Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 56

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 1 August 2022

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.
Hey Bookdragons! I didn't have much reading time this past week because I had a ton of paperwork and meetings to do for work. I'm hoping to catch up more this week with a few short ebooks. 
What I Read Last Week: My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey(Picture Below)I only had about 100 pages left last week but, like I said, I barely had any reading time. I'm down to about 50 pages now. Currently Reading: My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey I'm hopefully going to finish this one by the end of my work shift today. I love the story though, it's funny, it's spicy, and I've been savoring it. A few scenes I've even had to refrain from "squeeing" out loud at work. 😆
Next ReadChaos & Carnage by Stacey Rourke
My pick for last week, Gallant, is still on my immediate TBR but I'm going to take a break with these books because I know that I'll breeze through both Chaos & Carnage (which is bound to be a 45 minute read) and The Dark One (which is a dark, sexy retelling I'm bound to devour.)

*** 
 What are you reading this week? Have you read any of my recent reads?

The Sunday Post - 31 July 2022

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

Hey Bookdragons! I hope you had a great week! I spent most of the week getting the hardcover copy of my upcoming book, No Check Out, ready to go up for preorder and scheduling blog posts for August since I'll be working and won't have as much time to get them written. My mom and I had a day out yesterday and now I'm just looking forward to my 30th birthday on the 4th. 
🌹 It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? - 25 July, 2022🌹Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Books on My Past Seasonal TBR That I Still Haven't Read 🌹Can't Wait Wednesday: Daisy Darker🌹Book Blogger Hop

🍀 It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 1 August, 2022 🍀  Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books Set In Places I Want To Visit 🍀  I Can't Wait For... Their Vicious Darling! 🍀 Book Blogger Hop -  Have you ever switched reading genres? If so, why?

Learn More:Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan (Signed Copy) 
💀 This Week I Bookmarked: [Nothing This Week]

Book Blogger Hop - 29 July 2022

Book Blogger Hop

 About the Book Blogger HopThe Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer's permission, Billy @ Ramblings or a Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
July 29- August 4, 2022
If you mean follow along in the sense of having the book open in front of me while I'm listening, then no. For two reasons...1. I usually listen to audiobooks before bed so I usually have the lights off.2. I once was listening to an audiobook where words that were in the physical book were completely being dropped so it was hard to follow along. 
But I do sometimes switch between listening to audiobooks and reading the physical copy or ebook based on where I am. If I'm at work (I'm a police dispatcher), I have to be able to hear the radio if the officers are trying to talk to me so I stick to the physical copy or ebook. 
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What about you? Do you follow along with the print version while listening to audiobooks? Let me know in the comments or drop me a link to your post!

I Can't Wait for... Daisy Darker!

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.
I'm a sucker for anything comped to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, so I'm excited to see how this book spins it.  

Daisy DarkerStandaloneby Alice Feeney
eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook 352 Pages
August 30, 2022 by Flatiron Books
Blurb:
The New York Times bestselling Queen of Twists returns…with a family reunion that leads to murder.

After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in Nana’s crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.

The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows…

Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed.

With a wicked wink to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Daisy Darker’s unforgettable twists will leave readers reeling.

Add to Goodreads | Amazon | Bookshop.org
Why I Want To Read Daisy Darker:Like I said above, I'm here for all the And Then There Were None reimaginings / comped books. I like that this one is set with a family, instead of a group of strangers. It should make for an interesting twist. 
***Will you be checking this book out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books From My Past Seasonal TBR Posts I STILL Haven’t Read

