2023

The January Book Tag // 2024

- Bunny 1 Comment

Hi Friends,
Today, I am doing ‘The January’ book tag, which I have done previously. This book tag helps you reflect on your last year’s reading and your reading plans for the year ahead. I am happy to continue my tradition of doing this tag every January.


Funny enough, I remember many, if not all, of my January reading in 2023. The book that I started the year reading was ‘Five Survive’ by Holly Jackson, who is the author of the ‘A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder‘ trilogy. For some reason, I could not remember the last book I read. Let me say that it was a crazy end of the year. After looking at my GoodReads I saw that my final read of 2023 was ‘Secret Santa’ by Andrew Shaffer, which is a short Christmas horror.
Related Post: Five Survive // Book Review
Related Post: Secret Santa // Book Review


In 2024, the first book I ended up finishing was actually one I started in 2023, which was ‘Lovelight Farms’ by B.K. Borison. I had initially DNFed the book but decided to go ahead and finish it on January 1st. I probably will not be posting my review until November or December of this year, but spoiler alert I was not a fan of it.


I have a whole post on my 2024 reading goals, but my top three are to read my owned TBR, read outside my comfort zone, and one that I did not mention in that post is to finish a few book series. I think that these goals are typical and that I can accomplish them.
Related Post: 2024 Anticipated Releases // January To June


Well, I just so happen to also have a post on my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2024. But, my three most anticipated releases for the entire year would have to be ‘Happily Never After’ by Lynn Painter (March 2024), ‘Wisteria’ by Adalyn Grace (August 2024) and ‘Spectacular’ by Stephanie Garber (October 2024). These are all favorite authors of mine, so naturally, I cannot wait to read their new releases.
Related Post: Belladonna // Book Review
Related Post: Caraval // Book Review


I reached my reading goal last year, which I believe is always an accomplishment. Unfortunately, I did not read much of my physical TBR. However, graphic novels were a pretty big part of my reading last year, and I do not normally read them, so I would call reading out of my comfort zone a success.


Honestly, the first book that came to mind was ‘House of Flame and Shadow’ by Sarah J. Maas (January 2024), which is the third book in her ‘Crescent City’ series. I have no desire to read the book, or anything else written by the author. Her books seem so long, and there are #7 or #8 books in some of her series. This is just too much for me. Needless to say, I will not pick this book up when it is released, and I am okay with that.


I am not sure if I have any reading habits or red flags so to speak that I would like to change this year. I know that is such a lame answer, and I think it’s one I have given in the past to this question. I try not to take reading too seriously because it is some I love to do and makes me happy.


I am not ashamed to admit that I do not keep up with book adaptations. So, I have no idea what is being adapted in 2024. Except for ‘It Ends With Us,’ which will star Blake Lively. However, I am not necessarily excited about that since I probably will not be watching it, because I have never read the book and do not plan to.


Probably joining Bookthreads! I have become so active there and Bookstagram. It has been so fun, and I am glad I discovered it last year. I hope to connect with more bookish people this year and do more buddy reading.


If you are talking about books, I started last year and still need to finish that would be ‘Furyborn’ by Claire Legrand and ‘Book Lovers’ by Emily Henry. But, if you mean 2023 releases I still need to read than the list is probably too long to mention.

Hope that you enjoyed this tag! If you have done it on your blog, let me know in the comments below, so that I can read your post. Feel free to leave a comment with your answers as well. Do not forget to share this post and follow the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

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

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.

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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

Best Book Covers Of 2023

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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

- Bunny Leave a comment

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

Book Wishlist // Christmas 2023

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Hi Friends,
Happy Bookmas, day 15! What is on my book wishlist? Thanks for asking. Okay, nobody asked, but I still love sharing some books that I would love to receive this Christmas. However, let me start by saying that I know I am lucky enough to get any books on Christmas. And also that gifts are not what the season is about, and I am so blessed to be able to buy books for myself throughout the year. However, I always have a few books I would love to receive. Therefore, please know that this wishlist is just for fun.

Sword Catcher: https://amzn.to/3RHrFXz
Starling House: https://amzn.to/4as5NqK
Brutal Prince: https://amzn.to/3TAwgvU
Flawless: https://amzn.to/41H8zV7
Mile High: https://amzn.to/482KVV8
Unfamiliar: https://amzn.to/3RsXVMD

I hope that you enjoyed this glimpse into my book wishlist. If you would like, you can view my full Amazon book wishlist. Before you go, hit the follow button, so that you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Gift Of A Book // Book Recommendations

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
On day 14 of Bookmas, I wanted to share book recommendations. However, these recommendations are more specific. I wanted to recommend books that I think would be a great gift for the readers of certain books. Essentially, if they like this book, they might enjoy this book. I hope that this makes some sense.


