Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 7

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 23 December 2024

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 listened to a lot of audiobooks to try to get closer to my stretch goal for the 2024 Audiobook Challenge and also completed my December TBR from my Top Ten Tuesday post earlier this month!

Last Week I Read:Danger on the Atlantic (Jane Wunderly Mystery #3) by Erica Ruth Neubauer

Yay! The German spy was not the whole plot of the book. I did switch over to listening to the audiobook because this series is so much better in audiobook. Jane and Redvers are off to Istanbul next and I’ll probably listen to book 4 next month.

Claus and Effect by Piper Rayne

Save yourself some time and watch any Hallmark Christmas movie where two strangers have to travel cross country together to get home in time for Christmas. I’m with the reviewers who said this one was written with AI… it definitely came off that way.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I loved the full cast narrator on this audiobook but sadly (do not hate me) I strongly disliked Little Women and was afraid it would ruin the movie adaptation I like for me as well. The book is all the little things I dislike about the movie but magnified. Goody-goody Beth , Jo is way more annoying on the page, Meg is judged way harder just for liking nice things, and Amy (my favorite sister) is just whiny in the book. Not to mention the author basically preaches at you. I understand this book was written in the 1860s and women have so much more freedom and opportunities in 2024 but it’s okay to be creative. It’s also okay to want to fall in love or have nice things.

Axe-Identally Married by Daphne Elliot

I really enjoyed this one and would read more by the author.

Currently Reading:The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

I’m loving this one so far and can’t wait to read more of it over the next couple days!

Reading Next:TBD

I want to re-listen The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreina Cordani on Christmas and then I’ll probably listen to Impact Winter Season 3 but I’m not sure yet.

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

The Sunday Post: Snowstorms, First Day of Winter, and New Routines

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.

Snowstorms, First Day of Winter, and New Routines:

Hey Book Blogger Friends! How was your week? Are you looking forward to Christmas this week?

This week we had our first “big snowstorm” of winter 2024-2025. 8-9 inches were predicted, some schools closed, parking bans were put in place, people who have driven in Wisconsin their whole lives forgot how to drive in winter and… the weatherman overestimated things and we got about 4 inches.

Yesterday was Yule, the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. I made a nice dinner of garlic brown sugar chicken breasts in the slow cooker, cranberry balsamic brussels sprouts, and rosemary roasted fingerling potatoes and it was all very nice. Now the days can start getting longer anytime… lol.

I’ve been suffering from writer’s block for a few months so I established a new writing routine for myself. I have 4 writing projects I’m working on so I’m going to work on one per day on a rotating schedule. So far it’s working really nice for me.

Last Two Weeks on the Blog:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 16 December 2024 and WWW Wednesday: 18 December 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Winter 2024-2025 to-Read List

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

2025 Audiobook Challenge Intentions

First Line Friday: 20 December

Stacking the Shelves: 21 December

This Week on the Blog:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 23 December 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Bookish Wishes

First Line Friday: 27 December

New Book Mail on My Shelves:

Physical:

Stacking the Shelves: 21 December 2024

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

Books Added to My Shelves This Week:

This week I treated myself to two winters/holiday themed books…

Physical:

I started reading this one right away and I really like it!

I’m planning to read this one over Christmas!

What books did you add to your shelves this week? Have you/do you plan to read either of these?

First Line Friday: 20 December 2024

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…

Axe-Identally Married by Daphne Elliot

And the first line is…

“Blow on the dice, gorgeous,” he growled, his lips ghosting over the shell of my ear.

What is the first line of the book you’re reading this week?

2025 Audiobook Challenge Intentions

Hey Bookdragons! In 2025 I’m challenging myself to meet or exceed the amazing amount of audiobooks I listened to in 2024! The 2025 Audiobook Challenge is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer and the team at That’s What I’m Talking About!

How it Works:

Choose your level and get those audiobooks ready. Whether you are an audio virgin or an addict, they’ve got a level for you.

Use hashtag #2025AudiobookChallenge on social media to alert others to your listens and progress!

Challenge Details:Runs January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025. You can join at any time.The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2025 than you did in 2024.Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)All genres count.Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, etc. I recommend creating a shelf on Goodreads titled 2025 Audiobook Challenge. You can keep track and link the shelf. Grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. You can post on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, BlueSky, Threads, Mastodon, your blog etc. about the challenge.Updates plus a giveaway will be posted twice during the year. The first update will be July 5, 2025, and the last update will take place on December 27, 2025. You’ll have one week to link up and share your progress and enter giveawayAchievement Levels:Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10Stenographer (can listen while multitasking) 10-15Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+Over-Achiever (Power Listener) 75+The 100 Club (Audiobook Addict) 100+I Can’t Hear You (earbuds always in) 125-150 Audibly Addicted (listening to all the books 24/7) 150+ Last Year I Chose vs. Last Year I Listened To:

Last year I chose “My Precious”, aiming to listen to 30+ audiobooks.

