2/2 But it was that bad. Unforgivable. Cancelable (had the roles been reversed). But I do believe that unforgivable acts can be forgiven by real people in real relationships. I don‘t know. I do feel that in the best books characters are changed forever by the end. But—and maybe it‘s because I don‘t read enough romance—these characters went from very real to absolutely storybook. It wasn‘t to my taste.

1/2 I both enjoyed and hated this book in so many ways. Many reviews go both ways—5 or 1 star—all depending on how the reader experienced the one controversial scene. Like many of these readers, I despised the heroine for the act. And I despised the author for her careless handling of the aftermath. I even knew it was coming. I thought about quitting the book. But no. I enjoyed the silly banter and froth and thought it couldn‘t be that bad….

The first of what I assume will be many to-reads from abookowlscorner.com book blog. I‘m freaking out that she actually wrote me back to say she‘ll review Shadow Status! Meanwhile, I can‘t wait to dig into one of Naemi‘s elementary school favorites from 2014 Crossing Jordan. #chapterbooks #childrensbooks #middlegrade #kidlit

My love, my love / remember the cries / when winter died for springs skies. / They roared and roared / but we grabbed our seed / and sowed a song / against their greed.

🎧⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was heart wrenching and pulse pounding and I didn‘t want it to end. I want to write something that twists like this knife of a book. Kind of Hunger Games and Gladiator on Mars.

The song gets stuck in my head. 🎶

#sciencefiction #scifi #audiobook

🎧📚 How was this so cute?? Charming #hardscifi is not something you stumble on everyday. 100% recommend. So grateful for my writer friend Sarah who recommended this to me during our walk along Ebey‘s Landing on Whidbey Island last fall 🌊 #audiobooks #sciencefiction

Okay book, not mind blowing, not bad. It didn‘t make me feel anything, though, and that‘s what I go to books for. Maybe it was just me 🤷🏽‍♀️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ Excellent book although I didn‘t always like it and it is pretty slow at first. You have to want to read it. But it‘s worth it. Brutal book. Deep characterization. Fantastic world building. Harrowing imagery. Very much worth reading. Solid narrator. Listened at regular speed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Decent book. Worth reading. I enjoyed the audiobook narrators although I did have to listen on 1.3x speed. Some of the characters were a little one-note and I thought the plot was a little predictable. But I enjoyed the relationships and the different perspectives and trying to handle the baggage that is passed down through families.

Wow. I have a personal policy not to review books on goodreads unless I can give them 5 stars. But because Litsy still remains relatively isolated, I‘ll take out my frustration here. This book was horrible. I have no idea how this author won awards. It was cringy & cliched from start to finish—from word choice to dialogue to sentence structure. Plot was almost anti-creative. Paper-thin characters. Only because I‘m a completionist did I carry on.

This was a super cute book. I didn‘t want to put it down and I didn‘t want it to be over. You won‘t find anything really meaningful, but that‘s not why your want to read it. Pure silly, scrumptious escape. #yafantasy #fantasyreads

Are you book monogamous? This is my literal current read list right now. I don‘t mean TBR. I mean I‘m currently reading all these books 😂 How many of you are reading more than one book?

🙈🙈🙈

Finished Children of Time a while ago because I wasn‘t ready to just dive into Book 2. They take a certain disposition for me to read...Do you find that certain books need you to be a certain headspace?

#sciencefiction #scifi

I was not expecting that. First I thought we were gonna get a sexy urban fantasy with some serious world building and a little too much Danika this and Danika that plus cringy dialogue tags. Then there was...well, then there came the end of Part 1. Woah. Intense.

Starting Part 2. And back to sexy? Weird.

Enjoying so far, in spite of my complaints. 😉

Just started my first book by Sarah J Maas. 🙈

I loved this. Some people have claimed it‘s just a setup story and full of tropes, but I just adored it and Malcom and Alice and the resilient and trusty La Belle Sauvage. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#hisdarkmaterials #bookofdust #litsylistens #bookofdust

So I didn‘t expect a complete cliffhanger and tbh it was a little slow, but so rich and so relatable and so SAD and I still can‘t wait for the final! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#litsylistens #januaryreads #hisdarkmaterials

Despite a few gems, this book made me feel like when I‘ve dined at an expensive restaurant and eaten too much rich food. I wasted a lot of money for a stomach ache.
★
Don‘t get me started on the ending...what?? Really?? I‘m sorry, but I really didn‘t like this book. Everyone has their taste; some people will like a book, others will not. And it‘s okay to have an honest opinion. Right?

