July, also known as my birthday month, and as well as the month in which our nation celebrates its independence. If you’re anything like me, you’re trying to find ways to stay indoors because the 5 days in a row of triple digits with no pool or a break in the heat in sight is no bueno. I’ll stick with iced coffee and my air conditioning, thank you.





The Crown’s Game was a quick and easy read. The premise was great, but I wasn’t as enthralled as I hoped I would be. Skye’s writing and world building is beautiful, as wells as her dedication to the time and Russian heritage, but I just didn’t feel much for the characters. I also found it to be predictable.

I’m pretty sure I’d read The Lucky One before this because it was very familiar to me, but I’m not 100%. It could be because I’ve seen the movie, but the movie isn’t exactly the same, but who knows. It’s a good campy romance novel like most Nicholas Sparks books. This one didn’t make me cry at least.

I fell 3 weeks behind on my Steotchalong (mentioned in June’s recap) due to life’s events mentioned below, but I did my damnedest to catch up, and made it! That was tough. It took a lot of sitting and a stiff neck, but I managed it. Tyrion has a neck and a full head of hair, a goatee, and a shirt!


Look at all that shiny metallic gold threat. It’s a pain in the butt to stitch with! Thread Heaven is a life saver when it comes to working with metallic thread. Also, I will never work with DMC metallic ever again and will only work with Kreinik braided metallics. They don’t fray like DMC and they’re much easier to anchor to the needle.

Sadly I haven’t touched my Hogwarts Crest *pout* I probably won’t be finished this year as I’d hoped. Too many other things going on. I haven’t touched my other secret project mentioned in other monthly recaps either. I guess it could be worse; I could have no projects or hobbies.

July was incredibly busy for me. I know I say this every month, but this month especially. It was my birthday the first week and I turned the big three-oh. Oh lordy… Don’t judge me for still reading loads of YA, it’s my favorite. My husband surprised me with a whole spa package and the above pictured totally awesome Harry Potter Quidditch set for my b-day. He totally gets me. My mom found my Top-10 Birthday Wishlist post and sent me a stack of books (also pictured above)! Overall I’d say I had an awesome 30th!


I went to my future sister-in-law’s bachelorette party weekend where we attended a Giant’s game and spent a day wine tasting in Sonoma.
While everyone else was at SDCC, my husband and I made our annual trek to the state fair. I know it’s pretty much the same every year, but I love it, and it’s a tradition now. By 10am, it was 85 deg, so naturally we started the day with milkshakes. I had Reece’s Peanut butter and my husband had Oreo. The day topped out at 104 deg! I didn’t win big at the horse races but we have a good time with family and trying not to melt. After the fair, I went to a Sacramento Rivercats game, where I also proceeded to melt.


HAS ANYONE ELSE DISCOVERED STRANGER THINGS?! I binge watched it in only 3 days. Holy man it was so good! I may re-watch it just because I couldn’t get enough! It was the first show in so long where all I wanted to do was sit and watch and do nothing else. Not play on my phone or even cross-stitch. Usually I have to be doing something while watching TV or a movie or I feel incredibly lazy or I get bored, but not with Stranger. It was just too good. If you haven’t watched yet, you totally should.

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.
And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear... the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.


I had very high hopes for The Crown’s Game but I’m sad to say this was not a 5 star book for me.
If you read the synopsis, it had an amazing premise. I mean, magical duels to the death between two enchanters to become the Imperial Enchanter? I was expecting all out death matches, obstacle courses, arenas, and the like, a la A Gathering of Shadows, but it was nothing like this. Instead it was much more like The Night Circus. Which, don’t get me wrong, isn’t a bad thing, it’s just not what I was expecting and not what I was lead to believe was going to happen.

Skye’s world building is wonderful. She created a 19th century Russia that no longer believes in magic, but once was surrounded by it. Only a select few still know of magic and the enchanters, including the Tsar, the enchanters themselves, and their mentors. A few more people find out along the way, but the masses pass of the enchantments as extremely detailed mechanics/engineering works, rational ways of explaining things that cannot be explained. She’s dedicated to the Russian theme and 19th century feel. The details used to describe St. Petersburg and Ovchinin Island left me feeling like I was there on those wintry days. I could have been walking down those cobblestone streets.

Where I feel it fell flat was with the characters and their story. Vika and Nikolai are supposed to be in the Crown’s Game, this ultimate game to the death, to reach their full potential and serve their Empire. Something they’ve each trained for their whole life, but when the time comes they, predictably, pull their punches and drag out the fight. Which, turns out, isn’t really even a fight but more of a back and forth competition to see who can impress the Tsar more – not what I was expecting to say the least. They manage to throw some barbs in here and there but with no real weight behind them. Ludmilla, Ovchinin’s resident baker and Vika’s friend/confidante/motherly figure, was one of the only characters I really liked and felt a real connection to. Not to mention I wanted to eat every one of her delectable treats!

In the end I rated The Crown’s Game 3.5 out of 5 stars. I found the “long-buried secrets” predictable (I managed to figure them out long before they were revealed), and it lacked the action I was hoping for, but it overall it was a good story and has a lot of potential for the sequel, The Crown’s Heir.

This is a good read for fans of The Night Circus, which I loved, so don’t necessarily take my word for it. Read The Crown’s Game for yourself! I think I just went into this one expecting one thing and got blindsided by a completely different type of story.

“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