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: Books From My Past Seasonal TBR Posts I STILL Haven’t Read This week’s TTT is all about books from our previous seasonal TBR posts that we still haven't read. I'm a good example of people who get excited about upcoming releases for a season, even preorder some, then never get around to reading them. Here are a few I still haven't read yet...
Fall 20211. Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey (October 29, 2021)
2. The Rhythm Method by Kylie Scott (November 9, 2021)
3. You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao (November 9, 2021)
Winter 2021-20224. To Die For by Amy Plum (December 13, 2021)
5. A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham (January 11, 2022)
6. In Every Generation by Kendare Blake (January 4, 2022)
7. House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas (February 15, 2022)
Spring 20228. The Club by Ellery Lloyd (March 1, 2022)
9. Famous in a Small Town by Kylie Scott (April 7, 2022)
10. Fate Touched by Becky Moynihan (May 31, 2022)
***What books were on your previous seasonal TBRs that you just haven't gotten around to reading yet? Is there any reason you're hesitating?Let me know in the comments or drop a link to your TTT!Happy Reading Bookdragons!-Taylor

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 25 July 2022

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.
Hey Bookdragons! I had a decent reading week last week. I worked last Monday night so I had six solid hours of reading and was almost able to finish Surviving Savannah. I came home, slept, and then finished listening to the audiobook. That's what I love about nightshifts, usually I can spend 80% of my shift reading. 
What I Read Last Week: Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan Mini Review:This book was beautifully written, painstakingly researched, and so moving. When I first looked up this book, I had never heard of the Pulaski disaster but I put it on my TBR because I'm planning a trip to Savannah in the next year and love to get the feel for places I'm visiting through books. Now? Now I'm completely obsessed with the fascinating, horrific tale of the doomed steamship, Pulaski. Full Review here.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Currently Reading:The City of Dusk by Tara Sim
I was able to make about 30 pages process in The City of Dusk last week. I'm thinking of getting the audiobook edition to see if I can move through it quicker. My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey I started reading this one on Thursday and I'm almost finished with it. It's as spicy as I was expecting from reading It Happened One Summer and Hook, Line, and Sinker. I'm also really enjoying the mystery aspect of it. Did I mention the female main character is named Taylor? (like me!)
Next ReadGallant by V.E. Schwab
I've been wanting to read this one since it came out. I'm a bit nervous when a book comps itself to Crimson Peak (my favorite movie) but I'm hoping to really enjoy this one. 
I have a few upcoming September ARCS to read but I'll focus on those next week.  
*** 
 What are you reading this week? Have you read any of my recent reads?

The Sunday Post - 24 July 2022

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

Hey Bookdragons! How was your week? Did everyone survive the heat? Monday and Tuesday were truly miserable and I've never been so excited to get to work as I was on Monday night just for the air conditioning. Speaking of work, as of July 31st I will finally be going full time as a police dispatcher! I have inherited the swing shift, which isn't great for my sleep schedule but I'm excited to finally get all the benefits of full time employment. 
🥀 It's Monday! What Are You Reading - 18 July 2022 🥀 Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2022 🥀 I Can't Wait for... Lightlark!🥀 {Release Day Blitz} Chaos & Carnage by Stacey Rourke🥀 Book Blogger Hop - 22 July 2022🥀 {Book Review} Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan


🍀 It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 25 July, 2022 🍀  Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books From My Past Seasonal TBR Posts I STILL Haven't Read 🍀  I Can't Wait For... DAISY DARKER! 🍀 Book Blogger Hop - 29 July, 2022




Learn More:The Luminaries by Susan DennardThe Kiss Curse by Erin SterlingSecrets So Deep by Ginny Myers Sain 

💀 This Week I Bookmarked:  Book Blogger Hop Surviving Savannah Resources - Patti Callahan's Website

{Book Review} Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan

 

Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan

About the Book:

Release Date: March 9, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Historical Fiction

Formats: eBook, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

Pages: 432

When Savannah history professor Everly Winthrop is asked to guest-curate a new museum collection focusing on artifacts recovered from the steamship Pulaski, she's shocked. The ship sank after a boiler explosion in 1838, and the wreckage was just discovered, 180 years later. Everly can't resist the opportunity to try to solve some of the mysteries and myths surrounding the devastating night of its sinking.

