to get through it. The magic aspect felt weird in the story, which isn’t good when it’s the basis for the plot. And, it’s never good when you have a dual timeline story but only one of the timelines is actually interesting.

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I don’t know if it’s the fact that adult are writing teenagers but the main character in this book was so unrelated and immature. The biggest problem with this book is that it was boring. I know that’s a bit harsh but I can honestly say that I was bored throughout the whole book. That’s not exactly the reading experience I was looking for.

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The main character drove me insane throughout the whole book. Also, I like books where things are actually happening. However, I wasn’t aware that this is a ‘Death On The Nile’ retelling, which I have heard struggles with a slow moving plot as well. Still, I cannot in good conscience recommend this book to anyone.

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I can’t believe that I even read this book considering I had such a distaste for the first book, ‘So, This Is Christmas,’ in this companion series. Hopefully, this will be the last book because I can’t get behind the characters, the romance or the writing. It feels like I’m reading about two middle schoolers. That’s all I’m going to say.

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I cannot begin to tell you how sad I am that this is most disappointing read of 2023. I am still a Holly Jackson fan, but this book was a major flop. It could be that she wrote it fairly quickly, but every part, from the plot to the character, was bad. I know that it might be for some people, but I am not one of those people.

In the comments, let me know what some of your disappointing reads for 2023. Remember that nobody’s reading experience is the same, so if you liked any of these books that is great! They did not work for me. Before you go, please follow my blog, so that it continues to grow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

January 2024 // To Be Read

- Bunny 3 Comments

Hi Friends,
I am going to be doing my first Bookopoly TBR ever! If you know me, then you know that I have had a lot of ups and downs when it comes to TBRs and sticking with them. I have gone back and forth on actually setting books I want to read for the month, since I am a mood reader. However, in 2024 I would like to try and stick to a TBR this year. So, I created my own digital Bookopoly board. Bookopoly is a TBR game created by Becca on YouTube, where you use a Monopoly board, but make the spaces bookish. I will post a picture of my board below, if you would like to use it for yourself. I decided to do 8 rolls but there is an add an extra roll spot and if I roll doubles I will have to add an extra roll as well.

My first roll was a 4 and 6 giving me a 10. I landed on the TBR steal space, which means is that I have to take a book from another creator ‘s January TBR. This was easy, because about half the bookish creators I watch have put ‘Powerless’ by Lauren Roberts on their TBR for the month. Although, it isn’t on my physical TBR, it is a 2023 fantasy release that I’ve been wanting to read.

Next I rolled a 4 and 4, giving me a 8, which is a scroll space. Not only does this mean I have to add a book, because I rolled doubles, but I don’t get control of what I read. The scroll spaces means that I have to scroll on Instagram (Bookstagram) until I see a photo containing a book that is on my physical TBR. I first came across a photo with the first book in ‘The School For Good and Evil’ series by Soman Chainani and ‘One Dark Window’ by Rachel Gillig, both I own and haven’t read. I decided to go with ‘One Dark Window,’ which is a popular gothic fantasy.

For my third roll, I got 4 and 5, giving me a 9! This was highest rated on GoodReads, which is ‘The Nightingale‘ by Kristin Hannah. I am super nervous because I am not the biggest historical fiction fan, but I guess we will see if Kristin Hannah lives up to the hype.

Then I rolled a 2 and a 3, so a 5, and I was excited because it was the favorite author space. One of my favorite authors that I discovered last year was Katee Robert. I decided to go with ‘Court of the Vampire Queen‘ because I am actually 30% into it already and loving it,

My next roll was a 6 and 3, giving me a 9, which was lowest rated. I decided to choose from my owned books only and the lowest rated book on my shelf according to Goodreads is ‘Even If We Break‘ By Marieke Nijkamp. This is a young adult thriller, and I am curious to see if I agree with the low rating.

For roll number 6, we got a 2 and 3, making a 5. This took us to the 1/2/3 Title spot. This means I put the numbers 1 to 3 in a random number generator and whichever I get, I need to find book which title is that many numbers long. I got the number 3, which is a 3 word title. I am choosing ‘First Lie Wins’ by Ashley Elston, because I was lucky enough to get the audiobook on Libby. I haven’t read anything from this author, but I’m excited to give them a shot.

