Review of Nightmares #37 | Fool Moon (The Dresden Files #2) by Jim Butcher

Book info:
Fool Moon (The Dresden Files #2) by Jim Butcher | 401 pages/10.5 hours | Published January 9th 2001 by Roc | Adult, mystery, paranormal, supernatural

Summary:
Harry Dresden--Wizard
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Business has been slow. Okay, business has been dead. And not even of the undead variety. You would think Chicago would have a little more action for the only professional wizard in the phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn't been able to dredge up any kind of work--magical or mundane.

But just when it looks like he can't afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise.

A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses--and the first two don't count...

My thoughts:
Read August 7-August 10, 2017 | 4 stars
Set: October 2000

Review of Nightmares #36 | Storm Front (The Dresden Files #1) by Jim Butcher

Book info:
Storm Front (The Dresden Files #1) by Jim Butcher | 322 pages/8.5 hours | Published April 2000 by Penguin ROC | Urban fantasy, adult, mystery, paranormal, magic

Summary:
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a—well, whatever. There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks.

So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get interesting.

Magic - it can get a guy killed.
My thoughts:
Read July 30-August 2, 2017 | 4 stars

Last Day of 2016 | 8 Nights of Books from @booksbeyondimagining

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1 Unforgettable Read

1. Ice Crypt by Tiana Warner: Honestly, I swear, one day I'll stop gushing about these books, but I've not been so invested in a world since I read Harry Potter or A Great and Terrible Beauty for the first time. I spent days afterward thinking about them and resisting the urge to start it all over again. This series is truly becoming one of my all-time favorites, and if you're tired of hearing me babble on about it, I suggest you read it for yourself. I picked Ice Crypt to talk about rather than Ice Massacre because Warner wrote both sides this time, rather than just one. I get to see the love from both angles and the lengths each character goes through to save their people and the one they love most. Ugh, I love it so much. Watch me pick it up again before June...

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5 Days Until 2017 | 8 Nights of Books from @booksbeyondimagining

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5 Authors I've Never Read, Until Now

It looks like I'm narrowing these down to female authors, because I read a lot of those this year.

1. Maggie Stiefvater: How did I miss her for so long?! I saw Shiver all the time at work and never gave it a second thought. Well, I'm not going back now!
2. Leigh Bardugo: I started with Six of Crows though I actually owned The Grisha Trilogy before I read it. 
3. Dawn Kurtagich: Oh my. This woman has only written 2 books and they've both blown me away. I honestly think she's going to be something like the YA Stephen King. She's phenomenal. Truly.
4. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: I've only read her short essay We Should All Be Feminists, but it was so wonderful and insightful. I have her other works on my TBR.
5. Alice Walker: I know The Color Purple is usually high school reading, but we didn't read it then, so I decided to pick it up at the beginning of this year. It was hard to get into the dialect at first, but after a while, it read naturally, and I happen to love written dialects in books, so I wasn't disappointed. 

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6 Days Until 2017 | 8 Nights of Books from @booksbeyondimagining

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6 of My Favorite Covers, Read or Unread

1. Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova (unread, pining after): I don't know what it is about this cover that draws me to it, but I'm not complaining. It's got a warm glow but there's also something sinister about it that I love.
2. We Awaken by Calista Lynne (unread, pining after): BURST OF PURPLE. Love.
3. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (unread, pining after): I love the look of this book and it's sequel. I love found-item books, where it's a compilation of things to tell a story. The naked cover is so cool to, because it's like some sort of paper that has a bunch of redactions on it.
4. Ice Massacre by Tiana Warner (read, owned): The mermaid. The blood. The color. It looks so much cooler in person.
5. The Merciless by Danielle Vega (read, owned): This is the most intimidating thing I've ever laid eyes on. It's so pink and so... *shudders*
6. Three Dark Crowns (4 variations) by Kendare Blake (unread, pining after): How can you not love a book that has FOUR COVERS released (nearly) at the same time. It's like choose your own adventure in a book cover!

Okay, yes, it's clearly more than six, but it's only six titles. That counts, right?

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7 Days until 2017 | 8 Nights of Books from @booksbeyondimagining

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7 Books I Don't Regret Buying 

1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
2. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
3. The Martian by Andy Weir
4. Mermaids of Eriana Kwai by Tiana Warner
5. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
6. The Fever by Megan Abbott
7. Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

I tried to include ones I've at least read. A lot of these, like Six of Crows and The Lunar Chronicles, I borrowed from my library then purchased after the fact. I guess this doesn't really need to be a blog post, but I like using blogger, so now it is!

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RBD Review #34 | Rebel Angels (Gemma Doyle #2) by Libba Bray

Book info:
Rebel Angels (Gemma Doyle #2) by Libba Bray | 576 pages | Published December 2006 by Ember | YA, fantasy, historical fiction, supernatural

Summary:
Ah, Christmas! Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy, spending time with her friends in the city, attending ritzy balls, and on a somber note, tending to her ailing father. As she prepares to ring in the New Year, 1896, a handsome young man, Lord Denby, has set his sights on Gemma, or so it seems. Yet amidst the distractions of London, Gemma’s visions intensify–visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened, something only the realms can explain...
The lure is strong, and before long, Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world of the realms that Gemma alone can bring them to. To the girls’ great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship.

But all is not well in the realms–or out. The mysterious Kartik has reappeared, telling Gemma she must find the Temple and bind the magic, else great disaster will befall her. Gemma’s willing to do his intrusive bidding, despite the dangers it brings, for it means she will meet up with her mother’s greatest friend–and now her foe, Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task.

My thoughts: 
Read October 4-December 14, 2016 | 5/5 stars

RBD Review #25 | Ice Massacre (Mermaids of Eriana Kwai #1) by Tiana Warner

**I was given a digital copy of this book by NetGalley in return for an honest review.** I also want to mention that I did purchase this book after the fact, from Amazon for my Kindle as well as a physical copy, because I want to support the author.

Book info:
Ice Massacre (Mermaids of Eriana Kwai #1) by Tiana Warner | 375 pages | Published September 2014 by Rogue Cannon Publishing | YA, Fantasy, LGBTQA+ > Lesbian

Summary:
The Massacre is supposed to bring peace to Eriana Kwai. Every year, the island sends its warriors to battle these hostile sea demons. Every year, the warriors fail to return. Desperate for survival, the island must decide on a new strategy. Now, the fate of Eriana Kwai lies in the hands of twenty battle-trained girls and their resistance to a mermaid’s allure.

Eighteen-year-old Meela has already lost her brother to the Massacre, and she has lived with a secret that’s haunted her since childhood. For any hope of survival, she must overcome the demons of her past and become a ruthless mermaid killer.

For the first time, Eriana Kwai’s Massacre warriors are female, and Meela must fight for her people’s freedom on the Pacific Ocean’s deadliest battleground.

My thoughts:
Original read July 19-21, 2016 | 4.75 stars