Just started this one. The prologue was awesome. Main character meh so far but I love the tempo of the writing. Can‘t put it down. Does anyone else really hate fake cursing lol “Sit yet tail down!” And “Oh, Crux!” It just sounds silly to me. #scifi #yascifi #yalit

I watched #TheWizardofOz in Technicolor every year at Easter. But when I was a kid, I must‘ve also read like 20 Oz books. Last night I spent a chunk of time down the Wikipedia rabbit hole last night trying to understand the Oz books copyright. Btw, if you donate at all, consider donating a coffee or two to Wikipedia.

And I finished Dorothy Must Die. Solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️ She did nail the creepy, though, gotta say. How many Oz books have you read? #yabooks

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD! No words. If you are a sci-fi lover, you‘ll enjoy this one. A treat! #litsyreads #scifi #sciencefiction #bookrecs #litsylistens

Grabbed this one when it came through a BookBub ad. Do you use BookBub? I enjoyed this book. I was confused for the first half, wondering when it would become paranormal. I hadn‘t read her other works, so I wasn‘t prepared for what happened halfway through. But my confusion didn‘t lessen my enjoyment. It‘s book candy. 🥰

Just started Shadowed Flame last night. A little slow so far and a bit weird, but the writing is solid and I love the cover and I‘m intrigued by the premise, so it‘s a go 🚦🚀

Have you read any indie authors lately? Any amazing indie books I should grab? #recommendations greatly appreciated 🙌🏽

#paranormal #urbanfantasy #indieauthors

Enjoyed! It was a little long and meandering and the ending was annoying but overall enjoyed and will probably eventually read #2.
#fantasy #sff #highfantasy

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I, erm, don‘t really read #zombiebooks. So take the fact that I read this whole thing and actually somewhat enjoyed it with a grain of salt. Lots of gore, gross, and hella action-packed and don‘t even get me started on the witty one-liners that were fun until there were just too many. But it wasn‘t really a #scarybook, which is surprising since, you know, #zombie apocalypse. But I never had the urge to put it down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ To me, just okay. I read through the whole thing voraciously and omg what a kick in the butt cliffhanger (not what I was expecting but not in a good way). The scenes were sometimes a little too chaotic — like the descriptions weren‘t enough to help me understand what was going on. And Nym was just...unrealistically angsty. I probably won‘t be picking up the next one. But if Book 2 landed in my lap, I‘d read it. Solid 3 stars for creativity.

Getting deep into this one ☝🏽⚡️

#litsyreads #fantasy #elementalmagic

Great idea, @JoScho!

❤️ Tucson, Arizona
🧡 33
💛 Writer, Climber, eLearning, Audiobook narrator
💚 Happily partnered
💙 She/her
💜 My pen name - River is part of my last name, Scott is my brother‘s middle name, and K is the middle initial of some of my favorite writers

Tagging my newest followers @Sace @Bianca @lesliemarie

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ So yeah, this book. 💛😈😂⭐️ Lots of things. I laughed out loud & snorted not a few times. It‘s about sex but also not. It‘s about friendship & being honest with yourself. Couldn‘t put it down. It was rocky at first when I actually got a little offended on behalf of some of the characters, but I think ultimately it‘s a really good read—well, go read it yourself 😝 and you can tell me what YOU think! 😇

#currentread #youngadultromance

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Just listened to this lovely book. Really fun. The ending was amazing. I loved the little bits of music performed throughout. Excellent narration. Definitely recommend! I gave it 5 🌟 on Audible because I‘m a notorious star upgrader. My true feelings can usually only be found here 😘😂 Have you read it? What did you think?
#litsylistens #audiobook #weekendreads #october

🐉 This ebook, packed with lovely little tales, warmed my heart 💜

It really is A Gift of Dragons — aptly named.

What are you reading that‘s making you smile?

#fantasy #ebooksonsale #booksanddragons

I‘m a longtime Pern lover, and the opener to this book only cemented my affection for the planet, its dragonriders, and those lovely, hungry, wonderful beasts — the dragons of Pern.