Roll number 7 gave me doubles meaning we are doing 10 rolls. I got two 4’s, which make an 8. Luckily, the prompt is YA so it should be a relatively short read. I decided to pick ‘Eclipse’ by Stephenie Meyer because it is the next book in the ‘Twilight’ saga that I am on. I would love to get this series completed soon.

For roll number 8, I got a 2 and 6, giving me an 8. This is a Chance space, which essentially means I pull a random prompt from my prompt cup. I got a book by an LGTBQ+ author. I have gone with ‘Mistakes Were Made’ by Meryl Wilsner, which is a book I have been dying to read.

Next was roll number 9, I got a 2 and 3, giving me a 5. This brought me back to highest rated. The book that I got was ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I am not going to lie. I am so nervous about this book, and I hope it is worth the hype.

The final roll was not the last roll because I got doubles. So, roll number 10 gave me a one and a one making 2. The space I landed was dual POV, which is easy since a lot of books are dual POV’s. I didn’t think that I had enough romance on this list so I decided to pick ‘Icebreaker’ by Hannah Grace. I knew that this was a book I wanted to get to in winter, so I am excited to read it.

Finally, the last roll was a 3 and 1, giving me a 4. But, of course it was another Chance space. I got most recent purchase as my prompt, and that would have to be ‘The Stranger Upstairs’ by Lisa M. Matlin. This is a thriller, and totally giving me ‘The September House’ vibes.

Needless to say my first month playing Bookopoly was rough, but I am still very excited for the month ahead. Let me know in the comments what you plan on reading this month. Don’t forget to hit the follow button before you go.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Bookish, Blogging & More // 2024 Goals

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Hi Friends,
Happy New Year! The fact that it is 2024 is simply mind boggling, since I don’t think I have even fully processed 2020 yet. But, ready or not, a New Year is here, which means new goals. Or, as some call them, resolutions. Just like last year, I’m going to be sharing with you my bookish, blog, and personal goals for the year ahead.

Blog Goals
– Stay Consistent: I feel like this will always be a goal of mine. I want to continue to be consistent on my blog. Unfortunately, Bookmas (although wonderful) was a fail for me in 2023. So, I am hoping that I can keep posting regularly this year, and have a successful 2024 Bookmas.
– Don’t Compare: I think all content creators are guilty of comparing themselves to others. I would like to stop doing that, and focus on my content. Specifically, posting what I like to post. My blog has always been my own little corner of the internet, and I’d like to remind myself that everyone is different.
– Engage: It would be awesome if I could engage in the book community more. This is something that I started doing at the end of 2023, and I am so happy about that. I want to start commenting on Instagram and blog posts more often. It has been so much fun connecting with people in the bookish community. Hopefully, I can keep that up in 2024.

Bookish Goals
– Physical TBR: I have no idea the number of unread books I own, but it’s probably at least 100. This year, I would like to make an effort to read the books I own.
– Different Genres: I am always telling myself that I’m going to read books that are out of my comfort zone, and never do. So, something that I will be trying to do is reading books from all types of genres – including ones I don’t normally gravitate towards.
– Blacklist Books: I can be guilty of reading only new and popular titles so I am hoping that in 2024 I can make it the year of backlist books. Of course, I will read some new releases, but I have a lot of older books that I want to read this year as well.

Personal Goals
– Stress Less: This is way easier said than done. I am typically a ball of stress, even on anxiety medication, but I am going to try and be stress free in 2024.
– Baby E: In last years post I mentioned that I wanted to get pregnant. Well, we are going on trying for two years now with no success, but I truly believe that this will be our year!
– Travel: I would love to travel this year, since I did absolutely no traveling in 2023. I have some places that I would love to visit and cross off my bucket list.

