March Wrap-Up 2020

Hey there! It’s been a long time and tough times have brought me here. Currently being stuck at home during this pandemic means no work, no performances (spoken word), no  socializing, etc. And so I’ve been finding myself reading a lot more than usual. I truly do miss blogging and here we are.

In the month of March I read 9 books and DNFed 2 books. The title of the books will link you to the goodreads page

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Books Read

1. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James – ★★★★ 
   Genre: Thriller
2. Depression & Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Benaim – ★★★★★ 
   Genre: Poetry
3. House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas – ★★★★★
   Genre: Adult Fantasy
4. Root of It by Lee Ortiz – ★★★★★
   Genre: Poetry
5. Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong – ★★★★★
   Genre: Poetry
6. New American Best Friend by Olivia Gatwood – ★★★★★
   Genre: Poetry
7. Undercover Bromance (Bromance Book Club #2) by Lyssa Cay Adams – ★★★★★
   Genre: Adult Romance
8. One Day In December by Josie Silver – ★★★★
   Genre: Adult Romance
9. Nothing is Okay by Rachel Wiley – ★★★★
   Genre: Poetry

My favorite reads this month were House of Blood and Earth, Depression & Other Magic Tricks, and Undercover Bromance. I’m so happy that I gave Sarah J. Maas another shot. She has definitely grown as a writer, the diversity felt organic, and I really believe that Adult Fantasy is her genre to write. She has so much freedom and it was just *chef’s kiss*,  I cannot wait to read the other parts of this series. It ended great but I can’t wait to see what happens.

Depression & Other Magic Tricks was a complete fave! What a poetry collection. I resonated and connected so much. Not only with her themes but with how she writes too. Undercover Bromance was another amazing book for me. I read that within 24 hours. I loved it so much. It was hilarious and deep too. I can’t wait for the third book because I also loved the first.

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Books I DNFed

When I had originally found out that Wild at Heart (Wild #2) by K.A. Tucker was coming out, I was super excited and surprised as well. Surprised because I thought The Simple Wild ended perfectly. I read 120 pages of Wild at Heart before giving up on it. I couldn’t do it. The main character was annoying me and I’m not in the mood to continue reading about a character is keeps making my eyes roll lol.

Then there’s Writers & Lovers by Lily King. I was really excited about this book. I actually like the writing. However, it was a scene in this book that did it for me. This small scene that scarred me. There are certain things that I cannot read at all. It’s not a trigger warning per se, it’s just a personal thing.

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and that is all for now! i will do a march book haul in a separate post. how are you all doing? and what was your favorite book in march? xo

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June & July Wrap – Up

Hey everyone. Better late than never right? It’s been a while and I hope you’re all doing well. I’ve been changing up my weekly schedule and I’m hoping that I can fit in more blogging time. Not just with posting but also with reading and being apart of the community. I decided to combine both June & July since I did a haul post that you can check out here. In today’s post I’ll be discussing books read, things watched, and albums I’ve been listening too. The titles of books will link you to the Goodreads page.

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Books I Read

Cycling safety / poor visibility to oncoming traffic

1. King of Scars (Nikolai Duology #1) by Leigh Bardugo – DNF
   This is a YA fantasy that unfortunately didn’t work for me. I was truly looking forward to this one as I had read all of Bardugo’s other Grishaverse books. However, after 100 pages I felt like nothing was going on and I refused to continue on.
2. The Fade Out: Act One by Ed Brubaker ★★
   A graphic novel set in Hollywood’s Golden era in which a murder takes place. This murder includes a famous actress and now someone needs to take her place. I was confused the whole time. However, the graphics were beautiful.
3. When We Left Cuba (Next Year In Havana #2) by Chanel Cleeton ★★★★★
   An adult historical fiction novel following one of the Perez sisters who’s recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle. This book blew me away just like Next Year In Havana. It’s politically heavy, however I learned a lot.
4. Radio Silence by Alice Oseman – DNF
   This book is a YA contemporary novel. I tried getting into the audiobook. After listening to about 2 hours of it, I found that this book wasn’t the right fit for me.
5. A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson ★★
   This book is marketed as a mystery thriller but it feels more like a family drama where the daughter of a normal family kills someone and the parents morals are tested to see how far they would go to protect her. I thought this book was easily predictable and the translation was very choppy.
6. A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum ★★★★★
   The contemporary historical fiction that I absolutely needed in audiobook format!! I highly recommend this book via audiobook because each voice has a narrator. A Woman Is No Man is about three generations of Palestinian women and this is their story.
7. Circe by Madeline Miller ★★★★★
   I didn’t know how much I needed this Greek Mythology Retelling till I read it. I genuinely thought I wasn’t going to like this book but thankfully I was proven wrong. Circe is about a goddess witch who has been outcasted and we follow her journey.
8. Lock Every Door by Riley Sager ★★★★★ 
   Another audiobook that I would highly recommend. This mystery thriller is about a prestigious building in Manhattan in which a young woman gets hired to apartment sit. However, the Bartholomew has its secrets and things get tense when one of the apartment sitters goes missing.
9. After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid ★★★★★
   A romance novel about a married couple who decide to take a one year break after their marriage has hit a breaking point. I LOVED THIS BOOK!! It had a little bit of everything: laughter, sadness, anger, and happiness. Highly recommend for a quick read with a punch.