How is possible that despite tracking apps and calendars, I‘m still am not 💯 positive whenmy period is?? 🤦🏽‍♀️ Meanwhile, I'm weepy over here and over-emoting about this book (which I started reading in high school but never finished)—I‘m adoring the audio. And, if you're wondering, today is also a day for parentheticals and run-ons and for celebrating how really amazing it is that we're all alive.
#philosophy #audiobooks #litsylistens

😭I couldn‘t listen to the audiobook fast enough and it‘s gone back to the library 😢 #litsylistens

👻 Do you believe in ghosts? 🌙 I stayed up late to finish Some Can See. I liked it, if you're into paranormal mysteries with a dash horror and a good helping of characterization. It kind of reminded me of Anne Rice. However, I did have some trouble with the way it jumped chronologically, especially in the first half.

#paranormalmystery #asylum #ghoststories

🥀 Cliffhanger or no cliffhanger? What‘s your pref?

I cannot stress more that you should READ THIS BOOK 📚💖 I can‘t wait for the sequel!

They say if you want to make money on a book nowadays, write a series. Good advice?

#beautyandthebeast #fairytale #fantasy

Omg have you read this??? Go read it. Now. #yalit #contemporary #translit #romance

Well this is the slowest and yet the most delicious book I‘ve started reading in a long time. Wowzer. 😂😍 #horror #annerice

Impulse read. Was okay. I flew through it anyway. Easy read. So here‘s the real question: Do you have a system for your TBR stack? Like you‘re only allowed to read what‘s on top and new books go to the bottom? I used to be regimented that way but I cheat all the time now. Like what happens when a library book comes in?? It can‘t possibly go to the bottom—you‘d never get to it! 😂 #paranormal #romance

Have you read Caraval? Opulent, delicious, un-put-downable? To be fair, some of the characters could have been more deeply fleshed out, and perhaps that happens in the next book. I simply devoured this one. If you like stylized YA Fantasy with a good helping of magical romance (f/m), then this is not a book to be missed. 😘🌹

My friend gave me this book and a dozen roses for my birthday. It was her fave when she was a teenager. She was like, “It‘s super dated, so I can‘t tell you if it‘s *actually* any good, but I hope you like it.” 🌺 🎂 I‘m so excited to read!!

#vampires #fantasy #youngadult #urbanfantasy

Something strange happened. I went from not being able to read scary stuff AT ALL (like nightmares for months) to being able to stomach almost anything. Why, I wonder? What changes are you noticing in your tastes as a reader? Do your tastes ebb & flow? 📖🌊
————
📚 I‘m currently reading The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. It's pretty horrifying. But it's also gripping. Will let you know what I finally decide when I'm done. #fantasy #horror

This is a fast read with a great premise that fell a little flat. Of course, all books are worth reading by the right person, but I will say that it's an interesting twist on the old fairytale canon. If you like young adult fairytale retellings, then you might like this one. It‘s on the younger end of the spectrum. Definitely"clean" fantasy.

What about you? What's the last fairytale retelling you read?

#fairytaleretelling #fairytale

“The most important step a person can take is always the next one.”

✨📚🐾📚✨

A quote to live by — When I get too far down the rabbit hole of planning, when I'm paralyzed by the vast number of options, this quote holds true. Just take one step. Stop thinking, just do. What are you procrastinating doing because all your ducks aren't yet in a row? What's the most important step for you to take on your new project? (Hint: see above 😉) #fantasy

A great premise falls a bit flat for me re believability and character 3-dimensionality in Future Shock. Still a fun read. Like a bag of tasty potato chips. Ate them all in one sitting, then felt a little gross lol but would do it again. 😂 I...might not recommend this one unless you want something fast and brainless. Heck, we all need that sometimes. 🤷🏽‍♀️ So, if that's you—go for it!

📚 #yaromance #dystopian #yascifi #youngadultscifi

Just started this one. Sucked right in 🤩 #yalit #dystopian #youngadultfiction

Blessings to you. May you fail today. May your day be supernatural 💥 And may you also, just because it's nice once in a while, succeed. 😘

•📚*🌟*📚•

Book quote:

This is life. The longer you live, the more you fail. Failure is the mark of a life well lived. In turn, the only way to live without failure is to be of no use to anyone.

— Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

•📚*🌟*📚•

#stormlightarchives #fantasy #brandonsanderson

This book is well-loved by many and not at all by some—which reminds me how people told me how to dress ALL THE FREAKING TIME as a teen. Like every item I wore was up for discussion/criticism. Like maybe I *like* wearing bootie shorts, or a floral pattern tunic over striped leggings!😤

Point is, we have different tastes and that‘s not only okay but necessary for the survival of our species. 🔮🦎

#yafantasy #yabooks #shadowhunters➰