In the comments, let me know some of your goals or resolutions for the New Year. And, one last thing. Like last year, my reading goal will be 100 books. If I hit it, that would be great! But if not, that’s fine too. Before you leave, ring in the New Year by following my blog!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Legend of the Christmas Witch // Mini Book Review

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About The Book
From Parks and Recreation star Aubrey Plaza and creative partner Dan Murphy comes the long lost tale of the Christmas Witch, Santa Claus’s much misunderstood twin sister. The perfect gift for the holiday season and beyond! Gather ‘round the fire to hear a Christmas legend that has never been told before…until now.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3trjgyl

My Rating

I picked up this book because the cover is simply stunning, and I thought that it would be a quick read that would get me in the holiday spirit. But this book is so much more than a short Christmas-y graphic novel.

It tells the tale of two twins, a boy and a girl, one who ends up becoming the holly jolly Santa Claus, and the other the Christmas witch. It is such a fun, unique story that I think anyone would be fascinated by.

“I’m going to ruin this Christmas holiday once and for all!”

The author really made the story come to life, and the artwork was stunning. It was so interesting to hear this tale of this Christmas Witch, and all she goes through over the course of the book. You can read this book cover to cover in one sitting, which is what I did.

Overall, this isn’t just a lighthearted Christmas story, but has a much deeper meaning. Simply because one is different and misunderstood doesn’t mean they have to hide from the world. Also, by the end of the book, the story felt so real it made me wonder if there is some truth to this Christmas witch legend.

In the comments, let me know if you have ever heard of the Christmas Witch. Don’t forget to follow the blog before you go, because your support really does mean a lot to me.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Winter Essentials // Book Tag

- Bunny 4 Comments

Hi Friends,
I feel like I have done so many tags this Bookmas. But does that mean I’m going to stop? Nope. Thus, on Bookmas, day 22, I am doing another winter inspired book tag. I saw someone do the ‘Winter Essentials’ book tag on YouTube and thought I should do it as well.

Hear me out, but Holly Chase from ‘The Afterlife of Holly Chase’ by Cynthia Hand isn’t the warmest character at first. This is a young adult retelling of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and let’s just say that Holly can be a real Scrooge. But, her ending character development was fantastic.

I had to think about this for a moment, but in the end I realized that ‘Legends and Lattes’ by Travis Baldree has such unique characters. I have never read a cozy fantasy before, let alone one that follows an orc. It is a great story, with a fun cast of characters.

Honestly, I think that the March family from ‘Little Women’ is amazing. I would love to spend the holidays with them and be one of the March girls. Although, their story is quite sad in some aspects, I still think that they are a wonderful fictional family.

This is easy. ‘Flight 171’ by Amy Christina Parker is simply mind boggling. No hate to you if you enjoyed this book, but I just thought it was so weird. By the end of the book I was left shocked as to what I had read. It’s an interesting story to say the least.

Well two of my sweet bookish friends gifted me books this year. Ashley from OfFictionandFantasy sent me ‘Flawless’ by Elsie Silver and Kathlin sent me ‘Starling House’ by Alix E. Harrow. I feel so blessed to get any gifts, and it was so kind of them both to send me a gift.

The biggest book I have ever read is ‘New Moon’ by Stephanie Meyer, which is the second book in the ‘Twilight’ saga. The book has a total of 563 pages. Personally, I think that is insane, since the plot wasn’t particularly all that fast moving or compelling.

I have no idea, because I try my hardest to keep my books in great condition. But, probably one of my editions of ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens. Sometimes my mom will find them secondhand and gift them to me, so the condition will vary.

I recently got ‘The Bodyguard’ by Katherine Center, which has a ton of colors on it. I am very excited to read this adult romance, and the cover screams spring time.

The first book that came to mind was ‘The Accident Season’ by Moïra Fowley-Doyle. This book was trying to do too much, and it didn’t work for me. There was magic, mystery, ghosts, and romance. The plot wasn’t fleshed out enough to make the story work.

I don’t feel like I can answer this question, because I have way too many favorite characters. However, I will say that one of my favorites is Blythe Hawthorne from the ‘Belladonna’ series, by Adalyn Grace. I was a big fan of hers in the first book, but I fell even more in love with her character in book two.

I don’t reread many books every year, but one that I always reread is ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens. I feel like a broken record since I have mentioned this book a lot, but it’s one of the only books that I reread every year.

