Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 3

August 3, 2025

The Sunday Post: Chapter 33

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Chapter 33

Hey Book Blogger Friends! How was your week?

I just realized that even though I posted in July, I forgot to do The Sunday Post since the end of June… still getting back into blogging and trying to schedule everything 🤦🏻‍♀️

Anyway, tomorrow, August 4th is my 33rd birthday and I’m leaving for a small getaway to celebrate this afternoon.

I’m planning lots of rest, nature hikes, reading in the reading nook of the B&B I’m staying at, and working on one of my novels. I need this break.

Last Month on the Blog:

🔪 It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 30 June 2025

🔪 WWW Wednesday: 16 July 2025

🔪 Can’t Wait Wednesday: 13 Months Haunted!

🔪 Thursday Musings: How My Reading Tastes Have Changed Over Time

🔪 First Line Friday: 18 July 2025

🔪 It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 21 July 2025

🔪 Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books Set in the UK

This Week on the Blog:

🔪 It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 4 August 2025

🔪 Top Ten Tuesday: Genre Freebie – Favorite Romantic Suspense Books

🔪 Can’t Wait Wednesday: Revere by Eva Simmons

🔪 Thursday Musings: Reading on Vacation – pack the kindle or the book stack?

🔪 First Line Friday: 8 August 2025

🔪 Stacking the Shelves: 9 August 2025

New Book Mail on My Shelves:Physical:
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Published on August 03, 2025 00:02

July 21, 2025

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books Set in the UK

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books Set in the UK

This week’s TTT is about books set in a specific time or place. I’m taking the easy way out and picking 10 books set in the UK…or so I thought until I had to start looking where books were set 🤣

1. Anatomy by Dana Schwartz (Scotland)2. A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins (London)3. The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich (England)4. Murder at Wedgefield Manor by Erica Ruth Neubauer (England)5. The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie (England)6. The Wedding Witch by Erin Sterling (Wales)7. What Lies Between Us by John Marrs (England)8. Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand (England)9. The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley (Dorset, England)10. The Hotel by Louise Mumford (Wales)

What did you pick for this week’s prompt?

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Published on July 21, 2025 21:00

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 21 July 2025

This week I’m linking up to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date!

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Last Week I Read:Hello, Juliet by Samantha M. Bailey

I really loved this one! I loved the twist at the end, the story definitely kept me going. I have another ebook by this author on my kindle and I’m definitely bumping it up my TBR!

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

I’ve tried this one in hardback and audiobook and DNF’d it both times. As much as I would like to like this book it’s just not for me.

Currently Reading:Bourbon and Secrets by Victoria Wilder

I just started this one. I loved the first book but I’m a bit confused… in the first book I had the impression that Lincoln and his late wife were so in love and her death was so hard on him and now it’s like… they were on the brink of divorce and she never loved him??

The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon

I’m about 30% into this one and it’s not bad so far. I think I see where the big mystery is headed but I could be wrong. Either way I thought the cover was cool and I love the tie-in to Alfred Hitchcock.

Reading Next:The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman

This one has been on my TBR for a while and I recently saw that my library has the audiobook edition.

What are you reading and loving this week? Have you read any of these?

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Published on July 21, 2025 00:13

July 17, 2025

First Line Friday: 18 July 2025

This week I’m joining First Line Friday. First Line Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Carrie @ Reading is My Superpower! So grab the book nearest you, your current read, or the book on top of your TBR stack and share the first line.

My pick this week is…

The Woman in Suite 11Blurb:

In this follow-up to #1 New York Times bestselling author Ruth Ware’s multi-million copy mega-hit The Women in Cabin 10, Lo Blacklock returns to attend the opening of a luxury hotel, only to find herself in a white-knuckled race across Europe.

When the invitation to attend the press opening of a luxury Swiss hotel—owned by reclusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann—arrives, it’s like the answer to a prayer. Three years after the birth of her youngest child, Lo Blacklock is ready to reestablish her journalism career, but post-pandemic travel journalism is a very different landscape from the one she left ten years ago.

The chateau on the shores of Lake Geneva is everything Lo’s ever dreamed of, and she hopes she can snag an interview with Marcus. Unfortunately, he proves to be even more difficult to pin down than his reputation suggests. When Lo gets a late-night call asking her to come to Marcus’s hotel room, she agrees despite her own misgivings. She’s greeted, however, by a woman claiming to be Marcus’s mistress, and in life-or-death jeopardy.

