January Wrap-Up – 31 Jan 2023

Hola, Book Dragons, last day of January. The time zipped by so fast, I feel like the month was over even before it started lol.

Reading Front:

I started out being productive, hit a slump, then I messed up my sleep schedule again when I stayed up late re-reading Enchantment of Ravens. On the bright side, I managed to read 12 books this month, and might even finish off #13 before tonight.

Blog Front:

I did more posts this month than I usually do and had a good time with the Bloganuary prompts. Let’s hope I manage to stay productive during the coming months.

What about you guys, how was January for you?

Stay tuned.

∼Lyn

26 Jan 2023 – Multilingual anyone?

Hola, Dragons, one day closer to Friday, yay! I am so done with this week. On the other hand, I had a lot of fun reading two good Dean Koontz books this week so that’s always a plus.

What language do you wish you could speak?

Korean, Chinese, Japanese! Sensing a theme? 😉 I grew up watching Jackie Chan movies, and one of my best friends is Chinese so of course I gravitated toward it. Then I got into manga and anime and it was Japanese. Now I’m mostly into Kdrama so Korean is my current obsession. I just love the sound of the Korean and Japanese languages – they feel melodious. But I’ve always wanted to learn other languages as well, like Irish.

Korean, Chinese, and Japanese are on my list to learn one day, soon I hope. At this time, I currently speak 4 languages – French, English, Mauritian Creole & Hindi. I also hope to learn ASL if I can.

What about you guys? Are you good with languages? Are there any you want to learn?

Stay tuned.

∼Lyn

25 Jan 2023 – Song that speaks to you

Hola, Dragons, how’s everyone’s week? Hope ya’all are doing well. If you’ve been following my blog for a while you know how much I love music!

So today’s Bloganuary prompt is definitely a good one.

What is a song or poem that speaks to you and why?

Light Me Up by Ingrid Michaelson is one of my favorite songs in the world. I’m a total cynic but this song just says “romantic” to me. It makes me think of deep, strong connections. And it’s just plain beautiful.

Have you heard this song? If not, I hope you do give it a try.

Stay tuned.

∼Lyn

New Book Releases – 24 Jan 2023

Hola, Book Dragons, new book releases today!

The House at the End of the World – Dean Koontz
Synopsis:
Soon no one on Earth will have a place to hide in this novel about fears known and unknown by #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense Dean Koontz.
In retreat from a devastating loss and crushing injustice, Katie lives alone in a fortresslike stone house on Jacob’s Ladder island. Once a rising star in the art world, she finds refuge in her painting.
The neighboring island of Ringrock houses a secret: a government research facility. And now two agents have arrived on Jacob’s Ladder in search of someone—or something—they refuse to identify. Although an air of menace hangs over these men, an infinitely greater threat has arrived, one so strange even the island animals are in a state of high alarm.
Katie soon finds herself in an epic and terrifying battle with a mysterious enemy. But Katie’s not alone after all: a brave young girl appears out of the violent squall. As Katie and her companion struggle across a dark and eerie landscape, against them is an omnipresent terror that could bring about the end of the world.

Georgie, All Along – Kate Clayborn
Synopsis:
The acclaimed author of Love Lettering weaves a wise and witty new novel that echoes with timely questions about love, career, reconciling with the past, and finding your path while knowing your true worth.
Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.
But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.
Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back.
Honest and deeply emotional, Georgie, All Along is a smart, tender must-read for everyone who’s ever wondered about the life that got away . . .

What about you guys? Any new releases you’re anticipating today?

Stay tuned.

∼Lyn

21 Jan 2023 – Favorite Author? Book Dragons say not just one

Hola, Dragons, my name is Lyn and I’m a bookaholic. So as a Book Dragon, I tend to collect favorite authors like I collect books, by the ton.

I’m an eclectic reader and as such, I read a wide variety of genres. My favorites are Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Rom-Coms, Horror, Sci-fi. It’s hard to just pick one favorite author but I can list my top favs:

– L.J. Smith
– Christopher Pike
– Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb
– Naomi Novik
– Christine Feehan
– Ilona Andrews

The stories crafted by these authors are excellent and have stayed with me for a long, long time. Even now, years and years after, I still re-read my favorites among their books. I love going back to the rich, vivid worlds they created, with strong compelling characters that became like old friends.

For as long as I can remember these authors were monumental in saving my sanity and helping me deal with difficult situations. I shall always be grateful for the stories that now live in my soul.

What about you guys? Drop me some of your favorite authors in the comments.

Stay tuned.

∼Lyn

19 Jan 2023 – Lyn, Thy Soul Is Black & Blue

Hola, Dragons, how’s it going? I was in an apathetic, depressive funk the past 2 days so I couldn’t blog or read. I actually started on this prompt, but only got as far as the title. Depression isn’t only feelings of sadness and despair but also for some afflicted with it, an absence of emotion or enthusiasm for anything. That apathy, my usual affliction, causes an uncaring, detached state of inactivity so these funks are always spent being very unproductive and just trying to get through them.

Thankfully, I feel more like myself today and I feel like writing so I want to do the prompts I missed these 2 days.

What color describes your personality and why?

Anyone who knows me is well aware of my obsessive love of the color blue, to the point that I have streaks of vivid blue in my hair. My absolute favorite is cerulean but I also love all the shades of blue. I think the vivid shade of blue defines my soul.

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Now, for black, it says kickass to me. As a norm, I tend to be practical, blunt, straightforward, brutally honest, sarcastic, and mean when warranted. I can’t stand drama and round-about ways people use instead of getting straight to the point about what they want. And I can’t stand liars as well. I can be very unbiased and I don’t accept excuses for people’s misbehavior & unforgivable actions. Oh, and I don’t forgive and forget.

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Black totally describes my personality. And I dress to match lol. So the dominant colors in my closet are usually black and blue. What about you guys? Does a color describe your personality?

Stay tuned.

∼Lyn

18 Jan 2023 – Favorite food, yum!

Hola, Dragons, middle of the week, how’s everyone doing? A nice little topic for today – food!

What’s your favorite meal to cook and/or eat?

Pizza! Definitely an all-time favorite. But I also love salmon sushi and I could eat it every day lol. Then there’s chocolate cake, velvet cake. Spicy fried noodles. Tiramisu. Fried chicken. Seafood spaghetti. Yum!

There’s something so comforting about food, isn’t there? Especially when you’re reading or watching a nice movie and it’s nice to have some yummy snacks at hand.

I’m not a very good cook but I can make the basics – rice, lentils, some curry. I love green lentil soup! What about you guys?

Stay tuned.

∼Lyn

e-ARC Review: Mysteries of Thorn Manor (Sorcery of Thorns #1.5) – Margaret Rogerson

Rating: 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publication Date: January 17, 2023

Review:

Welcome back to the world of Sorcery of Thorns, where grimoires talk back and magic runs rampant. The cover of Sorcery of Thorns was an exceptional one and Mysteries of Thorn Manor follows that trend with another fantastic cover. I can’t wait to add this one to my collection and that should tell you right away how much I enjoyed this book.

Mysteries of Thorn Manor is a tasty little morsel of a book that was a delight to read. It picks up after the events of Sorcery of Thorns and I loved that we got to see Elisabeth and Nathaniel’s relationship evolve along with the chaos of magical mishaps.

I had a lot of fun reading it and found myself laughing out loud at some of the delightful scenes. This book was in equal measures packed with magic, humor, insight, deep emotions, and perhaps a glimpse into the making of the next book? 😉

Book Dragons, make sure you grab this book tomorrow when it’s published. It’s so worth it and I can guarantee you’ll have a blast reading it.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stay tuned.

∼Lyn

Synopsis:
In this sequel novella to Sorcery of Thorns, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas must unravel the magical trap keeping them inside Thorn Manor in time for their Midwinter Ball!
Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city’s most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate’s wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor’s occupants inside. Surely it must be a coincidence that this happened just as Nathaniel and Elisabeth started getting closer to one another…
With no access to the outside world, Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas – along with their new maid Mercy – will have to work together to discover the source of the magic behind the malfunctioning wards before they’re due to host the city’s Midwinter Ball. Not an easy task when the house is filled with unexpected secrets, and all Elisabeth can think about is kissing Nathaniel in peace. But when it becomes clear that the house, influenced by the magic of Nathaniel’s ancestors, requires a price for its obedience, Elisabeth and Nathaniel will have to lean on their connection like never before to set things right.

F Is For Friday – 13 Jan 2023

Hola, Book Dragons! Happy Friday the 13th! Anyone planning any spooky reads or scary movies tonight? Whatever plans you have, hope it’s a good Friday night.

F – Feature your latest book obsession (it doesn’t have to be your current read)

This looks like an amazing book but it’s the start of a series so I’mma gonna have to wait for when all the books are released.

13 Jan 2023 – Billions of Moolah, baby!

If you had a billion US dollars, how would you spend it?

Hola, Dragons, that is so easy! A pretty little cottage near a lake and a secret library full of all the books I can buy! Oh, imagine the luxury of buying all the books and all the goodies that come with them – bookmarks and bookish prints and so on. And sending books to my bestie!

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Or maybe my cottage will be surrounded by a moat and I’ll have full control over the drawbridge allowing only my favorite people to come over. Ah, the peace and quiet of isolation!

Yes, I am an anti-social, advanced introvert with hermit tendencies and I make no apologies for it, lol!

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Stay tuned.

∼Lyn