Lastly, you can tag anyone to this post, so I want to tag all my fellow book lovers. You can leave your answers in the comments, or do this tag on your own bookish platform. Don’t forget to follow the blog, so that you never miss a post!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

24 In 2024 // To Be Read

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Hi Friends,
Today is Bookmas day 20, I am going to talk about 24 books that I hope to read in 2024. I did not want this list to be only new releases, so I think I have come up with a good mix of both newer and backlist books. There are many series on this list for some reason, but I am not mad about it.

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/48qfQL1

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In the comments, let me know if you have read any of the books. Also, I would love to know what is on your 2024 TBR. Remember to follow the blog because I will be sure to be reviewing each of these books once I read them.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Tis The Season For Revenge // Book Review

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About The Book
Abbie Keller thought that Richard Bartholemew Benson the Third would be her forever. So she does what every girl does when she’s broken up with: she calls her friends, gets drunk, dyes her hair, and formulates her plan for revenge. It just so happens that the universe supports her efforts and gives her the perfect match to prove to her ex that he made a huge mistake: his boss.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/48tEY3m

My Rating

If you’re looking for a bingeable, smutty holiday romance, then you will most likely enjoy this book. I found the book to be very easy to read, and the spicy scenes were done very well. I would give it a 3.5 spice rating. This isn’t a closed door romance at all.

In the book we follow Abbie, who gets dumped by her (jerk) boyfriend that bordered on emotional abuse. Drunkenly, she and her friends decide to create her a dating profile, but when she matches with he ex’s boss, Damien, she decides the sweetest revenge would be to date him.

Honestly, the book gave me Legally Blonde vibes and you could tell that Elle Wood’s was a big inspiration behind Abbie’s personality. It was interesting to see Abbie rediscover herself and take back her power. She let her ex take part of herself, so it was very different look at an abusive relationship.

“A relationship is like the law. It needs balance. If it’s out of balance, if one person sees themselves as less valuable, if another sees themselves as more valuable, the balance isn’t there.”

The romance was fantastic. It was an age gap romance, since Damien is much older than Abbie. And, it is clearly a ‘he falls first’ plot. I liked how they communicated a lot throughout the book, and talked about things such as kids and the future. For a plot that is pretty far fetched their relationship felt very realistic.

The thing I liked most was that the plot wasn’t drawn out, and the story moved at a good pace. The ending conflict was handled really well. I hate when adult romances have characters that act like they’re teenagers. But, I am happy to say, that wasn’t the case in this book.

Overall, this isn’t the most well written book, but I am excited to read more from this author. However, I do wish that we had gotten a longer epilogue, but that isn’t something I’m going to hold against the book. I do think that it makes for a fun holiday read for anyone who is looking for spice, rather than fluff.

In the comments, let me know if you have read this book. It would be amazing if you gave this post a like and share. And, follow the blog before you go.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Best Book Covers Of 2023

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi friends,
Happy Bookmas day 18. For today’s Bookmas post, I wanted to talk about my favorite book covers for 2023. I mentioned before that sometimes, like many readers, I can be a cover buyer. Therefore, at the end of the year, I always love showcasing some 2023 book releases with covers that absolutely captivate.

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/48m6aRF

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Leave a comment below if any of these books are on your TBR. Remember before you go, follow my blog so that you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

This Or That // Holiday Edition

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Hi Friends,
Today is Bookmas, day 17! I’m doing my own little version of a holiday ‘This or That’ tag. I found some holiday ‘This or That’ questions on Pinterest, and thought I’d turn it into a little tag. As you know, I love doing tag posts, whether they are bookish or not.

Build A Snowman or Make A Snow Angel
I’ve actually done both of these in my life, but I’m going to have to go with build a snowman. I think it’s way more fun and less risk of catching a cold than making a snow Angel.

Hot Chocolate or Apple Cider
This one is hard, because they are both so tasty. However, I have been loving hot chocolate this holiday season. It seems that in the winter time, my night isn’t complete without a warm cup of hot chocolate.

