Bookmas

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

- Bunny Leave a comment

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

Tis The Season For Revenge // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

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

- 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

- Bunny Leave a comment

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

Season Of Giving // Holiday Giveaway

- Bunny Leave a comment


Hi Friends,
It is Bookmas, day 13! In honor of the holiday season, I want to give back to my readers. I have a post pinned on my Bookstagram (Instagram) that has details for a fun holiday Book Fairy giveaway! I will be gifting a book to one of my lovely followers. All the rules are on that Instagram post.

It isn’t mandatory that you follow the blog, but it would mean the world to me if you did, before you go! For me, this time of year is more about giving then getting. So, I hope that if you can, you will enter the giveaway.

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