Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: November 2024

December 3, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

BEST MONTH OF THE YEAR!

Favorite books this month:

Perfect Distraction
Pictures of You
Lost and Lassoed
The Muse of Maiden Lane
If It Makes You Happy
Five Stolen Rings
Broken Harbor
The Road of Bones
The Shadowed Land
A Reign of Rose
Brielle and Bear
The Myths of Ophelia
Yuletide Bride
Not in My Book
Oathbringer
Izzy and Her Off-Limits Love

Least favorites:

Merry Ever After

Perfect Distraction by Allison Ashley
The Quit List by Katie Bailey
[ARC] Pictures of You by Emma Grey
Lost and Lassoed (Rebel Blue Ranch #3) by Lyla Sage
Never Forgotten by Hannah Linder
[ARC] The Muse of Maiden Lane (Belles of London #4) by Mimi Matthews
Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore
If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
The Temptation of Magic (Empyreal #1) by Megan Scott
[ARC] Five Stolen Rings by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
Bane of Asgard (Runestone Saga #2) by Cinda Williams Chima
Creatures of Chaos (Creatures of Chaos #1) by Julie Hall
[ARC] Broken Harbor (Sparrow Falls #3) by Catherine Cowles
[Novella] A Royal Possibility (Royal Hearts #4.5) by Amanda Schimmoeller
The Blood Orchid (The Scarlet Alchemist #2) by Kylie Lee Baker
[Novella] Cruel Winter with You (Under the Mistletoe #1) by Ali Hazelwood
[Novella] Merry Ever After (Under the Mistletoe #2) by Tessa Bailey
[Novella] All by My Elf (Under the Mistletoe #3) by Tessa Bailey
[Novella] Merriment and Mayhem (Under the Mistletoe #4) by Alexandria Bellefleur
[Novella] Only Santas in the Building (Under the Mistletoe #5) by Alexis Daria
Saved by Noel by Tracy Baack
The Road of Bones (The Ashen #1) by Demi Winters
[ARC] The Shadowed Land (The Lost Queen #3) by Signe Pike
A Reign of Rose (The Sacred Stones Trilogy #3) by Kate Golden
[ARC] Brielle and Bear (Once Upon a Time Vol. 1) by Salomey Doku
[ARC] The Myths of Ophelia (The Curse of Ophelia #4) by Nicole Platania
The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong
Wreck My Plans by Jillian Meadows
Christmas With a Crank by Courtney Walsh
The Shadows Rule All (Dominions #3) by Abigail Owen
Yuletide Bride (Regency Christmas Brides) by Kasey Stockton
[ARC] Not in My Book by Katie Holt
[Novella] The Best You’ve Ever Had by Amelia Chasen
[Reread] Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archives #3) by Brandon Sanderson
[ARC] The Seaside Homecoming (On Devonshire Shores #3) by Julie Klassen
Fledgling by S.K. Ali
Heist Royale (Thieves’ Gambit #2) by Kayvion Lewis
[ARC] Izzy and Her Off-Limits Love (Oakley Island #3.5) by Jenny Proctor and Emma St. Clair
Where the Library Hides (Secrets of the Nile #2) by Isabel Ibanez
Only in Your Dreams (The Mountains are Calling #2) by Madison Wright
The Songbird and the Heart of Stone (Crowns of Nyaxia #3) by Carissa Broadbent

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: October 2024

November 1, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

I just want cooler weather.

Favorites this month:

Silver and Bone
Goodbye Again
Holiday Tides
Across the Ages
The Twisted Throne
A Tale Told by Traitors
Home Run Heart
A Queen of Ice

Least favorites

Kiss Me at Christmas
Blood of the Sands
All I Want Is You

[ARC] The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke
[ARC/ALC] The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan
[ARC] Silver and Bone (Silver and Bone #1) by Claudia Cain
A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur
The House at Watch Hill (Watch Hill Trilogy #1) by Karen Marie Moning
Goodbye Again by Caitlin Moss
[ARC/Novella] Holiday Tides (A Wilks Beach Holiday Novella) by Laura Langa
[ARC] The Gentleman’s Confession (Matchmaking Mamas #3) by Anneka R. Walker
The Dagger and the Flame (The City of Fantome #1) by Catherine Doyle
Vilest Things (Flesh and False Gods #2) by Chloe Gong
Across the Ages (Timeless #4) by Gabrielle Meyer
One on One by Jamie Harrow
Tell Me You Love Me (The Boys of Riverside #4) by Gracie Graham
The Twisted Throne (The Bridge Kingdom #5) by Danielle L. Jensen
The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
[Novella] Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood
[ARC] A Tale Told by Traitors (Tales of Wonder and Woe #2) by R. Dugan
[ARC] Home Run Heart (Kitt’s Harbor #2) by Hailey Gardiner
For She is Wrath by Emily Varga
We Three Kings by Kristen Bailey
Kiss Me at Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
Blood of the Sands (The Ballan Desert #1) by S.C. Grayson
The Secret of the Book Keeper (The Secret of the Book Keeper #1) by J.A. Hemingway
Miss Adeline’s Match by Joanna Barker
Wanted: A Roommate Who Isn’t Evil (High Court of the Coffee Bean #3) by Jennifer Kropf
All I Want Is You by Falon Ballard
Season’s Schemings (Cyclones Christmas #2) by Katie Bailey
Fighting for You (Veterans of Silver Ridge #4) by Claire Cain
[ARC] Spectacular (Caraval #3.5) by Stephanie Garber
Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo
Not a Thing (Seddledown #2) by Susan Henshaw
The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain
[ARC] A Queen of Ice (A Trial of Sorcerers #5) by Elise Kova
Inheritance of Scars by Crystal Seitz

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: September 2024

October 1, 2024 GoodeyReads2 Comments

How did September get here???
I made it another month without having any books in the under three star (or least favorite) category and had plenty of great books to choose from!