What follows is a thrilling cat-and-mouse pursuit across Europe, forcing Lo to ask herself just how much she’s willing to sacrifice to save this woman…and if she can even trust her?

And the first line is…

In my dream, I was trapped. Locked in a cell, deep underwater, where no one could hear my cries.

I actually love when books open where characters are dreaming about past traumas.

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Published on July 17, 2025 22:00

July 16, 2025

Thursday Musings: How My Reading Tastes Have Changed Over Time

Do you ever look back at your Goodreads or StoryGraph reading history and think, “in 200x I used to read a lot of this genre but I don’t anymore”…? I know I do. Do you ever look back at how your reading has evolved over time? Allow me to take you on a little walk into my reading past…

Preteens:

In the 5-6th grade I read a steady stream of Goosebumps, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and I tore through the Heartland books long before it was ever a tv show. While I was still pretty much a scaredy cat and the Goosebumps books sometimes gave me nightmares I was definitely entering my spooky loving era. I also read a lot of adult books my grandmother left lying around the house like Mary Higgins Clark mysteries.

Teens:

Ah, my paranormal romance era. This was pretty much all I read in my teens. (Although I also was a sucker for Nora Roberts, Lisa Jackson and Mary Higgins Clark still… again, my grandmother left them lying around. Oh – and Jackie Collins which was the “dirtiest” books I read at that time and now seem tame compared to some of the books I read 🤣)

Twenties:

My twenties were really my try-everything era. I read a lot of YA still but also NA romance, I tried sci-fi and fell in love with Jennifer L. Armentrout’s writing, my first “fantasy” read was The Sweetest Spell which was a gateway to the Great Hunt Duology by Wendy Higgins and ACOTAR by Sarah J Maas before dipping into Game of Thrones. For a while I mostly read fantasy until it started to get repetitive.

Thirties:

Ah, the current era. These days I’ve mostly left fantasy behind, although I’m of course hooked on the Fourth Wing books and really into Rachel Gillig’s writing to make a couple. But mostly I love thrillers, mysteries, dark romance, and contemporary romance. Some of my favorite authors are Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, Rachel Hawkins, Catherine Cowles, Eva Simmons, and Elsie Silver although I still read old favorites like Nora Roberts, Lisa Jackson, Agatha Christie, and Dawn Kurtagich.

How do you feel your reading tastes have evolved over time? Do you still enjoy the same genres you did 10 years ago? The same authors?

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Published on July 16, 2025 22:00

Can’t Wait Wednesday: 13 Months Haunted!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.

13 Months Haunted by Jimmy Juliano

Horror/Thriller, Standalone

eBook, Hardcover, 384 Pages

August 12, 2025 by Dutton

Blurb:

From Dead Eleven author Jimmy Juliano, a twisty, edge-of-your-seat novel about a unique haunting in the early 2000s

Piper Lowery, a public library clerk in charge of liaising with the local middle school, can tell right away there’s something strange about the new girl in eighth grade. Avery Wallace won’t touch any kind of technology, not even the computers at the library, and her mother comes to school with her every day, refusing to leave her side—not even when Avery uses the restroom.

And then there are the rumors, the whispers Piper hears from kids in the hallway and parents around Avery’s mother is a witch. Her sister and father were killed by something supernatural. A strange virus killed them.

Seeing how isolated and lonely Avery is, Piper befriends her but quickly realizes it might just be the worst decision she’s ever made. Because there’s something dark inside Avery Wallace, and it’s spreading . . .

Why I Want to Read This Book:

I thought Dead Eleven was an interesting read and this one sounds equally intriguing. I like that in Dead Eleven the author created an island that was frozen in the 1990s and now this book is set in the early 2000s.

Will you be checking this book out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

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Published on July 16, 2025 01:26

WWW Wednesday: 16 July 2025

This week I’m linking up to WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words!

WWW Wednesday was created by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and was taken over by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. To participate answer the 3 W’s:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

I’ve been in a mixture of rereading favorites and checking out new releases lately…

Currently Reading:The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware

I’m about 50 pages in and loving the setting so far. It’s making me long to travel internationally and hating myself that I have to wait until 2027.

Hello, Juliet by Samantha M. Bailey

This is my current audiobook pick and I’m about 40% in and completely absorbed in the story. Can’t wait to see who the killer is!