Everly's research leads her to the astounding history of a family of eleven who boarded the Pulaski together, and the extraordinary stories of two women from this family: a known survivor, Augusta Longstreet, and her niece, Lilly Forsyth, who was never found, along with her child. These aristocratic women were part of Savannah's society, but when the ship exploded, each was faced with difficult and heartbreaking decisions. This is a moving and powerful exploration of what women will do to endure in the face of tragedy, the role fate plays, and the myriad ways we survive the surviving.
Buy the Book:Amazon | Add to Goodreads | Bookshop.org
My Review:This book was beautifully written, painstakingly researched, and so moving. When I first looked up this book, I had never heard of the Pulaski disaster but I put it on my TBR because I'm planning a trip to Savannah in the next year and love to get the feel for places I'm visiting through books. Now? Now I'm completely obsessed with the fascinating, horrific tale of the doomed steamship, Pulaski.
The author weaves the story so well it's almost as if you are there in 1838 with Augusta, Lilly, and the other passengers of the Pulaski watching the horror unfold as the ship exploded and then on the lifeboats and floating on the decks left behind when the ship sinks. You feel the terror, the exhaustion, the helpless and hopelessness of the survivors as well as the grief for those lost forever. 
In the present time, Everly's story arc is so satisfying. We meet a woman who has basically closed herself off to any enjoyment in life and isolated herself from friends after a tragedy in her own life a year earlier and through curating the museum exhibit for the Pulaski and trying to uncover Augusta and Lilly's stories we see the spark return to her. She opens herself back up to old friends, including the former fiancé of her late friend Mora and makes a new friend in Maddox, who is leading the salvaging of the Pulaski wreckage. She's completely transformed from the beginning of the book. 
This is easily one of my favorite books that I've read so far this year. I listened both to the audiobook, which had great narrators, as well as reading the ebook when I couldn't listen to the audiobook (at work and out and about) and it was a real struggle to put down. It left me wanting to know more about the real life survivors of the Pulaski and their accounts, and the author even has resources on her website and at the end of the book should readers want to learn more. 
My Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Book Blogger Hop - 22 July 2022

Book Blogger Hop

 About the Book Blogger HopThe Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer's permission, Billy @ Ramblings or a Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
July 22-28, 2022
Yes! I keep missing out on Exclusive Editions from The Bookish Box, Mostly because I don't subscribe to their emails (I should fix that) and I don't see their posts in my feed on Instagram (Damn Algorithm) so I usually don't see them until they're already sold out and see the gorgeous editions on other people's posts. I would have loved to own them because they do such stunning jobs making exclusive editions of some of my favorite books.  These are 3 I wish I wouldn't have missed: 

The Four Horsemen Series by Laura Thalassa

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
It's unlikely that I'll ever own any of these because they're going for upwards of $300-500 on eBay.
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What about you? What hard to find first edition (or exclusive edition) would you love to own? Let me know in the comments or drop me a link to your post!

{Release Day Blitz} Chaos & Carnage by Stacey Rourke

Gallows humor and haunting delights meet in the continuation of the Death Diggers Saga! 

Chaos & Carnage by Stacey Rourke About the Book: Author: Stacey RourkeSeries: Death Diggers Handbook #5Release Date: July 21, 2022Format: eBook, PaperbackPages: 127Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Blurb:Sorrow haunts the Crane's Roost Inn,
Threatening all who step within.
An entity born of anguish and pain
seeks to expand its torturous reign.
Fueled by hunger that can never be sated,
with shifts in its form its victims are baited.
Malaria must find the host... much is at stake.
Lest a path of chaos and carnage lie in its wake.
Yet as her fragmented memories begin to return,
Horrific truths she soon will learn.
Will she flee to Carnage Crossing to escape the dark thrall?
Or join the lost souls wandering the hotel hall?
Buy the Book: Amazon