Favorites this month:

Sunday Supper
The Key to Deceit
Heir
Words of Radiance (reread)
Guy’s Girl
Playing it Safe
It’s Always Us
The Christmas You Found Me
A Sky Full of Dragons
An Academy for Liars
An Improper Proposal
Locked in Pursuit
The Games Gods Play

Least favorites:

NONE!

[ARC] Sunday Supper by K. Sinko
The Girl with No Reflection by Keshe Chow
[ARC] Phantasma (Wicked Games #1) by Kaylie Smith
The Key To Deceit (Electra McDonnell #2) by Ashley Weaver
Little Monsters by Kara Thomas
The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas
The Champions by Kara Thomas
[ARC] Heir (Heir Duology #1) by Sabaa Tahir
All out of Love (Boys of Riverside #3) by Gracie Graham
[ARC] The Scarlet Throne (The False Goddess #1) by Amy Leow
[ARC] Of Gold and Shadows by Michelle Griep
[Reread] Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archives #2) by Brandon Sanderson
[ARC] Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood
Guy’s Girl by Emma Noyes
Playing it Safe (Electra McDonnell #3) by Ashley Weaver
[ARC] It’s Always Us (The Abandoned Brothers #3) by Stacy Williams
Loyally, Luke (Skymar #3) by Pepper Basham
[ALC] The Christmas You Found Me (Heart of the Wilderness #1) by Sarah Morgenthaler
Cole and Laila are Just Friends by Bethany Turner
A Dawn with the Wolf Knight (Married to Magic #5) by Elise Kova
[ALC] A Sky Full of Dragons (The Wand Keepers #1) by Tiffany McDaniel
[ARC] A Queen’s Game (A Queen’s Game #1) by Katharine McGee
An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
An Improper Proposal (Improper Agreements #4) by Audra Wells
The Shadow of the Gods (Bloodsworn Saga #1) by John Gwynne
Locked in Pursuit (Electra McDonnell #4) by Ashley Weaver
A Royal Promise (Royal Hearts #4) by Amanda Schimmoeller
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Canas
On a Flight to Sydney (Love Along the Way #1) by J.A. Forde
The Cheerleaders (The Cheerleaders #1) by Kara Thomas
One Last Thing (The Seddledowne #1) by Susan Henshaw
The Games Gods Play (The Crucible #1) by Abigail Owen
Unbearably Yours (It’s Always Been You #3) by Elodie Colliard
[ARC/ALC] The Courting of Bristol Keats (The Courting of Bristol Keats #1) by Mary E. Pearson
The Heart of the World (The Isles of the Gods #2) by Amie Kaufman
[ARC] Across the Star Kissed Sea by Arlem Hawks

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ARC Book Review: The Scarlet Throne (The False Goddess #1) by Amy Leow

September 10, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 432 pages
Author: Amy Leow
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: September 10th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A dark, heart-thumping political epic fantasy by debut author Amy Leow—full of scheming demons, morally grey heroines, talking cats, and cut-throat priests, this delicious tale of power and corruption will captivate from beginning to end.

Binsa is a “living goddess,” chosen by the gods to dispense both mercy and punishment from her place on the Scarlet Throne. But her reign hides a deadly secret. Rather than channeling the wisdom of an immortal deity, she harbors a demon.

But now her priests are growing suspicious. When a new girl, Medha, is selected to take over her position, Binsa and her demon strike a deal: To magnify his power and help her wrest control from the priests, she will sacrifice human lives. She’ll do anything not to end up back on the streets, forgotten and alone. But how much of her humanity is she willing to trade in her quest for power? Deals with demons are rarely so simple.

Thank you Orbit for the gifted ARC.

WELL. I AM INTRIGUED.

If you’re looking for a book where the FMC truly is a villain and you don’t mind if there isn’t any romance, I definitely say give this a go. Not exactly my usual but I genuinely enjoyed this book. The writing style had this ease of reading quality that kept my attention and made this book move well.

My one little niggling thought is that I wish the FMC, Binsa, had at least one good relationship. Whether that was platonic, familial, or romantic. I felt like I was missing a strong side character. There were plenty of smaller characters but nobody that STOOD OUT.

The plot had a lot of political maneuvering and devious betrayals. This does lean towards a darker side of fantasy with some of the themes and content. I liked all of the machinations and that it didn’t feel long winded.

I am 100% curious how this will flow out through a trilogy and based off the wonderful cliffhanger ending, I am absolutely going to need some answers.

Overall audience notes: