All posts by skyebjenner

Historic September

Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019
Number of books: 7
Hosted by:Crazy Challenge Connection

7/7

A number of historical events, both good and bad, small and large, have occurred in the month of September over the years, with just a few of them listed here. Choose 7 of these events and complete the related tasks. You MUST CHOOSE your tasks when signing up.

1. Mary Had a Little Lamb was first published on September 1, 1830.
Read a book with a primarily white cover (show us the cover).The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Annette Blair

2. Germany invades Poland, starting World War II, on 9/2/39.
Read a book set during World War II.

3. George Eastman received a patent for roll film and trademarked the name Kodak on September 4, 1888.
Read a book whose title starts with a letter in KODAK (disregard A, An, The).

4. Also on 9/4, ten-year old Barney Flaherty became the first newspaper carrier in 1833.
Read a book that is 10th in a series (tell us the series).

5. On September 5, 1698, Russian Czar Peter the Great imposed a tax on beards. 
Read a book with a bearded man on the cover (show us the cover).The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Berresford Ellis

6. Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s baseball iron man record by playing in his 2,131st game on 9/6/95.
Read a book with “21” or “31” intact in the total page count (tell us how many pages).

7. September 7, 1921: the first Miss America beauty pageant was held in Atlantic City, NJ.
Read a book with a lone woman on the cover (show us the cover). – mhttps://earthandskye.org/2019/10/01/my-favorite-witch-by-annette-blair/

8. Star Trek premiered on television on 9/8/66.
Read a book with PARANORMAL or SCIENCE FICTION on the main genre page.No Rest for the Witches by MaryJanice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren

9. 9/11/01: Islamic Al-Qaeda militants flew planes into NYC’s twin World Trade Towers and the Pentagon.
Read a book with a man-made disaster as part of the plot (briefly tell us what, using spoiler tags if necessary).Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

10. September 12, 1953 was the day future President John F. Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier. 
Read a book that includes a wedding.Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

11. Francis Scott-Key composed the lyrics to The Star Spangled Banner on September 14, 1814.
Read a book in which music plays an important part.

12. In sports, Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in a battle of the sexes tennis match, 9/20/73.
Read a book with some sort of competition (briefly tell us what).Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta (Josie and Ivy are in constant competition with each other)

Monthly Challenge – September 2019

Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019
Number of books: 11
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

retro-fonts

Duration
Starts: September 1
Ends: September 30

How It Works
Ten books each month is a lot, so there will be 5 different levels. So pick which level you want to do and that’s how many items you will need to check off.

Levels:
Transitional – 2 books
Fledgling – 4 books
Vampire – 6 books
Master – 8 books
Vampire King or Queen – 10 books

Tasks
1. Classical music month/ national piano month- read a book where music is important or has a musician in it

2. 12th National video game day- read a book with something to do with gaming or the IT ( computer) industry Sucker Bet by Erin McCarthy (casino gaming)

3. 25th national comic book day- read a book with a superhero (your interpretation) in it or read a comic book/graphic novel or mangaHaven by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

4. 21st Miniature golf day-read a book where sports is important or has an athlete characterMy Favorite Witch by Annette Blair

5. 21st International Red Panda day- read a book where animals are important or the cover has red on itFantasy by Christine Feehan, Sabrina Jeffries, Emma Holly & Elda Minger

6. Back to school-read a book with characters who are teachers/students or set in schoolThe High Lord by Trudi Canavan

7. 15th Agatha Christie’s birthday- Read a book set in England or tagged mystery

8. 10th Sewing machine day – read a book that has to do with sewing or the fashion industry (including crochet/knitting)The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Annette Blair

9. Fight procrastination day- read a book you’ve been putting off for awhile or read a book by a new to you authorSpinning Silver by Naomi Novik

10. 16th National Play doh day- read a book that has an artist MC or that art is importantThe Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil

11. Bonus Task 6th read a book day-read any book you wantNo Rest for the Witches by MaryJanice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren

Vampire Academy

Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019
Number of books: 6
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

description
Vampire Academy

Time to get back to school for another year in Vampire Academy.