I’m hoping to squeeze in a couple more before the end of the year but so far I’m sitting at: 91!

2024 Goal

This year I’m picking the “Over-Achiever (Power Listener) 75+” but I’m hoping to maybe hit 100 with The 100 Club as a stretch goal!

Follow My Progress

Are you joining in? How many audiobooks do you want to listen to in 2025? How many did you listen to in 2024? Did you meet your goal? Pass it?

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

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.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Horror/Thriller, Standalone

eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook, 496 Pages

January 14, 2025 by Berkley Publishing

Blurb:

There’s power in a book…

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, to give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who plans to marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.

In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group delivers another searing, completely original novel and further cements his status as a “horror master” (NPR).

Why I Want to Read This Book:

First for all, I love the cover of this one and for that I will definitely grab a physical copy even if I’ll most likely listen in audiobook. I love the sound of this one and with the time it’s set in it should be a vividly written spookily good time.

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

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books on My Winter 2024-2025 to-Read List

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 on My Winter 2024-2025 to-Read List

This week’s TTT is all about our Winter 2024-2025 TBR list. There are a few I know for sure I want to read and some upcoming releases that look really good…

1. Eternal (Sigma Sin #2) by Eva Simmons

I loved the first book in this series, Saint, and I’m looking forward to starting this one at the end of the year.

2. Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney3. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix 4. All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles5. Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger6. Ghost (Twisted Kings MC #2) by Eva Simmons7. A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall8. She Doesn’t Have A Clue by Jenny Elder Moke9. The Weekend Guests by Liza North10. Beast of the North Woods (Monster Hunter #3) by Annelise Ryan Screenshot

What books are on your winter 2024-2025 TBR? Did any of mine make your list?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 16 December 2024 and WWW Wednesday – 18 December 2024

This week I’m linking up to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date and WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words!

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

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?

Currently Reading:Danger on the Atlantic (Jane Wunderly Mystery #3) by Erica Ruth Neubauer

I’m about 20% into this one and waiting for the story to pick up. I’m not into the whole German spy on an oceanliner plot, it reminds me of an episode of Murder, She Wrote that I hated.

Recently Finished:The Whispering Night by Susan Dennard

I loved how this trilogy ended and I can even see the author doing a spinoff in this same world!

Reckless Games by Eva Simmons

If you’re looking for a spicy holiday novella then look no further! This was one hot read!

Keyless in the Coffee Station by Bee Littlefield

This was a fun New Year’s Eve novella set before the first book in the series which I read earlier this year.

The Christmas Party by Kathryn Croft

I enjoyed this holiday thriller. It likely won’t stand out if I try to recall it a few weeks from now but it was a good set up.

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger

While far from my favorite Lisa Unger book I did like this short holiday thriller. I was sadly wrong about the killer but I enjoyed the story all the same.

Reading Next:Claus and Effect by Piper Rayne

This is my next library borrow and I hope I enjoy it. It sounds good but I’m also afraid it’s a little too fluffy for my usual book tastes.

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

The Sunday Post: Seasonal Affective Disorder, Long Work Weeks, and Snow Squalls

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.

Seasonal Affective Disorder, Long Work Weeks, and Snow Squalls:

Hey Book Blogger Friends! How was your week? I missed posting last week since I was working a 7-day stretch so I’m playing catch up this week.

It feels like ever since mid-November I’ve been struggling with seasonal affective disorder. I get it every year but it seems to hit me earlier and earlier as time goes on. I keep telling myself I just have to make it to April then I’ll be enjoying my vacation to New Orleans.

As I mentioned, I worked a 7-day work week from last Saturday through Friday. If I ever consider doing that again, please someone kick me. I thought it would be nice to have a little extra money before Christmas and didn’t take into account how exhausted I’d already be.

The last two weeks we’ve had several “snow squalls” here in Wisconsin. It’s basically a whiteout where we don’t get a lot of snow but the wind gusts really high causing blinding conditions not suitable for driving. So I’ve been enjoying my weekend off with movies and hot cocoa.

Last Two Weeks on the Blog:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? and WWW Wednesday: 2-4 December 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I Want to Read This Month

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Beautiful Ugly

Time Travel Thursday: 5 December 2024

Time Travel Thursday: 12 December 2024

First Line Friday: 13 December

Stacking the Shelves: 14 December

This Week on the Blog:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 16 December 2024 and WWW Wednesday: 18 December 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Winter 2024-2025 to-Read List

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

Time Travel Thursday: 19 December

First Line Friday: 20 December

Stacking the Shelves: 21 December

New Book Mail on My Shelves:

Library Audiobook Borrows:

Stacking the Shelves: 14 December 2024

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

Books Added to My Shelves This Week:

This week I borrowed two audiobooks from my library’s Hoopla system for my December TBR. I’ve already listened to the Lisa Unger book this week.

Library Audiobook Borrows:

What books did you add to your shelves this week? Have you/do you plan to read either of these?