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Books Read for The Reading Rush Readathon

1. Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor ★★
   In continuation of Strange the Dreamer which is a YA fantasy, I thought this one fell flat for me. I’ve noticed that I really love Laini Taylor’s first books but I always dislike the sequels because of where the story goes after.
2. Crown of Lies (Truth and Lies Duet #1) by Pepper Winters ★★★★
   An adult dark romance about a young woman who has it all but falls in love with a stranger after something tragic happens, years later though a new guy comes in and he reminds her of this stranger. Pepper Winters just knows how to write dark angsty romances. I do want to read the second one to see how it finishes.
3. Sabrina & Corina: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine ★★★★★
   ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS EVER!!! This is a short story collection about Latina characters of indigenous ancestry. Each story was filled with meaningful messages. This book made me think and I’m so glad that it’s own voices because we need more of these stories.
4. Wilder Girls by Rory Power – DNF
   I found nothing Horror about this YA horror book. I tried 100 pages and was bored. It also kept reminding me of Replica by Lauren Oliver and I don’t want to waste my time reading the same books again.

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Shows & Movies Watched

• When They See Us was an excellent mini-series. I remember many years ago I was into this case. I watched YouTube videos and read articles online about The Central Park Five. This show is so important and I loved it. I must admit that it’s hard to watch. However, they didn’t shy away from the realities that are experienced in this world.
• Toy Story 4 was a joy to watch with my brother. I loved it and cried at the end. I was very emotional because this is one of my brother’s and I favorite childhood movies and now he gets married this year so whewwww the tears.
• Jessica Jones Season 3 was a little disappointing to say the least.
• Spider-Man: Far From Home was so good!!!! I’m just really loving this Spider-Man, okay? And by this one, I mean…compared to all the spider-man’s I’ve had in my lifetime already.
• Stranger Things Season 3 was everything I needed and I have a lot of theories for the next season. I cannot wait to see how things unravel. I also loved the new characters included.

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Albums On Repeat

OMG BANKS CAME OUT WITH A NEW ALBUM AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED FOR MY SOUL!!! I also finally decided to listen to Khalid’s album and think it’s perfect.

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That is all I have for you today! I’ve been enjoying the beach this summer and going out more. How’s your summer going? What have you been reading? Oh…can we also talk about how cute my child looks in this photo? xoxo

Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @chicnerdreads

June & July Book Haul (including BOTM)

Hey all! I hope you’re having a good day today. For today’s post I wanted to share with you the books I have obtained for the months of June and July. I usually add the books in my wrap-ups. However, I am doing a June and July Wrap-Up together and if I add this section, then that post will be very long. So here we are lol. And without further ado, let’s get into the books!

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This was my June Book of the Month Box! It includes:

• A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum: A gripping historical fiction novel about 3 generations of Palestinian women.
• A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson: A thriller (more like legal drama) about a 18 year old who is currently awaiting trial for killing someone and the secrets her family keeps.
• Circe by Madeline Miller: A greek mythology retelling about a Goddess who happens to be a witch and is exiled to an island.

I got these books from Barnes & Noble. I wanted to take a stroll and ended up with these:

• When We Left Cuba (Next Year In Havana #2) by Chanel Cleeton: A historical fiction novel following one of the Perez sisters who gets hired by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle.
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: A historical fiction novel set around WW2 about two sisters.

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My July Book of the Month box included:

• Things You Save In A Fire by Katherine Center: A Contemporary Romance about a woman firefighter, her life, and courage.
• Three Women by Lisa Taddeo: A narrative nonfiction that tells the story of 3 women within the span of 8 years.
• Lock Every Door by Riley Sager: A thriller novel about a young woman who gets a job to become an apartment sitter at a prestigious building in Manhattan but the building and people in it aren’t what they seem.

The last two books that I acquired in the month of July are:

• Wilder Girls by Rory Power: A young adult horror novel about a school for girls that is place under quarantine. However, not everything is what it seems to be.
• My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing: A thriller novel about a normal suburban family but then the couple gets bored and they decide to go for the kill.

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And there you have it! My June & July book haul. Any of these books on your radar or have you read already? Let me know in the comments. Btw, if you’re interested in subscribing to BOTM and want a free book, check my referral link (not sponsored). I hope you have a great day!

Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @chicnerdreads

Friday Reads

Hey there!! HAPPY FRIDAY!! I wanted to share with you what I’m currently reading and just kinda be present somehow on my blog lol. I have other blog ideas that have been sitting on the sidelines because I want to read, workout, and not sit in front of my computer again after doing that all day. But hopefully, I get to those soon. Now let’s get to the books!

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When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.

Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?

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Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old.
She believed she knew every horror and was beyond surprise.
She was wrong.
In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.
Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice—save the woman he loves, or everyone else?—while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the Muse of Nightmares, has not yet discovered what she’s capable of.
As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel’s near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?
Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this astonishing and heart-stopping sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer.

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I am reading After I Do via ebook on Scribd and loving it. I am halfway through the book and it is everything I need at the moment. It is personally hitting home and my emotions keep bursting while reading it. Hopefully I get to finish it sometime this weekend. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a genius and she’s so quotable too. There are many highlighted passages already that I want to jot down and return too. I’m happy that I got into this author this year because she definitely knows how to capture a reader with her writing.

I decided to read Muse of Nightmares via audiobook. Side note: this is the sequel to Strange the Dreamer. I have tried reading Muse of Nightmares about three times and cannot get into it. I truly believe that it’s a me problem and not the book due to the fact that I no longer read YA Fantasy. However, I don’t want to easily give up on this book because I loved Strange the Dreamer and I want to know what happens with these characters in Muse of Nightmares. Therefore, I think the audiobook will suit me a lot better. Here’s hoping!

That’s all for today! What are you currently reading or plan on reading? I hope you all have a lovely weekend!!

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Twitter: @chicnerdreads

May Wrap-Up 2019

Better late than never right? Lol. I thought I was never going to get to this post. But here we are. I’m super excited to say that I read EIGHT books in the month of May. That’s a first in a very long time. For today’s post, I’ll be talking about books I read, books I acquired, and things I watched. All book titles will link you to Goodreads.

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What I Read

 

1. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James ★★★★★
   A mystery thriller novel set in a boarding school in Vermont. This book is written within two different perspectives/timelines, 1950 and 2014. One of my favorite reads with a small paranormal element. I have a mini review here.
2. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides ★★★★★
   A mystery thriller novel about a woman who lives a normal life and one day out of the blue she kills her husband and goes mute. Never to speak again. Till a psychotherapist is convinved that he can change that circumstance around and unravel the truth. Mini review here.
3. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren ★★★
   A contemporary romance about second chances and finding forgiveness. Another book with two timelines from the time the main characters are teenagers to present day adulthood. Mini review here.
4. No Exit by Taylor Adams ★★★
   A mystery thriller novel about a young woman who is on her way to see her dying mother but she gets caught up in a blizzard and has to go to a rest stop till weather conditions permit her to drive. However, in the rest stop, she sees a little girl locked in an animal crate and now the stakes are high. Mini review here.
5. Sadie by Courtney Summers ★★★★★
   A YA mystery novel about a girl named Sadie who takes matters into her own hands to avenge her sisters death. However, a radio personality hears about the story at a gas station and decides to follow Sadie’s journey because she’s missing. Told through Sadie’s POV and podcast, best to listen through audiobook. Mini review here.
6. Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton ★★★★★
   A contemporary historical fiction romance novel based in 1958 and present day about a grandmother and a granddaughter. When the grandmother dies, the granddaughter is to lay her grandmothers ashes in Cuba. However, the trip will reveal a lot of deep secrets about the exiled Perez family. Mini review of my favorite read here.
7. Drowned in Milk Tea by Anne Chivon ★★★★★
   My best friend sent me an ARC of her chapbook filled with beautiful poems about the good and bad of love, dealing with loss, and the memories. I will have a review up on release day, June 21st.
8. The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient #2) by Helen Hoang ★★.5
   A contemporary romance about an Autistic man whose mom decides to take his love life into her own hands and flies to Vietnam to find him a bride. Finding someone, she moves in and things take off. Mini review here.

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Books Acquired

I got my second Book of The Month box filled with three books this time around. And I am happy to state that all three books were read! I feel like I’ve been doing really well with buying books and reading them as soon as I get them. It helps with not losing interest and then it sitting on my shelf for god knows how long.

If you’re ever interested in Book of The Month check out my referral link. I do not get any compensation. But the referral link gets you a free book credit and a free book for myself too. Also! Just an FYI, they only ship to USA.

 

 

 

 

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What I Watched

• FIRST OF ALL, THAT GAME OF THRONES FINALE WAS TRASH. UTTER TRASH. THAT IS IT.
• I finally finished season two of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and honestly, I found it kind of boring. However, I understand there was a lot of buildup for season 3 and will keep watching. I think season 3 will be very good. I did like the little plot twists and new characters.
• And finally, I watched a childhood movie, Aladdin, with my brother and mami!!!! OMG we loved it so much and thought it was a great adaptation.

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And that is all for today! This May Wrap-Up was better late than never. Hope your June is going well.

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