Duration 
September 1st to 30th

Rules 
Complete at least 2 tasks to get the vampire heart
All genres welcome
Rereads welcome
No minimum page count
You must read a different book for each task

description

♱ Class: Advanced Guardian Combat Techniques 
Read a book with a kick-ass chick or with a battle – No Rest for the Witches by MaryJanice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren

♱ Class: Ancient Poetry 
Read a book tagged historical or with an ancient character – Haven by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

♱ Class: Basics of Elemental Control 
Read a book with fae characters or someone with elemental abilities – Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

♱ Class: Culinary Science 
Read a book with food on the cover or a cozy mystery

♱ Class: Senior Language Arts 
Read a book originally written in a language other than English or where a character travels – The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Annette Blair

♱ Class: Slavic Art 
Read a book with red or gold on the cover or with a single woman on the cover – My Favorite Witch by Annette Blair

July 2019

Image result for july winter

July was a month that was just filled with being sick, adjusting to a new job and being generally run down. It was kind of a shitty month… but, on a positive note… it was also one that was full of reading. Since I needed something to balance out the horrors of being sick and overwhelmed…

Series

Short story collections

Standalone stories – Novels

Standalone stories – Novellas

Standalone stories – Short stories

Image source: Spotify

Out of the Light, Into the Shadows by Lori Foster & Erin McCarthy

Overview
Image result for out of the light, into the shadows book cover

Title: Out of the Light, Into the Shadows
Author: Lori Foster & Erin McCarthy
In: Out of the Light, Into the Shadows (Lori Foster & Erin McCarthy)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 20th – 31st July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Things from his past erupted into his future, hateful comments, murderous gestures that he’d long buried in an effort to forget them.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

The darkest hour is before the dawn… headlines a sinful new anthology where the dark and light sides of desire collide…

Embrace the darkness and experience the light in this all-new anthology filled with touching stories of happily ever after alongside smoldering tales of irresistibly dangerous, otherworldly passion. From bewitching emotions and untamed desire to dazzling romance and tantalizing sensuality, these novellas explore the complex facets of the human heart-both the light side and the dark.

Thoughts

This was one of those random books that you just pick up because it looks kind of cool and intriguing. I had no idea that it was part of a series that was already lurking on my shelves and I had no idea of what to expect from the pages of the book. And boy was I happily and pleasantly surprised by everything within its pages! Actually, I’m more than a little disappointed that it’s all over. I just want more!

This is the first of these small novella collections that is only written by two authors. Every other one has had four separate authors creating and weaving their own storylines. And, to add to this, each of the two novellas were directly related to one another. Almost creating a longer mini story with a bit of a break between each. It was certainly a different experience, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s always nice to experience something a little different.

This collection starts with two stories that are quite a bit more light-hearted and hopeful. They’re sweet and tender, with just a little bit of darkness to the story that draws you in. Then, the next two stories were much darker and twistier. Those sparks of brightness dim a little bit, but just enough to make it a more dark fantasy feeling than the previous stories…

 <- Total Control ReviewHave Mercy Review ->
Image source: Penguin Random House

John Doe by Anna Windsor

Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of paranormal romance book cover

Title: John Doe
Author: Anna Windsor
In: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: AngelsParanormal romance
Dates read: 31st July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: She took a deep breath, knowing he needed to understand everything.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Dutch knows that there are dark things in the world. What she doesn’t expect to find is love when the man who is supposed to protect her from them shows up at her psychiatric ward.

Thoughts

The most disappointing aspect of this story was that it was so short and it isn’t part of a greater series. I know, a pretty common complaint for me. I always love when I read a really good short story and it turns out that there’s a whole series that I can stick my greedy little literary nose into. But the premise of a half-angel and her protector (who also happens to be her lover) was incredibly fun. And it was seriously disappointing when I found out that it was a standalone – there was just some incredibly brilliant world building going on!

In July I seemed to read a few stories which feature psychiatric facilities and asylums. A bit of a random theme, but it worked really well in John Doe. After all, Dutch finds out that there are far more serious things going on in the world than she had ever anticipated. Add that to the fact that she lives in isolation from everybody and is celebrating her thirtieth birthday alone… it worked really well to make Dutch seem like she’s lonely and unsure as to what she wants to do with her life. The appearance of Shant changes that all. And injects this amazingly fun and sassy side of the lead that I really wasn’t expecting.

Most of the paranormal romances I’ve been reading lately feature the couple for the entirety of the story. This tale on the other hand doesn’t have the male love interest in it for as long. He goes missing for a fair while and then returns towards the end. The period of separation though worked beautifully for the structure of this tale and I loved the slight department from what I would consider a more traditional tale.

 <- Paranormal Romance Blues ReviewTaking Hold Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

Overview
Image result for journey to the centre of the earth book cover

Title: Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Author: Jules Verne
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Book to FilmClassics, Easy reading, Science fiction
Dates read: 30th – 31st July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Kingsford Editions
Year: 1864
5th sentence, 74th page: I got up from my granite bed and went out to enjoy the magnificent spectacle that lay unfolding before my eyes.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Professor Otto Lidenbrock’s great adventure begins by chance when a scrap of paper drops out of an ancient book he has just bought. The coded inscription reveals the existence of a passageway leading to the centre of the earth and that the entrance lies within the crater of an extinct volcano in Iceland.

The professor travels to Iceland accompanied by his nephew, Axel, a keen young geologist. Together with a Swiss guide, they descend into the bowels of the earth where an amazing prehistoric world awaits them.

Writting in 1864, Journey to the Centre of the Earth established Verne as a pioneer of science fiction. This edition has been revised and improved for a modern readership.

Thoughts

This is my second Jules Verne story and, if anything, I think it was better than the first. I kind of loved it. It was incredibly fun, engaging and the voice of the narrator was incredibly relatable, even today. The mad scientist for an uncle, the lovestruck nephew (and narrator). Everything about this story and voice drew me in from the very beginning. Which is why I read it so quickly – the voice that told such an incredible story was impossible to get out of my head, even now.

I must admit, I generally skim read classics a little more than the more contemporary and modern tales. Simply because the amount of information that reading every single word provides tends to overwhelm me and I find skim reading stops me from getting bogged down in the details, without losing out on the storyline. The last quarter of this novel, I did skim read a little. But, mostly, I actually read every word like I would with most other novels I pick up. There is just something about the storyline and writing that was far more approachable (maybe because it was translated), and I actually didn’t want to miss a single moment of the storyline.

My biggest problem with this storyline was the fact that I kept on picturing Brendan Fraser in my head when I was reading the story. I’ll give you a hint, the book and the film, not really like one another at all. Normally that would bother me a little and I would find that I prefer one over the other. But I think that the adaptation and the original are both brilliant, equally so. After all, the movie is a modern adaptation and the book was written in 1864. There are many different aspects which make both versions amazing and impossible to put down.

I can’t wait to reread this story in another year or so. I know that there will be so many more themes and aspects in the storyline that I’ll pick up on and that will make me fall in love again and again. After all, that’s one of the things that I love most about classics – they have so many layers and hidden meanings that take me much longer to find and enjoy.

<- More classics reviewsMore science fiction reviews ->
Image source: Penguin Books Australia

Hounded by Kelley Armstrong

Overview
Image result for urban enemies book cover

Title: Hounded
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Cainsville #4.5
In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 31st July 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: She dove under and pretended to snatch his feet as he kicked.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

He’s a huntsman and his Hound has been taken from him. He may have found a way to find a new one, but at what cost?

Thoughts

I was kind of thrown by how creepy this story felt. I know that it was going to be a bit off-kilter since it was in a collection of tales about villains from bigger series. What I wasn’t expecting was to go from really liking a character to feeling seriously uncomfortable about their entire existence. And reason for being. To close the last page and not only want to pick up the series, but to also not ever want to confront this rogue Hunter again.

To begin with, I was expecting this story to be a tale about a misunderstood villain. Or at least one who did have a nicer, softer side. And it started off in this fashion. Although he was obviously not a “good” guy, he did miss his hound and have a sense of yearning for what he had lost. He was also quite obviously hunting a woman who was not in any sense of the word “good”. Her inability to consider others, her belief that she was the victim and the ways in which she approached those who spurned her. Well, I started to think that this woman was the actual villain and one that I didn’t really want to have much exposure to.

Normally I love tales of poetic justice. Tales which highlight that no wrongdoing goes unpunished, and that there will somehow be a form of revenge. This short story did stick to that ideal, but it wasn’t in the normal format that I enjoy. Because the person who was serving the poetic justice was also the one pushing the wrongdoer and committing sins even greater. And, in my opinion, far more heinous.

<- Even HandNigsu Ga Tesgu ->

Image source: Simon & Schuster

His Last Victim by K.G. Anderson

Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of jack the ripper stories book cover

Title: His Last Victim
Author: K.G. Anderson
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Historical fiction, LGBTQI
Dates read: 31st July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: After all, his brother, a member of my dressing club, was the friend who’d told me about the opening with Scotland Yard five years ago.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

The police really want to catch the Ripper, and one man decides to embrace his secret side to do so. But, at what cost?

Thoughts

I really wasn’t expecting a tale of a cross-dresser in a collection of Jack the Ripper stories. Like, at all. Although, to be fair, I rarely expect to come across such a tale, so when you’re reading about historical fiction and retakes on a notorious serial killer… there isn’t much that could be farther from my mind.

I enjoyed the idea of a man dressing as a woman to try and catch one of the worlds’ most notorious serial killers. The fact that the man who stops it all is also one of this ilk and grouping just made it all the more fun. Actually, I thought that this could have been a much longer story with many more nuances. Or maybe it’s just my need to read stories which feature trans and cross dressing individuals in a positive light…

The happily ever after in this tale was kind of perfect. Not only was the Ripper stopped, but the narrator also found himself in a moment of happily ever after with an understanding wife. And, everyone who had been a part of the capture of the villain was mentioned in the final words, letting you know that they all lived long and prospered.

 <- Dear Boss ReviewThe Face of the Killer Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Curiouser and Curiouser by Melanie Karsak

Overview
Image result for curiouser and curiouser book cover

Title: Curiouser and Curiouser
Author: Melanie Karsak
Series: Steampunk Fairytales #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Retellings, Steampunk
Dates read: 25th – 28th July 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Clockpunk Press
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Nonsense.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

To save the Hatter, Alice must work with the one man she despises so much that she might still love him.

Alice thought she’d turned over a new leaf. No more working for Jabberwocky. No more making deals with the ruthless Queen of Hearts. No more hanging around The Mushroom with tinkers, tarts, scoundrels, and thieves in London’s criminal underbelly. But she’d been bonkers to dream.

Hatter’s reckless behavior leads Alic back to the one person she never wanted to see again, Caterpillar. Pulled into Caterpillar’s mad schemes, Alice must steal a very big diamond from a very royal lady. The heist is not problem for this Bandersnatch. But protecting her heart from the man she once loved? Impossible.

Thoughts

I seriously love Alice in Wonderland. Or anything that uses themes and imagery from this story. And it’s moved beyond the Lewis Carroll original to something more. As time has moved and the many, many, many retellings have weaved their way into pop culture, the story has taken on more and more of a life of its own. Which is also probably why I love it so much. Each person’s take is amazing. Each aspect of the story that is focused on… but I’ve never read a steampunk retelling of this tale. Until now. And wow.

Every single moment in this story had an allusion to Alice in Wonderland. Yet, the creation of this world in a steampunk underbelly also made it completely disjointed from the original. I loved the way that these two ideas sit against each other. Alice is full of muchness (much like the original), but she’s also older, wiser and in a much darker world. The Queen of Hearts is also far more terrifying than she is in Carroll’s version. This separation between the two realities was just fantastic and it made me sink my nose into this book and refuse to get out. A bit like falling down the rabbit hole…

One of my favourite things about this retelling is the repurposing of the names throughout. Alice becomes the Bandersnatch, her father-figure the Jabberwocky and her love interest Caterpillar. They’re such familiar names and characters, and whilst I could still recognise them in the characterisation, they added a new layer, an extra something that was previously not there. It was so cleverly and seamlessly done that it would be so easily missed if I hadn’t recently been on an Alice in Wonderland binge.

Although this is an amazing retelling that just completely sweeps you into a whole new world, it is also a fantastic story in and of itself. Even if you have been living under a rock and had absolutely zero exposure to Alice in Wonderland, it is still something that you’d thoroughly enjoy. Actually, this is something that is almost impossible to put down. And I really wouldn’t suggest that anyone do so. It’s amazing! I can’t wait to read the next Steampunk Fairytales.

<- More Melanie KarsakIce and Embers ->

Image source: Amazon