Recently Finished:Atone by Eva Simmons

I loved this one! I think my Alex might be my second favorite book boyfriend in this series after Saint/Kole and I’m excited to read the final book in the series!

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

This was a reread for me and I think I liked it even more the second time around!

This is another ARC read and it’s not out until April 2025. All I can say is if you like thrillers inspired by true stories, you need to have this one on your radar!

Reading Next:The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

I tried reading this one in hardcover once before and couldn’t get into in so I decided to give it a try in audiobook. My hold just came in so I better finish up Hello, Juliet.

What are you reading and loving this week? Have you read any of these?

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Published on July 16, 2025 01:16

June 29, 2025

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 30 June 2025

This week I’m linking up to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date!

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Last Week I Read:With a Vengeance by Riley Sager

I liked this one – it was a bit like a 1950s “Revenge” (tv show) meets a hint of Murder on the Orient Express. Not my favorite Riley Sager book but firmly in the middle of the pack.

Caught Up by Navessa Allen

I loved this one! While I still like the love interest in Lights Out a bit more than Nic/Junior in Caught Up I found myself internally squealing a lot while reading this one. It was fun, it was sexy, it was addictive.

Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito

If you’re looking for a boring read in which the author has no other purpose in putting words on the page besides to disgust the reader with gory visual descriptions and 200 pages of basically no plot, look no further than Victorian Psycho. I hated every second I was in the main character’s head and should have DNF’d it instead of pushing through to finish thinking it would get better. Spoiler: it didn’t. I was excited since I saw booktokers raving about it but now I want to know what they were collectively smoking while reading it.

Currently Reading:The Club by Ellery Lloyd

I needed a palate cleanser after Victorian Psycho and I’m in my rereading era and have been meaning to reread The Club for a while. I’m about 1/3 in and feeling better.

Impervious by Laurie Buchanan

I know Laurie through the #writerfriendschallenge I do on Instagram and I’ve been catching up on her Sean McPherson series the past couple months. I just started Impervious and it’s off with a bang! Also, I would love to go to a writing retreat like Pines & Quill… without all the murder it sounds really tranquil lol

Reading Next:The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

Another reread for me. The Club led me to thinking about The Midnight Feast and I want to re-listen to the audiobook.

What are you reading and loving this week? Have you read any of these?

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Published on June 29, 2025 16:00

June 28, 2025

The Sunday Post: In My Rereading Era, Rainy Days, and New Recipes

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

In My Rereading Era, Rainy Days, and New Recipes

Hey Book Blogger Friends! How was your week?

All I want to read lately are old favorites. There are some new-to-me books I’ve picked up and enjoyed but looking at my TBR is uninspiring and I keep reaching for moody summer-y thrillers I love.

This week we dropped from the scorching 90s down at times to the mid 50s which had me longing for those scorching days again. It was also rainy so I wasn’t able to get out and do much on my days off, instead opting for a self-care/movie day on Wednesday.

I’m officially at that part of summer where I don’t feel like cooking but with my food restrictions I can’t really go through a fast food place so I’ve been making a lot of new pasta salad recipes, salads, and my sweet tooth got the best of me and I tried a new vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe. My favorite was this Dijon asparagus and pea pasta salad…

Last Week on the Blog:

🔪 It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 23 June 2025

🔪 Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2025

This Week on the Blog:

🔪 It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 30 June 2025

🔪 Top Ten Tuesday: Freebie/Throwback

🔪 Thursday Musings: How My Reading Tastes Have Changed Over Time

New Book Mail on My Shelves:None this week
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Published on June 28, 2025 21:46

June 24, 2025

My Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2025

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

My Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2025

This week’s TTT is about books releasing in the second half of 2025 that we’re excited for. Here are mine…

1. Atone by Eva Simmons (7-11-2025)2. Nowhere Knights by Hannah Marae (Summer 2025)3. The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware (7-8-2025)4. Writers and Liars by Carol Goodman (7-15-2025)5. Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill (8-19-2025)6. 13 Months Haunted by Jimmy Juliano (8-12-2025)7. Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver (09-23-2025)8. Thief of Night by Holly Black (9-23-2025)9. The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong (10-14-2025)10. The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts (11-18-2025)

What books are you highly anticipating for the rest of 2025?

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Published on June 24, 2025 16:11