If they like the ‘Truly Devious’ series by Maureen Johnson then gift them ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ by Holly Jackson. These books fall under the YA mystery category but are slightly different. Although they both follow female main characters trying to solve mysteries, I do think that the GGGTM trilogy is a bit darker and, in my opinion, better. However, I think that they are similar enough that they would be a good gift idea for someone who has read and enjoyed the ‘Truly Devious’ books.
Related Post: A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder // Book Review


If they like ‘The Inheritance Games’ by Jennifer Lynn Barnes gift them ‘The Rosewood Hunt’ by Mackenzie Reed. Both books have to do with inheritance and a game of sorts to claim it. I think that both plots are full of twists and have to do with many characters working against each other for money. However, I am unsure if ‘The Rosewood Hunt’ contains any type of romance, and it is a standalone unlike ‘The Inheritance Games.’


If they like ‘The Hunger Games’ by Susan Collins gift them ‘All Of Us Villains’ by Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman. I’m not going to lie I didn’t like ‘All Of Us Villains’ but I have seen it compared to ‘The Hunger Games’ a lot. The main difference is that it follows multiple morally gray characters and has magical elements. However, I could see fan of ‘The Hunger Games’ series like the book and finding the difference interesting.
Related Post: All Of Us Villains // Book Review


If they like ‘Divergent’ by Veronica Roth gift them ‘Forth Wing’ by Rebecca Yarros. Honestly, these two books remind me of each other, but one of them contains dragons. But, the writing and main characters are very similar. I think that fans of young adult 2000s dystopian books like ‘Divergent’ would love the ‘Fourth Wing’ series. It would be a great gift for them and would probably give them reminders of their teenage years.
Related Post: Divergent // Book Review


If they like ‘If He Had Been With Me’ by Laura Nowlin gift them ‘All The Bright Places’ by Jennifer Niven. Both these books are about young love and are pretty sad stories. I know it is not customary to make someone cry during holidays, but I could see fans of one really liking the other. The main difference is that ‘All The Bright Places’ is a dual pov story that has mental health representation. However, the stories have very similar outcomes, yet they are completely different.
Related Post: If He Had Been With Me // Book Review
Related Post: All The Bright Places // Book Review

I hope that this post has given you some ideas about books to gift readers in your life. If you agree with these recommendations, let me know the comments. You can always follow the blog so that you are notified whenever there is a new post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Did Not Finish // My 2023 DNFs

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
I thought that for day 12 of Bookmas, it would be interesting to talk about the books that I had DNFed this year. I try not to DNF as much as possible, but as I read more, I learn about my book taste. I do not feel the need to push through a book I am not enjoying or that I can tell I am not going to like. This year, I DNFed ten books, which I think is the most I have in my years.


‘It Sounded Better In My Head’ by Nina Kenwood and ‘The Tenth Girl’ by Sara Farings were instant DNFs because I could tell that the plots were not for me. As for for, ‘The Headmasters List’ by Melissa de la Cruz, the storyline was too predictable. I am sad that ‘All I Want For Christmas’ by Maggie Knox is on this list, but I am not one for plots based around competition shows. And, ‘The Bandit Queens’ by Parini Shroff had a lot of triggering topics for me.


One of my biggest disappointments was ‘The Last Word’ by Taylor Adams. I got to 50% until I realized that I was not really enjoying the plot or writing. I soft DNFed ‘It’ by Stephen King mainly because the book was just way to slow moving and it is one of my favorite horror movies, so I think the story is just to ingrained in my brain. I barely made it through 30% of ‘The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic’ by Breanne Randall until I had to give up on it. The plot was way to slow moving, and I am not a second chance romance lover to begin with.

I was hesitant to DNF ‘Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other’ by Bethany Turner since it was an audiobook ARC I received via Netgalley, but the female main character was so unlikable that I did not see any chemistry between her and the love interest. My last DNF of the year was ‘Local Women Missing’ by Mary Kubica, which I have heard so many good things. However, child adduction and abuse in graphic detail are something I would prefer not to read.

These are all books I chose not to finish this year. I have stopped feeling guilty about DNFing because I’d rather read a 5 star than something I know will be a 2 star. In the comments, let me know the books that you did not finish. Do not forget to hit the follow button so that you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny