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🦓 Chronically ill
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This year was incredible in so many ways.

I finally gained the courage to go meet some of the girls in my local bookclub, and I don't know what I'd do without them. Literally. I found the community I have always dreamed of having.

In April I started this bookstagram, and it's changed my world for the better. I have met so many incredible people. And some of these friendships that started here have stepped out to in person or into over the phone ones.

I have discovered some new autobuy authors (check my most read authors' graphic). And a couple of them are truly honestly special to me in so many ways.

I have been to several book events, and even got tattoos at one of them. I have a go to indie bookstore now, and have found some other indie gems of stores I adore.

This year also brought my husband into reading more with me, and I have several books on my physical TBR that overlaps with one's he read this year or plans to read next year. So, I can't wait to chat with him about those.

My heart is full. And I cannot wait to see what next year brings! by @apagesheread

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9 months ago

I love this book so much. This was my third time reading this (my last read through was a decade ago), and I was pleasantly shocked to find that I enjoyed this one even more so than I did the Hobbit. I admittedly have watched the movies more often than I have read the books and I loved seeing the differences.

Notably, "you shall not pass", was not the line Gandalf says in the book. He instead said "you cannot pass". I was shocked. It's such an iconic moment from the movie. Bill, the pony, well Bill wasn't his name originally. That was the name of his owner. Then more obviously, Tom Bombadil. He is just such an enigmatic character that I have always loved and wanted to know more about. There are more differences clearly, but these were a few that stood out to me.

Sam is the literal heart of this story. Honestly, he won me over so much more on this read through. That Hobbit literally wears his heart on his sleeve. I am excited to read through the Two Towers, and more of Legolas and Gimlis friendship.

I can't recommend this book enough, especially if you enjoy the movies. It's surprisingly readable, and wholeheartedly enjoyable.

#fellowshipofthering #lotr #bookreview #fellowshipoftheringbook by @apagesheread

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18 days ago

July I had fully planned on doing Christmas in July, clearly mood reading happened instead and I had the absolute best time. I had pivoted and was reading my way through Madeleine Eliot's works, and I still plan on finishing her King and Coven Trilogy. I read book 1 last year and loved it. If you like Shield of Sparrows, I would recommend this series.

Since I absolutely was consumed by the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac I set out looking for more of that vibe. I will eventually make a post on these RH academy books, plus ones I have read pre bookstagram and either loved or dnf'd.

Clash of Claws consumed me. Everyone is a shifter, and our girl keeps her animal hidden, because it's the same animal her mother was murdered for having. Our fmc is an absolute BA, despite her reluctance to show her animal. We have fated mates. Fighting monsters. And our girl trying to join the guardians (elite fighters who protect from the monsters) so she is more protected. Highly recommend this series. Book 3 arrives 2027.

Liminal was such a unique read, that I couldn't put down. Our fmc is murdered by the 6 ruling families in the first chapter. After the most satisfying feminine rage, she becomes the ghost bound to the library she was murdered under. 500 years later we meet the mmcs who are the heirs to the 6 houses. We have a sentient library with plans of it's own and fated mates. Book 2 didn't quite hit as strong for me, but I loved how unique the concept was. Book 3 comes out this fall.

August is my last free month of KU before I delete it, so I have several books I have seen on here I want to tackle. Plus, finishing some physical books/my buddy reads.

#julyreadingwrapup #readingwrapup by @apagesheread

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2 months ago

🧜‍♀️✨ July Sirens Collab ✨🧜‍♀️
One of my favorite parts of being in the bookstagram community is finding people who share the same love for books. That’s exactly what The Siren’s Book Grotto has been for me. 💙📚
The Siren’s Book Grotto is a bookish group chat designed to bring the Bookstagram community together. We chat about books, share our latest posts, celebrate each other’s wins, offer advice, and support one another every step of the way. It’s become such a welcoming space filled with readers who genuinely love uplifting each other.
I’m so grateful to be part of this amazing community and can’t wait to see what next month brings! 🫶📖
QOTD: What’s your favorite part about the bookish community? 💙
#TheSirensBookGrotto #Bookstagram #BookCommunity #ReadersSupportingReaders #BookLovers BookishFriends JulyCollab by @apagesheread

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2 months ago

Thanks to my Siren besties Kristin @littearary.greatness & Ashley @apagesheread for being buddy readers for this series!