Gingerbread or Peppermint
Hear me out, I’m a peppermint girl, through and through, but during the holidays give me all the gingerbread flavored stuff. Thus, I’m saying gingerbread (but I still do love peppermint everything).

Skiing or Ice Skating
Unfortunately, I have never been skiing, but I would like to. I did take ice skating lessons for a short period of time when I was a teenager. Fun fact – one of my favorite movies use to be ‘Ice Princess’, so of course I’m going to have to say ice skating. For nostalgia.

Clear Lights or Colorful Lights
I love the look of clear lights, because they are very clean and simplistic. But, I think that colorful lights scream the holidays, which is why they would be my pick.

Cookie Decorating or Gingerbread House Making
Every year my family does a gingerbread house making competition, but we also make and decorate cookies. There are pros and cons to both, but despite the fact that you can’t eat a gingerbread house (I guess it depends on the freshness), I still would rather make one than decorate cookies. I know, I’m strange.

Heated Blanket or Cozy Fireplace
Unfortunately, I don’t have a fireplace in my house, but I use to in my first apartment. Although, I love a good heated blanket, nothing beat a fireplace. For me they are timeless, beautiful, and classy.

Home For The Holidays or Traveling
This one is hard, because I would give anything to spend the holidays in New York, or England. However, there is just something special about spending the holidays at home with family. So, traveling during the winter season, but I’d rather be home on the actual holiday.

Christmas Movies or Christmas Carols
This is probably one of the hardest questions, because I love them both. But, I’m truly a music lover. I am going to have to say Christmas carols. I could fall asleep listening to Silent Night, and be content.

Christmas or New Year
This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but as much as I love Christmas, I’m a New Year’s girl. My favorite day of the year is New Year’s Eve because you have a whole new year full of new possibilities to look forward to.

There you have my holiday ‘This or That’ tag. Feel free to do this on your own blog, and please let me know if you do. I would love to see all of your answers. As always, you can show your support for my blog by giving it a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Secret Santa // Book Review

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About The Book
Lussi must find the next horror superstar to compete with Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Peter Straub. It’s the ’80s, after all, and horror is the hottest genre. The Office meets Stephen King, dressed up in holiday tinsel, in this fun, festive, and frightening horror-comedy set during the horror publishing boom of the ’80s, by New York Times best-selling satirist Andrew Shaffer.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3NsoNLN

My Rating

If you love thriller and horror books, but still want a holiday read, then this is the perfect read for you. I loved the plot, characters, and how fast the book was paced. It is a good, short, palate-cleanser Christmas horror novel that is not too gory.

When I first read the synopsis, I was nervous that this book would be gruesome and cheesy. However, I was hooked on the first page, and found the writing to be really good. Who doesn’t love a good horror story set during the holidays? In particular, one that takes place in a publishing house.

The book was set in the 80’s, and we follow Lussi, who is tasked with finding the next big name in horror novels in her new publishing job. However, during the company’s annual Secret Santa, she receives a demonic doll. That is, when things start to get a little weird, accidents start happening to her coworkers.

“Authors are God’s neediest creatures, eclipsed only by actors and puppies.”

The 80’s vibes were on point, and I loved all the nods to horror as a growing genre in the book industry. This makes sense, considering that the book is set during the time when Stephen King and Anna Rice were becoming big name authors. It is a really fun read for a horror and thriller reader like myself.

This book is not a feel good Christmas story, and there are not many traditional holiday aspects to the narrative besides the Secret Santa plot. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it, and the storyline as a whole was intriguing. I liked Lussi as our main character because she was smart and did not ignore all the unusual things that were happening. I think her knowledge of horror novels and movies really helped her.

Overall, this is not a five-star read by any means, but it is a really good horror novella. I would recommend it if you are looking for a book to break up all the romance novels, you might be reading this time of year. I would categorize it as ‘Child’s Play’ meets ‘Rosemary’s Baby.’ For me, this was a one-sitting read, and the ending was fantastic.

In the comments, let me know some of your favorite horror holiday novellas, because now I want to read them all. Don’t forget that you can always like and share all of my posts, and give the blog a follow before you go, because it really does help me grow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny