“Reader, I murdered him.” 

 A sensitive orphan, Jane Steele suffers first at the hands of her spiteful aunt and predatory cousin, then at a grim school where she fights for her very life until escaping to London, leaving the corpses of her tormentors behind her. After years of hiding from the law while penning macabre “last confessions” of the recently hanged, Jane thrills at discovering an advertisement.  Her aunt has died and her childhood home has a new master: Mr. Charles Thornfield, who seeks a governess.

Burning to know whether she is in fact the rightful heir, Jane takes the position incognito, and learns that Highgate House is full of marvelously strange new residents—the fascinating but caustic Mr. Thornfield, an army doctor returned from the Sikh Wars, and the gracious Sikh butler Mr. Sardar Singh, whose history with Mr. Thornfield appears far deeper and darker than they pretend. As Jane catches ominous glimpses of the pair’s violent history and falls in love with the gruffly tragic Mr. Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: can she possess him—body, soul, and secrets—without revealing her own murderous past? 

A satirical romance about identity, guilt, goodness, and the nature of lies, by a writer who Matthew Pearl calls “superstar-caliber” and whose previous works Gillian Flynn declared “spectacular,” Jane Steele is a brilliant and deeply absorbing book inspired by Charlotte Brontë’s classic Jane Eyre.


Jane Steele is told in the form of Jane’s confession, talking directly to you, the reader. It starts with her early childhood, living in her family home, moving through boarding school – then running away from said boarding school – living on the streets of London, and lastly eking out a life penning last confessions; all the while leaving corpses of those who’ve wronged her in her wake. She eventually makes her way back to her family home when it falls into the hands of Mr. Charles Thornfield.

I was half and half with the novel when it first started. I couldn’t decide if I liked the story or not, and I had no idea where it was going. Truthfully, all I knew when I picked it up was that it was an historical fiction, similar to Jane Eyre, and it was really, really popular. The opening chapters gave me pause, those of you who’ve read it may know why, but I pushed on, and I’m very glad I did. Once she got to boarding school all bets were off.

I have not read Jane Eyre, but I have seen film adaptations and I know the premise, so Jane Steele was definitely and interesting take, especially with the murderous twist. Faye doesn’t disappoint and leads the reader down a twisting path. I’m pretty sure one of my updates on Goodreads was, “I have no idea where this is going.” Hahahaha but that didn’t dissuade me, and it shouldn’t you!  I had to know how the story ended! The story began to pick up in pace and became more intricate. Once Jane meets Mr. Thornfield, even more layers are added to the mystery surrounding them and I was beyond hooked. Faye does a great job of character building. I was thoroughly creeped out by Headmaster Munt, I felt for Mr. Sadar Singh and what happened to his country, and I wanted to know what would happen between Jane and Mr. Thornfield. Jane is a strong woman and is not one to be reckoned with.

Overall I give Jane Steele 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a great read for those who like Historical Fiction, the classics, Jane Eyre of course, female leads, and/or if you like a good audiobook – I enjoyed the narrator.

I know, I know. This is very late. Sorry dear readers! Life has gotten a bit hectic as of late. It seems like I turned one year older and everything has just started to lag behind; now I’m stuck playing catch-up.

The blog got a redesign at the end of the month! What do you think? I’m pretty happy with it.
On to the recap!










I finished 10 books in June! I listened to more books than I physically read due to me being extremely busy, spending more time in the car, and spending more time listening while cross stitching my Steotchalong project (which I’ll talk about more below). I’m still happy about my progress. This is also why I don’t make TBR lists. The photo above? That is what I planned to read in June.

This is what I actually read. Pretty big difference.


I carved some time out to go to BFest at my local Barnes & Noble. Apparently, despite living in a heavily populated city, my store is not busy enough to get that big of an event, but I still had a good time! I played YA trivia on day 1, and won! – don’t worry, I didn’t beat down any kids to get the prize, only 2 others my age participated so it was well matched. They even gave us these mustaches to wear.


Did you go to your local BFest? I hope they continue this even annually? I think it’s a great way to get more young people involved in reading, or anyone really.


I’m participating in the fourth Mystery Steotchalong! If you’re a cross stitcher (and even if you’re not), this is a fun event. It’s the second time I’ve participated (last year was Star Wars!). I think I’ve figured this year’s pattern out already but I’m not 100%. I won’t spoil it for you, but I’m pretty sure we’re stitching upside down. What tricky people! If you don’t want to know, don’t tilt your head, but once you do, it will probably become pretty obvious. If not, feel free to ask me in the comments and I’ll share my theory.



Just wanted to share this picture of my cats being a little crazy and cute. Leia is 'trying' to help me with my cross stitch.

How was your June? Are you playing catch up? Read anything excellent or have any good recommendations for me?

Hey everyone, how goes it? I saw this fun The Coffee Book Tag by Ashlee over at Her Geekery and thought it was such a clever idea and wanted to play along! You can check out her Coffee Book Tag post here. I'm sure you can figure it out, but the idea is to take the prompt and think of a book or series that matches the type of beverage.



Black: A series that's tough to get into but has hard core fans - Game of Thrones

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While I have read this series, I had to listen to the audiobooks to do it. I tried to read through hard copies but with over 1,000+ pages each and teeny, tiny font on tissue thin paper it was too much for me. They can be very tough to sit and read through (for some) but man is the force strong in their fan base! They're crazy dedicated to their theories and (not to mention the show). Hey, I'm one of them! I know it's not for everyone - there's so much world building and information overload that even the tiniest of details could come back to be a big plot point four books from now, that even just that can turn people off. With that being said, if this is a series you've been wanting to read but have been afraid to because it seems a bit daunting, you're not alone. I was once the same way. I recommend the audiobooks! The narrator is awesome and it's so much easier to keep track of people and places. Plus if you use an app like Overdrive or Smart Audiobook Player you can listen at 2x speed and be done in only 23 hours instead of 46!


Peppermint Mocha: A book that gets more popular during the winter or a festive time of year - A Christmas Carol

Definitely a winter classic!

Hot chocolate: A favorite children's book - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory


I loved this book growing up and I'm not sure why I haven't continued re-reading it. While Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is still one of my favorite movies, the book just has those special touches Roald Dahl was perfect at. I can't wait to read this with my kids some day.

Starbucks: A book you see everywhere - Lady Midnight


I don't know about you, but I've seen this one everywhere books are sold lol and all over the interwebs. It's everywhere. Even on my own Instagram feed.

The Hipster Coffee Shop: A book by an indie author (a shout out) - Penryn & the End of Days Series


I haven't read this series yet, but it's been on my TBR for a very long time and those that have read it seem to have nothing but good things to say.  Also it's free on Kindle Unlimited - just putting that out there - which my husband got me for Valentine's Day and I need to do a better job of taking advantage of while I have it! But I digress. From what I know, this series is worth my time.

In Ink and Bone, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now, she continues the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history…

With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good.

Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.

Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.

But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, or the Library willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control…
In Ink and Bone Rachel Caine managed to build a unique world where the Alexandria Library did not burn down but survived. By doing so, the Great Library managed to grow and eventually control the world’s knowledge, and in turn the world.

Paper and Fire brings us back to this world and the story of Jess Brightwell, where we delve deeper into the workings of the Library and its dark secrets. Jess and his friends are in danger, the Library is not what they thought, and nowhere is safe.

I cannot tell you how much I love The Great Library series. I don’t think it gets enough attention or the praise it deserves! The idea, at least to me, is completely unique and frightening. To think that a Great Library has ultimate rule over the world with the idea that its goal is to spread knowledge to all, when in fact it’s true mission is to maintain power no matter the cost. Knowledge is more important than lives. Containment is key. Keep people happy and suppressed just enough that they don’t ask questions. Keep information filtered and censored. It sounds a lot like living in North Korea actually, but I digress.

Paper and Fire answers many questions left by Ink and Bone and opens up more that we’ll have to wait for Volume III to answer. We finally get to see Rome and more of London, the automatons are creepy as all get on, and the gang is reunited at last. It’s not all happy, it’s actually more morose than happy, which fits with Jess and his life. Caine has done a fantastic job bringing the reader into his mindset and immersing them into the somber tone of the world and story surrounding the characters. I found myself having to know what happened next, not wanting to put the book down. The proverbial "one more chapter" and managed to read it in a weekend. It's just so good! A book (and series) definitely worth your time.


Overall I give it 5 out of 5 stars and cannot wait for the next installment to see how Jess’s story plays out! I enjoyed Paper and Fire more than Ink and Bone which isn't always the case with a series (enjoying the second book more than the first!). It’s fast paced, dramatic in all the right places, and managed to get me right in the feels. It’s a great read for anyone who loves fantasy, sci-fi, or steam-punk.

Paper and Fire is available on July 5, 2016

So, my birthday is in less than 2 weeks (July 7th! Gah!) and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to talk about the 10 books that are currently at the top of my wishlist! I've taken these all directly from my current Amazon Wishlist (*wink* to any family reading this) which is ridiculously long... I know.

1. The Fate of the Tearling: I know this isn't out until November, but I want it! It's my most anticipated book of the year and I cannot wait for it be in my hands. Right now I'd settle for a pre-order ;)
2. The Magician's Trilogy Boxed Set: Such a good series! I ready through these a while back, but I really want a set of my own. 
3. The Last Star: Um, yes! I need to finish this series. I need to know what happens to Cassie and Evan Walker and everyone else.
4. A Court of Thorns and Roses: Already read this one, but if I'm going to have Mist and Fruy, need a complete set right?
5. A Court of Mist and Fury: I don't think I can wait any longer to read part two of Feyre and Rhysand's story! I keep seeing everyone gush over it and I don't want to be spoiled. 

1. Uprooted: I keep seeing Uprooted pop up in my feed, winning awards, and getting lots of great feedback, not to mention it sounds like a great story. So I figured why not give it a shot?
2. Passenger: Passenger is part cover buy, part synopsis. It has mixed reviews, but it sounds interesting to me!
3. Rebel of the Sands: Sounds oh so intriguing, has been on my list for a while, and look at the gorgeous cover! Look at it!
4. Wink Poppy Midnight: I've heard tons of great things about Wink Poppy Midnight and I'm looking forward to crossing it off my tbr.
5. This Savage Song: VE Schwab is an instant read/buy author for me, so it was really a no-brainer.

Okay, there's a large amount of exclamation points in this post. Do you have a wishlist? Have you read any of these? Do you agree with any of my choices? Or completely disagree? I'd love to hear your take! Especially if you've read any of these!