Make sure to check out what I thought of each book with its own caption.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇

My 💭 s:
Beckham is so HOT and COLD! He was so frustrating. He told Reyna, his employee but not in the way she should have been an employee iykyk, NOTHING! I was especially mad when he didn't tell her about the brothel.

Then Reyna 🙄 girl....I get that you want a better way for your brothers and you but THIS was not it. As frustrating as Becks was (this I do like this nickname for him), she was as equally whiny (why won't he drink from me..Ew, don't drink from me, don't touch me)

There were times that I wanted things to go in a different direction. I'm intrigued enough to continue but dang.... These characters need to GET 👏 IT 👏 TOGETHER 👏

❓ Do you buddy read and if so what was the last book you did it with? Or PT: The Monster and The __________❓

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄

My 💭 s:
Suffers from "second child" syndrome. Not a lot happens, some chapters were super boring. Becks is still hot and cold. Reyna is still making bad decisions without thinking of the consequences first.

I knew something would happen to Brian after he had the pleasure of marrying his fiancee. There is a bit of shock at the end with Becks but I don't believe for a second that it was his end. I could be very wrong though.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐄𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐑

My 💭 s:
Ok. I'm so glad this is over finally. There were just too many chapters where nothing went on and I was bored. I was hoping for a TON of action. I didn't like that Becks could come back from the dead but Penelope (even though I didn't really like her) couldn't...I just felt the plot hole there was too big. They both didn't get their heads severed which is what truly kills a vampire, but they never explained if it was because of the blood Reyna gave him.

Well, glad that Reyna finally stepped up and stood for something instead of cowering behind Beckham.

BTW: I gave every single one of these by @apagesheread

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2 months ago

This is Madeleine Eliot's first series, and in my opinion her spiciest books. I also feel as though the complete series book is the way to go, because although each book focuses on a different couple there is a consistent underlying plot through each book, all leading to the main conflict.

Book 1: Ember and Hadrian's story. Obsessed. The beginning of the book gives a bit of a pride and prejudice vibe (in vibe only, but I. Was. Here. For. It). There is a bit of fake fiancé, eventhough they should be hating each other. She kinda hates him at first and he's a deadly cinnamon roll whose shadows are obsessed with her. I love them together and honestly they are my favorite couple, so I loved when they popped up in the other books. I wanted a little bit more in this story, but the bones and what we are given was still really enjoyable.

Book 2: Aurelia and Aspen's story. This was somewhat of a second chance romance. I didn't love how we got to that point or Aspen's reaction. Unfortunately, Aspen was my least favorite mmc. He isn't bad or poorly written. I just hated him for no reason. It's not rational. I just liked Knox more. That being said, the concept for this book was really intriguing. I loved the cave dragons, giant flying birds, and cave gardening. I also love Aurelia and her friendship with Ember, also we had another fantastic stepping into her power moment.

Book 3: Seline and Vanth's story. She is still dealing with the loss of her mate 20 years prior, and he is the definition of yearning. The writing in this book felt more akin to Madeleine's writing style now. I loved seeing how the events of all three books converged and wrapped up in this one. Seline truly steps into her power in such a great satisfying moment. I loved seeing her and Vanth gently fall together.

There is a small novelette at the end of the complete series, and I enjoyed the little extra we saw of their stories.

Content Warning: grief, death, infertility (and associated struggles/feelings), pregnancy (on page/major plot point).

I am glad I dove into Madeleine's backlog for these stories.

#queenofallfae #madeleineeliot #bookreview #fantasyromance by @apagesheread

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3 months ago

Y'all, this series absolutely consumed me. I binge read the entire thing (so this will be my only review) from starting the first book July 9th to ending book 5 on July 14th. It was like reading a CW show or a soap opera (all of that is meant with love), and I couldn't tear myself away, especially in the first 2 books.

The later books 3, 4, and 5, had parts that, while relevant things were happening, struggled to keep me engaged. Book 5, this is especially true for as the book didn't lock me in until 60%. Necessary things were happening in the plot, but there was so so so much happening that it almost dragged. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but I literally cannot think of any other way to describe it. It's almost like there was too much happening.

There was a massive plot point for a character introduced way back in book one, that literally got punted to the Zodiac Academy series. To say I was upset would be an understatement. Now that I have sufficiently complained, there were so many aspects of this series that I loved seeing things get introduced and tied together in ways that I did not see coming. Some I thought were very cleverly done. I did figure out who the main antagonist was before the reveal, but there were so many things I did not see coming.

As a side note, check your triggers people before diving in. The thing that gave me an ick was a 24 year old character that noticed a 14 year old (they are endgame in Darkmore Penitentiary, which is years from this book). That was a me specific ick, and it was a small moment truthfully.

This was a fun time, definitely a vibes read. I was hooked clearly, and I am debating on diving into ZA. I was a little confused on the world-building (like how do they have access to Disney movies?!), and the magic system (maybe it's explained in a different series?!).The first trad version of this series is released in a few months with new covers.

Oh, and this song choice had me thinking of one of our characters every time I hear it.

#ruthlessboysofthezodiac #seriesreview #bookreviews #twistedsisters by @apagesheread

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3 months ago

This was absolutely everything I had wanted in the conclusion of this duet.

Honestly, this book had me falling even more in love with the characters (main and side), and even tearing up at a couple points near the end. There was a set of side characters that I seriously was getting super invested in their love story and would 1000% read a novella of just their story. I loved seeing Marina fully step into her power, and learning more about why she was able to do the things she was able to do. Madeleine actively has Marina stay the way she is, and does not attempt to fix her chronic illness beyond medicine that helps her control her symptoms. I feel like this is so huge for a character with chronic illness in a book. Marina does not have to be fixed to be accepted and valuable as she is. That genuinely meant the world to me, and I feel like that makes this book such a valuable addition to works featuring people with chronic illness. Caspian, once again, was a top tier mmc and character. I still love the way that they care for each other, and how thoughtful he is of her and her situation.

Rannoch, the snarky Kelpie, was once again one of my favorite side characters. I kinda loved how him and Caspian actively did not like one another. It lead to some very funny interactions. We had our fated mate side characters (I won't mention the names), but I was so fully invested in their storyline.

I didn't see some of the plotlines coming, which was absolutely great. Of the ones I did see coming, I didn't mind because I didn't know the full story behind everything and was fully invested. Y'all our fmc and mmc were actively communicating with each other, huge win and I love side stepping that miscommunication trope. The Demon King was mentioned in this book (you don't need to know the story to enjoy this book), and I was wishing I had finished that series first. BUT, that is my personal opinion and in no way would affect anyone's enjoyment of this book.

It's a great conclusion to a fantastic duet!!

#madeleineeliot #hymnofbreathandbone #selkiesandpirates #bookreview by @apagesheread

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3 months ago

I have loved every one of Madeleine Eliot's book that I have read so far, and this one proved no different.

I love that each of Madeleine's books take place within the same greater world, and I look forward to revisiting some of those other areas, and reading the ones I haven't yet. Having all the stories connected by different places within the same world I feel like has really done great and interesting things for her world building. I loved how the culture of the Selkie's was presented in this story, and how we were learning through Marina's eyes, not only about Siren culture, but the world beyond.

Once again, Madeleine has knocked the presentation of chronic conditions out of the park, with this books presentation of Marina's severe asthma. Marina is a free-spirited, curious, intellectual, and somewhat prickly character (to Caspian that is). I loved how we saw Marina step into her power despite her struggles with her asthma.

Caspian is our resident pirate, and king. The man is down bad for our girl pretty quickly. Name a character that recognizes his fmcs chronic condition quickly, helps her, and honestly truly sees her better than Caspian? We're gonna be waiting awhile. The man is the type of man chronic illness girlies dream about (speaking as a chronic illness girlie).

Our fmc, and mmc have a little bit of trouble clearly communicating, but it worked for who they are and their people's histories.

Throw in one bed, fated mates, them saving each other, and a bit of forced proximity and this was perfection.

#balladofseaandsky #madeleineeliot #bookreview #sirensandselkies #mermaidsandpirates by @apagesheread

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3 months ago

This was my 2nd time reading this book, and I love it just as much as the my first read through. This is the book that made me buy every single one of Madeleine Eliot's books. The book that made me feel seen by the absolutely incredible chronic illness representation in this book.

Eisa physically is not strong. Training doesn't erase this, and her chronic illness is so consistently present in a way that felt so realistic for her situation. Mentally, though, Eisa is so incredibly resilient (definitely not a Mary Sue). But, her chronic illness spoke to me with such intrinsic depth (and it's not even the same illness as mine). I loved seeing how she navigated this world with her bleeding disorder, and that she has a mate who accepts her for who she is, as she is. Eisa, despite being fragile, is so special in her abilities, and I love that duality in her.

The dragons are literally everything in this book. Snarky, sassy, and unwilling to bend to tyrants. Baldur met Eisa and immediately was like "yes, her", and I was absolutely here for it. I loved how sure he was of her, even when Arik wasn't quite there. Baldur and Idunn are absolute badasses. I loved that for Eisa. That sort of extraneous power, and strength she could tap into.

Arik is such a good mmc, especially for Eisa. He accepts, protects, and takes care of her as she is in a way that only mildly gets stifling (largely due to an over protective dragon). He's blonde but we don't hold that against him, because hot damn.

This is for you if you love...
-dragon shifters, but the dragons are their own separate beings
-fated mates
-chronic illness representation
-found family
-an fmc and mmc that take care of each other
-viking vibes

#heartofchaos #madeleineeliot #chronicillnessrepresentation #dragons #fantastyromance by @apagesheread

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3 months ago

June admittedly was an entire vibe and is the most I have read in a long time. Also, it is currently holding the record for the most books I have dnf'd and purged in a month (for this year). At the end of June I started book 3 in my trilogy buddy read,and the conversation has been so much fun, especially with all of our different opinions on the books. I clearly am not vibing with the series, but I am loving the buddy read.

My initial goal for June was Summerween reads, and I kinda (loosely followed that until Daggermouth). Daggermouth sent me into a slump of epic proportions, and might have colored my opinions of each book that followed it. I saw someone else focusing on indie books for June and loved that idea so so much. I got 3 months free of KU and will be catching up on all those indie reads I have been eyeing. Bonds of Hercules was actually not my last read of the month, after getting 100 pages into Between Tides and Thunder and realizing I absolutely did not care what happened to the characters (I know I was devastated, I will try again), I binge read 6 indie books on KU to try to snap myself out of this slump. I think I am finally out of it.

July is typically Christmas in July for me (I have 11 Christmas books on my physical tbr right now), but I am having fun reading these indie reads. So, we will see where my mood takes me. Per usual, my goal is to read through my physical tbr above anything else.

Also, peep the payphone on the last slide (I didn't realize these still existed).

#readingwrapup #junereads #junereadingwrapup by @apagesheread

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3 months ago

This trend, but with the Siren besties 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♂️📚

I LOVE how we are all so different!!
Thanks to the book besties for participating 💗
@artyfelizbooks
@bethsbooksau
@sarahs.bookstack
@bookishgeeky
@apagesheread
@littearary.greatness
@whatisanniereading
@littlehiddenlibraryy

❓️What's your FAVOURITE trope, and one you absolutely HATE?

Idea 💡 by @in.one.sitting 📚✨️ by @apagesheread

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3 months ago