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@paulinpaperback

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Cataloging the transfer of books from my 'to-read' pile to the 'read' bookshelf- with a little review along the way
📖: Heroes of Olympus

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My favourite books that I read in 2025!
Here's to many more great books in the new year 🎊
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#Bookstagram #FavouriteBooks #2025Books #Bookstagrammer #BookRecommendations Collage of books; deep end, break up pacy, the court of the dead, not quite dead yet, sunrise on the reaping, the survivor wants to die at the end, mate, atmosphere, immortal by @paulinpaperback

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10 months ago

My top 9 books read in 2024! You've probably noticed I'm very easy to please and give most books five stars so this is a very difficult task every year. What were your favourites of the last year?
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#Bookstagram #BestOf2024 #2024Books #LessonsInChemistry #CheckAndMate #NotInLove #FunnyStory #Medea #InfinityKings #CelestialMonsters #SevenSummers #TheFinalGambit #Reading #Books #FavouriteBooks Grid with nine books; lessons in chemistry by Bonnie garmus, not in love and check and mate by Ali hazelwood, infinity Kings by Adam silvera, medea by Rosie hewlett, celestial monsters by Aiden Thomas, funny story by Emily Henry, seven Summers by Paige toon and the final gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes by @paulinpaperback

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2 years ago

My favourite nine books (I think) of the many great ones I read in 2023!
What were your favourites of the year?
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#Bookstagram #YABookstagram #Books #Book #FavouriteBooks #TopNine #HappyNewYear #HeartOfTheSunWarrior #TheInheritanceGames #OneOfUsIsBack #BookLovers #TheWakeUpCall #NeverEverGettingBackTogether #Atalanta #TheSunbearerTrials #PercyJackson #TheChaliceOfTheGods Collage of nine books pictures. The heart of the sun warrior, the inheritance games, one is us is back, Atlanta, never ever getting back together, book lovers, Percy Jackson and the Chalice of the gods, the sunbearer trials and the wake up call. by @paulinpaperback

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3 years ago

After the cliffhanger of the previous book, things certainly start to heat up in the penultimate Heroes of Olympus book, The House of Hades.
Percy and Annabeth's perilous journey through Tartarus is definitely the highlight of the book (in a terrible way). The treacherous terrain of the underworld mixed with all the terrible creatures they face. Giants trying to escape through the doors of death and Nyx with her children in the mansion of night causing the duo particular trouble.
The emotional journey they went on during their mission was just as bad as the physical one though, trying to not let the darkness change them. Crossing several terrifying rivers of Tartarus bringing all the traumas with them. They definitely emerged stronger together at the end though.
The reappearance of Bob to help guide them was nice and I like seeing that these 'monsters' can make different choices and don't have to follow Gaia in her quest to destroy the world. Damasen changing his mind and helping them at the end really gets me as well.
The rest of the prophecy seven aren't having much more fun above ground as they continue the quest to close the doors on the mortal side. Sciron and his giant turtle, the return of Khione, Pasiphae and some troublesome Kerkopes, doing their best to slow them down so Gaia can awaken.
Not to leave all the emotional moments to the underworld, the scenes with Nico, Jason and Cupid will always be absolutely heartbreaking. The only consolation is knowing where Nico ends up as the stories in this world continue. But at this given moment you can feel his sadness on the page.
Another highlight is everyone getting power upgrades, just in time for the final book. Frank going berserk and getting a buff blessing from his dad. Hazel getting witchy with the mist after a meeting with Hecate and Piper getting to grips with her charmspeak and winning a magical cornucopia. Everyone had a moment to shine and I absolutely love that. Leo certainly went on the most interesting journey above ground. Finding himself with Calypso on Ogygia and doing some of his own growing up.
Now that the team is back together I'm excited to relive the final chapter in their quest. Book. The House of Hades by Rick Riordan by @paulinpaperback

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2 days ago

Up to the third Heroes of Olympus book, The Mark of Athena, and finally the seven are together and putting the wheels into motion for the prophecy that binds them all.
The rift between the Greeks and Romans comes to a head in this book, spurred on by Gaia trying her best to drive a wedge between the two factions. The Gods being split between their two personalities aren't much help. I particularly enjoyed Percy and Jason jostling for leadership (even though we all know Annabeth is in charge). Their fight and the ensuing frostiness towards each other was fun but the moments where they really worked together, using their individual skills, were definitely the best.
Everyone got a chance to shine, especially with their fancy demi-god powers (sorry Annabeth) and I loved when we got new and interesting pairings at each stop along the journey. Seeing the crew really come together and work as a team were just favourite moments. I'm looking forward to more of that as they continue along the quest.
Annabeth is definitely the MVP of this book though. Facing her fears alone and doing all she can to unite the two warring demi god factions.
I love that this book starts to take us more global as well as they travel into the ancient lands.
You know things are serious too because there were a lot of gods showing up. Aphrodite, Dionysus and Nemesis are somewhat helpful to the crew but the old sea god Phorcys definitely isn't.
Otis and Ephialtes, the giants Gaia has woken up for this part of the journey, provide a nice foe for our semi gods to face whilst Annabeth takes on Arachne. The Eidolons possessing people was the most terrifying but though.
Finally, that cliffhanger! I remember it killing me when I first read it, but luckily I don't have to wait a year for the next book this time. We're upping the stakes and I'm excited to get into the last two books now.
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⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
#HeroesOfOlympus #PercyJackson #TheMarkOfAthena #RickRiordan #Bookstagram Book. The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan by @paulinpaperback

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a month ago

Book two of the Heroes of Olympus, The Son of Neptune, can only mean one thing. Percy Jackson is back!
Despite all he's gone through in the original series he's still the funny, smarter than he looks, demi-god who's ready to kick some ass and show off his awesome powers. I loved that despite Hera taking his memories there was still a connection to Annabeth and a desire to find her. I can't wait for their reunion in the next book.
We get introduced to the last two of the prophecy seven as well. Hazel and Frank have the most interesting histories of all the gang, they've really gone through it but somehow remained kind hearted and pure. Their little moments together towards the end were cute as well. Frank might just be the most powerful of them all and I enjoyed watching him grow in confidence and live up to his families legacy. Hazel, being a child of the big three, obviously has her fair share of powers too and I liked seeing all the inventive ways she would use them in battle. Her and Arion are a dream team.
Meeting Ella for the first time was great and I was beyond happy to get Tyson back again. Never has a character needed protecting from the awfulness of the world more than him. I couldn't love the two of them any more.
Getting into Camp Jupiter and seeing how the Romans do things different and the lives demi-gods are living there was interesting and I'm excited to see these two sides come together and try to work it out to stop Gaia and her giant army.
It wouldn't be a quest without its fair share of monsters and trouble trying to slow them down. Gorgons, grain spirits (karpoi), basilisks, a blind seer, Amazons, Laistrygonians, gryphons and of course many a giant; the trio really had to work to free Thanatos, but it means more excitement and action for us. The final battle is such an epic one, I loved seeing the whole Roman army play their part and Reyna leading her troops. I lost it when the Amazons showed up to help though.
Things are definitely getting more serious now as Gaia gets closer to enacting her revenge. I'm looking forward to getting all seven together now in the quest to stop her.
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⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
#HeroesOfOlympus #PercyJackson #TheSonOf Book. The son of Neptune by Rick Riordan by @paulinpaperback

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2 months ago

The gorgeous Heroes of Olympus Illumicrate editions were all the motivation I needed for a re-read of the series, so I was excited to get back into this world with The Lost Hero.
We get introduced to three new heroes Jason, Piper and Leo who certainly rival the original quest crew with how much I love them. Jason, coming to grips with being the leader whilst figuring out who he is and where he came from. Leo trying to put the sadness of his past behind him and become the hero that he is. Piper proving to herself and others that she is worthy. I enjoyed their interactions and seeing the bond grow as they were thrown into the crazy situations on their quest.
Introducing more demi-gods with powers certainly adds some extra excitement to the action as well. I loved how they each got a chance to show off what they can do. Piper and Leo working together to free Hera whilst Jason fights Porphyrion was my favourite display of this, they all work so well together.
As always there's lots of fun and adventure and they had their work cut out for them with all the monsters and figures from mythology trying to stop them; venti (storm spirits), lots of wind gods, cyclopes, Medea, Midas, wolves and giants. An epic and heroic journey worthy of Greek mythology.
I also really enjoy the fusion of Greek and Roman mythology that starts in this book and obviously becomes a theme for the series. Seeing the gods shift between personas was cool and you have to applaud Hera for her meddlesome plan to get the two sides together to win the upcoming war. You can feel the growing tension around Gaia, returning monsters and the new prophecy. It sets up the series perfectly.
I'm always here for a story that brings back Artemis' hunters too and I loved seeing the familiar faces at Camp Half Blood and the lasting legacy of some of the characters we lost in the war with Kronos.
I'm excited to meet the rest of the prophecy 7 in the next book though, and of course Percy!
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⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
#HeroesOfOlympus #PercyJackson #TheLostHero #RickRiordan #Bookstagram Book. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan by @paulinpaperback

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2 months ago

My second dip into Amazon's Summer Lovin' collection with Save a Horse, Keep the Cowboy.
A story of second chance romance between a country music star and the cowboy who ditched her six years ago. Josie and Weston are then in each other's worlds again at a friend's wedding.
I liked their chemistry together and that she was very hesitant to get into with him again and him trying to slowly wear her down and convince her they should be together again. I enjoyed the fun they were having together again and the vibes of the wedding.
I like the growth that he had had over the years since they last met and that he was clearly working on himself trying to win her back.
Another fun, quick read for this collection.
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⭐ ⭐ ⭐
#SaveAHorseKeepTheCowboy #SummerLovin #JessicaPeterson #ShortStory #Bookstagram Boom. Save a Horse keep the cowboy by Jessica peterson by @paulinpaperback

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2 months ago

Summer Staycation is my first read in another Amazon short story themed collection, this time called Summer Lovin'.
It was a cute story of a summer romance between Lucas and Beck who get a somewhat meet-cute and then spend a fun filled weekend together.
They were cute and I loved that they were both trying to push themselves out of their comfort zones to try to make this connection last and give them a perfect time.
They accepted each other for who they are and there was some good neurodivergent representation throughout the story.
My favourite part of the story was that she was a marine biologist and I really enjoyed hearing her talk about her work. The fact that he was essentially a professional vacation taker trying to find the perfect things to do in every city was fun too.
A quick and enjoyable little read perfect for the summer months.
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⭐ ⭐ ⭐
#SummerStaycation #SummerLovin #SarahGrunderRuiz #ShortStory #Bookstagram Boom. summer staycation by Sarah grunder ruiz by @paulinpaperback

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2 months ago

For the Record is another great book from Emma Lord, who never disappoints me.
Set in the world of the music industry with two former rival band members coming together to relaunch their careers as a duo. Of course there's a history there and we all know what this sudden close proximity is going to lead to.
I loved both Mackenzie and Sam, the flirting as they were working together and the growing sexual tension with all the time spent as a pair. I loved how much fun they had together and the light side they brought out in each other. The slowly opening up and being more honest absolutely won me over as well.
Their chemistry was insane.
I loved the way they clicked and made something great when working together. Retracing their old steps to write songs together was incredibly cute.
I enjoyed the commentary about the music industry and that side of the plot too. Particularly with how some of the new up and coming talent was being tested by the record label. It added a bit of drama to the conclusion of the book as well.
A whole host of great secondary characters really round out the story. Particularly Sam's relationship with his son and Mackenzie's former band mates.
It's just a really fun and light-hearted read that delivers a lot of romance and enjoyable moments. Like fanfiction of your favourite pop stars getting together, and I mean that in a very complimentary way.
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⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
#ForTheRecord #EmmaLord #Bookstagram #RomanceBooks #BookReview Book- for the record by Emma lord by @paulinpaperback

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2 months ago

I've been looking forward to The Name Game because I've loved all of Beth O'Leary's previous books and thankfully this was no exception.
How she manages to keep coming up with interesting and new premises I'll never know but this one starts with two Charlie Jones' (thankfully he goes by Jones) arriving on a cute little island claiming to have been given the same job.
I love the way it was written, alternating between her diary entries and his emails to himself (with some flashbacks thrown in). That personal perspective from each of them was nice, giving some insight into their feelings towards each other.
I really liked Charlie and Jones together, the way they went from confusion at each others presences, annoyance and mild anger, to slowly becoming friends and working together. They were both clearly damaged from their past and keeping things secret so I enjoyed when they finally started opening up and letting each other, and the islanders, in a bit more. I enjoyed the sweet moments that they started to share as their relationship evolved too.
The beauty and community of Orner was one of the highlights of the book. They both seemed to fit in right away as well and start rebuilding their lives. There's an eclectic mix of characters on the island too and most of them I loved.
She always manages to throw in some twists towards the end so I was expecting it but not in the way that we got. It completely blew open the whole story and gave new context to everything that had come before, particularly all the flashbacks, but it works so well.
A fun and intriguing read with lots of satisfying twists and turns and full of loveable characters. A perfect summer read.
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#TheNameGame #BethOLeary #Bookstagram #RomanceBooks #BookReview Book. The name game by Beth O'Leary by @paulinpaperback

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2 months ago

We've come to the final chapter in the Inheritance Games saga in the form of The Gilded Blade.
Following on from the cliffhanger at the end of the previous book we get straight into the secrets and lies that surround the Hawthornes and link them to the rest of the Grandest Game players. Back out in the real world, they found themselves playing a game years in the making from the shadows. I enjoyed the intertwined stories of the different teams, building up different parts of the overall picture until they all came back together.
My favourite sub-plot was definitely Jameson and Xander jet setting, following their clues across the world as he slowly unravels without Avery, becoming more reckless in search of answers. The way all four brothers were looking out for each other in his book really got to me.
I grew to love Grayson and Lyra in the last two books and that continued in this one. She really did break down his walls and start getting inside. I liked that she got some closure on the mysteries around her life aswell and was accepted into the Hawthorne circle.
The Hawthorne manor team was awesome too and I'm glad Max got more moments to shine.
Savannah, Gigi and the rest of the gang haven't won me over like the original characters but I enjoyed seeing them fill in some of the gaps in this mystery.
Finding out who the Gilded Blade are and what they want with their weird secret cult was interesting. They really were just throwing out all the names as theories as to who was behind the cloaks but there was definitely an unexpected reveal. How it all linked back to some of the original mysteries from about a thousand books ago was really nice. It definitely tied the two series together as one. It certainly leads to an exciting conclusion as well.
It felt like there was more at stake this time and with more romantic moments but still with the puzzles, riddles and challenges that make this series what it is. A worthy conclusion for Avery and her Hawthornes.
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⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
#TheGildedBlade #TheGrandestGame #TheInheritanceGames #JenniferLynnBarnes #YABookstagram Book. The Gilded Blade by Jennifer Lynn barnes by @paulinpaperback

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2 months ago